One can’t deny that other genres has been greatly influenced by hip hop. The trap beats are to be found in a lot of major pop songs today. The background instrumentals, the sampling, the rapping(!) even – all of this has moved into almost all other genres that are popular on radio today. One can argue that hip hop is the accumulation of all other genres out there today – at least when it comes to the instrumentals.
Since I listen to hip hop 99% of the time and have little to no interest in other genres, I feel that hip hop broadens my music interest when a hip hop producer samples a pop track that I explore after hearing the hip hop instrumental version of it. Or when a rapper decides to do a cover of a track from another genre. Like last week, when Denzel Curry showed off his music talent by doing a fantastic cover of Rage Against The Machines track ’Bulls on Parade’: watch it here.
Bandana
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib released one of the best collab albums ever made with their 2014 release of Pinata. Now, they’re back with the first single from their upcoming follow-up album called Bandana. Instant classic, listen to it.
Numb Numb Juice
ScHoolboy Q is without a doubt one of Franklins favourites. I’m super happy that he has an album on its way. He’s inviting us to this new album by releasing this grimey single with this awesome music video today. Watch the video or just Listen.
Left Hand
A megamix of some of the most popular rappers from the East Coast came together and made this epic track: Joey Badass, CJ Fly, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, Kirk Knight and Nick Caution.
Listen to the sound of the East.
Empty
Juice WRLD is back with another album. Leading the race for nicest album cover 2019, he puts out an album with 22(!) tracks. The second half of the album is shit, but the first half fantastic. Like this track, Empty:
The case of Juice WRLD
I’d like to end this newsletter with a section about Juice WRLD. He’s one of the biggest talents in rap today. He’s growing day-by-day and he seems to be destined to be one of the biggest rappers shortly. He’s riding the same wave as many rappers today (Ski Mask, Trippie Redd, Lil Skies, Lil Pump, Ugly God, etc.) with the beat selections and the emotional rap.On Juice WRLD’s latest album, there’s a lot of Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert influence as well. Juice makes a lot of generic noise and sloppy rapping that fits the modern emotional rap. The thing is that Juice WRLD is a fantastic freestyle rapper and has an amazing technique. Here’s a couple of amazing freestyle videos of Juice killing it in the booth. Here’s Juice freestyling for an entire hour! Here’s another clip when he’s freestyling about random object put in front of him. Still, when on the album he shows almost nothing of his rapping technique. I believe he knows what sells today and that’s the emotional rap focus, hence that’s what he’s doing and selling. And it works. My point is that, he seems to be incredibly smart by knowing what he can sell and then adapt to that and succeed.I look forward to the day when there’s a trend when his real rapping technique is popular and he can grow and show off that. That’s a bright future of some great hits to come.Anyhow, til’ next time!