The Heart Part 4- Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is back and I am so excited. When this song was released i thought it must have been leaked on youtube but then I realised it was on Spotify (thanks to a friend telling me). I have never downloaded a song so quickly in my life. It has not disappointed me at all and has exceeded my expectations. What I love about this song is that it is made up of 3 parts (in my eyes as the beat changes slightly towards the end) but it flows so smoothly. This song contains tons of different meanings so I won’t go into loads of details as I could be writing this for hours. However here is what I found:

“Thirty millions later, my future favors
The legendary status of a hip-hop rhyme savior
Travel ’round the atlas in this spaceship
Candy-coated, my day shift’s
Been devoted to fuckin’ up bundles of paper”

Kendrick starts off by referencing his net worth which he believes is at 30 million and the future is looking better as its likely to rise with his new album and his headlining of Coachella. When he says he is devoted to paper he is referring to writing songs and how he will go through tons of paper to make the perfect song.

“My fans can’t wait for me to son ya punk-ass
And crush ya whole lil’ shit
I’ll Big Pun ya punk-ass, you a scared lil’ bitch
Tiptoein’ around my name, nigga, you lame
And when I get at you, homie
Don’t you just tell me you was just playin’
Oh, I was just playin’, K-Dot
C’mon, you know a nigga rock with you, bro
Shut the fuck up, you sound like the last nigga I know
Might end up like the last nigga I know”

The second beat begins at the start of verse 2. This verse is referencing big pun a rapper who died in 2000. Kendrick is threatening someone in this verse. He is either firing shots at Big Sean or Drake. “lil bitch” is used by Big Sean as one of his catchphrases. He could also be firing shots at Drake. Drake has made references to Kendrick in his songs but he has never called him out by name. On the song ‘For free’ by Dj Khalid, Drake says

“And like your boy from Compton said
You know this dick ain’t free!”

And Kendrick fans will notice this is similar to Kendrick’s lines on an interlude in “To Pimp A Butterfly”

“Yellin’, “One, two, three, four, five
I am the greatest rapper alive!”
So damn great, motherfucker, I’ve died
What you hearin’ now is a paranormal vibe”

My favourite part of the song begins when these lines are said and the beat changes for a second time. Kendrick is saying that he is so great its like he died. This is referencing rappers like Tupac who became legends after they died. Kendrick is claiming he is just as big as they are. I think he’s right, people believe he is overrated but we’re living in a time where mumbling has become common. Rap is needing lyricist’s like Kendrick and J Cole. Don’t get me wrong I do like some mumble rap but most my favourite songs have meaning to them and lyrics that have multiple connotations.

Ho, Jay Z Hall of Fame, sit yo’ punk-ass down!
(Sit yo’ punk-ass down!)
So that means you ain’t bigger than rapping (What else?)
So that means no more playin’ the back scenes (What else?)
My spot is solidified if you ask me (What else?)
My name is identified as “That King”

Kendrick finishes with these lines that also seem like shots at drake. Drake has been reportedly taken shots at Jay z and Kendrick is telling him to sit down as he is not as good as Jay. Kendrick is also talking about drake using ghostwriters when he says “no more playin’ the back scenes” Whats great about this part is he is using one of Jay-z’s motifs from ” I got the keys”

“My baby Blue (What else?)
I dream in color (What else?)
That’s too much flavor (What else?)”

This is quite funny but also smart on Kendrick’s part. The piano in the background of this beat make it seem so dark and I like it. Kendrick has returned and he is taking no prisoner’s. He has hinted at the end of the song that he is doing something on the 7th of April and I can’t wait. This song has reminded me of my love for this rapper. “Good Kid M.a.a.d city” was one of my first proper rap albums and I will always have a place in my playlists for his songs.

“Y’all got ’til April the 7th to get y’all shit together”

One final thing I would like too point out about this song is that it was believed to be written on the 21st of march just after 3 days of Drakes “More Life” release. This could be a coincidence or a big middle finger to Drake as this song has stolen the spotlight from him. Its also a bad sign when memes are being made.

 

 

 

 

Ride Of Your Life- Tinashe

Tinashe is an artist that can fit both in pop and hip hop. However for this song it fits more in the Hip ho category. The song is produced by Metro Boomin and the beat is awesome. Its just so fluent with Tinashe’s flow. Tinashe has an amazing voice and there is something about the way this song sounds that keeps drawing me back to it.

“Might change your life
I be doing shit that might change your life
Oh, yeah, no lie, no hype
I been doing shit these hoes don’t like
Oh yeah, we driving fast in the slow lane
I do them stunts like a movie
We be on jet’s, a Jacuzzi
We busting off like a UZI
Yeah, I be on the block with shawty
Going extra hard, yeah we just might OD
Need a re-up, we connect with a homie
Every time I call it; pull up on me”

The first verse just sounds so good. It flows seamlessly between each bar. The lines don’t have any hidden meanings. She is saying that she has the ability to change a persons life, and then she makes various references to taking and buying drugs. It just sounds badass, its nothing complex.

“Just drop the top, hot box the block
Gon’ have the time of your life
Just ride with me
We gon’ hit the streets
Take you on the ride of your life
I’ll take you on the ride of your life
Need you here, on the passenger side
Baby we could slide, have the ride of your life
You’re on the ride of your life”

The chorus is about hotboxing and what she would do with a person in a relationship with her. However there can be other connotations of this but I’ll let you decide.

The song is great because of the beat and Tinashe’s vocals. Sometimes its just good to hear a song like this and lose yourself in it. Its easy to play this song multiple times in a day because of how smooth it sounds.

All Of The Lights – Kanye West featuring Rihanna

This is my favourite song of all time. That is a bold statement and I stand by it. I have never listened to a song as much at this. If a gun was pointed at my head and I was asked to sing one song to save my life. This would be it. When I talk about this song I’m also talking about the interlude before it on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” Many people hate Kanye West and I agree recently his ego has reached a new height. However no one can deny his music is amazing. The piano and cello to this song are beautiful and its one of the best intros I’ve ever heard.  The piano is actually played by Elton John and he is actually one of many famous artists that are featured in this song.

The piano is then cut off by:

“Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y’all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights”

This is the main hook of the song and it is sang by the amazing Rihanna. Her voice fits perfectly with the beat and creates such a good sound. The hook is inviting us as a listener to the world the artists live in and also they are educating us in the “Ghetto university“. This represents the streets that rappers learn the lessons of life in some of the most brutal conditions. Kanye is teaching us a lesson he has learnt in life through the use of a protagonist. The persons life has fallen apart but they are trying to pull themselves back together.

“Something wrong, I hold my head
MJ gone, our nigga dead
I slapped my girl, she called the feds
I did that time and spent that bread
I’m heading home, I’m almost there
I’m on my way, heading up the stairs
To my surprise, a nigga replacing me
I had to take him to that ghetto university”

This verse is first referencing Michael Jackson because Kanye feels things are beginning to go wrong in the music world. He then describes the main protagonist who hit they’re girlfriend and they were arrested. They then come home to find that they have been replaced by another man.

“Restraining order, can’t see my daughter
Her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order
Public visitation, we met at Borders
Told her she take me back, I’ll be more supportive
I made mistakes, I bumped my head
Courts sucked me dry, I spent that bread
She need her daddy, baby please
Can’t let her grow up in that ghetto university”

The protagonist is now describing the fact he has a restraining order and the long list of family members who hate him.  He then raps about making promises and trying to be a better man to his girlfriend because he doesn’t want his daughter growing up like he did.

“Getting mine, baby
Got to let these niggas know
Getting right, babe
You should go and get your own”

Kid Cudi then continues by singing the bridge. It is the protagonist finally realising that to make his daughters life better he must sort his out first. This is one of the most emotional part of the songs and its good to listen to. We’ve heard this really sad story but the protagonist is making a come back and he is going to set himself straight for his daughters  sake.

To end the song there is a choir that sing the hook. Then Elton John and Alicia Keys sing a beautiful outro.

The first time I experienced this song I had goosebumps and through thick and thin I have listened to this song. Its about making a come back and standing up for yourself. It is beautiful from start to finish. I will always have a place in my heart for this song!

No Long Talk – Drake Featuring Giggs

Drake is an artist that is unavoidable at the moment with the release of his latest mixtape”More Life” Drake has recently spent a lot of time with Grime MC Giggs and it has resulted in two massive songs. It was really hard to choose my favourite between the two but this hard hitter won. The beat in this song is produced by Murdabeatz and Cubeatz. The beat is so chilling and the bass just instantly grabbed my attention. Although I’m personally not a fan of drake, this song has had my full attention. Drake tries his hand at grime and it sort of works:

“That’s Baka, he’s a no-long-talker
Quick to let a motherfuckin’ TEC slam”

Drake instantly starts off rapping about his friend and member of the OVO crew “Baka not nice” Who was released from prison recently. He has been convicted for many crimes including assault and human trafficking. He is basically saying how hard he is and that he’s quick to grab a Tec which is an automatic pistol that is widely used by gangs. This line works well for some reason with drakes accent which he puts on throughout the song.

Giggs however I feel is the main man in this song. He seems too more gangster than Drake will ever be. Giggs is the kind of artist that sends a shiver up my spine when I’m listening to him. He deep voice makes it seem like he’s see it all (which he has) he’s no stranger to the harsh realities of the streets. He himself spent time in prison for firearm charges.

“Man catch suckers, then we’re touchin’ somethin’
Man gets stuck in, yeah, we’re stuck in somethin’
Man gets rappin’ when we’re suckin’ somethin’
Man gets battered with the crutch or somethin’
Man bat bat it, then we buck or somethin'”

This line has no hidden meanings but it just sounds so hard coming from Giggs. He is just so threatening. This adds to the songs hard beat and just makes the song great overall.

Overall I feel this is by far the best song on the mixtape. Whether you like drake or not you’ve got to admit this song is hard. The beat combined with the verses from Drake and Giggs make this overall a hard hitting song for getting hyped too.

Man On The Moon- Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi is an artist that has his own style and thats what I love about him. One of my favourite songs by far is “Man On The Moon” Its about it being good to be different and its designed to encourage his audience to just be themselves.

“They can’t comprehend
Or even come close to understanding him”

In the first verse Cudi is basically saying that people have a hard time understanding him and his music. Its showing that if people in society don’t  understand something they are quick to reject it. This is quite a strong message and it does mirror a lot of society. It has taken people years to accept gay marriage for example and this a few hundred years ago was banned. It is still banned in some countries. People just need to take the time in the first place before rejecting something or someone to avoid hurting someone . Cudi is saying this about his music, people were quick to discard it.

“But my mind is all crazy
They got me thinking I ain’t human
Like I came in from above”

This line is showing again that society is making him feel like an alien. He feels he doesn’t belong on this planet. He thinks he should be somewhere else like the moon.

“I be that man on the moon, I’m that man on the moon
And I’mma do what I do, so do you, hey, hey”

 

“I be thinkin that I’m wrong
But they the ones who lame
I got the last laugh, nigga”

This line is amazing as it shows that he has had the last laugh. He has made a successful career and has became more successful than anyone who made fun of him when he was starting out in rap. Its showing Karma in its purest form.

The song is great not only because of how soothing Cudi’s voice is but the fact the message is so relatable. People can feel alienated and thats ok. People are different and thats good. The song is about, how boring this world would be if we were all the same.

I Come Apart – A$AP Rocky featuring Florence Welch

Although this song is so sad, I always enjoy listening to it. In my head its just a perfect piece of music. Rocky provides soulful bars and Florence breaks up the song so nicely with her spectacular voice. The song is about a dysfunctional relationship between Rocky and this girl.

“I thought you said you’d never leave
I think back as I took a puff
Know what happens every time you leave
Always come back ‘cause you wanna fuck
Always come back ‘cause you wanna fuss”

The girl he is having a relationship with is tossing him aside but then returning for attention. A$AP is reflecting on this while smoking and thinking about where his head is at with the whole situation. He loves this  girl but she is just playing him and it breaks him…

“I come apart, and you keep it together
I come apart, and I can’t stand the pressure
In all your grace and favor for me, I cannot compare
I come apart, this can’t last forever
Can’t last forever”

Florence sings this chorus and her voice suits it so well. It shows Rocky’s emotions perfectly because it shows inside he is wanting the cycle of pain to stop. Every time she leaves, he is left in pieces and he can’t cope

“I woke up today high
Felt a little less pressure from you”

Drugs is the only way he can forgot about the pain he feels. It is sad if this is the only way that he can numb the pain.

Overall the song is really sad but I enjoy it because it is just pure emotion. It shows vulnerability in a genre where people are talking about slinging crack and being badass. Not many rappers open up as much as Rocky in this song. Its definitely some of his best work and its a song I will play for most of my life.

Click here to listen to this amazing song

Nicki Minaj VS. Remy Ma

 

Warning, this post contains mature themes (However its unavoidable for me not to mention them due to the subject)

 

A lot of you are probably wondering what is going on with the beef between Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma. Some of you are probably thinking, What beef? It is believed that in a few of Nicki Minaj’s recent songs that she has been firing some shots at Remy but it has never been properly confirmed. However on March the 2nd Remy  released a track called “Shether” and it was brutal. Im talking pushing a stranger in front of a bus and laughing brutal. More brutal than watching episodes of pretty little liars and trying to find an episode where they don’t tell a single lie. Remy instantly attacks Minaj over Nas’s ether beat.

“Fuck Nicki Minaj!”

Safe to say we know its about Nicki, then the brutality begins

One of my favourite quotes:

“You get Donkey of the Day, yeah, you dumb ass”

Its  an unkind thing to say but its just the beginning

“Talkin’ about bringin’ knives to a fight with guns
When the only shot you ever took was in your buns
And I saw Meek at All-Star, he told me your ass dropped
He couldn’t fuck you for three months
Because your ass dropped”

These lines are talking about Meek Mill( Nicki’s boyfriend) telling Remy that Nicki’s fake implants in her bum actually popped. So Nicki couldn’t have sex with Meek for three months. The lines then go on to talk about Nicki not pleasing Mill with other methods of sexual arousal ( I won’t go into detail but you can catch my drift). Remy is going in personal with this one.

“Only time you touch a trigga is when you fucked Trey Songz”

Trey songz has the nickname trigga so in this line Remy is claiming Nicki slept with him

“Coke head, you cheated on your man with Ebro
I might leak the footage of you sniffin’ them ski slopes”

Remy then goes on to claim Nicki slept with Elbro Darden. She is also claiming Nicki uses cocaine and that she has footage that she could release to the public.

“You animated like Nickelodeon, you fake, bitch”

This one is self explanatory

“Bitch, I pop chicks, yeah, and I’m the new vet
I kill rappers, and you good as dead, bitch”

The onslaught continues

“But before the butt job, you was a Spongebob
Suckin’ cock for records, captain of the cum squad”

This line is by far the most savage, she’s claiming she has built her career on performing fellatio on every member of her record label.

“I send a fuckin’ headshot, you dead, bitch!”

The song ends on this powerful line, its definitely going down in history for one of the most brutal diss tracks. The fact it is so direct and some of the lines are just so brutal. If you haven’t heard it click here ( not an official video because the original got removed) Nicki has said nothing in return to this song and Remy recently released another diss track named “another one” I think this may just the beginning of a big fight in the hip hop culture

Artist Spotlight- Kamakaze

Kamakaze is a grime artist that I believe will grow over the next year massively. He has the potential to grow to be one of the biggest artist in the scene. I would say he is a mixture of JME and AJ Tracey. The beats in his songs change drastically in sound and are made up of electronic songs that seem wacky at first but they fit well. That where I see him being similar to JME and Aj Tracey, they’re not scared to use unconventional beats. One of his best songs is “Run for your money” (click here to listen)

Its dead easy to get hyped to his music because of his deep voice. Its really infectious to listen to and by the end you’ll think you can punch holes in walls (don’t try that). His music gives off this aura of power. His latest mixtape “Royal Blud” is well worth a listen and by far his best work. It was released on the 20th of January 2017, so its quite recent. Another song to check out by him is “Pull ups” (Click here to listen)

 

If you’ve got a spare few minutes he is definitely worth a listen. He is small time at the moment (15,884 mostly listeners on Spotify which is quite big but it will grow) and that is a good thing because he can experiment with his songs. I definitely believe his latest mixtape is a great for the growing point of his career

D.R.U.G.S- Ab Soul

If I had one word to describe this song the word I would use is: Art. The song is about a person battling their addiction to drugs and they always end up down the same dark path. This song features one of the most beautiful piano tunes I have ever heard in a beat. The beat is perfect and it creates this tone of darkness. The beat loops multiple times and stays the same pretty much throughout and this can be showing that this person in a constant cycle of finding and taking drugs.

“I can’t help myself, I think I need some help”

The intro to song is sang by Mac Millar and it is meant to resemble the voices inside a junkies head. They know deep down that they need some help  because they are too deep into the cycle and can’t stop themselves from using.

Hook-

“I say I love my mama, Lord knows I does
I love my family, my cousins, that’s my blood
I love this music, it come from up above
I love my niggas and I love my bitches
I love everybody that’s listenin’
If you rich or poor, so what?
The whole world we livin’ in
Everything that’s livin’ in it
Trees down to the bugs
Can’t forget about my plug
‘Cause last but not least I love drugs
I love drugs
I can’t help myself, I think I need some help
I can’t help myself, I think I need some help”

The hook of the song is quite saddening to me, as the user is listing everything they are loving about life but the list eventually comes back to their addiction.  The list goes from talking about his mum to his plug which is slang for someone who sets you up with drugs. The person is thinking about what his mother would think if she could see him. This is really sad because its showing they is powerless to stop his craving addiction. The voice in there head is telling them not to do anymore but their whole body is craving the relief of a hit. The song just highlights the problems a junkie would face when they get too deep into their addiction.

What I love about this song is that its about drugs but it doesn’t glorify them like most rap songs. It shows a side to the culture that isn’t regularly talked about in rap. The song is not designed to put a person off drugs forever but its showing that this is a route that can be taken if a person continues. It shows that you can go from living life to searching for happiness in an endless amount of substances that can poison and even kill your body. Drugs are a part of life and they are not going anywhere. This song shows sometimes it doesn’t always lead to happiness.

The emotion put into this song is really captivating and I would highly recommend a listen to it: Click here to listen

 

Slide – Calvin Harris Featuring Frank Ocean & Migos

As soon as this song was announced in my head, I thought this is going to be really good or a total disaster. Frank Ocean has one of my favourite singing voices by far and I will always respect him for providing amazing vocals for “No Church In The Wild” (one of my favourite songs of all time). Calvin Harris has also provided some of the most nostalgic songs in my childhood as well, such as“Bounce”. To be honest I don’t like Migos, people are praising their music but I don’t think its anything special (my opinion though, so don’t hate on me)

The song is about entering a richer persons life just so you can feel more wealthier and powerful. Frank in the intro is referencing a painting by Picasso called “Garçon à la pipe” which translates to “Boy with a pipe” it sold for $104.2 million. This is placed in the intro to instantly show the theme of wealth however it can also show that having a well known name can be used to a person’s advantage. Although this painting sold for a high price it was only because it was an original Picasso. It shows a message of the song that a persons name can carry a lot of power. Picasso was a great painter but if this painting was to be shown to someone who didn’t know he painted it, it wouldn’t be as popular. It shows the power of a persons reputation when they are established.

“Slide” is actually slang for relishing sexual acts without strings attached. In the first verse frank is questioning why this person is taking part in lots of one night stands with rich people. He is wondering if its changing them or if they are doing it to feel powerful. He fears that if he gets in a relationship with this person they will definitely cheat on him.

“Do you slide on all your nights like this?
Do you try on all your nights like this? (I might)
Put some spotlight on the slide
Whatever comes, comes through clear”

Their is also the message in the line:

“All this jewelry ain’t no use when it’s this dark”

It describes how jewellery like diamonds are beautiful in the light but when its dark they have no light to reflect. Its a metaphor for rich/famous people if they are not in the spotlight they are nothing. They need the light to thrive. This person who is having this meaningless sex is craving the light and they are willing to sleep with different people frequently to get it. This is why they are “sliding”

Migos in this song as a whole don’t have any really deep meanings in their lyrics. They make references to various wealthy items like chains. I feel their part is quite a waste of Franks talent because I feel his verse had more meaning than Migos. The song is quite mellow as whole and is quite a nice listen. I think it definitely would have been better if it was only Frank singing on the track.  Its more a song to relax too but I don’t think I will be pressing the replay button frequently.