Couldn't Be Forever

Continuing with the theme of underrated southern rappers, Big K.R.I.T can't go unmentioned. Hailing from Mississippi, this dude is the epitome of modern day southern rap, a genre that I believe is very undervalued now a days. Rap from the south and driving a car go together like peanut butter and jelly.  My favorite song by K.R.I.T just so happens to be a prime example of this connection. I love this song, I honestly don’t think I can stand still while listening to it, and when it’s played in the ride all bets are off. The track is off his mixtape “4EvaNaDay” and continues to be my favorite song. It starts out with him rapping over this soulful sample and as so as that hook comes in you know it’s about to go down. It pains me to know that people aren’t hip to this dude because he’s awesome. The reason why I respect him is because he literally does everything himself. He makes his own beats and writes own raps, something that some big name rappers now a days can’t do at all. Be on the look out for his upcoming album Cadillactica.

Yeah Yeah!!

     With pop hits like "Nothin' on You" and "Magic," B.O.B is a rapper you should know. However, the Georgia native is most famous for his collaborations with other artists, subsiding to the back burner when we list out our favorite rappers. Still, B.O.B deserves your attention; he has a knack for identifying when a song is going to be a big one. Despite his obvious talent and upbeat flow, no one seems to pay attention to his mix tape. I remember being surprised when “F*ck Em We Ball” came out a couple years ago and few people were hip to it.  This negligence seems to be continuing because I have yet to meet a person that knows about B.O.B's latest project. “No Genre 2” is a pretty good mixtape and will definitely be better then you'd expect. My favorite song off this project is “Drunk Af” ft Ty Dolla $ign. The song starts out with this orchestral arrangement that sounds like that strings loop in garage band that I could never figure out how to use. Seamlessly, the small start explodes into the club banger it truly is. Big ups to Ty Dolla $ign on the production side of this one. This track is awesome. 

Wait....Who Made It?

You may not know his name, but chances are Mike Will has worked with just about every rapper you've heard of.  If, when bumping, the thought “ Dang this joint hard” crosses your mind, chances are Mike Will had his hand in the tune. In fact, the producer has a long catalogue of bangers to boast. The legacy continues with “Buy the World," an ear worm that you'll be singing til day done. The song features Future on the hook with Lil Wayne and Kendrick coming through with some bars. I’m actually really impressed with Wayne’s verse on this song. In my opinion he hasn’t been doing well when it comes to guest verses, but he really turned it around on this one. Oh, and of course Kendrick spits flames. Check it out.

A Dope Vacation

"Vacationer" is a Philadelphia based group consisting of members Kenny Vasoli, Mathew Young, Ryan Zimmaro, Michael Mullin, and Greg Altman. In an interview with "The Spec" Lead singer Kenny Vasoli stated that...he enjoys music that reminds him to relax, which this track accomplishes perfectly."The Wild Life" of their new album "Relief" and it embodies the chill. I actually found this song yesterday while hanging out with a couple of friends, and as soon as it came on everyone started moving.  It's just one of those dope songs with an island vibe that makes it impossible to stand still. The song is literally about chilling out and not doing anything, a message conveyed lyrically but through the instrumentation as well. Everything from the drums to the guitar, and even the bells just seems to fit together. A lot of music doesn't posses unity between the instrumentation and vocals, for example, in a lot of songs might be a guitar part or some weird rhythm with the drums that doesn't seem to belong. On, "Relief though every track is perfectly sculpted to induce maximum chill upon listening. If you're still looking for that summer song to vibe out to, you can't go wrong with this one.

Tryna Read This Article?.....Or Nah

      Ty Dolla $ign is a rapper singer producer who hails from from the always talented West Coast of America. Although they are from different areas, Dolla $ign chose to sign Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records.  He has been active in the music industry for sometime, but his popularity has only really started to grow since this year has begun. I've noticed that he has been getting some radio spins recently, and his song "Paranoid" has started to become a hot topic in musical conversation. His EP "The Beach House" contains his most popular songs which was released earlier this year. In my opinion, it's a pretty solid project. The production on it great, and it features some big name artists for how new Ty Dolla $ign is to the game. Wiz Khailfa, Travi$ Scott, and Twista or only a few of the names that can be found on this project. The song "Or Nah" featuring Wiz Khalifa is one that stands out to me because it's got everything I look for in the track. With a great beat, sweet feature, and fun lyrics, this one is definitely one to bump to.

Finally the Herbs Come Around

         Collie Buddz is a New Orleans born Bermuda raised reggae artist who's been around for almost a decade despite only having released two albums. I haven't been listening to him for a awhile, but I was a Collie Buddz fan after only hearing a couple of songs, he's legit. The song titled "Come Around" off of his self titled album is by far my favorite by him because it bumps ridiculously hard. This song has all the elements, great bass, good drum, and it even has some horn in it too. Nothing individually really comes up in this, it's the combination of everything together creates that amazingly chill and relaxed vibe always found in great reggae music. This is one of those songs to cruise in the whip to, every time I listen, I can't help but bop my head. If you are trying to listen to something different, or just trying to expand your music library, this track would be a great addition.

Who still wears K-Swiss?

       Alex Wiley is an up and coming rapper from Chicago (V's Up) who has been quietly gaining more ground in the hip-hop community through his distinctive rapping style, and unique and surprisingly good singing ability.  On his one and only mixtape titled "Club Wiley" you will be happy to find features from the likes of Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper and Kembe-X, who are long-time friends of Wiley ( Chance and Wiley went to the same Elementary School).What I like most about Wiley is his attitude and the persona he puts forward while rapping. You can tell by listening to him that he takes his music seriously, but still knows how to have fun with it and joke around. The first of the two tracks that I'm showing you is a perfect example of him having fun, as he literally just repeats one funny but slightly offensive phrase during the duration of the 3:15 song. If I had to describe "K-Swiss" by Alex Wiley, I would say that it is one of the best bad songs that I've listened to. I definitely wouldn't classify it as a great or profound song, but for some reason I find myself going ham to this track on the daily. The second track I'm showing you, called "Earfucked", is completely different from the first. This track starts with an awesome Arctic Monkeys sample and seamlessly transitions into a hard ass beat guaranteed to bump in the whip. Throughout the track, Wiley continuously hits you with a relentless array of bars and singing that when paired with the beat make for a hard hitting,  high energy great song. Check out both tracks, and download his mixtape here http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/alex-wiley-club-wiley  if you like what you hear.

Some Cool Dudes

The Cool Kids is rap duo consisting of members Chuck Inglish, and Sir Micheal rocks. Although the group formed in 2007, they only have released one official album do to a very long hiatus that just recently ended. If you're thirsty for more songs, you can find a ton of mixtapes and a couple of exceptionally excellent  EP's. What really sets this group apart from others is the production from Chuck Inglish. There is a really distinct style to the beats that he makes. Personally they remind me of early hip-hop with a little flavor from the present. Whatever it is, their recognizable sound paired with the with great rapping has made me a fan since i was in middle school. Along with getting back together, the group released two tracks that have me hyped for their upcoming album "Shark Week", which is expected to drop this year. The first of the two tracks I'm showing you is off of their most famous project "The Bake Sale". Titled "One Two",  this is my favorites because of the groovy hook, it can't get much better than an exact description of your morning routine coupled with a sick beat. The production on this one is golden and sure to cause the head to bob. The next song called "Computer School",  was released after their announcement that the group was getting back together. The kick in this one just has me waiting for the day I can play this while cruising. It starts out with a pretty funny Steve Harvey sample and then just hits you with those sick bars that The Cool Kids are known for. Two pretty dope tracks. Check them out.

Remix Alert: Major Lazer - Jah No Partial (Yellow Claw & Yung Felix Remix)

So the original song used to be one of my favorites by Major Lazer because of the energy of it.  It is a perfect song to get hyped to. It has a nice build up and it presents the club beat in a really cool way. But this remix just blows it out of the water. The toughness of this beat is just indescribable, the drums, bass, and the original sample for the song just work well together. This bumps in the whip, in headphones, at a party, everywhere all the time. If you need to liven the party up this song would be a definite candidate for the job. It's high energy from start to finish, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Sorry I don't have much to say, but this one pretty much speaks for itself. Check it out.

 And the original is pretty good too.....

These Guys are much better teen dreamers than Katy Perry

         Baltimore indie pop band Beach House has spent their career crafting their own band of lush, melodious dream pop. Their music is likely best exemplified on the song "Zebra", the first track off their stellar 2010 album Teen Dream. It begins with the soft, melodic chords of Alex Scally on guitar, and the song continues to build and create a lush, dream-like atmosphere. The hazy keyboard chords help set the mood for the song, and Victoria LeGrand's surreal vocals glide effortlessly over the track. All this build-up is released triumphantly at each chorus, when the soft cymbal crash seems to lift the entire song into space, never to ever truly come down. This is one of my favorite songs, and I have posted the video, enjoy, and if you like Zebra, you should listen to the entirety of Teen Dream, its pretty excellent

I've Been Going Hard In the Kitchen All Night

            Doughboyz Cashout is a fairly new  rap group from Detroit, signed with Young Jeezy's label  Corporate Thugz Entertainment (CTE) . It's memberhip includes HBK, Payroll, Chaz  Bling, Roc, Crispy Quis, Clay, Bmo Maine, and Doughboy Dre. I couldn't find a lot about them because they're on the come up, so my main focus in this post is going to be the song. If I had to describe this track in one word it would be HARD. Everything is hard, from the beat to the the verses.   This song has one of the coolest instrumentals I've heard in awhile. The drums are tight, but when that trumpet loop starts I instantly feel like desperado decked out in Versace riding across the desert on the flyest horse in the world. The song is about coke dealing which is bad don't get me wrong, but this song makes it sound so good. Pusha T and Young Jeezy, spit some sick verses on this too. This goes in, check it out.

P.S I didn't include a lot of information about them but watch out for these guys, if this is the kind of product they put out, they are definitely going to be big soon

Tim Time: An Ode to Summer

          I know many of my fellow students, in the depths of a winter weather and a depressing courseload, are reminiscing about how they, seemingly days ago, ran through the sunlite streets not paying any mind to an AP class or a midterm.  In light of such reminiscing, I present "Deadbeat Summer" by Neon Indian, a song that encapsulates the blissfully lethargic vibe of summer.  The track epitomizes the word chill and the listless euphoria of not having to care about anything. The fat bass, the bright treble synths, and the slow breathy lyrics blend perfectly to create the sensation that you are rolling down a suburban street on your longboard wearing a tank and tinted wayfarers. The more seasoned rap listeners among you may recognize this as the track that backed Childish Gambino's "I Love Clothes" off of his "I AM JUST A RAPPER" mixtape.  In addition to being a kick ass tune, you can throw the name "Neon Indian" out onto the table and finally wipe that hipster's condescending smirk off his/her face.  This little summer anecdote reminds us all as we are studying for midterms that the blissful days of summer are just around the corner.

-Tim time

Mona Lisa Master Piece

        I'm not going to waste your time telling you who Justin Bieber is because you should already know. What I am going to say is you shouldn't let his name stop you from listening to this song. The production on this one is so solid and I can really see the growth in Bieber's sound. I like how everything works together from the base, to the drums, to the guitar thing (I have no clue what it is), to the spacial stuff going on in the background. I also respect that he worked with Chance the Rapper on this track who has a pretty great feature on it. Honestly, I was in the same boat as a lot of people, and anything that had Biebers's name on it I would steer clear from. But my friend who's a J Biebs fan was driving me home one day, so I decided to try to get through at least one song on the way home. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed what I heard. This song bumps, and if you don't agree, you still gotta respect the dude for changing up his style a bit. The song's called "Confident" of his new album "Journals". Check it out.

Pain Reliever + Don't Come Close

SZA (pronounced Sizza) is a singer/songwriter from New Jersey, who just so happens to be the first female artist to sign with T.D.E (Top Dawg Entertainment). T.D.E is the record label run by Kendrick Lamar and the other members of Black Hippy, who have already established themselves very strongly in music already. SZA however, is still in the very early stages in her career. She's only released two EP's so far, and has a couple of mixtapes. I honestly don't know how to describe the music that she makes, because it is so different. That is why her songs have a lot of variety, and is also why I chose to show you two tracks by her.

       1.The first song is called "Advil" of her mixtape "See SZA Run", and it is too smooth. She really showcases voice on this one. What I like about this track is the background vocals on it. They really work to create just a relaxed and soothing atmosphere. On top of that her voice is just butter, man. It just floats so effortlessly over everything.  I also like how the beat samples Kid Cudi to go with the subject matter of her song. It's a really cool track.

     2. The second one is called "Teen Spirit" of her EP titled "S" and has more of a eerie vibe. I really like the production by WondaGurl on this one and how the song goes to so many different places. It starts out kind of soft and foreboding, and then at 1:27 it just switches up to this hard trap-like drum pattern that just elevates the energy of the track a ton. I never realized how much I like beautiful singing over hard ass beats before I heard this song, but now I do. This track is too cool.  

Who The H*ll is Jai Paul?

 The fact that he is considered to have one of the best albums of last year is one reason to know who he is. The fact that this "album" was just a bunch of unfinished songs stolen from him and put on the internet, is an even bigger reason to check him out. Even if you don't who he is, you've probably come across some of Jai Paul's music. Some big name artists including Drake and Beyonce, have sampled his work, and his song "Jasmine" is on soundtrack for GTA V. The reason I chose the song "Crush" is because it was the first song that I heard by him, and I was immediately hooked. Everything from the beat in the  intro, to the synth part is just perfect. Its just to good not to get up in move to the beat, and to end it with a sick guitar solo, just pushed this track over the top. This is definitely one to check out.

Bump Alert: TNGHT's "Goooo"

Hey guys, I wanted to post another track that I thought was good to "bump" to. TNGHT is a pair of pretty talented producers named Hudson Mohawke and Lunice.  This track is off of their self titled EP released in 2012 consisting of five amazing tracks. I wanted to talk about "Goooo" in particular because it was the first song I heard by them. I would explain this song as a rap-electronic hybrid, although I get more of a rap vibe then anything else. The beginning of the track consists of a high pitched synth part that is sure to get the attention of anyone in the car. Then while still using the synth part, the song goes into this rap flavored beat with a ridiculous amount of bass (we had to turn it down so it wouldn't blow out the speakers).   Again I won't explain the whole track, but this is definitely one to drive to, especially if you have a good sound system.

                                                  -Tyler                  

Bump Alert: Hot Chip's "The Warning"

     I honestly am pretty late to the Hot Chips party, but I'm glad I showed up. As you will find out soon, I'm  into rap mostly, so they're pretty different from what I listen to. I think I found them while using "Songza" (an app you should defiantly get) and I was totally surprised by how much I liked the song. "The Warning" is off of Hot Chip's album with the same title that came out in 2006, and is the most relaxing, intimidating, and fun song I've ever heard.  It has a really nice intro using a bell set type sound that sets the tone for the whole song. Even with it's interesting lyrics, it still made me nod my head and feel pretty good about my day (you'll understand). Don't let this horrible review stop you from checking it out, it's a pretty good song...trust me.
                                                               -Tyler