Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

Rihanna has made a very powerful video here. She's portraying issues of America in it's past and present. It' a wonderful video. The imagery of Protest and Police brutality is most poignant.

I really like this video. Rihanna is embracing the Star Trek culture here. The video is flashy and interesting. I love the part when she rises and the stones and dust goes up with her.

Cavaliers vs. Warriors 16 This series was an interesting one. It has history meaning This was the 2 nd time Lebron James played the Warriors in an series. LBJ averaged almost 30 pts 11reb and 9ast. We all know the GSW were up 3 games to 1. I love how Lebron and Kyrie stepped up and refused to lose winning games 5-7. It proved that any team can be beat. I loved that Lebron delivered on his campaign to get one for “the Land” Series Grade: A

Opening Opinion: 9.6 One of the most polarizing albums in Ye’s discography. It might have the worst lyrical performance from him since 808’s and Heartbreak. I initially really loved the album, but I’ll be 2 nd to admit the replay value isn’t that high. Lets get into the review. The album was originally titled “So Help Me God” and the first track reflects that. “Ultra Light Beam” is a nice song. Kanye is joined by Chance the Rapper and Kirk Franklin. Its 5 minutes long but never feels that long. “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” features Kid Cudi who absolutely does his thing on the song. Kanye’s lyrics are goofy, “Now if I fuck this model, and she just bleach her asshole, and I get bleach on my tee shirt, I’m a feel like an asshole”. LOL. The song has great production. “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2” features Future clone, Desiigner, who at the time of writing this; has lost his 5 mins of fame. It’s a dope song. We get to hear a snippet of “Panda” for the first time. ...

Vince Staples just doesn’t disappoint! Sure its only 7 tracks but its lit. The opening song, “War Ready” features Andre 3000 and its amazing.  The worst thing about the album is the mellow crooning at the end of some songs. Kilo Kush, she is an amazing R&B vocalist that has apperared on past Vince projects. I wont say this was an underwhelming project but its clear from Summertime 06 that Vince can do better. Virtually it is 9/10 in both its lyrics and production! It won’t be long till he’s one of the best period. Yeah you heard it here first. Verdict: 9.2 Oh yeah, the Big Fish Theory Review is coming soon!

Verdict: 8.4 I’m not a Young Thugger fan, but this album is kinda hot. His lyrics are absolutely insane, and I don’t mean 10/10 either. I mean they are weird af. The beats are good tho. He’s named the songs after celebrities...then there’s also a song named after Harambe, the gorilla. Pick Up the Phone with Travis Scott is good. The production is good throughout. I feel he needed maybe a couple more guest features but hey, I think he’s the new Lil Wayne…..lol.

Welcome.....to the Xbox side....lol....this is the game that really got me to buy the Xbox One(S). And I blazed through it! I wont deal much with story and such but I will talk about how I felt about this game. Gears of War 4 is a third person shooting game, and a damn good one. Its really all about action as you blast your way through robots and alien swarm. The latter being much tougher to beat imo. Its a squad based shooter, which means you're rarely ever really alone....in fact I think you're usually surrounded by 2 or 3 other squad mates.... The game looks great and the voice acting is funny. Weapons like the Gnasher and Custom Lancer are terrific. If you die (without being blown up or crushed), a squad mate can revive you. You're expected to do the same because if anyone dies you'll lose. Luckly I found Ally A.I. to be really smart. They take cover, revive you and provide covering fire. It's similar to what I saw in Uncharted 4. Enemies come in vario...

The Weeknd has made another great album. This one is just as good as the last one imo. The title track gets things going nicely…and things rarely let up. As with his last project, the album has some songs that sound too similar. I found the production to be awesome, and his lyricism seemed a little improved. Party Monster is my favorite track…Weeknd is a cool dude…kinda like the Drake of R&B. The man shouldn’t release any album in 2017, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Verdict 9.1/10

I am a big fan of M.I.A. but I have really not liked her past 2 albums (Maya and Metangi). Albeit both of those albums had good production. AIM is better than those 2. I like the album but I’m not crazy about it. In fact everything here is above average but its not on her first 2 albums level. The first song is about as good as it gets. HMM. I am not bashing her or this album as I like both. She needs to reinvent her sound or something next time around. The biggest problem here is the album has a bunch of good songs but no true bangers like Paper Planes etc. This will do for now though. Verdict 8.8

Ah the final A Tribe Called Quest album.. Confession; I’ve never heard one before. Now I see what al the hype was/is about. This album is awe inspiring and uplifting. It’s also full of sharp rhymes, albeit not the best rhymes I’ve ever heard but still greatness. We the People addresses Trump’s ideals, Kids talks about mumble rappers, The Donaldis a tribute to Phife Dawg. Its one album you cannot miss. Guests include: Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and Busta Rhymes. Verdict: 9.7

Ah yes Bruno is back! I didn’t care too much for his last album, Unorthodox Jukebox…but this one is really good. It grew one me, I initially didn’t like it all that much. He’s got this super glossy R&B sound here and it works. Most songs like the title track and Perm are really good. The production is great and whoever said Mars couldn’t sing was a goddamn liar. Some songs are a tad bit too similar, lowering the depth score a little bit. His career is very much alive in 2016/2017. Verdict: 9.3

Ah i promised you a countdown of video games but honestly....The list is too short, and too hard to rank...instead i'll give you my top 3. 3) Gears of War 4- The reason I bought the Xbox One. Its a fun squad based shooter. It's controls are top notch, and I love the acting. 2)NBA 2k17- I love NBA...and I love 2k. ANd this is the best one i've played since 2k9. And thats saying something...ok ok ok maybe 2k11. They even brought back playoff mode. 1) Uncharted 4- Now this game got a 9.85 and it deserved it clearly. Its combination of action set pieces, puzzles, and voice acting. Its just one of the best games period.

Ab-Soul returns with another album after about 2 years. This album is very weird, deep, and lyrical. I gave Ab a 9/10 lyrically. I almost felt they were higher but the hooks aren’t that effective again, but overall this album is clearly better than These Days. There’s lots of great bars here. Production is good too, and the album holds up well on repeated listens. There is rarely a dull spot here. It’s a total mind-f***! However that also is it’s weakness, as Ab-Soul seems to be all over the place sometimes.  8.9/10

1Here we have the top rap albums of 2016. I just got Run the Jewels so it will go with the 2017 albums. ALso i have no score for Ab-Soul and Vince Staples albums....but i dont think they woulda cracked the top 15 so.....there you go guys.  .        Common-Black America Again (97) One of Common’s best albums. Lyricism is on point here and the production and depth is not in question either. The title track is tremendous. It’s in a 3 way tie for the best album of the year. 2.        A Tribe Called Quest-We Got it From Here..Thank You for Your Service(97) I didn’t expect to like this album so much, but there’s plenty of guest spots which works. Q-tip is a shade or two below an all time great rapper too. Phife Dawg would be proud. 3.        Kid Cudi-Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin (97) Arguably the most enticing album of the top 3. Kid Cudi’s return to form and great album of the 201...

Ok so there is a blog post coming that lists the BEST Rap albums of 2016, but this isn't it...rather the 3 albums I Liked the most all things considered.....It may suprise you.....maybe.... 3) The Game-1992 1992 features a very very introspective Game. He's lyrically on fire here and the production is really good too. I loved most tracks....okay i love all but Baby You. It seems The Game is indeed an all time great rapper now. 2)Logic-Bobby Tarantino What can i say about this? Its a great album/mixtape. There's no storytelling but the album is a ton of fun to listen to. I actually think its better than T.I.T.S. lol. Super Mario World and Slave 1 and 2 are great tracks. 1)Kanye West-The Life of Pablo If you follow me then you know i love Kanye i mean i even had the pink polo i thought i was Kanye lol....kidding. But no he is an all time great rapper. And this album is better than Yeezus(by .1 lol). So yeah its melodic and sporadic and just a blast to listen...

First off this is not' a list post....I changed my mind. Here is my favorite movie of 2016...followed by 2 runner ups. 3rd Place: Deadpool Now Deadpool is an incredibly funny movie. Action packed too. I saw it earlier in the year like February. I havent watched it much but that's not because I didnt enjoy it. It's so raunchy and explicit....i loved it. 2nd Place: Star Wars Rogue One- What Star Wars didnt get the top spot like last year? Yeah....I'm not sure if it was just the fact I've only seen this once but hey its #2. Better than Star Trek and X-men for sure....It was so sad at the end..the acting and special effects were incredible. Winner: Captain America Civil War I paused when thinking of my favorite movie this year...but there's just no denying this film. The movie is greatness. It's kind of like a side movie to the eventual Avengers 3. There's no super villain this time around, but our heroes find themselves fighting. I...

Hey guys get ready to send 2016 off and usher in 2017...but first i've got to recap the year! Here's what to expect in the EotY special blog posts forthcoming.. Best Movies of the year (order to be revealed):   Star Wars   Rogue One, Captain America Civil War, X-Men Apocalypse ,Star Trek Beyond, Doctor Strange, Dead Pool  Most Disappointing Movies- Batman V Superman, Independence day Resurgence My Favorite Rap Album of the Year My Top rated rap albums of the year (list) My favorite R&B Album of the year My Favorite Video Game of the year Top Video Games of the Year(list-order to be revealed)- Uncharted 4, Gears of War 4, NBA 2k17, Star Fox Zero, Final Fantasy XV 9 year old pic of me 

Cudder has made a come back with this stellar album. It’s got no weak songs and is very addictive. This album is a terrific return to form with songs like Rose Golden, Frequency, Surfin, and Illusions. Wounds is another dope track. Lyrically he’s on fire. The melodies are so smooth compared to those found on Speedin Bullet To Heaven. This album just made me forget about SBTH. The production is really cool too; laid back and soothing. Ultimately it’s just as good as Man on the Moon 1….before you call me crazy listen to it…its a contender for album of the year. 9.7

J.Cole, the new Nas(yeah I said it), continues to release great music. The album is dense and deep. Yes lyrically its his best performance. The narratives J. Cole tells on songs like Ville Mentality and the last title track are just incredible.   Neighbors and Change are great too. Foldin Clothes is a dope record too but Déjà vu is my favorite. The production is pretty good too. The album is TOO SHORT. Yes that’s my only real complaint….2014 FHD was a tad bit better but this one(check my review) is just on par with Born Sinner (his 2 nd album). Cole World… Verdict: 9.6

Joe Budden comes out swinging on this album. Yes its better than All Love Lost, but its a lot different. Joe is well aware of his place in the game i.e. where his career stands. Uncle Joe is a tremendous track as is By Law. Wrong One is another stand out, but Flex is the worst track. The production is good but a weak point of the album. Lyrically Joe sounds fierce here and he’s an effective spitter. Ultimately this is a really solid album….matter fact his last few albums have been good…. 9.1