Latest Posts

Is the New Pusha T Track the Least “Kanye” Kanye Beat We’ve Heard?

November 25, 2014

Pusha T (through Funkmaster Flex) released  “Lunch Money” about a week ago (week ago), his first new track since his solo debut album My Name is My Name last year. From back in the Clipse days of the early to mid 2000s, right through MNIMN, King Push has been rapping over unorthodox beats. Take 2002’s “Intro” off of Clipse’s Lord Willin or 2013’s “Suicide” as examples. It’s in Pusha’s blood to choose unconventional production. So, earlier in the week when “Lunch Money” dropped attached to P’s name, it wasn’t exactly shocking that the beat was pretty whacky. Listeners debated over whether the beat was good or not, but the real conversation started when the producer of the track was revealed to be none other than Yeezus himself. On the record, I would call this a weird beat for Kanye to produce. Off the record, I’d say that this beat is weird as fuck for Kanye[...]

Common – Nobody’s Smiling

July 25, 2014

Longtime G.O.O.D. music signee and legend in his own right, Common, is an interesting player in the rap game. His career started a couple decades ago under the name Common Sense, and his song “I Used to Love H.E.R.” is looked at as one of the greatest achievements in rap music history. He has a host of Grammy nominations, and a couple of wins. He’s also a successful actor, currently starring on the T.V. show Hell on Wheels, a Don Moretti favorite. He’s got borderline classic albums like Be (executive produced by Kanye, those were the days) and The Dreamer/The Believer, but he’s also had a few duds on his discography, especially when he tries to go instrumental like with 2008’s Universal Mind Control. Whenever Common sticks to the script, you can count on a thoughtful, poetic effort from perhaps Chicago’s most lyrical emcee ever besides maybe Lupe. Black history, activism, and Chicago social commentary plus a[...]