MUST CULTIVATE // THE GREATEST VICTORY

Devin the Dude // One for the Road

Devin the Dude’s eighth studio album grants his fans another easy-going, unpretentious listening experience to sit back and relax to. One for the Road is typically Devin in style; his smooth, effortless southern flow complements his typical thematic emphasis on drinking with friends, smoking weed, and generally doing whatever it is you do to have a good time.

Devin has been releasing consistently quality LPs for a while now, yet he remains firmly under hip-hop’s mainstream radar. He’s very much your favourite rappers’ favourite rapper: respected and well liked in the industry because of his commitment to creating the kind of music that reflects him as an individual… positive, playful and supremely chilled. The album kicks off in vintage Devin style with the infectious I’m Just Getting Blowed. It’s a song that perfectly encapsulates him as an artist, not just because of its focus on his favourite past time, but due to the insight it gives into many of his rather unhiphop-esque attitudes. For example, on the issue of bad-mouthing and beefing, hallmarks of the rap game, Devin notes that there “ain’t no need in plotting/cause that shit will leave you nothing/but alone and rotten/ friends gone and forgotten/but there’s another option”.

It’s hard not to like Devin on an individual level, as well as an artist. He comes across well in his rhymes, and One for the Road is no different in that respect to his previous work. Whether he’s reflecting on regrets of a past relationship (Probably Should Have) or urging you to follow your dreams and make the most of life (Stop Waiting) it’s refreshing to listen to a rap artist who is so at ease with himself. He isn’t out to prove anything to anyone; he’s simply all about enjoying the good times and sharing with you a few words of wisdom with a healthy chaser of humour.

Eminem // The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Eminem returns after a couple of disappointing albums with The Marshall Mathers LP 2, more of an ode, rather than a sequel, to his classic sophomore release The Marshall Mathers LP.

Eminem has been battling an array of personal demons for some time; his debilitating dependence on prescription drugs and deteriorating mental health were no doubt contributing factors to the rather woeful Relapse (2009). While Recovery (2011) was met with a more positive critical response, fans couldn’t help but feel that Eminem’s best days were most certainly behind him. While MMLP2 doesn’t signify a complete return to the dynamic lyricism and standout production that made his first three albums modern day hip-hop classics, there are promising flashes of the Eminem of old.

With an ambitious shift in production that works more often than not, the satirical, outlandish and controversial Eminem we’ve come to love over the years returns, and we’re here to welcome him with open arms.

Rick Rubin – whose list of production credits continues to diversify at a remarkable rate (Kanye West, Adele, Linkin Park in the past three years alone) – makes his presence immediately known on Bezerk and So Far, implementing an Offspring esque pop-punk intro which blends into a bad-ass country riff on the latter. He’s certainly a significant factor in the album drawing from an incredible range of musical influences, from heavy rock to hillbilly country.

The result is perhaps Eminem’s most immediately accessible album to date, particularly for novices of the rap genre.
Ultimately however, it’s always been about the lyrical content for fans of Slim Shady, and it’s here that the album accomplishes the most.

On Legacy, Eminem quite beautifully opens up about his childhood, and how his emotional and behavioral problems gave him a unique way with words that then allowed him to channel his rampant fears and insecurities through his rhymes, offering an unrivalled form of escapism for a severely troubled young individual. His raw honesty, as skillfully delivered as ever, combined with the simple beat and emotional hook (wonderfully sung by Pontia) work in unison to create a track worthy of being held alongside his very best.

Honesty is a theme prevalent throughout; Eminem knows that his demons still lie within – the dichotomy between Marshall Mathers and alter ego Slim Shady is as apparent as ever – yet he’s comfortable with this, and thus we can enjoy, perhaps for the first time, a supremely talented individual seemingly at peace.

MUST CULTIVATE // RVW // DRAKE / NOTHING WAS THE SAME

JOEL CRAWLEY

Drizzy Drake returns after the excellent Take Care with the highly anticipated Nothing Was the Same, and for fans of the former it certainly won’t disappoint. In spite of the nostalgic, emphatic artwork, this isn’t Ready to Die or Illmatic, but it is a return to the moody, emotional sound that made us fall in love with the Canadian who seems – more than ever – to be perfectly content with being, well…discontent.

Once again Noah ‘40’ Shebib returns to produce the record, with the result being a hazy, emotionally expansive soundscape and a cohesive body of work. In that vein, ‘Furthest Thing’ is an early standout, the woozy loop fusing with a driving beat to create a developed and layered sound, before it all finally breaks out into Late Registration-era braggadocio and triumphant pitch-shifted gospel vocals.

Drake’s technique has continued to improve on this release, on the latter track his flow is impeccably smooth and perfectly paced,  whilst on ‘Worst Behaviour’ it’s the polar opposite yet just as comfortable, as he manages to keep his flow at a furious pace, remaining clean and on point throughout, illustrating that he can rhyme the best of them.

Lyrically, Nothing Was the Same covers familiar ground with Drake oscillating between reflecting on his flaws and insecurities, and then proclaiming his talents as emcee, businessmen and general idol-at-large. Though ambitiously declaring “I want to take it deeper than money, pussy, vacation/And influence a generation that’s lackin’ in patience”, his love for boasting about his wealth and extraordinary rise to the top remains ever-present; “bank account statements just look like I’m ready for early retirement” he declares with stereotypically casual arrogance. This is of course nothing new for hip-hop, let alone [“oh man I’m out of glasses… better use the Grammy”] Drake, but it comes off as repetitive and a tad lazy at times, especially compared to some of the more thoughtful lyrical content on the album. ‘Started from the Bottom’ for example, is unimaginative, and tarnishes what is an otherwise excellent opening to the album. The hook: “Started from the bottom now we’re here/started from the bottom now my whole team fuckin’ here” yelled with half-hearted aggression over an incessant snare snap borders on irritating, and left me shaking my head a little given his well-documented cushy upbringing.

With that being said, Drake’s ability to evoke his sullen dissatisfaction and painfully damaging insecurities is better than ever. Moreover, we see him opening up more about his family more than ever before, a welcome alternative to the typical subject matter of love interests. The excellent ‘From Time’ explores his relationship with his father as finger snaps, deep bass and a soothing, lonesome piano sets the tone. On ‘Too Much’ we’re exposed to the resentment he holds towards his mother and her debilitating mental state; “Hate the fact my mom cooped up in her apartment, telling herself/That she’s too sick to get dressed up and go do shit, like that’s true shit”. ‘Connect’ sees Drake move deeper into his prime emotional element, his effortless introspection seeing him admit that he likes the idea of chasing and getting a girl more than the reality of being with her; a conflicted state that sees him “swangin” vainly in the hope that he can connect with someone, anyone. He finishes the second verse, which is one of the best on the record, with the wish that his lover would “…learn to love people and use things/And not the other way round”, though the sense of futility about these remarks is all pervasive. Drake excels more than ever during these honest, semi-philosophical moments and it’s this standout aspect of Nothing Was the Same that will have Drizzy’s fans watering at the mouth, though such salivation mirrors Pavlov’s dogs, steadily conditioned and only fully appreciated with multiple, invested revolutions.

Nothing was the Same firmly solidifies Drake’s position as one of the most formidable and accessible hip-hop artists around. While rap purists may find themselves sneering once more at Drake’s damaged lover-boy persona, the Canadian is back on form doing what he does best, and doing it with even more honesty and audacity than before.

MUST CULTIVATE // RVW // Earl Sweatshirt / Doris

Joel Crawley

Prior to the release of Doris, Earl Sweatshirt said he was hoping to lose those fans who only listened to him because “I rapped about raping girls when I was 15”. The flip-side is that, while he may well have achieved this cull, his debut studio album is sure to win him still more admirers because of – rather than in spite of – the thematic development it represents.