Album Reviews

Logic – Young Sinatra (Mixtape)

by on September 20, 2011

So there I am, 2,291 miles away from home, sitting in an office that I’ve already learned to hate in just two short months. It sucks. Anyway, point of the story is that all I want to do is listen to J. Cole’s leaked CD because I didn’t get a chance to listen to it last night as I was busy with my girlfriend who just flew out to Cali two days ago to live with me. Damn first world problems. At least she’s awesome.

I checked a few songs this morning on the bus ride to work and was like “okay, I see you Cole, nothing special just yet but definitely solid even though I’ve already heard like 6 of these songs.” And I managed to peep a few more during lunch which was a nice break from the tedious world of offices jobs.

Maybe it was the fact that I was finally able to escape the confines of my office and enjoy the California sun for the first time during the day but when I pressed play on “Nobody’s Perfect” and Cole started spitting, I was like “fuck yeah.”

“…this is for the fans that waited, the bitch niggas that hated, old hoes we dated. Look mama we made it, your son out in Barbados. Cheese eggs and potatoes, smokin’ weed on the beaches…” – J. Cole

And Missy Elliot? Things were good again. And then lunch was over and I went back to hell for another 3 hours of scheming ways to get rich quick and do what I love.

Finally, 4’oclock rolls around and I finish out the last few songs on my way to the train as the album closed out with “Work Out” and “Daddy’s Little Girl,” leaving me hardcore confused. That was it? How many songs was that? 19?! Really? Oh – well, maybe I downloaded the wrong version. Yeah that’s gotta be it, the track placement did seem consistently odd. And then in the middle of all the silence and my confused thoughts, this flute starts playing and I’m like “oh? Bonus track?”

And then Frank Sinatra’s voice fills my earphones with “when I was twenty-one…” and the beat kicks in with a bit of a stutter to the vocals. Wicked. I should have realized right away that it wasn’t a Cole track considering the Sinatra sample, but I was baked, okay? I had to do something after that never-ending day of nothingness.

I wasn’t quite ready for Logic. I mean, I knew from hearing a few of his tracks that the kid was good, but I wasn’t even expecting to hear his voice so it hit me a little harder.

“It was all a dream just a year ago, bustin’ tables and serving food but y’all don’t hear it though. Now I’m on another level, but ya’ll ain’t near it though. My soul bleedin’ on the track, so spiritual. It’s a blessin’ cause now rappin’ is my profession, yo … It’s been a year and everything that I said would happen has. While everybody that I know was out having a blast, I was right here in the studio bustin’ my ass.” – Logic

That intro. That Frank Sinatra sample. That flow, Those lyrics. And it just keeps going. The next song continues the feel and when “Young Sinatra” started to play I wasn’t even mad that I had already heard it, ‘cause it’s still hella dope.

The whole bus ride home I zoned out to Young Sintra. I didn’t even notice anything else around me and my mood went from piss poor to ten times higher than I should have been from just that one toke I took before getting on the bus.

I’d keep telling you about how this mixtape is one of the best I’ve heard since, well, The Come Up, but really, I don’t care that much to write reviews. I always found that stories get the point across better, anyway. Plus, even the skits are high-quality.


Download: Logic – Young Sinatra (Mixtape)

Album Review: Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV

by on August 24, 2011

So, I’m sitting here listening to this Tha Carter IV album and finding myself severely disappointed with it. Game’s album was better and that is saying a lot. Truthfully, I didn’t have too high of expectations for this album. The first single “6 Foot 7 Foot” was straight garbage. I kind of mess with “John” but it still doesn’t change the fact that it is just a remix of Rick Ross’ “I’m A Star” from Rozay’s last album. “How To Love” has grown on me and the video just won me over, so I’m cool with that song. When “She Will” dropped, I was half-expecting this album to be just as good as the previous Tha Carter albums but sadly, that’s not the case.

I don’t know what it is with Weezy these days. He still raps like an animal. Maybe he isn’t picking the right beats? Maybe he can rap but can’t write a good song? Anyway.. most of this album is a snore. There is a song titled “Abortion” on it. Enough said. His song “President Carter” is one of the most ignorant and stupidest concepts to come from Lil Wayne. Really? You’re going to make a song titled “President Carter” that actually has nothing to do with Jimmy Carter? Maybe that’s just the political junkie in me talking.. but it really isn’t necessary for Wayne to make a song about his last name in every variation possible.

Going back to point that Lil Wayne can rap but can’t write a good song. The only good songs on this album have another artist doing the hook. My favorites are “She Will” courtesy of Drake, “So Special” courtesy of John Legend, and a bonus track from the Deluxe Edition titled “Mirrors” courtesy of Bruno Mars. You can listen to that last one below as I think I vented my frustration with this album enough.

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Listen: Lil Wayne – Mirrors Feat. Bruno Mars

Album Review: Bassnectar – Divergent Spectrum

by on August 2, 2011

I don’t have to tell you how eagerly I’ve awaited this release.

First we received “Lights”, Bassnectar’s remarkably popular Ellie Goulding remix, then we were graced with “Upside Down” and “Immigraniada”. And, all of these were given to us for free… needless to say, this release has garnered a little bit of hype.

Well, after thoroughly bumping the sh*t out of the LP all last night and ensuring that my neighbors had no choice but to listen to it over and over again, I bring good news: Divergent Spectrum is dope.

The album pretty much runs the gamut of Bassnectar’s style spectrum. There are many of the signature funky, bass-whomping, head-lolling hits for which Lorin has become well known, but at the same time, the album delivers low-key (but still bass-y) goodness. However, I was a little sad to see that there didn’t seem to be as many tracks with vocals on the album; I was hoping for a moment of “Underwater” or “Falling” nostalgia.

“Lights” aside (I mean it’s Ellie Goulding, come on), my favorite track from Divergent Spectrum is most certainly the 2011 version of “Parade Into Centuries”. It’s a re-envisioned version of an old Bassnectar track by the same name. It falls into the chill category I previously mentioned. It’s simply sensory overload, there’s not other way to put it.


Purchase: Bassnectar – Parade Into Centuries [2011 Version]

Here’s my pick for MVBHAT, AKA Most-Valuable-Ballistic-Heavy-Ass-Track of the album.


Purchase: Bassnectar – Voodoo

“Paging Stereophonic” also really did it for me; great wobble on this one.


Purchase: Bassnectar – Paging Stereophonic

And, I thought I’d save my second fav for last. It’s super great for a couple reasons – 1) It’s a sincerely dub-heavy collab with Bassnectar’s mastering engineer Seth Drake, 2) It has a piano/string solo that makes me believe Bassnectar is writing the score for Braveheart 2, 3) Bassnectar is giving this one out for FREE; just use the widget below.


Listen: Bassnectar and Seth Drake – Above and Beyond (Download below)

In closing, Divergent Spectrum is an epic LP. You would be crazy not to snag a copy of it. If you don’t want to pony up the $10 for the LP on iTunes (PURCHASE HERE), you can at least download all the free singles that Bassnectar gave out in advance, because, well, they rock. See the links to our early posts above in the first paragraph for that.

Album Review: Lil B – I’m Gay

by on June 30, 2011

Thank you Based God.

Now that I got that out of the way… WTF Lil B! No warning! I mean really?!

For those of you that don’t know, Lil B dropped this elusive album with no warning whatsoever in the wee hours of last night. Whatev B, we’re cool because your album is absolutely epic. It’s not epic in a banger, or mainstream production sort of way, but a deeper and really more beautiful sort of way. Of course, if you are already a Lil B fan, you probably expected that. The guy is so very versatile, and truthfully, so very real. In my opinion, a great deal of makes this album so wonderful (sound aside) is the meaning inherent in nearly every track.

That being said, Lil B really spills his guts all over every gem nestled in this 12-track wonder. Not only does he share a lot about himself, but he shares a lot about his perception of the world, which I found valuable. I’m tired of being assaulted by rappers yelling about their bank accounts and disregard for anything other than the thickness of their wallet. While I totally have tons of that music (because lets admit it – it’s party music), its replay value is directly correlated to to how many handles I can afford; which is certainly not the case here.

I’m not the most knowledgable B fan, I really only started listening to him with the release of the new tracks from The Pack in late 2010, but I am wholeheartedly behind the guy. Cheers to artists who care more about the integrity of their messages and persona than how many radio stations feature their solo albums.

Here’s my fav tracks, with “Game” taking the #1 spot:


Purchase: Lil B – Game


Purchase: Lil B – Open Thunder Eternal Slumber


Purchase: Lil B – I Hate Myself

or if you if can’t afford it..

http://www.mediafire.com/?o4z4ebht1gettlh CUZ I LOVE YOU IF YOU DONT HAVE 10 DOLLERS TO BUY MY NEW PROJECT HERE IT GOES FOR FREE- Lil B30 Jun via web Favorite Retweet ReplyLil B From The Pack
LILBTHEBASEDGOD

Chiddy Bang – Peanut Butter and Swelly (Mixtape)

by on May 31, 2011

After a series of compounding events including (but not limited to) two nights of birthday ridiculousness, the end of an internship, the beginning of a new internship, and getting a new roomate, I am back. Cheers to @realjessjohnson for holding down the fort. Oh, and did I mention that one of those nights included attending Laidback Luke’s show in Denver? Yes, purely epic. During my absence, I had the time to download this lovely little mixtape, which I have been bumping at an appropriately loud level since it tickled my iPod.

Peanut Butter and Swelly, Chiddy Bang‘s third mixtape, is purty cool. For me, the mixtape didn’t live up to the glory of The Swelly Express, which rocked my musical taste so hard that it changed direction. But truly, I didn’t turn on the tape expecting The Swelly Express. Xaphoon Jones, for me, has lost some of his splendor. His production gets a little repetitive at times, whereas with previous mixtapes, it still seemed fresh. That being said, the mixtape really shined during the tracks in which Jones broke his mold.

As usual, I have nothing but positive things to say about Chiddy, who in my opinion has a magnificent flow which lives up to its reputation quite well on the tape. I mean, the guy set the world record for the longest freestyle (around nine hours), which takes some skill. As a matter of fact, the track the group released as a single to celebrate the record breaking occasion -appropriately titled “Guinness Flow”- may very well be my favorite track from the mixtape.

Past that, I would say that the “I Can’t Stop” freestyle, which samples Flux Pavillion’s epic bass-slapping track of the same name, was my favorite.


Download: Chiddy Bang – I Can’t Stop (Freestyle)

Equally epic, Chiddy Bang’s take on The Knocks’ “Dancing With The DJ” is sure to be a popular feel-good synthy seventies party track for a while to come.


Download: Chiddy Bang – Dancing With The DJ (Remix)

I definitely recommend checking out the rest of the mixtape. “Cameras” receives an honorable mention, mostly because I am a big Matt and Kim fan. Stream the whole mixtape below, and then download it at the bottom of the page for free. Check out the official tracklist after the jump.


Download: Chiddy Bang – Peanut Butter and Swelly (Mixtape)

Check out the back artwork and tracklist after the jump.

Album Review: SebastiAn – Total

by on May 19, 2011

Obviously, “C.T.F.O.” has been tearing up the wifi waves for a bit now, but I wanted to wait to post it until I actually had a chance to listen to SebastiAn‘s Total in its entirety. After listening to the long awaited Ed Banger release, I am torn. The album had some EPIC tracks, but it also became a little repetitive at times. I love SebastiAn’s style, but in the form of an album, it loses its signature impact and sort of melts away for me.

I will say that “C.T.F.O.” is probably one of the more well-suited and eccentric collaborations of 2011, and that the song “Arabest” is an awesome, funk infused banger that everyone should own. As well, the song “Fried” will be on my grime party playlist for quite some time to come.


Listen: SebastiAn – C.T.F.O. Feat. M.I.A


Listen: SebastiAn – Arabest


Listen: SebastiAn – Fried

My bottom line is this: the album has some awesome tracks. But when you put them all side by side, and have 22 of them, SebastiAn’s remarkably unique sound becomes repetitive and less meaningful.

Total is scheduled for release on May 31th. Pre-order it here.

Album Review: Moby – Destroyed

by on May 16, 2011

I am a long time Moby fan. A giant Moby fan, one might even say. Moby essentially introduced to electronic music back during my highschool years. Of course, his music is completely different than most of the electronic music I post on RTV. For me, Moby’s music (and his brand) is about beauty, meaning, reflection, and minimalism; all of which I truly appreciate. I came into Destroyed expecting a lot, and I got what I came for.

I have always had a soft spot for the purely instrumental or ambient tracks that Moby has put out, and that didn’t change with this album. That’s not to say I didn’t like the tracks with vocals; for me, they were just outshone by the purely minimalist tracks on Destroyed. That is, with the exception of “The Low Hum”, which is actually tied with “Stella Maris” for my favorite track from the album.


Purchase:Moby - The Low Hum


Purchase: Moby - Stella Maris

To be honest, I could really post every song from the album and firmly tell you that each and every one is worth your time. For the sake of surprise, and for not writing a review that takes up RTV’s entire homepage, I will just throw in one more of the gorgeous instrumental tracks that moved me on my first listen.


Purchase: Moby - The Violent Bear It Away

Every other album Moby has released always initially lets me down, but grows to be magnificent with time. The fact that I love this album so much on my very first listen is a promising sign for his fans, who will certainly find happiness in it. Of course, I also suggest taking a listen to “Sevastapol”, “Victoria Lucas”, and “Be The One”, all of which are on the album and were previously distributed for free by Moby in exchange for an email address. “The Day”, which is also on the album, was previously featured on RTV as well.

Destroyed drops tomorrow and is available with an optional photobook, which, from what I’ve seen, is remarkable.

Album Review: Tyler, The Creator – Goblin

by on May 9, 2011

Following Jess’s previous post discussing Tyler, The Creator’s Goblin, I thought I would share my thoughts about the album, which drops tomorrow.

First off, the best track off the album is “Yonkers,” which if you know anything about music, you know dropped quite some time ago. The rest of the album sort of seems to bleed together… pun intended. When your lyrical content revolves around rape, murder, and well… rape, it’s kind of hard to produce tracks that have any stand out qualities. I don’t think Tyler (or OFWGKTA) is going anywhere. I think their content will certainly evolve, and I look forward to that.

To highlight my point, look at Eminem. He rocked the rap industry by being marketed as overly-graphic and lewd, whether or not he was really the most innappropriate rapper at the time is irrelevant; thats how he appeared. He achieved notoriety by attracting attention for being inappropriate. As he has evolved as an artist, his conduct has arguably become less offensive and definitely more introspective and meaningful. I’m not trying to promote Eminem though, because honestly, I’m not a fan. Regardless, I think the whole Odd Future gang will evolve in a way that maintains their style, yet diversifies their content. So, don’t sleep on Tyler, or the group as a whole.

My bottom line is this: the album is not that great, a little monotonous at times, but worth a listen if for nothing other than to establish a base point from which Tyler, The Creator can grow in the future. My fav tracks are below.

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Purchase: Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers

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Listen: Tyler, The Creator – Window feat. Domo Genesis, Mike G, Hodgy Beats, and Frank Ocean

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Listen: Tyler, The Creator – Burger feat. Hodgy Beats

Pre-order Goblin here, the album drops tomorrow.

Pretty Lights – Unreleased 2010 Remixes (Remix Album)

by on February 5, 2011

Pretty Lights has been kind enough to bless us with another free download. This addition to the Pretty Lights arsenal consists of seven songs, all remixes, from 2010. Some of the songs are also exclusive remixes from the NYE shows that PL put on in Chicago on December 30th and 31st of last year.

The remixes pretty much run the gamut of music genres. Artists include, but are not limited to, the Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West, Jay-Z, The Steve Miller Band, James Brown, Pink Floyd, and… the Chicago Bulls intro song? Yes. It’s hard to say which track I enjoyed the most; they are all pretty sick bangers. It really depends on what you’re in the mood for.

Note: There are no individual track downloads here, but there is a link to the free download of the entire remix album at the bottom of the page.

I was a pretty huge fan of the “Empire State of Mind” remix, for sure. It just sounded too damn natural. Biggie’s flow goes perfect with Jay-Z’s hit.

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Listen: Pretty Lights – Jay Z Empire State Of Mind Remix

The “Hot Like Sauce Rustified Remix” is just pure Pretty Lights. It’s funky banging beat will get you moving for sure. Not much else to say here.

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Listen: Pretty Lights – Hot Like Sauce Rustified Remix

The “Pink Floyd Time Remix” is sheer awesomeness. Derek managed to preserve the rock essence of the song, yet turn it into choppy electro banger. This track really symbolizes the versatility of Vincent’s talent. Great stuff.

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Listen: Pretty Lights – Pink Floyd Time Remix

I should preface this one by saying that I grew up in Chicago during the Bulls’ golden era. I watched Pippen, MJ, and Rodman run on court to this more than once, so it makes me a little nostalgic. After a gorgeous build, bow down to the funky drop around 2:00.

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Listen: Pretty Lights – NYE Chicago Bulls Intro Remix

The bottom line is that this remix album is another great release from Pretty Lights that deserves a spot in your music library. You can download the entire remix album for FREE here.

Album Review: T.I. – No Mercy

by on December 4, 2010

T.I.’s “getting out of prison” album titled King Uncaged, turned “going back to prison” album titled No Mercy, hits stores Tuesday, December 7th (pre-order here). T.I. was given the opportunity to stay out of prison by performing 1,000 hours of community service. Unfortunately, he lost that offer after submitting diluted urine samples and telling his probation officer of his ecstasy use since leaving prison. You can read more about the situation here. His experience changed the album from what was meant to be his big prison release album to a solemn reminder of the consequences for his actions (no matter how unfair they may be). This album concludes what is said to be a trilogy of albums beginning with T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Paper Trail. In my opinion, both of those albums were some of the best rap records to be released in their respective years; the same holds true for his newest release. There are some highlights on the album that can be placed as truly some of the best songs of the year. There are also some that are just good, some that are average, and maybe one or two that are just bad. Let’s start from the beginning…

The lead-in track of the album, titled “Welcome To The World”, featuring Kanye West and Kid Cudi is one of the stand out tracks on the album, partly because of the star-studded collaboration. I was a little disappointed that Kid Cudi wasn’t on the song beyond him singing in the chorus, but I guess the beat doesn’t really suit him. Speaking of which, the Kanye produced beat sounds much different from what we have come to expect from him. Check the song out below.

“How Life Changed”, featuring Mitchelle’L and Scarface, sounds like it could easily have been a Geto Boys track. It’s a good track but nothing special. The next track is the second official single from the album and is titled “Get Back Up”, featuring Chris Brown. It is T.I.’s apology to the world for his mistake, and by association, Chris Brown’s as well. I find it easier to to forgive T.I. (what’s to forgive?) compared to Chris Brown. This song is already getting its well-deserved radio play; it is a good track. The beat and Chris Brown’s chorus definitely make the track. Watch the official video below.

“I Can’t Help It”, featuring Rocko, has a dope beat and goes hard. I just have to wonder why Rocko is featured on it beyond the chorus; I find his rapping average at best. While “I Can’t Help It” is lacking, the next two tracks pick up the steam. “That’s All She Wrote” is T.I. and Eminem’s second collaboration and it remarkably surpasses their previous track together. The beat, the chorus, and the lyrics are all top-notch. Well, until Eminem begins rambling about McDonalds and Hot Dogs but we can excuse that. The title track “No Mercy”, featuring and produced by The-Dream is also one of the best of the album. The style of this song reminds me of “Dead and Gone” off Paper Trail, but with more of a rock influence. Check out “That’s All She Wrote” featuring Eminem below.


Listen: T.I. – That’s All She Wrote Feat. Eminem

The songs between “No Mercy” and “Everything on Me” range from either good to average (maybe bad) in my opinion. “Big Picture” is just boring. The chorus of “Strip” completely ruins the song. It is both corny and terrible, even the rapping of T.I. and Young Dro couldn’t save it. “Salute” is a dope track that is reminiscent of some classic early 90′s rap. Some may dig it, but others may find it boring. “Amazing” featuring Pharell could easily be single material but I am just not a fan. The Neptunes beats are really hit or miss for me and this one is a miss.

Two of my favorite tracks off No Mercy come next. The first of which is “Everything on Me”, which has a unbelievably hypnotic beat. I would say this is probably the best track on the album that is not featured. The next track is titled “Poppin’ Bottles”, featuring Drake, and it also has a similarly hypnotic beat. I was surprised to hear Drake not on the chorus but instead spitting one of his best verses in awhile. Overall, I think “Everything on Me” is just slightly better than “Poppin Bottles”, so check it out below.


Listen: T.I. – Everything on Me

I won’t even discuss “Lay Me Down” because I find it absolutely terrible. The beat is annoying and the chorus is worse. I’m surprised that it was a Jim Jonsin production. Even with that track, the album ends with one of the best tracks and my personal favorite of the album. It also happens to be a strange and unlikely collaboration between T.I. & Christina Aguilera. The track is titled “Castle Walls” and will be the third official single off the album (as it should be). You can preview the music video for it here. It is tracks like this that make T.I. one of the great rap artists of our time and deserving of the title “King of the South”. If you have not heard this great track, listen to it here.

Pre-order: T.I. - No Mercy (Album)

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