Summer '19 Music Review

(PHOTO: Micah Edwards, DESIGN: Javanna Plummer)

In Summer 2019, some artists brought the heat, while others might need to go back to the kitchen and add some more sauce. Check out this review of 13 projects that caught my eye.

Spotify: Open. Set to: Discover. Before I started this review, I wanted to get into the right head space, so I let Spotify take me on a journey. Speaking of musical discoveries, I thank the lord that I finally fell into the hype of Megan Thee Stallion because I have not regretted it yet.

During the summer, her mixtape helped me cope with my “Hot Girl Summer” feeling more like Hot Mess Summer, as my friend might put it. I was out of school with no job and no idea how I would pay back these daunting loans. So, I used music to help me deal with the love child of colonialism and classism. Here’s how Summer 2019’s music catalogue measured up for me.

Indie and Emerging Artists – Artists who are emerging into celebrity or who prefer to do without it

7. The Lost Boy x YBN Cordae

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

YBN Cordae is up next. Let me preface this by saying that. Although his album did not move like other albums this summer, it was still a solid project (else I would not even take the time to review it). While I heard Cordae’s concept – the lost boy finding his way in the industry – I would have liked to see him expound upon this idea even more.

However, I do not doubt that he will have that growth. I remember when I heard his response to J. Cole’s 1985 track and I thought to myself, “He has bars.” Then, a few months later, he performed with H.E.R. at the BET Awards and he became an XXL freshman. So, like I said, YBN Cordae is up next, and I foresee his future projects highlighting his strengths – storytelling and social consciousness.

Rating: 20/30

Best Song: We Gon Make It ft. Meek Mill

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Lost & Found (based solely on him sneaking in support of XXXTentacion)

6. Shea Butter Baby x Ari Lennox

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

I like Ari Lennox, and I see her potential. Looking at her career trajectory from PHO to Shea Butter Baby, she is beginning to break out of her shell as an artist. To me, Shea Butter Baby is Ari’s coming of age story. She’s been under the radar, but now it’s time for her to fully blossom.

In the BMO video, I think she is finally taking herself out of the box she’s been placed in – as the resident woman for Dreamville. The only places where the album fell short for me was the longevity of her tracks. Although I really liked them when I first heard them, they didn’t all have that long lasting impact. But maybe they didn’t need to.

Rating: 22/30.

Best Song: Broke ft. JID

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Her voiceovers (they weren’t working for me)

5. Eve x Rapsody

(PHOTO: Flickr)

In true Hip Hop fashion, Rapsody took her time between Laila’s Wisdom and Eve, and you could hear the progression that happened in that between time. Immediately when I began listening, it struck me that her songs sounded a lot better, and she was using more exciting beats. Eve succeeded in bringing Rapsody’s concept to life, but there were some areas of improvement.

I was excited about the song “Aaliyah” at first because I liked the beat and Rapsody delivered with her lyrics, but then I found out that the background voice I heard was Sabrina Claudio, who was called out for being a racist troll. Rapsody’s decision to work with a recovering racist is going to be a no from me. Apart from that, I enjoyed Eve.

Rating: 24/30

Best Song: Myrlie ft. Mereba

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Sabrina Claudio’s vocals on “Aaliyah”

4. Mirrorland x EARTHGANG

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

Mirrorland was a journey into a fun house, which makes sense because that’s what EARTHGANG was doing on this album: having fun. Coming off the hype of Revenge of the Dreamers 3, I think that the timing is impeccable. I was already excited to hear more from Johnny Venus after “Sacrifices,” so when I heard those vocals re-emerge on tracks like “Top Down,” “Stuck,” and “Wings,” I was genuinely excited.

I just did not like Kehlani’s feature. For the past year, I have noticed that more and more singers are trying rapping, and I think it could be a good thing. However, Kehalni’s verse on “Trippin” always feels out of place. This past week, as I’ve adopted a 5 song rotation for Mirrorland, I constantly find myself skipping past “Trippin” when her verse comes on. However, that’s my only critique. I have a very limited criticism of Mirrorland because I enjoyed the album.

Rating: 21/30

Best Song: Stuck

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Swivel (it was already on ROTD3!)

3. The Jungle Is the Only Way Out x Mereba

(SCREENSHOT: Mereba’s Personal Wesbite)

I am excited to see more from Spillage Village, an artist group featuring 6lack, Mereba, EARTHGANG, J.I.D, Hollywood JB and JordxnBryant. Without realizing, I have become fans of 4/6 of the group, Mereba being one of the latest. Thanks to Spotify discovery, I found her song “Stay Tru,” but I thought nothing of it. I just liked the song.

(SCREENSHOT: J.I.D.’s Instagram account)

Months later, following the hype of ROTD 3, I started tracking following social media posts from Dreamville’s artists, and I saw JID post about Mereba’s album, which he is featured on. Since I knew I had this review coming up, I gave it a listen, and I was made a fan of yet another Spillage Village artist.

What solidified my fandom for Mereba was her concept on The Jungle Is the Only Way Out. The second track, “Kinfolk,” reminded me of an old Black Western film. Throughout the rest of the album, she was consistent with this theme. I especially liked that her interlude “Dodging the Devil” had somehing that Ari Lennox and Ella Mai’s were missing on their voiceover tracks: substance.

To me, poetry or voiceovers on albums are like seasoning – they are good in moderation, and you have to use the right one. Overall, The Jungle Is the Only Way Out felt like an ode to self-preservation and falling in loving during summertime.

Rating: 25/30

Best Song: Kinfolk

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Heatwave ft. 6lack

2. K.R.I.T. Iz Here x Big Krit

(PHOTO: Julio Enriquez / FLICKR)

Halfway through the album, Big Krit tells us everything we need to know about K.R.I.T. Iz Here. “I guess that’s why I’m 300 songs, 10 albums in, and I still got the glow,” he proudly states on “Family Matters.” K.R.I.T. Iz Here is an album about a rap veteran reminding you that you can be in control of your own narrative.

It also shows Krit reflecting on the people he does this rap thing for – his family. In other songs on the album, he digs into his roots. One of the biggest points of contention for Black Americans is not being able to trace our ancestors back to anywhere specific in Africa.

So, K.R.I.T. Iz Here offers a resolution: to live in the moment and recognize the roots you have in America. On “Life in the sun” and “M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I,” which could have worked as a suite, we see Krit reckoning with both his “Africanness” and “Americanness.”

To me, K.R.I.T. Iz Here shows a delicate balance between social consciousness and real life.

Rating: 26/3

Best Song: Family Matters

Should’ve stayed in the studio: His misogyny (Saweetie’s 30 seconds on Addiction was trifling)

1. Jamila Woods

Jamila Woods performing at Thalia Hall for her LEGACY! LEGACY! tour.

(PHOTO: Javanna Plummer)

LEGACY! LEGACY! felt like a walk through history, but it wasn’t a negative one, which I liked. Far too often, our recollections of history revolve around pain, so Jamila Woods’ album was refreshing, to say the least. To say the most, I like how Woods’ concept came to life. I also like that her songs can live outside of that concept as well.

During a tour stop in Chicago, she told concertgoers that her song “OCTAVIA” is about one of her students who felt that they were stupid. However, the song’s message of empowerment can resonate with any Black child who has felt dumb because that’s what the system told them. The reason why this album was it for me and got me through the summer was because it took nuggets of history and gave them a contemporary twist.

Rating: 28/30

Best Song: Baldwin

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Betty (I like the one For Boogie better)

Popular Artists – Artists (and labels) with immediate name recognition

6. No. 6 Collaborations Project x Ed Sheeran

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

I used to rock with the folksy/Rock Ed Sheeran, even when my friend called him a Raggedy Ann Doll; even when my family asked (begged) me not to play his music in the car. I rocked with him because liked I his sound, and no amount of disrespect would change that. Now, he’s doing more Hip Hop-influenced music, and I’m not really feeling it.

In July, Sheeran released his No. 6 Collaborations project. When I listened to it, I wondered why he felt the need to announce that it was a collaborations project; that was obvious when we started hearing him work with artists he’s never worked with before. This was the first time his project felt like pandering.

Then, we get to “South of the Border,” the second song on the album. On this track, Sheeran welcomed features from recovering racist Camilla Cabello and socially Black Cardi B so they could help him participate in his cultural fantasies. This was only the second track, and I was already ready to turn it off.

Alas, I suffered through it for the sake of writing this review. However, if you asked me to namemore than two songs on the album off the top of my head, my response would be “Sorry to thisman.”

Rating: 15/30. In school, that would be an F. In this article, it would be an L.

Best Song: Beautiful People ft. Khalid

Should’ve stayed in the studio: South of the Border ft. Camilla Cabello and Cardi B

(PHOTO: Julio Enriquez / FLICKR)

5. The Big Day x Chance the Rapper

It was hard to decide what was more underwhelming: Ed Sheeran’s pandering or Chance the Rapper’s constant reminder that he does, in fact, love his wife. Bennett’s Big Day was disappointing for me as a longtime fan of his music, but I will give him credit for having a solid promotion with the pop-up store. However, the quality of Bennett’s promotion did not match the quality of his album.

I feel like there were a few things production wise that held him back. For one, we did not need 22 songs if they were not going to be properly sequenced. I understand that this was an album, which traditionally has more songs than a mixtape. However, many of the songs on The Big Day sounded like throwaways, and I found that strange. This was his debut album, and he was giving us space fillers.

One track that especially made me cringe was “Handsome,” Bennett’s song with Megan Thee Stallion. While a Meg feature is always nice, their sounds felt mismatched. Unlike Revenge of the Dreamers 3, where disparate sounds were made to sound cohesive, Bennett slacked in this area. In other words, the idea of the album was sound, but Bennett just did not deliver. So, once again, it’s a no from me.

Rating: 16/30. In school, that would be an F. In this article, it would be an L.

Favorite Song (Pun intended): Hot Shower

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Handsome ft. Megan Thee Stallion

4. Cuz I Love You x Lizzo

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

On first listen, I thought Cuz I Love You was going to be a classic album. In retrospect, it is not quite there yet. Although this album conveyed Lizzo’s relentless journey toward self-love, some of the songs felt forgettable. Then, the Gucci Mane feature felt awkward. I later realized this feature was her hint that she wants to experiment with Hip Hop, but she has always given me R&B vibes.

So, it was a little different to hear her pair up with a rapper. This does not mean she shouldn’t try her hand with rapping. Nonetheless, this is not a diss. I like Lizzo just as much as the next person and, and I liked the album, but I just didn’t love it. It didn’t render me as a classic album but rather an artist finding her sound. I am interested to see her artist pivot between this one and the next album.

Rating: 20/30

Best Song: Soulmate

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Jerome

3. Revenge of the Dreamers 3 x Dreamville

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

Not to be totally cliché or anything, but this was the moment we’ve all been waiting for. When J. Cole said “Dreamville, give us a year, we’ll be on every show,” on “GOMD,” I imagine this is what he meant. Dreamville’s big idea of mixing artists who’d never collaborated before came together a lot smoother than Sheeran’s Black Pander Party on No. 6 Collaborations Project.

Since they are in two different genres, I will limit the comparisons, but I think that is important to note. From the concept to the production, there was a lot to love about Revenge of the Dreamers. With Ari Lennox’s album release in early summer, the label release in mid-summer, and then EARTHGANG’s release on the tail end of summer, it could be argued that last summer was a Dreamville summer. In “Wells Fargo,” arguably one of the best songs on the album, we hear aplethora of voices coming together to make a cohesive sound, and I think that was one of thestrongest reasons why I ranked it where I did.

(SCREENSHOT: Bas Twitter account)

However, the album fell short on sociocultural impact, which is how I broke the tie with the nexttwo projects. Hip Hop, to me, is two parts music and one-part social awareness, which is why Imade that a tiebreaking factor.

I loved the album, but I didn’t love hearing Ari Lennox just twice, although she’s a Dreamville artist. This was coupled with the fact that features with women were few and far between. So, while Revenge of the Dreamers 3 is a classic Hip Hop album for the quality of production, it is also classic to Hip Hop because it continues the pattern of marginalizing women.

Rating: 25/30

Best Song: Sacrifices

Should’ve stayed in the studio: Ladies, Ladies, Ladies

2. The Lion King: The Gift x Beyoncé

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

I couldn’t even type Beyoncé’s name into Microsoft Word without spellcheck offering to put accent on the last E. That should tell you something about Beyoncé’s cultural impact. When I decided to throw her album in this mix, I knew it was coming in at number one or two because of the adventure this album took you on.

I appreciate that unlike other soundtracks for cinema, it didn’t *sound* like a movie soundtrack. That is, the songs on the album could live beyond the context of the movie. This album was a celebration of Blackness through the lens of the Black diaspora. Initially, this was tied with Revenge of the Dreamers 3. Then, I thought about the sociocultural impact of the album itself: a Black woman from Houston, Texas produced an Afro Beats album for one of Disney’s most famous movies.

That is big. Taking that into consideration, I bumped the album up. Beyoncé used this album to address colorism, celebrate the diaspora, and put artists on while reminding us that she’s top 2 and not number 2.

Rating: 26/30

Favorite Song Right Now: Water

Should’ve stayed in the studio: I could’ve lived without a Jay Z feature on this album

1. Fever x Megan Thee Stallion

(PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons)

If you have access to any type of smart device or social media, I am sure the phrase “Hot Girl Summer” was a defining part of the season. Wherever I went, a Hottie was surely playing one of the tracks from Fever.

My personal favorite, and probably everyone’s, was “Cash S**t,” Meg Thee Stallion’s song with DaBaby. Earlier, I said that we heard people just having some fun, and this is what I meant. The chemistry between Megan and DaBaby makes you feel the song. On Big Day, Megan Thee Stallion’s feature felt awkward because the relationship seemed inorganic (at least for me).

It did not feel believable that churchgoing Chance™ is ready to drive thee boat with Megan Thee Stallion. It is more plausible resident hottie Megan Thee Stallion would be friends with DaBaby, as they are two artists who cadence, confidence and candor are captivating (I should get an award for alliteration).

Throughout Megan Thee Stallion’s tape, you caught a Fever that made you want to drive thee boat, get over your ex, drink henny out the bottle, or do whatever it took to have a certified Hot Girl Summer.

Rating: 28/30

Favorite song right now: Cash S**t

Should’ve stayed in the studio: W.A.B.

Truly, we heard it all last Summer, but these lists are not meant to be exhaustive. If you think Imissed something or want me to review something for the Fall Music Review *SPOILERALERT*, let me know.

Editor’s Note: To select the “Best” album in each category, I rated three factors on a scale of 1- 10: sequencing, production, and longevity (measured by the % of songs that I have added to Apple Music). For any ties, I used additional factors of promotions, reception, and sociocultural impact as tiebreakers.