Governors Ball Music Festival at Randell”s Island Park in NY. All photos taken by Miguel Crespo for RESPECT.

Nothing says “Summer In New York” like The Governors Ball music festival. The star-studded, east-coast festival has returned for its ninth straight year and the 2019 installment was another one for the books. Randall’s Island Park was full of diverse people, good food and great vibes once again as Gov Ball weekend arrived.

GovBall NYC on May 31st – June 2nd is three days of diverse musical acts headlined this year by Tyler, The Creator, Florence + the Machine and The Strokes. With four stages (plus a side stage), it boasts the hottest rock, pop, contemporary R&B and hip hop acts. Whether you line the rail in wait for your fave, hang in the back with your crew, or graze the stages and food trucks all day, you can’t go wrong.

Prancing and screeching across the stage in a neon green suit and his new blond, bowl-cut wig, Tyler, the Creator stole the show on Gov Ball 2019’s inaugural night. Without special guests or a backing band, the ever-eccentric rapper captivated the crowd with songs from his just-released new album, “IGOR,” as well as fan favorites from his deep catalog. Although “IGOR” has only been out for a couple of weeks, the audience knew many of the lyrics and shouted along fervently — to the heartfelt appreciation of the seemingly surprised Tyler, who also served as his own hype man.

American Eagle Stage

On Saturday, the performance to watch came from Atlanta native, Playboi Carti. The young Hip-Hop phenom brought energy to the Honda Stage that was unmatched. A rocking crowd full of fans couldn’t keep their feet grounded as heavy bass shook Randell’s Island. Vince Staples also graced the Honda Stage but not before a smooth and melodic performance by Ty Dolla $ign over at the American Eagle stage.

Playboi Carti

Unfortunately, there was a surprise headliner for Sunday, terrible weather. Storm cells had been brewing in the tristate vicinity since late into Saturday night. Rather than plow into the final day as scheduled, organizers preemptively cancelled most of it before it even began.

Doors were pushed to open at 6:30pm, immediately nixing anticipated acts such as Charli XCX, SOB X RBE and SZA from the lineup. When most of the day proceeded to be blue-skied and beautiful, organizers issued an announcement that the festival would actually open earlier than scheduled, at 5pm.

KAYTRANADA was angled to start at 9:30, but the instant he walked on stage, all screens went black with a stern announcement: “Due to approaching severe weather, all persons should move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit and seek shelter for your safety.”

Despite Mother Nature deciding to end the party, Governors Ball 2019 left impressions on us all. Another epic Gov Ball weekend in NY was a success and we are already excited to see what the 2020 installment has in store.

Denzel Curry

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Worcester Palladuim. All photos taken by Miguel Crespo for RESPECT.

EDM heavyweight Steve Aoki brought the Kolony tour to the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts highlighting tracks from his Hip-Hop collaboration album, Kolony. The album featured some of music’s biggest names including Lil Uzi Vert, Migos, Gucci Mane, Rich The Kid and more. The emergence of EDM and Rap collaborations is becoming more common and Steve has been in the forefront of it all.

Aoki didn’t hit the road alone. Brooklyn rapper Desiigner was a special guest on tour. Known for his number 1 charting single “Panda,” the GOOD Music signee was the perfect way to start the show off. Desiigner is an energetic, crowd-moving artist that had fans raging for his entire set. Cuts from his debuts mixtape New English, and singles like “Outlet” spun as Desiigner proceeded to throw water and surf the crowd. Life Of Desiigner the album is slated to drop sometime this year.

Desiigner

The stage was set and the fans were ready for what they came to see. Loud electronic sounds filled the room and the crowd screamed. If there’s an artist who’s concerts can actually be described as a party, it’s Steve Aoki. Aoki played a bass-pumping set for an incredible 2 hours. Bright lights flashed across the venue and ceiling-touching smoke fired from the stage. Truly engaged with the crowd, Aoki kept the atmosphere electronic.

“It’s time for the moment you all came here for.. Cake.” Aoki is well known for throwing big sheets of cake at fans during his show. Fans love the thought of going home and cleaning frosting off their faces and hair. Big signs read “Cake Me” and fans raised them over their heads. The cakes started flying from the cloud. Desiigner even got in on the cake throwing and tossed one at a fan in the front row. Concluding, the opening artists and Aoki shared the stage one last time to take a bow and wish the crowd a good night. EDM and Rap fusion is something we shall continue to see emerge and as fans of both genres, we’re not mad.

Steve Aoki

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While the film received flack, the soundtrack itself has also been overlooked by most.

‘The Birth of a Nation: The Inspired by Album’ features 16 tracks with our favorite industry artists such as Nas, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and more — while also allowing upcoming artists a chance to shine. Honestly, this artist line up itself is enough to get someone hype, whether they see the movie or not.

Vic Mensa sets the soundtrack tone with , “Go Tell ‘Em.” Opening up with a hard-hitting beat and chain clanking in the background, Mensa goes on about the struggle to escape oppression— a theme reflected by the black struggle in America.

Next up Meek Mill and Pusha T feature newcomer Priscilla Renea on “Black Moses.” The trio delivered  messages of captivity and rebellion witnessed in the film and with the biblical story of Moses. Pusha T says,

“Leave ’em sittin’ at death’s door, proper way to send ’em off
They’ll just beat me ’til the sin is off or my skin is off.”

2 Chainz “Whip & A Chain” deviates from the soundtrack’s general theme, yet still finds a good fit on the album.

Furthermore, listeners find themselves turning up to Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne‘s “Oh Lord.” Despite the turn-up vibe, listeners are purposefully drawn to Gucci’s words when he raps, “I’d rather die for my freedom than live like a peasant/Depressions, recessions, the past and the present/ Slavery to segregation, I still rob with my brethren.”

“On My Own,“ “Raise Hell,” and “Bloodline,“ continue to shift the soundscape of the album bringing forth a pop vibe to it. Each track discusses specific issues plaguing black America including police brutality and personal frustration within the community.

Trey Songz and Ne-Yo dish out “Stand,” and “Queen,” two tracks with usual R&B flair.

“Live Forever,” “The Icarus,” and “Sins of Our Fathers,“ extend the sociopolitical problems Blacks have faced for centuries and how they’ve became permanent fixtures in African-American lives.

“Firebird,” and “Forward,”  bring the resurgence and drive to move forward regardless of the past.

Always holding his own, Nas delivers a heavy hitter protest song with  “War,“ featuring Raye.

Last but not least is “Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray,” by the Wiley College Choir. As a modern rendition of the original Negro Spiritual, this track speaks on the feeling of being unheard or unwanted.

Overall, the soundtrack follow the footsteps of the film with various hits and misses.  The Inspired by Album was great for messages delivered via historic context; however certain songs were unnecessary.

Surprisingly, Gucci and Wayne shatter expectations outside their usual content. Songs like, “On My Own,“ “Raise Hell,” and “Bloodline,” were lackluster in every sense, yet they fit the movie’s theme pretty well.

Stream The Birth of a Nation soundtrack below on Spotify and purchase it on iTunes.

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ScHoolboy Q is not Kendrick Lamar. He isn’t Ab-Soul. He isn’t Jay Rock.

Plenty of people will denigrate Q because of his lack of heady lyricism, but most will misinterpret his place in his collective. He will never be a Kendrick, or an Ab-Soul, or a Jay Rock- Q is in his own lane as far as Hip-Hop goes, and going the length to perform as outstanding as he can in his category of Hip-Hop: Gangsta Rap (with hints of Jazz and R&B, too).

On this latest record, Blank Face LP, he proves yet again why he’s redefining Gangsta Rap with a combination of grit and unadulterated emotion on a number of the tracks on the listing. Instrumentally and lyrically, this is arguably his most adventurous effort to date.

The opening track, over everything, sets the tone for the murky and gritty 74 minutes which lie ahead. “TorcH” starts with a bass groove and some harmonizing by Anderson .Paak, and quickly evolves into a hellish, guitar riddled instrumental, sonically reminiscent of what Tyler, the Creator was experimenting with on the opening track of Cherry Bomb, but to a lesser extent. Interesting to see different artists (Kid Cudi, Beyonce, Tyler, The Creator) incorporating scents of rock-esque sounds in their music. Anderson .Paak sounds devilish and belligerent in his hook here; loud vocals which intimidate speakers as he says lines like “Vision impaired in my high/No one cares in my mind.” There’s an air of darkness and despondency surrounding everything about this track.

The next song, “Lord Have Mercy” reminds me of a more cognizant version of “Sacrilegious” from Q’s mixtape Habits and Contradictions. Whereas “Sacrilegious” was littered with voids of knowledge about whether he’ll ever be forgiven for his actions, “Lord Have Mercy” details Q’s moral about-face. “Guess I’m bein’ a real n***a like I’m ‘posed to be/But bein’ real never once bought the groceries.” Sonically, we hear a slow hi-hat and ominous harmonies being sung in the background. The instrumental is extremely murky to coincide with the subject matter of the song.

So far, Q’s aired out some troublesome feelings. “TorcH” has some gritty instrumentals with unapologetic lyrics that hint at an inner sadness/dissatisfaction, “Lord Have Mercy” is framed as a prayer to God, and begging for His mercy and forgiveness. We’re seeing the darker side of gangsta rap here; the part that often gets snubbed.

“THat Part” is one of the singles Q released, this time including a feature with Kanye West himself. It’s only appropriate that one of the most lyrically boastful tracks on the listing features a man so aggressive and dominant as Kanye. And this song is just that- a boastful track. I thought it was odd to juxtapose two sentimental tracks with an accessible song about your customary palate of rap song tropes. It, nevertheless, entertains and creates a break from the heavier subject matter Q likes to delve into during this album.

There’s also a remix out now, which features lyrics from the TDE collective “Black Hippy,” which includes Kendrick, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Q himself- the lattermost of which actually drops an extra verse mentioned the death of Alton Sterling!

“When Alton Sterling gettin’ killed for nothin’/Two cowards in the car, they’re just there to film/

Sayin’ #BlacklivesMatter should’ve died with him”

“Tell me how they sent that footage off and slept that night.”

Q, possibly influenced by the heady Ab-Soul and the conscious Kendrick, incorporates a lot of sociopolitical statements into his verse on the remix; a very welcome shift in subject.

“Groovy Tony” was my first exposure to Blank Face LP. Someone remarked that Q’s rapping and cadence are very reminiscent of a younger Ice Cube (Kanye even dropped a reference to N.W.A. in his verse for “THat Part), and I can’t help but hearing out that sentiment wholeheartedly, albeit with some disagreement. There’s definitely a hint of Gangsta Rap revival in Q’s music, as well as TDE labelmate Jay Rock (who people also quote as a revival of Cube/N.W.A), but both artists add their own flair to their instrumentals and lyrics that distinguishes them from Gangsta Rap from before.

Groovy Tony is the “alter ego” of ScHoolboy Q, as he says in this interview, and the more violent rendition of his current persona. “Groovy Tony” is a bass heavy, tumultuous track with lyrics that detail the Crip lifestyle Q led at his peak of belligerence. Plenty of drug, sex, and gun references litter the lyrics of this track. As far as roleplaying goes, this song is as intense as it gets (so far).

References to the title of the album are made throughout the lyrics, with a lighthearted, euphemistic voice in the background repeating the words “Blank Face” throughout the entire song, and sometimes finishing off either Q’s or Jadakiss’ sentence with the two words. More on the meaning of the title of the album later on. One of the more memorable lines where the two words are said is: “F**k my image, I need to drop, I need to, Blank Face.”

“Eddie Kane” is a reference to the vivacious soul singer from the fictional band “The Five Heartbeats,” from the appropriately titled movie The Five Heartbeats. The band is said to be an amalgamation of Soul/R&B bands of the 70s through 90s, including acts like The Temptations, The Dells, Sam Cooke, and others, and encapsulates the groove and lifestyles that are knotted together with fame. Q likens himself to Eddie Kane by comparing their debaucherous lifestyles; Eddie Kane experimented with cocaine and alcohol during his stint of fame, Q was full-time crippin’.

A well made and original reference; despite his self-affiliation with a fictional singer, the hardships and demons that arise with fame are a very real issue across all genres.

Instrumental wise, in the latter half, the song gets drowned in a soothing “ooo” harmony in the background, and Q’s cadence gets more high pitched. The song halfway morphs from a gritty gangsta rap song to one with heavenly feel to it- a great way to possibly symbolize the epiphany which made him cognizant of how dangerous his lifestyle was. Although, the wrap-up is fairly open ended; the last words Q speaks, after rapping more about his egregious Uncle and life at the time,  are: “I’m his grandma’s baby, Eddie Kane.”

The lyrics and connection made to Eddie Kane were definitely the shining parts of the song. the instrumental flowed from “Groovy Tony” to “Eddie Kane” very seamlessly and smoothly.

There’s very To Pimp a Butterfly-esque vibes on the “Know Ya Wrong”  instrumental; a lot of jazzy piano pieces, little bits of brass combined with semi-free form writing. Of course, the instrumental still has that little Gangsta Rap twist to them. The lyrics are essentially a rant circling around the “If you weren’t with me when I was struggling, you won’t be with me at the top” mantra.

Part II of the track reminded me of a “what if Tame Impala made Hip-Hop instrumentals?” Maybe that’s just me. Perhaps I’m saying that because the vibe of this entire song is an extreme departure from the hard-hitting nature of most of the track listing so far. The track also features Lance Skiiwalker, newest signee of TDE, and the second non-rap signing for the label.

The next track on the listing is “Ride Out.”

Now this right here took me by surprise.

Coming off of Lance Skiiwalker’s voice, I wasn’t expecting to listen to possibly the most abrasive song on this entire album. If “Groovy Tony” was gritty, and if “TorcH” was a combination of that and hidden sadness, “Ride Out” is pure hell. Hi-Hats extremely reminiscent of trap/drill music, and the bass will shake your speaker while Q once again revisits his past, this time in the most violent way. Q delivers his lyrics in a raspy voice similar to how labelmates Kendrick & Isaiah Rashad pitch their voices in order to mimic the cacophonous feelings of anger and acrimony.

Vince Staples does his best (and succeeds) at matching Q’s energy level, opening up his verse with the line, “Yeah, cause at Ramona Park we beef with everybody/Light or dark I’ll spark, don’t f**k with narcs/So don’t be talkin’ bout me.” Both Vince and Q have had history with Crips before, so both their pasts are endowed with violence.

Additionally, Q’s reference to Dolemite is super appreciated. Even more interesting is the movie’s foothold in “Blaxploitation films”- movies which “exploited” or took advantage of perceived popular trends in Black culture.  That’s a topic for another time though.

Definitely one of my favorite cuts off the track listing so far, because of its almost exaggerating callback to the most extreme of Gangsta Rap interpretations.

“WHateva You Want” is a little love ballad about how Q’s gonna spoil the girl he’s with with anything she wants.

Super experimental for ScHoolboy here, and interesting to see how the vibe drastically shifts from the last song to this one. That said, coming off of “Ride Out” I would’ve loved hearing a song detailing the downfalls of living the violent lifestyle depicted in it. Going from a song about gangbanging to one about love threw me off quite a bit.

Nevertheless, interesting to see Q continuing to expand his horizons; his last love song (that I can recall) was “Studio,” which was also odd to here since it came directly after “Hoover Street” on Oxymoron. Perhaps there’s a deeper meaning behind putting a song about a women directly after one about gangbanging that I’m not seeing. Nevertheless, both “Studio” and “WHateva U Want” are solid songs which steer away from the general feel of the albums they’re on.

Kendrick Lamar comes through doing his half-singing voice he employs to convey feeling on “By Any Means.” This song contains an introspective hook about the relentlessness someone will achieve in trying to accomplish their goals, whatever they may be. Apparently, the song is a reference to the “By Any Means Necessary” speech given by Malcolm X.  

“We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary.”

The sentiment in place heightens my fondness of the track. This, just like “Lord Have Mercy”, shows a different side of the oftentimes romanticized trap lifestyle- there’s a despondency and desperation that comes along with living the life very vividly portrayed by Q in this album.

The instrumentation is slow and ominous, which is very fitting for a song where I feel like everything else takes a backseat in favor of lyrics.

E-40’s quirky flow on “Dope Dealer” never ceases to intrigue me. Talk about unorthodox rhyme schemes. I don’t see any deeper meaning besides Q talking about (once more) his gangbanging past. E-40s verse definitely added something different, and this song will definitely bang out during concerts- it’s very accessible and easy to grasp, as well as catchy.

On one of the more intriguing tracks on this listing, in “JoHn Muir” Q reminisces back to his younger days when his gangbanging days were just beginning. This is essentially a “prequel” track, with the title of the song referencing John Muir Middle School- Q’s old school in Los Angeles. What’s so troubling about the lyrics is the inference that Q began gangbanging at such an early age. During a listening party for his album, Q had this to say:

“The beginning of me f***ing with my homies from the hood. The beginning of me stealing, robbing, getting beat up, jackin’ n***as, getting jacked, the whole nine.”

In a different interview, Q mentions that his gangbanging days began as early as 12 years old. He says that while he wasn’t getting involved in too much, he was just “following the leader.”

While he’s previously mentioned it before, actually seeing Q’s imagery of his childhood focused in one song, and done over this somber instrumental with a preacher-esque chorus line is something surreal. This song essentially sets the background for the narrative for Q’s entire body of work.

In an interview, Q also mentions the influence that Ice Cube had on him, and the echoes of an aggressive Cube spitting can definitely be heard through this track. The instrumental does, generally speaking, have a very old school feel to it.

More of the oldies sound comes through on the “Big Body” track, which is unsurprising considering the producer, Tyler, the Creator, is a huge fan of old school musicians. Tha Dogg Pound is featured here, appropriately so, further illuminating the retro sound. The instrumental is equipped with a danceable bass in the background, a 90s-esque Hi-Hat, and a quirky synthesizer appearing every so often throughout the track.

Lyrically, it’s definitely one of the cuts where the words got a backseat in favor for making the vibe complete.

Drums get poured over the bassline in “Neva CHange” as Q goes on about the world’s stagnation and his coping/disappointment with it.

“N***as still killin’ n***as/Child support killin’ n***as/Cops enslavin’ us n***as/Little girls killin’ mothers/They treat their kid like a brotha/Fathers stuck with them lifers/Kept it real with his n***as/But left his kid for the sucks, s**t no wonder we bang/Damn shame, mane, some things will never change”

1 of the 2 non-rap artists signed to TDE steps up to handle the hook of the song; Lance Skiiiwalker got a feature, so why not give SZA one?

“Boy think you got this/No one here, on your own/Stuck in the same spot.”

SZA’s lyrics always touch upon the deeper and touchier subjects of life, so it’s fair that she wrote down some meaningful lyrics to further impact this groovy song.

“Str8 Ballin” is like the aftermath/result of “JoHn Muir,” “Neva CHange,” and “By Any Means,” with Q using process of elimination for the avenues he could take through life. He was too short for basketball, too poor to have access to luxury or establishments that could help him grow, and he was surrounded by peers who were doing nothing but gangbanging. My favorite quote from this song, and one of my favorites from the entire LP:

“The teachers ain’t teachin’, the judge taught us numbers.”

Cue the reference to Kendrick’s line in Section.80 about never making it to 21. From birth, Q and most of the people surrounding him were doomed to be statistics. No odds were in their favor. Their environment was criminogenic. “Str8 Ballin’” is a testament to why my previous statement did not apply to him, and a status update on how he’s doing now.

“Black THoughts” begins with this line:

“Pissy sofas, sharin’ food with roaches, uh”

Powerful opening lines, and also not the first time Q mentioned sharing food with roaches. On “Hoover Street” from Oxymoron:

“So I guess it’s back to trapping eyes open night to morning/ Had roaches in my cereal….”

In a Twitter post, Q said that while he wrote “Black THoughts” and “Neva CHange” a year ago, the topics it touches upon are still very much relevant. This song, very appropriately titled, goes over the state of the hood, and the thoughts people have about the Blacks (amongst other minorities, presumably) who live in the hood. “Black THoughts” also references melancholic thoughts. As hinted by the hook (sung by an uncredited Kendrick Lamar): “Black THoughts and marijuana, s**t’s karma,” marijuana could be being used as a coping mechanism to get away from all the stress about a person or their family/friends still gutting it out in the hood.

As soon as the first hooks ceases, Q mentions a “New Slave” mindset, but instead of expensive brand names (as Kanye put it once), it’s gangbanging that has everyone on a noose. “The Blacker the Berry” by labelmate Kendrick Lamar touches upon this sentiment too.

The instrumental is a muddy drum pattern and freeformed clicking on a beat machine that create an airy instrumental. Sounds like an Isaiah Rashad beat.

All in all, definitely another one of my favorites from the track listing. Also interesting to see how time played out and the death of yet another unarmed Black man occurred just as this album was released.

There’s a GROOVY bassline all over “Blank Face,” the title track. If it features Anderson .Paak there’s bound to be an old school feel to it. Blank Face LP is littered with them though.

Remember “Groovline Pt. I” from Habits and Contradictions? This song is like a Part III (Part II was on Oxymoron).  

Anderson .Paak and Q have both had their fair share of hardships before being successful. While Q was gangbanging, Anderson .Paak was homeless, waiting on everything until he got a big break.

ScHoolboy Q mentions his daughter on the track, saying: “Six years straight the valentine for my munchkin/I made a queen outta nothin,” further reinforcing this idea that when you’re raised in the gutter you’re prone to make mistakes and stay held down by vices and others.

Q incorporates a real loose, freeform rap scheme in this lyrics, once again. Interesting to see how “Ride Out” and the more Gangsta Rap joints, and  all the jazzy cuts coexist so seamlessly.

Another one of my favorites.

ScHoolboy Q says this about “Overtime,” the penultimate track on the album”

“…label s**t. They made me put that on the album”

This very clearly is the most poppy song on the album, and it’s odd that it’s being juxtaposed with a repertoire of powerful Hip-Hop that goes over a plethora of issues plaguing Q’s mind and the hood. That said, it isn’t a bad song. Q, Miguel, and Justine Skye all pull through to create a very cohesive pop song.

We end the track listing with another one of my favorite tracks, “Tookie Knows (Pt. II),” and a very great bounce back into the Blank Face LP vibe that’s been haloing the album all along.

A somber yet fast paced piano looms over the instrumental, with some lethargic drums and hard hitting bass, as ScHoolboy Q wraps up the narrative he’s been telling for the past 70 or so minutes.

“We might die for this s**t n***a/Might go down for this s**t n***a/Gang, gang bangin’ that Crip s**t/We might die for this s**t n***a” are the last words spoken on the LP; a very cliffhanger and mellow note to leave the listener. Despite Q graphically and emotionally bantering about the hardships of the hood life, his sentiment at the end is almost like saying, “This is with me forever.”

Even though Q doesn’t actually gangbang anymore, his memory about the life still reverberates in the back of his mind, which brings me to the segue into the album title itself.

Having a “Blank Face” is a dose of apathy. When you’re expressionless, it’s an indication that you’re in a neutral state and that your surroundings, your mental, and your current situation does nothing to affect your stasis.

Despite the pervasive racism, the lack of education in the hood, the criminogenic environment inside many lower income neighborhoods, the disenfranchisement of the Black race, set tripping, drugs, troublesome parenting and more- ScHoolboy Q is not surprised. Having witnessed all the aforementioned things, and presumably a lot more, he’s become desensitized to it. That right there is the hardest hitting thing I realized halfway through listening to this album.

To put so much thought and effort recreating a scenario, writing out lyrics, applying raw emotion into songs, Q is blank faced about it. No emotion. No nothing. Anonymous.

Of course that’s my interpretation. As with any form of art, everything’s open to interpretation. The fact of the matter is, overall, despite the more unadventurous cuts which seemed to reinvent rap/pop tropes instead of refining and defying them, and the lack of powerful lyrics at some points in the record, I really enjoyed this. ScHoolboy Q is taking Gangsta Rap and reinvigorating it, but also adding his little twist to it. This was a solid record and definitely one that’s worth a good listen.

You can purchase Blank Face LP on iTunes now.

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The post ScHoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP: 90’s Gangsta Rap and Its Contemporary Revival appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

A couple of months ago, a local artist sent me a project that he had released. He told me that he valued my opinion and really wanted to know what I thought, even if I thought the album was trash. I listened to the project once. I listened to the project twice. I took a good deal of notes, in an effort to compile what I had into a review. I personally wasn’t pleased with what I was listening to and I started to express that, and then I stopped.

Remember that Breakfast Club interview where JAY Z gave his thoughts on the current state of album reviews? Everything he said then was relevant, but it is ten times more relevant today as it seems people are quicker than ever to drum up these ‘reviews’ and label albums “classic”, literally minutes after they are released.

“First of all you can’t listen to an album and rate it in a day. It’s just impossible. And when I see that, I’m like ‘Oh, so this is all just bullshit'” – JAY Z

Hov was spot on. I mean, I get it. Your favorite artist just dropped a project and you’re super duper excited because you probably have been waiting on it for a while, but come on, man. Don’t let that feeling of excitement compel you to run to your computer, type up a bunch of gobbledygook (that word is funny as hell, by the way) and call it a ‘review’. How much reviewing are you really doing in a day or even worse, a few hours? There are songs that I didn’t like the first few times I heard them, but now they’re favorites. There are albums I thought were dope the first go ’round, that get completely no play now. I’ve played projects from my laptop and said “Wow, this kinda sucks”, but then had a totally different reaction once I played it through quality speakers. I said that to say things change, within the listening experience.

Rather than rattling off these knee-jerk thinkpieces and calling them “reviews” (just to get some hits for your little blog) try really sitting down with the music; maybe for a week or so, at the very least. You would be surprised at how many different feelings you go through in that time period.

I stopped writing the review I mentioned in the beginning, because I’m personally done writing reviews. I’m done because I believe music — just like every other art form — is subjective. What I might think is wack, another person might really enjoy and vice versa. Who am I — who is anyone — to write a piece that says, “This isn’t a very good project. Don’t waste your time listening to it”? It might not be good to me, but I’m not going to cost someone a musical experience that they might actually value.

There are still writers out there who actually write good reviews, and you can tell they have spent time with the material, but to be completely honest, I wish swift death upon album reviews.

Your review doesn’t matter. One, because it’s most likely rushed and contains a bunch of BS. Two, because it’s just your opinion. It isn’t something people have to buy into. Let people enjoy the music and lose the false sense of influential authority.

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Since it began in 2010, the ONE MusicFest has brought premier talent to the Atlanta, GA area. Every year, the festival is bigger than the previous, so it was no surprise thag each stage featured an all star lineup. RESPECT. was in the house to capture the show as it went down. Check out our photo recap below and watch for our video mashup this week!

Photo Credit: Ms. Lauryn Hill/TheYBF.com /Anthony “Truth” Gary/Albrica Tierra Photography/Oz Shaw

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T., One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T., One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T. and Dj Dibiase, One Music Fest 2015

Scareface, One Music Fest 2015

Bun B, One Music Fest 2015

A$AP Rocky, One Music Fest 2015

Photo Credit: TheYBF.com/ Anthony “Truth” Gary/Albrica Tierra Photography/Oz Shaw

Raury, One Music Fest 2015

Raekwon, One Music Fest 2015

The Internet, One Music Fest 2015

Ryan Leslie, One Music Fest 2015

Photos: Robin Martea Johnson 

The post ONE MusicFest 2015 (Photo Review) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

But does he?

Fourteen tracks in length (16, if you copped the deluxe version), Rodeo doesn’t quite build on the momentum created by lead singles like the infectious “Antidote”, as well as “3500”, which features Future and 2 Chainz. When I first heard the latter of the aforementioned songs, I remember jumping around the house yelling, “Oh shit! Rodeo is gonna be insane!” I was also basing that statement on how big of a Travi$ Scott fan I am, so I was probably being a little bias, too.

It happens.

Despite the album not necessarily being a smash, it’s not wack; not at all. There are numerous bright spots on Travi$’ debut. If “Antidote” is a club banger, then “Nightcrawler”, where La Flame is assisted by Swae Lee (of Rae Sremmurd) and Chief Keef, is that, times a million. The song is a colorful example of what happens when the DJ decides to play drill music at a rave. It’s an exceptional meshing of styles, as Keef brings about his typical auto-tuned “bang bang” sound, and Swae Lee channels his inner-Kurt Cobain, belting out a very catchy bridge.

Between songs, you’ll catch T.I. narrating the plight of Travi$ Scott, much like Common did on KiD CuDi’s first album. Given that Cudder is La Flame’s idol, one has to believe that that was by design.

What appears to be the most surprising move on the album was the verse from Justin Bieber, on “Maria, I’m Drunk”, which also features Young Thug. If you recall, this song leaked a couple of months back, sans Biebs, who depending on who you ask, stole the show with his addition to the song. There is also the very random and out of place “Flying High”, where Travi$ once again collaborates with Toro y Moi.
  
As for the black eyes on Rodeo? There were certainly a few.

The first half of “Oh My/Dis Side” is awesome. The back and forth that Travi$ and Quavo do over the hard-hitting beat is like a trapped out, dumbed down version of what Jadakiss and Styles P have always done so effortlessly. The second half? The second half sounds heavily influenced by Drake and that’s not really a good thing if you’re an artist like Travi$ Scott. It’s probably the one time on the album where he softens up, even referencing his “first kiss”. Ok, bruh.

When it was revealed that Kanye West would make an appearance on Rodeo, it was exciting news, but “Piss On Your Grave” is quite underwhelming. The Jimi Hendrix sample is cool, but other than that, the song is just a bunch of belligerent babbling; especially from Kanye. He pretty much ruins the song.

While there is a ton of mood music on Rodeo, one thing that has always been in question is whether or not Travi$ Scott can actually rap. He’s known to be pretty streaky, lyrically. Other than “I Can Tell”, the second half of “90210” and the song that not only sums up the album, but maybe Travi$ himself, “Pray 4 Love”, where he’s joined by The Weeknd, you won’t hear anything that makes you press rewind. What you will hear, for the most part anyway, is a bunch of singing and harmonizing, much like you would hear from his idol.

Rodeo isn’t the colossal body of work that Days Before Rodeo is, but it’s better than Owl Pharaoh. If you’re looking to learn anything about Travi$ Scott, other than he’s a rebellious kid who likes to party, do drugs and have lots of sex, don’t. There are a million times on this album where you think he’s about to tell you his story, but then he… doesn’t. As mentioned before, Rodeo is mood music; over exceptional production. If you can accept it as such, you’ll enjoy the album. If you can’t, you’ll be disappointed.

The post Review: At the very least, Travi$ Scott survives his first “Rodeo” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.