Brent Faiyaz “Lost” (2018)

Brent Faiyaz, personally i think is very underrated, is a new R&B artist that i have been listening to for a while now and he continues to impress me. He just seems to create the music you need at the right time. I know he has a very good fan base and they support all his albums a tremendous amount because he creates touching music for the tough times which will always be appreciated. Especially when he has been through them himself while creating this art piece.

It is a very small album having only being just under 19 mins. But that doesn’t seem to bother me at all. No tracks are wasted. He’s taken his time to polish and create a real feeling when listening to this record. You have to be prepared also because it will surprise you and put you in a real state of mind. It’s special and not many artists can do it. 

Brent isn’t the most talented vocalists compared to most R&B artists but every now and then he switches to an impressive high humming note. Similar to what Kid Cudi does but much higher. For some reason it’s so addicted and sounds so smooth over the beat and you can listen to it for hours. 

Until you realise your 10 mins into the album and not 30 mins. And next comes the more stereotypical mainstream style songs such as Around Me. The catchy hook which he sings differently every time. It’s genius. Aswell with the progression of the song he gets more passionate in his vocals and it eventually switches to a choir singing.

The record finishes with 2 different style songs. ‘Poundz’ being the best of the 2, having a bouncy happy vibe to it. Lifting up the mood of the album but with the juxtaposition of the lyrics. But then later switches to a completely different beat within the same song as he shows off his impressive vocals and his true talent. 

Overall this was and will be a great album to listen to. Not one that will be replayed all the time but a classic my eyes that’s short and can be listened to when you need that type of music. A special album and one which is very hard to create. Personally I love Brent’s music and is a very underrated artist. If you want to listen to more of him he also has a group called 'Sonder' which is him and 2 producers.

Fav Tracks: All of them 

Rating: 9/10

Ed Sheeran “No.6 Collaboration Project” (2019)

The King of catchy songs, Ed Sheeran is back with another album but a very different album. Not a record which he will be performing on tour anytime soon because it’s an all collab album hence the title. And wow what a collection of songs this is. Banger after banger. Every song suits eachother and complement so well together without having any background to them.

The only background of the album I can give is that it was released during the summer which is perfect timing for the album, as it was the start for the great music to come for the year 2019. And since this is aimed towards the mainstream audience it was smart to release it at the start of the summer. As it is the most memorable time of the year, music played on the radio will be remembered for years to come as classics of the generation. Genius by Ed. 

Another smart move was adding features across a range of genres including Chris Stapleton, Eminem, Khalid, Travis Scott. Every feature is spot on. Every feature isn’t overshadowed by Ed’s verses and hooks. It’s similar to what Eminem does when he features a song, he makes sure he has the best verse and it will be remembered as his song even though it isn’t. And Ed has done that here except it is his song. With catchy hooks across every song.

I personally love “BLOW” as it features 2 other artist of different genres being country/rock and R&B/Pop. So the collobo was obviously going to be interesting and each one of them have different vocal ranges and styles. But they pulled it off brilliantly with a rock pop style. The short riff at the start is so addictive and gets you hyped for the song especially when the “oh” scream comes in. 

Also the track ‘I Don’t Want Your Money’ deserves a special mention because Ed and H.E.R compliment each other so well with their similar vocals. He describes the type of person he is, just a normal person not overhyped about money and lives just the way non famous people do and it’s why he is such a liked person. It’s a touching and relatable song as Ed always delivers every now and again. 

The only bad track is 1000 Nights, it just feels like a mess. A combination that shouldn’t be put together. An American trap style with soul pop. But it doesn’t take away from the album as a whole. Which was very enjoyable to listen to and although didn’t include the best individual songs of Ed’s in my opinion. Each song has a massive replay value and to release them all at the same time at such an important time is what scores it so high.

 Fav Tracks: I Don’t Want Your Money, BLOW, Take Me Back To London, Antisocial 

Rating: 9/10

Black Thought "Stream Of Thought Vol.1" (2018)

After emerging from his legendary career as lead member of The Roots along with QuestLove. He's taken his skill on the mic to another level. I've always loved The Roots and to hear Black Thought do his own thing is fantastic for the genre. His lyrical prowess is at the very very top of the leaderboards. His ability to describe and depict a subject and create a story is just incredible. And this album is simply just him showing off. The instrumentals are nothing crazy and experimental like a Kanye has produced but 9th Wonder has done an incredible job to create what suits Black Thought the best. Boom bap style with the classic drums, mixed with the jazz instruments which the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Anderson Paak love.

The record itself is exactly what you would expect and it's the medicine you've been asking for, for ages. The title of the album itself describes exactly what it is about but as you can expect every song is layered with anecdotes for example on the second track '9th vs Thought', the interlude uses a quote from Toni Morrison’s public lecture series, she made in May 1975 at the Portland State University for the “Black Studies Department". and is followed by Black Thought's mindest on the term Anthropology. The album is finalised with a Thank You message for those in his life who have supported him, including his inspirations, friends and family and of course his fans like us. Nothing spectactular in this song and a track everyone can understand but the soft melow chorus and smooth crusing flow adapted with the 9th Wonder production is perfect.

Black Thought is an artist most people will not describe as one of the best to ever pick up the mic but if they listened to this album they would understand why Hip-Hop fans rate him so highly. Unfortunetly this album isn't the longest however the two hip hop features are superb as they add a dark element to the tracks. Both extremely talented in their own respect however i would've loved an all Black Thought album with more tracks as that is what he does best. The producer selection couldn't have been better. Overall this album is a near perfect one and combined with his follow up album it makes up for his lack of tracks.

Favourite Tracks: 9th vs Thought, Twofilfteen

Rating 7/10