YEEZUS

YEEZUS

Kanye West never fails at being different, revolutionary and over-the-top bold. His notorious antics are not new to anyone, but regardless of how one may feel about Mr. West, it is important to note his genius. As his new album is ready for a June 18^th release, his marketing strategy behind this one has been truly one of a kind.

First off, the album title is Yeezus. This album title will either excite you for the music that is to be featured, scare you away because of the music that may be featured, piss you off because you find it sacrilegious or instill you with profound levels of curiosity. Whichever the case, he has gotten every music fan talking about this album title.

It is June 6^th, and we still do not have a CDQ single from the album or an official track list. In more traditional alum marketing, singles are unveiled months prior to the album’s release date in an effort to excite people and promote an artist’s upcoming work. Perhaps, Kanye is actually drawing more attention by giving out nothing in terms of what the album will sound like. Also unconventional, he has had full building projections of a video that features a track titled ‘New Slaves.’ He has had these projections appear on buildings internationally over the past few weeks, promoting what is assumed to be a song from the upcoming album. In certain projection screenings across the world, cops have come and shut them down. Once again, whether you like it or not, Kanye is indeed drawing lots of attention for his album. (As stated earlier, a CDQ version of the single has not yet been released.)

On the ‘Saturday Night Live’ season finale, Mr. West also performed a song titled ‘Black Skinhead.’ Although a live version is all we have for that track, it too will likely be featured on Yeezus.

What has been released is the album artwork. Well, technically there really is no album artwork. That is right, NO ALBUM ART!! Instead, on June 18^th when fans rush the stores to buy Yeezus, the CD will be in a clear case sealed shut by a small piece of red tape on the right side. That is it. No paper, no pamphlet and no song list will be featured when people buy the album. Kanye insists what he just wants people to listen to and actually hear the music. If nothing else brought interest to West’s upcoming album, this certainly must.

Yeezus will be the first of its kind. It is likely that Kanye will be starting a new trend with this album’s marketing and promotion. We shall see later this month if this “less is more” strategy pays off for Kanye West.

Written by Seth Kaplan.

From Cole 2 You

Truly Yours 2

J. Cole

After multiple listening sessions for J. Cole’s latest ‘Truly Yours 2’ mix tape, I find the six-track EP to be both entertaining and intriguing for his upcoming album. His latest LP will be released on June 25^th, and is titled Born Sinner. Although Cole insists that the lead track, Cole Summer, on ‘Truly Yours 2’ is “not a preview, of what the album is going to bring you,” he is able to recapture the feeling associated with his earlier works such as ‘The Warm Up’ and ‘Friday Night Lights.’

Right from the get go, Cole Summer features an overly honest J. Cole speaking about the worries and concerns he has as an artist. He discusses the possibility of his next album being a flop, and repeatedly compares his rap career to Drake’s rap career. Although Jermaine spills his heart out, he never once appears to genuinely doubt his abilities. His self-confidence still finds a way to prevail throughout the track’s solemnness. The J. Cole-produced instrumental effortlessly appeals to the ear, as the entire cut is relaxed from the drum pattern to the soulful samples.

Young Jeezy assists the second track on the EP, Kenny Lofton. This witty track, with an exceptionally clever hook, essentially addresses how celebrities only receive heartfelt attention when they are at the peaks of their careers. “Kenny Lofton, you feeling my pace, they only care about a n**** when he stealing a base.” The instrumental is slightly unfitting for a Young Jeezy appearance, and his stacked vocals do not cleanly make the transition from Cole’s smooth delivery. With the exception of Jeezy’s potential misplacement, the track delivers as one of the most creative efforts we have heard from Cole in quite some time.

The third track, Chris Tucker, is the clear club-joint on the tape that feature none other than 2 Chains himself. Despite the catchiness of the chorus, J. Cole appears slightly non-genuine in his approach on this one. The beat does not correctly match Cole’s delivery, and the lyrics do not meet Cole’s intelligent expectations. The song is not all bad though for those looking for a song to work out to, as it is definitely the most upbeat approach on ‘Truly Yours 2.’

Head Bussa is a slightly cleverer track that possesses a confident tone. The obvious downside to this song is the unmotivated, annoying hook. The chorus does not comfortably fit the instrumental, and definitely does not meet J. Cole’s standards for hook making. With the hook to the side though, this track features a progressive Cole flow.

3 Wishes is an intelligent cut from the mix tape, featuring a heartfelt, smooth J. Cole. He relives his childhood struggles and tarnished relationships with friends over the years. It bears the same tone as his Can I Holla At Ya from the first ‘Truly Yours EP.’ Although a somewhat repetitive message from Cole, this track is enjoyable and smart.

The final track on ‘Truly Yours 2’ is actually Bas’ song Cousins, featuring J. Cole. All in all, Cole’s final approach before the release of Born Sinner delivers on key levels, and excites fans for what is to come. We do need to hear a stronger, hungrier J. Cole on his sophomore effort, and it sounds as though he is well aware of that. On June 25^th, all of our questions involving J. Cole’s status in hip-hop will be answered. Until then, enjoy the cold summer.

Truly yours,

Seth Kaplan

RRR score: 8/10

Rap's Acid Trip

Acid Rap

Chance the Rapper

So, let us hop in our time machines and take a trip back to the early 2000s; let us grab a young Kanye West and mix him with a mid 2000s Lil Wayne. Then, let us implement the drug habits of Kid CuDi and the energy of Twista. What do we get? How about Chance the Rapper?

Chance the Rapper introduces himself formally to the hip-hop world with the star-studded, high-powered mix tape Acid Rap. On the Good Ass Intro, Chance raps frantically over an intensely soulful backdrop. It sounds like the modern-day version of the old Roc-A-Fella classics we grew to know and love. As soon as he starts attacking the track, we hear a new voice unlike anything we have heard in hip-hop for quite some time. He comes off as a faster rapping Lil Wayne with an even higher pitched, loonier voice. Lyrically, his mind is tightly in tact, despite the many drugs he claims to use in his daily repertoire. “Rap’s just made me anxious and acid made me crazy…” is nothing short of a bold statement to start the masterpiece that follows over the course of the mix tape.

As the mix tape moves onward, he has effortless bouts of fun over some extremely upper-end production. He dominates Pusha Man, where he showcases his rap versatility in terms of his ability to glide on the track. On the already popular Cocoa Butter Kisses, he receives a special guest verse from none other than Chicago native, Twista himself. The Chicago influences do not die at any point on the mix tape, as he has no problems staying true to his home sound.

On the following tracks, Chance the Rapper continues his lyrical assault. He gets some assistance from other up-and-comers like Childish Gambino and Ab-Soul. Ab-Soul’s verse provides the perfect transition from Chance’s trance-like flow on Smoke Again.

From the Good Ass Intro to the Good Ass Outro, Chance the Rapper proves that he is here to stay. He may be the biggest underdog in the game, but he may also provide the biggest upside from any up-and-coming artists in the industry. He is fresh, he is trippy, he is smart, and he is different. He is really, truly different. Chance the Rapper is more than just a rapper; he might just be the future of rappers period.

Written by Seth Kaplan

RRR Score: 9/10

The 20/20 Experience

The 20/20 Part 2 A 20/20 Move?

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE'S THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE

With Justin Timberlake’s brand new album “The 20/20 Experience” hitting shelves this week, fans will enjoy JT’s latest work following his seven-year hiatus from music. As usual, Timberlake’s album is almost entirely produced by legendary super-producer, Timbaland. The two have worked together throughout JT’s career, and have been responsible for many number one smash hits over the past two decades. Only a day before the release of his new album, Justin decided to confirm the rumor that this album is only the first part of a two-part album. This album, containing only ten tracks, covers just half of the project’s twenty track cut list. Is it smart to make fans aware of a part two before part one even comes out though?

Notoriously throughout music history in recent times, it usually is not a good thing to promote future projects before or around the time an artist’s current project is being released. For obvious theoretical reasoning, promotion for future projects takes interest away from the release of the current project. It is, however, possible that Justin Timberlake is just too big to even be affected by such tactics. Timberlake probably figures he will sell a boatload of records regardless.

Personally, I have always thought that promotion for future projects around the time of a current release translates to: “I think my next stuff is better.” In JT’s case, I have listened to this ‘part one’ of his new album, and I think his work is nothing short of spectacular. Once again, maybe Justin’s superstar status just propels him past the competition, regardless of his marketing strategies. As a huge fan of both he and Timbaland’s music, I am just happy The 20/20 Experience delivers in terms of quality.

Whether it is smart or not for Justin Timberlake to be talking about the ‘part two’ to his new album now, his music is spot on. He will sell records no matter what, while he is also prepping for a ten-date tour with hip-hop legend, Jay-Z. The two together will be making their way across the country in the following months to come. The 20/20 Experience truly is music that people can see, no pun intended. 

Independent Sample-Free Success

Independent Sample-Free Success

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ decision to stay independent for the release of The Heist was bigger than simply rejecting countless major label deals. Their decision has paved a new road to success for today’s artists, and their tactic should not be forgotten any time soon. Not only did Macklemore decide to push away Interscope’s major label deal, he also refused to use any samples in the album’s music. Along with Ryan Lewis, the duo decided it was just easier not to deal with all the lawyers involved in clearing samples. Also, they did not feel like spending the additional money. The Seattle-bred group decided to record real musicians, use real instruments, and keep all their work 100% original.

The fifth single on The Heist, titled Thrift Shop, has stayed many weeks at the number one spot on Billboard and iTunes. It also reached the number one spot in the UK. All in all, Thrift Shop has already sold over 3 million copies worldwide. This is truly incredible, granted the hit song being the fifth single from a totally independent album release.

Ben “Macklemore” Haggerty battled substance abuse all throughout his twenties, but finally decided to give up the drugs for a shot at music success. Since the release of The Heist, it seems as though it has been all success for Ben since sobriety. Not only did the album quickly become one of my favorites and an instant classic in my mind, it has also found commercial success resulting from taking every non-commercial step along the way. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are living proof that people can find success staying true to form, making music that is not watered down to satisfy the current industry standards.

In the day in age where there is such pressure to come out with a hit under a major record label, along with a decreasing emphasis on artist development, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis controlled their own destinies. As true artists, they did it their way. They believed in themselves as people, and decided not to lose creative control over their work. As a result, The Heist contains homemade music that touches the souls of many music fans worldwide.