Rap Music Is Me

As the potential of his stardom continues to grow since signing with Maybach Music Group last year, Stalley has remained focused and undaunted by the glare of publicity and great expectations. His 2011 project Lincoln Way Nights: Intelligent Trunk Music was 808 heavy as it emulated the essence of the bass that blares through sound systems in the trunks of old school cars driven in Stalley’s hometown—a vision he flourished in and received much acclaim for. Since then, the Ohioan has been on the steady grind and even appeared on a few of Rick Ross’s tracks on Rich Forever. With Savage Journey to the American Dream, his first mixtape with MMG and first tape in over a year, Stalley polishes up LWNITM’s idiosyncrasies to produce a pristine sound.

The Blue Collar Gang boss zeroes in on new subject matters like rolling with MMG and expands on ones that were briefly discussed in past rhymes, such as faultfinders. The content appears to reflect his life during the last nine or so months, as Stalley offers exceptional and authentic narration. “Ashes on the pages of my journal made from snakeskin,” he raps on “Island Hopping.” “Staring in the ocean where the greats swim/I’m thinking about jumping in.” He continue, “I was underground then, still underground now/Difference is I’m under palm trees, not trying to be found.”

Savage, which is what he was dubbed by Ross, expanded on his previous work, collaborating with various producers rather than just one, Rashad, who is not a part of the tape in any way. The Block Beattaz set the tone by producing the first eight songs, providing varied canvases of instrumentals for Stalley to artfully paint his nifty lyrics on, including the radio-friendly record “Home to You” that is sure to garner him new fans. The Alabama production team also produced “Lover’s Lane,” the sole record that seemed more hollow than organic, unlike the soulful record “Petrin Hill Peonies.” Chad Hugo’s “Everything New” and Soundtrakk’s “Live at Blossom” provided beats listeners were not accustomed to hearing Stalley on, but the 330 representer held his own.

Lyricism was certainly not an impairment on the project as Stalley kept his end up when he rapped by himself or with his MMG brethren on tracks with Ross, Wale (“Home to You”), Meek Mill (“BCGMMG Remix”) or with fellow Warner Bros. signee Curren$y (“Hammers and Vogues”), all of whom did not slouch when it came to bars, either.

Savage Journey to the American Dream is not a replication of Lincoln Way Nights: Intelligent Trunk Music, for the growth of Stalley’s artistry on wax is very much apparent thanks to his trying out new avenues without utterly abandoning previous ones. He gives every indication of being at ease rapping about an array of topics over a similarly wide selection of sounds, a promising sign for his career as one of the new faces of MMG. —Christopher Minaya

Although his upcoming Def Jam album is set to be called Freshman On Campus, YG is hardly new to the rap game. With a handful of mixtape releases, and an appearance as a 2011 XXLFreshman, the Compton native is proof positive that putting time into your music to find your stride can help separate you from the pack. On his latest mixtape release with DJ Mustard, 4 Hunnid Degreez, hosted by the team of DJ ill Will and DJ Drama, YG looks to continue to build on the momentum he has achieved recently.

Weighing in at 22 tracks, 4 Hunnid Degreez offers a variety of things that would make his already established fanbase seek the tape out to download. A laid back flow, and humorous lyrics and choruses permeate throughout, and appearances by notable names including Mac Miller, 2 Chainz, Tyga, Nipsey Hussle and Kurupt lead to some creative and energetic song pairings.

One of the strengths of the release involves some sampling and song concepts that pay tribute to West Coast greats. From “Too $hort” to “Bitch Betta Have My Money” with Tyga and Kurrupt, samples of Short Dog and AMG intertwine with good minimalist beats to form some enjoyable listens. Thematically and lyrically, the tape could benefit from a greater variety and detail, but YG is known for making listeners get out of their seat, and he offers more of the same here. With a deep amount of tracks, most of which deal with similar topics (sex and women), the release can tend to drag. A handful of the beats bang, but some are a little flimsy in their arrangement, and lacking in the oomph that made the West known for production over the years.

Hopefully, come time for Freshman On Campus, YG will square away those few issues and delivery the exciting and club-ready music. —Matt Wright

He’s at it again. After releasing a near double-digit total of mixtapes in 2011, Soulja Boy is back with more free music in early 2012, in the form of his latest mixtape, Obey, which follows up January’s 50/13. Though, at 12 tracks, this offering comes in a more digestible dosage than the majority of his other tapes, which often log around 20 songs, Obey finds SB unable to break out of his recent rut of producing frequent, but disposable music.

The mixtape kicks off on a high note, with the hyper “Hop Out,” a collaboration with Taylor Gangers Chevy Woods and Juicy J. As Chevy crafts a catchy hook and Juicy J bring his patented rowdiness to the track, Soulja holds his own with the project’s first verse—an unimpressive though thematically fitting frenzy of words. As the tape progresses, though, that formula becomes unsustainable. SB’s flows continue to sound forced, and he comes off perplexingly uncomfortable on record for someone who has put out some 100 songs in the last year.

Both in his cadence and content, Soulja Boy seems to be freestyling his way through the bulk ofObey. Whether or not this was indeed the case is unclear. What’s a bit easier to determine is that lines like “Higher than a fuck, higher than a duck,” on the sonically settling change of pace “Focused,” are not only elementary in composition, but also peculiar (sure, ducks can fly, but they’re certainly not known for their tendencies to spend time off the ground). Things pick up a bit during the tracks where the SODMG honcho brings along guests, as the Game feature “Too Faded,” and Cheif Keef’s two spots on “Say She Luv Me” and “3hunna” bring some moments of salvage to the tape.

By now, no one should be clicking play on a Soulja Boy song with hopes of having to hit the rewind button to better grasp the intricacies of what he’s saying. The Interscope signee has built his career on entertaining, dance-ready rhymes and rhythms that can kick a Saturday night into gear. The production here is reliable enough that the tape could still find its place in the background of that sort of setting, but Soulja Boy’s uninspired approach on Obey prevents it from being much else. On “Focused,” he praises his many followers, at one point saying “my fans is flames.” Indeed, it’s their passionate following that allows the young rapper to continue to put out his music, and you can be sure he’ll do just that. —Adam Fleischer

If there’s one thing to be said about rapper XV, it’s that he always sounds like he’s having fun. In the years that the Wichita, Kansas emcee has been on the mixtape circuit, he’s been consistent in his releases and not rested on his laurels. While 2009’s Everybody’s Nobody was the MC’s coming out party, it was 2011’s Zero Heroes that really put XV on the map. That mixtape was not only the his best effort to date, but was also one of the year’s standouts. Even Verizon took notice, borrowing the track “Awesome” for one of its commercials. Not bad for a kid from Kansas. With his brand new effort, The Yellow Brick Road To SXSW, XV is back in 2012, with a mix-tape that serves as an appetizer to his, as of now, unrevealed next project.

XV describes the release as something for his fans to hold onto in the meantime—and it is that, as he compiles many of his recent cuts—he almost sells it short, as The Yellow Brick Road is much more than just a teaser. The first few tracks alone are worth the price of admission, as XV displays his wordplay skills on “Learn To Fly,” “Boss Level,” “Gobstopper” and the standout “30,000.”

As an MC, XV possesses a combination of charisma, energy, wit and talent for storytelling that prove him an artist that takes his craft to hear. Tracks such as “The Kick,” “Hoop Dreams” and “End Of The World,” not only exhibit this, but also a keen ear for production. Throughout, the production remains strong.

XV does not veer off track with The Yellow Brick Road To SXSW. The Warner Bros. signee is continuing to come into his own as he sets the stage to build anticipation for his next proper release. —Nene Wallace Reed

“Hundred thousand haters writin’ bout my jams/Want a number one independent album? I’m your man,” Mac Miller raps on his new mixtape’s first proper song, “Desperado.” Both clauses are true, and both are crucial to the makeup of Macadelic. In just the last year, the Pittsburgh rapper has propelled himself from buzzed about upstart to the first indie rapper to hit No. 1 on Billboard in over a decade and a half; from a wide-eyed teenager to one of the most marketable brands in the game.

With all his success, Mac Miller still can’t even legally buy a drink at the bar. On one hand, the accomplishments have made the youth easy to overlook; on the other, intentionally or not, he’s kept that youth in the forefront, with music that’s often viewed as overly bubbly or elementary. Though commercially impactful, Mac’s debut, Blue Slide Park, was chopped down by many critics, slighted for representing the very same youthful exuberance that positioned him with a devoted enough fanbase to top the charts. But he’s still a kid, and some of the negative words seemed to have hit home. Macadelic, in many ways, is a response to them.

The mixtape’s finest moments come when Mac isn’t in the upbeat mood that most are used to, but instead becomes contemplative and even unsure. “The Question,” featuring Lil Wayne, may be the tape’s best song—and it’s not because of Weezy (who, granted, does shine during the free-flowing final verse). The track sets the listener into a trance, with its repetition and tempo, as the 2011 XXL Freshman kicks cliches but allows them to come across with authenticity and relatability. He admits, “Sometimes I wonder who the fuck I am,” and then questions “What am I doing here?” and “Do we ever get to know the truth?”

“Clarity,” too, is a bit more dark and uncertain than the Rostrum Records rapper typically comes off, but it shows maturation as an artist and person. The vulnerability continues on “America,” where he says, “Pain a funny thing when you can’t figure out the source.”

“Thoughts From A Balcony,” produced by “Donald Trump”-creator Sap, is a clear deviation from Mac’s biggest hit. “Said I’ll make it big when everybody know me/Well, I made it big and everybody phony,” he laments on the bluesy jam, with its hook wondering, “All we got is memories, so what the fuck is time?” But he’s able to weave in some underlying positivity, as just a few lines later, he raps, “Go ’head, judge me, hate cost money, but this love free.”

There are fun moments here, too. “Loud” should be recognized as Mac’s best party song to date, while “Ignorant,” featuring Cam’ron, again displays the unlikely chemistry of the two Big L disciples, and the Juicy J collaboration “Lucky Ass Bitch” is addictive.

The other friends that come along also add to the experience, as Kendrick Lamar (“Fight The Feeling”) and Casey Veggies (“America”) display their lyrical firepower, and Sir Michael Rocks (“Aliens Fighting Robots”) is as smooth as ever. The production is lush, airy, and ethereal, as ID Labs, Clams Casino and Ritz Reynolds, among others, offer the proper sonic set to parallel Mac’s moods.

There’s an element of irony with Macadelic: By making a tape rooted in saying, ‘Forget what people think, I’m gonna continue to do me,’ Mac Miller is managing to buck some of the criticisms that have been leveled in his direction. He’s becoming more three-dimensional, revealing depth while not abandoning what got him here. The honeymoon with fame and riches is already over, it seems (though be sure, he’s still enjoying himself). That may not be great for Mac, but it’s a already helped his music. —Adam Fleischer

Action Bronson has had a solid 12 months. Between his album Dr. Lecter and the critically acclaimed Well Done, which paired him with consistently on-par beatsmith Statik Selektah, Bronson has ascended into talks of one of the top-tier wordsmiths to pop up recently. 2012 looks to bring an even more packed schedule for Peter Luger, Jr., with projects on the horizon with Alchemist and others. Prior to the release of that, though, and just in time for March Madness, he treats heads to his first release of the year with his Blue Chips mixtape.

Blue Chips, borrowing its name to the Nick Nolte and Shaq film from 1994, is a tour de force for Bronsolinio, covering a plethora of subjects over beats provided by Party Supplies. Throughout the tape, it becomes apparent that the one goal of the release is to have fun. Through deft lyricism, and a laidback flow consistently drawing comparisons to Ghostface (albeit unsought), Bronson uses Chip to show an artist not afraid to let his personality shine through the tracks. Whether it with food references from the former chef, or professional wrestling soundbites on “Ron Simmons,” he stays true to self.

Production wise, there is a good deal of different, semi-recognizable samples throughout Blue Chips that work in unison. One strong example is the use of “Jackie Blue” by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils on the brief track “Dreamer.” Through a variety of different tempos, musical styles, and track arrangements, Party Supplies creates an entertaining and thought-out mix, allowing ample opportunity for the lyricism and song structure to vary.

Refreshingly, the guest list is kept in check and just a few aptly placed friends drop by to lend some support (Roc Marciano on “Pouches Of Tuna,” Mayhem Lauren on “Expensive Pens,” and Kool A.D. on “Arts & Leisure”). In turn, listeners get more Bronson for their buck—or free download.

With another strong release, Action Bronson picks up in the new year where he left off in 2011, as he’s on his way to stacking more than just blue chips. —Matt Wright

Though it has been a year since they catapulted to hip-hop’s limelight, the entire Odd Future gang haven’t appeared together musically on wax much during that span. In October, they put 12 Odd Future Songs, a follow up to 2010′s Radical, on iTunes, but the majority of the songs had been previously released. Now, fresh off of Earl Sweatshirt’s return home, the California collective is back with The OF Tape, Vol. 2.

All 11 members of the crew appear on The OF Tape, Vol. 2 (yes, even Earl), but never do they all show up on the same track. The closest thing is the ten minute album closer, “Oldie,” with Taco, Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy Beats, Left Brain, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Jasper Dolphin and Earl Sweatshirt, where each rapper gets a chance for some solo shine. The track is indicative of one of the album’s revelatory moments which are that, in fact, despite much of the hype being concentrated on a few core group members, many in the clan have some skills to offer.

Early on, Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats trade verses on the sharp “Bitches.” There technical tactics are on point here, but there are also times when members come off sounding like those unpolished kids in your high school trying to get their rap career off the ground by fitting a bunch of words together to sound impressive. On “50,” Hodgy kicks the straining opening lines, “I’m a lotta narcotics, flow aquatic atomic/The way I rhyme in Islamic promises, ignorance is common sense,” that come off sounding forced.

Mike G seems comfortable on his own on the year-old “Forest Green,” and The Internet (Syd Tha Kid and Matt Martians) provide a change of pace with the jazzy R&B cut “Ya Know.” Budding star Frank Ocean steals the show whenever given the chance, as his brief appearances on “Analog 2″ and “Snow White” are lasting, while his solo joint, “White,” exhibits the vocal and songwriting consistency he’s put on display since dropping nostalga, ULTRA last year.

The lyrically maniacal content that’s been associated with some of the crew only shows up sparingly—particularly when Tyler, The Creator gets on a record. The de facto OF leader mentions accused child molester Jerry Sandusky on two separate songs, and makes plenty of zany pop culture references (Casey Anthony, Common) while discussing Tourette’s, snapping at fans, and smoking crack on “P.” Ultimately, Tyler shows an improvement from what he offered with last year’s Goblin.

With so many pieces and a few varying styles, an Odd Future compilation contains the components to come off disjointed and hard to digest. The OF Tape, Vol. 2, though, works within itself, and adds another project to the growing catalog of the collective. —Adam Fleischer