Top 10 of 2013: A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP

It was hard for me to pick a favorite hip hop album of the year. There were a couple contenders: like Pusha T (Who I have already told you my thoughts on last month) or Chance The Rapper with Acid Rap. But, after thinking about the diversity of songs that each rapper had on their album, I had to give it to A$AP Rocky's debut, Long.Live.A$AP.

The very first thing that stands out to me about this album are the features. It has some of the biggest rap names in the game sprinkled all throughout. The radio hit, Fuckin Problems, features 3 of the biggest names in 2013: 2 Chainz, Drake & Kendrick Lamar. He also attempts to blend genres and leave his comfort zone by bringing on the likes of Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine and Skrillex. Check out what I mean in I Come Apart.

This song has so many good tracks on it that it is hard to pick which ones I want to highlight. However, there is one song that was a big influence on picking this as the only hip hop album to feature on this list. 1Train is almost like a cypher of sorts, as it features a bunch of heavy hitters all over the same, repetitive beat. Kendrick Lamar kills it, like always. Joey Badass, Yelawolf and Danny Brown also lay down bad ass verses. Check out this gem of a track below.

Then there is classic A$AP tracks on the album, like Goldie. This is quintessential A$AP Rocky, just casually spitting over a hard, simplistic beat about what makes him better than the rest. I love this track, as it's perfect for just cruising around town. Check it out below

Check out the rest of the album on my Best of 2013 Spotify Playlist or follow him on Facebook!

Enjoy! <3

Pusha T - My Name Is My Name

Pusha T released his latest LP last month, My Name Is My Name, and to be honest, it flew under my radar until a few days ago. Yes, I am ashamed to say that, but hey.. better late than never! I believe Pusha T is one of the most underrated hip hop artists in the game today. His lyricism is among the best and his delivery is on point as always. He has been releasing music for over 11 years, and he has carefully crafted his sound, style and image over the years and it has all culminated in this strong performance.

MNIMN is Pusha's sophomore release on Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music label and it features the likes of 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown, The-Dream, Pharrell, Rick Ross, and the list goes on.

Now let's get to the music! After a couple thorough listens of the album, the standout track to me would be Nosetalgia featuring the gifted Kendrick Lamar. Over a simple beat made up of 3 different guitar notes and some simple percussion, the lyricism is the best part of this track. Pusha and Kendrick each lay down amazing verses. Take a listen below to see what I mean.





In an depth interview/conversation between Pusha T and NPR, King Push explains that his favorite track on the album is S.N.I.T.C.H. featuring Pharrell. The song tells the story of a real experience Pusha T dealt with when a friend of his called him from jail to tell him he won't ever be calling Pusha again because he will be going into witness protection after he cooperates with the police. The acronym stands for "Sorry Nigga, I'm Tryna Come Home." It is a unique perspective that most rappers won't portray in their music. He explained how the track came to fruition when he told Pharrell about what happened and he responded "There's a song there. That story needs to be told." Take a listen below



If you want to check out the album, it is for sale on iTunes or you can listen to it on Spotify. Other mentionable tracks include: Sweet Serenade, Numbers On The Boards and Who I Am. To keep up with Pusha T, check out any of the following links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Enjoy! <3