Tag Archives: Review

[Hip-Hop] Lil Uzi Vert- Luv is Rage 2 (Album Review)

Today I review the newest project released by Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert a sequel to his Luv is Rage album from 2015. Luv is Rage was the first project I listened to by Uzi and since then I’ve been a fan, with his songs being used in commercials and his popularity skyrocketing he has positioned himself to be the frontrunner of this new generation of rappers.

With the release of the first single XO Tour Life it made fans that much more excited for the release of Luv is Rage 2. To me this album didn’t really live up to the hype that “XO Tour Life” gave fan but I was hopeful. Even though some tracks didn’t interest me much, Uzi shows that he continues to grow both as an artist and a person.

One subject he brings up a lot in this album is the deterioration of his relationship with his girlfriend Brittany. She has been an inspiration for his music ever since 2014 now both have separated and Uzi is moving forward, he shows this on the track titled “X”. Produced by Pi’erre Bourne who also produced Playboi Carti’s “Magnolia”, Uzi talks about him not wanting Brittany anymore not knowing what the future holds for him when he raps,
“I don’t know what’s next/ I don’t want my ex, no/ Break up with a text/ I’m not tryna flex/ Girl you know the rest (bye, bye, hoe)”

He continues talking about his heartbreak when he raps,

“Yeah, my life’s a mess/ But I’m also blessed/ My heart’s in the junkyard cause it’s wrecked/ And today’s not feeling like it’s used to/ You got stuck up in that life that you used to/ If you got hurt, yeah, I got bruised to”

I like how these lyrics show that Uzi was so close to Brittany that if she was hurt he would feel it almost like they were identical twins. He showed that this relationship has taken a tole on him saying that he was a wreck. Even before this track was released their relationship was always up in the air when Uzi got more successful. There were rumors that they had broken up in 2015 but then Uzi let everyone know they were back together again. But I guess there came a breaking point and he had had enough. As the track continues Uzi compares himself to Leonardo Dicaprio saying he can take any guys girl and that he has girls in his phone who look like New New, a character from the movie ATL. He continues to talk about his heartbreak and how he’ll get over it in the song “The Way Life Goes”.

This track surprised me because it wasn’t full of bass, hi-hats and autotuned mumbling like most standard Uzi track but instead we have a melodic, chill vibe and not that much autotune on his voice. He raps about how much he cared for Brittany and because of the heartbreak he tried to fill that hole with another girl when he raps,

“Wish I never ever ever told you things/ I was only only trying to show you things/ Iced out heart on your neck trying to froze your ring/ I had to get me a new bitch to hold the pain/ We was in Hawaii looking at the ring/ She was smiling happy but I’m laughing cause her man a lame”
Even though Uzi found a replacement for Brittany, he doesn’t have the same feelings for her. While she’s over the moon happy having the ring on her finger Uzi is laughing because he knows that the girls real partner is lame and isn’t as wealthy as Uzi. For the chorus of the song Uzi uses the first verse the song Landslide by Oh Wonder, a London pop band. The chorus says,

“I know it hurts sometimes but you’ll get over it/ You’ll find another life to live/ I swear that you’ll get over it/ I know you’re sad and tired / You’ve got nothing left to give/ You’ll find another life to live/ I know that you’ll get over it”
This chorus perfectly describes Uzi’s feelings now that his relationship is now over. This song will be used by every heartbroken guy or girl for years to song. I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard this song be the next radio single for Uzi. Finally the song that I enjoyed the most and have been singing and listening to repeat since I first heard it “Neon Guts”.

On the track it is both featuring and being produced by Skateboard P, Pharrell. I was so excited when I saw this track because Uzi went on Pharrell’s Apple Radio show and posted a picture together on Instagram thus making my mouth water thinking of what a track with the two artist would be like and damn they did not disappoint. This song changed the dim outlook Uzi was having because of his ex and did a 180 to become happy and hype at the same time. Both P and Uzi are very colorful people and have always been considered “weird” by the hip-hop community because of their fashion choices rather than their music. But with these guys on one track, I never knew I wanted a Uzi/Pharrell collab album but I do now and I hope they do it. On the track itself both talk about their colorful personalities and how that they don’t let “dark energy” effect them.

Overall this album was good but it’s not Uzi’s best work. Even with these tracks I talked about that will garner praise from both Uzi fans and critics, there are some tracks on this album that you can skip and you won’t miss anything. If you want to hear the progression of Uzi I encourage you to listen to the first Luv is Rage and compare the two. Continuing on the sequels of albums, it’s rumored that Uzi is working on Lil Uzi vs The World 2 so I will be excited to see what Uzi has working on even after dropping this project.

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[Event Review] Electric Zoo Day 3 + Playlist

In case you weren’t able to make it out to Randall’s Island for this year’s Electric Zoo, TMN’s got you covered. We were lucky to catch some pretty amazing performances from artists like Getter, Lil Dicky, Louis The Child, Valentino Khan, and many more.

The minute we stepped onto the premise, we were bedazzled by the stages. The Cobra Stage in particular had us in a state of awe, with a design almost unimaginable. Of course, our attention was quickly steered away by the lineup we didn’t want to miss. Getting our day’s fill of bass and hip hop from the Buygore stage from acts like GTA, Borgore, and Juicy J, we then made way to the Riverside stage to catch a vivacious set from Andrew Bayer. We closed out the eventful night at the main stage for a spectacular set from The Chainsmokers, where we enjoyed an array of music from some alternative classics to their charting originals.

As this year’s festival was jam-packed with an assortment of fantastic performances, we thought we’d put together a playlist to highlight a few of our favorites!

’Weekend’
’Borgore Ft. G
Eazy – Forbes (Getter Remix)’
’All I Need (One Mo Drank)’
’Molly (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic at the Disco)’
’Pierce Fulton – Borrowed Lives Feat. NVDES’
’The Chainsmokers – KANYE Ft. Siren’
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[Indie] Misterwives – “Our Own House” [ALBUM REVIEW]


In an indie music scene becoming more and more saturated by the week, it’s becoming more important than ever to stand out amongst your peers, both sonically and professionally. Some rely more on marketing than talent to get by (and are generally well-known) while some may be the next great thing but can never find an audience. It’s very rare to find a combination of the two, and Misterwives may be TMN’s favorite of the bunch. They have built a wonderful strategy to build up a genuine, organic fanbase from the bottom up and are making all the right moves to stay in the spotlight for years to come. And when the fans come to their intimate, yet explosive, live shows (which we’ll get into later), this New York quintet puts their talent where their mouth is and rocks out. On their debut album, “Our Own House”, they quickly turn the heads of anyone who wasn’t yet on the hype train.

From start to finish, this album is one wild ride you won’t want to get off of. The album starts off with the title track and while it takes a bit to build up, the energy carries on through the next five tracks until we reach “Coffins”, our personal favorite off the album. Absolutely gorgeous harmony work that would make even Lykke Li blush. From there on out, it’s all euphoria to the end of the album in “Queens”. In all honesty, this album is like a cracked out lovechild of Matt & Kim and Monsters & Men and we couldn’t love it more.

If you like what you hear and you live in the US, chances are you’re in luck. Misterwives are kicking off their own national tour this week and stopping on both coasts and everywhere in between (If you’re at the Columbus show and recognize me, I’ll buy you a drink. A full list of tour dates can be found here and don’t forget to pick up “Our Own House”, out today!

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[Indie/Electro-Pop] Mansions on the Moon – Full Moon EP

One of our many favorite things to come out of the Golden State, Los Angeles’ Mansions on the Moon have been perfecting a gorgeous brand of downtempo, but incredibly inviting pop music since the release of their first mixtape Paradise Falls in 2011; and after 2012’s wonderful Lightyears EP which was produced by Pharrell Williams, we were ready for something ambitious from the continuously impressive four-piece. Thus, one year later, we have been exalted with their latest body of work: Full Moon. Totaling five tracks and only 19 minutes in length, Full Moon again peels back another layer of the band’s psyche while simultaneously setting the ceiling even higher on their ever abundant potential.

The extended play’s title track (a tune we shared last month, in case you missed it)  opens with a clean, popping snare, backed by an echoey choir sample and poppy synth line all wrapped in Ted Wendler’s reverb treated vocals. “Full Moon” serves as a wonderful thesis statement for the album, flaunting a large sampling of their talents and production skill all in one pretty package. Further padding out the EP’s sounds is the anthemic indie tune (if there is such a thing) “It’s Not Too Late”. Again, Wendler’s intonations are center stage but the clever instrumentation from Ben Hazelgrove on keys and Lane Shaw’s honed in drumming add such a unique fullness to not just “It’s Not Too Late”, but to the album as a whole.

As singles “Radio”, “It’s Not Too Late” and “Full Moon” had been teased and released in the past few months leading to Full Moon’s official release, the real treat comes in the form on two previously unheard collaborative tracks, “More Than Nothing” featuring Frank + Derol lead vocalist Codi Caraco and “Heart of the Moment” with Zee Avi. Both tunes provide a departure from the still to be determined “Mansions on the Moon Sound” and lie on different ends of the spectrum. “More Than Nothing” functions as a slow-burning electro-pop ballad featuring that always lovely back-and-forth male-female vocal play with a subdued MIDI hook gently pounding away and a welcome lead piano fusing the entire movement together seamlessly; whereas “Heart of the Moment” takes us into an 80’s discotechque with some bouncy synth work and very pop appropriate vocals.

Playing into the group’s altruistic nature, Full Moon has been self-released as a “pay what you want” download on Bandcamp, so even if you have a dollar to throw down, it would no doubt be amazing to see such a talented and selfless group of artists get a little bit of monetary compensation for their amazing gift to the world. If your listening wades in the waters of indie-pop, alt-rock, hip-hop and even house their is a little something to be consumed within this set of five tracks, so go ahead and grab the full release.

’Full Moon’
’It’s Not Too Late’
’More Than Nothing (ft. Codi)’
’Heart of the Moment (ft. Zee Avi)’
’Radio’
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[Hip-Hop] Slaughterhouse – Welcome to Our House (Album Review)

In 2008, four well known and talented emcees banded together and decided to deliver some dope music that the rap game has been missing since the days of The Black Sheep or Leaders of the New School. Members Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, Crooked I, and Royce da 5’9″ formed the group Slaughterhouse and recently have been dropping a mixture of singles and mixtapes that have kept their buzz heavy in the industry. With their newly-inked Shady/Interscope record’s deal, the rap supergroup step out into mainstream success on their debut album Welcome to: OUR HOUSE.

From the beginning, the album starts on that dark, crazy tone that is signature of Royce da 5’9″ and Em’s recent style with added hooks from the macabre Skylar Grey and the high-energy Busta Rhymes featured track “Coffin”. Quickly shifting from chainsaw and horror-movie themed tracks to the stripper-party inspired single “Throw That” ft. Eminem, OUR HOUSE  fluctuates from raw underground vibe, real rap, and some commercial tracks but still manages to give each member their shine. While delivering well timed puns, in-verse rhymes, and metaphors, the lyrical content throughout the OUR HOUSE is top-notch.

Coupling dope lyrics with A-list production, it is clear that Slaughter House wanted to do the fans justice while elevating beyond just underground success. With a darker, drum-heavy AraabMuzik-produced beat on the street single “Hammerdance,” snare drum rhythms on the No I.D.-produced “Get Up,” and the radio-friendly Street Runner single “My Life” featuring Cee-Lo, to the intimate Boi-1da-produced single “Goodbye,” OUR HOUSE showcases a variety of content without sacrificing the group’s personal style of delivering real rap. Interestingly, during the album’s promotion, fans were even treated to exclusive releases on platforms like instantcasino.com, blending the worlds of music and online entertainment. While this album may not be the rap game’s “savior” LP, it is undeniably a strong return to the days of focusing on clever lyrics—regardless of content—paired with top-notch production, offering a refreshing take in an increasingly stagnant music industry.

’Slaughterhouse ft. Busta Rhymes – Coffin’

 

’Slaughterhouse – Hammer Dance’

 

’Slaughterhouse – My Life (ft. Cee
Lo Green)’

Stream the entire album here.

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