The Good:
One of my biggest fears as a hip-hop reviewer is a mixtape coming around that makes me look like a foolish hypocrite. If you're a regular viewer of this blog, you know how much I stress quality lyrics. I've put down many a rapper who had a pretty good mixtape, but just didn't have the lyrics to earn my support.
And then there are those mixtapes that overlook lyrics for sick beats, but their production is so good that I can't help but love it. YG and Rockie Fresh both did it in the same week and I still haven't gotten over it. This week, Red Cafe joins them with American Psycho II.
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| The first American Psycho |
Red Cafe has been around for a minute, releasing mixtapes since 2006. Hailing from Brooklyn, he's been signed to Akon and Diddy's respective labels. But American Psycho II is his first release since the first Psycho in late 2012.
The mixtape, hosted by DJ Whoo Kid (whoooo kiiiiddd) and the LA Leakers, seems to meet somewhere in between college and gangster rap. Separately, the two genres are flawed by nature. But together, they're almost too good to be true. So good, in fact, that it makes up completely for Red Cafe's lack of good lyrics.
A perfect example is "I Love This Shit," featuring the king of lyric-topping beats, DJ Mustard himself. In typical DJ Mustard fashion, there's some simple, but banging bass and some hard-hitting horns. It's generic Mustard, but damn, is it bumping. It's enough to make one forget that the hook is repetition of the song's title and the rhymes are made out of single syllables.
Then there's the more college rap side of things with "A World Alone," which heavily samples Lorde's song of the same name. And by "heavily sample," I mean just lay some hip-hop drums over the instrumental. I wish I could use this to fuel any potential anger, but I can't help but bob my head to this. Plus, any rapper who can see how amazing Lorde is automatically earns my vote.
Luckily, I can use the excuse, "Well, he does a lot of great features." This list includes, but is not limited to, Young Jeezy, Akon, Jeremih, Ace Hood, Tory Lanez, Kevin Cossom and Shyne. And that doesn't include the two biggest features on "Boss Bitches and Fast Cars."
The previously mentioned song features borderline superstar Pusha T and the always quality Fabolous. Neither delivers his best verse on this song, but plenty of good lines are dished, like Fabolous' "Walk bitch I'm not the fella for you / I cut a dame off--Roc a fella shorty" and Pusha's verse-ending "Got your feelings crushed like the ice in a blender."
Red Cafe has a lot to improve on if he ever wants to be considered a good rapper. But he's already figured out how to make a good mixtape, so I don't see why he would ever feel the need to actually become a good lyricist. I like American Psycho II, I just hate how much I like it.
The Bad:
There are the Young Thugs of the world, who find some way to sound amazing by using some off-kilter ad-libs. Then there are the Shy Glizzies of the world, who are modeled off that same mold, just not as good at it.
On Young Jefe, Shy Glizzy seems to try everything in his power to become a Young Thug, but he's just a little off, and not in the good way. And the thing about this new brand of ad-lib rappers is that, when it's done right, it's mind-bogglingly good. But when it's done any less than perfect, the whole thing is ruined.
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| Isn't Maddy ying beautiful? |
One prime example of Shy Glizzy trying but failing to accomplish this near impossible feat is the song "Medellin." The song, titled after the city in Columbia, is filled with random shouts and screams. The chorus alone sounds like "Maddy ying / Maddy maddy yayo." And Shy's verse is filled with "kaw"s and "bring bring"s. And Young Scooter, whose Street Lottery I actually liked a bit, stops by to deliver some help. But because it's not done absolutely perfectly in its randomness, it's not even close to good enough.
Another high-profile trap artist, Gudda Gudda, stops by in "I'm a Star." The heavy-hitting beat is a good start for the egotistically-titled song. And Gudda Gudda delivers a surprisingly tolerable verse. But Shy Glizzy can't do the same. He's got the off-pitch singing. And the sporadic "skirt skirt"s. But once again, it's not good enough.
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| Young Thug in a dress. Really. |
Hell, Young Thug himself even stops by on not one, but two occasions. And there's barely a difference between Glizzy and Thug on both tracks, except for the fact that I can, for the most part, understand Glizzy. I should be praising him for not going so far as to be incomprehensible. But I love Thug. I can't help it.
I wish I had even the slightest idea how to describe what makes Young Thug enjoyable. I'm a failure as a hip-hop reviewer because of it. But Young Thug defies all logic. He plays by his own rules. Not in the cool, lawless way, either--he just doesn't follow rhythm or normal musical standards. I should not just dislike him, but I should hate him. And yet, I'm mad at Shy Glizzy for not being enough like him.
But my love for Young Thug isn't the thing that's keeping Young Jefe from being a quality tape. No matter how you feel about Thug, Glizzy's tape clearly sounds more like an imitator than an original, and that's never how a rapper gets good. He's got some potential to be a good bad rapper, but he has to be original before this can happen.
The Based:
As is tradition, I must pray to He Who Is Based before reviewing a Lil B mixtape.
Dear Based God,
I do not deserve you
You are my savior
My almighty favorite rapper
When 05 Fuck Em was released, I listened to every song wit a smile on my face.
But, when I went to write the review about it, I failed you.
I could not figure out how to describe the 101-piece masterpiece
And so, as Valentine's Day rolled around
I knew I would fuck a bitch who couldn't be fucked by you, Based God.
And, as the prophesy foretold, I did.
But then, just three days later, you rose again
To fuck my bitch
And to become the second-coming of Yeezus
So, for that, Based God,
I thank you.
Amen.
Now that I had the privilege to talk to the holy Lil B, I can move on with my review of the amazing Basedworld Paradise.
I've gone over my obsession with covers before, and this is my new favorite cover. Not just for Based God, but for all time. Let's list what makes this the greatest mixtape cover of all time:
1. Kanye reference
2. Lil B face
That's all it takes.
Now, bad news, Bitch Mob. Basedworld Paradise is only 31 songs. That's a helluva lot less than 05 Fuck Em. But, while it's basically a Lil B version of an EP, it's still damn good.
The first words Lil B says on Basedworld Paradise are "I'm Tupac." Big words for a little B. And it's too bad that they prove to be wrong as the mixtape goes on. Because he's better than Tupac!
Take the song "Bring the Beat Back." Lil B goes about and beyond the call of duty, even rapping words with more than one syllable. He raps "business" with "fitness" and "big tits." #Genius. And then he beat boxes! Sure, he sounds a little like a chicken, but the most based chicken of all time. Just call him Kentucky Based Chicken. Or something else that doesn't sound horrible. I bet Lil B could come up with something clever.
Or "Based Memories," which has production with all the swag of a keytar. Honestly, Lil B can make anything amazing. Young Thug can only work a dress. Lil B could work a chastity belt. The only reason he doesn't is because the laws of Basedianity state he must fuck every bitch.
Lil B is a mastermind. If this doesn't prove it so, then your bitch doesn't deserve to be fucked by the Based God. My Based God have mercy on your soul.
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