Lets be honest though, you still probably heard about Macklemore's rise to national stardom with his breakout album The Heist. While the record's hit song "Thrift Shop" has been ruined for me by the countless amount of times it gets played at each Santa Clara party, the album is absolutely golden.
Macklemore has long been a celebrity amongst Seattle teenagers. He was selling out the Showbox in 2010 and played to a packed Key Arena while opening for Wiz Khalifa a couple summers ago. But The Heist's rise to the top spot on the Itunes charts has validated Seattle's hometown hero. The album features a diverse collection of songs. From it's dramatic opening track, 10,000 hours, to the comedic "Castle" (episode two of "And we Danced), and to a brutally honest acknowledgment of the rapper's drug relapse on "Starting Over", The Heist keeps the listener interested from start to finish. Featuring LA rapper Schoolboy Q, my personal favorite-"White Walls" highlights the assortment of big name artists that Macklemore collaborates with on the album. Other features include Buffalo Madonna, Allen Stone, Eighty4 Fly, Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, and Ab-Soul. Macklemore's massive fan base has become even more obvious in college. After The Heist was pre-released via NPR's first listen program, "Ten Thousand Hours" could be heard blasting across the campus quad. Seeing Mack live in Santa Cruz was an experience of gripping proportions Surprisingly, "The Town", Macklemore's ode to Seattle made it's way into the concert's set list. Sporting my "My City's Filthy" tee, my hand stayed in the air for the duration of the song.
Working his way up from being known for #8doobies2theface, Kendrick Lamar released his instant classic "Good Kid M.A.A.D. City". Rivaling the depth of Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, the album is a stroke of lyrical genius. Songs such as "Black Boy Fly" and "Money Trees" define Kendrick's motivations. Emerging from the gang laden streets of Compton, both songs discuss the rapper's rise to fame behind numerous challenges and disadvantages. Any listener can relate to the melody of the album's best track "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" on which the rapper's abstract style is apparent: "Bitch don't kill my vibe, and you aint heard a chorus like this in a long time" Kendrick aptly raps. YMCMB superstar Drake is featured on the album, in addition to Mary J Blidge, Dr. Dre and Jay Rock. It should be added that with a beer in hand, no song in the world is better than "Swimming Pools".
Lupe Fiasco came back with his best album since Food and Liqour with Food and Liqour 2: The Great American Rap Album. The album eptimozes the rappers determined lyrical style. With hits such as "Battle Scars", "Audubon Ballroom", and "ITAL", Lupe Fiasco seems to have resurrected his passion. Additionally he has likely instilled a new sense of belief within his fans.
Sam Lachow continues to exceed my expectations. 5 Good Reasons, released in September, is by far his best work to date. The EP's success is due, in large part to Lachow's addition of Seattle rapper Raz. Raz teams up with Lachow on each of the EP's five songs to add a more serious perspective to the generally lighthearted style of Lachow's music. While the former Shankbone front-man touches on his usual themes of weed, liqour, women, and partying, Raz adds an entirely different aspect to each song. On "The introduction", Raz spills his heart out over an emotional instrumental background featuring a whaling horn section. With each line, Raz omits his frustrations struggles, and hopes, aptly summing up his two minute verse stating "My life is more epic than my rapping is". Though Lachow's verse features less serious topics, he is just as genuine and honest, which in a way is even more moving. Towards the end of the song, when the genius of the combination of Raz and Lachow is discovered, Lachow states what we are all thinking, rapping "They said after high school that all our fans would leave, yesterday we sold out Chop Suey". Other songs include the nostalgic, and undeniably catchy-"Nothings Gonna Change" to which any college student away from home can relate to. "Money", the best track on the EP features Raz on each verse, with only a hint of Lachow on the hook. "Money" is another page out of Raz's diary, and emphasizes the rapper's passion and determination. As always, 5 Good Reasons is accompanied by a collection of well produced videos from the Seattle MC's.
Canada's Frank Ocean, A.K.A. The Weeknd, released his long anticipated Trilogy, a compilation of his previous mix-tapes. The singer's talent is awe inspiring. By putting all of the The Weeknd's songs together, The Trilogy creates a musical backdrop that simply proves that this Toronto singer can do no wrong. Not one song misses a beat. The Trilogy is highlighted by the previously released hits "Wicked Games", "The Morning", and "High For This".
Unfortunately there were some disappointing releases this fall. The cover of Wiz Khalifa's new album O.N.I.F.C, sums up the overly arrogant and uninspiring nature of the record. Don't get me wrong, I love Wiz. Each song on the album however, is exactly the same. The topics of the songs are all centered on weed, partying, money, and why the rapper is awesome. Not to say that that is different from what Rolling Papers was centered on...but at least those songs were fun to listen to. Not one song is worth replaying. The bright spot of the album is its features, which include The Weeknd, Akon, 2 Chains, and Juicy J. In the end they all out do Wiz. The album leaves the listener yearning for the rapper we once knew. I don't even know what O.N.I.F.C. stands for, but it's probably something dumb.
Nacho Picasso released a video for my favorite Moor gang track-"Kickin Out Windows". He also released a brand new EP entitled Black Narcissus. Appropriately released on black Friday, the EP is Nacho's best work yet. Over the ominous beats of the electronic duo Raised By Wolves, Nacho displays a faster and more aggressive flow than we are used to. He also sounds 100% keyed on each track, but that's OK. The EP's best track is "Cover Me in Gold".
"Cover me in gold until I feel I'm important"-
Fellow Moor Gang members Thaddues David and Gift Uh Gab also came out with impressive releases. Thaddues David's Trapital Hill features a collaboration with Lil B's producer Keyboard Kid.
Gift Uh Gab's Queen La'cheefa is possibly the best album title I have ever heard, and features this smooth track with Coolio Da'Unda'Dogg
Soundgarden's reunion, and their recent release of King Animal has renewed my belief that grunge will never die. Chris Cornell's vocals are just as impressive as ever. The album reassures long time fans of the band that there style hasn't changed. Featuring screeching guitar solos and an attitude of utmost angst, "Crooked Steps", and "Eyelids Mouth" hearken back to Soundgarden's early albums on Seattle's Sub Pop label. Chris Cornell's falsetto scream is featured the album's best track-"Black Saturday".
The biggest surprise of the past three month's collection of new music was Meek Mill's new full length album Dreams and Nightmares. The Philadelphia rapper displays an amplified sense of lyrical depth and intonation, giving listeners a more dynamic perspective of Meek Mill. Dreams and Nightmares features the chilling track "Traumatized", and the ridiculously catchy songs of "Rich and Famous" and "Lay up". As usual Meek Mill bring in Maybach label co-stars Rick Ross and Wale to help him out.
Word is Pearl Jam might be headlining the 2013 lineup of the Coachella Music Festival, so a trip down to Indio California might be in my future.
Until next time that's all I got.
