Music

Top 5 Hip-Hop Releases: September

by Chayne Japal

Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving audience; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, and Dance with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Hip-Hop Releases:
September

J. Cole – Cole World: The Sideline Story

Since Friday Night Lights dropped last year, J. Cole has done as much as he could to shake his underground status. He went on separate tours with Rihanna and Drake, then released a pair of poppy lead singles (“Work Out” and “Can’t Get Enough”) to radio. On opening track “Dolla And A Dream III” he says “They try to call me underground/I spun around like ‘you wish’”. While this approach might rub some the wrong way, it’s easy to understand why he would want to broaden his fanbase. Cole is an extremely talented rapper/producer with the smarts and support (he’s signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation) to make a lasting impression on the music industry. On his debut, Cole tells his inspiring story backed by his polished tight production. The project shows J. Cole’s flexibility as he maintains a fine balance between thought-provoking substance and good fun throughout. While Cole World is a well-crafted and consistent album, it mostly serves as the beginning of what is expected to be a long saga. He must be relieved to have finally released this album, but now that we know he’s on the right track there’s even more pressure on him now.

Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Lost In Translation

Just imagine an album released in 2011 that’s a cross between The Chronic and Ironman. That probably doesn’t make sense, but it’s awesome and that’s the best way to describe Brooklyn rapper’s brilliant tape Lost In Translation. The Necro-produced “Huzzah!” gets the posse cut treatment for its remix “The Last Huzzah!” with Despot, Das Racist, El-P (who also contributes production on 5 other tracks), and Danny Brown. This track is a great example of the nonchalant excellence that oozes from every song on this transcendent project.

Killa Kyleon – Candy Paint N Texas Plates 2

A pair of guest spots on Wiz’s “Spotlight” and on the remix to Big K.R.I.T.’s “Moon & Stars” last year confirmed that this guy is pretty cool. He continues on his recent mixtape as his Texas drawl slithers across these beats with the utmost ease. Many of the songs are soul tinged cruise tracks which play in with the title perfectly. This is where Kyleon is at his most comfortable but things get exciting when the music ramps up. On “Dreams” he talks about how unbelievable his life is to a thumping Kilo-produced track. Whether it’s deliberate or not, the idea of performing a song called “Dreams” over such a lively track is a genius contradiction. It suggests that Kyleon doesn’t need to dream at all if he can live like this. Other pounding bangers like “Drowning Pool” (yes, Drowning Pool) flip “Bodies Hit The Floor” and “Hustler’s Prayer,” which features K.R.I.T. sampling Bon Jovi, keep things interesting alongside the authentic Houston sound that will remain Killa’s bread and butter.

Casey Veggies – Sleeping In Class [Deluxe Edition]

Rap isn’t that young anymore, but it’s still widely considered a voice for youth. This is proven every time an artist like Casey Veggies emerges. When he mentions “Jordans and the gold chain, Illmatic bumping/Nas did it first and I’m about to tell him something” on “DTA,” it brings to mind that Nas was 19-years-old when he wrote the aforementioned album. The 18-year-old Casey is not quite in the same category, but like Nas during that era, he carries a magnetic rawness that a more seasoned rapper just can’t pull off. Interestingly enough, Sleeping In Class also features some well-chosen guests (Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler, the Creator) that run the full spectrum in terms of subject matter but all carry themes of childhood and adolescence in their own music. This album will serve as a memento to an integral part of Casey’s life and it’s pretty cool that he gets to share it.

Domo Genesis – Under the Influence

It seems as if the Odd Future boys are starting to settle down a bit. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. All the hype and insanity that surrounded the gang might have clouded their craft, but as the dust settles their talent is beginning to shine through again. On this mixtape, the team’s resident pothead Domo Genesis raps over some familiar Kanye West beats (“Whole City Behind Us” with Tyler, “Guess Who’s Back” with Casey, and “We Major”), Mobb’s “Hell On Earth,” and, in the only moment of OFWGKTA quirkiness, the Pokémon theme. Domo saves his best for the originals though. On the telling opening track “Mission Statement” he pours his heart out during a 48-bar verse instead of stopping for a chorus (okay, maybe there’s some more Odd Future quirkiness). The song’s structure is an interesting parallel to Domo’s recent career as they don’t seem to stop for a break and just keep going. Hopefully he doesn’t burn out (get it?).

Surprises, disappointments and tracks/albums to watch for next month

Surprise of the month: 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years

Now it makes complete sense that 9th Wonder was so ready to talk shit this past summer. He must have had the utmost amount of confidence leading up to this release. For this album, he’s gathered an ideal hodge-podge of his favourite rappers from yesteryear to the future to spit over his familiar minimalist, sample-heavy beats. The stand out here is “Hearing The Melody” (with verses by Skyzoo, Fashawn, and King Mez) which features what might very well be the best beat 9th Wonder has ever done. Since his Little Brother days, he’s had a knack for flipping sample in the most absurd ways possible, making the source material almost unrecognizable, while staying true to the genuine soul sound that he loves so much. This song is the perfect example of that, plus it bangs something fierce. The entire record is chock-full of gems like this. 9th is a master of vibe and that’s what makes this album such a great play; perfect headphone music for the fall season. On a related note, impressive recent projects by a pair of buzzworthy Maryland natives, DTMD and Oddisee, prove that 9th has done even more than build a distinguished discography, he’s also inspired a generation of brilliant artists.

Disappointments: Young Jeezy – The Real Is Back 2

Thanks for the random mixtapes but release an album already. Jeez.

Out in October: The sophomore effort from Drake and compilation projects from DJ Drama, Exile, and Statik Selectah.