Rappers and
their names often have a connotation that is connected to them. Allow me to
give examples:
If I said
something about 2 Chainz, you're automatically (almost unconsciously) saying
"2 Chainz!!" in your best voice that resembles his that you can. If
you're saying you're not, you're lying.
Jadakiss
inspires you to do that weird little laugh as much as me saying Rick Ross makes
you want to grunt. In much the same way Southern rappers T.I. and Ludacris make
you inclined to say things like, "It's the King, bitch!!" and
"Luda!!", respectively.
With that being
said, I draw your attention to DJ Drama. Right now (if you're familiar with
him, of course) you're probably thinking about Gangsta Grillz, Don Cannon, and
his calling himself Mr. Thanksgiving.
Despite my love
for the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes and album, I looked past his last album Third
Power. It was through no fault of Drama's. I just really wasn't caught
by the album particularly. But my love for him as a DJ and an artist made me
look carefully at his latest album Quality Street Music.
This album is a
consistent slam dunk as far as rhymes, features, and music go. For fifteen
tracks I was lost in the music. Each was amazing to listen to for its own
different reasons.
Here are the
favorites:
1. "We In This Bitch"-I'm not sure why Future is so
catchy on a hook but he is. Despite sometimes being unintelligible, he does
this song great justice. By nature of the features this is a Southerners only
party. Here are the featured artists: Future, Young Jeezy, T.I., and Ludacris.
Each rapper brings that style that have made them household names many times over.
And let's not even get started on the beat which is, no lie, an epic sound for
any set of eardrums.
2. "Never Die"-This is the obligatory track about death
and loss. Cee Lo Green serves well on the hook, his eclectic sound finding a
home amid the verses of Young Jeezy, Nipsey Hussle, and Jadakiss. With each
verse you feel their heart on every sound and every syllable. They bring you
vivid pictures of hoods of the South, New York, and California. Great
storytelling on this one.
3. "We In This Bitch 1.5"-This is a remix of sorts for
"We In This Bitch" but stripped down. Future still does hook
duty but plays off of Drake, an artist who is often slept on but delivers great
verses in my opinion. Future contributes a verse this time around. In theory
Drake and Future shouldn't make a good track together but damned if it doesn't
work too well to be believed.
4. "Same Ol' Story"- This one is a bit more laid back. On
this one you have Childish Gambino, Corey Gunz, Kid Ink, ScHoolboy Q. These
four rappers do something great here but it's not forced. It's done in such a
way that you appreciate the verses without being overly offended by the content
presented.
5. "Monique's Room"-I feel bad that I like this song as
much as I do. Remo The Hitmaker sings the hook here, a hook so well sung and
ruthless that it puts me in mind of John Legend's ability to sing anything and
make it sound amazing. The hook reads thusly: I don't give a fuck about you
anymore/Anymore/I don't give a fuck about you anymore/Anymore/Oh yeah. It's
a break-up song but with an angry edge that is amazing. Fred The Godson raps
about hurting someone who hurt him deeply. The hook seems to reaffirm what it
is Fred is feeling. This comes together to make a cold hearted and well written
track.
DJ Drama didn't
lie when he titled this one. This is quality street music. Enjoy it.
written by
Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment