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Danny Brown ‘Old’ Album Review

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Danny Brown- Old

Danny Brown returns to his roots with his label debut ‘Old’ but also satisfies the tastes of his new fans as well with this ‘double’ album. Old is literally split between ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ showing the dichotomy of Danny Brown on one full length LP. It loosely follows his life chronologically with the track listing. It’s easy to miss the point with Danny Brown if you don’t truly listen. His appearance and demeanor can have far weather surface level fans thinking he is one thing when he really isn’t. Many people box in Danny Brown artistically and have this one dimensional view of his music “Old” makes sure you know the truth. It begins with nothing but reality and struggle as Brown opens up and documents his hardships. “The Return” quickly reminds the listener “don’t get it fucked up I’m a hood ass nigga” “25 Bucks” displays the everyday hustles inner city folk must do to make ends meet in the hood. “Wonderbread” is basically a nursery type rhyme explaining the hardships in the hood and the animosity that brews in a lot of people living in harsh conditions. “Gremlins” takes this concept even farther. After going through “Torture” Brown is eventually “Red 2 Go”, enter “Side B”. The second half the album is the turn up/rock star portion. “Dip” the leading single for the album is a hypnotic turn up anthem accompanied by a psychedelic video. As the album turns up so does the pitch in Brown’s voice, the voice most people are familiar with appears in full force for the next 7 songs, after excessive drinking, drug use and twerking the album closes with “Float On” a melancholy, but yet optimistic song about Brown’s future and direction.

Rating 7.5/10

Run The Jewels ‘Run The Jewels’ Album Review

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Killer Mike and El-P follow their critically acclaimed collaborative effort “R.A.P. Music” in a slightly different way. This time around El-P picks up the mic as Killer Mike’s tag-team partner in rhyme along with handling production. Together they make up the group Run The Jewels and bring Hip Hop back to it’s hardcore beginnings with this menacing free album. Filled with dark humor, hardcore rhymes, dangerous beats and intelligent insight ‘Run The Jewels’ is an album which fully makes use of all the ten tracks. Keeping it short and impactful, Killer Mike and El-P eliminate any unnecessary filler. The only two guest appearances are from southern legend Big Boi on “Banana Clipper” and Long Island legend Prince Paul on the hilarious “Twin Hype Back”. This album is more than just hardcore rhyme after hardcore rhyme on the tracks “Sea Legs” and “A Christmas Fucking Miracle” El-P and Mike both bare it all, and speak on their personal internal struggles as well as universal struggles and odds we all collectively face. “Job Well Done” has both MCs blacking out and El-P delivering one of the best verses on the album with a detailed account of the world going haywire over the release of this new project. “Never Come Down” is more than just a drug binge turned into a song, Killer Mike spits arguably another one of the albums best verses, flawlessly mixing strip clubs, ancient Egyptian tales, molly, and the rare “Black Madonna”.

Rating 8.3/10

Kanye West ‘Yeezus’ Album Review

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‘Yeezus’ finds Kanye West taking his art to it’s highest level. Stripping down and going completely left field Kanye shows he is completely fearless as an artist not only sonically and through presentation but also content wise with this latest album. As far as presentation goes ‘Yeezus’ went completely anti. From ‘cover art’ to leading single Kanye took an entirely new approach, something very few artists do, especially artists of his caliber and stature in music. To have arguably the biggest pop star on the planet go completely anti-pop is a giant risk, but Kanye for the most part manages to pull it off and make it seem natural. Combining his frustrations with the fashion world and his realization of the true power balance of the world Kanye unleashed his most fearless song to date with “New Slaves” not only is there depth lyrically but artistically he turned this lead off single into a brilliant performance art piece that only someone with the artistic credibility and power of a Kanye West could do. Using this song as a sort of chess move against corporations and corporate greed “New Slaves” is definitely one of West’s ‘genius’ moments. While going entirely left field West still manages to hook the listener in with catch phrases, chorus and devilishly hypnotic beats. The controversially titled “I Am a God” has one of the most memorable and possibly silliest lines of West’s career in “hurry up with my damn croissants!” A song stating that anyone can turn themselves into a “God” and everyone the masses elevate to this almost God-like status is no different than them. This album is definitely any album that must be listened to multiple times before truly appreciating it’s artistic value. Even the features of the album come in in non-conventional ways, Chief Keef appears just for a few bars on a hook to the industrial rock sounding “Hold My Liquor” Frank Ocean appears at the end of “New Slaves” on a section that could be considered an entirely different song. Kanye even brings back Uncle Charlie on the finale “Bound 2” which sonically is the closest to vintage Ye’ on the album.

Rating 8.9/10