Shazamers' Blog

It seems like a long time since 50 Cent was one of the biggest things in hip-hop. When he emerged as a protégé of Dr Dre and Eminem a decade ago, he was the roughest, toughest, most frequently shot rapper in the game. He was also behind the line ‘I love you like a fat kid loves cake’, surely one of the greatest lyrics of this or any other century.

But in his attempt to diversify into films and computer games, Fiddy seemed to lose his way. He even got pelted with waves of campsite detritus when performing at the Reading Festival. Despite an impressive array of beefs with everyone from P Diddy to Lil Wayne, people just weren’t scared of him any more.

With all that in mind, a collaboration with Maroon 5’s Adam Levine seems like an odd choice for 50 Cent’s comeback, particularly if he’s set on reasserting his gangsta credentials. In reality it all works out pretty well, Levine’s vocals mesh nicely with a propulsive and pleasingly Gothic production that has more than a touch of the Dre about it. While it’s clearly targeted at the charts, Fiddy doesn’t pull any punches with his verses. He wants the world to know that he’s back and just as dangerous as ever, something he accomplishes with some inspired F-bombing.

But he’s outdone by guest Eminem – another artist who knows a thing or two about spending time in the wilderness. His verse has more swears-per-minute than a Quentin Tarantino movie on fast-forward. It also demonstrates the astonishing verbal dexterity that made everyone love him, before his talent became eclipsed by his fame.

All in all then, it’s a pretty triumphant comeback. Fiddy has spoken of his desire to have another hit as big as ‘In Da Club’ before he retires. If he keeps going like this when new album ‘Street King Immortal’ drops in 2013, he may well achieve his ambition.

Huw Thomas New Music

Fresh from releasing his long awaited second album ‘O.N.I.F.C’ (depending on your sensibilities, it stands for either ‘Only N***a in First Class’ or ‘One Night in First Class’), Wiz is back with another new track. Teaming up with the formerly reclusive but increasingly ubiquitous Weeknd, it’s a slight change of tack for the weed-loving Philadelphian.

At first listen you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was Wiz’s guest who was in the driving seat. Kicking off with The Weeknd’s trademark sepulchrally minimal nu-soul sound and smoothly profane vocals, we’re almost two minutes into the track before Wiz Khalifa even makes an appearance. When he does finally pop up though, it’s business as usual. Wiz’s familiar smoky drawl slots in nicely with his collaborator’s vocal and it isn’t long before the weed references start flowing. To be fair to Wiz, he also takes the time to talk about his clothes and cars, so it’s not as if he has a totally one-track mind.

“The Weeknd and I simply wanted to go in and talk about both sides of things,” he told Artist Direct. “When he sent me the record, he had come so crazy on it. He was talking so much shit that it was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to come from a different angle but still be myself and mesh with the song’. I figured I’d talk about the same thing he was saying but from a personal point of view, given the real visual of it. I’m glad it came out like that. I thought about it for about 15 minutes and spit it out.

It’s not really two sides of a relationship but two sides of what The Weeknd is talking about. He’s singing about a chick really proving herself, and I’m telling her why she should prove herself. I think this collaboration was just supposed to happen. Sonically, it’s great. Lyrically, it’s amazing. The beat is crazy. It’s one of those things that people are going to gravitate towards more and more.”

Huw Thomas New Music

Let’s get this out of the way to start with. It’s pretty much impossible to listen to Rihanna’s latest – a duet with former boyfriend Chris Brown – without reflecting on the couple’s romantic history. They’ve had a relationship that could be described as ‘chequered’ – if you were a big fan of understatement. It’s a matter of public record that Brown assaulted Rihanna in February 2009, leaving her with a black eye, split lip and numerous other injuries. Full details of the incident are freely available online, but even a cursory examination of the facts makes it hard for many to understand just how Rihanna could be collaborating with her attacker less than four years later.

Whatever is going on behind the scenes, ‘Nobody’s Business’ reads as a clear riposte to those who suggested Rihanna should cut Brown out of her life. Opening with the lines, ‘You’ll always be mine / sing it to the world / always be my boy / I’ll always be your girl.’ It’s par for the course. Rihanna’s new album is titled ‘Unapologetic’ and it seems she is determined to do things on her own way, regardless of what other people think.

If you are able to look past the song’s troubling back-story, you end up with an extremely effective pop track. Built around tinkly house-flavoured pianos and swooshy disco noises, with Brown doing his best Michael Jackson impression, it has an almost retro feel to it. A less charitable writer might describe that as appropriate considering the decidedly old-school sexual politics at its heart.

In any case, the controversy surrounding Rihanna’s personal life doesn’t seem to be harming her appeal. The album went in at number one in the UK when it was released this year, her third LP to go straight to the top of the charts. She’s now up there with Madonna in terms of global success. Let’s hope this team up with Chris Brown ends better than the last one.

Huw Thomas New Music

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Doing his bit for US-Canada relations, Kendrick Lamar has enlisted everyone’s favourite north-of-the-border renaissance man Drake for his latest. It’s a successful bit of international collaboration. Drake plays his part, but it’s undoubtedly Kendrick’s show. His smooth, literate flow is front and centre here, though the smokily languid production adds to the appeal. With its snappily minimalist beats and sultry looped female vocal, it has more than a hint of an early 90s slow jam. This is undoubtedly a good thing.

Taken from Lamar’s massive debut album ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City’, ‘Poetic Justice’ offers another compelling reminder just why he’s one of the brightest lights in hip-hop right now. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Lamar actually seems to care about something other than the ostentatious trappings of fame. His lyrics aren’t just concerned with the cars he owns or the bitches he’s been with, and that’s incredibly refreshing. He’s previously tried to distance himself from begin described as a ‘conscious rapper’, but Lamar’s obviously operating on such a different plane of thought to so many others in the game that it might be a hard label to shake off.

In any case, his version of street life rings much truer than those who claim to be straight up gangstas, while simultaneously performing at the MTV Kids Choice Awards.

“There’s so much negativity in the world today,” he told The Fader. “People know what’s real and know what’s fake. They know who really lived it and who’s trying to live it. That’s what I think people rock with me genuinely, because they know I’m not out here trying to glorify certain situations through these records or say I’m the biggest killer in the world. I don’t believe in none of these rappers anyway. The real gangsters, you never really see their faces because they’re either in the ground, in prison or behind the scenes.”

Huw Thomas New Music

For his latest track, Ludacris has roped in some pretty high profile collaborators in the shape of Usher and superstar DJ David Guetta. The result is something that may well surprise long time Ludacris fans.

Unsurprisingly considering Guetta’s involvement, ‘Rest of My Life’ occupies a pretty different sonic space than much of Ludacris’ previous releases. Classic hip-hop beats are in short supply, replaced by Guetta’s trademark euphoric build-ups and four to the floor hammering. What the rap purists will make of it remains to be seen, but you can’t help but feel that it will be extremely effective on the dancefloor. The club-ready sounds are matched by Luda’s verses, in which he essentially promises to maintain his hedonistic lifestyle until it kills him. It’s good to see someone with such strong convictions.

‘Rest of My Life’ offers an early glimpse of long-awaited new album ‘Ludaversal’. Originally set for a September 2012 release, it’s now predicted to drop in early 2013. Started way back in 2010 with The Neptunes on production duties, the record has had a protracted and sometimes difficult genesis. Unsurprisingly, this has had something of an impact on the way the album sounds.

“I traveled the world over the last two years, I got to see a lot of things and had a lot of experiences,” Ludacris told popular hip-hop publication Forbes. “That’s what ‘Ludaversal’ is all about. Really kind of being vulnerable and letting you into my life…people are definitely going to understand a lot more about the personal side of Chris Bridges when they hear this album.”

‘Rest of My Life’ would suggest that fans can expect to hear from a very different Ludacris when the album finally drops. It will be interesting to see if his attempt to woo to both the club kids and the hip-hop heads will pay off.

Huw Thomas New Music

Young and Getting’ It’ is a celebration of Meek’s own successes. Only in his 20′s, his career has been on a serious upswing in of late. After a run of very well received mixtapes, he dropped his debut album ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ earlier this year to major acclaim and equally sizeable sales. His latest track sees Meek celebrating his good fortunes with a heavily autotuned party jam, ably assisted by the delightfully named Kirko Bangz.

But Meek Mill isn’t only about the bling. Growing up on the mean streets of Philadelphia and spending some time behind bars, he knows the value of hard work and takes inspiration from some notable non hip-hop sources. Asked by Interview Magazine to identify the historical figure he most admired, he replied: “I’d say Obama. First black president ever, and to be living while it happened—that’s a good part of history. That’s probably the biggest person I admire right now.” He also sees parallels between the president’s struggles and his own work in the rap game.

“I always want to vote for Obama. This is my first year really watching the debates and things like that, and he worked hard. He reminds myself of me, you know. Everything can’t be fixed over one year, or two years, or three years, or four years. It took me a long time to get where I am right now. I’ve been rapping since I was 13, and now I’m here. I’m making it happen.”

It’s safe to assume he’ll currently be celebrating after his hero trounced Romneybot 3000 in the recent US election. Let’s hope the next four years are good ones for both Meek and Barack.

Huw Thomas New Music

Everyone’s familiar with the stereotypical weed-smoker. They’re lazy, they’re constantly munching on junk food and they spend too much time searching for hidden meanings in children’s TV programmes. However, Wiz Khalifa challenges this received wisdom. To paraphrase 50 Cent, Wiz loves blunts like a fat kid loves cake. But rather than playing Xbox in his underwear while trying to work up the energy to go to the all night garage and buy some Wheat Crunchies, Wiz is working very hard indeed.

Only last month, he dropped ‘Cabin Fever 2’, the latest in an increasingly long list of mixtapes and origin of ‘Tweak is Heavy’. With nary a pause for breath, next month he’ll be releasing his long awaited new album proper ‘O.N.I.F.C’. Oh, and he’s also on the verge of becoming a father for the first time. Dude is busy. Thankfully, it seems Wiz is blessed with a work ethic that would shame the average indolent bong-huffer.

“Every day is new,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s just a new day. I look at six hours at a time. It’s no regiment ’cause I could end up on a private jet to Dubai on Saturday. It’s a good thing because I do a lot of work. I’m always hustling. I’m never chilling and I’m never just sitting back and enjoying it too much. I’ve got a studio bus with me so this whole time, every day, I’m knocking out verses and doing free stuff.  I’m doing stuff for my rap homies; I’m doing stuff for my fans. I feed that part so, just in turn, just naturally, the way the universe works, I get a lot of s**t done.”

On balance, it’s probably for the best if Khalifa keeps on puffing. If he wasn’t artificially slowing himself down, there’s a very strong possibility we wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Huw Thomas New Music

When A$AP Rocky’s debut mixtape ‘LiveLoveA$AP’ appeared on Halloween 2011, it was quickly hailed as one of the most exciting hip-hop releases of the year. In an increasingly homogenous East Coast scene, Harlem native Rocky’s southern-influenced production and lazy flow marked him out as something a little different.

The tape produced two genuine sleeper it singles in the shape of ‘Peso’ and ‘Purple Swag’ and led to Rocky quickly bagging a major label deal to the reported tune of $3 million.

Since then, we’ve been waiting for the debut album proper to rear its head. Originally slated for a Halloween 2012 release date, ‘LongLiveA$AP’ has now been pushed into next year while final tweaks and changes are made.

‘F**kin Problems’ sees Rocky teaming up with an impressively varied roster of chums to deliver a languid hip-hop masterclass. It serves as a very welcome teaser for the new record, which also feature an unlikely collaboration with retro-chanteuse Lana Del Ray.

However ‘LongLiveA$AP’ ends up sounding, it’s fair to say that its creator has big hopes and expectations.

“It’s gonna kill’em, it’s gonna kill them,” He told Electronic Beats. “Nobody’s going to be able to keep up, it’s crazy; nobody is making the music that I’m making, nobody. No matter how hard they try and they do try to sound like me but this is some new shit. That’s why I’ve pushed it back, because I’m updating my sound. I can’t wait for you to hear it.

“I know that they’re going to love it. It’s better than ‘LiveLoveA$AP’, the production, everything. It’s way better, way more mature. It’s just so good … it is, I’m telling you, it’s really, really, really, really, really, really good. They have to love it.”

At least the guy’s not lacking in confidence. You can decide for yourself whether or not to love it when the album finally drops early 2013.

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The Weeknd is something of an oddity in the R&B and hip hop game. While many of his compatriots bask in the limelight, as famous for their large lifestyles as their music, he really prefers to let his tunes do the talking. Releasing his music anonymously via the internet, it wasn’t that long ago that he stepped out from behind his stage name to reveal he was actually Canadian Abel Tesfaye.

It looks as though keeping a low profile is about to get much harder for Tesfaye as he approaches his first ‘proper’ album release. ‘Trilogy’ is an ambitious three-disc set that collects his three previous online only releases, ‘House Of Balloons’, ‘Thursday’ and ‘Echoes Of Silence’, along with new tracks. If you believe the buzz, it’s going to be huge.

‘Wicked Games’, while sadly not a cover of the Chris Isaak classic, suggests that The Weeknd is well placed to live up to the hype. It’s a dark and smoky slab of wonderfully profane nu-soul, peppered with a ludicrous number of F-bombs. Whoever has to bleep the swears out for radio play is probably going to end up with repetitive strain injury.

At least The Weekend’s refusal to self-censor bodes well for a future that balances commercial success with artistic integrity. It seems unlikely that we’ll see him pairing off with a Kardashian and becoming a fixture on the gossip sites. He still stubbornly avoids interviews, choosing instead to communicate on his own terms.

“I want to thank you for listening and being patient for as long as you have,” he recently wrote on his website. “No matter what an artist’s ego clouds them to believe, you are the reason why I have been able to continue to do what I love to do and that is to entertain you. My journey for inspiration may seem like masochism to others who have not been given the task to make art, but best believe it brings me nothing but joy.

“You will continue to get what you fell in love with, and I will continue to give you what you ask for. I’ll never make you wait again. With that being said expect more from me soon leading up to “Trilogy”. Thank you again for your patience and loyalty, I will not disappoint.”

Big claims. It will be interesting to see if the world at large is really ready for The Weeknd.

Huw Thomas News

T.I. is back with his latest track, an anthem to everybody’s favourite bit of spherical sports equipment. Dude really likes balls. Hang on a second, think we might have got a little confused. Apparently he’s in a packed club where the ho’s are ‘so drunk’, oh and Lil Wayne’s there too.

On closer examination, it seems that T.I. is actually talking about partying. That makes a lot more sense. Over a minimal, hand-clap powered groove, our man describes what in all honesty sounds like a great night out. Bitches, bottles, bouncing; it’s all here. Through it all T.I. remains an impressively smooth master of ceremonies, dropping his signature flow with customary lazy dexterity. Skateboard enthusiast Lil Wayne also brings his A game, though the line “I’m killings these ho’s like that nigga Ted Bundy” is a little creepy if you think about it too much.

‘Ball’ is taken from T.I.’s new album ‘Trouble Man’, set to drop on 18 December, just in time for Christmas. That’s grandma sorted then. It promises to be a quite a party, featuring guest spots from Kendrick Lamar, R. Kelly, Andre 3000, Pink and A$ap Rocky, among others.

Content-wise, ‘Trouble Man’ promises a mix of old-school T.I. and more radio-friendly party jams. There’s even a sample of Gotye’s omnipresent viral hit ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, which should prove once and for all whether or not people are heartily sick of it by now.

As for the title, it is simply a reflection of T.I.’s personal experiences and the way he’s now approaching things.

“I’ve learned that one thing about my life that is certain is trouble,” he recently told Rolling Stone. “Be that as it may, I shall embrace that fact and not evade it. We all have faults. Before I let you stand on your high horse and point a finger back down at me, I’m going to give you a big, stiff ‘F**k you.’”

You have been warned.

Huw Thomas New Music