DJ Cruze Trichotomy:
A Review of June 18th releases Kanye West, J. Cole and Mac Miller
Last Updated June 18th, 2013
A Tribute to the June 18th Artists; here’s to A Big Day in Hip Hop! Check out DJ Cruze’s June 18th Mix from his podcast below.
YEEZUS
It seems like for months, DJ Cruze has awaited the release of Kanye’s latest and most criticized album to date, not only because it was highly anticipated, but it has been DJ Cruze’s top interest to critique whether the album was worth all of the stir it has since caused. Immediately, when DJ Cruze received the copy, he went straight for the productions credits and style, saying “It looks like he [Kanye] is taking production in in another way [than before].”
Not only was this the smallest tracklist that DJ Cruze has ever seen released from a rap artist, aside from the album’s name, he was also surprised that much of the production is from Daft Punk. ”Daft Punk is a French EDM producer in which Kanye previously worked with on the “Stronger” track on West’s third studio album, Graduation.” Already, DJ Cruze is optimistic, as he hears a completely different perspective than ever before!
He states, “In this album, Kanye has a great deal of yelling and wailing. He gives off a weird feeling; almost somewhat Gothic in a sense. Not only is this album is very explicit; it even goes a bit over board, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I do believe that Kanye will lose many people’s interest simply because people are not used to this side of him. But this is what hip hop and rap are about, right? Testing new ground? Evolving?”
He continues, “Compared to his other releases, in Yeezus, Kanye takes a more lyrical approach. His flow is so natural that is almost sounds like his talking and melodizing which is something new. I enjoy the beats, which were very simple; however, still complex at the same time. Any producer can see the talent it took this production to pinpoint the necessary instruments to contribute to the sound.”
In the end, there were still a few unenjoyable and distasteful aspects; Kanye’s vulgarity being one of them. DJ Cruze says in support, “I see where he is coming from, but I still believe he had a way to go around what he was saying without being so ignorant about it.” Maybe that’s what gave the album it’s edge, because DJ Cruze says “there was never a dull or boring point; it’s a good CD overall!” It is quite evident; however, that Kim Kardashian is a common thread throughout the entire work. DJ Cruze continues, “Thinking back to Van Gogh, I remember he had an infatuation so deep with a woman as to where he cut his own earlobe off and sent it to her in declaration of his love. This CD almost makes me think, it is actually Kim Kardashian that is making Kanye feel like he’s GOD.”
On a scale of one-to-10, with 10 being the highest, DJ Cruze rates Yeezus an eight!
BORN SINNER
It’s safe to say, J. Cole is still fairly new to the rap game; he’s an artist who is still developing and DJ Cruze gives him his props as he can hear his progression. Born Sinner, to DJ Cruze, seems more of a versatile and even more enjoyable album than J. Cole’s last. Unlike Kanye West, J. Cole is sticking to the simplicity of hip hop; even some of his instrumentals sound like Kanye West old productions.
DJ Cruze enjoys, “that he’s more liberal and you can hear he had fun doing this project.” He adds, “Even though a lot of J. Cole’s songs are already getting radio play, he still has a lot of music which may not be as popular as the radio hits, and a great amount of that is on this CD. For example, as a huge fan of Outkast, so when the two collaborated on “da art of Story Tellin Part 1,” the beat alone made me much more of a fan. You can hear that J. Cole is more lyrical, and took this project much more personal with what he had to say. It just gives me an idea of how much his life changed now that he’s a big time artist.”
DJ Cruze did not enjoy, “the instrumentals.” He says, “Most beats sound very similar to the previous ones. Even though you hear the difference in his flow, it’s not yet enough to deliver the “WOW Factor.” It takes artists a few albums before they get into their comfort level and J Cole fits into this category.” In addition, “the songs are way too long; since people have short attention spans, the same song on for four minutes is sure to bore the listener.
Overall, DJ Cruze says, “the CD is A LOT better than Cole World.” He explains, ” This album opens up a new perspective for J. Cole and shows he’s here to stay. I like the cameos he has and not one track sounded too out of his range. Even though there really aren’t any club bangers, there is a great deal of lounging music and it fits perfect for his style.”
DJ Cruze rates Born Sinner a seven-and-a-half out of 10, saying “J. Cole tried new things with this project, and has definitely proved himself to the general public. I’m sure his fans are satisfied with his hard work! It’s Real, True Music.”
WMWTSO
Mac Miller’s “Watching Movies With The Sound Off” was also released today. Unfamiliar with his history, DJ Cruze had to do a fair amount of research on this artist. Being his second album release, DJ Cruze feels that this release was “really good material,” compared to Mac Miller’s previous work. DJ Cruze also stated that he’s surprised Miller has not received a bigger buzz!
DJ Cruze opened this project with an open mind and hoping not to feel disappointed after the listen. After listening to the first few songs he was quite impressed. DJ Cruze says, “this reminds me of the old Eminem… his flow, the subject matter and the ruthlessness of his words.” He continues, “His music is much deeper than what we’re accustomed to but is good material. Later in the project, you can hear influences of Talib Kweli, and Common (in terms of beat selection).”
In this CD, Mac Miller collaborates with artists such Schoolboy and Jay Electronica, and it doesn’t end at those two. However, although those collaborations are important for Miller, DJ Cruze says “those artists will not help to popularize him any more than his current state.” Just as J. Cole above, Mac Miller also lacks the “WOW Factor” according to DJ Cruze. He says, “Although I enjoy his flow and dynamic lyrics, his music is too slow for me to vibe with. The beats are similar, the kicks and snare are tight, but it’s just not enough.”
DJ Cruze concludes, “I like this album; it’s a little too much on the underground side, but I see that’s his style. This is a totally different type of hip hop from the two artists above, therefore I have to rate it on a totally different scale. In terms of underground hip hop, this album would be just shy of a rating of seven out of 10.” DJ Cruze feels that Mac Miller has much to prove in the music game, especially considering he’s going head-to-head [regarding release date] with two of the biggest artists in Hip Hop right now. DJ Cruze ended, saying, “I would definitely keep a couple WMWTSO songs in my Ipod to hear from time to time. Mac Miller is a threat; artists beware of what he has to bring on the table, he may hit the foreground faster than you think!”
