Danny Brown Concert

 

 Last year I had the option to watch Danny Brown live but the band Converge was also coming on the same day. I had to choose between the two and chose Converge due to the fact that I don't get many chance to see Converge since Danny Brown seems to tour a lot.

But this Monday I saw Danny Brown live. and this Monday I got crazy. That Monday was a workout. This Monday was one of the best live performance Ive been to. To say it was wild is an understatement.


Ive loved Danny Brown for a couple years now ever since I heard XXX and The Hybrid. It's so awesome to see Danny get the love he deserves. The whole crowed was getting hyped as hell and was getting a little impatient but once Danny came on the stage the whole crowd seem to just rush forward causing a wave of body slams. During the beginning of the show I was in the front, then ended up in the middle, then the front, and then the back. I still don't know how I was moved around so much. The whole crowed was getting crazy during each track. EVERYONE went crazy, even me which is rare but like Danny Brown said "Yo you can't be at a Danny Brown show if you ain't getting turnt up!". Along with the beats by SKYWLKR, which sound great live, the whole crowd was just wild.

Danny Brown live was surprising, even though I knew it would be awesome it turned out to be greater. What really impressed me was how insane Danny Brown is onstage running around, jumping, and grinding on girls and he can still rap without missing a beat. I was just out of breath in the crowd and was like "How the hell can he still rap so hard while doing all the jumping and running". The highlights have to be the whole crowd rapping along to Monopoly, I Will, Lie 4, and all the new songs off Old (his new album due out this year)
. My personal favor was when he played Blunt After Blunt. Even though I was dying of thirst from sweating and being out of breath I felt obligated to join the chorus by yelling BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT AFTER BLUNT. It seemed endless but oh man was it fun and awesome.

If Danny Brown comes to your town, do yourself a favor and go and have a great time. But be sure to get wild, cause you don't then you ain't really at a Danny Brown show.

NOTE: Baauer, the guy who made the Harlem Shake song, played on this tour and was the headliner but I didn't stick around for him. Was strictly there for Danny Brown.

Action Bronson live concert this Thursday as well, Ill make sure to post my thoughts.

Low- The Invisible Way Review

Low has been a favorite of mine for many years. Their music is extremely interesting to me even though it can be very simple. Labels such as ''slowcore'' or ''sadcore'' have been used to describe the band but they seem to be very silly labels. Yes, Low is slow and yes, Low has a sort of melancholic feel to it but there is much more complexity to Low's music then what you hear on the surface. Low seems to cause listening to become emotionally connected to their music by playing minimalistic yet beautiful sounding music at most times a slow pace that takes some getting used to.

If you listen to Low's discography you can see a sort of evolution. The first three albums had the slow, haunting melodic beauty that is still present today in their music. Once Low teamed up with legendary producer Steve Albini they seemed to take a more experimental side by adding new instrumentation along with Albini's sparse yet wide open sounding production to create some very interesting music. Their most diverse album, The Great Destroyer, has them laying back on the sort of slow stuff and adding some surprising rockin tunes in the mix, its weird to say but Low made a summer album type album with that record. With Drums and Guns, Low went back to the experimental side and create a sort of political statement with the record with lyrics about war and new experimentation with electronics that has an eerie and powerful feel throughout the album.

After 20 years of music Low has become a band that is truly unique and has a sound that is fully evolved. With the new album, The Invisible Way, Low has come back with the same Low sound adding a lot more piano and acoustic guitars to the mix and having Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fame producing. The acoustic and piano give the album a very natural feel along with Tweedy's production. The whole sound of the album is complete and consistent.

What makes Low so powerful emotionally is not only the soft sparse music, its the vocals between guitarist Alan Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker (husband and wife). Alan Sparhawk voice is soft but filled with emotion. When you hear him sing you can hear sadness and anger as well. Along with Sparhawks brutally honest lyrics the listener begins feel as if he is hearing someones inner thoughts that are all too personal. But this is balanced by Mimi Parker wonderful vocal harmony that sounds beautiful. She is one of the greatest voice in indie rock.

The music on this album is very nice and has moments of sadness as well as uplifting tracks. Plastic Cup, Amethyst, Waiting and Clarence White are three standout tracks that really capture what Low. Songs like So Blue, Holy Ghost and Just Make It Stop displays Mimi Parker beautiful front and center. On My Own features a great break from the acoustic to have a noisy guitar in the background for the last 3 minutes. The whole album has lot of mixture of sounds that is truly pleasing to a Low fan such as myself. There is some new elements mixed with the old elements which cause for a great pleasing listen. While many new listeners may not pick up on such subtleties I feel that The Invisible Way has something for everybody regardless of your music taste. This is a great Low album and one of the best Ive heard this year.

Atoms For Peace- AMOK Review

Now this is a hard one for me to review due to me being a huge Radiohead/Thom Yorke fan since Radiohead has been my favorite band since I was like 11. So Ill try not to come off as a total fanboy.

Now a little back story on this project. When Thom Yorke released his solo album The Eraser, which is hugely underrated, he enlisted Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, his producer Nigel Godrich, and Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker to play live with him on his solo tour. Well according to Thom, the results from the tour were so great that they knew that they wanted to create new music together. So after Radiohead released King of Limbs, Thom Yorke had enough off time to finally get started on this project.

The results are what you would expect. A lot of electronics, great production, and Thom's voice floating around in the mix. And that really is what the album comes to.

With the first listen, I was not very impressed and even said "its pretty forgettable but it might grow on me". I liked some songs and those songs started to come into my head after each listen and I listened to it again and again and again. After the 7th listen or so I felt I was ready to give my complete review of it. Now the first listen reaction was due in part to me thinking I knew what I was expecting, and why I did expect lots of electronics and Thom Yorke's voice floating about in the mix I started to pick up more on the production.

The production on the album, much like all Radiohead albums, by Nigel Godrich have been rich, complex, subtle, and just completely well balanced. But yet again it is an electronic album. The instrumentation is excellent. All the guitar, bass, and drums on the album are well placed and add to the groove of the whole thing.

I am not a big electronic music fan. Much of my knowledge of electronic music does come from Thom Yorke. When I read that Kid A was influenced a lot by Aphex Twin, I quickly become an Aphex Twin. Thom Yorke's collab with Burial and Four Tet made me a Burial fan and made me check out Four Tet. While I do like those artist, I am not all about it but I still like it a ton. With this album, Thom Yorke gets the chance to play DJ and create beats and sounds that are inspired from his favorite electronic music. The whole project is just an artistic freedom to him in every sense of the word. The beats are dancey, simple, catchy, and a perfect vehicle for Thom Yorke to have fun with. Every track on the album is upbeat compared to his moody solo album.

To me the album could have featured more sort of instrumentation from the band themselves, although I feel that the live versions of these song feature more of a band than the album. Another complaint is, surprisingly, Thom Yorke himself. Well now that I think about this is not a complaint. This is why my first initial reaction was so underwhelming. I expected this to be Thom Yorke filled. And it is but this is a different Thom Yorke. Gone is the moody Yorke from The Eraser. Here is a Yorke that is free and does not take the spotlight. He is just there and he is having fun with it, creating something he loves to do. This is a more laid back Yorke which at first may come off as a lazy frontman but the music is not meant to just be Yorke driven. You can feel Thom Yorke wanted this album to be just a full length electronic album but he even jokily said  in an interview that "no one would care for it if it was". Which is true. So this might be the reason why Yorke sounds like he is just there and why the vocal performance and lyrics seem just sort of bland and phoned in. But you can't blame Yorke for just want to lay back and just dance his ass off and have fun since he is the frontman of one of the most popular bands in the world, very hard work indeed. And with being a husband and a father, I understand wanting to just kick band and jam.

Still, now that I understand the means of the album, it does seem sort of forgettable in a sense. Its still fun to listen to if I'm in the mood. But maybe I just can't get into a happier Thom Yorke. I feel this music transfers extremely better live and can't wait to see if they tour. Overall all some of the songs are enjoyable, without sounding like it could be a Radiohead song, and some songs are just there but still enjoyable.

The album gets a good 6/10 from me, without any fanboy bump because its Thom Yorke.

Robert Delong - "Just Movement" Review

Robert Delong 

Just Movement

1- Just Movement

2- Global Concepts

3- Happy

4- Change (How You Feel)

5- Here

6- Few Years Make

7- Religious Views

8- Complex By Degree

9- ______

10- Perfect

11- Survival Of The Fittest

12- Basically, I

8/10

Here's Why:

Yes, Robert Delong is an electronic singer/songwriter, but if you’re looking for the next Afrojack or Tiesto you wont find him here. If you’re looking for the next game changing performer and producer then I think you might have come across what you were looking for. After finally releasing his debut album, Robert Delong brings us to the depths of his imagination and curiosity. He reveals his genuine interest in the universe through dance music. Usually when dance lyrics are powerful or moving, love is an influence. Love songs are definitely not a priority throughout Just Movement’s track listing. For the most part, the lyrics are in the 1^st person point of view as he describes his own experiences. After hearing the stories and opinions I’ve come to this conclusion: Robert Delong is EDM’s newest unique contributor.

The album, titled, Just Movement, simply describes fundamental reasons of existence. Everything we do is out of energetic movement. Either we feel that we are progressing in our daily lives or back tracking in the things we do, it is only movement. Robert did a wonderful job of explaining that in the opening track. The gentle synthy intro makes room for his voice to lead the song into an eye opening direction. The phrases “We call that progress” and “We call that better” are repeated several times after stating that every one of us wants to continue with out actually knowing why. Usually our motives are to go somewhere new or different.

“Be not afraid it’s just a game” the hook for Religious Views bluntly portrays Robert’s religious/spiritual understanding. Also in the ending “A Few Years Make” a line related to a disconnection with God is added. Robert Delong manages to incorporate serious yet rhetorical questions and statements. He blends his deep thinking within catchy hooks and techno beats. A majority of his writing and work can relate with the average curious thinker. (I thought it was strange to come across an “Awesome God” remix by Robert Delong.)

For those who just move to a good beat and could care less about lyrics this album may be hard to get acquainted with. Sure the beats and instrumentation throughout the album has originality written all over it but the quality of the sounds might no be up to par. Don’t get me wrong, I can dance to a Robert Delong song any day I just feel that for most it might take some getting used to. Like I said in the first paragraph he’s not aiming to be the next Afrojack with his music, if anything he has a chance to stand apart from all of those DJs. Robert has that pop sound that radio stations would want and have been asking for.

The album is strong throughout. 11/12 tracks are full-length songs having the last two sort of over lap for the ending. My personal favorite, “Perfect” sends a lesson that everything you were looking for was perfect. I had been waiting for this album for a while now. Ever since I got into Robert Delong I’ve needed to get a hold of these songs. Now that I finally have I am “Happy”. Though it may seem like I have a biased opinion and maybe I do, I can honestly say this is…really good! Couldn’t ask for a better debut album. Which is why I give it an 8/10.

Buy the album here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/just-movement/id597691506

Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love (Review)

Ra Ra Riot

Beta Love 

Track List:


1 – Dance with Me


2 – Binary Mind


3 – Beta Love


4 – Is It Too Much


5 – For Once


6 – Angel, Please


7 – What I Do For U


8 – When I Dream


9 – That Much


10 – Wilderness


11 – I Shut Off

5/10

Here's Why:

When I think of Ra Ra Riot I think of soft strings, easygoing rock and catchy bass lines. That’s the formula that Ra Ra Riot has stuck with in previous albums and it worked wonderfully. The lyrics are always “cute” and heart felt matching the poppy, happy rhythms. When you break it down, Beta Love is set up the same as the other albums. The huge difference here is the obvious electronic influence and prominent use of the drum machine. Lead singer, Wes Miles, continues to bring us his hooky vocal melodies, this time over some very fat kick drums.

The band still incorporates guitar riffs and minimal amounts of violins and strings (most likely midi). For the most part, the keyboard, drum machine and Miles lead the way. To me, this seems to be a Wes Miles’ solo album. I feel the same way about Adam Levine and Maroon 5. Both bands have gone from a live rock/pop sound to being heavily influenced by EDM (electronic dance music).

Throughout Beta Love I feel the kick drum is a little much. Especially on the track “When I Dream”, that drum intro bothers me at first. When the rest of the instruments kick in, it melts into the mix but I’m still reminded of a Kanye West song. “Dance With Me”, the opening song and probably the most similar to Maroon 5, carries along with very relatable lyrics. “Come and dance with, bitter sweet fool, I wanna be your toy, I wanna be your toy.” The lyrics aren’t anything too serious and are easy to groove too. Ra Ra Riot did a great job putting that song and some others together, but the majority of the songs feel like they were just pieced together without much thought. “Binary Mind” is basically an 80s dance idea remixed and sped up. The new sound is definitely different. I still hear the Ra Ra Riot I grew to love behind all of this, but this change is a little weird for me.

Though many critics are blaming the change of the sound on the fact that Ra Ra Riot’s cellist left, I feel the change has something to do with “sales”. As we are all aware, electronic dance music is booming right now throughout the mainstream population. I’m sure this is the bands attempt to fit in and adapt to the changing times. Yes, Alexandra Lawn left, but it was more of a departure than anything. How often do we hear cellos on radios these days? Of course, I won’t know exactly what they were thinking but that motive seems quite possible.

With all albums there are strong points and weak points. Ra Ra Riot tried to do something new and I give them props for doing so. Miles does a good job delivering memorable hooks leaving the album with a few decent songs. The work done on the album isn’t terrible, I wouldn’t mind replaying it, but it wouldn’t draw me out to a Ra Ra Riot show. In my opinion the Beta Love content is not quite rock enough to make a good live show and not quite electronic enough to be spun in a DJ set. For that reason I give it a 5/10

-Dead Eyes 

Villagers - {Awayland} Review

Villagers - {Awayland}

Track List:

1. My Lighthouse

2. Earthly Pleasure

3. The Waves

4. Judgement Call

5. Nothing Arrived

6. The Bell 

7. {Awayland}

8. Passing A Message

9. Grateful Song

10. In A Newfound Land You Are Free

11. Rhythm Composer

7 / 10

Here's Why:

Conor O’Brien, lead singer and songwriter for Villagers must be on another level of consciousness. His storytelling ability must have something to do with his Irish background. Musically, he’s played with a few bands before Villagers.  Conor creatively sings deep and rather eye opening phrases while painting vivid images with diction. The craftiness is incredible! Their first album, Becoming a Jackal was released in 2010 and had great reviews. I imagine it was because of Conor’s wonderful first impression. His outstanding song writing is a treat to the new listeners.

This album, {Awayland} has so many great moments, chord changes and harmonies. “My Lighthouse” starts off the album by putting it in its place. Poetically, acoustically with somewhat of a dark enchantment, the album continues to carry along like this. It is as if Conor is writing songs which influenced a medieval storyteller. “Earthly Pleasure” like many of the others depicts a haunting image thinly framed with hope. The hope is the uplifting chords brought in after a chilling vocal line. The vocabulary used is spectacular and the rhymes, being predictable at times are pieced together carefully. (Did I just rhyme?)

“Nothing Arrived”, the 5^th track on the album starts off with a Bright Eyes type of feel. (Any one who’s heard Bright Eyes could agree there are a lot of similarities between the two.) This was a single back in December and I can see why. It has the most potential to be liked by a larger crowd. It is comforting to know that Conor is able to put out another album of great songs. The majority of them are cleverly devised tunes. He never goes over the top, or foolishly extends a chorus or verse. When the band’s dynamic changes and briefly becomes louder Conor blends in and continues to contribute to the sound.

I feel that listening to this album will get you to feel like you want to be awakened. You’ll want to think deeper. While listen to the Villagers’ music you need to be fully engaged in the now and he is capable of helping you do that. Your ears will involuntarily perk to the sound of Conor’s voice and the delivery of the lyrics. The piano keyboard makes for a great addition and compliments the guitar nicely.

But after listening, you understand that you don’t really have to think like that to better yourself. For those not able to think and feel deeply some phrases might be frightening. (As frightening as a philosophy teacher could be.) I like to refer to this style as philosophical folk rock. You hear a lot of emotion from almost every folk rock band. New artists attempt to mention deeper ideas, but Conor can easily make them seem like surface thoughts.

“Off goes the bell ringing through my head signifies that all’s been said,” from “The Bell” helps describe why nothing really stuck with me. No specific line was swirling around my head hours after listening to it. Not like “Becoming A Jackal” was. The previous hit was in my head for days after hearing and sharing it on the Internet. For me, “Nothing Arrived” was the closest to that. I’m not going to deny that his vocal melodies flowed pleasantly into my ears and had me following him up and down every melodic step.

The album length was appropriate. I wasn’t left wanting more but the over all beauty of {Awayland} got me inspired and had me thinking throughout. The solid guitar riffs, sophisticated finger picking and chord changes kept me content. This leaves me with the decision of giving it a decent 7 out of 10. 

Best New Artist in Hip Hop of 2012

Joey Bada$$

When I fist heard Joey Badass, I thought the same thing you do right now. This must be a really corny ass dude. But once I hit play to his 1999 mixtape, that all went away. This kid can rap! And at just 17 its amazing to hear a really intelligent and really lyrical rapper. This reminded when Odd Future came out and everyone was like “They are so young they are not even in there 20s”, I didnt care cause they were really corny and their music was not good to me at all, specifically Tyler The Creator (If you dont get it right now, I hate Tyler The Creator). To be 17 and better than a lot of rappers out there right now is crazy.

The mixtape 1999 featured famous beats by MF Doom and J Dilla which helps. One of my friends complained that although he thought Joey Badass was well badass he said he wished that on his next projects he don't rap over jazzy like beats. I disagreed so hard. The jazzy beats fit Joey Badass style. He loves that type of rap and I think that it makes him seem a lot more older and mature. His style reflects that type of production and I cant see him rapping over any other type of beats.

Im really interested what he is gonna drop next, I have high hopes. I really wish he doesn't stick with the homage style he sort of had in 1999. I mean I loved it but something that Ive heard before many times. If Joey Badass can create his own sort of style then he will become one of the best, as of now he is just a really good throwback type artist.

Anyone who love stuff like Tribe Called Quest or any type of jazzy hip hop would like Joey Badass.

Top 10 Hip Hop Album/Mixtapes of 2012

10.Death Grips- The Money Store/No Love Deep Web

When I first heard Death Grips music I laughed it. I laughed not because it was funny but I think I laughed because it was so different than anything I heard. Their first mixtape Exmilitary was my first. When I heard Guillotine, I sort of laughed because of the vocalist. He came off as this really crazy dude yelling, and I said “This is not hip hop”. Even though the vocalist has a sort of primitive sort of flow.

Cut to when The Money Store came out. I decided to check out the album. The first song was an assault on my ears and I think at that moment I realized what Death Grips was trying to do and what hip hop is missing. Death Grips is really aggressive, angry, loud, and experimental. They are like a punk rap group. When I put the idea in my head of “Okay these guys are doing something new” It all clicked.

I think I liked it more because I'm more exposed to more aggressive music than hip hop heads who just listen to hip hop. I love aggressive, angry, loud bands like Black Flag, Converge, and Swans. That is not to say they have any similarity to Death Grips or each other but they all are aggressive and angry to the point that you believe it it (especially Swans).

The Money Store sort of tones down the aggressiveness they established on Exmilitary. The Money Store is actually extremely catchy with its experimental electronic based beats and crazy drumming by Zach Hill. The music may not be hip hop but it definitely makes your head nod and has the basics of a hip hop beat. The MC shouts and sounds ridiculous almost cartoony or he is just angry, but this is basically just a sort of character for the music. The lyrics express anger and the MC comes off as a really violent crazy character.

Lots of songs like I've Seen Footage and Hacker seemed like really fun songs once you look past the sound. Both of those songs feature really catchy choruses, like Hacker “IM IN YOUR AREA!”, while other songs can be more aggressive.

By the time I heard No Love Deep Web is when I become a real fan. I think No Love Deep Web is a lot better than The Money Store. NLDW sounds more like a hip hop album and is probably a lot more accessible. The production on this one is amazing, its crazy and chaotic as if the beats are being play by a math core band or something. The vocalist is singing/rapping more on songs rather than yelling. The bass on this album make it awesome. I love NLDW on first listen while TMS it took me a little while to just like the album, but with NLDW I love it. I included TMS because its amazing that they released a good album and then a greater album in one year which is a pretty good achievement.

While I'm not a huge fan of Death Grips I add them in the top 10 because they proved to be different and be successful with it. Also they seem to mix all style in a great way that can't be done. I've Seen Footage as an instrumental could be played at the club and everyone would dance their ass off. I respect Death Grips because I didn't take their music as serious the first time and learned to adapt to what they are trying to pull off, which is very rewarding.

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9.Freddie Gibbs-Baby Face Killa

I was first introduced to Freddie Gibbs with Str8 Killa, specifically the song National Anthem (Fuck the World). I was hooked. Last year he release the mixtape Cold Day In Hell which was another solid mixtape and one of the best of 2011.

This year he came out with Baby Face Killa. From what I recall this was going to be his debut album but he decided to just release it as a mixtape. At first glance I was sorta scared of it being a disappointment due to having lots of features (I hate when half the album is features). But then I read the names of the guest artist: Jay Rock,Jadakiss, Dom Kennedy, Young Jeezy, Z-RO, SpaceGhostPurrp, and Krayzie Bone. Wow.

Once I hit play I was pleased. The album featured everything Freddie Gibbs is known for great gangster rap like lyrics and great production. Freddie Gibbs is one of my favorite because he reminds me of the old school gangster rap yet he is a lot more lyrical and can rap way better than most in the game right now.

There is not much to say about the mixtape other than it is your typical solid Freddie Gibbs tape. No one does what he does better. The mixtape itself is jam packed with 20 songs and some are better than other. The features actually are a great add one, especially veterans like Krayie Bone and Young Jeezy. Overall lots of bangers, prime time Gibbs, and solid production.

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8.Big K.R.I.T-4 eva N a day

I feel Big K.R.I.T is very underrated and he flies under peoples hip hop radars because of more artist. No one does southern hip hop like Big K.R.I.T at the moment. Many look at ASAP Rocky and admire his southern like flow and talk like he is a savior but Big K.R.IT is what southern hip hop is all about.

On this mixtape he sort of takes the concept album route. The album is a sort of day in the life of Big KRIT. Big KRIT once again comes with the great production throughout the album. The sound of the album is chill, smooth, laid back, soulful,mellow, and just southern filled. His production sort of reminds me at times of UGK but what southern hip hop doesn't. The lyrics are great yet because of his lyrics he is kind of different than your regular southern rapper. Big KRIT is a lot more introspective and personal, especially on this album. His lyrics are personal and honest on this album and really gives you the feel of being in his shoes for a day. On other mixtapes he was a little different because the other mixtapes gave you a sort of more varied mix of sounds. Listening to this mixtape all the way through is a very rewarding and just joyful experience.

On the mixtape he really takes you through his life and the lyrics really show that. The production reflect the mood of the lyrics as well. This is an album I can put on to just chill out to yet the thing I love about Big KRIT is that he can also make a hard sounding southern hip hop that could be played on the radio or a club. He changes yet is always the same. This is something lots of rappers can't do without their fans complaining that they “sold out” or just changed for the worst.

Lots of these songs give you really varied moods and I love how his flow,lyrics, and production reflect that perfectly. This mixtape sort of reminded me of Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid Mad City that came out way later than this one but both were sort of concept albums in which the artist perfectly capture the concept with the lyrics and production. This being a concept album the mixtape had a great flow throughout.

I think the reason he is so underrated is because he is not your flashy southern hip hop artist. He has his own sort of style without being to different. He is paying homage but not living in the past, sort of like how Kendrick Lamar is taking the sound of west coast yet he has his own style to it. Big KRIT is intelligent, soulful, and just overall a great artist that need to be more well known but since he is not your typical southern hip hop artist that raps about strip clubs, money, drugs, and other over the top topics he dont get much attention.

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7.Action Bronson- Blue Chips/Rare Chandeliers

Action Bronson was dropped not one but two great mixtape this year. The first one Blue Chips produced entirely by Party Supplies and the second Rare Chandeliers produced entirely by The Alchemist.

I was first introduced to Bronson with his first album Dr.Lector. At first I had the same complaint every people had about Bronson, “He sounds to similar to Ghostface Killah”. While it is true, I slowly grew to ignore it and now I don't even realize it. The reason I don't realize it anymore is because Action Bronson is so different than Ghostface and also Bronson is one of the few extremely charismatic rappers in the game right now. His charisma comes from his flow which is so fun to listen to even though he don't change it that much and his lyrics are strong. His lyrical content is not very varied it's mainly about girls, weed, New York, being awesome, mafioso raps, and food. Yes food. Bronson is a chef and is very knowledgeable about food.

Even though his lyrical content is not that varied and sometime it sounds like he is just rapping nonsense his charisma is what has me listening. Action Bronson is hilarious and very clever. I really can't describe why Action Bronson is so good, really its just because he is a cool ass dude. Lots of his lines make me laugh because of how clever he is and the production on his album make my head nod. Action Bronson is plain and simply a rapper who never disappoints and makes enjoyable mixtapes.

On Rare Chandeliers, he teamed up with The Alchemist. I love The Alchemist production on this and Action Bronson on mic. Lots of the beats on this album change up in between songs in a really cool way and Action Bronson rapping about him being a badass on The Symbol. The whole mixtape has a very jazzy soulful feel to the whole thing. The mixtape album art basically tells what the album is about.

I really don't have much other to say about Action Bronson. You either like him or not. If you do then you probably listen to his music while chillin and lighting one up or you either hate him. I will say one thing I love about him other than his charisma and flow is how he teams up a produce to produce the whole tape. I feel more rappers need to do this. It's nice to hear that Bronson already has two more projects lined up for us in 2013.

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6.Sean Price-Mic Tyson

This was an album I have been waiting since 2009 when the mixtape Kimbo Price: A Prelude to Mic Tyson came out. Sean Price has always been a favorite and always brings it. His collab album with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson, Random Axe, last year proved he was still a beast on the mic. This album was everything I wanted in a Sean Price album.

The album starts off with one of the most head nodding songs on the album, Genesis of the Omega. Seriously though I had to repeat that song over and the over the first time before I listened to the rest of the album. When I found out The Alchemist produced that track I knew why I loved it so much. The rest of the album does not disappoint. Lots of hard, gritty, New York beats that Boot Camp Clik veteran Sean Price is known for rapping over. The lyrics on this album are great as well. Sean Price is a beast on the mic, no question about it, although many complain he raps about the same things. That does not bother me since there is no one else right now who can rap like Sean Price. Sean Price can rap about being the best of all time without being corny and he can rap about kicking your ass and you'll believe it. His flow is great and his cadence is great on these type of beats.

One of the main reasons I love listening to Sean Price is because he comes up with really great lines that make me smile because of how clever he is.

“This your man Sean,The opposite of a fucking Duran Duran song”

”My raps slap the Earth off its axis”

”I spit prison imam bars,That'll put you in a ER, pa ”

”The first verse uno, second verse dos,First verse is bueno, the next one is boss”

Those 4 lines are not even scratching the surface on all the awesome lines on this album. I mean those 4 lines are just 4 out of the track STFU Part 2, there was plenty more to choose from. Sean Price may rap about really being the best and being hard but all this comes off as great since, Sean Price is a legend in my opinion. He has been in this game since the 1990s and has always brought it when dropping projects. It also helps that he seems like a really nice and really funny in his interviews. I'm so glad that Sean Price is back and can't wait to what else he brings us.

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5.Roc Marciano-Reloaded

Roc Marciano finally dropped his long anticipated follow up album this year and it was fantastic. The album featured the typical unique gritty boom bap minimalist production with his stream of consciousness lyrics. With those two things Roc creates an image in your head about gritty New York and the many tales set in the city.

If there is one word for the production that is this. Slick. The album comes off as very slick and old school. Each song is like a black exploitation movie from the 70s set in the 1990s, sort of like New Jack City. His lyrics are complex enough to make you catch new lines each time you listen. His lyrics are much more mafiso in the likes of Kool G Rap rather than just gangster rap. He comes off as calm, vivid, and captivating but not as hardcore as most mafiso rappers. He simply is telling a story without being over the top.

On this album he seems to set up his already incredible rapping and his flow sound confidence and raw. I seriously have listened to this so many times and catch new things on each listen. It makes my head nod while painting that perfect picture of New York mafiso rap. The album seems like a sort of sequel from Macberg. On Macberg you get the feel of an up and coming rapper or gangster in a movie and with Reloaded he is Scarface, he has reached the top and is ready to tell all the crazy stuff that happen between the gap.

The album is kinda long for this sort of hip hop. Ka is very similar to Roc Marciano and he is featured here on two songs. What Ka got right on his album was is that it was not very long thus making you finish the album and wanting more at the end. While I still love this album I some times can not finish it all the way through. This is not to say that the album has a ton of filler, I find most songs to amazing considering the type of hip hop this is. Lots of song come off as really hard and the production really does help me finish the album.

Roc Marciano made me very happy this year by making me know that he is back and he is still the same great Roc that I loved when Macberg came out, I feel he even become better at points in both lyrics and production. What made me love him even more is when he stated that he has FIVE new projects to drop during 2013. One of them being a collab album with Ka that is about 80% done at this moment. Roc and Ka on one album with all Roc production sounds like a dream come true.

Basically if you want slick as hell production with raw gritty lyrics about tales set in New York, Roc Marciano is the man to pay attention next year.

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4.Killer Mike- R.A.P Music

When I heard Killer Mike and El-P were making an album my initially reaction was “What a weird combination”. But then I realized what an amazingly perfect combination.

Reviewing this album I first I have to talk why it seemed like a strange combination. First off Killer Mike is a really good southern rapper and mixing his with El-P's production with futuristic, noisey beats seems out there. But on the album El-P's production works really well, it's not typical El-P but it's still El-P. You can tell El-P got to experiment more on his beats by trying to fit into the style of Killer Mike. The beats are very much El-P's but they seem to have a more gangster and southern feel to them.

Lets not forgot about the start of the album, Killer Mike. Killer Mike brings the southern raps, gangster raps, and even political raps on this album. Killer Mike lyrical content on this album is what makes this album so great. The album is very varied due to his lyrics. Killer Mike can tell a story and that is very important in hip hop. Many of these songs paint an image in your head due to his lyrical skill and El-P's production gives it that unique feel to it which in all makes the album and songs extremely memorable.

The album seems to have a loose concept of rap music (given the title), each of the songs have a different style of rap to them. The amazing first track Big Beast gives you a full assault of southernness with Killer Mike, Bun B, TI, and Trouble on the mic along with El-P's head nodding beat. Killer Mike's line in that song “I dont make dance music I make R.A.P” sort of gives you the feel that the whole album is gonna be a true rap album and what a ride it is. The album gives you the old school feel with Go!, great story telling songs like JoJo's Chillin,Anywhere But Here, and Willie Burke Sherwood, gangster Ice Cube type songs like Don't Die, and highly political songs like Reagan.

I really want to say that I LOVE the story telling type songs on this album, especially Anywhere But Here and Willie Burke Sherwood. Those two songs seems really emotionally and Killer Mike lyrics make you feel what he is trying to say.

The standout track has to be Reagan. The album is all fun but once Reagan hits, Killer Mike and El-P's amazing production make you stop and pay attention to what is about to be said. The song does not come off as preachy, it comes off as REAL. You can hear the frustration in Killer Mike's voice and the seriousness in the lyrics.

Overall the album seems to be everything rap music is about and what it can do. Killer Mike reminds me why this music is important to me and why I love it. Sure it can be fun but it can also be used to tell an amazing story or express emotions or political views. Although I feel lots of rappers could not pull off so many different type of styles. Killer Mike proves he is one of the best and he shows it on this album.

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3.Ka-Greif Pedigree

This project may have flown over lots of peoples heads. I'm exciting writing this review because it might make someone to check this album out and perhaps have the same feeling I had when I first listened to it.

Ka may seem like an up and coming rapper since his name is not known but Ka has been around for a long time. His debut album, Iron Works, came out in 2009,he was featured on GZA's album Power Tools, Ka has album been featured on Roc Marciano's debut album Macberg. And even before all the Ka has been in the rap game for a long time. He is a rapper who loves rap as a form of expression.

His music seems different at first but that's only because Ka is pure hip hop. Ka has everything I love in a rapper. He is real, raw, gritty, honest,intelligent, lyrical, and loves what he does. He loves it not for money or flash but love to just rap.

So what is Ka all about? When putting on this album you will realized that the production is very minimum. The beats are sparse and gritty but this album does not rely on the beats, which is a point Ka has made in interviews. The lyrics are what makes the album. What Ka tries to make you do is to pay attention to the lyrics, his voice is simple as if its just a guy talking but after a while you realize that its just real,honest, and gritty. The lyrics themselves are straightforward while having double meaning and being complex. Ka demands you listen to him by replacing flashy production for minimalistic production and rapping in a way that you feel he is telling you something. This is the kind of album that takes multiple listen to fully get all the lyrics and the feel of the album.

Ka is an artist in general. Not only did he come up with incredible lyrics but he produce the whole album himself. When I say its minimalistic and that the production is not what the album relies on that's not to mean the production itself is lacking. The production on this album is fresh, chill out, and gritty. It is very similar to the production Roc Marciano does. It gives you the feel of a late night in the hoods of New York. It's gritty enough to remind you of an episode of The Wire. I kinda wish he would put out an instrumental version of this album.

Ka also made a video for each of the songs on the album. He directed them himself. The videos are great add on to the album. The videos fit the style of the album, each video is simple shots of New York at night yet feature really great photography from Ka. Seriously Ka could make a really good cinematographer, lots of the videos are mesmerizing and beautiful in an urban way.

Hopefully out of all these reviews you check out this album because I feel its masterpiece and very unique. I could even see Ka release an edition of the album with the album, instrumentals, and a dvd with the videos. I'm very excited to see what else Ka comes out with but even more so excited to be letting other music lovers check out Ka's music.

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2.El-P Cancer For Cure

El-P is one the rappers and producer that changed my views on hip hop growing up. When I was about 17 I listened to Cannibal Ox-The Cold Vien and the production on it amazed me, when I found it was El-P I decided to check out everything he has done. That led me to listen to Company Flow and then his first solo album Fantastic Damage. His music introduced me to a lot of the underground artist of the late 90s and 2000s plus his sound was always so unique and just overall incredible to me. He made me realize that hip hop production could be almost futuristic, spacey, noisy, and electronic based. His beats almost make you think of a bleak post apocalyptic future ahead of us in which robots control us, yet its fun as hell.

Lets not forgot that El-P is also an amazing lyricist. His lyrics are sometimes complex and his voice is distinctive, at least to me. Even though he is a white rapper he does not rap about anything most white rappers would rap about. El-P has explored a lot of themes on his past albums, he comes off as angry on his earlier stuff but not like Eminem angry more aggressive than angry. His lyrics included a lot of metaphor that make you think, sci fi and fantasy themes on some songs, sometimes profound lyrics, great storytelling but most importantly word play. El-P's word play and metaphors on some songs are amazing. It usually takes me a couple of listens to understand most of the songs meanings by listening to his lyrics. His second album, Ill Sleep When You're Dead, took me a couple of listens to understand its concept, which is an incredible album by the way check that one out if you aren't familiar with El-P.

On to the album itself. El-P never disappoints. He has come back with his head spinning lyrics, amazing production, and some new and old friends. The album starts off with an amazing intro, Request Denied, the song starts with an almost 2 minute instrumental beat that builds and builds until El-P gets on the mic and totally sets fire to the beat. I loved that first song and the rest off the album just build up to be as amazing. The Full Retard is a great fun aggressive like song, Oh Hail No features Mr.Motherfucking eXquire (yes thats his real rap name) and the great Danny Brown was the first song with features and its a great one but the next one Tougher Colder Killer was one the best songs on the album. The song had amazing verses by El-P and Killer Mike but what I loved most was when Despot got on the mic. Seriously Despot NEEDS to come out with a first full project soon and not just be featured on songs. Anytime Despot is featured he steals the show and I can't wait when he drops his first mixtape, ep, album, whatever JUST COME OUT WITH SOMETHING DESPOT PLEASE!

Anyways. El-P Cancer For Cure. The album really hits a cool turn when The Jig Is Up. The song is in part a trilogy along with the next two, Sign Here and For My Upstairs Neighbor. The three songs all connect with each other by the story it follows. I wont even mention what it is since it so much funner when El-P is explaining it to you.

The last track $4 Vic is a great outro to the album. The song is a 8 minute song that features a much more personal like El-P and just an overall amazing production job by him.

You can see that I really loved this album and El-P in general. I am really happy for him this year, not only did he release this but he also produced Killer Mike's RAP Music which was also great. Hopefully the next project he comes out with is Despot album! I mean seriously go check out his verse on The Last Huzzah by Mr.Motherfucking eXquire, while you'll there listen to El-P's as well.

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1.Kendrick Lamar-Good Kid MAAD City

Its been such a treat to see Kendrick Lamar become the rapper he is today. It put a smile on my face that his song Swimming Pools got lots of radio play because Ive been following this dude since his mixtape O(verly) D(edicated) and Section 80.

Kendrick Lamar is probably the most mature out of his peers. Kendrick understands what good music is and shows it on this album. He also understands how important it is to actually tell a story. Section 80 had a sort of concept to it but with Good Kid MAAD City he takes the idea of a concept album and creates a masterpiece.

The concept: growing up in Compton and just growing up in general. Each song deals with a sort of topic or theme that made Kendrick the man he is today. The lyrics as always are amazing and on this album very important to understand. The whole album relies on what Kendrick is saying, and it helps that Kendrick is a great storyteller. The moment I feel in complete love with this album is the song The Art of Peer Pressure. Reason being is this, the song before that one Backseat Freestyle. At first the song seemed really strange because it seemed so unlike Kendrick. In the song he is talking about bitches, money, and about his dick being big as the Effiel Tower. While he does go pretty hard in the song, it still seemed strange and it kinda dissapointed me. But then The Art of Peer Pressure came in and totally blew me away with his tale of peer pressure. But when I got done with that song I re-listened to the song before Backseat Freestyle, Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe, and I realized that in the last seconds of the song there is his friend asking to get in the back of the car and it cuts to Backseat Freestyle in which he is freestlying about typical topics a teen would rap about women, weed, and money. Then the song cuts back to The Art of Peer Pressure in which his friends in the car peer pressure him to a life of crime. That's when I realized that the whole album is concept album in full form. The story is a kid (Kendrick Lamar) growing up in the city of LA. In the album he is telling the story of his life and its very captivating to listen to it when you have that in your head.

The most amazing song on this has to be the 12 minute emotional roller coaster Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst. In that song that song he fits lots of mini story of people telling him about their lives, the first was someone telling him that he appreciated Kendrick helping his brother out even though he was beyond help and died in Kendricks arms, the second one is when I thought Kendrick was a genius. In the second verse he raps about a girl telling him that the character on Keisha Song on his last album was her sister and that it was not right that he judged her the way he did. He goes on to tell her story and it ends brilliantly by her saying Ill never fade away and the song fades away as she starts cursing at Kendrick for walking away as the song fades.

Another personal favorite moment in Kendrick's voice on M.A.A.D City, at first he sounded really strange but then I realized how he is taking the concept album in full form. In the second verse of the song, the beat changes and he starts it by saying “Fresh out of school, cause I was a high school grad”. The song does a 180 and goes back in time in a way to a much younger Kendrick which explains his voice change.

Look. The whole album is filled with brilliant storytelling and brilliant moments in the album. The whole album is full form concept album, its a hip hop movie, its a masterpiece and the best of 2012, and even probably one of the best hip hop albums of this decade. Kendrick Lamar has reached a level of greatness I haven't seen in a very long time. Kendrick Lamar understands what it means to be an artist and he showing that in everything he has gone.

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