Monday Mixtape, Vol. 225

225 volumes should be some sort of celebration, a few balloons and whistles to lead in this week’s first track, “CABRA DRIVE”, by Kojaque. Damn, this song is tight, and I’m diggin the lingo. The transition into the bridge (starting around 1:30) is jaw dropping, and the move back out (2:04) is flawless. This dude’s due to blow up.

Kojaque is an Irishman hailing from Dublin, blending storytelling and style spanning soundscapes, resulting in music transcending the boundaries between the bars.

Nas released a new album, and although it’s nothing amazing, it’s still crazy to hear a rapper his age still killin’ it. Two tracks from Nasty this week! Jay Rock and Anderson Paak round out the rappers this week.

Post Malone dropped an album. His lyrics have always been boring and uninspired, but he knows how to sing a hit.

The Beaches, a band of female rockers, got me intrigued. I gotta look back on their previous couple albums and see if there’s any hubbub to intrigue further.

I’ll report back. Over and out.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 105

It's about that time for a Monday Mixtape focused on rap! If you hadn't heard, Beyonce and Jay-Z made an album as The Carters, a decent album that incessantly talks about their wealth, their reborn love, and how much better their life is that you while yammering on about their kids ("WHAT UP BLU!" "She can't hear you, Jay, she's at daycare at the MOMA"). So it's basically everyones Facebook post in one way or another. Few good songs though!

Jay Rock gets my vote for best rap album of the year (so far, at least). Others may say Pusha-T - ***TANGENT ALERT***Pusha's album is a 6/10 from me and he probably got more point by releasing the best rap song of the year and possibly greatest diss track of all time, The Story of Adidon -

which KILLED Drake (we'll see about commercially) not only with the cover of the single of Drake wearing blackface (which in CONTEXT Drake explained later:

but the damage was already done since the track circulated like a virus in hours as everyone had been awaiting Pusha's response) and Pusha exposed Drake had a boy from a pornstar (how had this not been uncovered?) that he was keeping hidden from the world until he could use (or maybe, in Drake's lame/terrible/child labor idea, "introduce") the kid to introduce an Adidas apparel line named Adidon!!!??? WHATT!??) ***TANGENT OVER***

- or J. Cole (No, sorry, I like J. Cole, but he's overrated). 

Which brings us back to Jay Rock - another member of TDE, the all powerful label with Kendrick, SZA, Schoolboy Q, and others - finally put it together as a rapper, combining his raw sound and street experiences into a powerful flow. There are some rappers that go on about the usual sex, drugs, and gangs, where it's hard to believe if their character is fiction or non-fiction. With Jay Rock, there's no guessing. This guy's rap alone makes me believe everything he's rapping. Please listen to "ES Tales" on blast because that bass ripples.

Freddie Gibbs is another one of those guys. From Gary, Indiana, he's one of the most underrated rappers alive some great previous albums like Shadow of a Doubt and the amazing Madlib produced Pinata. What a flow and vocals.

Anderson .Paak is still showing he can do no wrong. If you still haven't heard his album Malibu, do yourself a favor and get on it!

That's all I got. Happy listening.