Without a doubt, the most underutilized rap group of my lifetime. CRS aka Child Rebel Soldier was made up of Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Lupe Fiasco. Us Placers was released in 2007 and that was just about all we ever heard from CRS. To be fair this came out *right* before Kanye’s Graduation, and Lupe’s The Cool, which are two of the best rap albums of all time, so I can see how this may have gotten put on the back burner.
However, Kanye is known for collaborating with all kinds of artists, but is also infamous for boasting about forming rap super groups that never come to fruition. Some of these groups turn into classic platinum records like Watch the Throne with Jay Z. Another is just beginning as Ye has most recently teamed up with Kid Cudi to form Kids See Ghosts. Others result in an absolute fire single only to never be heard from again like CRS.
Kanye, Pharrell, and Lupe were also credited on the 2008 N.E.R.D. remix for Everyone Nose as CRS, which still bangs to this day, but is definitely more of a N.E.R.D. song than anything else.
Technically CRS had one other song that came out in 2010 called Don’t Stop, but it was a G.O.O.D. Fridays release so I don’t really count it. If you remember, G.O.O.D. Fridays was a free weekly music drop back in 2010, which was a godsend in college, that Kanye launched leading up to My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy. Kanye utilized the full roster of his label GOOD Music to release music every Friday for several months, including hits like Power, Don’t Look Down, and a number of tracks that eventually made their way onto MDBTF like Devil in a New Dress.
Black Star was a rap group consisting of Mos Def and Talib Kweli with K.O.S. being released in 1998 and was the duo’s only album under the shared name. Do yourself a favor and go give this entire album a listen then do what I did and go down the rabbit hole that is the career of Mos Def. One look at that guy’s career is a great way to inspire yourself to get off your ass and go get it.
At exactly which point do you start to realize That (life without knowledge is death in disguise?) That’s why, knowledge of self is like life after death Apply it, to your life, let destiny manifest
AIN’T NO SUCH THING AS HALF WAY CROOKS! Hands down, one of the absolute best tracks in hip hop history. Not to mention forever immortalized as the last instrumental beat in 8 Mile. True story: in college my roommates and I used to just skip the first 2 hours of the movie and pre-game to the final rap battles before going out. It’s literally been debated whether we can get away with playing the rap battles at my wedding (probably not). So yea, it’s a song that is burned into my brain for sure.
If you’re even a moderate rap fan, you need to check out Rapture on Netflix. There are episodes on Nas, Logic, TI, G-Eazy, 2 Chainz, and Just Blaze just to name a few. In the Just Blaze ep he actually goes to Havoc from Mobb Deep’s house to show how he literally puts the Shook Ones beat together. Builds it from the ground up. If you’re like me your brain will slowly melt when you see how the iconic beat comes together.
It’s the week of Christmas so you’re either off from work or you’re at work pretending to do work so turn it up to 11 and chill out with this throwback from The Pharcyde. “Passin Me By” dropped in March 1993 so this is going way, way back for some old school rhymes. Even if you don’t recognize the name of the song you will 100% remember once it starts.
Not to be the old man on the lawn, but a lot of the rap thats popular these days I just don’t get. Mumble Rap, if you will, just ain’t for me so lets go back to the 90s when there was nothing more important than telling a good story with your rhymes. It’s what made Biggie, Nas, and Jay-Z the biggest artists in the world. So enjoy this little love story from The Pharcyde.
Wait, no, I did not really pursue my little princess with persistence And I was so low-key that she was unaware of my existence From a distance I desired, secretly admired her Wired her a letter to get her, and it went My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me but I know you very well Now let me tell you about the feelings I have for you When I try, or make some sort of attempt, I symp Damn I wish I wasn’t such a wimp ‘Cause then I would let you know that I love you so And if I was your man then I would be true The only lying I would do is in the bed with you Then I signed sincerely the one who loves you dearly, PS love me tender The letter came back three days later, return to sender Damn
We’re quickly nearing the end of December, which means 2018 is already coming to a close somehow. Naturally, that means it’s time for year end lists! With everyone on the internet posting Spotify analytics of what they listened to all year long I figured it was only appropriate to break down the best music of the year…according to me. Full disclosure, this list definitely skews heavier into hip hop than your traditional year end best of list, but hey we started #RushHourRap so what else did you expect? Without further ado, I give you my Top 5 Albums of 2018.
J Cole – KOD
One of the year’s truly most unexpected and experimental heaters of an album. J. Cole dropped “KOD” from the cloud’s, which more and more artists are doing these days, and I cannot believe how Cole continues to hit it out of the park. Kids on Drugs, King Overdose, and Kill Our Demons are the three different meanings of that album title, according to Cole himself.
In succession he has released “Cole World: The Sideline Story,” “Born Sinner,” “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” “4 Your Eyez Only,” and now “KOD.” Mind you, these FIVE albums came directly on the heels of “Friday Night Lights” and “The Warmup,” which in my opinion is the greatest mixtape ever released not named “Da Drought 3.”
Granted a couple of the songs came dangerously close to overkill, which only the likes of Fall Out Boy and Dane Cook have seen as the NBA Playoffs ABUSED the usage of “KOD” in commercials.
Seriously, remember how badly MLB drove that 2007 Dane Cook commercial into the ground?
Fittingly released on 4/20, this is Cole’s first foray into a legitimate concept album as the entire collection is about drug abuse, addiction, greed, and our own demons. It’s a bit of a paradox as “KOD” sounds like an album promoting the typical rap pillars (money, women, drugs), while actually doing the opposite as Cole slips in some mature tidbits of advice for those struggling with these vices.
Without the drugs I want you be comfortable in your skin I know you so I know you still keep a lot of shit in You running from yourself and you buying product again I know you say it helps and no I’m not trying to offend But I know depression and drug addiction don’t blend
I understand this message is not the coolest to say But if you down to try it I know of a better way Meditate
Best Track: FRIENDS
The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
This really is an incredible album coming out at the perfect time. With anyone and everyone suffering from anxiety, depression, and general insecurity, a lot of people blame social media. Everyone is fronting, showing you the highlights of their lives so you end up scrolling through news feeds of hundreds of people you “know” seemingly doing better than you, looking better than you, making more money than you. It’s easy to see how that can screw with your head. “Modernity has failed us” is one of the most quotable, appropriate lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. These technological advancements that were meant to bring us all closer together have ironically ended up making us feel more isolated than ever before. The 1975 have always been out there, experimental, and straight up weird at times, but more often than not it just works. This album is no exception as it truly is a genre-bending collection of music featuring tracks from pop to rock to jazz to electronica and everything in between.
“Brief Inquiry is a vivid and panoramic record about what it means to be alive right now, in all its terror and glory. Its explorations of technology-induced numbness put into relief the human joy of reconnecting to another person, or maybe just oneself.”
Best Track: Love It If We Made It
Kanye West & Kid Cudi – Kids See Ghosts
Kanye has had a whirlwind year of borderline schizophrenic behavior primarily around his thoughts on politics and his support of a polarizing president. After misguided outbursts on TMZ, the bizarre sit down/press conference with Trump, and his trademark rants on Twitter it seems like Yeezy finally realized it may be best to just sit the next few plays out.
This didn’t slow down his music production though as Kanye dropped 2 albums this year, with a third one due in November that was recently delayed. The first album he released this year, “ye,” was one that despite mixed reviews I really enjoyed. “Ye” is admittedly a weird Kanye album made for Kanye stans. If you’re not a huge Kanye guy I can see how you’d trash it. I think the biggest shortcoming of that album is that it seems more like a mixtape without any rhyme or reason as to why these songs were selected and put together in the first place. But his second album of the year was a collaboration with old friend Kid Cudi called “KIDS SEE GHOSTS.” Kanye and Cudi go way back having worked together on a number of hits over the years, including All of the Lights, Erase Me, and Welcome to Heartbreak. It’s a fascinating duet as both Kanye and Cudi have publicly struggled with depression and overall mental health with Cudi actually checking himself into rehab. So seeing these two rap about the issues that have plagued them over the years is definitely worth a listen. While this isn’t “Watch the Throne”it’s definitely an awesome collab album with Cudi’s trademark melancholy rhymes helping to level out Kanye’s outlandishness.
“For fans who’ve watched Cudi and Kanye’s relationship evolve from 2008 — from mentor and protégé to adversaries to equals — the announcement of the pair’s joint effort was supposed to be a dream-team rap fantasy come true. In the aftermath of ye, an album currently atop the Billboard 200 but also a mid-year front runner for most polarizing project of 2018, Kids See Ghosts acts as a bewildered fan’s contextual roadmap, providing some clarity for ye and giving an update on Cudi’s mental state.”
Best Track: Reborn
Mac Miller – Swimming
Different than anything Mac Miller had ever put out before, Swimming is a collection of dark, depressing songs wrapped in slow, soft ballads. It’s an album that deals with Mac’s struggle with drugs, loneliness, and love. If it sounds like a movie you’ve already seen thats because it is. Vice points out:
“It’s lucid and lush, brushed with rich sounds assembled using the help of Jon Brion, the composer of Eternal Sunshine and The Spotless Mind, one of Miller’s favorite films.”
It’s an incredibly haunting album in hindsight considering Mac overdosed just a month after its release. RIP Mac. Vice continues;
“it’s a dark record wrapped in light and airy packaging, where its contents are someone looking for freedom in becoming resigned to their sadness, hoping they will soon overcome it—to be better.”
Best Track: Self Care
Kyle – Light of Mine
I know this one is coming out of left field as most of you have probably never heard a Kyle song aside from his collab with Lil Yachty on “I Spy” that popped over the summer. But this is an artist who has quietly and methodically been putting out incredible work for the past 5 years across 3 records. After various mixtapes and indy work, “Light of Mine” is his debut studio album. The self dubbed “beautiful loser,” Kyle raps about everything from video games, and his struggles with women, to growing up as an outcast in the age of hyper-emphasized popularity with social media. “Light of Mine” takes it to another level that is reminiscent of “Thank Me Later” Drake as Kyle croons over incredibly catchy beats with a few A-list features (2 Chainz, Khalid) thrown in for good measure.
2016 hit me like a bag o’ bricks (yup) 2017 switched up, like ooh it’s lit (it’s lit) I nearly had a mental breakdown And eight months later had a hit I guess life is like box a chocolates, huh You never know what you finna get
Best Track: Ups & Downs
That’s it. That’s the Top 5 albums of the year as determined by me. Love it? Hate it? Want me to curate an entire playlist for the soundtrack to your life? Tweet @the300sboston and let me know what you think.
As a connoisseur of anything and everything Eminem, I simply would not be doing my job if I didn’t bring this brand new Marshall freestyle to your attention. As he has done with recent projects including his latest album “Kamikaze,” Em dropped this from the clouds out of nowhere. At 11 minutes though this is going to take a while to comb through so lets get to it.
It’ll take LAPD
And me laying in the street
To see Shady beat And I’d bet you they need cleats
Because I’d have to be stomped by 40 men to suffer a defeat.
With all of the bad press and bizarre behavior we’ve seen from Kanye West over the past several months a lot of his actual work has flown under the radar. He dropped his latest album “Ye” over the summer and his new album “Yandhi” is supposed to come out before the end of the year. But I haven’t heard much buzz about his latest project Kids See Ghosts, which is a full on super group he formed with Kid Cudi. Kids See Ghosts is similar to throwback Cudi and 808 Kanye, with a much subtler production value than what we’ve seen from Kanye in recent years.
The two actually performed together for the first time as Kids See Ghosts at the Camp Flog Gnaw festival the other night, which you can watch below.
Where Kanye is loud, boastful, and brash, Cudi was always the more reserved crooner who put out some incredible music particularly his two Man on the Moon albums. As Cudi is on Kanye’s GOOD Music label we’ve seen the two work together on bangers like All of the Lights, Erase Me, and Welcome to Heartbreak.
So any time these two are in the studio together I am ALL ears.
Chance the Rapper had been everyone’s favorite unknown rapper for a long time with multiple mixtapes including my personal favorite “Acid Rap” in 2013 before really blowing up with his album “Coloring Book” in 2016, winning 2 Grammys in the process.
I’m sure you heard one of his most recent singles “I Might Need Security” popping on the radio for a bit when it first came out over the summer. Chance is a really intelligent guy and one of the most socially conscious rappers out right now and that really comes out on some of the topics he tackles here like police brutality in Chicago,
And Rahm, you done, I’m expectin’ resignation An open investigation on all of these paid vacations for murderers
he tackles subtle instances of racism he experiences himself,
I got a hit-list so long I don’t know how to finish I bought the Chicagoist just to run you racist bitches out of business Speaking of racist, fuck your microaggressions I’ll make you fix your words like a typo suggestion
and then of course touches on why he’s the most famous and successful unsigned rapper of all time.
I’m the real deal Who taught all these rappers that a big deal’s not a big deal?
While theres no hard release date for Chance’s new album, which was supposed to come out over the summer, I know I’ll be lined up to get that when it finally does drop on Day 1.
It’s cold, it’s raining, it’s an overall shitty day outside so what better time to just slow it down with some chill #RushHourRap. Press play and enjoy a little new Atmosphere with Virgo, the single off their newest album Mi Vida Local.
The 300s 