Showing posts with label singer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singer. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Album Review: Grown Man Muzik by Huff Da Author

Huff Da Author, a musician, a producer, and a businessman.

Since the age of 5, he has been actively engaged in the genre of hip hop/rap and what might've started out as a fun, creative output as an adolescent has since been built into a reputable compendium of music. Along with making his own music, he has assisted artists such as Infamous Mobb, Wordsworth, Crime Luciano, and countless others.  A multi-instrumentalist, Huff also demonstrates to be proficient at both piano and bass guitar and on top of all of this, Huff seeks entrepreneurship. In 2013, he made a reality when he launched "Purple Empire Music Group, LLC" with Crime Luciano.




"Grown Man Muzik" is a 13 track album featuring the talents of Huff Da Author, Crime Luciano, and Michelle Graves. With almost 50 mins in length, there's a lot to be heard and as this whole album is dedicated to his grandfather who recently departed from this world...there's a lot to be appreciated.

"I'm Up" Ft. Crime Luciano, Michelle Graves



One of my favorites of the album, "I'm Up" breezes through like a late night stroll. It's chill, it's smooth, and the vocals provided by Michelle Graves add a soft, gentle touch to an otherwise dark, atmospheric audible experience. One of the lines, "I refuse to fall until my feet touch the ground," is interesting when taken out of context. It almost represents a balance between success and failure. You can be lifted, raised up on a plateau of success and when on that high you can experience great things. But when the moment has passed you need to be able to adjust back into reality and easily plant your feet on the ground, like a Boeing 777 after 12 hr flight. Genuinely, really enjoyed this one.

"Grown Man Shit"




While this song and its lyrics are reminiscent of modern rap and I can't truly relate to the words being spoken, there is a language that I can understand clearly: Production.

As the song starts, I can clearly hear and define which instruments belong to their respective frequency ranges. For example, the kick is well represented here with the sub hitting between 50 Hz and the rest of the layered kick having a steady drop around the 300 Hz range. The hi-hat triplets sit around 8 KHz - 12 KHz and looking through a spectrum analyzer, the vocals feel clean and prominent in the mix. However, I feel they could've been boosted a tad around the 5 KHz range to stand out a little more.

Instrument choice is really smooth for the most part, and to be honest, the only part that didn't jive for me was around 3:18 mins. That nasally instrument that appears - to me - distracts from the mix. Personally I feel a more natural instrument, whether it be a glass marimba or a solo violin, would've complimented the drums (Tabla?) used in that same spot. Other than that, this is well produced song and would definitely gain traction around various hip hop communities, be it online or sold in person.

"Small Town"



As the song opens up, I believe this is something we all experience at some point in time: Being in an environment, growing in that environment, and eventually having dreams or aspiring to leave said environment due to well, changing times. The opening pad represents an empty void that a lot of us feel, and the thoughts spoken after, are a constant reminder of what we hope to obtain in our delusions of grandeur. Fake people, fake places and the roaming madness in your subconscious telling you are meant for greater things shouldn't open up Pandora's Box to the plethora of negative emotions, it should be a sign for positive reinforcement.

I appreciate this song on many levels, mostly because through its storytelling, has managed to convey a sense of inspiration. As far as I'm concerned - whether I took it on a purely emotional standpoint, rather than a conventional production standpoint - should be the standout track of the album.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Album Review: Trap City EP by Marvelous Southstar



'Trap City' by artist Marvelous Southstar (Marlon Carter) is a 7 track EP filled with a nice blend of contemporary hip hop/R&B laden beats. His smooth style paves the way with effortless fluidity combining rich vocals and polished beats. In my perspective, this album is both definitions of "trap" meaning the way the album is laid out, it traps you, captivating you to listen. Then from the first song, "Trapped" you are seized by a song that...incorporates trap. Very creative way to get your audience listening.

Some of my favorites:

"Trapped"



Actively talking about what seems to be his life, Marvelous displays intense verbal rhythmic uniformity by conveying straight forward facts that pertain to: ability and sustainability or adaptation to recreation; sometimes spirituality to self-identity. The roots of this song are buried in what seems to be a cloud of despondency; it strikes deep because most (if not all of us) have felt the urge to break free. Set aside to concerns of monotonous everyday life, unshackle yourself, and be independent. Standing on your own two feet, being prepared for whatever life brings...that is what this is about. A liberating feeling but not without a sense of responsibility.



"Focused"



At 0:28 the lead synth drops into a clean 4/4 beat with a heavy bass (808?) complimented by an airy hi-passed pad. The drums drop out about a minute in and the artist takes center stage, professing feelings about a girl, talking about finances, giving a moment to the fans, and going back to talking about his girl. It's a simple, catchy tune that could get anyone moving in a club, but to really explore the emotional depth of this song, would require a new paragraph entirely.

His song brings up a point: What is worth your time? Concentrating on what we deem most valuable can cost what little moments of reconciliation and pleasantries we have in this world. What if you talked about how being focused on your life and wife has impacted your own stability, financially or emotionally? What consequences have you faced from being in a position where multiple things you care about repeatedly cause distress? Maybe I'm looking too deep but the song doesn't explore very many avenues in lyrical imagery. The song has a very defined structure and, being concrete in its arrangement, it allows one to "zone out"But the story-line, seems very general.


"Problems"



Everyone has problems and it'd be far from the truth to claim otherwise. Some deal with it in ways that tend to lean to the dark side (depression, anxiety, crime, etc) and others are more productive and creative. With relationship problems, there are two sides to every story. Each view could contradict dramatically from the other and with this song, we are allowed to hear exactly that from "call and answer" verses placed well between each chorus of the song. The beautiful vocals of Kagey Constance is quite a nice addition. It's a creative technique that really won me over and I believe more so than the vocals, it's the surrounding dark atmosphere that completes this track for me. A favorite for me. Recommended.



With a decent amalgam of decidedly favorable tunes, "Trap City" brandishes a swift yet cold Rapier onto the battlefield of UK Hip-Hip/Rap. His style is rapid yet subdued, providing a cornucopia of combos to achieve victory and claim a shot at the spot on top of the leaderboard. However, some of the sounds are re-used as intros and even though it's only a short clip you'd be surprised at what your brain remembers. It's a small issue on an otherwise swell journey. I enjoyed this album. You should listen to it. Thank you.

I give this album an 8.6 out of 10.

This album can be purchased either on iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify!

Thanks for Reading!

Marvelous Southstar:

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/marveloussouthstar
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/officialmarveloussouthstar
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Marvelousuk
Tumblr: http://marveloussouthstar.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/msouthstaruk
Instagram: http://instagram.com/marveloussouthstaruk


Monday, August 24, 2015

Single Review: "They Don't Put it Down Like You" by Yourz Truly ft. JC Collins

As stated on his Soundcloud:

"Rapper , singer , songwriter Quartez L. Binns better known as Y.T (Yourz Truly), started out as a R&B artist and would later go on to prove to be multi-talented as he took on Hip Hop as a freestyle rap battler, showcasing his lyrical skills during his high school years. Known for his diverse style and musical creativity, Yourz Truly is the first artist to be released on the indie label FaSho Records based in Atlanta."

Yourz Truly aspires to break out of the typical facet of hip-hop/R&B based with new and innovative beats meant for the dance floor and beyond. Whether your listening in your car or blasting in a cubicle at your workstation, "They Don't Put it Down Like You" is sure to get your body movin'; while I'd like to hear (and see) more freestyle raps from this young artist, with the two tracks currently present on his SoundCloud, his potential is very good for the future. Let's take a closer look, shall we?



At the start of the song, we have a mellow synth followed by some minor sounding chords. The song progresses nicely into a chorus and the main line of the song "They Don't Put it Down Like You". By a minute in, you realize this is a chillin' on the couch type of song. It's not overly complex and it doesn't need to be. The lyrics compliment the 16th hi-hats, and the bass accommodates the ample room left for the short but sweet piano plucks.

The song is very well written and the overall theme is one of love and respect. The song provokes a strong emotion for objectiveness, implying the other party (for which the song is about) is one of a kind. Hence, "They Don't Put it Down Like You". R&B is a strong genre for these particular "feels" and this song definitely nurtures those feels. Much like the conclusion of many video games, movies, or novels, you want the struggling hero to succeed. It is the classic tale of the underdog looking to seek out and obtain his goal.

However, as much as I like this song, as I stated before, it's not overly complex. If you're looking for a track that has a variation of time signature, a change of key or a turn of tempo...this might not be for you. The track very much maintains a stagnant feel, but it is one of a catchy nature.

This is a great song and I highly recommend you be on the lookout for Yourz Truly. His style is unique, his flows fresh, and his beats tasteful.

I give this track a 9.3 out of 10.

Thank you for reading!

Links:

Homepage: http://www.yourztrulyyt.com/
Label Homepage: http://fashorecords.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/yourztrulyyt
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/yourztrulyyt
Bandcamp: https://officialyourztruly.bandcamp.com/
Tumblr: http://yourztrulyyt.tumblr.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbBhP06Gkz9OohDTKcsJ5Rg

ahem...yours truly,

- DjjD