Review: HEAVN - Jamila Woods (@duhmilo); A Niles P. Joint

It’s inevitable that while writing album reviews, you’ll come across more than a few albums to which you don’t relate. Not everything is going to be from or marketed to someone in your exact same demographic. Your job as a writer, however, is to see past that and appreciate the music for its artistry while still recognizing its message. This was the case when Chicago soulstress Jamila Woods released her debut album Heavn. The free project is a de facto musical tribute to Black Girl Magic and while there are certainly some esoteric elements that come with that, it is one of the most complete R&B/Soul albums you’ll here this year, if not this generation. It’s essential listening for 2016, especially in the current climate.  

Listening to Heavn for a few days straight, I didn’t catch this on my first few spins. It’s actually a loose concept album that follows the journey of a Black girl from childhood on. Bubbles is the first track and introduces Woods’ sweet (but not artificially so) voice that seems to float through the song. It continues with VERY BLK which takes a playful cadence heard in blacktop chants and uses it to talk about police brutality. The enigmatic & rechristened fan favorite NoName contributes a verse. It’s an upbeat song that’s like a Black Lives Matter primer that also introduces the periodic in-song interludes that explain the next track. Lonely Lonely is a slower and more somber duet with Lornie Chia that shows a strength in self reflection even the worst days. Things pick up with the title track as Woods yearns for the simpler elements of love.

While In My Name clocks in under two minutes, it’s still one of the most passionate on the album. It covers both getting someone’s complicated name right (an issue among POC) and not calling one out their name in any arena. Blk Girl Soldier exemplifies he plight and simultaneously celebrates the strength and resiliency of Black women, offering tribute to those in history that “taught us how to fight.” A song titled LSD featuring Chance The Rapper isn’t about acid but instead a tribute to and defense of Chicago (LSD is Lake Shore Drive in this case).  Emerald St. is a more localized companion piece, this time featuring Saba. Both are excellent in encapsulating the essence of Chi Town and all the good things when the rest of the world seems intent on making them the example of a bad city to prove a misguided point. Woods and friends certainly make their case.

Having two songs in a row with connecting themes continues. Lately is a song about loss that has one of the most powerful lines I’ve heard in “You are the library burned/ But they can’t take the lessons I learned.” It’s melancholy but much needed as it’s a fact of life we all deal with. Donnie Trumpet of The Social Experiment lends his self explanatory talents to Breadcrumbs. This one is about dealing with a grandparent that’s suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's. It’s more specific and heart wrenching than the previous track but they work together in a moving & sentimental way.  

You’ll hear the most crisp guitars of all time on Stellar, which interpolates the incubus song of the same name. It’s another short song, but it hints to something much more grand. Although Holy has some religious undertones, it’s enjoyable regardless of your faith as it illustrates the value of self-love in the face of adversity. It has the potential to brighten your day every single time you listen to it. The culmination of the entire album is Way Up. Woods seems to describe herself and Black women as a whole as not transcendent, but outer worldly.  When you consider the full essence of both, as displayed on this album specifically, she’s right.

As much as I try to stray away from hyperbole, Heavn just may be the best album of the year across all of the genres. Jamila Woods has crafted a masterpiece of a concept album that has several sub concepts within and still has insane replay value in each song. She also manages to tap some of Chicago’s hip hop bohemians (NoName, Chano, Saba, & Trumpet) for her cause, ensuring that this album will be historically remembered as one of the city’s best. In a time where it’s very much needed, she gives hope and inspiration to Black girls everywhere through her music while also making something accessible to everyone due to the album’s aural mastery. This is one of those things that I’m going to send to EVERYBODY, my sisters, friends, classmates, co-writers, etc. because in all honesty, everyone needs to hear it.

Rating; 5 out of 5.

WTM Presents The 5th Annual Hip-Hop Album of the Year 2015 Edition

I could talk about how amazing 2015 was for hip-hop all day. For the most part the staff picks summed that up on it's own.

Spoiler Alert: Fetty Wap didn't Make @WatsTheMovement #AOTY2015 List. I count him as R&B since he sings waaaay better than he raps.

— JC (@RamseySaidWHAT) January 8, 2016

Lots of debuts of new artists. Lots of genre bending music. If you're wondering why your favorite artist isn't on this list remember we rate this list on lyrics, production, flow, popularity, sales and uniqueness. Your favorite didn't do all of those (or it was a mixtape) as well as these did. There's no denying everyone on this list encompasses all aspects of the criteria. . All in all these lists are opinionated at the end of the day. I still did my best to remove self from the equation. I preach all the time there is a difference between the best and your favorite. Either way it's subjective. I hope this sparks conversation (not controversy) but I present to you, What's The Movement's 5th Annual, Hip-Hop Album of the Year: The 2015 Edition.

Number Five: The Incredible True Story - Logic

Picking a number five is probably the hardest thing ever. To deny so many great albums like The Documentary 2 from The Game, Summertime '06 from Vince Staples, Dark Sky Paradise from Big Sean, and more from this list pains me. It really does. However my pick last year got a nomination and rounds out our top five. Logic's sequel to Under Pressure is the album to really open ears everywhere. His first got everyone's attention and now everyone is listening. Chronologically the album paints a great tale of Tom, Kai, and their AI, Thalia (from the last album) and their journey to Paradise. The skits are funny but have their deep moments. Although his debut got a higher rank, musically this album was much better. That really says a lot about how much better 2015 was than 2014. The singles Like Whoa and Young Jesus featuring Big Lenbo are still in rotation. I also really like City of Stars. He combats being a kid that looks white but is really mulatto and how that effects him, the people around him, and the industry itself. I guess we could call it a response to J. Cole's Fire Squad verse. "I didn't talk about my race on the whole first album. But black vs white bullsh*t was the still the outcome." Deep stuff, deep album. Read my original review here.

Number Four: B4DA$$ - Joey Bada$$

The official debut album of Joey Bada$$ makes our list at number four. Lots and lots of growth since we first heard from the 20 year-old from Brooklyn. I enjoyed this album a lot. Probably the best way to kick off a new year. To still make it on this list from January to December is no small feat. This is the oldest album on the list so to remain relevant this long is impressive. I enjoyed Paper Trail$ which is a rework of his collab with DJ Premier, Unorthodox. Like Me is my favorite song on the album. Everything was perfect. It was produced by the legendary J. Dilla, and features the talents of BJ the Chicago Kid on the hook. I also enjoyed Teach Me featuring Kiesza. It takes a spin from the normal sound we are used to hearing from Joey. I still listen to Christ Conscious in the gym too. Song is too gritty and the beat and delivery is fire. Read the original review here.

Number Three: The Album About Nothing - Wale

I could go on and on about this album. This was probably my favorite album to listen to this year. It was refreshing having the old Wale back and for good. The continuation of the About Nothing series brought joy to the heart of his core fans. I'm sure it was a lot of pressure eased after he released it. Lots of people could say he fell off (including myself) post-MMG. I'd say I was wrong. All and all I enjoy the direction he is headed. TAAN served as a new debut to what Wale could (and probably should/want to) be. Lyrically he showed how clever he was, and the use of Jerry Seinfeld on the skits was golden. The singles were great especially The Matrimony featuring the talents of Usher on the hook. Beautiful song I think our generation may even dance to at our weddings. Other songs that stood out were The Need to Know featuring SZA and The Bloom featuring Stokley Williams. You can check out what I had to say in my original review earlier this year.

Number Two: Surf - Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment

In May I knew this was definitely going to be in the conversation of Album of The Year. It was dropped as a surprise. No singles and Free99 on iTunes. Surf was like a feel good version of The Roots as Queen and I say. Chance serves as the Black Thought to Donnie T and the Sox. I said my words on it in July and they stand true today. Replay value is still important and I can still listen to every song on here. Every song is a surprise, you never know who could feature on here next. J. Cole, Erykah Badu, Jeremih, Busta Rhymes, Quavo, Big Sean and many many more make appearances. Some people played Chocolate Factory at their cookouts this summer, I played Surf. Read the original review here.

Number One: To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

Since Good Kid m.A.A.d city dropped the world has been saying one name as far as hip-hop goes, Kendrick Lamar. In my opinion the general public handed him the game on a silver platter as if the way was paved for him. Frankly that train of thought was wrong. Countless features on hit songs, dropping an instant classic in GKMC, and the verse heard round the world in Control has garnered the public's respect. Overrated? Possibly, but it wasn't a question if TPAB was the best album of the year. The question was finding an album that was better. When all was said and done there wasn't.

To Pimp a Butterfly was our unanimous pick this year. It was so complex Issah AND Niles both wrote reviews. It contained elements of Jazz and Funk to compliment his music. We saw that in his work with George Clinton and frequent collaborators Thundercat, Bilal, and Anna Wise. Kendrick also kept true to his west side roots and made G-Funk songs like Institutionalized that include the talents of Snoop Dogg while still preaching the good fight. I was surprised no one from the TDE stable made an appearance on this album. The singles were cool. His lead single I was dope because he changed it to sound like a live performance on the album version. He always has a twist to his radio edit and his album version like he did on Swimming Pools from the previous project. He also dropped videos for King Kunta, These Walls, and more. u was super super deep to my heart. I understood what it was like to self evaluate and climb from a state of depression so that hit home for me. Climbing out of the funk was important and Alright was just the song to do it. Song order was perfect here. It's no question in my mind that Alright was the best song this year, don't argue with me. "If I got you and if you got me and if God got us then we gone be alllllriiight!" You can't help but be excited listening to that at any venue whether it's your dorm, the club, shoot even at church. Kendrick wrapped up the album in the most amazing way with a posthumous interview with his predecessor, Tupac Shakur. The song was titled Mortal Man and featured James Fauntleroy.

I didn't think this was going to be a sequel to GKMC. Beforehand I figured the album was going to touch on where he's grown as a man. Kendrick has an amazing ability to spark the minds of his listeners to think. Not necessarily relate and agree but to formulate thoughts of our own. Like Cole before him he performed a song in tribute to those lost from Police Brutality before the album on Colbert Report. You can see that in our preview. I think the album was very timely. Really important in the stage we are and where this country is headed. I used to wonder how he could talk about money, cars, clothes, hoes, God, and history in the same sentence. It makes sense now. . TPAB gets 4.77 of 5 stars on the Ramsey Rating Scale. With that being said King Kendrick has successfully won repeat AOTY's on What's The Movement. What's to come this 2016? It doesn't matter as long as the music continues to get better. Keep listening my friends.

Staff Picks AOTY 2015 - @AQueens_Crown

2015 has been a crazy one for me, and I wouldn’t have gotten thru some it without music. So here is my top 5 of the best of the best in music this year.

Number five: Drake - If You're Reading This Its Too Late

Yes it’s a album!

As the kids would say, Drake’s IYRTITL went HARD! Drake was much more aggressive on this album compared to the others. Maybe he was tired of the jokes, who knows, but the Drake we have seen since this album dropped has been a beast. “Is that your world tour, or your girls tour” I don’t even have to say anything else, and I already know you’re picturing your favorite meme.You heard the aggressive tone on tracks 6PM In New York and 6 God. He spit raw bars into some of these tracks. He didn’t sing on this album that I know many expected. One of lines where Drake is letting you know how they feel comes fom Engery "I got rap niggas that I gotta act like I like. But my actin’ days are over, fuck them niggas for life." 

Number four: Ty Dolla $ign- FreeTC

I was honestly surprised with how much I liked this album. Granted Ty Dolla $ign leans more on the R&B side of things. He often crosses into the rap genre so I was expecting more rap. However, you get a nice medley of his voice and feels of old school R&B. Horses in the Stable is one of my favorites. Mirale/Wherever ft TC & d-Loc was another song that was nice to listen too. Even though you can tell the features were done behind prison walls, it doesn’t take away from TC’s amazing voice.

Number three: Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment - Surf

Overall, this was a fun album. Filled with great features such as Big Sean, KYLE, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, and many more. I know many look as this project as the work of Chance the Rapper, but its not. This comes from the great minds of Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment. Think of them as similar to The Roots if you need a reference point. It's hard to find a track that I didn’t like on this album. The whole thing is filled with smart lines, beautiful instrumentals, and uplifting messages like on Wanna Be Cool, about being yourself, or Sunday Candy, an ode to Grandmas everywhere.

Number two: Wale - The Album About Nothing

This is the album I have always wanted from Wale.  Going with the same theme as his most popular mixtapes  The Mixtape About Nothing and The More About Nothing. Wale enlists the help of stand up comedian  Jerry Seinfeld  to narrate the album.  They talk about love, drugs, and just life in general. I wish Wale was appreciated more as an artist. His viewpoint on all things life have always been expressed in his work, but with this album I felt like it was really delivered properly. The Girls on Drugs was a great song about, as the title suggests, girls on drugs. It describes a cautionary tale of a woman's battle with pills. I hope Wale continues to deliver and be received by old and new fans to come.

Number one: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

Everyone is lying if they say Kendrick didn’t have one of the best albums of the year. To Pimp a Butterfly is a milestone in the history of hip hop. I cant descried the album anything less than beautiful. The theme of black empowerment, which ran throughout the whole album, heard clearly in Complexion. I cherished the poetry in These Walls, Kendrick speaking on different types of “walls” and what they mean for the person.  I know when the first single i was released, people didn’t really like it, but it set he tone of Kendrick’s mindset when making this album. In u he faces his own demons as a black man, that is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Feeling like everyone is changing, causing him to question his faith. A place I am sure people can relate to. If you haven’t already or even if you already listened go give the album a listen, make sure you listen carefully.

Staff Picks AOTY 2015 - @Best_ofda_Worst

2015 was a great year personally for me, it was a year I found my stride and decided what kind of man I wanted to be. I made a lot of memories in 2015 each with the intention of making sure that I am doing whats best for me professionally and doing what makes me happy. In addition to myself having a great year, there were so many gems that dropped in 2015 as well to my regret many of which i was not able to listen to, unless I felt as though I just had to hear that album thus bearing my top 5 albums of 2015.

Number Five Future: Dirty Sprite 2

In 2015 i was on a different wave where i spent most of the year listening to old school hip-hop and occasionally whenever I turned on the radio or went out this guy Future was playing and honestly speaking he might be tied with only one person in terms of who dominated air waves this year.  With so many future singles out I had to give this a listen. Trap N*ggas, Blow a Bag, Freak Hoes, etc this album had nothing but hits. Club banger after club banger and for the kind of artist Future is he did a great job with this one. Although I wouldn’t count Future as a lyricist he knows exactly what his fans want and he did not disappoint when it came to DS2

Number Four Fetty Wap - Self Title

Again not the greatest lyricist of 2015, but he dominated every radio station with only 4 songs (679, Again, My Way, Trap Queen) in addition to his airwave takeover this man opened up the door wide for all Jersey Artist to follow and thankfully so Garden State MCs are bum rushing forward on to finally be able to put Jersey on the map and solidify its place in hip-hop next to NYC, Cali, ATL, Houston, and Chicago. It's been long over due since an artist from Jersey the whole state is proud to claim and with his distinctive vocals and trade mark “yeah baby” Fetty was able to break records and be He became the first male rapper with three songs occupying the top 20 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since Eminem did so in 2013. To be honest, I just really like the album.

Number Three Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment: Surf

My whole summer probably sounded like this album, just feel good vibes song after song.  This album just makes you happy when you hear it. I mean really, listen to songs like Slip Slide, Wanna Be Cool, and Familiar; just jam out with your peoples and stop acting tough for a minute. That enjoy your life and spread good vibes kind of album.  I enjoyed this album very much as it always boost my mood when I hear it.

Number Two The Game: The Documentary 2

I remember the 1st time I ever heard Game rap. I was sitting there playing Def Jam Fight For New York in my boy’s house and I just heard the bass kicking from the radio, at 1st i thought Joe Budden had a new song out, like who else was that nice at that time? Then my boy told me naw, this is Game, he’s 50’s new artist.  The song was Higher which would later be on the album The Documentary. Ten years later, Game releases the Documentary 2 and 2.5. Hearing this you would hope that this isn’t some sort of marketing ploy because Game might be losing some of his edge and then you hear the album and all fears are put away. This album brought back that feeling I first had when i heard Game for the 1st time. Listening to this album, in the car, in the gym, walking down the street; it gives you that aggressive rhyme style that Game is famous for while backing up his style with bars. This was my 2nd favorite album that I heard this year a true gem from 2015.

Number One Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly

I've always liked Kendrick Lamar because he makes music I feel like I can directly relate to, almost as if he is telling a story I was there to witness as well so when I heard To Pimp a Butterfly, I was amazed at how much it correlated to my life at the time.  Listening to TPAB I really thought that maybe Kendrick was stalking me all of 2013 and 2014 because how else could he have known to make a song like u, or Alright? How could he have known I needed a song like I? I connected to this album on a emotional level because when I first heard it it was at a time where my life was finally on a come up. I was on my way to graduating college, I was finally comfortable, with my religion, and most of all I learned the true value of loving myself and then this funky album drops and its like Kendrick was going through the same thing too. I’m happy a rapper like Kendrick is in the game, someone I can relate to who makes music for people like me who don’t have that ability to rap at his level, so I thank him for making such a great album, its nice to know that a point in my life has a soundtrack and I can always use this album as a bookmark to where I was at a point in time

All of the albums I chose as a top 5 of the year vary greatly from each other from trap music to pure lyricism but I feel as though in essence this is hip hop, and dynamic collaborations of different lifestyles and emotions to describe the human experience through the environments that one may have been placed in.  Hip Hop is a phenomenal genre of music that is has the ability to reach so many demographics of people. 2015 was a great year in hip hop as it showcased that, Hopefully 2016 will take note on all the positives of '15 and replicate and enhance the good that Hip-hop has done.