Latest Posts

Joey Bada$$ – “Christ Conscious”

October 1, 2014

The hype is building for the debut album from young Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$. Cleverly titled B4.DA.$$ (Before Da Money/BADASS), the album hopes to continue the streak of very strong records from Joey. 2012 saw the then 17-year-old release 1999, a mixtape of boom bap beats and a laid back flow of monotony. Joey appeared wise beyond his years as he narrated life on the street as well as life with the homies of Pro Era, and the project garnered critical acclaim (it remains one of my favorite mixtapes ever). Last year, Bada$$ released Summer Knights, again well-received, but with somewhat of a change stylistically. A characteristic of pre-Summer Knights Joey was his consistently smooth, easy flow. The new project saw him go in a direction aimed towards aggression. “95 Til Infinity,” “Amethyst Rockstar,” and even the rasta-flavored “My Yout” featured a harder, raspier voice from Joey, distinctly removed from his old[...]

Yung Lean – Unknown Memory

September 26, 2014

This one hurts. This one really hurts. And it hurts because the pieces are there, but it just falls short of what it could’ve been. I do like this album, but I can’t help but listen to it thinking of what I wanted it to be. I would say that I’m crying about this, but with Yung Lean being associated with the Sad Boys, crying might be considered a good thing. I had such high expectations for this project, the debut album from one of my favorite artists Yung Lean-doer. The worst part about reviewing this album is the sincerity behind it. I know listening to it that Lean tried his best to make a really good album. He cut down on the jokes, and cut down on the rapping super hard, instead opting for a lot of autotune singing. I really liked it on “Ghosttown,” but my expectations were[...]

Kendrick Lamar – “i”

September 24, 2014

Yesterday morning, rap’s current co-president (along with Drake) debuted the first single off of his upcoming album. Titled “i,” the track was pretty much all about good-vibes. Centered around a chorus of “I love myself,” Kendrick fires out short verses with a rapid flow, essentially declaring that in order for him to give love to anything (the hood..music..his city) he first has to give love to himself. Content-wise, it’s probably most similar to his song “Real” off of good kid, m.A.A.d city. It’s note-worthy because “Real” was looked at by many as one of the weakest tracks on the album. With “i,” Kendrick departed from his ghetto commentary (well, it’s an underlying theme) in favor of a feel-good track, and there’s plenty of backlash about this track because of that. As far as production goes, Pharrell brought back to relevance the quick-pluck disco-guitar with Daft Punk on “Get Lucky,” and it[...]

Yung Lean – “Ghosttown”

September 19, 2014

On the heels of news that debut album Unknown Memory has leaked (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), Lean has blessed his emotional disciples with “Ghosttown,” the album’s second single. With a seriously good feature from GOOD Music’s Travis Scott, “Ghosttown” is likely Lean’s greatest achievement in music. By collaborating with his signee, Yung Lean is literally one degree of separation from Kanye West. Think about that. Will Yung Lean appear on a Kanye album in the future? Probably not, but I’m just happy to be able to ask that question. This track is seriously excellent. Lean attacks it in his usual autotuned droning sing, and it’s as surprisingly refreshing as ever. Travi$ Scott is currently dominating the autotune singing game, something that he probably learned from Ye. “Ghosttown” is a true collaboration between the artists, somewhat surprising due to the disparity in their fame. After exchanging verses, the two serenade each other as the track[...]

Local Rapper ChaunSAY Mackin’ Drops Second Project with Chisom Uzosike

September 17, 2014

On the Buffalo Brave LP, ChaunSAY Mackin’ and Chisom Ozosike’s second take on a hip hop duo, the Buffalo rapper and Maryland producer (who previously released The Buffalo Bill EP together) are a fantastic combination of modern bar-rap and smooth soul sample beats. Opening track, “The Encore,” kicks off with a blast of horns that sound like they came right off a Village People record. The beat flips around for a while before it settles on a guitar strum and a funky bassline, working off of the same sample as this BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. Throw little “Numbers on the Board-esque” celebratory “Yeah” vocal and a high pitched female note, and you got yourself a hell of a beat over which Mackin’ dances entertaining lines all over. Second track “Reputation” plays off of the same sample as Kanye’s “Bound 2,”  a seemingly daunting task considering the recognition of the latter. Chisom[...]

Heavy Rotation: Chauncey Tails

September 11, 2014

Monday was Rick Jameson, Tuesday was DJ Pizza Pizza, yesterday was TEENWOLF, and today’s Heavy Rotation artist is Chauncey Tails. Hailing from Gowanda, the bedroom producer is well versed in producing and chopping up tracks. He has masterful remakes of songs by artists including Danny Brown and Chief Keef to his name, completely reimagining the tracks. When he sticks to instrumentals, Tails can hit you with bouncy tracks like “Tropical Topical,” knocks like “summer trap,” or hit you with a Paul McCartney sample. Closing out the night with a 2am set, Chauncey is bringing all of his vibes to Allen Street Hardware at the second edition of our Heavy Rotation. An artist with a wide array of sounds, Chauncey has a history with buffaBLOG. He was the resident DJ at our 4th Birthday Party event earlier in the year. Fluidly combining elements of trip-hop, trap, and anything that will sound good. Chauncey[...]

Mac Miller – “Diablo”

September 5, 2014

Four years has done a lot from the kid from Pittsburg. Initially dismissed as one of the frat rap archetypes, Mac Miller has grown to become contemporaries with the best names in rap. Faces, the latest, and perhaps most acclaimed project from Mac, is a slew of depression, insanity, and humor in a genre usually consistent in a masculinity. “Diablo” was the first song we heard from the project, and it was a raw preview of what was to come on Faces. It also showcased Miller’s growing production skills, which I raved about in my review of the tape way back when.The video juxtaposes Miller’s goofy image with the serious, hard-hitting lyrics that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. There are rumors that the video is one of several that are to be released soon from the tape. It’s a reasonable fear that Miller will forever be taken as a joke, an[...]

Yung Lean Announces Release Date for Debut Album

September 3, 2014

Swedish cloud-rap sensation, Yung Lean, has come back from his first-ever tour with big news. In the cryptic video below, the commander of the Sad Boys reveals that his debut album, Unknown Memory, is coming later this month on the 23rd. Unknown Memory is the follow up to Unknown Death 2002, the mixtape that made waves last year with it’s beautifully spacious production, ridiculous flow and lyricism, and some of the funniest music videos in recent memory. Lean is the yung face of one of the biggest movements in the hip-hop subculture, an artist that be perceived as a joke and a legitimate talent at the same time. Can he take another leap with this album, jumping from internet darling to a recognizable name? Probably not, but perhaps. RiFF RaFF went with Katy Perry to the VMAs after his debut album, Neon Icon, this year, so who’s to say we won’t see Lean sitting[...]

The Weeknd – “King of the Fall

August 29, 2014

Weeknd season is here! The often-mysterious new age crooner is back with another X-rated RnB jam, now complete with a truly Weeknd-esque video. Abel walks without emotion through the streets of Toronto, likely in pursuit of the drugged out models that are featured in nearly every video of his. Being that it’s his second new video in a week, the Weeknd seems to be scheming towards some kind of release before the year concludes. He made waves with his hilariously vulgar feature on Ty Dolla’s “Or Nah,” and right now his relevancy may be even higher than when he dropped his solid, but disappointing studio album Kiss Land around this time last year. “King of the Fall” hopefully hints that the Weeknd will own the season’s sound waves in a manner that he did in 2011, back when his whole aura was still a mystery. That’s one of the things that’s interesting[...]

Maurice – “Wxcked Girls”

August 27, 2014

RnB’s newest face comes from Ottawa, Canada. Emerging onto the music scene with a popular YouTube channel of covers, Maurice has the talent to be considered contemporaries with the likes of Frank Ocean, James Fauntleroy, and the rest of the biggest names in the genre. “Wxcked Girls” is one of three new tracks released by the 17 year old in conjunction with a feature on Noisey. On the track, Maurice alternates between pure singing and a hybrid rap with veteran skill, evidence of the artist’s original dream of becoming a rapper. It’s also revealed in the article that Maurice is a high school football player that fits his basement-studio recordings in between practice, school, and homework.  Without the music even being Maurices’s sole venture, the product is already there. Take this as an introduction to a young artist already ahead of the curve.

Action Bronson – “Easy Rider”

August 22, 2014

Always one to impress with music videos (see “The Symbol” and “Strictly 4 My Jeeps“), Bronsolino dropped a video of the year candidate this week. It’s a perfect ridiculousness, as the humor that Bronson displays in his rhymes transports to the video. Ironically modeled after something like a Tarantino film, Bronson rides through the desert on his motorcycle, fighting bikers, evading the coppers, and rocking out the closing guitar solo. The song also features the diss of the year, “I hear your bitch still wear Etnies.” Watch Bronson ride into the sunset below.

PG: A Female Rapper with a Golden Era Steez

August 20, 2014

The Roc is in the building! Rochester’s own PG is a female emcee with a dope flow and a knack for storytelling. On “Brooklyn Girl,” the femcee narrates an encounter with a fly chick on the train tracks of NYC. It’s an old school-styled song that’s refreshingly focused on songwriting, that which PG s already very good at. We’ve all been there, wanting to talk to that cute person, waiting for that moment to actually speak while your nerves build. The song touches on that feeling we’re all familiar with. As PG actually tracks down the BK girl, the song doesn’t lose any of it’s honesty and relatability. Check it out, it’s a great introduction to a promising new femcee.

J. Cole Releases Track in Response to Events in Ferguson, MO

August 15, 2014

J. Cole is the first big activist coming from the world of hip hop regarding the tragedies outside of St. Louis. This past Saturday, an unarmed black teen was shot to death by a police officer. Facts are muddled. The police say 18 year-old Michael Brown was assaulting an officer, reaching for his gun. Witnesses say Brown was running for his life from an officer who started the interaction with his gun drawn threatening to shoot. Some people of Ferguson reacted honorably with events like candle-light vigils, but others complicated the problem recklessly looting stores and vandalizing property of their own community, a community that already had big-enough problems at hand. It’s a tricky issue. Four nights of clashes between police and protesters followed, including the use of rubber bullets and tear gas. In the last couple days, tensions have settled and it looks as though the community will try[...]

Chae Hawk Releases Cinematic Vid for “Dinner Plates”

August 13, 2014

Love is complicated. Break-ups are complicated. Relationships are complicated. Continuing with that theme, Chae Hawk releases this 7 minute epic music/movie video for “Dinner Plates.” There’s a hawt Penelope Cruz lookalike, a couple of scorned lovers murdering each other, some pseudo-zombie action, and an impressively cool Chae Hawk back tat. Featuring beautiful black and white cinematography, this has got to be one of the highest quality local music videos we’ve seen in some time. Coupling that with a typically dope musical release from the Team Radio emcee, this is a vid you’re sure to enjoy.

The Importance of Young Thug’s TV Debut

August 8, 2014

Last night on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, we saw perhaps the most meaningful performance in recent rap history, as it was the coming out party for a certain Thug. Young Thug has been making waves with some of the best party songs of the last two years, as well as being the new go-to hook man in the scene. So what makes this artist’s appearance particularly interesting? Well, we might end up looking at him as a trailblazer. Kanye was weird when he was wearing pink polos and backpacks in the early to mid 2000s. He was stylistically a standout, the first mainstream rapper in forever with the preppy, intentionally not-gangster image. It would mark a shift in what was popular in rap, a move towards non-violence, humor, fashion, and so much more. He first appeared on the Dave Chapelle Show alongside Common, and has never left publicity since then.[...]