Nova Starz - Dark, Lovely Places... for the #RAGERS [Mixtape Review]

What's up, trekkies and nerds everywhere? It's me, Bill Nye's 2nd cousin, the real black nerd, the hip hop connoisseur, if you will, but you may really know me as Waverly Spades. Today, I have Nova Starz debute mixtape/album, Dark, Lovely Places... for the #Ragers. If you don't know who Nova Starz is, she's an R&B singer out of Baltimore. She's only released like 2 songs so far, but they're both so amazing. She's done many a features for Baltimore artists in the past two years. I have been waiting for this mixtape since I first heard the first single for the album, Not Surprised. I saw so much in her when I heard that first single (and watched her video for "Time Machine"), and I already know that I won't be disappointed with this project. The mixtape is entirely produced by her husband, Street Scott, which means the production on this is most likely going to be ridiculouslyfuckinginnovativeandperfectallthewaythrough mindblowing. Well now I can't wait to listen to these tracks because I'm really excited to hear Nova's debut project and the direction it took, especially since she's an R&B artist. There seems to be no set standard for R&B/Alt R&B, and I just love the creativity in it. The thought of this has me actually jumping around in my computer chair.

Insane About You - The mixtape opens with some chilling, very ethereal pads, very reminiscent of a Drake songs. Nova starts singing with her scintillant voice. Hardly a minute in I'm just in love with album already. I want to give it a 600% already. DAWG. THE DRUMS AND SYNTHS CAME IN. This right here, son... I'm ready to shed a tear just because this track is so beautiful. Her style so far is reminding me a little bit of Imogen Heap. To say that Scott's production on this track is flawless is an understatement. A beautiful start the tape.
5/5

Not Surprised - Weird little transition, but it's okay. I'm already grooving to the beat. I could go on about how much I love this track, but I did a full review on it, sooo yeah. Just go read that.
5/5

Cops Pulling Me Over - After that little intro. I immediately started jumping around. Here's a nice little song about Nova being high as fuck and driving. Unfortunately, it's not like Kid Cudi in Pursuit of Happiness. She's getting pulled over and her vibe being killed. Well if I got pulled over, I'd definitely play this. My high would come back. The hook is soooooo catchy. Don't be surprised if you hear me singing that around.
4.8/5

White Lines - This was one of the singles that was released waaaaaaayy before the album was even announced. I love the production hear. That drum break with an 808 and pads over it. It's so simple and beautiful. I mean, I know it's bad that Nova Starz is talking about cocaine because cocaine is definitely bad, but seriously, this is just beautiful. Actually, maybe it's a metaphor for something I'm not getting.. (RapGenius pleeez!) Was that a little bit of Rickie Jacobs I heard in there? This is such a chill song.
4.6/5


The Heart's Of Rockets - Out of this completely futuristic album, this track is probably the most futuristic of them all. The syncopation, simple harmonization, autotune USED CORRECTLY (VERY FUCKING RARE), and content overal.... This so far is my favorite track off of the album. At this points, I'm noticing some of Street Scott's use of the same formula to make these beats, but each one still sounds so original and it's own! It's a matter of pads, synths, and heavy kicks basically, but then, there's so much more into it. Ahhhh. Why is that nigga such a beast?
5.6/5

One Last Try (Genius Kid ft. Queen Sunshine) [Prod. by Genius Kid] - First of all, I'll say that Genius Kid's production is somewhat fucking with Scott's. He's got the synth and heavy kick thing going on with some melody, but there's not all of the intricate little things and variations that Scott puts in his beats. After some analysis, it's actually a very welcome and nice change. This track is much more modern pop/trance than the previous ones, but I mean that in the best way possible. Starz goes above and beyond on those vocals
4/5

Smoke With You - This song is so contrasting for me. I like all of the sounds EXCEPT that one weird synth thing it starts out with, but this song still gets love. Usually girls who #RAGE aren't that attractive to me, but Nova completely changes this. She makes it sound so classy and somewhat healthy and it's not because she's just singing about smoking. This isn't any Wiz Khalifa track. This is a love song. A party and weed brought to people together. It's a cute love story. and by the end of that song, that synth thing that I hated actually sounds nice. It speaks.. Street Scott has a gift.
4.7/5

Kings and Queens (ft. Matt Wuest on Guitar) - This is just a great song. Matt Wuest on that guitar... Probably nothing better than live instruments in modern music. This makes me think of something a little bit Frank Ocean. Starz' higher range is so amazing. This track was a perfect collaboration between Matt Wuest, Scott, and Nova's vision. My words can't even really explain how much I love this song.
5.2/5

These Dreams (ft. Street Scott) - That synth bass thing in the beginning is so alien and futuristic. It was such a sudden change that my heart is beating a bit faster. The kick feels like a heartbeat. Who was that singing almost like Kanye West in the beginning? Was that Street Scott? Oh my gosh. I actually had to replay this track one more time to understand how amazing it was. This song is actually my favorite track on the album. Unanimous decision without a doubt. It sounds so simple, but it's so complex. It felt like the song was going to be longer, but it's over before you even knew it. I didn't even know Street Scott could sing! I thought he was going to rap. This is a great duet between the young, soon-to-be power couple. That whistling is even on point. lol.
7/5

I had VERY high expectations for this tape (like Empire State building) and Nova went wayyyy above and beyond those expectations (like she was on the Burj Khalifa or space elavator or some shit). The ethereal production would sometimes remind me of Nosaj Thing or Flying Lotus, but at the same time, it always had a genuine Street Scott feel. Each production was beyond major and game changing and I feel that's almost essential to Nova Starz' sound. Because of that, you might notice me judging this whole project a smore of a collaborative effort, rather than just Nova's debut. I couldn't tell if I'd pin her closer to Imogen Heap, Jhene Aiko, or just a mix of the two with some Frank Ocean. She's got her own sound with a nice soprano voice. At times, it almost sounds like she's British. That diction makes the harsh messages, sometimes a bit cuter and easygoing. I like the large instrumental pauses in some of the songs, it lets it all just speak for itself. At times, I couldn't fully understand what Nova was saying, so the melody was really speaking for itself and all of the messages and musical ideas were conveyed PERFECTLY. I don't think I've ever heard a project quite this solid. All I have for it is praise. Nova Starz and Street Scott are without a doubt two of the most talented people in Baltimore. This tape should be doing the numbers of Frank Ocean's first tape, if not more. I honestly encourage you to listen to the project and seriously share this with a friend. It's worth it! This shit is QUINTUPLE NERD APPROVED, my nigga.
102% - A++ (Extra Credit and all)

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Bobby Woody - Rollin in da Deep [Song Review]

Hello my fellow Trekkies and Transporters. You may know me by many a monikers, such as the Blacker Hacker, the Real Black Nerd, Bill Nye's 2nd cousin, but my real name (well not really), is Waverly Spades. Here this week, I have Bobby Woody's latest single "Rollin in da Deep." Might I add, I'm a month late and continuing my streak of tardiness with these posts! (Sorry, guys!) This joint dropped around Valentine's day as an attempt to continue his tradition in making friend zone songs or some shit like that. Well, I finally listened to the track, and man, this is HIGHLY slept on. That first line alone "You think I'm like those other guys, you're crazy" just sets the tone. I didn't understand at first that it was somewhat a reference to the first line of Gambino's Rolling In The Deep remix where he said "You think that I keep fucking other girls. You know I'm not." Haha I got that as soon as I actually read his description of the video. One thing about this song (which is also one thing I like about Bobby) is that it's packed with reference after reference to keep the feel/story going. Like BAM! Blue October reference. BAM! Wake Me Up When September Ends reference. BAM! Chowder reference. In this all in like a matter of 4 lines, it's ridiculous! AND BAM AGAIN! Drake reference. There's even a reference to Childish Gambino and Jamie xx's remix of this song, and on top of all that, some crazy wordplay. My favorite line is probably "Small nigga, but tall enough to have gone swimming. Shallow bitches, but some deep enough to call women" (Drake reference) The whole song is crazy and underrated to me. That last line is a perfect finisher. "If you come to my house, then please bring me lotion because I'd rather do me than do you and your emotions." Bobby really just spills on this shit. At times it sounds like he's hating all women ever, but then others, it sounds like he's really going at one specific person. I feel sorry for that person hahaha. But this song gets mad props. 4.7 Nerd Contemplations out of 5.
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Kilo Kish - K+ [Mixtape Review]

Sup dawg, it's Bill Nye's 2nd cousin aka Proffessor MPC, aka Big Ghost's prodigy, but you may know me as a nerd that goes on the internet by Waverly Spades. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this artist, Kilo Kish, while watching Red Bull's Hashtag$ series. (I'm definitely going to write a post about the series soon.) I wanted to listen to some of the artists featured on the show, so I downloaded her latest mixtape, K+. Honestly, I thought it would suck because she was classified in this genre called "Tumblrwave." I'm already not too fond of tumblr, and in the comments, I read that they only featured the weird Tumblr artists. I know Tumblr gets reeeally weird (and some of the artists featured in that episode were seemingly weird), so I slept on this for a while, but today, while I was washing laundry and scrolling through my Zune for a song, I was tired of seeing it just waste space, so I decided I'd figure if I really liked it or not.

Intro - In my downloaded copy, this track was titled "K+," so I expected some title song. After watching the promo video for this mixtape, I assume she's talking with some person about the place she had the launch party for the tape. Immediately, the pure conversation reminds me of Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Allderdice. That made me a bit sad because I really didn't like that mixtape and all the interviews seemed so generic. My expectations for this tape are very low at this point.

Goldmine (feat. Jesse Boykins III) [prod. by Star Slinger] - Ahhhh.. So the music comes in and look at that--- it isn't as bad as I expected! This track actually caught me a little offguard, but I'm glad it did. Throughout the song, Kish talks of some guy she likes that ignores her and doesn't know. It's so simplistic and elegant, but throws me off. Now I'm wondering what else this tape holds..
4.5/5

Ghost (feat. Childish Gambino) [prod. by Matt Martians & SBTRKT] - In the interview before this song, the male voice asks if she did a voice with someone named "Donald." Of course I presumed it was just some random nigga I've never heard of until DONALD FUCKING GLOVER comes in like "ghost!" This song is crazy. The beginning of the beat reminds me of Trinidad Jame$', All Gold Everything. It's a song that I didn't think I would like, but this is probably one of my favorite tracks on the whole thing. The beat is great too. Now I'm curious. How did this girl I never hear of before this get a feature from Childish Gambino? It's crazy. I'm also questioning what is she doing? Would you call that rapping or just talking? Why did she pull in Childish Gambino for a feature, but only get him to do a Rumor Has It Part 2 remix? hmm
"He mean with the text that says 'I like you.' Smiley face. one with Heartsy eyes. Ooh, you smiling?"
5/5

Trappin (feat. Vince Staples) [prod. by Earl Sweatshirt] - Now I'm really wondering, how am I just finding this girl? Like how did she get a beat from Earl Sweatshirt? Where'd she get a feature from Vince Staples?  Just gimme a minute to take a minute to take in the fact that she's sorta famous.. I thought they picked up random people on Tumblr for that episode of Hashtag$. This song isn't anything about Trappin'. It should be called "Pimpin'." Vince's verse sounds so lazy. This track is like the Hip Hop version of ethereal.
3.4/5

IOU [prod. by Matt Martians] - Now it's starting to annoy me that Kilo's voice is consistently monotonic. This is something I've never heard in female rappers, but it's new. At first, the whole song is sort of annoying, but I'm really in love with the chorus. Again, she's whining about some boy, but she does it so classily.
3.7/5

Turquouise (feat. Jesse Boykins III) [prod. by PROF CALC] - This track amazes me, but it annoys me that I can't always hear her vocals over the beat. The outro is so interesting to me.. Dream in turquoise.. Is this some female cry of the blues. So many interpretations, right here..
"First you find me crazy, but then you find out I was right"
4.8/5

Scones (feat. Childish Gambino) [prod. by Childish Gambino] - Is she talking to Childish Gambino on the phone? WHAT? I WANT TO TALK TO CHILDISH GAMBINO ON THE PHONE. (no homo.) It seems like at this point of the mixtape, she's no longer a cute girl hoping a boy would notice her. Now Kish wants that boy who noticed her to pay attention to her. Interesting change in tone.
"I know we say it, but we never do."
3.5/5

Love2K (feat. A$AP Ferg & Smash Simmons) [prod. by Very Rare] - Ferg did his typical Ferg shit. At one point he talks about being a baby's father. I doubt he's about that life. And then he sings.... and it's ethereal and reverbed out, so it's cool, but still.. that pitch... Kilo shows us that she's not like any other black girl who you might want to hit. It's a weird, but nice perspective to hear in female hip hop. You don't hear a lot of women rapping like "I'm my own woman, and not glorifying sex, just those little dashes of love I think I have." She's like a teenager. It's funny, but heartwarming.
"Give a fuck about a Fendi Prada if a nigga tryna holla"
3.8/5

Better (feat. Andrea Balency) [produced by Patrick Paige of The Internet] - This is probably the most touching song on the album. I'm pretty sure Kilo talks about what every girl feels at one point  or  another with guys. I guess I can't for know for sure, but girls tend to get really jealous of eachother for the simplest reasons. The bubbly pads really let you feel what Kish is feeling. This is a great song and really shows how conscious Kish can get.
"Tomorrow, she'll be Barbie and I'll be kicked out."
5.1/5

Creepwave (feat. Flatbush Zombies) [prod. by Cronos] - This is a very angry ending. Sad songs turn into mad songs. The tsundere, male protagonist turned antagonist is officially labeled a typical jerk. The beat is dark. The zombies go crazy. I feel I could say so much about this, but it speaks wonders for itself.
4.5/5

I honestly had a negative denotation of this tape before listening to it. I was reading an article on Complex a few days ago that said most Tumblr rap was bad, so I thought this might prove that for me. That guy was wrong though. Kilo Kish is some weird mix of Tumblrwave and Cloud rap. Half the time, I can't tell if she's rapping, that's her actually talking voice, or if she is singing very short notes. She's the most monotonic female rapper I've ever heard. And I hate categorizing her as a female rapper because rappers should just be rappers, not rappers and female rappers, but she is the most openly conscious female rapper I've ever heard.  Are all females that aren't Barbz, actually the female versions of betamales? I don't even want to call her a rapper. She's really just an artist.. Well she's much more than an artist. This mixtape was the journey of a girl who loved, got hurt, and got mad. It's a very Taylor Swift approach. She was asking for the guy in Goldmine, but by Ghost, she complained about how he teased her. I feel like if I was a girl, I'd be able to relate to this tape more, but being the douchebag betamale she raps about, I guess I can somewhat relate. (I swear CG's verse in Ghost was me talking.) Musically, the beats are so well put together in simplicity. Themes don't tend to confuse, but rather intrigue and lead you on. The parts where she's talking to her engineer (or whoever that random guy is), it's more authentic than I originally expected it to be. K+ was (don't call me cliche for saying this) a new musical experience for me. Check it out and leave your thoughts in the comments.
85.1% - B

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades and now I'm off to not smoke. Happy 4/20!

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Arjaye Jeter - Rapxploitation [VIDEO]

Sorry Nerds! I've been on a hiatus. Third quarter of Junior year has been fucking VEXATIOUS. I've hardly gotten to listen to the stuff in my inbox! (I'm slowly sifting through it and mass writing as you read this.) Luckily, 4th quarter is here, and hopefully, that means that the school work will lighten up, but if it doesn't (because my teachers can be overbearing assholes), there's only 8 weeks left of school for me! After that, I'm an internet blogger almost full time. Today, I have this joint by Chicago rapper, Arjaye Jeter. The smooth boom bap beat is produced by Thelonius Martin. The video is filmed by Hatwood312. All of those kids are part of some new Chicago media team called Chillville. I'm really digging the song. It's pretty simple, and simplicity can be such elegance sometimes. The video is pretty typical, but it's cool. The only thing that angers me is the horrible promotion strategy. They paid whatever amount of money for 20k+ fake views. That's the wrong way to do things and it just looks stupid when you only have 2 comments and like 13 likes. Just a tip to you artists out there: pay for real promotion and PR, not just botviews and subscribers The song tho: 3.6 Nerd Contemplations out of 5 Follow @ArjayeJetter on Twitter Follow me on twitter @WaverlySpades