Pornography: 8/10
-Featuring an awesome intro from T.I., the intro track on Travis Scott's debut LP goes hard once that beat switches. The beginning portion, heavily influenced stylistically from Kid Cudi, is classic Travis lyrically. Sex, sex, and more sex. Once the beat switches, the topic stays just about the same, but damn this beat bumps. He's got a great flow on this beat and though I am not a huge fan of his, this is exactly what I was hoping for when I popped this album into my Spotify queue. I also really dig the line, "I might move out to Atlantis, cause my mind's too outlandish". Overall, this one is an epic introduction to this album and sets the bar high.
Oh My / Dis Side (ft. Quavo): 9/10
-Oh my, oh my, oh my. Incredibly catchy and stylistically on point, the first portion of this track "Oh My" bumps something sinister. Ok, so this is definitely more of a trap song thanks to "stellar" lyrics, but man, Scott flows on it perfectly and his style fits this beat. As for "Dis Side", it goes a little less hard and its lyrics are reminding me of "Where Ya At" by Future since it just keeps repeating "on this side". Similarly to that track, the second portion of this entry is quite good. I like Quavo's contributions throughout both parts, as well as his verse on "Dis Side". Sure, these songs are completely ignorant, but damn are those beats hype.
3500 (ft. Future & 2 Chainz): 9/10
-The lead single from the project, "3500" goes, well, hard. The beginning of Travis' verse where he says, "Ladies order up the champagne, a whole lot of it / Painkillers, ain't got backpain, know you gotta love it", flows perfectly with the beat and stands out as my favorite portion of the song. Oh and did I mention this beat yet? Oh my damn this bumps. Father forgive me but this beat bumps. As for Future and 2 Chainz on this one, both do their thing. I do not like Future, as is well documented from my past reviews of his projects, but all the same, I do enjoy him on this one. As for Mr. Chainz, he does equally as well and turns in a vintage Tity Boi verse. He rides the beat well and his verse is hilarious ("I was born with some nappy hair / Drinkin' breast milk out a lean cup"), so I am quite satisfied. Overall, damn.
Wasted (ft. Juicy J): 7/10
-This beat is not quite as good as the ones that can be good as the proceeding tracks, but it still is a very good beat. As for Travis on this one, he does very well. He rides it perfectly and his verse works very well for the track as a whole. The guest verse turned in by Juicy J is also very good. Neither rapper really speaks on much other than lean or sex here, but that does not mean it cannot sound good. Though a small step back, this track does have a lot of things going for it and does not really do anything wrong.
90210: 7/10
-A dark sinister sounding beat that turns into a light (dare I say happy?) beat accompanies Travis' tales from Beverly Hills. Honestly, the beat is pretty incredible. However, I do not love Travis on this one. He is alright, but there are times when it just drops off, namely his second verse and much of the autotune portion. However, once the third verse starts, I love both the beat and Travis, so it really saves the song. A very good verse, namely the ending where he raps, "Holy father, come save these niggas, I'm styling on 'em / Good lord, I see my good fortune in all these horses / I'm driving too fast to stop, so all these signs, I ignore them / Distant sky from north of the border, my chips is in order / My mind's big as a porter so now niggas support a *****".
Pray 4 Love (ft. The Weeknd): 10/10
Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my favorite track on the album. Featuring a mean hook and guest verse from Abel, as well as a duo of stellar verses from Travis himself, this one works in every imaginable way. A phenomenal beat, great chorus, and A+ verses from all involved. The year of The Weeknd continues and Travis manages to become the first rapper he contributes with to not just avoid ruining the song, but to make the song even better and not get overshadowed by Abel. Honestly, I think I may even prefer his portions to Abel's. This is the standout track. If you were looking for it, stop. This is the one.
Nightcrawler (ft. Swae Lee & Chief Keef): 8/10
-Beats like this should be illegal. Hot damn. Featuring Swae Lee from Rae Sremmurd and Chief Keef, "Nightcrawler" is a dark track all about the partying, women, and drugs. Travis does quite well on this beat, flowing over it without a care in the world. Swae Lee rap sings on his short verse, as well as the hook and actually does pretty well. Sure, he does not have a stellar voice, but it works well for the track. As for Chief Keef, I can actually understand what he is saying, which is a major change of pace for him. Plus, even more shockingly, he sounds good on this track. Overall, a major surprise winner.
Piss On Your Grave (ft. Kanye West): 8/10
-The guitar and beat on this track is straight up disgusting. Honestly, wow. This beat is incredible. Travis kills this beat with absolutely no mercy. Kanye does alright, but really, his beat sums up his best contribution to this track. Overall, a decent hype track with a spectacular beat that really amps it up a couple notches.
Antidote: 8/10
-Featuring Scott rap singing his way through a beat produced by WondaGurl, "Antidote" is the second single from the album. The beat is super nice, at times it goes hard and at others it kind of chills out, which I think really works. Once the beat drops and Scott begins to just rap, this one goes so hard it is ridiculous. Overall, "Antidote" is far from being lyrically genius and has no particularly standout element, yet here I am loving it due to the way all of the pieces blend perfectly together.
Impossible: 5/10
-A generally low-key track, this one slows things down a bit as the party ends and Travis begins to get a bit lonely and depressed. The end result is this song, where he wishes that, "Nights like this, nights like this, I wish I could do the impossible / I wish I could do the impossible / Nights like this, nights like this, I wish / I could do the impossible, I could do the impossible". As much as I love that hook and the production is nice, the autotune throughout is a bit too much for me. Odd to draw the line here, I know, but it really sticks out like a sore thumb on this track and I am left feeling disappointed. Not a bad song per se, but definitely one of the weaker tracks.
Maria / I’m Drunk (ft. Justin Bieber & Young Thug): 7/10
-"Impossible", as much as I am not feeling it, does transition really well into this one, particularly the first part entitled "Maria", where Travis takes the super original (read: unoriginal) approach to personify weed as a girl. While not the first guy to do it, I do really, really dig this portion of the track. His delivery is top-notch and the beat is perfect for the tone of the track. As for the second portion of the track, "I'm Drunk", I hate Young Thug, so I really hate whenever he opens his mouth. However, the star here is Justin Bieber. Travis Scott takes a backseat largely on this second portion, while Bieber is handed a verse where he both raps and sings and, well, knocks it right out of the park. His flow is on point and his lyrics are tight. My favorite portion of his verse is right in the middle where he says, "Take a shot, all we got is Don Julio / I'm guessin' this is new to you / Thinkin' 'bout all the things that I would do to you / Them lips on fire and them hips don't lie / Girl I just wanna see what that booty do". His delivery and flow on that portion in particular is perfect as he slides his way through it without breaking a sweat. Overall, this track is fine, largely because of "Maria" and Justin "Bugatti" Bieber as Big Quint calls him.
Flying High (ft. Toro y Moi): 3/10
-Produced by Pharrell Williams, this one feels really odd on this project. It really comes out of nowhere and, right after two depressing tracks, is oddly placed on the tracklist at that. Honestly, this one would have been better off as a bonus track where placement is less important. This aside, I do not really dig this. Light and fluffy, this one does not fit on the project in the least and feels almost ingenuine. The Pharrell beats is nice, but the hook is pretty weak and the whole song is just Travis or Toro y Moi saying, "I be flying high". It gets annoying pretty quick.
I Can Tell: 9/10
-And just like that, we are back to those bass heavy beats. Turn up those subwoofers, baby and announce to the neighborhood that you are driving that car your parents bought you. If you cannot tell, I far prefer Travis when he is going in on a hard hitting beat. This one fits that desire perfectly. Scott flows perfectly over this one, plus, his verses really work quite well. The portion in the second verse where he raps, "I been impulsive, non-emotional, staying humble ‘bout it / Tilt the posture, sick, pass the bottle / Five-o-four hot boys, minus the bad rap like Silkk the Shocker / But I’mma pull up the silk, to shock her with the silk / ***** you know I been a rocker, dripping milk and knockers" is insane. The closing lines where he says, "I’ll bombaclot you, bomba bomba blocka shot you / Bling and bang, a bang a rapper / Bangarang, I brought my money back / Orangutan diamonds hangin' on my neng-a-lang / Bitches hanging on my dang-a-lang", are also super impressive. One of the better lyrical and pure rapping performances on the whole album, this one has to be one of my favorites here.
Apple Pie: 8/10
-Following up the great lyrical performance on "I Can Tell", Scott turns in an admirable performance on "Apple Pie". In particular, I really dug the lines, "Keep an ounce of garlic just to keep away the Draculas". The beat is also super nice. Overall, a nice closer, this one continues the strength of the prior track and let's the album end on a high.
106/140 -> 7.57/10
An overall very good album by Travis Scott, his debut has successfully won me over. My only prior introduction was "Company", some of the tracks from "Days Before Rodeo", and then his debut mixtape "Owl Pharoah". The latter of these three was one of my least favorite projects of 2013 and sounded horrifically bad. Since then, however, I have warmed up to Travis Scott and hoped I would be blown away by this album. Some of these tracks certainly delivered that, namely "Pray 4 Love", "Oh My / Dis Side", "3500", and "I Can Tell". The real constant throughout the album is the phenomenal production, even on tracks I did not really enjoy such as "Impossible" and "Flying High". The guest verses from The Weeknd, Swae Lee, 2 Chainz, and shockingly Justin Bieber, also all stand out as major highs for the album.
Necessary: 8/10
-This beat is super west coast thanks to the contribution from Black Metaphor. The pre-hook and hook on this track are both great, as are his verses, namely the part where he raps, "What I do is internal, smoking herbal / Try'na run up in some bitches who fertile, woah / Feel like this is my moment, feel it's time for change / Excercise in game, niggas vibe the change / No looking back at it, cause this is that moment / I step forward ready to go at each and every opponent / Give it to anybody that want it". Overall, a very promising start to the project.
Easy Bake (ft. Kendrick Lamar & SZA): 10/10
-Damn, this one is exactly what I was hoping for from Jay Rock. Some hard verses from Jay, Kendrick, and a killer contribution from SZA that I wish was longer...man oh man. There are too many great parts to this track, though my favorite portions from Jay Rock specifically are, "But if you try me then your wig I'ma split, my ***** / And I ain't tryna kill my own kind / But we always losin' to the wrong place at the wrong time, no lie" and "I came a long way from eatin' free lunches / From Mary County checks to makin' these numbers / Oh Lord, I'm just reminiscin' / Kill the beat, some intervention on some inner vision". Both Kendrick and Jay kill this beat with no mercy, their lyrics, flow, and delivery, are all on point here. Great, great track.
Gumbo: 10/10
-Man, the first few lines of this track..."Keep it one hundred, I’m one hundred and one
I ain’t talking dalmatians up under the sun / On the road to Damascus, gun and a suit / You either coming with some products or you coming for loot / I’m coming with the peace so I’m chucking the deuce / I ain’t tryna run a train I’m just in the caboose". Jay Rock murders this with great lyrics throughout, and a display on how to properly rap. As for the beat, this is the first one contributed by J. LBS and the rest of the way, he contributes four more of his creations. This one is stellar. Great beat and I love the hook
Wanna Ride (ft. Isaiah Rashad): 9/10
-Isaiah Rashad is limited to hook duty on this one, which is too bad, though I do love his delivery of the hook. The beat is super nice and Rock rides it very well. The beginning of his second verse is absolutely fire, "They say get your money first and foremost / I rhyme like I got pollos in that Volvo / Shit, I switch up, whippers can't get caught, that's a no-no / So watch out, the paparazzi takin photos". Like the rest of the album, this one feels super west coast and I am digging the heck out of it. Easy to vibe to and Rock is so smooth on this one, while never sacrificing his lyricism. Dope, dope, dope.
The Ways (ft. Sir): 7/10
-I do not love this one as much as the previous tracks, but damn is it just me or is this beat hot? J. LBS bringing his A game on this album, never heard of him before and I am super happy this has been changed. Rock does his thing on this one, but I am not loving the lyrics on the verses, pre-hook, or the hook. Maybe it is because the pre-hook sounds like it was delivered by Sage the Gemini and, well, Sage the Gemini is horrific. They are just not for me, though Rock's ability shines through on this one and this guy Sir really murders the hook vocally. Great choice to do it.
Telegrams (Going Krazy): 8/10
-Wow, this Lance Skiiiwalker guy (lol) murders the beginning of the track and the hook. The verses from Jay Rock are super nice as this one takes a more laid back approach than any of the previous tracks. The beat from J. LDS is also quite good. Though less stellar than some of the other tracks, this one still goes quite hard.
90059: 8/10
-Rock goes in on this track with lines such as, "Winos in the alley, nearly slumped over / Demons in they eyes, glassy, no Folgers / Wake up sober, kill you for a cold one", "They Marlboro, trying to trick them, they be the cancer", and "A force from the rap game my *****, this ain’t a circus / There’s no Ringling Brothers, no Barnum and Bailey / Clowned ass niggas get marked out daily, trucked out lately". The beat is super nice and though the weird hook and intro from Lance Skiiiwalker is kind of a turn off for me, the verses are too impeccable to write this track off. Oh and lest I forget: the beat is fire from Tae Beast.
Vice City (ft. Black Hippy): 7/10
-I do not love the subject matter here, though I obviously love getting a Black Hippy track out of this album. Kendrick, Jay, Ab-Soul, and Q, obviously all show why they are great rappers with fantastic flows and deliveries throughout their verses. I just really am not digging the verses as much as I wish I would because of the subject matter though, which is a buzzkill for me.
Fly on the Wall (ft. Busta Rhymes): 9/10
-An incredibly deep track, this subdued laid back beat is perfect for a track such as this and both Jay and Busta ride over it without a care in the world. More of a storytelling type track, the verses are fantastic on this one from both Jay and Busta and not only do they flow over it great, but their lyrics are stellar and paint a vivid picture of the situation.
Money Trees Deuce: 10/10
-The beat on this track is great and as with the rest of the album, is so West Coast is honestly hurts. Rock's verses are phenomenal and really hold up to the quality of his guest verse on Kendrick's original "Money Trees". This track captures exactly the potential Jay hinted at with that verse and then turns around and exceeds those expectations. Everything here is pitch perfect.
The Message: 10/10
-"It's like you're testing me now / This my testimony, look I got that recipe now". "Had me praying and asking questions / I had no answers so I had to bottle up that aggression / Load up them hollows and I had to follow in my direction". "Learn to survive through love and Jezebels and street pastors / Live as free as we can cause Hell on Earth is being recaptured". "That's why I keep one foot in the game like a flamingo
But here's the thing though, picking my spots yelling, 'bingo'". DAMN. Jay Rock brought straight fire on this track and Vic Smitty murdered the hook on this song. As for the beat, it keeps things going and is also great. What a closing track.
96/110 -> 8.73/10
Ok, is this album really as good as I am saying it is with the rating? I mean, no. I will admit that straight up. It is a very good rap album and my boy Jay Rock delivered absolute fire in his long-awaited follow-up to Follow Me Home. But, the score is a bit bloated because there is no filler on this one as it is so short. Do I really think this album is one of the best of the year though? Absolutely. Great beats, great verses from Jay Rock, and some killer guest turns from SZA and Busta Rhymes, all come together for a great album. Maybe not quite where the rating would lead you to believe, but he definitely deserves props for keeping things short and sweet rather than dragging it out with a ton of filler. Overall, Jay Rock delivered.
Quote:Originally posted by Spangle@Sep 21 2015, 12:50 PM <div align="center">
Jay Rock - 90059</div>
Necessary: 8/10
-This beat is super west coast thanks to the contribution from Black Metaphor. The pre-hook and hook on this track are both great, as are his verses, namely the part where he raps, "What I do is internal, smoking herbal / Try'na run up in some bitches who fertile, woah / Feel like this is my moment, feel it's time for change / Excercise in game, niggas vibe the change / No looking back at it, cause this is that moment / I step forward ready to go at each and every opponent / Give it to anybody that want it". Overall, a very promising start to the project.
Easy Bake (ft. Kendrick Lamar & SZA): 10/10
-Damn, this one is exactly what I was hoping for from Jay Rock. Some hard verses from Jay, Kendrick, and a killer contribution from SZA that I wish was longer...man oh man. There are too many great parts to this track, though my favorite portions from Jay Rock specifically are, "But if you try me then your wig I'ma split, my ***** / And I ain't tryna kill my own kind / But we always losin' to the wrong place at the wrong time, no lie" and "I came a long way from eatin' free lunches / From Mary County checks to makin' these numbers / Oh Lord, I'm just reminiscin' / Kill the beat, some intervention on some inner vision". Both Kendrick and Jay kill this beat with no mercy, their lyrics, flow, and delivery, are all on point here. Great, great track.
Gumbo: 10/10
-Man, the first few lines of this track..."Keep it one hundred, I’m one hundred and one
I ain’t talking dalmatians up under the sun / On the road to Damascus, gun and a suit / You either coming with some products or you coming for loot / I’m coming with the peace so I’m chucking the deuce / I ain’t tryna run a train I’m just in the caboose". Jay Rock murders this with great lyrics throughout, and a display on how to properly rap. As for the beat, this is the first one contributed by J. LBS and the rest of the way, he contributes four more of his creations. This one is stellar. Great beat and I love the hook
Wanna Ride (ft. Isaiah Rashad): 9/10
-Isaiah Rashad is limited to hook duty on this one, which is too bad, though I do love his delivery of the hook. The beat is super nice and Rock rides it very well. The beginning of his second verse is absolutely fire, "They say get your money first and foremost / I rhyme like I got pollos in that Volvo / Shit, I switch up, whippers can't get caught, that's a no-no / So watch out, the paparazzi takin photos". Like the rest of the album, this one feels super west coast and I am digging the heck out of it. Easy to vibe to and Rock is so smooth on this one, while never sacrificing his lyricism. Dope, dope, dope.
The Ways (ft. Sir): 7/10
-I do not love this one as much as the previous tracks, but damn is it just me or is this beat hot? J. LBS bringing his A game on this album, never heard of him before and I am super happy this has been changed. Rock does his thing on this one, but I am not loving the lyrics on the verses, pre-hook, or the hook. Maybe it is because the pre-hook sounds like it was delivered by Sage the Gemini and, well, Sage the Gemini is horrific. They are just not for me, though Rock's ability shines through on this one and this guy Sir really murders the hook vocally. Great choice to do it.
Telegrams (Going Krazy): 8/10
-Wow, this Lance Skiiiwalker guy (lol) murders the beginning of the track and the hook. The verses from Jay Rock are super nice as this one takes a more laid back approach than any of the previous tracks. The beat from J. LDS is also quite good. Though less stellar than some of the other tracks, this one still goes quite hard.
90059: 8/10
-Rock goes in on this track with lines such as, "Winos in the alley, nearly slumped over / Demons in they eyes, glassy, no Folgers / Wake up sober, kill you for a cold one", "They Marlboro, trying to trick them, they be the cancer", and "A force from the rap game my *****, this ain’t a circus / There’s no Ringling Brothers, no Barnum and Bailey / Clowned ass niggas get marked out daily, trucked out lately". The beat is super nice and though the weird hook and intro from Lance Skiiiwalker is kind of a turn off for me, the verses are too impeccable to write this track off. Oh and lest I forget: the beat is fire from Tae Beast.
Vice City (ft. Black Hippy): 7/10
-I do not love the subject matter here, though I obviously love getting a Black Hippy track out of this album. Kendrick, Jay, Ab-Soul, and Q, obviously all show why they are great rappers with fantastic flows and deliveries throughout their verses. I just really am not digging the verses as much as I wish I would because of the subject matter though, which is a buzzkill for me.
Fly on the Wall (ft. Busta Rhymes): 9/10
-An incredibly deep track, this subdued laid back beat is perfect for a track such as this and both Jay and Busta ride over it without a care in the world. More of a storytelling type track, the verses are fantastic on this one from both Jay and Busta and not only do they flow over it great, but their lyrics are stellar and paint a vivid picture of the situation.
Money Trees Deuce: 10/10
-The beat on this track is great and as with the rest of the album, is so West Coast is honestly hurts. Rock's verses are phenomenal and really hold up to the quality of his guest verse on Kendrick's original "Money Trees". This track captures exactly the potential Jay hinted at with that verse and then turns around and exceeds those expectations. Everything here is pitch perfect.
The Message: 10/10
-"It's like you're testing me now / This my testimony, look I got that recipe now". "Had me praying and asking questions / I had no answers so I had to bottle up that aggression / Load up them hollows and I had to follow in my direction". "Learn to survive through love and Jezebels and street pastors / Live as free as we can cause Hell on Earth is being recaptured". "That's why I keep one foot in the game like a flamingo
But here's the thing though, picking my spots yelling, 'bingo'". DAMN. Jay Rock brought straight fire on this track and Vic Smitty murdered the hook on this song. As for the beat, it keeps things going and is also great. What a closing track.
96/110 -> 8.73/10
Ok, is this album really as good as I am saying it is with the rating? I mean, no. I will admit that straight up. It is a very good rap album and my boy Jay Rock delivered absolute fire in his long-awaited follow-up to Follow Me Home. But, the score is a bit bloated because there is no filler on this one as it is so short. Do I really think this album is one of the best of the year though? Absolutely. Great beats, great verses from Jay Rock, and some killer guest turns from SZA and Busta Rhymes, all come together for a great album. Maybe not quite where the rating would lead you to believe, but he definitely deserves props for keeping things short and sweet rather than dragging it out with a ton of filler. Overall, Jay Rock delivered.
4 10's for the worst rapper in black hippy. the bars quoted made me glad I didn't finish this album.
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