Day 69: Paper Trail$ by Joey Bada$$

Glossing over that 10th March is the 69th day of the year, there is a lot of dollar signs floating about today, a trend I hinted would be arriving a week or so back.

Today’s dollar signs come courtesy of Brooklyn rapper, Joey Bada$$. Another song that takes me back to my first year of uni, a friend in my halls put me on to him. He was a big hip-hop nut, casually spitting Busta Rhymes bars and knowing everything about the culture, past and present. So I took him seriously and got stuck into Bada$$’s debut album, B4.DA.$$, and I loved it. It was new but not in a throwaway, trappy, Soundcloud rapper kind of way. It was proper music, with thoughtful topics and lyrics. The name of the album also had me sold, doubling as his name (Bada$$) and as a stylised version of “before the dollar”, a theme that ran throughout the album.

Paper Trail$ is no exception, detailing the human struggle to follow money for survival, and how so many problems can be fixed with a few dollars. The hook has a very catchy rhythm, with record scratches taking the plaudits for that section. DJ Premier is the producer and sets up a moody, 90s era inspired beat that is filled with the all the angst, ambition and anguish of a young kid born and bred on the streets.

As the drums kick in during the verse, Joey’s flow is on show for all to see. His trademark lyrical punchlines are aplenty; “I got dreams selling arenas and breaking brackets/tenants racket, while I’m cracking a Serena” and “with just a penny I could multiply my worth” are clever and topical, combining with Premier’s beat to deliver a very nostalgic hark-back to hip-hop’s golden era.

I’m not saying that Joey is on the same level as Biggie (who he name checks, being a huge advocate for east coast rap), Nas or Tupac, for instance. He isn’t. But it’s a clever, modern ode to the music that raised him. Now a father himself, I’m sure the Badass household will know De La Soul lyrics before they can walk. I’d also recommend Hazeus View on this album, as well as his 2017 second album, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Get those dollar bills out and start listening!

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 68: Gasoline Dreams by Outkast ft. Khujo Goodie

Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton grew up in the same neighbourhood and attended the same school in East Atlanta. They would grow into arguably the biggest rap group of all time. Benjamin, who goes by Andre 3000, and Patton, who is known as Big Boi, are Outkast, up there with Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest for their cultural impact in hip-hop.

Gasoline Dreams is the second track of one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time, 2000’s Stankonia. It was their fourth studio album, released on LaFace label, and it was a shift for them. They had often been pioneers of culture, whether that be their flow or their fashion, and they weren’t afraid to go against the grain, but Stankonia was a funk-filled conceptual space, totally different to anything that had come before it.

Gasoline Dreams sets the bar for the album’s funkiness. The repeated “alright” kicks the song off over Grand Master Flash-esque record scratches. It then opens up into a rock inspired record, with guitar riffs and aggressive, politically charged lyrics. An open crtitique on modern America, from incompetent politicians to crooked police forces.

This album, with it’s honest and trailblazing sound, spawned the likes of Janelle Monae and Kanye West, and there is certainly a case to be made for this album and this song being the forefather of American protest songs within hip-hop, which culminated in the song and video for Childish Gambino’s This Is America.

Outkast are a seminal band in hip-hop, off of which spawned many of the artists you know and love today. I’d wager they have had a greater cultural impact than Hey Ya, but maybe that’s just me.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 67: Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender

He’s set for a good year. After bursting onto the scene last year, Sam Fender has gone from strength to strength. From the FIFA 19 soundtrack to winning the BRITS Critics Choice Award, he is setting himself up for a seismic 2019. And this all starts with his first new music this year, in the form of this single, Hypersonic Missiles.

Having grown up in North Shields in North East England, this has helped shape some of his previous songs. A guitar-forward singer-songwriter for this generation, Fender often brings in a cacophony of instruments to amplify his songs to stadium anthems. He is a graduate of the BBC Sound of 2018 list, a notorious list that has picked up some of the biggest stars in the world before your grandma knew who they were. With fellow alumni that year including newly chart-topping Lewis Capaldi and global sensation Khalid, Fender is silently working hard, constantly touring and releasing music that he feels is right.

Hypersonic Missiles falls into that category and is certainly a big anthem to kickstart 2019 (albeit a week into March). His slightly roughened but powerful vocals kick off immediately with a guitar to lead him to the first hook where the drums and bass really get going and you are instantly transported to summer 2019 with Sam Fender in front of you on a stage in the sunshine. It seems a perfect fit for festivals, and he’s given people enough time to master that “this is a high time for hypersonic missiles” before they’re drinking Dark Fruits in a field.

For such an upbeat song, he is tackling some serious stuff. He talks about being in a rat race, ruled by the American corporate machine and blissfully unaware of “kids in Gaza” and other global tragedies and issues that are less important than eating McDonald’s. Oddly, he seems to be inciting war, claiming that for all of this, maybe it is time for those titular missiles. Play God was in a similar vein, and it’s this subject matter that Fender isn’t afraid to shy away from that sets him apart from his peers and what will, many years down the line, see him still on that festival stage, with fans still screaming his meaningful lyrics back at him.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 66: GOKU by Jaden Smith

Another fusion of genres graces the blog today as we put Jaden Smith’s GOKU under the microscope. He has had his fair share of critics over the years, which is to be expected for a child star. However, his music has developed from underneath his dad’s and now he has a distinct, creative sound.

GOKU was released in October 2018 as a single, just before he dropped his The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story project. It wasn’t included in the tracklist, it was just another release from a young rapper that is dropping music frequently now and clearly enjoys the craft.

His flow is excellent and has improved substantially over the years and this is another example. The song comes in fast and heavy on the verses, with Jaden showcasing his lyricism, whilst also creating an EDM track. Production was handled by Omar Rambert and Lexoskeleton and the hook, where Jaden references feeling like Goku from the manga series, Dragon Ball Z, builds to a crescendo with a big drop that wouldn’t feel out of place at a rave.

Jaden Smith is a trailblazer in hip-hop, testing out where the boundaries lie and, more often than not, finding out that they are much more malleable than anyone realised. His fashion sense, which often sees him combining streetwear and skirts, and recent relationship with Tyler The Creator are changing the discussions on sexuality and masculinity in hip-hop and music generally. He is having a tangible effect on the culture and I think he has achieved a lot for a 20-year-old and I think his profile, talents, and accomplishments will only continue to grow.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 65: Tipsy by J-Kwon

A staple of any hip-hop night worth it’s salt, J-Kwon’s Tipsy is an iconic piece of the hip-hop culture tapestry. It was his debut single, released on So So Def in 2004, and was a turning point in his life. J-Kwon, whose real name is Jerrel C. Jones, turbulent life started at the age of 12 when he was kicked out of his mother’s house for dealing crack cocaine in St. Louis where he grew up. Sleeping where he could in cars and friends houses, he also suffered a broken jaw after beating another MC during a rap battle. Tumultuous to say the least, but at the age of 18 he had a song about underage drinking (with the now-famous mini-skit to open the track) that was flying up the charts, both in America and internationally.

When the drum ensemble kicks in, it feels quite rock n roll. The sound feels similar to a band in the 70s or 80s looking to make an infectious record that could do well commercially. Rather than a gritty singing voice though, it is J-Kwon’s youthful rapping that comes over the top. The song has a catchy hook and the slurry tones that J-Kwon utilises takes the listener back to the days of fake IDs and park drinking as they sing along.

I think the song did so well because it doesn’t take it seriously. It’s a fun song that steers clear of politics, race and conscious thought and is just an 18-year old rapper who has gone into the studio and started spitting about what he knows.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 62: Temporary View by SBTRKT ft. Sampha

Another collaboration today, but whereas yesterday’s felt quite one-sided (sorry DJ Khaled, but why were you a credited artist on Cold?), today’s is a great balance and another fine example of an electronic artist seeking hyper-complimentary vocals.

SBTRKT is actually Aaron Jerome, a London based producer who has a fairly recognisable journey through music. Creating music and DJing (his first gig as SBTRKT was at Fabric), he released a number of singles and EPs on various labels, including LAIKA, Ramp Recordings, and Young Turks, the latter of which released his eponymous debut album. He can also count hip-hop behemoth Drake as a fan after he heard Wildfire, a single from that first album which boasted Little Dragon’s vocalist Yukumi Nagano. Drake went on to remix it, as good a sign as any that maybe you made the right decision going into music.

Temporary View comes from his sophomore album, Wonder Where We Land, that dropped in 2014. It feels grand in an other-worldly manner, with intergalactic synths balanced on top of an electronic orchestra of sounds. But it is Sampha that steals the show. A fellow graduate of the London streets, Sampha and SBTRKT are no strangers, frequently collaborating. This is the stand-out joint track for me though, with Sampha engaging his trademark, achingly emotional tones whilst also pandering the complexity of SBTRKT’s dance pedigree. Even the title feels heavily influenced by Sampha, and I imagine SBTRKT had no doubts as to who he wanted to bring in. For a man that has worked with the aforementioned Drake, Kanye West, FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean, Jessie Ware, and Solange, Sampha clearly enjoys the creativity that happens in a studio with SBTRKT.

Jerome adopted the moniker SBTRKT to dispell the idea of any one person being behind the music. He often performs in a mask, inspired by the tribes of Africa, and yet as his profile continues to rise and rise, it feels almost counterintuitive to his original mission in music. Whilst that may lead to some very interesting, introspective records in the future, this hark-back to 2014 is a brilliant introduction to Jerome’s production, Sampha’s voice, and their work together.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 57: Retrograde by James Blake

2019 saw James Blake return to the musical forum with Assume Form, an epic, true to form saga that utilised the stratospheric clout of the likes of Travis Scott, ROSALIA and Andre 3000. For today’s post, however, we go back to a pubescent Blake, musically speaking. 2013 saw his sophomore album, Overgrown, grace the world after hearing a sample of it in the form of lead single, Retrograde.

Soulful and heartfelt, Blake’s low slung voice plods through the synth-filled, minimalist jungle of his production. Retrograde is part of a progressive journey away from dubstep, away from the singer/songwriter tag. Away from any genre restraints at all really. His sound is truly unique, with this song, in particular, forming a melancholic hark back to dubstep’s hay-day when Blake was growing up. Pioneers of the sound such as Burial and Skream were huge inspirations along Blake’s musical journey, and this shows how his style has shifted, encompassing more and more of RnB.

The rhythmic humming that underpins the whole song have a gospel quality to them that yet again dodge classification from one genre. Blake’s entire sound, across his entire discography, is fluid and complex. The production always makes each song feel like an audio blockbuster capable of transporting you anywhere. From an incredibly serious debut, self-titled project, to the gloomier, hip-hop rinsed offering from earlier this year, James Blake is a rare artist that is ever-evolving, and one that can be turned to no matter what the occasion, no matter what the emotion.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex