The album title, “The Off -Season” has multiple layers of symbolism that reflect where J Cole’s mentality and focus is at this time. Earlier this month, it was revealed that he had joined the Basketball Africa’s League’s (Rwanda Patrioits BBC). Before Cole ever wanted to be a professional MC, his dream was to be a pro-basketball star. 

Cole’s has un-matched work ethic due to his athletic background, in which he learned that practicing your craft is the ultimate key to success. J Cole dropped a documentary as he usually does, to inform fans as to what his direction and intention was behind the album. He mentions in the short film that he began to run drills and enforce a more tight schedule when it came to him making his dreams a reality.

Every morning he would make himself write a verse, make a beat, and rap – over and over, just like throwing the ball until you can shoot a three-pointer in your sleep. This album is the most aggressive and hungry I have seen J Cole since “2014 Forest Hills Drive.” In the documentary, Cole declares comfort as the enemy. During his off season, luxury and complacency became his lifestyle as opposed to applying pressure. 

He often makes conceptual albums, in which there is a larger theme or message at hand that he is trying to give to society. Cole often will inhabit different characters and personas as he did on “KOD.” Yet, on “The Off – Season” he spits about his rise and grind, telling his story only as it unfolds before him. 

Cole is at war on this album, constantly pitting his old and present self up against each other – as the future for him is clouded with the fear of regret. This is the first album Cole has allowed room for features. He doesn’t want to regret not working with anyone after all the time and connections he has formed in this game.

The album features 21 Savage, Bas, Lil Baby, 6LACK, Morray, and Bas. Not only is Cole coming at the game with the same energy and tenacity as a freshman – he is also giving himself the long awaited credit that he deserves. 

On track “1 0 0. m i l’ featuring Bas, He raps “This game is like follow the leader, if you looking closely enough, then you’ll see that I led. The moves that I made, the people I fed, the evil I ducked. They minds is too feeble, they lean on they crutch. I’m bleeding from fighting my demons head up. When I get defeated, believe I get up.”

The only thing that Cole is boasting about is his resilience when it came to creating his legacy. The roadblocks set before him were more like death traps – overcoming gun violence, police brutality, and addiction running through his blood-line. 

On track, “my . l i f e” featuring 21 Savage and Morray, Cole raps, “I’m just a product of poverty, full of narcotics to profit off quickly. My family tree got a history of users that struggle with demons, not really the hustler instincts. Therefore, often, my pockets was empty.”

Cole’s ability to keep chasing a dream that he has already captured is not as easy as he makes it look. He spoke in his documentary on his writing process, stressing one of the worst things you can do is wait for inspiration to strike. You may be waiting for something that will never come and the way you make use of the time you possess is another message that Cole is stressing on the album. However, giving this album a listen is without a doubt worth your time.

The post J Cole’s New Album Proves His Ambition Never Has An “Off – Season” appeared first on Red Roll.

21’s Story

21 Savage exploded on the music scene when he released his single “Red Opps” in 2016. Since then, he has been climbing the ranks from hot new artist to established rapper. Both 21 and Metro are products of Atlanta and partly responsible for the city’s recent takeover in the music world. 21 took over the “Trap Music” sub-genre from the second he stepped on the scene. His unique sound that some called “mumbling;” caught on very quickly and capitalized.

Although the criticism at first was that 21 Savage was being considered a mumble rapper, he quickly dispelled that theory with his growth as an artist. He has become more lyrical and his evolution as an artist is very noticeable. 21 Savage even draws in a different tier of artists for features at this point in his career. He has managed to become a better rapper without deviating from his roots. 21’s music even has a much deeper subject matter than before. 21 Savage even won a grammy award for his song “A Lot” with J Cole.

Metro is Boomin

Metro Boomin is the super-producer of the decade at this point. At 27 years old, Metro has managed to produce countless hits and contribute to the growth of new and old acts like Lil Uzi Vert, Migos, 21 Savage, Big Sean, Drake, Travis Scott, Future, and the list goes on for days. Although he has not yet won a grammy, he has triple platinum and diamond records in his catalog.

Recently, Metro announced that was coming out of his self proclaimed “retirement” to work with 21 Savage again, on this very album.

Savage Mode 2

In my opinion, Savage Mode 2 is in the running to be considered one of 21’s best albums. Metro does an amazing job on the production and even provides some beats that send a nod of acknowledgment to older hip-hop. 21 Savage shows yet again that he is taking a step forward lyrically and challenging his own style of music. He has a lot of different styles to provide on this project, and it even has some features like Young Nudy, Young Thug, and Drake. The album is even narrated by legendary actor, Morgan Freeman.

The Album is available on Apple Music and Spotify. It’s definitely one you want to check out!

The post 21 Savage & Metro Boomin Release Savage Mode 2 appeared first on Red Roll.

Background on ATL Scene

This type of music may have originated with these artists, but many other ATL artists emerged as a result. One of the most influential ATL rappers would have to be Young Thug in my opinion. Since the beginning of his career, Young Thug has been a risk-taker from fashion to music. He was criticized for both his rapping style/accent and his clothing choices. Early on in his career, I used to compare him to Prince because they both a different style of clothing and had a very unique sound.

Over the years, Young Thug silenced the doubters by growing as an artist and making some great music. He has released many hits over the years like “Lifestyle,” “Power,” “Killed Before,” “Check,” “Relationship,” and “Pick Up The Phone” just to name a few. He’s gone from being criticized about his style to being copied by others and being invited to fashion shows.

As a fan, it is easy for me to recognize the evolution Young Thug has gone through to reach where he currently stands as an artist. It’s hard to describe but, his fast-talking Atlanta accent combines with his overall unique style as an artist to make exceptional music. On top of already having an out-of-the-box sound, he continuously challenges himself musically by making not one album sound similar to the next, which even led him to make a country album. He has even proven that he has an exceptional ear for music by discovering Gunna and Lil’ Baby.

So Much Fun

In August, he released his newest album So Much Fun, and I consider this his best project to date. The album features Machine Gun Kelly, 21 Savage, Gunna, Lil’ Baby, Future and more. The production level on this project is through the roof and leaves it with a variety of moods throughout. One of the hit songs, “Hot(featuring Gunna),” reached #11 on Billboards Hot 100. In my opinion, this album should be nominated for an award.

I had the pleasure of seeing Young Thug on tour with a Machine Gun Kelly and Polo G at The Rave in Milwaukee. Although the crowd was less than expected, you wouldn’t have noticed because Young Thug gave an amazing performance displaying his creativity from the music selection to the snake-shaped stage.

Since the album, Young Thug has been releasing features. He has told fans that we can expect at least one more album this year, which may be his Super Slimey 2 album that is said to be a joint project with Lil’ Baby and Gunna.

Stay tuned for more music from Thug!

The post Thug Love appeared first on Red Roll.

Many musicians have been live streaming in-home concerts via Instagram live. Kali Uchis and Steve Lacy went live together on Instagram at the beginning of last week, where the alternative R&B artists goofed around with each other as Uchis teased some new music in the background. Alternative artist Rex Orange County went live for a second at-home show, performing for an hour on March 28, 2020, where he sang originals as well as a cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Other artists have teased new music. For instance, Ariana Grande shared a selfie of herself and Lady Gaga from the recording studio for Gaga’s birthday, sparking rumors that there may be a collaboration in the works.

On the topic of everyone’s favorite pop princess, Grande also sparked rumors that a Victorious reboot/reunion was to be in the works before the pandemic struck when she shared a screenshot from a Zoom call with the cast. The Nickelodeon show from 2010-2013 resurfaced in popularity (especially on TikTok) for many Gen Z-ers after it was added to Netflix in November of 2019.

Lots of new music has been released lately, keeping bored listeners very thankful. One of the most unexpected releases was a Rihanna feature on one song from the new PARTYNEXTDOOR album. Rihanna had previously disappointed fans after breaking her promise that she would release her ninth studio album sometime before 2020, so fans were not expecting a feature from her anytime soon.

Another unexpected recent release was the drop of a new album from Childish Gambino. Originally, Donald Glover, the multi-talented man behind Gambino released the very experimental album via donaldgloverpresents.com. On this website, the songs were played live streaming on a loop. Then, on March 15, 2020, Gambino released the album, entitled “3.15.20” on official streaming platforms. The album is 12 songs and also features Ariana Grande, 21 Savage, and Khadja Bonet. Most songs are titled as their chronological time on the album as a whole, leading several fans to find many mysterious aspects to this new album.

With so much of our lives up in the air as we hope that this virus ends soon, it is so important to do your part by staying home. Quarantine is not fun for anyone, but all of this great new music should make it a bit easier!

The post Some Good News: This Week in Music appeared first on Red Roll.

The Faults of “Homicide”

“Fast rappers” Eminem and Logic just released their new collaboration track, “Homicide.” With the two being held in high esteem by (in my opinion) more pretentious hip hop heads, this track was highly anticipated. The result, however, was a lackluster song that had little to say.

The track actually starts off pretty well — the introduction of the drums and bass over the lo-fi intro is simply striking. Then Logic starts rapping and the whole track goes down hill. Sure, his flow is impressive. He spits rhymes seamlessly without even a slight hesitation or a stutter. But does that matter when the whole verse is just to say “I’m better at rapping than mumble rappers?”

It just feels like an insignificant message. Logic, we don’t care if you can rap faster than Uzi, he at least has things to say, even if it is often just about love and drugs.

Eminem falls into the same trap as Logic, saying nothing that Logic didn’t cover in the first verse. The only difference is that his flows are worse and his lyrics fall far from interesting. Where Logic at least provides us with clever word play, Eminem just sounds corny. If so many critics point to these two as the standard of talent in the rap world, then how come their collab fell flat?

What Actually Makes Good Rap

The reason Eminem and Logic flopped so hard is because they lacked any sort of connection with their listeners. Nobody listening to “Homicide” can relate to rapping faster than mumble rappers. As a result, nobody cares about what they are saying.

Meanwhile, artists like 21 Savage rap about money, drugs, and struggle, things that a huge array of people can sympathize with. Sure, his flows might not be as articulate as those of Logic, but people can relate to what he is saying, which makes them care that much more about what he has to say.

The trick to making not just good rap, but good music in general, is staying authentic. People want to listen to others’ experience. They want to be able to level with artists and understand that whatever they have experienced, somebody else has gone through a similar, if not the same, thing. Rapping about how good you are at rapping lacks any sort of substance and leaves nothing for listeners to come back to.

Instead of bragging over a microphone for 4 minutes, maybe Logic and Eminem should return to the stories that made them into who they are today. Nobody wants to watch two grown men get into a pissing contest with rising SoundCloud rappers. It’s sad. Logic, Eminem, take my advice: make music about things people care about.

Stream “Homicide” Below

The post What Makes Good Rap Music? appeared first on Red Roll.

When Atlanta rapper, 21 Savage first broke onto the mainstream hip-hop scene, he faced a lot of backlash from rap traditionalists for his lowkey, almost monotonous delivery and surface level lyrics.

Many compared his mumble rap style to contemporaries like, Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert and Kodak Black. Unlike these artists though, Savage inhabited a niche that focused on a much darker more murderous sound.

Since his last project, Issa Album, Savage has surprisingly matured his public image after stating he intended to focus his newfound financial gains into more productive outlets that can return on investment. He even went as far as to give financial advice on NBC News of all places. I hoped this maturity would appear on his next release and fortunately it does on his latest project, i am > i was.

The allusion to self improvement through the title is consistently evident through Savages’ musical efforts. 21 Savage is clearly aiming to improve his sound through better features, more versatile performances and more meticulous instrumentals. Savage maintains his typical delivery, but he clearly has more passion in his voice.

None of the featured guests are publicly displayed in the song titles which is surprising considering the massive star power Savage brings to the table including the likes of, J. Cole, Schoolboy Q, Childish Gambino and former collaborator, Post Malone.

In the very first seconds of the recording, Savage shows his listeners that this album is going to be unlike anything he has released before. The opener, “a lot” features this vintage soul instrumental that sounds something off of an MF Doom, or even something off of Earl Sweatshirt’s “Some Rap Songs.” Although not nearly as avant garde. J. Cole caps the track off with a speedy subdued flow and even mentions Tekashi 6ix9ine in a couple bars. The song is nearly five minutes, but it does not feel that long.

“out for the night” has a cool blues inspired guitar instrumental, but the chorus is so obnoxiously repetitive it negates the decent verses leading up to them. Savage’s producers even added a pinch of autotune on his voice to hammer home the obnoxious factor.

Post Malone has a solid hook on “all my friends.” The instrumental is clearly catered more towards Malone’s sound with the warped swirling twangy guitar and the southern twang in Malone’s voice, but Savage manages to hold his own.

“can’t leave without it” is a highlight in terms of Savage’s performance, but Lil Baby and Gunna continue to sound more and more like –grade Young Thugs.

“asmr” feels like a pretty standard 21 Savage track, until the backend where he whisper raps paying homage to the song’s title. It is ironic though, how autonomous sensory meridian response the song gives, as “asmr” is intended to be relaxing to the listener, but Savage’s delivery is still abrasive even in a softer format.

“ball w/o you” started out as a decent moody R&B song discussing unloyalty. The instrumental is starry and pleasant to listen to. The song’s biggest flaw comes in at the bridge which has some of the worst use of autotune I’ve heard. Savage sounds like a fish out of water with an coordinated raspy tone.

Childish Gambino has a couple of witty quotables on “monster” like, “If you rappin’ for money, you silly. This shit ain’t a milli’, this shit is a hundred. The industry savage and most of you average.” Lyrically, Savage continues to reminisce on his setbacks and what he had to do to overcome his struggles. The group children backup vocals on the chorus add an extra level of eeriness.

Savage has struggled in the past with expressing his softer side on songs, but on “letter 2 my momma,” his frank delivery actually works in the context. It feels like a genuinely touching tribute to his mother, even with his fairly monotone delivery.

The album’s closer, “4L” has Savage performing what I feel is one of his most aggressive bloodcurdling performances yet. His voice is apathetic, but his pronunciation feels so much more cutting and impactful.

Songs like, “break da law,” “1.5,” and “good day” are all pretty run-of-the-mill tracks for Savage’s style, but even they are far superior to some of the more underwhelming cuts from his previous releases.

“i am > i was” is Savage’s most well-groomed project to date. Despite critics viewing him as a one trick pony whose time in the spotlight was quickly waning, Savage has shown himself to have much more longevity and artistic merit than previously appreciated. Hopefully this is a sign for even more mature or even conceptual albums in the future.

Best songs: “all my friends,” “a lot,” “break da law,” “letter 2 my momma,” “monster,” “4L,” “good day” and “ball w/o you”

Worst song: “out for the night”

Overall: 7/10

The post 21 Savage Grows Up On “i am > i was” appeared first on Red Roll.

I’m a fan of Metro Boomin’ and the production work that he does, with his famous, “If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot you” producer tag. I was hoping that he wouldn’t retire so soon, because I really like his body of work. Most of all, I like his collaboration tape “Without Warning” with Offset (of the Migos) and 21 Savage, which was released on Halloween last year. Later on, he released a collaboration tape with Big Sean, “Double or Nothing” that was also released last year around this time.

If you don’t know Metro Boomin’, he’s most known for his production work on songs such as “Jumpman” by Drake and Future, “Bad and Boujee” by Migos and Lil Uzi Vert, “Mask Off” by Future, “Bank Account” by 21 Savage, and so many other of the hits that you probably have saved on your preferred streaming service.

Metro Boomin’ had various artists that are featured on the album post the album artwork, and there was also multiple billboards posted in Atlanta and New York that had a picture of Metro Boomin’ posted as a “missing person.” Come to find out this was all promotion for the Not All Heroes Wear Capes album.

The Not All Heroes Wear Capes album was released November 2 and it has artists such as, Gucci Mane, 21 Savage, Gunna, Travi$ Scott, Young Thug, Wizkid, J Balvin, Swae Lee, Offset, and so many more! I think the variety of artists shows his connection and influence on Hip Hop and how versatile he truly is as a producer.

My favorite songs from the Not All Heroes Wear Capes album are,

• Dream Catcher with Swae Lee and Travi$ Scott,
• Space Cadet by Gunna,
• 10 Freaky Girls by 21 Savage (which samples “Are You the Woman”, written by Michael Jones and performed by Kashif and Whitney Houston),
• Up To Something by Travi$ Scott and Young Thug,
• Borrowed Love by Swae Lee and Wizkid (which samples “After Laughter (Comes Tears)”, written by Mary Cross and Johnnie Frierson, and performed by Wendy Rene),
• Only You by Wizkid, Offset, and J Balvin, and
• No More by Travi$ Scott, Kodak Black, and 21 Savage (which samples “Synopsis One: In the Ghetto / God Save the World”, written by Dale Warren and performed by 24-Carat Black).

But overall, I enjoy the entire album, and I listen to it every day. I like that every song blends into one another, and that they’re a sequence of each other. I think that goes to show that Metro Boomin’ took his time to make sure that everything blended well together sonically.

Also, another cool thing about the release, Metro Boomin’ released the instrumentals to every song from the album, so aspiring rappers, enjoy!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any credits for who created the artwork, but I think it’s very cool.

Stream the Not All Heroes Wear Capes album below!

The post Weird Radar Review: Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Metro Boomin’ appeared first on Red Roll.