Week 2

22/10/2021

Sorry it's been a couple of weeks but I'm back with this week's hip-hop reviews. The releases this week weren't exactly abundant so I've got one album/mixtape and a couple of singles to be reviewed in this edition!

Mac Miller - Faces (MIXTAPE/ALBUM)

Don't yell at me for this, I am aware that this is not a new release. But, it only got put on to streaming services this week, so I had not heard it. To be fair, I haven't heard a lot of Mac's music, but usually what I have heard has been very good. This was originally released in 2013, for those wondering. Anyway, to the project itself. It's really, really good. I wasn't really sure what to expect as I wasn't aware of Mac's vibe at this point in his career, but I heavily enjoy it. One thing I now realise about Mac that I didn't before is that he can rap. And I mean, really RAP. There are so many witty and clever bars on this project that really showcase his lyrical ability. He has the ability to be funny and entertaining, but also very introspective and often melancholic. I only really picked up on these first two aspects upon my first listen, which is definitely on me for not paying attention properly. The project seemed very smooth with a nice vibe to it, backed up by the soul-sampled instrumentals which really complemented Mac's voice. Whilst this is all true, I only really picked up on a lot of the other themes upon more listens to the songs. I recognised that a lot of the songs were about drug use and the effects of it, but it's so much more than that. Mac really showcases the drug abuse and induced depression he suffered, especially in the first half of the album. Knowing now what happened to him, it just makes some of these songs so much more tragic and really eye-opening. There are some bangers in this project, such as 'Diablo', where Mac is just showing off his pen over an insanely hard beat. On my first listen, I didn't really pay as much attention as I should have done to the last 6 tracks or so as my mind was kind of fried after hearing 'Colors and Shapes'. This song just transported me to another world; I was out of it. Stunning track. Gives me major 'Flight of the Navigator' vibes by Childish Gambino. Also, it's so long (25 tracks!) that the last few tracks are always going to be hard to get through. That's just the nature of it. Due to this, there were a few filler tracks, but none that I really hated. And as it was a mixtape, I can excuse the lack of cohesiveness, in the sense that there were a lot of themes going on and a lot of the tracks weren't really linked together. But, it's not an album, so this is fine. In general, I really enjoyed this listen as I like how you can just vibe to it or get deep in to the lyrics. Either way, this project is great and I will definitely be listening to more Mac Miller in the future.

Favourite songs: Here We Go, Therapy, Happy Birthday, Funeral, Ave Maria, Diablo, Colors and Shapes, Yeah

Score: 8.5/10

Pa Salieu ft. Aitch - Bad (SINGLE)

I had never even heard of Pa Salieu before, so had no idea what to expect from this song. Salieu raps over an Afrobeat style instrumental, over which he delivers a similar kind of flow. It's nothing we haven't heard before, but he does fit the style really well. This wouldn't be my go-to style of music to listen to, but I did really enjoy this song. It has a great hook, which is very simple yet effective and fits the song well. The production overall is fantastic. Specifically, the small beat break in Salieu's first verse that happens a couple of times really adds to the feel of the instrumental, especially when it comes back in. The vocal sample in the beat also adds an extra layer to it which is really important here. His lyrics aren't mind-blowing but he delivers a few clever bars, for example: "Buy land not rover, imma have money left over". That's hard. Aitch then comes in and delivers a pretty standard Aitch verse but matches the vibe of the track nicely. I feel like someone like Yungen or Hardy Caprio, for example, may have suited this song better than Aitch, but he does a decent job nevertheless. The back and forth between the two on the third verse really elevates this track, as I'm a sucker for whenever artists execute this well. I think that Pa Salieu (the much smaller artist) actually outdid Aitch's performance on this track, which is always nice to see. Considering this isn't my favourite style of music, I really did enjoy this song and would recommend it, for sure.

Lil Durk - Pissed Me Off

Lil Durk, as you can probably guess, is pissed off in this track. It's a pretty nasty song, lyrically and instrumentally. I've only really heard Durk in his melodic trap lane, talking introspectively or about relationships. I've never heard him like THIS. It's a proper hardcore trap beat with very violent and gangster lyrics. This isn't just for the hell of it, though, as it is basically about wanting to avenge King Von (a rapper who got killed not long ago, and one of Durk's closest friends). There isn't really much more to it than that. He points fingers at those who are fake fans of Von and how those who killed him aren't taking it seriously enough, and subsequently he wants to get his own back. I like the fact that there is more substance to it due to the Von connection, rather than just straight gratuitous violence. The beat is pretty hard but nothing too crazy and Durk's sound on here is nothing too innovative. I don't mind the song but it's unlikely that it is one I will be regularly returning to.