Kendrick Lamar - Section 80

Part of the Black Hippy group, Kendrick Lamar is seen by many as the West Coast's saviour. Section 80 is Lamar's debut independent album, released digitally.

Lyrically, Lamar is incredibly intelligent and he narrates the tale of being an 80's Compton baby born into the crack epidemic in a truly unique manner. I imagine Lamar produced Section 80 exactly as he wanted to, he seems uncompromising in his subject matter, his story must be told.

Perhaps feeling the pressure, on Ab-Souls Outro Lamar states in spoken word that 'I'm not the next pop star, I'm not the next socially aware rapper, I am a human motherf**king being over dope ass instrumentation'. He may not see himself as a socially aware rapper but his intelligence allows him to narrate stories of the inequality and struggles of Compton residents in a way most other residents haven't been able to. Keisha's Song, a tale of an ill-fated Compton prostitute is the most socially conscious song I have heard since Brenda's Got A Baby. On the other hand, he makes light of being highly regarded in the industry on The Spiteful Chant with the chorus 'I'm going big, s*ck my d*ck'. 

The production is handled by Top Dawg Entertainment unknowns Digi+Phonics and Sounwave and is largely laid back, understated and minimal and although Lamar seems comfortable flowing over it, it's hard to see that he won't benefit from some input from the likes of Dre. It would certainly help to make the album a more attractive listen. J Cole makes a surprise appearance as producer on album closer and one of the highlights, HiiiPower.

A very promising debut album that serves to increase expectation for Lamar's major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city.

Best guest: Ab-Soul

Stand-out track: Ronald Reagan Era, HiiiPower, Keisha's Song (Her Pain)

Best bars: Keisha's Song (Her Pain)
Remember sergeant let her slide
Said if he seen what's between her thighs he'd compromise, to no surprise
she took the ultimatum round the alleyway and gave him
a warm welcome that filled him right below the navel
Though he was wired up like a pair of jumping cables
His eyes was closed shut, prior charges, he had waived 'em
It was a block away from Lueders Park, I seen a squad car parked
and in her heart she hate it there, but in her mind she made it where
nothing really matters, so she hit the back seat
cause Rosa Parks never a factor when she topping off police

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Nas - Life Is Good

I'm going to try and review Nas' latest album without mentioning Illmatic, too late, but really though, Life Is Good needs to be reviewed from a standalone point of view. It isn't 1993 anymore and times, producers and the artist himself have moved on. That said Life Is Good is  certainly the most nostalgic of Nas' post-Stillmatic work and make no mistakes this is most welcome. As well nostalgic, the fact that life is now good post-divorce finds Nas at his most candid and revealing.

Without attempting to play psychologist too much,  it seems that Nas is content at the moment, maybe now that his divorce is finalised he can focus on what he does best and he does that well. That's not to say that he doesn't have Kelis on his mind. The ex-Mrs Jones gets more than a few bars on Bye Baby and No Introduction, mostly mature and warm recollections of their time together without any vitriol.

The aforementioned nostalgia comes in the form of the albums production as well as Nas' lyrics. No I.D. and Saleem Remi share the majority of the duties and cook up nineties and earlier sounding throwback tracks with a modern angle sampling the likes of MC Shan and New Edition. Nas himself gives nods the to old school on Back Then, Queens Story, Locomotive, The Don with tributes to New York and more specifically Queens.

I've never found Nas the easiest MC to listen to, his intelligent rhymes and deserve more than a casual listen whereas his occasionally weak beats don't. Here the balance is more favourable as his lyrics are more grounded, weak beats are few and far in-between, the terrible Summer on Smash being one and there are no concept tracks, Rewind. He flows practically acapella on World is an Addiction and Stay, this works more on the former than the latter, helped by Anthony Hamilton's soulful chorus.

The front end of the album is loaded with the NY and Queens nostalgia told alongside honest recollections of some of his more regrettable juvenile activities. this run changes with Daughters,  a mature testament to parenting tribulations and regrets. Following Daughters is a Mary J. Blige collaboration and it is a welcome surprise that in comparison with their Stillmatic effort Braveheart, this one stays in keeping with the albums retro feel and isn't just an R&B by numbers effort. The back end of Life is Good consists mainly of slower tracks with Nas being supported by female vocalists, including Amy Winehouse posthumously on Cherry Wine, a description of Nas' ideal next partner.

Best guest: Amy Winehouse

Stand-out track: Queens Story, Accident Murderers

Best bars: (Bye Baby)
Bye baby I guess you know why I walked away
When we walked to the altar that was an awesome day
Did counselin', couldn't force me to stay
Somethin happened when you say I do, we go a stray
Why did we mess it up we was friends we had it all
Reasons you don't trust men that was your daddy fault
He in the grave let it go he no longer livin'
Said you caught him cheatin' with mom f***in other women
F*** that gotta do with us here's the keys to the newest truck
Bergen bags, we burnin cash now baby do it up
Now matter who you f***ed, that was before me
Wanted you as my shorty since saw you screamin' "Hate you so much right now!!!"
Should have saw the meanin, angry black women, actions of a demon, I'm leavin'

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Jay Rock - Follow Me Home

Compared with the late nineties very few West coast artists are shifting millions these days as the 'gangsta rap' scene wore itself out. That's not to say that gangsta rap is dead, albums are still being churned out routinely by the old brigade staying true to what they know best. Jay Rock must have grown up during the gangsta rap boom and stays true to what he knows best with his debut album Follow Me Home, even though he must recognise that the rap game has moved on from the top selling days of Ice Cube, Mack 10, MC Eiht and other LA based artists.

In case you were in any doubt as to Rock's locale following the drive-by intro, the bass and keys of Code Red are recognisably West Coast. Rock's gruff flow sounds like a cross between Game and Xzibit as he describes life in Watts, LA over a range of typically West Coast beats (Hood Gone Love It, Elbows and All I Know Is).

The main problem with tales of Rock's upbringing is that they have largely been heard before, for Rock and Watts read Eiht and Compton, C-BO and Sacramento or Mack 10 and Inglewood. Rock is a reasonably proficient rapper but I don't feel he has enough character to make his subject matter distinctive enough to elevate his music above the competition.

Rock is at his best when he isn't glamorising the gangbang lifestyle, which to be fair he rarely does, but when he deals with aftermath of living that way with sincere introspective lyrics on No Joke, Kill or Be Killed or Just Like Me which is only let down by a weak chorus.
At 18 tracks, the album is too long and contains too much filler, Elbows, Boomerang, I'm Thuggin, Bout That or All I Know Is among others and unfortunately the highlights are outnumbered. Street single Hood Gone Love It, No Joke, previous single All My Life and Black Hippy group track Say Wassup are all worth listening to but probably on a separate playlist.

A promising debut from Jay Rock but he and his 2012-updated West Coast by numbers music is unlikely to lead the to a renaissance of LA hip-hop.

Best guest: Kendrick Lamar

Stand-out track: Hood Gone Love It

Best bars: (Just Like Me)

But ignorance is bliss because them fists are soon gon' turn into a bullet

If the index finger pull it cameras coming for the footage

Channel 9, Channel 11, Aiming Nines, Mack 11

Another baby for the reverend, another casket

Take action in a matter of a second

Nothing matters when you reppin for your turf

Hold it down, have heart - Put in work

That's the moral of the story when you're worried and you're wicked

And your mental never get it

It's a sickness when you kill your own kind

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