Jacob Latimore : Connection – My initial reaction to this album was “ Ooh he ’ s cursing .” The young artist isn ’ t so young anymore . That ’ s the biggest message Jacob Latimore sends with his debut album , Connection . His sensually cocky lyrics , profanity , and crisp mature vocals let us know that the child star is entering manhood . The hard hitting tracks “ Say Less ” and “ Advertise It ” create a strong introduction and even set the tone for the project . Their heavy bass and piercing high hats , scream a TRAPSOUL influence . In fact , Ayo and Keyz , the producers of Bryson Tiller ’ s debut album , produced the third track of the album , “ The Real .” Overall , Jacob delivered some up tempo tracks that could easily complement some saucy choreography . But , he also balanced them with some slower head nodding tracks . Vocally , he seems to block out deeper tones but dabble into falsetto , sustaining notes appropriately an riffing in the right moments . Production wise , the project also seems to have a pop influence on tracks like “ Love Drug ” and “ The Real .” This is definitely a cohesive debut album that caters to his heavy female fan base and plays on his strengths as an artist . I would just like to see him showcase what makes him unique .
KW
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Kid Cudi : Passion Pain & Demon Slayin – The Man on The Moon is officially back , but he ’ s a little bit creepier than we remembered him being when we were younger . PP & DS is essentially either the end of the MOTM Trilogy or a flat-out reboot of the original Man on The Moon . Cudi has a knack for experimenting and going really far left , even when no one seems to like it ( see Speedin Bullet To Heaven ), but I find that admirable in Cudder . With that said , he ’ s still got more tricks up his sleeve . However , the feeling just isn ’ t the same as the original , so I ’ d rather him just attempt to create something completely new . However , I do understand the power of Cudi ’ s music as I have seen people depend on his debut album to get them through the day , so I can understand why Kid Cudi would subtly reboot the MOTM vibe and content matter . Although , we may have outgrown the “ just get high and be yourself , and you will be alright at the end of the day ” message , there is someone who will be touched by PP & DS as millions of people were at the release of Man on The Moon . Passion Pain & Demon Slayin is too easy of a ride for me , but it ’ s high points are indeed marvelous . But the highs and lows cannot compare to the fact that this album has the potential to save someone ’ s life , and that is where Kid Cudi excels on this album .
JR
John Legend : Darkness & Light – Darkness and Light was a very chill and smooth album . John Legend never disappoints when it comes to making good music . The features that he included brought some excitement and diversity . I liked that the album wasn ’ t too long because I find it hard to listen super long R & B albums all the way through . The song amount was just enough . It did sound a little “ pop-ish ” as the album moved on to songs like “ Love Me Now ”, but I really liked it . These tracks added some lightheartedness to the album which helped it to not be so deep .
AB
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