The Catch Up Pt.5 (Kendrick Lamar & Black Milk)

This will be the final edition of The Catch Up and should have me up to speed with the genre over the last 3 months. For Part 4 of The Catch Up click here.

Kendrick Lamar
With Kendrick Lamar's upcoming release, Section 80, dropping in a couple of days i've held off listening to any of the leaked tracks except the following two. Suffice to say, i'm anticipating the hell out of this.

HiiiPower (Prod. J.Cole) | 10/10
This may just be the best beat J.Cole has ever produced, it is absolutely fucking phenomenal. Not to be outdone though Kendrick kills it for three verses straight and leaves us with one of the best tracks of the year so far.

My issue isn't televised and you ain't gotta tell the wise
How to stay on beat, because our life’s an instrumental
This is physical and mental, I won't sugar coat it
You'd die from diabetes if these other niggas wrote it
And everything on TV just a figment of imagination
I don't want a plastic nation, dread that like a Haitian
While you motherfuckers waiting, I be off the slave ship
Building pyramids, writing my own hieroglyphs

Download | Lyrics 

Ronald Reagan Era | 10/10
I love how well structured this track is. You have a fantastic little sung intro that (a lot like the production) manages to lay out both a cheery and melancholy mood, a great chorus thats a mix of background ad-libs, samples, sound effects and rap, some real dynamic and emotive production and Kendrick himself who's urgent delivery perfectly matches the movement of the drum track. Every little detail is attended to and it helps to elevate this song to such a high standard.
Download | Lyrics


Black Milk
Anyone searching for some more Black Milk after the latest Random Axe release should be happy with these two tracks here. Both these beats are as good as anything found on that LP.

Ketchphraze - My Detroit ft. Trick Trick & Elzhi (Prod. Black Milk) | 7/10
Ketchphraze. The name saids it all really, no one with a name that horrible is likely to have a verse worth hearing. Trick Trick is also predictably horrible but thankfully Elzhi has a great verse, the chorus gets you hyped and Black Milk produced a real head-nodder.

Download

Nametag - S.I.N ft. Quest MCODY & Buff1 (Prod. Black Milk) | 7/10
The Black Milk production and the opening verse by Nametag are the highlights here. Quest and Buff1can't keep the standard up but their verses are still far from shocking.

Download


And that's it for The Catch Up. To check out the previous installment head here.

The Catch Up Pt.4 (Drake Edition)

Part 3 of The Catch Up is over here

In the lead up to his sophmore release, Take Care, Drake has been dropping a few tracks to build the hype up.
 
Dreams Money Can Buy (Prod. Noah “40″ Shebib) | 8/10
Noah samples the catchy Jai Paul number 'BSTU' to carve out a backdrop for Drakes in your face 'fuck your life, mines better' raps. Drakes' transitions between singing and rapping are flawless as he seamlessly drops in an out of his roles as an MC or vocalist without a misstep.

Download | Lyrics

Marvin's Room (Prod. Noah “40″ Shebib) | 9/10
Both '40' and Boi-1da don't get the praise they deserve for their production, probably due to the fact their beats are not normally as epic or grand scale as your average mainstream 'banger'. I've always said Drake is nothing particularly special as a stand alone MC but he does know how to craft a great song (and album for that matter). Marvin's Room is a great example of both my above points. Every facet of the song works perfectly together to help put you in Drakes exact mood of 'lonely arrogance'.

I don't think I'm conscious of making monsters
Outta the women I sponsor until it all goes bad

Download | Lyrics

Trust Issues (Prod. “40″ and Adrian X) | 8/10
Some more fantastic synth-heavy, 'brooding' production. Only a few bars of straight rapping and a few sing-song melody rapped bars though so be warned if you're not a fan of the singing Drake.

Download | Lyrics


View Part 3 of The Catch Up here

Part 5 (The Kendrick Lamar & Black Milk edition) coming soon.

The Catch Up Pt.1

 Over the next few days i'll be posting the majority of the best tracks released in the last few months since i've been away. Without further ado:

Copywrite - Luscious ft. Jakki Da Mota Mouth | 8/10
This is a ten minute long punchline bonanza over Tyler The Creator's 'Yonkers' beat. Copywrite goes nuts on this, plain and simple.
'I'm on E, waiting for her to go down like the price of gas'
Jakki doesn't really have the presence for minimal production such as this and the fact his verse his 5 minutes long and comes after a killer Copywrite performance only emphasises this.
Download 

Lupe Fiasco - Airplanes | 10/10
This may become Lupe's most underrated and overlooked track to date. It may lack a little of the energy of B.o.B's version but the lyricism is enough to give me goosebumps and the second verse is one of Lupe's best, fullstop.

'My departure from the norm, the parch thats more warm
walks on from the marching of your armies and the dropping of your bombs
The walking on the waters now stomping on the pond
The ripples now a wave
It can’t be peaceful with a pistol in your face
You can’t beat the people so you picking on they place
I jump to defend I’m wage with a page
My pen’s mightier than them and I got missles on the stage
This couch is for the cowards and stretchers for the brave
And I happily lay upon the bed that I have made'
Download | Lyrics

Brown Bag AllStars - See Again | 9.5/10
This tracks an analysis of the forum poster and internet viewer mentality as it relates to music. Surprisingly the song is neither bitter nor does does it brand everyone as haters. It's full of humorous but valid observations, great production, a great chorus and some great writing. 
'God bless the hand that you click your mouse with'
Download | Lyrics

Bobby Raps - Riff Raff | 9/10
Bobby Raps is an 18yr old newcomer i've recently discovered. Loving the production with the stretched-out vocal sample. Delivery could use a little variety but his flows on point as his rhyme scheme game.
Download

Mr. J. Medeiros - Neon Signs ft. Stro | 9/10
Medeiros is one of the genre's most unique unknown artists. Some fantastic metaphors and imagery in here and a killer effort from Stro on the hook.
Download

Part 2 coming soon.