Nat Carson's Passion Blog

As of recent, there hasn’t been many notable singles or albums to come out that I felt like talking about. Instead I’m going to recommend some 90s-early 2000s records that I’d recommend to the non-rap fan. All of these albums are essentially classics, and they carried a lot of influence on rappers to come in the future. So without further ado, here’s the list I came up with:

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

When this LP dropped in November of 1993, it was one of the most groundbreaking projects in hip-hop history. It featured a cast of upwards to 10 rappers, something that had never been done before on a single album and is still rarely seen. Despite this, the chemistry between all the members was solid, with each having their own distinct sound, style, and personality. Among the group, the standouts were the RZA, the lead producer/beat-maker; Method Man, a gruff-voiced lyricist with quirky humor; ODB, a zany and wild character with strong flow; and a few others, such as Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, etc. I could really go into full detail about each one as they are all great individual rappers on their own, (as proven by their successful solo careers) but it could fill an article on its own. Just know that if you’re looking for a gritty, entertaining crew of rappers all popping in and out on one project together, this is a great start.

Favorite tracks: C.R.E.A.M., Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ to F’ Wit, Method Man, Da Mystery of Chessboxin’

Nas – Illmatic

There’s no album mentioned more frequently as ‘the greatest rap album of all time’ than 1994’s Illmatic. Once you hear it, it’s pretty difficult to dispute. Across 10 tracks and 40 minutes Nas crafts his debut project with in-depth stories of the streets, contagious flow, and earworm beats that sound great even in 2018. Not to mention, the song “NY State of Mind” instantly became one of the decades defining anthems, a tribute to the ghettos of Brooklyn and Queens. Others, like Life’s a Bitch, detail the sorrows and worries of coming up in poverty. Overall this LP is one of New York’s music treasures, fully immersing the listener into the city through Nas’s eyes.

Favorite tracks: NY State of Mind, Life’s a Bitch, Halftime, The World Is Yours, It Ain’t Hard To Tell

Kanye West – The College Dropout

Released in 2004, The College Dropout was Kanye’s debut into the industry as a rapper and not a producer. Famously known as Jay-Z’s beatmaker, West’s first album displayed his original style, lyricism, personality, and emotions. It utilizes skits to its advantage, humorously poking fun at the stigmas around college and its effect on the youth in current society. Spanning over an 75 minutes, no song is filler as every track hits just as hard as the last. There’s introspective songs (“Through the Wire”, “Jesus Walks”), fun songs (“We Don’t Care”, “The New Workout Plan”), slow songs (“Slow Jamz”), and hard-hitters (“Get Em High”, “Breathe In Breathe Out”). Clearly there’s something for anyone to enjoy, and if you’re looking to get into some of Kanye’s older material, this is a great place to start.

Favorite tracks: All Falls Down, The New Workout Plan, Two Words, We Don’t Care, Slow Jamz, Never Let Me Down

Earlier this week, a collaboration nobody really expected was released: WRLD ON DRUGS, the joint album by one of the decade’s biggest trappers in Future and the up-and-coming crooner Juice WRLD. While they’re similar in that they are two of the most popular names in rap, their differences are what made this album seem so questionable to me. Future’s music is highlighted by in-your-face trap bangers and heavy bars that parallel the rattling percussion. Juice WRLD, on the other hand, is much more laid back, introspective, and emotional in his lyrics, and this is present as well in his instrumental choices. For me at least, this was going to be a very unpredictable mix. Not to mention many recent collaboration efforts have been very hit or miss, with only a few notables (Without Warning by Offset and 21 Savage, for example) in the last year remaining relevant after a month or so. Without a doubt, it was definitely going to be interesting to see what Juice WRLD and Future could come up with.

Although I haven’t had time yet to listen to the entire project, there were a number of tracks that either jumped out at me or set a tone. The record starts off with one of the best beats of the year on  “Jet Lag“. A dark plucked-string melody, sharp high hats, and stressed vocal melodies provide a great starting track to the set. Oh yeah, plus it has a pretty good guest verse from Young Scooter. Following this up is another one of my favorites, “Astronauts“. Aside from solid verses from both artists, that simple high register piano lead has something about it that is so enticing. Jumping in and out is a ghostly sounding vocal sample that’s absolutely chilling. Both of these production factors were great touches on their own, but when together they really add to the airy atmosphere. Next up is “Fine China“, a much more upbeat, fun, and a little bit weirder cut. The production is super bouncy on this one, and Juice WRLD’s vocal lines are catchy as well. Not much else to say other than it’s a carefree tune that’ll probably get a lot of radio play time. Lastly, and very appropriately, the final track “Hard Work Pays Off” has a really nice chord progression that reminds me (and some of my friends) a lot of a Post Malone song. This is only furthered by the fact that many people say Juice WRLD sounds a lot like Post, but that’s beside the point. The melodies, production, and ending verse from Future are all great contributions to the conclusion of this project.

Those are just a few of my highlights, though; I really only scratched the surface of this 16 track, 50 minute LP. If you have any interest in Juice WRLD or Future, I’d say this should definitely be in your queue to check out next. If you’ve already listened, how’d you think it was? Let me know in the comments.

This past week, the song everybody had been waiting for finally dropped; the steel drum tune behind that viral video of Kodak Black, Offset, and Travis Scott dancing. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Here it is below:

So why did this 5 second clip get so popular? Maybe because the song’s beat is so playful and fun. Perhaps it’s because of how awkward the rappers’ shuffle-like dancing comes off. Probably a combination of both, plus its meme capability to boot. Anyway, people had been hyping up this instrumental to the point where Kodak Black played just the beat at a concert (no lyrics yet) and everybody went nuts.

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ALL I’M GONNA SAY IS: COMING SOON❗️❗️❗️”d.a. GOT THAT DOPE❗️”

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Truly crazy stuff. The producer behind the beat, DA Doman, has been blowing up this year due to a string of hit singles, including Tyga’s “Taste“ released earlier in 2018 that is now multi-platinum selling status. In all, the song’s hype is a culmination of a few factors: memeability, catchiness, and branding. But how is the actual single itself?

The track, titled “ZEZE”, is made by Kodak Black featuring Offset and Travis Scott on guest verses (if you could not already guess). While I don’t know what ZEZE is and plan on just calling it either “the Kodak meme song” or “the song that goes *dih dih dih dih dih*”, the cut is not bad at all. Sure, the instrumental has already been overplayed since before it was released, and the lyrics are half-baked at best, but the atmosphere and carefree nature make it an intoxicating listen. Had this been released 6 months ago I can guarantee it would’ve been on every 4th of July and Summer Hits playlist. Hell, the single cover depicts a hunched over man on an island with a palm tree and recliner under a clear sky; if that doesn’t scream summer vibes, I don’t know what does. I may be biased since I’m a huge Travis Scott and Offset stan, but the chemistry between the artists is phenomenal as well. Flows and verses melt into each other with tons of reverb on top of the gentle drums, and this only adds to that beach-y energy previously mentioned.

To summarize my thoughts, I enjoy this song quite a bit. Kodak, Travis, and Offset came together to create a fun song and they delivered in full, so I can’t have that many complaints. While being “fun” doesn’t dismiss the average lyrics, I can’t say they really hurt the track that much; they’re catchy and show enough personality to be passable in an era of rap where lyrics are rarely that original to begin with. But what are your thoughts? Have a listen and let me know in the comments.

Earlier this week, Anderson .Paak released ‘Tints‘, a new single in anticipation for his upcoming album. I loved his previous single ‘Bubblin”, so I was excited to hear what the singer/rapper had to deliver on this track. Not to mention it featured Kendrick Lamar, one of the best and most versatile rappers of this generation, so it seemed unlikely to flop.

So how was the song? First thing I noticed was the smooth guitar and synth chords with some great soul influences as well. Light background vocals, assorted percussion, and other small features of the song add a lot of depth and beauty to the instrumental.

Anderson. Paak comes into the song with great energy and a ton of personality that only boosts the atmosphere. He sounds cool and confident, as if he’s just riding the beat and seeing where it goes. Once the chorus comes in, he lays down some super chill and melodic bars, all parts of the instrumental rising up with him into a heavenly aesthetic. Anderson croons about cruising in a full tinted whip, a girl by his side, and fresh air swelling outside, a perfect theme for the style of the song.

Kendrick comes in as good if not better than I expected. The style of the song is no different than some of the material he worked on with Good Kid, m.a.a.d city and To Pimp A Butterfly, so this is very comfortable ground for him. He bounces over the jazzy progressions with some great flow and wordplay. As the verse progresses, Kendrick’s energy only increases, leading fluidly into the second chorus with ease and style. In his second verse, Anderson is just as solid, playing around with the background vocals and inserting some nice melodic inflections to his lyrics that fit very well into the surrounding sound.

Following a third chorus, the track is stripped down just to a few basic elements, with only Anderson’s voice, a doubling female vocalist, a grooving bass, and some percussive hits being apparent. The r&b type outro leads the song out with a cool, sensual feel while maintaining the sounds of the track. It ends on a hard stop of the vocals, echoing decreasingly into silence.

Overall, the single is a great addition to Anderson .Paak’s discography and perfectly depicts his growth as an artist. Everything from his vocals to his instrumentals has only gotten better, and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to deliver on his album, which should come out later this year. Until then, this and ‘Bubblin’‘ should hold me over.

On September 28, Tha Carter V dropped after over five years of push-backs and changes. The fifth installment in Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series, the album was more than just a set of new songs for Tunechi and his fans. Lil Wayne had been help captive by his label after disputes with Birdman, Cash Money Records President and once Wayne’s mentor. It took almost half a decade of ownership disputes, lawsuits, and other court issues for Lil Wayne to gain ownership of his portion of the label, Young Money, as well as the rights to release albums under it once again. With this decision coming earlier in 2018, Tha Carter V was at long last able to be released, as well as future albums under now parent company Universal. But exactly how good is Tha Carter V? Could it possibly live up to the years of hype it had behind it?

To begin with, the record boasts a hefty 23 songs adding up to almost 90 minutes of material. Keeping an album at consistent good quality at this length is almost impossible, and it probably ended up this long due to the amount of time Wayne had been working on it. For example, the album, which began production around 2012, features artists Travis Scott, who began his first mixtapes in late 2013, and XXXTENTACION, who came to popularity in 2016. With so many different sounds, styles, and beats changing so quickly in the last 10 years, the record itself can seem a little bit jumbled at times, making it an awkward listen all the way through. Referring back to the length, however, I was happily surprised at the quality in most of these songs despite the runtime.

Tracks like “Dedicate”, “Uproar”, and “Hittas” showcase Lil Wayne’s lyrical ability perfectly, showing he’s just as talented as he was back in his prime. Boombat beats, complex flows, and witty wordplay highlight these tracks and set the tone for the entire record of “Wayne is back”. However, Wayne is able to tone down the energy into some great slower tracks as well. “Can’t Be Broken”, “Open Letter”, “Took His Time”, and “Let It All Work Out” among others spill out the troubles of Wayne’s mind, telling tales of his past, present, and worries for the future. For those who may believe the jokes that Wayne’s lyrics are dumbed down and simplistic, these cuts will prove otherwise. He raps about self-doubt, family struggles, and God with engaging storytelling, the pain and passion almost dripping from his lips. On the note of stories, Wayne does incredible on “Mona Lisa” with Kendrick Lamar, rapping the tale of a girl that he soon realizes is cheating on her boyfriend (Lamar) with him. The song is delivered almost like a book, with Wayne and Kendrick’s wordplay being so creative it’s impossible to ignore.

So how good is this album? While there are certainly some weaker cuts and many different styles that Wayne jumps on without always succeeding, I would say that the majority of songs on Tha Carter V are good if not great. For Wayne fans, this album is a must-listen and a great addition to the The Carter series, as it does not disappoint. For the casual music-listener, I believe there is enough on this record to get a rough idea of what Lil Wayne’s music is generally like. But to truly get the full picture, I’d recommend starting with the classics like Tha Carter II and III.

Favorite Tracks: Uproar, Used 2, Let It All Work Out, Perfect Strangers, Dedicate

While music has taken many different forms and changes over the years, a few things remain constant topics: love, parties, and drugs. The latter more than anything else has boomed in popularity among musicians, especially rappers. Almost every rap song that comes out nowadays includes references to marijuana, cocaine, etc. A perfect example of a project that represents this drug culture, Future’s 2015 album DS2 actually stands for Dirty Sprite 2, with ‘dirty sprite’ referring to lean, a mixture of codein-based cough syrup, soda, and usually alcohol or other drugs. This mixture alone demonstrates the glorification of reckless drug usage in pop culture, and the consequences have already been felt across the industry.

On November 15, 2017, popular rapper Lil Peep, who became famous from the music-streaming platform Soundcloud, died from an overdose of Xanax laced with Fentanyl. Only 21 years old, his death shocked many and scared even more about the fatal effects these demanded prescription drugs like Xanax could have. Fentanyl, an extremely addictive and very strong opioid, has blown up recently as a laced component in other drugs, as it is much cheaper in comparison. Lil Peep was one of the first demonstrations of fentanyl’s deadliness in the music scene. While many of his contemporaries gave their condolences through social media and mourned his death, nothing was done to stop the actual drug craze.

Similarly on September 7, 2018, rapper Mac Miller was found dead in his house due to an apparent drug overdose, just a month after the release of his latest project Swimming. Aged only 26 years old, he adds to the list of famous rappers to die young due to opioids. Much like with Lil Peep, many people were morose with his death, but still nothing has changed about the praising of drugs in music; earlier this summer, Lil Pump released a song titled “Drug Addicts” that did just this, and it became one of the most popular tracks of the month 92,000,000 views on YouTube alone to date.

While drugs have been popular with musicians for decades now, the strength, accessibility, and dangerous mixtures of them has risen exponentially. Juice WRLD sings on his song “Legends“, a tribute to the recent deaths of many artists, “What’s the 27 Club? We ain’t makin’ it past 21”. Drugs have become so much more available and deadly among younger generations of people that the future for many musicians and their fans is only becoming gloomier. We can only hope that something will come soon to change the culture against hard drug use; I only pray that it isn’t another death of a young, talented artist.

In the era of music streaming, virtually anyone can upload songs onto most platforms. While it may be easier to get content out there, it’s much harder to actually get your name recognized in such a big pool of up-and-coming musicians. Producers, though, have it even worse. In the rap genre, there are hundred of thousands of people who use FL studio and other programs to make beats, and its generally very accessible to do. With such a high accessibility, and very low variation to actual production sound in the trap industry, becoming someone well-known and recognizable is difficult. However, some famous figures have found clever ways to make sure they’re name and face stay relevant in an ever-changing

One way producers make themselves known to the public is with producer tags. Tags are essentially a producer’s motto (usually containing their name) that is inserted either at the beginning or end of a track. While they have been around since the early 2000s with Just Blaze and The Alchemist, tags have been popularized in recent years by Metro Boomin, London on da Track, Mike WILL Made-It, and others. The social media era has made tags almost a necessity for producers, as some of them have turned into very popular and trending memes and pop culture references. Generally speaking, the more creative the tag is, the more likely it is to be remembered by audiences. Similarly, if a tag is paired onto a song that blows up on the charts, the producer’s phrase is bound to become just as popular (for example, Jahlil Beats’ tag “Jahlil Beats, holla at me” became trendy solely off the wild success of his produced song ‘Hot ***** by Bobby Shmurda).

Another newer method of producers making themselves known to music audiences is through music videos. In 2016, Metro Boomin’ could be seen in Lil Uzi Vert’s video for “You Was Right“, one of the most viewed visuals of the year. It was a very groundbreaking and clever move by Metro, as many people began to recognize him by face after this promo. Other producers have caught on, too, with Murda Beatz being featured recently in the music video for 6ix9ine’s hit song “FEFE”. However, producers getting their faces recognized isn’t limited to videos, but actual album covers, too. Metro Boomin’ has been seen gracing the cover of multiple records, including Gucci Mane’s ‘DropTopWop’ and Big Sean’s ‘Double or Nothing’. In doing so, he’s managed to get his image onto many different forms of media, raising his brand as a producer.

With so many producers becoming more and more relevant in the public eye, it’s nice to see many of them beginning to get the credit they deserve for their work. Without their beats, many artists wouldn’t be nearly as popular as they are now, but many fans of these artists don’t realize that. Hopefully this networking by producers can make the business much more profitable in the near future, allowing for many other people to turn production into a career. With this, music even in the near future could improve greatly from it, which is a very exciting thing to imagine.