Mixtape Review: "No Satisfaction" by J.P. @THEBOYJP

After "Coming of Age", J.P. is back with a new project, “No Satisfaction”.  This project really made me see that J.P. was serious about his music and has definitely stepped his game up to truly connect with the listeners.  “J.P. Feat. Nevaeh - Never Satisfied (Intro)” , was a welcome introduction and I was impressed by how much more confident J.P. seems to be this go round and that is a big part of the rap game. The most quotable line for me from him on this track is “They wanna hear my accent, I wanna see their back bent”. That is the type of confidence I am talking about, not being afraid to spit something that may seem risky.r   “Rockin” seems to be the track that challenged J.P. the most but he mastered it and kept up with the tempo, I like this track the most because it seems to be the one that would  have the crowd participating the most because he just brought that energy with this one.  J.P. Feat. Nix, CLK Da Slinga & Jay Oliver -  “Change” was another one of my favorites because it features a few allstars such as NIX, CLK Da Slinga, and Jay Oliver adding to the mix bringing that lyrical aggression and no one holds back on their part, everybody is going in!  I love how everybody plays their part and no one is trying to body the other. #Respect.  “Wasting My Time” throws you for a loop because it begins with him telling the intended recipient of this message that they can have whatever they like, and then he goes on to say “Cause I’m done wasting my time”.  That is a relatable track to me because who hasn’t thrown their hands up and said you know what you can what you want cause I don’t give a damn anymore?  I see that J.P. is starting to craft his songs better and he is putting out some high quality music.  J.P. - Resurrection is another song that you have to play and I can ultimately see it becoming a hit, if he had to choose a single, this track would have to be it, it has a banging beat, J.P. is in his zone here and I SWEAR he is killing it, his flow is more polished, but he has to step it up and put more energy into his music and let it flow more naturally.  Overall, J.P. is getting better and this is his best project so far and I think it is worth the download, if you want to hear something different and banging give this project a listen.     Originality - J.P. doesn’t give that same old song that you hear in some rap music, you hear something fresh from this guy   Flow - His flow has improved since, “Coming of Age”, and he is now controlling the pace of his music and not letting it control him.   Lyrics - Lyrically J.P. doesn’t have to be “That” guy, but he is a decent lyricist.  I think he can impact the lyrical portion of his projects if he works on the lyrical punches a little more   Substance - I like the way J.P. doesn’t give filler in this project, he really works hard at giving the listener something to truly listen to.  I would love to hear his views on social justice and other issues as well.   Overall impact- J.P. is a growing artist with a lot of potential and he has the ability to make a huge impact with his music with a few tweaks to the lyricism but he is gifted and I know he can leave his mark.   Production - Here is where I think J.P. can improve, I believe that he needs beats that do not get away from him, but also give him the space he needs to own the track.  I think he would do great on trap beats or even west coast because they would challenge him to explore different content for the music.   My overall review of this project is an A - Keep Pushing J.P. ! Stay on the lookout for this kid !   About the Artist: J.P. is a white caucasian hip hop artist from Sydney, Australia. 'No Satisfaction' is J.P's 3rd mixtape and services as a sequel to J.P.'s sophomore mixtape 'Coming Of Age' released back in 2013. 'No Satisfaction' represents the ups and downs of J.P.'s personal life as he continues to progress in his music career. At the end of the day there is always something J.P. feels he can do better and he remains hungry to prove it.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rello (@hello_rello570) - The Revelation EP (Phoenixstar9 Online)

Purchase link: http://hellorello.bandcamp.com/album/the-revelation-ep Rello works hard! This cat has two full time jobs and still pursues music and crashes on the scene with his first EP, The Revelation. The Revelation is produced by the amazing music producer, Gallo who helps Rello deliver a solid project with his organic hip hop instrumentation. I like Rello's sound for a couple of reasons, for one, you can understand the words that he spits, and not just on a comprehensive level, but he actually spits clearly, no mush mouth rapping. In Rello's intro not only reels you in through his hypnotic flow, he actually raps about something that you want to hear especially these few bars : "Not doing this for notoriety, this music is my passion, changing life is the goal that's driving me, shout out to the 99% whose scared and stressed, I make this shit for y'all to motivate your success", this was a dope song overall and his energy is positive, confident, and I love it. "Lucy" is an eviction notice to the drugs and violence and when you drop lines like this, "I'm sick of Lucy in my house, get out, I'm sick of Lucy having clout, get out, I'm sick of Lucy in the streets, disguised as a bag of drugs" you have to listen, he doesn't sound corny or lame, and it makes you stop and listen. I like this track because not only do you hear the frustration in his lyrics, you hear it in his tone and he is skilled at delivering his message. Rello is original and he reminds you of Lupe Fiasco, but unlike Lupe, he doesn't try too hard, and it's genuine. "Feel What's Real" is all about making sure people know what's real, while rapping over a hard hitting track that speaks on the anguish, the contradictions in hip hop, the rape of the culture by reality shows, and Rello brings it in a way that makes you say, "Damn he knows what the fuck he's talking about!" and his aggression and self assurance makes me listen even more deeply. Rello's last track, "Question", is more about Rello himself, and is a lot more personal where he reveals that he is stressed, tempted by things he knows he needs to stay away from but falls victim to at times, and some darker suicidal thoughts. He does something that many artists won't do, and that's revealing the chinks in his armor. Most records that I hear or at least 8 out of 10 speak only about what they have and many times many of their listeners are poor or struggling and this only creates a feeling of inadequacy, but Rello clearly lets his listeners know that he is right there with them in the struggle and that is an artist I can truly support. Rello is not average and this EP was a very noteworthy piece of work, I can't wait to hear more from him and see what other topics he touches on. I definitely recommend copping this EP, because Rello can actually rap, and it's not the same shit you hear day after day, so if you need something fresh to keep you motivated. https://m.facebook.com/hellorello570/?ref=bookmarks About the artist: Rello is a new hip hop artist in Northeast PA. His focus is music that speaks on current societal issues, and personal experiences. He is committed to making music his full time career, working up to 60 hours a week at two jobs, in attempts to make his dreams a reality. Rellos first EP, The Revelation, produced by Gallo, comes out March 31st, with plans to begin work on a full length album soon after. Contact info- jc2790@yahoo.com

Album Review: Laid Thomas @laid_thomas - "New Lazarus"

  
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-lazarus/id1044711917    

If "Hazardous was any indication of what I could expect from "New Lazarus", I was in for a dope ride. Laid spits this one line that I found to be the hardest through the track, "what you want your shirt to say, Laid sprayed me up?". I think Laid found his groove over this electric guitar filled beat, and I love it. "Life Like" is painted with a story telling vibe, and I fuck with it, because I felt like I was watching an episode of "The Wire". "Alleyway" ft. Lil Gudda sounds like music to chase the opps to, and even though I am not a gangster, I killed some people in my head to this and Lil Gudda and Laid seem to be relay racing and passing the baton to one another on this and they are winning. "Fork Tender" really hit close to home, mainly because it is a straight hustling anthem, no matter what field it is you are hustling in, the lines I found to be the dopest here were, "you can catch me at the arabs, buying 15 for the 15, if you want a verse from me it's 15 for the 16's" gotdamn Laid. I think this cat gets better with every album and that's what it is about. "Say Bye" is dope to me because he talks about how his life is despite his health issues, and he lets Kilo Gramz and Dr. Jeer come through and share their world on this one too and it just fits to me, it is one of my favorite tracks. Laid documents his life or part of it on social media and he is doing more than a lot of artists are out here doing despite things that he is facing in his personal life. "Move Careful", seems to illustrate much of my life in 2015, because people do not always have your best interest at heart, some want to be you, and some want what you have but hate you because you got it, but this line,"Envy in their eyes you gotta move careful", I can definitely relate to this and I think that's why this track resonates as deeply with me as it does, and it serves as a warning and a reminder to move carefully because the people that you trust and look to as friends and comrades aren't always what they appear to be, and Dr. Jeer comes through on Laid's tracks with the assist, I love their collaborations because it sounds natural and the chemistry is there! "These Niggas" featuring Lil Gudda and Dr Jeer, is an eerie track telling you why "These NIGGAS" will never be like Laid and his team, mainly because they aren't out here doing what they need to do to be successful like them, and what I will say is Laid seems to be extremely consistent with how he drops his albums, I REPEAT "ALBUMS". If you are going to drop music get paid for it, and trust me this album is worth the money. "Money Calling", sounds like my life, like I AM NOT THINKING ABOUT VAGINA when the money is on the table. This is a paper chasing anthem, and this is what you play on the late night tip when you trying to stack it up, "I ain't thinking about that ass when the money call, I'm trying to ball baby, I want it all", if that ain't the damn truth, this is my second favorite here because Laid's flow is to die for, seriously. "Own Lane" is another classic from Laid, it has to be up there with "Pine Box" from Laid's "Titanic Thompson" album also available on itunes. When Laid says he is in his own lane, he is telling the truth, because again I have worked with many artists, but Laid drops album after album, like he is Tupac or something with the music that he has stored, unlimited tracks. I think this album may be the best one so far, Laid's flow and songwriting has improved a lot from when he first started putting music out and he puts your favorite rapper to shame when it comes to supplying that demand. This is rated A+ to me and I think it is worth your money, make sure you check out his other albums on Itunes.

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Nikki McKnight @706NIX - The McKnight Files

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-mcknight-files-ep/id1020897909

Have you heard of a little city in Georgia named Columbus? Well there is one artist that is making sure that you NEVER FORGET IT. Nikki(Nix @706nix) McKnight is a songwriter, artist, and producer that is making her name known through her music. She has made a lot of noise in Columbus and the people are listening.

The McKnight Files features songs that have a lot of heart,courage, and honesty which she showcases on the high energy and hi-hat heavy track, “Motivation”, as well as the sonically refreshing “S.O.S”. NIX usually keeps it humble but on the hip hop techno synth filled “Hands Down” ft Mike Deville she basically eats her hater's food in front of them right off their plates. “I tried to remain humble but niggas think it's a game, yeah they pop off all they want to but never mention my name.” Then makes them do the dishes with “I Rep” ft Viktor Strange. Her confidence is up on this track as you can hear through the gut punching inflection in her flow. Super catchy. Viktor Strange's throaty delivery solidifies and reinforces the grimy feel of this song.

There are more than a few cuts for and about the women. The ones that really pulled me in on personal levels were the guilt filled, piano themed, “Take Advantage” and telling a woman how bad she messed up on “Had it All” with an awesome Adele sample flip by producer Mike Kustom.

“Tell You”, produced by Nova, samples Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile" and well it really touched a G's soul. It takes a ton of strength to not only write about a loved one's passing but to also express the hurt of it all with music. Nix stood tall on this track and I only have four words for it. I WAS NOT READY.

Strengths: I really like how NIX has begun to spit with more confidence, that is one thing that really won me over. The Chemistry she has on beats from Mike Kustom shines through, and its a great blend on the songs they've created.

Notes for Improvement: I would say NIX has a great ear for beats. A lot of the beats used were ho-hum but she managed to still put her own energy into them. I like tracks that are slower for this artist, also if it's a high energy or self promotional song I would like to see what she does on a trap type beat. Keep rapping with that confidence and work on the balance of the tracks. There were a lot of tracks specifically focused on hoes,self promotion, and love triangles. Some of which weren't my cup of tea, but again I could definitely connect with the “Had it All” and “Take Advantage”. Shine on.

Review: A-

WWW.706NIX.COM

WWW.TWITTER.COM/706NIX 

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