This is my big breh Equipto holding it down for San Francisco. Directed by my good friend Dregs1, who is also another city native. I wanted to share this video because it has a lot of history and love for my place of birth. Also it's good seeing SF come together. All City.
Frank Ocean is one of a few that has done his homework about music and praises other great artists through his lyrics. In "Lovecrimes" he incorporates lines from Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus & Pliers, but adds his own originality and twist to them. I like that he is able to add some originality to old lyrics. A lot of times Frank Ocean's lyrics are not very clear, and it may take multiple listens to understand what he is trying to say. But for the most part, the lyrics are pretty catchy and he has a good voice.
Production:
The production of this project has a big role to making the sound of this album be dream-like and mind-expanding. A perfect example would be "American Wedding" which is a sample from the Eagle's Hotel California song. I think Frank Ocean did a good job capturing a psychedelic experience. "Swim Good" is one of my favorite songs, specially from the production aspect– the organ and piano chords over the claps and 808's; make a good mix.
Overall:
This is a great first mixtape/album that is available for free from Frank Ocean, an Odd Future member. It is very laid back with topics ranging from love to his abstract feelings and emotions. The songwriting is very polished and refined, with easy melodies to remember. What I really like the most is the introduction to the album (and the skits) which sounds like someone clicking buttons of an old boom box or tape recorder. I find it unique because it is 2011, the youth of this generation are so acquainted with ipods and new technological devices, that they probably wouldn't recognize those sounds. It feels like history is repeating itself, so support this artist and make sure you include Nostalgia, Ultra. onto your playlist.
You get a taste of how it was growing up in San Jose and going to USC for Naod, as he gets very personal with his lyrics. Most of the album consist of storytelling songs such as "I Cried" featuring Nate Poetics (from The Beat Advocate) and Zig, and one of my favorite's from the album "Cross Your Mind." Although the very personal lyrics allow the listener to understand Naod's life, some songs lack appeal to keep the listener interested. Many times the songs were too personal, which made it hard for a listener to relate. For the most part, I like the smooth delivery, and Naod's ability to ride his own beats.
Production:
The majority of the project was produced by Naod, using a lot of samples and 808's. The production that consisted samples were probably Naod's best songs such as "Be Together Soon." I like the samples, but I felt like this sound is a little outdated since it was very popular over 10 years ago. There are others songs such as "Haters" featuring That Fool Al and Marc Payne, which don't consist samples which show another side of Naod's production. Again, since it is Naod's first project I think it is great he can produce his own music, but I think with time he can get comfortable with his production and create music that can remain appealing and still have it's own originality.
Overall:
I think this is a good start for Naod, and he has the advantage by being able to produce his own music. I think that if he continues working hard he can become a successful producer/artist. I think overall the project lacked by not having a strong single, and not much appeal to the consumer. It expresses a lot of personal experience and emotion from Naod which I like a lot. He is still a young artist who has a lot of potential to continue to grow, so support this Bay Area Native who is pursuing an education at USC and maintains true to his music.
Lyrics: Wiz Khalifa is known for glorifying the fact that he sleeps around with many women, that he is always smoking marijuana and drinking Gin with his group of friends (the Taylor Gang), and having new fashionable clothing. If this is what you are looking for, this album definitely has that content. Songs like "On My Level" featuring Bay Area Legend Too Short highlight the lyrical content that has brought success to Wiz's career. He continues to have that charismatic tone through out the album, which works as a double edge sword– some love it or they hate it. Since I have been a Wiz fan for a while (almost three years now) I wish I could've seen more progression and growth in his flow and content.
Production: If you are new to Wiz Khalifa (meaning that "Kush and OJ" was the first project you heard from him) the production style is pretty different. The songs produced by E. Dan And Big Jerm such as "The Race" and "Star of the Show" are my favorite because the mood/feel of the music reminds me of a lot of the old Wiz's songs.
Overall: I give this album a 6.5/10 because I have felt like some of his mixtapes have been better than this overall project. I think Wiz might of had a lot of pressure from the labels to top his first single "Black & Yellow" (which is one of his greatest songs he has made in his career) which ruined his originality and creativity in my opinion. Also, some songs shouldn't have been in the album because I can skip through them and go to my favorite ones. But if you are a true Taylor, I recommend to get this album and lets continue supporting this talented artist.
