We continue our installment attempting to tell a brief story of music released in 2015. In Part Two, we widen our lens a bit and look at hip-hop, metal, and vinyl re-releases. These are some of the first articles from A Perfect Prescription, and a larger goal of this "Best Of" list is to give you an idea of the type of music we will be talking about in 2016. So stay tuned, and here is Part II of our 2015 Music Overview.
Kendrick Lamar - "To Pimp a Butterfly" (Top Dawg Entertainment)
Is there really a need to say anything more about this record? Even Mr. President himself has declared this the best record of the year, and I think it would be safe to say that it is one of the more important albums of the decade. The world waited for this record with baited ears ever since the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, a record that flowed with intrigue like a masterful film. Expectations for what the rising young superstar would do with his third record were high, and to meet those expectations Kendrick immersed himself in studio life starting in 2012, immediately after the release of good kid, M.A.A.d. city. Surrounded by the same TDE crew that helped produce his first two records, and a huge list of producers and musicians including Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, and of course Dr. Dre just to name a few, Kendrick spent almost 3 years to make his dense vision a reality. Even while on the road, Kendrick reportedly would continue to record in a small studio on his tour bus. This commitment to the form comes through on this record. Every rhyme, texture, transition, and melody is meticulously detailed, a feat only possible from someone with a clear dedicated vision. To Pimp a Butterfly shows a man who is trying to stay true to his roots, stay true to the ones he grew up with in Compton, and also shows a man who is struggling to deal with a newfound fame. A kind of fame that calls on Lamar to be a voice for his generation, and as heard in the track "The Blacker the Berry," he is trying to grapple with that power and what it means. Throughout the record, the lyrics continue to be raw, honest, conflicted, and profound, all spit in an insanely rhythmic flow that can only be summarized as: jazz. To Pimp a Butterfly is a step forward in every direction, from the production, instrumentation, arrangement, content, and flow, this is the type of record that will be talked about for many years to come, and will mark an important point in musical history.
Suggested Tracks: The Blacker the Berry, How Much a Dollar Cost, Institutionalized and Hood Politics
The Internet - "Ego Death" (Odd Future)
This California R&B group, which features Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, is appropriately named because their sound is redolent of the hip-hop and R&B produced during the dawn of the internet. The Internet found their stride with Ego Death, resulting in an intimate, jazzy and smooth record that carries similarities to the production work of ?uestlove in the early 2000's with the likes of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. These are the type of songs you blare when you know you've done wrong but just want bae to come home.
Suggested Tracks: Palace/Curse, Under Control, and Just Sayin/I Tried
BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah - "Sour Soul" (Lex)
Since their beginnings in 2011, it seems as if Canadian jazz combo BadBadNotGood has been working towards a collaboration such as this. Early in their career, BBNG proved the range of their palette through jazzy hip-hop inspired covers of A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Kanye West, Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator. The latter of the two which led to live collaborations with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. With their third record, BBNG also demonstrated their ability to write inventive heavy-hitting original tracks demonstrating that all they needed (if anything) was the right MC to spit over the top. And who did they find? None other than Ghostface Killah himself. With thick beats, verbed out guitars, vibes, and the occasional soaring string arrangements, these backing tracks are reminiscent of David Axelrod and crime soundtracks of the 70's, making them the perfect backdrop for the fierce flows of Ghostface Killah. It will be exciting to see who these young musicians decide to team up with next.
Suggested Tracks: Six Degrees (feat. Danny Brown), Stark's Reality, and Sour Soul
Is there really a need to say anything more about this record? Even Mr. President himself has declared this the best record of the year, and I think it would be safe to say that it is one of the more important albums of the decade. The world waited for this record with baited ears ever since the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, a record that flowed with intrigue like a masterful film. Expectations for what the rising young superstar would do with his third record were high, and to meet those expectations Kendrick immersed himself in studio life starting in 2012, immediately after the release of good kid, M.A.A.d. city. Surrounded by the same TDE crew that helped produce his first two records, and a huge list of producers and musicians including Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, and of course Dr. Dre just to name a few, Kendrick spent almost 3 years to make his dense vision a reality. Even while on the road, Kendrick reportedly would continue to record in a small studio on his tour bus. This commitment to the form comes through on this record. Every rhyme, texture, transition, and melody is meticulously detailed, a feat only possible from someone with a clear dedicated vision. To Pimp a Butterfly shows a man who is trying to stay true to his roots, stay true to the ones he grew up with in Compton, and also shows a man who is struggling to deal with a newfound fame. A kind of fame that calls on Lamar to be a voice for his generation, and as heard in the track "The Blacker the Berry," he is trying to grapple with that power and what it means. Throughout the record, the lyrics continue to be raw, honest, conflicted, and profound, all spit in an insanely rhythmic flow that can only be summarized as: jazz. To Pimp a Butterfly is a step forward in every direction, from the production, instrumentation, arrangement, content, and flow, this is the type of record that will be talked about for many years to come, and will mark an important point in musical history.
Suggested Tracks: The Blacker the Berry, How Much a Dollar Cost, Institutionalized and Hood Politics
The Internet - "Ego Death" (Odd Future)
This California R&B group, which features Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, is appropriately named because their sound is redolent of the hip-hop and R&B produced during the dawn of the internet. The Internet found their stride with Ego Death, resulting in an intimate, jazzy and smooth record that carries similarities to the production work of ?uestlove in the early 2000's with the likes of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. These are the type of songs you blare when you know you've done wrong but just want bae to come home.
Suggested Tracks: Palace/Curse, Under Control, and Just Sayin/I Tried
BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah - "Sour Soul" (Lex)
Since their beginnings in 2011, it seems as if Canadian jazz combo BadBadNotGood has been working towards a collaboration such as this. Early in their career, BBNG proved the range of their palette through jazzy hip-hop inspired covers of A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Kanye West, Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator. The latter of the two which led to live collaborations with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. With their third record, BBNG also demonstrated their ability to write inventive heavy-hitting original tracks demonstrating that all they needed (if anything) was the right MC to spit over the top. And who did they find? None other than Ghostface Killah himself. With thick beats, verbed out guitars, vibes, and the occasional soaring string arrangements, these backing tracks are reminiscent of David Axelrod and crime soundtracks of the 70's, making them the perfect backdrop for the fierce flows of Ghostface Killah. It will be exciting to see who these young musicians decide to team up with next.
Suggested Tracks: Six Degrees (feat. Danny Brown), Stark's Reality, and Sour Soul