Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lav:  I was pretty damn excited for this album. From his breakthrough around 2015 leading up to his sophomore album i am > i was , 21 Savage underwent one of the greatest and quickest artistic improvements I've ever witnessed in hip hop. That left me pretty excited for what he's gonna do next. While his output in the years since certainly hasn't been bad, he hasn't continued progressing artistically in the way I had hoped. I was really excited to see him cross paths with Metro Boomin for a second time on 2020's Savage Mode II  but the album didn't really live up to the hype I had for it. On the other hand, I was pretty surprised by just how good his collab album with Drake Her Loss  was in 2022.  That led us to american dream , the long-awaited third solo studio album from Savage. The album dropped with no singles and was only announced just a few days before its release. Without much to set expectations for the record in advance, I'll start the...

Drake needs no introduction, come on guys. Review by Lav:  Drake hate is so corny in 2023. Much like every single new album cycle people who probably didn't listen to For All The Dogs  came out of their caves to bash it relentlessly. Thankfully this is so routine at this point that the tactic gets easier and easier to ignore every time. The best I can do to contribute to the discourse is actually try and digest the material he's releasing and give an honest reflection about it. As if it wasn't already the most obvious thing on earth, the truth about the album lies somewhere in between Drake's devoted haters and his biggest fans. I won't break down every single moment of For All The Dogs  as like many Drake albums it is TOO long. Drake is limited artistically and his songwriting lacks the scope and ambition to make an 80-minute album feel fresh throughout. I think he realizes that because this album is absolutely stacked with talented collaborators. Normally that h...

Travis Scott is one of the biggest rap superstars in the world. He's managed to be both a massive hitmaker and a critical darling relative to his peers. UTOPIA  comes two years after Travis Scott found himself at the center of the Astroworld  music festival tragedy. Despite the festival's shortcomings and his maligned public reaction to it, fans were extremely excited for UTOPIA . The album was released with an impressive collection of featured artists and producers and has spawned extensive discussion among rap fans online. Review by Lav: It's hard for me to put into words how excited I was for Astroworld . After Rodeo  turned me into a big Travis Scott fan and the years he spent building up to its actual sequel generated so much hype, how could I not be excited. I stayed up till midnight to listen to the album with my friends and unpack all the features and credits that were initially hidden. But here's the thing, Astroworld  lived up to every bit of the hype. I st...

King's Disease III  - Nas Unlike the bar on the opening track where Nas says he "doesn't drop often", this is the third album in the KD series in as many years. The combination of Nas and Hit-Boy has been pumping out songs recently and while I thought the first King's Disease  was just okay, the second one really did impress me . So if Nas took another step forward on the third edition it has the potential to be one of his best albums since Illmatic . At the very least Nas pulls off the level of lyrical proficiency you'd expect, as does Hit-Boy with the beats. Even when this record isn't operating at its best it does at least sound good. One of the primary issues I have with the album gets back to the recent over-exposure of Nas as this record sounds extremely familiar. From the beats to the hooks to the subject matter Nas is rapping about there's just a lot here that feels closer to routine. Thankfully, I still find the music here pretty exciting, and...

Drake & 21 Savage are a pair of rap music's most popular and enigmatic voices. Drake is coming off a shift into hip-house on his dance record Honestly, Nevermind  earlier this year which was met with mostly critical shrugs. 21 Savage on the other hand was last heard from in full-length form in 2020 when he dropped the highly anticipated Savage Mode II  with Metro Boomin' which had slightly more critical acclaim to its name but was still seen as a bit of a let-down. Her Loss  was surprise announced just a few weeks ago and dropped with no singles.  Review by Lav: Boy, everyone is gonna be talking about this one. Even when the record was barely out there were already hot takes flying about this being the best or worst thing either artist had done in years. As I so often try and do, I took a few days to digest this record with repeat listens and come out with some clarity and as you'd expect, the reality is somewhere between the hot takes. Her Loss  is fla...

JID is an Atlanta rapper who first rose to prominence as a member of the Spillage Village collective and a signee on J. Cole's Dreamville label imprint. His previous studio album DiCaprio 2  came out in 2018 and drastically rose his profile as both a commercial artist and a critical darling. Review by Lav: While I wasn't the earliest to come around to JID I have been able to watch his rise over the past 6 years where he's not only drastically increased his profile but also his talent. I did get some flak from hip-hop heads on twitter for not completely fawning over DiCaprio 2  but with this new record, I feel pretty validated. Not only has JID improved his talent on just about every level, but also his scope and ambition with it. The results are one of the best hip hop records I've heard in 2022.  I'm really glad the lead single to this record still managed to land on the record. Surround Sound  is a track I've been enjoying all year with one of the best hooks I...

If you like big names, this week had them. If you like reoccurring favorites, this week had them. If you liked random ass flips of chance, this week had them. These are the best of it all.  5.  Run  - YG (Feat. Tyga, 21 Savage & BIA) Talk about a roster with potential. If you're familiar with YG's music you're gonna hear a lot of qualities you're familiar with in both the instrumental and his lyrical approach but it's still quite an infectious sound. Two artists who can certainly deliver on a feature show up on the back end of the song and frankly, Savage and BIA deliver.  Listen 4.  Blacklight Shine  - The Mars Volta If you're the type of music fan who didn't really care that Beyonce released a new single then you're probably also the type of music fan who was really excited for The Mars Volta to come back after a decade hiatus. What they returned with might not have the same kinetic energy of some of their best tracks but it has an instrumental var...

Drake is, well he's Drake. You know who he is. After releasing a huge and hugely successful album with last years  Certified Lover Boy  he is taking a quick turnaround and returning with Honestly, Nevermind  which was a surprise album dropped with no singles and limited promotion. It's also notable for being a shift in style for Drake featuring dance and house inspired beats throughout the tracklist.  Review By Lav: The critics haven't been crazy about Drake for a while. In their defense he has slowed down his willingness to leave his comfort zone and turned up his willingness to pack his tracklist absolutely full of songs in recent years. But the Drake hate has always been blown DRASTICALLY out of proportion and it reached a fever pitch with this record. Whether it was the series of viral tweets claiming the record is department store music or the absolute meltdown had by dudes on the hiphopheads subreddit, it's clear that hating on Honestly, Nevermind  is popu...

As the pendulum does swing, last week was a bit dry by singles standards but this week featured a flood of new tracks to choose from. Enjoy <3 5.  Because  - Danger Mouse & Black Thought (Feat. Joey Bada$$, Russ & Dylan Cartridge) Before I broke down every single element of this posse cut I will just say that yes the contributions are inconsistent among the various rappers as to be expected. But the song still has so many great facets starting with another killer retro instrumental from Danger Mouse that Black Thought and Joey in particular sound excellent over.  Listen 4.  Skin Of My Teeth  - Demi Lovato I never thought I'd say it but this Demi Lovato punk song actually has some grit to it. While it never fully leaves the realm of pop flavored punk compared to many of their contemporaries Demi proved they can really up the ante. The song is not only unafraid to touch on some of her past controversies and traumas but it does so with a vengeful venom t...

Latto is an Atlanta rapper who has broken out in recent years with tracks like Big Energy  and Bitch From Da Souf  as well as being named to the 2020 XXL Freshman Class. 777  is her sophomore album and follows 2020's Queen Of Da Souf . Review By Lav: While I don't think Latto has a particularly impressive back catalog thus far, I have always seen the appeal of her music, in particular her uncompromising personality. On tracks where she's lean into her confidence and demeanor she has been just as good as some of her best and most popular contemporaries, so it was no surprise to me to see her developing some more acclaim and commercial success. I wouldn't say that had me anticipating that 777  would be some kind of major breakout record, I was just hoping she would lean into that personality. Turns out she does, and the results are pretty solid.  A lot of discussion surrounding this record starts with one song, Big Energy . It has sort of become Latto's true comme...

Last week indie got off to a ridiculous start in 2022 and this week it was raps turn to have tons of notable releases within just a few days. The only difference, these tracks average out to a MUCH weaker group and other genres of music still managed to sneak into the ranks of the best singles this week. With some major disappointments these are the tracks that still managed to rise to the top. 5.  Jackie Down The Line  - Fontaines D.C I've been one of the bigger critics of this band over the last few years but this may be their best single yet. The driving rhythms and monotone delivery make for a confrontational sound but I could never call the song overly aggressive or loud. This is also the first time I've thought the band used vocals in a really effective way to combine with the dark sound of the instrumental to create something really interesting.  Listen 4.  Surround Sound  - JID (Feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate) This was a collection of talent that was al...

Gunna is an Atlanta rapper signed to Young Thug's YSL Records label. He broke out a few years ago on a string of features alongside Young Thug and a successful collaborative album between himself and fellow 2018 up and comer Lil Baby. DS4EVER  is his 3rd proper studio album and comes two years after his first #1 album Wunna  in 2020. Review By Lav: I was late to Gunna. When I first heard him on the back of his affiliation with Young Thug I was so sure that his prescence would be a passing fad that I passed on reviewing some of his early mixtapes. It wasn't until his Lil Baby collab Drip Harder  which spawned the first big hit of his career that I realized I couldn't ignore him forever. The first highlight of my interaction with Gunna's music and his fans was when an intern from his record label called me "an LGBT" on Twitter and used that as an explanation for why I didn't enjoy Drip or Drown 2  which honestly still makes me laugh to this day. Believe it o...

The five best tracks that came out this past week listed below: 5.  Waiting  - PUP The newest single from the PUP catalog is an absolute rager that explodes with jagged instrumentation and that classic punk attitude and flair we've come to expect from the band. They pull off a surprisingly emotional edge to the whole thing as the songs wonders why you continue to wait around for someone, when all signs tell you to just go. It's a punk song with more to it than meets the eye.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHG36NyvaUk 4.  La Fama  - Rosalia Feat. The Weeknd The latest in Rosalia's seemingly infinite streak of high profile collaborations is R&B crossover king The Weeknd. It actually follows the pairs collaboration on last years Blinding Lights Remix  but takes a much less pop approach sonically. It deploys a much darker instrumental palette reminiscent of Abel's early days but with a distinct Latin sound, and the blend pulls you in from it's very first ...

Drake is the biggest artist on earth, and frankly it really isn't even close. From his streaming dominance, to his radio dominance to his chart dominance across numerous genres Drake has been an absolutely unstoppable force of commercial music for years. After setting numerous Billboard and streaming records with his 2018 record Scorpion  Drake has already started tearing down his previous accomplishments with Certified Lover Boy  in just the records first few days.  Review By Lav: Compared to the general public I've never been one of the massive Drake fans that you most likely know and interact with on Twitter occasionally. But compared to most music critics I've been far more positive on Drake's output, particularly in recent years, than many major outlets. While Views  and Scorpion  are both undeniably bloated there is also no denying the highlights that run throughout. Drake overcame this on his More Life  playlist which featured contributions from a nu...