The Internet - Purple Naked Ladies

The first non-rap album I am reviewing! For some background: the internet is a sub-group of OFWGKTA, consisting of Producer Matt Martians and singer/DJ/only girl in odd future Syd Tha Kyd. This is the production-duo's first album, and it was pretty good (for the first album of two stoner/surrounded by stoners teenagers from L.A.). Syd tha Kyd recently was on the cover of LA Weekly. Good for you Syd.

Hook 1: originality. I have never heard beats consistently using odd clicks and boings and wooshes as the ones on Purple Naked Ladies. Nor have I ever heard a beat as dependent on odd clicks and boings and wooshes as the ones on Purple Naked Ladies.

Neutral 1: singing. I like that the lyrics, despite conveying sometimes cliched topics, are funny and original, but I don't like Syd tha Kyd's voice. Some of my favorite songs have guest singers.

Downside 1: that boingy sound gets pretty damn annoying, Matt. Also, every other sound just gets boring.  The album would have been much more interesting without 3 or 4 of the songs.

Overall Score: 6/7

Download Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?2yes39k71a8v1pu

Kendrick Lamar - Section.80

I know this is not very recent, but section.80 was my favorite rap album of 2011, hands down. It should go down as a great, inspirational rap album of this generation.

Hook 1: sophistication. Kendrick Lamar had something relevant to say in every song, from racism to political issues. He educates listeners about the struggles of being a black person in Compton. He spends the album space that many other rappers fill with bragging, with rhymes about overcoming anything, from Martin Luther King overcoming bigotry, to Kendrick Lamar overcoming skeptics who talk behind his back. He also has deep, existential thoughts; "Kush and Corinthians" showcases his longest philosophical rant.

Hook 2: oddness. Kendrick Lamar is so delightfully weird, eg. "Stewardess complementing me on my nappy hair, if I can fuck her in front of all of these passengers they'll probably think I'm a terrorist." This just accentuates how horny he is, but it is really funny that anybody would think of that. He claims to have lived his 20s at 2 years old. Kendrick Lamar occasionally slips into weird accents that make Section.80 all the more fun to listen to.

Hook 3: production. Every song on the album has a clear and fresh beat that fits with his voice and the voices of his features perfectly from the beautiful, ominous keyboards on "No Make Up (Her Vice)" to the freestyle jazz behind "Ab-Souls Outro".

Hook 4: consistency. There is not one weak track on the whole album.

Hook 5: he is just a good ass rapper.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Best of 2011

I have listened to a lot of hip hop and rap in my life, and when there are not albums coming out daily, I will review some older stuff from 2011 and past. But for now...

The BEST 5 hip hop and rap albums of 2011:

1. Section.80 - Kendrick Lamar

2. Return of 4eva - Big K.R.I.T.

3. XXX - Danny Brown

4. Undun - The Roots

5. The Book of David - DJ Quik