Part 1 is here.
Jehst - England | 8.5/10
In 'England', the British MC paints a hauntingly vivid picture of his hometown as he points out societies ills over some grim and mournful production. The whole track has a '1984' vibe without really venturing into conspiracy theory territory.
'An i still got love for the place where i'm livin,
but right now there aint nothin great about Britain'
[Had to remove download link]
Nas- Nasty | 9.5/10
Anyone trying to recreate that early 90's sound, take note, this is how you do without sounding outdated. Nas REALLY goes in here and delivers a fast paced near-flawless performance. Nas is hungry.
'Ayo, late night, candlelight, fiend wit’ diesel in his needle
Queensbridge leader, no equal, I come from the Wheel of Ezekiel
To pop thousand-dollar bottles of scotch, smoke purp, and heal the people'
Download | Lyrics
Royce Da 5'9 - Second Place (Prod. DJ Premier) | 9/10
This here is the Royce I enjoy. 'Second Place' sounds like something Royce and Preem would have cooked up in the Bar Exam 1 days. No lame punches or corny dick/shit/ass puns just a killer flow, some hard hitting lines and some witty ones. There's even a funny little retort to the often voiced (and valid imo) complaint regarding Royces' Eminem namedropping. I think one of Premo's most overlooked attributes his ability to craft a great hook out of a cut or 2 and a couple scratches and this track here is no exception. I look forward to the final version with Meth and Rae.
[Had to remove Download link, shouldn't have much trouble googling one though]| Lyrics
Kanye West - Mama's Boyfriend | 9/10
Apparently this isn't the final version but seeing as it doesn't sound unfinished and may not be released in the future I've decided to post it anyway. You can tell why this was left off MBDTF, it has a more 'See Me Now' feel to it. The production is fantastic with the backing vocals really bringing the track to life. The heartfelt first verse does a great job of capturing both childish resentment and love, and the irony-laced contrast of the second verse juxtaposes well against that backdrop.
'I drew a picture of her that'll make her proudWhile in another artists hands those line might come across as corny Kanye has knack for infusing such sincerity in his delivery that such words are, excuse the gushing, transformed into touching personal insights.
but the door is locked and the TV up so loud
I scream out 'I aint goin to sleep no time soon
and when I do, i'm sleeping in my mama room' '
[Had to remove download link]
Co$$ - Only When I Dream ft. Sene & Aloe Blacc | 9/10
Wow, what a killer track. Love the beat, Aloe contributes a great hook, Co$$ has one of the years best verses and though Sene is completely outshined it can't be said his effort is anything approaching weak.
Download
Next Part coming soon. For Part 1 of The Catch Up head here.
