It’s Been Quite a Ride: Bidding Farewell to “BoJack Horseman”

Note: this article intentionally avoids spoilers in this piece, so it appeals to a broader audience and convinces some new people to watch the show. Part of the brilliance of Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman” is that it forces viewers to grapple with their own views regarding morality by presenting them with BoJack’s mistakes and making them question whether they’re rooting for him as a protagonist. Some of his actions are illegal, others creepy and some just plain weird, but for whateverreason, he

A Playlist to Accompany Your Thanksgiving Festivities

Picture this: It’s a beautiful fall morning. You’re back at home for Thanksgiving, momentarily avoiding the stresses of college in December by spending time with your family and friends. You’re asleep in bed, cozy under the covers, when your mom walks in, opens the shades and says you have to help cook the Thanksgiving dinner today. You know the rest of the morning and afternoon will be filled with hard work, but with the reward of a fantastic feast on the horizon, you acquiesce. To get you thr

Where is Kanye's Latest Album?

It has been over three weeks since Kanye West’s latest promised album, “Jesus Is King,” was supposed to drop. In the days leading up to the purported release, West began cryptically retweeting and posting hints about the album. He even performed at a series of private events in Detroit, Chicago and New York to promote his newest “masterpiece.” This is not the first time West has missed a delivery date. He is notorious for releasing music after its due date. However, in the past, the quality of

ALASKALASKA Starts Off Strong with Debut Album “The Dots”

The idiosyncratic indie band ALASKALASKA lives and dies by the saxophone. The group layers multiple instruments, including various drums, synths and guitars, but its saxophone riffs bring it all together. The best songs on their debut album, “The Dots,” either feature the sax or find a way to infuse it into the music. The band hails from London, and its style can best be characterized as a mix of alternative rock and jazz fusion. The music is immersive — it is not the type of alt-pop that you w

Jai Paul’s Newest Album Asserts Ownership of His Art

This summer, one of my friends sent me a review he had found of Jai Paul’s album “Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones).” The first thing I noticed even before I listened to any of the songs was the album cover, which features the British producer and artist himself, wearing an electric blue rugby jersey underneath a neon Adidas red track jacket and donning blue face paint. The rest of the cover explodes around him with other colors and images: bears, astronauts and coyotes with pixelated faces are meshed

2 Chainz’s New Album is a Bumpy but Worthwhile Ride

According to ESPN, Tauheed Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, was an accomplished high school basketball player who was recruited at the D1 level and eventually played a full season for Alabama State University. But because he lacked the athletic ability to have a legitimate shot at the league and instead held an unapologetic talent for wordplay, he made the decision to rap. (He is not the only rapper who was a star basketball player — J. Cole also had a fantastic high school career). The t

Future Goes Back to Basics with “The WIZRD”

Future’s career has been filled with peaks and valleys. The highs of “DS2,” “What a Time to Be Alive” and “Pluto” complement the lows of “Super Slimey” and “WRLD on Drugs.” Along the way, he has inspired a legion of young rappers who draw heavily on his style such as Young Thug, Juice WRLD, Lil Yachty and more. Perhaps in an attempt to mentor this next generation or to capitalize on their rising star power, Future recently released collaborative albums with some of them, most notably “Super Slim

Capital One’s “The Match” Signals Shift in Sports Entertainment

Two of the greatest golfers of all time teed it up against each other for a $9 million dollar winner-takes-all prize in “Capital One’s The Match: Tiger vs. Phil” last Friday afternoon. This match, fought between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and played at Shadow Creek Golf Course outside of Las Vegas, was unprecedented in both format and prestige. While avid golf fans had their opinions about it, this match was geared not just towards golf fans, but directed at the general viewing public, mu

Quavo’s First Solo Album “Quavo Huncho” Signals Future Success

On the first verse of his first solo album, “Quavo Huncho,” Quavo raps, “write my name ’cross the hall of fame banner.” Although this project had been eagerly awaited by many of Quavo’s fans for some time, such an opening statement was quite bold for someone who had risen to fame due to the success of his music group Migos. As Migos’ popularity and success grew, all three members, starting with Quavo, began accepting feature roles on other musicians’ songs — although Takeoff failed to achieve th

Travis Scott Shines from the Backseat in Recent “Astroworld”

Travis Scott is known more for his skills as a curator than as a musician. Usually, the featured artists on his albums are the stars of the show. Scott is content to sit back and let them leave their mark on each song. His newest album — or more accurately, music collection —“Astroworld,” is no exception. With features from Drake, James Blake, Frank Ocean, Swae Lee, The Weeknd and more, “Astroworld” is a who’s-who of contemporary music. While Scott’s rapping lacks on some songs, usually he compl

Unpacking What Summer 2018 Meant for the World of Hip Hop

The hip hop industry, despite what many blogs or online publications may have you believe, did not experience a seismic shift this summer. Fans did not flock to a new digital platform or fawn over a new superstar. However, the summer was still filled with exciting and interesting musical events. A label revived itself under the watchful eye of its legendary founder, a star at the top of the mountain was knocked down by an OG (Original Gangster) rapper and another star cemented his fame with a cr

Brockhampton’s Three “Saturation” Albums Mark Group’s Success

The boy band Brockhampton can best be described as a harmonious and quirky amalgamation of individual talent. From the sound of its music to the size of the group, not to mention each member’s individual style both inside and outside of the recording booth, Brockhampton strikes listeners as just plain different. Even the way in which the group was formed is unorthodox. The band’s current leader, Kevin Abstract, along with Jalen Jones, posted a message on the Kanye West online fan forum, “Kanye

Unpacking Winner Predictions for the 2018 Grammy Awards

It’s that time of the year again — awards season. Huddled in blankets to avoid the bitter cold of winter, viewers across most of the U. S. excitedly watch their stars and idols gracefully stride down the red carpets of Hollywood in 70-degree weather. Unfortunately, for those who enjoy debating the merits and detriments of each work, politics within these entertainment industries dominate the decisions of awards shows like the Oscars and Emmys. For weeks after the telecast, movie and television f

Lil Peep’s Death Sparks Talk About Destigmatizing Mental Illness

On Nov. 15, at the tender age of 21, the rapper known as Lil Peep died on his tour bus. His tragic death, reportedly caused by an overdose, leaves the music community as a whole with more questions than answers and forces both artists and fans to reevaluate their roles and obligations to each other. Before he died, Lil Peep released a series of Instagram posts in which he took a pill and announced that he had consumed six Xanaxes. This display of unchecked consumption is not necessarily unique