Category: The Mearablog
The Mearablog –– Listen: SDotBraddy – Can’t Tell Me Shit
We’ve covered SDotBraddy on the site perviously with “City Drive” and “Can’t Love Em, Can’t Trust Em”. The Miami, FL emcee returns with a new track entitled “Can’t Tell me Shit”.
It’s safe to say that there’s a trend in SDotBraddy’s music, his productions seems to always be on point. That’s the first thing that always grabs my attention. The production and instrumentals mix well with his flow and the content of his lyrics.
“Can’t Tell Me Shit”, as well as the tracks from our last post, will be on his upcoming mixtape, Innovation, which is expected to drop on 11/15.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Album Review: Bambu – One Rifle Per Family
One Rifle Per Family seems to be one of hip hop’s most well-kept secrets as of late, but a secret isn’t what it should be. One Rifle Per Family is the latest project to come from Bambu, a Filipino emcee from Los Angeles, CA.
From the very first track, “Bronze Watch”, you can tell that this project will provide a sense of both cultural and social awareness to the listener in areas that aren’t traveled too often. The track includes a line that can be looked at as an opening statement for the entire project.
“Bam, [rifle sound], let me get that out the way first./ I’m trying to grab your focus by the eighth bar of the first verse.”
“Bronze Watch” serves as a prologue to the rest of ORPF. He starts the track by talking to his son about his frustrations with the killing of a boy around his age. Lyrically, he takes on the subjects of violence, the poverty that can lead to it, and the consequences that follow. This theme is carried out through the entire project.
In tracks like “So Many”, “Rent Money“, and “Massacre” Bambu speaks on his Filipino culture. This provides an interesting perspective that doesn’t get much coverage in hip-hop.
“Sermon” and “Death Certificate” are rather enjoyable. Compared to the militant tones of tracks like “Pepper Spray”, “Orosi”, and “Self Defense (Interlude)”, they’re less combative, which provides a break to the non-so-radical listener.
Tracks 7-9 are entitled “Kids (Interlude)”, “Pops”, and “Moms”. In these tracks, Bambu deciphers the idea of family from all different angles. “Kids (Interlude)” includes a recording of a child trying his best to imitate Bambu’s trademark sound of a rifle. Bambu follows this with “Pops” where he examines the complicated relationships that fathers can have with their children and how they aren’t always given credit for what they do.
Bambu uses “Moms” to speak on his relationship with his mother and how she shaped him to be who he is, including inspiring his disdain for the police. He uses the subject in “Moms” to transition to the subject of misogyny, the”hatred or dislike of women.”
He starts the second half of the track off with a sample of Lil Wayne in an interview saying how he feels women deserve the utmost respect, at all times, only to be followed by another sample from Weezy in a song saying “Shut up b*tch, swallow.” The irony is unavoidable.
Other tracks on the project like “Boom”, “Death Certificate”, and “Upset the Setup” are examples of Bambu making it clear that he can still remain lyrical when he’s not taking on the role of a social activist.
One Rifle Per Family serves both as a listening and learning experience. There aren’t many people that should be able to listen to it and not gain insight into poverty, culture, family, or one of the other topics that Bambu touches on.
One Rifle Per Family is severely underrated and more people should be made aware of the impact that it could make.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Watch: Chels – “The Lesson” (Official Video)
New Orleans native, Chels, recently released another video from her mixtape entitled True School for the Moon Children. “The Lesson”, similar to the video from our last post on Chels, “The Hustle”, was produced by Shawn tha Kidd, but also features Ace Boogie.
“The Lesson” gives Chels the opportunity to speak on some of her experiences and expand on the various lessons that she’s gained from them. Chels’ ability to learn from what she’s come across results in the gems that she drops throughout the track. Having just received another cosign/endorsement from Erykah Badu herself, Chels has some serious people backing her.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Watch: Fly Union BET Music Matters Vlog (Part 6)
We now have the final vlog post from Fly Union on the BET Music Matters Tour. After touring across the country in clties New York City, Miami, Chicago, and everything in between, Fly Union touched down in the West Coast.
The Ohio emcees spent time in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Along the way the group also made their way to Beats by Dre, interviewed with Champs Sports and SWAG Magazine, and much more.
While being a part of the BET Music Matters Tour, Fly Union was able to share some of their experiences of working and performing with artists like Stalley, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake.
This is the sixth and final installment of the vlog series following the group. All of the videos were directed by Max Rodriguez.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Listen: Kendrick Lamar – The Jig Is Up (Dump’n)
It’s officially been a week, and over 240,000 record sales, since Kendrick Lamar’s debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city dropped. Taking advantage of the hype after the album release, Kendrick already seems to be taking a step towards the future. Remember that project Kendrick and J. Cole said they’d be working on a while back? We bring to you “The Jig Is Up (Dump’n)“, produced by J. Cole and Canei Finch.
Kendrick makes sure that everyone knows that he isn’t taking any time off after the release. Later on in the track you may even notice Kendrick’s shout out to Shyne, the former Bad Boy artist who took to twitter last week to criticize GKMC and referred to it is “trash”.
“I pray to God this week I be pulling up bombs, I pray to God this beat is good enough for Shyne/ If not, J. Cole, your shit is trash. But at least my opinion just made everyone laugh.” – Kendrick Lamar
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Watch: Fly Union – BET Music Matters Vlog (Parts 4 & 5)
Fly Union has come out with two more vlogs to help bring us along on their journey with the BET Music Matters Tour while working along side artists like Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Stalley, Drake, and more. Two more videos have gone up since our last post.
Watch: Fly Union – BET Music Matters Tour Vlog (Part 4)
In part 4, Fly Union stops by LDRS, a streetwear shop in Chicago, UNKNWN, in Miami, and finish off with a sold out show in Atlanta.
Watch: Fly Union – BET Music Matters Tour Vlog (Part 5)
Part 5 includes the Ohio emcees performing across the country, sharing their experiences backstage, and an appearance from Kendrick Lamar.
These videos were all directed, shot, and edited by Max Rodriquez.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog –– Listen: Wally Left – “How It Be”
“How It Be” is the latest release from Wally Left, an emcee from North Carolina. This Yontz-produced track works well with Left’s flow and produces a sound that’s reminiscent of a walk in the park to clear your mind.
Left spits like he’s an everyday guy talking to you about his everyday life. That helps the listener feel comfortable and understand where he’s coming from while he analyzes how his rap skills affect those around him.
You can check out more from Wally Left on his website. Stay posted on upcoming drops and news.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog –– Watch: True 2 Life Music – “Hot Baby”
We recently posted the latest single from True 2 Life Music, a group consisting of Brooklynites K-Words, Concise, and Slangston Hughes, entitled “Hot Baby.”
Like mentioned before, “Hot Baby” is a refreshing taste of a real, quality group in hip hop in a time when they aren’t seen as often. “Hot Baby” shows that each member can hold their own lyrically but no one was fighting to steal the shine away from the rest.
The video to “Hot Baby” shows each of the emcees individual personalities even better than the lyrics of the song. It also doubles as an homage to the place they call home with footage of Brooklyn and even Brooklyn Dodgers legend, Jackie Robinson.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
The Mearablog – Mixtape: Rome Clientel – The Empire 2: The Battlegrounds EP
Recently we’ve been anticipating the release of Rome Clientel’s, The Empire 2: The Battlegrounds EP.
So far we’ve covered two singles leading up the release of the project, “Free” & “One Life to Live”. The Elmira, NY emcee kept the same feel all of the way through. The Empire 2 represents the metaphorical battle that emcees have to take part in when they’re coming up in the game.
Rome spends a lot of time speaking on the idea of confrontation and its consequences, many of which can be felt by the common person.
Rome goes for a handful of different sounds on The Empire 2, “One Life to Live” and “Troubled Child” have more of a smooth, soulful sound, while “The Glass House” and “Free” are more confrontational. While juggling these different sounds, he still manages to stay true to his own.
Nonetheless, every track on the project sparks thought on issues like overcoming struggle and fighting to find your place in the world. Things that everyone can find a way to relate to.
Features on The Empire 2 include Rav.P, Alias, Devon Wright, and REKS. Production contributions come from ATG, Kount Fif (of the Swashbucklers), Chaundon, and more.
Videos to go with the project are expected to come sometime in the near future, so keep your eyes open.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
The Mearablog – Watch: 7th Floor Villains – “ELITE”
Our recent post of Black Zheep DZ’s single “Platnum” feat. Soduh got a lot of traffic and was very well received. It’s only right that we put you on to a recent single that was dropped by 4 out of 6 of the emcees that call themselves the “7th Floor Villains.”
“ELITE” features OG Dutch Master, Black Zheep DZ, Butch Dawson, and BuffaLo, who are all members of 7th Floor Villians, a collective of emcees based out of Baltimore. One reason this group is dope because they’re gritty. They know it, you know it, and they know that you know it, but they keep reminding you anyway.
This track is also dope because it was done in the style of a cypher and was used for LL7FV to show how they have what it takes to be a part of the game. Everyone featured on the track did their thing and properly handed the mic off to the next emcee. This track showed that they are, in fact, elite.
– Keith Reid-Cleveland
(@kreid_c)
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