Bust a Rhyme
Exploring the men, women, and motivations behind your favorite hip-hop music.
Unpacking Jay Z's '4:44'
I'll admit I was both excited and nervous to write this review. I've given quick verbal reviews for people who've asked but it’s been hard for me to sit down and write. For me, it’s overwhelming. Not only is this Jay-Z’s 13th album, but there’s just so much to unpack. The album covers literally (yeah, I’m from Jersey) everything. I can’t mess this up, but I put my nerves to the side and decided to do it. I had to formally review the album, how can I not? So I lived with the album, more so than any other project.
By Sadé Sanchez8 years ago in Beat
Kids and Young Adults of the 90s Are Seeing a Musical Rebirth
Those of us who lived our teenage years or young adult years in the 90s have been in a musical drought for quite some time. If your experience has been anything like my own, then in recent years you’ve often complained about the lack of “real music” on the radio these days. Many of us have gotten so tired of mumble rap and one hit R&B wonders, that we’ve retreated into our collective musical shells resorting to coveted playlists of the music we miss so much. What happened to the art of the slow jam, slow dancing in the basement of somebody’s house party under low light? Where did all of the music go that made you want to “Fight The Power” and take it to “the man,” or made it okay for men to tell women that “I’ll Always Love You” without it being called “simpin” or being “thirsty”? If you’re tired of all of the “b*tch,” “ho,” “thot,” and “trick” music, tired of the “popping bottles,” “counting money,” “driving a [insert ridiculously expensive car here]” type of music, then I have some absolutely great news for you. REAL MUSIC IS BACK BABY! If you didn’t already know, these artists have either dropped new music or have promised new music is on the way, YOU GONE LEARN TODAY!
By Kya Cooper9 years ago in Beat
Documentary 2 + 2.5 Review
The Documentary 2 Opening Opinion 9.9/10 The Documentary 2.5 Opening Opinion 10/10 Okay, so this is technically a double in depth review… but let me kill two birds with one stone. These albums really blew me away. In October of 2015, I knew The Game was dropping a sequel to his former best album, The Documentary. What I didn’t know, is that he was dropping another album right after that… like a week after that. First I’ll talk about 2, then 2.5.
By Matthew Sullivan9 years ago in Beat
Drake Albums
8)What a Time to Be Alive (84) Drake’s collaboration with Future is his worst album and it's just a collection of songs that aren't really about much of nothing special. Still catchy tho. If you like Future you won’t mind these songs. Top Tracks: Jumpman, Big Rings, Digital Dash.
By Matthew Sullivan9 years ago in Beat
Kanye West Discography Ranked
808s and Heartbreak - 80 This is the oddball in his discography. I always liked this album even if it took some getting used to. He abuses auto-tune here. I think it works, for the most part, like on songs like “Paranoid” and “Heartless.” Kanye sings a LOT on this album. The lyrics aren’t up to K’s standards (Old Kanye or New). The songs are pretty catchy, however. This album kind of changed the game so if it were which Kanye album was most important, this would be higher on the list. Top Tracks: "Heartless," "Love Lockdown," "Coldest Winter," "Amazing."
By Matthew Sullivan9 years ago in Beat
7 Day Theory Update
For most of us, the 7-day theory isn't a new term. It's been around since Tupac's murder in 1996. Yet, a brief introduction for those who might not know. The 7-day theory is a set of clues some fans believe that Tupac left behind as clues and hints that he faked his death and will one day return. Aside from the 7-day theory, there are things surrounding his death that has always been questionable.
By Clara Cook9 years ago in Beat
Tupac, The Man He Was and Always Will Be
Lesane Parish Crooks. Tupac Amaru Shakur. 2Pac. Makaveli. What can I say. A legend of Hip Hop that was taken from us far too soon. The California-raised-Harlem-native made such a huge and everlasting impact. Pac died after being gunned down in a drive-by shooting, and now it’s 21 years later. 21 years. It’s unimaginable that a whole person could be born, grown up - now legal to drink - and they might not know who Tupac is. His legacy is set in stone, and forever it will remain.
By Sadé Sanchez9 years ago in Beat
Best American Hip Hop Artists
Hip hop is more than music. It’s a passion, an urban movement meant to inspire individuals to broadcast their unique talents. Since conception, society has birthed many hip hop artists who have taken the genre to new heights. Here are some of the greatest.
By Will Vasquez9 years ago in Beat
Is Lil' Dicky One of the Most Underrated Rappers?
Even if you love a few of his songs, it can be easy to dismiss Lil' Dicky. This white rapper emerged out of no where, and has made no secret that his background is very different from many others who have found fame in rap. His comedic choice of lyrics can be distracting as well, making you forget just how intelligent the rhymes really are. Some people even tend to dismiss his talent because there is often a humorous tone in a genre that is often very serious. With the release of his new video for Pillow Talking, more and more people are noticing Lil' Dicky for the creative genius that he is.
By Annie Kiely9 years ago in Beat
The 4 Elements Of Hip Hop
Most hip hop fans know all about the latest album dropped, the latest gossip between rappers, or the newest video vixen to get mainstream status. They can also tell you volumes about urban streetwear, new sneaker releases, and the hottest clubs to go to in the city.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
Why Drake Could Never Be The King of Hip Hop
Story by Tony Bueno With this past weekend's release of Drake’s “More Life” playlist, Drizzy continued his trend of stopping the music world in its tracks and forcing us to launch our music streaming apps and give listen to the latest offerings he and the OVO camp have to offer. It feels like it has been this way since he burst onto the hip-hop scene with his critically acclaimed 2009 mixtape ‘So Far Gone’. What that project had to offer other than a pair of Billboard charting singles including ‘Best I Ever Had’ and ‘Successful’, was a sonic makeup consisting of moody instrumentals and backpack rap bars dripping in Young Money influence.
By Pages Magazine9 years ago in Beat
