2021: The albums I have enjoyed this year

Last year I was able to make to lists and separate the ones who was Hip Hop and the ones who was Pop & Afrobeat. However, this year I will make a joint session. Since well, music haven’t been as prevalent for me. Neither has the music been as vital or been as close as before. The lockdowns and quarantine has stopped a lot of time listening time for me. Usually, I listen to the most music in transit or watch music videos at home. Therefore, I lost a lot of space and opportunities to it by default by being home during lockdowns this year.

That’s why I will have one simple list and all genres will be represented here. The albums I did appreciate and can see myself bumping in the future… and the ones that was lost on me… the famous dishonourable mentions, if you may.

Well… here we go.

Mr. P – “The Prodigal” was a fun afrobeat album from the P-Square alumni. He really showed swag and wished more people had talked about it. There is nice joints on here and it’s underwhelming how little that has been pushed about this album.

HRSMN (Canibus, Kurupt, Killah Priest & Rass Kass) – “Last Ride” was a dope hip-hop album made by old-school heroes. It was really fun and not with tracks fit for modern radio. This was the finesse and funny bars from a collective of wordsmiths. All of these gentlemen have proven their skills in the past and this was just a gem to listen too.

B-Real & Scott Storch – “Tell You Something” was a shocker of a release. Not that I have anticipated or awaited anything produced by Scott Storch in a decade or so. Storch fell off and seemed to be lost .B-Real has been on joint LPs with Xzibit and Derrick of late, which has been super awesome to listen too. So, his just following up on that and is having a great time on the beats of Storch. FYI: “Never Go Home” has a terrible beat and it should have been forgotten on whatever Nintendo Gameboy Game he sampled it from. That’s the only downer on this one and is an instant skip.

Rudeboy – “Rudykillus” is the other P-Square alumni album of the year. Where he starts of the album reminiscing and reminding everyone of his past hits. His swagger is cool and all. This is an album worth listening too and tracks like “Focus” shows his star-power and talent.

Talib Kweli and Diamond D – “Gotham” is another wordsmith and hip-hop album, which I felt has gone under the radar. Not shocking, as it been years since Talib was a main-stay and relevant for a broader audience. Still, he deserves credit and can produce nice of bodies of work to this day.

Joell Ortiz – “Autograph” is the A-Typical project of the Slaughterhouse MC at this point. He can tell stories and paint pictures with his words. The beats are refreshing and vibrant. It’s an absolute gem of a LP. These are the sorts that should be higher on rankings and get acknowledged, but the game is rigged. That’s why it’s not there…

Fashawn & Sir Veterano – ‘All Hail The King”. The F is finally returning and off Nas’s Mass Appeal. He shows why his a cool dude and an artist. Here his just brazen and direct, as there is steady and funky beats by Sir Veterano on the production. This is a real underground, but he should get credit. As he has continued to push out his craft and with this LP his showing that he is a force to be reckon with.

Dax – “Pain Paints Paintings” was an album which grow on me. Dax hasn’t changed or anything. Listen to him thanks to YouTube and the videos there in quarantine. He dropped a few EPs before and it was evident there was skills there. Now with a full project it was fun to listen too. Not it is revolutionary or has any sort of traditional hip-hop over it …. NO. But, it is a fun joint and easy-listening, as Dax never goes to deep.

Saigon – “Pain, Peace & Prosperity” is the album of a man I have followed since the Yardfather mixtape series in the early 2000s. It is nice seeing him shining on this one. It is clear that Just Blaze isn’t as involved or have production on here. Though, it is refreshing to see Saigon deliver a full project and get support from all across the board.

Remedy – “Remedy Meets Wu-Tang” is the most out of left-field album of the year for my part. It was just so amazing to see the Wu-Tang Collective shine on a album in 2021. This was like the golden age returning and nothing had changed. The beats, the bars and the whole setting was made for this. Remedy, which I haven’t heard of and maybe I lost the memo. Was showing his skills, but there was plenty of times where the Wu-Tang MCs out-shined him, but who cares? It’s an awesome project!

Lloyd Banks – “The Curse of the inevitable” with the return of the G-Unit wonderkid. Well, Banks isn’t a kid anymore and been a long time coming for his return. The G-Unit rapper dropped an album which fits into the Griselda era and could easily been dropped on that imprint. This wasn’t sounding like any of his previous LPs or even having the production of a G-Unit album. However, his word-play and bars was obvious on this one. That was what made this one unique. Not like he was pressured by Interscope or G-Unit to make a radio-friendly jam to be played on Hot 97.

Tiwa Savage – “Water and Garri EP” was a fun instalment, a very short one, but a worthwhile one. This is what you expect and as always, Tiwa does deliver. There is no skips and just a jolly atmosphere until the project is over. Nas even featured on the first track and he phoned it in sadly, but at least he wasn’t speaking of “crypto-currency” on this one. Tiwa had deserved a more fitting rapper on the track, but she maybe wanted someone who is celebrated and gets recognized world-wide.

This here is my list and it’s subjective. There was several of albums that I still enjoyed, but didn’t play like did this. Others that I have in my “tape-deck” but haven’t gotten into. Which would be another list. Albums I tried to listen too, but never caught on or had the rush to bump again. There is a few of those. However, I don’t feel the need to drop those… Peace.

Opinion: Don’t sleep on Fashawn

The Fresno’s own King has dropped another album called “All Hail the King” fully produced by Sir Veterano. This a new project and it sort of came out of nowhere. I picked this one up in the same manner, I picked up “Boy Meets World”. Ironically, both was distributed through The Orchard/Sony Music and released independently.

Now, Fashawn is on the Fresh Yard Records. He has gone away from the record label of Nas Mass Appeal. That was a short stint and “The Ecology” was really the only real project dropped on there and “Manna” if it was released there. It didn’t really matter in the grand schemes of things.

Fashawn did more with the collaboration with Murs “This Generation” than with the last project. It is positive that his dropping independently and on a Cali label. His going home and it’s looking fresh for him.

It is the fun boom-bap with a bang. There isn’t a moment of silence or hectic mess. The new album got 9 bangers and they are hard hitting. It is like the return and we all should just salute the King. This is what Fashawn needed and his proven his skills over the years.

It is hard to know why the “Boy Meets World” and “The Ecology” didn’t hit up the charts. The rapper should have gotten more than tokens of respect. Fashawn, the F should be put higher. I felt he was the underdog and Kendrick Lamar got all the glory. The dropped the same time and he got under the radar.

Fashawn should get credit. He got the skills and the ability to poetically craft a song. On this album he has the steady beats and the production behind him too. I wish he had a bigger label and a more solid distribution. He should have been a major force and not for the ones who knows about him already.

Fashawn is a King in his own right. He deserves the throne and has the bag of work too. It is not like his some son-of-gun with no skills or finesse. No, this man has the capabilities and should be recognized. I am just sad that the deals and record industry isn’t giving him his dues. It is good that the Fresh Yard Records has signed him.

Santiago should be crowned, but not by like me. He should be in the main act at the Madison Square Garden and such. Tours with him as the act to see and the ones who gets internationally known. His name should shine and now his back to where he was years ago.

Fresno’s F deserves so much more. This album, which was released recently should be blasted. Songs played on radio and put on playlists on Spotify/Tidal etc. Fashawn is slept on and it’s about time that changes. Peace.

‘The Ecology’ VS ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ – Underrated VS Cultural Icon

It isn’t often I discuss music. Today I got to. Not because Kendrick Lamar dropped a new ‘Control’ verse. This post will be about Kendrick Lamar and Fashawn. Because them both have released albums recently…

First and foremost, I have liked them both as artist K-Dot and Fashawn. Listen to their mixtapes like Section#80 and Higher Learning. Also their great projects like ‘Boys Meets World’ and ‘Good Kid M.A.A.D. City’.

Second there happen a lot over the years. I don’t listen to as much of the dropped music. So this will be more my view of it. The recent lousy projects I have listened to were Kid Inks album and Tygas random project with Chris Brown. They we’re so boring… that I gave up them both after two listening. Let me tell you. I will listen to K.Dots and Fashawns albums for so long. They are both good projects. Still I have some feelings about them.

‘The Ecology’

Let me tell you. The style of Fashawn is so old-school way. Therefore Boys Meets World is like a Boom Bap paradise. The new album is up to day. You can feel the different producers of the tracks. That he has used time to build this one up. The only boring track Confess… is a weak ass of a song. That he wants to tell he is the best man a woman can get. Let me tell you Fashawn is better to explain how he feels about his past and his glories. The way that he lyrically can address the Fresno issues… That’s when he got you blasting the tracks into a blaze. I feel he is so underrated therefore I address him first.

‘To Pimp a Butterfly’

Now let me address Kendrick and his album. This one has been discussed and addressed by all the pundits between the moon and where there is no lights burning. So for me to go wild here would be unnecessary. Let’s say it doesn’t have the same amount of big hits as the first major release. He kind of follows the preaching society issues from Section#80 and the #HighPower agenda. Which is a good thing considering this form a Markie and major artist which is coming from TDE/Aftermath and not some indie label who gets 10K sold over 100 months. So this will be listened to and also make mark on the culture. He got a bigger reach then Fashawn. His star power is gigantic. Therefore he is now addressing that as well as social circumstances. Which is refreshing, he switches between flows and genres so that the listening experience isn’t boring and it grows on you. Get better with multiple listens.

Discussion:  

Fashawn I dig his album and it will be on rotation for a god damn long time. The Same will happen with K.Dot. They are both good. But as a hip hop head. I prefer Fashawn even if he don’t have as many flows and storytelling ways. I keeps it more to formula. That’s why until recently I listened mostly to DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9” with ‘Phryme’. I am that kind of guy. I know that a few of you now expect KRS and the Juice Crew to jump into the screen and dance for you. If not BDP to drop another classic! Well, I am sorry that will not happen. Unless you’re drinking… or smoking some of Snoops righteous spliffs.

And at this point K.Dot can nearly drop any kind of project and be praised. Fashawn can do whatever and be under the radar. Nobody would mind. Therefore I have to root for the underdog. Not to undervalue the progress and the stature of K.Dot, but somebody has to love and enjoy the records of Fashawn. He has also prospered but in a slow way from the indie release until being signed by Nas.

I just wished that Fashawn would have a bigger crowed and honored the way he deserve. The same goes to Killer Mike and all the other lyricists that hasn’t gone platinum. But they gone another direction and doesn’t also ways max out. Nevertheless, as long as they drop quality product, people like me will pick it up and even pay for it.

Big up for K.Dot or Kendrick Lamar who has made it. And dropping great music. Its well deserved!

While I am talking music, where is Mos Def hiding?

Peace.

Favoritt: Bøker og musikk i 2011.

Ja, jeg måtte også komme med dette. Nå som alle har fantastisk lange lister og ekstra anmeldelser av året. Så kunne ikke jeg være noe dårligere. Her vil jeg kort skrive og vise hva min personlig formening om det som var det beste! Det er ikke lett. Ei heller enklet å vurdere. Likevel. Så måtte jeg alikevel beskrive det. Dette var også ærlig talt: en unnskyld for å ha en pause fra eksamenslesingen. Her mine enkle lister.

 

Bøkene:

Who Killed Hammerskjøld? – Williams.

Sponheim Uautorisert – Olav Galvik.

Dancing in Glory of Monsters – Jason Stearns.

Chocolate Nations – Orla Ryan.

Portrait of a Despot: The Modern Traits – Charles Ochen Okwir.

Album:

Royce Da 5’9″ & Eminem – Bad VS Evil: Hell the Sequel

J. Cole – Cole World: The Sideline Story

Pusha T – Fear of God 2: Let Us Pray

Kendrick Lamar – Section#80

 

Beste singlene:

Første Kendrick Lamar:

Andre er J.Cole:

Tredje er DJ Drama:

Fjerde er Fashawn:

Femte er Pusha T:

Sjetteog siste er Red Cafe:

Nå må jeg lese igjen, ha forsatt god advent. Peace! 🙂

By the way, hvis du hadde forventa filmer på lista. Så har det ikke kommet så sable bra filmer i år etter min mening. Derfor gadd jeg ikke håper på ett bedre MPS år i 2012! Yet again. Peace.

Smakebit fra Fashawn.

Denne kommer ut på den nye mixtapen: “Champagne and Styrofoam Cups” . Håper den er like slagervennlig som siste mixtapen: “Higher Learning 2” som var fire. Uansett, venter forsatt på en god LP fra Fashawn. Det begynner å bli en stund siden han gav ut “Boy Meets World” som jeg forsatt hører på, men hadde vært gøy å se om han klarte å overgå den i både klassisk rap og beats. Slik som den var og er. Håper han klarer å forsette med å lage passe tidløs musikk. Denne sangen “Skating down the block” har samplet Fabolous – Breathe fra 2004, hvis du hører nøye så merker du tempoet og klangen på pianoet er likt. Her er Breathe:

Kos deg og ha en hyggelig advent. Peace.