My Favorite Non Hip-Hop Albums of 2015!

Welcome back to the Star World, where I have listened to more music than I ever thought I could just so I could not write about them as much as I wanted. 2015 was an amazing year for music of all varieties, and in my quest to never stop searching for good music I listened to 86 albums that came out this year. Not all of them were good, and some were even god awful, but others stood out so much that despite being released early in the year I never stopped listening to them. In the next week or so I will have a couple of lists coming out, but I wanted to start off with this non Hip-Hop list. I feel like I am known for my taste in rap music, which I do love, but I follow as much different music as I can, and I wanted the chance to share with you some of my favorites of what I have heard this year.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Beyond/ Where the giants roam- Thundercat

While short, 16 minutes to be exact, this EP is filled with colorful sounds and beautiful melodies. Thundercat’s voice hits smooth and the production of this small project rivals some of the most acclaimed releases of the year. It makes you feel as though you are taking a trip through a new world that is being created as you walk through it. Thundercat has been on his game for years now, working with musical Titans Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus, and he holds his own in any conversation about the best modern musicians. With his unique take on soul combined with the electronic capabilities of the modern era; This small project has all of the sounds of a musical genius packed into a project that you could finish in the span of a long shower.

25- Adele

            I have been an Adele fan since I saw a dance video done to “Rolling in the deep”. Now, 4 years or so later, she has come back to give us 25, an album that fixes most if not all the problems I had with her previous releases. Adele seemed to going down the track of just singing about lost love, which is fine, but  I just wanted her to use her talent in more diverse ways. So while on this album she is still singing about people and her experiences with them, the production and sound of the album is much more mature. Adele has stated in interviews that she does not put out something unless she is inspired, and it seems like her inspiration lead her to take charge and help construct a wonderfully diverse but still familiar enough album that is finally a testament not only to her singing prowess, but her taste as an artist. Adele holds a special place in my heart because it is music I shared with my mom and grandma, because Adele’s appeal isn’t that she makes music for the charts, it is that she makes music that appeals to people’s hearts.

Reality show- Jazmine Sullivan

            While I was late listening to this album, it is still fantastic. There is something about Jazmine’s voice that is wholly unique, and her album builds off of Hip-Hop and blues to tell the story of a woman scorned. In similar fashion to Aretha Franklin, the power of her voice breaks through every track and the shockingly modern story turns this into an all too real concept album. It is about how poorly women can be treated and explores the reasons why they may stay in such toxic relationships, all while being backed by amazing instrumentation. This album is more than catchy, it is important. To have a black woman’s voice ring out as the voice of reason is such a satisfying listen, and while I could not include this in my top 10, I think everyone should listen to this. It is an album about courage in a time where a lot of music is afraid to take that next step.

THE LIST

10. In Colour- Jamie XX

            An eerie yet joyful mix of EDM and melodic production, this album took a second to grow on me. Being praised upon its release I had to see what the hype was about. I love The XX, which is a band Jamie is part of, and they are known for their mellow vibes and vibrant tones. This album pulls from that same musical dictionary, having long drawn out beats that do anything from pull you out of the world to make you want to dance, and the whole album feels like one song that is constantly evolving. Like it is just a representation of how Jamie feels as an artist, starting out with one idea and running with it for as long as he can. We get cameos from Jamie’s bandmates as well as the likes of Young Thug, whose style of rapping on the song “Good times” makes it one of the best singles I have heard this year. This is an album to listen to when you need to relax and enjoy yourself, with its layered production and abstract themes it is one of the most creative musical projects I have heard this year.

9. Vulnicura- Bjork

            This album is heartbreaking. Based on the breakup of Bjork from her partner of over a decade, this album will tear you to pieces. Normally when people think of break up albums someone like Taylor Swift may come to mind with her poppy upbeat takes her failed relationships. This album is not that. In the course of this LP, Bjork touches on all the dark and terrifying aspects of love and being in a relationship with someone that you never really hear about in vocal music. It is not just about how you miss the good times with that person, it is about how you miss the small details about them. Everything you cherished about a person from how they smell to the way you fought is now no longer part of your life. Bjork in her beautiful yet pained voice sings of how she is drowning in the overwhelming feelings that come with this emotional separation. All of this of course backed by some of the most beautiful instrumentation of the year. String sections and deep bass help create the dark canvas that Bjork uses to paint you a picture of her lost love.

8. Currents-Tame Impala

            This album is the love child of psychedelic rock and synth pop music. Through the kind of wavy vocals you would hear in the 60’s rock and the upbeat synth based pop music of the 80’s you get this unique abstract musical piece that is at the same time uplifting and mystifying. The whole LP honestly feels like a colorful acid trip down a rabbit hold you did not know was there, but through it all the trip never feels so far out that you cannot comprehend how you feel about it. It is joyous and spacey, but at the same time complex enough to make you want to listen again and again to comprehend how everything fits together. Guitar and key solos dominate the airwaves and the lead singers falsetto vocals float over the top of each song to create this trippy time capsule that can take you back to a time where music felt more free.

7. Sound and Color- Alabama Shakes

            Hailing from the state they are named after, this Southern Rock band came out with an album that uses a classic rock background to build a more modern sound that takes from the past to make a raw focused album about people, love, and life. The main singer’s vocals shout and ring over each song and hit the ear in such a different way, like she is not just a singer, but another instrument in the band. Each lyric is a small solo a meant to be part of the puzzle that each song creates. The album feels raw and powerful, and by the end of it you feel satisfied, which is a feeling that not a lot of music is able to help you achieve. Through their music the Alabama Shakes are creating a story that begins and ends, and you feel lucky for having been able to go along for the ride.

6. Have you in my Wilderness- Julia Holter

           

            This album took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it. To put it simply it is the most beautiful album I have heard this year. Julia Holter arranged and produced the entirety of this album, and it plays like one long musical. With the musical instruments coming in and out as characters would in a play this is arranged almost perfectly. It is a bright album, created to make you feel like you matter in the eyes of the artist. If it were a story you would feel like you are standing right next to Julia experiencing everything she feeling. It is a combination of classical composition, art pop, and the spice that is Julia’s touch to give this atmospheric feel that at this point in her career she is known for. This artist does not just make albums, she creates masterpieces that you could study as pinnacles of music theory or just play and appreciate as a fantastic album that carry you off into a fairy tale world that lives and breathes just our own world does.

5. Multi love- Unknown Mortal Orchestra

            This vivid, lo-fi rock album makes me happy whenever I listen to it. It is fast enough to make me move and catchy enough to haunt my mind when I am not listening to it. From the way it uses drums to the almost muffled way each song sounds, it as almost as if the message of the album is supposed to be some sort of secret that people are not ready for. The opening song explores the ideas of transgender love and relationships, while the latter songs talk about how our generation is hooked to the idea of checking our phones and the overpopulation of the planet. Granted these ideas are not thrown at you, making them less political statements and more artistic observations, but all of the contained within  this album makes it worth going back to again in again because nothing sounds quite like it. It got me through many long walks in the dark at school, because whenever I heard to opening notes of the keyboard in this album I knew I was in for a treat.

4. Choose Your Weapon- Hiatus Kaiyote

            Ever since my friend showed me this band over summer I have been obsessed. They are an Australian Neo-Soul band that, between their 4 members, has created such a full sound that it is crazy. In this album we get songs that do anything from show off a specific musical idea as an interlude, to 5 or 6 minute songs that explore the full range of what can be done when jazzy improvisation and vocal embellishments are pushed to their limits. The sounds feel complete but never lose their smoothness. While the album has an electronic element thrown into a lot of the songs, it does not feel synthetic or forced in anyway. Chiptunes and video game sounds are added to create the tone of this album, which is mysterious and wondrous at the same time. It feels like the music of the future while at the same time taking from the past. Also they have one of my favorite album covers of the year, just adding to what I love about this band.

3. Ego Death- The Internet

            The Internet is finally getting the praise they deserve, having been nominated for a Grammy for this very album. From the first song I was completely absorbed with this album. With a lot of the songs revolving around love of women, but being sung by a female lead sing, it provides a unique take on a love album. Not that this just boils down to a love album mind you, this young R&B band takes concepts like lackluster partners, drug and fame culture, and even socially conscious lyrics about black death, and uses them to create this funky yet smooth LP. With Syd the Kid’s vocals ranging from as deep as mind to falsetto, and the bands amazing playing, no song on this album feels week. Through staying true to themselves The Internet has come to find the sound that they always wanted, somewhere between atmospheric and soulful, and uses it to explore the lives of young adults growing up in this crazy disconnected society. I got to see them live this semester and it was so amazing to see all their players solo and play their hearts out on stage. At the same time though, they were having fun and putting on a great show, which is all of the signs of a band that is meant to last.

2. Surf- Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

            The reason this is not on the Hip-Hop list is because at its core it is more than that. Donnie Trumpet makes music more akin to soul and smooth jazz, and while this takes a different turn, the turn is not serve enough to be put in the rap category. Through collaborations with his band which includes the ever popular Chance the Rapper. If you want to read everything I think about this album you can find it HERE. To cut it short this album makes me happy, and it’s a testament to what can be done when you defy conventions and just make good music with your friends

 1.      The Epic- Kamasi Wahsington

 I have also written about this album, but never by itself. This is a 3 hour jazz album constructed by the same man who arranged the majority of the music for Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Needless to say this man is a musical genius, and with the help of a ten piece band and choir he put together and ten hour recording sessions used to record this album, he made my favorite non Hip-Hop album of the year. This album not being included in any jazz category for this year’s Grammys is probably the biggest musical tragedy of the year, and just shows how out of touch our mainstream appreciation of music has gotten. It has everything you would expect from Jazz and does not limit itself to just one sub-genre. There are elements of Free Jazz Bebop along with the vocal melodies of the more laid back blues vocal aspect of older jazz songs. This album is a celebration of Jazz of all kinds, and its main method of celebration is just taking the old conventions of Jazz and doing it way better. The length of this album is a message; it expresses a love for music and a desire to inspire fellow players to keep this beautiful art form going. Some of the best Jazz musicians in the world are on this album, including Thundercat on electric bass, and they all came to together to make an album that is deserving of its namesake. I listen to this album as much as I can, studying its melodies and getting lost in the wild directions the music go in. This is more the just music, it is a part of a movement, it is artists collaborating to have their voices heard because people assume that artists of that caliber are a thing of the past. When people say “man music just isn’t good anymore” you show them this gem and tell them that music is coming back in a big way. The Epic has arrived and I believe it just the beginning of a huge Jazz revival. If you like Jazz you need to hear this album, if you like music you need to hear this album, if you want to hear what happens when masters of a craft all come together to make a work of art, then do yourself a favor and listen to this amazing album.

A Look Into The Mirror

 Sequel to 'A Night'

It had to be a dream. Not because the pain felt too intense to describe, the tears fell too much to dry, nor the sun never seemed to come up, but rather because it was all just too depressing. In the span of what seemed like hours but may have only been minutes, Kyle was walking down a hallway straight out of hell itself. Consistently and without missing a beat there were pictures frames lined up perfectly every two feet or so. In these frames were everything he was ashamed of, from breakups to breakdowns. All of this was on display for the world, and more importantly Kyle, to see.

It was hard to remember how he got here, but everything else he remembered perfectly. The pain of loss and the sting of remorse were as familiar as the clothes he was currently sweating in, but he could not trace his steps back. Did he kill himself? Maybe, if the pictures on the wall are any indication, he could be pretty reckless. Still this didn't seem like death, a bit dreary yes, but not the nothing he was expecting after he died. Another unspecified amount of time passed and the hallway just kept going. After forever had come and gone he stopped in his tracks and stared in horror at a particular picture that had caught his eye. It was him, much like the other pictures, but in this one he was huddled in the corner of his room just crying to himself. He remembered.

So much loss.

He had never had to deal with losing family before, all his life things had just fallen into place and stayed there. It was no paradise, but he felt like he had a support system if anything. Then one phone call later it all crashed down. His mother was destroyed, his father speechless, and he himself was thrown into a constant state of shock because without that he may have jumped out a window. Was the Kyle walking now the same Kyle that was in that corner crying? Could it be he was still there just trying to make sense of it all? Time had passed but there was no way to tell how much, all he could do was keep walking. Walk through the pain, walk through the memories, and keep walking until he hit something that wasn't just the wall that her death put around his mind.

Deeper still into the abyss his journeys brought him to another picture. This was him and a girl. He knew the girl, and cared for her, but in the end could not make her happy. He tried to blame it on the loss, blame it on the girl, blame it on anyone but himself because he knew how much he had ruined it. He could not help it for he was a dreamer, building fantasy was is life, and to admit it was anything but would crush him. Yet it crushed her...and them, while he still go to hold onto his sense of self like it wasn't his fault. He remembered. She tried to give him space because he was suffering a loss, but he filled that space with resent toward the both of them. He threatened to pull the trigger on himself, told her he needed him, and she left. Another picture showed his empty apartment. It was quiet like his mind never was and only told the truth, much like he hadn't.

And then the hallway ended. His trip brought him to a mirror. With the pictures still crying behind him Kyle figured the best thing to do was step forward, it seemed to work for him thus far. Then in the mirror he saw a figure start to shift. The lights that he didn't even notice were lit in the hallway went out and he was forced to focus on nothing on this creature now fully visible in the mirror. It was wearing a straitjacket, with chains attached to the limbs that connected to a stone wall behind it. The jacket was clean, spotless even, like someone had always come to make sure this being was cared for. It mumbled in a way that Kyle could not decipher, yet it was familiar. Then the creature raised its head and Kyle almost threw up at the site of it.

It was him.

Well...almost him. It had tiny yet pronounced horns and what appeared to be fangs in the mouth that spoke coherent mumbles. It was wearing a blindfold, yet tears were streaming down its cheeks. The thing was a monster, and Kyle hated every moment he was it its presence, yet he could not look away. It was locked behind this mirror in this word Kyle did not understand, but he still pitied it. He held out his hand, for whatever reason, to try and touch the mirror. As his fingers just began to touch what should have been glass, the being spoke.

“Worthless,” it said.

“W-what?” Kyle was in shock, despite him thinking the mumbles were familiar, he never thought it could speak to him.

“We...are....worthless.”

“I don't understand, what are you?!” Kyle's voice rose and fear was slowing sinking into him.

“We am you, you am we. We are nothing.”

“I can't be you, that doesn't make sense. Why are you here, why are you locked up? Answer me!”

The creature rose to its feet slowly, like it's body was broken, before answering. Kyle knew what it was going to say though, he could feel the the creature was connected to him somehow, and its pain was his pain.

“We are here because we want it.”

“No...why would I want to be here?”

“The world wants we here, we do what makes them happy. We know we are worthless so this is the safest place. We are safe here.”

Just then Kyle understood and dropped to his knees in a panic. This was him, no different from the him currently on his knees.

“Did I...make you?” Kyle asked, his brain felt like it was bleeding.

“We made us, we have always been.”

Kyle stumbled forward, through the glass that wasn't there, and into the domain of the mirror. Face to face with the thing now he could not break eye contact. Upon closer inspection he saw that on the straitjacket were names written. Names of people he had hurt, let down, or distanced himself from for their own good. They faded in and out of visibility, but never completely gone. The chains attaching the being to the wall were actually being held by the being itself. If it wanted to let go and free itself it could. The being looked at Kyle, and despite it's blindness could tell exactly where to focus its gaze.

“We hate us, we are worthless, we will never know love.” The being seemed sad now, genuine sadness hidden by its devilish appearance.

“No, I don't hate you...I never have. I am sorry.” Kyle hugged the creature. And it screamed.

“WE ARE WORTHLESS, WE HATE US, WE WILL NEVER KNOW LOVE!!”

Its fangs dug deep into Kyle's neck, and at the moment where death should have found him he woke up. He was in his empty, honest room. It was still and he had been sweating. He sat up in silence for a long time, long enough that he could replay the night's events in his mind again over and over. Each time things became more and more vivid until it seemed like the creature would burst out of his mind again. He got up and walked over to his desk. He saw on a notepad next to his computer was a message. It read, “Worthless, Unloved, Alone” over and over again until the ink started to fade at the bottom of the page. Disgusted he ripped the page up and threw it away. He no longer believed what the message said, which did not mean it wasn't true, but he no longer believed it. On that same desk was a charm that the girl had gotten him on a trip she took. It was a keychain, the only souvenir he would accept. The charm was handmade, and meant something like good fortune or love. Neither of which he considered himself to have a lot of. Still, it was there, and that meant something. He got up to go to his bathroom and after about 10 mins of fear, turned on the light to face his mirror. It was him. No blindfold or horns though, just bags under his eyes and messy hair. He stared deeply at himself. There is no we, there was him. Just then he had an idea. He ran to his nightstand to get something he knew was there, a lipstick tube. She had left it, so saddened by his actions that it was not important. He went back to his bathroom and started writing. His hand was guided by a force that reminded him of his grandmother, no nonsense and supportive. He stepped back, gasping and looked at what he wrote. “I am not worthless, my past will not define me, I will forgive myself and more importantly, love myself”. It would become his mantra, it would break his chains, and it would silence the being from speaking its truth.

In that moment he was his own biggest fan.

Thoughts On: Rodeo

Recommended listening: Oh my Dis side, Piss on your grave, Maria I’m drunk

Welcome back to Thoughts On, where I always happen to time my breaks with thousands of albums set to drop in the coming weeks. In the past 3 weeks we have had 3 major releases, all of which I plan on covering…eventually. But this week we are talking about the dark lucid album Rodeo by Houston rapper Travis Scott (stylized $cott). In his highly anticipated debut album Travis manages to do what almost seems impossible to me. He fuses traditional production elements of Hip-Hop such as sampling soul or adding in jazz with the electronic and trap heavy sounds that have been dominating commercial Hip-Hop for the last year or so. A lot of people will generalize and talk about modern rap music as though all Hip-Hop is the same thing, but in reality there are sub-genres, different production styles, and different rap flows that mix and match to make up the diverse sound of modern Hip-Hop. So with this album coming out mixing two different worlds to make one coherent album (which is out of place for a trap project), we now get a chance for those familiar with the mainstream sound to see how commercial music can still be twisted to reflect artistic integrity.

So who is Travis Scott? Well Travis is a Houston producer/rapper that started out as a teenager making beats and collaborating with his friends to form rap groups in his high school. After putting music up on Myspace for a bit Travis had a falling out with one of his cohorts and left to move to L.A. In L.A one of his songs was heard by none other than T.I and he was brought into the studio to work. Eventually some numbers got dialed and cards got exchanged and Travis was able to meet the infamous Kanye West, getting signed to G.O.O.D music and appearing on the Cruel Summer album before putting out his first project Owl Pharaoh in 2013. With his mixtape getting quite a bit of recognition more people began to wonder just who this man was. In 2014 he released his second project Days Before Rodeo, which also received a fair bit of acclaim and served as the precursor to his debut album. In terms of style Travis mixes elements of heavy production (utilizing everything he has at his fingertips) with often auto-tuned vocals and lucid lyrics to create a dark sound not dissimilar to the likes of A$AP Rocky. However Travis is usually more aggressive both lyrically and in terms of his personality that Rocky.

So what does the album sound like? Well taking lessons from both Kanye and Kid Cudi (also on the G.O.O.D label) Travis is a storyteller, and attempts to do this not just lyrically but sonically as well. The album starts off with ‘Pornography’ with T.I narrating, telling a story about a young rebel who decides he is against the world. He speaks of the rebel leading an army away from the norm in search of something, what that something is not known but it has to be better than nothing. Then the beat kicks in with heavy bass and chords so distorted they sound like guitars wailing in the background, reminiscent of Kanye’s vocals on the beginning of ‘Monster’ and ‘All Day’. Travis comes saying that he is surrounded by pornography so get high with him, which may just be a metaphor for how messed up both he and the world are. T.I comes back in continuing the story of how Travis is a flame (one of his nicknames is La Flame) and is going against everyone who told him that he would never amount to anything. Now trap snares kick in and Travis becomes more lyrically aggressive just as the beat swells. Overall it is great way to start an album, establishing a motive and setting the tone that this project with beat switches and a rapper determined to get his point across.

This transitions well into the song ‘Oh My Dis Side’ in which we heard a simple progression of five notes going up and down supported by heavy bass and the sharpest snare possible. In this song Travis speaks on his parting habits and how the affects the rest of his life. Getting kicked out of the house, drinking lean, and eventually sleeping on couches in LA (presumably after he moves). After every line he says “Oh My” and it becomes the theme of all of his lyrics. Interestingly enough he moves from his failures to his successes (such as being able to buy his mom a house) and still retains the same two word phrase after his lines, showing that it can be used as a form of negative shock and positive reflection. The song then changes musically to include in jazzy keyboards and smooth chords in, eliminating the intense bass and snares, and changes to the “Dis Side” part of the song. Here we get reflections on everything Travis used to do on one side of the track so to speak, as he reflections on the harsh realities of hoods. He mentions making money on the same side that he got his first kiss and it is just an interesting duality that he is showing. Then Quavo of the group Migos comes in to do a verse about the same subject and seems sentimental in his looking back. Like he is fully aware of how dangers his life was and knows he still has friends back in it. It is a beautiful chunk of song that blends same of the most aggressive artists out there with a smooth track to make something new musically diverse.

Skipping ahead to 'Wasted' We get to hear Travis really coming into the auto-tuned sound, so much so that it no longer sounds like an effect to me but just a natural part of his persona. The beat of his song consists of what sounds like flutes (at least that pitch) ascending in pitch upward as heavy bass and snare pattern support it. It is important to point out that while this is not the most interesting beat, the pressure of the bass is still felt and adds weight to the lyrical content. The song is about how hard he works and how that translates to how wild he can get. In the middle of the son is a narrative about how many people can't handle their liquor and drugs, and only real ones can handle it. All this of course is said in a somber tone as the beat changes and chords are added and taken about before the second verse. It is an interesting take on the wild party culture of Hip-Hop that transitions well into the next song. '90210' starts with bouncy chords and tells the story of a girl from the valley, and the groupie culture that is commonly associated with that area (Beverly Hills). He then makes the story more personal and speaks on how these same girls are drawn to him. Halfway through we get a beat switch to a boom-bap style beat with soulful piano thrown in to sound like something that early Kanye might have done (again showing his influence). He raps about how his grandma calls to remind him not to work hard, a break from the heavy party lifestyle we have been exposed to so far, showing the more human side of this rapper that so far has just been hard. Again one of the production is just a beautiful mix of such heaviness with a light touch that makes it more musical.

Skipping ahead to 'Piss On Your Grave' we get a song that starts with a straight hard rock guitar with drums to match before menacing low chords and steady beat come int to replace them. Kanye comes in with a short verse about taking back what is his and shoving his success in the faces of haters. Pretty standard material, but the vulgarity and aggression with which he says what he means just makes the song hit that much harder. Likewise when Travis comes and talks about popping pills and going ape just because he made it big you can really vibe with the artists are going for. Kanye comes back in and is basically shouting obscenities and while it is kind of funny to here him do this style it really just makes the song distinct. Even though the song is short it is so direct that it remains memorable. The album then slows down into 'Antidote', going back to the partying themes but the tone and language sounds more personal then the previously mentioned songs. With bass and trap snares coming in and it it makes for a mix between a somber song and a lucid theme to get lost in on the dance floor. Travis proclaims that “anything can happen at the night show”, referring to the party he is currently reflecting on. Travis' party antics seem to play more into his lyrics and lifestyle more so than other rappers. Like his life revolves around the night show and rebelling (much like T.I's narration stated earlier). In 'Maria I'm Drunk' we get a more pop sensible ballad with Justin Bieber and Young Thug. Here Travis is crooning to an unknown asking them to call their friends to come get drunk. While haunting chords that sound like they belong in a horror song play Travis sounds literally drunk and lost in his own thoughts. Justin comes in with a verse appealing to girl to come and just get lost with him. His voice actually blends in very well with this pop-trap style and it adds to sad feeling this song puts forward. Young Thug's verse starts and he seems to confuse the feeling being drunk and being in love. Referring to a friend who he fools around with but wont get too intimate with him for whatever reason. The song also just fades out with the instrumental playing for another 30 seconds or so, letting the listener just soak in what they just heard. This is the saddest song on the album to be just because it highlights a lifestyle I could never personally imagine, but that's what makes it so good.

In the Penultimate song 'I Can Tell', we get Travis singing the song title in a manner that reminds me of 808's and Heartbreak. With a lavish beat the keeps evolving through the song that mixes a variety of snares with his signature bass that swells over time. Here he essentially talks about his own ability to foresee his own future, from his humble beginnings producing in a basement to his party culture, lifestyle, and come up. It is 3 minutes of straight bragging that feels good in the context of getting to the end of an exhausting list of well produced and introspective songs. Like of course he is proud of himself and boasts, look at his skill and repertoire. This of course leads into the final song, 'Apple Pie'. This song starts with a 3 note piano progression as Travis tuned vocals cut threw the chords. You can hear faint vocal chords filling in space in the background ad Travis states that he cannot feed of his moms applie pie anymore. He needs to break away from depending on her anymore and desires to make his own legacy. Recounting his feats as a steady snare hits this is the Travis that followers of his music since 2013 have been waiting for. A confident rapper and producer confident in his style and paving his own way. T.I concludes the album posing the question will Travis make it on his path of being a rebel. A question we all can relate to, can we make it doing our own thing?

If you have been looking forward to Travis Scott's major debut then this album will not disappoint. Getting lost in a world full of drugs, aggression, and passion it is easy to just conclude that Travis is insane. Which he might be. However in the madness lies sparks of genius that find ways to make trap not only suitable to an album format, but telling a story without sacrificing major elements of trap music. By taking parts of some you can make something whole that is unlike either parts but still carries the importance of both. Travis his aiming to bridge the gap between say conscious Hip-Hop fans and trap or more aggressive Hip-Hop fans and just make music that appeals to his life, a reflection of a man who sees himself as a rebel and cherish that. This is great album to vibe to and let yourself just feel. It hits hard but carries enough music to keep you interested past bass and snares. If you have the chance I recommend you: Listen Soon. Thank you readers for bearing with my long hiatus and I promise I will be back with more consistent posts and reflective thoughts. Long live good music.

Thoughts On: Summertime '06

Recommended Listening: Lift Me Up, Jump off the Roof, Might be Wrong

Welcome back to another Thoughts On, where I have apparently recovered enough from Surf to write about another album. Still in the middle one of the best years in modern Hip-Hop it seems as though the hype just will not end. This month alone we got major throw backs with the releases of Yes by Slum village, with beats made by the infamous J Dilla, and Every Hero Needs A Villain by Czarface, a superhero persona created by rapper Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan and producers 7L & Esoteric. However the album I will be talking about today carries a much darker tone than either of these previous, Summertime '06 by rapper Vince Staples is a bass-heavy gritty project about the realities of gang culture and the conflicting desires to escape it. While not as explosive as other albums released this year nor is it really friendly to radio ears, this debut album has proven that Vince has a distinct way of saying what he means and telling his story.

So who is Vince Staples? Well the Long Beach, CA rapper is at the same time new and old to the scene. While this is indeed his debut album, Vince has been making music for years. Starting with his verse on the song 'epaR' on Earl Sweatshirts first mixtape he went onto to make the Shyne Coldchain Vol.1 mixtape in 2011. From then on he caught the attention of Mac Miller and released the collaboration mixtape Stolen Youth in 2013. It was around this point that Vince started to tour with Mac, record features for Earl's debut album Doris, and getting signed to Def Jam. Things started to look up for Vince, who previously only had experience gang-banging and causing trouble. In fact Vince has talked a bit about his troubled youth in INTERVIEWS, and it seems that rap is the only thing that saved him from a more extreme lifestyle. In 2014 Vince released both his Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 mixtape and Hell Can Wait EP, the latter of which garnered critical acclaim and got a lot of people excited for what he would do next. This year Vince was selected as a XXL freshmen, a spot reserved in the XXL Hip-Hop magazine for up and coming rappers whom you should be listening to. Vince often times is known as the guy who was in Earl's music, but listening to him he has a slow deliberate style all his own. While not as cartoonishly violent as his friends in Odd Future Vince still manages to bring up despair-filled images of his repetitive gang lifestyle, biblical allusions, and seems to remain numb the whole time, as if his past has just desensitized him to everything.

So what does this album sound like? Well first off the bulk of this album was produced by No I.D, well known for his work with Kanye West (he was the former president of GOOD music, Kanye's label) and just a big name producer overall. So on Vince's first album he was able to get such a quality producer that really helps this album take on a distinct tone. It all starts with 'Ramona Park Legend Pt.1' a short ambient track that sounds like a beach with waves crashing and seagulls flying overheard as wavy notes play in the background. The track ends with a gunshot before bleeding into 'Lift Me Up', a powerful proper intro where Vince asks the difference between gang-banging and trying to make it rich by other means. It is a song about survival and sets the theme for this album really well. This of course is accompanied by heavy bass riffs and frayed chords that give the whole song a frantic vibe. One line I really love from this song is “I feel like fuck Versace, they rapin' niggas pockets”, reflecting on how the desire for material means in impoverished communities just does more harm than good. In this intro Vince manages to talk about his own desire for redemption with speaking truths about his community and that is not an easy feat by any means. Next is the upbeat track 'Norf Norf', where Vince goes into a more narrative style and takes the role of what seems to be himself during the summer of 2006 (the albums name sake because this seems the be the climax of Vinces gang life). With warped siren sounding chords ringing in the back that still stay true to the setting provided Vince proclaims that he “ain't never ran from nothing but the police”. While a banger this song paints a dark picture of the daily life of a lot people in Vince's area and the gang mentality that takes root in their minds. Skipping to 'Loca' we get an interesting take on a song about a girl. On this track Vince appears to be appealing to a girl while still caught up in the troubles of his lifestyle, asking if she would lie for him in court and threatening other men who try to flirt with her. However with bass driven and popping drums that cover this song there appears to be a hint of desperation in this, like Vince is trying to hang on to someone rather than alpha male control her. The song ends with a woman speaking Spanish directed and what could be Vince that roughly translates to “Get your shit together”.

'Jump Off The Roof' starts with wailing screams rising and falling before the cowbell kicks in and Vince starts talking about a kind of troubled love that he is going through. Rapping about addictions that he is currently suffering from and wishing to escape a life that has become more and more like hell. Here we start to get into Vince's strength as a writer, creating this very tangible story of trying to change but getting caught in a circle that eventually culminates in the hook “On 3 lets jump off the roof”. This seems to be asking what love means in such a violent reality. Next is the single for the album that also had a super interesting music video, 'Senorita', starting with a soft piano intro before picking up with a hook by Future. Being more critical this time Vince speaks on his time at peak violence, going out of his way to give details about his location if people feel the need to retaliate against him and claiming that this life is about war and survival. The verse hits again and the lyrics change to ask what would you murder for, furthermore elaborating on what means enough for you to engage in this kind of life. The more you think about why people get caught in this life the more it comes back to survival and necessity, a dark world indeed. The track ends with a change in tone with triplet note progression that sounds like Tyler, The Creator made it while singer Snoh Aalegra states that “I'll pull up on you, I'll pull up on your mind”. Ending disc one we get the somber track 'Summertime', in which we hear hard notes hit high and low and remind me of a sense of falling, which is appropriate because this song is about the often true nature that life in these areas is inescapable. The hook of this song, “This could be forever baby” serves to drive the point home and at one point Vince says “they never taught me how to be man, just a shooter”, a powerful line that in a way sums up the whole experience of gang life. This ends half the album but potentially could have ended the whole thing, so far what we have is a dark tale about gang culture that doesn't glory killing but rather states it as a dark by product of the wars plaguing our hoods.

Disc 2 starts with 'Ramona Park Legend Pt.2' bringing back the beat from part one with Earl Sweatshirt's vocals coming claiming that he is a legend around where ever he is. This seems to be a sort of defensive mentality that gang members get into to justify their actions and/or protect themselves from their own impending dooms. I have stated earlier that Vince comes off as numb to violence and the dull vocals of this song bring that out to the max. Skipping past a few upbeat tracks we get to 'Might Be Wrong', which starts off with a beautiful melody about trying to find the truth and what means what in the world laid over a smooth bass line that transitions to a phone call from a prison. The voice of the prisoner may be Vince's brother who apparently went to prison around this time in the summer of 2006. The voice recites a poem about unjust shootings and police brutality, which have become more and more relevant as the Black Lives Matter movement is still in full force. We only hear Vince on this track to encourage the voice to keep going when it stumbles but it is still a strong track that shows how even those in this lifestyle can see the error of its ways and are smart enough to notice injustices elsewhere in the world. Just after this we get 'Get Paid', another strong banger about what Vince got into in his youth, claiming he has been robbing since a kid. But what captures my interest in this song is that he states that this is what the OG's of the area told us. Gang culture, much like most negative lifestyles, is circular in its framework. The OG's tell the kids that life is all about money and power and that is what the kids will flock to. Vince is just as much a victim of a problem as much as he is a part of it. This does not excuse violence but rather gives you a deeper look into what it actually means to be a product of your environment.

In 'C.N.B' it sounds like Vince has given up. With a beat that consists of a little piano flourish and bass hits with droning vocal hook of him repeating okay he just sounds defeated. It is as if he has accepted the world as it is, with all the negative garbage that is drowning him and his people, and it has simply turned him into the coldest version of himself. He states black people in his area are bred to kill and are raped for their culture. Probably one of the darkest songs on the album it is an anthem of truth that speaks on how under-appreciated black people are in modern society, with people loving our work but hating us. This flows well into the penultimate track, 'Like It Is' which has pleasant vocal harmonies laced with a snare that sounds like roar woven in to set the stage for Vince to talk about how he makes the transition from gang life to where he is now. He claims that he has to be the one to make it up to Heaven, to make his mother proud and break the cycle. This track is lyrically full of so many truths it is hard to name them all. It is here where you get to see just how smart Vince is, his environment bred him to be something dangerous and he took that knowledge and is trying to do something positive. Something really profound he states is that you looking at somebody telling them their story doesn't matter is no better than me trying to kill someone. Which I think is completely true. All people are trying to do something before we die, and how we all achieve that or strive for that is different. Vince is trying to shoot for dreams that might not be possible but they are better than killing and he has accepted where he needs to go in life. Finally the album ends on ' '06 ', which starts with an announcer saying “Next time on poppy street”, making it sound as if this has all been but an episode in Vince's life. Vince starts a verse proclaiming this to be the next day and he is excitedly rapping before getting cut off by static and the album just ends.

This is an important piece of Hip-Hop music. While sites like Complex will call this a failure because it doesn't have any “hits” this album is a gritty accurate portrayal of one of the biggest dangers facing African-Americans today, our own communities. Communities broken by years of violence where people turn to gangs because their real families are so distant or unhealthy. I believe this album serves as a shining example of how it is possible to escape that world if you decide to put others before yourself and focus on making something that gives back to your people. Vince often says his music isn't about rap as much as it is about spreading awareness and making a statement. While I do wish that the track order was arranged differently (maybe by levels of intensity) this was still a fantastic debut album that I was not wrong to be excited for. Vince is not a great singer and his hooks are often repetitive and can be lazy to some, but his strengths in story telling and trying to inspire make him an excellent rapper to follow. 2015 has been the year of revolution and we need more dark realistic tales that don't glorify this culture, but talk about its necessary evils. I recommended you: LISTEN SOON to this album to get a good look into a terrifying culture that gave birth to another great rapper.