My Hottest Music Takes

These are a few takes that I have about music that are too short to make into an actual full-length article. Enjoy!

Playboi Carti is Better as a “Sellout” 

Every once in a while, I re-listen to albums that had crazy hype but fell short (cinephiles call it “Phantom Menaceing” for movies: believing a movie is better than it really is because of the extreme hype for it). Recently, I re-listend to Playboi Carti’s newest, bloated record: MUSIC. And, while I was listening to this album I realized – the rage songs suck. If there was one word to describe the essence of Carti it would be “rage”. His concerts have so much raging that many consider him as the heir to the Travis Scott throne of shows that threaten peoples’ safety. And, his past two records before MUSIC: Whole Lotta Red & Die Lit were full of songs that make people go crazy (“RIP”, “Stop Breathing”, “Rockstar Made”). But, while I was listening to MUSIC, I quickly realized that the best songs (in my opinion) are the ones that were pretty much made for TIk Tok edits and radio play. And for a fanbase as passionate about the underground as Carti’s, that has to rub them the wrong way. In my opinion, the best songs are the most popular: “FINE SH*T”, “BACKD00R”, “RATHER LIE”, “TOXIC”, “GOOD CREDIT”, &  “EVIL JORDAN” – and for someone that appeals to the underground, it feels off.

Mono Recordings Are Just as Convenient as Stereo

The majority of jazz musicians and autophiles usually have the same motto: “mono bad, stereo good”. But that isn’t necessarily true. For those that don’t know, in jazz recordings, stereo is a form of mixing so on headphones, you hear the rhythm section (drums, bass, and piano) in one ear and the horn in the other. Of course, in situations like listening on headphones or dual speakers by yourself, stereo is great. But, in a scenario when I’m in class listening to music to get my work done, and someone next to me continually asks for help, or when I have one earbud in when talking to someone – I would much rather listen to the mono recording. Because, when i listen to stereo, either the track has no drums, or the trumpet and sax melody completely vanishes. 

Pusha T’s Verse on “What Happened to That Boy” is a Top 25 Rap Verse Ever

If I had to vote for the most disrespected rapper of all time – it would obviously be Pusha T. Time after time this man beefs with the biggest rappers and never gets treated with the respect he deserves. He’s been doing this hip-hop sh*t for 25+ years and he gets treated like some cornball. And, by far his best verse is on “What Happened to That Boy”. Push’s flow is consistent; keeping his menacing cadence throughout the song which perfectly works with the main melody of the beat. Speaking of menacing, I love the callbacks to spooky things like thriller, blood, a lost soul, dismemberment, and demons. And that last line: “quit your yapping while I keep the clapping and have your body parts mixing and matching” is such a great way to end off the verse. 

It Was Written Isn’t That Good of a Nas Album

I have a weird relationship with Nas albums. Some albums, like Kings Disease 2 & 3, I love a lot more than the average person. But, there are other albums that are so mediocre that I prefer the Cookin’ Soul remix tape over them (both of them to be honest). But, the album I am most conflicted with is easily his sophomore album. By no means is this album bad, it’s just too much of a departure from Illmatic for me. Illmatic’s production is so vibrant and soulful that it makes IWW’s production seem bland and boring. For example, if someone like Large Professor produced “Black Girl Lost”, I think the song would be really good, but the beat for it is so mid that the track loses all of its flavor. Sadly, half of the album feels like that, at least for me. Obviously, there are still a bunch of classics: “The Message”, “Street Dreams”, “I Gave You Power” (one of the greatest songs ever written), “Take It In Blood”, “Affirmative Action”, “Live N***a Rap” and “If I Ruled The World” – but after those songs, there really is nothing for me. 

Festivals Are Better Than Concerts

I truly understand that festivals are not for everyone, being in a huge crowd with a bunch of sweaty people can be very off putting for the germaphobes, and I completely understand if you just want your concert experience to be relaxing and sedentary. Also, not every artist should perform at a festival. Seeing George Benson at NJ PAC was absolutely perfect for an artist like him; I don’t think he would rock a festival like Sea Hear Now. But, I would not think seeing Lenny Kravitz in an arena, or especially a stadium, would hit on the same level after seeing him at Sea Hear Now. For some artists, the festival experience cannot be topped after seeing them. After I saw Kendrick Lamar at Governor’s Ball 2023, I went to see him at MetLife during the GNX tour, and it was not as fun as Gov Ball. And I know the response is gonna be “why don’t you buy floor seats?” And I say this: 1. I am not spending all that money to maybe get an injury and 2. There are seats there – so it just makes you want to sit down, but you can’t because everybody is standing up. In all honesty, the festival experience can’t be topped – It’s a bunch of sweaty men jumping up and down and singing and rapping as loud as they can: and it’s amazing.

 

Summer Knights is better than 1999

If there was one project that the majority of hip-hop heads would tell you to listen to if you wanted a complete picture of Joey Bada$$ – it would be his first mixtape 1999. But, I think his sophomore mixtape, Summer Knights, is better than his debut. I love the nighttime vibe of this record, with tracks like “Sit N’ Prey” and “47 Goonz” giving off a dark feel, with beats that are Havoc, Primo and early Alchemist inspired. And, I also love the menacing delivery that Joey gives throughout the record (compared to his more relaxed and narrational delivery on 1999) as well as having a more technically impressive flow (“Word is Bond” demonstrates his technicality on this LP perfectly). Some other highlights are “95 ‘Till Infinity”, the drums and Joey’s flow on “Hillary $wank”, DOOM’s beat on “Amethyst Rockstar”, the hook on the “My Yout” remix, and “#longlivesteelo” – that track got me in my feelings when I first listened to it.

The Back to The Future Version of “Johnny B. Goode” Rivals the Chuck Berry Version

I completely understand that this take might get me crucified, but I will defend this opinion until the day I pass away. I obviously think that the guitar work on the original Chuck Berry version is better, as Berry is a phenomenal guitarist – but I’ve never thought of him as a good singer. Mark Campbell (if you thought Michael J. Fox actually sang, I’m sorry), on the other hand, has a much smoother voice that works well with the piano. 

Drake is So Overrated he’s Underrated but So Underrated he’s Overrated

The world could never make me hate Drake. I don’t care that he lost to Kendrick or that he’s a culture vulture. No one in the world is as good as him at switching styles. He can make a reggaeton or a boom bap song a hit – the man is a phenomenal entertainer and a world class talent (it sucks that he half-a**es his talent so much though). But, his fans really overrate him. They call him the best thing to ever happen to music and a bunch of other titles that are too much praise, even for an artist like Drizzy. DJ Akademics started this so-called “glaze fest” and the rest of his fans ran with it. But, because of all of his fans overrating him, many people forget how good Drake really is: he has at least 3 classics (Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, & If You’re Reading This…), debatably four with either Thank Me Later or Views. 

Untitled Unmastered is a 10/10 record

If you didn’t know – I f**king love jazz. I love how each instrument gets their own turn in a song to solo. I love the groovy/swing feel. I love how some songs are 12-bar blues’ making them relatively easy to learn on piano. So, of course, I loved TPAB. But, I love UU just as much, because of its more jazz-centric feel. I love how each song feels grimy and dusty – kinda like an old jazz record. Some tracks dive even deeper into Kemdrick’s themes about being different in society and racism, while others are just straight up bangers. My favorite is probably “Untitled 08”, mostly because of Thundercat, but the 3rd verse from Kendrick is really good, diving deeper into his trip to Africa which he mentioned in “Momma” off of TPAB. I completely understand if this album isn’t for you, but, to me, it is amazing. 

Freddie Gibbs is Way too Funny To Be Rapping

Freddie Gibbs is a fine rapper (I loved Alfredo 2 – but mostly because of The Alchemist), but he has an amazing personality. The random promo skits that he does on his YouTube channel (the “greatest hits” promo for $$$ is genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while) mixed with his tweets and instagram posts should land him a hosting spot on SNL. But, by far my favorite thing he has ever done is his Jackson 5 cover/parody of “I Want You Back”, named “I Want Some Crack”. That sh*t got me laughing out loud when I first heard it. The fake MF DOOM beef was also hilarious, as well as him snitching on himself for shooting someone on the Joe Rogan podcast. He really is a national treasure.