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idontneednofuckinhug · 5 years ago

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The post 2017 trap wave has been... pretty boring

Recently Roddy Ricch dropped his official debut album Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial. Although born and raised in Compton, California, the rapper has adopted a very new-wave melodic trap sound, typical for the latter part of the 2010s, rather than the historically successful gangster-inspired sound with lots of storytelling elements from the rappers who came up from that area. In the past few years we've witnessed the rise of melodic, autotune-fueled trap with lots of slurred speech and less of a focus on lyrical complexity.

This type of trap gained popularity in the early to mid 2010s when Future and later Young Thug became two of the most popular rappers in the current music industry, with both of them "creating" and developing the sound. Later on Travis Scott adopted the same type of heavily autotuned trap melodies, adding more heavy 808s and aiming to create club bangers which hit harder, rather than be catchy. The huge spike in popularity from this type of sound predictably heavily influenced the next crop of rapping talent to come through and make a name for themselves in the game. In the latter 2010s we saw the rise of acts such as Lil Baby, Gunna, Lil Mosey, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and lately Don Toliver and Roddy Ricch. Lil Baby and Gunna came through Thugger's label, appearing on a multitude of songs together with him, whilst Don Toliver is a Travis Scott understudy, being a main feature on the recent JACKBOYS record.

Now, it's quite obvious that this new generation of trap music in no way aims to tell a thrilling story or mistify with complex rhyme schemes and witty punchlines, just like its SoundCloud and Three 6 Mafia inspired predecessor. Trap music has in general defined the clubbing scene the past decade and has given some of the hardest hitting party music that we could've imagined fitting the 2010s ideally. It also gave rise to some fantastic rappers and personalities such as Denzel Curry, Lil Uzi Vert, The Underachievers, JID and Ski Mask the Slump God.

The issue with the current crop of trap artists is how generic and lazy the current rap scene is becoming. Although acts such as Future and Young Thug did become popular with this type of sound, Future came through as one of the first rappers to slur his words, whilst Young Thug has a very distinct and playful voice and adds amazing energy to his music. Travis Scott for all of his shortcomings, can actually go really hard and write complicated bars to impress even the most critical of oldheads. The plain and catchy sound of the majority of trap production currently aims to compliment these rapper's talents and make them the focus of the music, as a more complex and harder to produce beat often takes a lot of the listener's attention and unless you're an MF DOOM or Freddie Gibbs, you're better off not rapping on one of those.

The current crop of young artists has adopted similar styles to these rappers who inspired them, but unfortunately for them, they lack the character or lyrical ability to stand out in the crowd. The likes of Gunna and Lil Baby clearly lack the energy Young Thug has, which makes them sound extremely bland and they often end up drowned by the beat, although its often simple production. Don Toliver and Roddy Ricch try to be a bit more creative with their bars, but often sound too simple and sometimes cringy on top of the generic production, making them end up relying on catchy hooks to keep the listener's attention, which although will definitely work for the majority of club music and will impress the mainstream for a while, will likely not give them any longevity.

As it currently stands, the majority of the trap artists which blew up in 2018 and afterwards will have to evolve quite a bit as acts to have a place in the industry, or will face the fate of rappers such as Kodak Black and Lil Yachty from the previous trap wave, where each new project sounds more and more boring for the listeners with them ultimately slowly fading into obscurity when the next temporary hip-hop wave enters the mainstream for a while.

#rap #trap #2020 #new wave #music #Young Thug #Future #opinion #Travis Scott #Roddy Ricch #generic #autotune #Lil Baby #Gunna #melody #Don Toliver

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gazemoil · 5 years ago

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I 10 ARTISTI CHE STANNO RIDEFINENDO L’HIP-HOP

di Viviana Bonura

Sin dall’inizio l’hip-hop è un genere di protesta, nato dal disagio degli emarginati che raccontano le violenze, gli sforzi e le subordinazioni vissuti nella quotidianità. Gradualmente diventa la musica di chi non vuole rimanere incastrato nella miseria e di chi sogna una vita diversa, poi diventa il genere di chi ce l’ha fatta e può permettersi tutti i lussi più esagerati. Oggi, dai palchi dei locali e tra i vicoli che una volta ospitavano battle di freestyle, l’hip-hop si è spostato su internet. E’ su Soundcloud, su Spotify e tra i canali dei critici musicali amatoriali che gli artisti hanno la possibilità di costruirsi i propri trampolini di lancio ed ancora prima è dalle camerette e dalle sale di registrazione rudimentali che nascono le tracce più interessanti. Niente grandi etichette, niente produttori leggendari che scovano giovani prodigi, i rapper lasciano che sia il pubblico a sceglierli per primi. Le personalità che animano la scena sono più variopinte - di conseguenza lo è anche il loro background culturale - e loro per primi manifestano il bisogno di allargare i restrittivi canoni che per anni hanno costituito lo stereotipo del rapper. In questo articolo daremo spazio a chi non si conforma, a chi muove il genere nella giusta direzione capendo che per rimanere attuale la musica che da voce alle minoranze deve riflettere il presente. Questi sono dieci artisti che stanno ridefinendo l’hip-hop.

10. JPEGMAFIA

In occasione dei 50 Migliori Album Del 2018 abbiamo definito JPEGMAFIA, per gli amici Peggy, una scheggia impazzita nelle nicchie dell’hip-hop. Pare che da quella nicchia sia destinato ad uscire, mano a mano che il suo Veteran si fa strada tra i festival statunitensi e che i nuovi singoli accendono l’entusiasmo su internet ci rendiamo conto di quanto questo soggetto strano e nebuloso stia creando fermento nella scena. Notevole per le sue produzioni sempre anticlimatiche, inafferrabili e decostruite sulle quali sfoggia un flow improbabile e flessibile che si destreggia tra glitch e campionamenti che vogliono punzecchiare di proposito gli ascoltatori di hip-hop più inquadrati o sprovveduti. Peggy ha la lingua tagliente ed ironica, morde sul palco e poi si accascia tra la folla, a forza di trotterellare senza respiro riesce a dire e a fare quello che vuole, sputando sentenze su qualsiasi cosa. Tenetelo d’occhio perché ha intenzione di sbeffeggiare stereotipi musicali ed estetici.

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TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: 1539 N. Calvert; Thug Tears; Real Nega

09. Tierra Whack

Tierra Whack, da Philadelphia, ve la avevamo già consigliata tra le 10 Voci Femminili da Tenere d’Occhio Nel 2019. Nel settore dell’hip-hop la sua risonanza è ancora più forte, sgomitando con una personalità colorata ed ironica che già al primo album si dimostra capace di catturare le sfumature della contemporaneità, sempre più disattenta e superficiale, per sfruttarle a suo favore. Il suo punto di vista teatrale, bizzarro, distorto ed indubbiamente particolare sulla realtà che ci circonda ne coglie la velocissima mutevolezza, il tutto incorniciato da un flow che scalpita per essere messo alla prova, rime frizzanti e produzioni mai monodimensionali. Tierra Whack non ha paura di essere ingombrante, di uscire fuori dal coro per rifugiarsi nel suo mondo, un mondo che a primo impatto può sembrare infantile ed alienato, ma nel quale si celano i mostri più veri.

TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: 4 Wings; Pretty Ugly; Unemployed; MUMBO JUMBO

08. BROCKHAMPTON

I Brockhampton hanno completamente spazzato via ciò che credevamo fosse il concetto di boy-band ambientandolo nella scena hip-hop statunitense. Già questo basterebbe per garantirgli un posto nella lista, in più questa dozzina di giovanissimi sono capaci di lavorare in totale simbiosi ed evolversi in brevissimo tempo, pensando il loro come un progetto che oltre alla musica include regia, fotografia, direzione artistica e moda. Attraverso gli occhi di chi ha appena compiuto vent’anni danno voce alle urgenze e alle problematiche del millennio dal razzismo, all’omofobia, alla famiglia, alla salute mentale fino alla cultura popolare. Un altro degli elementi fondamentali del collettivo capitanato da Kevin Abstract è quello di spingere le barriere del genere con il quale sono stati identificati e nonostante usino il rap come mezzo prediletto le loro canzoni non sono confinabili all’hip-hop.

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TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: HEAT; SWEET; IF YOU PRAY RIGHT

07. Rico Nasty

Rico Nasty è una delle voci più vivaci ed impertinenti del rap odierno. Anche lei giovanissima, le piace cambiare spesso cambiare aspetto, qualsiasi cosa che la distingua e non la categorizzi. L’ostilità degli altri verso questa personalità discola e ruggente non tarda a mancare, per questo Rico risponde a tono nella sua musica, sputando impettita con rabbia e dinamismo su chiunque osi oltrepassare il limite tra giudizio e discriminazione ed aprendo parentesi sulle tribolazioni dell’essere giovani adulti. Il futuro per Rico è imprevedibile ma radioso, specialmente dopo Nasty ed il mixtape Anger Management aspettiamo che altro può riservarci la rapper americana oltre a campionamenti cartoneschi, un’attitudine un pò punk e influenze trap, perché abbiamo l’impressione che abbia ancora degli assi nella manica.

TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: Countin Up; Smack A Bitch; Trust Issues

06. slowthai

Slowthai, da Northampton, è probabilmente il rapper più promettente della scena hip-hop inglese. Nato dove fiorisce il grime e si svolgono i rave più all’avanguardia, la sua musica sta avendo una notevole risonanza dentro e fuori la sua città tanto da guadagnarsi con l’album di debutto una nomination per il Mercury Prize 2019. Thai ha sempre saputo di voler parlare di casa, offrendo osservazioni che spesso mancano in un genere centralizzato negli Stati Uniti come questo. Nei suoi testi non c’è solo la crisi dell’Inghilterra, la Brexit e l’emarginazione del ceto operaio, ma anche l’insicurezza del non essere abbastanza e la vulnerabilità assoluta che sfida le norme di genere, espressa attraverso un flow crudo ed una striatura inquietante di fondo, il tutto accompagnato da video musicali sempre stimolanti che ritraggono con cura il suo paese d’origine tanto amato ed altrettanto odiato.

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TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: Ladies; Gorgeous; T N Biscuits

05. Noname

La cultura hip-hop può essere davvero disinibita nello sfoggiare l’assenza di pudore e nel glorificare l’attività sessuale. In un panorama del genere Noname, rapper di Chicago, è stata inizialmente molto riservata per poi parlarne con tutta la delicatezza e la vulnerabilità che caratterizzano le sue liriche nell’ultimo disco Room 25. Noname si porta dietro tutta l’esperienza della poesia per formulare il suo personale stile rap, caratterizzato da un tono pacato e particolarmente discorsivo, senza voler sorprendere a tutti i costi con testi pieni di rime esplosive ma rivelando un’intelligenza notevole e un’attitudine coscienziosa, umile ed intima. Il suo flow è sempre un’unione particolare tra un intenso sentimento di gioia ed un certo senso di malinconia, espresso tramite agili giochi di parole su sonorità delicatamente jazz e soul, mentre nei testi continua ad offrire un’analisi delle sue esperienze di vita come fanno pochi dei suoi colleghi.

TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: Diddy Bop; Reality Check; Blaxploitation; Don’t Forget About Me

04. Denzel Curry

Con una carriera iniziata grazie a Soundcloud - è stato uno dei primi - Denzel Curry sembrava essere il nuovo predestinato alla trap, invece negli ultimi anni si è dimostrato molto di più. Non soltanto il rapper della Florida si è distinto dai colleghi trapper per la sua maturità lirica, un’attitudine genuinamente molto più aggressiva ed un solido background musicale che gli permette di affrontare qualsiasi sfida, ma ha saputo costruirsi dei personaggi da disco a disco ed aprirsi dei momenti in cui la sua creatività musicale al di fuori dell’hip-hop ha potuto esprimersi. La sua ascesa alla fama è stata rapida e adesso è uno dei rapper più apprezzati negli Stati Uniti, tuttavia nei prossimi anni potrebbe sfondare anche nel mainstream.

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TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: BLACK BALLONS; SUMO; Psycho

03. Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator è uno degli artisti più polarizzanti e intransigenti del decennio. La sua evoluzione nel corso degli anni è altrettanto affascinante ed è stato capace di mostrare le tantissime sfumature del suo progetto artistico che ormai ha definitivamente sconfitto l’idea del rap - e del rapper - nell’hip-hop, tanti personaggi quante sono le fasi che il musicista, produttore, designer e scopritore di talenti ha attraversato. Tyler Okonma - questo il suo vero nome - è riuscito semplicemente a rettificare la sua natura di artista in continua mutazione, mostrandosi intenzionato a non imporsi nessuna barriera per realizzare la sua visione. Per svincolarsi dalle preclusioni dell’identificarsi in qualcosa di preciso, preferisce invitarci a non avere nessuna aspettativa quando si tratta di lui, perché ogni volta sarà sempre diverso.

TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: Domo23; Answer; 911 / Mr. Lonely; EARFQUAKE

02. Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar è un artista che non ha bisogno di tante presentazioni. Sembra ormai di parlare di un veterano dell’hip-hop, ma il rapper di Compton inizia a fare scalpore circa sette anni fa, influenzando una nuova generazione di artisti - inclusi molti dei nomi in lista - con la stessa rilevanza dei maestri degli anni ‘80 e ‘90. Grazie alla sua incredibile padronanza del flow, una penna da fuoriclasse ed un autentico gusto per le strumentali Lamar è uno di quelli che saranno senza dubbio ricordati.

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TRACCE CONSIGLIATE: Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst; i; The Heart Part 4

01. ?

Come starete notando manca il numero uno di questa lista, ma vogliamo lasciare questo posto vuoto di proposito per far in modo che rimanga aperta. Abbiamo di sicuro lasciato fuori qualcuno, forse perché non lo conosciamo o forse perché gli spazi sono davvero pochi rispetto a tutte le personalità attive all’interno dell’hip-hop. Quindi, vogliamo siate voi a scegliere l’ultimo. Chi è il vostro artista che sta ridefinendo l’hip-hop?

CLICCA QUI PER ASCOLTARE ANCORA UN PÒ DI HIP-HOP

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sonicawareness · 5 years ago

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The Best Albums of 2019

After listening to more than 2000 new albums in 2019, I’ve narrowed my picks down to The 20 Best Records of 2019.

I’ve included 3 essential songs from each pick, as well as a choice lyrical clip and a brief description of the album.

Noting beats actually LISTENING TO MUSIC! So don’t just read my thoughts: follow and listen to the Spotify playlist containing 60 songs from the top 20 albums:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5TWlfWoo54MQ5cYTMmB0RI?si=M_23L6DDRieVuA845A90Pg

01: Yung Gravy - Sensational

Aptly titled Sensational, this debut full-length is a thirty minute party that dances between the hottest trap beats, well-placed samples, and the young Minnesota rapper’s braggadocious persona and ridiculous raps

Hey Alexa, how many bitches can we fit in the Tesla?...Pull up in that Model X with your model ex!

“Whip a Tesla” • “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot” • “The Boys Are Back in Town”

02: TWICE - &TWICE • Feel Special EP • FANCY YOU EP

Nine young South Korean women radiate endless energy, bountiful bliss, and some of the catchiest songs to come out not only in 2019 but recent memory

Even when things go wrong, feelings out of control: lessons, to be sure. Be okay, all right! Even a crying face is glittering, filter and laugh! You can return to invincibility, right? Blow off, and we havin’ fun! [Translated from original Japanese]

“Fake and True” • “Breakthrough” • “Stronger”

03: Sublime with Rome - Blessings

Frontman, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Rome Ramirez delivers his finest record to date: eleven heartfelt reggae-driven songs that are as well-written as they are masterfully recorded and produced

Watching you feel good tonight: it's your song up on the station, and we don't even know no words. I wanna hear you roll your R’s, singing Spanish in the car, “Dime algo hermosa tonight”.

“Wicked Heart” • “Light On” • “For the Night”

04: Bring Me the Horizon - amo

Cohesive yet genre-spanning (metalcore, hip-hop, electronic, and pop, to name just a few), the sixth album from the English quintet is an emotional yet insightful rollercoaster masterpiece

Before the truth will set you free, it'll piss you off. Before you find a place to be, you're gonna lose the plot. Too late to tell you now, one ear and right out the other one ‘cause all you ever do is chant the same old mantra.

“MANTRA” • “wonderful life” • “i apologise if you feel something”

05: Weezer - Weezer (Black Album)

Expertly produced and instantly memorable, the long-running Rivers Cuomo-driven California quartet is once again in top form, adding yet another fresh and unique — but distinctly Weezer — record to their extensive discography

Don't get mad at me, I'm just being honest. I should have lied, now you're mad at me? I'm just being honest. How 'bout from now on you'll write the script, I'll read the lines?

“Can’t Knock the Hustle” • “Zombie Bastards” • “Living in L.A.”

06: Big Data - 3.0

Like this sophomore album’s lyrical content — exploration of the impact artificial intelligence will have on humans and on the Earth — the latest project from producer, multi-instrumentalist, and mastermind Alan Wilkis is paradoxically dark yet bright; like AI, this album’s execution is equally flawless and Dangerous

I created a monster, it's out of control, it's going to take me...I didn't know what I was making...But now it's coming, coming for all of us!

“Monster” • “See Through” • “Evolution Once Again”

07: blackbear - ANONYMOUS

Vibrant yet dark, personal yet accessible, the fifth album from Mat Musto is a collection of 18 vulnerable, confessional songs told over slick electronic and hip-hop sounds

You drop the bag and ask me how my weekend was. I love that, though. You laugh when I make stupid jokes, and when I went to rehab, you didn't judge me that bad. I struggle with addiction probs, you always got my back. What am I gonna do the day that my drug dealer moves away? Whatever am I gonna say to my new plug? It just ain't the same.

“DOWN” • “HATE MY GUTS” • “DRUG DEALER”

08: Denzel Curry - ZUU

Hit-after-hit of hip-hop bangers pack this album’s half-hour runtime, with a plethora of guests joining the fray but never quite knocking it out like the young Miami native, Denzel Curry

First they mockin', now they hoppin', all on the wave, 'cause they see me poppin'. Big-big-big large pockets, they start flockin'. Here's what I say when they ass keep knockin'...

“RICKY” • “BIRDZ” • “ZUU”

09: DaBaby - KIRK / Baby on Baby

On his two 2019 albums, his first proper efforts after countless mixtapes and singles, DaBaby unleashes his signature, incessant vocals over relentless trap and modern hip-hop beats

Prolly heard I was broke from a broke nigga, prolly heard I'm a ho from a ho! I don't know what you know, I ain't runnin' from no nigga, let’s go!

“BOP” • “OFF THE RIP” • “Suge”

10: Bayside - Interrobang

On their eighth album, the Anthony Raneri-fronted New York natives sound refreshed, focused, and tighter than ever telling their trademark tales of heartbreak and healing

I love that music saved you, and Lord knows it’s saved me too, but songs never love you back, and you never know the person preaching to you...

“Interrobang” • “Prayers” • “Bury Me”

11: The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru The Passion

Few frontmen can weave an album’s worth of compelling narratives, yet the Brooklyn band’s Craig Finn finds himself on the seventh The Hold Steady album once again delivering ten more engaging, interlocked tales over his band’s fierce guitar riffs and all-too-catchy choruses

Thanks for listening, thanks for understanding: tequila takeoff, Tecate landing.

“Entitlement Crew” • “Denver Haircut” • “You Did Good Kid”

12: Electric Guest - KIN

Sugary sweet, the third record from the California duo promptly polishes any rough few rough edges they once had to deliver a perfectly slick yet quirkily heartwarming collection of eleven easy-listening songs

I'm like, “this mothafucka might sue me, and that mothafucka might boo me”. I'ma keep on goin' to a better day, all this other bitterness can fade away.

“Dollar” • “I Got the Money” • “More”

13: Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Part punk energy without sounding even slightly punk, part emo diary without being a dashboard confessional, the debut record from American teenager Billie Eilish craftily bounces between genres, haunting sounds, and strange stories

If you think I’m pretty, you should see me in a crown. I'm gonna run this nothing town. Watch me make 'em bow one by one by one.

“bad guy” • “my strange addiction” • “you should see me in a crown”

14: The Cat Empire - Stolen Diamonds

The eighth album from Australia’s The Cat Empire is a full-blown dance party packed with catchy, clever songwriting and a room full of drums, horns, strings, keyboards, turntables, and bass

Operator, please, I can’t get out my head. Tell me where I’m going or where I’m being led. Tell me like an order, and order I’ll obey. Maybe I just thought you said, or did I did I hear you say, “We’re going to ([kill a man]) Kilaman-jaro, jaro…”

“KIla” • “Stolen Diamonds” • “Ready Now”

15: Dirty Heads - Super Moon

Co-frontmen Dirty J and Duddy B return to the beach for the seventh Dirty Heads album, borrowing sounds from across their entire discography of acoustic guitars and witty hip-hop to craft a surprisingly delicate record

I'm a flame, I'm a beacon that won't go out. In the dark, in the rain, I'm your lighthouse. When you can't stand the pain, hope you know now, I'll keep you safe, I'm your lighthouse.

“Super Moon” • “Lift Me Up” • “Tender Boy”

16: TENDER - Fear of Falling Asleep

Dark and uninviting, the second album from this London duo is an intimidating but rewarding listen delicately spiced with just enough hooks to keep you trapped in its atmospheric dreams

I’ll be looking for the scent when it goes cold. I’ve been trying to beat the maze with a blindfold on. I’ve been foraging through mud and sticks searching for that power that don’t exist.

“Closer Still” • “Bottled Up” • “Handmade Ego”

17: Logic - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind / Supermarket Soundtrack

Logic returns once again with countless rhymes delivered over his trademark breathless bars, frequently painting an all-too-vivid picture of a famous rapper struggling to comprehend the world around him

All these comments got me lost in my mind; all these thoughts that I'm having are not mine. I always post that I'm having a good time so my life looks perfect online...

“Homicide” • “Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different” • “Lemon Drop”

18: Tyga - Legendary

More than just a collection of hits, the seventh album from the Compton rapper is well-sequenced and effortlessly laced with hook-after-hook for Tyga to deliver his signature obscene lines about things he self-admittedly has too many [sic] of: money, cash, hoes, cars, clothes, flows

Hey, shut the fuck up, bitch, you know who I are. Point blank range, and I'm shootin' for the stars. You niggas subpar and I just raised the bar. You got Rollies on your wrist, this is Chopard. Slide on your block like a fuckin' go-kart, my nigga A&R, still got an AR.

“Haute” • “Lightskin Little Wayne” • “On Me”

19: The Chainsmokers - World War Joy

The third album in three years from Alex Pall and Drew Taggart (and no shortage of guests) is an easy, light collection of ten slick relationship-focused pop songs that find the duo largely eschewing their dance-centric history

You said, "Hey, whatcha doing for the rest of your life?" and I said, "I don't even know what I'm doing tonight". Went from one conversation to your lips on mine.

“The Reaper” • “Family” • “P.S. I Hope You’re Happy”

20: Bear Hands - Fake Tunes

Brooklyn’s Bear Hands returns with another collection of bright, bouncy songs that ever-so-slightly conceal the trio’s underlying sadness and struggles

I don't see how you think you can come to me, and bitch to me, lay out your problems, like ancient history, like I ain't got no other shit to do. I love you, baby, but my lips are turnin' blue.

“Blue Lips” • “Back Seat Driver (Spirit Guide)” • “Mr. Radioactive”

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2019

Yung Gravy - Sensational

TWICE - &TWICE • Feel Special EP • FANCY YOU EP

Sublime with Rome - Blessings

Bring Me the Horizon - amo

Weezer - Weezer (Black Album)

Big Data - 3.0

blackbear - ANONYMOUS

Denzel Curry - ZUU

DaBaby - KIRK / Baby on Baby

Bayside - Interrobang

The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru The Passion

Electric Guest - KIN

Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

The Cat Empire - Stolen Diamonds

Dirty Heads - Super Moon

TENDER - Fear of Falling Asleep

Logic - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind / Supermarket Soundtrack

Tyga - Legendary

The Chainsmokers - World War Joy

Bear Hands - Fake Tunes

#best albums

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haydenssuperblog · 2 years ago

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The New Testament of Music

I talked about hip-hop from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s in the last post but what about the current state of hip-hop and what it is today. The big names of hip-hop today are people like Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Drake, and Cheif Keef. From 2012 to today they have been the pioneers of what hip-hop sounds like and is viewed as by the general public. Each of these people have their own unique sound and style that sets them apart from the others with Tyler's creativity and production to Kendrick's storytelling and influence they're all different. Tyler was born in Hawthore, California in 1991. He started his music career with the group Odd Future which began in 2007. They released their first album in 2008 called "The Odd Future Tape", but they were really shoved into the spotlight when they stared in their own show on Adultswim called "Loiter Squad" where Tyler was quickly seen as a fan favorite. Tyler released his first solo album, Bastard, in 2009 when he was still associated with the group and Tyler would stay this way until a lot of the other members would also pursue solo careers and fizzle out. Odd Future is still considered together while they have a clothing line and partner with shoe companies like Converse, they're just not actively making music together. Tyler's Latest album, "Call Me if You Get Lost", won the Grammy for rap album of the year in 2021.

Kendrick Lamar, Born in Compton, 1987, Kendrick sees himself as the reincarnation of Tupac and the one to carry on his legacy. Kendrick Lamar made his major label debut with his album, "Good Kid, m.A.A.d City". This album has made almost 2 million sales with 242,000 of those being in the first week. It debuted at number 2 on the billboard top 200 and was the highest earning first week album sales for a male artist that year. Kendrick has won 15 Grammys over the years but is yet to win the big one, album of the year. He could win it this year though with his latest album, "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers" in talks to be nominated. "Good Kid, m.A.A.d City" wasn't the only big album released in 2012 with Cheif Keef's "Finally Rich" released that year as well. Keith Cozart was born in southside Chicago in 1995. He caught the attention of Kanye West and made multiple songs including a remix of one Keefs most popular songs, "I Don't like", featuring multiple chicago and New York based rappers like Big Sean and Pusha T. Kanye helped push the careers of other artists such as Kid Cudi, a Cleveland born rapper who debuted in 2009. Cudi caught the attention of Kanye when he ran into him at a record store in 2009 and gave him a flash drive with his mixtape, "A Kid Named Cudi", on it. Cudi has gone on to work with artists like Travis Scott, Denzel Curry, and JID. Cudi has also dabbled in acting when he stared in the 2022 A24 film "X".

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homoda · 3 years ago

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Will Smith é um dos atores internacionais mais amados pelo Brasil. Dono de um carisma e talento inestimável, ele finalmente conseguiu o tão sonhado Oscar de Melhor Ator por 'King Richard: Criando Campeãs'

O longa é um filme biográfico inspirado em Richard Williams, pai das famosas tenistas Serena e Venus Williams, interpretadas por Demi Singleton e Saniyya Sidney, respectivamente

Com o desejo de fazer com que suas filhas sejam futuras campeãs de tênis, Richard (Will Smith) usa métodos próprios e nada convencionais para que elas saiam das ruas de Compton para as quadras do mundo todo

Will já havia sido indicado na categoria outras duas vezes. Em 2002, com Ali (mas perdeu para Denzel Washington no filme O Pianista) e em 2007, por À Procura da Felicidade (quem levou o prêmio foi Forest Whitaker, de O Último Rei da Escócia)

Na imagem para a Vanity Fair, o ator segura a estatueta ao lado da esposa e dos filhos

📸: @vanityfair / @markseliger

#Homoda #Oscar #Oscar2022 #WillSmith #Winner #VanityFair

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blackboxoffice · 3 years ago

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#OscarsSoWhite still plagues Hollywood’s highest achievement awards

by Frederick Gooding, Jr., Dr. Ronald E. Moore Professor of Humanities and African American Studies at Texas Christian University

Four Black actors were nominated for Oscars in 2022, six years after the Twitter campaign #OscarsSoWhite rocked Hollywood.

In the long history of Hollywood snubs, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gets some credit for at least trying to diversify the Hollywood film industry.

After all, it’s not a complete shutout for Black actors, as it was in 2016 when #OscarsSoWhite castigated the Academy for not having a single Black actor nominated for an Oscar in any acting category, despite riveting performances by Michael B. Jordan in “Creed”, Will Smith in “Concussion” and Corey Hawkins in “Straight Outta Compton”.

When the 94th Academy Awards take place on March 27, 2022, its efforts for diversity – and its shortcomings – will be just as much on display as the designer gowns and outstanding performances.

The four Black actors nominated for the Academy’s highest honor this year are longtime Hollywood stars Denzel Washington and Smith, in addition to Aunjanue Ellis and Ariana DuBose – who is also Latina.

These recognitions come on the heels of intensified scrutiny of equitable representation within Hollywood – and concerted efforts by the Academy to diversify. Although there have been winners of color, no Black person has won an Oscar for directing, and only 20 acting awards have gone to performers of color in 94 years.

Given the 336 Oscars for acting that have been awarded over the ceremony’s lifetime, actors of color account for roughly 6% of overall wins.

“While the Academy has made strides, we know there is much more work to be done in order to ensure equitable opportunities across the board,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in 2020. “The need to address this issue is urgent.”

Her response was in stark contrast to former Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Academy’s first Black president, who was elected in 2013. When asked about the #OscarsSoWhite campaign in 2015 and whether the Academy had a diversity problem, she responded, “Not at all.”

As a scholar of American pop culture and race in media, I can say Hollywood has come a long way.

Hollywood diversity

On Jan. 15, 2015, Twitter user and activist April Reign first tweeted “#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair.” Within that day, the hashtag became viral and many Black actors and social activists used the tweet to protest Hollywood’s longstanding racism.

To the Academy’s credit, it responded to #OscarsSoWhite criticisms by making steps to reconfigure its nomination process that had resulted in such a lack of Black inclusion.

In 2020, for instance, the Academy established new representation and inclusion standards that take effect in 2024. According to its official statements, the new standards were designed to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”

But critics have observed how films with virtually no Black characters like “The Irishman” still meet inclusion standards by employing a white female casting director and a Mexican cinematographer.

Racist Hollywood history

Racial drama started early in Hollywood.

The first groundbreaking feature-length movie, “The Birth of a Nation,” released in 1915, celebrated the Ku Klux Klan. The first talking film ever released in 1927, “The Jazz Singer,”, featured white actors in blackface.

The Academy kept alive this tradition, with echoes of racist minstrel shows from the early 20th century, in 2008 when Robert Downey Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in blackface in “Tropic Thunder.”

Indeed, during the early history of Hollywood, Black characters were openly denigrated by the stereotypical images that they portrayed. Black actors were usually given badly written roles portraying weak, poor or otherwise disadvantaged characters who were dependent on white characters’ heroism.

Hattie McDaniel, for example, became the first nonwhite actor to ever win an Academy Award in 1939 with a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her sassy, but servile “Mammy” figure in “Gone with the Wind.”

In this 1938 photograph, Hattie McDaniel is seen in her role as Mammy in the movie ‘Gone with the Wind.’ Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Despite McDaniel’s breakthrough Oscar in 1939 and Sidney Poitier’s 1963 Best Actor win for “Lilies of the Field”, it took more than 40 years before Halle Berry claimed the Best Actress prize in 2002 for her role in “Monster’s Ball” – a role that Oscar nominee Angela Bassett rejected due to her refusal to “be a prostitute on film.”

In 2011, Octavia Spencer won an Oscar – also for playing a maid like McDaniel – for her role as Minny in “The Help.”

Still, in 2002, when Berry won, diversity was center stage in Hollywood. That same year, the Best Actor winner was Washington for his uncharacteristically villainous role in “Training Day.”

In addition that year, Poitier received a lifetime achievement award, an acknowledgment for many of his groundbreaking roles throughout his career.

Actors Denzel Washington and Halle Berry pose while holding their Oscar statues in 2002. Lee Celano/AFP via Getty Images

A little progress

Yet, five years after #OscarsSoWhite, British actress Cynthia Erivo represented the lone Black acting nomination in 2020 for her role as Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” leaving Berry as the only Black female to ever be awarded Best Actress.

Overall, of the 86 Black acting nominations over the Academy’s 94-year period, over 40% of the nominations have been circulated among repeat contenders like Washington and Smith. Major studios often favor established, sure bets at the expense of new Black talent when it is time to recoup their investments at the box office.

With only a handful of the same Black names garnering nominations, the pool of Black talent celebrated is actually smaller than what it appears.

While in today’s movie climate the quantity of nonwhite images has undoubtedly improved, it is the quality of such roles that remain problematic.

The struggle continues

For the same industry that can reproduce exacting replicas, orchestrate mass battles and fashion accurate costumes, it is alarming that such a creative industry cannot figure out how to create substantive diversity onscreen.

Alternative outlets like Hulu and Netflix are demonstrating that viable audiences are willing to support a wide range of diverse products featuring increasingly diverse casts – with “Bridgerton” and “Squid Game” as a couple of recent examples.

But six years after #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy is still struggling to diversify the Hollywood film industry – perhaps a simple lack of imagination is to blame.

#osccarssowhite #Academy Awards #featured

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wazafam · 4 years ago

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The Obi-Wan Kenobi cast is packed with star power, and here's where people may have seen the actors before. The upcoming Star Wars series – one of several currently in development Disney+ - will see Ewan McGregor reprise his iconic role from the prequel trilogy. Hayden Christensen has previously been confirmed to return as Darth Vader, and the two Star Wars veterans are now being joined by 10 more stars.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will take place 10 years after Order 66 and the other events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. As implied by the title, the series will follow Obi-Wan – now living on Tatooine – during the early days of the Galactic Empire. Though Disney hasn’t revealed concrete story details beyond when the show is set, it will likely see Obi-Wan temporarily depart his vigil over Luke Skywalker on Tatooine. Disney has also promised that Obi-Wan and Darth Vader will face off in one way or another in the new series.

Related: What Obi-Wan Kenobi's Role In The Star Wars Andor Show Could Be

While fans will have to keep waiting to learn more about the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Disney has released some big news in the form of sweeping casting announcements. A total of 12 stars have now been confirmed for the show, and though character details have yet to be revealed, the official ensemble is plenty of reason to get excited.

Ewan McGregor is reprising his role as Obi-Wan in the new series, promising more of what many consider to be the best performance in the Star Wars prequels. McGregor is best known for his Star Wars appearances, though he also gained fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s for films like Trainspotting, Black Hawk Down, and Moulin Rouge. Since he last played Obi-Wan, McGregor has appeared in numerous films, including recently roles in Beauty and the Beast, Doctor Sleep, Christopher Robin, Birds of Prey, and a reprisal of his Mark Renton character in T2 Trainspotting.

Like McGregor, Hayden Christensen will make his first proper Star Wars appearance since Revenge of the Sith in Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s unclear exactly what the role of Christensen’s Darth Vader will be in the new show, but a showdown of some sort between him and Obi-Wan has been confirmed. Christensen’s role as Anakin in the Star Wars prequels is certainly his most famous, though has since appeared in a number of films including Takers, American Heist, and Last Man. He also received some notably critical praise for his leading role in the 2003 film Shattered Glass.

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Moses Ingram is a younger star in Hollywood, but one whose fame is rapidly rising, and rightfully so. Ingram broke out in 2020 when she played Jolene in The Queen’s Gambit alongside Anya-Taylor Joy. She will play Lady Macduff in the Joel Coen-directed, Denzel Washington-led The Tragedy of Macbeth, which is expected to premiere later in 2021, and she’s set to appear in the upcoming Michael Bay thriller Ambulance. Her role in the Obi-Wan show is unknown.

Related: How Clone Wars' Rex Can Appear In The Obi-Wan Kenobi Show

Joel Edgerton will return to the Star Wars universe in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and while it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be reprising his prequel trilogy role as Owen Lars – Anakin Skywalker’s stepbrother and Luke’s uncle. The reprisal makes sense considering that Obi-Wan will spend at least some of his time on Tatooine, where he watches over Luke as he grows up. Edgerton has led a long and prolific career as an actor, writer, director, and producer, with notable onscreen roles including Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, Patrick in Zero Dark Thirty, and Falstaff in The King, which he also helped write. He has also recently appeared in Bright, Red Sparrow, and Boy Erased, which he adapted and directed.

It seems that Beru Lars will also be returning in Obi-Wan Kenobi, as Bonnie Piesse – who played Luke Skywalker’s aunt in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith – has been confirmed to star alongside Joel Edgerton. Beyond Star Wars, Piesse has appeared in the Australian series Stingers, Blue Heelers, and Last Man Standing. She also featured in the acclaimed romantic comedy Love Eterne. In addition to her acting career, Piesse is also a professional singer/songwriter.

Acclaimed comedian Kumail Nanjiani will appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi in an unknown role. The actor is best known for playing Dinesh Chugtai on Silicon Valley, and for comedy films like The Lovebirds and The Big Sick, the latter of which Nanjiani wrote with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Nanjiani is also known for his stand-up comedy, the podcast Staying In with Emily and Kumail, which he hosts with his wife, and for the Comedy Central show The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, which ran from 2014-2016. Nanjiani will star as Kingo in the upcoming MCU film Eternals.

A veteran of fantasy and sci-fi television, Indira Varma will star in Obi-Wan Kenobi in an undisclosed role. Varma is most recognizable for her role as Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones, and she will now follow her former costar Pedro Pascal into the world of Star Wars streaming series. Varma has also appeared in series such as Rome, Torchwood, Luther, Human Target, Paranoid, and Carnival Row. She is confirmed to appear in Mission Impossible 7.

Related: Star Wars Theory: Obi-Wan's New Darth Vader Duel Will Be A Force Vision

Rupert Friend has been confirmed for Obi-Wan Kenobi as an unknown character. Friend is best known for playing Peter Quinn on Homeland – a role that garnered him an Emmy nomination in 2013. He’s also known for playing Mr. Wickham in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, Agent 47 in the video game movie Hitman: Agent 47, Vasily Stalin in The Death of Stalin, and Theo van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate.

Son of hip hop legend Ice Cube, O’Shea Jackson Jr. first entered the acting world in 2015’s Straight Outta Compton, in which he played a young version of his father. He has since appeared in Ingrid Goes West, Den of Thieves, Long Shot, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Just Mercy. Jackson Jr. will appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi as an unnamed character.

Sung Kang will join the Star Wars universe in Obi-Wan Kenobi, playing an as-yet unnamed character. Kang shot to stardom as the suave drifter Han in the Fast & Furious franchise – a character he first played in Justin Lin’s 2002 cult-classic Better Luck Tomorrow. Kang has also appeared in films like Live Free or Die Hard, Ninja Assassin, Bullet to the Head, and Code 8. He will reprise the role of Han in F9: The Fast Saga.

Veteran TV actor Simone Kessell will make her Star Wars debut in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kessell has played numerous roles in film and television since the 1990s, including appearances on shows like Farscape, Xena: Warrior Princess, CSI: Miami, and Fringe. More recently, Kessell played Lt. Alicia Washington in Terra Nova, Queen Ahinoam in Of Kings and Prophets, and Rebecca in The Crossing.

Noted indie filmmaker Benny Safdie – half of the Safdie brothers – will appear as a character in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Safdie is better known for his work behind the camera, having directed both Good Time and Uncut Gems with his brother Joshua, among other projects. Safdie also has a number of acting credits to his name, including appearances in various short films, Pieces of a Woman, Soggy Bottom, and most notably as one of the two leads of Good Time, alongside Robert Pattinson. Safdie’s role in Obi-Wan Kenobi is unknown.

Next: All 11 Upcoming Star Wars Shows Explained

Obi-Wan Kenobi Show Cast Guide: Where You Know The Actors From from https://ift.tt/3u7Ze6K

#Blogger

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therappundit · 6 years ago

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June 2018 - *PlayLi$t of the Month*

SUMMER IS HERE, AND THE RAP WORLD IS ON FIRE RIGHT NOW.

Where do we begin? Pusha-T vs. Drake, Drake vs. Kanye West, the whole damn world vs. Kanye, Rhymefest vs. Kanye vs. Kim Freakin’ Kardashian, cynical rap fans like myself vs. all of the Kanye stans - and there are numerous other rap skirmishes happening around us (ranging from petty to serious), plus a critically panned A$AP Rocky album, rumors of a new Clipse song - how can anyone keep up!? It’s like the summer heat already has folks going crazy...

As always, The Rap Pundit is going to focus more on the music, because we have a whole lot to be thankful for. There has been so much sensational new music to drop over the last few weeks, so I did my best to try to acknowledge most of my favorite projects that are currently seated high in my rotation (even though, truth be told, I could have dedicated slots 1-7 to DAYTONA, just sayin’).

My soundtrack for June is packing heat like the oven door, so enjoy this extra long, extra ‘eghck!’ edition of the Pundit PlayLi$t...

1. “The Games We Play” - Pusha-T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j98tczxXKtE

(Some of the best bars on DAYTONA can be found right here. And this Booker T. Averheart sample....sheeeeesh, I might not be a fan of Ye the album, but I am a huge fan of Ye the producer. Pusha-Ton dedicates this one to his core fanbase, declaring DAYTONA the “Purple Tape” for a new generation. Personally I don’t think this project can be compared to the legendary Raekwon album, but I would put this song up against the any song made by anyone else rapping today. And regardless of whether this album turns out to be a classic or not, I can say this with certainty: “The Games We Play” will be a classic rap song.)

2. “Hard Piano” - Pusha-T feat. Rick Ross & Tony Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEEAqPMSZqU

(DAYTONA is a relentless smash of a project from start to finish, so ranking each song on the album is more of a 1a, 1b, 1c scenario. Right now I’m vibin’ with “Hard Piano” like it’s “New God flow Pt. 2″. Pusha glides across Kanye’s slick sampling of Charles Wright & Watts 103rd Rhythm Band’s “High As Apple Pie Slice II”, and by the time we get to Rozay’s “this is for the sneaker hoarders and coke snorters”, you know that he’s about to bless us with one of the best verses that he’s done in quite some time. He knows that you gotta bar-up when Pusha is in album mode! I don’t know if any other song in Pusha’s catalogue better showcases his “be Sosa not Tony” mentality like “Hard Piano”. DAYTONA should be coming out of speakers everywhere.)

3. “Dostoyevsky” - Black Thought & 9th Wonder feat. Rapsody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54OUwQA2wQs

(Welcome to 2018, Black Thought “solo” project. No, it’s not the dream solo debut that Black Thought fans have been dreaming about for decades, but it is a highly successful byproduct of Thought’s collaboration with 9th Wonder & The Soul Council. As an EP it’s more of a sterling appetizer than an opus, but rest assured, Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 is a non-stop bar-fest and a feast for the ears. As if five Black Thought songs alone weren’t enough, Rapsody comes through on “Dostoyevsky” and more than holds her own alongside the Roots frontman. Let this EP be further confirmation of the embarrassment of riches that is rap music in 2018.)

4. “If You Know, You Know” - Pusha-T

https://soundcloud.com/pushat/if-you-know-you-know

(Simply one of the best openings I have ever heard on a rap album. The build is perfect, and the beat is vicious. Not the traditional fair that fans associate with Pusha from back in the Clipse era...but remember how different those Neptunes beats once sounded to the traditional hip-hop ear? Kanye clearly considered what made Pusha’s presence so effective on YOGI’s commercial smash “Burial”, and then it dialed up to 11 with “If You Know, You Know”, a rare triumphant rap-EMD hybrid. It’s an attention grabbing intro, a rap star anthem capable of getting any crowd hyped, and the best catchphrase to come out of DAYTONA and into the rap lexicon.)

5. “Leaps” - Rigz

https://soundcloud.com/prodbymichaelangelo/rigz-leaps-prod-by-michaelangelo

(I don’t know much about MichaelAngelo - the producer, that is - but I know I enjoy the limited sample size that I have heard thus far. What I DO know and have known for some time, is that Rigz is one of the dopest MC’s in the game right now. If you haven’t checked out the Rochester native’s catalogue, I highly recommend his mixtapes, but you can also start with this loosie right here. Rigz can flat-out rap.)

6. “Hun43rd” - A$AP Rocky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp8sSx06Bds

(This track is gorgeous. The soothing instrumental cruises along as Rocky waxes nostalgic about Harlem. Sure, it’s good stuff, but then the song goes to another level when Devonté Hynes/Blood Orange releases a smooth hook that could easily be mistaken for a sample from an 80′s New Wave band...or maybe a song that would have felt at home on the Batman Returns soundtrack? Yeah I should probably stop before I date myself any further. Anyway, this one is easily a contender for Testing’s strongest track, textbook Rocky right here.)

7. “Come Back Baby” - Pusha-T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SkMJqlZ6Y0

(Elements of classic Ye can be found all over track #4 on DAYTONA. Three braggadocios verses from Pusha are broken up by a soulful George Jackson sample, and to great effect. As with so many of Pusha-T’s classic tracks, “Come Back Baby” succeeds in making a dangerous lifestyle sound awfully seductive.)

8. “Buck Shots” - A$AP Rocky feat. Smooky MarGielaa & Playboi Carti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBTeuZhftTY

(If Ryan Gosling and company were to do a sequel to Drive, I could picture him listening to “Buck Shots” during a brooding moment from behind the wheel of his ‘73 Chevy Malibu. To some the “buck shots” repetition might sound grating, but I feel like it really helps take the catchiness of this Kelvin Krash beat into maximum overdrive. The song personifies the emphasis of style over substance on Testing, which works for me in this case because of how well that vibe is reinforced with this album, at least sonically.)

9. “Self Destruction” - Boogie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXNMVRsIeB4

(Is there a non-TDE West Coast rapper better than Boogie right now? I was expecting him to explode right after “Oh My” started to catch heat in 2015, but after a strong appearance on Royce Da 5′9′s Book Of Ryan and a buzz-worthy album on the way, it looks like 2018 might actually be the year for Boogie to ascend to the next level. Want further proof? Check out the feast of rhymes on his trippy new single, “Self Destruction”. The Compton MC’s future is looking very, very bright right now.)

10. “Percs” - Denzel Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7PS4gJe5Y4

(If a scientist took elements of A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar and Chief Keef and stirred them together in a pot, Denzel Curry would be the outcome. It’s refreshing to hear a trap-inspired rapper denounce some of the drugs that are currently frying the brains of his peers, but it does make sense that the message would come from Curry, who seems to be wise beyond his years. I am pretty eager to hear what else lies in store for us on his upcoming album, Ta13oo.)

11. “Ministry” - MIKE

https://mikelikesrap.bandcamp.com/track/ministry-4

(If you’re not familiar with MIKE, now is the perfect time to fix that. His newly released album, Black Soap, confirms that the young NYC rapper follows his own path and has a very bright future. “Ministry” reminds me of the type of subterranean NY rap that we haven’t heard enough of since the Def Jux era.)

12. “Jujitsu” - Tuamie & Henny L.O. feat. Fly Anakin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp1C09p_XbI&index=9&t=0s&list=PLqD8s2lDRYOtiHUSkTpi6eUe8n9Fs-iDl

(Another month, another incredibly dope project from the Mutant Academy collective. Henny and Fly sound blissful over this sweet Tuamie production, one of many wonderful cuts on their new Emergency Raps, Vol. 2 compilation...one of many projects that got lost in the shuffle of Drake vs. Pusha T hoopla over the past week. Do yourself a favor and add this to your collection right now!)

13. “Sunoco” - Al.Divino & $auce Heist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMQSBpvZJKo

(WOW, hard NYC rap doesn’t get much better than this crazy new Al.Divino and $auce Heist project! Pretty crazy considering only Heist is from NY, while Divino hails from Massachusetts. I’m really loving the beat on this one, it sounds like a Bjork “Human Behavior” sample but I’m not sure if that’s the case? The whole BENGAL BONE MARROW tape is worth the $40 price tag, it is brutally good.)

14. “Infrared” - Pusha-T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytzc6ehAvOM

(Hey have you guys heard this one? Pretty under the radar, yeah I know. Seriously what more can be said about this one.....except that it’s pure FIRE, no matter whose corner you stand in with the Drake-Pusha beef.)

15. “Soul Reaver” - A$AP Ant feat. A$AP Twelvyy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnRFRhv-EGI

(Before A$AP Rocky released his album, A$AP Ant dropped a new album titled Lil Black Jean Jacket. As one of the less heralded members of the A$AP Mob, it’s easy to overlook this project...but you would be making a mistake. To me, this tape succeeds in all of the areas that Playboi Carti’s Die Lit album failed. You won’t find much lyrical depth on Jacket, but you will find catchy flows and hypnotic production. And on “Soul Reaver”, you will also find the best verse on the album, courtesy of Twelvyy. This sleepy gem really goes!)

16. “Long Way” - Benny feat. El Camino

https://soundcloud.com/bennythebutcher1/benny-the-butcher-long-way-ft-el-camino-prod-by-dj-shay

(The loop and Camino’s hook-work gives this joint an old school Dipset aesthetic, while Benny’s bars remind me of prime Beanie Sigel, and I’m loving all of this! “Long Way” is favorite joint off of Benny’s new A Friend Of Ours project, but the whole tape is worth playing front to back.)

17. “Brotha Man” - A$AP Rocky feat. French Montana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYbWAgF02no

(The most soulful song on Testing, and there’s a lot to like here. French Montana channels his best Marvin Gaye impression - there’s a sentence I never thought I would type - and "Brotha Man” also includes some of the album’s finer written moments from Rocky. True to form, his reference to caring more about personal style rather than important social issues is a display of brutal honesty that only adds to the track’s authenticity.)

18. “Hoop Dreamin” - Blueprint feat. Has-Lo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drv4yESEMFM

(A few weeks back, rapper/producer Blueprint slipped out a brand new project titled Two-Headed Monster, where he explores a number of topics over some beautiful production. The palpable sense of urgency felt on “Hoop Dreamin” makes this cut my favorite off the album, but the whole project warrants more attention.)

19. “Helvetica” - CODENINE & Mr. Rose feat. Milano Constantine, Al.Divino & Estee Nack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWJEJj3oT8

(Proving that the underground collective swirling around Al.Divino and Estee Nack is one that you need to watch, CODENINE and Mr. Rose’s project is another notch on the team’s belt. “Helvetica” has the feel of one of those classic late 90′s underground hip-hop cyphers.)

20. “Kevlar Tux” - SONNYJIM & Conway feat. Roc Marciano

https://soundcloud.com/sonnyjim01/03-kevlar-tux-ft-roc-marciano?in=sonnyjim01/sets/conway-x-sonnyjim-death-by-misadventure

(I’ve heard chatter suggesting that this SONNYJIM & Conway project wasn’t official? Well this Conway & Roc Marci joint sounded officially dope to me, so it still belongs on this playlist, no doubt.)

*Bonus - Honorable Mention*

“Twofifteen” - Black Thought & 9th Wonder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgJ434TL-bo

(Black Thought sounds like he is unleashing 25 years of lyrical tenacity on this one, the first of five great tracks off of his project with 9th Wonder & The Soul Council.)

“Onna Gang” - DaBoii (of SOB x RBE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ-FTDFkwAM

(The SOB x RBE stand-out showcases his solo skills all over this bouncy head-nodder.)

“Tony Tone” - A$AP Rocky feat. Puff Daddy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6z6oiTirFQ

(Another sharp cut from Rocky’s new album, which seems like it will be under-appreciated for the foreseeable future. The menacing, teeth-grinding beat alone is worth the price of admission.)

“Mob Era” - Tha God Fahim & Jay NiCE feat. Left Lane & Mach-Hommy

https://soundcloud.com/thagodfahim/tha-god-fahim-x-jay-nice-x-left-lane-x-mach-hommy-mob-eraprodby-jlvsn

(JLVSN laced Fahim, Mach and company with a tense little piano loop, and all four MCs deliver. )

“Unknown Worlds” - Planet Asia feat. Montage One

https://planet-asia.bandcamp.com/track/unknown-worlds

(Planet Asia’s second project of 2018 - maybe more, it’s hard to keep track because the guy is a workhorse- Mansa Musa is as strong as all of his previous projects, but there’s a freshness to the samples used on this one that make it one of my favorite PA projects from the last few years. Both West Coast icons kill this one, and Planet Asia deserves the AC Green award for longevity in the game at this point - he may never fall off!)

“NYCHA” - Dave East feat. Nas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsrMVAB3weY

(The soundtrack to Netflix’s Rapture dropped a few weeks back, mostly unnoticed, but it had some strong joints. Perhaps none hotter than this NY-centric Dave East & Nas jam, my favorite collaboration that I have heard from the Mass Appeal duo thus far.)

[ICYMI: Last month’s list below]

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/174009402131/may-2018-playli-t-of-the-month

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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One Night in Miami Trailer, Cast, Release Date and Everything You Need to Know

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Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, and Muhammad Ali walk into a motel room. No really, this isn’t a put-on. It’s an event that actually happened (more or less) on the night that Ali won the heavyweight championship of the world in 1964, and right before he changed his name from Cassius Clay. Now what these four historic figures at the intersection of Black male celebrity and wider American pop culture said to each other that evening is unknown… but it makes the mind wander; it also makes for a hell of a good story in One Night in Miami.

The new film from director Regina King (Watchmen, If Beale Street Could Talk) marks the Oscar and Emmy winning actor’s first foray into feature-length directing intended for the big screen—even as most audiences will only see One Night in Miami on Amazon when it premieres on the streaming service later this year—and already it’s generating more deserved award buzz. As a film written by Kemp Powers, who is adapting from his own play of the same name, One Night in Miami is a chance to interrogate the challenges of celebrity for Black men in America, and the larger responsibility one feels toward the Black community. These dueling pressures can pull in different directions, and they can elicit fascinating conversations.

Here’s how they inform One Night in Miami.

One Night in Miami Trailer

Here is the trailer that gives you an idea of the film’s unique approach…

One Night in Miami Cast

Kingsley Ben-Adir – Ben-Adir plays Malcolm X, a seminal leader of the Civil Rights era. Malcolm was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who grew national attention for his blunt advocacy for Black empowerment and an end to segregation, as well as Black separation from whites and a possible return to Africa. In the white mainstream (and among some Black leaders), he was a controversial figure due to his support for the Nation of Islam, but One Night in Miami is set about a month out from Malcolm’s exit from NOI due to the sexual predations of Elijah Muhammad.

One Night in Miami is a breakout role for Ben-Adir who is a revelation as Malcolm X. He’s previously enjoyed small roles in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Commuter, and Noelle. On Showtime’s The Comey Rule, he played President Barack Obama.

Eli Goree – Goree plays Cassius Clay on the last night he would go by that name. The film pivots on the evening Clay shocked the world when he defeated Sonny Liston by TKO in February 1964. Only age 22, Clay became the youngest heavyweight champ to claim the belt by knockout (a record Ali still holds). The day after the victory, Clay would announce he’s joined the Nation of Islam (at Malcolm X’s urging) and would go by the name of Cassius X (later changed to Muhammad Ali). He would also soon become a figure of controversy when he refused to be drafted in the Vietnam War due to being a conscientious objector. The resulting harassment by the U.S. government would see Ali banned from the ring for four years.

One Night in Miami is a breakout role for Goree, whose few other film credits include an unnamed character in 2014’s Godzilla. He’s previously had recurring roles on Ballers and Riverdale, and appeared in GLOW.

Leslie Odom Jr. – Odom portrays Sam Cooke, the pioneering singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and entrepreneur who became one of the first Black musicians to found his own record label and publishing company. Also known as the King of Soul, Cooke contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye (among others), and recorded a string of mid-20th century hits that include “You Send Me,” “Cupid,” “Chain Gang,” and “Bring It On Home to Me.” One Night in Miami is set, significantly, before Cooke recorded his first song demanding political change, “A Change is Going to Come” … and before Cooke was shot to death by a motel manager later that same year.

Odom is best known for playing the morally ambiguous Aaron Burr in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical, and pop culture sensation, Hamilton. He won a Tony and Grammy for his portrayal. He’s appeared in a variety of Broadway productions, including Rent, Dreamgirls, and Leap of Faith. On screen, his credits include Harriet, Red Tails, and Murder on the Orient Express. He’s also released four solo albums.

Aldis Hodge – Hodge depicts Jim Brown, one of the greatest running backs of all time in the National Football League. After earning unanimous all-American honors playing college football at Syracuse University (as well as basketball, track and field, and lacrosse), Brown went on to play for the Cleveland Browns between 1957 and 1965, earning the AP NFL Most Valuable Player for three years, and leading the browns to an NFL championship in 1964. He’d go on to be a major sports analyst and appearing in films and television series like Slaughter (1972), The A-Team, and Mars Attacks! (1996).

Prior to depicting Brown, Hodge might be best known for playing MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton. He also memorably appeared in a supporting role in The Invisible Man last year. Other credits include Hidden Figures, Clemency, and al lead role on City on a Hill.

One Night in Miami Release Date

One Night in Miami opened in limited theatrical release on Dec. 25 after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. It premieres on Amazon on Jan. 15, 2021.

One Night in Miami Story

The film is loosely inspired by real events. On the night Cassius Clay knocked out Sonny Liston, Malcolm X was sitting ringside. Afterward Clay agreed to meet Ali at the Hampton House, a motel that Black celebrities frequented at the time in Miami’s Brownsville neighborhood. The two were later met by Sam Cooke and Jim Brown. However, Kemp Powers as first a playwright and then a screenwriter, took literary license to imagine what that evening was like before Cassius Clay announced the next morning he was now Cassius X.

Regarding the appeal of the project, director Regina King recently told The New York Times, “We don’t get the opportunity to see [on screen] our men, Black men, shown the way we see them so often in our family members and friends. Like every other human being they’re layered. They are vulnerable, they are strong, they are providers, they are sometimes putting on a mask. They are not unbreakable. They are flawed. They are beautiful. And just Kemp captured all of that in, you know, less than 110 pages…. I told him I felt like you’ve written a love letter to Black men.”

The official synopsis reads: “One Night in Miami is a fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.”

One Night in Miami Review

Here is an excerpt to our review out of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Each of the four key performances recreate the well-known tics of their historical personages. And in this arena, Goree is a delight. With wind in his sail after winning the heavyweight belt, his Cassius is so nimble in his dancing and prancing that it’s a wonder his feet ever touch the ground. Yet whereas most biopics, particularly in the last few years, have leaned into the legend of its subjects, One Night in Miami seeks to imagine a psychological truth that’s far slipperier, and far more rewarding.

In this context, Ben-Adir’s Brother Malcolm may be the most revelatory. In contrast with Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s electric depiction of the civil and human rights activist, there is something slightly subversive about King and Ben-Adir’s interpretation. Here is the firebrand who preached African American separation and just several months before the film’s February ’64 setting referred to JFK’s assassination as “chickens coming home to roost”—a statement that gets him no shortage of grief from his friends in One Night in Miami—yet beyond his moral disgust at Elijah Muhammad’s affairs with young secretaries in the NOI, this version of Malcolm is full of second-guessing anxiety and a pained inner-life just bubbling behind the horn-rimmed glasses.

You can again read the full review here.

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