Rating:
BLACK PANTHER THE ALBUM MUSIC
Production: Kendrick Lamar, Sounwave, Al Shux, Anthony Tiffith
It’s only fitting that a huge impactful film like Black Panther be accompanied by one of the most recognizable and skilled music artists, which is TDE’s Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick was hand picked by movie director Ryan Coogler to produce, write, and oversee the Black Panther Soundtrack along with his TDE team of Sounwave and Anthony Tiffith. The soundtrack takes you on a musical journey with various blends of culture, creativity, and surprise guest features.
Some of the featured artists like Future, 2 Chainz, Schoolboy Q, Jayrock, Absoul, SZA, Travis Scott, Anderson Paak, Khalid, Vince Staples, and the Weekend are household names while others are known more regionally or overseas. Look no further than the opening track titled “Black Panther” which Kendrick rhymes powerful messages over a melodic lazy piano such as “I dropped a million tears, I know several responsibilities put me hear”. Despite it being a brief opening, the message and the vibe of the soundtrack automatically resonates with the ears of every listener.
The track titled X which features 2Chainz, Schoolboy Q, and Saudi is another banger as 2Chainz alongside Schoolboy Q blend well together as they rhyme over Sounwave’s production. 2Chainz has continued his trend of spitting hot bars, particularly riding the momentum of “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” and Schoolboy Q always has flames coming out of his vocal cords.
When you hear SZA’s beautiful vocals and Kendrick’s rhyming over the Sounwave and Al Shux produced “All the Stars”, it seems to be a melody match made in heaven. SZA comes off with elegance and energy with a catch hook including the following “This maybe the night that my dreams might let me know all the stars are closer, all the stars are closer, all the stars are closer”. The greatest surprise on the soundtrack comes from the song “Oops” which is Vince Staples and South African artist Yugen Blakrok. Blakrok, who is a female MC, absolutely shines on her 24 bar verse with a smooth delivery and metaphoric magic. Both her and Vince Staples flow nicely over the EDM track.
“I am” by Jorja Smith displays beautiful and meaningful vocals over a slow but catchy electric guitar as she sings “When you know what you got sacrifice ain’t that hard feel like depending on me, sometimes we ain’t meant to be free.” I love the fact that the soundtrack introduces some newer and more regional artists, such as Vallejo’s own SOB x RBE (Strictly only Brothers “Real Boi Entertainment”) as they’re featured on the track “Paramedic” which showcases their different styles which are fused together amongst a heavy dose of musical chemistry and rawness.
TDE’s Jayrock shines on the track “Kings Dead” featuring himself, Future, Kendrick, and James Blake. Jayrock murders this track with his flow while Kendrick and Future compliment one another on the hook. “Redemption” is a track by Zacari and Babes Wodumo that provides and element of celebration and clarity which complements some of the scenes from the film, particularly in moments of transition. “Seasons” which features Sacramento artist Mozzy, and South African artists Sjava and Reason, is definitively a laid back track with a powerful message. Mozzy and Reason both rap with passion and realism with purpose and meaning.
“Big Shot” has Kendrick doing his standard routine of creative wordplay and catchy punchlines over a flute laced melodic and catchy track. Kendrick delivers the hook “Big Shot, peanut butter insides, outside, cocaine white but he look like Gentiles, Gentiles. Emotional, emotional, emotional.” Travis Scott also comes off with some nice flows on this record.
“Pray for Me” is the closing track which has Kendrick teaming up with the Weekend as the two of them have great chemistry on the song as we here Lamar spit bars like “I fight you I fight the world I fight myself, I fight God just tell me how many burdens left, I fight pain and hurricanes the day I wept”. This soundtrack displays a great range of artists and excellent production as it’s a perfect fit to the Black Panther film which has already been deemed the highest grossing superhero movie ever at the U.S. box office with ticket sales close to $650 million. There is an exceptional blend of artistic versatility and fluidity within the soundtrack which will influence many eardrums across the globe for a long, long time.
Rating:
TONI BRAXTON- “SEX AND CIGARETTES”
Production: Paul Boutin, Tony Braxton, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart
Toni Braxton returns for her 8th studio album, which is titled “Sex and Cigarettes”. To say that she’s pissed off and hurt is an understatement. In a current music age where some artists put out double albums or feel like the more songs the better, Toni proves the theory that less can actually be more. With just 8 songs on the album, Braxton takes us back to her early days with her soulful and beautiful vocal prowess and raw emotion in her words. The album is vocally sound and solid, however the production doesn’t unfortunately match up to the level of her vocals.
I clearly hear the pain and her frustration in catchy tracks such as “Deadwood”, where she sings openly the following: “Can’t believe that I’m home all alone, doesn’t stop me from wanting to see you, why the hell won’t you pick up the phone.” It’s not clear if she’s referring to her ex husband who is Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis or if it’s somebody else after that relationship, but Toni clearly has had enough and it shows in her vocals.
“Long as I live” is my favorite record on the album as Toni expresses never getting over that special love that she assumingly thought she’d always have. Braxton catches a wave of emotions as she sings out the following words: “Everybody’s talking about you and her together, how could you do that to me, and everybody’s talking about all the wonderful things you do with her, that you use to with me”. The production on this track actually matches up to expectations and compliments Braxton’s vocals nicely.
“My Heart” feat. Colbie Caillat provides touching moments where Braxton shows signs of resistance to giving all of herself, despite her male counterpart’s intentions of love. Toni pushes feelings of friendship over relationship and clearly doesn’t want to be hurt again as she elegantly sings “I tell myself I love you, because I really care, I tell myself I need you, but is that really fair, I really truly love you, and I’ll always be there, just don’t know how to tell you, I don’t want to be here”.
“FOH” clearly shows that Toni isn’t playing around as she’s expressing frustration over her current man’s lack of coming around and him fooling around behind her back. She gives him an ultimatum with her emotional but smooth delivery stating the following: “If you don’t want me around, then don’t come around and crowd up my atmosphere, F*** Outta Here”. It appears that the more Toni becomes frustrated and upset, the better the tracks sounds as it clearly hits home.
Despite “Sex and Cigarettes” not really taking us back to that 90’s R&B era of yesteryear, that’s quite okay with me and it should be okay with you as well. It still is a solid 8th album effort, and it’s listening is worth more than just one smoke break.
Rating:
LOGIC- BOBBY TARANTINO II
Production: DJ Khalil, Illmind, Marshmello, 6ix, Logic, Kevin Randolph, Frank Dukes
If anyone thought that after Logic’s huge success this past year, particularly with the smash hit 1-800-273-8255 that he’d be taking time off or be content, you’re absolutely wrong. With his latest offering, the mixtape Bobby Tarantino II, this is pure lyrical excellence and his flow is only getting better by the minute. He really takes the time to show appreciation to his fans and also takes us on a ride of weed smoke, hot women, and pure confidence in his accomplishments and abilities.
“Overnight” is a great combination of catchy production, harmony, and fluid flows that can ride well on any beat. “Contra is an instant classic as Logic spits bars like “Bitch I been blowing up, where was you in the beginning, only come around and F**K with me when the boy winning”. Logic clearly captures the essence of his success despite some who may have doubted him. “Boomtrap Protocol” has a nice contrast of logics flow on the verses with a sprinkle of autotune on the hook as he states: “Hold up with that new new in the driveway, so fresh that I parked that Bitch sideways, when it comes to life I do it my way, smoked out 180 on the highway.”
The track “Yuck” has some real solid production that fuses just perfect with Logic’s raw delivery as he shows signs of maturity addressing all the haters that want him to fail but he still wants them to succeed. Logic speaks on the situation with bars hotter than fish grease as he states: “Cats beef with Logic and they praying I respond, if I ever did I dead you in this game with no response, peace love and positivity is all I ever want with you, but you push the issue because I’d give you more press than your publicist would ever issue, nah F**K rap F**K beef anyone that hate me I wish you success I’d wish you look in the mirror and ask yourself why are you suppressed.”
“Indica Badu” featuring Wiz Khalifa takes us on a ride filled with clouds of smoke as the two MC’s trade bars sharing tales of cannabis adventures and the culture. Logic appropriately opens with “Riding around the city with my homies blowing trees, wavy like the seven seas living life, let me get it right, let me give it a minute to get up in it like a beautiful independent woman that’s gonna make you wait to smash”. “Midnight” is also a keeper as Logic talks about his success, doubters, groupies, and his tales of sexcapades. The track transitions nicely in the middle of the song with melodic piano keys as Logic spits: “From Maryland to Venice this s**t is worldwide, step up into the mic this s**t is homicide”
On “Warm it Up” (my favorite track on the album), he keeps the flows hot as he proudly boasts he’’s the “messiah” of rap. “State of Emergency featuring 2Chainz is another banger as 2Chainz comes in swinging with punch lines like “you and me vs the APD, because they know I’m balling hard like the ACC, I ride this beat like an ATV”. Despite not a lot of features on this mixtape, (obviously Logic can carry an entire album solo) the ones that he does have are solid, including “Wassup” featuring Big Sean. Big Sean boasts “a young N***a that’s trying to innovate, I been that way since Jay and Em did renegade”.
“44 More” is a laid back track with clever punch lines as Logic also references some significant growth as he states “All you haters been abolished, you in the club throwing dollars, but I’m saving mine so my kids can go to college, or whatever they wanna do, just as long as they never say daddy blew $20 million dollars.” He also cleverly references Kevin Durant as he states “ My phone blowing up like ring, like ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring ! That Kevin Durant I’m a champion, check the numbers I’m a champion, can’t sleep on the boy anymore but them haters that love to hate gonna pop an ambien”.
Bobby Tarantino II certainly is a mixtape that will remain heavy in the rotation and be on repeat for quite some time. Outstanding production, clever wordplay and punchlines, solid delivery and a sense of arrogance that only Logic can live up to equals one damn good mixtape.