Because I was not aware that the last post would be my last before Thanksgiving, I forgot to let you all know how thankful I am for you. So instead, I'll show you with a kick-ass new post! Because I missed a week, I've compiled the most memorable mixtapes from the past two weeks to guarantee a good time.
The Good:
(Before I start introducing and reviewing this mixtape, can we just take time to marvel at the awesomeness of this cover?)
You may not have heard of Action Bronson. He hasn't quite hit it big yet, but he's garnered a pretty decent following from underground hip-hop lovers.
And truthfully, I haven't given him much of a look myself. I've listened to a couple of his songs, but none of them really stuck with me, so I never downloaded anything by him. Before Rare Chandeliers, the only Action Bronson I had was his feature on Domo Genesis & Alchemist's latest project.
But I've said it before and I'll say it again: that's the beauty of mixtapes. (What did you expect? It's a blog dedicated to nothing but mixtapes.) And I can say after listening to Rare Chandeliers that Bronson is officially stuck with me.
Bronson kind of reminds me of Rick Ross. He's big, gritty, has the facial hair of a butcher (fun fact: Bronson used to be a gourmet chef, so the facial hair makes sense) and is extremely intimidating. The only difference is, you know, Bronson is good.
He has tremendous flow and good lyrics. "Blood of the Goat" is filled with examples. With a chorus of "Do, I'm liftin' you / Off your feet like my daughter at the park / Don't cross the border 'cause it's slaughter after dark," you know the song will have plenty of intimidating lines.
The Alchemist creates beats that go hand-in-hand with Bronson's hard-ass persona. The free album has an old-timey gangster feel, with electric guitars, plenty of horns and the kind of bass that you can't duplicate through an electric beat maker.
And there's a couple great features that take Rare Chandeliers to the next level, such as Schoolboy Q and Roc Marciano ("I laughed as the hardest pussy farted.")
Action Bronson gives his old fans new music to listen to and his new fans a reason to continue to listen.
He has tremendous flow and good lyrics. "Blood of the Goat" is filled with examples. With a chorus of "Do, I'm liftin' you / Off your feet like my daughter at the park / Don't cross the border 'cause it's slaughter after dark," you know the song will have plenty of intimidating lines.
The Alchemist creates beats that go hand-in-hand with Bronson's hard-ass persona. The free album has an old-timey gangster feel, with electric guitars, plenty of horns and the kind of bass that you can't duplicate through an electric beat maker.
And there's a couple great features that take Rare Chandeliers to the next level, such as Schoolboy Q and Roc Marciano ("I laughed as the hardest pussy farted.")
Action Bronson gives his old fans new music to listen to and his new fans a reason to continue to listen.
The Bad:
I've mentioned before how I prefer mixtape B.o.B to album B.o.B. And I've developed a theory about it: there are two B.o.Bs.
Okay, maybe this isn't ground-breaking. He basically says it himself. The mixtape B.o.B is simply B.o.B. He's gritty, rough and a little harder around the edges. Then there's album B.o.B, also known as Bobby Ray. Bobby Ray is a bit poppier. He has glitzy tracks with high-end pop stars as features. Oh, and did I mention Bobby Ray is catchy as fuck?
Both are pretty good in their own way. But B.o.B is just better in my opinion. If you've heard "Beast Mode"off No Genre, you know how hyped he can make you. And he can also tell a story. "Dr. Aden," also off No Genre, is my favorite example.
But that was then, this is now. And now, B.o.B doesn't seem like he's as good as he used to be. It seems as if he's blended B.o.B with Bobby Ray. And not in a "best of both worlds" way, but in a clusterfuck of confusion.
There's the title track, which is about as B.o.B as it gets. It opens up with "Man I go so dumb that I should get a check for disability / I'm a fucking lunatic you a liability." And featured guest Spodee proves worthwhile ("We done laid more niggas down than a thirsty chiropractor.") But there's still that hint of Bobby Ray's pop sensibilities sprinkled throughout the track.
And then there's the downright poppy, like "Be There," which sounds like it was a reject from his last album as B.o.B mostly sings through the entire song. "I don't want to waste your time / I just want to change your life." Couldn't you just see Taylor Swift or some other pop diva singing that? Then why the hell is B.o.B singing it?
Even his features reflect how he's drifting more to the mainstream side. (See: Mac Miller, Snoop Lion, and T.I.)
Really, this album isn't a bad release, it's just a bad release for B.o.B. It's unclear whether it's one of his albums (just not as catchy), or one of his mixtapes with more pop influences. And neither of those are really B.o.B's (or Bobby Ray's) forte.
There's the title track, which is about as B.o.B as it gets. It opens up with "Man I go so dumb that I should get a check for disability / I'm a fucking lunatic you a liability." And featured guest Spodee proves worthwhile ("We done laid more niggas down than a thirsty chiropractor.") But there's still that hint of Bobby Ray's pop sensibilities sprinkled throughout the track.
And then there's the downright poppy, like "Be There," which sounds like it was a reject from his last album as B.o.B mostly sings through the entire song. "I don't want to waste your time / I just want to change your life." Couldn't you just see Taylor Swift or some other pop diva singing that? Then why the hell is B.o.B singing it?
Even his features reflect how he's drifting more to the mainstream side. (See: Mac Miller, Snoop Lion, and T.I.)
Really, this album isn't a bad release, it's just a bad release for B.o.B. It's unclear whether it's one of his albums (just not as catchy), or one of his mixtapes with more pop influences. And neither of those are really B.o.B's (or Bobby Ray's) forte.
The Re-dic-yu-lus:
There are very few things you need to know about me. I like piña coladas and walks in the rain, I've seen Inception way too many times and I still haven't developed a solid theory about it, and I fucking love "Mercy." If I took a shot every time I've rapped, "Drop it to the floor, make that ass shake," I would never be sober. Just watch the music video!
Pure genius! The widescreen! The black and white! Kid Cudi dancing randomly throughout the video! Kanye proves time and time again how brilliant he is as a musician, but "Mercy" is his masterpiece! (Okay, maybe not. But I love it nevertheless.)
So, I decided that if anyone were to ever mess with "Mercy" and make it less than satisfactory, I would be beyond pissed at them. They couldn't even buy my love with a picture of Ted riding on a space jet ski with a unicorn-pegasus hybrid (pegacorn, if you will) to his side.
Yung Word, if you're reading this, I'm talking about you. You took a good thing and ruined it for me! Are you happy?!
First off, Yung Word ruins the beat by adding a cheesy version of ASAP's deep voice saying, "All I do is rap" multiple times.
Then, he lives up to his word and actually raps. But you'll wish he didn't. I know I do. "Niggas sleeping on me, had to wake them from their naps," he says. It's like he broke into the Louvre in Paris and took a shit on the Mona Lisa, except worse.
And he does this throughout the entire mixtape. Whether it's another Kanye song in "H.A.M." or ASAP Rocky's "Goldie," he just takes good songs and makes them shitty. If you're going to be a crappy rapper, at least ruin your own beats, not good beats used by actual rappers.
First off, Yung Word ruins the beat by adding a cheesy version of ASAP's deep voice saying, "All I do is rap" multiple times.
Then, he lives up to his word and actually raps. But you'll wish he didn't. I know I do. "Niggas sleeping on me, had to wake them from their naps," he says. It's like he broke into the Louvre in Paris and took a shit on the Mona Lisa, except worse.
And he does this throughout the entire mixtape. Whether it's another Kanye song in "H.A.M." or ASAP Rocky's "Goldie," he just takes good songs and makes them shitty. If you're going to be a crappy rapper, at least ruin your own beats, not good beats used by actual rappers.
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