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Kanye West wearing a Balmain jacket.

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Pursuit of Happiness

written by: Elijah Green

Ever since I could remember, music has always been a part of my life. Growing up in a Jamaican household, I always heard reggae music, from some of my parents’ favorite Jamaican artists like Barrington Levy, Shaggy, Bob Marley (of course), and many more. On Sunday mornings, waking up to these tunes was almost bittersweet though, because this usually meant that it would be a day full of cleaning up random areas around the house. It was a beautiful sensation in some sense because I always had my family's culture close to me at all times. Family parties, cookouts, weddings, were typically celebrated with this type of music with people dancing and just having an all-around good time. As time went on, I'd go on to form my music tastes. 

Music means the world to me. It makes me think about how much some of the content from different artists around the world makes songs that relate to my life and how I'm feeling, and how it has helped me express myself in ways that can't even be put into words. Music represents both the good and bad moments in life, and will always be there to keep you company even when it feels like there isn’t anyone else around. Without it, there isn’t much of a purpose to do a lot of things, and it almost makes life feel, well, pointless.

One of my earliest memories of when I fell in love with music is when I first listened to Kanye West’s album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. From the intro, Dark Fantasy, all the way to the outro, Lost in The World, everything about the album was so different from anything I had previously heard before. From that moment on, I started to dig into Kanye’s discography, until I knew every song from the back of my hand. Continuing from that, I just suddenly started to discover other artists as well, until I had finally built up my taste in music. 

Throughout the years, I have only grown to love music more and more. It has gotten to the point where I quite literally cannot go a day without listening to it for a few minutes, which usually turns into a few hours anyway. I don’t know where I would be today without. Listening to my favorite artists like Kanye West, Playboi Carti, Gunna, Future, Kendrick Lamar, and more, has helped me get past some of the hardest moments in my life. There were moments where it truly felt like I was going through all of my problems on my own. Due to my reluctance to be able to open up to people due to my reserved personality, it felt like I didn’t have anyone's shoulder to “cry” on. I always had the option to listen to music to forget about my struggles, and get through everything going on, though. 

As I continued to grow and mature, I experienced new moments in my life that were not exactly easy. I found myself struggling a bit more than I usually did, and I started to realize how broken I truly was. A time where I truly felt like this was during my transition into high school. Although I had been warned numerous times by my past teachers and parents about how different high school would be, I kept reassuring myself that this wouldn’t apply to me. I truly believed that I would effortlessly carry on having the same friends, same work rate, but I was so wrong. After just a few months, it almost felt like my world was crashing down right in front of me. I spent many nights alone because my old friends from middle school had already started to distance themselves away from both me and each other altogether. That would mean that I would have to find new friends all over again, and just someone to confide in, because of my previous losses. On top of this, I had many other problems going on at home, except I had to keep everything to myself. Along with this, around the same time, my parents were in the process of becoming legally separated. Everything from here on out would be different for me and my siblings, as we would have to adjust to our new lives. For a while, I spent time away from both my sisters and mother, while I lived with my father. Of course, we would see them from time to time during the week but it just wasn’t the same at all. My dad was always at work as well, leaving me alone at home most of the time. It wasn’t as if he abandoned me, it was just a very lonely time that had pushed me into a dark place that I found it hard to fully get out of to this day. I couldn’t express how I felt even if I wanted to because there wasn’t anyone there. This led to my grades lowering, as well as my motivation to do anything else in life.

There were many days where it felt like nothing could get any worse. I was truly despondent, and I wasn’t exactly sure of how to get out that feeling. I started to push myself away from everyone, and I no longer felt like the gleeful kid that I once was. I was constantly agitated, short-tempered, and found myself a lot more prone to crying which was never the case before. I wanted to get help, but because of my parents’ views on mental health in teenagers, I was quite reluctant to do so. I hardly told my friends about the problems I was having, I constantly reassured them that everything was alright, and rather helped them get through their problems without making them have to worry about mine. 

I know it wasn’t healthy at all, but I decided to keep everything bottled up inside. I was trying to push through and evolve, but I just wasn't exactly sure how. This is when I turned to music again. Except for this time, I started attending concerts as if they were a mandatory event I needed to help me survive. The rush I got from going to them was a feeling I never thought I could experience. In the crowd, there was a connection that you could feel just by being in the middle of it. Everyone seemed to forget about their differences, and just vibe out with each other. It didn’t matter who you were, where you came from, what your religious views or sexual orientations were, all that mattered was having a good time. It was truly beautiful. The surge of energy you felt as you heard everyone in the crowd scream from excitement, as well as yelling the lyrics to each song at the top of their lungs is unlike anything else you could ever hear. Although the crowds were usually humid, because of the overload of people in mosh pits, this is something you forget about quickly because all you care about in the moment is having a good time and forgetting everything else. 

That’s exactly what I needed. To forget about my problems for as long as I could, and have a good time with the people closest to me. Going to concerts with friends helped me grow closer to them, to the point where we almost felt like brothers. I truly believe that without them, there is a chance that I would not be here right now, but I’m always grateful that that is not the case. 

Music has given me an escape from reality when I really needed to get away from everything. Not only that, but it has given me a chance to see how beautiful life can really be if you stick around long enough for it to get better. Without music, life would be boring, and that’s not a life that I would want to live. I'm eternally grateful for the fact that I have developed such a strong love for something that has been able to help me so much. I’m not exactly where I want to be in life yet, but I know that I’ll get there eventually, whether the road to get there is long or not. 

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Monotone Dreams

written by: Elijah S. Green

“When i make music i just write what comes from my heart. It's not that hard at all honestly. We're all human, that's how you relate to people. You can always talk about how great your life is, but people don't always relate to that sh*t cause’ not everyone’s lives are always that great. You know what i'm saying? I make music more for me, I guess it’s like a diary.” -Lucki, THE FADER

Earlier this year, the Chicago based rapper, Lucki, followed up on the release of Freewave 3, with his second project of the year, Days B4 III. On Freewave 3, it was quite noticeable that the subject of the album was mainly based around the details of heartbreak, and the drugs that both caused, and could help him get over heartbreak as well. Lucki is so honest on this project, to the point where it is almost hard to not get uncomfortable with the details of his life being discussed.

With the Chicago native’s second project of the year, Days B4 III, listeners can see that Lucki is on his way to a better place in both his mindset, and life in general. Freewave 3 was his admission into rehabilitation, and Days B4 III is his journey to recovery. He reflects on his rollercoaster of a year, getting everything that he needs off of his chest to his fans before he can finally move on and recapture the optimism that is evident in his early career as well.

Part of what makes Lucki’s music work so well is his talent for picking the most unorthodox beats, and making them his own to fit his style. Something noticeable throughout the album, are the dim hi-hats along with the eerie, dark, and often blurred melodies. On production, there is an array of unique production from producers like DJ Eway, a fellow homegrown producer, as well as 16yrold and Brent Rambo. “Beverly Hills to 35th,” the gloomy and distorted Brent Rambo produced track, best defines Lucki’s nebulous world. “No Xanax, I'm nervous, on the withdrawal, we purgin', she wanna have my back, just to stab it and sew it, I'm so used to that, I don't even lose my focus.” The lyrics here give us a better look into the personal life of Lucki, displaying the many toxic relationships that he has been in destroying his perception of people in general. This has led him to the point of almost no return with his newfound trust issues and drug use to numb his true feelings. But unfortunately, at this point, he is used to this.

It’s very hard to ignore the Chiraq legend, Chief Keef's influence on this project, and Lucki in general when looking at the Almighty So inspired cover art, and the way he delivers each bar along with the way he follows it up with ad-libs. Even when the production is brighter such as on the track “Randomly,” the Chicago rapper stays true to his roots, with a druggy delivery, displaying his true feelings and insecurities. “My ex be fans of me when it all got real, you ran on me, two months ago couldn't stand Lil' me, now she wanna be a part of my fantasy.”

To wrap it all up, the bitter, heavily monotone finale of “Last Time Mentioning (Good Riddance),” is the perfect outro for this project. On this track, Lucki dolefully reminisces on the memories he has had with opportunities, friends, and girlfriends that he has had to deal with for the past year. But just like the title of the song suggests, he wants to put all of these people, and the pain they have caused in the past, behind him. The dark clouds are passing, and he is ready to continue onto a new road in both his life and career. I move out of the city for you, New York, why you break my heart? My big brother called me dramatic, told me, "A h*e gon' play the part," you know it's plenty more where that comes, you finessed him out of my heart, my h*e out the state, out of sight, out of mind.”

It’s 4 The Betta.

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The Incredible Uprising of Gunna and Lil Baby

written by: Jacob Neptune

Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, better recognized by his stage name, Gunna, was born on June 14th, 1993 in College Park, Georgia on the southern side of Atlanta. Kitchens was one of four children, one of which passed away in 2006. He attended Langston Hughes High School and some of his biggest inspirations were the likes of Future, Outkast, Chingy, and other Atlanta based rappers. In 2013, Gunna released one of his earliest known songs, Hard Body, under the name Yung Gunna. In 2016, his name was revised to simply Gunna when he also released Drip Season, under the record label Young Stoner Life, run by Young Thug, an early inspiration for Kitchens who he met via a mutual friend who passed away soon after.

In contrast, Dominique Jones, also known as Lil Baby, was born on December 3rd, 1994 in Atlanta, Georgia. When Jones was only 2 years old, his father walked out on his family and left behind a struggling single mother to raise two ambitious young men. Although he was not struggling in school, Dominique would eventually drop out of high school during his sophomore year due to him repeatedly getting into unnecessary altercations. In 2012, Jones was charged with intent to sell and this began a 2-year string of law infringements and felonies. He went on to drop his platinum debut single, ”My Dawg” in 2017.

In early 2018, the lives of Sergio Kitchens and Dominique Jones intertwined for what would certainly not be the last time via a familiar deceased friend. At the time, Lil Baby was not taking music seriously, and Gunna was a significant inspiration for Lil Baby to shine and show his true potential to the music industry. Soon after their first meeting, the two would go on to release an array of collaborations, including but not limited to “Throwing Shade,” “Oh Okay,” and “Life Goes On.” These musical pieces gained substantial attention in the rap community, but Lil Baby’s popularity was certainly boosted by the release of his single “Yes Indeed” featuring none other than Drake. Afterward, the dynamic duo released Sold Out Dates which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top 100 and stayed in the top 100 for 3 consecutive weeks.

After their immense success, Gunna was featured on Travis Scott’s project, ASTROWORLD on the song “Yosemite”, which also saw multiple awards and many streams. A few months later, the duo teamed up to create their collaborative album, Drip Harder which included features from the likes of Nav, Drake, Lil Durk, and Young Thug. The album was heavily streamed and received many awards, particularly on the songs “Never Recover”, “Drip Too Hard”, and “Close Friends”. Additionally, a few months later, Lil Baby would go on to release his 7th studio album, Street Gossip, which compiled a very raw and street-esque vibe with many A-list features and memorable tracks. However, after the release of Street Gossip, Lil Baby would go on to be included on features and singles between 2018 and 2020. Contrary to Lil Baby, Gunna released one of his best pieces of work front-to-back, with the release of Drip or Drown 2 in February of 2019. It contained features from Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, and Young Thug, alongside many exceptional songs without features including Out The Hood, Richard Millie Plan, and Baby Birkin.

For the second half of 2019, Gunna and Lil Baby would solely appear on features, while still maintaining their lyricism and consistent flow. In March of 2020, Lil Baby released his 8th studio album, My Turn which signified his rise to the top of the rap game and that he had no intention of slowing down any time soon. The album included a joint track with Gunna, “Heating Up”, which is believed to portray how the two young artists are becoming some of the hottest rappers in the game, and they still have many years ahead of them. The entire album gives off an elegant yet prideful vibe, which was reiterated by the release of the deluxe version a few weeks later. As for Gunna, fans are still waiting for his next studio album which has been revealed to be titled ‘Wunna’ and is expected to be released on May 22nd, 2020.

Lil Baby and Gunna are two of the most promising rappers currently active in the rap game. They give off a vibe that shows that they both truly came up from almost nothing, rough upbringings, and have proved many doubters wrong in their early careers. However, through all that, neither of them have forgotten where they came from and are immensely humble about their beginnings, and are ambitious about where they could end up in a few years. They are truly some of the most inspirational and favorable rappers of this generation, and all rap fans are anxious to see how their careers continue to progress in the coming years.

Atlanta’s Best.