The Ransom Report VI: #AOTY18 (words by Charles Ransom Polk)

Good evening my friends and (mostly) haters! 2019 is here already! Time really does fly. We’re all one year older, and we move one year closer to the end of Mr. Spray-tan-man’s Presidency (Fingers crossed). This is the time for those good old New Years resolutions. What are yours? Mine are to have my Bank account balance, relationship with God and my knowledge all increase in 2019.

2018 was quite the year in music. With that being said, I’ve listed my top five albums. We'll start with some honorable mentions mixed in there for you all to hate and disagree with me on. Here we go, the Dr. Is IN:

Honorable mentions (these albums were iight but not john blaze s**t) J. Cole KOD, Lil Wayne Carter V, Lil Baby & Gunna - Drip Harder (There you go Ron), Conway Blakk Tape

Ok now to the top five albums of 2018.

5) Jay Rock - Redemption

A lot of y’all may have slept on this album. Well I’m the alarm clock. I’ve been a fan ever since I first heard him on Money Trees from GKMC (you know, Kendrick’s BEST ALBUM BY FAR?). I’m a big comeback/redemption (no pun intended) story guy so when I heard he was in a really bad accident and almost died I was even more interested to hear his new joint. He’s always sounded battle-hardened, but on this album he gives the term a whole new meaning. Whether it’s alongside Future on King's Dead or Absolutely holding his own with K Dot on Wow Freestyle. The man can rock with the best. Also, GO LISTEN to the title track, Redemption with SZA. If it doesn’t hit you square in the chest, you the tin man. PERIOD. If you need a amp- up song for the gym/whatever, look NO further than Win. Round of applause, Jay.

4) Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

Not gonna lie, for some mysterious reason or another I LOVE CARDI, and it’s not because I find her attractive (quite the opposite). Personally she’s WAYYYYY too ratchet for my taste. Still I LOVE her, she’s the type of chick I’d love to hit the bar/booty club with after. She seems like a ton of fun to act up with, and she’s REAL. She’s been the exact same way since she first popped up on Love and Hip Hop. Gotta respect that. To be honest I didn’t mind the album. I was loving that old school 3-6 sample on Bickenhead (and y’all know I LOVE me some old 3-6 mafia/Project Pat). I was getting my bachata on all summer to I Like It that song was FUEGO to me. Be Careful sounded like a super ratchet Mary J. Bilge ladies anthem in 2018. This wasn’t an all time great album but to be honest it was very well produced and sequenced, and it was a great mix of her strengths. Keep up the good work Bardi.

3) Pusha T - Daytona

There’s an old saying “less is more." In the era of bloated album tracklists on streaming services to inflate sales, the quality/quantity ratio is at an all time low. With that being said, King Push delivered a lean, mean killing-machine of an album. It’s brevity is matched only by its viscerally. He attacked with sharp lyrics and the best Kanye West aka the modern day Uncle Tom’s production in YEARS. That’s the ONLY props you’ll see me give him, and you all know why. From If You Know You Know to What Would Meek Do, Pusha Ton puts on a clinic. Then there’s Infared the track that proves that beef is chess NOT checkers to Push. To Aubrey, it was obviously the other way around. I’ll always want Push on Pharrell/Neptunes beats, but this s**t was extremely hot. In a different year it might have been my favorite album.

2) Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap

Another album that you may have slept on since it dropped very early in 2018. I’ve been a Nipsey fan for almost a decade (since the Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series). He’s the rare case of an artist consistently making forward progress on his albums. This was his debut album, and that’s because he TOOK HIS TIME AND DID IT HIS WAY. He waited until he got the right deal with a major label (people don’t know but he’s a very sharp business man). He carefully selected the producers, engineers and artists for his album.That process results in a ultra hi-def cinematic representation of his life and times. From his West coast version of Hate Me Now on Rap N****s to the soulful Million While You Young to the Hard Knock life sampling Hussle and Motivate, Neighborhood Nip achieved a rare feat: an album that was worth the long wait and then some.

1) Meek Mill - Championships

I don’t think there’s been an artist worthy of back-to-back album of the year distinction since Joe Camel made The Dynasty then the Blueprint in ‘00-‘01. It’s SUPER tough to do. But cot dammit Meek did it. He had the album of the year in ‘18 with Wins and Losses. Coming off a prison stint with his future in the balance and the spotlight squarely on him, he absolutely nails it again. My last Ransom Review was about this album so I won’t say the same stuff again, but the bottom line is this project was great on all 3 levels of album grading: Sound, Content and Lyrics. Just go listen to the album if you haven't already. Sure there were one or two misfires on there, but no artist is perfect. Hey @Carretta24, to think I once called meek “Basura!" You were right. Very rarely am I wrong about an artist, and even more rarely am I happy I was wrong about an artist. No album was better overall in 2018. Dassit

There you have it, my musical class of 2018. I can feel the hate and disagreements from all the way up here at the top. Like the Emperor in Return of the Jedi said “Good! let the hate flow through you!” until next time, I wish (most of you) all a happy and blessed 2019!

Mr. Ransom

Ransom Report V: Championships - @MeekMill The Good, the Bad, & the Peanut Butter & Jelly Bulls**t

Warning: This article includes vulgarity or graphic content.

Ransom Report Volume V: Meek Mill’s Championships 

The Good, the Bad, & the Peanut Butter & Jelly Bulls**t

Hello again haters and congratulators. I’m right back like I left the stove on. This is a BIG one, Meek Mill’s Championships. I’m unveiling a new format for this one. I’ll be telling you what I like, didn’t like and thought was BS about every album I review. I’ll do track by track reviews occasionally. This was mostly for all you remedial English class motherf*****s out there. All those that looked shook like you were gonna get picked for the hunger games when the teacher was picking people to read aloud in class. Yeah all you out there, I shortened the format for y’all. No need to thank me, I know you’re all thankful. That being said here we go, the Dr. is IN.

Full disclosure: I didn’t start out a Meek fan:quite the opposite. I thought his first album was basura. I had to be persuaded over the years by my man @carretta24 among others, until finally after hearing Dream Chasers 4 and then Wins & Losses. I actually gave the latter, Album of the Year on the A-side B-side Podcast Pilot episode and music wrap up for last year. Now, onto Championships.

The Good: 

 

Coming off the 2017 album of the year (Wins and Losses), the bar was higher than it ever has been for Meek. Especially since he spent some hard time in the bing, I was really looking forward to seeing how that would change him. The answer: it made him appreciate and celebrate. It taught him to be more thoughtful and introspective. These are all new facets of his song-making ability. Any-motherf*****g-way, there’s a lot good on Championships; his songwriting improved from his time in the can (that’s what they call jail on the sopranos, I’ve been binge watching the whole thing again so pardon me paisans). He didn’t come out super vengeful like 'Pac did after he did his time.

Here, we find Meek taking stock of his life and state of his career. He's very clever with a flip of Biggie's timeless What’s Beef on What’s Free featuring an OUTSTANDING verse by Joe Camel himself Jay Hova, and an equally garbage juice verse by Ro$$ aka Officer Ricky (how the mighty have fallen. He used to be my favorite artist at one point). The title track or the soul-baring Cold Hearted 2 (make sure you stay for the end of that song)” and the standout “Oodles O Noodles Babies (prolly one of his deepest songs ever period). Meek really grew on this album, in every category. From the beats standpoint, you could make the case Meek has the best ear for beats in the game today. The samples are FLAWLESSLY done. I respect him flipping Lonnie Smith's Garden of Peace made famous by Dead Presidents (C'mon son, s**t was brilliant). I could go on, but you get the picture. Ross used to have the golden ear for beats, now Meek has it. Feature wise I wasn’t mad: Ross and Jay on what’s free and Ella Mai on 24/7 which flipped my favorite Beyoncé song, Me myself and I were both fire. Bardi showed up flexing fluently on “On Me” and even Aubrey the lovable Houston/Jamaican/Memphis/Dominican/Oakland Thug showed up on the not-trash-but-not-great “going bad”. All in all the tracklist was star studded and each guy/girl showed up and showed out.

The Bad:

To be honest there’s not much bad here. Some of the features weren’t great (Future, Young Thug with Meek on a track should’ve been a sure thing, but instead Splash Warning is probably one of the two pure duds on the album. That's sad because I really f**ks with both Future and Thug, but the track was extra regular to me. Also, the song Almost Slipped was kinda wack too. If it’s one thing Meek isn’t great at, its making girl songs. What’s worse is he usually puts more than a couple of em on each album. Unfortunately he had that 24/7 song with Ella Mae on there, or maybe it was just me loving the sample (who the f**k knows). Dangerous, which he as the lead single, is on here too. I didn’t hate it but the broads were quoting it on their IG’s all summer so I guess it was a hit. Also a couple of songs toward the end were filler to me, but I didn’t all the way hate them.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bulls**t: 

 
Again, not much here other than Ross giving 0 effort on the What’s Free. Like seriously big homie? You knew Jay was gonna be on the track, and you didn’t make a better verse than that?! What in the actual f**k Ross. Your verse on there didn’t even fit the song and it was trash on top of that. You should’ve hired the same n***a that writes for Aubrey next time man. Get you some better material. Also like I said that Future song was wack too. It makes me nervous because it’s been awhile since we’ve gotten some fire from him. You better be making DS3, and it better be hot because you’ve been dropping the ball all over the place recently my man. Also, let’s be honest this album was great but that cover??! Cmon Meek, it looks like someone in your team made that back in like 06 and you found it and use it. That album cover was ALL BAD. Plus the only n***as that can ice out their album covers are the Cash Money n***as. All of those covers were FUEGO back in the day, and if don’t think so you’re a lame.

There you have it, Meek comes off of the worse stretch of his life, when the chips were all the way down, and the pressure couldn’t be greater and turns in his best work yet. Congrats Meek, you walked thought the fire with gasoline timbs on and came out the other side. Philly stand up, Eagles fans sit all the way the F**K DOWN. Modern day classic rap album in my opinion. I never thought I’d see the day I’d say that about a Meek album.

Album grade: 8.5/10 Philly Cheesesteaks from Geno’s

A Side B Side Podcast Episode 001 #AOTY2017

The piece that brought you all here is back. Album of the Year: The 2017 Edition.

Some years fall short, some blossom. This year was the latter and outstanding for music. Instead of writing a long drawn out piece counting down the top five I enlisted some help for this one. Charles Polk, Kyle Gill and myself give you our pilot episode of A Side/B Side Podcast presented to you by What's The Movement. In this episode we break down the top five hip-hop albums this past year. Same deal as always: Flow, Lyrics, Production, Impact, and uniqueness is how we rate our top five. I won't spill too much. The music in this episode is F*ck 12 by Khalil Jibran. I just need you to feel this. Press play below.

Review: @CreedMovie Soundtrack

The motion Picture Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, came out on November 25^th. Jordan plays Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son that wants to make a name for himself as a boxer in Philadelphia and Rocky Balboa (Stallone) helps him do that. Even though we get the same setting as the original Rocky movies, it's a new era that comes with a new sound. I saw the movie and I was not only impressed by the performance, but also by the music in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised to see how hip-hop culture highly influenced the production of it.

Last Breath (Future)- Future raps over the original Rocky theme music that has been remixed. Even though you can tell it was made for the movie, the song sounds like it could have been on his last album.

Check (Meek Mill) - A Philly movie needs to have a Philly rapper. This is one of Meek's most popular songs. It has a speedy rhythm with lyrics that reflect the city it came from.

Intolerant (White Dave) - The beat has elements of pop and hip-hop. Its upbeat tempo makes me think it could be a club banger if it was more popular. But the content is actually deep. Dave references Socrates and says that he needs to finish school. Not so dumbed down after all.

The Fire- (The Roots ft. John Legend)- Of course you have to have the Roots on this soundtrack as well. The Philadelphia native band gives us a chill sound, but with lyrics that say, “Something in my eyes that say I’m so close to having the prize.”  You can see why it's a boxing movie.

Grip (Tessa Thompson) This is one of my favorites. Thompson isn’t only on the soundtrack she is also in the movie. The song is not so much hip hop, as much as it is electric R&B. But it definitely has a enticing sound.

Lord Knows (Meek Mill ft. Tory Lanez) - One of many potential workout songs on here. Combining the classical echoes in the background with heavy trap beat, it may sound weird but you will be motivated to do that extra mile on the treadmill.

Don’t Waste My Time (Krept & Konan) - The same artists that made the song Freak of the Week appear on this album. With angry lyrics and heavy bass, this British rap duo represent for the London hip hop scene.

Let you Know (White Dave ft Clif Soulo and Legendvry) – This track has a funk infused hip hop sound. It’s fun and it’s something you can groove too.

Breathe (Tessa Thompson)- There is a lot of discord in the beginning. The chorus goes “I almost lost my mind.” The conflict in the sound is a reflection of that. Not my favorite, but I can see the artistic reasoning behind it.

Wake Up Everybody (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes)-  This is a classic! Everyone can probably agree that this is one of the most happy and uplifting songs in American music. It’s a nice change from the new millennial pieces on here.

Bridging the Gap (Nas ft. Olu Dara) – That is what this track does: it “bridges the gap between Blues, Jazz, and Hip-hop” by combining all of them.  Nas pays tribute to all of these older genres of music that have inspired the work that he creates today with help from his father.

Waiting for My Moment (Donald Glover, Jhene Aiko, Vince Staples, Ludwig Goransson)-  Swedish composer Goransson has worked with Glover before on his albums,and also made the score for Fruitvale Station, so he is familiar with Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler as well. This composition is another workout song and my favorite one. The regal anthem is similar to original rocky theme music with a twist. Jhene Aiko and Donald Glover, harmonize beautifully, while Vince Staples knocks everyone out with vengeful bars and a heavy drum beat. I guess the lead single floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Hail Mary (Tupac)- No they are not mixing sports terms, its 2Pac so it’s obviously deeper than that. Hail Mary is more about faith than sport. Pac tries to ask God, and mother Mary for guidance so he doesn’t get lost in the game; instead he wants to change it. But even if they don’t change, he will die trying.

In the Kitchen (White Dave ft.  Young T, K.E.L.L.S  ) – White Dave echoes Tupac’s opening verse of Hail Mary saying “I ain’t a killer, but don’t push me”. Someone is a fan. But it shares the same sentiment, trying to be an individual artist in an industry that wants you to conform.

Shed You (Tessa Thompson) - This is the last time Thompson is featured on the album. The tempo of the verses and the chorus are starkly different. The versus are slow and sultry, but it leads to a fast paced tempo for the chorus.

Curry Chicken (Joey Bada$$) – The songs starts off with a skits with a bluesy tune in the background, then goes straight into old school D.J. scratches. The song is about his journey to stardom, but he doesn’t forget where he came from referencing his mother and father and how he just wants a curry chicken dinner with them. Ending it all with a pray.

Work Ya Muscle (Earz) - I’m not gonna lie, this song didn't appeal to me. It’s a trap club banger that will get people hype though. So if you’re looking for something to play at a party, you can use this one.

Lord Knows/ Fighting Stronger (Meek Mill ft. Jhene Aiko Ludwig Goransson) - This is the last track and it’s a great way rap up the album too. It is a mash-up of two songs on the album. Jhene Aiko returns with angelic vocals on the war like anthem accompanied by Meek Mill's verse from Lord Knows, all remastered by Goransson.

 There has been talk that the song ‘Fighting Stronger’ will do the same thing for Creed, that Eye of the Tiger did for Rocky 3. I think the movie will do a lot for the artists featured in the soundtrack. It is a good compilation of old and new talent, and they all interlock in some way, weather it is in sound or theme. There are some questionable songs on here, but there is a lot of potential and talent as well. Overall it’s a pretty empowering album.

Rating: 3.6 out of 5. 

Listen: Forever Don't Last - @jsullivanmusic

Been awhile since we've heard from Jazmine Sullivan.

Aside from her single, Dumb, with Meek Mill a month or so back, this is the first we've heard from Jazmine Sullivan in a while. Perhaps opinionated but Jazmine Sullivan is one of the most underrated talents in today's industry and flat out one of the most versatile vocal ranges point blank period. The jazzy songstress pours her heart into another new song, Forever Don't Last. Stream it below via soundcloud.

Opinion - My Krazy Life by YG album review by Niles Cavanaugh

"So this YG album I have to review sucks kind of.  Beats all sound the same."
"Well it's probably made to sell."

That was a conversation I had with my homegirl Jazzy about My Krazy Life. When Ramsey assigned it to me he described it as the gangbanger perspective to the same Compton Kendrick Lamar spoke about in his debut album.  Listening to it on the long and taxing drive home from Cherry Hill, I found that Ramsey was right about it.  This album tells a story, albeit loosely, of a day in the life of a Tree Top Piru Blood in Compton.

Being that West Coast hip-hop has been on an upswing the last couple of years (especially with ScHoolboy Q dropping Oxymoron a couple weeks ago), I was intrigued by this concept. As I listened on my trip home, I was sorely disappointed.

My Krazy Life does loosely tell a story of a day in the life of a blood in Compton, or Bompton if you choose. Lyrically and content wise, you aren't being sold a false bill of goods here. The subject matter is somewhat repetitive but makes sense. Smoking drinking, partying, fighting shooting, hanging out with your set f*ckin chicks are apparently what happens in a typical day for a blood around the way. I have no issue with that because you can tell YG isn't bullsh*ttin' listeners in any way shape or form. He's just speaking on what he knows on songs such as BPT or the blood-coded Bicken Back Being Bool. He also frequently uses interpolations of throwback West Coast hits in his rhymes. While he may not have the same lyrical technique and flow finesse as The Game, any of TDE, Fashawn, Crooked I, Murs, or any other left coast MC out there, YG still speaks in authentic language and comes from the heart in most of his raps. He's not going to be in anyone's top 5 dead or alive list, but tolerable lyrically, albeit average.

The main trouble with My Krazy Life is the beats. If you're going to be an average newcomer newcomer in a hip-hop scene that seemingly sees thousands of releases per week, you have to be carried by top-notch production if you don't have the necessary wordplay to stand out. YG doesn't have that. Out of a possible 17-18 songs (depending on the edition you purchased) the aforementioned DJ Mustard either solely produced or at least had a hand in produced or at least had a hand in producing 12 of them. The beats stay true to the album's California roots but largely get repetitive and boring after awhile. I understand that you want any album to have a consistent vibe when it comes to production, but almost all of this sounds the same. In an interview with Hip-Hop DX review, DJ Mustard compared the album to Dr. Dre's classic The Chronic. while that album had a consistent vibe and formula, you could at least tell the songs apart. I got the feeling that the beats were like a modern day g-funk soundtrack of an old video game or something. Combined with the subject matter that's standard at best, you aren't looking at anything Earth shattering.

There are a few gems here, don't get me wrong. I Just Wanna Party is pretty good and comes with a double assist by ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock. Really Be shows that YG can avoid getting completely eaten alive by current California hip-hop king Kendrick Lamar. 1 AM is too short yet solid, and Sorry Momma is the best song on the album. It's an introspective joint co-produced by Terrance Martin and DJ Mustard that survives an appearance by new guy Ty Dolla Sign. Even the bonus track Bompton has replay value. Overall this album has a lot of filler, and like Jazzy implied, this album was seemingly made to sell. There's an obligatory Drake appearance on Who Do You Love? and the radio smash My N*gga (or My Hitta as heard on the radio) sounds like your average irritating hit hip-hop song of today. The original features label boss Young Jeezy and fellow new act Rich Homie Quan. The remix on the deluxe edition features Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Meek Mill. Clearly this was built for spins and nothing else.

Overall, this album fell short of the expectations that I had. While it does show a gangster's view of Compton, it ultimately sputters once you realize that gangsters don't do much and seemingly don't leave the neighborhood in which they reside. Put these stories over mostly bland beats, and you don't have much of a memorable album. It doesn't compare to good kid, m.A.A.d city or Oxymoron because it lacks the rich production and lyrical diversity to keep up with it's peers. This album will have and audience though. Fans of a new school radio rap will find it catchy. People from Compton and like areas in Cali (shoutouts to Tori who also put me on the album) will be able to relate to some of the culture and references and therefore embrace it. At the end of the day, My Krazy Life sounds like other albums before it and will eventually sound like other albums after it. It won't go down as a classic, or make my top 10 of 2014. It'll just kind of something that happened. It was an album that was made to sell and it shows.

Short backstory: hailing from Compton, YG is a Tree Top Piru Blood who is signed to Jeezy's CTE World/Def Jam. He released a number of mixtapes and frequently collaborated with producer DJ Mustard starting in 2010.