supremebve Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Casey said: What excites me more about Black Star is that they've been photographed with Kanye recently, and Kanye producing other people's stuff is always a good time. Speaking of Kanye - WHERE'S THE NEW ALBUM, FAM?!? Yo, I didn't realize I wanted a Kanye produced Black Star album until right now. I think Kanye's work on "Quality" are among Kanye's hidden masterpieces, and Mos is better than Kweli in almost every single way. I don't think Kanye will ever go back to producing less mainstream rap, but if he does I hope it is something like this. Hidden Kanye masterpieces if anyone is wondering... Scarface "The FIx" Kanye has 3 production credits on this album, but it feels like he has 15. Everyone remembers "Guess Who's Back," but "In Cold Blood" is about as dope as beats get, and it sounds perfectly made for Scarface. Talib Kweli "Quality." Once again an album with 3 Kanye tracks that sounds like everything else on the album was made to fit with those 3 songs. Everyone rightfully knows "Get By," but "Good to You" is just as dope if not better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Kanye was the executive producer for "No Dope on Sundays" by Cyhi the Prynce, which isn't exactly "mainstream rap". Not the same thing, but knowing Kanye, he probably had his fingers in just about everything on that album (instead of just overseeing the project) because he's a perfectionist and it was released on his label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 12 minutes ago, Casey said: Kanye was the executive producer for "No Dope on Sundays" by Cyhi the Prynce, which isn't exactly "mainstream rap". Not the same thing, but knowing Kanye, he probably had his fingers in just about everything on that album (instead of just overseeing the project) because he's a perfectionist and it was released on his label. I love that album. It is probably top 3 for last year. I honestly don't know how it happens, but Kanye is the rising tide that raises all boats on any project he works on. I don't know if he just hangs around these projects or if the artist lets the other producers listen to Kanye's tracks as a bar that they need to meet. Whatever it is, he tends to have an overwhelmingly positive effect on any project he touches. "The Fix," "Quality," and "No Dope on Sundays" have little to no Kanye West production, but they sound like he was there for every second of the recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kronos Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Wicked bass line on "In Cold Blood". Deeeeeeeeeeeep groove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabremike Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 On 2/12/2018 at 1:39 PM, Curt McGirt said: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/12/judas-priest-glenn-tipton-parkinsons-disease This sucks. Will still go to the show next month in Newark because Halford is still God but no Tipton hurts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zimbra Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Whoa, there's a new Dr Octagon track out and apparently there's an album on the way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Favourite 2017 albums from artists that were new to me: Richard Dawson, Peasant (hat tip to BL88 for this one) Hey Colossus, The Guillotine Lone Taxidermist, Trifle Madonnatron, Madonnatron The Moonlandingz, Interplanetary Class Classics Algiers, The Underside of Power Grace Sings Sludge, Life with Dick Whoop-Szo, Citizen's Ban(Ne)d Radio A bunch of artists I already like put out stuff that I enjoyed as well (e.g. Fleet Foxes, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age, Grizzly Bear, Angel Olsen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Spotify dropped this on me on the algorithmic Release Radar playlist and I've played it probably a half dozen times. I don't know why, but the weird mix of kinda emopop vocals with really complicated instrumentation is really working for me. I don't even know what to call it...prog jazz? Fuck if I know. Lots of acts coming thru that I want to see; if I hadn't promised to go to a thing with my GF I'd be seeing Howard Jones tonight (his last tour kicked so much ass, I was really surprised), OMD and Covenant in April, just saw TMBG on the 1st, and Erasure hitting town in early August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabremike Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 At the Gramercy Theater for a sold out Mice and Men show. Good thing I got my ticket for Story of the Year here in March a few weeks ago because it sold out and touts want $60-$70 on the secondary market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp, broken circa 1988 Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 an album came out yesterday that I could see myself speaking of in the most effusive terms I could ever use, but a lot of the things I want to say about it are things I will have to wait and see if they come true. In the mean time, PLEASE listen to the new album from US Girls, called "In A Poem Unlimited." Here is the first track. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Janelle Monae dropped 2 videos today from her upcoming April album. This one REEKS of Lovesexy-era Prince. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death From Above Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 I don't think this actually belongs in the "Superior Live Version" thread, because the song is so weirdly constructed to begin with that I'm not sure that's actually possible, but this still rules pretty fucking hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabremike Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 This just in: Silverstein are amazing. They just killed it tonight at Irving Plaza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Lin-Manuel Miranda is releasing a Hamilton extra every month. January's was The Decemberists doing "Benjamin Franklin's Song". February's was a video for "I Wrote My Way Out" from the Hamilton mixtape. March is what you see above. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Y’know who gets a free pass on any fucked up shit he’s ever said, done, or will do? Brian Wilson. Unless he kills someone, and then I’ll need to see the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp, broken circa 1988 Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 this is maybe not going to be the most controversial thing I ever say (at least to other nearby pseudo-heads) but I tend to think that at his best Black Milk is one of the best beatmakers to ever do it. There's maybe a batting average problem in the past but fukin whatever because he put out a new record last week called FEVER that is just track after track of heavy beauty. The good news is, if you don't believe me and don't have money to spare, the whole record is uploaded as a youtube playlist. If you need convincing, here's how it starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driver Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Marvin heavied them up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 On 3/3/2018 at 8:07 AM, Lamp, broken circa 1988 said: this is maybe not going to be the most controversial thing I ever say (at least to other nearby pseudo-heads) but I tend to think that at his best Black Milk is one of the best beatmakers to ever do it. There's maybe a batting average problem in the past but fukin whatever because he put out a new record last week called FEVER that is just track after track of heavy beauty. The good news is, if you don't believe me and don't have money to spare, the whole record is uploaded as a youtube playlist. If you need convincing, here's how it starts. This is an interesting conversation that could very well be an entire thread. Who are actually the best rappers, producers, singers, etc.? I think a big issue with how we discuss these things is that we always defer to who is the most commercially successful instead of who is the most skilled and/or talented. After the Black Thought freestyle I was having a conversation about who is actually the best rapper. We talk about Biggie, Jay-z, Nas, etc., but are any of those guys definitively better than Black Thought? How about someone like Pharaoh Monch? Black Milk is undeniably dope, but he doesn't register in most people's conversations on who is the best producer, because he's spent his entire career making beats for underground rappers who don't sell many records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Holy shit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Apparently they've never heard of a place called "the Midwest" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 26 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said: Apparently they've never heard of a place called "the Midwest" The what now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 8 minutes ago, Matt D said: The what now? Matt does not acknowledge the Louisana Purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp, broken circa 1988 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 7 hours ago, supremebve said: This is an interesting conversation that could very well be an entire thread. Who are actually the best rappers, producers, singers, etc.? I think a big issue with how we discuss these things is that we always defer to who is the most commercially successful instead of who is the most skilled and/or talented. After the Black Thought freestyle I was having a conversation about who is actually the best rapper. We talk about Biggie, Jay-z, Nas, etc., but are any of those guys definitively better than Black Thought? How about someone like Pharaoh Monch? Black Milk is undeniably dope, but he doesn't register in most people's conversations on who is the best producer, because he's spent his entire career making beats for underground rappers who don't sell many records. Even if you try to have that conversation, the thing about hip-hop is that there's so much just amazing stuff left obscured on tapes you may never find. Like, think about the old Memphis scene- the biggest names to come from that are probably Three 6 Mafia, but like you can put on a Tommy Wright III record like Feel Me Till They Kill Me and he's amazing and unsung, AND it'll be covered in killer verses from people you've never heard of. So if Tommy Wright III is obscure, the rabbit hole he makes with those guest verses is like the French catacombs. It's a unique problem in hip-hop, although "too much good" is a good problem to have. Although I'll say that the other thing that makes hip-hop interesting is that there's a few answers for best MC that are like instant qualifiers for how much you may not want to talk to someone about things. One of my friends has some of the most boring rap opinions because the pinnacle of it to him is Kool G Rap. And that's not talking shit on Kool G Rap- he's clearly a master- but it's the same thing as a guy saying the last album he bought was a Joe Satriani record. I could name other names like this but I'd just come off as bitter. All the rappers I'd float for best active right now are people I've been screaming about on here for years to no avail- milo, Wiki, Earl Sweatshirt, KRIT, etc. Once I get through her back catalog I'm probably gonna end up adding Jean Grae to that. I know that the consensus is probably Kendrick, but like Kendrick is all spectacle to me. When his album drops it feels enormous. About a month later I'm good with never hearing it again. My west coast sound affinity kept TPAB in rotation longer than the others, but otherwise that's what it's been. Producers is probably an easier question, because there's a few big names that actually have the depth in their catalog to make the case (Dilla, Kanye, etc) and then like there's one layer underneath that that's like the gatekeepers to underground shit (your Alchemists and Madlibs and what have you) and you could reasonably make a case for anyone at that level. I think Black Milk's at that level with Alchemist and the only thing that would keep people from saying otherwise is just raw ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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