Ayoyoyo how’s it going guys? I’m getting more and more arbitrary with my scores. Hope no one cares, and if you do, my bad. Also did you guys know that Diplo and Major Lazer are the same people? I did not.

M.I.A – Y.A.L.A (stream) dope/10
Idk how much you guys listen to M.I.A but I actually don’t listen to her that much. That being said, her beats are always supa hot fire. YALA means “you always live again” unlike other unnamed rappers who believe that, “you only live once”. Anyway, I think this is pretty dope so consider checking it out!

Childish Gambino – 3005 (stream) CG/10
If you guys like CG you’ll like this song, and if you don’t you won’t. This sounds more like his EP stuff than ROYALTY or Camp. I dug it.

Dom Kennedy – Get Home Safely (stream) 7/10
I thought this album flowed really nicely. Dom Kennedy doesn’t really say that much throughout the album, but it sounds dope. This album really gives off that classic West Coast chill vibe, which I dig a lot.

Blu & Nottz – Gods in Spirit (stream) 7.5/10
Ayo Matt you’re gonna want to check out this one, it’s a new Blu EP!! Truth time: I’ve never listened to Blu before. I know that Blu&Exile did their thing with Below the Heavens… but I’ve never listened to it, so I can’t really compare this to older Blu or Nottz tracks (Nottz the producer for the entire EP). Now that being said, I actually enjoyed this project a lot. It reminded me a lot of Wu-Tang in terms of intensity in the MCs voice. Production wise though, it was much more modern. Overall, if you like aggressive rap styles with substance you’ll def like this EP. It’s short, but to the point and a fast listen. Check out Crooks and Castles for that grimey NY raps with modern production, and God Shit for over the top sound. Def sounds… almost like more traditional MBDTF Kanye esque production… tough to explain.

Madlib – Madlib Medicine Show: The Pill Jar (free dl) 7/10
Madlib is of course a producer probably most famous for his collab with MF DOOM to make Madvillainy. MF DOOM and Madlib both have similar production styles, with analog production styles which result in slightly “aged” sounding music. He is a heavy sampling based producer, think more turntablism rather than Kanye style sample production though. In terms of overall sound I gave this a 7/10 despite liking it more than Dom Kennedy and Blu & Nottz, because I like Madlib’s other work more. The beats are hella funky and fun, but it’s nothing exceptional for Madlib. One of the samples he uses is a recycled sample from his song “America’s Most Blunted” as Madvillain, and that threw me off quite a bit actually. How are you about to reuse one of your most famous samples? Episode XVI has this funky African beat breakdown that I’m hella digging, and Interview #4080 has some dope bars from Karriem Riggins as Supreme Team. Overall if you dig 90s boom bap production, MF DOOM, Madlib/Quasimoto, or other analog based heavy sampling music, you’ll def enjoy this project. Otherwise maybe not so much.

DJ Khaled – Suffering from Success (stream) not feeling it/10
I didn’t want to listen to this actually, so I didn’t. This album features features featuring Future, Ace Hood, Diddy, J Cole, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Ricky Rossay (Rick Ross), Meek Mill, and more people. But I mean… eh. Hells Kitchen has a J Cole verse so you guys might wanna check it out… but I mean… it was aight . Lil Wayne had a feature too so I checked it out. The hook goes:

Fuck all you bitches
Fuck all you bitches
Fuck all you bitches
Fuck all you bitches
Fuck all you hoes
Fuck all you hoes
1 million, 2 million, three, fo.

I wasn’t feeling it.

Gucci Mane – Trust God, Fuck 12 (stream/dl) wait isn’t he in jail?/10
I’ve actually listened to a decent amount of Gucci. Granted, he has a million mixtapes, but I mean he has his good shit. Lemonade has a ridiculous beat, and One Minute from his WWIII: Gas mixtape is one of my favorite songs of 2013, but I mean this mixtape/album is really normal. It sounds like all of the filler songs from his other projects.

Ayooo guys wassup? This week we had the BET Hip Hop Award Show and you know that means… the BET Cyphers! (and the Pro Era Cypher too). I just kinda arbitrarily gave reviews to the cyphers.

Kevin Hart (as Chocolate Droppa), Nick Cannon, Nelly, Boris Kodjoe, Dwayne Martin, and JB Smooth: eh/10
Definitely a joke cypher so I mean that’s pretty cool. If you’re looking for bars though skip this one fosho.

Kendrick Lamar & TDE: 8.5/10
First of all. First of all. Firssssttttt oooffff aaaaalllll the name is whack. Why do they have to call it Kendrick Lamar and TDE? Isn’t Kendrick Lamar a member of TDE? Aren’t Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Isaiah Rashad (a new dude to TDE) as dope as KennyKenKendrick Llama? Anyway, either way, this is probably my favorite cypher in terms of actual bars spat. If you guys are fans of TDE then you’ll like this cypher, they all do their thing. Jay Rock probably spit my favorite verse. Or maybe Ab-Soul. Or maybe Kendrick. They’re all good. Nah it was Jay Rock.

Slaughterhouse: 8/10
Doing their thing on the same beat as the XXL 2011 Freshman Cypher ft Yelawolf, Kendrick, Lil B, and Cyhi da Prince. I dug the XXL cypher more, but I mean this one is still heeeellla dope. “I’m so street look both ways before you cross me”, daaaamn Crooked I with the bars!!!

A$AP Mob: 7.5/10
I gotta be honest, this is my favorite no questions about it. None of the verses really stood out for me or anything, but it’s just a dope ass sounding song. Plus I’m a huge fan of Rocky and Ferg’s flows. Ferg is like a cartoon version of a rapper. Rocky just makes anything sound so cool. He could be like, “my cat in the hat has a mat with a bat” and it’d sound smooth. Plus Ant, Twelvy, and Nast proved that they have the ability to rap too so that was pretty cool beans. Also question to you guys: why are only half the words censored?

Action Bronson, Starlife Breezy, Travi$ Scott, Tiffany Foxx & Lil’ Kim comeonyouguyscandobetter/10
Hmmm I mean…. idk I just didn’t like it that much. I have this thing though, where if I don’t know the artists that much I’ll tend not to like it… so take it with a grain of salt fosho. Action Bronson aka Bronsolino did what he does and sounded dope doing it, and I actually dug Starlife’s verse too. Wasn’t really feeling the rest of them that much though, but they’re still solid.

Wax, Rapsody, Emis Killa, Rittz & Jon Connor: 8/10
This cypher surprised me the most. I’ve heard of Jon Connor, but none of these other cats and I was pleasantly surprised with their bars. Wax was really dope. I love that style of rapping, with the strong articulation and unexpected rhymes like “hunter gather/happier”. Rapsody. Maaaan Rapsody. I’ve never heard of Rapsody and then she spits a verse this dope. Not to be that guy, but I mean I gotta call out the skill level difference between Rapsody (who was spittin supa hot fire) and Lil Kim (who was…who was present at the cypher). Emis Killa was cool I guess, but everything was in Italian so I didn’t really get it… Rittz was cool beans with his crazy hair, but something wasn’t quite right about him. Maybe his voice? Idk but I still def liked him. Jon Connor did his thing, but in my opinion Rapsody threw down in this cypher.

Pro Era 7/10
Pro Era came in and did their thing. I really dug T’anh Apex, CJ Fly, Kirk Knight, and Joey Bada$$. I also was really surprised with Dessi Hinds, and A La $ole who did their thing too. Some of the other guys felt kinda weird to me though. JAB was really cool in the beginning I thought, but over time it sounded like his mouth was getting filled with spit so he was talking with a full mouth. Dirty Sanchez is kinda eh to me still. I don’t know why, but something about him irks me. Maybe it was just because he was on that Wu beat…how are you not gonna go intense on a Wu beat?

Ayo ayo how’s it hanging guys?

Eminem – Rap God (New Song off of MMLP2)

Just listen to it. Also in case you guys haven’t heard of the other two tracks he has released, there is Survival and Berzerk.

Lupe Fiasco ft Ed Sheeran – Old School Love

Got that new Lupe track too check it check it check it out

Chuck Inglish ft Ab-Soul & Mac Miller – Came Thru/Easily

I actually don’t know much about Chuck Inglish, but Ab-Soul and Mac Miller are pretty cool on this track. Nothing too exciting, but the beat bangs and the lines are alright.

Black Milk – No Poison No Paradise 7.5/10

Producer/MC Black Milk is here with his latest project No Poison No Paradise. Black Milk produced the entirety of this album, and he raps on most(?) of the tracks on here too. Super clean production on here in my opinion. Black Milk is heeeelllllllllllaaaaaa slept on, and this project is a great way to get into him. He’s definitely a better producer than a rapper though. His beats are spacey and atmospheric, but not in the same way that cloud rappers are. Think synth based beats I guess. He sounds futuristic, and slightly minimal. Very cool beans. Check out Codes and Cab Fare, Ghetto Demf, and Dismal.

Boldy James & The Alchemist- My 1st Chemistry Set 5/10

This album is a collaboration between rapper Boldy James and producer The Alchemist. You may have heard of The Alchemist through his work with Domo Genesis or Prodigy (definitely my fav collab). The Alchemist does extremely solid work on this album with a wide range of beats, but Boldy James isn’t that great of a rapper in my opinion. He sounds and flows like too many other rappers to really stand out from the crowd. Reform School is a pretty cool track featuring Earl, but I mean…overall it’s kinda a “eh” album.

Devin the Dude- One for the Road

I haven’t really listened to this one enough times to give it a rating, but it’s dope. It’s got that old school laid back Cali sound but it’s also more modern than straight up gfunk. Fresh Air is a chill song with a chill vibe that I’m digging. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar though, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it I guess. Dope stuff though, and def check it out if you’re into that 90s west coast hip-hop sound.

GTA V Soundtrack

Idk if you guys know or not, but the GTA V soundtrack has a lot of original hop-hop songs that are pretty dope. I haven’t listened to it in entirety, but I’ve heard a couple of tracks. A$AP Rocky R-Cali this song sounds so much like an A$AP song it’s crazy. Tyler the Creator – Garbage this one is pretty cool too. I’m not a big Tyler fan at all, but I thought this was pretty cool. I guess that means if you are a Tyler fan you might not like it that much…hmmm…yeah. 100s- Life of a Mack here is one from local Berkeley rapper 100s. Uhhh it’s a pretty basic “money, bitches, Ima pimp” song, but I mean it flows well. I dig his random flow switches though.

Ayo guys this week isn’t as exciting as last week, so I decided to add a couple older slept-on albums near the end to round it out a bit.

Dizzee Rascal- The Fifth 5/10

Dizzee Rascal is a UK based grime rapper. To be completely honest, idk how I feel about this album. Actually, I do know, and I don’t like it that much. Let’s say I was stuck on a desert island and I could take 1000 albums with me. This one wouldn’t even be a consideration. Dizzee Rascal has been a consistently dope ass rapper with his grime inspired music, but this new album is poppy, trappy, and overall seems a bit too mainstream for me. Mainstream as in doing what everyone else is doing, instead of doing his own thing. Dizzee was doing better work when he stuck to his grime roots, but his flow is still on point. UK rappers tend to have good articulation in general, and that’s still here on this album. Check out “I don’t need a reason” for a trap inspired banger, but besides that song, I’m not really feeling this album.

CJ Fly- Thee Way Eye See It 5.5/10

CJ Fly is a member of the Progressive Era (Pro Era) which is part of a bigger movement known as the “Beast Coast”. Beast Coast is a play on the East Coast, with the revival of boom-bap style 90s hip-hop. I thought that this album was kinda weak compared to the other Beast Coast releases though. The production is pretty dope, but CJ Fly’s voice and flow aren’t interesting enough to keep me paying any attention. I don’t really even have any suggestions for this album, but check it out if you’re a fan of Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies, or The Underachievers. If you want better music that sounds like this check out Joey Bada$$- 1999, Flatbush Zombies – D.R.U.Gs, Pro Era – The Aprocalypse , and The Underachievers – Indigoism. These mixtapes are waaaaaaaaaaaaay better in my opinion.

Meek Mill -Dreamchasers 3

I actually haven’t listened to this mixtape myself, but my buddies tell me it’s dope so I figure some of you guys might wanna check this out. Apparently though, Meek Mill- Dreamchasers 2 is much better, so if you’re digging 3 check out 2 fosho.

A$AP Ferg – Trap Lord 7.5/10

This album came out sometime in… September I think, but it’s too dope not to mention. A$AP Ferg is a member of the A$AP Mob, along with A$AP Rocky of course. This album has amazing production, and if you like trap beats or Clams Casino style cloud rap production, you’ll definitely want to check out this album. Check out Shabba, Let it Go, Work Remix, Lord, and Hood Pope. Very dope overall.

Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 8/10

Run the Jewels is a collab between rapper/producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike. Killer Mike of course is a member of the Dungeon Family hip-hop/r&b collective, and he has truly only gotten better with time. If you like more futuristic, electronic beats with solid rapping check out this album/mixtape/music thing. It’s kinda trappy, but less chaotic? It’s hard to categorize this album, but if you’re gonna check out only one album from this list, check out this one. Check out Run the Jewels, Banana Clipper, and Get it. If you like those songs, odds are you’ll like every single song on the album. They all share that similar sound fosho.

Until next time, stay dope.
Colin aka the 411

Ayo ayo how’s it hanging guys?

Eminem – Rap God (New Song off of MMLP2)

Just listen to it. Also in case you guys haven’t heard of the other two tracks he has released, there is Survival and Berzerk.

Lupe Fiasco ft Ed Sheeran – Old School Love

Got that new Lupe track too check it check it check it out

Chuck Inglish ft Ab-Soul & Mac Miller – Came Thru/Easily

I actually don’t know much about Chuck Inglish, but Ab-Soul and Mac Miller are pretty cool on this track. Nothing too exciting, but the beat bangs and the lines are alright.

Black Milk – No Poison No Paradise 7.5/10

Producer/MC Black Milk is here with his latest project No Poison No Paradise. Black Milk produced the entirety of this album, and he raps on most(?) of the tracks on here too. Super clean production on here in my opinion. Black Milk is heeeelllllllllllaaaaaa slept on, and this project is a great way to get into him. He’s definitely a better producer than a rapper though. His beats are spacey and atmospheric, but not in the same way that cloud rappers are. Think synth based beats I guess. He sounds futuristic, and slightly minimal. Very cool beans. Check out Codes and Cab Fare, Ghetto Demf, and Dismal.

Boldy James & The Alchemist- My 1st Chemistry Set 5/10

This album is a collaboration between rapper Boldy James and producer The Alchemist. You may have heard of The Alchemist through his work with Domo Genesis or Prodigy (definitely my fav collab). The Alchemist does extremely solid work on this album with a wide range of beats, but Boldy James isn’t that great of a rapper in my opinion. He sounds and flows like too many other rappers to really stand out from the crowd. Reform School is a pretty cool track featuring Earl, but I mean…overall it’s kinda a “eh” album.

Devin the Dude- One for the Road

I haven’t really listened to this one enough times to give it a rating, but it’s dope. It’s got that old school laid back Cali sound but it’s also more modern than straight up gfunk. Fresh Air is a chill song with a chill vibe that I’m digging. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar though, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it I guess. Dope stuff though, and def check it out if you’re into that 90s west coast hip-hop sound.

GTA V Soundtrack

Idk if you guys know or not, but the GTA V soundtrack has a lot of original hop-hop songs that are pretty dope. I haven’t listened to it in entirety, but I’ve heard a couple of tracks. A$AP Rocky R-Cali this song sounds so much like an A$AP song it’s crazy. Tyler the Creator – Garbage this one is pretty cool too. I’m not a big Tyler fan at all, but I thought this was pretty cool. I guess that means if you are a Tyler fan you might not like it that much…hmmm…yeah. 100s- Life of a Mack here is one from local Berkeley rapper 100s. Uhhh it’s a pretty basic “money, bitches, Ima pimp” song, but I mean it flows well. I dig his random flow switches though.