Listen: Real Model - @keysera_ {Written by @Natural_Nation}

This past Wednesday, Keys Era dropped a new track exclusively on YouTube titled Real Model. The song references a sample from a televised interview Tupac Shakur did with a young woman during the early 90's. In this interview Shakur expresses the difference between being a role model an being a "real model." Hence, the title and theme of the track collide. Keys opens up the song admitting her struggles with anxiety when it came to rap and dealing with a lack of confidence. It's clear that Keys hopes to carry a positive message and influence people in a positive way by staying true to herself and simply not getting lost on her path while she gets to where she is going. The track's instrumental, sampled from Dexter Wansel's Rings of Saturn, gives the boom bap track a jazzy undertone. Take a listen.

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. 

Flashback Friday: "What's Changed?" A Narrative written by @Best_ofda_Worst

Whats Changed?

As a black man, watching the news lately you would think the year was somewhere between 1950-1969. It seems like every other week a cop has killed another unarmed black person. Just when you think it won't get worse, you hear about attacks on historically black churches being set on fire or shot up. Eventually it wears down on you. I find myself asking, 

"When if ever will it end?"

Lately I’ve found myself delving into a lot of 90's hip-hop. I come across Tupac’s Changes. This song is about 20 years old and it's as if it were written yesterday.

2pac via XXL mag

"I see no changes. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself,

Is life worth living? Should I blast myself?

I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black. 

My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch.

Cops give a damn about a negro?

Pull the trigger kill a nigga, he's a hero."

Everything about that first verse is what it is like to live in America as a man or woman of color. Maybe not all of us experience poverty in an economic sense but some may have faced it in a spiritual way. Whether we lack faith in a higher power they believe in, faith in society, or even faith in themselves this kind of poverty (as well a monetary one) can and sometimes does lead many to suicidal thoughts and worse. And of course Cops give a damn about a negro... 

Doesn’t matter the age from child to adult it seems every cop that has killed an unarmed black person as of late the media spins it around to a police officer who feared his life had no choice but to shoot the unarmed (insert name here), (Insert name here) had a history of drugs, violence, gangs, etc. In short he was no angel, actually he was a thug. 

I don’t look at cops as villains after the man makes the badge, but at the same time it bothers me that people out there (even some colleagues of mine) that can defend police on video killing an unarmed black man or woman. Then they claim self defense as if the police officer wasn’t the aggressor. A song like Changes paints a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up in the 90's America. It's like sitting at home watching the Rodney King incident, seeing the aftermath of an incident Pac had with the law, or maybe even your own personal dispute that may not have been captured on camera. Let's fast forward 20 years to the age of cell phones and social media. I promise, you can watch it all day non stop. 

"I see no changes. All I see is racist faces.
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races we under."

Hearing this line again in 2015 makes me think of the Bill O’Reilys and Charles Barkley's in this country. By that I mean white people refusing to listen to us and brothers...BROTHERS  who swear we are crazy for even thinking against these white people. This song is something I encourage all to listen to remind us that the violence and demonization of people of color in this country isn’t made up. Honestly, it has been here since the first one of us stepped foot on these shores. After you had your deep thought session with this song go listen to Holler if you Hear Me by Makaveli himself. lets get that revolutionary in you some gusto. Below you can watch the video for Changes and Stream Holler if You Hear Me both by 2Pac.  

To Pimp a Butterfly - @Kendrick Lamar album review by @Niles_C

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#TBT Its Dark and Hell is Hot - DMX by @Best_ofda_Worst

How old were you when you found out your favorite genre of music? What was the first song? What was the first album? What artist made you realize how beautiful that particular music was to you?

The year was 1998. I was seven years old when I first head Ruff Ryders Anthem by DMX. Now this wasn't the first rap song I heard but this is the one that stood out. Now, to a kid I wasn't fully comprehending the lyrics at the time but the hook is what caught me. The video kept my eyes flued to the TV. I listened to that song so much it became the first real song I knew lyric for lyric in its entirety. At the time I knew of Biggie and Pac but at this point they had passed. I knew Jay-Z and Nas but I wouldn't really listen to them until a few years later but for DMX? I was hooked. "Yo, Play that X while I give you this #TBT review of It's Dark and Hell is Hot.

I rock with this album heavy as you can see by the sappy into but I grew up with this album blasting in my speakers while me and the crew crowded the room playing WCW vs NWO on N64. Classic. In this album X gives so much raw intensity in his lyrics it's almost scary listening to him. This is what hunger sounds like. The desperation of a lost soul growing in a community of people willing to do the grimiest of things to eat X tells you from his perspective what it's like to feel his hunger, the classic "I'm not the one to f@&* with" rap. X lets you know he only cares about two things in this album: his next meal and loyalty, hence the constant reference to dogs. The album's title is perfect for the tracks listed. It's very dark, gritty, and savage. I imagine what a life it is to go through coming up in Yonkers, NY. The depression one may face as to always having to watch his back while on the prowl for others who aren't watching theirs. The intensity of this album is unmatched even to today. This was a great album from start to finish leaving the skip button untouched. The album contains classics like Ruff Ryders Anthem and Get at Me Dog, but may I recommend Look Thru My Eyes, Let Me Fly, Damien, Stop Being Greedy, and For My Dogs.

Listen: I - @KendrickLamar

I wonder how hard it is to be King Kendrick Lamar.

Your debut album is a certified classic and compared with the likes of Nas's Illmatic. His entire region is calling him the reincarnation of Tupac. Legends in the industry have passed the torch to him. All this being said you continue to impress between albums with features and another legendary effort with what I call "The Shots Heard Around the Earth," Control verse. The weight of the world is now on your shoulders and it is time to drop a sequel to what can arguably be considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Perhaps we should just start with the single. Stream it below via soundcloud. Enjoy I the first single of K. Dot's next album United States of A.L.A.R.M.