Week 3

29/10/21

Maxo Kream - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

This album started off fairly strong, leaving me with high hopes for the rest of the project, but I ended up feeling quite indifferent by the end of the project. The opener has a great, soulful instrumental and quite introspective lyrics, talking about his gang days and the effect it has had on him. This theme is maintained throughout the album but, unfortunately, never really reaches the quality of this song ('CRIPSTIAN'). The themes of his past gangster days, his come up, and subsequent regret of his former lifestyle are carried through this album but don't really seem to be in any chronological pattern. I found it a bit odd how in one song he was seemingly bragging about his gangster antics but then, in the next song, regretted it all due to the mental struggles he has endured because of it. This happens a few times in the album and just confused me, leaving me not really knowing where the next song was coming from. Some of the instrumentals on this are really strong and captivating, but others just seem like he is trying to make a 'trap banger' but lacks the punch to do so, and seems to just come up short. The features are actually very strong, especially Monaleo, who I had not heard of but delivered an impressive verse on 'CEE CEE'. To be fair, there is no denying that the dude can rap. There are some proper hard bars in this project, but they don't really come often enough to elevate it as a whole. Also, he doesn't really mention it, but I reckon he's a crip (you'll get this once you listen to the album). To clarify, I don't dislike this album, it just doesn't have a lot of replay value and is too inconsistent for my liking.

Favourite songs: CRIPSTIAN, CEE CEE, LOCAL JOKER

Score: 5.5/10

The Weeknd & Swedish House Mafia - From A Moth To A Flame

Toxic Abel is back! I know this isn't hip-hop, but I just love the Weeknd so I had to review this song. In short: it's fantastic (no surprise there). Musically, you can really tell SHM have produced, it's in their signature style. Very synth-led with a 'beat-drop' as the chorus comes in, reminiscent of Abel's recent music, specifically After Hours (the song mainly, but also the album asa whole). It's a bit more slim than After Hours, but really grows on you and this ends up not at all being an issue. So, just listening to the music, it sounds like a standard synth-led, pop-style The Weeknd song. But the lyrics, damn. This is Future/'Marvin's Room' Drake level of homewrecking. In brief, it's Abel saying that the girl he is pursuing (who is taken, by the way) should be with him instead of just seeing him behind her partner's back, whom he acknowledges is much better for her than Abel, himself, is. I really hope this other guy finds out that his girl cries over, calls, and keeps pictures of the Weeknd, because she does not deserve him. Head up, king. It's a really messed up attitude from Abel. But, without trying to sound too selfish, he usually makes the best music when he's in this zone, so I will not be complaining. I can imagine this slapping in a club where people don't really pay attention to the lyrics. But me, I will be listening to the music and lyrics whilst enjoying every damn second. What a tune.

Mick Jenkins - Scottie Pippen

This is one of the singles off of his upcoming album that has just been released (I will be reviewing that next week) and I had high hopes for this. Luckily, this song was great so my hopes were met. The instrumentation with the piano, guitar and drums are fantastic and create a really spacey and smooth vibe, as per Mick Jenkins style. Then in the first bar of Mick's verse we get "suicides after practice, I was conditioned this way." Are you kidding me? You can't start off a song like that Mick, that's just unfair. The lyrics in this song are great throughout. He uses the Pippen metaphor, very cleverly, to say that he needs his girl to succeed and he can't without her (like how Pippen couldn't succeed without Jordan when he 'retired'). serpentwithfeet's guest vocals really complement Mick's rapping in this song and just adds to the vibe of this song, which is immaculate. Also, I'm pretty sure Mick is singing on the hook a bit. If so, he's got a great singing voice, which I never knew. I am very excited for his album if it is more like this, which I assume it will be.


Also, I know it isn't hip-hop but it has to be said anyway. The Ed Sheeran album is pure dogshit.

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