Tea Time

GENRE: hip hop  Going further through the album, this was one of the songs I particularly enjoyed. It's quite pandering given the content, and given how manic Kanye is. Again, as ridiculous as he can be, he does produce great material. You've got that old school jazz style perpetuated throughout the song. I love those strings and how they play against the singer's voice in the intro. Kanye's voice is altered a little differently than in his previous songs. It sounds fatigued, strained, as if he's been singing for a long time before actually recording. I doubt that that's the case; it's probably just some effect. But nonetheless, it took a while to get used to, but I'm a fan of it. It's soft, and endearing in my opinion. Good stuff. Rating: 7.5/10

GENRE: hip hop Something I recall about Lil Nas X  is how far he's come since he began. I've heard stuff about how he's surfed around on couches at his lowest. Seriously though, look how far he's come though. Luckily, his music is at least slightly representative of his starpower. The quality of the production is top-notch, but isn't anything you'd find out of the ordinary in the realm of hip hop. He's not a bad artist by any means, but I think his strength lies in his quirky songs. His regular music falls a bit flat for me. I can truly respect the person himself; he has quite the online personality. But, it's a special type of pop music that falls a bit outside of what I generally am interested in. Rating: 5/10

GENRE: hip hop, rap, k-pop  I guess this was bound to happen at one point. Let me say this straight out of the gate though—it's not a very likable song. It's got some beats that I guess would be appropriate for dancing, but otherwise it doesn't have redeemable qualities that would reel me back in for another listen. Like honestly, it's probably just a song about having a cold. Or is it, you need chicken noodle soup and soda because the beat is so sick? If so, then I think I've solved the most interesting mystery that has me listening to this song. I will admit that the cadence and intonation of j-hope 's verses are particularly staccato and energetic. Becky G though... like what? I'm not sure if she's there as a discount Ariana Grande or something. I just can't get over what they're singing about it, while still maintaining such a serious composure. Is this comedy? Rating: 4.5/10

GENRE: hip hop I hate to be the contrarian, but music is subjective and should remain that way. I don't know who this guy is, but he's apparently very eminent in the music industry. I think it comes from his spectrum of sounds that he includes in his mixed music? Either way, after I listened to this song of his, I've already heard enough. I really don't want to listen to it again. Seriously. It kind of just drags on. I can see where people enjoy this type of music. I get the feeling that there's too much going on without any actual substance. Oh well, you can't like everything you hear. Rating: 3/10

GENRE: hip hop, chill  Ok, it was my fault for rating Lover Is a Day  so low the last time I reviewed it. This entire album embodies a similar nighttime aesthetic, and Amor de Siempre  is one of the standout songs that help project that mood onto the listener. The manufactured hip hop beats sound a bit more obvious and flat in this song, but I do like the vocals a bit more compared to Lover Is a Day . Granted, I can barely understand anything, so I don't have much to comment about the lyrics. Plus, I don't normally take a look into the lyrics either unless they strike me a particular way. Cuco  has that definitive laid-back singing style that encourages you to sit back in your seat and ponder the pace of life. Most of the songs, if not all, are taken at slower tempo than comfortable. Again, everything works to his advantage in creating this sort of end-of-the-day mood. These songs are sort of fitting for a work-to-home transition. I think that's what I'll use them...

GENRE: hip hop, rap I haven't listened much to any Vince Staples, and have only heard him featured on other artists' songs. I picked this one thinking it was one of his, but goddamn it's Billie Eilish. That's not a bad thing though; her extreme rise in popularity has really shadowed her actual artistic merits and abilities. I actually like her voice in this song, and sounds a lot like M Ø during her early days. Billie's sliding ascent in the chorus is a distinct tool she uses in a lot of her songs. I just hope it doesn't get old. I particularly like this song because it's not overly edgy like her newer stuff as well.  Oh yea, I almost forgot about Vince Staples. He's cool.  Rating: 7.5

GENRE: hip hop I apologize for the terribly quality of image, but that's all I could find online. It fits really well into the genre of the year for me. Female vocalist, romantic sensibilities, a jazzy undertone of synths and strings; it's got everything. I wasn't big on the rap verse, but it's stylish and not too abrasive against the overall tone of the song. A catchy melody is all you need. That interval change halfway through the chorus is a safe choice, and satisfying to the ear. I guess that's one way to describe this song—safe. Not much to be said here considering the repetitiveness of the lyrics. Rating: 7/10

GENRE: rap, hip hop Ok, it's a little too soon to be writing about Earl Sweatshirt again; but honestly, this piece was just enthralling to me. I knew  someone sounded familiar on this track. Of course, it had to be Tyler, The Creator featured on this piece. His particular contribution to the song is so catchy. The "G O L F W A N G"  line has been stuck in my head recently because it's so fun to say. It seems like Tyler's style seeped its way into this song as well. The eerie synth cuts through the grungy, make-shift drums. The piano that follows Tyler is at the same time dissonant and beautiful, polytonic maybe? I honestly think Tyler takes the show here. Again, here's the instrumental. Rating: 7/10

GENRE: hip-hop With a fresh sound, it's nice to incorporate a variety of styles in the rap genre into my playlist. I don't know much about the artist himself, but he comes off to me as sort of goofy and zany. What does the name Zelooperz  even mean? That's especially true when you have a listen to this song off his most recent album. The instruments that are thrown in have a quirky quality to them. Not only that, but the harmonic movement of the bass line contributes to that too by amusingly spacing out its notes. Now, with the lyrics themselves, I don't know if I'm interpreting them wrong. The song itself is supposed to be sort of uplifting, but the lyrics that accompany it make me laugh in a good way. The enunciation is hilarious to me, and I seriously can't tell if that's the intention or not. I only got the instrumental but you know how to use the internet right? Rating: 6.5/10

GENRE: hip hop, rap J. Cole is one of the most popular artists right now on the scene, and I've never taken the dive. That sound familiar? Yes, it's me. I do that all the time. But honestly, who doesn't do that? Anyway, the subject of today is J. Cole. This is legitimately one of the first songs I've listened to by him (unless he was featured on another song). KOD is one of his more recent albums, and I intend on listening to its in its entirety. From my own research though. This seems to be one of the bigger pieces on that album. There's a clear, dominant rhythmic motif throughout the piece. Personally, I think it drags a bit too long though. Between these "choruses", you get verses performed with a spectrum of intensity and momentum, which I can certainly respect. In terms of instruments, it's considerably sparse. Basically, you got snare, bass, hi-hat, and the occasional synth melodic line. However, you'd come to expect that with hip-hop ...

GENRE: hip hop Although released recently, this is actually a restoration of a 1985 Ghanaian hip-hop single. I didn't even know they were doing this kinda thing over there back then. They look like they're having a ball over there.  For a pop song, it's definitely on the longer end, being 6 minutes long. As with most hip hop songs, you've got a looping drum track. What's fun is those background bongos, adding a bit of spice. It definitely works better a dance song. The cadence of the singers is also very fun to listen to, and they have some rapping chops too! "WE ARE THE BOYS"   is so fun to say, it's hilarious.  Rating: 6.5/10 

GENRE: hip hop Saw it last year, let it pass by me unnoticed. Today, it got recommended by the all-knowing Youtube algorithm. Good thing it's summer right now, because the sun-soaked synths and beats are perfectly reflect the lethargic, oppressive, relaxing heat of the sun.  More than that, the music video seems to pay homage to numerous black artists. It's pretty cool to see all the different references.  I totally respect the syncopated jazzy intro of the song. It keeps a groove going, and in my opinion keeps you engaged. The rest of the song though feels a bit forgettable. The song feels more like a background than it does a structured, lyrical piece. The vocals kind of wisp away like a breeze in the wind and provide a painting rather than dotting the features of the song. That's not a bad thing though, because it totally excels at this. Rating: 8/10 

GENRE: hip hop Now that I've had time to listen to all of Flower Boy , it's safe to say that Tyler's creative mind has a way with production and words such that the album as whole is tied together with a nice little bow. It was hard to pick one song (one that I hadn't heard before of course) to write about today. I decided on on somewhere in the middle with Garden Shed , featuring another great artist, Estelle. Part of the reason why I really like Flower Boy in the first place is its coherent style and production. All throughout, you've got dreamy, jazzy instrumental chords, paired with more tuned vocal performances that act more like harmony themselves. The case is the same with Garden Shed . You've got a laid-back instrumental accompanied with Estelle's feature. Again, she's not the one taking over, but rather part of the supporting cast. Tyler comes in as well to deliver a somber verse, and the rest of the song plays out the same way it came in rea...

GENRE: hip hop, rap I've always been a fan of Tyler's work; its unconventional quirks, its vulgarity, and its emotional depth. What a treat it was to see that he dropped a new album, of which today's song is the title track.  That beginning synth is so incredibly ominous and bold. I love that it just hangs there for the first 20 seconds of the song. People just don't do that in mainstream pop, and it says something about the monolith that is Tyler the Creator. He's always had an interesting way about his composition, and frankly he has a knack for innovating his sound.  The whole piece itself is quite experimental, with few verses, interjecting voices and instruments, and overall a loose song structure. Tyler doesn't even seem to be a prominent part of this song. I'm a big fan of the outro as well, as it provides great contrast to his previous work. The melodic lines are brooding and serve as a functional introduction to the tone of this album. I ...

GENRE: rap, hip hop I don't know how Youtube does it, but sometimes its recommendation algorithm spits out an incredibly delightful tune. The song itself reminds me of old school Kanye, incorporating a blend of oldies samples and rap. At least someone out there is putting out this kind of quality, because I really do miss the old Kanye.  I can't help but feel like this song belongs in a different generation though. If there's anything to nitpick though, it's that the entire song feels unoriginal. The sound is all too familiar with the past decade. However, that's not to say it didn't do it well. The production is certainly a plus, but I can't confidently say that it pushed a genre forward. But, I am definitely being pretty harsh and setting a high bar here, higher than with the other songs I've listened to.  Rating: 6.5/10 

GENRE: electronic, hip hop Again, just one of the smaller artists that I think is important to support. She does it all, producing the beats, putting together a cultural blend of lyrics, and overall composing a coherent piece that would fit at a post-electronic club. This song in particular is pretty representative of the rest of her music, inducing dream-like stances and daygazing atmospheres. The somber piano riff loops without getting too repetitive, and usually I'm not a fan of that type of musical technique. It's the right amount of busy when it comes to listening on repeat. Her singing and rapping don't get in the way either, and really they don't get featured at all if anything. The entire piece feels like a melting pot of ideas and contemplative emotions. Overall, it's certainly not something to really dive into. It would likely fit in the "chill lo-fi beats to study/sleep to". Rating 6.5/10

GENRE: hip hop greek yogurt and oatmeal clusters I've been slowly waiting for the next big Kendrick album to come out. DAMN  was cool and all (nothing like To Pimp A Butterfly  though), but I'm curious to see what the man has in store. In the meantime, I took a quick glance at his work in between the two, which I never really spent time on because it just seemed to be demos. I don't have much, so I'll try to hit the bigger points. I love this style of Kendrick, where you've got the cool drum and bass lines supported by a jazzy singer. To Pimp A Butterfly  had a bunch of this, and I'm always glad to see more of it. On this particular piece though, I'm not a big fan of the production. The constant cymbal crash is a bit nauseating after a while, and overall, the structure of the song seems haphazard and all over the place. It definitely comes off as improvisational, and perhaps that's why it was written off to a side project. Rating: 6.5

GENRE: rap, hip hop With Kanye slowly moving into a more electronic sound, it's nice to hear that some artists still produce the styles similar to College Dropout. I'm a big fan of that style of rap where the backing tracks consist of tried and true drumset grooves and darkly flamboyant, hip bass lines. You've even got that choir filling out the harmony that is otherwise absent in rap. As for the rappers themselves, I'm a big fan of MF Doom's style as well, so maybe I'll revisit him at a later date. I've always enjoyed the aesthetic that they've adopted: gritty comic book style characters with expressive lyricism. The lower vocal range is just a personal preference of mine as well; it adds just a bit more depth and meat to the spectrum. The ending section of the song, mimicking the aftermath of a bomb I guess(?), is a nice touch and further evidence of the creative and non-mainstream flexibility of these smaller rap artists. Luckily, CZARFACE just p...

  GENRE: hip hop smoothie I've always enjoyed how Anderson Paak can span a broad spectrum of vocal ranges, atmospheres, and emotions. In a collaboration  that caught my eye, Smokey Robinson joins in to enhance the already colorful mind of Anderson Paak. This song is a bit slower than most of his more famous stuff, but that only creates a greater, more enticing allure for me. Overall, this album takes on a slower, more slow jazz approach, with a soft, warm synth outlining the harmony. The melody is subtle, showing little movement over the course of the verse. However, when the chorus arrives, it's rewarding and feels like home. It's more likely a symptom of his foundation as a rapper. It's always nice to have an inexplicit song to break up the pace too. Smokey Robinson doesn't take over the song, but contributes his unique style on this fitting song. Overall, a very chill piece of work. with a somber and empowering message. Rating: 7.5/10

genre: hip hop Now that I think of it, I don't have any Post Malone in this growing playlist, and if you haven't been living under a rock he's one of the biggest artists on the market at the moment. I know maybe 2 of his songs, and so I went exploring a little to find 92 Explorer. As with most of his songs, you get a harmony in the background that repeats ad nauseam. The first few listens it was fine, but it really doesn't do much for me after that. What has caught my attention though, is his Post Malone's cadence and flow. He has a way with words, and the way by which he has that way is catchy and natural. It's difficult for me to describe, I can't really put it into words. Some artists just have trouble attaching rhythm to their lyrics in a way that flows naturally. Admittedly, he looks like a hobo, but a respected, talented hobo nonetheless. Rating: 5/10