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?
Florida’s very own Kodak Black, Jackboy & John Wicks team up on a new track titled “Broward Paradise.” Listen to the track down below and listen to his previous release here.
The NYC duo Fabolous and Jadakiss recently put out visuals “Soul Food“, one of the tracks on their Friday On Elm Street LP. Although this song is trash, I guess you can say that they made up for it in this video. After the first watch you’ll instantly see the true meaning behind it. The way it was shot you can tell the message the two dads are trying to get across. THAT is, the importance of today’s generation being raised the right way, then learning from their mistakes, and having family time. It’s dope how they features their sons in it. The song itself makes a bit more sense now. See for yourself.
Netflix gets ready for the premiere of new hip hop documentary series Rapture. Announced on YouTube, the program is going to dive into he lives of a variety of artists from old to new. Rapture’s first season is said to focus on the lives of Nas, Logic, T.I., 2 Chainz, Just Blaze, Rapsody, Dave East, G-Eazy, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. Stay tuned for this new show, there will be 8 episodes featured this season.
Politics and social issues have been talked about a lot in Hollywood recently, almost ever since Trump’s inauguration. It seems like every celebrity is speaking up about how they disagree with his politics and viewpoints. Although the topic is very controversial, it doesn’t stop people from speaking their mind about what they think is right. This is a very important issue, but it is starting to take over award shows.
In this year’s Grammy Awards politics were extremely present, so much so that it almost took away from the entire show. It started to seem like a human rights rally, rather than an award show. I do agree that people have to speak up about issues that are affecting our country, but there is a line that has to be drawn before an award show loses its entertainment value. The Grammys were packed with fiery performances and a somber reflection on The World Today, which made it confusing. It’s hard to fully enjoy yourself watching these performances if there are constant reminders of how horrible the world is today. I thought music was supposed to take you away from your problems?
Some people didn’t feel like it was appropriate to have on an award show:
I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.
— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) January 29, 2018
So was the sketch too controversial? I personally believe that he should have just thrown it out. Award shows are based on music and not politics. If a star wants to state their views, they should do so but it shouldn’t take up the theme of the entire night because it detracts from the real reason these artists are all here- for their love of music. Creating this divide between liberals and conservatives only isolates both sides. This controversy only took away from the show, but I know that it will happen again on the next big award show. I would love to see future shows not turn into a political rally, but that might be too much to hope for.
