Disguise the Limit by Nyck Caution

If you couldn't tell by the wordplay in his stage name, Nyck Caution (get it? NYC, like New York City) is a New York based emcee who has gained a fair bit of exposure in the past few years thanks to his work as part of the hip-hop ensemble Pro Era, a group that also houses the likes of Joey Bada$$, Kirk Knight, and CJ Fly among many others. Despite the plethora of gifted artists who belong to the collective, Nyck has always managed to stand out thanks to his slick flow and unique voice that always brought a nice change of pace whenever he would appear alongside his label mates on a track. With that being said however, much like many other of the emcees that occupy the Pro Era roster, he has been relatively quiet over the past few years, and it has really been Joey Bada$$ who has brought the group their popularity. That's not to say others haven't been releasing projects, as Kirk Knight's Late Knight Special was released just last October, and CJ Fly has a project of his own under his belt with Thee Way Eye See It. For Nyck however, he hasn't taken on a full project of his own since Pro Era's come up, and with his release Disguise the Limit, he's looking not only to make a statement, but also to remind those who had long forgotten about his impressive performances on other emcees projects' that he's still around.

If you're already tired of hearing me discuss Pro Era, then chances are this project won't be for you. Not only is it filled with guest verses and production credits from friends of Nyck's, but lyrically the record is cluttered with references to his peers as well. Most of these prove unnecessary and serve no purpose other than to remind those not familiar with Nyck that he is a member of the collective. While that's a rather minor issue, it unfortunately isn't the only problem I found with the lyrics on this thing.

One of Nyck's strongest suits when it came to his guest features in the past, were as I mentioned, his flow and his lyrics. However, when you get fourteen tracks that present almost the exact same formula of songwriting and subject matter, there isn't much room for surprises or anything impressive, as we've heard it all so many times before. Many tracks simply deal with his past or how skilled of a rapper he is, aside from the emotional Out of Reach that deals with the death of the late Capital Steez, who was also a member of Pro Era before his passing in 2012.

The beat selection throughout feels fairly mediocre in terms of what I've come to expect from a Pro Era project, which is rather surprising especially considering the production is handled by the likes of Kirk Knight and Chuck Strangers who both lend instrumentals to the record. For the most part, it feels as if there's an uncertainty of what style the project is going for, as we get the more traditional gritty New York street style beats at certain points, but also get a fair share of cloud rap instrumentals and at other times production that is rather alternative and unexpected. The Kirk Knight produced cut Wordsmith see's Nyck spitting over a dirty, distorted guitar instrumental, something that certainly stood out, but also could have been cleaned up a little bit as the guitar did sound rather rough around the edges and does distract from what's being said on the song. The track Church also see's a rather adventurous risk as the instrumental progresses from your traditional hip-hop beat into a electronic dubstep breakdown.

There's not much to discuss in terms of individual tracks or the lyricism, as everything on the project is competent, which may be the biggest problem I have with it. Everything feels the same, and while there were a few tracks that differ instrumentally, Nyck himself stays the same with his approach throughout. I still think he has a ton of skill, but his songwriting remains very raw and until he is able to prove he's more than just a rapper who can drop a nice feature on someone else's track, he will continue to fade to the back of Pro Era's line up.

Rating: 2.5/5

Check out Nyck Caution's track Church below:

EVOL by Future

If there's one thing that can be said about Future, it's that he's among the most frequent releasers in the hip-hop scene. Since 2012, he's released three full-length albums and eight mixtapes alongside a plethora of singles and guest features. With all these releases coming so frequent, the Atlanta born emcee has proven his consistency, but is also beginning to border on overstaying his welcome. Now, just over six months since releasing what is easily is best project thus far in his career, DS2, Future is releasing EVOL, his fourth LP.

Less than a month ago Future released his Purple Reign mixtape, and the general consensus on the release was that the trap artist needed to slow down on his musical output. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, and because of the lack of diversity in Future's sound, and for the most part, the trap genre itself, there's nothing new being brought to the table. On EVOL, it's much of the same we've already heard. Albeit there's much less filler and throwaway tracks than Purple Reign, but even the best tracks on EVOL fall short of what the rapper is truly capable of. 

The unfortunate byproduct of releasing an album the caliber of DS2, is the heightened expectations that come alongside the success. With so much music being released, he's smothering his listeners with subpar material instead of giving us the quality we know that he's capable of making. Some of the tracks on EVOL are catchy trap anthems that are worth a listen. Cuts like Maybach and Xanny Family are both incredibly catchy and certainly contain some replay value. The problem is that plenty of the other tracks fail to differentiate themselves from anything else found on his other material, and despite being an album, the project doesn't have the feeling of being any more than another mixtape. 

The track listing also gives us some completely obnoxious tracks, and Lie to Me is the first one that comes to mind. The spacey-synth based instrumental is way too busy and distracting thanks to the heavy bass line that feels as if it's been turned up way too high, making for what is overall some messy production. The lyrics aren't much better, although no one should go into a Future record looking for in-depth or impressive lyricism. Program is the only cut that rivals Lie to Me for the least enjoyable on this project, as the fact that every line ends with "program" drives me insane due to the lack creativity lyrically. 

Future turns it around with the following cut Low Life, that features The Weeknd, straight off of the success of his latest album Beauty Behind the Madness. It's by far the longest track found on EVOL, clocking in at over five minutes, but still managing to remain interesting. The album finishes with Fly Shit Only, a song that features one of the most impressive beats I've heard Future use since DS2, as there's some piano, some electric guitar, and even some distorted, glitchy noise to be found within the instrumental. 

Ultimately Future came up a little short on his latest effort, but EVOL is still nothing to scoff at. There's some entertaining tracks, and some not-so-enjoyable moments as well. If there's one thing to take away from the album however, it's that Future continues to prove that he needs to slow down on his releases. Quality over quantity is what his fans are looking for, and while his frequent output is very impressive, it's leading to more lacklustre songs than necessary. 

It's worth noting that fellow Atlanta, Georgia based rapper Young Thug also released a project this past Friday, and has been quite vocal about his issues with Future in the past. To find out my thoughts on Thug's latest, make sure to subscribe to the blog or follow me on Google+ as I will be reviewing I'm Up soon!

Favorite Tracks: Maybach, Xanny Family, Low Life

Least Favorite Tracks: Lie to Me, Program

Rating: 3/5

Northern Lights by Allan Kingdom

Allan Kingdom is best known by many for his work alongside Paul McCartney and Theophilus London on Kanye West's huge 2015 single All Day. Not to downplay Allan Kingdom's involvement with that track, but outside of that feature he has managed to put together some very solid work of his own, and his 2014 mixtape Future Memoirs really helped put the Canadian emcee on the map. Perhaps Kingdom's best skill, which became very clear on the previously mentioned Future Memoirs, was in his hooks and choruses which not only found themselves stuck in your head, but oftentimes thanks to his intriguing beat selection also had you bobbing your head and grooving along. Because of that ability to create catchy tracks, I've been anticipating his followup for quite some time. Fortunately, his latest release Northern Lights, did not disappoint.

As soon as the album kicks off with the opening track, The Ride, Allan Kingdom shows that not only is he continuing to craft the same catchy hip-hop tracks we've heard from him previously, but he's now fine-tuned his skills even more. One of the changes from his last release to this, is the beat selection, which suits his style even more so than on his previous release. Another thing worth mentioning with the album's production is how much of it comes from Kingdom himself, and most of his self-produced tracks are amongst my favourites on the album.

While the second track, The Forest (Intro) doesn't add much to the album, aside from that the young rapper seems to do a great job of making the most of almost all the tracks in the listing, as he packs each one with a great flow, some solid lyrics, and a hook to chant along with. The only cuts that really stuck out to me as two that I did not enjoy, was I Feel Ya, which to me is in some ways reminiscent to previous work done from the man who invited Allan Kingdom onto All Day, Kanye West, and while it does have the same texture and feeling you'd find on Kanye's 808's and Heartbreak, it fails to have the same effectiveness, and ultimately sticks out as being a questionable inclusion in the track listing. The other track is Interruption, which often borders on being annoying for me personally. However, aside from that track, the project is very tight, and every other song is enjoyable. It stays similar enough to flow and feel cohesive, but different enough that even after multiple listens, the album still continues to be fun. Allan Kingdom definitely kicked off his 2016 the right way.

Favorite Tracks: The Ride, Hypocrite, Northen Lights, Go Fish

Least Favorite Tracks: I Feel Ya

I decided to change up the previous rating system, cause who really uses letters to grade anymore anyway?

Rating: 3.5/5

7 Releases From 2015 You Need To Hear If You Haven't Already

First and foremost, let me just say that the chances of you having heard at least one or two albums on this list are very high. Rather than focusing on plucking 7 artists from complete obscurity and dropping them onto your radar, I figured it'd be better to take a mix of popular and underground artists from some varying genres, because chances are there will be at least one or two that you aren't familiar with, and that you might truly enjoy. With that being said, in no particular order, 7 albums from 2015 you need to hear.

1) Blood by Lianne La Havas

UK born singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas stormed onto the scene this year with her second full length release Blood, an album that saw her blend soul and R&B among a few other influences in what made for a great showcase of her talent. Not only does she have a fantastic voice, but her ability for writing catchy lyrics cannot be overlooked, and she's also a very gifted multi-instrumentalist. If you're looking for something new and refreshing, yet still catchy and upbeat, Blood is sure to lift you up have you singing and dancing in no time. 

2) Get to Heaven by Everything Everything

Everything Everything's contribution to the music scene in 2015 was a very welcomed one, as the band delivered some of the best indie pop-rock I've heard in quite some time. Not only was it's release a very pleasant surprise to me, but it also ended up being one of my favorite album's of the year as well. Lead singer Jonathan Higgs' vocals may take a little bit of getting used to, but once you hear a few songs from the band, and see just what his vocal range is capable of alongside their ability to craft catchy pop tunes, you'll be blown away.

3) Meow The Jewels by Run The Jewels

Ever since the group's formation and debut album back in 2013, Run The Jewels, the hip-hop duo of Killer Mike and El-P has been one of, if not the most entertaining and enjoyable rap ensemble in all of hip-hop. So it's only fair that the two combine their oftentimes aggressive and overly violent rap style with the soothing sounds of cats, right? Well, whether you answered yes or no to that, they did it. Thanks to a fan-funded kickstarter campaign, Killer Mike, El-P, a few lucky cats, and a large number of gifted producers got together and created perhaps the weirdest rap album ever made when they remixed RTJ2 with the inclusion of cat sounds.

4) Hyperview by Title Fight

Title Fight's transition from run of the mill Hardcore-punk act to shoe-gaze inspired indie rock band made for one of, in my opinion, the most pleasantly surprising releases of 2015. While the album received fairly decent reviews, it didn't quite achieve the popularity that I personally felt it deserved. The music on the album ranges from noisy and emotional, to quiet, sparse, and depressing, and really just hits the right note when you feel like listening to an album that feels like it belongs in an low-budget indie drama soundtrack (and I mean that in a good way.) The album has a wonderful flow to it, and once you press play on the first track, you'll have a hard time turning it off until it's finished.

5) Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett took on 2015 with momentum on her side, as her debut album Sometimes I Sit received quite a bit of exposure thanks to websites like Pitchfork and the Rolling Stone promoting the release. The reason such high profile music sites went out of their way to showcase the Australian born singer-songwriter is because put simply, she's on her way to becoming one of the best indie rock musicians out there. On her debut album she introduces us into her own signature style, a style that sees her combine very catchy indie rock style guitar riffs, with weird, quirky, story telling that see's her range from rambling about her societal views, to her delivering repetitive and catchy choruses. Her speak/sing style of delivery is something seen quite a bit more in the folk and country scene, but she works it very well into her sound, and it's definitely something worth checking out.  

6) Today, I Wrote Nothing by Billy Woods

Billy Woods approach to hip-hop is quite unlike anything that's popular within the genre now. He doesn't use club anthem instrumentals, he doesn't rely on the popularity of the trap scene, and he doesn't try to be relatable. Instead, Billy Woods uses his immaculate vocabulary, and snail speed slow delivery to make for what was one of the most intriguing rap releases of the whole year. The songs are short and to the point, the instrumentals are some of the most diverse and fleshed out of any rap project I've heard recently, and the track-list comes in at 24 cuts. How Billy Woods managed to take on a project of that length without seeming repetitive either lyrically or instrumentally is far beyond me, but for a day where he wrote nothing, he sure did write a lot (not funny, I know.) 

7) O∆ by London O'Connor

Your first question, I'm sure, is what kind of album name is that? Well, the album name seems to describe London O'Connor perfectly, because both he and the album are quite frankly, just different. The young musician assembled a project this year that is an ode to growing up and missing your childhood, or maybe just never growing up at all. I reviewed the album in full previously, and my thoughts still remain the same. While London dabbles in many different genres, it seems very clear that he is creating his own sound, and his own style to accompany it.

GO:OD AM by Mac Miller

Mac Miller is a rapper/producer from Pittsburgh, PA. He broke out back in 2010 with the release of his mixtape KIDS, and ever since has been one of the most popular rappers on the scene. His ever changing sound has led to some excellent projects, and some projects that aren't quite as great. Nonetheless, the 23 year old as compiled a very versatile discography. 

Mac's second full-length album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off was released back in 2013, and while it was seen by many as a sign of maturity in his sound, I personally did not enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed his earlier work. He followed that up, however, with what is probably my favorite project in his discography Faces, a more laid back and unique, at times even comedic approach to rapping by the emcee. On his newest album, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would we get a continuation of the style seen on Faces, or would he continue to alter his sound on every project he releases, like he has done in the past?

On GO:OD AM we get a sound that hovers somewhere between his last two previously mentioned projects Watching Movies and Faces. While Mac certainly takes a similar approach to rapping that we see on Watching Movies, the instrumentals are much more reminiscent of those you'd find on his last project. I can't say that his lyrical approach on Watching Movies was bad, but I did personally find it much less entertaining than how he handled Faces, so coming into this album that was an immediate disappointment.

Perhaps my biggest problem with this album, and rap music in general at the moment, is the ridiculous 17 tracks and 70+ minute run time of the album. I know what you're thinking, why am I mad that Mac Miller provided more tracks to listen to, isn't that a good thing? It is, to an extent. But something that's happening time and time again in hip-hop, is that artists are adding additional tracks to the listing just for the sake of using tracks. Much like I mentioned on A$AP Rocky's latest project, so many of these tracks are throwaways that, if left out of the listing, would have probably led to a more positive listening experience. I think it goes without saying that the inclusion of two or three "bad" tracks, is going to really hurt someone's perception of an album. 

As far as what Mac did well, is his experimentation production wise on this project. He continues to get away from producing his own tracks under his Larry Fisherman allias, as all the production is done by other producers on GO:OD AM. We do get some very unique instrumentals on the project, like the one found on Time Flies, a track that also features cult legend rapper Lil B. Another instrumental worth mentioning is Jump, a very electronic based track that sounds much more like something you'd find on a house album than a hip-hop album. With that being said, Mac does a great job of making the most out of the track. ROS can also be added into the discussion of more interesting instrumentals, as it kicks off with Miller singing over a piano ballad before transitioning into a very sparse and laid back beat, where he even does his own backing vocals. 

The features are another thing of note, as throughout the album only 5 of the tracks contain guest features. Half of which are singing contributions (done by The Weeknd and Little Dragon), meaning Mac Miller takes on the majority of the 70 minute project all by himself. The guest verses we do see come from Chicago based trap artist Chief Keef, who delivers a very typical trap verse on the track Cut The Check, which is a below average cut. Lil B's appearance on Times Flies sees him simply talking in the background of the track, nothing more. The one guest verse worth noting, is that of Ab-Soul, who appears on Two Matches, a sequal of sorts to the track Matches by the two rappers that appeared back on Watching Movies. While Matches ended up being one of my favorites on it's respective project, Two Matches is also one of my favorites on this album. We see Soul deliver a fantastic verse as per usual, and Mac Miller keeps up quite well, seeming a little bit more focused than he does throughout the rest of the project. 

If Mac had have made the decision to leave a few of the subpar tracks out of the listing, cuts like Clubhouse, In The Bag, and Cut The Check, then I believe it would have made for a much more focused and well put together finished project. Instead, we get a project that's way too long, drags in parts, and at times seems as if it was just thrown together. That's not to take away from how many good songs there are on the album, because there are plenty, but unfortunately I can't only judge it from the good ones. 

Rating: B-

Favorite Tracks: Brand Name, Two Matches, Perfect Circle, The Festival

Least Favorite Tracks: Clubhouse, In The Bag, God Speed (the second half of Perfect Circle,) Cut The Check

90059 by Jay Rock

Over the last few years, Top Dawg Entertainment has been one of the most important labels in the hip-hop genre, as it's helped stars like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and more achieve tons of mainstream exposure. However, since the label's rise to fame, it's been LA based rapper Jay Rock who has failed to reach that same level of success that his other three Black Hippy collective members have achieved. That can be in large part due to the fact that in his career that stretches back to over a decade ago, Rock has released just one full-length album, 2011's Follow Me Home, and while it was a solid release, it's been completely forgotten about thanks to the albums his label mates have released. 

Without a doubt, this new album was Jay Rock's big chance to prove that he is able to deliver on the same level of his label mates. At 30 years old, it may also be his last chance to do so before it's too late. With that being said, there are tons of rappers who don't come across their sound until later in their career, for example Danny Brown didn't release his breakout project XXX until the age of 30, and has went on to, in my opinion at least, be one of the more consistent mainstream rappers out. Jay Rock was able to prove a bit of his skill on the singles released for the album, but it wasn't until the third single, Gumbo, which was released in early August, that Jay was able to get me truly hyped for his newest project.

On 90059, Jay Rock does not attempt to completely overturn his style, as his sound is still a very much 'gangsta' rap west-coast influenced sound. He does however rely on a bit of a different production style than what we've seen him use in the past, and he does a great job of balancing his trade-mark story telling ability with a good amount of word play and braggadocios lyrics on the very laid back production throughout the track listing. Rock kicks the project off with a hard-hitting lyrical display on Necessary, a track that features an instrumental reminiscent of something you'd find on an early 2000's G-Unit album. Near the end of the project, Jay Rock does lean a little bit more on his story telling ability, especially on the tenth track Money Trees Deuce (an ode to the Kendrick Lamar song he featured on back in 2012) where he discusses friends trying to hold him back on his road to success. Even though the topic matter is serious, Jay Rock rides the line between topical rap and boasting, as he avoids getting too serious on any of his cuts. 

The features on the album are, of course, in large part done by TDE label members. The only non-TDE affiliated artists who pop up in the track listing are Inglewood based singer-songwriter SiR (who I first heard of on TiRon & Ayomari's Wonderful Prelude) and veteran hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, who provides a very unique spin on the track Fly On The Wall, where he essentially spends his verse both praising and advising Jay Rock on hip-hop culture. While it isn't Busta Rhymes' best verse, it serves the purpose of further establishing Jay Rock as a rapper who is respected in the rap community. 

It's the TDE features however, that I was most excited for. We get a feature by 24 year old emcee Isaiah Rashad on Wanna Ride, and while he doesn't get the chance to drop a verse of his own, he does provide an excellent hook on the laid back beat. We also see a feature from singer SZA on the track Easy Bake that also features Kendrick Lamar. While the track is easily my least favorite cut on the album, she does do a fairly good job of providing a nicely sung verse that helps the instrumental transition into track's outro. Lastly, we get a rare Black Hippy collaboration on the song Vice City. Kendrick Lamar takes the lead on the track as he opens it up and also lends his voice to the hook. The production is fairly sparse which allows the focus to lay on the lyrical content that the four-piece rap collective provide. While the unique flow that the rappers use takes a couple of listens to get used to, it certainly is something different, which all four rappers aim to do on a constant basis. The only downside to this feature is that Jay Rock's verse is easily the most forgettable of the four, something that happens seemingly every time the group gets together. 

That leads into one of my complaints of the album, which is Jay Rock's inability to stand out on tracks that feature TDE members. Even on Wanna Ride, a track where Isaiah Rashad only sings the chorus, I find myself paying more attention to him than to Jay Rock. I'm not sure what it is that makes it so hard for Rock to stand out on a track with features, but it's a problem that's occurred time and time again ever since his signing to Top Dawg Entertainment. I also feel as if Rock will continue to be overlooked because of his lack of a clear cut "style." While Kendrick is known for his lyricism and ability to create conceptual story based tracks, Q has a gift for making very accessible party tracks, and Ab-Soul has established himself due to his unique lyrical approach and delivery. Meanwhile, Jay Rock doesn't seem to stand out in any specific way.

Still, those things don't take away from the experience of listening to 90059 too much, as it does come together as a very good listening experience. I do still believe Jay Rock will be the most overlooked member of the core four of TDE, but at least now he has delivered a major label project that proves he's worth a mention when discussing the artists on what is, as I mentioned, perhaps hip-hop's most important label.  

Rating: B+

Favorite Tracks: Necessary, Gumbo, Vice City, Fly on the Wall, Money Trees Deuce

Least Favorite Track: Easy Bake, The Message