Guilty Simpson - "OJ Simpson (Detroit Version)" 2013
There was 2 versions of this album that Madlib had put together, and this was considered the alternate one. I like that it's more concise and less aimless seeming than the regular version that was released in 2010, but it still pales in comparison to his debut album, "Ode To The Ghetto", and there was no getting around the fact that this was destined to be a sophomore slump album by comparison. This album is definitely not weak at all though. Any fan of Madlib's production or Guilty's rhymes is going to enjoy this album a lot. The beats are generally a little tighter than the original versions, and he cut a lot of the fat and made this version a lot less interlude-laden. I definitely prefer this to the regular version. This is an exclusive release to the Stones Throw subscription service, and therefore I have no way of sharing any tracks from this on here. Sorry.
James Blake - "Overgrown" 2013
I noticed this was on a lot of people's lists of 'most disappointing albums of 2013', and I just don't understand that. I think this is an improvement on his first album, where it seemed like he sounded a bit awkward and uncomfortable at times. He seems completely comfortable doing what he's doing on this LP, and the results sound good. Some might find his voice a little off-putting at first, but once you get used to it, he sounds like a nice new unique voice. It's cool to see people successfully change the way they generally approach making music, and do it in a way that's not corny or sellout seeming. He started out as an instrumental electronic artist with no specific style, but always with good detailed sonic qualities, but now that he started incorporating singing into his repertoire, his music comes off as an odd mixture between the styles of Radiohead, Cold War Kids, and King Krule. Check out the videos for "Retrograde" and "Overgrown". Also check out "Life Round Here", "Take A Fall For Me" featuring RZA, "To The Last", and "Every Day I Ran".
Statik Selektah - "Extended Play" 2013
It's possible that it's an indicator as to how not into hip hop I am nowadays, but this album just does nothing for me. Sure there's some decent beats on here, but none of them blow my mind either. The guest list is pretty 'cream of the crop' for the east coast nowadays, in terms of people bringing the classic east coast sound, but still, most of the verses on here just seem kinda corny and borderline annoying. I feel like a hater for not really enjoying this, because it's technically not a bad album at all, but it's just not where i'm at currently at this point in time I guess. Check this out if you enjoy classic 90's sounding east coast hip hip and are looking for something new out there. Check out the video for "21 & Over" featuring Sean Price & Mac Miller. Also check out "Make Believe" featuring Termanology, Freddie Gibbs, & Easy Money, "Pinky Ring" featuring Prodigy from Mobb Deep, and "Bird's Eye View" featuring Raekwon, Joey Badass, & Black Thought
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