I agree actually. Common is Common, of course, but I really would have liked "gospel?" and woods' verse to end this. it would have reflected the "posse cut with the homies and I'll end the tape with my incredibly talented homie's verse" vibe that three of my favorite songs ever reflected in 2016:

Smino's verse on the last track of Noname's Telefone, "Shadow Man" (his "Tell em play Metro Boomin' at my funeral" verse)

Noname's verse on the last track of blkswn, "Amphetamine" (although it's actually the hidden second track, "Krash Kourse"; it's her "Thank you Jesus, whoever you are" verse)

and although it's just the two of them on the song, Smino's verse on the last track of Saba's Bucket List Project, "World in my Hands" (it's his "My beautiful dark twisted fanta-leaf" verse)

Obviously her vibes and creative goals have changed a lot since then, but the structural power of the three of them trusting their talented friends/peer to deliver the final explication of "the message of the album" with inerrant skill, I think, would have applied to the woods verse ending the album, too. (It doesnt have the same effect with Common, because, well, he's not her peer -- he's an oldhead legend)

And I listened to the album, obviously. lol

If an artist has one of your 25 favorite albums ever, I would think it's worth checking out their new stuff.

Personally, it's rap AOTY for me.

Oh, nvm. Good lol what did you think

I thought the bars were a little too didactic and not musical enough in some spots... it's not even about subject matter or being preachy or whatever, exactly. just more the lyrical (as in poetic) quality. too prosaic. there were some true gems whchmake me confident that my assessment was correct. here are some bars that if the whole album was this poetic I would put this on telefone level

"When I was monumental, I was tatted up and bad as f***/And dreamin of scenarios where serotonin laughed at us"

"In the land before a lamb, monasteries and Narcan/Casual white fans, who invented the voyeur?"

notably both from balloons which probably the best song..

This was compounded by the fact that on a lot of songs I felt like the vocals were too prominent in the mix, like they weren't integrated into the instrumental as fluidly as I would prefer but rather sat on top of the beat. I used to make very hurriedly assembled youtube rap songs where I just used audacity to record vocals and plop them onto the beat, lol, so im familiar with the concept of the vocals feeling separate from the beat. I rarely point out or even really notice technical things like this but it was quite prominent to me. maybe they wanted it that way to preserve the spoken word adjacent quality of her bars but I guess I prefer a... more slick presentation

with all that being said, it's still quite good, and I feel like a few more listens will make its rough edges either endearing or not particularly obtrusive to me. I just grade it harshly because I know that she has the potential to make world-beating quality music, and I don't just mean that it has to sound like telefone.

tl;dr Quite good overall

When it comes to pure bars, I really feel like when she's locked in on music (and it's okay when/that she's not! she has particular priorities) her pen is up there with Chance and Earl as the best rappers born after 1990

But all three of them interestingly have sort of gravitated away from just barring the f*** out... I guess I get it but...

Aye man thanks for your thoughts. Your first point is pretty valid, it's something I've seen with other songwriters who are also poets (Lana for example) where somewhere along the way the lyrics become the primary focus and the fans may think the actual musicality or songwriting is sacrificed a bit. Especially comparing to a project like Telefone which is very hook-y and tuneful, whereas some of the music on Room 25 and Sundial is more raw and straightforward, and aggressive. Cause she be f***in pissed. Lol. So I get the critique. I do think she's great at striking a nice balance tho giving us joints like beauty supply, boomboom, balloons, hold me down.

Big tour! I wonder if she’ll have any openers

getting about 3 tickets for this tour. Lol. I already know most of the verses.

always interesting when ppl go to san antonio and not austin

nyc tour we here

You already got tickets?

yep they gave me the Spotify presale code, you want it?

Yes please.

newname

Is she requesting hand pics from anyone trying to buy tickets?

Anyone can’t afford tickets I’m willing to get for two people. Reach out please.

ayurrrrrrrr

You need a one? What city? If you don’t want to put the city on here message me.

nyc

Got you.

yooo

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