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By Maya Mackey
Last month, I wrote about March Music Madness. Essentiall,y everybody and their mama released an album. And this month, the musical buffet continued. Here’s your April Music News and reviews!
In Rap:
The Canadian responds and Kendrick doubles down.
On April 13th, Drake unleashed his fury on everyone who came for his legacy in March. He took shots at Future: “Your first number 1, I had to put it in your hand;”, Rick Ross: “Can’t believe he jumpin in, he turning 50.”; and Metro Boomin.
But most of his ire was saved for Kendrick Lamar, coming for his height: “How you big-steppi’n with a size 7 mens on?” and his discography: Your last [album] bricked, you really not s—.” He even questioned Kendrick’s pop collabs: “Maroon 5 need a verse, better make it witty/Then we need a verse for the Swifties:’ and stood on his claims that Kendrick is not the G.O.A.T. in his opinion: “You ain’t in no big three, Sza got you washed down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down.” All in all, it’s the best Drake has rapped in years.
On April 30th, Kendrick served up his response with Euphoria, a six and a half minute diss track with a tongue in cheek title (Drake is an executive producer on HBO’s Euphoria, a show about drugged out teenagers. Drake has also been known to text with minors). Kendrick, chaotically, threw a litany of insults back at Drake, inferring that he’s shallow, a pedophile, confused and wounded about his biracial identity, a deadbeat father, and lacking strong morals and spiritual foundation. Insults that don’t hit quite as hard since Pusha T and Rick Ross already threw these bricks in the past.
If you’ve been keeping score in this rap beef, it’s Kendrick -1, Drake – 1.
WannaWanna Be – Glorilla feat. Megan Thee Stallion ★★★☆☆
“You can get your wig turned like effie, I don’t need insurance cause a [chick] can’t wreck me…you look like a discount me on Etsy.” Megan’s still scrappy! She still has something to say for the women and men who don’t like her. While Gorilla carries her gloves around her neck, Megan is the one getting in the ring and throwing jabs for real. Glorilla’s bravado is no match for Megan’s wit and seasoned delivery.
R&B
Tori Kelly Finds Her Groove!
TORI by Tori Kelly marks her 4th (excluding her Christmas album: A Tori Kelly Christmas) and I’ll stand on the declaration that this is her at her best!. Inspired by the early 2000s pop and R&B, she grew up on, Tori released an EP under the same moniker last summer. An unfortunate health scare prevented her from promoting it the way she intended to but eight months later, we have the full version,with eight new songs and it’s a flawless body of music. Even the songs that have marinated for almost a year are given new life within the context of the album. This is Tori at her most confident, mentally, emotionally, and vocally. And while Kelly has always been a powerhouse vocalist, the vocal acrobatics on this album are on the level of Beyonce and beyond. With this music, Tori declares she knows who she is, whose she is, and how grateful she is to be in love: with herself, her husband and her God.
Rating: ★★★★★
Recommended for fans of: Tori Kelly, Lauryn Hill, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Jazmin Sullivan, Ariana Grande
Stand Out Tracks: cut (featuring Timbaland), thing u do, oceans
Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller ★★
More of the same. The early to mid-2010s transformed R&B. For better or worse is up for debate but whining over autotune became the norm. When Bryson Tiller first hit airwaves, his sound fit the times and even under all the autotune, you could hear some soul. At the height of his fame, he took a hiatus to start a family. His comeback is somewhat of a shock, not only because people have been begging him for new music but because this isn’t the “Trapsoul” that we grew to love. I’m all for innovation and artists experimenting with their sound, especially Black artists. But a strong vocal foundation is sorely missing with Bryson. He sounds like a Chris Brown clone for most of the album. It leaves you wanting more effort to distinguish himself as his own artist.
Stand Out Tracks: AEON L U S T, Calypso, Prize
After Hours- Kehlani ★
Well, she tried. After Hours is a mid-tempo track that interpolates Nina Sky’s “Move Your Body”, Kehlani is yearning and begging for love, or more specifically, for her lover to stay. That’s the stuff that’s supposed to make R&B great but with oversimplified lyrics such as, “you came here on your own,own, own. Caught up in your zone, zone, zone,”, and a watered-down version of a dated beat, this hardly makes me excited for what’s coming next. I’m sure her loyal fans will love it though.
POP
Boy Bye – Chloe ★★★★★
Chloe sing-raps her blues in a sweet, campy melody.Even though the song is about a lover scorned, the beat is so high vibe and infectious, you’ll find yourself dancing instead of crying (or dancing while you cry. I won’t judge!) After a lackluster debut, this new sound is fresh and in the right pocket of Chloe’s vocal and production talents! If the next album sounds anything like Boy Bye, I see Billboard Awards with her name on it!
