July Album Reviews
from Rosh Jobinson
12 Reasons To Die Pt. 2: Yo this is a freaking movie. Production is handled extremely well, and the storytelling lyrics are the best they could possibly be to deliver such a monumental story. I truly enjoyed listening to this album, and its intricacy makes it stand out amongst the rest of the albums made in 2015. However, it’s not something that I would save on Spotify. I’ll probably listen to it once every two or three months, but that’s simply a testament to how complicated this album was. Maybe it’s because I was listening to the album while cleaning the kitchen, but I don’t know. You know how there’s sit down and pay real close attention movies. This is a beautiful sit down and pay real close attention album.
Living Legend: Every time Gunplay releases a project, I am always excited. However, Living Legend, like much of his other work, falls extremely short. Redundancy and an encaptivating presentation are the heavy flaws on this album. There are points on the album though where Gunplay shows you how awesome of an MC he truly is, but as a full body of work the project is extremely inconsistent. It doesn’t sound good, and it doesn’t really get you hype either, and that’s what I look for when listening to the crazy rapper. The album could be worse, and it is arguably some of his best work, but that isn’t really saying much. However, to end on a positive note, Gunplay’s energy is present everywhere on the album. Even though sometimes it doesn’t connect well, the energy does show that he is dedicated to his craft, and hopefully his solo efforts continue to improve.
Favorite Tracks: From Da Jump, White Bitch, & Leave Da Game
DS2: DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE! This isn’t Future at his best, but nobody (self-included) seems to really care. I continue to bump most of these songs on this album regardless of there not being a lot of “new” aspects on the album. Subject-wise, I would say that Future has even detracted, and Dirty Sprite 2 is an extremely flat project in the area. The cohesive production is the project’s saving grace, and it is the glue that keeps it from collapsing into a giant pile of redundancy. Also, there isn’t a lot of melody, vocal-wise. All in all, the project was decent, and I think that’s what fans are settling for with this album. Dirty Sprite 2 is a boring, monotone, redundant hoodrat album that you can’t help but bump in your car all day.
Favorite Tracks: Blow a Bag, Stick Talk, Slave Master, Where Ya At, & Kno The Meaning
Free Weezy Album – Weezy’s……dead? While that may be sad to accept, the album was far easier to accept. The album was a showcase of Wayne’s presence in today’s rap scene, and just in case you’re wondering- HE’S STILL GOT some of IT! Tackling production from an array of young producers, Tunechi sounds more at home than he has in a while. A great first half acts as the album’s main support system. The middle passage was really hard to get out of alive. (See what I did there?) While Drake, Nicki, & Birdman may have been absent from his latest endeavor, Wayne continues to enlist quality features appropriately while still keeping the listener entertained. With storytelling and lyricism heightened, FWA stands to be some of Lil Wayne’s strongest offerings in a long time. It even gives me reassurance that Tha Carter V is in fact worth the wait.
Favorite Tracks: My Heart Races On, Pullup, London Roads, & Pick Up Your Heart.