Rate This Album v. 3.0: Kodak Black - Heart of the Projects

Started by Sav Stanfield, Nov 14, 2018, in Music Add to Reading List

  1. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    Feb 26, 2019
    @Sav Stanfield I promised you the reviews! Let's keep this going fam, you've been superb handling this and in general what's left of S80

    Future - The Wizrd = 7.8/10

    Now that I've sat down with this after awhile, I've come to accept it as a victory lap of Future's run from the genesis of this decade to the very end leading to The Wizrd. It combines so many elements of his past work; the R&B tinged anthems, the visceral regrets on his relationship with Ciara, the trap bangers--all into a cohesive album that doesn't let go of the gas pedal the moment you hit play.

    It's sort of missing something that would have pushed this like his classics, but to me this album was a necessary addition into his career, a stamp of authority to those that continue to doubt his capabilities and a adrenaline-fueled refresh of belief for those of us that still worship our God Future Hendrix. As he says to us "Trust yourself, you're the Wizrd"

    03 Greedo - God Level = 8.1/10
    One of the fresh faces of the never ending talent machine of the West Coast, Greedo heavily reminds me of Max B; the way he belts out warbly melodies with his heart on his sleeves and the arresting ability to recall dark street tales. The California gangster story will never get old and 03 certainly offers a novel approach to it.

    Unfortunately his career dove into the same path as the Wave God as Greedo got a lengthy sentence, making the listen of God Level all the more bittersweet as his potential is limitless. So many goddamm bangers, any time you hear the "Woah Kenny" you know you're in for a ride. But the highlight of this is the majestic Floating, I swear few songs like that have ever hit me as hard. Free 03...

    YNW Melly - We All Shine = 7.4/10
    I hate getting attached to burgeoning rappers, just when they are on the cusp of blowing up and breaking ceilings, they somehow end up in trouble and in Melly's case it's extremely dark. Listening to Murder On My Mind is a whole different experience now, this MFer wasn't joking.

    There's certainly a Young Thug influence on Melly; the unorthodox flows and his surprising ability to carry a note, Melly actually can sing quite well if you ask me! We All Shine to me sounded like an artist that's still coming to grips with his artistry, it's a bit less cohesive than his debut mixtape but it's peaks are all so good. Hearing Kanye on Mixed Personalities was an absolute delight and their chemistry was so good. It's devastating that we'll probably never get to see how far Melly would have gone.
     
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    Mar 29, 2024
  2. Sav Stanfield
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    Feb 26, 2019
    yes! seems like im just keeping this thread alive to see Squiddy give everything a 10 and to read your reviews; you hit the nail on the head every time.

    @Big Cuntry get in here we need your reviews for these last few
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  3. Lil Squeed
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    Lil Squeed French Montana Stan

    Feb 26, 2019
    hey I'm actually very selective with my 10s
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  4. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Feb 26, 2019
    Sorry @Sav Stanfield I've neglected this thread as well last few albums.. but to be fair haven't heard the greedo album enough (liked it though) and the last one not at all so can't really rate them at this point
     
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  5. Sea Mauville
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    Feb 26, 2019
    id review but i havent heard yet
     
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  6. Sav Stanfield
    Posts: 7,478
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    Mar 18, 2019
    Alright we back in this b----

    YNW Melly - I AM YOU gets an 8.1/10 from 4 ratings

    Some updated scores:

    Future - The WIZRD gets an 8.5/10 from 10 ratings
    03 Greedo - God Level gets an 8.2/10 from 6 ratings

    Next up…

    RATING 26: Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP
    Release Date: 8 July 2016
    Label: Interscope/Top Dawg

    Tracklist
    01. Torch
    02. Lord Have Mercy
    03. That Part ft. Kanye West
    04. Groovy Tony/ Eddie Kane ft. Jadakiss
    05. Know Ya Wrong ft. Lance Skiiwalker
    06. Ride Out ft. Vince Staples
    07. Whateva U Want ft. Candice Pillay
    08. By Any Means
    09. Dope Dealer ft. E-40
    10. John Muir
    11. Big Body ft. Tha Dogg Pound
    12. Neva Change ft. SZA
    13. Str8 Ballin
    14. Black Thoughts
    15. Blank Face ft. Anderson .Paak
    16. Overtime ft. Miguel, Justine Sky
    17. Tookie Know II ft. Traffic, TF

    Schoolboy Q has always taken a backseat to Kendrick Lamar. Thats not to say he’s just some Tony Yayo-esque weed-carrier, Q’s been one of the most successful rappers of the decade, commercially and critically. While Habits & Contradictions was an excellent album, both Oxymoron and Blank Face LP feel to me as though there’s something missing. Neither of them are bad albums by any means but they lack the punch that H&C promised. Blank Face, released in 2016, with a feature list from the hip hop gods themselves has some seriously great standout moments. There’s an impressive range - from Q’s typical gangsta rap to the more smoked out and laid-back, all enveloped in the classically polished TDE sound. It clocks in almost 80 minutes, but like Oxymoron before it, I’m still left wanting something more. I gotta add that I’m a big fan of Q’s latest single (NUMB NUMB JUICE) and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does on his long-awaited fifth album which is bound to drop any day now. For the time being, I’ll still return to a few of the standouts on Blank Face, but can’t see myself giving this more than a 6.5/10.

    @SchoolboyQ stans get in here and tell me why I'm wrong

    @RateThisAlbum
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  7. Xmipod
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    Mar 18, 2019
    Will rate tonight
     
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  8. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    Mar 18, 2019
    7/10

    It's weird but I sort of like Oxymoron even more than this one. Q is incredibly versatile and his ability to switch between tempos and moods is overlooked; although when it comes to him making fun bouncy songs he's certainly elite (That Part!).

    But that's probably what this album is missing more, it's not particularly exciting enough for me to revisit or remember, that's not to say I didn't enjoy him ripping apart the mic on Eddie Kane or John Muir, but its just a bit bland to me to merit its run-time. Still I got a ton of faith Q still got more heat on the way and his career has even exceeded my own expectations.

     
    Mar 29, 2024
  9. Sea Mauville
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    Mar 18, 2019
    8/10
    This album was amazing when it came out, it's probably my favourite Q project so far. It's still good, but I haven't had the urge to revisit it in a long time.
    I love the perspectives he's rapping from on this album, very evil, very mean, very cool :emoji_thumbsup:
    Favourite songs: Tookie Knows II, JoHn Muir, WHateva U Want, Ride Out
    Least Favourite: Overtime
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  10. Xmipod
    Posts: 10,390
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    Joined: Jul 3, 2015

    Mar 18, 2019
    Havent had a real drive to revisit this full project in a long time but I still sometimes stumble upon some songs from it. This album provides a great show of diverse songmaking, beautiful lyricism (Qs best trait imo, the ability to paint a picture), and fun songs to listen to. My favorite songs off the LP are Eddie Kane, John Muir, and Tookie Knows II. Only song I have ever skipped is Overtime, and its the only bad song on the album.

    This Verse from Eddie Kane is one of the top verses from this decade on the basis of songwriting and picture painting:

    Yo, uh, yo, uh, need a car with no mileage
    Kristoff on my palate, my cigar full of cabbage
    Came from the dirt to the carrots
    Getting dirty dollars, four different baby mommas
    Dope between the speakers, so f--- you, Mr. Teacher
    'Cause the paper, I ace it, lead, they tried to erase it
    But I'm still standing, they mad and everything
    Nothing given, I'ma take it first
    On the trees like a hammock, flip the work behind the campus
    Young Groovy turn your hood into a movie (into a movie...)
    g--- bangin', dope slangin'
    GTA-ing, s---t the whole club up
    f--- tryna sneak the K in, on the road to riches
    Thank you Mr. Reagan, you helped them dollars rake in
    And to my uncle that f----- up the family
    That s--- that you was smokin', I was pushin', residue lie on the cushion
    I'ma blame it on your a--- cause I ain't gettin' whoopings
    And your proof is in the pudding
    I'm just grandma's baby, Eddie Kane
    (Eddie Kane, Eddie Kane) Uh

    Solid 8.5/10 IMO
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  11. Sea Mauville
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    Mar 18, 2019
    ye that verse went bonkers
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  12. joeyp363
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    Mar 19, 2019
    10/10 classic. Really doesn’t need an explanation.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  13. Sav Stanfield
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    Mar 20, 2019
    any more ratings for Q?
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  14. Enez
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    Enez Purple Heats Forever

    Mar 20, 2019
    Out of all Q albums

    #1-H&C- 9.5/10
    #2 BFLP- 9/10
    #3 OXY- 8/10
    #4 SB- 7.5/10

    Always been more of an Soulo fan.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  15. Sav Stanfield
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    Mar 24, 2019
    Blank Face LP get an 8.2/10 from 6 ratings

    Next up…

    RATING 27: MF DOOM & Madlib as Madvillain - Madvillainy
    Release Date: 23 March 2004
    Label: Stones Throw

    Tracklist
    01. The Illest Villains
    02. Accordion
    03. Meat Grinder
    04. Bistro
    05. Raid ft. MED a.k.a. Medaphor
    06. America’s Most Blunted ft. Lord Qual
    07. Sickfit (Instrumental)
    08. Rainbows
    09. Curls
    10. Do Not Fire! (Instrumental)
    11. Money Folder
    12. Shadows of Tomorrow ft. Lord Qual
    13. Operation Lifesaver a.k.a. Mint Test
    14. Figaro
    15. Hardcore Hustle ft. Wildchild
    16. Strange Ways
    17. Fancy Clown
    18. Eye ft. Stacy Epps
    19. Supervillain Theme (Instrumental)
    20. All Caps
    21. Great Dat
    22. Rhinestone Cowboy

    I was late to the DOOM train. Very late. Back in 2004 I was very much in my G Unit phase and a quick skim through highly regarded Doom album Madvillainy had me wondering why this weird masked dude was rapping about nerd comic book s--- over accordions instead of shooting people and rocking a diamond-encrusted spinning chain. Next was the backpacker/90s phase but Doom had disappeared by then. I always intended to check out his s--- but never got around to it. It was only in 2014, after hearing Piñata - Madlib’s incredible collaboration with Freddie Gibbs, that my interest in Doom was renewed and I finally sat down to listen to Madvillainy in full. And like many a Daniel Dumile fan before me, I was absolutely blown away.

    15 years since its release date and it still sounds like its from the distant future - and that’s not only due to Doom’s otherworldly, non-sequitur laden streams of consciousness, but those insane dust-sprinkled, haphazard instrumentals that Madlib gives Metal Face as his playground. Earl Sweatshirt was famously inspired by this album, at one point referring to it as to his generation what Wu-Tang was to 80s babies. And he’s not far off. You can hear Doom in a lot of what Griselda/Beast Coast/Pro Era, etc does nowadays, and beyond.

    Honestly, I think MM.. Food might be my favourite DOOM project of all. But Madvillainy will always hold a special place in the iTunes library. Its essentially flawless. I give it a 10/10.

    @RateThisAlbum
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2019
    Mar 29, 2024
  16. Zeugma
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    Zeugma thugger thugger my brother

    Mar 24, 2019
    I've literally had Meat Grinder on repeat for the last ten years.
    The unpolished, yet absurdly original tone of the album, the rawness and beauty of it all, absolutely blew my mind when I was 15. "So hip-hop can sound like that? Music can sound like that?" ... I'm 24 now, and the universe DOOM and Madlib displayed on that masterpiece is still a huge part of my artistic imaginary. Revolutionary album, and I feel like it hasn't finished inspiring groundbreaking artists.
    10/10 with no hesitation.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  17. Sav Stanfield
    Posts: 7,478
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    Mar 24, 2019
    perfect summary.
     
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  18. Enez
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    Enez Purple Heats Forever

    Mar 24, 2019
    10/10

    What is there needed to be said about Madvillainy? It helped give more attention to the underground scene. Sure, some of the beats were dusty, but that's what Lib does best. DOOM'S wordplay went way over my head the first time around. It's crazy how much impact this album had in the undergound scene. Even in the mainstream as well. It could be heard in Pro Era's old s---. Odd Future. It's DOOM'S magnum opus imo. While not my favorite Madlib project, it still d--- near topping my list.

    10/10
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  19. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    Mar 24, 2019
    10/10

    This s--- is amazing, ran through this the other day coincidentally, I'm still forever fascinating at how unique the experience of listening to Madvillainy. It's cartoonish like if you're reading a comic in audio form, it flows effortlessly from start to finish and both DOOM & Madlib were born to work with each other. Madlib's absurd ear for unusual samples and drums put DOOM in inspired form; there's a rainstorm of aphorisms, imagery and a whole bunch of other s--- that I have no idea what he rambles about but it sounds so g.d. cool!

    Stones Throw cemented their legacy with this & Donuts, I can't stress how important this album was for an entire generation of underground and in general that whole Adult Swim sub-culture that bubbled around this time. Madvillainy still sounds so timeless and it's one of those rare records that does deserve a listen to any burgeoning fan of rap.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  20. Ordinary Joel
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    Location: South Australia

    Ordinary Joel Found a new way to flow

    Mar 24, 2019
    Related to the album - but has anyone ever heard the leaked version of Madvillainy? I'm yet to dive into that rabbit hole but people said DOOM's whole delivery and approach to this album changed after the first leak in 2002?
     
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