Tea Time

GENRE: jazz, hip hop Like some people, I came to this artist amidst investigating what "Yandhi" was. I thought it was someone featured on Kanye's latest album, but apparently it's an incredibly promising, young, and new artist as well. I'm not entirely where the artist has contributed because they could be samples for all I know. I think the mixing could be improved a bit, as some of it can feel a bit flat and muted. The vocals could be brought out more and the drums more crisp. The sounds feel a bit too compressed, and considering how floral the singer's voice is, a concomitant backing track is needed. The jazz background is fantastic; I definitely need to explore more of this type of genre. Of course, people have done it before a la Tyler and Kendrick. I'm excited to see someone else on the playing field as well. Rating: 7/10

GENRE: rap There's something to be said when a rap song is incredibly clean, well-written, thematic, and important. That something is this song by a rapper I haven't heard of yet. I will say, the backing track is nothing to yell about. The star of the show is in the lyrical content and the expressiveness of Dax . I guess in a way, it forces you to listen to the message more so than the instrumentation. When it comes to this song though, I believe that may be to its benefit. Dax  explores the hypocrisies and fallacies of religion in this song with emotional detail. Although, this type of content isn't something we haven't heard about before. Frankly, it's all pretty high-level and comes from a more personal perspective. I liked it at first, but listening to it again there's not quite as much depth as I would like. With the empty backing track, I only feel that sentiment even more. Rating: 6/10

GENRE: gospel, hip hop It's always a day transformed when Kanye does something new. God (relevant), considering how crazy Kanye can be, it's amazing what he put out in his craft. Maybe that's what's needed. One of my favorite components of Kanye's previous works has been his incorporation of gospel choirs into his songs. This time, you've got a whole album centered around that. I haven't listened to the whole album yet, but I've decided to pick one of the songs that stood out to me so far. Both of the songs before this are heavily influenced with gospel music. The choir is so dominant in these songs. It's only until Follow God where you get some reminiscent of Kanye's older work. You get a cadence representative of his pre-Yeezy days. The worst thing is that it's so short. It sounds like an incomplete idea to me. I wish Kanye used more of his experimental tastes to really transcend a gospel album. I'm sure it's been done before. ...

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: 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: rap, chill I can really get into this. I'm partial towards rapping voices in the lower register. But in addition to that, Earl Sweatshirt raps with a lethargic intonation, as if his tongue never lifts from the bottom of his mouth. Being quite a minimal song, his voice and words serve as the crux. So if you don't like the way he raps, I'm not sure you'll find anything else in this. Even as I say that, there's almost a complete turnaround near the end of the song. I thought I was listening to something completely different. No words, just an outro. He comes off kind of closeted, but I think that fits in with the message imparted by the lyrics, which are themselves quite complex in rhythm, diction, and flow. Rating: 6.5/10

GENRE: rap I was initially looking for a ScHoolboy Q song to write about because I only literally know one song of his. But, as I was listening through some of his more popular songs, I found one collab with Kendrick (and many more apparently) that just really caught my attention. Kendrick's verse is so catchy. His intonation and ability to modulate his pitch is incredibly satisfying to listen to. Being on the Black Panther album, the choice of instruments is particularly interesting. The bulk of any rap song being the snare and bass, you still get a melody played out by an interesting flute-thing(?) I think the song suffers a little in that it's just a bunch of different verses by different artists interspersed by Kendrick's chorus. The pace of the song and the backing beat don't change much if at all. Consequently, the song takes a ride on a roller coaster in terms of my enjoyment. Some verses I do enjoy, some I don't. One good example of a great collaboratio...

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: rap rock In hoping to change my preconception of The Beastie Boys , I decided to listen their best song, apparently. Opening with an intro that reminds me of Aerosmith 's Sweet Emotion , you've got what seems like a pretty fat and catchy beat, perfectly fitting for the time and age. What's always  put me off of The Beastie Boys  is their vocal style. The energy, I can understand and sympathize. The timbre and tone, I can't. For some reason, the vocal register from which they rap makes me uncomfortable and it just seems so cheesy.  Seeing as how they have such a large fanbase, I'm almost afraid to say that in public. It can't be just me right? Their anger almost seems artificial, and that makes for a lesser than impressive piece of music. Rating: 4/10

GENRE: rap Aside from Denzel's biggest hit, I haven't actually listened much to his work. Off his latest album, RICKY was one the first songs to hit the airwaves. The production itself doesn't seem to be anything that stands out among the mainstream. You've even got the featured artist adding in bits and pieces, which we've all heard before. Denzel Curry himself doesn't expound upon a greater message than we've already heard these days. It's a shame that he doesn't show his chops on this song either. It's got the familiar off-kilter flow that Denzel Curry may be known for. I'm hoping he finds a better fit with another producer. Rating: 5/10

GENRE: rap, country Well, I guess it was inevitable. When you first think of it as a fusion of rap and country, you probably wouldn't expect it to be one of the hottest hits of the year. More than that, Lil Nas has been riding this train and getting a lot of mileage out of it, quickly booming onto the mainstream. Regarding the quality of the song itself, there's no denying that it is catchy and gets stuck in your head so easily. One hypothesis I have is that the general lower register of the song is something that's ostensibly more uncommon in today's pop music. It's like finding a new favorite snack. Plus, the topic itself is unfamiliar territory, almost stereotypical, from most people's points of view. I think it all blends together to be both a funny and pleasurable hit piece. With the uncanny inclusion of Billy Ray, there's no doubt that you'd get an interesting song given that no one knows what he's been up to for the past decade. Rating: 8...

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:funk, pop, rap  I've heard this song before (maybe only like 5 seconds of it). But, it was catchy enough for me to do a deeper dive. Lizzo  has been growing quickly in the past year, and I can definitely see why. Her style and attitude is uniquely hers, and the instrumentation is catchy as can be. On top of being a eloquent rapper, her singing is tight, focused, and just fun to listen to. A lot more than just proper pitch and tone goes into a vocal performance. She certainly adds her own flair to the whole thing. The backing track itself incorporates the stereotypical elements of a funky pop hit, with that twangy guitar, a bumping bass line, and a choir to complete the piece. There's nothing wrong with it, but you've definitely heard this before. It's really Lizzo 's contributions that put it a cut above the rest. I will say that the break around 2:30 is incredibly stylish. Rating: 7.5/10

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: rap For my 100th effort, I wanted to do something a bit more personal. Rage Against The Machine is one of , if not, my favorite artists. Their passion and vigor for their art is real and almost tangible in their music and performance. However, they've been broken up for a long time now, and each individual piece has been on their own. Zack De La Rocha himself has been featured on other stuff, but this song in particular is a piece of his own.  Of course, without the musical input of Tom Morello, Zack's composition can be a bit dull and flat sometimes. Nonetheless, he's known for his lyrical content and performance more than anything. With that said, you can really hear the differences here. Instrumentation is minimal, with little development over the course of the song. However, the message itself speaks to the Zack's notorious, violent anger towards an oppressive system. Obviously, I can't relate, and I can't say I agree to all the nuances. So yes, ...

genre: rap, hip-hop Holy, when I first heard this song I knew I had to write about it. It's the one meme song . I only found out about Denzel Curry from his cover of RATM's  Bulls on Parade, which is a piece of work in of itself. Exploring the slightest bit, I come upon his most famous song, Ultimate . Upon a further listen, I realize it's that one song I never found the name of. It's one of, if not, the most hype song I can think of within it's genre. The hard party beat is top-notch, but the reason why I want to highlight Denzel is his lyrical finesse. With songs like these, the lyrics tend to be on the simpler, unintelligent side of things. Denzel seeks a level beyond that, incorporating passionate and meaningful, mature lyrics into what would be played at a club. That sheer juxtaposition is the stuff I crave in an artist. I'm going to be on the lookout for more. Rating: 8.5/10

genre: hip hop, rap food: T-bone steak I've listened to some of Jaden's stuff before, but I really should've taken a closer look at the entire album. I was really into "Icon", but stumbled upon this piece on a binge. I didn't realize a bunch of music videos got put out. It also seems like all his music videos' footage was filmed in one day. I have no strong feelings either way about this, but it's whimsical.  Anyway, the best part about his albums are his beats. His lyrics, not so much. They don't go beyond simple dissing and self-absorbed flaunting (flexing). It's a lot of r/im14andthisisdeep. It's shame really, because his beats are exquisite and paint a fluorescent picture with its production. Usually my favorite rappers have multiple voices and tones for conveying their message. But on this song, and like most of Jaden's songs really, he has a uniform, one-note character. But, the one twist in this song is the soulful piano bit ...