Some Albums & Songs I’ve Been Listening To
It’s been a while — which means it’s time to blog about music! Here are some songs and albums I’ve been enamoured with lately.
SONGS
FRENCH TOAST — WESTSIDE GUNN FEAT. WALE, JOYCE WRICE
The piano riff combined with Gunn’s high-pitched inflections set up for a killer verse from Wale. Joyce kills it, as well. Three spectacular perfomances on an incredibly creative beat. I’ve been listening to a lot of Westside Gunn lately, and this song has been a mainstay in my rotation.
“I’m out here in Paris, just
crushing on you”
From start to finish, this is an enjoyable listen, it’s a song to get lost in.
COULDN’T BE DONE — FREDDIE GIBBS
This may be my favorite album intro that I’ve heard this year. The production, in particular, is impressive. The way that Freddie arrives on the beat, flows in and out of a Kanye-esque sample flip is tremendous. He comes in with all force, going bar-by-bar with a quick flow.
“Big Rabbit,
They said we couldn’t do this shit-“
This is everything you want in an album intro. As for the rest of $oul $old $eperately, I can’t say I’m a huge fan, but Freddie delivered on this track.
WALKIN — Denzel Curry
This song feels like you’re walking through the Star Wars outpost of Tatooine — as illustrated by Curry’s music video for the song.
But I think one of the things that stands out for me is that there’s three different versions (the regular album cut, a version with Key Glock, and a live-band version featuring the Cold Blooded Soul Band) and each version is great in it’s own right.
“Keep on Walkin’
Ain’t no stoppin’
In this dirty, filthy, rotten’, nasty little
World we call our home”
There are countless flow switches, top-tier bars, and mesmerizing production that all encompass a song that gives off an atmosphere that’s difficult to project, yet Curry manages to do so masterfully.
ALBUMS
Cheat Codes — Black Thought and Danger Mouse
Black Thought delivers thoughtful lyrics over experiemental production with unique sample flips from Danger Mouse. This album wasn’t on my radar until it came out, but it likely will land in my top-5 albums of 2022 (something I will probably write in December).
From the feature-laiden “Because” with Joey Bada$$ and Russ, to the passionate verses given from Conway the Machine, MF DOOM, and Black Thought himself, this album is jam-packed with content layed over catchy, funk-inspired instrumentals.
This album is gorgeous in every minute, and has something for everyone to enjoy.
“Prisoners of Azkaban, thinkin’ of a master plan
Images of grandeur by Jamel Shabazz, Dapper Dan
Clap your hands whether you in Paterson or Pakistan
Richard Wright, black boy that grew into a blacker man
Early African or European, which was more supreme
The visions vary, this shit get scary, inform your team
My dignitary consigliere is more a Deen
My skin tone is aubergine, I’m a war machine
A sinner who’s casted all the stones he can managе
But with a home team advantage, most pеople don’t see the damage”
THE HOUSE IS BURNING — ISAIAH RASHAD
For some reason, I keep coming back to this 2021 project. Rashad’s vocals combined with dreary production is addictive. That combined with a unique style compared to everyone else in the genre, Rashad leaves you wanting more of his music in the best way possible.
At the end of 2021, I ranked this as my ninth-favorite album of the year. Looking back, I’d have to move it up to the 5–7ish range.
You get crazy-fun features from Lil Uzi Vert, Duke Deuce, and Jay Rock as well as more mellow cuts like RIP Young, Score and HB2U.
The album itself is about Rashad’s mental, or ‘House’, figuratively burning — and the music demonstrates that. It’s worth revisiting. “The House is Burning” is one I go back to often.
“You are now a human being
I should just pack up my bags and get loaded
She sick and tired of distance, I’m a ghost
This ain’t the time of my life, but I’m still on drugs
Just had a weekend buzz
Have I been cheatin’ myself? I’m implodin’
She’s sick and tired of, “Listen, I’m broke”
This ain’t the time of my life, but I’m still on drugs
Just that weekend buzz
You are now a human being”
Thanks for reading.
“It ain’t too late to be great
All you gotta do is adopt the understanding that
a great mind is able to recognize great things” — AA Rashid