Ellis Lewis

Journalist

     It's been quite some time since we heard a full length album from Chicago rapper Saba. His last album titled “Care For Me''...

    



It's been quite some time since we heard a full length album from Chicago rapper Saba. His last album titled “Care For Me'' was released in 2018 and while he has been featured on various tracks and done several singles leading up to this project he has mostly been radio silent. That being said the silence has been broken and back in early February we got his album titled “Few Good Things”. However, don’t be fooled by the title as this project is definitely more than just a few good things. 

Before listening to this project a friend of mine described this album as “Just bars and soul” which is pretty accurate. The first positive I have for this album is that it is good for both active and passive listeners. Active listeners will enjoy replaying songs just to catch hidden surprises within the album.  While passive listeners can enjoy this project while on a commute or doing laundry. This honestly is a rare find in music these days as most of the time I find myself listening to some albums to pass the time while for others I need to make time to listen. This project finds that excellent middle ground and thus it’s one of those albums that fits almost any mood you are in. Another strong aspect of this project are the strong features from Pivot Gang, 6LACK, Smino and G. Herbo. Pivot Gang being my personal favorite on the track titled “Soldier”. The second half of this album is also very strong with tracks such as “Make believe” and “2012” with a feature from Day Wave on the aforementioned “2012”. 

However, the transitions between tracks could be better as I found that some songs have an abrupt end while others such as the transition from “Soldier” to “If I had a dollar” is good and flows easily. This is honestly my biggest issue with this project.  My second issue with this project is that it doesn't have mass appeal. This can also be a positive because while this album may not be for everyone there is no compromise in creativity and subject matter which is a common problem that we see in music these days. As a result I would say that while this album may not be for everyone it is definitely worth giving a try. 

In conclusion, as previously stated while “Few Good Things” is not for everyone there are still more than a few good things on this album from its duality, production, features and how it retains its creative roots. Saba has truly created yet another great album and while not, perfect it was definitely worth the listen and another album that I will find myself revisiting as we continue to trudge through 2022. This album an 8.8 out of 10. It’s not a perfect score but it’s just the right score for this album.


  It has been quite some time since the season finale of The Book Of Boba Fett hit Disney’s streaming service and this review has long been ...

 



It has been quite some time since the season finale of The Book Of Boba Fett hit Disney’s streaming service and this review has long been overdue. This series was one of Disney's biggest shows and one of the most heavily discussed shows while it was airing. How was it and the season as a whole? It was great. The season was full of action and fun characters mixed in with some light humor. However, it wasn’t excellent and it definitely plays it safe when it comes to some aspects.  Now, let’s dive into why. 

The season begins in flashback giving us some exposition as to how our title character Boba survived his dive into the sarlacc pit after his brief appearance in Return Of The Jedi and then his full return in The Mandalorian season two. We get to see Boba struggle to regain his strength and navigate the desert until he’s discovered and taken in by some unexpected allies. This plotline is the focus for several episodes. Often we see the show shift from past to present. It’s a very slow start but it’s both interesting and plays a role in establishing Boba’s morals later on in the season.  These episodes while entertaining can sometimes overstay their welcome and I found myself losing interest in the plotline set in the past. 

But, once we move on from the flashback sequence this is where the real fun begins. To begin, the action is very solid in this story and it’s interesting to see Boba gain the trust and respect of the people of Tatooine as the new mob boss post-Jabba the Hutt.  Without using violence, instead Boba uses his words motivating people to join him. Even when violence is necessary we see that Boba shows mercy and gives his enemies a choice rather than making decisions for them. Another plus is in regards to this season's excellent character designs where each character stands out even if they are of the same species. The music is also well done as I especially enjoyed Boba’s theme song as much I enjoyed the Mandolrians theme which I honestly thought could not be matched. 

I cannot emphasize enough that the action throughout the season is very solid and nails the aesthetic of an old-school western with its well paced shootouts and stand offs. I definitely found myself grinning  during some episodes.   This show has strong appeal and solid performances from all of its actors, especially Temuera Morrison who manages to play an action hero even at the young age of sixty-one. Another highlight performance comes from Ming-Na Wen who plays Boba’s right-hand. There is one more character highlight that will please fans but I won’t spoil that here. 

However, the biggest red-herring I would say for this series is how some characters feel wasted despite their incredible introductions which led me to believe that they would play a more significant role than they really did. This doesn’t make these characters any less interesting or entertaining to watch, but their time on stage seems short. There is some boldness in that regard however it doesn’t feel entirely earned.  But, perhaps this may not have been the last we will see of said characters. Another negative I would say is that some episodes are dedicated to set-up which again while fun to watch takes the stage away from our title character. This also happened in the Mardolorian but here not only did these set-up moments steal the stage from Boba they also occurred in the first season which gave the audience less time to enjoy his character. In the case of Boba Fett I would have liked to learn more about Boba’s change of heart since his brief appearance in the second season of the Mandolorian.  However, the execution is there so we don’t need to see it brought up again if we get another season of Boba Fett which is all but confirmed. I would also like to see the writers do more with these characters as a whole now that they have been established for both new and old fans.

In conclusion, this season was definitely a fun experience as well as a safe one in terms of writing. However,  I am excited to see where the story line goes next.  As we know, the galaxy is a big place and there are plenty of places for Boba to expand his network and encounter new challengers to his throne. I give this season a very solid 8.5 out of 10. Boba Fett is definitely worth binging. 


                                                               From A Birds Eye View                                                        ...

                                                           From A Birds Eye View 


                                                                            



At long last Cordae formerly known as YBN Cordae arrived earlier this year about three to four weeks at the time of writing. How is it? It’s fine. I had very high expectations for this album and while it did not meet said expectations it’s still worth your time. The very first positive right off the bat is how quick this album goes by. It comes in at about twenty minutes of an hour and if you take off the bonus track titled “Gifted” that came out back in 2020 in August the album is less than forty minutes. All in all, not too bad. However, there is one problem with this album and for me this project could have been more. Not in terms of quantity but quality because while all of the songs here are good there are some that are great. In turn this led to me waiting for “that song” as opposed to listening more actively on a repeated listen.

But to go back to the positives again because this album has a significantly better flow and overall transition which I think is overlooked. Not once did I find myself looking at my phone waiting for the next track on my first listen instead I found myself bopping my head at a nice steady pace while making myself something to eat because once I finished my initial listen, I was ready to take on the day. However, I did not find myself saying “Man I want to hear this whole album again” but, I did find myself wanting to listen to specific tracks again. However, this can be a positive as well because this project has at one song or a set of songs that everyone can enjoy. In turn, giving it significant mass appeal which makes this album a good introduction to Cordae and his wide catalog of music. This is in part thanks to this album's phenomenal production which again makes this album flow smoothly and fit almost any mood or setting whether you are making yourself breakfast or going on a drive. For example, I know for a fact that I will be listening to “Champagne Glasses”, “C Carter” and “Momma's Hood” on repeat for the foreseeable future. Especially "Momma's Hood" and "C Carter" due to the more personal and honest stories that these two tracks tell. Plus all three of these tracks sound even better when played on a good speaker. 

To conclude this album is by no means bad by any structure of the imagination it could have been better and while I often don’t enjoy using the word “feel” to describe my thoughts here I feel as though some things were missing from this project despite its mass appeal and phenomenal production. For example, I don't see myself revisiting the track "Want from me" unless I want to listen to this album as a whole or if a friend had it on their playlist. In fact I believe that after one listen you will experience everything this project has to offer. However, his last album took me over a week to fully digest and dissect in order to get the full experience because I found myself wanting to analyze every single track. But a final positive I would say is this album's excellent features ranging from Gunna, Lil Wayne and Freddie Gibbs all of whom deliver solid flows over the tracks that feature them. For example, Lily Wayne's verse on "Sinister" and Freddie Gibbs on "Champagne Glasses" are definitely some of my personal favorites with Gibbs delivering simple bars with great execution. Then there is Wayne delivering bar after bar with a crescendo tempo.  Once again all in all this album is worth listening to and definitely a good introduction to Cordae’s music. I would give this album a solid 8 out of 10. 


                                                                                                      Before J.Cole dropped his famous no fe...

                                                                               










 Before J.Cole dropped his famous no feature, triple-platinum album “Forest Hills Drive” he dropped “Born Sinner.” There is often a big discussion about which of the two is the better album. However, while “Forest Hills” is an incredible album, “Born Sinner” is often forgotten in Cole’s large-and-still-rising collection of music. 

                                                                                                      When we think about Frank Ocean today,...

    



                                                                            

















 When we think about Frank Ocean today, we mostly discuss his latest album Blonde and the hit single “Chanel”. However, it seems that we have forgotten Ocean’s debut studio album Channel Orange and its importance within our current era of music. Like many of the albums previously discussed, Channel Orange has a strong production structure from the likes of Pharell Williams, Tyler The Creator, and more. The album has features from artists Earl Sweatshirt and Andre 3000.  

 http://beloitcollegeroundtable.com/2020/02/24/love-and-addiction-looking-at-frank-oceans-album-channel-orange/

  Bojack Horseman  may begin as a show about someone who is “more horse than a man,” but by the end of the series you learn that Bojack is “...

 







Bojack Horseman may begin as a show about someone who is “more horse than a man,” but by the end of the series you learn that Bojack is “more man than a horse.” Bojack Horseman is a show about emotional and personal growth. By the end of the six seasons, you’ll have seen the dark side of show business, existentialism, and the variation of how everyone deals with their mental health.  

                                                           On Sept. 11, 2001, Brooklyn’s very own Jay-Z dropped “The Blueprint,” an album wi...




                                               





On Sept. 11, 2001, Brooklyn’s very own Jay-Z dropped “The Blueprint,” an album with strong bars and with strong production from many guest producers such as Kanye West. The album even features Eminem. The album has strong beats that echo hints of jazz and “old school” hip-hop. In this album, Jay-Z is constantly discussing his hustler roots and even takes the listener back in time. Jay-Z is also very cocky on this album, for example on the 7th track titled “Hola Hovito,” he refers to himself as “Michael, Magic and Bird rolled in one” and  says “and if I ain’t better than Big I’m the closet one.”