Delving into the Strange Story of Rapper Jay Electronica

On Feb. 7 at 12 a.m., rapper Jay Electronica sent the music world ablaze with a two-word tweet: “Album Done.” The tweet has since garnered over 40,000 likes and replies from people including James Fauntleroy, Pigeons & Planes and even Buffalo Wild Wings. But why is there buzz around a forty-three-year-old rapper who has never released a proper album? If you’re not a fan of hip-hop, you probably haven’t heard of him. After all, in today’s day and age, artists seem to come and go, as fans consta

Amid Controversy, Grammys Raise Questions of Relevance

The 62nd Grammy Awards Ceremony passed last Sunday with equal shares of pageantry and controversy. Before any red carpets were even rolled or awards handed out, this year’s awards were marred by the suspension of Recording Academy President Deborah Dugan just ten days before the ceremony. The Recording Academy was supposedly responding to a complaint from an assistant that said Dugan created a “toxic and intolerable” workplace. Five days later, Dugan filed a complaint with the Equal Employment

West’s New Album Struggles to Find a Coherent Message

It seems we have once again arrived at the end of another turbulent Kanye West album cycle. While the album’s release was originally announced for Sept. 27 by Kim Kardashian West, Kanye’s latest musical venture “Jesus is King” underwent a series of delays until its eventual release on Oct. 25. West is by no means a stranger to missed due dates — The Student’s own Jack Klein ’20 recently wrote [https://amherststudent.com/article/where-is-kanyes-latest-album] about Kanye’s lengthy track record of

Charli XCX Finds Herself and Her Sound on “Charli”

Charli XCX is a peculiar pop singer. Since her major breakthrough onto the music charts with her earworm choruses on Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” Charli has fluttered around in music industry limbo, never quite reaching stardom, never quite fading into obscurity. Over the last decade, she has managed to stay relevant by crafting hits for other singers like Gwen Stefani and Camila Cabello and dropping radio singles (remember summer 2017’s “Boys”?), but it seemed like her maj

Earl Sweatshirt’s “Some Rap Songs” Shows Artistic Maturity

After a relatively quiet three years between albums, Earl Sweatshirt released his third commercial LP “Some Rap Songs.” On Friday Nov. 30, Earl first broke into the hip-hop world at just 16 years old in 2010 with the west coast rap collective Odd Future. “Some Rap Songs” is Earl Sweatshirt’s first full-length release since Odd Future effectively disbanded in 2015, and while some Odd Future artists like Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean and Syd (who formerly went by Syd tha Kyd) have continued to r

Sheck Wes Makes a Name for Himself on New Album “Mudboy”

In an article I wrote last spring about the releases from up-and-coming artists signed by G.O.O.D. Music, I reviewed two singles by Harlem rapper Sheck Wes. At the time of the article, then-19-year-old Wes was in the midst of his climb to prominence. His single “Mo Bamba” had just gone viral, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at No. 31. Then, over the summer, he featured on Travis Scott’s “Astroworld,” which itself debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and later accompanied Scott

Blood Orange Explores Self-Acceptance Over Buoyant Beats

On Aug. 24, British singer and instrumentalist Dev Hynes, who uses the stage name Blood Orange, released his fourth LP “Negro Swan.” Over the past nine years Hynes has steadily created a name for himself in the electronic R&B niche that exists in today’s music landscape, and “Negro Swan” serves as testament to his talent for seamlessly weaving together virtuoso instrumentation, electronic production and R&B singing. As the brand of UK electronic R&B grows with contemporaries like James Blake,

Sidney Gish Brings Young and Unique Talent to the Music Scene

Although the album “No Dogs Allowed” by Sidney Gish debuted on the last day of 2017, it merits a review even months after its release. Sidney Gish is a 20-year-old student at Northeastern University in Boston, and she has a penchant for songwriting well beyond her years. On “No Dogs Allowed,” she writes about what she knows best, inviting listeners to see the world through her eyes. She deftly immerses us in both everyday happenings and the larger quandaries of coming of age in the era of the in

New Kendrick Album Stirs Excitement for “Black Panther” Film

Friday marks the opening of Marvel’s highly anticipated “Black Panther” movie. The film has been eagerly awaited ever since the Black Panther character was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Chadwick Boseman excelled in his role as T’Challa/Black Panther and quickly became a fan favorite. Hype for the new film, which is currently sitting at 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, is at an all-time high for superhero moveies. And last Friday, as part of t

JPEGMAFIA’s “Veteran” Expands Definitions of Modern Hip-Hop

On January 19, Baltimore-based rapper JPEGMAFIA released his fourth full-length solo project “Veteran.” The independent artist, who is known for his avant-garde approach to production and rapping, certainly does not disappoint on this new effort. Throughout the 19-song tracklist, JPEGMAFIA delivers an incredible array of thoroughly thought-provoking and strange songs. “Veteran” is as complex and mature as the title suggests. JPEGMAFIA — “Peggy” for short — showcases his range of production and

11 Songs that Perfectly Describe Your Emotions This Finals Season

The holidays are just around the corner, and the festive spirit is on full display just about everywhere. Well, everywhere except college. A different season is on the horizon here — exam season. While the holidays are a time for cheer, exams can be quite rough, to put it lightly. As the rest of the world busily decorates and sips eggnog, students must buckle down and study. With the holidays seeming so close, yet so far away, you might not be ready to turn on Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey just

Swedish Rapper Yung Lean Lacks Personal Evolution in “Stranger”

Since the release of his 2013 debut mixtape, “Unknown Death 2002,” Swedish alternative rapper Yung Lean has held an odd place in the hip-hop world. As a European, he started out as an outsider in the largely-American genre. Many Americans viewed his melodic and occasionally nonsensical rap about drugs and sadness as a joke, not to be taken seriously. Over the years, Yung Lean has continued to ignore this criticism and stick to his own style. Since 2013, though, the market for such songs has gr

‘Blonded Radio’: Recluse Frank Ocean Continues Releasing Music

Frank Ocean is known as one of the most frustratingly reclusive artists today. After releasing the critically-acclaimed “Channel Orange” in 2012, the Odd Future singer quickly became one of the biggest names in R&B. Fans anticipated a second album after an announcement from Ocean in 2013. However, the album — or rather albums — would not arrive until 2016. Despite the successes of “Endless and Blonde,” fans were annoyed at the four-year gap between releases with no solo work in between. Nevert

Thundercat’s Third Studio Album “Drunk” Explores New Sound

On February 24, celebrated bassist Thundercat released his third studio album, “Drunk.” Thundercat is renowned for not only his solo works but also his collaborations with producer Flying Lotus and rapper Kendrick Lamar. “Drunk” continues Thundercat’s record of success, although it departs slightly from some of his more intense work in the past. In “Drunk,” Thundercat prefers a laidback funky vibe, which he infuses with R&B and rap. What really makes the album unique and interesting, however, is

Foxygen’s Fourth Album “Hang” Promises Potential but Falls Short

Last week, indie-rock band Foxygen released their fourth official album, “Hang.” The album follows their popular 2013 album, “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic,” and their less well-received 2014 album, “…And Star Power.” “Hang” is the title of the last track on their previous album. However, the relationship between the previous album and the most recent release does not seem so literal, in terms of content. The Foxygen duo, comprised of Californians Sam France and Jonathan

“Starboy” Showcases The Weeknd’s Strengths With Unique, Catchy Hits

Following his hit singles “Starboy,” “False Alarm,” “Party Monster” and “I Feel It Coming,” Canadian R&B singer, The Weeknd, has released his highly anticipated third studio album, “Starboy.” The album follows the wildly popular success of his last album “Beauty Behind the Madness,” and, like “Beauty,” “Starboy” seems to possess the right recipe for making the top charts. The Weeknd continues to move farther away from the dark, moody R&B of his “Trilogy” mixtapes and further into the realm of po

A Tribe Called Quest Releases New Album After Phife Dawg’s Death

ast Friday, iconic hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, released their final album, “We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service.” It serves as a capstone to the group’s legendary career, which has spanned off-and-on over three decades. The album is A Tribe Called Quest’s sixth, ending an 18-year-long gap since the 1998 release of “The Love Movement.” The group, consisting of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and occasionally Jarobi White, is known for such classics as “Can I Kick It?,”

“22, A Million”: Bon Iver’s Latest Album Teeters on Experimental

Coming off of a lengthy hiatus, Bon Iver released their first album in five years on Friday, Sept. 30. The album, titled “22, A Million,” has been highly anticipated following the release of singles “22 (OVER S∞∞N),” “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄⚄” and “33 “GOD”.” Over the course of their career, Bon Iver has received critical acclaim for their first two albums, “For Emma, Forever Ago” and “Bon Iver, Bon Iver,” winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011. Bon Iver, lead by singer, songwriter a

Travis Scott’s Latest Release is a Slow-Paced Departure from “Rodeo”

After about a month’s delay, Travis Scott finally debuted his highly anticipated sophomore album “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.” Scott’s previous projects have included two mixtapes and the critically acclaimed “Rodeo,” which propelled Scott into stardom on the current hip-hop scene. On “Birds,” Scott continues in his style of “southern trap.” Although, “Birds” does not necessarily distinguish itself immediately, featuring the same vocoding and auto-tune that Travis’ vocals experienced on “Ro