I Don't Like Shit is my favorite behind TPAB, I prefer it over Summertime '06 at this point. It's a humble project, sorta bleak ambient with soothing outro's (which at times even sound hopeful). Earl has improved a lot as a rapper since Doris. On this album he spits a lot of confident bars about how he's better than your favorite rapper and all the bitches want him now. The rest of the the time he talks about dealing with issues such as depression, losing his grandma, fake friends and collagues, etc. It's very relatable stuff, well written of course cuz Earl is gifted like that, dude has been killing it since a very young age. This album is basically bars after bars, very short and to the point, always leaves me wanting more.

I think it was just a mini album to hold us over until his next album which will be the real deal, he's been working with top producers like Knxlewdge (who was on TPAB), Mike Will, Metro Boomin, etc..

It's not that it's difficult to enjoy. Not for me anyway. It's more that it ... How do I put this... it's kind of like Druqks, which is of course one of my favorite albums of all time by one of my, like, top 3-4 artists ever... But despite how much I love it, I hesitate before putting it on sometimes because it's kind of a mad trip ("kind of" being an extreme understatement here).

I love TPAB. I love "Blacker the Berry", which is just a fucking outright banger... I love "King Kunta" and I think "Alright" might be one of the songs of the decade. But sometimes I'm not in the mood to hear "this dick ain't freeeeeee!" over and over and over and over. It's like an experimental album in the truest sense. It just isn't exactly an easy album, but in many ways that's a great thing.

You know what I mean.

I don't like shit hasn't done much for me. And Cherry Bomb, which was an admirable effort, hasn't found its way back into my heavy rotation since... I don't know- a couple weeks after it dropped.

Action Bronson's album was good, but I rocked it for a while and then stopped. Same with GFK's albums.

The records that have really survived the year for me are Vince and Kendrick, Drake, Joey, and that's about all I can think of at the moment.

Meanwhile Underachievers lost me. What a disappointment their album was.

This year I listened to a lot of beat albums, like Knxwledge's Hud Dreams, and a lot of electronic production heavy shit like HudMo and Botany and Prefuse 73.

I think buying tons of albums every week has severely limited my ability to enjoy music in the moment. This year, there were so few albums that held my attention all year, but that's probably because there were only a handful that I actually listened to regularly from beginning to end. I'm trying a different approach in 2016.

Kendrick Lamar nominated for 11 Grammys and pitted against Taylor Swift, like, a million times.

Also new Pusha T out Dec 18th

Understandable.

I'm bummed they didn't give Black Messiah album of the year nomination.

I'm happy for Kendrick but you know it could turn out the same way it did two years ago.. a pure rap album never actually won album of the year at the grammys. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" and "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" were the closest but I wouldn't even consider those rap/hip-hop. If he wins he'll make history.

Push is gonna kill it!

Yeah, what the fuck?! Why did D'Angelo get a nod? It seems like the album would actually kind of perfectly represent the underdog-return those Grammy chumps go for. I can see it winning. In fact, I just assumed it was nominated for AOTY, so much so that I didn't even notice it wasn't!

Regarding rap albums, I've never actually looked into the Grammys Kanye has won, but I thought either Late Reg. or Graduation had won Album of the Year. Not true? I think he was at least nominated for the award for each of his first 3 albums, which is pretty impressive.

I think 1989 is going to walk away with best album. Unless the Grammys decide to take race relations in 2015 into account. In which case it would be both stupid not to give it to Kendrick, and also kind of insultingly conciliatory.

I have seen a certain video on Houston's TV show Street Flava. I cannot find it anywhere on youtube or online, and maybe I am doing it wrong?

Here is the hook

First I pour in the yola
then I put in the soda
add in the heated water
(?) and make it blow up
watch how I whip it
watch how I whip it



I hate cocaine but I love me these cocaine raps. goddamnit! I have no idea who does this track.... Street Flava does not publish a setlist of videos shown.

Is this the single worst rap video ever? Is it the most "real?" It is rated R (NSFW). Horrible!

BuDouble & Young Pappy - "Whip It"
https://youtu.be/Gv_qB5x-aPg

Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" is Pitchfork's choice for #1 Track of 2015.

That seems like a very unpitchforklike choice. They usually leave the artier choices for album of the year, and choose more immediate and poppy songs for their tracks list.

Methinks there's a little bit of socio-political asskissery at work here. I was putting my money on "Hotline Bling" (#2), based on the super coverage the song received, and how it was basically named "song of the summer." I love "Alright" and think it's a totally worth choice for song of the year, but I think p4k is trying to get a little zeitgeisty by selecting it when in the past they've selected a pretty steady stream of bangers, crossover pop hits and infectious indie tracks.

I don't see how any album other than TPAB could possibly get claim their #1 spot, but now I wonder, because I believe they try not to award the track and album honors to the same artist, even though that's exactly what they did last year with Run the Jewels 2/"Close your eyes (and count to fuck)".

I wonder if Drake won't end up taking #1 album. Hmm.

Hey louder, are you considering Black Messiah a 2014 or 2015 album?

2014 to me. It's funny because up until it came out I was convinced I'd go with Piñata for the best album of that year, it really caught me off guard.


My choice for "album of the year" for every year of the current decade so far:


2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. No question here. There's no other album out there that sounds like it. Like Pusha said a few days ago, this album should be discussed forever.

2011: n/a. We had: Section.80, Watch the Throne, Nostalgia ULTRA, House of Balloons, Take Care.. so I guess it's a 5 way tie. All good projects but nothing stood out in particular. This year was basically a sign of things to come, it had me prepared.

2012: Good Kid, m.A.A.d city (Changed my mind from Channel ORANGE. I prefer the writing and execution on GKMC now).

2013: Yeezus. This album was so ballsy and just as surprising as MBDTF. It's an intense album. I feel like some of the lyrics were overlooked. "Meanwhile the D.E.A. teamed up with the C.C.A."? "Blood on the Leaves"?? Kanye is dropping knowledge on our heads! He has learned a lot since MBDTF and IT SHOWS!! I'd say Nothing Was the Same comes 2nd. It's a good album but just pales in comparsion. Drake isn't completely there yet as a lyricist.

2014: Black Messiah. I feel like this album is underrated, due to its minimal promo and the timing of its release. Yet it inspired my next album of the year a lot, both musically and thematically, over the span of a few months. That's crazy.

2015: To Pimp a Butterfly. Where do I even begin with this album? "Mind of a literate writer but I did it in fact, you admitted it once I submitted it wrapped in plastic..", Kendrick is not only one of the best rappers OF ALL TIME in terms of delivery and rapping technique, he also has a certain way with words that simply blows me away. He's a poet. And I feel like TPAB, along with MBDTF, has the most detailed production on every hip hop album ever. The instrumentation here is dynamic and tells a story along with the rapping. You can hear spirituality, friends who passed away, finding your true self.. it's so beautiful.

2010: MBDTF
2011: Women - Public Strain
2012: *shrug*
2013: Yeezus
2014: Aphex Twin - Syro
2015: looking like it's going to be Hudson Mohawke - Lantern or Simple Songs by Jim O'Rourke... there's still time!

Maybe good kid for me for 2012, but I also remember that was the year of Sweet Heart, Sweet Light by Spiritualized, GOOD Music: Cruel Summer by Kanye West, and several other badass albums that aren't quite coming to mind for some reason.

Ok, so Pusha T's Darkest Before the Dawn sounds better on first listen than any other hip hop album of the year.

Kendrick has the lyrics, sure.
Vince has the new blood and the insane atmosphere.

But Pusha has the beats, the rhymes, the hooks that dig deep into the psyche.

Jesus fuck, this album is hot as shit y'all. I'm not even kidding.

Money, pussy, alcohol.

Hey, that's not fair. I love old R&B, and I love new R&B. I'm a fiend for Otis Redding, and was long before Ye and Hov dropped "Otis." I love Ray Charles, Al Green, James Brown... There's a lot of music I love that I don't get much of a chance to talk about here.

Trap doesn't even really appeal to me. I'm all about beats and production and originality. I don't even see it as a proper genre. It's more of a lyrical tradition.

But if you don't think trap and soul mix, listen to TREE... Or, Jesus, Ghostface!

That office space clip has been used to describe me more than once just in my time on SYG though, so... Fair enough on that. Well played. ;)

sev talks a lot about electronic stuff too.

I admit I talk about a lot of 90's stuff. I do feel kind of stuck there sometimes, at least as far as 'guitar' music goes. I find it increasingly difficult to care about new rock music really.

I think I'm stuck in electronic land entirely. I almost never listen to anything else, unless it's an established favorite like Kanye, Velvets, Sonic Youth.

I'm actually really surprised that list has as little electronic shit on it as it does. I may need to change it, because the absence of Squarepusher, Prefuse 73, RP Boo, Jlin, Lotic, etc. is really bumming me out now that I think on it.

I'm not saying I'm the most well rounded guy in the world, but don't accuse me of choosing trap over soul. If that were the case, I'd be hyping Future and Young Thug like most folks.

I can't help getting swept up in discussions about the good old days of Pavement and Sebadoh and Yo La Tengo, nor can I keep myself from finding the good in Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. But I almost never listen to any of that stuff at this point in my life.

Well louder, I'm sorry man, but Pusha T has pulled a D'Angelo and dropped a fucking bomb on 2015. It's funny, because I usually can't bring myself to let week old albums win out over records that have had 6-12 months to prove their awesomeness and staying power (except for last year when I made "Only One" my song of the year about three hours before the ball dropped. Ha!), which is why Black Messiah initially was #9 for me instead of #3, which is what it would probably be if I retakes 2014 now... right behind Ben Frost and Aphex Twin.

But I just can't ignore it. Darkest Before Dawn is my goddamn favorite hip-hop album of 2014.

So, it looks like my 2015 hip-hop list is going to look something like this:

1. Pusha T - King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prequel
2. Vince Staples - Summertime '06
3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
4. Drake - If You're Reading This it's Too Late
5. Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$
6. Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth
7. Kool Keith & L'Orange - Time? Astonishing!
8. Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die II
9. A$AP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP
10. Dr. Dre - Compton

I'd love to include Cities Aviv - Your Discretion is Trust, but if that's "hip hop" then so is Young Fathers, and if Young Fathers goes on this list, it's going to dominate. Both artists released albums that were way too non-hip hop to be called hip hop. The label is inadequate.

Anyway, sorry Mr. Wonderful, but I never returned to you after the first couple of weeks. Sorry Raekwon but... well, you're not trying very hard. Sorry Big Sean but you're not there yet. Sorry Earl, but you bother me. Sorry Tyler, but you really bother me. Sorry Underachievers, but you need to get your heads out of your asses and stop preaching mystical bullshit. Sorry Kid Cudi, but your album was just really really really really bad!

*sigh*

When's Ye coming home?

I forgot about that Kool Keith!

Did you guys not like The Documentary 2.5? Seen a lot of praise for it.

Listening to it right now.. Quik's Groove is so good. Not sure how anyone can dislike this album. Better than The Doc 2.0 for sure. Also better than Jesus Piece and R.E.D. in my opinion. Nice stuff.

I prefer Jesus Piece. I still think that's a totally underrated album. I recently re-read the pitchfork review of it, which lambasted the title track for the "huhn!"-heavy Kanye chorus, but that still sounds absolutely epic and awesome to me.

I still haven't spent a lot of time with 2.5 though.

But why isn't anyone else talking about Pusha T?

I love this!! How did I forget about it? Oh right, because I have been leaving for work at 6am and getting home from night class at 10pm four nights a week ;)

New Game?? I might dab in it.. I was so turned off by Jesus Piece that I just don't know.. I always loved me some Quik though..

OK.. this Game is that hot shit. fuck da rest some more of that Throwback shit!! Bout time Game get back to what that ninja is on point with.. some of that Throwback Jersey 90s shit!!! These beats???? I'm stuck in an Ac Integra on 18z with Pioneers and mirror tint on this.. i could get lost in records like this!!!!

Thanks Game, more than makes up for the utter shitte that was Jesus Piece.. conscious too???? It seems Game let go of that wannabe Yeezus shit and got back to speaking the real about that crooked azz cop shit..

I also forgot about that Game Documentary 2.0.. checking that out right now too.. its aight not as good as Doc 2.5 but definitely better than Jezus Piece.. these beats are kinda too fast but still better than all this mumbling shit on the radio

REAL.

How da FUGG you finna like Jezus Piece better than Doc 2.5?????? Are we listening to the same records here?????????

I like Jesus Piece. I'm the guy. That title track alone makes it better than everything else he's dropped in the last few years. But I like all Game, really. I like Documentary 2.0 and 2.5 just fine. But yeah- Jesus Piece is better in my opinion. So what?

The fact that nobody's mentioned Darkest Before Dawn yet has me really questioning the sanity of this crowd.

Are you guys sleeping?! What gives?!

I told y'all already, past 18 months I have been leaving for work at 6am and getting home at 10pm.... ain't had time for shit! I ain't literally been sleeping let alone had the chance to just sleep on new music.



Jesus Piece sucked.

I think I like Jesus Piece more than Documentary 2. I think. I haven't had enough time to digest.

I'm sorry about Big Sean, sev. I've not had time to take in ANY new music in the past month or so. I'll get to it... late.

also I agree - basically every Game album is great. Seriously. I do think that.

I'd rank Game..

1. Doctors Advocate
2. LAX Files
3. Documentary 2 & 2.5 (though mostly here for 2.5)
4. Mix Tapes as a compilation
5. ReD
6. Documentary
7. Jezus Piece (and to be sure i don't bump G-Unit era Game so that tells you how much i wasn't feeling Jezus Piece)

Whoah, whoah... Not Big Sean.
Repeat: NOT BIG SEAN.

I'm talking about Pusha T. Just dropped an album on 12/18. It's insane. Hip hop record of the year with a bullet. Surpassed Kendrick and Vince Staples after, like, one listen.

Everyone! Hear ye! Go buy or stream or pirate Pusha T's new studio album King Push- Darkest Before Dawn: The Prequel.

Kind of a convoluted title. I think Darkest Before Dawn works fine.

I'm sorry - I knew you were talking about Pusha... brain was moving faster than I could type is all.

Ah, it's ok. Just listen to the fucker before the year ends!

I didn't preview any of the singles or watch any of the videos because I didn't want to spoil what I was sure would be a glorious first listen.

So when I heard about "that Biggie sample" and how blessed Pusha felt that he actually got it cleared, I had to just force it out of my mind. I wasn't going to listen to any of it until I could take it all in.

And damned if "Untouchable" didn't live up to the hype. Ho-ly shit.

You guys just have to hear it. All of you. I think it will unite us. I can't imagine any old-school hip hop fan not loving the fuck out of this album.

What the fuck was I thinking when I wrote this? The best album of 2012 was obviously The Seer. Jesus.

And I actually think 2013 might go to DJ Koze - Amygdala. I mean, Yeezus is just incredible, but Ye's well-represented in my lists, and Amygdala was a tour de force. Gets better with every single listen. I'll have to revisit both albums closely before making a final decision on that one, but I think the reduxe version of my list is looking like this:

2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2011: Women - Public Strain
2012: Swans - The Seer
2013: DJ Koze - Amygdala / Kanye West - Yeezus (call it a tie for now)
2014: Aphex Twin - Syro
2015: Hudson Mohawke - Lantern / Jim O'Rourke - Simple Songs / Viet Cong - Viet Cong (three way tie at the moment because I don't have any fucking idea...)

Thank god for half days. Otherwise you guys would never get updates on my random thoughts.

I think I'm supposed to make a new thread..