Quick Hits, Vol. 67 (Logic, BORNS, The Darkness, Rick Ross)

Conan, Cube, and Kevin.  Good times.

Logic - Under Pressure.  Digging this album.  Never heard of this guy in my life, but a friend came in here the other day telling me to listen to "Alright" from this 2014 album, and it was sweet enough to need to go find out what else was going on.  "Alright " is the, by leaps and bounds, hit from this album with over 14 million Spotify streams versus about 9 million for the next closest and about 4 million for the majority of the album.

He sounds a considerable amount like Big Sean, his guest on that track, but I don't even think that is the best track on the album.  I dig on "Soul Food," "Under Pressure" (with a sweet Eazy homage), "Bounce," and especially "Gang Related."

Something called "Hard Knock TV" does an interview with Logic about this song, which I found while trying to see who had made that sweet beat.  Because that beat is on point.  Interesting interview about how he came up with the lyrics and figured it all out.  Although its kind of funny to watch the other guy sitting at the console (I assume that is 6ix) just having to sit there while Logic talks and raps for 10 minutes.

I also dig the Tribe Called Quest homage on the album of having the computerized lady voice provide information about the album throughout.  The strangest of those is the one that comes in after "Buried Alive" that says they had Outkast, Tribe, The Chili Peppers and Quentin Tarantino movies on rotation during the making of this album.  Which is weird, but OK.  Good album.  You should try it out.

BORNS - Dopamine.  So, I remember reviewing this dude for ACL, and I was just not on board at all.  But now, after giving this new album a few shots recently, I kind of dig it.  More psych than the electro than I remembered from last time, but then again, he only had a four song EP available back then.  "Electric Love" is still the big hit for him (over 43 million listens), and I like it too.  But I'm digging on "10,000 Emerald Pools" a little more.

Funny that I didn't like this in the first place, it isn't terribly far off from the Tame Impala or Unknown Mortal Orchestra albums that I enjoyed.  That track is smooth.  All of that being said, I doubt I'll keep this disc around much longer.

The Darkness - Last of Our Kind.  Yikes.  This band went from a guilty pleasure to a coaster manufacturer pretty quick.  2003's Permission to Land, the one with that one song you remember from these guys, was fun as hell.  I used to blare it in my duplex in Waco at high volume while the rest of the world was off at work, performing awesome jump-kicks and couch rolls while the guitars wailed.  Other funny story about that album - I own it, and I guess I must have loaded it onto an old iPad at the house.  One of the kids found it, zoomed in on the bare butt that is on the cover, and then saved that image.  My wife found it and texted it to me, like "What in the world are you looking at and saving?"  It's not mine, baby!  Honestly!  Yeah, baby!  Anyway, this album blows.

Rick Ross - Black Market.  So, do you think Rick Ross just finally realized that he never had to do a damn thing again and his albums would apparently still sell?  I can't tell any difference between these songs or the ones on Hood Billionaire, Mastermind, or God Forgives, I Don't.  So boring.  "Hustlin'" or "BMF" were jams, even "The Devil is a Lie" was alright, but this stuff is just blah blah blah with John Legend, Ceelo, or Chris Brown crooning over the hook.  Maybe the Nas collaboration, "One of Us" is good.  Here is one video for a track that will give you a taste, this is "Crocodile Python."

Yep, you kill people and have loads of money and used to sell drugs and nobody is as good as you and everyone looks up to you and wants what you have. YAAAWWWWNNNNN.  Actually, maybe people are starting to figure this out - here are the sales numbers for his last five albums (from Wikipedia):

• Teflon Don - 724,000
• God Forgives - 565,000
• Mastermind - 397,000
• Hood Billionaire - 190,000
• Black Market - 34,000 in first week (I can't find updated numbers today)

So maybe people have finally figured out that this is boring drivel.  I definitely won't be saving this album for later.