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Q2 Rapup 2014: So It Goes

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H

HiResDes

Member
hSsYt.png




Good Albums at a Price

1.

Sample Song
Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Ratking pays homage to traditional gritty NYC rap while transcending it incorporating reggae, abstract left-wing pop, and new world poeticism in a stunning full-length debut
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2.

Sample Song
Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Open Mike Eagle blends his poetical rapping style and light crooning into a somber, emotionally affecting full-length that muses on modernity and the trappings of our current lifestyles better than just about anything else this year.
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3.

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What's Really Good - People Under the Stairs proves they still got it, making an album that's exactly what you'd come to expect, laid back and chilled out — perfect BBQ material.
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4.

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What's Really Good - Kate's utilizes her strengths as a poet well focusing on lyricism and storytelling while the dynamic production helps keep her sounding fresh, her style reminds me of a less somber Dessa at times.
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5.

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Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Neon Icon is everything that's good about Riff Raff condensed and distilled into a more palatable format that capitalizes on his colorful absurdity and inventive hook game.
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6.

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Pitchfork Review
What's Really Good – It bangs hard in the whip, and they spittin hard as shit on that southern tip
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7.

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Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Pharoahe Monche's take on mental anguish in contemporary society is both highly introspective and personal, proving that the best storytellers must posit a piece of themselves within their works
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8.

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Pitchfork Review
What's Really Good – Future's utilizes his knack for creating pop-rap anthems with strong hooks and crossover appeal to the fullest here
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9.

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What's Really Good - Meyhem Lauren's Silk Pyramids harkens back to a time when vices epitomized wisdom and experience and New York still had a few Burroughs left where you could make some real bad life decisions
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10.

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Hip-Hop DX Review
What's Really Good – The beats are the barrel and the duo are the bullets, and they hit like hollows.
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H.M.

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What's Really Good – Retrohash is such an accessible, fun, and positive ride that it has the potential to become one of those default background albums you always turn to when you don't know what to listen to
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If you'd like to discuss why your one of favorites didn't make it I'd love to...I really devoted a lot of time to listening to these albums and tried to be honest with myself without reading too much into peer reviews.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Got It For Cheap

1.

Sample Song
Pitchfork Review
What's Really Good – Goldlink encapsulates the summer in this boppy pop-rap affair, tailor made for both the dance floor and a pool party.
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2.

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Pitchfork Review
What's Really Good – The ethereal production and how Antwon matches it with manic verses incorporating his quirky sense of humor, knack for being raunchy, and true heartfelt sensibilities; heartbreak is a bitch.
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3.

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What's Really Good – The plague has a lot of queer things in its characteristics apart from the rappers sexual identity including its mystical derelict production, sinister subject matter, and imagery and yet at its core what really steals the show is Big Momma's merciless rapping style
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4.

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What's Really Good – Rozewood's brand of aggressive militant boom bap seems especially powerful and poignant within our zeitgeist.
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5.

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What's Really Good – Ceito captures both the soulful downtempo feel of jazz-tinged hip-hop and also the youthful vigor of modern braggadocio rap simultaneously resulting in an album that sounds both fresh and highly accessible.
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6.

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What's Really Good – If you like weed-rap albums this is the most consistent and most focused album of its type released all year
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7.

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What's Really Good – I don't like throwing around the words insightful lightly, but Mick Jenkins has the eye to cut through the bullshit and the flow to make his insights poetic
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8.

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What's Really Good – The emcee has a voice and flow reminiscent of Nas and yet his subject matter and production is more representative of the zeitgeist.
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9.

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What's Really Good – It's a near 30-track ode to dark Memphis rap that not only manages to pass the Esch scale, but provides enough changes in pace to keep it from becoming stagnant
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10.

Sample Song
Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Mac Miller's ability to cultivate great tracks bringing together a dope ensemble of collaborators and fitting them with the production that suits them best, he's also really not bad with the pen even if you don't like his laid black flow.
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11.

Sample Song
What's Really Good – How weird Blu can get with his production and rapping style while still sounding rather pop friendly
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12.

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What's Really Good – All of the apparent hate and homophobia has only made Cakes embrace his point of view with an ever tightening grip, and he sounds as the title might imply vociferously hungry
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12.

Sample Song
Needledrop Review
What's Really Good – Garbage is a return to the skinny white pimp alias of Bones, and his pimping hand has never felt more cold and unaffected than on this especially frost-bitten production
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14.

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What's Really Good – The rapper here definitely has a swag and delivery of his own, but I'd be lying if I didn't point out that it's carried by Kaytranada who delivers staple after staple, beat wise
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15.

Sample Song (Not on the mixtape, but a good sample of his style)
What's Really Good – Smoove's focus on lyricism and introspection seems especially refreshing in a time where every smart rapper is a backpacker and every traditional sounding album is boom bap
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H

HiResDes

Member
PhoenixDark said:
why you gotta snub clipping tho
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Thank you, I was waiting for someone to ask...

I think the production is phenomenal, let's get that out of the way. The album features some of my most favorite beats and even song structures of any project this year, but really my beef is with the emcee. Daveed Diggs might be a competent rapper, but I don't think he fits in with the project whatsoever. He just doesn't sound right for the part and ends up sounding quite corny most of the time. His lyrics also don't seem to be as satirical to me whatsoever, though everyone would have you believe that his simple, blunt ratchet odes are part of some extended metaphor or social commentary. It's an easy out, but when someone sounds garbage they sound garbage to me, and I don't care if they're doing it ironically. Diggs is about as fit for the role on the Clipping project as Dana Carvey's Master of Disguise character would be in the lead of a major Bond film. And people would probably jump to give him the same outs, claiming Carvey is implicitly making fun of the spy subgenre, while all I can manage is to cringe while watching and wonder why in the world anyone hired him.
 
O

overcast

Member
Have some of those downloaded, and I love So It Goes, but as usual Des, your knack for finding albums otherwise completely glossed over AND coherently explaining them is appreciated.

Surprisingly, I feel like I'm one of the few that hasn't listened to these days yet.
 
P

PlayDat

Member
I like So It Goes, but that album really isn't blowing me away like it seems to for most.

Haven't gotten around to Hawk House yet, but that one song was was good. Thought A Handshake to the Brain could have made the cut.
 
D

DoctorPayne

Banned
Loving that Kate Tempest album, in the running with Pinata for AOTY for me so far.

This track does a real good job capturing the feel of the album. Can really picture it playing out like some grainy, low budget UK crime film in your head.
 
N

Ninja Dom

Member
Why the snub for Styles P? I've not listened to it so I'm interested in the criticisms.

And...got to ask again, no RiFF RaFF? Not even in the snub?
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
I listened to that Asher Roth on a whim and it's pretty nice. Good chilled out summer music. Originally ignored it since I only knew him as that super corny college rapper.

Found that Gangsta Boo on spotify, gonna listen asap.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Ninja Dom said:
Why the snub for Styles P? I've not listened to it so I'm interested in the criticisms.

And...got to ask again, no RiFF RaFF? Not even in the snub?
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Raff was a legit snub, my fault y'all.

The Styles P album was originally in the list, but after I relistened to it I realized that it was completely uneven. There are some bangers on it for sure, some really murderous tracks, but then sporadically you have these cheesy reflective joints that sound forced and out of place. The marriage of Styles' new found introspective identity doesn't meld with his old grimey style whatsoever.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
aww yiss, PTSD, ratking & more - didn't even know People Under the Stairs had new shit, nice

Riff is a bit overrated in my opinion, gonna check out some of the rest here though - love these des, thanks for this
 
Z

Zekes!

Member
That Antwon tape is dope. I saw you mention it a while back in the GAF-Hop thread and decided to check it out. Glad I did.
 
O

overcast

Member
Surprised you liked Riff Raff that much actually. Has some of my favorite songs to play this summer, but a lot of huge dips in quality and a little too much fuckery. He can craft a catchy ass song with dope beats though.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I came in expecting even more fuckery...It's fucking Riff Raff, and it's pretty much what he has going for himself
 
P

PlayDat

Member
I would swap Your Old Droog and God Complex. However, Planet Paradise is easily one of my top songs for this year.
 
T

Trey

Member
Just noticed that my man's mixtape made number 12 on des' free rap up list.

Nigga we made it. ;_;
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
I need to get off my ass and listen to that new Monch record. His last album left me a bit cold - it's not bad, just wasn't memorable.

Desire was good, although I think the first half is basically classic and the second loses momentum as it ventures into some neosoul shit. It ends strong with that last track though.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I took off Freebase, I forgot about the opinions I scribbled down on a thorough re-listen. It's just too repetitive.
 
I

injurai

Banned
Everybody Down is really great. Not surprised you put So It Goes in numbawon, its a great listen everytime I come back to it.
 
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