On January 26th, 2018 the rap group the Migos, composed of rappers Offset, Quavo and Takeoff released their latest album Culture II. This was their latest release after their hit album Culture that featured hit songs like “Bad and Boujee” which was basically a cultural movement in rap that inspired so many other artists, and even created artists. The album Culture was released in 2017 and it certainly lived up to the name. Not only did it have “Bad and Boujee” but it also included songs like “T-Shirt” and the title track “Culture” featuring DJ Khaled.
I always have a problem when artists put out albums as the sequel to their last album. This is because they really have to make it live up to the name. Since they named it Culture II, I was expecting it to be two times as better than their previous release, but it fell short. First of all the album is complete with 24 tracks. That is a lot of tracks for a single release. Also, albums should probably consist of about 12-15 tracks, because it narrows down the best of the best. Having 24 tracks creates a lot of filler, and the listener can’t pick out the best ones. It also grows tiresome listening to an album that is over two hours long.
Although it is long, it is not all bad. One of the stand-out tracks is “Stir Fry” which is now a single with a full music video. Also the verses on “Narcos” is an enjoyable listen. I find it annoying that they labeled one of their songs, “Emoji A Chain” because that phrase is not going to last throughout history. Imagine listening to a song called “Emoji” in the future when they have no idea what it is. If you want to create art that will last, make sure you don’t put terms in there that are only relevant to 2018. “MotorSport” is one of the best songs featuring Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, which is a great track that united the two biggest women in rap. The single “Supastars” really does nothing for the rap group but make them sound like any old rap song on the radio when they are known for creating songs that didn’t sound anything that any artist has done before.
Watch The Migos Latest Music Video for “Stir Fry” here:
In 2018, music has gone from CDs, to purely streaming services. The way artists get money is from how many people are listening to their songs on Spotify or Apple Music. It is really hard to get money this way because of the system. Some musicians might only recoup 15 to 20 percent of the streaming revenue they brought in. On Spotify the average “per stream” payout to rights holders lands somewhere between $0.006 and $0.0084, which is basically no money at all. So how do you get around this while still making a profit? Play the system. Create an album that is the sequel to your hit record, put as many songs on it as possible and rack in the money. It is clear that the Migos only wanted to make money on this album, which is sad since they seemed to work so hard to achieve their status in the rap world so why not come out with a good album that proves everyone wrong?
If you haven’t heard about this issue, it relates to the clothing line H&M putting a hoodie out that says, “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.” The sweatshirt was modeled by a black model, and not just a model but a child. You can see it here:
There was obviously a lot of outrage over the blatant racism, but at least people are fighting back. Musicians like The Weeknd and G-Eazy cut ties with the brand. H&M has received a lot of hate for this sweater, including Ski Mask the Slump God. He raps in this new song:
The song is kind of repetitive, but I think that is the point. By the repetition of the lines “the coolest monkey in the jungle,” it really shows how racist that phrase is, and pokes fun at H&M for not realizing it first. It also is good to capitalize on a current event that is happening, but that doesn’t mean that this is a good song. I actually think it’s a sorry excuse for music, but anything to make a statement right?
So what do you think the next step for Miley is? Will she continue to do the music that is true to her, or will we see her take a step to the rap and hip-hop direction once again? Recently she just commented on Cardi B’s Instagram post that she wanted to hang out:
I would be excited to see Miley go back to this style again, but would the hip-hop community accept her back?
The 60th annual Grammy awards happened this Sunday on January 28th, 2018, and there were some big winners of the night. Bruno Mars was the huge star of the night as he won six awards, including song, record, and album of the year. These all were the Grammys’ top honors so Bruno Mars must be feeling pretty powerful right now.
Bruno was certainly the big winner of the night and his countless awards were all rightly deserved, his album 24k Magic was an album before it’s time. It mixed contemporary R&B and funk to give off a Michael Jackson vibe. This music wasn’t just made for the radio to be recycled, but it was made to be remembered. Regardless if you like Bruno Mars or not, you definitely have to respect him.
This was a statement that was somewhat true. Hip-hop and rap are becoming the new rock stars of this generation. But I wouldn’t say that Lil Uzi Vert is the new Blink 182. He is saying that rappers are placed in a position of popularity that they haven’t exactly seen before, but I would label Lil Uzi Vert as something different. He definitely has some punk influences, and a septum ring to match his style but his rapping style isn’t exactly punk. He actually reminds me of Yung Thug and popular groups like The Migos. Blink 182’s songs usually revolve around growing up, losing love and having fun in your youth. In Lil Uzi Vert’s song, “XO Tour Llif3” he sings, “Push me to the edge, All my friends are dead” hit a little harder than Blink 182’s lyrics. If we are comparing genres, I would say that he leans more towards A Day To Remember, due to the visuals in the music videos, and also a constant theme of being displeased with life. For example in their song “The Downfall of Us All” they sing, “I sold my soul to the open road
I’ll live my life alone.”
ASAP probably didn’t mean to have a lot of weight to his statement when he said it, but I can get very defensive about Blink 182. So what do you think? Is Lil Uzi Vert the new Blink 182 or is ASAP Ferg way off?
With the Grammys happening this Sunday, January 28th, 2018, it’s all people can talk about. The best part about the Grammys is the all-star performances by the most acclaimed stars in the industry today. So which performances should you look out for?
The Recording Academy has also revealed multiple paired acts: Miley Cyrus and Elton John are going to perform together, which excites the hell out of me. Miley Cryus’ album “Younger Now” has a lot of country influences, as well as pop. Her best songs on the album include, “A Week Without You” and “Bad Mood” that show her growth as an artist and the extreme vocal talent she has. Pairing up with Elton John, one of the biggest artists in history, it is bound to be beautiful.
Check out Miley’s vocal talent here:
Bruno Mars and Cardi B will also be performing their latest remix, “Finesse.” I am really excited to see the visuals, lighting and artistic choices that they bring to the stage. I predict that this will be the biggest performance of the night since it has racked up about 135 million views in under a month. Hopefully, Cardi will break into “Bodack Yellow” after the collab with Bruno. It’s crazy how Cardi B went from performing “Bodack Yellow” at the MTV Video Music Awards pre-show to sharing the Grammy stage with one of the biggest artists currently.
Watch Cardi’s performance at the MTV pre-show here:
There will also be a performance of DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” which will be accompanied by pop star Rihanna and Bryson Tiller. Since this song was so popular, and a great track to put out after DJ Khaled’s huge success with, “I’m the One” ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne. Rihanna has been huge this year, especially since her recent release, “Lemon” so I’m sure her fashion during the performance will be something to remember.
Since it’s been about 15 years since the Grammys were held in New York it is bound to be a crazy night, and I am predicting that it will be one of the best Grammys to happen in the last 10 years. The quality of music has been at an all-time high this year, and new genres and styles of rap and hip-hop are appearing. Expect everyone to be dressed to the 10s and giving their best performance. After researching the performers I am definitely tuning into the Grammys this year.
