Monday 27 April 2015

Just sayin', bruv #10

It's the return of the column that loves hot takes like the fat Tuesday kid loves cake:

April 12th 2005: the day Rakim awoke to find that the Paid In Full remix beat was no longer his property because Z-Ro had stolen its soul and was now the rightful owner.

With the possible exception of Trophies, Sicko Mobb completely exhausted themselves of melodies, ideas, and songs in 2013. Time to stop pretending otherwise, folks.

The only of their collaborations Nas ever rapped circles around AZ on was How Ya Livin', but boy-oh-boy did he ever body AZ on his own shit there: "Excuse me is that your bitch in my six, turnin' up the volume when she hear my hits? On her wall mad flicks, now you want me blasted, but don't get it confused over this rap shit.."

On one hand, a bunch of songs from Drake's recent albumixtape thing all hittin' radio at once was a new layer of Hell to endure. On the other hand, at least they instantly eradicated Abu Hamface O'Brien's appalling song with Audrey from all rap radio playlists.

Top 3 greatest trifectas of songs on rap albums: Follow The Leader, Microphone Fiend, and Lyrics Of Fury by Eric B. & Rakim; Kingofdasouth, Be Better Than Me, and Long Live Da Game by T.I.; Doomsday, Rhymes Like Dimes, and The Finest by MF DOOM.

Aside from 2 or 3 exceptions, The Barter VI is an collection of album-cuts which weren't good enough to make Young Thug's proper album. And that's fine as long as people don't front like it's a Grand Artistic Statement™ when it's little more than a glorified version of The Leak.

2015: the year Yung Gleesh apologists officially replaced South Park Mexican truthers as rap's most despicable fan base.

20 comments:

THE GUY said...

BACK TO BACK BENZS WITH THE WILD GREMLINS

David said...

idk about 'grand artistic statement' but i think the thug album is a pretty bold one just in that most ppl see him as a hitmaker rn & he dropped actually dope album tracks instead of chasing pop records

at any rate a bullish pfork review will no doubt lead to eventual overrating but it's still about 100x better than black portland so

Unknown said...

Is it pretty safe to say that AZ has more good music than nas cause besides Illmatic and It was written the rest of his discography is pretty inconsistent.

Jerry Hella said...

Wot, no 'Straight Outta Compton' for greatest opening trifecta?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Straight Outta Compton's opening trifecta is in 5th place. 4th place is The Ruler's Back, Children's Story, and The Moment I Feared from the Slick Rick debut.

AZ definitely has more good music than Nas since Nas was a near-total bust last decade and AZ had a great run between 2000 - 2007.

hotbox said...

It takes a lot for me to listen to an albumtape front to back in 2015 but I did enjoy Barter 6. Only complaint really is that it's difficult to get too excited about 9 new young thug songs when he dropped 200+ tracks last year. 9 new songs could have been any week in 2014

Rick said...

amen on barter vi, cohesiveness alone isn't a great accomplishment. i think it's getting acclaim partially because it's his least offensive release (sonically and otherwise) which is a shortcoming, not an asset.

also i don't think of thug as a hitmaker i think of him as wild and unpredictable and, like the man said, with 2 or 3 exceptions barter vi is neither.

L.A said...

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx got a couple of trifectas.

Zwoop nation said...

I said the same thing - people acted the same way when Black Portland dropped. It was popular to hype Young Thug, so they acted like Black Portland wasn't the disaster that it really was. The Barter 6 is obviously a collection of tracks Thug had left over and rushed out to capitalize on the Lil Wayne "Beef," knowing that he could sell some records from the controversy. It's really pretty insane for people to try and claim that it was a grand cohesive artistic statement.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

I've gone right off Numbers now - Constantly Hating is my new second favourite after Halftime.

David said...

Lol if there wasn't a high profile pitchfork review touting it as best new music you guys wouldn't be taking this reactionary stance now

Black Portland wasn't a "disaster" it was a producer capitalizing on the rappers rising buzz. And the critics who jumped on board for that weren't ones who'd paid much attention to him previously. And this is still an official thug project. The idea that it's just capitalizing off the beef is stupid, there are ideas and quality records on here

Unpredictability is a part of his appeal but imo this is still the most listenable young thug project front to back, you're lying if you're telling me you still play "1017 thug", that shit was fun and creative but it's replay value is extremely sketchy.

d said...

The Leak was a more accomplished grand artistic statement than Carter 3 and has better songs. T-Wayne & A Milli grew on me though

The kind of people still rly into the numbers game always put a lot of significance in if somethings an "album" or "single" or not against all common sense its mad

d said...

Criminal Minded and Mississippi The album start off dead strong

d said...

whats the goat opening song though, Amerikkkas Most Wanted?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Better Off Dead is technically AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted's opening track so The N*gga Ya Love To Hate disqualified, imo.

Best opening songs I can currently think of (not including intro tracks which is a whole 'nother conversation:

Follow The Leader
All For One
Mo City Don (Freestyle)
Straight Outta Compton
Keep It Real
Srictly Business
Krystal Karrington
Feelin' Myself
Poetry
Show Ya Tattoos
Road To The Riches
Never Blink

Zwoop nation said...

Florida Water was the only good song on Black Portland (not counting Danny Glover). Who capitalized on that tape? What people jumped all over it that weren't talking about him before? People posted about that tape saying Future was a collaborator when they took a voice sample of it. People didn't even listen to the tape before claiming it was great.

When did Thug say he was releasing a "cohesive project" before the Lil Wayne / Birdman tension? Long before the PFork review came out I said this. The logic behind arguing "this is good because it doesn't have X, Y and Z" is questionable.

What I still replay from 1017 Thug: Shooting Star, I'm Fo Real, Picture Baby, Miss U, Fuck With It.

d said...

taking ones w intros out levels it a good bit

LIQ
Runs House
Lord Willin intro, good opening trifecta aswell
Return off Super Tight
Resurrection
Do It Like A GO

just thought, Chuck D being Cubes fav rapper extends to the opening line on albums aswell, they both have no comp there imo except maybe Rakim

Whos Keep It Real?

David said...

Zwoop nation said...
"Florida Water was the only good song on Black Portland (not counting Danny Glover)."

"Let's Go Play" is better than most of '1017 thug'.

"Who capitalized on that tape?"

You mean other than 808 Mafia? How about Bloody Jay?

"What people jumped all over it that weren't talking about him before?"

The NY Times? Robert Christgau?


"People posted about that tape saying Future was a collaborator when they took a voice sample of it. People didn't even listen to the tape before claiming it was great."

No argument here.

"When did Thug say he was releasing a "cohesive project" before the Lil Wayne / Birdman tension? Long before the PFork review came out I said this. The logic behind arguing "this is good because it doesn't have X, Y and Z" is questionable."

I don't understand what you're arguing here. The initial response to "Barter 6" was very mixed. Everyone was expecting hits & he didn't deliver. No one said Thug SAID he planned it that way, it just seems obvious listening to it: these are songs w/ clear effort & artistic labor, but no big singles. Martorialist maintains it's filler to keep buzz going while saving the hits for the album; I'm suggesting it's that, but also a conscious argument in favor of Thug as more than a 'hitmaker' or 'weirdo,' but an artist trying to 'say something' so 2 speak.

"What I still replay from 1017 Thug: Shooting Star, I'm Fo Real, Picture Baby, Miss U, Fuck With It."

Cool. What I replay from "Barter VI": All but the TI/Boosie song.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Donal, Keep It Real is Young Bleed.

Rick said...

Ey just wanna say that barter vi has grown on me a lot the past few weeks