Artist Review: Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi is not the best lyricist, and he is not the most talented rapper, but he makes deep music with messages that he truly believes in, and I can totally respect that. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Kid Cudi, not a huge fan, but I really respect his music and his message. He truly is a beautiful person with a beautiful message that mos t underground rappers are not able to deliver to the masses. He has a very unique sound that has progressed thoroughly through the years. I personally really enjoy his sound, style, and his music. Some of my favorite songs include Soundtrack 2 My Life, Day N Nite, Make Her Say, Pursuit of Happiness, Hyyer, Up Up & Away, Mr. Rager, All Along, and my favorite song, Solo Dolo.

To summarize, if you are looking for some music with some great deep messages, listen to some Kid Cudi, and he is definitely not a one hit wonder, because I am positive I have heard Pursuit Of Happiness on the radio numerous times as well. He is dropping his new album, "WZRD" sometime late February, so be on the lookout for that.

Although Kid Cudi is not my favorite rapper, this tweet from him summarizes my opinion on the rapper. "U can argue who's the best mc, who's the freshest, who sales the most, but it is no contest when I say I am the ONLY one who can do what I do."

Rapper Rating: 9.1/10

Artist Review: Eminem

     Let me start off by saying that I have a great deal of respect for Eminem. He is one of the most talented lyricists ever. Now that I have said that, Eminem is softer than a jelly doughnut these days. Plain and simple, he is not the artist he used to be. So I am going to literally ignore his work today, and review him as the artist who created The Slim Shady LP, not the artist who created "Love The Way You Lie."

     Okay, The Slim Shady LP is one of the best rap albums put out to date, and can not be touched by most rappers dead or alive. The lyrical skill and flow on this album almost cannot be matched.

"I feel like i'm walking a tightrope without a circus net,
I'm poppin percocet,
imma nervous wreck,
I deserve respect,
but I work a sweat for this worthless check,
about to burst this tech at somebody to reverse this debt.
Minimum wage, got my adrenaline caged,
full of venom and rage,
ecspecially when I'm engaged,
and my daughter is down to her last diaper,
that's got my ass hyper.
I pray that God answers,
maybe i'll ask nicer."
 -Rock Bottom

     Those lyrics are pretty hard to touch, and most rappers cannot even come close. The Slim Shady LP is crude and hilarious, and at the same time, filled with some of the best lines to ever grace the face of Hip-Hop. Eminem writes about problems from his childhood and adult life, that many people can relate to. At the same time, he manages to make hilarious tracks about subjects ranging from drugs to spousal abuse. The album went quadruple platinum, and although record sales are not always indicative of skill, this album is an exception. 
   
     Then Eminem came out with The Marshall Mathers LP. Which is honestly just as great as his first album. This album is filled with more aggression and storytelling, which is not necessarily bad or good, it just depends on your preferences. Eminem has definitely evolved as an artist on this one, and many songs are very dark and personal (Kim and Stan.) This album will pull you in and make you shiver all night, this is definitely Eminem in his prime.

     Those are the only two albums that I am going to judge Eminem by. I am not trying to say that The Eminem Show and Encore were not great albums, but once you have created two of the best rap albums ever, it is hard to live up to them, and his intensity gradually faded after The Marshall Mathers LP in my opinion.

     In conclusion, Eminem is one of the best rappers ever, period. He has the ability to create really deep tracks, really funny tracks, really dark tracks, and everything in between. At the same time he still possesses a certain lyrical talent and flow that only a few rappers have and only a few rappers will ever have. Even though I personnally feel that Eminem is losing his intensity, I also understand that he is maturing, and maybe does not want to keep his Slim Shady Era persona. I completely agree with him on that, but I really wish he would not sell his soul to the devil and do tracks with Rihanna and Nikki Minaj.

Rapper Rating- 10/10
My recommendation, go out and buy/download his albums Infinite, The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP

Artist Review: Aesop Rock

A lot of people think that Aesop Rock just makes up sentences that sound cool. I think it is entirely the opposite, if you closely examine all of his lyrics, you can find deep meaning in every sentence of every song. Aesop Rock is quite the lyrical genius, and it is sad to see that people think he is fake, because those people are sadly just not intelligent enough to see the beauty in his words. Although Aesop may not be the best rapper, he is a beautiful lyricist and has some brilliant lines in all of his songs. I recommend you check this dude out if you haven't heard of him, because he is mad dope. Here is my favorite Aesop Rock quote.

"If the Jesus piece around your neck is bigger than your pistol,
it makes homicide okey dokey and your God will forgive you.
Just show the saints at heaven's gate you should be on the list,
I hear he overlooks manslaughter for a tattooed crucifix"

Damn......

Artist Rating: 9.5/10

Grieves

"Cause in the morning I don't see the right reflection,
that foggy mirror after my shower I see rejection.
And i'm not saying i'm depressed
seems to be a common theme today

these children try to hate themselves
but don't know why they feel that way."

Grieves is just a great rapper. He is one of the newer members on Rhymesayers, and he invokes the same emotions that Slug does for me. He really is a great rapper, and is in my personal top ten favorite rappers. Check out some of his music if you never have.
Rapper Rating. 9.8/10

Aesop Rock, Daylight

"Life's not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman. You only call her a bitch cause she won't let you get that pussy. Maybe she didn't feel y'all shared any similar interests, or maybe you're just an asshole who couldn't sweet talk the princess." -Aesop Rock