Denzel Curry, femdot, Skilla Baby, The Game, Busta Rhymes & J Dilla

This is Friday to Friday, your weekly rap wrap-up going through our favorite releases in rap and hiphop from Friday, August 21st to Friday, August 28th. My name is Jacob. I'm a mixing and mastering engineer from California and your host for today. And I have with me artist, producer, and DJ hailing from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Terry V. >> Yo, what's up? as well as producer and artist manager hailing from Montreal, Canada, Matt Kerier. >> Yo, what's good? >> Last but not least, we got producer hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Gav aka Lunar G. >> What's good? >> Before we get into our picks for this week, here's the full list of artists that dropped projects. We got Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats, K Trap, Rapsidity, Skila Baby, Ankle John, Buster Rhymes, and J Dilla. Yes, the game pretty fun. Snot, Primo Rice, 13 Degrees, Aerys the Planet, Mike Shab, G Money DT, Casper TNG, and FEMD dot and Gold Haze. We were talking about this in the group chat a bit, but I think a couple of us were in agreement that this is possibly the strongest week of the year so far. It was the first time that we've ever felt the need to have an honorable mention list because it's just too much good stuff to cover this week. Super super strong week. >> Damn near a a two-part episode worth of music. Like good lord >> to give it all just do. >> There's just too much good [ __ ] to cover this week. It's amazing. So, let's kick it off right off the bat with Denzo Curry and Kenny Beats with two >> followup to uh to their first project together. >> Yeah, man. This was no skips gets better with every listen. Probably my favorite Denzel Curry project to date. That's how strongly I felt about this. >> Damn. Okay. >> It's kind of crazy. I I [laughter] I might have to battle you on this one. This one was neck andneck with the first one they did, but this one's so fire, too. >> The production I found was like that's the thing that really I found made it maybe a little bit better than other projects is it was just elevated. It was just it it gave me vibes of um you know that song Low Rider like the that George Lopez show intro song like hey give some credit here. All right. [laughter] >> It felt very like that kind of vibe like just fun little like bouncy acoustic drums. that that gone fishing the first the just the way it comes in it's still sucking my like just it's catchy as [ __ ] It's so catchy. >> And Kenny Beats just showing incredible versatility this year going from the Rico Nasty's RX project to this. Those RX beats were all like hype trap bangers and then he turns around and does just like a top tier samplebased old school hip-hop project. >> Kenny beats nuts. You want to hear some crazy [ __ ] about Kenny Beats, too. I mean, I think that the the production on this, like you guys are saying, has stepped up. And I feel like that's just like a perfect reflection of his career. Like I mean, their first the first project came out 6 years ago. You know, Kenny was it was internet money was huge. Like melodic rap was everything. You had Nick Merror, Juice World, like all that [ __ ] was that's the world that we were in at the time. He has gone so kind of like off the beaten path musically, sonically. Like he did the whole uh like kind of jazz influenced album that like Japanese kind of pop sounding [ __ ] like but what's crazy is he produced Weezer's gold album which dropped on the same [ __ ] day >> as [music] too. >> Wait, what? >> I swear to you. >> Damn. >> Yeah, >> I [ __ ] with Weezer. I'll check that out. >> Yeah, I was going to say I've heard a couple singles from it. I didn't get a chance just with how busy this week was to actually like listen to it, but yeah, huge Weezer fan. And the fact that he produced both of them, they dropped on the same day. >> Very, very crazy. [music] Very crazy. Not something I think a lot of people are going to realize. And like that tie, I mean Weezer's always been pro hiphop, you know? Like they've been I wouldn't say like parallel, but they've been just very like they'll feature rappers, they'll feature on rapper stuff like so to see to see that and just see the evolution of Kenny and Denzel. Like you've got Denzel leading the scythe. You've got Kenny producing stuff for Weezer. Major major artist. So really cool to see. >> Wow. Even more versatile than I thought then. [laughter] >> And the JPEG feature. >> Evil goes crazy. >> JPEG. >> It's not a guy I really think of like in like like to me JPEG is a very like solo artist. Like I don't think of like, oh, I love that JPEG feature. But man, >> he fit well on this. >> I actually learned about JPEG through a Brock Hampton feature. That's where I first heard him. >> Yeah. >> I love that they there was like immediate synergy with the phone call. Like you could tell it wasn't just like a feature. It wasn't just oh hey listen JPEGs on this. It was like we wrote this song together type [ __ ] >> Very synergetic. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And then the only other feature was Westside Gun and it was just like damn two of my favorite rappers featured. Hell yeah. And by the way >> boom boom boom boom boom. [laughter] That's that guy just announced he's got a full album coming out produced by >> Denny Laflair. We don't have a date for that yet, but coming soon. He's someone that will just drop out of nowhere. So, we'll see when that when that comes. >> Very excited for that, >> man. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats. >> This [ __ ] was nutty. >> Yeah. >> One of the best projects I've heard this year. >> Do want to say one thing, too. Ya actually was featured on on the hook for the difference song. >> Oh, difference. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I was thinking >> only rapper feature rapper. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Definitely one of my favorite favorite R&B singers that's been coming up. So, I was really happy to hear that. I love hearing her voice. She's done some cool stuff with ASAP. So, it was just sweet to see her on this as well. >> Yeah. Not too much else I would add on to it. Candlelight. We tal I talked about Evil Grand and Gone Fishing, but Candlelight Product, which I like was super melodic in the beginning and then it gets into that jazzy hip-hopness. UPS, Cold Night in Hell, where I feel like Denzel just went off. I think that's my favorite on this record. Yeah. >> You ever seen me fail? >> No, Denzel. Denzel went off. And then also on Crown, my favorite uh my favorite line is, "We only listen for your beast cuz what you say is a hot mess, which is typically, you know, for the few artists, but music is music." [laughter] >> Denzel has the right to say that cuz he he can >> Yeah, >> he can spit >> rap his ass off. this whole like this whole album, the flow did not get repetitive at all. I could listen to this project again and again and again. Like like we said, it was a really good week. >> Definitely great week and it was short and sweet, so you really can just listen to it again. Like I had this on repeat practically. I would have listened to it even more if it wasn't just already such a strong week. But >> I mean this was the start the start of the playlist. So when it came on I'm like this Denzel might be hard to beat. And then [laughter] I started hear more [ __ ] and I was like wait. Man, I was like, "Oh shit." Oh [ __ ] Another cool little little fun fact I wanted to say. It's just like Kenny used to run this YouTube series called The Cave. And that's really where you get to see like he has a Denzel episode and you can see their chemistry is kind of like it's very playfight kind of [ __ ] Like it's uh they're very like no [ __ ] you, no [ __ ] you kind of energy. And so like it's weird to see that. But they talk about how often they start on complete opposite ends and like have to figure out how to find the middle ground with it. >> So, it's just really cool to see like that they're able to do that and then you find out like you see what comes of that and it's like, "Oh [ __ ] dude. That's impressive, you know? That's that's really cool." >> It's actually surprising because it sounds so synergistic. It sounds like they just went in knowing exactly what they were after and [laughter] just got straight to it. But so that's that's wild to hear that that's their process. >> Yeah. Kind of crazy to hear. Awesome. Well, that's Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats with two. Next, let's get into Skila Baby with The Price of Fame. Another super strong project. The thing that caught my attention the most on first listen was just that the skits are so good. I'm usually not a fan of skits, but they are kind of next level. Like, they're funny and they're poignant at the same time. >> Mhm. >> Skits were one of my favorite part. I saw an interview with Skill Baby talking about how this next project that was coming out, he's like, "Man, I got a Nas feature." And like he kind of was touting that like a little bit, but really what he was honing in on and talking about was the fact that like he's like, "I'm not just a punchin Detroit artist." He's like, "And I want to prove that kind of thing." He's like, "This next project is going to show like I have a pen." And >> [music] >> um I mean he took like two years to write this. Like there was I think I was reading too that like he waited a full year to get Chris Brown's burst back for face card. Like just patience was kind of the key with this one. Yeah. And so like >> just hearing that that kind of like shift to to real legitimate lyricism like not just punching in but like kind of cement himself uh as a lyricist outside of just being like a genre rapper or whatever. I don't know how else to put that. But this whole thing was executive produced by Nas too. I guess like Nas called it a ghetto thriller just kind of like this was >> this is that album. Yeah. >> This didn't come out on Mass Appeal though, right? >> Uh I don't think so. >> I don't think it did. Which is interesting because that's cool of Nas to just still be involved in people's projects that you know even when they're not coming out on his label. >> Yeah, >> it was on Geffin Records. >> Oh, dude. Geffin is That's kind of crazy. The >> guy. Yeah, >> I did not know that. Did anyone catch the homage to Tupac with the artwork? >> Yeah, the Q Studio after or after the Q Studio shooting. Yeah. >> Oh, no. I I missed that. I mean, I heard him. He had a few Pac lyrics on there, but No, I missed that. That's cool. >> Yeah, if you guys look, it's like a famous picture. No, I think that was brilliant in terms of the concept of this album and some of the cont or the content that he was talking about just in terms of being a street being somebody from the street being a street [ __ ] and then [music] being in the game living that lifestyle and then having it bleed over into your music and into real life like Pac embodied that. Not saying that skill of baby is Pac, but I like the theme that played into especially even to take it back like what started for me when I first heard it right after the Denzel joint. cuz I just heard somebody preaching. I'm all like, "Oh, we got a gospel artist on here." And then and then oh no, it's Skila. And so then um God's favorite comes on and it sets the tone. But no, like just this concept of of like being real. Like the whole thing was whole thing about it was all like you could be in these streets, you could do all this and that, but know that this is what comes with it. It's not always a clean escape. And yeah, so going to back to what you were saying like just paying homage to Pac on that cover. I think he was doing that. And you also mentioned like with the Nas feature on Respect My Gangster, he held his own with Nas. He didn't Nas didn't watch him. He didn't sound out of place. The fact that you said he took 2 years to write this thing shows like the dedication that he got and it made me a fan. Like I haven't heard Skill Baby until now and I'm I'm a fan. I'm locked in. This project was dope. There was no skips at all. >> Super dope. I loved respect my gangster where he says people think they John Wick until they get John Doed. >> Until they get John Do. Yeah, [laughter] >> I wrote that down too. And it's a call back to the tough guy skit, too, because in the tough guy skit, he says, "Wake your [ __ ] job. Wicked shit." >> Yeah. All right, calm down. It's too late at night to be acting tough. We're We're done acting tough. [laughter] >> Yeah, >> man. Speaking of the skits, too, just like this whole project, a lot of it came from that shooting. I don't know how familiar you guys are with like what happened and out here. It actually I mean, not far from where I stay to be honest, like 20 minutes uh at 8 Mile in Redford. He ended up getting like I think it was like 20 shots or something rang out out of the SUV he was driving. He got grazed in the head, shot I forget the the rest of it like where he got hit, but two days later, less than two days later, he actually surprise featured at uh for 42 Doug's show. He like popped out and did a whole [ __ ] feature set at 42 Doug show. Like still like in the sling and [ __ ] Like it was crazy, bro. But um this whole this whole album was like >> Yeah, literally. But it was just like I mean he's already working on this, you know, and then that happens. And so I can only imagine that that kind of like shifted a lot of his perspective and influenced a lot of the album as well. I mean especially just with the artwork like I really hope a lot of people hear it. I think they will just because especially because of the features, you know, like you have Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, Nas, like there's so many different genres of music um and artists on here that like it's going to reach so many different crowds that >> I hope he gets the flowers that he deserves is what I'm trying to get at. >> Yeah. You especially hear that on No Tears. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. No tears. >> The production, the features. like this sounds like the kind of album where it's like when someone's about to pop like I don't want to call it like into the mainstream but it's like it is like a different >> you know layer. >> No, I think he was purposefully doing that. Yeah. I because like on the skit the suits it's like him talking to like some suit at the label and >> we need more music. >> Yeah. He's like this this album is Grammy bait. You need to have like Tik Tok dances and we need to sell an air fryer with your with your album. And he's just like what is this guy talking about? But, you know, he he's kind of making fun of it a little bit where he's like, "No, that that's Grammy bait. We don't need Grammy bait." I think he was very purposefully making, you know, a really a piece of art with this album, not just like you said, like not just like a another album of punching in. And he really proved that he's here for a reason. >> For sure. To Matt's point, yes, this does sound like like a breakout album, like the breakout moment to where you then pop and go on to the next lane. I mean, it's a show that he got slaps. He can make a slap. He can make some [ __ ] you can ride to, but he can also give you some thoughtprovoking stuff. He can also give you some conscience stuff. Yeah. And he was dropping gems all throughout this project, man. Talking about the consequences of of the life. >> And too many times the street life gets glorified without showing the real repercussions of what happens with that. It's all Candy Roses and Grand Theft Auto, but they don't talk about too much of the fall. A lot of that [ __ ] just gets swept under the rug. He did a really good job of talking about especially on No Tears and Product of My Environment. I think that's just the whole purpose of the album with the name being Price of Fame. He's just he's letting us know like >> this is real. >> He actually talked about Dear Mama. Skilla described the song as Tupac's Dear Mama-esque. I mean, it's just another link to Tupac. You can see like the respect that he has there. And just I I personally felt like he did a [music] phenomenal job with this song. Like just talking about like how she raised him. He's like, you know, they call me Skills cuz everything you taught me type [ __ ] which is like a reference to he used to play ball. They'd call him skills on the court and he's like, "They wouldn't call me skills if it wasn't for everything that you gave me." kind of thing. >> Fire song. That one definitely like caught my ear in a way that I was just like, "Oh shit." This one felt very genuine. >> Yeah, definitely very genuine. >> Said, "Thank you for your tolerance. I know I got on your last nerves. You raised a young boss who ain't raised no follower." Like that's probably one of my favorite bars from this. Struck a chord kind of thing. I don't know. >> Yeah. And it's all just full circle because he's, you know, he goes into like God's favorite where he's saying like, you know, I know God's real because I would not have lived through this [ __ ] And then he has, I think it's the last song, maybe the second to last song, he never left where he's sort of >> Mhm. >> it's talking about like don't compare me to God, don't compare me to Jesus kind of thing. >> Yeah, that's the last one. He never left. >> Yeah. Yeah. That was a really powerful song, too. >> Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Like the variety to talk about all of these different subjects and >> Yeah. It doesn't sound it doesn't sound forced or it doesn't sound surface level like there's a lot of depth to it and and you can feel it through the music. So then again like after Denzel John I'm like oh [ __ ] this killer project is the dopest one out of this week. But then I I continued going on [laughter] every project I listened to I was like this is my stand out [ __ ] never mind this is my stand out. I was like, "Oh [ __ ] okay, maybe this one is [laughter] silly." >> Damn. Austria, same here. >> And honestly, on that note, we should move on to Buster Rhymes and Jay Dilla with Diligence, too, because that is my personal favorite of this week. >> This was a powerful project. So dope to hear a postmist project handled with so much care. >> Yeah, >> the first Diligence came out in 2007. So that's almost 20 years ago, which was at the time it that was about a year after Dyla's passing. >> Yeah. >> And uh speaking of >> speaking about moms, >> speaking about moms, exactly. There were a few really powerful messages from Dilla's mom on here. And I had heard stories about Dilla was literally on his deathbed with the NPC making beats, literally up until the night before he passed. But it was different hearing that come out of his own mom's mouth. Like that actually made me emotional to hear that. That was crazy. >> Yeah. Know Ma Duke's closing words and just like with Busta saying that like I love you like you love Dilla and [ __ ] like that [ __ ] made me choke up when it goes into royalty. >> Yeah. >> This one really grabbed me for it not being an emotional album. Those voicemails, those conversations just grabbed me. And talking about family like >> Yeah. >> I don't know. There's something about this one that uh this to me was like one of those albums that I did not know I needed this bad until I heard it and I was like, "Oh, [ __ ] This is been missing from my life, [laughter] you know, like >> that's a good way to word it." I was I was so excited for this project when he announced it because the first Diligence was so dope because around that time like I found out about Dilla in ' 06 um when he passed and which was funny like I was watching this rerun show of you know New York undercover and there was this song by the far side and I it took me literally years like five years maybe to find this song only to find out it was produced by Dilla and I just went on this Dilla kick so I just finding all his old beats like listening to Dilla so much to the Like when I was making beats, I had to stop cuz everything I was trying to make was trying to sound like Diller. Like his impact as a producer, as an artist is huge. So when this project was announced, he was doing diligence, too. I was super I was super super super excited. I don't have I can't choose a standout because all of these joints are fire to me. I may be biased and I'll admit that. I don't care. [laughter] This project was dope. >> You're not wrong. >> You get busting Dilla, man. >> You get bust You get busted and Dilla, man. I will say I do like that he had a bit more bigger features on this too. D'Angelo big. I love that he had T3. >> Yeah, T3 from Slim Village on there on Lay Down. >> Yeah. >> And yeah, not to mention like you said, Terry, the big Sean like Big Sean did it right too and was just like shouted out Dylan like he didn't just >> Lud sounded so Lud. [laughter] Oh, >> what? >> Where's my Luna Dilla album? I'm not a hater, [laughter] >> but I'm not a fan of Luna. And this dude, Kingpin, knock your [ __ ] head off. Like, oh my god, bro. That the way back as well. >> Crazy. >> I don't I mean, just every start to finish. I love I love that we got Sai and Trillian like Bust's kids on there doing the refrain and stuff like phenomenal too. >> Yeah, cuz that's when he's talking about the love for his >> family and like [ __ ] like that. >> Okay, nice. I didn't know that was his kids. Yeah, those are his kids and [ __ ] >> For some reason, I know his kids names cuz I feel like on every album he shouts out as he's very very very family oriented cuz I remember on the last album too he shouts him out at one point. >> Yeah. >> It's nice to see like such a a loving kind of vibe being added to it cuz Busta like you know when you think of Busta especially with you know like how he grew up and stuff we think of like an aggressive kind of guy you know like >> but this was smooth >> very smooth very happy. There's like a um interlude on here with I believe it's Kendrick talking about or Buster Andela. >> Yeah. Which is which is which is crazy that Kendrick I mean that just shows how how deep that man is in his but um yeah like Buster's unorthodox style match with Dilla's unorthodox producing style like >> and they pushed each other. >> I found it sounded easy for Busta. >> Busta was rapping very very like nonchalantly like very just like just was natural to him. That's how sharp his sword is. And just that perfect marriage of Bus's unorthodox style and Dill's unorthodox style fusion together. Like it just it just sounds good. Um, Love and War is one of my favorite on here because this beat I remember when I f when I first heard this beat, I wrote some to this [ __ ] years ago. [laughter] >> So to hear it come back and and and Buster just flipped the [ __ ] like this project was dope, man. [ __ ] back pain, chest pain, head pain. That [ __ ] like these beats are crazy. Just tell me. [laughter] >> This [ __ ] is crazy, man. This Yeah. >> All right, I'm back to Diligence was my favorite, too, Jacob. [laughter] >> Yeah, that's I [laughter] can't help it. Know all of it. >> It's hard to say anything else was better. And I don't I think anyone anyone anyone could have dropped and like you can't be insulted that your album is not going to be better than this. It's just it's such a different level entirely. >> There's no one else that's making a sound like this. >> And like what Jacob had said last week where it was like a stash of Dilla beats for Busta and I read that it was something like 300 beats. >> Like Busta got something that nobody else got. So it's like it's >> you can't. Mama Duke says that the in the her last song she says that's why like he was all about people over money and that's why he handed that to Busta because you know he knew that he would take it seriously and do the right thing with them. >> And as famous as he is like when you check his credits and stuff like Dyla doesn't have that many like albums and and credits like it's very very condensed and it's very with the people that he you know he was with. There's not like you don't see him like producing random other dude like you know sometimes the producers and they blow up they get paid to produce like this random pop artist or whatever you know >> Dylan just worked with people he [ __ ] with >> that was a different era of hip-hop alltogether like people with Jack and Beats and then you know the the internet wasn't as renowned to where you can be found so people would hear your stuff and then like Ghost Production when he was working with the Uma when he was doing stuff with um Q and all these other you know producers and stuff like that but if Dilla was here the day of this. Yeah, >> man. I think if Dillow was here today, I think the landscape of production would be would be different. >> Different. That's facts. >> I like I don't want to say that that like a single person can change a landscape like that, but I I >> can He did though. [laughter] >> Dyla did, man. Diller did. >> When you have the the founder of the MPC saying like, "Oh, yeah. When I first started hearing these, I thought this was just like a really bad drummer. And then I realized like, oh, he's doing something completely new and different, you know? Like >> you don't grab [ __ ] audio sound design engineer nerd like brain that are just not totally in tune with like what they're what they're giving to the people. Like you don't get that kind of attention and like respect without being something special. I feel like, you know, like >> there's just so much there's so much through this, you know, there's just so so much through this that it's hard to ignore. >> So, going back to the Far Side record, Running, which is a song that I found Running. I think when they first got that beat, like they were they were upset because they was like, "These drums just sound off. These drums, it was either Running or Drop, one of those two." But they were like, "No, these drums sound off. These drums sound terrible." Like one of the members of Farside wasn't [ __ ] with it and they're like, "No, trust it. This [ __ ] he knows what he's doing." And for them to be like one of my two favorite joints, man, like it's >> wow. >> This dude's ear was crazy. I love Dilla. Greatest producers of all time. >> Absolutely. >> I feel like Story of the Old Man and Run Down, those were two of my favorite beats personally. Just like not that any of them I'd be like, "Oh, I don't like these." But man, the story of the Old Man with just Busta that like weird squeaky bump bump like just the baseline is [ __ ] nasty in this. >> Yeah, Dilla loves those. like he'll he'll do really sampled stuff and then sometimes you'll get these like really weird very synthe square wave bass. Yeah, man. Love that. >> It just Yeah, I know. It feels like someone like stomping around. It's like like it's just something different, dude. >> For me, entry was speaking of baselines. Entry just I was obsessed with that baseline all week. It just like goes up and up. I was just like in my car like, "Holy shit." >> When I first [laughter] heard it, I was like I I had a a moment of like it almost sounded bad. And I and I understood what you were saying about the guy saying that like, you know, these are just bad drums. Because I was like, "Okay, this is just a baseline that's just way higher. It's going up. It's very chromatic. It's very simple." >> And the first time I was like, I I don't know. Like I feel like this [laughter] should be bad, but it's not. >> That's like the first time. Yeah, [laughter] one of the first times I heard Dilla [ __ ] man. Listening to this, I'm all like, how is this man coming up? >> Let's take it back. Just how he how he flipped that guitar sample. >> I think one of my favorite things that he does is his use of like bubble sounds. Like they're not always bubbles, but it's like this idea of like it sounds like an aquarium tank or something almost like you get >> I was hearing that. I was like almost like it should be bad. [laughter] >> It's like Yeah. like a plucked windchime that like doesn't have the chime to it, you know? Like it's just like, >> dude, I feel like this woman is one of those beats that just like makes you kind of go like, "What the fuck?" Cuz it's so simple, but then just like the sound selection and stuff for like accents are just >> crazy, man. >> You said it perfectly. The accents that that's like that's really one thing I realized with that production is like the accents are almost the main part of the beat. It's what creates kind of like the the pockets that again BA has like no issue whatsoever finding. It just fits. It just really really just fits. >> Yeah. >> And he really got the most out of that pack too because like for example on the song Spaz, there's three different beats on one song. >> And so I'm assuming, you know, it was just he was just digging through that pack just like I'll trying to find all the perfect little pieces. 300 beats, >> which he's been sitting on this forever, you know, and like if you listen to Bust's projects, there's usually like one or two Dilla beats sprinkled throughout like every every project or at least like every couple. >> And so he said that he was like, I forget who he was talking to in an interview, but he was like, I finally just was like, "Fuck it." You know, like I'm going to sit down and like make an album out of these instead of just like slow kind of drip feeding them to the people. So >> no, you're absolutely right. >> Um must be intimidating. It must be intimidating because again it's the kind of production you you can't necessarily right away attack with okay I got you know I already got a verse written like from the five first five seconds you know to go through 300 beats man must be very very hard work for sure >> I feel like yeah there was a lot to be to be given on this one >> the only other thing I will say about d these diligence joints is that some of these beats we have heard before like royalty um was common used on um how beautiful love can be on be in the streets. Love, I think it's called love, actually. But outside of that though, it's still I'm any Give me Diller. I don't I don't care. [laughter] >> Just Just give me some Diller and I'll be happy. >> Yeah, man. It's This was absolutely no skips, no misses. Like, [music] there's not a single one on here that I'm like, "Yeah, you know, that one wasn't my favorite." Like, every [ __ ] song. And I feel like the way they curated it too, like you get these crazy hard beats, like aggressive raps, and then it does like you get like shoe, spaz, back pain, and then you come off of back pain, chest pain, head pain into this M Dukes talking at the beginning of royalty about family and love and respect and like >> Mhm. >> It just you're like, whoa, what? And then you get this woman which is a little softer with D'Angelo, you know, and like >> back to the hardship with Shu, like >> so well curated. I really hope that having so many big features hopefully like I know Dylan is a huge name like especially for us but you know I I don't know that the younger generations necessarily know him that well >> and so you know if if an album like this with such big features can maybe get on different you know people's radars I would be like holy I've never heard anything like this ever before like mind blown right like this like like right now if you're only like trap and like whatever's out there right >> it's like one of those things you hear that's just so different where you just be like it's it's wait a minute it's something to this >> you can't go back >> he play this play this a couple more times I do want to say I wish we'd get the more of this from other artists that he collaborated with which makes you think I wonder what's there like you know cuz him and Q-Tip have done stuff before in the past but I I don't know I'm glad we got Diligence too >> and I'm glad we can still um provide platform for people to enjoy Dilla because this [music] is like you want to be a producer you looking for producers who you should study Jay Dilla should be one of those. >> And I encourage everyone since we're talking about it, and I know it goes without saying in in our circle, but if you have not listened to his his solo projects, his instrumental stuff, if you haven't heard Donuts, wake up and listen to it >> cuz it it still holds its own >> like without a doubt, man. If you want to talk about like more well-known Dilla stuff like >> Peep Donuts, you know, that was I got put onto that when I was nine. I think I was nine or 10 and someone loaded that up on my iPod for me [laughter] >> and my brain melted, bro. My >> That explains a lot about like how your brain works, honestly. >> Oh yeah. [laughter] >> How's it be? >> Like you've been listening to Dylan since 9. >> Yeah. No, I mean [laughter] I'm a little I'm I'm I'm blessed in that sense that like, you know, we already had like a lot of the be his best work by the time I was able to comprehend it. But like >> Mhm. >> If you haven't heard it, listen to Donuts. listen to all of his his instrumental albums, you know, just understand where he comes from. >> Absolutely. There's just you can't say enough good things about Bus Rhymes and Jay Dilla with Diligence to just thank you for, you know, taking the time and effort to do that, right? And give us that project. >> Hard to even move on to another album now. So, I guess who's who's you know, like [laughter] >> Well, actually, I got I got a good transition here. Maybe a coincidence or maybe they knew this deal a project was dropping on the same day but femot and gold haze with their project less talk more haze 2 the last song on it is 728 and it's uh that's Dilla's birthday and it's kind of an ode to Dilla but uh really smooth production from Gold Haze fits perfect with Fem Dot's voice >> Gold Haze is a prominent Chicago based producer he's worked with Push ID Gerbo among many others He's also a rapper. I learned this week he has a solo album of rapping over his own beats. I'm not sure if he has any verses on this, but I think it's just femed out on this lyrically. >> I'm pretty sure it is. And what I really really liked about this was the less talk more haze. Like obviously the name is is one thing, but like the way that they kind of put this together. Um the whole like concept of it. If you listen like lyrically, there's there's kind of like a core theme that runs through it. It's all kind of around like combating overthinking, overanalyzing, like anxiety and uh it's something that like you don't really get as much when you listen to femot like it's almost overthought, you know? And so like this whole idea was like therapy more or less like to stop hyperfixating on his work and his lyrics and his projects and like >> just kind of have something a little more raw. I don't know. I thought was really really cool cuz he's a very interesting artist. Um, and just to hear that, you know, it was just kind of like, okay, that's sick that there was like a a meaning. There was there was a motivation personally for this more than just like, let's put out a dope project. >> And FEMDA, he actually has a course at Depal University in Chicago on analyzing Chicago history through the lens of hiphop. And he's also started a nonprofit for black and brown students in Chicago, providing resources and scholarships for them. So he is a he's a scholarly dude that does a lot for his community. And so it makes sense that he's not he's not just making music. He's got strong intentions. Good intentions. >> And it was definitely intentional. All of this [ __ ] I totally forgot. But like looking back at his discoraphy, he has a whole album called King Dilla 2. >> Well, there you do. >> Whether or not he knew Diligence 2 was coming out, he definitely planned this around the anniversary of his death. >> That's what we're at the 20 year anniversary of in 26. >> This is all intentional in in the way that, you know, everybody's got Dylan on on the mind this year. For sure. >> For sure. >> That's crazy. I love this project personally. I specifically I really loved Master P. I love I just like I felt like this started off it set the tone perfectly, but I liked all of it, you know? Like this is all fire. But just that I was in a very jazz rap kind of like enjoying that sound and like hearing those drums just the tinky like high hat or the ride symbols come in like I love this project and it's super short. It's like >> 12 minutes or something. >> I'm like man let me listen to that again. I was like [ __ ] >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Short and sweet. I think the the sample in Master P is the theme song for LA Noir, which was that uh which is a game that came out um by Rockstar a while back. >> No wonder that just like grabbed me. >> I totally for your bro. >> Did you hear that or did you read that? Cuz if you >> No, I heard it because I tried to sample that [ __ ] a while ago cuz that piano was so [ __ ] smooth. [laughter] >> Oh, he's like, "Fuck, that's how you're supposed to do it." Okay. That's a good call. Good ear on that on that sample catch. >> Yeah, that's crazy. >> But that's FEMDA and Gold Haze with Less Talk more Haze 2. And lastly, I want to talk I got to talk about the documentary 3. The game with the documentary 3. Oh man, what a week with mixed emotions with this with this [ __ ] album. Okay, first of all, I was like, I'm probably not even going to listen to this. And then the first time I listened to it, I was like, okay, this is pretty good, actually. And then I I listened to it a few times and I was like, "This is actually great. This sounds actually great." And I did not expect to feel that way at the beginning of the week. I was I was to the point of not even checking it out. But man, incredible production. Game sounding very inspired lyrically on this. Really well sequenced. >> The only thing I didn't really care for was that that run of R&B tracks in the middle. [music] >> Yeah, that's where it lost me. >> But it brought he brought it back. It's just it it was too soft. I don't know what it was. For me, it was just like cuz I love R&B. I just I think with the way that he set the tone for the first half of the album, I did not want that to stop, >> you know? Like 40 Nights goes crazy. >> It goes crazy. >> I mean, he's always been controversial and to hear him just like lean into it and have the the Breakfast Club start off the album and like he's just alluding to the fact like I know I'm a [ __ ] you know? like I know that I've you guys don't like me that there's like lovehate relationships. So [music] I just I liked that. >> Yeah, he had a few of those media quotes from different different sources. Yeah, there's like the Breakfast Club, Academics, there's another one I remember and >> just kind of like >> talking about the things that >> he already knows people are going to say about this album. >> Like, okay, yeah, we all know Game Spit, but he's problematic and he doesn't have like a a crew. He's just kind of like a lone soldier. I share the same sentiments with Game. It's not that I don't like him. It's not that I think he's bad or anything like that. Game is dope. Game is talented. Game has classics. He has classic albums. >> It's it just it takes me a while to to get into games game [ __ ] And then I was what I was thinking like you use the beef with Kendrick in order to get cuz you use beef to sell your products, you know. Cool. Whatever the case may be, that's your thing. Then you call it the documentary three. You know, I gotta say, I don't know how he pulls this off, but he his best [ __ ] is that series. Like, >> yeah, >> he seems to know when he's warming up and when it's appropriate to name something in the documentary series cuz like he has like he goes years with Miss Miss like boring album after boring album and then he's like, you know what, I feel like actually putting some effort in and then he [ __ ] >> That's my problem. But even documentary I find it always becomes a thing of like like whenever people talk about like the beef with 50 or whatever his whole thing is that the documentary one was the best album that came out in like of whatever of that era or whatever he like he says that stuff often right and I think for him whenever he does that documentary it's again it just feels like like you said it's always it's good there's a lot I liked on the album but what I didn't like shouldn't be on a classic album like the okay so love Love it or hate it, I'm surprised no one spoke about this. Love it or hate it to me is like top 10 favorite hip-hop songs of all time. >> I'm mad he did it on here, but um I wanted to [laughter] preserve judgment. >> But I think that's speaking into that nostalgia thing like and it's it's track number two. So it's it's it's track number two. So like I think once you comes on it once that nostalgia hits you, it's like oh yeah, I remember that. >> I felt insulted. M >> I I just don't know why he he went and re redid it. And to put Snoop on it, I feel bad for Snoop cuz like it's just weird. It just felt like is it a petty thing like at 50 like ah this is my song? Like >> I think it is because like he still talks about you know to an extent like when you talk about the the very last song the game recognized game. He talks about the 50 beef. He talks he's talking to his younger self and he's like I'm about to go and shoot 50 or whatever and he said like don't do it or some [ __ ] like I've been through it. I get what you're saying like he is a little stuck in the past in the sense in like in that sense but I do think at the same time that's part of his story for someone like me that didn't grow up in that era like on that wave of hip-hop >> it's all interesting to me cuz like it's it's all kind of fresh to me I haven't been sitting with it for 20 years type [ __ ] you know where I'm like man that shit's old news it's way old news like obviously yes it is but like at the same time I haven't had all that time and this time to feel some type of way about it. And so then to just hear like kind of a full picture of it, you know, like full circle encapsulation of like of that [music] it's it is kind of humbling in a sense, but at the same time it is a little corny at the same time. Like I can see both perspectives. >> Yeah, that's fair. >> I did I will say love it or hate it, I liked Snoop's verse on a lot. I did like how they were pingponging back about like being blood, being [ __ ] like that [ __ ] And like >> I was like, "All right, this is kind of fun." on like this is this is playful like this is fun >> for me like growing up like I I never to me there was never a question that game game is is a better rapper than 50 that was never a question that that to me was never a question like it the the fact that that's even the beef of like I'm better than him like there should have been more respect or whatever like it's two different artists like 50 it's the it's the art of crafting the song and crafting the albums which like he's shown he can do >> and game has shown that you know despite being a phenomenal rapper game has had an issue sometimes with >> you know crafting a good song or like through and through you know >> but both of them completed each other both of them were great at different things and so I just don't know why it's still like to me it's never been doubted yeah game is a great rapper >> that's >> yeah and he said that on the album that's what the that's what the media quotes were about was him just being like everyone already knows I'm a great rapper but here like let me show you I can actually put an album together which I think is what he did on documentary 2 and three. Can't give him the credit on one that was Dre, but you know, >> yeah, >> which was fire. But it's all like, dude, like you are you are the craftsman of of your own demise for those relationships. Like, >> yeah, >> it's good to show accountability, but you can't play this victim role. That was a really good perspective that you brought up, though. That that that changes that changes how I view it. Changes some changes some, >> honestly. Like some of the standouts for me personally, like the first probably 10 songs were hard as [ __ ] Uh 40 Nights was my absolute favorite. I liked Jesus a lot. Like I love the way that the album starts. It set a really good [ __ ] tone. >> Um but like going past the 10, like past song 10, like getting kind of into the middle. I didn't love that it was like leaning into the OVO [ __ ] and like cuz I'm I'm a little little Drake hater over here, but still I got like [laughter] Party Next Door is very 50/50 for me and I felt like they actually sounded really [ __ ] good together on that one. The part was fire. So >> that one was kind of a miss for me. >> Really? >> Yeah. I don't know why. It was just there was already enough like dope. >> I think it was the beat >> west coast banger ones. that >> I take I take [laughter] Scary Times over that one for just like a lit song full of West Coast rappers. Like Scary Times was that one for me. >> Yeah, R.J. Mr. LA was on like 10 [ __ ] songs, too, which I was a little like, "All right, bro. Chill out." [laughter] That was just >> He was snapping though. I'm not always the biggest fan of him, but he was snapping on that. And then I feel like we got to talk about Steppers, too, with Lil Wayne. Matt, you said you hated that beat. >> Yeah, I don't know. I hate it. >> I I [ __ ] with that beat. Damn. That's crazy. No, no, no. That's a That's another song. >> Yeah. >> I'm trying to remember where that's from. Like that's >> whatever the original song is. >> Very popular. >> I can tell it was it was it's better than what >> you don't even have to hear the original. [laughter] >> I'm like I could tell like I could tell like what was taken. I can hear the quality of it. But [laughter] nah. And like like Game and Wayne have so many songs together. Some of game's biggest songs have a Wayne hook on it. >> I was just listening to Red earlier. Yeah. >> Yeah. And like Wayne is flowing fine, but it's like it's not a terrible beat. It's just like it felt amateur, I guess, for the the level of stakes that this is, if that makes sense. You know, >> that's fair. >> I couldn't tell if this was a sneak disc on here. Mr. Moral and the big steppers. They're talking about being steppers, but I mean, that's a common term, so maybe not. But the reason why he was at top of mind is because this this guy cannot get Kendrick out of his mouth. Like >> even on the song meet the parents, I couldn't help but think is this is this a reference to meet the Grams? Like even though again meet the parents is a common [ __ ] phrase, but this guy could just not keep Dot out of his mouth. >> No. And he kept like sneak this and you know like subtle disses where they're like it's like he he was throwing shade more than dissing him, you know, and he even went out and said like this is not a this album. And I'm like you had to make a statement that this is not a this album because of how [ __ ] much it sounds like a album. Yeah. >> And then took off the song that was dissing him. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Exactly. Like he calls it not a dis album because he altered the album to be have less disses on it. He had he came out say and said that which included taking off a Drake verse which was quote not too kind. >> How about Chike pulling his own verse in support for Kendrick? >> Wait, what? >> Yeah. >> Oh yeah, that Yeah, that happened. Yeah. Um, what [ __ ] song was it? Was it Scary Times or was it the part that has um >> That's gone. >> I'm pretty sure it was >> Yeah, >> Easy Ch was Yeah. >> Oh, you I haven't even heard the next day he like complained. Yeah. >> Yeah. No, I heard it the first day. I I didn't even realize I got pulled. >> Yeah. No, he's on I think he's on No Jumper talking about it. If you want to see like the interview, >> he went on No Jumper and was like, "Yeah, no, I had to, you know, like there's too much [ __ ] too much heat. Like, I respect that." He said on Jesus like earlier in the verse was what was it? Um I say Drake the homie y'all say it's treason. I can't believe it. Want me to pick sides while y'all dick ride. >> We from the west side. You ain't got to pick sides. It's all like fam you picked a side already. Like what do we like? I was Yeah. That's the thing with game >> the Drake verse thing. It kind of feels like like if I told my girlfriend like oh like you know I could have cheated but I didn't. You like like why? Like why even like like don't talk about the Drake verse, [laughter] >> you know? If this Drake verse would have came out, well, the world would have been in flames, you know? Like, >> all right, well, let's hear it then. Like, I mean, >> come [laughter] on. >> I don't know. You went as far as to like allude to the fact that like you're team OVO here. And it's like, brother, >> they would have broken the West Coast. Like, yo, I need to hear it then. Like, what do you what do you mean? to say you have a nuke that you don't want to use. >> Okay, big man. You know, >> that's definitely all some [ __ ] Like game is game on is [ __ ] But the only thing that I do think [music] is positive about it is that, you know, he's on the side of music over picking a side, which I can agree with. Like that's why I still checked out Iceman. That's why I still checked out documentary 3, even though I'm a massive Kendrick fan, not really an OVO fan. >> Yeah. >> Because, you know, I'm for the music, too. It's not like you have to hate on the on certain music just because you're a big fan of one or the other. So that if you zone in really tight, you can I can see where he's getting at, but man, he goes about it in a whack whack ass way. >> Just how he moves personally is just all like that's that's the [ __ ] Again, like they said throughout the interviews, throughout this album, Game can rap his ass off. Game is an MC. He will go down a legend. He will go down top listed of West Coast artists. He held down the West Coast. Yeah, but overall it's not a bad album, you know, like everyone will get saves. There's a lot of different vibes to it, too. Uh, we talked about a little bit like the kind of more R&B songs on there. I wasn't a huge fan, but they weren't bad. >> Yeah. >> The biggest issue with the R&B ones is like Gav said, it just messes up the pace of the album cuz he like it's pretty toploaded. Like he's hidden back to back to back and then that really slows it down and then it takes a little bit while to ramp back up. But then he he does finish it really strong with game recognized game which is like a classic talking to your past self song. But it worked pretty well. >> And I will say the Cookout, Larry June sounded good on the Cookout and I'm I'm like [clears throat] 50/50 on Larry June too. But hearing that just like letting him start that one off. >> I did like that [ __ ] a lot. >> Yeah, good features all around. I think >> I was disappointed with the LA Monster song though. I at first I was like kind of excited cuz I was like the beat's [ __ ] nasty. Like Yeah. No, I was excited. And I was like, "Yo, this is actually going to bang." And like Kanye's going to go off. And then you get like a a hook that just he like said once and they just dropped it into the [ __ ] playlist a few more times. I was like, "Man, what?" [laughter] I was like, "What?" >> Yeah, it was a good thought. I actually like that one. >> Oh, also, uh, we didn't mention it. Black thought. Black thought on the cool and Dre beat. That sounded really cool, too. >> That was nice. >> But [laughter] again, it's it's the last like one of the last songs, right? Like it's >> one of the last songs. That was funny too because >> he had Blackthaw on the hook. It was like hook verse, hook verse with game doing a couple verses and then I was like, "Oh, good call not giving black thought a verse cuz he will outwrap anybody." And then last verse ended up being a Black Thought verse and yep, bro. [laughter] >> Why is it one of the best verses of the project? >> It was cool to see Dracho the Ruler featured on here, too. Like just a post. >> Yeah, I like that song. That was um >> that's that's one of those like >> deaths that I I still can't believe, >> man. That getting shanked backstage at a [ __ ] music festival. What? That is still one of the craziest. I remember when I saw that come out, I was like, yo, I was just getting on a run with Draco. I was just really getting into him. And then >> it's like for what? [laughter] Like it was like some petty beef was my understanding too. It wasn't even like that deep. I show that this is something that he would have wanted to be on like do you know if you know him and game were were you know [ __ ] with each other or you know it's I don't know. >> Yeah. >> All in all I thought it was a solid entry. I definitely would not say like it's not one of my no skips for [music] sure. Uh it's definitely controversial but I would you know I will be playlisting and have playlisted some of it. We'll definitely revisit some songs on here. I still think in my personal opinion 40 nights is the hardest. That that was like old Kanye. I was happy to hear that [ __ ] dude. >> Nice. I just looked I playlisted 12 songs which is exactly half of it. >> So for me for a game album that's like insane. Like I'm calling this album great. >> That's a lot. >> I still only playlisted half of them, but also I playlisted half of them. >> Right. I was a bit more picky, so I feel that. >> All right. Well, let's wrap it up there. That was uh some super strong projects this week, but we can wrap it up on the game, the documentary 3. Like I mentioned at the top of the show, we got honorable mentions for the first time ever on the pod this week. So projects that honestly any other week we would have covered these, but we already have a longass episode just with what we covered. So, we got to shout out Skip Waiters with the Black Mirror EP, Rap City with Gaga Afro and Gold Hoops, Snot with High Plus Risk, and lastly, Primo Rice with Another Night at the Chateau. All really strong projects. We talked about them a bit in the in the group chat this week and had good things to say, but just it's just a [ __ ] insane week. >> Yeah. Another one I'd add on to that is that Quantrell two pack. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Nice. Yeah. Yeah. Quantrol, good call. >> That was fire. >> Mhm. >> Like right after just what, like a month or two after he dropped a full album, too. He's just >> keeping it steady. >> So good, dude. >> Yeah. Good addition. >> All right. Well, before we get into the list of releases for next week, let's do plugs. I mixed a few songs this week. Got busy with some mixing and mastering. did a song for Chris on the Gram, a song for Luther Magic, song for Robbie Valdez, and lastly, my boy Ace Sno. You can always check out our beats at frequencyoverflow.com. And uh yeah, that's it for me. Uh what do you want to plug, Gav? >> Uh [ __ ] I mean, I haven't been doing anything like official or anything like that, but just been really really remotivated. Uh I know I kind of said it last time on the pod, too, but just real excited. I've been cooking a lot more. Um, obviously I think like we touched on earlier with the Jay Dilla project, like it's hard to listen to his music and not want to go, "Okay, let me go make something. I'm inspired again." Um, so I've just been cooking up a lot, trying to >> trying to add to my repertoire there, you know, put together some packs for different artists and stuff like that. And so, yeah, just been grinding out again, doing a lot of sampling, doing a lot of like trying out new tech techniques and stuff and like pulled out my MPK again, like been using that a lot more. So, yeah, just getting back kind of in my bag with producing. So, I'm excited. I'll have some good stuff to share with you guys soon, hopefully. >> Dope. Yeah, you've been sending some good stuff to the group chat for sure. You want to shout out your socials? >> You can find me anywhere um and everywhere for the most part. Prod by lunar.g. Go ahead and follow me, DM me if you need anything. I do, you know, got all sorts of stuff just laying around. So, >> the man is fire, man. The man got some fire. >> Appreciate it, Terry. >> All right. Uh, what do you want to plug, Terry? Last week I dropped a single I love it um which is on this EP that is releasing tomorrow. So by the time y'all are watching this the EP will be out so you can check it out. It was Mix and Master by Frequency Overflow. Also had Matt helping out with this. So I mean everybody in here helped out with this project. Um so I'm excited for y'all to hear what we've been working on. Six tracks is light. That'll be cool. I have a music video coming up shortly for I love it too. And you can follow me everywhere. I Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, YouTube at Yo Terry V. >> Excellent. Really excited for that EP. >> Speaking of heat, check that [ __ ] out. >> Absolutely. >> Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. The title title's called Cycles. >> Yes. [laughter] >> Should probably mention the title. >> Oh, yeah. >> All right. Good [ __ ] What do you want to plug, Matt? >> Uh, you can follow me on Instagram, SVR Carrier. I don't got anything new right now, but uh my artist Lucia Speed Thundercat is dropping a single September 18th called Hard Times, produced by Frequency Overflow Mix and Mastered by Frequency Overflowed >> Overflow. >> We got the team. >> Yes. And then on uh Terry's EP as well, there's a Lucious B Thundercat verse as well. >> Yes, that's right. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> We're squatted up, bro. >> It's exciting. >> Yeah, man. We moving. hit us up rappers and producers. We want to work with more people, too. Not just not just keep it in in the group. So, you know, >> always uh always looking to meet new artists and and producers for sure. >> Well, releases coming up next week. Long list. Next week is looking to be equally as crazy as this week. We got >> [ __ ] We got Zarface and Frankie Pulitzer. E40 with a quadruple disc album. single person here has to fully listen to. I'm holding you [laughter] guys all accountable. >> Listen, the four of us. We are divying that [ __ ] up. All right. >> Yeah. [laughter] One album, one album each. >> We got Erica Badu and the Alchemist. He won Jayworthy and George Clinton. Got Lansancy Foe, Mike D, Knight Lavell, Radame and Mahersala Ali who is an actor as well making his rap debut. >> Mahersa Ali. Rod Wave. Yep. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Saul Williams, Vory, the God Fahhem and Nico JP, Angelo Moda. >> Damn. >> Afro. And lastly, >> we just found out today, Young Thug, and the new YSL roster dropping Slime Language 3. >> Super excited for that. >> Between Thug, Ly Fox, which if you're not hip, please, please pay attention to Lancy Foe. >> Okay. We have some absolute bangers coming up. >> Oh, Underground King right there. Let me just put it that way. Very, very fire. Does some crazy like rage underground type [ __ ] It's not all rage. Like he's very melodic, very versatile, but like made his debut through rage and [ __ ] like Ken Carson adjacent kind of [ __ ] >> Okay. Dope. Dope. >> Man, we have some heat coming. >> I'm most excited for the for the YSL Slime Language 3 myself. Personally, I've been frothing at the mouth for an Ericabadu Alchemist album, but that's just mo [laughter] >> and two two completely different sides of the coin. >> I know in real life. [laughter] >> All right, and that's our show. You can check us out on our website at f2fpod.com. That's the number two. You can follow the podcast on Instagram, Fridayto Fridaycast. You can follow us on Tik Tok at Fridayto Friday Pod. You can save the official Spotify playlist to hear the best releases from each week before the episodes come out. That link is in the description. Our intro and outro music by Lunar G. And thank you listeners. It's the show about Fridays that comes out on a Monday. Join us every [music] Monday to stay in tune with hip-hop releases from Friday to Friday. Peace. Peace. Peace. >> [music]