What Kanye West’s tweets reveal about the culture war

Of all the bizarre things I thought would spring out of 2018, Kanye embracing President Trump and a resulting tailspin of the culture war was not high on my list. However, neither is a it a huge shock. Many will remember his visit to Trump Tower in 2016 shortly after the victory to “discuss life”, a stunt that whether it was pure provocation or not, did little good for Kanye’s already dubious reputation in leftist circles. He was actively called an Uncle Tom and a token black person for daring to even entertain the ‘deeply bigoted’ president. Curiously though people seemed to forget about the incident, or at least sweep it under the rug, and went back to loving Ye and his music once again. Little did they know that the monster in the cupboard was only resting, and Kanye had far from abandoned his admiration for the Republican president.

Fast forward 18 months and Kanye is back at it, but this time doing more than just standing for a photo-op with the president. Reactivating his Twitter account, he unleashed a tweet storm to end all tweet storms where he included such gems as “Some people have to work within the consciousness while other people can shift the consciousness”, “Just stop lying about shit. Just stop lying” and perhaps my personal favourite “Truth is my goal. Controversy is my gym. I’ll do a hundred reps of controversy for a six pack of truth.” I mean, truly this was golden stuff. Then came an announcement phase, disclosing the release date for his album, a collaboration project with Kid Cudi and Pusha T’s album, all dropping in early June (to my huge excitement).

Then things got serious when he dropped the 7 word bombshell that broke the delusions of so many, “I like the way Candice Owens thinks.” A google search later, and much of Kanye’s fanbase was outraged. A CONSERVATIVE? How could he? Does he not understand the plight of black people? Is Kanye West… you guessed it… A RACIST? So on and so forth. But he went on.. “Self victimisation is a disease”, “There was a time when slavery was the trend but apparently that time is still upon us. But it’s now a mentality.” He then, hilariously, posted himself watching notorious Trump fan Scott Adams’ video, talking about how Ye had flipped the culture on it’s head with his comment about Candice, which knowing Kanye’s history would have been a huge boost to his ego and pushed him further down the rabbit hole. The real kicker though came just a couple of days ago, Kanye saying plainly that he loves President Trump and that they share, wait for it.. DRAGON ENERGY! I mean, I’m trying to be semi-serious here, but really, the best Hollywood screenwriter couldn’t make this shit up. He then posted his MAGA hat, the cherry on top of this beautiful symphony of trollery. Chance, The Rapper later chimed in saying “Black people don’t have to be democrats.”, as well as Kim Kardashian who staunchly defended her husband’s right to like whoever he wants. Who would have thought the day would come where Kim Kardashian is making more sense than The New York Times?

Now, why did I bother laying out this timeline of Kanye’s tweets? Why does all this matter? Well, by Kanye doing what Kanye has always done, stir up the hornet’s nest, he unintentionally exposed many ugly truths about the liberal-conservative culture war that has been brewing furiously on social media for years now, and for once, forced people at least temporarily out of their ideological echo-chambers. The internet has always been a double edged sword when it comes to free-speech and the open exchange of ideas. Initially it promised to be the bastion of such principals, many social networks had humble beginnings as tools primarily designed for connecting people who might not otherwise associate with one another. What they have slowly morphed into however, are moral arbiters tasked with the promulgation of “acceptable discourse”. We can see this playing out legally at the moment with Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony on Capitol Hill a few weeks ago, rightly being asked by Ted Cruz just what the principal role of Facebook actually is. Are they a biased publisher or a neutral platform? Clearly, he doesn’t quite know the answer, but legally it has to be the latter. He can’t have it both ways. What we know for certain is happening though is that social networks are cracking down on whatever they consider to be “hate speech”, a vague, subjective term that really means “speech we don’t like”. Now, this cleanse of mainly conservative voices is yet to fully play itself out, but the wheels are most definitely in motion. Conservative content, especially independent content, is routinely being demonetised on YouTube, censored on Twitter or actively removed from people’s Facebook timelines by biased algorithms. One of the fundamental questions of the internet age is waiting to be answered, do Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey want to promote diversity of thought, or do they want to be moral adjudicators?

But how does this tie in to Kanye’s tweet storm? Whether he meant to or not, Kanye opened up a schism in the normal order of social media. The recipe; huge celebrity, perceived to be of the left and for social justice, a free thinker who loves controversy. The truth is, the left knew that Kanye was always a danger in the culture war simply because he can not be pigeon holed. He has routinely shocked me with his very unique blend of provocation and a disregard for social niceties and norms. Love him or hate him, he will never give you anything but his honest take on things. Many of those takes might be ignorant and crass, but they are always from the heart. However like many great artists throughout history, he has been routinely mischaracterised by people who think he stands up for them and their beliefs. A comparison can be made to my favourite artist ever, Bob Dylan, who also resolutely refused to be labelled as standing for an ideological position, and predictably got torn to shreds when he then chose to go against the ideas of the group. The mistake people make is associating individual statements on distinct situations with a firm political affiliation. It is possible for instance, for Kanye to see George Bush’s response to hurricane Katrina as insufficient or even racist, without him then having to swear an oath of allegiance to the Democratic Party. The unfortunate truth of social media is that it promotes tribalism and radicalism on both sides, encouraging group think and closed debates where thinking is not required. There is a human desire to seek out the collective in all of us. It is secure, safe and doesn’t require the confrontation of chaos that comes with considering radically different viewpoints. Nobody is exempt, and even without dodgy algorithms these social and cultural divides are simply inevitable on a platform that requires little courage or accountability.

But what Kanye has done over the last few days is shatter this divide to some degree, as trivial and non-consequential as it all sounds. Liberals have been forced to look at one of their cultural hero’s in a whole new light, and likewise conservatives have had to look more seriously at someone they chose to dismiss as crazy for a long time. Sadly, the echo-chambers are too powerful to be taken down so easily. In fact ironically, the response to these tweets has shown me that the reverse might be true – they might be strengthened. I am sure that Kanye will prompt some liberals to look up the likes of Candice Owens and Scott Adams, who I think are reasonably rational political commentators, and perhaps they will re-evaluate some of their long-held prejudices. Likewise I hope that some conservatives will take the likes of Kanye and others like Kendrick Lamar more seriously and push for greater cultural unification. But I suspect and see a much more sinister side to all of this. Many liberals have simply doubled down on their beliefs, promising to boycott Kanye’s future albums, sell their collections of his shoes and commit themselves to attacking him vehemently. Equally there are right-wingers who are trying to use Kanye as a weapon for their own rigid ideology, one that I am personally more inclined to but by no means fully attached. The truth is that Kanye is the same person he always has been since bursting onto the hip hop scene in 2004, and we have to take his utterances one by one and sometimes with a grain of salt.

Scott Adams’ argument is that a Kanye, like Trump before him, has broken long-held cultural taboos and opened up an a new frontier for free-thought that will act as a gateway for all of us to escape our ideological mental prisons. This all sounds great, but isn’t this space also a power vacuum that will be filled by a new set of demagogues? There is no obvious reason to think otherwise. I like a lot of what Trump has done as president, but you’re a fool if you think he hasn’t also done a great deal of harm to the idea of decency and honesty with his rhetoric. Populism is incapable of fostering a truly healthy public debate on important issues, as we are seeing with this degradation of common values on social media. It is a dangerous game to play. What we really need is a space that can act as buttress against ideological possession, much like the territory people like Jordan Peterson have opened up with his hours of lectures on personal responsibility and individualism, or Sam Harris’ ideas about mediation, the need for rationality and the scientific method. These are people who I see as really leading the charge against the Hell on the extremes of politics, with their willingness to debate their ideas with people to which they disagree in the public arena, as it’s clear to any thinking person that there is a reason for both sides to exist. If Kanye or anyone else can add to that discussion then I applaud him for that. In truth I already applaud him for not being afraid to speak his ideas loudly, just as he always has. But let’s keep it in perspective, worshiping or hating the man will get us nowhere. Let’s start seeing each other as fellow brothers and sisters instead of despicable enemies, and judge each idea (or tweet) on it’s own merits. Adams is right that we have a chance to forge a new world, but we must do it responsibly and with our highest virtues in mind, free-speech, compassion, understanding and critical thinking. Or as Kanye says, “Be fearless. Express what you feel not what you’ve been programmed to feel.”

Where this surreal story will lead is anyone’s guess and I can’t pretend to know anymore than anyone else. As always there have been takeaways that I like and others that are straight up crazy. Predictably The Washington Post labelled Kanye alt-right, another term that has been twisted to the point of utter deformity by it’s overuse. Ben Shapiro credited West but warned people that he might still be a crazy lunatic and to not jump to conclusions. The late night hosts gave spiels denouncing him. But overall, the comments on these tweets give the most accurate picture of the response, and sadly it seems that a lot of his fans have put him permanently in the loony bin and thrown away the key. Personally I wish Kanye all the best for his upcoming album releases, which I await with baited breath. This might all turn out to be the greatest marketing scheme in music history, as you can be damn sure that our outrage obsessed culture will want to see what Ye is going to say when he raps even if they are currently ‘boycotting’ him. I still predominantly care about Kanye because I see him as one of the greatest artists of his generation, controversial as that may be, but to pretend that this past week has not been a significant cultural moment would be very naive even if I wish it wasn’t. As Andrew Breitbart said “politics is downstream from culture”, and it’s about time we got our act together on both fronts.

Send me your thoughts with a comment or on Twitter @Balzo93

In Rotation: July 2016

I haven't done one of these in a long while, but recently I've really picked up my music listening game, mostly thanks to some great albums coming out. So here are the 3 albums that I'm playing the heck out of right now.

1. The Avalanches - Wildflower

Of course the long awaited second album from The Avalanches was going to be in here. After 16 long years, the Australian plunderphonics trio have finally come through and given us a follow up to 2000's Since I left You. I was actually only introduced to this band a few weeks ago by a friend and it sounded to me a lot like what I had heard on projects from J Dilla. I dug it a lot, but to hook me for an entire album of sound snippets and samples, it has to be really good. Luckily, Wildflower is exactly that, really fucking good. This album sounds like The Beatles, The Jackson 5 and J Dilla got together and made an album. It really has it all, but the main reason I'm loving it so much is simply because it makes me feel so damn good. The music is a lot more dreamy than their first, which might not be to everyones liking. But fortunately it never feels like the album falls back on one type of sound and treads water, instead throwing subtle curveballs at you all over the place. There are songs like Frankie Sinatra, the album's lead single, that feel peculiar and particularly ambitious. But my favourite moments on the project were the groovier tracks like Subway, If I Was A Folkstar and Sunshine. These tracks are idyllic and perfect for a late afternoon walk through in the countryside. I also loved the smattering of hip hop across this project with MC's like Danny Brown, MF Doom and Biz Markie coming through with verses that really give the album a change of pace exactly when it needs it. It is hard to make an album with such a diverse set of influences sound so seamless and organic, but The Avalanches pulled it off superbly with this album. What's more, you can listen to it at any time in any place and I guarantee it will lift your mood noticeably.

2. Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP

TDE are back and they just keep getting better and better. Schoolboy Q is definitely an aquired taste, even amongst hip hop fans, but if you like him then chances are you'll REALLY dig this most recent project. I always saw Schoolboy as the gangster rapper of TDE, and in many ways he is. His previous songs and albums are vivid depictions of his past and even his current lavish lifestyle, his drug habits and his struggles with gang culture. This new album has seen Schoolboy up his production game, employing some of the music industry's most forward thinking names who are really looking to push the genre forward. Like on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, the production on Blank Face is spacious, jazzy and groovy. I always thought Schoolboy would suit tighter production better. Some of my favourite tracks on Oxymoron were the straight up bangers with catchy hooks. I see it a bit differently now. On Blank Face, Schoolboy proves that he can rap over pretty much any beat and can write lyrics that can convey deeper meaning whilst still being just as hard hitting and in your face as he has been before. The mix of soft sensual cuts on the album like Kno Ya Wrong and Overtime blend perfectly with the harder cuts on the record like Groovy Tony, Dope Dealer and Lord Mercy. Tookie Knows II is probably my favourite cut on the record though, with a super catchy beat and some incredible rapping from Schoolboy and his homies, Traffic and T&F. It's an album that's aesthetic is very well formed, but never end up sounding rigid or like its meandering. Schoolboy raps with just as much authority as I've heard from him before, and I'm really glad that he hasn't sacrificed his sound in any way, just brought in producers and features that helped to give the album a more thematic quality. It is clear that Kendrick has raised the stakes in the TDE camp with his last two projects and forced the current stable of rappers to up their games, which can only be a good thing. Quite simply, the production on this album alone is enough to warrant giving it a listen, but if you also like Schoolboy's brash brand of rapping, then you're in for a treat with this one.

3. Nolan The Ninja - He(Art)

I know, I know, it's another rap album. But what can I say, it's my favourite genre at the moment. From one abrasive rapper to another, next we have Nolan The Ninja's album He(Art). This project caught me completely by surprise a few weeks ago after a recommendation from a friend. This shit is hard! If you're looking for a rapper whose just going blow your ear drums out with straight up bars for 16 tracks then this is the album for you. The beats are pretty minimal and mostly boom bap based, which is the perfect foundation for Nolan to showcase his rapping, which is aggressive, fast and angry. He's also a really good lyrical rapper, who won't give you too many stories so to speak, but will spit bars that might cause you throw an imaginary fist pump or two. Sometimes I am not in the mood for hip hop that is trying to preach to me, I just want to hear a dope rapper with a distinct delivery rap his ass off, and that's okay. That is exactly what you'll get with He(Art), but there is probably more to the album if you want to dig a little deeper. To me this is the way rap should be in its purest form, hard hitting and competitive. We have drifted too far from what made the 90's the golden age for hip hop, where for the most part it was all about toppling your rivals and showing off your ability on the mic. There was no sugar coating, the rapping had to speak for itself. In 2016, with the likes of Future and Drake dominating the genre's mainstream, it is always nice to be reminded by an underground artist just why you love this type of music so much. This album will be perfect for those of you who are about to go wild in the gym or want to get yourselves fired up for something. You won't be dissapointed.

Dylan Dissected #2: All Along The Watchtower

If you have visited my blog before, you've probably realised that I have changed my title from MrDylanRecords to 'This Is Not Our Fate'. I'm still toying around with a more permanent name for the blog, but at the moment I want to leave it as it is. The phrase is of course a lyric from one of my favourite Dylan songs, All Along the Watchtower. It is a song that perhaps surprisingly, took me a long time to warm up to. I always admired the song, but like so many others I preferred the electric version by Jimi Hendrix. It is only in the last few months that I have started to think more deeply not only about Watchtower, but the whole of Dylan's mysterious 1967 masterpiece, John Wesley Harding. The album has always fascinated me. Why and indeed how, could someone of the stature of Bob Dylan go from the claustrophobic, urban tone of an album like Blonde On Blonde to the parable-like musings of John Wesley Harding in just over a year. I deduce that he must have undergone a profound change of both mind and artistic intention. Of course he also recorded the infamous basement tapes in between these two masterworks, and although they contain much genius in their own right, I think we can see them as an aside in Dylan's album chronology. Where Blonde On Blonde seems schizophrenic, intoxicating and indulgent, John Wesley Harding seems quite the opposite; stripped back and grounded in a clear-minded morality. Although I prefer the former, I see JWH as a hugely bold artistic statement, an obvious attempt to distance himself from the drug induced chaos of the previous 2 years, which had seen him both rise and fall from the dizzying heights of fame and fortune. In a year where the rest of popular music was moving in the opposite direction towards psychedelia and the abstract, Dylan retreated to the serenity of Woodstock to regain some clarity and seek truth through his music.

After 3 stunning opening tracks that very much set the musical and lyrical mood for the album, we get the 2 and a half minute, All Along the Watchtower. This desperately short run time demands that the track to be concise and biting, which it more than delivers on. The track's intro lasts just 15 seconds with a driving guitar chord structure and a screeching harmonica layered over subdued yet noticeable drums. The instrumental does not change much, it doesn't have to. It does a great job of filling the gaps between Dylan's lines, which are clearly divided into two halves. In fact if you count the syllables of each half of each line, they almost exactly mirror each other, "There's too much confusion" (6 syllables) "I can't get no relief" (6 syllables). This way of structuring the song provides a sense of symmetry, forcing the listener to pay attention to every word. Unlike some of his earlier work which is much more descriptive and free-form, a concerted effort is made on Watchtower to make use of every word and syllable. This might not have worked as well as it does without such a disciplined structure in place, which is why the form is just as important to this song as the lyrics. The track reinforces my views on earlier Dylan songs and is something I touched on in my analysis of Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, the way he uses words to punctuate the music in order to create a nuanced and densely layered sound. The song couldn't be further from Sad Eyed Lady topically, yet it obeys the same principle of giving the words and music a sort of symbiotic relationship. In other words, the power is in both the music and words working together.

The track is just 12 lines long, which gives it a parable like quality. Dylan told Rolling Stone in 1968 that the album had 'no blank filler' and that there were no lines that you can 'poke your finger through'. Every word in All Along the Watchtower holds true to this, it has to in order to possess such power. Dylan manages to refrain from using descriptive words that he may have used just 1 or 2 years earlier, without sacrificing any of the imagery. In fact, Watchtower is easily one of his most vivid songs. The imagery of the joker and the thief, the businessmen and plowmen, the princes, barefoot servants and women, the riders approaching the watchtower, the wildcat growling. It is astonishing how Dylan manages to fit so many characters into 12 lines. He was playing to his very well established strength of storytelling and creating immersive visual worlds for his listeners, whilst also being very careful not to let pretty language overshadow the real point of the song, in this case being the joker, thief and their conversation. Perhaps this is why he reverses the verses, setting the scene for the encounter in the last stanza of the song instead of the first. This way round, the discussion between the joker and the thief is not taking place in a crowded, imperfect reality but in sort of vacuum. It is only when the last stanza is uttered that the listener can contextualise what is being said and interpret it. This delay in gratification is very interesting and in a funny way causes the listener to feel like the joker, confused and without relief. It also gives it a cyclical quality of being trapped in the chaos of life. Dylan spoke on this as well, stating he had purposefully not fulfilled the balladeers job on John Wesley Harding, instead reimagining how a story could be told in order to throw out any traditional sense of time.

Although I think the lyrics speak for themselves, lets take a deeper look at them. The opening 2 lines read:

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief

As Dylan had not yet set the stage for the encounter, the listener does not know where 'here' is. It has been speculated that the joker and the thief may represent the two men either side of Jesus at the crucifixion, in which case 'here' would be the apocolyptic situation they found themselves in. It can also be supposed that if the joker and the thief are in fact the two riders who approach the watchtower in the final stanza, then perhaps they have been imprisoned by the powers that be (the princes perhaps?). However there is no confirmation of this. In my opinion, I don't think it matters who they are or where they are. What is clear is that the thief is in distress, desperate for salvation from some opposing force in the world. He goes on to explain the root of his suffering:

Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth

None of them along the line know what any of it is worth”

These lines touch at the very heart of the human condition. The joker is observing a world where people live for worldly pleasures, performing their daily rituals without any idea of where they're going or what they're doing. He seems stuck in a godless world where everything is futile, where nobody knows the true worth of life. Dylan seems to also be observing the nature of social structures as well by juxtaposing the businessmen with the plowmen, yet without any obvious bias for either one. He is saying that no matter what our social status or our 'role' in the world, without the truth we are incomplete. It is at this point that the thief responds:

“No reason to get excited,” the thief, he kindly spoke
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke

But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate

So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late”

It seems like he is saying that the businessmen and plowmen that the joker speaks of see life as meaningless, devoid of any purpose and truth. He is consoling the joker, attempting to put his doubts about the world around him to rest. He tells the joker that they've 'been through that', they've been in the position of these people and thus can understand its uselessness. He assures the joker that it is not their fate to live such a life and that they must push forward towards the truth. I think in these two stanzas Dylan encapsulates the two sides of the human psyche. The first displays our tendency to doubt the existence of meaning, and exhibit the need for distraction from our certain deaths, whilst the second displays a deeper and contradicting need to actively seek the truth, to never fully resign ourselves to a futile existence. The second verse pinpoints the moment of total clarity when the material world dissolves and a person realises that they must finally be strong. It echoes a line from It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) where Dylan states "you lose yourself, you reappear, you suddenly find you got nothing to fear". He is describing the awakening of a person from the perils of a broken world to a realisation that the truth is in fact out there. The last line of the stanza has obvious biblical implications. The thief acknowledges that they are running out of time. But until what exactly? It could be until Christ is crucified, or until his second coming to earth. These are the more likely interpretations, but the thief could also mean that they are simply getting old, they only have a short time left to live, therefore they must not mince words or waste time.

The final stanza puts the dialogue in some kind of context as we are plunged into one of Dylan's bizarre hotchpotch worlds, filled with interesting archetypes and imagery: 

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view

While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too

We can assume since the verse structure has been reversed that these 2 lines should be the first in the story. Princes keep the view from the watchtower, while women and servants come and go, presumably to satisfy the needs of wealthy men, symbolised by the princes. The power in these lines is their detachment from any sense of judgement. Dylan plays the observer, not the moral judicator. Without this bias we can seek something deeper in the world Dylan is depicting, and relate it to the words of the joker and the thief we have already heard. This kind of objectivity and straight talking is rare in music, even in Dylan's own work, although he struck upon it more times than most artists. There is not a single word or phrase wasted on Watchtower, every line develops the narrative and expands the consciousness of the listener. This lack of filler was clearly something Dylan was aiming to do on the song, and it wouldn't surprise me if he wrote it in a similar fashion to Like a Rolling Stone, by starting with a much longer set of lyrics and painstakingly refining it until it contained nothing but the vital information and imagery. The song concludes with these two lines:

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl

Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl

The image of the wildcat could be symbolic of something or it could be one of the only descriptive devices in the song. Whatever the case it certainly serves to enrich the setting of the watchtower for the listener, perhaps placing it on the great rural planes of America where wildcats are most commonplace. Taking it more literally, the wildcat could symbolise the overwhelming forces of nature, capable of doing much more damage than mankind can. With the last two lines, Dylan conjures up a feeling of dread and an predicts an imminent storm for those in the watchtower. The wildcat could also represent some kind of evil, not quite upon those in the watchtower but within striking distance. Those in the watchtower can only hide from the truth for so long before it it is unescapable. The riders approach the watchtower, bringing with them the howling wind. This could also be a metaphor for the coming of truth to the unenlightened. A great shake up of the established order is underway, led by the two riders. But indeed if they are the joker and the thief, then perhaps the opening dialogue is evidence that their mission was unsuccessful. It is easy to theorise on the meaning of these last 4 lines, but ultimately Dylan wanted to leave Watchtower open-ended. The two parts are clearly related, but it is up to you to decide how they fit together. 

The biblical allusions in All Along The Watchtower are impossible to miss, and the track can certainly be read in a religious context, but I don't think it is required in order to get something from it. One thing's for sure though, Dylan's writing at this time was being heavily influenced by the large King James Bible that he kept on his kitchen table in Woodstock - he even talks about it in Chronicles. Despite claims that Bob was an atheist in his formative years, there is no doubting that he always had an interest in religion. Even his early work contains direct references to christianity, and by JWH nearly every track seems intimately linked with bible texts. With this song for instance we see strong similarities to a passage in the Book of Isaiah. On Watchtower and others on JWH, I feel Dylan manages to weave these deep moral threads into songs that are both alluring and thought provoking, whilst still maintaining his trademark storytelling. A decade later, he would embark on a series of albums dubbed his 'born again trilogy', which were ultimately branded as far more dogmatic and evangelical than what he gave us on John Wesley Harding. This is what gives the album a liberating quality. It never feels like we are being spoken down to by the narrator, but rather taught lessons about ourselves that perhaps we already knew but had long forgotten. The jarring nature of a song like Watchtower brings these deep truths back into our mind's eye and forces us to confront some difficult questions about ourselves and our society.

As is always the case with art, it is easy to conflate the artist with the work being produced. Understanding the context of where Dylan was at this point in his career may provide us with evidence of the song's origin and influences, but it is important to note that this is almost certainly not a personal song. Some have suggested that Dylan may have cast himself as the joker in Watchtower, along with Elvis as the thief for stealing African American music for the white race. For sure, the first verse does seem to be in line with how Dylan might have been feeling during the mid sixties. The world tour of '66 had all but killed him, and as he retreated to Woodstock it seemed he wanted one thing above all, a bit of relief. This is certainly one way to read the song, yet I feel it significantly dampens the transcendental power and mystery of it all. For me, this is a song that needs to be read objectively. It is really interesting to see the shift in Dylan's songwriting at this time. Having carved out the path for the modern singer-songwriter with his previous 7 albums, he seemed weary of having to carry such a responsibility on his shoulders. His work on this album could be seen as a regressive step back from the high water mark in creative expression that was Blonde on Blonde, but this is not the case. Instead it is an example of an artist digging back into the very roots of American music, and coming out with an album that sounded both old and new at the same time.

All Along The Watchtower is one of Dylan's most cryptic compositions. It attempts to force the listener to contemplate one of life's greatest questions, what is it all worth? Moreover, what might it cost to pursue to truth? For me, the song works because it can be read in a multitude of ways, not confined to its obvious biblical allusions but well anchored by them. The reverse verse structure combined with its unnerving instrumental has the listener unable to avoid its sense of an almost unbearable truth about the human species. Dylan clearly loves the song, having now played it a staggering 2257 times in concert, whilst it has also become one of his biggest hits. I view it as the majestic centrepiece on perhaps his most overlooked album, a track that continues to give me more and more each time I return to it.

I want to thank Nerdwriter1 on YouTube for his fantastic video about this song. His analysis formed the basis for this blog post and taught me many things that I didn't know about the track. I strongly encourage you all to go and check it out, along with the rest of his awesome channel!

TRACK REVIEW: Kanye West - Champions

We are living in the post Pablo world. In the few months that we've had to digest the latest project from Mr West, he's been anything but silent. Endless twitter rants, the announcement of a new album and video game, and controversial edits of The Life of Pablo have kept Kanye very much in his natural habitat, the public eye. Now we have a new single, Champions, set to be the first track from the upcoming Cruel Winter, the second G.O.O.D Music collaboration album which I'm guessing will be dropped sometime late this year or early next. To call this a Kanye West track would be a mistake I think. He is not credited as a producer and raps only a very short verse on the song. Rather, Champions is a team effort, a G.O.O.D Music free for all where everyone gets their chance to brag for 30 seconds or so. As Kanye put it in his interview with Big Boi, where he premiered the track, "when you have the Avengers you have to give them a movie". Kanye obviously sees his label mates in this vein, as the best rappers in the world. Whether there is the evidence to back this up is another matter entirely.

The track takes no time at all to get going, with Quavo coming in with an intro that is also the interlude. It's a catchy few lines but fails to really stir up the energy that the bombastic beat requires. Kanye's verse is first, but before it gets going it's basically already over. I like the line "I'm about to hit the Ye button", but with that kind of set up I really wanted Kanye to go in and start spitting some hard bars. Instead his lines are mostly flat and the verse falls desperately short of what I wanted. Gucci Mane comes in next for one of his two verses, but this one is just 4 lines, again failing to really do anything at all for me. Big Sean doesn't do much to stop the rut either, although at least his verse is more than 20 seconds. Unlike so many people I don't actually hate Sean's delivery. I mean it's nothing special but it's passable. What I can't stand is his lack of adaptability and how he never seems to try anything fresh or new. This verse just reaffirms that. After this we get the obligatory 2 Chainz verse, which incidentally is my favourite on the track. He sounds dope on the beat, which seems to work with his voice instead of clash with it like many of the other rappers do. But even 2 Chainz can't string together any creative metaphors or rhyme schemes, and lyrically the verse is very bare bones. I get that a track like this is purely about bragging and ignorance, but at least give me a few bars people! Verse 5 is given to Yo Gotti, and at this point I've lost track of who's even rapping anymore. The main irony of calling these artists The Avengers is that in the movie each Avenger has his/her own unique superpower, but on Champions, there is barely anything to distinguish the artists from one another. They sound so similar and are rapping about the exact same topics. Yo Gotti's verse can be added to the growing list of throwaways on this track. Gucci closes the track with a really annoying verse, possibly my least favourite. Yet again none of the bars possess any thought or inventiveness, leaving me utterly bored by the end of it all.

The one saving grace for Champions is its hook, which without being super memorable, is at least catchy and distinct from the verses. I like Travis Scott's grandiose delivery and the statement that they run the city, which feels more akin to Kanye's Avengers claim. This is a track where I want to hear glorified arrogance and hyperbole. I think this hook is a good foundation for the rappers to really deliver this, but unfortunately virtually all of them fall flat. Ultimately the hook deserved a more audacious and ambitious set of verses. Something must also be said about the production on Champions, which was done by A-Trax, Lex Luger and Mike Dean. It's a decent turn up beat which sounds a lot like what we heard on Cruel Summer in 2011. Again I think if the rapping had delivered I might have been able to appreciate it a little more, but as it is I feel like it was spoiled slightly by how many of the rappers were going over it.

Champions does nothing revolutionary, in fact in many ways it is a step back for Ye and his G.O.O.D Music A-Team. I have nothing against this kind of hip hop when it's done with originality, but this just sounds so derivative to me. It may have sounded fresh in 2010, or even perhaps in 2013, but this is 2016. I'm looking for a new sound, creative lyrical ideas, especially if Kanye is putting these artists forward as the the pioneers of the genre. I will always hold Ye to a high standard simply because of his unbelievable track record and constant hunger to push the boundaries of what hip hop can be, but I fear he may be sacrificing this in order to follow trends. I don't think we should read too much into this track though. I still see some potential in a 2016 G.O.O.D Music project, but I sure hope it ends up at a higher standard than this.

Score: 50/100

TRACK REVIEW: Pusha T - Drug Dealers Anonymous

It' s Push season baby! One of the most underrated rappers in the game for some time, Pusha T, has released a track with none other than Jay Z! Hardly a surprise collaboration, but certainly a tantalising one. The track is slow and brooding, with an ear grabbing beat from DJ Dahi and both rappers spitting deliberately to the listeners. They sound like they have something to shift off their chests. This sounds like a track that is very much in the same ilk as Darkest Before Dawn, Pusha T's last project, released at the end of last year. Pusha's verse starts the track off in great fashion. People complain that he is one-dimensional and that he is "just a drug rapper". I think that is unfair. Sure, Pusha tends to stick to the confines of drug/coke rap, but he does it with such finesse and creativity that I hardly see it as a problem - in fact it might be a good thing. In this song he weaves some fantastic metaphors and imagery into the verse. "How many Madonna's can that Mazda fit? My brick talk is more than obvious, it's ominous" he raps, which is exactly how I feel about Pusha's place in hip hop. He may be predictable in terms of subject matter, but he never fails to sound hard-hitting and sincere. He forces your ears to stand to attention. He references the "He who casts the first stone" Bible verse and turns it into a glorious piece of braggadocio, before going on to cryptically note the time he anonymously sent truckloads of bottled water to Flint, Michigan after the water supply was contaminated with lead. Overall it's a great verse loaded with quotables and Pusha's delivery remains controlled but equally biting.

Jay's verse is of similar length, perhaps even slightly longer. I was fascinated to see how he well he would rap over this kind of minimal production as I felt that on his last project, Magna Carter Holy Grail, Hov hid a little bit too much behind overly indulgent production. On this track he proved that he's still got it in him to spit a whole verse of great bars. Almost every line felt miticulously crafted and well thought through. The context is set perfectly with a soundbite from TV host Tomi Lahren, who took a shot at Beyoncé during her halftime Super Bowl show, criticising the singer for being married to a 14 year drug dealer. From this point we know shit is about to get real. Hov starts by comparing himself to Federico Fellini and Sergio Tacchini, heavyweights in the film and fashion worlds. Worthy comparisons I think - after all he has released some of hip hop's greatest albums. He finds a really solid flow on the beat, rapping about his early days and how they shaped the mould for his current success. Jay has always held up his rags to riches story as something to constantly be celebrated and bragged about, like many rappers do. But with Hov's long history in the game and the limelight, a listener like myself can understand his story and come up much more deeply than other rappers. There are many memorable lines in this verse such as "Before Reasonable Doubt, the jury hung", a comment on the importance of that release and a nice play on words "jury hung' - "jewellery hung". I like how Hov avoided bragging too much about his current lifestyle and instead focussed more on his success-centered mindset that has been with him for several decades now. The balance of bragging, reminiscing on the past and clever pop culture references made it easily one of my favourite Jay Z verses in a long time.

This track has me really pumped for the release of King Push later this year. Pusha is riding the crest of a really big wave, and after King Kendrick I see him as being right up there as one of the best in the game right now. Hopefully the album can affirm this praise when it finally drops. I did have a Soundcloud link to post where you can listen to the track but unfortunately it has been taken down. For now it is only available to stream on Tidal. Damn exclusives!

Score: 85/100

ALBUM REVIEW: Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered (2016)

You know what I love? Waking up on a Friday to a new release from the current god-MC Kendrick Lamar. The man can do no wrong right now, and this EP/Demo tape/album/whatever you want to call it DOES NOT put a stopper on his current fine run of form. I have been consuming it in my headphones all morning and afternoon, so I already have a pretty fully formed opinion on what he has given us with Untitled Unmastered. This release has been rumoured since Kendrick started performing these freestyles on various talk shows, as well as at the Grammy’s last month. Many people wanted him to reproduce the songs in the studio and properly master them. Well, he delivered on half of that. The title of the project seems like a play on the fact that people were asking for these to be mastered and made into a proper album. It is clear that Kendrick wanted to keep the release low key and crucially, unmastered.

It is a testament to his genius that this album still packs the same punch that made To Pimp a Butterfly such a masterpiece, obviously without the sheen of proper mastering. But I actually think that in this case it works in Kendrick’s favour. The muddy, jazzy production perfectly suits the lyrics and delivery he’s throwing out on most of these tracks. Many of them seem like stream of consciousness freestyles, with the exception of a few that have a little more structure and form. Every single track is great, I loved every moment. Untitled 1 sets the tone, with a seductive monologue from an unknown speaker. Kendrick then comes crashing in and does not hold back. He mercilessly rounds off the ills of the world around him, and paints a picture of despair and a world gone wrong. Untitled 2 begins with an intro that plays with the well known chant “Hip hip, hooray”, changing it to “Pimp pimp, hooray”, a nice little reference to his most recent album. This is the track that Kendrick performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It is slightly more formed, with 2 bridges and a really amazing hook where Kendrick shows once again that he is able to twist and distort his voice in weird and super-soulful ways that can truly give you goosebumps. Lyrically here he seems to be riffing on his fame and money, yet clearly he is in two minds about it, sounding like he’s on a guilt-fuelled ego trip. The beat switch up is great, and Kendrick brings us even deeper into his psyche. It is definitely one of the best tracks on the project.  

Untitled 3 is the same song as ‘Untitled’ which Kendrick performed on The Colbert Report last year.  Another mind-blowingly good track. The beat is light and catchy. Here Kendrick lists off a bunch of racial stereotypes, with no clear indication as to whether he believes they have any truth in them or not. I like how he doesn’t discriminate though, simply puts forward observations about the cultural differences between people of different colours and nationalities. Untitled 4 is mostly instrumental, with some vocals from Kendrick and TDE member SZA. It’s a nice break from the relentless cut throat freestyles that litter the album. Untitled 5 is undoubtedly one of my favourites. The intro and hook by Anna Wise and Kendrick is heavenly, despite containing some dark and cryptic imagery. Kendrick’s delivery on the first verse is so rousing. It immediately lifts the energy of the instrumental and makes the listener stand to attention. He talks about having lost touch with God thanks to an obsession with material goods, and calls out the delusion that simply having a bible “in the trunk” does not justify one’s irreligious actions. People too often see God and religion as they would like to see it, instead of how it really is, causing a disparity between their beliefs and their actions. A great verse from rapper Punch echoes Kendrick’s sentiments and nicely rounds off the track.

The beat for Untitled 6 is groovy and more up tempo, it really reminds me of the vibe I get when listening to Complexion or For Sale? from To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick’s laid back flow is exactly what the beat requires. The lyrics allude to his mother, and how she raised him to be who he was and not to conform. He encourages people to look past what is seen as normal, especially for men, and to seek other ways of finding love and happiness. The wordplay is witty and creative, overall giving the song a really soulful quality.

Untitled 7 might actually be my favourite. This song is so damn out there, with a delivery that sounds like it derives from a mixture of pain and euphoria. He explains that love, drugs, fame, chains, juice, crew and hate “won’t get you high as this”, indicating that he has tapped into a higher dimension or Hiipower. Perhaps ‘this’ is the song itself, or music in general, or his higher purpose. The shining light here though is Kendrick’s super passionate delivery, which encompasses a great range of his vocal ability. He finishes the song with a couple more great verses, commanding his audience to get out of their feelings and into something real, yet also acknowledges that he is far from perfect, trying to resist the temptations all around him. A song of this calibre could easily have fit onto TPAB, but its just as great to see it show up here. The album closes with Untitled 8, a really funky track with lots more lyrical excellence. He seems to be talking to a girl, or a series of girls, trying to pass on some of the wisdom he’s picked up on his journey. Again there are themes of conformity, money, poverty and struggle throughout the song. One of my favourite things about Kendrick is that he has the ability to combine heavy and dark lyrical themes with an an underlying sense of hope. On this track, the beat and flow are really uplifting, yet the lyrics still tackle some really personal issues that can make the listener think.

If To Pimp a Butterfly secured Kendrick’s position at the top of the hip hop ladder, then this project just reaffirms it. It is a year since that album dropped and began to make ripples not only in rap, but all of music. The kid from Compton may still not have reached his peak, and that’s a scary thought for all the other MC’s in the game today. This surprise album is not ground-breaking; it doesn’t want to be. It is just Kendrick checking in and proving that he is still head and shoulders above his competition right now. The verses on here leave me desperate for another album, but for now I am content to just enjoy this.

Score: 85/100

Dylan Dissected #1: Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands

I have been digging back into Bob Dylan's catalogue recently, as I often do considering he is my favourite artist of all time and has perhaps the richest discography of any musician in popular music to date. I keep having the urge to listen to Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Bob's ode to his then wife Sara Lownds. It has always ranked among my favourite songs of his 'wild mercury' period in the mid 60's (his best period in my humble opinion), only behind masterpieces like Visions of Johanna. But I've never really considered why the song is so powerful. Many critics have cited its lyrics as sloppy and overly pretentious, a critique I don't think can be thrown at many Dylan songs. I do see where these people are coming from though. Reading the lyrics is mystifying to say the least. The metaphors seem slightly strained and sometimes even non-sensical. And yet, the song has always drawn me back, always fascinated me, always had me listening intently to each line. It made me want to look at the song in a bit more depth, so I thought about the song in the context of both Dylan's life and art in general.

After a little research, I found that Dylan also adored this song, and claimed it to be the best song he'd ever written upon its completion in February 1966. There are legendary stories about how Dylan worked in the studio, especially for Blonde on Blonde, keeping his musicians waiting for hours on end whilst he spontaneously added to his songs before sporadically recording them with little to no direction. When it came to Sad Eyed Lady, the band expected to only be playing for a few minutes and had no idea that Dylan intended them to play for almost 12!. As the verses kept coming they just kept playing, with no idea of when the song would finish. From the reports of the musicians who played on it and Dylan's own comments, it is clear that Sad Eyed Lady evolved very naturally. It is a song that sounds like mother earth, something beyond perceivable reality but at the same time inherently real. Upon hearing the acetate, Dylan quipped that it sounded like “old-time religious carnival music” – a description that I think fits it perfectly. There is something ancient and timeless about the sound of it, from the surreal imagery of the lyrics to the soft tone of the band, who all perform sublimely on the track. It is almost lullaby like in how it moves, swaying the listener back and forth until they fall under its dreamy spell.

So in my attempt to try and pin down the song, I have concluded that I love it for a similar reason to why I love the rest of Blonde on Blonde. I think by this point Dylan had almost completely transcended the medium of songwriting, and passed into a realm only a few artists in history have managed to reach. If you look at the lyrics for the songs on Blonde on Blonde, they aren’t technically his best. I think many tracks from Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 display a sharper example of Dylan’s genius, but those albums don’t quite possess the abundance of nuance of Blonde on Blonde. Sad Eyed Lady, amongst other songs on the album, gives the listener a sense that they are tapping into a higher reality, a pool of knowledge that one must nearly completely lose themselves in the music to find.

It is not the words on Sad Eyed Lady that astonish me. They are good, and taken at face value then one can find some really interesting imagery in there. But what really defines a song like this is its complete sound. This is backed up by a few things Dylan said during this period. I read somewhere that when asked about how people should listen to his songs, he replied that although the words are important, their main purpose was to punctuate the music. In other words, the sound of the words and instrumentation together is where the truth and message of the song lies, rather than any literal interpretation of the words. He reinforced this point at his famous San Francisco press conference in December of ’65 when asked if he writes the words or music first, cryptically responding that he just “writes it all”, implying a very holistic approach to songwriting. Of course he talks about having finally created that “wild mercury sound” that he heard in his head before Blonde on Blonde. Songs like I Want You and Sad Eyed Lady encapsulate this, and even though I don’t really know what the term means, somehow I understand what he is saying.

When I listen to the first 3 sides of Blonde on Blonde, I hear the city. It is metallic, rough edged and claustrophobic stuff for the most part. Visions of Johanna describes a vacuous party, Fourth Time Around an encounter with a prostitute, whilst Stuck Inside a Mobile captures a sense of disillusionment and entrapment in urban life. Yet by the time we get to Sad Eyed Lady, the whole pace of the album changes and it opens up. We get the chance to breathe with Dylan, meditate with him if you will. Dylan’s hypnotic voice is the same as it is on much of the rest of the album, yet it summons a different energy entirely, a much more peaceful one. I hear Dylan giving himself completely to the music in this song, almost stepping aside to make room for a more objective truth to come through. It is definitely one of Bob’s least self-conscious songs, which reminds me of what Allen Ginsberg said in No Direction Home, that by 1965 Dylan had become a sort of shaman, able to tap into a higher dimension and transmit it to his audience through the medium of music.

Thinking about the song in the context of Dylan’s marriage to Sara is definitely relevant, but far from the defining characteristic of the track. There is no question that it was inspired by her, as Dylan admitted himself 10 years later. After doing some more research on Sara, it appears that she was a very private person. She had a certain duality to her personality that intrigued the young Bob, and Sad Eyed Lady is a very fitting tribute to her indeed. Nevertheless, I still believe that the song is much more than a love letter to Sara. She is depicted in a divine light and as a symbol of eternal love in a world gone wrong. There seems to be an implicit acceptance in the words and the way Bob is singing them. He doesn’t want to change anything about this woman or the world she inhabits, he simply wants to observe and admire everything unfolding in front of him. This is of course, very un-Dylan like. The songs and albums that preceded Blonde on Blonde showed a songwriter who wanted to challenge ideas and perceptions at every chance he got. One could argue it was a step in the wrong direction for Dylan to waver too far from the finger pointing material he was writing just a year or so earlier, but personally I see songs like Sad Eyed Lady as an example of Bob maturing as an artist and a person, without sacrificing an ounce of his ability to dig deeply into the collective unconscious.

Sad Eyed Lady is not Dylan’s best song lyrically. It does indeed contain countless lines that are among his best, but also a few that seem thrown in to draw out the length of the verses. But thanks to what the fantastic session musicians manage to achieve musically, combined with Dylan’s enthralling vocal performance, it remains one of his greatest achievements as a songwriter. Roger Waters once said that after he heard Sad Eyed Lady he finally realised that it was possible to write 12 minute songs that don’t become tedious to listen to. The song was boundary pushing in more ways than one, being the longest track Dylan had recorded to that point and occupying a whole side on the first significant double album in rock history. It is a song I will always keep coming back to, learning and feeling more each time I do.

Yeezy Season Approaching..

It distresses me just how much Ye has slipped from the dizzying heights of his first 5 albums, all of which I consider masterpieces (yes, even 808s). He seems to have let his other passions get in the way of his music somewhat, not that I have any massive problem with that, he will be successful at anything he chooses to do. But that’s no excuse for putting out songs and verses that are just plain bad, which he has unfortunately done far too much in the last 5 years. Just a few weeks ago he released Facts, and my worst fears for SWISH were being confirmed. The song was nothing but Kanye being obnoxious and needlessly self-affirming, with lazy lyrics, a lazy beat and a cringe worthy delivery. I suspect that after seeing the reaction to Facts, Kanye must have realised that he needed to win a lot of people over again, and set to work returning to what made him such a revolutionary rapper and producer in the first place.

Since then, Kanye has put out two tracks that have done a lot to revitalise my confidence in him. The first was Real Friends, a rap ballad of sorts, which as soon as I heard it reminded me of early Ye, specifically songs like Family Business and Heard ‘Em Say. “Real Friends, how many of us? How many of us, how many jealous?” Kanye opens with, beautifully and concisely setting up what he is trying to say. This is the most reflective and personal I’ve heard Kanye since Blame Game. I think every listener can relate to some degree with what Kanye is saying in this song, something I don’t think can be said about much of his post 2010 output thus far. I think this side of Kanye has been all but forgotten by most people, which is a real shame considering just how down to earth and soulful a lot of his early songs were. The lyrics are kept simple and too the point for the entire runtime, which really gives the song a chance to breathe and sink in. The bridge is sung by Ty Dolla $ign, who I think does a great job complimenting Kanye’s delivery and breaking up his verses. Likewise, the beat does a great deal to give the song an emotional boost. I’m glad to see that Ye produced it himself, as I’d started to lose a bit of faith in him as a producer too. Overall the song was a great return to form.

The next track, released on Monday, was teased at at the end of Real Friends, and promised a different sound entirely. I like No More Parties in L.A just as much as Real Friends, but for completely different reasons. The track features Kendrick Lamar, who is in my opinion the best in the game right now. It’s a testament to Ye then that he managed to wipe the flaw with K. dot on this track. Both verses are great, but Ye steals the show for sure. The beat was done in collaboration with legendary producer Madlib, who gives the track a fiery but deeply soulful feel. I loved this beat, but then I don’t think I’ve heard a Madlib beat that I haven’t liked yet. The wordplay by both MC’s is where the real meat of this track lies however. Ye is back to spitting bar after bar of pure fire here, even claiming that “the writers block is over..”. Whilst I’m still a little sceptical as to whether he’s back to his lyrical best, this verse certainly does a lot to prove his point. Kanye raps for over 3 minutes continuously and doesn’t let up for one second. He is able to refer to a vast array of topics including his past, his family, his lifestyle and much more without it coming off as cheap. In contrast to Real Friends, here Ye is trying to prove something, prove that he can still rap as hard as he used to. Perhaps that is why he invited Kendrick on to this track, to prove he can still hold his own against the best. Kendrick also spits a strong verse, but given his recent output that’s hardly surprising. I think overall he is outshadowed, partly due to his verse coming first and being a little shorter than Ye’s. But it doesn’t matter, just the sheer fact that both of these legends are on the same track, spitting great line after great line over a Madlib beat is enough to send me into musical euphoria.

I would argue that these are Kanye’s best two tracks since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and have finally got me truly hyped for SWISH next month. I am still a little on edge as to whether he can’t put together another game changing album, but what can always be guaranteed is that Ye will have some genuine surprises to throw at us on this album and beyond. 

Listen to the tracks over on Kanye's Soundcloud page.

My Top 20 Albums of 2015

I’ll preface this post by saying I missed out on a lot of great projects this year. In the past, I have managed to get through over 70 or 80 albums throughout the entire year. This year I only managed 61. Even some of the year’s big albums like Kamasi Washington’s ‘The Epic’, Chelsea Wolfe’s ‘Abyss’ and Beach House’s ‘Depression Cherry’ somehow slipped by the wayside. That being said I did listen to a lot of great albums this year, and I would still rank it amonst the best years of he decade thus far. Below is my personal top 20 of the year with some brief descriptions of why I dug them so much.

20. Viet Cong – Viet Cong

This Canadian band went through a lot in 2015. After releasing this great album back in January, they spent much of the rest of the year struggling through the controversy surrounding their name. It turns out the band did not fully understand the offensive connotations such a name had for so many people. Whatever your opinion is on that whole deal, few can deny this album’s droney and hypnotic sound, that has its listener in a daze for most of its run time. This is a dark and moody listen that just about managed to creep into my top 20 after being out a whole 12 months. Give it a listen.

19. Vince Staples – Summertime ‘06

After releasing possibly my favourite music video and one of my favourite singles of 2015 with ‘Señorita’, it was only a matter of time before Vince Staples dropped a stellar album. That album came right at the midpoint of the year when he dropped Summertime ’06. This album has a very definitive sound for such a young artist. At 22, I’m really impressed that Vince succeeded in delivering a dark and thought provoking depiction of his adolescence and his city. Tracks like Señorita, Jump Off The Roof, Left Me Up and others really had me vibing out. Vince’s delivery has put me off in the past, but I liked it here for the most part. I think he has a bright future ahead of him and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

18. Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin

One of my best friends put me on to Ghostpoet when he released the project before this a couple of years ago. I didn’t like it. I generally find it quite hard to get behind British rappers in the same way I do American ones, and to me his last album was too rap heavy. With Shedding Skin, Ghostpoet took us down more of an electronic route, singing on most of the tracks instead of rapping. The result was a much better and more cohesive collection of songs, most of which had me either singing along or listening intently. I think Ghostpoet has found his lane with this project, and I hope he continues with this sound.

17. Knxwledge – Hud Dreams

Knxwledge was called in by Kendrick Lamar to produce the song ‘Momma’ from To Pimp a Butterfly this year, and being such a huge fan of that song I thought I’d check out one of the albums he dropped in 2015, I was not disappointed. Knxwledge is obviously a very accomplished beat maker and I can’t even say with confidence that this has been his best release as his output seems to be constant. All I know is that I had a bunch of fun vibing out to these instrumentals and I will be looking to see what he puts out in the coming years.

16. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

Folk and indie music will always hold a special place in my heart for one main reason – it was catalyst for me discovering the music I love today. One of the bands I discovered a few years ago that helped me on that journey was Fleet Foxes, who released one of my favourite records of the decade a few years back. The band included the creator of the next album on my list, Josh Tillman, also known as Father John Misty. In early 2015 he provided a blissful soundtrack to my spring and summer days with I Love You, Honeybear. The album’s signature is Tillman’s iconic crooning, which gives the album a real aura. The music is sometimes a bit sugary for my liking, but the album nonetheless held my attention for lots of listens throughout the year.

15. Alabama Shakes – Sound & Colour

This was an album that I was admittedly late to, I only listened to it a few weeks ago in fact. Turns out I’d been missing out. Alabama Shakes are one of the most original yet accessible sounding acts that I’ve heard in a while. With Sound & Colour, the band seamlessly blended soulful blues rock with elements of Americana and indie pop. The resulting tracks have a real punch to them, exploding into your ears with a spontaneous ferocity. Don’t Wanna Fight is one of the pop singles of the year for sure, but its far from the only great track on the album. I found myself disliking a couple of songs here, which is why its not higher up on the list, but overall Alabama Shakes came through with a fresh, cohesive and contemporary sounding album which I’m still playing now.

14. Uncommon Nasa – Halfway

The last 2 years have been very good to Uncommon Nasa. In 2014 he released New York Telephone, which I absolutely loved. In 2015 he was back with another concept album, focussing on the theme of time and death, the title referring to being halfway through life. This concept provides the backbone for some very reflective and hard hitting tracks. Though I would still testify to the fact that Nasa isn’t the most accessible rapper, it would be hard to deny his talent for lyricism, which is on perfect display here. It is clear that Nasa rapping works best over gritty beats and with some kind of theme to give power to his words. I think he managed to capture both of these elements on this album and it was very enjoyable to listen to.

13. Pusha T – Darkest Before Dawn

Pusha has been one of my favourite rappers for some time, yet I’ve always wanted to see him produce a classic. He definitely has it in him, but it needs to be soon. Darkest Before Dawn is a prelude album to his next, larger project, King Push, which should be hitting stores sometime in 2016. Nonetheless. This was a great album in itself. Pusha sounds like he did on his previous album My Name is My Name, but I actually think this is a slightly more polished and consistent effort. Thanks to tracks like Untouchable, M.F.T.R and Got Em Covered, the album maintains Pusha’s recent trend of putting out catchy and replayable songs without them coming off as too basic. The production has some great variety, from clean beats inspired by artists like The-Dream to more grandiose instrumentals that sound like they were recorded during the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sessions. A thoroughly enjoyable listen from a rapper who continues to impress.

12. Carly Rae Jepson – Emotion

Perhaps this was not what you were expecting this high up on the list, but its true, I loved this project. I still have memories of teenage parties listening to Carly Rae Jepson’s Call Me Maybe, and I’m not scared to say I love that song. This girl obviously knows what she’s doing when it comes to making addictive pop tunes, as this album also contains some absolute bangers. Run Away With Me is undoubtedly one of the pop songs of the year, with endless replay value and some genuinely passionate lyrics. I Really Like You is similarly catchy, if a little simpler in its structure. But what impressed me about Emotion the most was its deep cuts, which held up pretty well against the few obvious hits. Few mainstream pop albums (yes even JB’s) can hold my attention for 12 tracks, but she really did with this. Much of it is down to the fantastic production, which borrows obvious inspiration from 80’s synth pop. But Carly does her thing on most of the tracklist here, and I truly am a fan of her youthful singing. Definitely one pop star to watch in the future.

11. Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

From one pop album to another. Yes, I did say this was a pop album, because that’s how I see it. Drake is not a great rapper, he’s just not. He definitely has the ability to rap well, as he does on some of the tracks here, but where he really shines is with his R&B singing and softer raps. I don’t think If You’re Reading This.. is a great project, but I have to put it this high up simply because of how much I played it in 2015. Drizzy has almost come to define meme rap in the modern era, whether it be coining Yolo or his hilarious Hotline Bling video. Whether you like him or not, Drake is the biggest in the game right now. This album only continued his ascent to hip hop’s upper echelons, with a handful of bangers that I’m sure every rap fan has had stuck in their head for at least a day since the album’s release. I almost resent how much I enjoy this album, as technically it’s a mess and the beats are lazy, even by Drake standards. But the whole of the first half had me hooked for at least a couple of months, and for that I have to give the 6 God his credit. That being said, I hope Views From The 6 is a lot more thought out as this kind of album is not going to fly with me next time.

10. Jay Rock – 90059

If there was one album in 2015 I was anticipating behind SWISH and To Pimp A Butterfly, it was probably Jay Rock’s. The TDE star had taken his sweet time crafting a follow up to his commercial debut album in 2011. He has been on my radar ever since I heard his song-stealing verse on Kendrick Lamar’s Money Trees, and the tracks he was putting out teasing at this new album were all fantastic. Jay Rock is known as the hardcore rapper in TDE, yet he has always had a talent for lyricism too. With 90059 he sticks pretty close to his roots in some ways, whilst straying away from them in others. My favourite tracks on here were the harder songs like Necessary, Easy Bake and 90059, but I also enjoyed the introspective tracks, something Jay Rock is relatively new to. Vice City featuring Black Hippy was great and the most replayable track on the record, if a little bit safe for 4 of the best rappers in the game right now. Nevertheless, this was a very fun listen and deserving of a top 10 spot.

9. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie and Lowell

This album was a slow burner for me, but when it hit me, it really hit me. This was my first exposure to Sufjan’s music, and after hearing rave reviews upon release I checked it out, only to be let down. It sounded too samey to me and a bit bland if I’m honest. But I gave it several more listens and it finally clicked. This album sent me off in to a dream like state at times, under the influence of its echoey pianos and Sufjan’s soft voice. It’s a peaceful album. Even without any context on the subject matter, there is beauty in the material here, but after you find out that this album was about his mum, you really start to hear them in a new way. This album had me shedding a few tears thinking about my family and friends, reminiscing on old times. Yes, its sentimental and nostalgic, but there is nothing wrong with that now and again. It feels like Sufjan needed to sing these songs to get the feelings out of his system, and it’s that cathartic quality that makes it such a rewarding listen.

8. Milo – So The Flies Don’t Come

I’ve been waiting for Milo to come out with a great album for a while now. I wasn’t huge on his last project, and I hadn’t heard anything great from him since his double EP from 2013. Luckily this was the album I was waiting for. So The Flies Don’t Come is concise, cohesive and full of head-bobbing beats. Milo’s lyricism is still on point here too, as he raps about things most hip hop stars wouldn’t go near, and that’s what makes him as unique as the likes of Open Mike Eagle. What impressed me here though was that Milo managed to marry his rhymes to his beats much more seamlessly. He made it less about writing the most complex rhyme scheme he could think of and more about substance, without losing his trademark sound. I hope he continues in this vein as he undoubtedly has endless amounts of potential.

7. Laura Marling – Short Movie

Like Milo, I’ve also been waiting patiently for Laura Marling to release a top quality album. Short Movie for me is by far her best effort so far. I first heard about Laura when someone described her to me as the female Bob Dylan. Although I disagree, I would compare her to Joni Mitchell. I actually think she sounds uncannily like Joni in both tone and pitch, which is no bad thing. I had the chance to see Laura in concert back in May of last year, and it really helped me get into this project. She was amazing live, and the songs came over real and genuine, as did she. The songwriting on Short Movie was a real step up in my opinion, and she has that way of making a really bitter and biting line sound like no big deal, a quality both Dylan and Mitchell certainly possessed. I think she still has room for improvement, but Laura is really staking a claim with this release.

6. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I just Sit

Sneaking into the top 5 we have another female singer-writer, Aussie Courtney Barnett. After garnering attention with her double a few years back, Courtney finally released a follow up in 2015. This album is far from flawless, and musically its quite basic, but Courtney’s passion and song writing shines through so strongly that it doesn’t really matter. From the opener Elevator Operator to the dreary Depreston, Courtney paints vivid pictures of the everyday pitfalls of suburban life. I like the fact this album is simple because it stops it from sounding pretentious. It sounds like Courtney just wants to make observations on the world around her and project those over catchy rock melodies, and I can respect that. There is clearly plenty more to come from Barnett, but she has already made a very positive start and I look forward to her next project.

5. Dr Dre – Compton

Who knew in 2015 I would have been listening to a new Dr Dre album? For years, it was all about Detox, but we eventually learnt that Dre wasn’t happy with how that project was coming together and ended up scrapping it. Most of the disappointment generated by that news was remedied by this album though. Compton is a great return for Dre, even if it’s not up there with The Chronic and 2001. That’s not the point, Dre is clearly in a much different place musically and in his life now as he way back then. Compton is more of a collaborative effort, celebrating Compton and its artistic output. Some will understandably see this as a negative, noting that it doesn’t sound like a Dre album. For me though, all I care about is the quality of the music, and there is tonnes here to be admired. First of all, the features he picked were spot on for the style of the album. Everyone put their absolute all into crafting great verses, including Kendrick, The Game, Snoop, Anderson Paak, Eminem and Ice Cube. Kendrick’s verse on Deep Water especially was mind-blowing. The familiar thing to take away for Dre fans will be the production, which was spectacular once again. Each song felt like a short movie, yet still Dre managed to create a feel of cohesion. I admire the doc’s bravery in having the vision for a project like this, knowing that his fans are waiting for Detox. Instead he threw a curveball at them, without sacrificing much of what made his last 2 albums so special. It was always going to be a very divisive album, but I believe that Dr Dre pulled it off again with Compton.

4. Jamie xx – In Colour

This was by far the most feel-good album I heard last year. I’ve been hot and cold with Jamie’s work in the past, but with this project I think he finally hit a home run with me. Each song has its own vibe and flavour, but ever present is Jamie’s sumptuous production, which feels nicely layered and put together throughout. The album also included one of my favourite singles of the year, I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) featuring Young Thug. If I needed convincing of how exactly to use an artist like Young Thug on a track, this was the track, it works so well. Beyond that though, this project has a real sense of life and soul to it, each song pulsating with an infectious energy that kept me coming back for more. I loved how English the album was too, Jamie obviously borrowing influence from the garage and rave scenes that exploded in the UK in the 90’s. Luckily it still sounds fresh and contemporary enough though to make it distinctive. This was a very impressive album and I think a step up from 2011’s We’re New Here.

3. Death Grips – The Powers That B

Perhaps my most anticipated album of last year, Death Grips did not disappoint when it came to releasing the second half of their double album The Powers That B in 2015. It is rumoured to be their last project after they announced that they were splitting up last summer, but at this point its hard to trust anything the trio say. The Powers That B is a very hard album to pin down as its not like anything they have ever done. Being a double album with each side being released a whole year apart from one another, it gave the band a chance to create a sense of contrast. The first part, Niggas On The Moon, the band strayed a bit from their noise hop roots and went down some weird avenues. The result in unnerving, tense and typically claustrophobic, but a bit softer and more nuanced than previous albums. The second half, Jenny Death, also contains some anomalies and curve balls, but is generally a return to the classic Death Grips sound. I love both for different reasons. This collective is still undefinable, from their image, to their beats, to their vocal style, to their marketing. I see them as having been right at the pinnacle of musical innovation for the last 5 years or so, and this album only added to their mystique. The fact that they managed to conjure such hysteria and hype over the release date of Jenny Death is a huge achievement, considering how seemingly inaccessible and abrasive their music is, add that to the fact that they have influenced the likes of Kanye West and David Bowie. If this is the last album from the trio then it is certainly a fitting end, a fantastic project from start to finish.

2. Lupe Fiasco – Tetsuo & Youth

If you’d told me I would be putting a Lupe Fiasco album this high up on my list in 2014 I would have laughed. Although Lupe is an undeniably talented MC, his 2011 effort Lasers was a really bad project. I thought Lupe had sacrificed his lyricism and creativity for a more commercial sound. I listened to Lasers and his other albums in the lead up to Tetsuo & Youth, concluding that he was probably past his prime. I was wrong. Tetsuo & Youth is a fantastic album. From the opening few lines on the opener Mural, I knew that he had recaptured some much needed inspiration. The song is 9 minutes in length, and Lupe doesn’t let up for the entire duration, spitting clever line after clever line. As a fan of hip hop, I admire both technically brilliant rapping, with lots of double untenders and metaphors, as well as more conscious or storytelling type rap. Lupe does both brilliantly on this album, coming up with some lines that portray what he’s really trying to say in a clever or witty way. The concept of this album helped sew the songs together beautifully, with Lupe breaking up each act with a soundscape that represented a certain season. I am glad that Lupe learnt from the failure of Lasers and came back with such a fine collection of tracks. There is something for everybody on here, or something to cater for the fluctuating moods of just one individual. Songs like Chopper verge on gangster rap, whilst Madonna and Deliver sound more trap and pop-rap inspired. Overall this was a tremendous return to form for Lupe and I hope he can use it as a springboard for future projects.

1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

My number 1 for 2015 will be a surprise to no one. Of course, it had to be the masterpiece created by Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly. This album may go down as the most important hip hop album of the 21^st Century thus far. That of course is debateable, but what is undeniable is that Kendrick is the biggest rapper out there right now thanks to this album. After Good Kid, M.A.A.D City I was struggling to foresee what direction Kendrick would go with his next project. To Pimp A Butterfly proves that he had a hell of a lot more to say, and that what he set out to do was to create a more mature album, making more potent and prophetic observations about himself and the world around him, especially in regard to the black community. The genius of this album for me is its duality, how K Dot manages to connect the deeply personal and the external world. What it gives the listener is a sense of unity, a feeling that if one seeks to live in and effect the world around them, they must first go through a transformation in order to understand themselves fully. Many called this album a ‘political’ album or a statement on black power, but I think this assessment misses a large part of the record, that being Kendrick coming to terms with who he is destined to be. The songs on To Pimp A Butterfly are diverse in tone and subject matter. I’m not going to talk too much about the individual songs in this post as I’d be here for days, I’ll save that for a proper review. What I will say is that every single one blew me away. As mentioned, Kendrick goes from tearing himself apart on u to tearing the establishment apart on Blacker The Berry with extraordinary ease. One can’t help but be sucked into every word he says on almost every song, purely due to just how much passion he puts into rapping them. The production is where the album divided opinion, some saying it was overly excessive and too free form for a hip hop record. For me, that’s what I love about it. Kendrick and the producers he worked with fused so many genres together here without it coming across as too intellectual. The beats are still catchy but still have a lot of detail if one wants to look for it. Only once or twice did I think he went slightly over the top with a jazz instrumental. The other defining quality of the album was the concept, which featured Kendrick reading lines from a poem he wrote to break up the songs, culminating with him having a fictionalised conversation with his hero, Tupac Shakur. It was a genius touch that gave the album a cohesion and ultimate climax to build towards. Somehow Kendrick managed to up his game once again with this album, and he’s showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. For me, To Pimp A Butterfly helped to secure his place at the top of hip hop’s totem pole, at least for now. This is surely a record for the ages.

Thanks for reading!