A Few Quick Things: Pack Watch
Some new music I like, an appreciation for other writers, and my love for long playlists
Writing this with my fingers crossed.
21 Savage and Metro Boomin’ deliver with Savage Mode II
Amid a goldmine of quotable quips that Morgan Freeman drops throughout this Savage Mode II, only one can be described as the thesis that encapsulates the soul of the surprise album. At the end of the second track “Runnin,” Freeman poses a brief philosophical question as he monologues, “Are things better or worse the second time around? Can we do anything more than once?” Savage Mode was one of the first of many fruitful collaborations between the Atlanta superstar and the St. Louis producer legend. It was a landmark moment marked by pure, unadulterated savagery from both a rapping and production status. 21’s methodical retelling of his past transgressions against the opps and ex-lovers mixed perfectly with Metro’s uncanny ability to create beats that perfectly coexist with the rapper’s sinister delivery. The project acted as a coming-out party for the pair.
That was five years ago. Now, they’ve gifted us the long-awaited sequel and a potential answer to the existential question that is at the center of creating art. Savage Mode II is the result of both artists reaching musical self-actualization in their journeys and reconnecting at the height of their powers. Each track drips with the same personality from the first installment of the series, but with an intense increase in quality that’s indicative of the tremendous growth that both 21 and Metro have experienced in those five years. “Runnin” showcases Metro’s elite sample flipping ability, taking a Diana Ross vocal run and looping it over a heart-pounding beat centered on bass and hi-hats. The track then flows beautifully into “Glock in My Lap,” aided by Morgan Freeman’s ambrosia-like voice. 21 doles out the usual threats, coasting over the flawless production.
The highlights are plentiful, spearheaded by a ridiculous showing by Metro. “Rich Nigga Shit” is an exhibition of lavishness and luxury book-ended by a sleek violin section, setting the pace for 21 and Young Thug to effortlessly showcase their embarrassment of riches. The pairing of the daunting production and foreboding soliloquy of Freeman on “Snitches and Rats” creates the perfect storm for 21 and Young Nudy to house their hatred for informants. “Steppin on Niggas” is a triumphant rehash of a cadence and storytelling style that could be ripped straight from Eazy E’s Eazy-Duz-It, displaying the duo’s versatility and capability to reach out of their comfort zones.
It’s not simply the sound of rapping of Savage Mode II: it’s the entire body of work that went into this release. The audacity to wake Pen & Pixel up from their slumber to produce an album cover of legendary proportions is unmatched. Announcing your presence with a Morgan Freeman narrated trailer with the artistic direction from young director Gibson Hazard, resulting in a haunting vignette that makes The Shining look like child’s play, is just showing off at that point. The total sum of each aspect of this release provides a definitive answer to Freeman’s original question: a resounding hell yes.
Giveon was made for R&B hours
Giveon was produced in a lab. There’s no other way to rationalize it. There was a full team of scientists dedicated to producing an algorithm that creates the perfect conduit for human emotion, and damnit, those bastards did it. His When It’s All Said And Done EP is the latest example of his supernatural prowess, with his sweet and intoxicating voice weaving its way directly into the listener’s ear. It’s appointment listening at this point. Of course, the Snoh Aalegra assisted “Last Time” is a smooth jam, with their voices coexisting in a sphere of sensuality and seduction. On my favorite track “Stuck On You,” he chronicles the internal battle and anguish of refusing to get over someone. He continually falls back, recognizing the self-destructive nature of decisions. But he, like many others in the same situation, understand that there’s just something about that one person that makes it impossible to let go. It’s painful, causing you to feel stagnant, as if you’re running the same level of an impossible video game, over and over again. As he sings “it took some time but I realized/you do me wrong but it feels right,” the hopelessness begins to set in, with the fear that you can’t escape the cycle of pain and anxiety from a problematic relationship.
Jay Electronica’s Act II: The Patents of Nobility finally appears
Jay Electronica’s career has progressed more like a mythological fable more than any typical artist’s path. After more than a decade of pump fakes and legendary one-off moments (see “Exhibit C”), the music world was finally blessed with A Written Testimony, his debut album. It fully lived up to expectations as Jay Elect displayed the full range of delicate and thoughtful lyricism that allowed him to build a ridiculous amount of goodwill from such a small body of work. It satisfied us, rewarding the world for its belief in Jay’s abilities and promises to deliver.
But due to a leak and quick response from Jay, we’ve been gifted the holy grail. The “lost album" Act II: The Patents of Nobility released more than a decade after it was first announced in 2007. It’s everything that we could have imagined and more: a beautiful concoction that transcends past the time of its original creation. Even the leaked version runs as smooth as any project released in the past couple of years. Everything about it feels familiar, with his signature chorus of children’s cheers strewn throughout like prized easter eggs. Jay’s affliction for flowing, grandiose production causes every song to feel as though it’s apart of a 70s Italian movie soundtrack. In turn, the luxurious production becomes the perfect backdrop for his musings that border the line between inane and philosophically enlightened. His deeply personal and direct sermons on tracks like “Better In Tune” and “Life On Mars” allow you to connect with Jay spiritually and emotionally, touching both the ears and the soul with every note. In a year of chaos, this unexpected gift of an album is a welcome addition to our story.
Spillage Village catches the Holy Ghost on “PsalmSing”
I love a good gospel song. The genre contains an inherent connection to positivity and spirituality, combined with the nostalgia of happy feelings of loving memories from seeing all my family in the church. Therefore, when Rap music involves gospel elements in any form, whether it be through a chorus of angelic voices or a different avenue, it’s automatically a win in my book. “PsalmSing” checks all the boxes. Mereba carries the track with all her gusto, with strong support from JID and Benji and Johnny Venus from Earthgang. Their chorus of voices on the hook speaks to the listener’s soul as they sway along to the easy and breezy production. It’s stripped down to let Mereba and her background singers propel the track forward. She muses about her love for another based on both an intense emotional connection that is strengthened by their shared love of weed. As they get higher and higher in the front seat of a 2009 Honda Accord down the street from her Momma’s house, they feel closer and closer to each other and their higher power. It’s a beautiful track that I’ve played nonstop since the album’s release, as her voice coaxes you into a state of relaxation that’s equated to a natural high.
Smoke DZA puts together a great posse track
A trio of talented and experienced rappers tied together by an Eric Bellinger hook is a recipe for success.
An appreciation for weekly music columns
Contrary to popular belief, someone can’t listen to everything that gets released every weekend. Every music listener has blind spots in their listening catalog, with new music falling through the cracks. That’s why it is important to diversify your reading scope and seek out the columns from a variety of music writers. Each week, these people dedicate themselves to finding the very best that new music has to offer. In each one of these columns, you’re bound to find one song that grabs your attention and becomes your new favorite song for the day. That singular song becomes that one moment that improves your music experience, granting you a daily dose of serotonin that we all so desperately need.
When I get into a hole of anxiety and confusion, the music I usually run to begins to feel colorless and empty. The search for new music ushers in moments of excitement and happiness that provide light for just a moment. So thank you to those who do that work, scouring YouTube and streaming sites for golden nuggets to share with the world at large. I’ll always appreciate them.*
*Check out these columns: Brandon Callender and Harley Geffner’s Rap-Up on Passion of the Weiss, Alphonse Pierre’s column on Pitchfork, Dylan Green’s Lo-Fi Rap Snack Pack on Audiomack, BEWARE’s Block on Still Crew.
The case for long playlists
Two of my favorite playlists are the same length: 25 hours and 40 minutes. They’re storage behemoths, totaling over 370 songs for each one. This behavior of compulsively adding tracks to these bloated collections may reek of hoarder tendencies, but I promise that there’s a method to this madness. Each song represents a moment, representing a different emotional state from when they were added. Songs are usually added in clumps of two or three, showing a common theme or sound in that exact moment. As the playlist grows longer and longer, the broader picture of my slowly expanding collection begins to resemble a time capsule that paints a picture of my psyche at different points in my life. No genre is too out there to exist on these playlists, because it’s everything I listen to. I can go back and look at that section of tracks where I rediscovered SSX 3 on GameCube, with “Poor Leno” and “Jerk It Out” randomly appearing. We can pinpoint exactly when my grandfather passed away from where I injected more Isley Brothers and the O’Jays into my listening habits as a manner of coping and remembering. Each song is meaningful because it allows me to place my memories into an easily accessible box that can be retrieved at any time.
Take this playlist titled “songs that make me think of ____.” It comes in at just under four hours with 51 songs. It’s a collection of songs dedicated to the feeling of love, with every experience that falls into it. Some tracks just capture the warm, familiar feelings of love and affection by sound and style, like Charles Trenet’s “La mer” or that one song from Ratatouille. Others focus on the urge to sustain the happy feelings for as long as possible, recognizing the fleeting and fickle nature like on the Ebonys’ “It’s Forever".” Some key on the potential for heartbreak and sadness in the face of love, showcased on with The Controllers’ “Somebody’s Gotta Win” and Blue Magic’s “Sideshow.”
A lengthier playlist on this emotion grants me the ability to understand the breadth and complexity of the feeling. Love is by no means a stock emotion that remains static throughout our entire life. It changes as we do. A short collection of 20 songs or so doesn’t adequately capture the full scope of how I’m feeling. As the playlist continues to grow, I can look back at individual songs and recognize the emotional state that I was in, tracking the story of love with every addition.