Drake - Nothing Was The Same Track-by-Track ALBUM REVIEW

Living up to hype is second in difficulty only to surviving in the shadow of your hype. Aubrey "Drake" Graham is the master of creating a brilliant spotlight in the shadows of his hype. It is no question that Drake's best work came prior to his extremely over-the-top wave of fame, on efforts that a mixtape classic So Far Gone and Comeback Season. Drake lyrics were sharper, topics were on point delivery was less corny, his character was solid and captivated listeners with a taste of something different to come... he was like Le Bron in high school. Drake's first solo effort,  Thank Me Later showed that Drake could find the balance between creative identity and commercialism. The album was very "safe" boasting a catalog of radio hits, which did wonderss for his fame and success, but little for his status as a great emcee/rapper. Take Care saw drake bellow into his emotions, which is fine for any artist, but again it must be done properly, which in my  opinion it wasn't. Drake uses his fame to say things in a way that an average male would never, and get away with it. As a result though, his fans label his music as soft (rightfully so) but don't care, and still stand by Drake as being a phenomenal artist. On this, his third major label effort, Nothing Was The Same, Drake takes us on a journey. Was it a good memorable one? that remains to be explored in this track by track review. So Leggo!

1. Tuscan Leather

Typical, but good start to a Drake album. I respect Drake for being able to clearly vent emotions in the simplest was while still sounding fresh. The vybe of this intro though is no different from Over My Dead Body or Fireworks, so Drake didn't step out of the box, good track, my only beef was it was too long.

2. Furthest Thing

This track seems to be a fan favourite(not sure why). Drake really stepped up his hook game with this one though. Probably the best hook on the album apart from Started From The Bottom. The beat is nothing we haven't heard before, but it's still cool. Decent track, with some cool lyrics, again introspective for the most part.

3. Started From The Bottom

Even though it was the lead single for the album, it still is one of the strongest tracks on the album, in my opinion. I think there is nothing better than when music continuously sounds better the longer it is out, and this song benefits from that blessing A LOT. It really is a breath of fresh air in the grand scheme of this album. The beat has vybze, and the "semi" raw delivery from Drake is cool, as he didn't come across fake or corny. Solid trackkk.

4. Wu Tang Forever

EASILY THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM, in my opinion. Drake takes the same sample from the Wu Tang track, "it's yours" (which actually was a sampled track itself) and uses that reason I believe to name the song Wu Tang Forever.... not really sure why but you know.... word. I really love his flow and emotional delivery, reminded me of something from So far Gone. Super Solid track from Drake, a much needed reminder for me, of what i use to like about Aubrey. (pause)

5. Own It

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...... Drake went all the way left on this track. The lyrics on this song is all types of mushy/homo. Sounds like something Elton John would tell Tyler Perry at a picnic. SMH I'm sorry I cannot get behind this song in the least. Think about this, if i made a great "sounding" song rapping or singing about raping babies and worshiping demons, would you like it? FUCK NO! Same reason I don't fuck with this lame track in the least.

6. Worst Behavior

Again a breath of fresh air from the soft Aubrey we have grown to know. If Drake had not repeated the same line 200 times this song would be VERY good, for now it's just cool. The beat is really fresh, produced but some random guy names DJ Dahi. Quality stuff. It has potential to be a hit, but that repeated line... it really was a little too much. Good stuff though Aubs.

7. From Time (ft. Jhene Aiko)

One of the reasons why albums or music stand out to people is because while listening to it, a lot of the songs resonate with you, and invoke certain emotions that make you remember them. this song lacks that intangible aspect a lot. I honestly, in general conversation cannot remember what it was about or how it song entirely. It just drifts from my memory, it was one of the more boring tracks on the album. However, Drakes flow was really good and Jhene Aiko's vocals were fantastic as well. My other gripe is the fact that Drake is kind of repeating topics a bit. It's nothing new from Drake, not that the topic is bad, it is just yet another introspective track, but it could have been done from a different perspective unno. But Drake sounds good rapping like this, and that is what drives the song to not being a bad track. This is Drake's niche. Some okay story telling abilities shown here as well.

8. Hold On We're Going Home

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ... Here we go again. I do not think Drake can sing. i'm sorry. Neither do i think his song writing ability for RnB is all that great as well. The beat for this track is fresh though. An ode to that late 80's MJ era. This is like a slowed down Thriller throwaway beat. I could here Prince doing something on a beat like this. The sample or the person at the end was the best part for me. I like how that sounded a lot, i even just skip to that part sometimes LOL. Drake struggles to bring the song to life in my opinion. He however succeeded at this on Take Care(the song with Rihanna on his last album) so it is not like he is incapable of doing it, but it's just that it is not natural hearing him try to. That is strange considering how soft he is but... word, unno... Cool radio song i guess, but I didn't think it was good.

9. Connect
A boring RnB attempt in my opinion and again on a recycled topic. The rap at the end was mediocre. Not a good look for Drake right here... but hey, i wasn't suprised. The Beat sounded like a throwaway The Weekend beat.

10. The Language
The hook for this song was cool. The flow on the verses was terrible tho. Mirror image flow of Versace and that track was terrible so... not much of an upgrade. The beat had a good baseline but that was all, it feels empty and lackluster. Track was mediocre at best.

11. 305 To My City
Suprisingly, I fuck with this track a lot!!! It starts of soo hard woth the recurring sample going "drop down... drop drop down.." It was mad freshhh. The beat is a bangerrrr, when the baseline comes in better crank up that volume and feel it blow out your ear drums b. Fuckin phenomenal. The are nothing special but still a great song. Topic wise he basically is tlakin to/about a girl who is a stripper and in his eyes is winning. Nuthin new from "save them hoes" Drizzy. BUT, i dig it.

12. Too Much
Aubrey opens up with some emotional and personal verses about his family life, which apparently invoked negative responses from his mother and aunt n shit. That's some real shit, so i respect it. It reminds me a lott of the track Look What You've Done off Take Care. Drake flow is tight here and lyrics are on point, really good song, a standout track.

13. Pound Cake (ft. Jay Z)/Paris Morton Music 2
Pounds Cake was supposed to be on MCHG so basically that shit is a Hov track, hence the stellar beat and great flow/delivery. This is easily the best beat on the album. I cannot rate this in a Drake light as he only had one verse, which was average at best. Hov ran away with the spotlight on this one. Great song but not in the scheme of Drake's work, im sorry. Paris Morton Music 1 was awayyy better, Drake didn't seem to but the same effort into his lyrics as the first part, but it was kina aite still. Not a good way to end the album though, but say what. The double offerring on track 13 was cool. Thank You Hov.

BONUS CUTS
14. Come Thru
I didn't really dig this track, typical soft radio Drizzy. I honestly don't know why so many people love it. It was just average to me. I didn't like how it "sounded" so... that really didn't aid. It whatever to me... really forgettable.

15. All Me (ft. 2 Chainz and Big Sean)
BIG SEAN KILLLEDDDD ITTTT!!! Easily my favourite song on the album. Chainz it killin tracks these days too, so don't sleep on his verse. This track is maddd vybze. Beat is great, great hook from verse and a decent verse too. Nuthin bad i can say about this. Props Aubrey!!!


IN A NUTSHELL.... I think this album lacks staying power. This is Drake's least memorable album of the three. For the most part is feels kina empty/boring. To many of the tracks have the same vibe. It reminds me a lot of a Weekend album. Some bright spots here and there i must admit. I revisit particular songs ever so often. I think Drake is capable of delivering a GREAT album. He is yet to do that, in my opinion. But according to him he makes all his music exactly how he wants it to sound, so this is just what we are going to get from Drake. When Drake is ready he can SPITTT, but he sacrifices that a lot on his recent work for some other work, sooo... i ain't really feeling new Drizzy. My twitter followers know how i feel bout that moist, light-skinned, hoe saving, wanna be singer. But it's all love still.

My Rating
7-7.5/10

follow me on twitter @jellzman

1

John Legend - Love In The Future ALBUM REVIEW

Very rarely does an RnB artist release an album that is able to resonate with general popular culture, no matter what your genre preference might be. The very nature of RnB make this very difficult, living in a society where “vybze” and “hype” really is the order of the day. John Legend transcends these boundaries on his latest effort, Love In The Future. It is said that an artist expresses his greatest work when in pain, I think more so when he/she has just gone through or is going through a great deal of emotion, whether good or bad. That left room for someone like Mr. Legend to produce a stellar 20 track ballad detailing his current love life and the emotions it invokes.

The album starts off beautifully with the title track Love In The Future, with John’s voice blaring out the lyrics “it’s a new year, for love... love in the future,” but in the most beautiful, and soulful way you can imagine someone blaring at you. John Legend is very much known for his mainly piano instrumentals to accompany his music, however this album diversifies his sound, but it is done exceptionally well, executively produced of course by Kanye West. The fourth track, Made To Love, sees John step out of his comfort zone and sing over heavy drums and hi hats, much like Kanye did on 808’s & Heartbreaks lead single Love Lockdown. The lead single off of this album was released in March of 2013 long before the release date of the actual album, August 20^th, which brings me to my next point and probably the driving intangible behind this entire album. The soul felt in the single “Who do we think we are” kept that track relevant for seven months, and did enough for John to sell 68,000 copies first week, with little radio play.  This track is followed by the second single off the album, All of Me, a clear ode to his newly wedded wife. John, in this track, professes that she deserves and will get nothing less than all of him, and all that she wants him to be, a true mark of a man in love. The album theme of professing love, changes slightly on tracks like “Tomorrow” and the fantastic interlude “What if i told you.”  The use of interludes(not skits) are new to a John Legend album but it really teases us with how great John can make a track sound. The second interlude, “Angel” featuring vocals from Stacy Barthe, was another standout track, adding a very happy tone to the album. The track where John Legend really blew me away in terms of taking a very unusual beat and filling it with soul, is the track “Asylum.” The lyrics of this song can only be match by those of “who do we think we are” in terms of song writing ability to take a message or idea and deliver what is potentially a hit record. Here he compares love to an Asylum where the actual love is driving him crazy, but it is the Asylum that he goes to after being driven crazy, absolutely perfect, in my opinion. The track “Aim High” which is track number nineteen (the last four tracks are bonus cuts) is a phenomenal mood setter for something like a graduation or an awards function. The lyrics are so deep that the mellow mood of the music distracts you from its’ brilliance. John Legend's vocals on this track are amazing to say the least. The closing track is John basically setting up the reason why this album was written and executed the way it was in the first place. On “Love For The First Time” I guarantee you, you will understand fully what this album was about and for, and I can even for a moment, make you remember what love feels like. It is easily the most emotion-filled track on the album, perfect way to end off the album.

With twenty tracks (16 on the regular version) it is a bit tedious to touch on all, but in summation, the album is easily the best RnB effort to come out not just this year but for a while. I can only think of a few in recent times that can compare or are better. Music is meant to move your soul, and invoke some emotion or feeling, whether something solemn, happy, sad, serious, painful or hype. When it is executed with excellence, no matter what your preference in genre, you will feel that intangible element. That intangible element that comes from the moments that inspired the lyrics, the emotions that inspired that choice of instrumentals, the mistakes in the pen when writing the sound, the mood in the studio and that pain or joy in the voice of the artist. John Legend executed the intangible in this piece of work perfectly to say the least. I strongly recommend this album to anyone, anywhere. Brilliant work, that will only grow in popularity, and get better with each listen. Timeless...

My Rating 9.5/10

Follow me on twitter and instagram @jellzman

Share the link to this review below!

Keep following for more reviews #Hiphopmade

Big Sean - HALL OF FAME Track-by-Track Review

Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Wassup folks?! Aite first order of business allow me to humbly apoligise for the lack of posts, dah was kina wack on my part considerin how hype i was for this blog at first. I had a hiatus for two reasons, 1) the HipHop that came out since my last review didn't hype me enough to express all my thoughts on it(those who follow me on twitter @jellzman would probably see my views on the shit that recently came out) and 2) I been busy wtf, i'm a busy guy aite, so i preferSOMETIMES in my free time to get drunk and listen to music, not really sit here and give you a clear UNBIASED opinion on shit.

With that being said, lets get into Big Sean's HALL OF FAME for a minute, lemme share my thought and bless your minds with some rare insight and knowledge and all that good shit.

1. Nothing Is Stopping You
This track IN MY OPINION is the best insight into Sean's personality ive ever heard him put on wax. The messge behind the record is phenomenal. Sean basically recounted his leap of faith to go to a radio station and spit a freestyle to Kanye, which got him signed to GOOD Music, and then flipped the story with his own account of a young rapper from Detroit who he let spit some bars for him at a radio, station. Sean really is just telling everyone to just follow your dream and never give up on shit, Great Song.

2. Fire
This is supposedly the REAL first single off the album (Guap was more like a street single that eventually only made the bonus cuts). It's VERY radio friendly, i like the way the sample on the chorus is blended into the beat, the track very upbeat which is a good change of pace form the solemn beginning of the album. It was aite, i like it i ain't even gon front.

3. 10 2 10
The song is bittersweet to me. Sweet because i love the trap sound he invokes in the record, but bitter because ohhh myy worrrrddd when is voice stretches out in the latter part of the song and on the hook, fuccckkk that shit mad annoyin to me, but unno... it is what it is. This is a hit/miss fo rme. Like if i'm in my room gettin ready to go like, a fuckin rally or a football game where the stadium is packed or to war or some shit, this would be like illmatic to me, other than that, i might skip this shit everytime.

4. Toyota Music
This track is mediocre mayne... it seems like an album filler to me... like what the fuck did you think about this record? cuz i aint know myself, so go start a blog n lemme get some insite into this record here b.

5. You Don't Know
This song was cool, Sean does show his songmaking ability A LOT on this album, i like the beat n shit, bar-wise Sean was just aite. I'm not gon bash this record one bit, but at the same time, not much praise can be given either b.

6. Beware ft. Lil wayne & Jhene Aiko
THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE REALEST RECORD I HEARD IN A MINUTEEEE..... now wait wait wait UNDERSTAND WHAT IM SAYIN. The lyrics to this shit, is superrrrr accurate from any male's perspective, that is what i mean by real. It's like Sean is just talkin, he did it so effortless mayne idk bout y'all but this my favourite record off the fuckin album, i played this shit like 900 times already b. Wayne actually did NOT dissappoint me, which is a first ina while yo. I HOPE ALL FEMALES EVERYWHERE LISTENED CAREFULLY TO THIS RECORD gotdamnit!
(btw if u seen the video that jhene aiko bitch is a walkin truck load of sex appeal dawg FUCK)

7. First Chain ft. NaS an Kid Cudi
I love it when one great song is followed by another one, oh yesss that shit refreshing. This record is sean basically comparing the feeling u get when you achieve a goal, to when you got your first big chain. Which in the world of rap is like the equivalent of "fuck it, i'm here, look at me" NaS, aka Esco aka Nasty NaS aka Half Man Half Amazing aka the Rap Gawd aka the GOAT DEMOLISHED this record b, best verse on the album hands down. Nobody touchin the kid and his flow was sooo fresh. Cudi that nigga too, first time he came in and actually spit bars ona record in a while. Much props to that classic Cudi style singing at the end too. This like top 5 on the album fuhsure.

8. Mona Lisa
Since that Detroit mixtape's huge success, Sean really been on his trap shit and it is workin great. Mona Lisa is another one of these records and Sean sounds comfortable on it. He on his ignant shit too tlkin bout threesomes n shit. This song aite.

9. Freaky
I ain't gon front as a GREAT SUPPORTER AND INDULGER of MILF and Cougars alike, this skit right here kina made my dick hard. That woman moanin n talkin nasty n shit, this kina reminded me of the infamous Biggie Skit where he was fuckin that girl in the studio lmaooo. Good shit here Seany.

10. MILF ft. Juicy J and Nicki Minaj
"man not my momma, man not my momma, man not my momma... you messin with my momma!" This is the funniest song you gon here in a minutteeee b, the lyrics to this shit is sooo fuckin clever and real, i could see myself sayin and doin dat shit lmaoo. AND THE SONG GOES HARRRRDDDDD crazzzyy ass beat. I fuck wit this a lotttt, my second fav song on the album for sure. Juicy J was in his comfort zone, Nicki was trasshhhhhhh.

11. Sierra Leone/Greedy Ho's
Sierra Leone was meehh, i dnt really like sean singin like that. This was kina dwn the Drake road too... soo... unno. The metaphor of the record was cool though, comparin the luxurious shit in Seans life to diamonds and gold from Sierra Leone, but i aint really like how it "sound" dig me?

12. It's Time ft, Jeezy & Payroll
This sing confused the shit outta me. Apparently it was supposed to be some deep shit about the realities of Detroit and shit, but to me Sean n Jeezy was rappin some ignant shit. Only the hook really mention anything about the city, but maybe i ain't really fuckin dissect that shit idk. Jeezy spit a aite verse, i fuck wit it but that Payroll nigga sound like a Young Money throw away artist, fuckoutta here b.

13. World Ablaze ft James Fauntleroy
This record was great song writing skills from the kid Sean Don. I was impressed. The message here really fuckin touched the MINUTE soft side of my heart b. James Fountleroy was good stuff too. Not my favourite somg, but great record, one of Sean;s better work.

14. Ashley ft. Miguel
MAAAYNNNEEEEEE when Miguel start to sing, i just fuck with the record wayy more than i normally would(no homo) He got a a classic voice, and it compliments hiphop records like this sooo well. Sean's song writing skillz was excellent here too yo. WE ALL HAVE?HAD AN "ASHLEY" in our lives, I know i fuckin do. This was Sean gettin real introspective about the relationship he ACTUALLY had with his ex Ashley (his highschool sweetheart). This was some grown man shit. DRAKE TAKE FUCKIN NOTE

15. All Figured Out
This was ite. Typical album closer. Real somber and cool beat... Sean kina gives a cool message at the end about being remembered for being good, despite your mistakes. He kina lost me a bit in the monologue at the end but... waeva unno.

BONUS CUTS

16. Mula Remix ft Meek Mill, 2 Chainz & Early Mac
THE TRACK IS A BANGERRRRRRRRR. The Ignant level on this one are critical. If you into slappin niggaz or tryna sum up the courage to slap a muhfucker, spin this like 3 times. I lost like 10 pounds dancin to this record in my room, no bs. This BLEW the original away dawg.

17. Switch Up
At this point you prolly realize that Sean put al the BEST radio singles on the bonus cut to make niggaz spen that extra 2 or 3 USD. Its all good tho. this record was cool, Common was a breath of fresh air too , very different to see him on this kina record but he did his thing.

18. Guap
FIREEEEEEE, I fuckin love this record. Just such a fun semi-hype song to bump. Fun lyrics just fun mayne aite, i like to fuckin have fun sometimes.




CONCLUSION

Let's be really real here Big Sean is and average/little above average rapper. BUT what he lack in lyrics, he makes up for in flow ad libs and song making/writing ability. THAT BEING SAID, he make good music(pun intended) and i appreciate that. If you something fun to listen to while you on ur way to work in the AM, this is your shit. THIS IS A HUGEEEEE STEP UP FROM THAT FINALLY FAMOUS BULLSHIT

My raiting, 7-7.25 outta 10

GOOD Music, for life.
Get me on twitter @jellzman
Peace Bruh!