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Hottest New Music: June 18th
Friday 21st June 2013 | Chris
June 18th marked a milestone date for hip hop this year as it saw the release of three highly anticipated and very contrasting rap albums. Here's our roundup of what each album brought to the table and an accompanying track from each of the releases.
Kanye West - Yeezus
Yeezy's promotional video for his latest release which was a recreation of a memorable scene from 'American Pyscho' explains the concept behind this album in a comical fashion. Forget 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,' Kanye is back with Yeezus and it is more dark and twisted than anything before. 'Yeezus' is an ungodly creation which by and large couldn't be more different to his early productions and takes Kanye's experimentation in a new direction. The album plays with a much bassier and hard-hitting sound. Having said that he leaves traces of his former self with soul cuts throughout.Our recommended track (Bound 2) is definitely reminiscent of some of Yeezy's early material. With some witty bars and a soulful vocal from Charlie Wilson, Kanye rounds off his sixth album with a salute to his oldest fans who fell in love with this patented sound almost a decade ago when he was just a college dropout.
J Cole - Born Sinner
J Cole was the biggest rival to Kanye on June 18th and it was a bold move for him to go head to head with one of his biggest inspirations. This move could be interpreted as a clever marketing strategy, but releasing alongside Kanye would mean that there albums would be compared despite the obvious stylistic differences. 'Born Sinner' is an album receiving a lot of praise from hip hop fans as it is a well-crafted 21 track masterpiece which shows how much J Cole has grown as a producer and a rapper. J Cole takes inspiration from a number of different angles and experiences which was highlighted by 'Let Nas Down' a track which talks about a recent rejection from Nasty. It's a shame he wasn't able to get Nas on board to feature on the album, but at least he got a single out of it. The chosen track to post features a mellow and jazzy instrumental and Kendrick Lemar on the hook.
Mac Miller - Watching Movies With The Sound Off
Mac Miller makes a comeback after receiving mixed reviews relating to his debut album 'Blue Slide Park' which sent him into a downward spiral. After kicking a purple drank habit, Mac's focus was on creating something more personal with this release and to ultimately prove he deserves to no longer be considered as just a 'frat rapper'. Credit is due to Mac as not only has he gone up against J Cole and Kanye West but he has succeeded in creating something that deserves recognition as it is an original and diverse album that is beyond his years. It features some experimental tracks such as the 'The Choice' posted below. It was produced by electronic music innovator Flying Lotus and has one of the most entertainingly random videos you'll see to go along with it.
Although a bit of friendly competition is never a bad thing, after hearing these releases it becomes evident just how different these artists are and for that reason a comparison is difficult to make. Kanye's controversial release' Yeezus' is like nothing we've heard before and is certainly not a hip hop album. J Cole's Born Sinner has a more familiar sound and is likely to be widely appreciated, with single releases off the album already proving to be commercially viable. Mac reaches out to a less commercial fan-base and showcases the talent of a new-wave of hip hop producers. More than anything June 18th proved how diverse rap music has become due to artists like Kanye and Mac Miller who are constantly striving to produce material that will be appreciated for its creativity.
