Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

 This album review is way overdue. I've had a long time to sit with the album....I really liked it at first but it hasn't really aged as well as other Kanye projects. Kanye's lyricism has taken a noticeable decline. I mean hes not horrible but alot of these bars are bad or tasteless. Ty Dolla $ign on the other hand does a great job on pretty much every track. The production though, as with most Kanye albums is really good.   Some of it was reminiscent of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Yeezus. There are a few guest spots and most are well used. Hearing Kanye's daughter, North West, on "Talking"is cute. Freddie Gibbs steals the show on the hilarious "Back to Me". "Carnival" is a certified hit which features Playboi Carti & Rich the Kid. Overall most of these songs are good but I cant say this really adds much to Kanye's illustrious discography. Lyrics 19 Beats 23 Depth 22 Tilt 21 Verdict 85

This debut album by Victoria Monet definitely grew on me. This is a short but great album. It kinda has an old school kinda feel to it. The first song, "Smoke", is really up tempo. The big single "On My Mama" is so smooth. Victoria is good singer and songwriter. The production on the album is good but nothing amazing. I like most all these songs however. The song "Hollywood" which features Earth,WInd and Fire is also a highlight. Overall you have a really consistent album here. I can't wait for more music from her.  Lyrics 23 Beats 21 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 91

 I gotta admit this album really grew on me. It's an official sequel to her first album, Pink Friday. That can be a little confusing as I thought her 2nd album Pink Friday Roman Reloaded was a sequel to Pink Friday. Anyways this album has a lot of different sounds to it. She raps on that Biggie Smalls beat on "Barbie Dangerous". "FTCU" is another highlight with a dope sample. "Let Me Calm Down" Featuring J. Cole is really smooth too. I didn't care too much for the Lil Wayne assisted "RNB". I like the vibe of the song "Needle" which features Drake. I really like "Everybody" which features Lil Uzi Vert. One thing that works for this album is the sample baiting. Say what you want; it's used really effectively on this album. I really enjoyed the lead single "Super Freaky Girl" too. Overall Nicki spits well but you can't help but feel she could of done a little better. The production is really good tho. Th...

 Its hard to express how disappointed I was with this album. Sure there are some highlights. I really enjoyed "First Person Shooter" which features J. Cole. Both rappers really bring the heat. On "Fear of Heights" Drake take obvious shots at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky lol. "8 Am in Charlotte" features Drake at his lyrical best. I really like the ratchedness of "Rich Baby Daddy" which features Sexy Red & SZA. Most of these songs tho are really bad to mediocre tho. Drake doesn't put much effort in lyrically. At least the beats are good tho. Yeah there's just not a lot to go back to on this one. Lyrics 18 Beats 22 Depth 19 Tilt 18 Verdict 77

 This latest K. Michelle album is good....but its a firm step down from the other albums of hers I've reviewed. K's singing is great as usual. The production is pretty good too. However I found a few songs to be a little average. There are some highlights here tho like "No Pain", "Wherever the D May Land", and "Hurt Shit". "Scooch" is another high tempo banger. The album ends with the country song "Tennessee" which ins't bad. Overall its a good album but I expected more from such a stellar artist. Lyrics 23 Beats 22 Depth 22 Tilt 22 Verdict 89

1.       Kanye West-Graduation -Coming in at number one we have Kanye’s 3 rd  album. Sure it’s not his best or flashiest but damnit I love it so much. Listening to this album just gives me so much joy honestly. “Champion” is a great song, then there’s a fan favorite pick “I Wonder”. I do think the lyrically dense “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” is the best track. Who could forget the smooth “Flashing Lights”. It really amazing that Kanye was able to create another great soundscape that sounded very different than College Dropout and Late Registration. Honestly this album isn’t my favorite by leaps and bounds over the top 10; but its certainly still my favorite rap album. 2.       Ludacris-Word of Mouf- Coming in at number 2 is Ludacris. I think this album is his best while others may say Release Therapy or Chicken & Beer. Fun fact this was the first album I ever bought. Sure there’s some filler…but this album has a lot of Ludacris’s bes...

 This latest Doja Cat album is good....but I think I prefer her old style more. Lets get into it. This is her longest album I think..and for the most part the album is pretty well spaced out with hits. The singles are great and really grew on me....especially "Paint the Town Red". Doja spits well on "Demons" too. Its an awesome song honestly. Doja spits pretty well on this album. This album has a much darker and more hostile tone than her previous work. "Agora Hills" tho is a great love song that could of went on her older albums. The production sounds pretty consistent although I dont think its as good as Planet Her's production. Depth wise the album is good too. The final song "WYM Freestyle" is kinda redundant but its not a bad song. Ultimately tho this was a good album and im interested to see what sound Doja goes for next time around. Lyrics- 23 Beats-22 Depth-22 Tilt-23 Verdict 90