Artistic Manifesto

Album: Deniro Farrar - "The Patriach II"

2013-06-18T16:05:00.003-04:00

In midst of all the hype behind today's big releases it’s easy to forget about other dope projects that drop today. Of those projects, Deniro Farrar’s The Patriarch II should not be slept on as far as June 18th goes. Known as the Cult God, Deniro pieces together a unique experience with his 13-track project. The Patriarch II is crafted very precisely, from guest features to production sequencing to everything in between. The second installment of The Patriarch includes guest collaborations from Child Actr, JMSN, Ryan Hemsworth, AJ Rice, and The Kickdrums among others. You can steam and buy The Patriarch II below.

The Patriarch II by Deniro Farrar

Mix: Austin Millz - "No Loitering"

2013-06-18T15:37:00.001-04:00

Austin Millz chops up some ear crack just in time for the summer. Creating an exclusive 40 minute mix for BarrelhouseBKLYN including artists such as PartyNextDoor, Rich Homie Quan, Miguel, and Three 6 Mafia. This uptown raised New Yorker has worked with the likes of Jim Jones, Wale, Hit-Boy and others. Most recently he's been making waves in the Electronic and Trap community with his unique remixes like this. Definitely something to get the party started or play as you stomp around your city. Words by Michael Tonge.

Album Stream: TV Girl - "Lonely Women"

2013-06-18T14:17:00.000-04:00

If you need something to groove to, TV Girl's Lonely Woman EP is just what you need. These cats are the masters of crafting catchy material, and this five-track project is no exception. Poppy vocals, coupled with light instrumentation combined with infectious and easily identifiable songwriting make this a sleeper project to be included on your summer playlist. Stream for yourself after the break.

Lonely Women by TV Girl

Album Stream: Ta-ku - "Dowhatyoulove"

2013-06-18T11:35:00.001-04:00

Ta-ku, our favorite Australian beatsmith, streams his latest project in full courtesy of Jakarta Records. The 18-track album provides another dose of his innovative twist on boom-bap hip-hop. While no vocals are on any of these instrumentals, Dowhatyoulove proves to be a cohesive and powerful project that can stand on its own. The album is available on limited-edition vinyl, and will soon receive a companion EP featuring collaborations with Blu. Listen for yourself after the break.

Dowhatyoulove by Ta-ku

Album Review: Kanye West - "Yeezus"

2013-06-17T23:15:00.002-04:00

5-Word Description: Futuristic, Challenging, Intense, Dark, Grandiose.

4 Standout Tracks: “Black Skinhead,” “New Slaves,” “Bound,” “I’m In It.”

3 Memorable Quotes: “Hurry up with my damn croissants!” – I Am A God

“Y’all bout to turn shit up, I’m bout to tear shit down. I’m bout to air shit out. Now what the fuck they gon’ say now?” – New Slaves
"Gonna start a new movement, being led by the drums." - I'm In It.

2 Weak Points: Lyricism (compared to past projects), The ending of “Blood On The Leaves”

1 Question: Will we feel the same way about Yeezus a year from now, or a decade later?

In all honesty, I don’t think I should be reviewing Yeezus until it’s been a part of my playlist for about six months. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world moves, so here I am. I will first assert that it’s crucial to understand the nature of Kanye West’s artistry before venturing into a rational evaluation of Yeezus. Mr. West historically pushes his listeners into uncharted territories with his new releases. As he’s progressed, he has continually introduced more radical sounds that often require us to take an “adjustment period” before truly being able to say whether or not we actually enjoy the record. His major label debut, College Dropout, was his most traditional release by nearly all accounts, as he took his soul-sampling style into his own hands and created a heartfelt project that hit home with the masses. Since then, he has become more adventurous and unpredictable with each release. From the incorporation of multiple genres into the production of Late Registration, to the cohesive “stadium sound” of Graduation, to the emotional whirlwind of autotune musings in 808s & Heartbreaks, to the compositional insanity of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West has fearlessly pursued his unique vision for his music. We’ve been working to catch up ever since.

Kanye created huge demand for Yeezus with his guerilla marketing scheme, and subsequently delivered another challenging and intriguing listen that requires many listens to fully absorb. Yeezus was certainly a long time coming. We heard whisperings of Kanye’s 6th studio album as early as summer of 2012, but details were beyond hard to come by. The internet exploded multiple times with partially correct tracklists, but when the dust settled we were given a dynamic and decidedly dark ten-track experience. This is Kanye’s most compact album. Eight of the ten tracks are approximately four minutes or less.

The most important characteristic of Yeezus is its vibe; its ambiance. Before you pressed play, you had probably already heard that it had heavy electronic and house influences. You knew that it was different than what Kanye fans would expect. This is true, but still doesn’t do the project justice. Hopefully you hear Yeezus for the first time in a car with the volume turned up on a good sound system, as you speed down the highway at night with the windows down. Kanye has crafted a futuristic hybrid of hip-hop characterized by dark melodies, heavy basslines, dissonant sounds, sharp transitions, and tribalistic sound effects. In all honesty, I felt like I was hearing a preview of what hip-hop in 2025 will sound like. Yeezus took me on a sonic adventure.

While the entire project has a futuristic, attention-grabbing, alien vibe to it, different tracks are executed with varying levels of success. “Black Skinhead” is an amazing experience, as it emulates a live performance to the point that if you close your eyes, your imagination just might transport you to the front row of ‘Ye’s next summer tour. Intense, distorted background vocals and dynamic percussion drive the track forward as Kanye’s voice rises in energy in sync with the Marilyn Manson-sampling, Daft Punk-assisted instrumental. “New Slaves” almost sounds like a steroid-enhanced version of “Clique,” as a simplistic melody runs through the entire song. The production bounces back and forth between minimalistic and grandiose, creating an intriguing dynamic that draws listeners in for some of the most polarizing verses of the entire project.

The final track, “Bound 2,” which features Charlie Wilson, is the closest thing we get to the traditional, soul-sampling Kanye West that died years ago. Using a silky-smooth, pitched-up soul sample, “Bound 2” is a shock after listening to the violent, futuristic sounds of the previous nine tracks. Don’t expect everything to match up with the familiar soulful Kanye of old. Just as you get comfortable, Kanye introduces new elements to the track, sharply cutting off Charlie Wilson’s vocals and filtering in elements of electronic music – as if to remind everyone that this is still the Kanye West show.

On the other end of the spectrum, “Blood On The Leaves” ends up sounding a bit too forced and cluttered. Between Kanye’s autotune, a huge bassline, and the unmistakeable sampling of Nina Simone’s “Blood On The Leaves,” this six-minute affair quickly becomes too much to absorb. Kanye delves back into the emotive hodge-podge that we became familiar with on 808s & Heartbreaks, but he adds too many elements for it to be effective or appealing. The entire album is experimental. This is the only song that I would classify as a definitively failed experiment.

Some time in between the release of Graduation and the birth of 808s & Heartbreaks, Kanye West fully crossed into experimentalism and left traditional hip-hop in the dust. He continues to craft complex soundscapes with the help of some of music’s best musicians and producers. As his production has grown increasingly edgy, he has lost the lyrical substance that he used to grab our attention in 2004 with the debut of College Dropout. Yeezus finds Kanye at his most energetic, but his charisma can’t always make up for his lack of lyrical depth. This album is full of one-liners that are ready to be Tweeted, but lacks the eloquence and thoughtfulness of his earlier works.

At times Yeezus comes across as incredibly lax and crude. He crosses boundaries, and will piss people off in instances such as the second verse of “I’m In It,” where he says, “black girl sippin’ white wine, I put my fist in her like a Civil Rights sign.” Then there are lines that make you just laugh at their absurdity. Take “I Am A God” for example, specifically when Kanye says, “I just talked to Jesus, he said what up Yeezus? I said yeah I’m chillin’, tryna make these millions.” Take that for what it is. Don't expect to be overwhelmed with inspiration when listening to Kanye's words with this release. Instead, look to appreciate each track holistically, as one act in a cohesive performance.

One thing Kanye almost always manages to do is effectively incorporate guest artists into his tracks in ways that use highlight their strengths and unique characteristics. This holds true with Bon Iver’s feathery harmonies at the conclusion of “I Am a God,” Frank Ocean’s fantasy-like riff to conclude “New Slaves,” and King L’s monotonous verse on “Send It Up.” One of the most interesting features is Chief Keef’s inclusion on “Hold My Liquor.” I know many of us facepalmed when the news dropped that Keef would be on the album but “couldn’t remember the name of the song.”

I’ve had issues with Kanye supporting Chief Keef for quite some time now, but I have to say that Keef’s guest feature on “Hold My Liquor” is epically symbolic. Since Chief Keef became a household name outside the city of Chicago, we all have known him as a troubled, erratic young man whose poor life choices have been overpublicized due to his high profile in music. While I still can’t speak for why Kanye decided to work with Keef, I can say that his words in “Hold My Liquor” feel prophetic.

“I can’t handle my liquor, but these bitches can’t control me. I can’t control my niggas, and my niggas they can’t control me. You say you know me, my nigga, but you really just know the old me.”

Kanye uses Chief Keef. Keef’s words are symbolic of his entire life, as the general public knows it. His apparent lack of control over his actions and the actions of those around him are forever chronicled in this song. His words represent the struggles of many in situations similar to his, and Kanye uses his words to accentuate the heavy nature of this song. This feature is exemplary of many facets of this album. In large, it seems that Kanye knows exactly what he’s doing. He is intentionally brash and almost patronizing, because he knows it will wrestle away our attention from a billion different releases as we all tune in to analyze and attempt to pick apart his ingenious insanity. His production is relentlessly rebellious and bizarre because it allows his project to stand out in the midst of a culture that obsesses over ‘standing out.’ His last words on “New Slaves” are surprisingly representative of the project as a whole.

“Y’all bout to turn shit up, I’m bout to tear shit down. I’m bout to air shit out. Now what the fuck they gon’ say now?”

Yeezus is Kanye’s most polarizing record to date. You might hate it. You might love it. You might be hypnotized. You might be disenchanted. You have to listen for yourself. Don’t take your best friend’s opinion as truth. Don’t take my opinion as truth. Take the ride with an open mind, a great sound system, and a friend who won’t try and strike up a conversation until the last track has come to a close. Kanye West will lose some fans with this project. He will also gain new fans with this album.

There was no radio single off of Yeezus for a reason. It was imperative that we all experience the entire studio quality recording of the project in sequence, because it is an experience unlike anything else. Each track is an intense, almost overwhelming piece of music that grabs you by the back of your neck and forces you to keep up. By the time you think you understand what’s going on, the next track is beginning and the paradigm shifts again. This album is far from perfect, but it might be the most intriguing listen of the entire year. This album intrigues because of how radically different it is. Literally nothing sounds like Yeezus.

Each Kanye West album has been a reinvention. You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist in any genre whose music transcends so many boundaries and draws influence from such a wide array of influences. Whether you like Yeezus or not, credit Kanye West for his intense passion. Credit Kanye West for his refusal to stagnate, as many would given the critical acclaim he’s garnered over the years. The most important question, which can’t yet be answered: how will Yeezus stand up to the test of time?

Purchase Yeezus via iTunes or Amazon.

Video: Kanye West's "American Psycho"-Themed Short Film, starring Scott Disick and Jonathan Cheban

2013-06-17T22:20:00.003-04:00

On the eve of Yeezus's release, Kanye shocks the world once more with the debut of his American Psycho-inspired short film starring Scott Disick and Jonathan Cheben. Be warned, it's a bit graphic. You might have this film stuck in your head from now on whenever you hear "New Slaves." You've been warned. Yeezus drops tomorrow. Watch for yourself after the break. Props to Pitchfork.

Drake ft. James Fauntleroy - "On My Way"

2013-06-17T19:09:00.003-04:00

Surprise, surprise. "On My Way" largely consists of Drake singing seductively, as James Fauntleroy provides excellent additional vocals. A snippet of this track actually dropped in 2010, and that was the last that we heard of it until now. It can't be said for sure if this is the final track, or if we'll ever see it officially released. Regardless, listen for yourself below. Props to TGLR.

Video: Talib Kweli, Buckshot, Steele, Skyzoo, Joey Bada$$ & Kirk Knight – “Boiler Room Freestyle”

2013-06-17T18:57:00.000-04:00

New York has a host of incredibly talented emcees. This has been true almost since the inception of the genre. Past meets present in the video below, as Talib Kweli, Buckshot, Steele, Skyzoo, Joey Bada$$ and Kirk Knight link up for a Boiler Room Freestyle over some classic hip-hop instrumentals. The video is over ten minutes long, but there is no drop in quality as each emcee handles his own in succession. Watch for yourself below. Props to TheDailyLoud.

John Legend - "Made To Love"

2013-06-17T14:31:00.001-04:00

John Legend, more commonly known as "ol' dude with the good hair," returns to give his fans a dose of what they love, along with a spoonful of the unexpected. "Made To Love" features's Legend's emotive vocals over a soundbed that begins with acoustic guitar and tribal drums, but soon shifts into more experimental territory with heavier tribal influences and synthesizers. Legend's Love In The Future is set to release on September 3rd. Listen for yourself below. Props to SoulCulture.

Flatbush ZOMBIES - "Palm Trees"

2013-06-17T14:23:00.002-04:00

Erick Arc Elliott has produced another emotively powerful soundscape for his group, Brooklyn's Flatbush ZOMBIES to dominate. "Palm Trees," a track from their forthcoming Better Off Dead project, carries the complex, dark sound for which the trio has become known for. Listen for yourself below. Props to IllRoots.

Album Stream: Mac Miller - "Watching Movies With The Sound Off"

2013-06-17T14:14:00.001-04:00

Who's that tapping you on your shoulder? It's Mac Miller. Remember him? His breath stinks of marijuana as he whispers into your ear, "hey, remember me? I know Jay-Z has that whole Samsung thing, and Kanye put videos on buildings and shit, and J. Cole had some huge internet hype. But I'm still putting out my album, Watching Movies With The Sound Off, tomorrow, and I think it's pretty good. It's got guest features from Jay Electronica, Action Bronson, ScHoolboy Q, Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. I think you're gonna love it. Can you please just check it out here? Please?"

Video: Martin $ky - "It Don't Stop"

2013-06-17T14:01:00.003-04:00

As if a Flying Lotus and Madlib instrumental wasn't enough by itself, emcee Martin $ky brings it home with his visuals for "It Don’t Stop." Martin’s really showcases his director skills as he creates a trippy black and white video with a cartoonish feel added to it. While Martin continues to put out records at a highly prolific rate, he continues to ensure that each release is quality. Check out the video for "It Don't Stop" after the break.

Video: Nitty Scott, MC ft. Kendrick Lamar - "Flower Child"

2013-06-17T12:39:00.001-04:00

Nitty Scott, MC has yet to truly "get on" in the mainstream hip-hop world, but she has more than enough skill on the microphone to get to that point. In "Flower Child," her words are equal parts hip-hop and spoken word, as she waxes poetic over sparkling Paul Boogie production. Kendrick Lamar provides a smooth chorus and edgy penultimate verse, counterbalancing Nitty's more mellow delivery. The video shows the Brooklyn native navigating her neighborhood in a white sundress. Watch for yourself after the break.

Video: Travi$ Scott ft. T.I. & 2 Chainz - "Upper Echelon"

2013-06-17T11:45:00.000-04:00

Travi$ Scott walks through desolate disorder in his latest visual, featuring T.I. and 2 Chainz. "Upper Echelon" shows Travi$' love for superior music video quality. The visual is almost three minutes longer than the single. After inking a deal with G.O.O.D. Music, and having a successful release of his Owl Pharaoh EP, I think it's safe to say Scott is well on his way into the "Upper Echelon". Check the visuals after the break.

Video: Jay-Z to Debut "Magna Carta Holy Grail" Album July 4th

2013-06-16T21:32:00.002-04:00

As a large portion of America just saw on a commercial during the NBA Finals, Jay-Z is dropping a new album, believed to be entitled Magna Carta Holy Grail on Independence Day. Yes, an entire new Jay-Z album is dropping on July 4th, 2013. We watched in confusion and amazement as footage of HOV amongst legends including Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Pharrell, and Swizz Beatz rolled. The last words to flash on the screen as the commercial came to a close? MagnaCartaHolyGrail.com. The album will release via MagnaCarta App, a customized mobile app compatible only with Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, and GalaxyNote 2 phones. This app allows the first million people to download the album 72 hours early. You might want to get that. Apparently Jay-Z has a deal on the table with Samsung worth a total of $20 million. Look for more exclusives to follow. Watch the video for yourself after the break.

New Renaissance - "Beasts of The Southern Wild"

2013-06-16T21:02:00.002-04:00

New Renaissance is a New Orleans hip-hop crew with a taste for innovative instrumentation and empowering vocabulary. They are beginning to make waves with tracks such as "Beasts of The Southern Wild," a roller coaster of a track that begins with tribal percussion that somehow transitions into a jazzy riff that your uncle would fall in love with. Look out for fresh material from these talented up-and-comers in the near future. Props to OkayPlayer.

Vicktor Taiwò - "Castles"

2013-06-16T18:37:00.001-04:00

Mixing acoustic, electronic, and soul, Vicktor Taiwò makes his mark with impassioned singles such as the recently released "Castles." His voice shines through hazy production, as he sings of a woman he is infatuated with. The talented vocalist is also a memorable songwriter, as you may find yourself reciting his lines hours after you've heard "Castles." Look for a lot more from this talented artist in the near future, and stream "Castles" below. Props to Pigeons&Planes.

Pusha T – “Numbers On The Boards (Crookers VIP version)”

2013-06-16T16:02:00.002-04:00

If you told Virginia veteran Pusha T to hop on an electronic track, he just might laugh at you. The gritty emcee is known for his street smart persona and "multiple streams of income." He is in fact signed to G.O.O.D. Music, but is largely known as an artist who appeals to specific pockets of listeners. Then there's this Crookers remix of "Numbers On The Boards," which has taken Pusha's steez and made it palatable to a whole new audience. The majority of Pusha's lyrics are gone, and the energy is amped up to create an entirely new feel. Stream and download for yourself below. Props to DoAndroidsDance.

Album Stream: Iman Omari - "VIBErations"

2013-06-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

Eclectic and soulful, Iman Omari's VIBErations grabs your attention from the beginning with its subtleties and amazing musicality. The Los Angeles native is preparing to release his full length debut album later this summer, with the likes of Knwledge, MoRuf, KEnt Jamz of OverDoz. Omari tells us that "this music is [his] heart," and the product proves it. This beautiful eleven-track labor of love can be streamed in full today. Listen for yourself after the break.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Stay At Home Dad"

2013-06-16T13:52:00.001-04:00

This single actually dropped in 2010 originally, but let's be real. Most of us didn't know much about Macklemore before the insane popularity of "Thrift Shop." The Seattle emcee's "Stay At Home Dad," featuring vocals by Ryan Lewis, pays tribute to the men who aren't afraid to defy the societal standards and dedicate their lives to caring for their growing children. Macklemore's rare in that he is never afraid to defy hip-hop norms, despite the backlash that he may receive for it. Take his 2012 track, "Stay Home," which tackled the issues of homophobia in the hip-hop community and modern society at large. Listen to "Stay At Home Dad" for yourself below. Props to 2DopeBoyz.

Video: Somdef ft. Jinbo & Taehun - "Circus"

2013-06-16T10:39:00.006-04:00

Believe it or not, the rest of the music world has been alive and well in the midst of the huge buzz centering around big name releases dropping this Tuesday. You may have missed out on the smooth sounds of Korean producer Somdef. That's where we come in. His smooth riding single, "Circus," featuring fellow Korean jazz guitarist Taehun and singer Jinbo, is an eloquent piece of pop featuring some ill guitar work and some funky vocals. The visuals, directed by Sae Gga Chi, are nothing short of hippie heaven, depicting an astronaut in some sort of psychedelic representation of outer space. Watch for yourself after the break. Props to Pigeons&Planes.

Danny Brown ft. A$AP Rocky - "Kush Coma"

2013-06-16T00:33:00.001-04:00

The original "Kush Coma" was strictly Danny Brown going absolutely insane over some frenetic Skywlkr production. The sequel sees A$AP Rocky jumping into the fray, injecting even more energy into the track. "Kush Coma" will be included on Danny's forthcoming project, Old, which drops in August. We've seen these two emcees collaborate on a long list of tracks recently, and rightfully so. The chemistry is a good look, point blank. Listen for yourself below. Props to Complex.

Mix: Kanye West "Yeezus" Samples

2013-06-16T00:05:00.000-04:00

Do you realize how fast the internet works these days? Not only have many of us heard Kanye West's fabled Yeezus album in full before its release date, now we can hear a mix of some of his samples. This all becomes before the project is slated to officially drop. Just think about that for a second. God bless the internet and the talented people who make it buzz. You'll probably hear a couple of surprisingly familiar tunes. Props to BoomBopBeatnik. Listen for yourself after the break.

Kanye West - Yeezus (Samples Mix) by Boom Bap Beatnik on Mixcloud

Video: DyMe A Duzin - "Father's Day"

2013-06-15T23:49:00.001-04:00

You know what it is. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you thought that Brooklyn emcee DyMe A Duzin's "Father's Day" would be an emotional tribute to the impact his father had in his life. If that's all you expected, then you would be correct. If you expected that impact to be a positive one, then you're out of luck. The Plain Pat-produced track allows DyMe to vent about the resentment he harbors to his father for his lack of a presence in his life. You might be able to identify if you've had similar experiences, or be grateful that you haven't. Watch for yourself after the break. Props to Complex.

Woodkid - "I Love You (Pharrell Remix)"

2013-06-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

Two of the biggest innovators in the game link up on this one. Legendary creative mind Pharrell Williams takes liberties with Woodkid's "I Love You," adding his mellow brand of production into the mix. The original version of "I Love You" was gloriously grandiose, featuring powerful organ and percussion that drive the track forward. Pharrell incorporates his more simplistic, infectious brand of summertime pop stylings into the mix, giving Woodkid's vocals an entirely new context to go off of. Props to IllRoots. Listen for yourself below.