#and I think I’d explode if I was dropping a fully rendered piece every day

[crazymecjc]

shuake week day 2 - new game plus

plus, bonus!

[damnthatnoise]

Most Anticipated For 2017 | Article

2016 is dead to me. Not only did it take way to many of my childhood celebrity heroes, it has also brought us the unbearable burden of knowing that vile orange piece of combed over shit is going to be POTUS. So with the stack of 2016 albums still fresh in our collective media devices/turntables we sit and think about what 2017 might bring for our ears. Tim, Lucas, and I decided to jot down the top 5 things we are each looking forward to/hoping for this year. Take a look, share it, shoot us an e-mail and tell us what you are looking forward to, and who you think we should keep an eye out for. 

_________________________________________________________

Tim’s Top 5 Predictions/Anticipations for 2017

           With the year that we were blessed with in 2016, it’s hard to see how there’s any possible way that 2017 could top it. Run the Jewels 3 was going to be at the top of my list, but Killer Mike and El-P blessed us with that gem of an album three weeks early – just another indicator of how 2016 is shaping up. There are a few things dropping in 2017 that I’m super excited about, and I have some personal predictions as well that I could see happening in the next year.

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s reunion

When Pete Rock was on Sway in the Morning with Smoke DZA to promote their collaborative album – Don’t Smoke Rock – Pete dropped a hint that he and C.L. Smooth had been working together again. Shortly after this specific radio appearance, the internet exploded with the news that Pete Rock and C.L. will be dropping a new album in 2017.

 Although there have been song collaborations between the two over the past 20 years, they haven’t teamed up for a full-length album since 1994. As one of my favorite duos of all-time, this is no doubt my most anticipated piece of music that will be dropping next year. 23 years is quite the hiatus, but if anyone’s still capable of making incredible music after a prolonged break, it’s these two.

Ka & Roc Marciano’s collaborative album as Metal Clergy

This is an album that I’ve been waiting on for a long time, and I know that I’m not alone. There has been a collaborative album with Roc Marciano listed in Ka’s Wikipedia page for a couple years now, but the world has never seen the project come to fruition. Ka released Honor Killed the Samurai in 2016, and Roc Marciano will be dropping Rosebud’s Revenge in the immediate future.

 Roc Marciano was answering questions on his personal Facebook page, and I beckoned the question about a Metal Clergy album; Roc said that since both he and Ka will have recent solo releases out of the way, the odds for a Metal Clergy album in 2017 are highly likely. When it comes to lyrical ability, there aren’t many emcees better than these two, and when they connect on the same record, the results are utterly remarkable.

Rapsody’s Roc Nation Debut 

Not only is Rapsody one of my favorite female emcees, she’s one of my favorite emcees period. I’ve been following her music since 2012 when she dropped her debut album The Idea of Beautiful on 9th Wonder’s Jamla imprint. Since 2012, Rapsody has released three critically acclaimed projects (one mixtape and two EPs), and in 2016 she signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint. After being featured on Kendrick Lamar’s album – To Pimp a Butterfly – Rapsody has been setting the world on fire with guest appearances; she also dropped one of the best albums of 2016 – Crown.

There’s two beautiful things about this label marriage that Rapsody has going: she has the financial backing and push of Jay-Z, and she has the production of 9th Wonder’s Soul Council (9th Wonder, Hi-Tek, Nottz & Eric G) behind her. With a team that strong, it’s awfully hard to lose no matter what obstacles you go up against.

Pusha T’s album King Push

This album is on my list for 2017 because I falsely predicted that it would drop at the end of 2016. Last year, Pusha T dropped his album King Push – The Prelude: Darkest Before Dawn in the month of December, so I figured that he would follow suit again in 2016 after he dropped a lyric that stated he’s the “contender for album of the year – every year”.

Well, I was wrong. I’ve been known to be on more than one occasion.

 Only adding fuel to the fire, both Thornton brothers said that they would be open to a Clipse reunion album. It’s possible that we could see a Pusha T solo album in 2017 and a new Clipse record in 2018; that’s the type of shit that should get every Hip-Hop head excited.

 In an article, earlier in 2016, the G.O.O.D. Music President said that Big Sean’s new album would be next - and then his album would follow. Big Sean’s album I decided. is slated for a February 3rd release; we could potentially see a new King Push album by second quarter of 2017.

WE STILL DON’T GET A FUCKING JAY ELECTRONICA ALBUM

 A lot of you are probably thinking to yourselves: “Wow, Tim, you really like beating a dead horse, don’t you?” The answer, is yes. Frankly, I don’t think it would be an anticipation or prediction list if I didn’t mention Jay Electronica.

 Usually when people talk about the reasons that Act II hasn’t come out, it has to do with the fact that Jay-Z didn’t think there were any commercially viable singles. I’m going to go ahead and call BS on that bluff; J. Cole has released back-to-back records with no guest appearances and no huge singles. In this era of music, it’s fully possible to release something successful that isn’t massively popular.

 There’s a reason that I still hold out hope that we will get this project some day: From the first time, I heard his music back in 2007, I knew that he was something special. In fact, I still bump “Exhibit C” regularly to this day. Jay Electronica is the type of artist that only comes along once in a great while, and while he says that his train is running on schedule, I have hopes that Hova hasn’t derailed it.

_________________________________________________________

Lucas Dix Top 5 Anticipations For 2017

Watching The Last Artful, Dodgr Blow Up (and all other things Eyrst)

When Macklemore hit the mainstream scales with The Heist, the friendly hip hop competition between Rose City and Emerald City tilted heavily in favor to the northern neighbors. No matter how many Illmacs, Cloudy Octobers, Vursatyls, Sleeps, or Resistances PDX submitted for consideration, the response in any debate was always, “Yeah, but they don’t have that person who just makes hits”. Well, that rebuttal is about to be rendered futile.

 The Last Artful, Dodgr (who hails from LA but reps the hell out of Portland) is going to blow the fuck up in 2017, and although she may not reach Macklemore level omnipresence, she will definitely have more critical acclaim than he experienced from a more diverse audience. Since signing with Eyrst Records, the label owned by former Trail Blazer Martell Webster, she’s dropped the Fractures EP (2015), 5 solo singles (all in 2016), and a Rare Treat EP with Myke Bogan. On all of the joints, she showcases her developing starpower. Her #bars are drenched in swagger, her cadence is head-noddingly infectious, and her ear for beats/eye for videos gives her songs a cinematic feel. She’s a gully butterfly, a rainbow with a gold chain. All of that makes her exciting, but add on the fact that she can sing (watch “Caverns” if you don’t believe me), and you’ve got the recipe for “The Next Big Thing”.

Jay Z’s Potential Lemonade Response

There have been multiple reports that Jay Z is working on a record that tells his side of the “Lemonade” story. I do not think this is a good idea, and here’s why: there is a 0% chance he can make a record/experience better than Beyonce’s. From the film to the Super Bowl performance to the songs and guests of Lemonade, Jay just can’t compete, especially because I can’t imagine a scenario where people empathize with him for cheating (or as the story goes). Now, if this album does drop, will I listen? Abso-fuckin’-lutely. As someone who appreciates and consumes pop culture and owns most Jay Z records, I couldn’t not. However, if I had my wish, I’d have Jay get back in the studio with all them Just Blaze beats that Jay Electronica isn’t using and drop some grown, rich man, “being a father is my newfound purpose” type records.

Drake Bouncing Back with a New “Playlist”

I’m an admitted Drake stan. I own everything, and I mean everything, he has credited to his name on iTunes. From the solo albums, mixtape with Future, the occasional “9:00 am in Dallas” type singles, and random songs from Game/Gucci Mane/Lil Wayne albums, I’ve learned the words and bumped them loudly with the windows down. Just your average 31 year-old middle school teacher in a Dodge Stratus rapping along to such relatable topics as “I’m richer than you”, “I’ll steal your girlfriend”, “Things haven’t been the same lately”, and “Seriously, I’m way richer than you.” All of Drake’s albums are in my top 10 year end list for the year in which they dropped.

Having said all of that, Views is trash. The thing is an 82 minute long Crying Jordan meme. Its got way too many aggressively mediocre songs. Its guest features aren’t exciting. It showcases way more of the Jamaican-accented, mob boss Drake, and not enough of the “6 am the day after dropping $100,000 dollars at the strip club questioning if it’s all worth it” Drake. Both Drake’s can be mad corny, but at least the latter lets his guard down from time to time.

 Not only do I think that Views is the Lex Diamond Story of his catalogue, but, judging by Twitter comments and reviews, a lot of his fans frown upon the effort as well. Some are even questioning if it’s Drake’s time to go the way of 50 Cent and slowly fade to irrelevance (though his sales and Billboard positions may suggest otherwise). I would venture to guess Drake has heard all of this and used the criticism for bulletin board material, which is why he’s dropping a new “playlist” in 2017. You read that right. It’s a playlist, not a mixtape or an album, which means a couple things: 1) It doesn’t hold the same weight or pressure as an album so he can take more chances and 2) he has once again originated a new phrase that will sweep over pop culture (I can’t wait for the Lil Yachty playlist). I’m guessing that with this playlist Drake, hopefully with a little help from Quentin Miller, bounces back and reclaims his hold of the people’s hearts.

Andre 3000s Three Guest Verses

It’s become a yearly tradition at this point. We see a snap from a rapper saying he’s recorded a verse for the new Outkast album, or we hear that someone was in the studio with 3 stacks recently, or we read an interview where Andre himself says “to be clear there is no retirement”. Our hopes get high and we think to ourselves, maybe this will finally be the year, but we know better. There is no album. There will be no album. The only thing we can really expect from perhaps the greatest rapper to ever live is a splattering of guest verses that can be cited as evidence to support claims like the aforementioned one I just made. I’ve come to accept, even appreciate and love, this realization. Now, I just wonder whose record he hops on.

 Top 5 Andre 3000 Collab Candidates for 2017

1.    Nikki Minaj

2.    Eminem

3.    Young Thug

4.    Gucci Mane

5.    Anderson .Paak

 Top 5 Andre 3000 Collab Performances

1.    UGK ft Outkast - “Int’l Players Anthem”

2.    Rick Ross ft Andre 3000 - “16”

3.    Frank Ocean ft Andre 3000 - “Solo (Reprise)”

4.    UNK ft Outkast, Jim Jones - “Walk It Out (Remix)”

5.    Devin the Dude, Andre 3000, Snoop Dogg “What A Job”

New News on “No News is Good News”

If you need to know anything about me as a hip hop fan, it’s that Phonte is one of my favorite rappers. I first heard him on The Foreign Exchange record Connected back in 2005. I was in a Best Buy, and I saw an album in the rap section with a silhouetted couple kissing in front of a bluish-green sunset. I didn’t know anything about the group or project, but I was intrigued by the cover art. Bumping that album while driving down the cold January streets of Wisconsin is still one of my favorite new-record listening experiences. The production is phenomenal, but more impressively, Phonte, on that record and all records, is the embodiment of the poetic everyman. He’s struggling to provide for his family while chasing his dream and finding the best path and choices for himself, and he does it all with flair and a sense of humor.

 Unfortunately, other than Connected and 2011s Charity Starts at Home, we haven’t gotten any other solo rap albums from Phontigallo. He’s mainly singing with Foreign Exchange these days, and he’s released some collaborative records with Eric Roberson or as part of Little Brother, but I spent most of those projects waiting for ‘Te to start rapping again. Originally, a rumored album called No News is Good News was supposed to drop in September of 2016, but with all of his endeavors, it never made it to a digital download service near you. I’m anxiously awaiting the day in 2017 where I wake up to an inbox full of the 23048230984 Facebook messages Tim has sent me re: the new record.

________________________________________________________

Ralph’s Top 5 Anticipations For 2017

The  Return of P.O.S. 

Chill Dummy is set to drop at the end of this month on 1/27/17. It’s the Doomtree native’s first solo effort since We Don’t Even Live Here dropped; if you recall at the time of the record, he was dealing with Kidney issues – which led to a transplant and indefinite tour halt.If his singles released throughout 2016 (I fucked up not putting “Sleeperdrone/Superposition” on my year end song list) are any indication of what’s to come, then Chill Dummy promises to be an all-out heavy handed smack to our faces as a reminder of why Stef was and is one of the most enthralling, and entertaining MC’s around. Chill Dummy also marks the first album from P.O.S. on the Doomtree Record imprint – as he was previously on Rhymesayers Entertainment. This is all very exciting to me because I’ve been a huge Doomtree Stan for a long time. 

The Last Artful, Dodgr Becoming an All-Out Star 

I remember first hearing Dodgr’s music when her 199NVRLND dropped. I wrote about how outstanding she was, and even then, I had a feeling that she was going to be an artist from Portland that was going to blow up. Just last year – in 2016 – The Last Artful, Dodgr killed it on a Sway in the Morning guest appearance, she supported Amine on Jimmy Fallon, she dropped a slick ass EP with Myk Bogan as Rare Treat, and she ended an already amazing year with the INCREDIBLE single and accompanying video for “Caverns” with Neill Von Tally. She even performed to a sold-out crowd at Roseland. Not only can the woman sing, but she is one of the most exciting MC’s to come out in a while. Like I’ve always said, there is something about folks who can rap & sing that makes their music even more special. I will be impatiently waiting for her LP to drop this year via Eyrst, and I will be making sure we give her as much shine as possible here at DamnThatNoise. 

Jay-Z’s Return 

Hova must be lurking out there with a new surprise album coming – especially after the popularity of Lemonade. Let’s not forget his dope ass “All the Way Up” remix verse –  not to mention his guest spot on Pusha T’s “Dope Dealers Anonymous”. Hova has been relatively quiet since he hit us with the Samsung sponsored, Magna Carta record. It feels very fitting to have the veteran lyricist slide through in 2017 to drop a record that reminds us why he is one of the greatest of all-time. With Kanye losing it this year on his The Life Of Pablo tour and taking shots at Jay, I can’t see him not having material ready to fire out into the stratosphere and blow our wigs back right away. The question is does the man still have it in him to put together a relatable, hard-hitting album that people want to hear? Do 14-25-year-olds even care about a Jay-Z album at this point? Will he follow suit and drop it exclusively through Tidal ONLY – and frustrate those of us who purchase albums? Who knows! What I do know for sure is, that whatever Jay does, I will be waiting for it, and I will probably have on repeat for most of the year. 

Tomorrow Kings Collective 

It might be safe to say that since listening to NRTM from Tomorrow Kings, I have become a huge fan of the Chicago super group. The crew didn’t drop a group album in 2016, but they did have individual projects from Lamon Manuel, Skech185, Gildead7, and Jyroscope, and these projects were all incredible in their own way. If you read my year-end-list for 2016, then you know that Lamon & Skech’s projects made my list. It has all just made my appreciation and fandom for these guys even stronger. I haven’t heard a crew of very different, yet complimentary emcees come together as a collective since the mid 90’s; these cats have strong, exciting and thought provoking lyrics, and they have wild production to boot. Not since the mid 90’s has a collective of very different, yet complimentary MC’s come together as a crew to give us such strong, exciting and thought provoking music with wild and heavy production to boot. In 2017, I anticipate a record from Lamon & Skech185 sharing the mic time, an official Jyroscope record, and maybe even a Wizard Jenkins The Great record – or a new Gilead7 album?! Whatever it is that these gifted brothers put together, you best believe I will be there listening, supporting, and telling anyone I can about it.

New Action Bronson

Bam Bam was everywhere this year! Like cooking shows? Check out “Fuck, That Delicious!”! Like smoking weed and watching weird shit about aliens? Check “Action Bronson’s Ancient Aliens”! Want to see Bronson eat hot wings? Check his episode of “Hot Ones”!. And lastly, check out his 4th quarter half court shot single “Durag Vs Headband”. With all of this content, one can only hope that the mad Albanian has a new full-length album and a mixtape or two up his sleeve. You know who it is?! It’s me!