21117 (TwoElevenSeventeen) - Jay Verze

Welcome to the first real review here!

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Young, Baltimorean emcee, Jay Verze has been hyping people up for this debut project since late 2011/early 2012. I can't remember exactly when, but he's definitely had us waiting and expecting something great. The Adolescent Phenom has entitled his mixtape "21117" after the zip code of his Owings Mills neighborhood. For the young rapper, this project is "where everything originated."

Time Out ft. R.Jay (Prod. by TrackOfficialz) -

This is a GREAT intro the mixtape. The news clipping really set the tone and describes the trouble that a preponderance of Baltimore teens seem to get into. The song itself vibes. TrackOfficialz made something epic and easygoing at the same time. Verze pretty much tells us he's going to make this work. We all know it's a struggle with this hip hop thing, and he is definitely ready for the journey that comes with it.

"This the playoffs. I'm going for that trophy, boy. The game is in the joint and all my niggas thirsty, boy."
4/5

Est. 1995 (Prod. by Flawless Tracks) -

Okay. The beat is HOT. I have to know, what sample is that? GodDAMN. Flawless Tracks aka The Best Kept Secret (Also one of Wale's producers) killed that. Jay Verze turned it into the perfect summer song. I love that "from the block" line. haha.

"I'm feeling real cool listening to Big and Pac. Listening to Nas. They listen to from the block"
5/5

Matter of Time (Prod. by IllMuzik) -

Another one of those songs "Last year, niggas didn't fuck with me, but now they see me coming up, so they want to be my friends, and since I reject them like they rejected me, they say I changed. Comeuppance is a bitch, ain't it?" While the message is a bit typical, I like the song. One thing that annoys me about songs like this is that he's not famous, yet. Let the fickle bandwagon.. for now. The beat is amazing.

"I had respect for some niggas. I had to take it back."
4/5

Boring Nights & Hip Hop (Prod. by Lexi Banks) -

Here's a song every rapper can relate to at one point in their life. I know I can haha. Jay tells us that the boring nights making hip hop pay off. At time, the lyrics get a bit cliche (mainly in the chorus), but the song is still on point. Lexi Banks made fire with this. Is it just me or does Verze's deep voice sound weird?

"Them long days and late nights, dawg that's how we get it."
3/5

Crusin' (Prod. by Lexi Banks) -

This was one of the singles to drop before the mixtape. Honestly, I don't like this song. The beat is okay and Jay Verze puts some nice bars in it, but overall I don't like it. I don't like the chorus either. It sounds so typical. Does Jay Verze even have this girl he speaks about in the chorus? lol. "On a rainy day. that's when I'm in my prime. That's when I'm in the studio writing these dope rhymes." I'm sorry, but that had to be one of the weakest lines... definitely my least liked song off of the mixtape.

"You say you got a big heart, but it's empty."
1.5/5

All The Calls Are Off ft. Jujuan Allen (Prod. by Kraze) - This beat already has that old school vibe that gets you to bump your head with that "ungh" face. Verze changed up the flow a little on this. That was cool. Jujuan added a dope verse. I fucks with it. That hook vibes. This here almost sounds like an old Wiz track. Another song with a typical topic, but it's a nice variation from most songs that talk about being a boss. *looks at William Leonard Roberts II* "I'm a cool, lil' nigga. 50 for a verse just to do something witcha" 3/5

Interlude - 12 O'Clock (Prod. by Dres'More) -

I know I'm a horrible person, but I can't help, but laugh. The beat has that smooth feel, and Verze is hitting the right notes and all, but when he just goes "Can you call me? ahh haaa," I picture him with that R. Kelly face. The song is actually nice, I just can't stop laughing. lol. And then this nigga slows it down so he can talk in his deep voice. like "i swear this is the life, man... I'm in here by myself. I got the lights off. I'm just relaxin, you know. I hope y'all feeling like me tonight." That's Jay Kelly, my nigga. lol.

5/5 because this track is demulcent, yet made me die laughing at the same time.

The Drama Story (Prod. by Mr. Kooman) -

Mr. Kooman has something beautiful here. The beat alone puts a tear to my eye. Verze starts out describes a drug dealer who got a girl pregnant that's facing his fear and the challenge of becoming a father. Next verse, he talks of a girlfriend of the drug dealer. Just as sad a story. One of my favorite tracks of the mixtape.

4.8/5

About That Time ft. Rome Duran (Prod. by Flawless Tracks) -

I love Rome Duran. The mixtape he dropped was amazing. Just seeing his name got me excited. Jay Verze switched up some flows and Rome sang an amazing hook. All of that with Flawless Tracks' production makes a beautiful song.

"Let me show you how passionate I get when you're around"
4.5/5

Teenage Lust Pt. 3 ft. Will (Prod. by Rip Knoxx) -

Who is Will? With a name like that, it's not easy to find you on Google, but the boy sings an amazing hook. Rip is one of my favorite producers in the Baltimore (and the DMV). The beat is hot. It's not exactly another love/breakup song. It's a bit more interesting.

2/5

One Night (Prod. by Scrilla Beats) -

This beat is so feel good. It's got that Summer feeling. Just something to bump with the windows down when you're riding the whip around on a nice summer day. I think this should get one of those white people, summer fun music videos. lol.

"My mind grew higher intensity cuz everything I'm doing today is going to be memories."
4.2/5

Hands Up ft. Tay West (Prod. by Scrilla Beats) -

THAT TENOR, MY NIGGA? WHO'S PLAYING THAT TENOR? WHAT'S THAT SAMPLE. GODDAMN SCRILLA. Tay West did a nice, little hook. It was a brevity, but still dope. Another one of those feel good tracks. A bit typical, but nothing unoriginal.

and again. THAT TENOR, MY NIGGA. YASSSSS
4/5

See You Later ft. Y1 & Rickie Jacobs (Prod. by Rip Knoxx) -

One question: Why is this the only censored song on the mixtape? lol. I know you have the radio ready versions, but this is the CDQ/Album version. This doesn't need to be clean (not that it's even THAT dirty). Another one of the singles released before. I believe this dropped on Valentine's Day as a breakup song or something of that sort.(A lotta songs dropped that day like this, like Bobby Woody did that Frank Ocean Remix, TyQuan and that Love Puppet track, and a plethora more..) I love this song. Jay Verze put down a hot verse, but then Y1 added some amazing stuff, and then Rickie Jacobs (probably my favorite rapper from Baltimore) really just KILLED IT. And Rip Knoxx never disappoints.

"Uncle Ruckus told me not to trust them new niggas, so what am I supposed to do?"
5/5

Feelin Like A Star ft. Starrz (Prod. by Luger Beats) -

This beat is hard. Originally when it dropped, I didn't like the song because I don't like that feel of beats, but it's something I can at least pretend to dance too. Starrz added an amazing verse.

"Sleepin on me, big mistake. I'm blowin up. landmine"
3.1/5

Let Go (Prod. by Lexi Banks) -

Awwwwwwwwwwww yeahh. I love Frou Frou and I love how Lexi sampled them. Does Verze even know that sample? lol. Frou Frou and Imogen Heap always make the nicest samples. Jay Verze just went hard on the beat though. I love this song. I don't even need to say anything more about this. Easily my favorite track on the tape.

"Every nigga be tryna claim a style, but they all be on to that same ish. Hood niggas be talkin money, but still be moving theme same bricks. Niggas talkin bout wifin girls, but niggas be on them same chicks." br 5/5

Having A Goodnight (Prod. by Flawless Tracks) -

Great beat. Great song. Nice way to end things. Enough said.

"Don't be surprised to get smacked when it's grind time."
4/5

My Place ft Shwaze Collins (Prod. by Twigg) - I don't understand the point of Bonus songs and I was wondering when Schwaze would get his feature on the tape. The beat is fire. I didn't like the chorus at first, but it grows on you. Jay Verze put down a nice verse and Shwaze killed it too.
"We never turning back, we turning pages"
3/5

The mixtape was a nice change from usual ascensions of most of the rap about gun toting and selling drugs here in Baltimore. One thing I didn't mention that I really like is Verze's use of time on the project. He's always like "uh. it's 4 in the morning" or something like that and even named the interlude "12 O'Clock." I don't know what it is, but something about that is just amiable. The one thing I don't like about it is that most of the beats come from producers on SoundClick that he most likely doesn't know. I know that Rip is a Baltimore dude and I couldn't find who Twigg or Kraze are. The rest: Guys on Soundclick. I respect there internet grind and they do make great beats, but I think a local artist like Jay Verze should go to some more local producers (Street Scott, MIC, Judah, Bobby Woody, King Midas, etc.) Overall, I like the project. It didn't live up to all of the hype I expected, but it's still pretty amazing! Jay Verze's lyrical content has room to improve, but the boy makes some nice songs. I can see him going far. Check out his mixtape and be sure to follow this kid for greater things in the future. 76% - C

Download 21117: http://jayverze.com/2012/08/18/mixtape-jay-verze-21117-twoelevenseventeen/
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The next review will be on BKnitts' Summer Sessions!

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades and now I'm off to do some calculus.

Jay Verze - Cruisin'

If you read my review of TwoElevenSeventeen, you already know I don't like this song. First thing's first. That is a big ass Adam's Apple. lol Ok, see this is what I'm talking about. It's such a.. typical song. It's a basic video too. Like I was more so laughing at this than applauding it, sadly, but that's just me. And over half of the shots are him instead of the story of the video. That irks me a bit. lol. Like a scene of Jay Verze, and then another scene of Jay Verze. lol what? This video does make me a chuckle a bit. From around 2:17 to 2:22, he's just in your face. I don't know. It just makes me chuckle. Notice how Jay got the baddest girl? Lol look at Shwaze's and that other guy's girl, and look Verze's. Not fair haha. While the video is very beautifully shot, and well put together, I just don't like the song, and I don't like the concept. It's too basic, in my opinion. Verze can do way better. Now don't take this the wrong way. I may have just clowned Jay a bit, but I, Waverly Spades, support Jay Verze to the fullest. I just don't like this one song. lol I now know what it feels like to be the 1%. OK. so where's the One Night Video?

This was brought to you by Waverly Spades saying, simplicity is greater than basicness.

Jay Verze - David Ruffin [New Song]

What's up? It's me, the real Carlton Banks aka the Based Trap God aka the Original black Nerd aka Bill Nye's 2nd Cousin. Today, I'm here with Jay Verze's latest single David Ruffin. I know, I know. I'm late. This single dropped on like the first day of the year and it's the 28th. I got school. Petition me. Well let's get to the song now.
Produced by Scrilla (who seems to be one of Verze's favorite Soundclick producers), this beat is just too smooth. Througout the track, Verze raps about how much life has changed for him in the past year as he's been getting popular making music. We all know that story. When people start to see another person on the comeup, they try to hop on the bandwagon. In the chorus, Mr. 21117 spits "They all tryna see it now. Got 'em thinking wow. They saying 'Oh you made it now? C'mon, let's get down. I'm so proud. You my brother now. We gon' make it out.'" While Verze complains of some people calling him on his high horse, his feelings are completely understandable. I've known of Verze since I heard his feature on Baltimore. Along with a lot of Baltimore talent, Verze has really been coming up. He's in the newspaper, doing these interviews, and opening up for Cam'ron. It's only natural that people would hop on the bandwagon. The song is a little motivation to keep going. I like the title reference to the late Temptation, David Ruffin. He started in the Temptations as a backup, but later became the frontman. The difference between him and Verze though is that ego problems (and a slight cocaine addiction) eventually killed one of them. JayIsonCocainelol 

My advice to Verze: Stay humble until you really make it. Then rerelease this song. haha. When old niggas come up like "C'mon let's get down," just give them the number to the rejection hotline and get so much satisfaction when you give them that face like ----->
3.7 Nerd Contemplations out of 5
Nerd Approved

This joint was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to look for a new phone. Mine doesn't ring when people call me.

Shwaze Collins - Forever Dope

Adrian sent me this a few weeks ago around the time I put up Jay Verze's interview! I told him I'd put his tape up, but I feel bad because I've yet to do it! lol. But here it is! The reason this review didn't come sooner is because I already listened to the mixtape and for the review, I have to listen to each song over and put in a little more thought. Usually, I wouldn't mind, but school is hard work. Speaking of that, I just got my Interims. Someone tell me why I don't have all A's, please.
Ok, back on topic. Adrian "Shwaze" Collins is a 19 year old emcee from Baltimore, MD. Working his way up in the scene, you probably know who Shwaze somewhat is. If you don't, you've most likely at least heard him on a few Jay Verze songs or Brandon Woody's Power Circle remix. I like the dude, and here is his new mixtape, Forever Dope. My 2 cents are below.

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Forever Dope [Prod. by Sdot Fire] - Ahhhhh Is that Street Fighter? I am already entertained. Nerd boy happy. That gets extra points. The intro is awesome. When the song starts, the Sdot produced track is FIRE (Pun intended). This first song is a nice taste of the lyricist Shwaze is.

"I ain't saving you hoes. What I look like? Private Ryan?"

4.2/5

The Grind (ft. Juice) [Prod. by Scrilla Beats] - Ok, I don't like this song as much as the last one, but it's okay. This is one of those songs I try to get girls to booty dance on me with (if only, if only). The beat alone makes you feel whizbang. I don't think I'm familiar with Juice, but he did a cool verse. That chorus is mixed roughly. Their verses didn't really impress me, but it's an aiight song.

2.7/5

We Make Money [Prod. by Y1] - Y1 produced this? Like, the rapper Y1? I didn't even know he made beats! Haha the beat alone is feel good. Collins threw on a few hot verses. The song is beautiful. I would say that if the song wasn't mainly about that money money life, it would be perfect, but this sounds like one of those songs that would be in the background of a montage of niggas throwing money around after they robbed a bank or something (sort of like in The Town, Tower Heights, or when the dude stole all of that money in Jumper). lol

4/5

Fame [Prod. by Dre Beats] - First off, I'd like to say that fame isn't everything, but let's be honest. We all want it. The beat is stupendous and Shwaze's vocals really compliment it. I like it. I feel like Shwaze should've put Jay Verze on the track. That would've been really dope. To the producer named "Dre Beats," as long as Dr. Dre and his headphones are around, that's probably not a good name.

"I can't use euphemisms if the youth don't get it."

4.7/5

Shellshocked (ft. Geter) [Prod. by Lexi Banks] - I'mma be brutally honest. I don't like this one. that's all. (y'all know I loathe trappin beats.) I guess the verses were cool.
2/5

Do It [Prod. by Sdot Fire] - When the beat drops and Collins' starts rapping, I'm just dancing around like Bill Cosby, over there. This song is hot. I like it. I'm not too fond of the chorus, but the rest is nice.
3/5

My Life (Interlude) [Prod. by Piz Corleone] - The first line that I really heard and made me think was "It's niggas tryna stop my shine, but it's Shwaze, baby!" I was just like, what the fuck are you saying, bro? But the rest of the song is cool. At times, he switches from typical rapper to lyric.
"Should I sell that shit they measure on a triple beam just so that y'all nigga can't appreciate me?"
3.3/5

Unstoppable (ft. Ta'Ler) [Prod. by Zone Beats]- I like how his last line on the interlude was "I'm Unstoppable" and it goes into this. The beat is FIRE. Azula ain't got nothing on Zone with this one. "It's a cold world, but I'm not from the Ville." lololol. I like this song. That is all.
"I have a dangerous mindset. Blind eyes, quiet is kept."
3/5

Party Everywhere (ft. Yung Ram) [Prod. by Piz Corleone] - In this song, Shwaze tolerably sounds like everyone on MMG, but Ross and Gunplay. Ram sounds like Gunplay. lol. I think it's the beat. Beats like that  have been rapped on a certain way for so long, that people don't change it up, you know? like this sounds like it could've been on Self Made 2. The Chorus even sounds like Meek Mill bawling for no real reason. This song has me doing my Bill Cosby swag dance, but damn, where's the originality?
2.4/5

The Return [Prod. by Sledgren] - Sledgren be on some Lex type shit sometimes. Anybody in the mood for something a little more.. tardigrade? It feels like Shwaze's flow gets off at time. I don't really know. The song is aiiight. I hear a lot of those typically recycled lyrics in this song.
"Pillaging their villages like I am a pirate." lol. pirates don't leave the ship. c'mon guise
2/5

Gang Green Gang (ft. Rickie Jacobs) [Prod. by Zone Beats] - Ok, I didn't like the intro to the beat, but I really fucks with this one. I had that Obama face when the beat dropped and Shwaze started rapping. Rickie Jacobs just killed it as usual. What could I have expected though?
"Better watch what you say son. They don't play fair where I'm from."
3.7/5

Devil In A Tight Dress/Curse (Interlude) [Prod. by Lexi Banks] - Sooo, I was expecting Kanye West's Devil In A New Dress to start playing, but instead, I'm hearing the end of Fancy by Drake looped. I'm not complaining. It's a smooth intro and I like it. Collins goes on about that one perfect girl, that we all dream of. That hook is hot, too. I know it's sampled, but I just love how it was placed. While describing this girl, Shwaze definitely gets cheesy, but it's cute. When it goes to acapella, I can hear that it's heartfelt, but still cheesy, you know? I like it all though. I feel like it would've been cooler if they were two separate track; it would sound like two different chapters of a story. I like how in the end, we find out, it's all just a dream.
4.6/5

Self Made (ft. Y1) [Prod. by Scrilla Beats] - Ok Shwaze's 1st verse sounds horribly mixed. TIP: Please don't let your mixtapes have a horrible mix. The beat and the hook makes this sound like some XV type stuff. I like. Aahhhh I heard another "Green like Cee Lo" line. That has to be one of the most overused lines since "Fuck You" came out. While I don't like Shwaze's verses that much, Y1 put some magic on here. It makes me wonder what Y1 would sound like on a song with XV. (Can we make that happen?) "Jay Verze the future. Shwaze the underground king and I'm the overlord of rap dropping brown things." That one line in Y1's verse makes me really think about the whole ISMG team in a light of where they fit, like  a puzzle. it's cool.
"I try to be great, but everybody in the city loves to hate"
2.4/5

Bullseye [Prod. by Scrilla Beats] - Scrillaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Scrilla is that nigga for this beat. lol. Shwaze didn't kill it, but it's listenable. I'm pretty sure I heard him say in the chorus "I'm chillin like a chandalier." lolwut? I hear a lot of weak lines that don't really make since to me, but I'm not gonna go into that. The chorus feels so off to me.
1.9/5

Heavy Hitters (ft. Jay Verze & Yung Ram) [Prod. by Sdot Fire] - When I heard the beat, I started thinking of Mercy. I was ready for the Rick Hertz tag. I feel Shwaze could've went harder. Verze killed it. That lil nigga definitely sounds like Wiz on this. lol. I never noticed that until my brother told me yesterday, and I'm hearing it a bit, but it's somewhat different.. It's cool. I like that. Ram's verse is eh
2.6/5

Outro [prod. by SdotFire] - This is probably my 2nd favorite track. The beat speaks for itself and Shwaze compliments.
4.2/5

Ok, so Shwaze is a decent artist. The dude really has potential in my eyes, but the problem with that is that I've been thinking he's had potential for the past year or two. He needs to quit with the typical lines and make each and every one on that 2004 Lil Wayne level. Also, almost every song seems like something that would be played in the club. I feel like Collins needs some variation in his style. The best artist can create more than the feelings of love and fun. The mixtape is very decent in my opinion. I expect better from you Shwaze!
63% D-

Download Shwaze's new tape, Forever Dope!
Follow Shwaze on twitter

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to steal the blueprints for the Google Smartwatch and make my own and make millions.

Bink (ft. Jay Verze) - Toddlers

Ayo. What's up? It's me, the real Carlton Banks. I haven't been able to write much lately because of my loads of homework. (School sucks. Winter break needs to be hear now.)
This a young nigga movement! Well, I saw this track on TrapRockRadio. I've reviewed Bink and Jay Verze before, so I had to check it out. The track is hard. This is some pretty equanimous shit that was just bumping to me. I had to bob my head for that chorus. I'm sorry Bink, but Verze killed you with that 2nd verse! Bink came back hard again for his 3rd verse. It sounded off beat for a minute at the end though. Well, that's all I have to say for this track. You check it out and judge for yourself.

Download Toddlers by Bink (ft. JayVerze)

This song was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to listen to 3.5 because I do want to review that!

Y1 - FinallY Or1ginal (Mixtape Review)

What's up errrybody? It's me, the real Carlton Banks aka Bill Nye's 2nd cousin aka that nerdy ass nigga who decided to start a blog and bash on the niggas he hates aka Waverly Spades. I haven't done a mixtape review in a minute. Recently, Y1 found his way into my ear and I was itching to take a listen. Nicholas Pullen is an up and coming rapper from Baltimore going by Y1. Let's see what he sounds like.

Members Only (Introduction) [Prod. by Piz Corleone] - This song is a nice intro. Y1 throws some nice bars with a dope flow. Nice way to start shit.
"I don't need critique. I am who the real is." Well fuck this review.
4.5/5

Famous [Prod. by Audio Dope] - That hook is very warming. What is that from? It sounds so familiar. Y1 tells us how he wants to live. It's life most of us go for. I like how Y1 paints his dream to us. I really like his flow. The beat is great. Idk why, but this is better than other songs I hear where artists are complaining about how they want fame. This song is dope.
4.7/5

Don't Give Up [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson (of Eyecon Music)] - That MJ sample! yasss. That beat is on some 9th Wonder shit. This song is smooth. Y1 raps more about fame, but from a different angle, the dreaming part. The premise of fame. Y1 makes a dream so inspirational.
"Baltimore til my back break. Even though it's just a lil spec, that lil spec gon give this man a check."
4.2/5

Skylight [Prod. by Kae B (of Eyecon Music)] - This song had a dope music video. It shows a lot of Baltimore areas that I'm familiar with, which makes me happy. Someone from Baltimore getting love like that is a great thing to see. This easygoing song is nice to vibe to as the tape continues.
"I'm just tryna make it to the skylight. Surrounded by vampires, what a Twilight"
5.2/5

Recruiter (Skit) - Damn. I usually don't like skits too much, but this skit speaks numbers, not only about unemployment, but how most jobs aren't really shit. I'm glad I'm not the only one who believes it. Don't conform to just being a number. "Can we hurry the fuck up cuz I got class in like 45 minutes" lololol

What I Gotta Do [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson] - This song is nice. It took a few listens to get used to the chorus. Nice message on determination.
"The weed I had to cough it up because it was clouding every vision I would conjure up"
3/5

2000 to Forever (ft. 810 & Black Sunn) [Prod. by Kahlil The Wiz Kid] - The beat is that feel good shit! Y1 killed it and picked the perfect artists for features. When I first heard 810, I thought that was Da Kid Gowie! lol. 810 and Black Sunn perfectly complimented the track this is probably one of my faves off of the tape.
"All you do is slang hatred, then hide in the Matrix."
4/5

Reincarnation [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson] - Ohhh we're slowing things down now, huh? The beat sounds like a cut off one of the old Kanye albums. Y1's faster flow goes perfect over this. It's like Twista's verse on Slow Jamz. haha. I fucks with this track.
"Sometimes you gotta change the paint to get the right picture"
3.9/5

Rich Man & The Pauper (ft. Jay Verze) [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson] - A pauper is defined as a person without any means of support, but is there anything that defines a man as rich?  I remember when this joint dropped a few months ago. My question since I first heard this: Out of Jay Verze and Y1, who is the rich man and who is the pauper?
4.2/5

Music Is Cocaine (Skit) - At first, I thought this was just some random skit where Y1's playing guitar and I was like "wtf?," and then my nigga started singing. This should be made into a real song. It sounds like some J. Cole shit.

Let's Get Away (ft. Ashley Alexander) [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson] - That sample has me reminiscent of J. Dilla stuff. I'm also thinking of 9th Wonder. This track is just chill. It's the equivalent to a filler for me. I like. Vocals are provided by Ashley Alexander and they are quite beautiful.
3/5

Beautiful (ft. B Swails) [Prod. by Go (of Misfitz Sounds)] - Go (of Misfitz Sounds) gets mad love for the beat. It's nice and smooth, but I can't find the guy online whatsoever! Y1 drops a few hypnotizing bars. B. Swails voice is just soothing. The bitches are gonna love this. Y1 is adulating someone in the best way possible. I'm going to sing this to a girl and see where that gets me. lol
"I just like to live like it's my last night cuz when the day comes, this a past life."
4.7/5

Drinks In The Air [Prod. by Joshua "Jehdi" Thomas of The Humans] - The idea of this song makes me chuckle a bit. It starts on some really chill, Jamie Foxx type shit, and then the verse is  just Y1 going in. It's a nice, sudden change of feel. I don't drink, but I'm sipping my Pepsi to this joint. Jehdi is an amazing fool for this beat, especially that chorus section. This joint is the perfect mix of rap and club RnB (the Jamie Foxx/T-Pain shit).
4.2/5

Little Does She Know Part 1 [Prod. by William Kraz Johnson] - So much, yet so little to say about this song.. I'll let it speak for itself. Beat.. also crazy. Can't wait for Part 2.
5.2/5

Kobe Bryant [Prod. by Piz Corleone] - GOT ME FEELIN LIKE I'M KOBE BRYANT. This beat is on some Waka shit. If you were here, you could see me doing my swag dance. This nigga, Y1. This nigga right here, son! This nigga right here! Somebody put this shit on 92Q so I can drive to school like "CHANGE MY NUMBER ON THESE FUCKERS LIKE I'M KOBE BRYANT!" I love this song. I'm usually not into songs over beats like this, but Y1 is so versatile that I actually like this! His flow is ridiculous!
"Might be on the same team, but there's no alliance"
5/5

Goodnight - I thought the beat was a Kanye intro lol. This song starts with some crazy lines like "Don't be sipping like a bitch. I give a damn bout what yo throat say!" The beat is RIDICULOUS (after you get past the Kanye intro. lol.) The chorus reminds me of some J. Cole shit. This track is stupendous. The beat has a Kanye ending too. lol.
"Just don't be like Daniel and try to Jack my shit!"
4.9/5

Lincoln's Address - This track had a dope music video. The song is just inspirational. It's a nice look around and a great way to end the tape.
"Even though I'm 1%, my flow has to represent the 99."
4/5

Point blank, this whole tape was great. I heard a little of Y1 before, but I honestly did not know what to expect. I wouldn't call this a mixtape, but an album that Y1 was nice enough to give to us for free. Pullen is an amazingly versatile artist, going from songs like Skylight, to Let's Get Away to Kobe Bryant to Lincoln's Address and keeping it all real and amazing. There is never a lack in quality, stylistically or lyrically. This is honestly one of the best mixtapes I've heard this year. Y1 at times sounds like the perfect mix of Lupe Fiasco, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar. That's 3 of my favorite rappers rolled into a guy from Baltimore. This was a great mixtape and I can't wait to see what else Y1 has in store.
86.3% - B+

Y1ForPrez.com
@iam_y1 | Y1 on YouTube | Y1 on Tumblr
Go Download the Finally Or1ginal mixtape!

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and I'm off to reluctantly write an essay on the feminism movement of the 1920's.

Return Of The Mack - Mack Scott

That cover art is just fucking gangster. Ain't it? The thug life definitely chose Mack. When this dropped, this guy went hood platinum in less than 24 hours. Dope, right? We all know I'm a pimp, so this is my type of music. I had to check it out. See what I really thought about it below.

Muhfuckin Mack - So the first track is self titled. That's something that doesn't happen often. This song feels all 80's. Like the Black Dynamite of rap music. (Does anyone watch that show?) It's one of those long verses and Mack Scott just tells us who he is. A rapper with a pimp flow. It's sick. I like this.
"Purple suit and Gator Boots, bitch I think I'm Slickback"
3/5

It's Not A Game (Prod. by Clams Casino) - The beat.. It took me a minute, but I definitely fucks with it. Mack just goes hard from the beginning to the end. I like the song and at the same time, I don't know.. The outro on the beat was nice though.
2.7/5

Cadillac Deville (Prod. by Pimp C) - ahhh yeah. This song is smooth. This song reminds me of an old Snoop Dogg track. This is definitely some pimp shit. This is one of those songs where you take out that Old School Caddy and turn the windows down.
3/5

Pimp $lap (Prod. by Oab Jenkins)- some more pimp shit. The beat is just trill. I fucks with that. Not much to say besides the fact that this a dope song.
"Looks like Cinderella slipped the glass off or her sole, but I won't save her"
4/5

Purple Naked Ladies (Prod. by Piz Corleone) - As soon as I heard the white girl say "Dosha Burna Beats," I was like, "awwwwwwwwwwwwwww yeahhhhhh. This nigga got Piz on the track." It amazes me how popular Piz is here in Baltimore. Doesn't he live in Louisiana? lol. I like this song. It makes me chuckle a bit. The lyrics are starting to get typical. A lot of talking about bitches, money, and drugs. The beat is smooth, though.
2.9/5

Notorious M.A.C.K. (Dreamin') - This is niiiice. This is chillll. That Big Poppa instrumental. yasssssssssssssssss. This song is more focused on his dreams and I really fucks with that. If he had an original beat this chill, this would be the perfect track.
"Pick her up around 1' and then I bust. Kwame Brown"
4.3/5

Game (Interlude) (Prod. by SangoBeats) - ooooh. I like the beat already. Mack hasn't started rapping yet, This Sango guy is nice.
Oh so he's not going to rap? That's cool. Let the music speak for itself.
I don't like that guitar whatsoever, but it adds a bit to the ambiance. That's nice.
ahh that's better.
eww. weird guitar instrument again.
Saved by the bells.
5/5

It's Alright (Prod. by Jay Verze) (Prod. by Piz Corleone) - AHHHHHHH SHIT. JAY IS SINGING AGAIN. *hits two step.* Verze sounding emotional as shit. He getting into this shit. lol. Let me stop before he disowns my blog. This is another one of those break up songs. Piz laid down something smooth and Mack tells a story. So to that girl who seeing other dudes and messing around and other shit, it's alright. Rappers get more bitches anyway.
"Even Einstein was fucking wrong."
4.6/5

Nemi$i$ (Living Dead) - Oh snap. I wasn't feeling that beat at first, but then Mack starts killing it. This is dope! Oh wait. Did I just hear a Kony reference? lost points. Other than that, this is hot. A few typical gun/war references, that sorta thing, but it's cool.
"Niggas fiend for brain like zombies."
3/5

WHOTHEFUCKAREYOU (prod. by Butch Dawson) - So is he Jujuan Allen or Butch Dawson? Well whatever, Butch made a nice little beat. I like the hook. Some of the message gets a bit typical, but the feel of the song is pretty cool. I can  bump my head and do my swag dance to this.
"Killing is a hobby. I use beats as examples."
3.5/5

Stick Up Kids (93 WAVE SHXT) (ft. Butch Dawson) - Butch just killed this. I love his verse on this. Sorry, but it gives you a lot to work up to, Mack, and you did. again. Butch called himself Jujuan Allen. which should I call him. This is probably my favorite verse from Mike the whole tape. Fuck it, this is my favorite song. That's that shit I do like.
"Some call em criminals, gremlins, and straight villains. Niggas just like you chasing their dream to see millions."
5.2/5

Sam$on II (prod. by Oab Jenkins) - I like this beat, but honestly, it needs to be turned up. Nice to know the vocals are clean, but I like hearing the beat sometimes too! haha. The song is chill and as I think I said previously, I love chill songs. Of course the song is about drugs and I don't condone that, but the song is chill, so it's cool haha. The chorus is cool.
"I'm not your everyday, average, drug connoisseur. I'm your mentor. An icon. Someone you can rely on."
3.7/5

#AriEmmanuel (ft. Storee) (Prod. by G14) - Another song about the bitches. lol. I like this beat. The first verse is cool. It's all feel good. not much more to say about this. Whoever that was at 1:50 needs to work on that flow. that was a bit disastrous. Not the best ending to the tape, but it's cool.
2.6/5

Overall, the mixtape was decent. It was definitely some Pimp $hit. I'm a pimp over, so I fucks with that, nawmsaying? Mack tended to repeat a lot of the same messages of bitches, drugs, and money, but it's cool. At times, something doesn't rhyme, and it sounded a bit weird to me, but in the end, it's all chill, so I like it. I love the beats. There's nothing I just didn't like on the tape. I can say that. Go download it and support.
73%  C-

Download the tape

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to write summaries of Armistices through world history.

Bink - 3.5 [EP Review]

Wow, I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks. Well welcome back class. It's me, your teacher, the real Carlton Banks, the original black nerd, Bill Nye's 2nd cousin, etc. Today, I have in my inbox, Bink's latest EP, 3.5. He asked me to listened to the whole thing before I ever judge him again and that's what I'm going to do right now. If you don't know who Bink is, he's a teen rapper from Baltimore rapper (he dons himself the best). This kid has mad lines and an alter ego named "Skate God." I'm not so fond of his music, but at the same time, I'm so drawn to listen. With that said, I have somewhat high expectations. I liked his last mixtape, and I'm really hoping this is wayy better. That album art is interesting. I sorta want to know when that picture of lil Warren was taken. lol.

Invitation (Prod. by Sk808) - That beat alone is a nice way to start something. A lot of crazy flow shit here. Not much to say here.

3.5/5 (See what I did there?)

Obvious Reasons (Prod. by DreStolahh & DameBeats) - Listening to this chorus, I feel this whole song was directed at me lol. I NEVER SAID HE LOOKED GAY THO. The song is okay, until around 3:00. That's when shit really gets hot! I fucks with that!
"Trappin late night in my Jordans"

3.7/5

Baby Stroller (Prod. by JuneDocc) - The mixing on this is just bad. I'm sorry, but that annoys me, which is sad because this is a really great song. "Fuck a blog talkin shit behind a CP (computer). When I get big, they gon stalk me for a mothafuckin retweet." I feel attacked by that line... but I love it.

still gon' talk shit about this nigga tho lol,

but this song is ill. I love this shit right here. He should redo the mixing and shoot a video. That would be the illest.

I really appreciate this song. Bink is right. Make music about you. -looks at all fake rappers-

"These rappers ain't shit. They don't rap about shit, but you listen to them, so you still can't judge."
3/5

Sikken Tyd (Prod. by Dame Beats) - OH SHIT SON. THAT'S A GOOSEBUMP SAMPLE. I thought the song was going to be amazing and hard and what not, but that voice effect killed it some for me. Made it hard to pay attention. I'm Sikken Tyd of the bad quality.

2/5

A$$ (ft. DonToldYa &Noski) [Prod. by YungOneBeats] - I like how the song switches around from person to person. That's clever. The beat is oookayyyy.

2.9/5

Frank Sinatra [Prod. by Delta Records] - That beat is nice and jazzy. I reeeally like this song too. I don't know why, but I'm thinking of Swank Sinatra (aka Dyme-A-Duzin). This is another song I feel iskilled a bit by the mixing. After a while, you can't hear the beat. idk maybe he did that on purpose for some weird artistic shit.

4/5

Food For Thought [Prod. by YungOneBeats] - This is a great song right here. This is my favorite song so far. Bink gets really introspective and it's an interesting view of him. I'm definitely gon sing that hook and download that joint. One thing that makes me laugh, though, is that he says "I ain't got time for hoes." Isn't this the same Bink who always talks about fucking a lot of bitches?

"This ain't the life that I chose, but this is the life that I'm living."

4.6/5

Chocolate (ft. DDm) - That beat is craaazy! Who made it? It's a good start, but I'm not a fan of the chorus. Bink was on his Slim Shady lol. His verses were crazy. Ahhh DDm? I love that dude. His verse was just ridiculous. I had to replay that. Not much to say, but a solid track.

4.9/5

Brickz N Zanz (ft. DonToldYa & Snxxp) [Prod. by Sk808] - Did they drop this before the mixtape? I feel like I've heard this. This sounds like some throwaway Flatbush Zombies shit. The verses weren't weak, but the lines sound typical, like stuff I've heard before. I skipped to the next song midtrack because it was just boring.

"Goddamn Skate God, you're goregeous."

2.7/5

Breathless [Prod. by HunkE] - That beat sounds like some old Kid Cudi shit.. I'm already fucking with this. This sounds like one of those beats that not even the whackest rappers could fuck up. Not saying Skate God is whack, but you know what I mean? Like the "I'm On 2.0" beat... even Gudda Gudda had a good verse. Bink kills it. That is all.

4.4/5

LFDY (ft. Jujuan Allen) [Prod. by Dosha Burna Beats] - Piz is on that beat and it's hot! I fucks with it. Some A$AP Rocky type shit for the chorus that I'm vibing to. Bink killed it. I like his 2nd verse slightly better than the first. LFDY=Live Fast, Die Young. It's a superstar lifestyle. Jujuan goes wild on his shit. I love that nigga. "Know I won't live till my 70's, so my 7's blessed."

"My older siblings got a couple kids. Damn, I remember when were just kids."

4.9/5

Random Acts of Flyness [Prod. by TheOnly4PointOh] - Anybody remember the song he did with Jay Verze called "Random Acts of Flyness." Quick! Somebody call him unoriginal for recycling titles! lol. This joint is fly though. He just spits straight for 3 minutes. quarterbrickofwhite

"The best, there are a lot of you, but the greatest, there's like 5 or 2"
3.2/5

Division & Mosher (ft. Rickie Jacobs & Jae Poet) [Prod. by Dosha Burna Beats] - Each verse sounds like a Charles Hamilton freestyle. This whole joint sounds CH, down to the beat, and I'm a fan of it. Bink did some hot shit. Rickie Jacobs just went in. Just like every other time. "By any means, I'm not converting to skinny jeans. I like big asses. You know, the little things." Jae's verse was nice too. I've definitely heard more amazing stuff from him though. 

"Fuck being a rapper, you should just be a philanthropist."
5/5

Reminiscing - Somebody send that beat to French Montana. loljk. It's chill. I fucks with it. I don't smoke, but I think I'd get high to this. Not going to lie, it sounds like Bink wrote most of this while he was high. This isn't anything special, but it's a cool track.

2.6/5

Les Finale [Prod. by Delta Records] - That beat is hot. -bobs head- -Bink starts rapping.- Oh shit, this is a great song. Bink just goes real on everything here. The flow gets ridiculous. The beat gets crazier. The mixtape needs more tracks like this.

"They see me from afar thinking that I am a star, but I'm a regular motherfucker, just like all of y'all."
4.7/5

Ok, so I got a little bit of what I expected with this EP, but I also got some more. Overall, I really like the project. In my opinion, it's better than the Fuck Rap series. A few songs really stood out to me, like Les Finale, Division & Mosher, and LFDY. Others seemed like just like Bink doing his own thing, but not putting as much into it. Each song is really hit or miss. Part of that seems to be due to the beats, and then some, he just says some ridiculously crazy things. Most of the features are ridiculous (most notable ones in my opinion include, Rickie Jacobs', DDm's, and Jujuan Allen's). I like how Bink stays with some of the same DMV producers (Piz Corleone/Dosha Burna, Sk808, Yungonebeats). It feels like he's really working with Baltimore to attempt at improving the scene's chances at making it. It's all teamwork and he's doing his part. One thing that really annoyed me was that the audio quality was not good. I know that shouldn't matter because it's about the music and yadda yadda yadda, well quality is one of the main things I hear, and I'm not the only one! Some tracks sounded like (in the words of Jay Verze) "potatoes." Some verses sounded like they recorded on laptops, and then others had amazing quality. The voice didn't fit on the beat sometimes, that type of stuff. A good amount of mixing/mastering needs to be worked on. Besides that, the EP was nice. I want to hear Bink do something conceptual. Like a storyline or some type of focus. Bink tends to rap about a lot of the same stuff, but it get's weirdly random. I feel like when he's ready for a real concept album or project, that'll be amazing. Keep that shit up, Bink
74.8% + 2% Extra credit for mad improvement
76.8% - C+

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and I FINALLY FINISHED MY FIRST MIXTAPE REVIEW OF THE NEW YEAR. YEAH NIGGAAAAAAAAAA. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
oh and midterms next week. I'm not fuckin with this studying.

Download 3.5 by Bink
@RealBink

Don Trunk - Not A Beatmaker [Beat Tape Review]

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Oh hey there, my nerds and dorks and freaks and geeks. I know you're thinking "Don't you 'hey there' me, you little, insignificant, cancerous bane to my ribosomes. Where the fuck you been, bitch? Stop slacking!" Or maybe that's just Jay Verze. Cut me some slack here, guys. Applying to college is tough. I've never done this shit before lol. On top of that, my internet's been off for the past month, so I've like written stuff, but I haven't been able to actually post it. This, being one of those posts, is completely copied and pasted. lol. Work with me. I'm going to try to post more than once a month.

So let me start again.

Hey there, my nerds and dorks and freaks and geeks (and Baltimore niggas)! You might know me by one of my monikers, such as "The Real Carlton Banks," "Bill Nye's 2nd cousin," or "the kid who divided by 0 and got away with it," but in actuality, my real fake name is Waverly Spades. Around the time school started, I went to the Book Festival in Mount Vernon and stumbled upon the only rap performance I've ever seen at one of these things. The guy's name was Don Trunk and he was up there killing. This dude had an amazing live band and was doing everything an indie artist should be doing. He was throwing out sunglasses with his fucking face on them. That's real branding. lol where they do that at?  The last joint he performed was a cover of Jay-Z's "Encore." Everything was on point, especially in that band. I didn't think he sounded so lyrically amazing or anything, but he said some fun stuff and was just a great performer. Like, this dude made the Book Festival exciting. Where they do that at? Me, being the introverted and jealous person I am, I whipped out my phone and checked his social media stats immediately. (Don't judge me.) He had a nice following, he's also a producer, and was dropping a beat tape called Not A Beatmaker. I will not lie, that shit sounded mad cliche, but something about this guy really intrigued me. So I've kept an eye on him and I've been waiting for this. The beat tape seems to be his way of establishing his title of producer and making some money. Can't knock the hustle. I've never reviewed a beat tape here, but there's a first time for everything. You guys know that I'm critical of everything. I usually want to spend portions of reviews on songs on people's beats and their beat choice, so this should be fun. Get the song out the way and just the beat. Ok lemme stop talking now. Let's do this.

Not A Beatmaker - Hahah ok. This is a nice little intro. This joint isn't a beat (like I'd expect). It's a rap song. So, you show that you're not a beat maker... by rapping? What? It's ok. The song is okay. The beat to it is definitely the best part so far. I like how he puts that vocoder on his voice for the chorus. As a rapper, dude is mad cocky and that slightly annoys me, but I'm not gonna get critical of his rapping because it's a beat tape.
2.9/5

Oh Baltimore (ft. Nina Simone) - This beat is mad smooth. I LOVE the chorus. "Stuck up in this crab pot." That's the perfect way to describe Baltimore. I don't know if he was trying to go for a Dubstep type thing with the wobbles and vocal samples, but whatever it is. I love it. One thing that annoys me is that I was expecting it to vary at some point, but it's the same verse hook verse hook form.  The hook is great.
"Stop complaining about how hard it is just to live."
4.5/5

Microphone - That hook.. Tracks about rappers' microphones also seem cliche. The tags in this joint are ridiculous. Like I understand one tag every verse or something, but this one has the tag every 4 bars when he's not singing hook. The beat is great for the most part. That synth arpeggio is crazy. Like, this is the perfect example of a decent beat being ruined by the use of tags.
3/5

The Greatest (King of Rock) - "Us coloreds are gonna fuck it up!" Hahah. That's probably the best part of this whole thing. The tags are ridiculously annoying here. The beat is ridiculously simple. Just a very soft 808, that kick snare thing, and simple guitar riff that I'm not sure if Don played himself or sampled from something else. The chorus is cool, but I'm somewhat tired of hearing  Don sing at this point and the transition between the chorus and the beat just isn't cutting it for me. Let the beat speak for itself, nawmsaying? This whole thing sorta generalizes that old Elvis/Rock shit and literally fucks it up. I feel like so much more could've been done with this creatively.
1/5

Different From Everyone - Here we go with that cliche shit. I swear to you, this joint is gonna get stolen and be top 10 on Soundclick (if this hasn't happened already)! (I'm gonna stop complaining about the tags.) One thing I will say is that the mix somewhat annoys me. I can't tell exactly what it is about it, but something feels out of place or overlapping in the wrong place. I like that filter/compressor thing on the chorus. I have mixed feelings about this beat. Overall, it's pretty hard. A lot of those typical rappers would snatch this shit up quick.
3.3/5

Hands High - "Everything I'm not made me everything I am." OK KANYE LOL. I'm assuming the samples are sidechained to the one clap. That is annoying. Sometimes, it puts a nice taste, but it feels weird here. This beat is very simple. The chorus is a bit extra until that "Hands high, up high, to the sky" part. One thing that is annoying about this beat is the 808. What some producers don't realize is how important it is to pitch everything together.. That 808 is so offkey and it's driving me crazy. That filtered/slowed down outro at the end is cool.
3.5/5

EBT (ft. JamRock The Maven) - This is the best shit I've heard on here so far. JamRock's piece chorus is beyond on point. The live drums are such a nice touch. The actually beat part is a bit boring, and when JamRock's background vocals come in on the verse, they sound too loud. The "EBT/Everybody thriftin'" gets screamed all over the place. This is another one of those beats that has soooooooooo much potential. JamRock's hook is all so blissful, but besides that, it's basic. I could hear some voice rapping on this though, someone old though.. I can't tell who, but I hear them. Fun fact: A maven is a connoisseur. What is JamRock a connoisseur of? hmmm.
3.6/5

Black Neighborhood (ft. 2Pac) - The reverb on the flugelhorn sounds off beat, but it provides such a nice delay effect. The chorus is really inspiring, but blatantly stereotypical and racist. The only reason I'm stressing over that is because he doesn't even sound like a black guy on this joint, just an artsy kid. Somewhat like Childish Gambino. Have Jay Rock do that hook and it'd be gully lol. Again, I don't know how I feel. This is the first beat I've listened to on the tape that doesn't bore me. I truly bump this joint.
4.7/5

College Chick - The beat starts on some epic tip. I love it. Actually, I love this instrumental period. The hook makes me a bit angry though. lol. I'm pretty sure, somewhere previously said in a hook, Don Talks about being a starving artist. Where do you have this Juicy J type money to be paying bitches' college tuition? Other than that, this joint is hot. The best part to me is when almost everything drops out except the voice and short, very deep synth. I love it. The hook is actually cool on the low. This beat has everything, variation, dope elements, and some more. Props for this one.
4.9/5

Backstage Passes - Can we stop no. i'm not reviewing this i don't want to be considered a hater
ok yes i am that's what i do
That hook is just no. like just stop. The background vocals need to stop. That "Oh yeah" shit is played out. It sounds like he was trying to be a mix of early Backstreet Boys and Mr. Hudson/Kanye. Everything is simple.. idk where to go with this.... why does this even have the tag? Niggas ain't stealing this one.
note: after listening to it a 2nd time "all the pretty girls want them backstage passes" sounds really good in a funny kind of way. Not saying it's good, but... It's got a different feel... by the 2nd hook, I hate it again.
1.2/5 1.5/5

DA HYPE 2014 (ft. Karissa LaRen & Flava Flav) - This is beautiful. Everything is great. Like even Flava Flav feels placed correctly in this shit. I feel like Don could've sidechained the kick to something and that would've been really cool, but that's just me. I'm not going to take points off for that. The mix is on point, which I'm proud of. I like the hook a little. Karissa LaRen has a beautiful voice. This beat is Kanye/mainstream perfect mixed with a unique style. I like this.
4.92/5

I Can't Wait - ugh. Did this nigga really just made a song about sexual temptations. I feel like Don's voice is just too childish for that shit. Like, the hook would be good if someone else were singing, but it's not him. Nawm saying? lol. Just not him. idk. The beat is smooth as fuck though, I will not lie. If he got someone else to sing that hook, this joint would be perfect.
4.1/5

just a little note. I started this review over a month ago (11/5/13 to be exact) and I stopped on this track. wow. Why do I put everything off so much? lol. ok back to the review

Chasin U (ft. Mr. Rite Now) - Those upbeat synths. The catchy hook. The RNB-style, 808ish kicks. This beat gets some props, but the hook is extra after a while. After the chorus, it has it's own bridge, and that just extends it too much. I feel like that whole "excuse me miss" part could be reserved specifically for the last hook. Also, there are some aspects of the mix that I just don't like. The kick is just buried under everything mid and high ranges. It doesn't stand out enough (like most kicks should). The beat is killer though. I can see dudes actually buying this one.
3/5

Feelin For U - I don't feel like looking back to check, but this feels like a song that should just be Don's own song. He should use this beat and hook, and make a nice little original song. The beat is nice and chill with a nice mix of a sampled break beat, synths, and strings. I fucks with all. The chorus isn't too extraneous either. My complaint on this one is how short it is.
4.6/5

Are U High - Another one where I'm not completely down with the mixing. I also don't like that MIDI piano sound. In that repeated fashion, it doesn't even sound real. Of course, all musical instruments don't have to sound real, it's just... i don't like it. I don't know how to explain.
2.7/5

My Flaws - Again, this should be one of Don's songs! He shouldn't be trying to sell this one. Him on the hook, background, and that little intro poem is great. Of course the piano chords reminiscent to a lot of other songs of this caliber, but it doesn't take away from this piece here. I could hear Don on this so much. It's making me angry that he didn't keep this one for himself. lol. Also, the piano feels not EQ'd at all and the drum break just sounds like the high end is EQ'd soooo much. I still like the beat though. I was hoping there'd be some really crazy break or outro.
3/5

Radio - This may be my favorite beat on the tape. I like almost everything about it. It even has a nice little variation throughout the verses. The hook is perfect. This is also one of the most versatile beats on the tape. I could hear a lot of people on this beat, but I could also hear him rapping on it if he wanted to. If anyone buys this, they should put Don on for a verse.
4.8/5

Bedroom - I have a friend who's been making beats for a while and this is what his first beats sounded like. It's smooth I guess, but so so so so so so so so simple. Also, I can't stand the provocative chorus because Don Trunk sounds like a kid trying to sing Usher. lol. I'm sorry, but this one makes me laugh a bit. "bEAT it UPP. bEAt it uPP."
1.7/5

Love Someone Again - This has so much potential. It would be a great pop song for an indie movie soundtrack, but the wannabe dubstep feel sort of kills that for me.
2.2/5

Real Men (ft. JamRock The Maven & Martin Luther King, Jr.) - Ok this gets much love for the live flugelhorns (i saw them on his Instagram somewhere)! JamRock has such a beautiful voice. This track was perfect for her. I can't hear Don on this, but I could hear a lot of other dudes on it. This deserves a top notch rapper.
4.7/5 

Back Home - I like the narrative of this one. It's got an RnB feel. The chorus is great, but I feel like the first half should just be an intro. I like the reggae/grimy feel to it. Much love for the Shawshank Redemption vocal samples. This one's a work of art.
4/5

Rent Due (ft. Neek Dorsey) -This is chill. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't paying attention after I heard the first verse, but another one with a nice narrative and great vocals on the chorus.
4.6/5

Father Help Me - Oh wow. We've come to the end of a very long beat-tape. I like this one though! It's nice for a tape-ending. The reggae/chill feel.The hook is beautiful. If there wasn't a tag every 4 bars, this would be so nice.
3.9/5

Look at that! I've made it to the end of the tape. I went into a lot of details for some of the beats, so I really don't have too much to say here that I haven't, but I still have a few points to bring up. The first thing I'll say is that the amount of tags is RIDICULOUS. I know you want to protect your beats and keep rappers from using them without buying them, but at the cost of practically ruining the beat? In my opinion, it would've been better to just only use snippets for the tape with a tag in the beginning, middle, and end, but the tags are so frequent that it's arduous to get used to as you listen to the tape. If he copyrighted everything, the threat of a lawsuit should be enough. Also, the mixing wasn't as top notch as I expected it to be. I was listening to this on some high quality studio headphones (not some fucking Beats) and my studio monitors. Even as I switched listening sources, the overall mix felt small and underdone. There are times that I don't hear the kick as much as I feel I should and sometimes the vocals/live instruments overpower everything. In that manner, everything doesn't seem put together or from the same sources. Another thing that I hate is that Don sings a hook on practically EVERY instrumental. Each one is like another Soundclick banger. This slightly disappointed me because I just wanted to talk about the beat, but time and time again, I'm talking about the hook too. There were a  few times when the beat could speak for itself, but his hooks give it a definite feel and leave no room for an artist to work with just the instrumental and his or her own creativity. Also, Don's voice sounds mid-pubescent, so it's hard to hear him sing hooks about sex and drugs without laughing a bit. Other times, it felt like it would've been better for other people to sing the hook. His use of other singers and live instruments does add depth to the music he's making (sometimes). Many of the beats tend to be repetitive with little to minimal variation.  The beat tape does a great job of what a beat tape does: showcasing his beats, but it's slightly ironic. It's called "Not A Beatmaker," but Trunk is definitely what I'd classify as a "beat maker." Every beat maker wants to be glorified to the fact that people see them as a "producer," but in this day and age, there's hardly a difference, but when I think of the actual differences, Don is still a beat maker. There's nothing wrong with that. I just see this beat tape as a bunch of beats that he didn't feel he wanted to use for himself strung together for the public. In my opinion, for a beat tape, a "producer" would've not only made the beats and brought in instrumentalists and vocalists (like Don Trunk has already done), but also brought in artists that he or she thought would fit that beat. Said producer that wrote those songs and made those beats would market it as an album. That's just my opinion though. All that said, there are still some great joints in here (that all have the potential to be even greating.) For the really good beats, I was angered that Don Trunk didn't keep them for himself. He better have shit that's 20x hotter on his debut album as a recording artist if he's throwing away stuff like "Radio." Well, that's all I have to say for now. Don Trunk is an artist with talent and potential who should think a tad bit more creatively of things (and let good ears listen to his mixes before he finalizes them). Good job overall. I'll still keep my eye out for future projects and turnt up Book Festival performances.
70.5%

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to relax for the rest of this snow day.

DonTrunk.com
Download "Not A Beatmaker"
Buy "Not A Beatmaker" on iTunes
Follow @DonTrunk on Twitter
Follow me (@WaverlySpades) on Twitter

Nerds Like Rap?

One of the first successful "Nerdcore" rappers was probably MC Frontalot. Since then, the term nerd has been over used, thrown around, changed, and a multitude of other things, but here, we stick to the original definition: one whose IQ exceeds their weight.
Other nerds include: Prince Ea, Lupe Fiasco, Street Light, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, etc.

What is this right here?
It's another music blog, I guess.
Well.. it's not just that. I'm not going to use this as one of those blogs that just posts peoples' music because you send it. I'm going to listen to everything sent to me and post my honest opinions of it. I might sound grandiloquent at times, but there will always substance in what I say, I promise you. Read everything closely with a dictionary app up and you might learn something.

Who am I?
I am Waverly Spades. No. That isn't my real name. It's a pseudonym. One of my favorite pseudonyms is Pseudonymous Bosch. He's a great author. I'm a teenager from Baltimore who has an interest in most styles of music, but I like Hip-Hop the most. I'm black. I wear glasses. I study music theory in my spare time.

Why did I make this?
Too many blogs are so generic.
aaand like I said, I'm from Baltimore, MD. There are not a lot of good blogs here (but there are some good ones like BmoresVeryOwn and Definition Of Fresh). I don't want to be considered just a Baltimore blog though. I will post stuff from people all around the world. I want to put out my sometimes controversial (that's what my friends say) thoughts about Hip-Hop. I also don't mind helping expose some lesser known artists. This is like the Big Ghost Chronicles except I have an opposite personality.

What I'm listening to right now?
#SummerSessions by BKnitts of WhiteBoyTakeover. I'm definitely posting my thoughts on that here. I know. Some other stuff that I'm listening to and know I'll post sooner or later, 21117 by Jay Verze, those songs that Ronny and Ron Love did, that one song by Bobby Woody, Forever Dope by Schwaze, XV, Chance The Rapper, yadda yadda.

You want your music on this blog? Just send it to me, waverlyspades@gmail.com
Be warned, I post what I truly think of your music. Don't get mad if I say I don't like something and offer constructive criticism. Full submission rules will come later, but for now, just email stuff to that address.

Nerds (Still) Like Rap Too?

Hey, fam.
When I come to this blog, I feel really guilty. When I think of about when I started it some 3 years ago, it feels as if it's been so long. A lot has happened in these past 3 years. Not regarding this blog, but in life in general. I was a junior in high school when I started the blog. I just finished my first year of college (on the deans list too ayye). A lot of my favorite indie dudes don't rap that much and/or aren't as consistent (but I've come to notice a few starting to get back into the swing of things). Some dudes are really gaining traction (if you don't follow Tae Miles fka WiseGuy., you should start). Soundcloud has grown to crazy heights compared to where it was three years ago, but by trying to go the YouTube route (thus trying to fuck over a lot of indie artists), but labels don't fuck with it so much, so they've really fucked themselves. GoldLink James has re-emerged as GoldLink. He and Shy Glizzy, putting on for the DMV heavy (two different styles of people in DMV of course), have made it to the XXL Freshman cover (proof that DMV is almost at the point of being recognized). King Los just dropped an amazing album, is at the top of the charts, and even got the best 5 Fingers of Death Freestyle on Sway In The Morning. While I've moved out of the city for the greater part of the year (I go to school at UMBC), I've been continuously stumbling into more and more music from our area. It only gets better. There's a reason why the Rolling Stone says Baltimore has the best indie music scene. I have my license now. There's a free album on iTunes right now. Kendrick Lamar dropped another project. Tek.Lun and Hi$to have become two of the dopest producers in the area (crazy because at one point in time, I didn't think producers like that would come out of this area). FL Studio has gone from like 9 to 12. Jay Verze (the first artist I wrote about here) has shared a stage with Cam'Ron. Lor Scoota and Young Moose have been become staples in Baltimore street music. Bossman became Travis Davon. The new generation of Baltimore club artists like Mighty Mark and Abdu Ali have changed and rearranged everything (and it sounds amazing). Freddy Gray was killed hardly a few miles from me. So much has happened. So much progress from everyone. I've learned a lot.
So, I come back to this blog again, and feel guilty. Why? Because throughout it all, I always have these fleeting thoughts and stuff I want to say, but never say. There's a lot of stuff that I'll say under my real name, but I try to keep it PC there. When I want to get gritty and just express raw thoughts and feelings (can't do that under my real name---niggas don't have feelings), I just sit around and think them up. I think I should write. I think I should make a song about it. I end up not though. I don't think I've gotten lazy. I think for a long time, my brain thought more than I could handle. I have more things in my mind that I have to do than I really have to do. I want to do so many things that I don't know what to do. Looking back, I've felt too creative for my own good. I feel stigmatized by my own thoughts and my lack thereof voice. I guess I've been letting myself almost eat myself from the inside for the past few years and I've been blaming school work, and when the summer came, I'd blame actual work. I don't know words to describe it, but I don't want to keep getting into this.
A lot of energy has been revitalized within the past few months. Been sticking to a lot of resolutions and this was one of them. I'm starting this blog again, and I want to thank all of you guys whoever read. I'm looking at the stats and this blog somehow had over 13k views with my little more than 50 posts. that's dope.

#WaverlyWednesdays #comethru #everywednesday #bwoy

follow me on twitter @WaverlySpades

blog updates
1. please don't send me shitty music. I used to get pretty overwhelmed looking at the submissions and trying to write stuff because I would actually try to review EVERYTHING. I thought that would help everybody. You get a blog post (even though it's a shitty rating). I get a little bit better at writing. You also get constructive criticism. Didn't really work out that way tho. Nobody shares a post when I trash the music. And no one's looking for reviews of an indie that no one knows and I'm here publicly bashing/criticizing thier shit. The post is essentially a waste of space and time on this blog. On top of that, there's only so much shitty music I can handle. I ended up not really writing about all of it. I have like 30 drafts of bad songs/mixtapes that I was gonna critique, but just couldn't bring myself to finish, so yea. Go ahead and send me anything, but it may or may not get posted depending if I deem it of quality or not. That being said, you can email me and just ask for my opinion and not a blog post and I will oblige. I may even reply to the emails turned down telling you why I don't like the songs, but at the end of the day, it's your music/art. My opinion doesn't matter. Just as idgaf if you fuck with this blog or not. With all of that stuff, I will try to post as many dope things that I come across here.

2. the title is Nerds Like RAP Too, but it's going to be a LOT more than rap/hip hop and it's culture. As I've diversified as I've grown up, I want to diversify this content. You are allowed to submit literally anything that seems cool. Films, dances, fashion (not the best critique of fashion, but I admire it), contemporary art, whatever, fam. I'll look through all of it. My one promise to you.