JayR., Migos & Tre$um

The Good:

JayR. - Late Nights, Deep Thoughts

This is a first for Stack That Cheese, but not one I ever expected.

JayR. was a sophomore at the University of Connecticut. He was talented and showed a lot of potential as a rapper, even if it was just a hobby. He really wanted to be a pharmacist. But he's going to be stuck being remembered as a rapper and I can just hope that's okay.

This is because JayR. had an unfortunate asthma attack in his dorm room on August 23 of last year. His friends didn't know CPR. The sophomore didn't stand a chance. And now this mixtape review is an obituary.

Before I go on to the review itself, I just want to make it clear that just because Late Nights, Deep Thoughts was released posthumously, it doesn't mean I'm going to critique it any less than any other mixtape. I never knew JayR. and I will never claim to have known him, but I can only imagine he would want to be respected as an artist as much as any other rapper and that's what I will attempt to do.

JayR. in High School

That being said, JayR. is pretty good. There were probably better mixtapes this week than Late Nights, Deep Thoughts. Hell, I could have even reviewed J. Cole's newest mixtape that came out last Tuesday. But that doesn't mean Late Night, Deep Thoughts isn't good.

JayR.'s best quality is his beats for sure. There's nothing flashy about them, but they're all mellow, chill jazzy beats.

"Certified" is one of the most extravagant of the mixtape. With epic trumpets and some hard-hitting drums, it comes across as quite powerful. And the lyrics, while not amazing, still hold their own. Lines like "Spittin' year of that dragon / Sippin' purple fly Aladdin," are among the best of the track.

"Mr. Make It Happen" is another fun song. The beat adds some g-funk synths to the typical jazz sound that reigns supreme on Late Night, Deep Thoughts. For a youngster like JayR. to be able to pull off g-funk is quite a feat.

Overall, JayR. shows an incredible amount of potential. Given a few more years, the Connecticut rapper could have come into his own and become a phenomenal talent. It's sad that he won't get that opportunity, but at least he'll get the opportunity to be remembered for the music he left behind, and that's all an artist could ask for.

The Bad:

Migos - Solid Foundation

Don't get me wrong--I love a banger as much as the next guy. And the guys of Atlanta's Migos seem to be naturals at creating some of the most popular songs in the game. I mean, must I remind you of the Drake's favorite "Versace?" Even if you've never heard the song itself, you've probably seen your friends tweeting corny lines like "Versace, Versace / Will you be my Valentine. I think you're a hottie." That's no accident.

And you can't even make the claim they're a one-hit wonder anymore, because "Hannah Montana" is getting a pretty good amount of plays, too. Granted, it's basically the same flow. But there's no denying these guys know how to make hits.

Well, there was no denying it. Until Solid Foundation.

It's not like Migos changes up its formula much on the newest mixtape, part of DJ Drama's "Gangsta Grillz" series. It's just that, for hit-makers, the trio is rather boring.

Bill Nye the Banger Guy

I'm no bangologist (which should be a real profession), but I know to make a banger one must either be overly catchy, feature a heavy-hitting beat, have hype-inducing rhymes or some combination of the three. Solid Foundation somehow manages to avoid every possible formula for a hit.

There are songs on Solid Foundation that come close to getting the listener out of his seat.

"ATM" is one of these songs. The beat is a little pedestrian, but it gets the blood pumping a little with heavy bass and typical rap synths. The hook, however, is the song's real source of power, as the trio is found shouting, "Call me ATM / I'm addicted to the money" enough to get it stuck in the listener's head. Plus, Jose Guapo brings an excited verse that helps him stand out not just on the song, but also in a crowded Atlanta rap game.

Jose Guapo

Then there's "They Gave the Wrong Nigga Money," which is closer to a more subdued banger. Some electronic synths help keep the song going and the hook constantly repeating the title is oddly catchy.

And of course, there's "Get Down," which I'm not a big fan of in the slightest, but gun samples and a Gucci Mane verse will always be sellers to some factions of rap.

Other than a few stand outs, Solid Foundation is mind-numbingly bad. One can only listen to generic Southern beats and Migos' brand of strained Auto-Tuned screaming for so long. And that's not long at all.

The Re-dic-yu-lus:

Tre$um - Timing is Everything

I'm really glad I took Advil before this (I smell a sponsorship). My headache would have been out of control after listening to Tre$um's over-saturated R&B "ballads."  I'm just really glad the music itself is as horrible as the cover.

Seriously, look at this. This is proof that the selfie epidemic has reached an all-time high. When an extremely poor man's Omarion thinks it's acceptable for his mixtape (a mixtape that he paid to get sponsored by datpiff, mind you) to have a selfie as its cover, we have reached a new low point as a culture.

I mean, in the intro, Tre$um says, "I spent tons of money...on all these tracks." If he spent so much money, you think he could at least hire someone else to hold the freaking camera. Hell, just ask any friend to do it for free. Or stranger. I'd rather see Justin Bieber's mugshot as an album cover than a selfie. 

And the font. Did he go in Microsoft Paint and just type over it? Or even Photoshop? You would think he could at least add some shadow. Make the ridiculous little accent over the "e" pop a little bit.

And why does he need to have a dollar sign? I get it with some artists to an extent. Like Ca$h Out? That ish is funny! But Tre$um is just unnecessary. Especially when his music involves him crying about girls much more than talking about money.

Oh yeah, music is kind of important I guess. That's pretty bad, too. The beats are generic R&B beats. You know what I mean. The bow-chicka-wow-wow and the slow grind stuff. And the themes are up that alley, too. All the "I'm thinking about you"s and "I wanna make love to you"s you could possibly want. But sappier.

Tre$um reminds me of a lot of people I went to high school with. The rich kids who think they're musically talented without trying to actually, you know, be talented. I honestly can't handle it. But I'm done with this post, so I guess I don't have to anymore. Cool.