Quick Hits, Vol. 80 (Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Future)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Unruly Mess I've Made.  I know Macklemore has become a hot button topic for people, but I like the fact that he is trying to navigate the mine-filled waters of race and rap.  Even if he does it imperfectly, I appreciate the fact that he is sincerely thoughtful and putting out interesting music to push people into the discussion.  "White Privilege II" is the track that is firing people up, and here is the video.

From the slave-song intro, to the admissions he makes about feeling awkward because he's an outsider trying to do something, and crapping on Iggy Azalea, this is well done.  It isn't perfect, but it makes me cringe and think, which is valuable.   I'd prefer that it had an actual good track and beat behind it, but this definitely allows you more obvious access to the lyrics.  And here is an interesting deconstruction of the song:

I like his point that he could keep these views to himself and avoid controversy, but that bringing it out to the public creates the conversations we need to have about cultural appropriation and advantages still afforded to certain people.  Also interesting that he thought he was making it for his young, white audience, but they aren't the ones who are feeling free to discuss it on social media.  I felt the same thing here, slightly nervous to even bring up the song, but this is a good thing.  I wish the Republican candidates would be forced to debate this song instead of their dick size.

For the rest of the album, I love the intro song, which is like a rhyming diary of his viewpoint when he won the Grammy a few years ago.  I love the exposition, again, of him revealing how awkward it was and how uncomfortable it was for him, while he was still excited and proud and trying to have a good time.  "Downtown" is also great, except for the scream/wail hook thing with the guy screaming DOWNTOWN!

I wish that part wasn't in there, but the beat is dope, I dig the lyrics about rolling on a moped, and its fun to have some of those classic rappers on there with him.  There are some annoying tracks - "Brad Pitt's Cousin" chief among those for me - but even on that track, the beat is solid and catchy.  I even like the treacly "Growing Up" track with Ed Sheeran, rapping a bucket list.   KRS-One sounds bad ass.  And he has a guest spot for Leon Bridges, so that is cool as hell.  You should go listen to this album.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered.  This is an odd, surprise album that popped out of Lamar a week or so ago.  According to the Internet, we should all thank Lebron for it.  I refuse to actually go click on the articles that explain why I am supposed to thank Lebron, because my clicks are too valuable (<clicks on buzzfeed article about 32 hidden images in sports logos>).  Each song title says "untitled," a track number, and then a date or a range of years.  I suppose that is when the lyrics were written, but I dug around on the 'net and have no clue.  The two standout tracks on here to me are #2 and the first two minutes of #7.  There is a lot sexual stuff going on in here, and I agree that head should be the answer.  I'm totally confused by what I am finding on YouTube for the videos for these songs - the Fallon performance I just watched, in which the track is introduced as Untitled 2, is not the same song as the "untitled 02" on this album. And the "untitled 3" I just watched likewise doesn't match up.  So, I'm not going to give you a link, but I think you should definitely go listen to the sweet ass beat used for the first two minutes of #7.

2 Chainz - COLLEGROVE.  Yaaaaaawwwwwwnnnn.  About the only thing interesting on this is that Lil Wayne is on eight of the twelve tracks here.  I just don't care for 2 Chainz's flow, or the annoying little noises ("yaaaaaa!") he makes as his identifying tic, and nothing on here changes that feeling.  The top track so far on Spotify is "Gotta Lotta," which you can check out here.

Robot Skat Lil Wayne is the worst Lil Wayne.  And yet again, here is a song about having a lot of drugs.  Groundbreaking stuff.  I'd like to tell you that there is a redeeming song on here, but I don't care to listen to this crap more than the three times I've already devoted to it.

Future - EVOL.  The more I listen to Future, the more I think this is some sort of art installation project that we are all being subjected to.  The beats are kind of tight but all run together in a non-stop stream of skittering trap, hand-claps, and bass.  The lyrics are nonsensical smears of abstract auto-tune syllables, some of which rhyme, but mostly the rhymes seem like they consist of rhyming by repeating the same word at the end of every line.  Its kind of hypnotic.  And I'm not even on any drugs.  But I am literally doing all I can to listen to the lyrics, and I'm catching a few words per couplet that I can actually interpret.  The most popular track right now from the album (per Spotify) is "Low Life."  By the way, the idiotic "Jumpman" with Drake has over 156 million listens.  That is so annoying.

The Weeknd contributes the hook here, but seriously, if that wasn't a lyric video, would you have any clue what the hell Future was saying?  "ijutuhsumaliwiuss.  gossabutchafallwiusss"  Oh, wait, I hear "Ferrari" in there!  And "club."  So, in the end, I kind of actually enjoy hearing this album - its got swagger and sounds kind of bad ass, despite the fact that it generally makes no sense, and I hate autotune, and I lose track of the difference between songs after a while.  But I won't keep this one around.