Woy's Album Reviews.

[NAHSTE]

Exactly. You get Sideline Story which is like this incredible, engrossing track and then you go to "swag" shit. If you're going to make it a perceived concept album like he did, then do the concept, tell your story.

Yeah, that was my first time hearing Cole and through Sideline Story I was like "ah this guy has something real to say" then he delved into superficial swag land for five or six tracks, and I was like this shit sucks.

 

[1ke]

I for one wouldn't mind if artists went back to doing more freestyles on their mixtapes instead of putting all their dope songs on there, only to have their albums fall below expectations

Speaking of Mixtapes, you gotta new one soon or what brah?

 

[Houston]

I for one wouldn't mind if artists went back to doing more freestyles on their mixtapes instead of putting all their dope songs on there, only to have their albums fall below expectations

I don't see why rappers make these full mixtapes to begin with. I'd rather them just throw 4-5 good songs on there, quick to listen to and no room for holes.


In terms of a mixtape, I don't see the benefit of having 18 songs as opposed to 5.

 

[MvP]

Mfers have short attention spans nowadays, a rapper could put out two 15-song mixtapes and an album in the same year and two months later they'll wonder when he's gonna start putting out new music again.

 

[DJ Rhude]

Speaking of Mixtapes, you gotta new one soon or what brah?

Yeah I got some shit brewing up

 

[Houston]

Mfers have short attention spans nowadays, a rapper could put out two 15-song mixtapes and an album in the same year and two months later they'll wonder when he's gonna start putting out new music again.

Not if they drop a classic. :jamesdean:

 

[Woy]

1.) Outside | 3 - 3.5
2.) Fire Fly | 1 - 1.5
- Cheesy Disney style hook.
3.) Bonfire | 4 - 4.25
4.) Letter Home | 3 - 3.5
5.) All The Shine | 4.25 - 5
- Best song on the LP, but the CD version is overproduced. The live studio version I watched on YouTube was much better.
6.) Heartbeat | 2
- Derails momentum like "Mr. Nice Watch" off Cole World. Doesn't fit after "All The Shine".
7.) Backpackers | 1.75 - 2
8.) L.E.S. | 3 - 3.25
9.) Hold You Down | 4 - 4.25
10.) Kids (Keep Up) | 1.25 - 2
11.) You See Me | 3
- Fun beat when the hook drops, but the lyrics are bad. I do like the flow switch at the end though.
12.) Sunrise | 2 - 2.25
13.) That Power | 4 - 4.5
- I enjoy the breakdown of the theme at the end and the production fits for an outro.

Overall: 2.97/5

Brief Notes:
- Very disappointing effort, especially with how solid Childish Gambino's EP was at the beginning of the year. I understand the theme of the album itself, but that doesn't make it interesting overall from a lyrical standpoint or from a production standpoint. Too many of these beats sound poppy and others sound overproduced, like CG was trying to recreate a Kanye epic theme and failed. There's still hope for Donald Glover's rap career however, because "Freaks & Geeks" showed his talent and how talented he can be with punchlines and on a lesser scale "Bonfire".

 

[Woy]

1.) The Fall | 5
- Give me a full length project by James Fauntleroy with No I.D. on the boards right now.
2.) Six Ft. Over | 4 - 4.75
3.) Missing Me From Heaven | 3.25 - 4
4.) Not No More | 3 - 3.25
- I prefer the slower version on The Pursuit EP.
5.) Tomorrow | 4.25 - 5
6.) Loved to Death | 3
7.) The Legend of the Heart | 4

Overall: 3.96/5

Brief Notes:
- Just more good music from No I.D.'s bunch.

 

[Woy]

1.) Barely M.A.D.E. It (Ft. BJ The Chicago Kid) | 4.75 - 5
2.) Rob Me A Nigga (ft. Alley Boy) | 4 - 4.25
- The hook is catchy, yet dangerous depending on where you say it.
3.) 187 Proof | 4
4.) Anything To Survive (ft. Freeway, Sly Polaroid & Adrian) | 4.25 - 5
- Freeway's delivery is so entertaining...it's almost to the point that I don't really care what he's saying.
5.) Twos and Fews (ft. Young Jeezy) | 3.5 - 4
6.) Let Ya Nuts Hang (ft. Scrilla) | 3 - 3.5
7.) Let 'Em Burn | 2 - 2.25
- Yuck at this beat.
8.) B.A.N.ned | 3.75 - 4
9.) My Homeboy's Girlfriend | 5
10.) So Amazin' (P.S.A. pt. 2) (ft. Sebastian Mego) | 4
- Hook sounds kind of awkward, but it works.
11.) Natural High (Even Higher Learning) | 3.5 - 4
- Doesn't compare to the outro of midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik.
12.) Str8 Slammin' (ft. Juicy J) | 3.75 - 4
13.) Menace II Society (ft. Dom Kennedy & Polyester) | 3
14.) Neighborhood Hoez (ft. 2 Chainz) | 3 - 3.25
15.) Heaven Can Wait | 3 - 3.5
16.) My Dawgz | 4
17.) Sittin' Low (ft. Young Jeezy & Scrilla) | 3

Overall: 3.74/5

Brief Notes:
- Good tape, but it really starts to stumble near the end after a strong start. Doesn't match his other tapes that I've listened to, but I'm not worried in the decrease of quality with songs such as "My Homeboy's Girlfriend" and "Barely M.A.D.E. It". Gibbs is still one of the best in the game and will continue to be for a long time.

 

[Woy]

1.) Thuggin' (Vocal) | 4.25 - 5
2.) Thuggin' (Instrumental) | 4 - 4.5
3.) Riot Call (Bonus Beats) | 2.75 - 3
4.) Deep (Vocal) | 4.5 - 5
5.) Deep (Instrumental) | 4 - 4.75
6.) Cold On The Blvd (Bonus Beats) | 3.5 - 4

Overall: 4.10/5

Brief Notes:
- MADGIBBS LP in 2012...get hyped.

 

[Woy]

1.) English Lane | 2.75 - 3
2.) Blue Slide Park | 3.5 - 4
- Who you know is iller than Mac Miller? Well...
3.) Party On Fifth Ave | 3 - 3.5
- Really fun sample.
4.) PA Nights | 2
5.) Frick Park Market | 4.25 - 5
- Just a really, really fun song. Surprisingly a good song in the clubs too.
6.) Smile Back | 4 - 4.5
- Again, another fun one with solid production. This track and the previous one are easily the best on the album.
7.) Under The Weather | 2 - 2.5
- Nice flow, but nothing remotely interesting is being said.
8.) Of The Soul | 2 - 2.25
9.) My Team | 2.25 - 3
10.) Up All Night | .5 - 1
- Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
11.) Loitering | 1 - 1.25
- The constant humming (?) in the background is annoying.
12.) Hole In The Pocket | 2
13.) Diamonds And Gold | 3 - 3.25
14.) Missed Calls | 1 - 1.75
15.) Man In The Hat | 2
16.) One Last Thing | 2 - 2.5

Overall: 2.53/5

Brief Notes:
- There's some really solid tracks on here, but most of this is just an absolute mess. "K.I.D.S." starts to look more and more like a fluke every day.

 

[Misogi]

1.) Outside | 3 - 3.5
2.) Fire Fly | 1 - 1.5
- Cheesy Disney style hook.
3.) Bonfire | 4 - 4.25
4.) Letter Home | 3 - 3.5
5.) All The Shine | 4.25 - 5
- Best song on the LP, but the CD version is overproduced. The live studio version I watched on YouTube was much better.
6.) Heartbeat | 2
- Derails momentum like "Mr. Nice Watch" off Cole World. Doesn't fit after "All The Shine".
7.) Backpackers | 1.75 - 2
8.) L.E.S. | 3 - 3.25
9.) Hold You Down | 4 - 4.25
10.) Kids (Keep Up) | 1.25 - 2
11.) You See Me | 3
- Fun beat when the hook drops, but the lyrics are bad. I do like the flow switch at the end though.
12.) Sunrise | 2 - 2.25
13.) That Power | 4 - 4.5
- I enjoy the breakdown of the theme at the end and the production fits for an outro.

Overall: 2.97/5

Brief Notes:
- Very disappointing effort, especially with how solid Childish Gambino's EP was at the beginning of the year. I understand the theme of the album itself, but that doesn't make it interesting overall from a lyrical standpoint or from a production standpoint. Too many of these beats sound poppy and others sound overproduced, like CG was trying to recreate a Kanye epic theme and failed. There's still hope for Donald Glover's rap career however, because "Freaks & Geeks" showed his talent and how talented he can be with punchlines and on a lesser scale "Bonfire".

Wow. Disagree completely.

 

[Woy]

Wow. Disagree completely.

Yeah, I've heard this response from a solid amount of people. Camp just is so boring and unappealing to me, especially with how solid the EP was. The EP played right after I was done listening to Camp to finish the review and it was so much more entertaining and better lyrically.

 

[Misogi]

Yeah, I've heard this response from a solid amount of people. Camp just is so boring and unappealing to me, especially with how solid the EP was. The EP played right after I was done listening to Camp to finish the review and it was so much more entertaining and better lyrically.

I feel like every song on EP had an equivalent on Camp (minus Lights Turned On) and i loved Camp a lot more than EP, and i really loved EP. Heartbeat is the shit fuck your life.

 

[Woy]

1.) The Dreamer (ft. Maya Angelou) | 3.75 - 4
2.) Ghetto Dreams (ft. Nas) | 4.5 - 5
- If that Nas/Common album sounds like this, we could have something special.
3.) Blue Sky | 5
4.) So Sweet | 4 - 4.75
- Still don't understand the shots at Drake.
5.) Gold | 4.75 - 5
6.) Lovin' I Lost | 3.25 - 4
7.) Raw (How You Like It) | 3 - 3.5
8.) Cloth | 4.5 - 5
- James Fauntleroy sounds like a dream here.
9.) Celebrate | 5
- Sounds like a 2011 version of Kanye West's "Family Business". Just gives off the same vibe.
10.) Windows | 4 - 4.75
11.) The Believer (ft. John Legend) | 4.25 - 5
12.) Pops Belief | 3.5 - 4

Overall: 4.35/5

Brief Notes:
- This isn't "Be" but it doesn't have to be. Every previously released track before the album was available was great and the more you listen to this, the more other songs like "Cloth" and "Gold" stand out. It's a pretty complete album and a lot of the credit should be given to No I.D. for killing it on the production tip once again. He should be mentioned in every Producer of the Year discussion after his strong 2011.
- James Fauntleroy is used all through this album similar to how The Weeknd was incorporated into Drake's "Take Care" and Frank Ocean on "Watch The Throne". And with three of the most well-received albums in this genre operating under a similar, yet broad formula with their guest appearance, it'll be interesting to see if this expands in 2012.

 

[CCBrink]

Doing a full review for EOS?

 

[Woy]

Doing a full review for EOS?

I want to, but I doubt it. Just trying to put together the rest of my 2011 albums lists so I can make a top 10 list and be fresh for 2012.

 

[Woy]

Gonna put together some brief reviews for Undun and Echoes of Silence, then put the finishing touches on my Top 15 list. I'm going to look through all my reviews and make adjustments that I see fit before put them in order and post them.

e: Posting three albums a day. I'll add the track-by-track scoring in spoiler tags and after my list is done, I'll probably do a list of songs/disappointments/etc.

 

[Woy]

WOY'S TOP 15 PROJECTS OF 2011<hr>#15

sailing soul(s) - Jhené Aiko

Release Date: March 18, 2011
Score: 4.06/5
Rankings: #4 free album, #5 R&B release
Best Songs: July (ft. Drake), Hoe (ft. Miguel & Gucci Mane), Higher
Metacritic Score: N/A​

The Lowdown: sailing soul(s) is a very consistent release that features big name guests such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, among others. Despite all the star power, Jhene holds her own throughout the 13-track free album with a beautiful voice, introspective lyrics and a variety of production styles that can appeal to most listeners. Not to mention, she's drop-dead goregous.<hr>

 

1.) The Beginning | 3 - 3.75
2.) Stranger | 4.25 - 5
3.) Hoe (ft. Miguel & Gucci Mane) | 4.75 - 5
- Even Gucci Mane can't ruin this song. Needs more Miguel though.
4.) July (ft. Drake) | 5
- Not going to lie - emotions came into play when rating this song. I had this on my iPod all of last summer.
5.) My Mine | 4
6.) Popular | 2
- The 50 Cent sample makes me laugh, but overall this sounds like a better version of a Kelly Clarkson song.
7.) Real Now (ft. Lite, HOPE & Roosevelt) | 3 - 3.25
8.) Sailing NOT Selling (ft. Kanye West) | 4 - 4.75
9.) Do Better Blues (ft. HOPE) | 4.25 - 5
- "She wants three things...eyes that won't cry, lips that won't lie, love that won't die." Don't we all.
10.) Higher | 4.5 - 5
11.) You vs. Them | 3 - 3.5
12.) Space Jam | 4
- Production fits the title of the song.
13.) Growing Apart Too (ft. Kendrick Lamar & HOPE) | 4.5 - 5

Overall: 4.06/5 [previous rating 3.96/5]

Brief Notes:
- This is an Album of the Year contender if Popular wasn't on here. The "July" song last year came out of nowhere and I'm thrilled that I gave it a listen just because I knew of the Drake and Kendrick Lamar features.

[Updated (1/3/2011): One of the most overlooked releases of 2011. Solid R&B from a beautiful woman...who wouldn't want that?]

 

[Woy]

WOY'S TOP 15 PROJECTS OF 2011<hr>#14

Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music) - Stalley

Release Date: February 8, 2011
Score: 4.16/5
Rankings: #3 free album, #10 hip-hop release
Best Songs: Slapp, She Hates The Bass, Assassin (ft. John Mayer)
Metacritic Score: N/A​

The Lowdown: You know Rick Ross, Wale and even Meek Mill at this point. But how about getting to know maybe the best artist on the Maybach Music Group label, Stalley? After making appearances on Curren$y's Pilot Talk and Ski Beatz's 24 Hour Karate School in 2010, Stalley released his second free album in Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Muzik), a 16-track collection revolving around jazzy beats and conscious lyrics that mostly focus on cars and their soundsystems. One of the easiest listens of 2011 from a hip-hop standpoint.<hr>

 

1.) See The Milq In My Chevy | 4.5 - 5
2.) Slapp | 5
- Part of this beat is from Wiz Khalifa's "Spotlight", but it's still beautiful.
3.) 330 | 4 - 4.5
4.) Hercules | 4.25 - 5
- The faint guitars in the production are my favorite part of this.
5.) Chimes of Freedumb (ft. Rashad) | 3.75 - 4
6.) The Night (ft. Rashad) | 3.25 - 4
7.) Pound | 3 - 3.25
8.) The Sound of Silence | 4
9.) She Hates The Bass | 5
10.) Hard | 3 - 3.25
11.) Assassin (ft. John Mayer) | 4.75 - 5
- It's not a bad song, but it throws off the vibe of the album. [Never mind. This track is great.]
12.) Go On | 3 - 3.75
13.) Milq 'n Honey | 3.5 - 4
14.) Monkey Ish (R.I.P. Pimp C) | 4.5 - 5
15.) Tell Montez I Love Her | 3.75 - 4
16.) Lincoln Way Nights (Shop) | 4.25 - 5

Overall: 4.16/5 [previous rating 4.01/5]

Brief Notes:
- The Intelligent Trunk Music title definitely fits, with brass featured in every beat. Stalley's lyrics focus on what the title says and he is an entertaining enough MC to the point where the subject matter doesn't get old. The album's production altogether is some of the best I've heard all year.

[Updated (1/3/2012): Assassin has grown on me tremendously. Just a solid listen from front-to-back and easy to put people on to.]