That's My Dad.

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #8, Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump

My fingertips and my lips, they burn from this cigarette. 

It’s official. “Channel Orange” won it all this year. Taking over the Grammy’s, the R&B scene, along with the hearts of youngsters and critics alike, Frank Ocean is dealing with a bonafide success for the ages. Keeping true to the core basics of classic storytelling in song-writing, Ocean cultivated his crown jewel LP with old tradition in an age where everyone else tried to reinvent the wheel. Among many beloved tracks, “Forrest Gump” was my stand-out choice for its minimalist structure, high-concept theme and stunning charisma: a musical dynamic dozens of artists long for in their entire careers, Ocean creates in three minutes. 

(Source: Spotify)

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #22, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)

And I can’t change. Even if I tried, even if I wanted to.

Plenty of rappers speak out against how suffocating hip-hop can be. A genre that has inescapably demoralized generation after generation. But when Macklemore admits “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me”, it’s as if he focused a camera lens on something we should have seen a long time ago. ”Same Love” could have been a gimmicky, quote-on-quote “socially conscious” hip-hop track advocating gay rights and aiming to appeal critics by transcending popular culture. Fortunately, we’re graced with an heart-warming and deftly humble narrative that brings us a intimate snapshot of Macklemore’s personality. “Same Love” is over-flowing with quote-worthy lyrical gems and features the year’s best music video: a darling silent short-film that accentuates Macklemore’s vision tenfold. Every artistic aspect comes full circle on a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis single and on “Same Love”, we hear them at their most poignant yet. This just may be the song to mark a change in hip-hop. 

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #27, Odd Future - Rella

I fucked this flow.

2012 may have been a bit of a rough patch for L.A. rap collective Odd Future, with the hit-or-miss “Odd Future Tape, Vol. 2” along with some poorly received experimentation on a number of flopped releases. Alas, somewhere along their madness, Tyler, Hodgy and Domo concocted their call to arms track: “Rella”. Capturing their self-aware humor and utter zaniness immaculately on a series of killer verses, Odd Future comes loaded with their most entertaining hooliganisms, dirtiest beats and finest frivolity to date.

(Source: Spotify)

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #41, Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - Mercy

Swerve. 

With the barrage of hip-hop colloquialisms, fat bass lows and witty yet devilishly ignorant verses dropped by Kanye and company, “Mercy” would still strike a chord among pop and rap listeners alike for it’s thick, mystifying complexion and nearly irresistible opening call to the dance floor. This was 2012’s anthem. And we all lost our shit to this one night or another. 

(Source: Spotify)

G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer

For those interested in a slick Kanye West production, another “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” or a “Watch the Throne”, something crafted with the perfect blend of immaculately polished, fresh and clever million-dollar worthy bangers with the reputation of mainstream frivolousness, check these out: 

• To the World (Kanye West & R. Kelly)
• Clique (Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean)
• Mercy (Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz)
• New God Flow (Kanye West, Pusha T & Ghostface Killah)
• I Don’t Like (Kanye West, Chief Keef, Pusha T, Big Sean & Jadakiss)

Everything else? Well, you’ve probably heard a generic hip-hop album before. (5/10)

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Nas - Illmatic

Show us your pain and everything else will fall into place.

While it certainly shames me to admit that I’m listening to Nas for the first time now in my life, it being as old as I am, “Illmatic” undoubtedly stands up strong as one of the most innovative, defining records of all time for its unbeatable authenticity, progressive existentialist concern and gutsy focus of substance-over-style and less-is-more artistic virtues. (9/10) 

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2 Chainz - Based on a T.R.U. Story

If there’s anything to learn from trap rapper Tauheed Epps, a.k.a. Tity Boi, a.k.a. 2 Chainz and his latest album, “Based on a T.R.U. Story”, it’s these three things.

• Trap music is a cultural hip-hop style of working proportionally with ignorance and creativity; call it tongue-in-cheek or ghetto-wit.
• As fantastic as his feature spots are, “Based on a T.R.U. Story” sheds light on many of 2 Chainz’s artistic weaknesses, proving his inability to carry an album-length effort.
• While the jokes and punchlines are great, the qualities of “Based on a T.R.U. Story”, both legitimate and irreverent, tend to grow stale very quickly; even the best verses by Kanye on here get old fast. 

Regardless of criteria, much of “Based on a T.R.U. Story” falls terribly short to both expectations of newcomer listeners and trap rap addicts alike. (4/10)

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Ab-Soul - Control System

It may initially come off heavy-handed to snippy hip-hop listeners, but Black Hippy (east coast super-group of west coast rappers feat. Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar) member Ab-Soul performs on high gear through his multi-dimensional cerebral manifesto: “Control System”. Much like his fellow Black Hippies Lamar and Schoolboy, Ab-Soul’s “Control System” makes for engaging, introspective hip-hop packed with wide-ranged style and subject matter, detailed production and profoundly unique personality. (8/10)

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John Mayer - Born and Raised

The mere idea of John Mayer doing a country based album provokes gag reflexes. Alas, for old times sake, the acclaimed singer-songwriter owns enough fuel in his name to allow him for another go around.

After a tremendously banal 4th album, “Battle Studies”, an inescapably gossip mongering monster and a corrosive superstar ego shadowing Mayer’s tail, his time bomb of a career was inevitably destined for a blue screen crash. The results marks with Mayer exiling himself to middle-of-nowhere, Montana, hidden away from all the ‘oh so terrible’ aspects of modern life and rekindling with his long lost self. Cue the sympathy soundboard. From this self-induced separation were the seeds planted of an expected new album; an album that’ll be advertised as “intimate”, “raw” and “unprecedented”, as if these labels are expected to bewilder listeners into hopping on the hype train.

The fact of the matter is, any mainstream artist that isn’t walking propaganda or made more than two albums succumbs to the self-indulgent album; better known as the album “an artist makes for themselves”. And usually they suck. Sometimes it’s a last resort defense to veiling a poor album, or sometimes, it’s the truth. More often than so, these are the blemishes in a successful musician discography: they’re either shrugged off or the last nail in the coffin.

Here’s the thing with John Mayer. In the past eleven years since his debut “Room for Squares”, Mayer indulges in any non-offensive, radio-friendly genre and uses advanced musicianship technique as a cover. He takes major risks by relying strictly on music theory, letting his recklessly youthful personality run amok his music. In a sense, Mayer was mainstream rock’s Will Hunting throughout the ’00s.

Flash-forward to today on his fifth LP: “Born and Raised”, the ultimate foil to Mayer’s blueprint. Until now, Mayer got away with “being clever” with his lyrical substance, but now that overeager edge ended up consuming his personal image, he’s given up on his core appeal. Not to mention, in the process of Mayer cutting back and putting an album out there “for himself”, he let go of his nimble grip on music composition, sacrificing creativity with room for ingenuous, and unfortunately, tasteless, hopelessly insipid personal musings. 

It’s not even the added country-inspired instrumentation, which work in benefit for the album, but the dreadfully constructed lyricism. Mayer took after rapper Kanye West’s ambitious lyrical approach on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” where the context of his personal life took center stage, offering theatrically massive emotional results. Unfortunately, Mayer bites the dust by spawning nearly every song-writing weakness in the book, only proving how Kanye’s challenging lyrical risks succeeded for his work. 

“Born and Raised” is an album that just cut Mayer’s tightrope in half. Not only does it place Mayer at his most vulnerable, creative-less and indulgent on his career map, but places him higher on people mainstream America wants to forget. It’s the nature of the game Mayer plays and making such a move even eliminates room for a second redemption. (4/10)

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Santigold - Master of My Make-Believe

Four years ago, Santi White, better known as Santigold, set the bar for pop music for the music industry, especially herself.

Her debut record, “Santogold”, featured not just several of its year’s greatest tracks (“L.E.S. Artistes”, “Shove It”) but shed light on the line between mainstream and indie pop. White fit both molds, using creative freedom associated with indie music and the resources of a mainstream release. Looking back, “Santogold” still holds a place in my heart for making some of the most irresistible pop tunes without having to get weird (i.e. M.I.A., Lady Gaga).

Despite previous efforts, there wasn’t specifically any tension for her latest album: “Master of My Make-Believe”. As far as anybody was concerned, listeners were well aware of her creative standards. Looking her track record, there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong with any of White’s future work. Yet, “Master of My Make-Believe” succumbs to the worst complaint pop music could get: it’s boring.

Astonishingly so, “Master of My Make-Believe” barely rises to the occasion of its agenda and, frankly, lacks any sincere artistic efforts. It’s not that this LP has anything sour or tracks that stick out like sore thumbs, “Master of My Make-Believe” barely throws any hooks or punches that calling it a ‘snore-fest’ wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate. Four years ago, Santigold would walk in your door and kick-start the party into one of the best nights of your summer. Here in 2012 and Santi’s in the corner of the party with a red cup at hand, not particularly interested in socializing.

I can’t even get excited for the lead tracks: “Go!” and “Disparate Youth”. Despite their positive reception, all I’m left doing for three to four minutes is looking for something to impress me with. The weight of this album gets worse as songs begin clumping together; nothing prominent grabbing my attention or inspiring repeated listens. I wouldn’t be as indifferent or saddened had “Master of My Make-Believe” came from a newcomer artist, but this was freaking Santigold. All we’ve received is a lousy excuse of the same ingredients in “Santogold”, minus any trace of inventiveness. Here is an album destined to be bullied into the dusty corners of record stores and ignored during its week of shelf-time at Best Buy.

This album was not my dad. (3/10)

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The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

The Pharcyde’s 1992 debut release, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, is one the zaniest, free-ranging, most influential old-school hip-hop albums out there that works its magic without breaking a sweat. (8/10)

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Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Consider it a landmark of sampling in hip-hop, note it for the inventive production, the daunting self-assuredness in the lyricism, the blend of saluting cultures of past generations while escorting their finest qualities into the new millennium. Jay-Z’s The Blueprint shall always deserve to be remembered as one of the greatest rap albums of all-time. (9/10)

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Skrillex - Bangarang EP

There’s no holding back Skrillex when it comes to experimenting, blending and stretching the limitations of electronic music, but his recent EP “Bangarang” is an uninteresting, tacky and tiresome collection of heavily based techno-pop dubstep experiments; one that almost leaves you feeling stupid and unfulfilled even after its finer moments. (5/10)

Kendrick Lemar’s Section.80 -

You hear about an up-and-coming underground rapper from Compton and the context around this release. You think here’s a guy probably bound to be the next rapper here to exploit and commentate over sex, violence, the “thug life”, etc. Kendrick Lamar is not that rapper, far from it actually. On Lamar’s debut mix-tape, Section.80, we find heaps of smooth, classy beats, surprisingly insightful lyrics (not by any hip-hop conventions) and a very likable, humble persona from Lamar. It’s a simplistic and intellectual blend of hip-hop uncommon to come across. What makes Section.80 a memorable and unconventional listen is how easy Lamar makes it seem to blend old-school with new-school rap with a certain artfulness; it’s pretty refreshing. Songs like Hol’ Up and Ronald Reagan Era serve as great and specific examples of Lamar’s style, talent and his mature take on society and politics. Section.80 is never afraid to be versatile too. There are some nifty pop elements wandering around this release, refer to the simple yet insightful track No Make Up. The biggest surprise Section.80 pulls is the track Rigamortus, a dauntingly challenging song where Lamar’s beats go head-to-head with his freestyle that create a cohesive and untamable jam. For a debut mix-tape, Section.80 is able to show off how bold this guy can really get if he wants to and then some. I look forward to where this guy goes in the future. (8/10)

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Returning with his third mix-tape and the finale to his trilogy of previous releases House of Balloons and Thursday, R&B project The Weeknd is back with his most mature, well-produced and daring release: Echoes of Silence.

This, without question, could be The Weeknd’s most recommendable release yet by a long-shot. Where House of Balloons was an experimental R&B release, there was a slight requirement to keep an open mind and a bit of patience to appreciate the complexities of the album. On Echoes of Silence, we’re given a perfectly structured mix-tape where old and new fans can fall into The Weeknd’s immersion and intoxication almost immediately.

The mix-tape opens with “D.D.”, a phenomenal cover of Michael Jackson’s classic pop track “Dirty Diana”. Comparisons between The Weeknd and Jackson have always floated around, but this cover blows all possibilities way out of the water. The Weeknd gorgeously updates the 80’s hit, honoring it with a bold musical treatment by building bigger, darker and sadder beats along with a production style that’d give Nine Inch Nails a run for their money. It almost seems like The Weeknd even goes so much to improve on Jackson’s version by giving a focus on the storytelling where Jackson only used it as a vehicle for his abundant style. The Weeknd keeps both style and substance intact, and then some. It’s such an accurate cover, I could put money on the fact that if you played it for your parents, they’d think it was an unreleased Michael Jackson B-side or a remix of the original.

The rest of the album glides through with all of the elements The Weeknd is known for while also presenting a lot of new themes and ideas. The romance found in the lyrics is devastatingly sadder, mournful and gorgeously decaying. The drugs, the nightlife, the alcohol, are now a realized evil. There is an overshadowing darkness that gives everything the past two Weeknd releases were about a mirror to show how horrifying the party really was. By being the most mature mix-tape out of the three, Echoes of Silence makes sure not to make past releases seem inferior. Instead, it gives all of the Weeknd’s work a certain closure, making the themes come full circle and seem like it had been liked this all along; right from the release of House of Balloons. It was almost like reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the succession between the two series are similar.

This release alone not only works as the most successful Weeknd release that can be appreciated individually, but also credits the past two releases dramatically and places it in a more interesting context.

House of Balloons welcomes to the party of your life while warning you of the dangerous and intimidating high you’re about to encounter. Thursday explores the experience and provides the wishful thinking associated with that high. Echoes of Silence is what it feels like the morning after. The painstaking reality, the pain, the sadness, the sorrow, the regret of everything you just went through. You want to experience this. I don’t suggest you wait. It’s a critical musical experience for our generation for this year.

This album was my dad. (10/10)

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