The Volume In The ‘Echoes’

His praises have been sung by MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, XXL, The Source, and 2DopeBoyz. They have all dubbed him the "Songbird of his Generation", as well as the "best musical talent since Michael Jackson" (John Norris, MTV).

I quoted this rave review in a previous story. A ‘Weeknd’ Warrior was the title. When I read the review I was a bit skeptical of that outlandish statement. My thinking was pretty short sided. In my mind to compare anyone to the late (still hard to write that) Michael Jackson, The King Of Pop, is tantamount to the basest form of blasphemy. But as a writer I had to look at this from a neutral standpoint. I needed to put my previous notions aside to really listen and digest The Weeknd’s album.

So I started with Echoes Of Silence.

The first song on the nine track album?

“D.D.”

When I heard what the song was there was a certain level of providence. “D.D.” was “Dirty Diana”. I loved the Michael Jackson version but I was going to give The Weeknd’s version a fair shake.

So I listened.

I am glad that I did.

“D.D.” takes a Michael Jackson standard and somehow manages to pay homage to our greatest musical legend while staying true to The Weeknd’s eclectic and unique style. When you listen to the original “Dirty Diana” you are caught up in the slow building of that story about treacherous Diana. Somehow Weend borrows and perfectly emulates the vibe while making it a contemporary piece.

Aristotle once said that all art is imitation. Here we see that The Weeknd does not try to trace MJ’s work, rather looks at it and freehand draws a wonderful interpretation.

That hooked me.

“Initiation” was a favorite. The voice changes blends so well and so flawlessly it is almost not noticeable. Here there is no need for guest features or transplanted verses. This is all him in his eerily haunting delivery of purest beauty. It is a vocal kaleidoscope that plays with elements of DJ Screw’s wildest codeine induced fantasies.

“Next” is the final song I will feature. This is a track that causes a chain reaction within you. It moves from your head, down to your shoulders. It has a haunting quality despite the heartbreaking theme of it. And like any good haunt it refuses to let you go. As with all the songs he needs very little music to capture you perfectly. People often forget that the voice is the most amazing instrument but The Weeknd keeps his tuned and playing flawlessly.

Maybe they were right about him, readers.

I’ll reserve the final judgment until after I listen to House Of Balloons and Thursday. I will say that he’s making me a believer.

K.R.I.T.’s Construction

To build up anything it starts with a very strong foundation. A structure or anything built upon unsteady footing, unsteady ground runs the large risk of falling.

With that logic in mind let me tell you a story.



There is a young man from Meridian, Mississippi by the name of Justin Scott. In the music world he went by the name Big K.R.I.T. As fate would have it the name K.R.I.T. is an acronym for King Remembered In Time. This, however, is irrelevant to the story at hand.

He releases mixtapes that are usually received with stellar reviews. One such is K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, released in May 2010. He also guest stars on other mixtapes, further adding to the foundations of something greater to come. But the best of his mixtapes was to come…

Let us list some of those mixtapes that served at the beginning, the catalyst for his most acclaimed work to date:

-See Me At The Top-Released July 20, 2005
-See Me At The Top II-Released December 21, 2005
-Hood Fame-Released August 11, 2006
-See Me At The Top III-December 10, 2008
-The Last King-Released May 15, 2009
-K.R.I.T. Wuz Here-Released May 4, 2010

In 2011 he was featured as XXL Top Eleven Freshmen of 2011 alongside others such as Meek Mill, Cyhi Da Prince, Lil’ Twist, Yelawolf, Fred The Godson, Mac Miller, YG, Lil’ B, Kendrick Lamar, and Diggy Simmons.

March 2011 also saw the release of the highly anticipated Return of 4eva. The mixtape was acclaimed by rap critics across the board.

William Ketchum of HipHopDX called it “emotive, conceptual music” and said that Big K.R.I.T. has given fans a “free album”-the magazine’s highest praise for a mixtape.

Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine highlighted Return of 4eva in his mixtape review column as “the best mixtape of the month”, going on in a separate review to call it “the rap album to beat in 2011”.

Both go so far as to say that Big K.R.I.T.’s production skill is amazing as well as his lyrics and flow, each naming him the likely successor to Southern rap legends UGK, Scarface, and OutKast.

And the foundation has been set.

All that is left is to build upon it.

This year marks the release of K.R.I.T.’s debut studio album entitled Live From The Underground.

With a strong foundation built and no big bad wolves around to blow the house down, he may build it and live happily ever after.

The end.

Cole, Diamonds, And Gold

Every road starts with the steps we take. That first one tends to be the hardest one more often than not. I myself remember that first step I made in college. I shook like a leaf on a tree but somehow I made that first one. After that the second was difficult but nowhere near as difficult as the first. All the steps following were easier but took something of me.

For a rapper this is no different.

You make the steps, unsure of what the next one will entail despite that uncertainty that you get. But you press on. Sometimes it yields wonderful fruit.

These are the fruits of his work.

Signing to The Roc.

The Come-Up.

The Warm-Up.

Friday Night Lights.

“Who Dat”

Cole World: A Sideline Story.

These are the steps which North Carolina rapping phenom J. Cole has been taking towards his success. Each of his mixtapes touts impressive content as well as songs that tend to stick in your consciousness very well.

My favorite thus far has been The Warm-Up.

“Losing My Balance” is a personal favorite, along with “Dreams”, “A Dollar And A Dream“, and “I Get Up”.

Friday Night Lights brought us that Drake assisted “In The Morning”.

Two of the above mentioned songs (“A Dollar And A Dream“ and “In The Morning”) made it onto his debut album along with countless other wonderful tracks. I was truly feeling his big studio debut with an immensity of excitement I haven’t had in a while. It was a fire akin to the one I felt when I purchased both Untitled by Nas and Tha Carter III by Lil’ Wayne.

As he basks in the moment, the ‘flashing lights’ that label affiliate Kanye West once described playing all around him I wonder does he ponder over the next steps.

I once wrote a story about the follow-up curse and how it often hits artists. As J. Cole languishes in his current successes I pray that he ponders over such things. Personally I am of the mind that this talented soul will be above that sort of nonsense. As always I allow for the fact that I, being human, can be wrong as anyone.

So we come to an impasse, a fork in the road where we cannot tell what is to come.

Either the next step will be glorious or it he will truly live in a Cole world.

The Comeback Kid?

Opportunity knocks.

The stars align somehow.

Whatever the reason some people are given, rather blessed, with success by God. When I say that I mean that God allows us the chance. It is up to us to be willing to step out on faith and grasp it. A sure way to do that is to be featured in a major publication. XXL is the one of which I speak of now.

Every year like clockwork the magazine publishes the hip-hop freshman of that particular year. In the year 2009 they named four people for this prestigious honor: B.o.B., Asher Roth, Wale, and Charles Hamilton. Of these four three are most active.

What of Charles Hamilton?



I began digging his sound after my first hearing “Brooklyn Girls”. Based on the fact that each of his fellows have albums out I was expecting Hamilton to make it a perfect square. Disappointment ensued when it wasn’t to be.

But when you really look at what was going on with his life, you can sympathize with his struggle.

In 2009 Hamilton was prepping his studio debut entitled This Perfect Life, released through Interscope Records. Digitally it was to be released on June 23, 2009 and the physical copy would be in stores August 25, 2009. He looked to be on the way to greatness.

But controversy came in the form of J. Dilla. The album covers named the deceased producer as an executive producer. A group of Dilla’s close friends began speaking out against Hamilton’s use of the name and its connection to his music. J. Dilla’s name was later removed due to legal reasons. Months of speculation pass and the album was shelved due to Hamilton being released from Interscope on September 19, 2009 for reasons unknown. It was however leaked digitally to many websites.

Mixtapes kept coming but no studio album was forthcoming for Hamilton. There was an arrest and a rehab stint. As of September 22, 2011 he was discharged from rehab.

I am unsure of what happens next with Charles Hamilton. In an ideal world he would be seen as the pure talent that he is and be picked up by a major label. But this world is just flawed enough for him to fall through the cracks. The simple fact that this is a possibility hurts me to no end.

The only thing we can do now is watch, wait, and hope. Maybe Charles Hamilton will prove himself a comeback kid. Only time will tell on that one.

A Soulja’s Story

I can admit things about myself, things that most people find it hard to say out loud. For the most part I can say I am a decent human being but, essentially, I am flawed. Despite being extremely patient about most things I have something of a short temper. I’ve been known to be inconsistent at times and generally sullen at certain occasions. But these character flaws aren’t the ones to which I refer.

I am a man of personal biases. As a writer you strive to move past those but more often than not they find their way into your writing or your thoughts. If you’ve been paying attention you’ve seen my general dislike for Beyonce Knowles as well as Future more recently. Yet there another who raises my ire in the music world.

That person is Soulja Boy.

I can be fair enough to say how impressed I was to see a young man come up from the nearly defunct MySpace, create a hit dance, and invade the hip-hop culture. After that I can’t say much else in the way of good things.

Granted I was in love with his song “Gucci Bandana” for a good expanse of time but that time has all but passed. I truly doubt that I could thank him for thrusting the phrase “Superman that ho” onto us but it was catchy and got repeated to exhaustion.

Three albums under his belt show me that despite whatever my insignificant opinion counts for people somewhere appreciate him and his music. His longevity is a bit impressive. That as well as twenty-nine mixtapes is quite the feat.

Hell, he’s already got two out right now: 50/13 and Mario & Domo vs. the World.

Then there’s the upcoming album entitled Promise. Who really knows to expect from it.

Despite my bias I am willing to try something out here.

Since this is a new year I think this would be the moment for a resolution. Given the fact that it is my job to report and tell you all about current, mainstream and underground hip-hop I resolve this: I will put my preconceived notions of Soulja Boy behind me and honestly give the new album a chance. After all I have nothing to lose but the time it takes me to listen to it and love it or throw it into oncoming traffic. So I’m going to wait and see how this Soulja’s story is going to play out.

Just Listen...

Ha, ha.

On the day to day basis I am a funny guy. Not in the traditional sense. My humor lies more in my wit and my off kilter stories. But sometimes my sense of humor comes from borrowing jokes from some of the greats. That includes Richard Pryor, Dick Gregory, Robin Harris, and Bernie Mac. Mentioning him puts in the mind of something.

An old joke comes to mind before I write this review.

The Original Kings Of Comedy.

Cedric The Entertainer was speaking on the difference between R & B singers then and now. He noted that R & B crooners like Teddy Pendergrass told you what they wanted as opposed to begging like Keith Sweat does.

Turn off the lights/Light a candle…

Sometimes when someone tells you what they want it’s more agreeable than when they whine for something. Case in point, Runt Dawg. His mixtape title has a way of evoking that same sort of commanding presence.

The title?

Shutdafukupandlisten.



Being good at following directions, even ones so forceful, I shut up and I listened. And I have to tell you that I am glad that I did. It is a collection of amazing sounds and words. Very nice, actually.

“If The Shoe Fits” is a street anthem without a doubt. When you hear it you feel like you’re on a show like The Wire. There is eloquence in the storytelling and the amazing way Runt delivers here. I feel my mind flying towards the scene his words paint. That is and has always been one of my favorite things about hip-hop.

“From The Horse’s Mouth” is a surprise to me. It’s a story of rags to riches. There is honesty in everything Runt Dawg tells you on this track. The drums act as punctuation to every verse, every hook. I can appreciate that he’s so transparent as a rapper that he’s willing to take the time to talk candidly about the way he came up. I also like that he takes time to shout out family, friends, and even his wife. I can really respect that.

Redman joins in to deliver the hometown anthem “Where I’m From”. Runt and Red speak with love over New Jersey, as much love as you heard in such songs as “Welcome To Atlanta” and “Empire State Of Mind”. Representing for the hometown is a must.

I have reviewed three artists from New Jersey and Runt Dawg adds to the growing love I am garnering for Brick City. I want more from the GillaHouse and hopefully I’ll get it soon.

The King’s Speech

“The King’s back…!!!”

This is a line that every one of us who loves hip-hop has come to associate with one Clifford Harris, Jr., sometimes called Tip but more often called T.I. And usually his statement is met with a wonderful project that is quoted, sung, and repeated to grand reviews. This is the year of another such performance by T.I.

Right now we’re all waiting with bated breath for T.I. to release Trouble Man. Just based on the tracks we’ve heard, the hunger grows. Just off the strength of the Big K.R.I.T. assisted and produced “I’m Flexin’” I am so ready. But T.I. is a smart man. He’s intelligent enough to know that we need something to cut our teeth on in the meantime while we wait.

Thus F*ck Da City Up is born and released.

I know at the outset it may seem that I give T.I. too much ink. Maybe it’s because he from the South like me. Or maybe it’s because I am a fan. Despite that you cannot say the guy isn’t talented. The career he’s had proves that much. The mixtape is just another entry into that catalogue.

Here are the favorites:

-“On Purpose”-After about ten seconds of listening to this one your head has no choice but to shake along with the beat. T.I. shows that ability to pull you into whatever story he is telling you. This story about the happenings when he’s heading to club. The features include two rappers by the names of Trouble and Rich Kidd Shad. They do nothing but add perfectly to the vibe and the story here.


-“This Time Of Night”-Automatically this song puts me in the mind of other tracks from T.I. with similar themes (“Let’s Get Away”, “Hotel”, and “Why You Wanna” to name a few). I also loved hearing Nelly on the chorus. The last time these two collaborated was magical (“Get Loose”) and this time the same feeling seems to return. Plus it’s good to hear Nelly rhyme again.


-“I’ll Show You”-Pusha T…AND T.I.?! How can this be wrong? It isn’t. Quite the opposite. A wonderful beat as a backdrop punctuates the verses that the two amazing artists bring together. Hearing them together makes me silently wonder why they never teamed up before.

I could go on and on how amazing this mixtape is and how great each track is. Instead I will end much as I began because it’s succinct and rather fitting-Th

B.O.M.B.s And Beats. You Ready Roc?

“That’s the bomb, dog…”

I remember when that was the cool vernacular for “That’s cool.” There was even a time when it was used to reference anything and everything that was amazing, awesome, or just plain good. I would imagine that entitling a musical effort thusly would paint you into something of a corner. It’s all but an indictment to make something epic.

So with New Jersey rapper Ready Roc naming his mixtape Da B.O.M.B. you all but feel that he has no choice but to make it a classic. So I went into this review with high expectations. Suffice to say my expectations were not in vain. Granted I don’t see much in the way of lyrical originality but everything else is on point. What I like most here is how certain songs give me a Southern feel while others take me to Brick City. Mixing it up is wonderful for longevity in the hip-hop game. Seems like Ready has that covered.

I’m just a squirrel/And this world is my acorn

The entire mixtape is full of punch lines just like that. My single favorite song on this mixtape would have to be “Dolla Dolla”. I love how Redman’s voice can be heard in ad libs and balances out the tone of Ready’s voice.

I’m not the biggest fan of “Be Gone” but I cannot honestly say it isn’t catchy. And to be completely honest I feel like every African-American male (maybe any male) has felt like that. College in general is filled with that sort of sentiment and I can say that I once had the exact same mentality that this song engenders. It’s hard for me to say I completely hate this song because of the throbbing beat and the amazing number of punch lines that Ready is giving me to chew on. It’s a dilemma but an amazing one.

“Is This What You Want?” is no doubt influenced by the South. I say that first because I hear the familiar sound of Lil’ Jon screaming “Gangsta…”, the keyword and biggest cue of a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. It’s another one of those short songs that get you excited with very little effort. Right now I sit writing this while trying to resist standing, jumping up and down with sheer crunk flowing through my veins.

“Coming Home” is beautiful introspection over a repeated vocal hook and an acoustic guitar taking you through his story of growth and wanting more for those he cares about.

Ready Roc, the name is well deserved because you made me rock with this one. You also didn’t lie when you titled your mixtape. You lit the fuse and basically killed me with an explosion of purely amazing sound.

Breakfast, Lunch, AND Dinner

Never sleep on New Jersey. It was listening to more Joe Budden that taught me this important lesson a few years back. I’d subconsciously known this because of how much I actually liked Redman back in the day. Malpractice was one of my favorite albums from him. Maybe this was one of the reasons I was interested to review his mixtape.

The title threw me at first.

Pancake And Syrup.

In the way of breakfast it’s a delicious combination that I personally can’t resist. So in a quiet place in my mind I figured that expecting the same wasn’t too much of a stretch. So I listened.

The verdict? Loved it. His delivery and his amazing sense of humor within his lyrics are still alive in this new effort. That can be appreciated because some rappers try to change themselves to spotty results. The person that immediately comes to mind at that statement is North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo.

But back to Redman.

Let me show you the good stuff.

-“I’m Straight (Freestyle)”-The start of this plays like a radio DJ’s introduction. Then an epic beat comes through, a beat from a song I loved when T.I. first rapped over it with B.G. and Young Jeezy. Red touches it with the pure essence of the Brick City. A favorite line is this one: I’m stupid/My voice box is built with acoustics/ Reggie Noble’s back/Memo niggas the blueprint. It was an amazing redo on something that was already amazing.

-“Def Jammable”-There is something off and weird about the production of the beat, something I love. His lyricism is in full display here. It hits you as the perfect return track from a returning legend. The lyrics brag at the perfect level but at the same time gives you his cockiness pure and uncut.

-“Pancake And Syrup”-The GillaHouse family is in full effect on this track. I love the beat that was chosen. Offhand I detect a touch of Auto-Tune in the chorus performed by Redman. I also understand what ‘pancake and syrup’ actually is in context to everything. Ready Roc sheds light on it for me saying: I love getting high/You can call me an addict/ ‘Cause that pancake and syrup/I just gotta have it / And I know a lot of people/Don’t know what I mean/That’s when you pop a pill/And wash it down with some lean. Runt Dawg also checks in with a smooth flow that you could float on.

Redman is back. I can put no finer point on it. Pancake And Syrup is proof of that but I think I’ll just listen to it, maybe eat them together and avoid the type that Ready Roc mentioned. Life and music get me high enough.

The Time Traveling Rapper

Ludicrous

An adjective.

Something utterly ridiculously because of being absurd, incongruous, impractical, or unsuitable.

Comes from the early 17th century. From the Latin ludicrous < ludus for “play”.

All in all it was clever for Chris Bridges to call himself that as a stage name. Plus after seeing his videos and his general demeanor you can see that he enjoys the occasional silly or absurd thing. Keep in mind that this is the guy who wore a midget from a chain in one video and spent another video with giant Popeye arms.

The years have been good to Luda with albums, movie roles, businesses, and other successes. But in my opinion I was skeptical as to whether he would make anymore music after Battle Of The Sexes. I was afraid that he’d grown like Andre 3000 with sporadic features and the occasional single release.

Any thought of that was quelled when I downloaded his mixtape entitled 1.21 Gigawatts (Back to the First Time).

Just listening to it took me back to his debut studio album Back For The First Time. And it also served the purpose of putting to rest any doubts I had over his microphone prowess and longevity. It is safe to say Luda is here to stay. As always with my music reviews I will enumerate for you a few favorites. Here they are:

-“Intro”-The thing you can always say of Luda’s album intros is that they are designed to get you hyped for the album. This one puts me in mind of the “Southern Fried Intro” from Chicken & Beer. This song samples Back To The Future (which provides the theme for the mixtape) well and his lines are pure Ludacris. You can’t sit still after this one.


-“Bada Boom”-I’m not usually one for beef records but this one was interesting. Similar to the aforementioned this song samples a movie, in this case The Fifth Element. This song was a shot at newcomers Big Sean and Drake. Interesting…even for a diss track.

-“Rich & Flexin’”-Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” plays as the main basis of the beat here until the beat switches into something unexpected. I love it when something unexpected throws you off. The flow and subject matter is what you expect from Ludacris. There is also a feature by Waka Flocka Flame. I loved it and listened to it a few times through before moving on to the next song.

Time travel seems possible here, minus the DeLorean and the white haired scientist. Ludacris took it back for us all.

A Weeknd Warrior

Collaborations and features often lead to amazing discoveries.

Case in point, Take Care.

I noticed his name featured on four tracks from Drake’s sophomore album. The guy’s name was The Weeknd. The sound was interesting. Just based off that I wanted to learn more about this artist. So I did the research.

The Weeknd (given name Abel Tesfaye) was born February 16, 1990. He is a Canadian recording artist and record producer of Ethiopian descent. The first few songs that he released under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.

Since then he has released three albums that serve as a trilogy of sorts. These are the project names:

-House Of Balloons-Released March 21, 2011
-Thursday-Released August 18, 2011
-Echoes Of Silence-Released December 21, 2011

The acclaim surrounding The Weeknd has been incredible, akin to the buzz another Canadian artist received a few years back. You know the one, right?

His praises have been sung by MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, XXL, The Source, and 2DopeBoyz. They have all dubbed him the "Songbird of his Generation", as well as the "best musical talent since Michael Jackson" (John Norris, MTV).

That last statement speaks a whole hell of a lot about him as an artist. It also makes me curious to hear more from him.

Another thing that has me curious over The Weeknd is something I read about his album House Of Balloons. The reviews were interesting reading, honestly. These are just a few:

Pitchfork Media's Joe Colly wrote that "all the thematic and sonic pieces fit together - these weird, morning-after tales of lust, hurt, and over-indulgence ... are matched by this incredibly lush, downcast music. It's hard to think of a record since probably The xx's debut ... that so fully embodies such a specific nocturnal quality."

Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice called the album "impressive" and added, "It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche ... with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost."

House Of Balloons was named the #1 album of 2011 by Complex Magazine. Moreover, the album beat both Drake's Take Care and Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne for the number 1 spot. That is an amazing feat, all things considered.

Wow, right?

I know I may be late but expect me to review all three albums sometime this week. The Weeknd wins again.

Stalley and His ‘Nights’

Stalley is, or was, a bit of a surprise to me. A lot of my musical suggestions tend to come from Twitter these days. If I’m not mistaken I heard at least three rappers and/or producers speaking well of the man. One was Ski Beatz. For those who don’t know, he’s an amazing producer who is responsible for one of the most iconic tracks in Jay-Z’s catalogue (“Dead Presidents”). Talib Kweli also praised him. I’ve loved Kweli since Black Star so I figured he knew what he was talking about. The last was 9th Wonder, another producer whose epic catalogue need not be referenced because of time constraints.

So armed with all this I downloaded his album.

The name got me from the outset.

Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music)

That name alone implies a mix of intellectual, thoughtful rap with a touch of grit.

The album doesn’t disappoint at all. It makes love to the eardrums, leaving a listener fully satisfied.

Here are the favorites:

-“Assassin”- The beginning notes of this track are misleading. It lulls you with the sound of a marimba only for the beat to drop right after. His words speak of an assassin as a metaphor to killing others in the rap game. What really propels this track for me is John Mayer’s voice on the hook as a smooth contradiction that adds to that ever-present marimba and the sounds of gunfire.


-“Milq n’ Honey”-It’s a love song for a new generation. The bass is great but not so overwhelming that it kills the story. The story seems to be of a man who loved a woman (his “milq”) who wasn’t or didn’t have her man’s best interests at heart. He loved her and she was just about holding him down and keeping him from reaching something greater (his “honey”). The depth here is amazing and the story feels personal. Those are the types of tales that make magic in music.


-“Pound”-This song is a hook and a continuous verse. The repetition of the horn is addictive and the drums are crisp. Stalley pierces through all this so well that even my words cannot describe how great it is. My problem with this song (which isn’t really a problem) would be that it is too short. The 2:49 playing time doesn’t feel like enough. But in that short time the song steals you away. Guaranteed.

Stalley surprised me by signing to Rick Ross’ label Maybach Music. I am curious to see what this amazing artist does over there. If his performance on the BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher (and this album) is any indication of his future, he’s going to be a legend.

The Social Network

I’m not particularly sure if anyone other than myself has noticed it but social media has become almost a joke. By definition alone it’s supposed to be used for social means and sharing certain media between people. As of late it’s been clogged with half naked females, stupidity, high school drama, and all types of nonsense. But, occasionally, you find a rose amid the weeds. Case in point: the hip-hop duo Southside Celebrity. Through a mutual acquaintance on Twitter I met two young rappers who give me hope for hip-hop. This duo consists of Atlanta rappers Ceeno Hatas (@CeenoHatas) and Alkebulan (@AlkebulanX2). I’ve downloaded mixtapes from them and have been thoroughly impressed with the production as well as the sound. But this review isn’t about them. It’s about a friend of theirs by the name of Curtis Williams (@ThatBoyCurtis).




More often than not greatness seeks out equal greatness. I can say this is true of Curtis Williams. After reading a tweet about his newest mixtape Trill Shit Only (his sophomore effort) I decided to check it out and see if the music lived up to the hype. I am very happy to say that it exceeds it. The first thing I noticed was the laid back sound you get from Mr. Williams. It’s an almost syrupy quality that is wonderful to the ears. The songs presented boast features from fellow Atlanta rappers Alkebulan and MoneyMakinNique (@mOneyMakinNique) and countless others. Each feature is well laced and near flawless. One of my favorite tracks has to be “Missing Us”, a perfectly confident player’s anthem of sorts featuring Alkebulan. A few tracks also had me enamored and lost in Williams’ Trill world. Here they are:

•“Money In The Walls” (ft. Hardaway Smith)-This track evokes that gangster sort of vibe that you automatically feel when you think about movies like The Godfather or American Gangster. Upon listening to this one you’d be inclined to think of the latter based on the use of one of the movie’s quotes (“The loudest one in the room is the weakest in the room”)

•“London, Paris”-I’m a movie buff as well as lover of music. When I sit back and allow this track to play I’m in put in mind of The Thomas Crown Affair, the ultimate heist movie. Williams’ words and their content collide well to make something wonderfully smooth and easy to listen to.


So all I have left to say is this: you should be downloading this as soon as you can. http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/15296/curtis_williams_trill_shit_only.html. Go and get it now!