All right, one of my summer resolutions is to keep this blog updated. I am going to do that by writing a lot more music reviews. I am also going to eat healthier and start running around San Antonio again. Expect to hear from me more.
I hate Pitbull’s music. Just because he’s Latino (and I’m sure some San Antonioans think he’s Mexican), he’s played all over the radio stations in SATX. I don’t consider Pitbull a legitimate rapper, he’s a party rapper for sexy Latin parties. He does have a sexy Latin partner though. Her name is Nayer (pronounced Nigh-er, not NAY-YER like the Texan version of me wants to pronounce it). I saw her on Complex, and all I can say is that she’s hot. I think her face is a bit too Gloria Estefan, but every Latina singer is influenced by her. Her music could be decent if she just strayed away from Pitbull’s bullshit that sounds the same constantly. She pay’s homage to Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente.” If you’ve ever been to a Quinceañera, that classic song has to be played as much as gaudy formal wear has to be worn.
When I first heard that Kendrick Lamar was going to perform in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas…my hands started to shake. My friends know me as that white boy that spazzes a lot to rap music. The thing is that Kendrick Lamar’s “Faith” had changed my whole perspective on life. His music showed a light in rap that I had never seen, like a different color in a ray of light that I had never seen.
This would be my 3rd show hosted by Score More Shows. They’re one of the up and coming concert promoters in Texas right now, and they’ve brought me XV twice, Chip Tha Ripper, Wale, Black Cobain, and Trae Tha Truth. Next month they’re bringing me Big K.R.I.T and Bun B. This is all within a 70 mile radius of me. It’s a dream come true for a fellow South Texan where all you hear is club rap and bangers on the local radio stations.
I went to a graffiti paint shop on San Pedro called “Montana.” Kendrick was supposed to do a meet-n-greet there. He ended up showing 90 minutes late. Myself and my friend were the first ones to meet him. I told him that “Faith” changed my life. He looked exhausted. He performed in Houston, Dallas, and in Austin just last night. I hope he knew that the track “Faith” had changed my life. He told me he appreciated it and signed my photo. Jay Rock was sitting next to him. They both gladly took a photo with me, which is something I will probably hang on to for a while, especially once Kendrick Lamar hits it big (that’s if the mainstream media will let good socially conscious rap thrive again).
Myself and my favorite rapper, Mr. Kendrick Lamar. He put on the best rap show I've ever seen.
I told Jay Rock to keep it “G.” Jay Rock’s face lit up and told me that he had really appreciated that. I thought it was pretty humorous coming from a white boy living in South Texas.
The original "G," Mr. Jay Rock of Black Hippy.
The only disappoint was that the meet-n-greet kept me from getting to the venue early. The concert took place at The White Rabbit. I remember in high school it was used for punk and indie rock bands. We Score More had brought Big Sean to the White Rabbit in December. That whole block on St. Mary’s St., which is down the school from where I went to high school, is really coming alive again.
My friend and I went inside and we were quite disappointed that even though it was a Sunday night, we were far in the back. We tried our best to get through the front, but no luck. The only thing I hate about these concerts is that we have to listen to local hip-hop artists perform for about 2 hours. We watched probably four different artists. One of them had a 14 year old Caucasian yelling “SWAG SWAG SWAG SWAG” throughout the set. Everyone just stared in the distance hoping the torture would end. How can you perform music like that when you’re at a K.Dot concert, who is one of the most intellectual rappers we have today?
Another laughable feat was when the DJ asked the crowd if they liked YMCMB. Everyone booed and threw up the middle finger. The DJ tried to play it off and say “Yeah…I respect that.” Then he proceeded to play Lil Wayne and Drake.
After being inside the venue for about 3 hours, SchoolBoy Q came out and pumped the crowd up. Q was a last minute addition to the concert. He really tore the roof off, and prepared everyone for Kendrick. I was never more excited in my life. The man I’ve been bumping consistently for exactly a year was in my hometown about to give a performance that I’ve heard was legendary.
ScHoolboy Q really brought that fire we needed to get pumped for Kendrick Lamar.
In my mind, Kendrick Lamar’s performance was legendary. He communicates and interacts with a crowd like no other artist. He knows how to connect with people, which is obviously shown in his records. I screamed when he performed “ADHD” and I spazzed once again when he spit “Rigamortus.” I was having a musical seizure that I had no control over. Only Kendrick Lamar can give you intense music like this.
Kendrick looked to Black Hippy who was sitting in the back watching his performance. He noticed this white kid laying back with his arms crossed. “I see these motherfuckers hating. Like this motherfucker in the back with his arms crossed like he can kill me. Mother fucker, show me what you got.” This chubby white/pink individual came up, who was wearing a Section.80 t-shirt (like I was wearing, but had a faint printing on it), came up and grabbed a mic. He started to slowly rhyme “Look Out for Detox.” Everyone was yelling and cheering.
Then the albino child exploded and the crowd went nuts. Everyone was jumping around, and moshing over a fat white kid who could spit out “Look Out for Detox” perfectly. The DJ cut the music and the kid finished the whole verse. Kendrick looked amazed and admitted that he killed him on his own song. He went on to perform “The Spiteful Chant” with SchoolBoy Q and had the rest of the Black Hippy group come and perform.
Jay Rock giving Kendrick Lamar a break performing in San Antonio, Texas
Ab-Soul of Black Hippy spittin' "Gone Insane"
Kendrick went up to a girl and asked her if she had a boyfriend. She responded no, and Kendrick went on to recite “Tammy’s Song.” Then to make amends with the female fan, he had Jay Rock perform a solo for her. Then he proceeded to do a backflip. Kendrick joked and said that Jay Rock was doing a back-flip for the pussy. It was one helluva sight to see.
The two rappers I met this particular evening, Kendrick Lamar & Jay Rock.
As you can assume, I screamed the words of “HiiPoWeR.” Sadly, Kendrick only did one verse of HiiPoWeR. The concert was over. I went to the merch booth and bought a TDE t-shirt. I turned around and saw Jay Rock talking to the fans in the courtyard. I went up to Jay and thanked him for the music he makes. He seemed happy for another compliment. I always deemphasize giving compliments, and I don’t know why…
Kendrick Lamar did an amazing show here in the great city of San Antonio.
I went to the back of the venue toward my car, and I saw Ab-Soul talking to some fans. I first yelled “YOU’RE THE SHIT AB-SOUL!” He yelled back a thank you. I hesitated, but went for it and yelled back “Yo, SOUL! Can I get a picture?”
“Sure thing, man.”
I ran over and took a picture of Ab-Soul and held up my new TDE t-shirt.
Ab-Soul and myself showing our love for some great music. Such a cool guy...
I drove to the nearest Valero going toward SAC. There was a homeless man that was trying to buy a hot dog and a soda. He was short a dollar. I gave him a dollar, because I just felt so good.
That’s what I loved about Kendrick. After every track, he would recite the lyrics with his fans. It was like he was making sure they memorized all the words. In which we did. There must have been 200 people in that venue. I feel like those were the only 200 people that had ever listened or heard of Kendrick Lamar.
Kendrick Lamar’s music is for those that are on a sublime level of thinking. They truly see their blessings, and they try their best to count them. They see the positives in experiences like this, and try to build a better place to live. I love Kendrick’s positivity and passion. He’s a hip-hop artist that is rare nowadays, despite the many subgenres of hip-hop that exists.
Thank you for the best concert, ever.
*Note: All pictures and videos were taken by me. Please click to view the larger picture.
If you have read this blog before, I love hip-hop music. It’s basically what this blog is about. I wish I wrote more, but being an English major drains the creativity out of me. Sometimes, I need to write.
I don’t understand a lot of the negativity in hip-hop, but at the same time i do. Legends like Common & Nas want hip-hop to be true to what they made it. They’re the pioneers so the feel like they need it to sound like what they created.
But we do need artists like Drake to change the sound. Hip-hop would be dead by now if everything sounded like Illmatic or Wu-Tang. But hip-hop would have died in the late 90′s. I don’t understand people ignoring Childish Gambino. The guy does sound like Lil Wayne, but his wordplay is so entertaining and his stories are raw. You may not relate to it, but the lyrics are raw.
That’s why I don’t think Dubstep will last because you don’t have a dimension in Dubstep you can expand upon. People get bored of hip-hop because hip-hop goes through the same sounds for a certain time-period. But you can put the lyrics on so many different sounds and that’s why you have the Drake’s, the Childish Gambino’s, the Lil Boosies, it’s all different. Just because it sounds different than what you’re used to doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad. It’s just not your preference…
Not only did i fall in love with hip-hop because it was forbidden from my childhood, but it’s also something I keep trying to understand. I still keep trying to understand hip-hop. Every day. It’s fascinating to me. It’s something I do not relate to, and it draws me toward it. I like things that i don’t relate to because i don’t like things that I can relate to. Believe it or not…
Hip-hop doesn’t get boring to me because it’s something I constantly study. If I am consumed by something I relate to I don’t expand my horizons. I don’t know if listening to rap is just a phase or if it’s gonna be a life-long passion. But I love the hip-hop community because of the diversity of it. Does anyone understand where I’m coming from? (okay, i’m done with my rants).
PS, some of this was inspired by the Common/Drake feud. Alright, thanks again for reading.
There are no melodies sweeter than ScienZe’s project from 2011. The man has songs that make your emotions flutter and your mood relax. His beats are consistently smooth with a jazzy feel to them. His lyrics are filled with positivity. He’s vastly different than the egotistical screams that most hip-hop listeners are more-than well familiar with. The EP does remind me of the old Kanye West tracks he used to help get him signed to a major record label back in the early 2000′s. “Song In A Glass“ is an anthem that any man or woman can relate to,
I guess life be givin’ lemons when you got a pitcher. Now I only sip Corona down to taste the liquor. And I know it ain’t the same thing as lemonade. For every sour there’s a sweet, sweet getaway.
ScienZe is a refreshing artist with a view that is different but not unfamiliar.
2. Section.80 – Kendrick Lamar
I think everyone knows about Mr. Lamar by now. I don’t think people really understand what Section.80 is about. If you watch every interview he does about the album, he describes his debut independent-album as a very lukewarm and ambiguous concept. Some call “HiiiPower” a movement. I think Section.80 is a message described as a movement, but it not a movement. It is a movement disguised as a message. The message is to be an independent being. Stop being someone you are not, and start describing to others who you are and what your emotions are and be proud of who you are. Kendrick describes this anecdote best in “Ab-Soul’s Outro,”
I’m not on the outside looking in
I’m not on the inside looking out
I’m in the dead f*cking center, looking around
You ever seen a newborn baby kill a grown man
That’s an analogy for the way the world make me react.
I’m not the next pop star
I’m not the next socially aware rapper
I am a human motherf*cking being, over dope ass instrumentation
Everyone knows that Kendrick is beyond dope. I can’t wait to see him out here in SATX.
3. XV – Zero Heroes
XV’s my main-man. I’ve seen this brother twice in South Texas and met him. He’s actually a humble dude, with some fierce lyricism. Everybody’s Nobody is probably my favorite mixtape of all time. I admit, he came out weak in the overly-anticipated Vizzy Zone. He made up a lot of ground for Zero Heroes.
This is probably the darkest we’ve ever seen Vizzy. The mixtape starts as a humbling introduction with an ode to his hometown “Wichita.” The album has a dark shadow with tracks like “Smallville”“Swervin’” and “When We’re Done.” However, the break-out tracks are definitely breakthroughs for XV. The Kendrick Lamar-assisted joint “Textbook Stuff” blows your mind with insightful metaphors over a melodramatic chorus “Hey there baby, it’s just Textbook Stuff. It’s in the ABC’s of growing up.” Kendrick goes hard like usual that brings this mixtape to the top. The heavily emotional narrative “Pictures on my Wall” can help anyone relate to their childhood struggle to find themselves with the pressures of adults trying to influence you. The project is not all growing pains, it’s got some bangers from porn star Kristina Rose on “UFC”. “Foreign Exchange Student” and “All For Me” are also feel-good happy tracks that are reminiscent of some old Vizzy tunes.
4. Childish Gambino – Camp
Pitchfork is just mad because CG is blowing up with his Community/stand-up/live show/rapper fame as he raps “I’d give you MTV if I could man, but Pitchfork only like rappers that are crazy or hood man.” Camp is a theatrically brilliant album with a melodramatic theme. Childish Gambino raps about his childhood growing up and his growing pains then and now. Everyone has complaints that it’s all about how he was the gay-kid getting picked on, and that the album is a bit whiney. Last time I checked, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was mostly about the break-up pains Kanye West went through with Amber Rose. Camp is a bit darker than most, but he undeniably has hardcore rhyming skills with “Bonfire” and “You See Me.” I’d love to see CG in an 8-Mile rap battle. This brother kills with one-liners and word play.
She’s an over-achiever, because all she do is SUCK SEED.
…Yeah. That’s more than decent Pitchfork.
I made the beat and murdered it, CASEY ANTHONY.
Eat that Supa-Dupa Flow, Big Sean & Drake!
I got a girl around my arm, show some respect. Something crazy & Asian, VIRGINIA TECH.
…Okay, I’m done now. You get the point. It’s just a fun album, period.
I’ve been following this cat since last year’s Cole Tape: Friday Night Lights. His verse on “Enchanted” is probably one of my favorite verses in a while. This album is organic. He put his soul and anguish into this tape in a way that cleanses your senses. “Answers” and “Fighting The Feeling” are songs that every man can relate to. Every man has his those low-points at least once in their lifetime, and Omen hits them on que. “Wow” is probably one of the funniest tracks I’ve ever heard in my life, and it all comes from J. Cole’s DreamVillains crew. He also has beautiful up-and-coming singers like Shalonda and Ari Lourdes. This is such a great tape. Oh…Kendrick’s flow also goes hard in “Look Of Lust.”
I guess I like projects that have a lot of depressing thoughts? I’m not sure. Anyways, here’s my picks for the best songs of 2011:
I hate to say it, but as an old Wale fan, this is really disappointing, but at least it’s corny and funny. Don’t get me wrong, I like the song. I don’t like that he has something so cheesy in such a sensual song.
I went to his show in Austin, Texas this past weekend at La Zona Rosa. I’ll get that post out ASAP.
Whether Wale sold out or not is irrelevant. The only thing that matters to him is when and if he becomes "Legendary."
Wale has officially hit the mainstream realm of the music industry. He has arrived along with newcomers such as J. Cole and Wiz Khalifa. He has reached #2 on the Billboard charts selling 164,000 units in its first week of release.
His new album Ambition is about Wale’s strife to fame, hopefully to be deemed by the rap gods, the bloggers, the media, the listeners, whomever as “Legendary.”
Wale spits:
I aspire for awesome and require some flossing
Only way they gon listen, find it highly unfortunate
Tryna see if real lyric spittin can buy me a Porsche
Tryna see if I get my critics as silent as auctions
I decided to boss up, life’s a bitch and I court her
Don’t always fuck me good, I’m just too cheap to divorce her
Will Wale become the legend that he’s always strived to be? When they talk about ‘Ye, Dre, Pac, Biggie, Jay Z, Wayne, should we be talking about Wale?
Wale has failed to produce a profitable single of his own. He struggled using his authentic and stylish rhythms of “go-go” music during his years as an up-and-coming indie rap artist located in the DC area. He dropped his underground roots and hoped on a plane to Miami with Rick Ross’ gangster-music label Maybach Music Group. Wale was hoping that Ross’ mainstream name and commercial appeal will help him sell the records he wants to sell and obtain the status he wants to be viewed as. Sure, Wale was featured on the summer smash “No Hands” record that the club-heavy, “ignorant” rap artist Waka Flocka Flame skyrocketed through dance clubs everywhere, but not many individuals that listen to your classic R&B and Rap radio station have heard of Wale. They sure as hell probably couldn’t even spell his name correctly.
Looking at Wale Folarin wearing the same glasses that has been watching him grow through his Mixtape About Nothing and Attention: Deficit pains and gains (the only gain he acquired during this era was critical acclaim), he really hasn’t made a name for himself. Will this Ambition album make his name -that-was-never-really-taken-seriously — taken seriously?
The album Ambition has a format that sells. Smooth sexually-influenced jams (“Sabotage,” “White Linen,” and the single “Lotus Flower Bomb“) with every R&B artist possible featured: Miguel, Ne-Yo, and Lloyd (except the re-risen star Chris Brown). He has a banger with “Chain Music” that gives the Rick Ross brand their familiar appeal. The club poppin’ “Slight Work” includes the poppin’ Big Sean, who’s hot on any track right now and is reviving his Finally Famous: The Album with an impeccable and fun Nicki Minaj feature “A$$.” The thing is, though, it seems as if he’s getting the guys that have the awesome features as features. He doesn’t have that Chris Brown or Nicki Minaj feature that a rapper needs to make that memorable single. Miguel has not established a concrete name, so “Lotus Flower Bomb” has been a bomb. It’s a solid track, from a critical standpoint, but it doesn’t have what the industry really wants. The industry wants that big name that’s repetitively on those billboard charts and the top of TMZ.
Wale has been stuck at the “you’re famous, but you aren’t universally famous.” Wale wants that universal appeal to his fame. Ambition is a step toward mainstream, but it isn’t the mainstream that Wale wants. The arguments of whether or not Wale has sold-out is irrelevant. He wants to sell out, he wants to be legendary. He’s had the money with his “No Hands” feature, he got that big deal with Interscope and now Warner Bros. He’s trying to make the steps toward “Legendary,” but he is scared.
Have you considered the fact that Wale is scared shitless he will lose the artistic integrity that he built his fan-base with? His next album will be a crossroads. Will he continue to do his familiar-sounding tracks such as “Double M Genius” and “Miami Nights” with the heavy horns and funky beats (“Illest B**** Alive“) that identified his “go-go” sound? Or will he break out and perform that heavy Ross-sounding “Chain Music”? Or will he retry the club beats like “Slight Work” with a real feature from a #1 engrossing artist? Or does he want to establish himself as the new R&B rapper, and snag Chris Brown?
Ross probably gave him his second option after signing with MMG, do it your way or do it my way. Ross knows what to sell, but let’s try it Wale’s way to keep what’s closest to him. If you want to stick to your fan-base, give your fans an album that will make them stick around for a little bit longer. But next time, it’s Ross’ way.
Ambition is probably a preview of what’s to come for Wale. I think we need to kiss the “Double M Genius” go-go sounding tracks and hug the up-beat and poetic narratives such as “Miami Nights” good-bye.
3.5/5 stars
Keep it: “Miami Nights” “Double M Genius” “Ambition”
My first reactions to Cole World: The Sideline Story:
Cole releases an impressive almost entirely self-produced debut today.
It’s a very polished album, rich in sexual nature. You can tell most of the album is Cole’s production with the high strums. His raps are smooth. There are classics that will make your heart melt, and rhythms that will make your hands clap and your head bob. I love how Cole keeps his classic piano sounds as well. He sticks to his classic “Lights Please” that got him signed under Jay Z and the heartfelt “Sideline Story.” The clubier tracks “Cole World” and “Mr. Nice Watch” are definitely not his production and a bit too commercially sound. It’s obviously a very good album. “Nobody’s Perfect” is the biggest surprise with Missy Elliot doing some smoother than-a-glass-o-wine ballads. This track is more than pleasant. Cole should have picked some more diverse topics to rhyme about besides sex on sex on sex, and I hope he does that on a sophomore debut. Will it become a classic? Only time will tell.
Merchant’s classic is a gem that deserves more recognition.
I was taking a walk around one of the richest neighborhoods during the summer of 2006. There was a golf course in the middle of Sonterra, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in San Antonio. As I reached the other side of the green, “Wonder” came on my iPod. The images before me blurred as Natalie Merchant described the tale of a young woman that survived a fatal illness. I knew the chorus from my childhood. I probably haven’t heard the song since circa 1996. I recognized it. It reminded me of the times when I would be in the car with my aunts and singing along as I enjoyed the air conditioning during another hot summer day in south Texas.
I’ve been listening to this album regularly for years. It is my favorite album of all time. Natalie Merchant’s soothing deep voice is a perfect marriage with her folk tunes. This was her first album after leaving her band 10,000 Maniacs. “Carnival,” the cool electro-jazzy pop tune was an instant smash single. The real crescent of the album, I believe, lies in “I May Know the Word.” Merchant’s singular love-themed work is highlighted with complete sincerity in her lyrics.
Merchant’s sincerity flows through all of the tracks in Tigerlily, through her relaxing voice in “River” to her perfectly harmonious voice in “San Andreas Fault.” I wouldn’t understand you if you called this album anything else but beautiful.
Merchant is probably the greatest product to come out of Lilith Fair because of her master folk music skills and her voice’s ability to tell a story with dictation. Every track is platinum on this album. The album is full of emotion with modest bravado.
I remember it was a glorious sunny day on July 1, 1998. There were big white clouds in the sky, and the heat was banging on my soft brown hair. I was turning eight years old, and all my aunts and uncles, mother, father, and grandmother were giving me the ultimate birthday dining experience; the Olive Garden. I feasted on a personal sized pepperoni pizza, topped with the best of toppings; diced green peppers, olives, and cilantro. After my feast, my family presented me with my very own stereo system. All I remember was that it was a 3-disc CD changer.
My aunts bought me my first two albums on CD. The summer of 1998 was going through the latin craze, and I was enthusiastic about it. I received Ricky Martin’s self-titled English debut and Lou Bega’s A Little Bit of Mambo.
This started my love for music. It was a small contribution, and it wasn’t until I was around fourteen years old until I started to listen to mainstream rap.
These are the albums that have changed my life thus far. All of these albums receive 5/5 stars.
I saw Pac Div (aka Pacific Division) at Stubb’s in Austin, Texas back in July 2009. They were the show’s nobody’s. You know who else was the 3rd in the line-up? B.o.B. His quote-unquote future hit single was a song called “Satellite.” No one knows the name of that song today or has ever heard it. A disappointing Kid Cudi and the surprisingly-entertaining Asher Roth were headlining the Great Hangover Tour.
Pacific Division completes a complete package and styles their energetic nature with "Mania!"
Pac Div got the energy going at that concert. They were promoting their small mixtape Church League Champions. They were performing explosively catchy songs like “Mayor” and “No No.” These dudes were exploding with spirit that the whole crowd felt.
Mania is a complete mixtape, almost as complete as it gets. Each record is a different genre with a west-coast flair to it. “Mirror” is the heartfelt piano inspiration; “SuperNegroes” and “Chief Rocka Freestyle” is your classic 1990′s remixes of the smash hits “Chief Rocka” by Lords of the Underground and soul-funk’s Lynn Colins’ “Think” (Remember “It takes two to make a thing go riight”?)
The first single off the tape is “Take Me High,” which is a jazzy rhyme with smooth horns that make you feel like you’ve got class, and maybe even a fat ass.
“Fallin” is the track that reminds you of Pac Div’s Church League Champion days with the trio’s synchronized singing that has that old-school 90′s feel to it.
Get tired of the retro sound? Check out the new-age “Anti Freeze” (with an AWESOME reference to Coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs) and “Your Fuckin Song,” and especially for the heavily-produced “Still a Knucklehead.”
R&B soul tracks “Show You” and “Nobody’s Perfect” takes you to some classic and new-age R&B with some sensual twists with the help of BJ the Chicago Kid (for “Show You”). “Somethin” is also a soulful inspirational track that helps end the mixtape and compliments the first track “The Mirror.”
Let me put it to you this way, Mania has it all. It has old school, new school, R&B, inspirational, west-coast, soul, sex beats, up-beat, low-beat, damn these guys put together a complete package. It may even make you get those sweet feelings of nostalgia with “Out,” a personal favorite of mine.
austinwnewton
