01. where u at 02. 4r Da Squaw 03. Free Lunch 04. Rope rosegold (feat. SiR) 05. Wat’s Wrong (feat. Zacari & Kendrick Lamar) 06. Park 07. Bday (feat. Deacon Blues & Kari Faux) 08. Silkk da Shocka (feat. Syd) 09. Tity and Dolla (feat. Hugh Augustine & Jay Rock) 10. Stuck in the Mud (feat. SZA) 11. A lot 12. AA 13. Dressed Like Rappers 14. Don’t Matter 15. Brenda 16. by george (outro) 17. Find a Topic (homies begged)
About to dive in. I'm a really big fan of "Nelly" so I'm a bit disappointed that it didn't make the final tracklisting, but it did come out like a year ago now. I'm hoping it's indicative of the sound of the album. "Smile" was cool too and also didn't make it. I like "Free Lunch," but wasn't too high on "Park" (only listened to it once), but a lot of Cilvia Demo took a little bit to grow on me. I think Zay is talented, so I'm hoping this is a project that really showcases that to continue this hot streak TDE is on.
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
i definitely got the same vibe - if dude hadn't been xanaxed up the past couple of years, the album wouldn't have sounded as smoothed out.
saying that, this is WAY more consistent than blank face. the highs aren't quite as high on the son's tirade, but there aren't any wack joints like on q's album.
i do prefer this, but you know what they say... different strokes and all that
6. "The production is super tight" In response to Reply # 0
I really like the vibe on this album but man he's SOOOO mellow that you can easily miss what he's saying. I like this more right away than Cilvia Demo. And it wasn't that I disliked that project but it didn't hold my attention. My biggest problem with Joe is that he doesn't hold my attention because he's so mellow. Not in a J. Cole way either. That said the production is strong enough to give this repeat listens. Really like the cover art too.
7. "It's cool. Could've been stronger." In response to Reply # 0
I think it needs some resequencing as things really get bogged down in the middle. Cutting a few tracks could also help that. Like 13Rose said, he's so laid back that you can miss what he's talking about. The strongest stretch is definitely 4r Da Squaw through Wat's Wrong or maybe Park. Kendrick comes through and kills it on Wat's Wrong (which was also just begging for an Anderson. Paak feature). I think the album would have definitely benefited from "Smile" and "Nelly." I'd definitely cut A Lot. Don't Matter is an odd track that doesn't fit the vibe at all... but maybe with resequencing. Maybe it'll grow on me, Cilvia had to grow on me some. As of now it's a 3/5 for me.
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
I think it's better as a passive listen. I just listened to it with a homie while we were smoking and talking and the album works better like that than with an attentive listen to me.
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
31. "He's so fucking good at hooks/melodies" In response to Reply # 0
It keeps me coming back because his shit just keeps getting stuck in my head. Between Cilvia Demo, the loosies and then this, he's building quite a solid catalog already. Hopefully it doesn't take him 4 more years until his next shit.
37. "i hope he tries to rap this time" In response to Reply # 36 Mon Feb-08-21 03:46 PM by bearfield
i liked a lot of songs on /the sun's tirade/ but his rapping felt too loose and freestyle-ish. the lyricism was there but a bit unrefined and his delivery and structure were sloppy. a lot of half-singing too as i recall. however on /cilvia demo/ he said, "as the verbal appears it's reflecting my perspective," so maybe more writing isn't the way to go. perhaps there is a healthy balance he can achieve
40. "I kind of get what you're saying" In response to Reply # 37
and I know folks tuned out the melancholy of Sun's Tirade, but it's the amazing flipside to the urgency of Cilvia Demo (and he was spitting on plenty of tracks; Park is maybe my favorite Zay verse)
the looser flow and structure reflect him coming out of heavy addiction at the time -- Dressed Like Rappers is perfect at the tempo it's at
love Cilvia Demo like my other child, but Sun's Tirade is just...greatness
41. "i identified with a lot of what he was saying on sun's tirade" In response to Reply # 40 Tue Feb-09-21 03:10 PM by bearfield
and i enjoyed the themes and overall "feel" of the album: melancholy, anxious, hazy. i believe there was also some very rare LA transplant regret in there too but that might have come from a quote in an interview he did around the time. there was just too much inebriated sing-songy delivery (which i believe was authentic bc he was really going through it when he was recording) and half-baked verses on sun's tirade to be fully enjoyable for me. he's a fantastic lyricist, he has a keen ear for instrumentals, and he's good at matching them with his vocals. i hope this next album is amazing and more focused and legible, for lack of a better term
normal35762 Member since Oct 20th 2004 13246 posts
Wed Feb-10-21 04:34 AM
42. "Oh snap Im so out the loop I thought this was a 2021 release." In response to Reply # 0 Wed Feb-10-21 04:35 AM by normal35762
I saw the "2016" on Amazon and had to come.back and see the dates on the post.
That Cylvia demo didn't hit me like that so I stopped checking for him. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations or maybe I didn't give it another chance. I really wanted to like him and for him to be an inspiration for "underground" hip hop from smaller southern towns. I remember a cool group from Anniston from back in the early to mid 2000's that he kinda reminded me of.
I'll listen to it when I leave work or on the way to work.
On another note TDE still only giving Kendrick albums a physical release? If so that is wack. All them artists have enough fans to justify pre orders of cds and or wax.
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