Yung Notes

Hope everyone is having a good summer! 2021 has been just as wild as 2020, and I sincerely wish that those reading this are doing alright. Since we are about halfway through the year, I figured I would share some of the best projects that I have listened to this year. While I expect many other excellent albums to be released throughout the next six months, the ones that I have written about here are for sure must listens.  5. Conway the Machine - La Maquina I honestly had my reservations about this album after the first three songs. However, the skepticism quickly evaporated as the album picked up with Clarity, barely missing a beat for the rest of the project. Conway drops banger after banger, with witty lyrics and impeccable rapping. The energy he brings on each song is complimented by excellent guest verses, with vintage performances from artists such as 2 Chainz on "200 Pies". Furthermore, the production across the entire album is so good it could stand on its own as a un...

  One of the best albums to come out in 2020, Spanish Love Songs' Brave Faces Everyone wrestles with what it means to survive in a tumultuous and uncaring open world.  Spanish Love Songs are a Los Angeles based punk rock band founded in 2014. Their first album, Giant Sings the Blues had solid reception, a level of success and notoriety that was furthered by their 2018 sophomore project  Schmaltz.  Traditionally, I would say their sound normally features catchy guitar riffs over banging drums that accentuate emotional lyrics. In terms of the actual review, I honestly do not know where to start with what I like about this album. Almost every track has been a favorite of mine at one point or another, which is a testament to the overall messaging and strength of the project. Slocum's singing on each song is heartfelt and emotional, the lyrics are thought-provoking and relatable, and the project is cohesive with no "filler" tracks. Brave Faces Everyone  is an album ...

    Happ y new year everyone, I hope you all are having a wonderful start to 2021! 2020 was a rough year with the coronavirus pandemic drastically affecting individuals and communities globally. I hope everyone reading this is safe, and I send condolences and support to those who have suffered great loss from the pandemic. For the actual article, I listened to many great albums this year across all music genres. These featured projects are what I believe to be the five best projects to come out this year. 5. Innocent Country 2 - Quelle Chris and Chris Keys      Vibrant and soulful production set the backdrop for this colorful rap album. Consistently good, the album is full of memorable lines, great songs, and entertaining guest features from artists such as Earl Sweatshirt. While the album came out in late April, I found Innocent Country 2 to be a great listen on a cool summer night. The section of songs from “Sudden Death” through “Mirage” is one of the b...

  On Bandana, Madlib and Freddie Gibbs produce an album of the year candidate in a hard hitting sequel to the critically acclaimed Piñata. Producer Madlib, otherwise known as Otis Jackson Jr., or his rapping alias Quasimoto is from Oxnard, California. (Sentences bout his music career until 2003 and 2004). The early 2000’s was met by Madlib with the release of the collaborations Chapmion Sound (J Dilla), and Madvillainy (MF DOOM), the latter of which is considered one of the most prolific hip-hop albums of all time. Most relevant, however, is Madlib’s collaboration history with Gibbs. He spent the 2010’s exploring this through the 2011 release of the “Thuggin” EP, and the release of two more EP’s “Shame” (2012), and “Deeper” (2013). These lead up to the eventual release of their first collaboration Pinata (2014), and hints at a future sequel project. Hailing from Gary, Indiana, Freddie Gibbs gained notoriety with the release of projects like The Miseducation of Freddie Gibb...

Released after his return from prison overseas, Gibbs latest project You Only Live 2wice recounts the mental and physical struggles of a man held overseas for false rape allegations. Gibbs once again comes out strong for his third studio album, demonstrating that his time overseas has not taken a major toll on his rapping ability. Freddie Gibbs, born Frederick Tipton, is a rapper from Gary Indiana. Leading up to 2009, Gibbs produced a lot of loosies (individual tracks), culminating in his first mixtape, The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, the title being a homage to the critically acclaimed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Receiving mostly positive reviews for his first mixtape, Gibbs would go on to produce several more, with Cold Day in Hell being released in 2011, and Baby Face Killa the following year. Soon, Gibbs was signed to ESGN and Empire Distribution, where he produced his first studio album ESGN (Evil Seeds Grow Naturally) in 2013. Then in 2014, Gibbs, in collaboration wi...

In the track announcing the return of the current king of Rap, Kendrick disses Drake and announces the release date of his new album.  "The Heart Part 4" is the fourth song in the Heart series produced by Compton born rapper Kendrick Lamar. The songs delve into Kendrick's feelings and experiences at the time of their release. Most notably, several of the Hearts have either preceded big release dates, with the "Heart Part 3" being released two days before Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, or have been featured on Kendrick's larger projects ("The Heart Part 2" being the first song on Kendrick's mixtape Overly Dedicated). I think the production of this song is so-so because the beat switch between the first two verses is unnecessary. The first beat is this really smooth and relaxed sound that is incredibly pleasant to listen to. However after the beat switch, the sound of the song changes into a louder and more rambunctious sound. While the second beat...

Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book- Review  On Chance the Rapper's follow up to Acid Rap, the rapper departs from his previous music for a more heavily gospel and soul influenced mixtape. While the best songs are amazing, the worst songs on the album leave a little to be desired, though there are only a few such songs. Chancellor Bennett, stage name "Chance the Rapper", was born and raised in West Chatham, Chicago, Illinois. As Bennett progressed through school he dreamed of becoming a musician. After a 10 day suspension in high school for possession of marijuana on campus, Chance began to work on his debut project 10 Day. Following the release of 10 Day in April of 2012, Chance recorded and released Acid Rap one year later. Featuring artists like Ab-Soul, Twista, and Childish Gambino, who he had gone on tour with the year before, Acid Rap was lauded as one of the best mixtapes of 2013. Two years later Chance would go on to release Surf, his third album, which also...