Hella Personal Film Festival by Open Mike Eagle & Paul White

I find that the best way to describe Open Mike Eagle's approach to hip-hop as the type of rap that is enjoyed by men who wear scarves in the summertime and rap fans who also enjoy anime and Discovery channel documentaries. The Chicagoan emcee's blend of dry humour and intellectual lyricism with stories that present the irony of every day life never fail to provide both a laugh and some thoughtful discussion. Just last year with the release of his EP A Special Episode Of, Mike released one of the better rap projects of 2015 while only giving us about 20 minutes worth of material.

This time he's back with a lengthier project, and he's joined by producer Paul White, who is perhaps most know for his work with the always eccentric hip-hop artist Danny Brown. With Mike Eagle tackling topics such as technology, death, racial stereotyping and more, he still manages to stay as fresh and quirky as ever, and over the upbeat, childlike production of Paul White, the duo deliver an excitingly enjoyable hip-hop project.

It's hard to point a finger at exactly what makes this album work so well. Is it the varying production that swings between moments of being soulful and nostalgic to channeling inspiration from indie rock and 8bit video games, or is it the lyrics themselves that are among the most polished we've gotten from Mike thus far in his ten plus year career? Regardless, both contribute to the ever changing scape of Hella Personal Film Festival, and result in some fascinating moments. The track Check to Check for example, see's Mike explore the world of technology and our dependence on it. He states he's living "check to check" as he always finds himself in between checking some form of media. He constantly rides the line of lyrics that contain just as much humour as they do truth, and even at his silliest on cuts like Smiling where he claims to be avoided like a ghost fart because of his race, there still seem's to be a fair bit of sincerity in the lyrics. It's this mix of social inspection with Mike's tendency to poke fun at himself that grabs the listeners attention, and regardless of the instrumental backing him, remains the highlight of the project.

As the album progresses, the duo's consistency becomes highlighted as they deliver track after track that tells a story of it's own, both lyrically and instrumentally, and contributes to the overall theme of the album. That is, until the lackluster track Protectors of the Heat, which finds a tribal inspired instrumental with primarily loud percussion. It is also perhaps the only moment on the project where Mike seems to rely a little too heavily on a catchy chorus instead of delivering exciting, off the wall verses. Typically he presents just a simple couplet for the hook on these songs, and with their relatively short lengths (only Protectors of the Heat surpasses four minutes in length) it seems to fit quite well. Nonetheless, it doesn't take long for the two to get back on track and finish the album just as strong as they kicked it off. On Dive Bar Support Group we find Mike discussing both machoism and gentrification, while also dipping into themes such as alcoholism. It's a rather ambitious lyrical piece that showcases just what the emcee is capable of, and the sadness from the vocals seep into the poppy instrumental that backs him, making for one of the best tracks on the whole project. We see just how easily Mike can transition from deep topics to self satire on Drunk Dreaming, where he discusses just that, being drunk. The track is silly, fun, and lighthearted, an approach that these two seem to handle incredibly well on multiple occasions on this record.

When listening to this album it feels as if Paul White and Open Mike Eagle were a collaboration that needed to happen, despite it being a full-length album that I never expected us to get. The way the lyrics flow through the warm and fun production is a welcomed addition to Mike's always impressive approach, and helps make this a stand-out in both artists discography. To some it could seem a bit gimmicky, and that's fine. It isn't a project that everyone will get, nor will all rap fans enjoy, but to those of you who fall into the categories mentioned above, this is definitely a project worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5/5

Check out the track Check to Check below:

You can stream and download Hella Personal Film Festival over at Open Mike Eagle's BandCamp page here.

3001: A Laced Odyssey by Flatbush Zombies

With what is easily one of my favourite album covers of the year thus far, the hip-hop trio Flatbush Zombies gave perhaps the most accurate look into the style of music they create. It's colourful, it's cartoony, and unlike the usual wavy, drugged out cloud rap you're used to hearing, while still containing many of the same elements. All three members, Zombie Juice, Meechy Darko, and Erick "Arc" Elliott bring their own unique style to every track the Zombies have recorded. Juice's spastic flow and high pitched vocals contrasts Meech's dark and dreary approach perfectly, and when met with Erick's phenomenal production it has resulted in two fantastic mixtapes with D.R.U.G.S in 2012 and BetterOffDead in 2013.

With all the hype and excitement surround Flatbush Zombies sound, as well as their participation in the "Beast Coast" movement alongside rap collective Pro Era and hip-hop duo The Underachievers, the release of their debut studio album has been something I've been anticipating for quite some time. Now, two years since their last release, the Clockwork Indigo EP which they released as a collaborative effort with The Underachievers, the long awaited full-length album 3001: A Laced Odyssey see's the light of day.

The confines of drug rap are pretty snug to begin with, in my opinion. While the Flatbush Zombies have always taken quite a bit of artistic freedom with their sound, lyrically they have never strayed too far from topics such as drugs, money, and spirituality. While I went into this project hoping to hear the group branch out a bit from the genre and try to tackle some more mature and creative subjects, the lyrical content instead stayed true to what the members have always done. It wasn't too big of a disappointment however, as Meech and Juice both delivered some of their best verses yet, and accompanied them with rather unique flows on tracks like the opening cut The Odyssey. It's a great choice to kick off the project, as it sets the tone without giving away too much of what's to come. The strong start continues with the third track R.I.P.C.D, which is the Zombies ode to the death of the CD as a media format.  As always however, the lyrics tend to venture off topic and range from religion, to the state of rap music, and to drugs as well.

The album begins to really slow down for me about half way through, as there are a couple of throwaway moments that feel rather out of place in the context of the record. The two and a half minute cut Fly Away features a simple, straight forward piano beat and has Meechy Darko taking a soulful vocal approach throughout. It doesn't add much other than feeling like an unnecessary interlude, much like the actual interlude Smoke Break does as well. Perhaps Juice and Erick felt that if Meech got a chance to sing, they should as well, and I'm assuming that's how this track was born. It's their ode to marijuana, and is easily the corniest track on the record. It's one of the few outright skippable tracks that Flatbush has produced so far in their career, and the odd use of feedback on the vocals doesn't help to boost the track whatsoever.

Fortunately the two weak moments are rather short, and are broken up with two decent cuts. Ascension, the better of the two tracks that separate the interludes, features some flamboyant production and an incredibly in your face hook that features Meech claiming his goal is to be better than God. Trade-Off, the latter of the two is still an enjoyable cut, and the ambient influence found in the background during the first few moments of the beat is a rather impressive inclusion from Erick Elliott. Through the chorus the beat takes on a  much harder edge, but fails to really connect as the production seems to be a little too thin and uninspired. That, accompanied with the laughable hook of "it's the work hard play hard, I just got a blow job" holds this track back from being all that memorable.

The record finishes off strong with cuts like New Phone, Who Dis? and This Is It which lead into the epic 13 minute closing track Your Favorite Rap Song which for the first six or so minutes definitely is my favourite cut from the album. The old school New York street influenced production is accompanied with the best pure rapping that the trio deliver on the project, and definitely brings the album to a solid finish. However, the biggest, and perhaps only problem I have with the song is the decision to include 5 minutes worth of fans praising the trio at the tail end of the track. It's something I only bothered listening to in complete perhaps once or twice, and while there were some funny moments, and I'm sure provided a cool moment for those featured, it just doesn't add anything to the project, except for making an overly long project even longer.

I've given this album a couple weeks now to change my thoughts, and unfortunately it hasn't been for the better. We get a couple stellar cuts, and a few others that are worth multiple listens, but ultimately 3001: A Laced Odyssey is bogged down by some of the least interesting moments I've heard the trio deliver. I could easily pick out four or five tracks that, without their inclusion would make the album much more enjoyable, but because of how much was forced into an album that got stale rather quickly, it just doesn't resonate with me the same way that the Zombies did on their two earlier mixtapes.

Rating: 3/5

Listen to the track The Odyssey below:

Imperial by Denzel Curry

Florida based hip-hop emcee Denzel Curry has been a breath of fresh air in the rap scene ever since the release of his debut studio project Nostalgic 64 in 2013. On that project, we saw the artist blend aggressive, in your face trap inspired verses over some very spacey, dark, and surprisingly intricate production. His blend of cloud raps and gang related bars contributed to what was one of my favourite hip-hop projects of that year, and put him on the map as one of the better up and coming talents on the scene.

He followed up his debut album with the double EP 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms just last year. While this project was still quite enjoyable and showed off Denzel's growth, it was perhaps a bit too ambitious, as he spent the first half crafting some of his best trap inspired songs yet, but on the more laid back and drugged out second half, he delivered some of his most lackluster material to this point. It was made clear on that record that he's at his best when he's bringing loads of energy and raw, violent lyricism into the recording. So, with that being said, going into his newest project Imperial, I was hoping to see Curry take an approach more similar to that of Nostalgic 64.

While there are traces of older material on this new release here, it more so stands on it's own. We see a return to the southern hip-hop we've come to enjoy from Denzel, and he's certainly relying more on the trap influence than he is on the cloud raps. Nevertheless, he also looks to find his own style in terms of production, as we get rather wonky, spacey, trap influenced beats that are unlike anything you would find on his other releases. We also see a much more ambitious approach in terms of the guest features, as rather than bringing along past collaborators such as JK. The Rapper, Mike Dece, or Lil Ugly Mane, the former Raider Klan member instead enlists the help of some of the more popular hip-hop artists around, in the form of Rick Ross and Joey Bada$$. Not only is that an ambitious choice that is sure to bring Curry a bit more exposure, but it is also a risk that pays off extensively as both rappers deliver very solid verses without stealing the show. Knotty Head, the track that features Rick Ross is one of the moments of production that caught me off guard initially, thanks to the unorthodox sound of the synths and the transition into an old school 90's hip-hop beat during the last 20 or so seconds.

Lyrically we're seeing much of the same Curry we've come to know, as he discusses gang violence, drugs, racial issues, and things of the sort. It's not the meaning behind the emcee's lyrics that has made his music stand out however, and instead it's been the catchiness of his hooks and his always impressive flow. While his fantastic flow does carry over into this project, I feel personally that this record hosts some of his least flashy hooks that he's recorded. They aren't necessarily poorly written, but often times they feel a little too simplified and watered down when compared to past tracks like Parents, Threatz, or Zone 3, all of which were stand out takes on Nostalgic 64. There are quite a few decent hooks here nonetheless, Story No Title contains a fairly strong chorus, as does Pure Enough, a track that besides the hook, doesn't offer as much as most of the other tracks on the record.

This Life is a track worth noting as well, as it see's Denzel detailing a love interest as well as talking about his friends and the state of the world. He takes a much less aggressive approach for this track, but still manages to impress with lyricism that's a touch less over the top and anger driven. The real standout on this project though is easily ULT, the lead cut that opens the project with a bang and serves as a basis for Curry to showcase his vocal gift as quickly as possible. It's not the best production found on the album, but it's easily the most similar to his former body of work and definitely still stands out after multiple listens. That last track I want to point out is Zenith, which features Pro Era artist Joey Bada$$ and contains an instrumental that you'd be more apt to hear on a Joey project than one from Denzel Curry. Nonetheless, both rappers capitalize on the fantastic beat by delivering some great lyrics, which helps to bring some real life to the final few tracks of the project. While Knotty Head  with Rick Ross was a solid track, and the laid back old school vibe of the closing cut If Tomorrow's Not Here stands out as well, it's Zenith that gives us the best track with a feature on the record. The meshing of Curry's southern influenced style and the New York origins of Joey Bada$$ makes for a fantastic collaboration, and something I'm hoping to see the two rappers do more of in the future.

There's quite a bit to take away from this project, and any fan of hip-hop music should enjoy it quite a bit. It certainly has shades of the same rapper who gave us Nostalgic 64 and 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms, but it also see's new risks and a lot of aspects we've never seen from Denzel in the past. If anything, Imperial shows he's continuing to reinvent himself and mature as an artist, and no longer needs to rely on flashy, loud, bass driven production, and can instead carry a track on his own. It's not quite on par with his commercial debut, but it leaves a better impression than his last release for sure.

Rating: 3.5/5

Listen to the track ULT below:

You can download Imperial here for free.

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:

Vroom Vroom EP by Charli XCX

Over the past few years, English born singer Charli XCX has become a household name within the world of pop music, thanks in part due to her collaborations with Iggy Azalea and Icona Pop and also with the release of her first two full-length albums. I was never blown away with the music Charli has released in the past, and for the most part all she offered was a fairly strong voice in terms of the pop realm, and lyrics that at times did stick in your head. With that being said, on her latest EP Vroom Vroom she looks to take a very different approach to her songwriting, and brings along talented producer SOPHIE to provide her with the suitable instrumentals.

SOPHIE, who just last year released his debut solo full-length Product has proven himself to be very gifted artist when it comes to creating wonky, unorthodox, catchy pop tracks and he furthers that with his work here. While the lyrics are rather catchy and are sure to please even those who are partial to traditional post-2010 radio pop, the real heart of the album is the club style production that is cranked full of loud bass, angry synths, and at certain moments some rather abrasive and in your face noises.

The project kicks off with the title track Vroom Vroom, a fast paced synth driven cut that houses some very loud drum work. The progression on the song is rather impressive as it switches back and forth from feeling like a club ready dance song during the verses, to highlighting Charli's vocal ability in a very radio friendly fashion on the chorus. Lyrically it introduces you to the same topics that are discussed throughout the other three tracks as well as they're simple, straightforward braggadocios lines that catch your attention during the hook and work together quite well with the production.

The second track Paradise carries an even quicker pace and contains some clear techno influence throughout. Bubblegum pop artist Hannah Diamond also makes an appearance on the track, and even with the inclusion of the sped up vocals that typically have me cringing over how similar they sound to Alvin and the Chipmunks fail to prevent me from enjoying this song. Up next is Trophy, a song that contains some more booming drums and an interesting vocal sample but plays to Charli's vocal ability quite well yet again. It's another moment where we find SOPHIE showcasing his ability to make a simple pop beat so much more, as we see many different passages and verses and the incorporation of a plethora of different sounds, something you wouldn't typically expect to find in your average pop tune. The closer Secret (Shh) is perhaps the most contradicting track on the album as it opens with rather ugly, noisy synth based production but transitions into a chorus that in many ways reminds me of a more well put together version of Iggy Azalea's Black Widow. 

The chemistry between the two artists who created this project is shown in abundance on each and every track, and while it may not appeal to those who haven't at least found some enjoyment in either artists previous work, it is sure to please those who are already fans, or those who are interested in a wonky, unique bubblegum bass pop project. While incredibly short and to the point, this definitely puts the duo on my radar, and I hope to see them teaming up many more times in the near future.

Rating: 3.5/5

Listen to the title track Vroom Vroom below: