Eminem has dropped an official remix for Chloraseptic, from his recent album Revival. While the track featured a guest hook from Phresher (the only rapper featured on the album), it was originally supposed to feature 2 Chainz. The remix reveals his explosive, original verse, along with a full verse from Phresher, and new bars from Slim Shady himself, addressing the less-than-positive response to his album.
Wasting no time at all, it immediately launches into 2 Chainz’s killer verse atop the spooky, sparse instrumental. It begs the first of many questions: why the hell was this left off the original?
Phresher’s full verse is surprisingly impressive, certainly exposing his talent and unique vocals far more than the simple hook he originally delivered.
Eminem’s reactionary verse is fresh, fast, clever and angry: all things he’s best at. But the content, like the album as a whole, is the problem. It’s angry, but it’s pointless. He slams those who hated on the pop-heavy tracklist before listening to the album, he criticises those who didn’t like Walk on Water, he even criticises reaction videos. He talks about how, despite alienating half his fans, he still outsold everyone else.
While that’s true, isn’t Eminem at a point where he’d rather, you know, not lose half his fanbase?
Sadly, a reaction verse to a reaction video isn’t going to garner any new support from disappointed fans. There’s a reason (well, several) that the album wasn’t well-received. Slapping back at the criticism isn’t going to change anything.
That said, the fact that he’s released 2 Chainz’s verse, and is clearly riled up enough to record a new one himself, is of note. While he’s outwardly slamming the Revival critics, could he be doing so with his tail between his legs? Has he realised his mistakes? Has the fire been relit? Will there be more remixes coming out? Let’s not get too hopeful here, but it definitely seems like there’s more to come. Perhaps Eminem remembered his own words: “But I’ll never be served, my spot is forever reserved / If I ever leave Earth, that would be the death of me first / ‘cause in my heart of hearts I know nothin’ could ever be worse, that’s why I’m clever when I put together every verse.”
It’s now less than a month now until Christmas, a time where you grab all your rellies, whack on the Michael Bublé and enjoy a good Christmas feast. One of the blessings to come with the silly season is the ridiculous seasonal merch that musicians tend to release with glee each year. This year we’ve picked our favourite Christmas lines to share. From Beyoncé to 2 Chainz, get your credit cards at the ready!
Beyoncé
The queen herself has just announced her own Christmas collection, themed around her 2016 release Lemonade. From “Boy Bye” sweatpants, to an “I came to sleigh” jumper, this is one of the funniest collections yet. Checkout the images below and visit Beyoncé’s website for more.
Run The Jewels
Our favourite Brooklyn and Atlanta cohort, Killer Mike and El-P aka Run The Jewels is back again following up with their 2015 Christmas collection with another ‘Run The Yules’ sweater. Following the announcement of Run The Jewels 3, slated for release early next year, this is one sweater we can get behind.
Ed. note: I bought this last year and it’s still one of my most treasured possessions. Highly recommended.
Visit Run The Jewels’ Store Here
The Roots
It’s not Christmas time until the legendary Roots crew release their Christmas collection, and this year is no different. While they may be sitting in their day job as the band for Jimmy Fallon, the crew has made sure this year’s collection is unlike any other, with a “Merry Questmas” making an addition along with last year’s favourites, this is sure to turn heads.
2 Chainz
Arguably the most extensive hip-hop Christmas collection yet, 2 Chainz has released a huge collection full of dad caps, sweaters and tees galore. Building upon the ‘Dabbing Santa’ collection, there is now a whole bunch more designs, and best of all it goes directly to helping veterans, disabled children, supporting arts education and many more through the T.R.U. Foundation.
Image: Hip Hop Early
Suicide Squad Soundtrack – Various Artists
While the reviews have been poor for the latest DC adaption, the soundtrack to Suicide Squad has a few more positives. Featuring an eclectic list of artists, the compilation of songs covers everything from hip-hop to pop to electronica and old time rock and roll.
The majority of songs are new, with Grimes’ industrial themed Medieval Warfare, Kevin Gates’ rap meets club banger Know Better, and the smooth R&B of Kehlani’s Gangster the clear highlights, but for me, it’s the Action Bronson, Dan Auerbach and Mark Ronson collaboration, Standing In The Rain, that stands head and shoulders above anything else on the album. Ronson crafts a retro-styled beat that harks back to his Version days, with Bronson dropping lyrical bombs about using milfhunter.com and dressing like a playboy, and Auerbach providing the haunting hook that interlopes lyrics from Oran “Juice” Jones’ 80s classic The Rain.
As is the case with most soundtracks these days, a couple of older, well-known tracks get a look in. Eminem’s massive 2002 hit Without Me, War’s Slippin’ Into Darkness and the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic Fortunate Son all feature, while Panic At The Disco’s rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is sacrilegious. It must be said Skrillex and Rick Ross’ Purple Lamborghini and the Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Logic, Ty Dolla $ign and Imagine Dragons collaboration, Sucker For Pain, are both songs the soundtrack could go without.
Verdict: A few missteps but on the whole, a satisfying soundtrack that supersedes the film.
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/276897838
2 Chainz – Daniel Son; Necklace Don
2 Chainz is on somewhat of roll this year. His January mixtape, Felt Like Cappin (read our review here), and Lil Wayne collaborative album, ColleGrove (read our review here), both garnered a positive reception from fans and critics alike, and with anticipation growing for the release of his third solo record, 2 Chainz has come through with surprise mixtape Daniel Son; Necklace Don.
Consisting of 10 tracks with production from the likes of TM88, K Swisha, DJ Spinz, Dun Deal and C4, Daniel Son; Necklace Don is a typical 2 Chainz release, with hard hitting trap beats providing the base for the rapper’s identifiable flow and often hilarious rhymes. 2 Chainz goes in over flute sampling Kilo, reminds us he’s a “blessing” on the track of the same name, and imparts a message of positivity on Ghetto. The tape features only two guests, with YFN Lucci You adding a hook and a verse on In Love Wit Her, and Drake joining 2 Chainz on the ego trip, piano laced Big Amount.
Verdict: Daniel Son; Necklace Don is the perfect stop gap until 2 Chainz drops his next long player.
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/276887356
DJ Snake – Encore
French electronic producer and rapper DJ Snake is best known for Turn Down For What, his huge collaboration with Lil Jon that went global at the end of 2013. Since then he’s released a number of hit singles and continued work on his debut album, Encore, which was finally released last week.
Even if you’ve only ever heard Turn Down For What, you know what to expect with this album. Over the course of 14 tracks Snake delivers an album of modern EDM bangers with flourishes of hip-hop, shaped by a long list of guest producers, singers and rappers. Skrillex lends a hand for the production of Sahara, resulting in a standard Skrillex thumper, Moksi helps out with another rave number on the pumping Pigalle, while Aussie George Maple provides an alluring hook on the Diplo-esque Talk. UK singer Bipolar Sunshine contributes vocals on the pleasant Middle and bass heavy Future Pt 2, with Justin Bieber’s sweet pop vocals on the rumoured Selena Gomez ode, Let Me Love You, giving the album pop credentials.
While the majority of Encore is fuelled by EDM, there are a number of rapper’s involved and, as a big hip-hop fan, these moments are the album’s best in my humble opinion. While the Swizz Beatz cameo isn’t necessary, both Jeremih and Young Thug make their presence felt on the commercial The Half and Travi$ Scott, Migos and G4SHI join with Snake for the trap anthem Oh Me Oh My.
Verdict: A little too EDM-oriented for my tastes, but worth a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPB-xmtw2VE
Image: Empireonline
Everyone’s favourite hip-hop critic Hopsin is back at it again, this time speaking out against 2 Chainz’ lyrical ability.
Back in 2013, Hopsin took part in an interview with XXL, where he said most Atlanta rappers “ain’t even really dope.” Despite the talent of Killer Mike and Andre 3000 who hail from Atlanta, we can only assume from Hopsin’s “worlds best diss,” No Words, that he is referring to trap music.
2 Chainz’ lyrics are clever and catchy, “for that world that he’s in,” Hopsin said during an interview for Vlad TV. “I’ve learned to appreciate the different types of genres within hip-hop itself. That’s something I wasn’t doing when I first came out… A lot of these songs are just not popping in my opinion. But I understand times change. Times always change… There’s a lot of songs that I like now that I wouldn’t have liked two years ago or three years ago.”
Hopsin has been very outspoken on the state of the rap game, even going as far as to challenge “anyone” to a $500k rap battle. I tend to side with Hopsin, as I am not a massive trap fan, though I appreciate that as hip-hop evolves, new genres are created. Perhaps these rappers (if we can still call them that when they are clearly making something other than hip-hop) have moved genres – Travi$ Scott, for instance, has even gone as far as to say “I am everything except a rapper” on his track Apple Pie.
Maybe if we add a couple of new names to the “hip-hop based” genres on the CD racks, then Hopsin can return to doing what he does best – complaining about rappers making music.
The video of Hopsin speaking out on 2 Chainz’ lyrical ability can be found below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxphW1HQam8
Image: YouTube
Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz sat down with Genius backstage in Atlanta after their first performance of new material from their latest joint project ColleGrove. The rappers discussed their decade-long friendship, the making of the album and Lil Wayne even admitted to shedding a few tears over 2 Chainz’ Dedication track.
At the beginning of the interview, Lil Wayne tells the story of the first time he heard Dedication which opens with the bar, “If it wasn’t for Wayne it wouldn’t be/a lot of dudes in the game includin’ me.” He says, “I had a few tears dropping and I remember hitting him up like man, this one right here, I don’t even know where this one came from, this is amazing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKotB6rYzc
They also discuss their recording process for the album including the fast-paced, aggressive track Bounce where the two go back and forth in what Lil Wayne calls “friendly competition.”
“People normally email each other music and we did that as well but Bounce, we were actually in the studio together working on it. That’s what made this the most epic time,” said 2 Chainz.
They clearly have a tonne of respect and love for each other (and themselves). They share fond memories and heap praise on one another while putting down the rest of the rap game. Lil Wayne says, “We rappin’ and nobody know how to rap these days.”
For an alternative opinion you can read about what we thought of the album here and check out the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdzaEQM9xl8&nohtml5=False
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5vKmBTZXKA
Image: Fuse
Kendrick Lamar – untitled, unmastered.
A surprise release, untitled, unmastered. is a collection of eight Kendrick Lamar tracks that are as lyrically and musically captivating as anything he’s released. As the title explains, each track is untitled and unmastered, with the only information provided being a date of the original recording. It’s most likely these tracks were part of the To Pimp A Butterfly sessions during 2013 and 2014, with two (untitled 3 and untitled 8) having been performed on late night television.
Like TPAB, untitled, unmastered. incorporates elements of jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop, with Lamar’s social and political commentary present throughout. The book of Revelations and the apocalypse crop up on album opener untitled 1, the effects of greed are broken down on untitled 8, first performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, while the hazy and violent Jay Rock featuring untitled 5 is Lamar at his melodic best over the psychedelic jazz instrumentation.
Verdict: Any words I write don’t really do this album justice, as it deserves to be dissected and discussed at length, which I’m sure it will. Just know that untitled, unmastered. confirms that Kendrick Lamar is the most important figure in hip-hop, and quite possibly music today.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS0geQsfcHk]
2 Chainz & Lil Wayne – ColleGrove
Last week we discussed why we believed ColleGrove would be awful, and while the teaming of 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne isn’t a complete failure, it’s not something you’ll be spinning on high rotation.
As a whole, ColleGrove feels much more like a 2 Chainz album devoted to praising Wayne, as evident by the somber opener Dedication. That’s not to say Wayne doesn’t hold his own at times, delivering one of his better verses in ages on Section and sounding revitalised on Bounce, but his contribution feels like that of a bit player, popping up here and there to lend support. While the chemistry between the two varies from great to terrible, it’s the 2 Chainz solo cuts like 100 Joints and Watch Out that really make ColleGrove worth a listen.
Verdict: Gap filler until 2 Chainz drops his third album.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB_W7wzk3Xw]
Santigold – 99c
It feels like an eternity since Santigold released her sophomore album Master Of My Make-Believe. In that time the musical landscape has continued to evolve at a rapid pace and many of her contemporaries have struggled commercially (I’m looking at you M.I.A.), but with third release, 99c, Santigold has created a tropical pop paradise that shouldn’t be overlooked.
While the album arrived without much fanfare, 99c is pure unadulterated pop from the get go. Album opener Can’t Get Enough Of Myself is a song about self-absorption and promotion in the social media age, and much like the album’s cover, is bright and loud, with Santi as the vocal point. Rendezvous, Who I Thought You Were and the hand clap featuring Banshee are all throwbacks to Santi’s earlier work, which isn’t a bad thing at all. My favourite is the slinking Who Be Lovin’ Me, a slow trap influenced duet with warbler iLoveMakonnen.
Verdict: Santigold makes it three from three with 99c.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0PD1nVz0kA]
Yung Lean – Warlord
The fact Yung Lean has released a second album is a remarkable feat in itself. It could have been easy to write the Swedish youngster off as a joke, but over the past few years he and his Sad Boys crew have cultivated a rabid fan base that spans the globe off the back of Lean’s pop culture filled raps and strange delivery, and his crew’s murky and downtempo production style.
Warlord – a surprise release – is everything you’d expect from a Yung Lean record. Almost entirely produced by Sad Boys Yung Sherman and Yung Gud, the album is full of the usual spooky, hypnotic beats (Eye Contact, Immortal), but also finds Lean experimenting with trap (Shanty You Know What It Do, Highway Patrol) and heavy electronica (Hoover). There’s even a pop song (AF1s), or at least as close to pop as you’ll get from Lean.
The guest spots are kept to a minimum, with Lil Flash (on album highlight Fantasy), Ecco2k (AF1s) and Lean’s good friend Bladee (appearing on the touring tale Highway and drug anthem Hocus Pocus) contributing noteworthy verses, with Lean’s lyrical content focused firmly on early 00s nostalgia and drug culture.
Verdict: He’s not for everyone, but Warlord is another excellent release from Yung Lean.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTD0yiEUl8A]
Image: Consequence of Sound
There aren’t many positives to take away from a Kanye West inspired rant, unless it’s an absolutely stellar verbal barb from Amber Rose, or a timeless hashtag (#wizwearscoolpants anyone?), but as these show, every now and then there is a hidden gem to come from Ye’s fiery Twitter fingers.
This week’s rant was a brief reception however, with news that we would finally be receiving a self titled project from Collegrove, the collective name for Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. Alongside a release date slated for this Friday, we were also treated to album art which depicts 2 Chainz adorned with Weezy’s signature tattoos.
New project with 2 Chainz and Wayne dropping this Friday pic.twitter.com/IZwN3mnkIS
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 2, 2016
Now let me be frank. I have no expectations for this project. In fact, I believe that it will ultimately prove to be awful: a collection of throwaway tracks that do little to boost the discography of either artist. Here’s why.
It’s no secret that Lil Wayne has fallen off in a major way. Usurped by his own protege in Drake, and falling out with his mentor in Birdman have just been the start of Weezy’s perils.
It was not long ago that Wayne was the dominant force in hip-hop, even garnering mainstream praise for the stellar Tha Carter III with the New Orleans native collecting a slew of Grammys.
Nowadays Wayne has failed to reinvent his style, and despite a few highlights in 2015 in terms of features for Drizzy and Big Sean, Wayne has failed to deliver even one solid project in the past few years.
2 Chainz on the other hand is a different beast altogether. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and has seemingly accepted his role as comedic relief in hip-hop. If you don’t believe me just peep his latest music video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG21b8Kx2DI]
2 Chainz is often resigned to a repetitive style in the form of hooks and catchy ad-libs – hardly the skill set desired to dominate a project in its entirety. The two artists have teamed up together in the past, but the results have generally been lacklustre.
It’s fair to say that if Lil Wayne isn’t snapping on these beats, 2 Chainz is hardly the rapper to carry the project solely on his shoulders.
That being said, I am certainly hoping deep down that Wayne can offer a return to form, and that 2 Chainz realises that it is not often that he will get the chance to team up with Weezy, and delivers a motivated and inspired performance.
P.S Please don’t make this a Tidal exclusive Wayne, we know how well THAT works.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx2raP3P3FQ]
Image: The Source
In this age of music streaming services, re-issued vinyl, Youtube and, dare we say it, illegal torrents, there’s just way too much music for the average Joe to consume on a regular basis. Enter Tobias Handke, your newest Howl & Echoes contributor. Each fortnight he’ll be giving his two cents on a number of new albums, EPs and mixtapes from all genres in hopes making sure you’re spending your hard earned on good tunes.
2 Chainz: Felt Like Cappin EP
Dropping out of nowhere last week, Georgia rapper and sometime philanthropist 2 Chainz delivered the surprise EP Felt Like Cappin. Enlisting a crack team of producers (Mike WiLL Made It, Timbaland, FKi, TM88), this six-track release finds Chainz at his boastful best, adapting his flow to suit the style of each beat maker involved. Far from one of my favourite rappers, you can’t deny Chainz’s witty lyricism and knack for a catchy hook, all of which can be found in spades on this EP.
His lackadaisical flow floats over Mike WiLL Made It’s pipe sampling MF’N before he switches style and gets aggressive on TM88’s trappy Not Invited. The obvious highlight of the tape is the Lil Wayne collaboration Back On The Bullshyt. Both drop rhymes bursting with punch lines but it’s Wayne who shines, reminding rap fans he can still spit despite the shit he’s shifted of late.
Verdict: At six tracks don’t expect too much, but as a stopgap before his next full-length player, this is a worthy addition to 2 Chainz musical catalogue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euxM6pj3sSg
Bloc Party: Hymns
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Once champions of the UK music scene, Bloc Party are a shell of their former self, having devolved from post-punk pioneers into a boring and underwhelming indie electronic hybrid, failing to capture the magic of past glories with fifth album Hymns.
The band’s rapid decline comes as no real surprise. Since front man Kele Okereke began embracing modern dance culture Bloc Party have been on the decline, made even more obvious on Hymns by the absence of founding members Gordon Moakes (bass, keys) Matt Tong (drums). First single The Love Within sounds like a Kele solo off-cut while The Good News is Bloc Party doing country and as horrible as it sounds. It’s not all bad though. Only He Can Heal Me has enough spunk to light up the dance floor and the doomed relationship played out on Different Drugs is a melodic throwback.
Verdict: Like a stripped back version of their original sound with less emphasis on production, Hymns rarely hits the mark and would be better attributed to Kele’s solo career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qMnUmic44
Massive Attack: Ritual Spirit EP
Trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack returned last month with the Ritual Spirit EP, their first record since 2010’s disappointing Heligoland. When I heard the news I was pretty excited, and then almost wet my pants when it was announced Tricky was on board, making his first appearance on a Massive Attack release since 1994’s Protection.
Along with Tricky, English rapper Roots Manuva spits bars on the brooding opener Dead Editors and fellow UK soul maestro Azekel lends his striking falsetto to the mystical Ritual Spirit, but for me it’s Scottish hip-hop act Young Fathers who steal the show. Already making waves throughout Europe with their cross genre breeding of indie, electronic and experimental hip-hop, they sound right at home over the steady percussion of Voodoo In My Blood.
Verdict: Four-tracks isn’t much to go by, but if this is a prelude to what we can expect album wise, put me down for two copies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl6KTek9-gI
In today’s uplifting news, 2 Chainz has donated a five-bedroom, two-bathroom house to a family of 11. Previously, the family had been living in a two-bedroom space that was infested with mould and pests.
2 Chainz, alongside his TRU foundation, found out about the family through a GoFundMe page that was set up by Atlantan Progression Church, who set up the page after discovering the family was struggling to get by. The family was days away from eviction, as the father of 9 was sick and couldn’t work. Now, thanks to 2 Chainz, the family gets a year of life bill and stress free, as they figure things out.
“This right here ain’t gonna save me taxes,” The rapper said of his endeavour. “It’s in the beginning of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing their smiles. I’m looking forward to the kids growing up knowing that Uncle 2 Chainz came through… Keep praying. You gotta have faith. You gotta believe.”
This isn’t the first charitable thing the rapper has done, however. Over the holiday period, 2 Chainz has been donating money made from the huge sales of his Dabbin’ Santa Christmas sweaters. The rapper has previously supplied a struggling family with a minivan and has helped a disabled veteran pay rent.
2 Chainz posted a video of him welcoming the family to their new home on Youtube yesterday. It’s heart-warming, to say the least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkUiq0X-ALo
‘Tis the season for ugly Christmas sweaters. Hip-hop has long held a unique affiliation for all things ridiculous when it comes to the silly season, and this year, rapper 2 Chainz one-upped everyone by making nearly $2 million selling a range of sweaters featuring a dabbing Santa.
In a new interview with Forbes, 2 Chainz talks about the inspiration, the process, the materialisation of the project, and how it came to become so popular. Of course, he couldn’t do it alone – he employed a 70-person team to meet the huge demand in time for the special day. “I had a numerous amount of celebrities helping with the shirt. It was on the NFL, it was on TNT, it was on Good Morning America, it’s on ESPN. So I could not continue receiving those blessings without giving back at the end of the day.”
It wouldn’t be a Christmas story without a happy ending, and 2 Chainz made good, donating a lot of the profits to charity via his own organisation the TRU Foundation. As we’ve recently reported, the TRU Foundation is dedicated to giving back to individuals and families in need. Specifically, some of the proceeds when to paying rent and furniture for disabled veteran Deirdre Palmetto, a single mother living in Georgia. The foundation recently also helped a family who had lost everything in a fire by donating a minivan.
Check out 2 Chainz’s full range of ugly Christmas sweaters here.
Image: Getty Images