Non-Prog Album Reviews

Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (2024)

Genres: Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Conscious Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Lo-Fi Hip Hop

Rating: 4.5/5

You know, besides Derbe Respect, Alder, I have not reviewed a pure hip hop album this whole year, especially one that came out in the year of our lord. Guess I should change that with this album.

Before going about this review, I didn’t really know Lupe Fiasco. Guess he flew under my radar beforehand, since he’s quite popular in the rap scene. His most popular song on spotify, Battle Scars, has about 378 million listens, and not only that but he has been on some very popular projects, like Late Registration by Kanye West, The Adventures of Bobby Ray by B.o.B, and Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars. This man has been around the music industry quite a bit, and hearing a release from him now, I can see why.

Fiasco is quite the rapper! He has this lush and calmness to his vocals and flows that feel tranquil to my ears. The way he goes from lyric to lyric with a very smooth rhythm makes him really pop. His singing voice is also quite nice, almost having this RnB like charm. He has an almost Frank Ocean-esque tone in his more soulful vocals, which, after listening to Blonde, makes me appreciate this high all the better.

I also really like the backing beats on here. Originally I was going to say that this album felt like a love letter to the rap albums of the past, say stuff from A Tribe Called Quest or Mos Def. While that sort of sound does resonate a bit on here, this is more of a modern take on the whole jazz rap and abstract hip hop themes, going through an almost pastoral level of moods in order to create something that feels both relaxing, whilst at the same time thought provoking. It’s like how Earthside’s Let the Truth Speak was a sort of pastoral answer to the metal scene, but here it is hip hop. I quite love it actually, especially on tracks like Palaces, Outside, and especially Cake.

Speaking of which, Cake is quite a blast to hear. The rhythms, the lyrical contents, the flow Fiasco has, and the backing vocals create an absolutely amazing number of pop rap sensations. Everything on the track just fits so organically together, almost as if Fiasco himself baked us an actual cake with this track. It has layers to it, and I really love it. Just a good fun song.

However, I feel like this album has a bit of a problem, and that is mostly stemming from the concept and length. The concept is mostly about the music industry and the struggle of being an artist in it, which I don’t mind. Many great acts I love have done music with the same concepts. My main issue isn’t that, more so the album with the first track and album cover paints a different sort of context. In fact, when I was about to get into it, I thought I was gonna get something like a Wu-Tang Clan inspired record, but instead I got something completely different, which I don’t think is a bad thing since I still heavily enjoy this piece of music, but I do kinda wish Lupe kept up with a sort of samurai theming throughout the whole, to sort of drive home a linking between each song other than just the concept of the music industry being crappy.

The length is more of the bigger issue though. All the songs are really, really great, so much so that after the album is over I get the feeling of wanting much, much more. I get the whole phrase of “short and sweet” and “quality over quantity”, but I think Lupe has shown quite enough talent that I believe he warrants some more time to shine rather than a measly 30 minute run. Guess there are other albums from him though, but I dig the sound off of Samurai so much that I don’t really know if I will enjoy his other works as much as I do this one. Guess time will tell about that.

Definitely, at least as of right now, my favorite hip hop release of 2024. It has quite a lot to really enjoy here, and I think any raphead should check this one out for a good time. Lupe Fiasco is now in my radar, so I will be sure to see what more he has to offer. Really great stuff!

Best tracks: Cake, Palaces, Outside

Worst track: N/A

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Genres: Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Rating: 4/5

I have sort of wanted to review a My Bloody Valentine album for a bit. Originally I wanted to review m b v first, but due to an album swap giving me Loveless, I guess I’ll start my endeavors with what is commonly coined as the best shoegaze record ever made.

Released in 1991, Loveless was sort of an experiment for the band, trying out new guitar vibratos and tunings to see what they could produce. This is why the record cover has a picture of a guitar on it, as all of the songs revolve around it.

In fact, I’d say this is one of the few records that actually sounds like the cover, as the guitars on Loveless sound distorted, colorful, and washed over in a mysterious light, much like the cover presents. It is as noisy as I described, but it is a good noise, for the most part. The noisiness the record advertises is certainly a highlight for me, weaving through dynamics the songs provide. While past, and even some future projects My Bloody Valentine has made did show off the distortion to great effect, Loveless is definitely where they put it to its most ripe use.

However, I do find the noise to get sort of overbearing a bit, and at points not in a particularly good way. When it works, like on Only Shallow and I Only Said it is quite amazing, but sometimes like on Loomer, Touched, and To Here Knows When...it kind of makes me want to file a noise complaint. I feel like previous My Bloody Valentine projects, like the EPs and Isn’t Anything do a far better job with the noise then Loveless in my personal opinion. Sure they were very raw, and more punky, but they had a much stronger handle upon the noise than what Loveless loves to show-off. You Made Me Realise is a good example of this, as they work in the raw, unfiltered production into account for the EP. While Loveless certainly has good production, I sometimes feel like the guitars are too up in my ears for me to notice any of the other elements. I love noisy shoegaze, but sometimes I also want to hear more than just guitars blaring in my ears. At that point I will just turn on a Boris album.

However, the elements this record can showcase are quite superb! Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher are both excellent vocalists for the music. Bilinda especially has such a wonderful singing voice that I think complements the heartfelt lyrics incredibly, especially on the opening track of Only Shallow. Oh, and Colm O'Ciosoig is quite a great drummer here too, giving a lot of oomph in the wake of the distorted guitars. He is really strong in Only Shallow too! Actually, speaking of such, Only Shallow really is the best song on here in my opinion. It is an amazing opener, with a strong, almost proto-blackgaze hook with the guitars, perfectly showcasing what the album is about.

However, again, there is a part of me that finds this to be their weakest effort, at least in terms of the studio. Sure, it is still very, very strong in terms of the whole shoegaze mythos, but I feel like maybe this record is a bit...overrated. I hate using that word, but I just find this record to not be as amazing as some people say it is. Whenever I listen to the album, I sometimes ask myself “This is pretty good, but shouldn’t I be listening to m b v instead?” or “This song is great! But wouldn’t it be even better if it sounded more akin to the stuff on Isn’t Anything?” in a sort of vicious cycle. A part of me DOES want to view this as a five star, in fact it hurts me that I am giving something like this a low four, but the more I hear it the more I just find the other two records the band has made to be far more rewarding. I know this take is as hot as the pink upon the cover, but I cannot deny my feelings for this album. It is probably my least favorite My Bloody valentine project ever. None of their projects are bad, mind you, but out of any and all of their releases, I much rather listen to something like Feed Me With Your Kisses than Loveless again.

However, I do not want to end this review on a low note, so I do wanna give one final positive remark on this album, by saying thank you to it. Due to its popularity with the public, it practically created a movement for more of the shoegaze style of music. Because of Loveless, I can enjoy groups like Alvvays, Parannoul, Candy Claws; Groups that might’ve never gotten their sound if it wasn’t for Loveless. In fact, maybe some great blackgaze bands like Alcest and Asunojokei wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for the love that Loveless has garnered since its release. So, if anything, it deserves praise for that, right? So, yeah, thanks Loveless.

I do suggest at least trying this out if you haven’t. You probably have, I mean it is one of the most celebrated records of the 90s, but still if you haven’t then maybe give it a spin to see what you think. Who knows, maybe it can be a masterpiece for you.

Best tracks: Only Shallow, I Only Said

Worst tracks: Loomer, Touched, To Here Knows When

The Microphones - Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud (2002)

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk, Poetry

Rating: 5/5

When you ask someone what the best Microphones album is, most often you'll hear people say The Glow Part 2, and perhaps in some cases Mount Eerie. However I say his best actually comes in between those two albums, Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud.

Odd choice to consider a masterpiece from Phil’s project, but there is something quite personally masterful about it. Sure it may not be as experimental as Mount Eerie, nor as expansive as The Glow Part 2, but Little Bird just has something that just clicked right for me when I first heard it.

Perhaps it is the very lite instrumentation, focusing more on Phil’s very somber sounding voice. Most songs here utilize an organ or piano in the mix, giving the backing a very personal quality, benefitting from the lo-fi quality the record has. Heck, sometimes there is no instrumental, and instead just pure silence with Phil’s poetry to comfort the listener. It is weirdly mystical, and I adore it in all aspects. It's sparse and introspective, but without the abundant faults such descriptors could show within an album.

The poetry on this record is also incredibly well put together. Microphones songs have good songwriting a lot of the time, but there is a sense of enigmatic beauty within Little Bird that no other album has shown. Stuff like Phil Elvrum’s Will, or Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way just has this incredibly detailed writing that both soothes and irks the core of my being in a way that no Microphones album has ever done. I feel as though I see a fraction of what Phil saw whilst making this album, and in some retrospect what he saw while making his, then, finale record of Mount Eerie.

But I actually think the biggest reason why I personally love this album is that it came to me at a time when things were changing very quickly. I listened to this album on a car ride, leaving a home I grew up in. You see, a month or so back me and my family were moving away from Wyoming to Texas, and for a lot of people moving is a massive change. It didn’t help that I was gonna be turning 18 years old in a few days, so I myself was experiencing a change that was pretty great. So, with all that in mind, you can see why I have become adoring for this extremely retrospective, and personal album.

I know for a fact I won’t make people feel the same way for this album as I do. After all, in a more objective light The Glow Part 2 and Mount Eerie are 10x better than this record, I can admit that, but in my more subjective oriented ways, I find this record to just be pure magic. Just an amazing piece of music that came at a time when I needed it most.

Best tracks: I Got Stabbed, Phil Elvrum’s Will, Three Steps, Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way

Worst tracks: N/A

Chat Pile - Cool World (2024)

Genres: Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, Post-Hardcore, Industrial Metal, Deathrock, Nu Metal

Rating: 4/5

Two years ago I reviewed an album by a relatively new noise rock outfit called Chat Pile. The album, God’s Country, was what I considered to just be purely ok, with some things I quite liked, but also a good amount of stuff I felt didn’t lend to the band’s benefits. Two years later, the band would release their second (or third if you count Tenkiller as their second album) studio release, titled Cool World.

I wasn’t too sure on how I would like this record. While I did like God’s Country, I felt like its direction wasn’t as good as what some people seem to make it out to be, especially with the pretty lackluster production and mixing. However I was pleasantly surprised with how much they grew in terms of making music, right from the get go of the album’s first track of I Am Dog Now, which is easily one of the plentiful highlights this album brings.

I feel like what really sets this album apart is the band really diving deep into a more sludge metal sound, akin to that of Today Is the Day, with some industrial and nu metal aspects occasionally straying into frame. I felt like the more post-punk direction wasn’t really working for God’s Country, so them upping on that album’s strongest genres here, as well as doing some new stuff in some cases is what I really like to hear from this group. They really are putting the SLUDGE in sludge metal on here, and I think that is really something to admire.

The noise rock also has been improved quite dramatically. It is still very noisy, especially in the production (we’ll get to that) but I feel like it isn’t as egregious as before. In fact, I kinda like how it feels like a cross between something incredibly intense, but also mellow enough for it to feel kind of accessible in a way. It’s kind of like Sonic Youth’s brand of noise rock, but in a way that makes the melancholy of their music fit within the aggro of Chat Pile’s sound. Speaking of melancholy, I also quite like the emotions here more than in God's Country. God’s Country I felt like was angry, certainly at something, but still has a sort of directionless basis in its wake. Cool World though I find to be angry but in a very depressing way. Legit, I feel as though sometimes Randy Rulz is holding back tears with how overwrought his voice comes out at times, almost like he, and the music itself, are having a panic attack at the current state of the world. I especially like this because I can definitely relate somewhat. Politics and current affairs in practically every place ever gives me stress. A lot of stress actually. A lot of modern day stuff just makes me feel very tired and stressed out in many ways, so honestly Cool World’s biggest strength, in my mind, is that it perfectly within my levels of stress at the world in any moment. It's a sonic anger that pushes and pulses, and for that I think it's a really good effort!

However, while Cool World is a massive improvement to God’s Country, I still feel like there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Particularly, the production, while still a bit better than their previous output, still feels a bit too muddy, especially in the bass. Some things are just a bit too loud, and not in a really good way either. I wish the production was still very noisy, but still had an edge of less headachy volumes.

Another thing this album does kind of fall short on is the second half. Yep, I’d say this album has a curse of the forbidden top heavy treatment. While the first five tracks of I Am Dog Now through Camcorder are really good, I feel like the last five just doesn’t really do as much for me as the previous tracks did. They’re still good tracks, don’t get me wrong, but they just don’t hit on the same level or are as strong as stuff like Funny Man or Frownland.

Even if Chat Pile still has some shortcomings in their music, it is clear they have improved greatly in my mind. Cool World is a glow up and a half in practically every sense of the word, and it does give me some hope that this band will continue improving and making awesome new music. Definitely keep an eye out for this group now, because they really rock!

Best tracks: I Am Dog Now, Frownland, Funny Man, Camcorder

Worst track: Milk of Human Kindness

Edited by FlashBack2210 - November 22 2024 at 07:12

Kessoku Band - 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda (2024)

Genres: Shimokita-kei, Math Pop, Power Pop

Rating: 5/5

Earlier this year I reviewed the debut album of a new hit Japanese group dubbed Kessoku Band, starring Hitori Gotoh, Nijika Ijichi, Ryo Yamada, and Ikuyo Kita. Likewise, also earlier this very same year, they released a pretty amazing live album, dubbed 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda, or Kessoku Band Live-Star- at Zepp Haneda.

For clarification on what Zepp Haneda is, it’s a music hall located in Tokyo, and quite a popular one that attracts plenty of touring groups like Arctic Monkeys, Pixies, Ningen Isu, and Masayoshi Takanaka.

Anyways, would you believe me if I said this was my favorite live album from this year? Admittedly I haven’t listened to a whole lot of live stuff this year, which I probably should do more often because live albums are just really good, but Kessoku Band’s Zepp Haneda record stands at the top as easily one of the greatest in my opinion. I had praised their self-titled debut album, with how it crafted a sound that was a great mix of a pop punk energy with an almost mathy sensibility, but Zepp Haneda ups things into new heights, creating an atmosphere that is nothing but pure joyous fun.

This record plays pretty much the entirety of their debut album, as well as a few extra songs from what I believe are from some of their EPs. Let me tell you, they play these tracks amazingly. Sure, I could still say they may be a little conventional for J-rock purposes, but I think in a live context these tracks really do pop a lot more. The sheer rawness these songs have in the musicality makes for an experience that is entirely unforgettable for me. I always found live albums to just have this unmistakable energy of being ‘alive’. Obviously, that is where the word live comes from, but live albums just have this way of making me feel like I am really there, sometimes more than a lot of studio works. I can close my eyes listening to this music, and I can imagine myself in a crowd of people, looking at a stage of four ladies playing some really well made rock music, and I really just love that.

Obviously my favorite tracks from the studio album are the same as here, Distortion!!, ラブソングが歌えない, 星座になれたら, and so on and so forth. But, it even made me fall in love a bit more with 小さな海, which previously was, for a lack of a better term, my least favorite track from that album, but here in this show it honestly became quite the treat. Live shows really do just make the music better, huh?

All in all, 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda is an incredibly put together live show, and also live album to boot. Without a shadow of a doubt, I consider this to be a masterpiece of a live show, possibly rivaling that of Roxy & Elsewhere, Retrospektïẁ, and Deliquescence. I cannot wait to see what else this amazing group has to offer in the future, because they really do know how to rock. A very high recommendation from me, because it's really just THAT good.

Best tracks: Distortion!!, ラブソングが歌えない, ひみつ基地, 星座になれたら, フラッシュバッカー

Worst tracks: N/A

This Is The Glasshouse - 867 (2024)

Genres: Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Noise Rock, Jazz-Rock, Emo, Post-Hardcore, Math Rock, Chamber Pop

Rating: 4.5/5

Wowie zowie my last review for 2024! What a wild year, huh? I mean it's a year in the 2020s, right, it's gonna be a rollercoaster. Anyways, luckily for me, I think we’ll be ending this year off with a bit of a bang. I mean last year we did as well with Earthside’s Let the Truth Speak. However, this year we’ll be doing something a tad different. It’ll still be a prog record, but it’s something more in vain to Ugly’s Twice Around the Sun, being an indie progressive rock album. And what a great record it is, because 867 by This Is The Glasshouse is quite an amazing rendezvous through styles of jazzy inflected prog, with juicy emo and post rock elements.

This record instantly caught my eye when spotify recommended it to me, with such a stark yet beautiful album cover. Obviously one shouldn’t judge an album by its cover, but a good cover can really entice someone into checking what a band can be all about. I mean, it's kind of how records were sold in general back in the day, right? I mean, I doubt King Crimson would be as big as they are in the progressive rock community if it wasn’t for the stellar artwork done by Barry Godber for In the Court of the Crimson King. A good cover can really help an album, and I am very glad this album had the cover it did, because my god is it really good!

This Is the Glasshouse, or if you wanna go by his full name of Ezekiel Dukart, showcases an amazing understanding of musical intellect, ranging from styles of emo driven post hardcore, to virtuous post rock. I have always been a bit of a sucker for these kinds of records that really push more in all sorts of directions within the medium it plays in. That’s sort of why progressive rock is one of my favorite genres, as that genre in its entirety likes to shift things around, and around again. 867 is no different for me, but with this being a one man band, it feels just a bit more personal, which I very much love.

And I do mean personal, as Ezekiel has stated in the bandcamp page that this record took quite a long time to make, and quite a toll on him. But it's clear by the quality of music, he really wanted to make something that really does invoke a sense of love for the art of sounds and instrumentation. Through the tears and the pains this record showcases, you can tell that it has all been worth it in some way. It’s music that isn’t just some done deal, but rather music that feels like a sketch of the musician’s soul. It honestly is quite beautiful.

Trust me, it is very beautiful, but its beauty lies in its furious, yet saddening lyrics. There is a strong feeling of bitterness found in the song lyrics, both from a very struggling world around, and possibly of a deeper connection to love, and the loss of such love. Yet, despite it all, it feels very somber, like the words Ezekiel sings aren’t hateful, just frustrated and bothered, only lashing out because there is no other way to calm down. However, it could possibly go deeper than that, as a lot of the lyrics symbolize relationships in a way that mimics those within the LGBT community. It feels like a vent piece from a member of a minority group, and as someone who is bisexual it definitely feels more than just relatable, it feels almost calming knowing that someone out there also feels something similar to me, even in an aggressive way.

The title of the album and the cover with the two headed calf may be more than just random little details, as I believe they showcase what the album has going for. After all, 867 is supposedly an ‘angel number’, which is a sign from a guardian angel. A number in safety, if you will. The title using that number may be a way of showing that this album is a safe space to lash out, while also to shed a few tears. It’s like those destruction rooms you can rent out and just break stuff in if you’d like to destress. As for the two headed calf, I think it symbolizes how those who aren’t in the LGBT community may view us. Obviously there are those who aren’t in the community who’re very supportive, but of course there are those who are quite...not so fond of us to say the least. In a way, they may very well view us as the two headed calf, freaks of nature that only exist to be looked at and pointed at; circus freakshows. However, this record’s cover showcasing it in its natural homestead flips the script on its head, showcasing that, no, it’s not wrong to be gay or trans or bi, or that you’re some freak for feeling certain ways. The two headed calf may have two heads, but they’re still quite happy, living its life as it looks into the sky. Who’s to say this ‘freak of nature’ is merely a freak in our eyes, and Mother Nature views it as a beautiful and unique life within her world.

Now, you may be thinking that this’ll be a sure fire Dapper~Blueberries five star, right? Well actually I do have one problem, and that I think the instrumentation might not fully be attuned with the lyrics. As in, the instrumentation feels less brutal and raw than I wish it could be. Sure, I do really like Ezekiel’s playing styles, so it's not a major deal breaker, but I kind of wish it felt more like how the lyrics describe his world.

Despite that, 867 is a really amazing record in most facets. It is a gripping, hopeful, yet angry love letter to both music, love itself, and the LGBT community, all rolled up into an hour long package. This is a definite recommendation for me, and most certainly an album that I bet will become quite the indie classic soon in the future. If you enjoy projects like Vylet Pony, Ugly, Glass Beach, or you simply just wanna try something a little new in the progressive rock landscape, then absolutely check this album out.

Best tracks: Streetlight by Streetlight, Before Machinery, January, 867

Worst tracks: N/A

^I agree that it's a a very worthy album to check out. I had stumbled upon it about a month and half ago.

I didn't know about the angel number. 867 is also the area code of the Yukon where Dukart is from.

I haven't looked up this thread for some time. Very interesting! Keep them coming! I only know very few of these. The Getz/Gilberto one is 5/5 without a doubt. 

Dr. Dre - Compton (2015)

Genres: West Coast Hip Hop, Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap, Trap, Conscious Hip Hop

Rating: 4/5

I suppose if I had reviewed The Chronic and 2001, I might as well finish up Dr. Dre’s discography.

The year is 2015. Hip hop has practically ruled the world at this point, with many names like MF DOOM, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott gaining much popularity. As well as this, 90s hip hop had become a source of massive inspiration to both new and old rappers. Not only all of that, but there was also a biographical movie coming out about the legendary gangsta rap group N.W.A, named after their most popular record of Straight Outta Compton. Because Dr. Dre was also practically in the high life with his massively profitable electronics company of Beats, and his producing efforts had become the stuff of legend within the hip hop scene, it’d make sense he’d go out of his way to gather some new and old rappers in order to create an album for the city that he grew up in as a tribute soundtrack of sorts.

Since it was 16 years since his second record of 2001, the hip hop scene had changed heavily, and so in comparison between The Chronic and 2001, Compton is very different soundwise. While it is still rooted in a west coast hip hop sound, Compton is more clean, you could say, with probably the best production out of any Dr. Dre album yet. Not only that, but the album is certainly a lot more modern sounding, using pop rap structures and trap hi-hats in more of a basis than before. I think Dr. Dre is an amazing producer, and honestly Compton really shows that off as a modern day example. Tracks like Darkside / Gone or Deep Water showcases Dr. Dre’s magnificent talents he has in the studio. He’s like the Brian Eno of hip hop, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible.

Like every Dr. Dre records, the features are certainly what makes this, however the usual fray of Snoop Dogg and Eminem don’t show up much on here. In fact I think they only appear on two songs, One Shot One Kill for Snoop, and Medicine Man for Eminem. Instead, the best feature this record has is the legendary Kendrick Lamar. I have become quite a fan of his work, especially his album of good kid, m.A.A.d city, and it's very clear he is an excellent rapper at what he does considering he is practically world famous now in the wide world of modern day hip hop. Plus, in 2015, prior to Compton’s release, he’d release his magnum opus of To Pimp A Butterfly, marking him as a part of the many pillars of hip hop.

Honestly Kendrick’s flows and verses here are really incredible. He has a way to make lyrics go from just bars to something akin to modern poetry. If you have ever even listened to one of his songs before then you’ll understand. No wonder he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018.

Hyping Kendrick aside, the other features on here are great, such as Xzibit on Loose Cannons and King Mez on Talk About It and Satisfaction. Features have always been what made Dr. Dre’s albums for me, and Compton certainly still delivers.

However, where the album falls back on is that personally I find this record to have the opposite problem of 2001. Where 2001 was too dirty and comical, outweighing the balance that The Chronic had, Compton feels too clean and serious. While this is certainly the best produced Dr. Dre record of the lot, I do miss the grit and grime that The Chronic and 2001 had, especially the stark lacking of a notable g-funk sound.

As for the seriousness this album has, while I do think it's preferable than the overstimulating humor that 2001 mostly had, I do kind of miss the skits and more juvenile comedy that his previous two records created. While they weren’t my favorite aspects of the albums, it just doesn’t really feel the same without some quirky little skit Dr. Dre and co. made for fun. Honestly the only ‘skit’ that’s on here is at the end of Loose Cannons, and it’s not even funny, (I mean I didn’t think most of the skits were funny before but it's the thought that counts) it's just sad.

While I do think Compton is quite underrated in Dr. Dre’s catalog, it does have some faults that most certainly make it a stark contrast from his usual affair. However, it’s still quite the hip hop record if you get down to it. It may not be a classic like The Chronic, or super noteworthy in modern internet humor like 2001, but Compton is still nothing to scoff at. Check this out if you wanna see what an older rap legend can do in the modern day.

Best tracks: Genocide, Darkside / Gone, Loose Cannons, Deep Water, Medicine Man, Talking to My Diary

Worst track: Intro