I think I have a pretty good grasp on new hip-hop.  I champion a lot of new guys (including but not limited to Big KRIT, G-Side, Freddie Gibbs and OFWGKTA)  I have never ever been into Big Sean though.

Does that make me a hater?  I dunn0 – my issue with Big Sean is I have never really been impressed by his tracks – at least not enough to check out more of his catalog.

His BET Cypher and the NO ID produced “So Much More” changed my mind.  Those two tracks made me realize that I had better give this guy a shot – whats a better chance to do that than his new album Finally Famous.

Even if I hadn’t been impressed by Big Sean himself the production line up would have won me over:

1. “Intro” Produced by: Kevin Randolph, Key Wane
2. “I Do It” Produced by: No I.D., The Legendary Traxster
3. “My Last” f/ Chris Brown Produced by: No I.D.
4. “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” Produced by: No I.D.
5. “Wait For Me” f/ Lupe Fiasco Produced by: No I.D., Exile
6. “Marvin & Chardonnay” f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash Produced by: Pop Wansel, Mike Dean
7. “Dance (A$$)” Produced by: Da Internz
8. “Get It (DT) f/ Pharrell” Produced by: The Neptunes
9. “Memories (Part II)” f/ John Legend Produced by: No I.D.
10. “High” f/ Wiz Khalifa & Chiddy Bang Produced by: Xaphoon Jones
11. “Live This Life” f/ The Dream Produced by: No I.D.
12. “So Much More” Produced by: No I.D.
13. “What Goes Around” (Bonus Track) Produced by: No I.D.
14. “Celebrity” f/ Dwele (Bonus Track) Produced by: Filthy Rockwell, No I.D.
15. “My House” (Bonus Track) Produced by: Boi-1da
16. “100 Keys” f/ Rick Ross & Pusha T (Bonus Track) Produced by: Hilton and Brian Wright (WrighTrax Productions)

Ummm NO ID all over it, Neptunes, Boi-1da AND Mike fucking Dean?   Yeah I would be checking this album regardless.

I have only listened to this a couple of times, but I like it more than I thought I would have, say even a week ago.

I think the album ends great.  The stretch from 11-16 is all fire to me.  That is my favorite part of the album, and I think it is probably due to the production. No ID had a gooood run to end the album – even Boi-1Da’s beat is soulful – fits in with NO ID’s beats nicely.   The final song is different stylistically but I am feeling it and luh Pusha T.

The strong points on this album for me are the songs in that ending run and I also am really feeling the Intro, I Do It and Don’t Tell You Love Me.  I also LOVE Get It – I think it is a pretty great Neptunes beat – almooost has an Allure (Jay-Z) feel to it.  The track with John Legend is also fire.

The weak points are pretty apparent to me – and this is why I don’t love the album – The track with Lupe comes off corny to me.  I think the beat was close to the soulful feel that some of this tracks pull off but dipped into corniness for me.  Reminded me of Lupe’s Lasers album which was a piece of trash IMO.   I also thought the track with Kanye was bleh – wasn’t feeling the beat.  I am not even sure what they were attempting to do there.  A$$ is another track that isn’t my favorite but it might be a good club track.

As a whole product this is a lot better than I thought.  Big Sean can flow, and at times he is very personal and candid on his tracks. I dunno if I was ever blown away by a verse, but maybe on subsequent listens I will.  The downside to this album, is it is a bit all over the place.  If it had the same feel as the last 5 or 6 tracks I would have been super impressed.

As it stands – I am surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did.  I think it could have used some consistency and more cohesion but this is still much better than I expected.  I say check it out – I dunno if it makes you a Big Sean fan but it might help.

Elzhi is a Detroit rapper I have definitely talked about before.  He is simply one of the best doing it right now.  I know he doesn’t have an out of this world discography but skill wise El can fuck with anyone. You might best know him as one of the later members of Slum Village – and by far the most talented MC ever in that group.

So recently he dropped a new mixtape – his remake of Illmatic.   I was a bit worried when I heard this.  Why choose Illmatic?  It is arguably the best rap album of all time.  Not only is it one of the best albums, but Nas’ rapping on it was some of the best ever.  Weird choice.  Why not choose an album with fire production and wack lyrics?  But, hey can’t fault Elzhi for aiming high right?

Anyways, the album has dropped and it is great.  At first it made me just want to listen to the original, but this version has its own appeal as well.  First of all Elzhi kills every track on this album – not one bad verse IMO.  No song is less than great in terms of lyrics and flow.  Elzhi destroys Royce on the track they rap on together.  I like Royce a lot but you would think Elzhi completely outclassed him.

The beats are all a bit tweaked as well, more live instrumentation used, some of the beats are extended etc…

I worry that I won’t listen to this a lot because I have listened to the original Illmatic 8,000,000 times and it is a pretty untouchable album.

That said, Elzhi aimed high, and while I may wish he had tackled another project – he still proves he is one of the best in the game right now.  not many rappers out there that could have pulled this off.

You can download the album from the link below the video, it is directly from his website.  You can also buy a physical copy on his site: http://elzhi.com/

This is my dude.  KRIT and G-Side are my dudes. Always feeling their music.  G-Side dropped what I thought was album of the year on January 1st. Now Big KRIT responds…can he live up to expectations. I thought Lupe and Wiz would give G-Side some competition and they both went the soft route.  They weren’t even close.

Will KRIT continue that trend?

Helllllllllll no.

KRIT came out swinging for the fences – and he hit a home run.  Shit, this is grand slam.  This is Ninth inning, 2 men out, down by three at bat with the bases loaded.  I picture Big KRIT hitting that homerun and tossing his bat like Big Papi in World Championships.

I wish a blog post allowed me to express my happiness in the form of a Ric Flair WOOOOOOO!

Big KRIT was not fooling around on this one either – 21 tracks of heat.  The majority are 3-5 minutes as well, this isn’t a 2 minute song marathon like Raekwon’s latest album.  This is 1.2 hours of that Big KRIT shit!  What does that mean?  Smooooth ass self produced beats with a double helping of soul and bass.

I don’t think there is one bad beat on this album.  Not one.  Maybe that will change since I have only heard it once.

It has a really great southern sound – not your cookie cutter Lex Luger beats  – I mean dungeon family style good.  A real lushness to the album, the beats are full of soul.  Real smooth hooks on this too.  Great samples as well.

KRIT keep getting better as a rapper too – he comes off really honest and down to earth on tracks like The Vent.  He is also becoming a master of the “Realizing Your Dreams” rap. Dreaming is a perfect example of this as well as of his humbleness…

I told them call me KRIT, they told me change my name
Don’t be alarmed if you don’t make it, thats just part of the game
Besides I aint rapping about dope nor did I sell it
I guess the story of a country boy just aint compelling
A&R’s searching for a hit, I just need a meal
Couldn’t afford to pay the rent, but passed up on the deal
Cause, it wasn’t right sometimes you gotta wade the storm
In a class of my own, but I was scared to raise my arm
Like, this my dream, this my life, I sacrificed it all
Except my soul in the firm belief there is a God
Watching out, when all the others used to doubt
Felt my pain and pointed down and said “Son, your time is now”
I think my grandma pulled some strings on the low
Thats between her and the lord I’ll ever know
For those that caught me in the Spin, in Complex magazine, XXL, the Vibe and whatever inbetween
It’s safe to say that dreams come true I guess
Don’t let nobody tell ya, try for yourself
Just know that I was once considered just a dreamer
But I paid my dues and turned so many doubters to believers

This is just a great album.

Why not just test it out yourself – Big KRIT is giving it away after all:

http://www.returnof4eva.com/

]]> http://www.ted-payne.com/big-krit-return-of-4eva-review/feed/ 6 http://www.ted-payne.com/best-rap-songs-of-2011-so-far/ http://www.ted-payne.com/best-rap-songs-of-2011-so-far/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:10:14 +0000 admin http://www.ted-payne.com/?p=1472

Alright, I think it is time to put up my favorite songs of the year so much.  Being almost 3 full months in is a good time to take a look at the songs I have really been feeling so far.

And a note to the dickheads out there – I said SO FAR.  This is March right now, if you find this post in August, and complain because your fav song from June isn’t on the list – you are a dickhead. I have not mastered time travel…yet. These are my personal top ten rap songs as of March 16th 2011.

Without further ado…

Best Rap Songs of 2011 (SO FAR!) (in no particular order)

1. Tyler The Creator – Yonkers: Say what you will about the OFWGKTA – but these kids are killing it.  They are easily the hottest act in rap right now.  A ton of industry buzz and it is clear why.  They might shock people, but they do it with some serious skill.  They handle everything in house.  This song is garnering a lot of buzz, up to millions of hits on YouTube already.

2. Big KRIT – Dreaming: The man who I think had album of the year last year, is still killing it.  I find his music really motivating – a lot of tracks about realizing your dreams and this is no different.  KRIT also produced this gem, great laid back beat with a sick sample. I really hope this guy blows up.

3. G-Side – Pictures: Had to pick a G-Side song and had a tough time deciding on which one.  Their album is still my favorite of the year (stream it on the sidebar) and it had to be represented.  I chose Pictures because I think it has a lot of cross over appeal.  Great, great beat.  It isn’t cutting edge social commentary, basically a sex song – but sex is still cool right?  The racial slur G Mane ends his verse with is a bit out of place, but I assume it is paying homage to Bun B.

4. Pusha T – My God: Here is a confession – I fucking love The Clipse.  I think they are an amazing group and I don’t care if they only rap about crack.  They do crack rap better than anyone, besides early era Jay-Z.  Pusha T is doing some solo work and so far so good.  This track sounds like the perfect intro for his new mixtape.

5. Frank Ocean – Swim Good: I wanted to limit this list to only one song per artist.  This is cutting the line close, since Frank Ocean is a part of the OFWGKTA along with the aforementioned Tyler The Creator.  This song is also not really a rap song.  That said, fuck it.  I love this song and it is close enough to rap these days with all these sing-songy dudes rapping.  I also think it is SO different from Tyler The Creator that it really showcases the broad range of abilities of OFWGKTA.  This is a laid back love song, compared to Tylers shock-fest.  The whole Frank Ocean album is an amazing debut mixtape.

6. Lil B feat. Jean Grae and Phonte – Base For Your Face: This is a huge surprise to me.  it is crazy that thins song contains so many aspects I hate but totally works.  I hate Lil B, I don’t get the whole Lil B movement and I don’t get this new fascination people have with rappers who can’t really rap. I also don’t like 9th Wonder.  Usually has those weak ass drums.  Then you have Phonte who I really like, but is also half of a group (Little Brother) that I find to be a snooze-fest.  So take all of those aspects, add Jean Grae (best female MC since Lauryn) and for some weird reason, shit reacts and becomes a dope ass song.

7. CunninLynguists feat. Freddie Gibbs – Hard As They Come: CunninLynguists have been around for awhile.  I used to be a huge fan, but I just don’t know if the rapping holds up to the supreme production.  Kno is a sick producer and their new album is full of great beats.  This beat is one of them, a very cool sample.  I also love the Gibbs verse on this.

8. Raekwon – Snake Pond: People love the Raekwon comeback.  His last two albums have gotten great reviews.  I am not fully on the bandwagon though.  I find him kind of boring as an MC actually.  This track is fire though.  it is a bit short, but the beat reminds me of vintage Wu-Tang.

9. Reks feat. Lil Fame – Cigarettes: Cigarettes are disgusting as shit, but this track is dope.  I do not like Reks that much, but he sounds good over this and doesn’t do too much name dropping (his album is too full of it). I am not sure who produced this but a great throwback New York sound.  Preemo-esque in fact.

10. Rittz feat. Yelawolf and Big KRIT: Man, the first time I saw Rittz I did a triple-take. Not the most photogenic guy on earth, which isn’t  a diss because I am the same way.  It was just shocking to hear a guy RIP a track (because he is a sick rapper) and then see him.  This track also features another white rapper with a lot of hype – Yelawolf.  Lastly, Big KRIT is on the track.  A nice beat, laid back but with a bit of bounce.  The song is actually pretty funny too.

Honorable Mentions (also in Divshare player)

Wiz Khalifa – The Race
Killer Mike feat. T.I. & Big Boi – Ready Set Go (Remix)
Saigon – Oh Yeah
Pharaoh Monch – Evolve

***NOTE** I couldn’t stream the Tyler track since I have an m4a copy, but I included the Youtube video before the playlist.

]]> http://www.ted-payne.com/best-rap-songs-of-2011-so-far/feed/ 22 http://www.ted-payne.com/rip-nate-dogg/ http://www.ted-payne.com/rip-nate-dogg/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:44:01 +0000 admin http://www.ted-payne.com/?p=1466

If you are my age then you know that Nate Dogg held the hooks down! This dude was the guy to get on a hook in my day, especially that laid back g-funk sound. Once I heard him on Regulate, it was a wrap – an instantly recognizable voice. Always came through with the heat on the hook

I see Rhianna and Akon hooks and it makes me reminisce for the days of Nate Dogg.

Anyone remember this track? I have it on vinyl somewhere. Rawkus heavyweights Mos Def and Monch team up with the gangsta crooner from killer Cali. Who would have thought it would work so well.

Big KRIT’s Return of 4Eva is a big time anticipated album for me.  His debut album was one of my favorite albums in years.  I could play it start to finish and it was just pure heat.  I expect nothing less from his follow up album.

The cover is a great start – looks really sharp.  The kind of cover you want to come out on Vinyl so you can get a larger version. Very reminiscent of an earlier Outkast album cover.  That is definitely a compliment.

The first single (streaming below) is Dreamin’. It is a typical Big KRIT track, again that is a compliment. It is a nice laid back soulful song, with some heartfelt lyrics. It is amazing he make his own beats too.

Alright, I am sitting here after cleaning my house, with tall boy of Red Stripe in hand, waiting for my people to get here.  As I cleaned I downloaded a new album…and was pleasantly surprised.

Y’all know lately that I have been touting the ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL collective.  I have featured songs by Tyler and Earl to be exact.  I love the energy they bring to rap music….well what about RnB?  Yeah RnB!  When I heard that Frank Ocean (OFWGKTA) was an RnB act, I was interested to hear the album.  Was wondering how the overall sound of the collective would transfer to RnB.

It was like nothing I expected.

A really great piece of music here, that you can listen to front to back.  Odd Future once again proves they are ridiculously talented, the production on this is like nothing else they have done.  It is a much more lush and organic sound IMO.  The album starts off with an incredible stretch of music…

Stawberry Swing and it’s throwback sound which is almost like a mix of Simon and Garfunkel meets RnB…I know that sounds crazy but it is. You might recognize it as a Coldplay remake.   Man I kept this track on repeat, until finally I let it play into Novacane – which was a little more current sounding.  Frank Ocean sounds great btw, a nice voice and he rides the beat on Novacane perfectly.  Right after Novacane comes We All Try – a real smooth beat layered with some nice acoustic guitars.  A really outstanding start to a great RnB album.  The album never really drops of either.

Songs for Women has a bassline right off a Sublime album and is hilarious.  Another stand out track is Swim Good – love the beat on this one.  Would love to see Tyler, Earl etc… get on this track. American Wedding is an out of the blue Hotel California remake. The album closes out with Nature Feels – an upbeat airy track, with an electronic feel to it.

I have liked a number of albums out of the OFWGKTA camp, but this RnB album is a real surprise and really solidifies in my mind that these guys are building something big.  The ability to craft a song like Tyler’s Yonkers, and then come back with this album is close to mind blowing for me.

I am sure with their meteoric rise in popularity there will be missteps and a LOT of hate.  But I have no doubt OFWGKTA is going to come out on top.   Talents like Tyler and Frank The Ocean (who can flat out sing and clearly knows how to craft a song) will make sure of that.

]]> http://www.ted-payne.com/frank-ocean-nostalgia-ultra-review/feed/ 2 http://www.ted-payne.com/odd-future-wolf-gang-on-mtv/ http://www.ted-payne.com/odd-future-wolf-gang-on-mtv/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:14:32 +0000 admin http://www.ted-payne.com/?p=1449

I have been talking about these dudes a lot lately, but it isn’t my fault they are just blowing up.  Recently they had an amazing performance on Jimmy Fallon’s show, which included a cameo form Mos Def himself.  They had sold out shows in NY full of rap stars and execs.  They were all invited to chill at Jay-Z’s crib.  Tyler The Creator’s -Yonkers video has over 1 and a half million views in less than two weeks.  To top it off MTV themselves joined the hype train with an 8 minute feature.

The feature breaks down a lot of the same things I have been saying about these guys. Their freshness, newness etc..  Yeah they are shocking and maybe a bit over the top…but the talent is there.  I really believe that Tyler The Creator will be a big big name in rap.

Below is the MTV feature.

One of my favorite parts is near the end when Tyler The Creator is musing:

When people say you can be anything you want, or do whatever you want, dude I really thought that shit was corny…until this moment right now.

Last night, much to my surprise, Tyler the Creator and Hodgey Beats, two members from OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill The All) performed on Jimmy Fallon.  they were also backed by the legendary Roots crew!

This is big news for these dudes.  I have talked about them before and it seems like they are becoming the next big thing.  They have been getting a lot of press.  While they are getting a lot of positive hype, they also get a lot of flack.  People find them too shocking etc..  Well what we have here is a loose collective of 16-20 year old kids. What do people expect?  Of course if you are an old man, you won’t relate.  That’s why I don’t even try to relate.  I don’t “get” them all the time, but what I do get – is lo fi HARD beats that pay equal homage to RZA as well as Neptunes IMO.

I also love the hustle.  These dudes do it all – rap, production, album covers, videos etc…  So yeah they may rely on shock lyrics at sometimes, but I look at it as a bunch of teens expressing themselves creatively.  I enjoy the exuberance, and at the end of the day I live the music.

I also love their performance on Jimmy Fallon – real energy there .  It’s amazing that in the days that it is cool to seem effortless when you perform, these kids come out and give it their all.  Also love the Mos Def cameo, he is a big OFWGKTA fan.  It is also been reported that Questlove from the Roots called up Jay-Z and told him to check out the show.

I finally downloaded the Roach Gigz mixtapes (Roachy Balboa 1/2) and this dude can spit.  I think he is an Italian dude actually.  Has a reeeeeally unique flow.  He also spits over non traditional beats.  It is kind of like a traditional beat meets hyphy almost. I first noticed him on his track Pop Off that is SICK.  This newest video: Syrup Thighs is off of Roachy Balboa 2 and I think it is fresh out.  The beat almost reminds me of some 90′s RnB but layered with that Hyphy bass out of the Bay.  Dude has some great charisma too, and some funny bars.  Also a cool concept behind this track. Definitely worth a look: