THINK PIECE: EMINEM VS MACHINE GUN KELLY: WHO WON?

We just got done looking at the wildness that was Drake vs Pusha T’s rap beef, so now, we’re gonna be looking at the latest major rap beef. This one comes between two artists you probably wouldn’t have expected to cause such an exciting beef, Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly.

As we did with Drake vs. Pusha, we’ll go over how it started, MGK’s diss track, Eminem’s response to it prior to his own diss, Eminem’s diss, MGK’s response to Em’s track, winners and losers, and if there will be more to come. Here we go.

HOW DID IT START?: This beef actually traces all the way back to 2012. Machine Gun Kelly, a huge Eminem fan all the way back, made a tweet claiming that Eminem’s daughter, Hallie Jade, was “hot as fuck,” but hey, don’t worry about the fact that she was 16 and he was 22, because the gentleman he is, MGK made sure to let it be known that he said that “in the most respectful way possible bcuz Em is king.” I don’t think there’s ever a respectful way to call a girl “hot as fuck,” but go off, I guess. Anyway, MGK apparently brought up the tweet several times in later years in his press runs, and he even accused Eminem of having him blackballed and banned from Shade 45. It got so bad that MGK dropped a subtle diss on Eminem on the song “No Reason” that he did with Tech N9ne, where MGK said “"Popped in on the top charts out the cop car / To remind y'all you just rap, you're not God.” So, naturally, on Eminem’s song “Not Alike” from his surprise album “Kamikaze” that dropped on August 31st, 2018, Em decided to go for the jugular by directly referencing MGK all throughout the second verse, notably saying at one point, “If you wanna come at me with a sub, Machine Gun / And I'm talkin' to you, but you already know who the fuck you are, Kelly / I don't use sublims and sure as fuck don't sneak-diss / But keep commenting on my daughter Hailie.” Now, I’m confused because apparently, MGK popped champagne to the track at first…but it seems he wasn’t as happy as the video showed.

MGK’S DISS TRACK REVIEW/RATING: MGK responded to Eminem’s “Not Alike” pretty quickly. His diss track, “RAP DEVIL,” was released three days after Em’s album dropped. Now look, I think it already takes some brass balls for ANYONE to release an Eminem diss track, so the fact that MGK did it and even got it in the “3-5 business day” period is pretty good. I know I’ve been talking down on the guy a lot because he’s, ya know, dumb, but at least he responded quickly. That said, though, I dunno what’s going on in the cover art. Yeah, he’s doing the “devil horn” thing that Eminem did first but…is he doing it to mock him or as a tribute to him? It’s hard to tell, but either way, I’m not gonna lie, the song does have some pretty neat production. It’s dark, it’s brooding, and it sets the stage nicely. Unfortunately, production isn’t the most important element to a diss track: it’s all about the performances and the bars, so how does MGK do on both? Well…meh. Yeah, some of his somewhat rapid-fire moments are kinda cool, but it just feels like he sticks to the same flow throughout the whole song, which just gets kinda dull. Let’s also not forget the tediously repetitive hook that not even autotune can save (same goes for the bridge), which, by the way, this is a diss track, why do you have a chorus? Freestyle it, man! Freestyle! But anyway, I remember when I first heard the track, I didn’t think it was too bad…then I read the lyrics, and I wondered what I was even thinking. MGK, unfortunately, is not a great lyricist, and you know that the track’s in for a rough start when MGK’s first diss is “his fucking beard is weird.” He continues to throw up cheese bars in the first verse, like “you sound like a bitch, bitch,” and “all you do is read the dictionary and stay inside,” which don’t really sound all that hard to me. Also, MGK, Em is mad about more than what you said in 2012, but I want to point out that you still have yet to acknowledge that calling a 16-year old “hot as fuck” when you’re 22 is disgusting and that there is no respectful way to say someone is “hot as fuck.” But I digress. In any case, Verse 1 also sets up one of the biggest problems with the song: MGK admits that Em is the greatest rapper alive. This is a diss track! You don’t praise the person like that on the other end! And then in terms of the hook, MGK is sick of the “corny hats” and “sweat suits” but I’m tired of his douchey behavior and douchey face, let’s talk about that. Or how he seems to think Em doesn’t deserve to be mad because he’s rich? Because being rich should automatically make you happy? Ugh, whatever. MGK once again brings up the rumors that Em tried to blackball him, but we’ll get to those later because Em’s last four albums are apparently all worse than his selfie. Yes, “Marshall Mathers LP 2” is certainly worse than his intentionally bad selfie. Sure, dude. And while you’re at it, why not again acknowledge that Em is the GOAT, which you shouldn’t do in a diss record? Or how about we tell Eminem to “go back to ‘Recovery’” even though that was three albums ago, and he shouldn’t go back to one of the albums you claim is his worst. Or wait, how MGK talks about how all the Eminem fans discovered him…because, we all know who Machine Gun Kelly is. He goes on to say for some reason that Em is scared to ask Rihanna for her number…uh, okay? He makes a few semi-clever jokes, acknowledges Em as Top 10 (messing up again), calls him “Oscar the Grouch,” and thinks he should apologize, even though MGK won’t apologize for disrespecting someone’s daughter. He also says that Eminem’s name sounds like a candy…uh, zing?…and he drops an admittedly noteworthy (by the standards of the song) finishing bar where he says he “already fucked one rapper’s girl this week” (talking about G-Eazy, of course), and warned Em not to “make [him] call Kim.” That might get a reaction out of some people, and it got me my first time, but it definitely lost its luster after a while. Overall, despite the great production and the somewhat okay flows, “RAP DEVIL” is a shoddy excuse for a diss track, and it honestly feels more to me like a pop-leaning song that masqueraded as a diss song to get more attention. Not the worst thing ever, but still not enjoyable, so this critic is gonna give it a “Bad” rating.

EMINEM’S RESPONSE BEFORE RELEASING HIS TRACK: Now as I said before, as someone that only really got into the rap scene a year ago, at the beginning of the takeover of the SoundCloud kids that only beef through Instagram, I don’t know if artists stay silent before releasing their response tracks all that often. In Eminem’s case, he was silent for a minute, only dropping a hint at the track with him playing Ms. Pac-Man on an arcade machine (of note, MGK has a Pac-Man tattoo on his collarbone, many interpreted this shot as him planning to “go for the throat” with MGK), but things kicked off when he was interviewed by Sway Calloway. In this interview, he discussed the accusations of “blackballing” MGK by stating that his reason for the beef was far pettier than just “he wrote a tweet about my daughter.” Em even viciously said, “First he said, 'I'm the greatest rapper alive since my fave rapper banned me from Shade 45.' I could give a fuck about your career. You think I actually fuckin’ think about you? Do you know how many fuckin’ rappers that are better than you? You’re not even in the conversation.” Already, ouch. But he spoke in the interview about being unsure whether or not to release a track, stating that he tends to worry sometimes about how releasing a diss track, regardless of whether or not it hits hard, only gives the victim of the diss more attention. Still, that doesn’t mean Em was backing down from the challenge, because he most certainly wasn’t.

EMINEM’S DISS TRACK REVIEW/RATING: Alright, look. I’ve been talking all about the “3-5 business day” period with these discussions, but man oh man, Eminem did NOT cater to said period. Man said “boy, I’ll get my package to you when it’s good and ready, sir.” 11 days after “RAP DEVIL,” Eminem released “KILLSHOT” (fortunately, it’s not like the beef lost any attention after that, because the Instagram Live and the Sway interview kept the attention going for it). And even if he took his sweet time getting it out, the wait was worth it. Eminem pulled all the stops with “KILLSHOT,” nailing the song on each and every front, from the production to the flows to the wordplay to the attacks, Em did it all. Hell, his cover art was crazy good, too: a well-drawn artwork of MGK in a scope with X’s through his eyes? Not bad, Em, not bad at all. And I’ll say this: one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about Em with his recent albums has been that his production is not very good, and personally, most of the production on “Revival” wasn’t very good so I get that, but with “KILLSHOT,” Em didn’t play around. The beat was hard-hitting and catchy (so much so that the song could stand on its own if it wasn’t a diss), and Em rode it so perfectly with very varied, fantastic flows. It wasn’t just constant rapid-fire, Em was always switching things up on this one, keeping the song interesting throughout the whole duration. And of course, Em’s wordplay and lyricism were in top form here, with attack after attack after attack on MGK. With “RAP DEVIL,” it felt more like MGK was giving Em a few playful shoves and giggles, but Em responded with a right hook to Colson’s face. Right when the song kicks off, Em makes fun of some of those corny bars from “RAP DEVIL,” like the “you sound like a bitch bitch” line and the “weird beard” joke, and after MGK said on his track that Em seemed too scared to ask Rihanna for her number, he kicks right off by mentioning that Rihanna just texted him after a night where he was leaving hickeys on her neck. He continues on with that by responding to MGK’s line about his last time seeing “8 Mile” being “at home on a treadmill” by telling MGK that he was actually watching the film on his NordicTrack, and he also criticizes Kelly for the one thing we were all asking: why was MGK insulting him in one line, but then complimenting him on the next line? He even asks, is “that a death threat or, a love letter?” He also responds to MGK’s “weird beard” and “you’re named after a candy” lines by asking how MGK could name himself after a gun while having a man bun. As someone that wears his hair in a bun occasionally…I feel slightly attacked. But no, not really, I’m actually living for that line. I’m also living for how Em mentions that, even if he is old like MGK says, he’s still outselling the 28-year old MGK at 45, and that if MGK really wants to call himself a “prodigy” and wants to approach Eminem, he’s gonna have to catch up because Em had three of rap’s all-time great albums, while Colson doesn’t even have one. He brings more clever wordplay throughout the song by saying that MGK is a “molehill” and that Em will “make a mountain” out of him, and that as long as Eminem is “Shady,” Kels will have to “live in [his] shadow.” He also says that he won’t be like Kels and “go in someone’s daughter’s mouth stealing food,” he says that MGK is a “bow-and-arrow” and not a gunner, and he pokes fun at MGK’s music video for “RAP DEVIL,” where he was eating cereal for no true reason (while also taking Colson’s “dictionary” line and making a parody out of it). He also lightly reminds MGK that his math was off with the “last four albums sucked, go back to ‘Recovery’” line, and he hits hard by mentioning that he had enough money in 2002 to burn it in front of Kels, while also stating that he would rather be himself at 80 years old, on the verge of death, than be MGK at 20 years old. He also reminds Kelly that he’s never been on a “Greatest of All Time” rap list with guys like Jay-Z and Biggie (and also mentioning that he’s closer to Iggy Azalea than them, which is not a compliment) and that the only people he’ll be on a list with are Ja Rule and Benzino, artists that previously had their careers ending by Eminem diss tracks. He goes even further to discuss MGK’s lack of success by mentioning that his “biggest flops” are MGK’s “greatest hits,” and that he should enjoy that this diss track will make him bigger than he’s ever been (special shoutout to the bar where Em says “had to give you a career to destroy it”). He also tells MGK that his track would only get a B for effort (not even an A? Come on, Colson!) and that even if he wanted to play the tough guy image and say that he’ll fight Eminem because he’s so much taller, MGK would still look up to Eminem even if Em was under 4 feet tall. Em gets even more cutthroat when he implies that the only way MGK can have sex with Kim is if Colson disguised himself as Eminem, and how MGK was just “…salty / ‘cause young Gerald’s balls-deep inside of Halsey.” He closes out the song by saying that, even if MGK dresses better, Em still raps better, and that Colson needs to chill with the mumble-rapping and the autotune if he wants to get on Em’s level, dropping a particularly nasty line where he claims that the day MGK puts out a hit song is the day that his boss, Diddy, admits that he put out the hit on 2Pac. First, big ouch, second, double-meanings are crazy! MGK has the Pac-Man tattoo, so he would be “Pac” in this case, and with Diddy allowing “RAP DEVIL” to release, he just got his own artist, “Pac,” killed. As Eminem said after that, “ah!” He then officially concludes the song by telling MGK to keep kissing up to Eminem, while keeping Hallie’s name out of his mouth, and he also hits Diddy with his iconic outro of “I’m just playing, you know I love you.” If you couldn’t tell by all of that, Eminem played zero games on “KILLSHOT,” and he absolutely gets an “Excellent” from me.

MGK’S RESPONSE AFTER EMINEM’S TRACK: MGK, to my everlasting lack of surprise given the person he is, was pretty dismissive of the track. His initial tweet seemed to criticize the long wait for the track, he called the song a “leg shot” (although MGK may not realize that one can still die from a leg shot if you bleed out really fast) and rated it a 6 out of 10. Honestly, if that’s what he thinks about “KILLSHOT,” I want to see what he would rate his own track, because “RAP DEVIL” was certainly no 10. Either way, he also became wrapped up in controversy when he opened for Fall Out Boy and tricked fans into putting up the middle finger for an Instagram pic without knowing that it was intended for Eminem (he was wearing a shirt with the “KILLSHOT” artwork, but it was obscured by his jacket at first), and he was apparently booed while performing “RAP DEVIL” (he claimed that Em and his team doctored boos into the footage, but come on, Colson, you’d pull that on him before he pulls that on you). He also spoke about the track on the Breakfast Club in an interview that was filled with contradictions and silly logic, where he seemed to feel bothered by Eminem’s reference to his “man bun,” even though it was MGK who started his track by pointing out that Eminem’s “beard is weird.” He also seemed surprised that Eminem referred to him as a “mumble rapper,” even though his subsequent EP “BINGE,” that he probably only released to capitalize on the beef, featured several songs that had him “mumble rapping.” He also tried to make us believe that he had another diss track prepared but put it back after hearing “KILLSHOT.” Yeah, Kels, no you didn’t. Stop trying to sound tough. Hell, you released that EP to capitalize on the beef, but it STILL sold terribly, and it ended up getting a 2 out of 5 on Apple Music! Yeah, MGK’s behavior and attitude after “KILLSHOT?” Wack. Really bad.

WHO WON?: It should be pretty obvious, but even when I push the fanboy in me to the side, Em is still the clear winner of the battle. No, this battle wasn’t like Drake and Pusha T where we learned some new, Earth-shattering information about either rapper, but in terms of the brutal nature of the shots fired, it’s no contest that Eminem wins. In flows, wordplay, production, and viciousness, Eminem wiped the floor with MGK. It’s not like it’s much of a surprise, because even if you’re an MGK fan, you’ve gotta admit that the guy stood no chance against Eminem, who has made a living off of doing what he did on “KILLSHOT.” And even if you want to give MGK some brownie points for being ballsy enough to clap back at Em, there’s almost no way you can convince me that he was the winner of the beef.

WHO LOST?: MGK can twist things in any way he wants and try as hard as possible to make himself seem right, but man, face it, you lost. Fair and square, you got destroyed. All that stuff you said in the Charlemagne interview was proven wrong by human beings that actually have brains in their heads. Tricking Fall Out Boy fans into throwing up the middle finger to Eminem and performing the battle-losing song after you lost? Nah, that ain’t it, chief. Hell, Em did the generous thing of donating you a career by making a diss track about you and all your irrelevance, and yet, your “BINGE” EP that you clearly released just in the heat of the battle STILL didn’t even sell. MGK, I’m sorry, but it’s safe to say you’re gonna need to do a lot to get your career…or, whatever’s left of it…back on track. Maybe donate some money to a charity so you’ll look like a little bit less of a tool? Eh, who am I kidding, that’s not gonna help you. Good luck bouncing back, Colson. You probably won’t, but somewhere someone’s praying for you.

IS THERE MORE TO COME?: Eh, probably not. Sure, MGK’s probably not too busy after having his career handed to him on a silver platter, and he could drop another track, but at this point, he’d probably be wise to lay off. He doesn’t want his next project to get 2 stars on Apple Music and fail to move any significant units, does he? Oh, wait…

Alright, kept that one shorter than Drake vs Pusha T, but that’s simply because there was less to dissect this time. Either way, we’ll be getting back to regular album reviews now, so stay tuned for those!

THINK PIECE: DRAKE VS PUSHA T: WHO WON?

2018 has been home to two of the biggest rap beefs in quite some time. In an era where it feels like rap beef is just rainbow-haired kids on Instagram making semi-threatening videos towards each other, some longtime rappers have resorted to doing things the honorable way: by going at it, bar-for-bar, spitting some lyrical at one another. Today, I’m going to retrospectively discuss the first of the two big rap beefs from this year: you’ve heard all about it, but let’s talk about Drake vs. Pusha T.

For this “THINK PIECE,” I’m gonna talk about some background, as well as how the beef started, discuss the first diss track, the second artist’s reaction to said diss, the second’s artists response track, the first artist’s response to that, a summary of who won/lost, and whether more can be expected in the future out of the beef. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and get ready to learn it all about Drake and Pusha T.

HOW DID IT START?: Drake and Pusha T’s beef stretches far back. As Pusha has been beefing with Drake’s labelmates Birdman and Lil Wayne almost endlessly, Drake seems to have simply been caught up in the whirlwind of it, and his beef with Pusha appeared to be a byproduct of Pusha’s beef with Drake’s label. They’ve beefed for several years with subtle disses from 2012 to 2017, but the beef was rekindled in May of 2018 when Pusha T released his latest album “DAYTONA.” On the album’s closing track “Infrared,” Pusha reminded us of the accusations that Meek Mill brought up in 2015, where Drake was alleged of using ghostwriters for his music. With lyrics like “it was written like Nas but it came from Quentin” and “how could you ever right these wrongs / when you don’t even write your songs,” Pusha made it clear that his rivalry with Drake was still as hot as ever.

DRAKE’S DISS TRACK REVIEW/RATING: To the surprise of many, Drake wasted no time dropping his response to Pusha. In fact, the man released a diss track, titled “Duppy Freestyle,” on the same day as “DAYTONA.” He had to have been hurting with such a quick response, but at least he did it fast. Though the cover art of an OVO gold ring with generic “Duppy Freestyle” text didn’t do much hard-hitting going into the track, Drake made it clear that he wasn’t playing around. Over some very chilly production and a cutthroat beat, Drake flows somewhat unconsciously and his performance oozes confidence and braggadocio. Right from the jump when Drake lets out a big sigh as he has to keep dealing with the ghostwriting rumors, we see that this is gonna be a quick, but nonetheless painful, burn. And Drake holds little back on the song, reprimanding Pusha for calling out Drake on working with Quentin Miller (alleged as his ghostwriter, even though Quentin himself has even said he’s not Drake’s ghostwriter), but not reprimanding his producer, Kanye West, for needing Drake’s help writing songs like “30 Hours” and “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” from his album “The Life of Pablo” (the latter of which he wasn’t credited for, thus making HIM a “ghostwriter”), while also confirming that he also helped Kanye write new music in Wyoming that was set to be on his then-upcoming album “ye” (which ended up being confirmed when it was revealed that Drake wrote the hook for the album’s big single “Yikes,” and wasn’t initially given credit for it). He also addressed the ghostwriting rumors again by noting that he was simply trying to help Quentin Miller escape from working double shifts in retail by collaborating with him on tracks (Quentin pointed out that Drake’s reference about working at a Kroger was incorrect and that Quentin actually worked at a Publix, but it doesn’t change the line’s meaning at all). He also dissed Kanye for being jealous of Virgil Abloh, who went from helping Kanye with album covers and stage design to becoming a head of Louis Vuitton, and he went even further to diss Pusha by claiming that he wasn’t even one of the Top 5 artists in his label, G.O.O.D. Music (I’m gonna hard disagree on that one, but I get it, they’re rivals, they’re supposed to throw hard lines like that at each other). He went even harder with his subsequent disses of Pusha, where he called out the man’s drug-dealing hustle that he raps so much about by claiming that he “might’ve sold to college kids for Nike and Mercedes / but [he] act[s] like he sold drugs to Escobar in the ‘80s.” He also said that the faded Pusha T signature on the Clipse microphone he owned resembled Pusha’s fading career, and he went on to point out that Pusha was aging (even faster than Kanye) and that he wasn’t even a multi-millionaire rapper. And not only did Drake tell Pusha that he would “let it ring on [him] like Virginia Williams” (Pusha T’s then-fiancée and now wife), but he decided to get a little extra petty and tell Pusha that he would send him and Kanye an invoice for $100,000 on the grounds that Drake’s diss caused Pusha to sell 20,000 more albums. All in all, a still-vicious track that rings off even now. If I had to give it a rating, it would most certainly get an “Excellent” from this critic.

PUSHA’S RESPONSE BEFORE RELEASING HIS TRACK: Now I’ve only really studied rap beefs this year (since I only really got into hip-hop/rap music seriously last year), so I’m not sure what tends to happen very often during the grace period between “initial diss track” vs “response diss track,” but some artists may not respond too heavily to a track before dropping their response. It allows them to focus more of their attention on making the song. Pusha mostly seemed to do that here, with his only real response to Drake being a tweet where he said “Send the invoice for the extra 20,” alluding to that final line from “Duppy.” Drake would respond to this with an Instagram picture of the invoice (which he sent on the grounds of “promotional assistance and career reviving”) along with a caption of “You’re welcome.” Extremely petty and really funny, but little did Drake know what Pusha had in store for him.

PUSHA’S DISS TRACK REVIEW/RATING: Pusha wasn’t gonna go down that easily, and so he dropped his own track, “The Story of Adidon.” The song was released four days later, thus he was definitely in the “3-5 business day” period. So, on the timing front, Pusha definitely didn’t waste that. On the cover art front, though, Pusha definitely hit the hardest with his song: one look at the 2007 picture of Drake wearing blackface, clown lipstick, and Jim Crow clothing (a t-shirt and hoodie, mind you), and you’d immediately question just what Drake was thinking when doing this (and you might also think of Pusha’s one lyric he spat in “Infrared,” where he said that he didn’t “tap dance for the crackers and sing Mammy”). And if that wasn’t a telling indicator that this was gonna be a discussion of racial identity for Drake, well then look no further than the sample Pusha used on this one: hiding nothing and providing zero subtlety with his production, Pusha raps over the excellent beat from Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.,” another song that revolves entirely around racial identity. And while Pusha’s flow on here is a bit more structured than Drake’s rather interesting flow on “Duppy,” Pusha’s lyrics are without a doubt more scathing. While his intro goes on a bit long and simply sees Pusha let us know that it’s going to be a “Surgical Summer” while also spitting a few Spanish lyrics, it says something that Pusha is willing to waste so much time early in the track spouting less hard-hitting lyrics because there’s so much in store later on. And ohhhh boy, does he have stuff in store: right from the jump, Pusha sets aside the ghostwriting accusations and the drug-dealing talk to discuss Drake’s pride, both as a man himself and in his family. Fueled by pettiness after Drake’s “let it ring on you like Virginia Williams” line discussing Pusha’s fiancée, Pusha talks about how Drake’s father, Dennis, walked away from his mother, Sandi, when Drake was 5. Right off the bat, burn. And he doesn’t stop there: beyond talking about how Drake’s mother “keep[s] coming in last place” for her lack of a marriage, he talks about how Drake, confused and feeling like he “wasn’t black enough,” parades his father around in unfashionable suits as a point to emphasize his black identity. Blackface cover, “The Story of O.J.” sample, lyrics discussing black identity…it all comes full-circle. But wait, Pusha only gets more vicious from there! Pusha demolishes Drake for, despite preaching about family and togetherness, having a baby with a former pornstar and hiding said child from the world, even going so far as to call him a “deadbeat mothafucka playin’ border patrol.” In Pusha’s own words, “ooh!” And even though said rumor circulated long before, Pusha wasn’t just scrubbing TMZ for rumors: he knew that the child’s name was Adonis and that Drake was allegedly planning to introduce the child to the world with an Adidas press run known as “AdiDon.” Boy, this guy did his research. He goes on to say that he is “pre-booking the churches” against his three “hearses” (Drake, Lil Wayne, and Birdman), and he responds to Drake’s “old age” and “faded career” lines by noting that he still releases classics, is aligned with the greats and is only chasing two ghosts (2Pac and Biggie). In arguably the harshest line of them all (one that I’d even argue oversteps a few bounds), Pusha makes light of Drake’s producer, 40, claiming that his multiple sclerosis has him “hunched over like he’s 80” and indicating that he will die soon (40 notably tweeted that the track was released the day before World MS Day, so points to Drake’s team on that). And as if THAT wasn’t all scathing, Pusha T labeled the song as “Surgical Summer, Volume 1,” indicating that he had even more dirt on Drake that he could reveal if the opportunity presents itself, and that he could just “peel it back layer by layer.” Yeesh, must be a good thing the beef was stopped where it was because, with all he revealed here, I’m terrified of the other shit he has on Drake. Either way, Pusha's track, outside of the OVO 40 line, also gets an "Excellent" from me, I love this song as well.

DRAKE’S RESPONSE AFTER PUSHA’S TRACK: Once Pusha’s track came out and the ordeal was made about Drake’s child, everyone was waiting patiently for Drake to respond to Pusha. Initially, he didn’t respond to the song, only posting an Instagram story clarifying the “blackface” cover art, claiming that the picture was from a 2007 photoshoot that he did with his best friend at the time and that it came from a project he was working on about the way that black actors were being stereotyped and typecasted in films at the time. Now, in a way, Pusha’s response to that where he talked about how Drake was “silent on all black issues” despite his massive platform is true, but I do see what Drake is saying, and I don’t disagree. For one, he was most certainly in a position to make a statement such as the one he was making, but also, let’s not take the cover art at face value: said picture is often attached to another blackface picture, where Drake, sans clown lipstick, looks down in sadness while the photo itself is black-and-white. If you look at both, it does add a bit to what Drake was saying and makes it a bit more understandable. As for a response track? Well, apparently Drake had one locked and ready to go, and he even confirmed this in an interview with LeBron James. However, Drake’s track apparently had some very hurtful bars, not just for Pusha but for Kanye, who Drake would’ve apparently “ended” with the track. Apparently, even though the track was ready, J. Prince, CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records, intervened and convinced Drake not to release his response, so Drake didn’t. Instead, he threw a few subtle jabs in throughout the songs on “Scorpion,” and also admitted that the child was his. While it seemed like that was the end of it, Drake also revealed in the LeBron video that Kanye snaked him by keeping the beat for “Lift Yourself” that was apparently going to go to Drake, bringing Drake out to help out with writing only to produce an album that dissed Drake in writing (Pusha's "DAYTONA"), and most notably, Drake apparently showed Kanye a picture of his kid and played him “March 14,” which seemed to indicate that Kanye gave Pusha the intel on Drake’s alleged son. Most recently, Pusha stated that it was actually 40 who spilled the beans about Drake’s kid, so the plot thickens a bit for sure, but we’ll see if more comes soon.

WHO WON?: Oddly enough, while most people are ready to anoint Pusha as the winner, I think it’s a little tougher. I know that sounds weird, especially with how vicious those Pusha quotes were, but I’d argue that both of them won, just in different battles. Sure, Drake took a heavy L when his child was exposed to the world, but I feel like, as info came out later on, some of Pusha’s hard disses hit a little softer in my eyes. Furthermore, this was a case of two people having an argument where neither is particularly wrong, but neither one is arguing about the same thing. Yes, Pusha was correct about Drake’s family issues, the identity of his baby mother (which I left out because that poor woman’s Instagram comments section is already a mess as it is), the baby himself (which was confirmed on Scorpion), and all of that, and even if he wasn’t technically “correct” on the “AdiDon” part, it really wouldn’t be a surprise if Drake had the Adidas run planned, but backed out right after Pusha’s diss. However, though he was right on those, Drake’s recent interview with LeBron seemed to indicate that he was trying to be a better father before the diss track and that he actually showed his kid (and the “March 14” track) to Kanye during writing sessions in Wyoming. It seemed like he was actually excited to raise the child and be a good father to him. Furthermore, not only was Drake correct in claiming himself as Kanye’s “ghostwriter” for “Yikes” as I mentioned earlier, but after making a whole track talking about Pusha’s drug dealing and the ghostwriting claims that followed him, Pusha brushed them aside right at the beginning of his song, seeming to subtly admit that Drake was correct in his points. So sure, you can hand the W to Pusha if you want just for sheer viciousness, but honestly, the battle really wasn’t as one-sided as you may think, so I'm actually gonna give it a tie. I know, I'm going against the consensus, and people will hard disagree, but I just feel like it wasn't such a one-sided victory.

WHO LOST?: Again, this will be an odd answer but, I'm gonna honestly say it…Kanye West. I know that sounds weird, but more and more as time went on, it felt like he was the true loser of the battle. At first, Drake made claims that he helped Kanye do writing in Wyoming, which was confirmed with the “Yikes” hook, which Drake wrote and initially wasn’t given credit for, and Pusha couldn’t really respond back to that in his track, only halfheartedly saying “how dare you put Ye in my verses.” It's also ironic that Pusha wanted the curses to himself but put Drake’s family, child, baby mother, producer, and labelmates in verses. Either way, as time went on, we started to learn more about how Kanye had planned to give Drake a beat but never did, had the intel on Drake’s kid as potential ammunition for Pusha, and oversaw Pusha’s record and writing diss even after having Drake write material for him. So, overall, Drake and Pusha didn’t lose. Kanye did. I’m sure if it was still June, I’d probably say Drake lost with little to no hesitation, but the more info spills, the more I feel Kanye looked stupidest here, not Drake.

IS THERE MORE TO COME?: Most definitely. Obviously, with recent media like the LeBron interview and Pusha’s 40 reveal, the beef still seems to remain hot, even if it means we won’t see another track anytime soon. And look, I know Drake has been making amends with those he previously beefed with, such as Meek Mill and Chris Brown, but at this point, I feel like there’s almost no way that Drake makes up with Pusha T. Maybe when one or the other is on their literal deathbed, but given that Pusha’s beef runs deeper than Drake and into Drake’s label, I don’t know when or if we’ll be seeing any making up. And while both of them might be done spitting verses directly at each other, I can tell you we’re probably still gonna see a few small bits of pettiness and subliminal shots here and there between the two, so I’m definitely interested to see what we get out of that. It may take a while, but I’m sure we won’t hear the end of “Drake vs. Pusha T.”

Phew, so that was that. I know, a lot to cover, but I think we did a good job. Next time, I’m gonna be doing a “THINK PIECE” on a rap beef that’s a little fresher in your minds: Eminem vs. Machine Gun Kelly. Oooh, that’ll be fun.

Lil Wayne "Tha Carter V" Album Review

Well…it’s here. Fans have finally been given their dues, and thus, I can actually say (to even my own surprise) that it’s time for a review…of the new Lil Wayne album, “Tha Carter V.” Didn’t think I’d actually be able to write those words.

Lil Wayne, at this point, needs no introduction: the prolific rap superstar from Hollygrove, New Orleans is finally here with what is his TWELFTH studio album, and his first since 2015’s “Free Weezy Album” (Weezy, by the way, is one of Wayne’s nicknames, and I will be using it at several points in this review). The man’s been making music since the late 90s with his “Tha Block Is Hot” album, and he ended up rising to prominence with the first in his series of “Tha Carter” albums, growing and growing until he hit his peak with “Tha Carter III,” a wildly popular album that’s essentially his most successful one to date. Since then, he’s had some up and down times, with his “Rebirth” album receiving scathing reviews, and his “Tha Carter IV” album receiving more mixed reviews, despite being home to several huge singles like “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “How To Love,” and “She Will,” songs that helped introduce me personally to Wayne (I know what you’re thinking, and no, I wasn’t introduced with “Tha Carter III” because I was 9 when the album came out and didn’t listen to rap at the time, naturally). It was with “Tha Carter IV” that, even if I didn’t jump on the Wayne bandwagon, I started to understand and see his influence on mainstream hip-hop, and I saw him as one of the most popular, in-demand rappers at the time.

Now, while I understood said influence, I never really considered myself a Weezy "fan.” Yes, I enjoyed “She Will” back in the day, and I’ve enjoyed him quite a bit as a feature on songs like “Let It Rock,” “I Made It (Cash Money Heroes),” “Down,” “Forever,” “I’m Goin’ In,” “No Love,” “The Motto,” “I’m The One,” and “No Problem,” among others, but I’ve never been all that big on his own music. In fact, I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, and I know I won’t be the last, but a lot of what made this project so intriguing to me was the much-publicized delays and legal battling with Cash Money Records that kept this thing from being released four years ago. I won’t speak much of it because it’s been spoken about already, but the album was supposed to drop as early as May of 2014. It only just released now as a result of Cash Money Records boss Birdman not wanting to release the album even though it had been completed, a topic that was also alluded to in Drake’s “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” mixtape, with many critics speculating that Drake, with that project, was achieving solidarity with Wayne and planning to leave Cash Money as well. He's even continued to hint at this in songs and live performances, even up to his latest project “Scorpion,” where he indicated that once said album dropped, he would be out of his deal with Cash Money.

So, all of this legal business was in my head going into this thing, and it’s what made me most interested in listening because it raised so many questions: this thing was delayed so many times, does that show? If it was finished in 2014, will it sound that way? Has Wayne’s sound evolved to any degree with this project? Will Weezy shoot subliminals at Birdman and Cash Money after all of that? I was definitely fascinated to know at first, but then my stomach fell entirely on the floor when I saw that this thing was gonna be an HOUR AND A HALF of music, spread across TWENTY-THREE tracks. I get it, long albums are frustratingly “in” right now, and it’s better than what Wayne had before (apparently, the album was gonna have 31 tracks at one point), but just because others are doing it, that doesn’t make it okay. An hour alone is pushing things, an hour and a half is just ridiculous. And when it comes to long albums, you’ve gotta be really conceptual or have a crazy good story to make an album of this length work. Does Wayne have any worthwhile stories to tell that could make an hour and a half of music all that enticing? Well, let’s find out, I guess:

I Love You Dwayne: Kicking things off, we have a spoken-word track from the perspective of Wayne’s mother, Jacida Carter. Jacida talks about how proud she is of Wayne, and I know Wayne was so excited to have her on the album, so I’m glad he was able to get that. As it is, the spoken-word song serves its purpose and is a nice gesture to include her. It’s got emotional appeal to it, and while it’s not something I’m gonna throw on my playlist (since it’s a spoken-word song), I do think it’s an interesting and overall solid way to start the album.

Don’t Cry (feat. XXXTentacion): Okay, so this album has an XXXTentacion feature…because, you know, regardless of what you thought about him when alive, money-hungry executives can’t give him a few seconds to actually rest in peace before they start digging through his grave. Either way, this one sees Wayne talk about his emotions and the difficult situations in his life over a moodier, slow-paced instrumental. The production on this one is actually very smooth and emotional, and I like Wayne’s lyrics and more vulnerable performance. I wasn’t crazy about X’s hook at first, but it’s definitely a grower. I think his vocals are, again, very emotional and vulnerable, and the melody of it actually becomes a pretty good earworm after a while. I actually really dig this, it’s a good start!

Dedicate: A song where Wayne acknowledges his influence as a rapper while shooting some subliminal shots at Birdman, I LOVE Wayne’s flow on this one. It seems to take a few cues from newer rappers like Migos, but it also sees Wayne in top form as confident as ever, and his charisma throughout the song is also brilliant, as it honestly shows me once again just how much of an influence Wayne has had on new-school rappers in regards to energy of performance and vocal inflections. At one point, I was thinking to myself “man, his vocal inflection reminds me a bit of Uzi,” and then I remembered, “wait, Uzi wouldn’t be Uzi without Wayne!” I also love the very pounding keys on this one that mesh well with the trap drums, and the 2 Chainz-sampled hook (specifically hailing from 2 Chainz's song "Dedication") is pretty damn fun as well. Definitely one of the stronger tracks on the album.

Uproar (feat. Swizz Beats): Here, Wayne warns any of his enemies not to play with his name, noting that regardless of how old he is or how long he’s been around, he’s not playing any games now. Subliminals at Pusha T for the “Infrared” disses? Who’s to say, but regardless, Wayne samples G-Dep’s “Special Delivery” on this one, a vibrant and very grand track with very loud bells and trap percussion. I like said production, Wayne has a lot of fun on his performance with good flows and great energy and inflections on his vocals, and the hook is one of the most compelling choruses on the album. By the way, there are no lines that seem to be aimed at Pusha T, so it doesn’t look like Weezy’s trying to reignite any fire and let the “Surgical Summer” continue into the Fall, but that doesn’t take away from what’s a very enjoyable cut.

Let It Fly (feat. Travis Scott): A collaboration with “Mr. Astroworld” himself Travis Scott, this turn-up jam features another upbeat trap drum beat, but it also has some more nocturnal and moody production, akin to the kind of instrumentals that Travis usually has on his albums. I like the filters on his vocals, I think they mesh well with said nocturnal and eerie instrumentals, and I think Travis comes through with a pretty sweet hook as well. Wayne’s verse features some really strong flow as well, though I do wish that, for all the “rhyme flexing” that he does, he didn’t spend so much time rhyming some of the same words together. It just tends to feel a bit dull at points. Even so, the track still has plenty of charm to spare thanks to Weezy’s assured performance, and the song is a lot of fun overall.

Can’t Be Broken: With this cut, Weezy takes some time to be thankful, speaking on some of the “unbreakable” accomplishments he has achieved throughout his career, such as his massive sales and accolades, as well as the bonds he has created with his family and friends. I like the very emotional piano riffs, and Thomas Troelsen’s vocals on the hook, though given the “Alvin and the Chipmunk” treatment, are interesting as he sings what is one of the best choruses on the album. Wayne’s flows and technicality on his verse are, as always, on point, as he manages to flex and fire back at haters with confidence, while also having a performance that feels downbeat enough to have some emotional edge to it. Really dig this!

Dark Side Of The Moon (feat. Nicki Minaj): Yet another in a long line of collaborations with Ms. Nicki “Somehow Is On The Same Album as Travis Scott” Minaj, the two discuss a metaphorical apocalypse and interweave this with themes of loyalty, where they discuss how they will stay with their significant others no matter the situation. The production is much slower on this one, with lighter pianos and a more downbeat performance from Wayne. I wasn’t all that crazy about the hook at first, but it definitely grew on me as the song progressed, and Wayne’s performance has some good emotional weight to it thanks to the sadder vocals and somewhat slower flows. Nicki Minaj’s performance and very smooth, beautiful vocals also add to that emotional weight. Didn't think it would be one of my favorites on the album, but I really like this one a lot!

Mona Lisa (feat. Kendrick Lamar): The track that has thus far gained the most traction, Lil Wayne teams up with none other than “Kung Fu Kenny” himself Kendrick Lamar to talk about a deceptive woman who essentially sets her boyfriend up to be “robbed,” playing this into the ambiguity of the smile in the Mona Lisa painting. The two play cat-and-mouse and tell the two different sides of the tale, all over another more emotional, piano-driven instrumental. Wayne’s performance sees him rapping a bit in his higher register, but he sounds good in it, and his flow is very varied throughout the song. And naturally, Kendrick’s verse (which apparently was from the era of “To Pimp A Butterfly”) features the same great rapid-fire flow and charismatic vocal performances that he’s always given us. I see why this is the song from the album that’s blown up the most, it’s really great!

What About Me (feat. Sosamann): A track that sees Wayne talking about a woman that’s paying more attention to another man, thus causing him to question if she really loves him, I kinda like that this song has some R&B vibes, with Wayne’s performance being more melodic and romantic and the production being a bit more spacey and moody. I love Wayne’s vocals on here, and I think the hook is insanely catchy and ear-wormy. I wasn’t really entirely crazy about Sosamann’s performance at first, because he did just sound like another auto-crooner, but his vocals are nice and they do mesh well with the moody instrumentals on here. Pretty good track.

Open Letter: Exactly as the title suggests, this song is an actual open letter to many people around Weezy, be it his fans, his friends, his family, it’s got everyone in it, and it sees Wayne get a bit personal with us, notably even letting us know about his struggles with self-hatred and contemplations of suicide. I do like a lot of his bars on this one, though I don’t think his flow is quite as sticky or attention-grabbing as some of the previous songs on the album. Still, I do like the very woozy and hazy production, and I think it’s interesting seeing Wayne bearing his soul to some degree on this track. Not one of my favorites on the album, but I do think it’s a good track with some potential to grow on me.

Famous (feat. Reginae Carter): Lovingly, Wayne actually features his firstborn daughter, Reginae Carter, on this track, one where he talks about how his rise to the luxurious life he is living now has had positive and negative effects on him. Unfortunately, while his daughter’s vocals are not bad (her vocals are very light and pretty), I think she’s drowned in just a little too much autotune. And while I do again like quite a few of Wayne’s bars (I actually particularly like the “you can’t spell fame without me” line), I feel like some of the piano-driven production does feel just a little contrived. It’s not a terrible track, I can see the appeal of it and it’s definitely listenable, but it doesn’t grab me like some of the other cuts on here.

Problems: Wayne gets braggadocious as he talks about the fame, the wealth, and the pros and cons of millionaire status over some Zaytoven production. I definitely think Zay’s beat is really hard-hitting, and the somewhat nocturnal production is really bright and lovely. Unfortunately, while Wayne’s vocal inflections are really interesting as usual, I don’t find his flows to be quite as interesting, and I think the hook is one of the weakest on the album. Still, I think the really sweet production saves this from being one of the album’s worst. I just wish Weezy’s presence on the song was a bit better.

Dope N***az (feat. Snoop Dogg): Yes, I’m censoring that word. We went through this in my review of Chris Brown’s “Heartbreak on a Full Moon,” as a white male I’m not in a position to use it in any context, so it's gonna get censored. Anyway, Wayne is joined by another legend in Snoop Dogg to talk about how he reacts to the actions of the people he knows. I like Wayne’s very varied flows on this one, and there are some really cool guitars as well (the song samples “Xxplosive” by Dr. Dre, and the sample is used very nicely here). And while I wish he had a verse, I think Snoop’s hook is immediately catchy, and his performance has that trademark Snoop charisma that makes him such a compelling performer. Really good song!

Hittas: Another track that sees Weezy in full braggadocious mode, lavishing in the party-going, wealthy high life, this song actually features a single lyric from Drake. Speaking of which, where was Drizzy on this album? Seemed like a lock to be on it (I know the actual reason he’s not here, just play along). I like the very hazy and ethereal production, with a simple beat and very dreamy synths that work wonderfully together. Wayne’s flows, once again, are smooth and really fun (even when he spits goofy bars like “I’m an ass with that semi, call me semicolon”), though I do think the song could’ve used a better chorus. Still, it’s definitely a pretty good track and it’s got the potential to grow on me with a few more listens.

Took His Time: Ohhhhh, he SURE did. But no, this song isn’t about how Wayne took his time with the album, or how Birdman took his time working out the legal issues, but the song is about how God took his time trying to create Wayne. Hmm…interesting. But anyway, this is another track with very moody, somewhat soulful production that has some very pretty background vocals to it. And once again, I really like Wayne’s variations to his flow, switching up often from cadences that are faster, slower, and sometimes more slanted, and pulling them all off really solidly. And while I wasn’t really all that crazy about the hook at first, I think Wayne’s vocals and melodies on it are catchy and nicely ear-wormy. Pretty good track, I like it.

Open Safe: A DJ Mustard-produced banger, this bouncy track sees Lil Wayne rapping relentlessly and confidently, although I must note that he uses the n-word for the sake of a rhyme 62 times on this one. Totally not repetitive at all, nope. But regardless, DJ Mustard’s production is cutthroat and very hard-hitting, with really sweet, nocturnal synths and the trademark bouncy percussion he's known for. I’d actually say the instrumentals on this track are some of the best on the album. I’m not quite as crazy about Wayne’s performance, though: yes, his vocals are charismatic and exciting, but I just kinda feel like his flow gets a bit monotonous after a while, which doesn’t help that repetitive rhyming I mentioned earlier. Still, I can see this being a song that grows on me with a few more listens, it’s a pretty good listen despite the repetitiveness of it.

Start This Shit Off Right (feat. Ashanti & Mack Maine): But…but this is track #17. How is this “starting shit off?” I’m confused. Anyway, this feature-filled song is once again braggadocious, feeling more like something you’d hear at a party compared to some of the other tracks on the album. And the production, once again, is pretty damn strong, with really funky synths, bright keys, and a really catchy drum beat. I do think that Mack Maine’s hook is a bit repetitive, but fortunately, his presence throughout the song is kept to enough of a minimum that it doesn’t sour too quick. Wayne’s verses once again feature some fun bars and great flows, and Ashanti is a show-stealer with her very angelic vocals. Really dig this one, easily one of my favorites on the album.

Demon: Should be obvious with the title, but Weezy talks here about the demons he has faced over his life: past flames, money, himself, everything, it’s all here. Taking things a bit slower as well, Wayne nonetheless gives us some faster-paced flows, some of which feel a bit unconsciously slanted and off-time. I like some of the more moody, lowkey production, and the hook has some charm to it, but I feel like this is another overly repetitive cut, given that it’s just one verse (which gets repeated as well) and the rest of the song is just choruses, bridges, and hooks. It has a few good ideas going for it, but this is one of the more inessential tracks on the record.

Mess: Keeping things going in a more introspective direction, Wayne talks about the messiness of his love life on this song. He talks about this over another more moody instrumental that features some very sad guitar plucking, as Wayne gets a bit more melodic on us. And I do like his singing here, it actually feels like it carries some emotional weight to it. I don’t think the lyrics are all that interesting for what Wayne is going for, and the hook isn’t one of the album’s best, but I can see how people would like a song like this, and it’s definitely far from the album’s worst. Not something I’ll come back to much, but it’s got good things going for it.

Dope New Gospel (feat. Nivea): Essentially Wayne’s version of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” here we see Weezy talking more about his ups and downs, while also featuring Nivea, his ex-fiancé. Again, very nice move by Wayne, respect. And I like some of the very subtle gospel nods on the production, which is at points angelic and at others very gorgeous. Wayne’s vocal inflection, which leans more on crooning, is smooth and very nice, as is his typical exuberant and entertaining flows, and Nivea’s vocals sound very pretty as well. Definitely one of the sweeter cuts on the album, I really dig it.

Perfect Strangers: Another love song, Wayne talks here about how he is in love with so many different women, and how he doesn’t even know who they really are, giving him the feeling that they are more like strangers, even if they talk often. Rough times, sorry Weezy. Anyway, I once again love the production here: the synths and pianos kinda have a tiny bit of a throwback vibe. I’m not sure what it is, but it kinda feels nostalgic to me for some reason (and I mean that in a good way). I again love Wayne’s more moody and emotional vocals, and the song feels like it mixes in some pretty nice R&B feels that help make it one of the more fun tracks on the album.

Used 2: With some help from Metro Boomin, Wayne talks here about how he’s grown up and changed some of the habits he had in the past. I use the term “grown up” a bit lightly, though, because with lines like “I used to fuck and get tired, now I fuck her ten times” in the hook…yeah, that’s something. But either way, this one also has some super deep, dark, cutting production that features very sinister keys and somewhat more minimal percussion. I also love how Wayne has some more sad, what sounds to be tear-filled vocals throughout parts of the song, but juxtaposes them with more fast-paced flows, and still shows confidence in himself all throughout. The hook is also one of the catchier ones on the album, and it helps round out this really intense, damn good track.

Let It All Work Out: The outro track to this VERY LONG album, Wayne gets a bit personal with us by detailing a suicide attempt of his past, and telling us about he was saved from said attempt. And while he’s not credited, Weezy enlists the help of Sampha, whose song “Indecision” gets sampled, and his song “Let It All Work Out” that he did with Young Thug gets interpolated. Wayne’s flow here doesn’t really grab my attention right away, but I think some of the bars are pretty interesting and his confidence is definitely on full display here. The production takes some very neat twists and turns as well, though I feel like Sampha’s “let it all work out” passage just gets a bit too repetitive for me. It’s not the strongest song on the album, but I do think it’s an appropriate closer. Could it have been improved? Sure, but I see why Wayne chose this one to close with.

So, now that it’s finally out and I’ve finally gotten through all of it, what do I think of Lil Wayne’s long-awaited “Tha Carter V?” Well, to my surprise after all the legal battles and delays, I actually really enjoyed the album! I was worried that Wayne wouldn’t have enough interesting subject matters to make a 23-song album interesting and…well, a lot of this is flexing, so I guess that wasn’t extremely far enough, but that doesn’t really matter because Wayne and his producers for much of this album are in top form. The instrumentals are sticky and memorable, as Wayne has an ear for a lot of different styles and sounds, some nocturnal, some banging, some moody, but all pretty enticing. And Wayne remains an interesting performer after all these years: his performances throughout the songs feature some extremely varied flows, sweet filtered vocals, and charismatic inflections as well.

I am a bit conflicted with my rating, though, because the album does have a few flaws. For starters, while there are plenty of really enticing and great hooks on this album, there are quite a few times where those hooks are just “in one ear and out the other,” which makes quite a few songs feel a little less attention-grabbing. And the other big issue is that, while Wayne and the producers are often in top form here, this 23-song album does have a decent helping of filler to it. I understand Wayne’s desire to give his fans a longer album, especially since they’ve been waiting for such a long time, but I do think he could have cut down on the number of tracks just a little bit. Given that much of the album doesn’t really see him tackling a bunch of hard-hitting themes, there’s a lot of turn-up flavored filler that could’ve been cut entirely from the record.

You know what, though, I think this is a case where I’m willing to be nice with my rating, and forgive some of those flaws because, at the end of the day, I did like 14 out of the 23 songs on here, and the songs I liked, I REALLY liked. And the few songs I didn’t like still had some good ideas going for them. Sometimes, it’s not just about how many songs you liked and disliked on the album, it’s about the extent to which you liked or disliked said songs, and I definitely loved a good majority of the album. The love outweighs the very slight dislike. It’s a wonder that Wayne even got this thing out, and it’s even more of a wonder that I walked away from the album loving so damn much of it. So overall, I’m happy to say that I definitely recommend giving “Tha Carter V” a listen. Weezy fans, I’m glad you guys have gotten what you’ve been waiting for, I’m glad it’s everything that you hoped it could be, and I’m glad that I can totally see why.

Wayne, you proved me wrong. The wait was worth it. Way to go.

Favorite tracks: Don’t Cry, Dedicate, Uproar, Let It Fly, Can’t Be Broken, Dark Side Of The Moon, Mona Lisa, What About Me, Dope N***az, Took His Time, Start This Shit Off Right, Dope New Gospel, Perfect Strangers, Used 2

Least favorite tracks: Famous, Demon

Rating: Excellent

Logic "YSIV" Album Review

I thought reviewing Logic first would be a good idea because it’s shorter than Wayne, but an hour and 16 minutes compared to an hour and 27 minutes…Jesus Christ, when will this long album thing stop? Ugh, anyway, it’s now time for a review of the new Logic album, “YSIV” (an abbreviation, by the way, for “Young Sinatra IV”).

This is the latest full-length album from rapper, singer, songwriter, biracial, “Bobby Tarantino” himself, Logic. Logic doesn’t really need much of an introduction around these parts, I’ve already covered a good few of his projects lately: this year alone, I’ve reviewed both of his “Bobby Tarantino” mixtapes, as well as last year’s full-length album “Everybody.” This project right here is his fourth studio album (and the first in his “Young Sinatra” series that is classified as a studio album, since the first three “Young Sinatra” projects were all mixtapes), and it’s the second project he’s released this year, following the “Bobby Tarantino II” mixtape that he dropped back in March. Since then, he’s provided several hints at this album right here with the release of three singles, “One Day” which features OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, “The Return” and “Everybody Dies.”

Now, I’m sure you guys know it already, but I do enjoy much of Logic’s music. I love both “Bobby Tarantino” mixtapes, and I’ve definitely given “Bobby Tarantino II” plenty of repeat listens this year, as I’ve continued to return to songs like “44 More,” “Everyday,” and ESPECIALLY “Midnight,” I absolutely love that track, but honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this album. For starters, as someone that has only listened to “Everybody” and the two “Bobby Tarantino” tapes, I’m not really all that familiar with Logic’s “Young Sinatra” persona, and I’m not sure if it’s any different than his other voices. Not only that, but I honestly didn’t really pay much attention to the lead singles that he dropped for this thing. Not out of malice, but I just never really got around to listening to them. Still, I do like Logic’s music, and he definitely knows how to come through with some bangers, so I’m definitely excited to see if he does that here. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Thank You (ft. Lucy Rose & The RattPack): Always starting the albums with the skits, huh? Well, actually, this one is a skit and actual music, so at least there’s that. Anyway, Logic kicks off by informing everyone that this is just the end of the “Young Sinatra” series and that it’s not actually his final album like he’s been teasing. And right from the jump, it’s a seven-minute track! Well, at least we get the idea early and often that this thing is gonna be long. Either way, while I like the message and find Logic’s performance on the verse to be rather confident, I’m not really all that into the production. It just feels like a serviceable beat, and I think Logic’s crooning on the hook is somewhat clunky. And again, it’s sweet that he’s thanking his “RattPack” for giving him a platform to spread his message of PLP (peace, love, and positivity), but this song really didn’t need to be seven minutes. Definitely not the hardest-hitting starter the album could’ve had.

Everybody Dies: A single that sees Logic telling everyone to live their best life since we’re all inevitably going to die (very dark, Logic), I like the very dark production and I really love Logic’s rapid-fire flow and lyricism on this one. Sure, he does go over a few of the same points he mentioned before, but he sounds great doing it, and the song’s production really cuts deep. I don’t really think the hook is one of Logic’s strongest, and it does hold the song back from being one of my favorites on the album, but I do think the song itself sounds really good, and it could end up being a grower with a few more listens.

The Return: The resurrection track of his “Young Sinatra” persona, Logic talks on this one about everything from his come-up to Donald Trump to his haters to even Jay-Z, who he wants to make a song with. I’m down with it, but first Hov has to put “4:44” on Spotify so I can listen to that thing! Anyway, while I wasn’t initially super into this because it sounded a bit too much like the last song, I do think the beat is really fun, the hook is pretty sticky, and Logic comes through with a lot of really clever bars, too. I actually got a kick out of when Logic said “I wish I could face my homophobic, racist attacker / and smack the shit outta they face as peaceful as possible,” and I love how he rapid-fires bar after bar like this throughout the song. Really dig this track.

The Glorious Five: Something of a personal track, Logic details his relationship with his father with this cut, while also talking about how the fame hasn’t changed him at all. You know, just another day in the life of Logic. But honestly, I really thought this was an emotional track. Beyond the hard-hitting boom-bap production and Logic’s rapid-fire flow (and a hook that’s probably one of the album’s best), I actually found his story about his father to be really hard-hitting and resonant. I also like how this track sees Logic, a usually confident performer, in a somewhat more vulnerable frame of mind, still feeling like he doesn’t quite belong yet. It’s a cut that really hits at the heartstrings, and it’s one I can tell Logic definitely put his hard and soul into.

One Day (ft. Ryan Tedder): With the help of OneRepublic's lead singer Ryan Tedder, Logic talks about making his dreams come true, being successful, and other such things that he's talked about in the past. I really like Ryan Tedder’s vocals on the chorus, though I do feel like they are a little bit at odds with Logic’s at certain points of the song. Still, Logic’s performance has plenty of charisma, the boom-bap production is exciting and vibrant (as are the really fun keys), and while some of the lyrics are clearly stuff Logic’s talked about before, the bright and positive vibes of the song are strong enough to make this a good single.

Wu Tang Forever (ft. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, Jackpot Scotty Wotty, U-God, Masta Killa & GZA): Mad respect to Logic for having the Wu-Tang Clan on their album, but couldn't you give us something a bit shorter? I get it, there’s a lot of features so the song has to be long to give them all their time, but jeez, eight minutes? Yeesh, talk about excess. And honestly, “excess” is the perfect way to describe this song. Yes, the flows are good, and the boom-bap beat is fine (oh, and some of the bars are pretty clever), but damn, did this really need to be eight minutes? Especially given that Logic feels like a non-presence for most of the song, this feels a bit at odds with the rest of the album. Maybe it’d be better if it was on a Wu-Tang album, but as it is, it’s just out of place and overly long.

100 Miles and Running (ft. Wale & John Lindahl): This one sees Logic making references to featured artist Wale’s 2007 mixtape “100 Miles and Running,” which is apparently one of his most successful projects. Wouldn’t know, because I don’t really listen to the guy. Either way, I do like the rather bright sound of this one (and I love the groovy bassline and bright guitar riffs) and Logic’s flow is great as always, though I do find some of his lyrics on this to be a bit redundant and it just feels like he’s kinda repeating himself. Wale’s flow and technicality are good as well, as is John Lindahl’s hook, but I personally don’t find myself really loving the overly long interludes. Still, there’s a lot to really adore about the track, it’s just there’s just as much to dislike about it.

Ordinary Day (ft. Hailee Steinfeld): A song that was apparently scrapped from “Everybody,” Logic teams up with the lovely singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld for this slightly more moody track, given some of the synths and Logic’s moody auto-crooning on the hook. I do like the beat and as always, Logic’s technicality is on point, but I think that the chorus is one of the clumsier ones on the album, as it’s just a bit too repetitive and dull for me. And while I like Hailee Steinfeld’s vocals, I feel like she’s not given enough time to really show them off here. It’s definitely not one of my favorites from the album.

YSIV: The title track sees Logic use some of his “YSIV Freestyle” that he used to announce the album, while also paying homage to the recently deceased rapper Mac Miller. This is another rather long cut, clocking in at just over six minutes. I know Logic has a lot of time on his hands given how much he drops at once, but jeez, dude, this is a bit much. Still, I think he rapid-fires some rather clever bars on this one (and he also gives a very sweet tribute to Mac), though I do find some of the subject matter to again be redundant (something Logic admits to on this song, frustratingly). And the boom-bap beat is nice, as are the very smooth piano riffs and feel changes, though I again think the song could’ve used a better chorus. Still, this could be another grower, it’s definitely a nice enough song despite its length.

Street Dreams II: A sequel to a track that apparently never got released, Logic pays homage to Big L and tells a fictional story about robbing a store with his producer, 6ix, though he reveals that it was all just a dream. Don’t you love when stories end like that? Anyway, this is another merely middle-of-the-road song to me: I love the very moody instrumentals and the boom-bap beat is good enough, but Logic’s performance honestly doesn’t stick with me as much. Yeah, his flow is strong as always, and the story is interesting enough, but it doesn’t really sound like he’s doing much to distinguish himself with this one. I’m sure the hardcore fans will dig it, but for me, it just doesn’t do much.

The Adventures of Stoney Bob (ft. Kajo, Slaydro & Big Lenbo): It’s a song about smoking weed! “Indica Badu” is calling my name. And honestly, I feel like the song isn’t really as strong as “Indica Badu” because, with “Indica Badu,” I really felt like, even as someone that doesn’t smoke weed, the song’s production was interesting enough that it created the feeling of being on a weed high. This one doesn’t really do that: the instrumental just feels like a number of the other songs on this album, and while Logic’s performance (as well as the performances of the guest vocalists) are all good, the production just feels somewhat dime-a-dozen and doesn’t really stick like a number of the other songs on here. One of the weaker tracks on the album, even if I appreciate that the weed-smoking song is 4:20 in length.

Legacy: A more emotional track, Logic talks about his fear of working so hard that he ends up missing important moments in his family’s life. Fortunately, I actually like this one a lot more than many of the other songs on the album. Even if some of the production still feels a bit “same-y” compared to some of the other songs on the album (with some rather moody, piano-driven melodies and rather standard boom-bap beats), I really like Logic’s storytelling, and I think this is one of the album’s more interesting songs lyrically. It comes from a different perspective since Logic doesn’t actually have a kid, but I do like what he’s saying on this one, and that’s what makes it one of the album’s more compelling tracks.

ICONIC (ft. Jaden Smith): Apparently, this one is called “ICONIC” because Jaden Smith is on it and he still thinks he’s an “icon living.” Funny, Jaden, funny. Anyway, there are a few things I really like about this one: I like that Logic references Eminem’s name-drop from “Kamikaze” with class (because regardless of how good or bad he is now, you’ve gotta respect Eminem, he’s a legend), and as someone that’s generally not a huge Jaden fan, I do like that his contribution to the track is short, sweet and to the point, not feeling like it goes on too long (I also like how it leads into the feel-change I’ll talk about later). I also like the more pumping beat, Logic’s hook is one of the more compelling choruses on the album, and I think his performance is one of the more exciting and energetic vocal performances on the album. And the feel-change the song takes towards the end actually works for the better here, giving the song nice variance and increased fun factor. Definitely one of my favorite cuts on the album.

Last Call: Logic finishes off by trying to be Kanye West (since Kanye did this on “The College Dropout”), while also talking about his come-up, his success, and his future. So, essentially he talks about Logic topics, but he just brings his future into it. And not only does he do that, but he makes the song 11 minutes as well…as if he hasn’t been bloating out runtimes enough with this record. And it also doesn’t help to me that this song just feels like so many of the others on the album, with very similar moody piano riffs and a very same-y boom-bap beat. And there are some good flows and crooning on this song, but it just becomes so dull listening to Logic’s bloated spoken-word interludes on this one. I get it, it’s supposed to make him seem more personable, and Logic is definitely likable when he talks, but I feel like they just make the song go on too long. Overall, just as the album started off a bit rough, this is definitely an unfortunately weak end to a disappointing album.

Overall, while the album mostly ended pretty well, I have to say that “YSIV” is easily the most middle-of-the-road Logic project I’ve listened to at this point. Yes, Logic continues to prove that he, technically speaking, is one of the more talented rappers in the game, and I do believe that many of his flows are very fun and impressive, but honestly, even with the hype and the return to the “boom-bap,” most of the production on this thing just doesn’t really stick. A lot of it just tends to mesh together, as do Logic’s lyrics, since he finds himself just recycling the same tired themes with no real care at all. At the very least, “Everybody” was conceptual in some way. This honestly just felt like an extended “Bobby Tarantino” tape to me, especially since it felt to me like Logic referred to himself as “Bobby Tarantino” more times than he referred to himself as “Young Sinatra.” And furthermore, I feel like Logic’s previous albums saw him come through with some really strong hooks, but here, most of the songs just didn’t hook. A lot of them just kinda felt like white noise to me, in one ear and then out the other. All things considered, despite the hype behind the fact that it’s the final “Sinatra” project from Logic, this is one of his least special and least distinct works to date, unfortunately.

Logic, I love ya, man, but I’m sorry, I wasn’t all the way into this album.

Favorite tracks: The Return, The Glorious Five, One Day, Legacy, ICONIC

Least favorite tracks: Thank You, Wu-Tang Forever, Ordinary Day, The Adventures of Stoney Bob, Last Call

Rating: Okay

Troye Sivan "Bloom" Album Review

I know what you’re thinking: “DUDE, ‘THA CARTER V’ AND ‘YSIV’ JUST DROPPED, WHY AREN’T YOU REVIEWING THOSE?” Well, one, I’ve kept you waiting for this long enough, and two…both albums are over an hour and I’m terrified, so instead, it’s finally time for a review of the new Troye Sivan album “Bloom.”

Troye Sivan is a South African pop singer, songwriter, actor, and YouTuber who first gained popularity in the music realm with his singing videos on YouTube. His success with said videos landed him a record deal with EMI Australia in 2013 and lead to the release of his first two EPs “TRXYE” and “Wild” in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, at the tail end of the year, Troye ended up releasing his debut studio album “Blue Neighbourhood” which, despite not reaching the Billboard 200 peaks that his two EPs reached (both EPs peaked at #5, “Blue Neighbourhood” peaked at #7), the album featured his first Top 40 US hit in “YOUTH,” which peaked at #23 over here on the Billboard Hot 100 and has thus far trumped the success of any of his other singles (all of his other songs that charted in the Hot 100 have hovered around the 80-94 mark).

Now, I’ve spent plenty of time with the aforementioned single “YOUTH” and I think it’s a great song, but otherwise, I’m not totally familiar with Troye’s music. I’ve been hearing this album get a lot of praise and hype in several corners, but I didn’t really listen to a lot of the singles. I think I remember hearing a little bit of “My! My! My!” when it first came out, but I don’t remember it really clicking with me right off the bat, so I’m going into this mostly blind. I’ve heard great things about a lot of Troye’s music, and I know this album has gotten a lot of that praise, but I don’t know what to expect. Hopefully, it’ll be something good, right? Let’s find out.

Seventeen: Right off the bat, Troye talks about an experience he had lying about his age at 17 to hook up with an older man on Grindr. Okay. Regardless of the odd lyrical topic, I do think Troye’s more filtered vocals are rather nice, and the song does have a very nice, mellow, and moody feel to it. Sadly, I honestly don’t really find the hook all that compelling here, and without any real catchiness to it, I really don’t find a whole lot that makes it feel all that distinct, honestly. I guess I can see the appeal of the song, but maybe it’s just not for me.

My! My! My!: One of the album’s bigger singles, Troye taps into freedom and sexuality on this track, doing so over some rather bouncy and sensual production. I really dig the beat on this one, I think it’s more immediate and catchy than the last track, and the electronic instrumentals are very sticky as well. Troye’s vocals also sound very pretty, and while I wasn’t initially as big on the hook when I first heard the song, it’s definitely a grower. This definitely feels like a more distinct pop hit, and I really like it a lot!

The Good Side: Troye delves into his lost relationship on this cut, talking about how he got “the good side” of the breakup, given that he was able to use said breakup to push his music forward and use it as catharsis. Nice, and more power to you, Troye. I really like the acoustic guitar riffs on this cut, and again, Troye’s very low-key vocals sound very smooth and pretty, but honestly, there’s still just something not quite clicking with me about it. Again, maybe it’s that I’m not crazy about the hook? Maybe it just doesn’t feel super distinct or sticky to me? I don’t know, but I feel like this one just doesn’t totally do it for me. It’s got good things going for it, but it just doesn’t really stick to me.

Bloom: What Troye has described as a “gay anthem” with undertones about one losing their virginity, Troye also sees this one as being “almost bubblegum.” And yeah, I see what he’s saying, but all in all, this is actually a pretty fun cut. The production is more busy and punchy, and while it takes a minute for the song to really kick in and get good, it’s a blast when it does. Troye’s vocals are gorgeous, I love the hook, and I can tell that Troye just had such a fun time making and writing this one out. It’s a really strong single, easily one of the album’s best songs.

Postcard (feat. Gordi): Another personal story where Troye talks about his boyfriend’s imperfections and how he was unable to get a postcard Troye had sent from Japan, this ballad feels far more stripped-back than the others, with just Troye singing over a piano melody. Said piano is really quite beautiful, and Troye comes through with some very catchy and pretty vocal melodies. I also think the hook is one of the most emotionally resonant and sticky choruses on the record. This is a track that's easy to get into and easy to fall in love with, it’s one of the most gorgeous songs on the record. I can see myself getting a lot of listens out of this one.

Dance To This (feat. Ariana Grande): Bringing in the lovely Ariana Grande definitely helps get me excited for your track, so points for you, Troye. This one is a more mellow dance song that talks about a couple that chose to stay home to party instead of going out. It’s an interesting topic for sure, and the song is a nice slice of electropop with very bouncy and neat production. Troye’s vocals are very smooth, and he comes through with a lot of very catchy melodies on this track. Ariana’s vocals also mesh perfectly with the production, and she sounds gorgeous alongside Troye on the hook. I again can tell a lot of fun was had with this one, it’s so catchy and vibrant! I love it!

Plum: A more heartbreaking track about realizing that even the most beautiful things in the world can turn out rotten, this is another electropop song with some really smooth synths and a pretty fun 808 drum beat. I don’t think said production is some of the album’s strongest, but I do think it sounds nice enough, the hook is pretty fun, and Troye’s vocals are very nice as always. I can see why this is considered a “least favorite” in some circles because it doesn’t feel like the most distinct thing the album has to offer, but honestly, it’s just too damn fun to pass up, and it’s definitely a grower. Really liked it!

What A Heavenly Way To Die: What a heavenly title. This song is a more minimal ballad inspired by The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” and it’s another somewhat more stripped-back and emotional cut. Yes, it does have the electronic production and the somewhat energetic percussion, but it definitely has a more mellow, sad feel to it than some of the other songs on here. Troye’s vocals also sound very gorgeous and emotional, and I think Troye’s ear for hooks shines through with this cut. I really dig this one, definitely think it’ll get repeat listens out of me.

Lucky Strike: Comparing his love for a boy to the addiction one gets when smoking Lucky Strike Cigarettes, this is another more energetic, electropop track that kind of reminds me a bit of “YOUTH,” just a little more uptempo. I do think said uptempo electronic production is quite strong, and it sounds very lovely, and honestly, this is a weird example of a song that grew on me a lot as I was listening to it. Troye’s vocal melodies are catchy as hell, he sounds great, and the hook, while I didn’t find it as immediate as first, definitely grew to be a lot of fun as the song progressed. Really dig this one! Might have taken some time to grow on me, but it’s pretty great!

Animal: Finishing things off with what Troye describes as an “epic profession of love,” this song also feels more stripped-back, with electronic production that’s a bit more downtempo and less danceable than the last song. The song leans a bit on the long side at four minutes and 25 seconds, but it’s an absolutely gorgeous four minutes and 25 seconds. Troye’s vocals are beautiful as always, the song has some very lovely feel changes, and the slower, more emotional production is the kind of stuff that just makes you close your eyes, lean back, and appreciate. It’s luscious, it’s heavenly, and it’s a fantastic finisher to the album.

Overall, Troye Sivan’s sophomore album definitely lives up to the hype it’s received as one of the best pop albums of the year. Troye tackles a number of different themes on this album with maturity and makes what feels like a statement on unabashed, unapologetic queer love, and the highs and lows that come with it. And beyond his natural handling of these mature topics, Troye also has quite an ear for very lovely, beautiful, ear-wormy production that definitely feels a cut above the types of pop music that come out today. It’s ethereal, it’s spacey, it’s heavenly, it’s luscious, and most of all, it’s just fun. The instrumentals are crafted with real love and care, and they’re easy to get into and fall in love with. Troye, too, is easy to fall in love with, thanks to his effortless charisma and very pretty, smooth vocals. He proves that you don’t need some over-the-top, high-note-belting voice to really make a song click and that natural, smooth vocals can be just as charming. I think you get it at this point, Troye Sivan’s “Bloom” is a wonderful album, and I can’t wait to give this thing more repeat listens.

Well…after I review the new Lil Wayne and Logic albums that are both over an hour. Pray for my sanity.

Favorite tracks: My! My! My!, Bloom, Postcard, Dance To This, Plum, What A Heavenly Way To Die, Lucky Strike, Animal

Least favorite tracks: Seventeen (if I had to pick one)

Rating: Excellent