Joedawg's blog

 

Y'all already know what it is at this point. Right into it we go!

Lock Load (ft. Beanie Sigel) sets the tone for the album while also continuing what we know about Con being in the streets in a different way back in the day, and now he's in them in a different way. Con expresses how his folks think he's going crazy but he can't give a fuck anymore since being shot, and he keeps it on him the same way did before the shooting. It was cool to hear from Beanie in 22. The darkness was breathing through this beat. 

Con brings in Rick Ross and Lil Wayne on Tear Gas. Con touches on how his story is far from finished, how he looks out for his own, and how none of the dudes who said they loved him were there for him on more than a few occasions. The features were cool and didn't overshadow the Machine.

Back to a dark, piano laced beat on Piano Love. Classic Griselda sound but it's Al the Chemist on the beat, who might as be seen as an associate MANY a point ago. What can I say? It's that street shit. Con salutes every solid cat out in the streets.

It's Daringer himself on Drumwork (ft. 7xvethegenius & Jae Skeese) - Damn. 7 was indeed 7ess flow on the mic, Jae as well and you know the Con was. This track was like watching all emcees brush off their shoulders. That's the energy they brought. 

Wild Chapters (ft. T.I. & Novel) takes a reflective pace. Prod. by Hit-Boy. Con gets personal talking about coming up from the trenches, how he did some real dirt, his son passing, having another kid, and wondering how he's supposed to be a proud rapper. Tip per usual at this stage in his career especially is on some OG shit, giving some game. Novel's cadence fits this rather somber beat. 

Con acknowledges his own guilt but also shines some light on others on Guilty. He calls out folk focusing on his appearance rather than his lyrics, and how they're too pussy to go through what he's been through so they fear/reject it. Con also makes it a point to acknowledge his positives, like how he's come up, how he moves on the mic, and this album. 

It really is GRISELDA on John Woo Flick (ft. Benny & West). Kill helped Daringer mint this one. All 3 emcees touch on how everything that comes with the game is nothing to them because they seen so much shit via the other game that they ain't phased. 

I really got to see another side of Con on Stressed (ft. Wallo267) Con is trying his best to be there for himself and his but it all piles up. He's already done so much, people have forgotten that stuff, people feel like he owes him, he's depressed like his woman is but she don't know, alcoholism, he's tired, his shooting and the surgery, homies dead or in the hole, his cousin hanging himself, holding his passed child, etc. We all goin through it, even our favorite emcees. 

It's a another change of pace on So Much More. Con knows that he's more than just another rapper, a street nigga, etc. He doesn't want listeners to get that confused, or listen to one side and not his, or take things out of context. He was out there feeding families during COVID, giving to coats for kids, hot meals for the homeless, coming out his own pocket with no promotion from anyone, etc. He didn't sell his soul for what he has now. He even gives game on 360 deals fuckin rappers. 

Con got the legend Jill Scott on Chanel Pearls. This track is an ode to the woman in his life that stood by his side through thick and thin. It's a throwback kind of track to hear Jill spit and then sing.

Babas (with Keisha Plum) - This was like the calm before the "storm" to come. It's a bit of a foreshadowing that could've been the first track given how fitting it is to the theme of the album.

For the last track God Don't Mistakes to be the title track is cool to see. It's like a culmination. It all came together for Con in life and it's an extension being shown here at the end of the album. Everything he been through, maybe it was supposed to happen, God don't make mistakes. A lotta what if's about his life come up here. Like what if it was him that went out that one night, or he was still on the corner and he was the one who got busted by Feds, what if he was the one who got clapped, what if he didn't walk out of the hospital, or didn't have Bell's Palsy, what Griselda didn't blow up, etc.

This may be Con's best work. Other albums carried the same fire but they didn't come together like GDMM. Now I feel like I "know" Con, even more so than Benny and West. Stream GDMM below.

http://www.ok-tho.com/2022/06/album-review-conway-machine-god-dont.html

 

There was no shot that I wasn't gonna speak on this album. Lets go!

What an intro track Old Friend is. Funny how Earl manages to make the intro sound like the culmination, the beginning at least. Earl here touches on finding balance/the middle, and filling a void with the pen. The song itself sounds/feels therapeutic which while is par the course with Earl, this song has a uniqueness about it. 

It feels like Earl is feeling himself with the beat selection and flow to match for the next track 2010. This is likely just me, but it feels like this is "the other side" of Earl on his "Grief" shit on IDLSIDGO. Literally, it's like this one song is his response or the alternate version of where he was 7-8 years ago. That same hunger and attitude is there, but it's like Earl is truly better this time around. 

Title track here with Sick! Leave it to Earl to sound sleepy on what for him is a banger track. Simply said, I just fuck with it - and then Earl brought in the man I know for bangers in Zelooperz on Vision. On visions, both emcees talk about envisioning riding out their storms and having people there to ride them out with. 

It was on Tabula Rasa where we got the best feature of the 2 on the album thanks to Armand Hammer. Firstly, you don't have a soul if the beat doesn't soothe you. I just found myself relating with these brothas, as usual. An example would be E L U C I D off that bat of his verse talking about not being as numb as he thought, and listening to people talk like they never been punched in the face. 

Got me bobbin my head and feeling like poppin my collar on Lye. Earl tops the track off at the end:

"Gotta make it straight
Fill the jar, it's hot
The longer you can stand it, the straighter it's gon' be
I gritted my teeth, my eyes watered, my nose was runnin'
I couldn't stand it any longer
Then my head caught fire"

God Laughs isn't just my favorite on the album but also one of my 3 favs of 2022 so far. Old Friend made it feel like Earl has overcome, while God Laughs is a reminder that he's still on the journey. In other words: 

"In the middle of the marsh where mosquitoes chomp ankles
Swamp marching on on the quest for my lost halo, God"

Back to the bangers on Titanic. This again feels like Earl feeling himself. In a way, for the album to take these turns that are rather foreign to Earl lets me know that he really is in a different place now. 

Fire in the Hole is the perfect outro track. Earl's cadence over this slow, rather bluesy instrumental is fitting and it feels like how this album should go out.  

It was nice to get this update from Earl on how he's doing because ever since IDLSIDGO dropped, I've kind of seen each album as the continuation of an autobiography. That's Earl's discog to me. While I still for now prefer SRS and IDLSIDGO, Sick! kind of sets me at ease because Earl has never sounded so free artistically or exuded such confidence this way. God Laughs could be his magnum opus. 

Stream Sick! below.

http://www.ok-tho.com/2022/06/album-review-earl-sweatshirt-sick.html

Cyanca releases the Official Music Video for her song "PB&J" available now on YouTube. Appearing on her EP "Fast Times," Cyanca's voice grabs your attention from the opening note making you pay attention to every word coming from her. Smooth soulful chords, laid-back drums, and anthemic horns set the soundscape for Cyanca to dance all over the beat with her warm and comforting vocal tones. 
Cyanca's own words "damn, this my jammy jam" sums up the single "PB&J" perfectly as this song feels like a conversation with a lost friend or a movie you've seen a thousand times but never gets old. Cyanca gives us a nostalgic neo-soul vibe like the greats Jill Scott and Erykah Badu but puts her own personality and twist on it giving us a new-classic feel in 2022. 
Hailing from Smithfield, North Carolina - Cyanca grew up learning music in Church while playing drums, keys, and organ as a youth, and that experience can be heard and felt in her music today. Marked as a "To Be Continued" visual we can't wait to see what's next for Cyanca after her release of "PB&J." Until then be sure to follow Cyanca on Instagram and Twitter, and stream her latest EP "Fast Times."

http://www.ok-tho.com/2022/06/cyanca-releases-official-music-video.html

The Young Southside Star Has Already Amassed Millions Of Views On Spotify, SoundCloud &

YouTube And Was Signed By Republic Records.

CHICAGO, IL - KB MIKE, born under Damichael D. Tate, is a Chicago Southside-born young artist almost 22 years old. Even though he undoubtedly was gifted before hitting the mainstream platforms, he gained awareness back in 2020. Amidst the pandemic and a house arrest, KB Mike released multiple singles while staying at home. His unique tone of voice and soulful expression quickly rostered a solid fan base, craving more from the artist. His lyrics are highly expressive, with a positive flow and a reminiscence hint. KB Mike explains that growing up on the Southside has exposed him to several hardships. Like witnessing close friends and relatives fall prey to violence and drug-related issues. Using music as a catalyst for expression gives his productions a sense of reality and “genuineness,” which people value and respect.

His first relevant single was Addicted, which went viral on Facebook and put him in the spotlight. Although his debut single was Here, We Go Again. He continued to set fire tracks to his audience and kept growing consistently. In April 2021, he released his first album called Nothing Lasts Forever. Although there is no exact date, he finally got signed to Republic Records. Being this his most significant break so far.

In an interview with Republic Records, he stated: “I’m somebody who came from a bad situation and used it to make something of himself. I appreciate everybody who has shown me, genuine love. Music is where I belong.”

That kind of humble attitude will hopefully propel him into new levels of stardom, where many expect him to continue bringing his exceptional material level.

Follow The Artist Below:

Youtube

Spotify

SoundCloud

Instagram

https://www.hiphopindiemusic.com/2022/06/a-rising-star-straight-from-chicago.html

 

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https://www.hiphopindiemusic.com/2022/05/calizoe-networking-guru-entrepreneur.html