“Talking / Once Again” is a two-part track and is North West’s musical debut, released on February 7, 2024, as track 13 of Vultures Volume 1. The first part of the song has background vocals by James Blake. The music video was released on February 7, 2024.
The song was first performed in its entirety on December 12, 2023, at the Vultures Rave in Miami, Florida.
As a musician, I’ve come across countless songs that have left a lasting impact on me. However, there is one particular song that holds a special place in my heart – “Eat It” by the New Jacks. I first heard this song during my teenage years, and its powerful lyrics and energetic beats resonated with me from the very first listen.
“Eat It” was the lyrical debut of MC Double M, also known as Eminem, and was released in 1988 when he was just sixteen years old. This song showcased his raw talent and set the stage for his later style of dense rhymes and intense wordplay. The New Jacks EP, which included this track, served as a launching pad for Eminem’s successful rap career.
This song is off Lowkey’s sophomore album Soundtrack to the Struggle, released on Oct. 16, 2011. This track samples “Gringo Like Me” by Peter Tevis & Ennio Morricone
“Blue Suede” is the lead single for Vince Staples' 2014 Def Jam EP Hell Can Wait.
The track opens with a blood-curdling synth and couples it with the bone-breaking thump of Me & the Biz Born to Roll.
There’s been much speculation as to whether this song is an extended metaphor of the hood life, a mockery of fake rappers that portray that image, or Vince just being Vince.
In the chorus, Staples repeats the line “New shoes with the blue suede,” using blue suede shoes as a metaphor for material possessions, a symbol of status and success. He juxtaposes this image with the line “young graves get the bouquets,” reminding us of the violence and tragedy that often accompanies the pursuit of these material desires.
Absolutely love Eyedea, R Eye P. I have thoughts like this but only with the assistance of altered states such as dreaming (actually more like half dreaming), meditating, or taking certain substances, I wish I could record them at all, let alone with this level of mastery of the written word.
A police state is one in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic, and political life of the population. A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control, and there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive. (Wikipedia)
In their politically-conscious style of hip-hop, Dead Prez repeatedly call attention to the way in which Black America exists in a police state within mainstream US society. From the School to Prison-Pipeline, to the War on Drugs, to Prison Industrial Complex, to the stripping of certain rights or welfares for the formerly incarcerated, the lives of Black Americans are restricted and exploited through US government policies. In this song, they call for a violent but justified revolution against this systematic oppression.
No disrespect, but this isn't Trap, neither was that song by Eminem and Logic.Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States, with lyrical references to trap starting in 1991 but the modern sound of trap appearing in 1999. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang term "trap house", a house used exclusively to sell drugs.
Trap also applies to a subgenre or EDM now, but my point is putting "conscious rap" and "trap" as the genres of the same song is a bit of an oxymoron, unless they are rapping about selling drugs that expand your consciousness.
The song “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar has made significant waves in the music industry since its release in 2017. Known for its catchy beat and thought-provoking lyrics, the track explores various themes and offers an insight into Lamar’s perspective on society, success, and self-confidence.
In essence, “Humble” serves as a commentary on the current state of hip-hop culture, as well as a call for individuals to embrace their own flaws and prioritize humility over arrogance. The song’s opening line, “Wicked or weakness, you gotta see this,” sets the stage for Lamar’s exploration of the dichotomy between good and evil, strength and vulnerability.
On the ironically braggadocious track “HUMBLE.” Kendrick Lamar challenges his competition. It was released a week after the first promotional single, “The Heart Part 4,” with a music video directed by Dave Meyers and The Little Homies. It features religious imagery mixed with urban life, such as Kendrick in priest’s robes and a moving re-enactment of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper—juxtaposing this with the concept of humility in the chorus.
On a religious note, the song could also be a reference to the verse James 4:7.
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
—Thus linking to April 7th, the date Kendrick told the industry to have their shit together.
Mike WiLL Made-It produced the beat. It features a deep piano riff and a banging 808 bass line. This style of production is a departure from the sound of Kendrick’s previous jazz-influenced project, To Pimp a Butterfly. It seems to reference the character Deebo’s theme song from the popular comedy movie Friday (1995). Kendrick is also shown riding through the neighborhood on a bicycle in the music video, similar to Deebo in Friday.
The song debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 22, 2017, making it not only the highest charting song for Kendrick, but also one of the highest debuting hip-hop singles since “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem. The song later hit No. 1 on the chart on June 5, 2017, making it Lamar’s first solo No. 1 song and second No. 1 song overall on the charts.
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