We are in good company. LVLC's sets out to prove this on his new album "Lovelace & Company" that comes jampacked with 13 tracks that read more like a compilation project than a solo album. The album features 11 credited artists, that's almost a 1-to-1 with the tracklist, but these are friends. As far as LVLC, with this album, he's out to tell the world that he's one of the best and I have dope friends too. So, without further ado, let's get into the album they call "Lovelace & Company". Track 1 "Y.O.T.D". I learned that this actually stands for “Year of the Dragon” it’s a soulful feel-good track "so I told God, thanks a lot, but I don't need love when it's my name". It’s lines like these that grab your ear and make you pay close attention. I like how he even adds a foreshadow to his track "Love Me" with his bar "boy get out your feelings, ain't no money in that place". LVLC shows his versatility on the track by the way he switches his flows to a Kendrick Lamar-like voice when spitting the bar "This is that double-sided Genimi" which for Kendrick fans know that Kendrick is one of the most diabolical Genimi's in the game. The second track on the album is called “Primordial” and admittedly I had to look up the meaning of the word. It's always good to learn right? Well, I would describe this album as a learning album. LVLC does what he does on the track which is deliver some amazing bars while we also see the first appearance of his super friends on the album, this time its FaDello who delivers a solid performance, his vocal tones keep you engaged, and his bars are agreeable to the listener like Fadello's verse is more conversational than outright lyrical assault which fits with the mood of the song. But then I would counter this point with The Thought's verse which immediately seemed like a lyrical tirade. His voice broke through the beat like a superhero's entrance, his bars landing powerfully as he kept your ears on its toes you were careful not to miss a metaphor. It was an amazing verse. Track 4 "Homies" is a reminiscent track that features again, FaDello but also GWayne and Kendra Mars. The track has a catchy fun hook which LVLC lends his voice to. Surprisingly he doesn’t rap on this track, but I guess that is what friends are for, one of the homies, Kendra Mars comes in very smooth, then gradually switches flows to so cleverly, it’s like when you hear about that athlete that can turn their talent off and on, they’re at times the most talented athlete but then it’s times when they let others shine. This is also FaDello’s second feature and it's a standout verse on the song he knows his pocket and how to entertain which comes through on this track. Homies is a standout track. Track 5 Pints & Fifths I would've liked to see this chorus evolve better, I feel like it's too repetitive, not as bad the viral "period ah period uh" but just repetitive. But G Wayne really stands out on this song, he comes in with a heavy inspired West Coast tone and backs it up with lyrics suggesting his willingness to stand on his lyrics. I do think LVLC delivers a dope verse as expected but again I think the simplicity of the chorus is unexpected from such a complex artist. Then you get to one of my favorite tracks from LVLC period. Track 6 "Love Me". The song is filled with such a quotable bar that starts off the song and is repeated throughout "boy get out yo feelins ain't no money in there" I remember going to Groundwaves and hearing the chorus and seeing everyone sing along. It's a very intrinsic song that proves that even LVLC's simplest bars are so tightly worded and expressed that you still go "ouuu" as if it were the quintuple entendre that Drake was wanting from Kendrick. The second thing I noticed about this track was the feature Da'juan Dupri, who has been killing verses and killing performances. But as much as I was filled with excitement I was met with a deflating verse. I felt Da'juan Dupri was uncharacteristically subpar in both his delivery and unserious on the track that left me confused. The song seemed to be a chance for a lyrical heavyweight battle but instead it was more of Jekyll and Hyde. But Dupri has time still to redeem himself on the next track. Florence Pugh. You can’t do no half-steppin on this beat. LVLC is really on his rappin shit. He goes straight in leaving no room for guessing who's album this is. He's just ice cold. Then FaDello immediately comes, this being his third featured verse on the album he doesn't disappoint as he spits this crazy entendre that lasts 4 bars using concepts centered on the nose. His delivery is on point, and he keeps the song elevated from the previous verse. Then the final verse. America loves comeback stories. I think this verse from Da'juan Dupri is his redemption verse. But this verse proves to be Dupri doing what Dupri does, "no boxin, get a jab, I'm Johnson & Johnson" that's the Dupri with the bars and the delivery and that I'm accustomed to. The metaphors are there, Dupri welcome to the show. Opportunites is a nice change of place track at the midpoint of the album. LVLC pulls another flow out of his bag that's more melodic than the punchline hard core hip-hop vibe of the earlier tracks on the album. Creo Cash was the perfect person for this feature, his rap\singing verse is complementary to the track "if my soul is attached to it then it ain't opportunity" and finishes the track by repping his group BDM. Fuck it Up is that posse track that feels like it could’ve been on Ruff Ryders Vol: 2. It’s this hardcore bass hitting, air guitar having, punch to your ear drums. It’s like a rock and rap mashup. Kendra Mars goes off on this track and reminds me of Eve holding her own amongst men. “I ain’t this light, I’m thinking Zeus, I’ll get a nigga struck”. FaDello has seriously been holding it down the whole tape and spitting some tuff bars. Lastly, Liberal Media throws around bars like a conspiracy theorists crime web, I’m still tryna dissect the verse, ornaments and organs, then the trail keeps going. This that one. Brothers starts with a sample from Donald Jenkins & The Delighters "Music Revolution" AceDaKid War Mothershed stood out in his delivery, he matched the energy of the beat, his verocity he approached the beat was like he was in a rap battle. LVLC keeps spittin. Check his wordplay. My God! At times he slows up his verse to make you understand and leave no guessing. He is the Dragon!!! What You Know is something for the radio or even a placement for the end credits to a movie or your favorite video game. LVLC singing. Who would’ve thought the lyrical artist could also serenade us, he really shines on the hook and blends well into his verse which is more singing rap. Even at the end of the track I was surprised, LVLC really showed off his vocal talent and sounded like an R&B singer in the rain that left me singing along, “Yeahhhhh Yeaaaahhh Yeaaahhhhh”! Every album needs that little bounce and that’s exactly what Skate Song is, it reminds me of that smooth soul dance track with rap. I can literally imagine being at Skate Land and vibing to this. It's a fun upbeat house style type beat and Emani blends her voice with the soulfulness of the production. LVLC even on a fun song like this LVLC's verse is lyrical he is still intentional with his delivery making sure to switch up flows. He paints this vivid picture with his use of wordplay and vocal inflections. I can only raise a glass of tea to this sweet verse. Congratulations sir, you sir have a hit. The last song on the album Lovin is the end credits to this album of a movie that has shown us inside the brain of LVLC, it’s also given us a glimpse of his friendships and the lengths that they will go to show that they have his back. Promise Cezar is one of these friends who chops up the beat with each word and like a calming voice on a track that is meant to ease the mind. The track closes with this sing-along “We Are The World” feeling where multiple voices sing along. You just might sing along too. So, there you have it. This album "Lovelace & Company", it's proof for the artist that doesn't need proof. He's extremely talented that has created an album that he chose to share and incorporate his friends. Maybe this isn't his solo masterpiece, but it is still a masterpiece that proves that there is no 'i' in team. LVLC doesn't need a team but I'm sure it was more fun having one to navigate each track. And even though its friends, it's still a competition and LVLC is known for throwing haymakers/bars when it comes to verses, and everyone raises their lyrical prowess when working with him. So, listen to the album and let us know what you think of "Lovelace & Company".
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by dj noname.  If know you know. And many people know about the producer/ artist/ manager/ photographer/ project manager/ yelper/ last but not least dj, they call dj noname. He's released so much classic music. But did you also know he writes? Here's something special from the one they call dj noname. talking about his newest single "A Love So Complicated". The main point of my production stems from how I grew up, especially late-night freestyle takeovers. It was all about the raps, I didn't care about subject matter to an extent, what did the production make you come up with initially? That's what I wanted to be laid on my production. As my first year chopping samples ended up turning into (almost) 5 years, the more songs + projects I released, the more artists (even ones who didn't take music seriously) would approach me with getting on a track. I wouldn't even second guess the individuals, it was more of an experiment that I'd like to test out. "A Love So Complicated" is one of those things stemming from that notion. A person who is in this art world, who isn't even a musician, always threw the bug in my ear about sending some stuff over & he was super serious because we've had a few conversations about it. This conversation continued for about a year; the beat is maybe that old as well. Along with that, I might've sent another beat or two. I have a good problem with always doing albums instead of singles + loosies (whether 3 or 10 songs... I treat everything like an album) & I felt like this song was so good that I couldn't even include it in a project I had in mind for it, The Album Before The Album. The sample stems from something I've heard before at a different tempo. This was during peak blog era & very close to a decade before I dove into DJing + producing. All of these songs I grew up on + heard sampled are now coming to life to where I'm utilizing them. Without that, there wouldn't be this. I had to ask dj noname. why is there no artists credited on the single. "Simply because he's not a musician. We wanted to have fun with it [the record]. We made it about the music." Shoutout to dj noname for the dope insight about his new single "A Love So Complicated". Can you guess what sample he was inspired by? Make sure you go purchase this new single "A Love So Complicated". here: djno.name/a-love-so-complicated 
4batz is an industry plant. Well, this is the general consensus when people try to explain 4batz's quick fast rise to fame. Neko Bennett, better known as 4batz is a singer/songwriter from Dallas, Texas who has been taking the world by storm which has also landed him a deal with Drake’s record label OVO. 4batz has the radio on lock but what about an actual project? 4batz just answered this question with the release of his mixtape “u made me a st4r.” The 11-track project comes in at 23 minutes and 35 seconds, making it very consumable. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into it!!! The first track is actually a skit called "umademeast4r.mp3" and is really a slight jab to all the naysayers and people who have said that he's an industry plant. That he's blown up too fast. I like how he addresses this first, by saying ‘You're the reason’, meaning that all publicity good or bad has helped catapult his career to millions of streams seemingly overnight. But could you blame anyone for thinking this? 4batz came out of nowhere with his viral song "act i: stickerz 99" and each release since has seemed to have gotten bigger. Even his From The Block Performance of "act ii: date @ 8" has reached over 12 million views the unexpected performance is a contradiction to every R&B performance known to man, as he is surrounded by a group of friends from the block and is dressed in a white wifebeater and ski-mask. The performance seems more like a Chicago Drill video than an R&B video. Now let's get into the music. 4batz was smart, he put the two viral singles on the mixtape. Track 2 which is "act i: stickerz 99" and track 3 which is "act ii: date @ 8". It was smart of him to do this because it means that he can "inflate" his numbers with the track’s existing streaming numbers, as well as entice new listeners to listen to the mixtape solely on having these two singles on there. It's almost a perfect plan. I say almost because he put these songs at the beginning of the mixtape instead of putting them embedding them deeper into the mixtape. Doing this would've ensured that people who came to just hear the two singles were more easily steered toward listening to the other tracks on the mixtape because the streaming service would have another song from the album in the queue. Another point about these 2 songs is that there is no flow from one to the next and it throws off the cohesiveness of the album. It seemed to feel like “let’s just get this out of the way” more than it was “let’s give them something to look forward to”. This is a reoccurring issue with the mixtape. Track 4 “act iii: on god? (she like)” is his third radio single that seems thrown on the album. The track already has over 22 million Spotify plays. It’s a slow crooning 4batz singing about not letting go of a lady because of you guessed it, love. The song also has a remix which is the only credited feature on the mixtape. Who would've guessed? Kanye West, which is surprising given that 4batz already has a Drake feature on his single “actii: date @ 8 (remix)”, which is not on the mixtape. Kanye's verse wasn't anything spectacular and did nothing for the song. Honestly, I would've rather he left him off the song altogether and maybe just did an acoustic version. The remix is really just the original song with a Kanye verse on it, letting you know that the two probably just put the song together through emails instead of being in the studio together. The remixes of Diddy years where R&B artists and rappers made a song together on a slightly modified beat are over.
Now we jump into uncharted territory after getting the three radio singles out of the way. Track 5 is a skit called "get out of your feelings ho" where 4batz friend kind of reminds him that he shouldn't be tripping over a female especially since he's already been involved with so many others afterward. It is a light-hearted laugh between the two that was like a snap-out-of-it moment that then leads into track 6 "act iv: fckin u (18+)", the song is this hyper-sexualized song that sounds like it would never play on the radio but humorously bleeps out words that aren’t radio friendly and covering up probably the boldest lines a man could ever say to a woman as a compliment, "I can't stop f##kin you because your body is like a prostitute". Maybe we have to different ways of serenading the ladies because Jodeci would never.
Track 7: act v: there goes another vase. I think this is my least favorite song. The lyrics just lack that connection between the feelings he’s trying to describe and the way he sings to express those feelings. His tone is very deep and passionate, but the words seems very surface level. Also, I didn't like how he incorporated the vase into the song. It was too direct I would've liked to see the vase be more of a symbol or just an overall better line. I do think he executed the melodies of the hook to perfection. It's a song about a toxic relationship, yet it has this hold your woman tight and slow dance feel to it, which makes it that more confusing.
By the time we get to Track 8 the flow of the mixtape starts to get better, “act vi: mad man probably has the best transition from feel that carries from song to song. This song is more of a passionate intimate track I would say making love rather than Track 6’s feel of promiscuous sex. It’s the acoustic guitar that has this Latin, passionate feel and sets the tone for the track, 4batz comes in smooth jumping from bar to bar like a nursery rhyme, I oddly hear The Weekend in his town when singing the hook. The hook competes with the smoothness of the verses rather than complementing it, making it just an OK song.
No R&B album is complete without conflict and that’s exactly what 9 is about, "act vii: all we do is argue, argue” comes in with 4batz sounding like he’s imitating Michael Jackson, the short quick bursts of his voice overshadow the slow-evolving production of the track, but is immediately forgotten about as soon as the beat drops. The conflict, which on this track is, you guessed it, his lady, it’s the first time we notice that he’s rapping more than singing on a track. But even with all these things going on, it still doesn’t feel like a complete song.
Throughout the tape 4batz seems to borrow vibes from earlier generations, this is very apparent in Track 10 titled “act viii: i hate to be alone” The song sounds like it samples Luther Vandross’s Always and Forever”, and again also speaks to him tapping into those nostalgic songs from the 90s and earlier eras and putting his spin on them. The song is his attempt at a Love Ballad but is executed more like a late night informercial for BET Lover’s Greatest Hit album. I don’t think Love Ballad’s are his lane. It calls for a vocal performance and vocal range that from my knowledge he doesn’t have.
The album ends with “act iii: on god? (she like) (remix), which we stated before could’ve been left off the album. It sounds like Kanye just sent the verse in an email, and 4batz knew that people seeing Kanye’s name alone would be enough for the song to be a hit. It’s not a hit. But it’s also not my mixtape to live with.
Is 4batz an industry plant. Who knows, but as far as his new mixtape I would say that his rise to fame is more formulaic than traditional. The mixtape is made more for streaming playlist consumption where each track can be singled out instead of a cohesive body of work. But maybe that’s what people would say a mixtape is. It’s an introduction and not necessarily a story that an album would build, which would be very opposite of Drake who changed the way mixtapes were made and consumed with the release of his “So Far Gone” mixtape. As for 4batz u made me a st4r the mixtape seems to be filled with deep feelings sung subtly enough that you want to hear more but not deep enough that you would play them to get through different events in life such as a break-up or job promotion. These songs feel like skeletons of what great songs could become and are more reference track like than full complete songs that an User "U Got It Bad" or even a Toni Tone Tone "It Never Rains in Southern California". Maybe technology is a little bit to blame for how we consume music and the abilities it has given people who you wouldn't think of as singers. But I have to also give 4batz his credit, he knows how to make a song that gets your attention, some it by pulling on those old strings of rnb classics. Final thoughts, though it may seem like I may have bagged on this album a lot, I would still consider it a good album because of it's formulaic singles that make it easy to place on different playlists. Overall, I would give it a 5 out of 10. OK to listen to but not replacing any of User’s albums any time soon. Let me know what you think of the album: |
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