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.

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Chrissy Vasquez - Nightmares [VIDEO]

What's up nerds and trekkies? It's Bill Nye's 2nd cousin, but you may know me as Waverly Spades. Today, I have Chrissy Vasquez' new video for her new song "Nightmares." Last week, I posted her mixtape because I loved it. I posted this because idk why. I like the song a lot, but this video is.... I don't know how to express my feelings here. I love to see Chrissy in a bathtub and being artsy and shit, it's just... Idk. The video has so much potential. I love the scenes and everything. It seems like a dark Lana Del Rey video, but what irks me soooooooo fucking much is the quality. It seems like the video was shot with a potato and edited in Windows Movie Maker (which can be pulled off SOMETIMES). I'm not knocking it at all, I just reccomend some higher quality for the next video. Props to her for directing her own video.
2.5 Contemplations out of 5
Mas o meno

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Download Chrissy Vasquez' latest project "Pro$per Proficient"
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This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to finish reading the Scarlet Letter, even though Nathaniel Hawthorne is pretty irrelevant in my life. (Honors English is not worth this struggle.)

Same Old Story - Nicholas Miles

Hey nerds and geologists. It's me the real Carlton Banks, but you probably know me as Waverly Spades. Today, I got this joint sent in by Nicholas Miles. He's another artist from Baltimore. It's called Same Old Story. It opens up with some soulful, sampled, dope shit. It's a nice little story about some burgular, I think. Next, it transitions into this weird, Neo-Dilla type beat and I just love it. Who produced that? It's like a part 2 to the first section. At one point he says "put you in a box, got you locked, duct tape in a basement." This sounds like the murder at Da Vinci's down in Mt. Vernon where two employess were robbed, locked in the basement, and burned to death in a fire started by a robber. Baltimore's crazy. Both of these parts feel like short snippets and it really makes you want a full song, especially for the 2nd part. Overall, this song is dope. Check it out.
4.6 Nerd Contemplations out of 5
Nerd Approved

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Chrissy Vasquez - Pro$per Proficient [Mixtape Review]

Oh hi there, nerds and freaks and geeks. You probably know me as Bill Nye's 2nd cousin or the real Carlton Banks, but for those of you who don't know me at all, my pseudonym is Waverly Spades. Lately, I've been on summer break because nerds need breaks too. I got a job, went to camp, watched a lot of cartoons and catfish. It's been real. Free my nigga, summer. Now, back to the review. Over this summer, I've been hearing about this girl who goes by "Chrissy Vasquez." She's been randomly showing up on my timeline through retweets and people posting her stuff. I click on her profile and there's this little cartoon twiticon and link to her mixtape. I'm strangely attracted because like, lightskin bitches and pokeballs... it doesn't get better than that! But seriously, there aren't many female singers/artists in Baltimore who take their craft seriously, so the album artwork alone sparked my curiosity. Let's see  how this sounds.

(Interlude) For The Boys - Ever since Drake did Bria's Interlude and Ronny did Liya's Interlude, everyone thinks that an interlude is just a track you do to commemorate to someone else, but that's not really the case! It's the track usually done between tracks. I'm not going to be too much of a stickler on this stuff though. Musically, this introlude throws you off because unlike most modern pieces of music, there's background music. This is purely instrumental. That is so foreign and interesting to me. Chrissy has an amazingly warm, alto voice. The title of the track is "For The Boys," but it sounds like it's for someone specific. She seems very sex-craving, but intimate in a way that's just cute. I'm impressed.

4.7/5

Senseless - Everything about this song is so jazzy. I really feel like this is a young Billie Holiday. drug addiction and all. lol. Much like the last song, this sounds like a little letter. It's again, cute.

3.9

Sensual Money - This is a very abrupt change in pace. This short and sweet track is about a girl named Molly (an ironic reference to the drug that Trinidad Jame$ made famous, I'm presuming). "They don't call her Molly for nothing. You'll see if you just slip her something." She's the stereotypical "party girl." She's got a drug addiction to cocaine, heroine, and mollies I presume. Like most good girls gone bad, she didn't want it to happen. There are some great double entendres like "Molly shot herself down." This happens to be the most hard hitting song on the tape for me. I really like it

4.9/5

Smeared Lipstick (Prod. by Ricky Broadway) - Engineering-wise, it immediately annoys me how loud the vocals are compared to the beat at times, but at other times, it feels like a nice artistic touch. Ricky Broadway made the perfectly, eerie beat for this girl. This song is back and directed to two boys. It's an interesting ending to an EP that seems almost too short.

"He made me numb. He made me cum."

3/5

Well, for the first time in Nerd History, I'm almost at a lost of words for this body of work I just listened. to. -almost.- Where do I start? Due to the intimate nature of these songs, I can't tell if she's making herself a sex object or everything is truly personal. The first song is called "For The BOYS," but she definitely seems to be only talking to one person. Even if it is a bit seemingly out there, everything still seems classy. She almost reminds me of the Weeknd, in a sense, she can say whatever the fuck she wants, and people won't hate it. They'll always love it because of the voice and vibe of the song, but don't think I'm knocking the authenticity of this girl. I sorta want to compare her to Billie Holiday, but I feel her voice isn't grown enough for this. I could immediately hear this girl doing a song with Lorine Chia or Kilo Kish.  This is a really ill, little EP. It's not too short, but it leaves you wanting more. Chrissy did this one right. I'm rooting for her.

82.5% - B

Nerd Approved

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to stay up late another night thanks to Labor day weekend.

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Top Rookie - Down The Rookie [Mixtape Review]

Oh hey there, nerds and trekkies. It's me, Bill Nye's 2nd cousin aka your atypical blogger aka a man with not so many names, but you most likely know me as Waverly Spades, the nigga that never actually posts shit. Today, I come to you with Top Rookie's latest release, Down By The River. Top Rookie is a three-piece rap group out of Minnesota consisting of Miley Woo, Emceeven, and someone not so new to the blog: Tommy Prospect (formerly known as TGK). This is one of those things I've been saying I'd listen to and review for a while, so I'mma sit down and do it now! Since this is a group, I'm going to do something I've never done before and tell who had the best (or at least, my favorite) verse in the song.
Mind's Eye (My World) - That beat is nice and chill. Mr. Prospect went on some other shit with that flow. The whole track is just a chill start. Best verse: Prospect 3.4/5
Lost For Days - Miley's flow was craaazy. I love that hook. Prospect verse was a great followup. M7 came off strong, but she still had such a laidback sense in her voice. I don't know what I think, but I love it. Like, I didn't expect it would be as dope as it was. (I mean that in the best way possible.) Best Verse: M7 "If you don't believe in me, then you's an atheist" - Emceeven 4/5
Recordin & Roastin - WOO. I was tired of the typical form (Miley, then Tommy, then Emceeven). This beat is hard. Tommy is hard. I love that verse. At this point in the mixtape. I'm starting to notice that Miley sounds like he's trying to sound like Ab-Soul on the flow tip, but it's not fully his thing, nawm saying? It's not bad, just could be improved. M7 said "you should always watch your back in my streets," and I sorta laughed because these are little white children we are talking about. Best Verse: Tommy Prospect "I'm so hot, my flow cold. You burning up while you shiver" -Tommy Prospect 3.2/5
Triple Threat - AYYYE. Much love for the So What sample. Shoutout to Prospect for that "Got yo girl on my snapchat" line. Best Verse: None really stood out to me. 2/5
Rumble In The Jungle - This track vibes. Best Verse: Miley's 1st one. (yeah lol) 2.3/5
Abstract - This is honestly the best track I've heard so much. I blame the beat and the change in flows. Ayo. I know M7 did not just make a reference to Kim Kardashian's sextape. Best Verse: Miley "I'm just happy that I grew up with a pot to piss in" -Tommy Prospect 4/5
Demonstration (ft. Wavey Nico) - So this is supposed to be the club banger, huh? This track is so hypocritical. The chorus is "We are selling records at a record rate!" Do these guys not realize this is a free mixtape? lol. There are actually like a lot of funny lines in this track. "I play this for yo team and they Joseph Gordon- LOVE IT." haha that is gold. I don't like the mixing so much on this track. No shade, the Wavey Nico guy is hella basic. It's a very quick, Rick-Ross style verse. (It reminds me of Ross' verse in Monster.) That group hook sounded so dope! "You see reality, I see a dream." -Tommy Prospect Best Verse: tie between Prospect and M7 3.2/5 Let You Live - This beat is pretty trill. The first line to stand out to me was "We hitting up that party like you hittin up that Pornhub." Hey, Ruby, don't just diss PornHub! They've never done a nigga wrong! Everybody's flow was fucking ridiculous! Wait a minute, this is M7's 2nd porn reference, but who's counting. wut. Favorite verse: all three of these were actually the dopest verses I've heard on the tape so far (despite the line against pornhub). The each had their own unique feel. I liked them all so much ahha. 4/5 Interlude - Chill ass beat and M7 teaching some lessons. I doubt much more you could ask for. (not gonna rate this one because it didn't feel like a full song, nawm saying? moreso an interlude, which it is.) Drugs on Everest - Shoutout to Miley for that chorus because that shit is groovy as fuck. Best Verse: Tommy 4.3/5 The Passion - "Shoutout to them freshmen." WAIT. TOMMY! AREN'T YOU A FRESHMAN? C'MON SON. That beat feels like some OF type shit. Rap dope. Stay dope. Miley talks about so much sex in his verse that it's pointless and annoying. "High off that sweet life. Pot cookie" -Tommy Prospect Best Verse: M7 3.8/5 Toro - If you wrote out a trap beat on paper and gave it to an orchestra to play, this is what that beat would sound like. It's awkwardly, hard as masturbation with your mom downstairs. I got a bit sad when the beat dropped because I thought the song was already over and I like this joint! haha. Miley's verse is pretty funny. Everything's trill here. Best verse: Miley Woo 4.8/5 Big Things In The City (ft. Jahkobi Martin-Senna) - WHOOOOOOOOOO IS THAT SAYNGING?!? PAIOKDE;LAVJEO;AKLDPOEIK! Jahkobi gets much love for that hook! Those Top Rookie cats get much love for knowing this dope cat. Crazy verse. Gotta love the jazzy ass beats. I love the irony in Tommy's verse. He talks about having new chrome kicks, but he's taking the bus and spent his last penny already. That's an urban artist for you, haha. This is easily my favorite song on the mixtape. Best Verse: MILEY SINGING 4.89999999999999 Runaway - fuck I don't even know what to say about this one. Tommy made this beat, so they askin' fo a lease. Best Verse: Tommy Prospect 2.7/5 Uneducation - This beat gets much love. I'm assuming Thomas sang some shit, chopped it out, and played it. I really fucks with it. This is probably my favorite beat on the tape. This is the most inspirational track on the tape. I love this song a lot. Miley had my favorite verse this whole tape. It was very intellectual, but still kept that inspirational feel. I love the whole combined chorus thing. the beat is so orgasmic tho... those synths at the end!! Best Verse: Miley Woo (M7 is a close 2nd) "In the end, we all gon die, so why you keep debating?" -Miley Woo 4.9/5
So here we are again. Another review, another ending. I feel like I have a lot to say about this group, but then I'll probably write this and it won't make so much since, so let me dive into this. First of all, there are no production credits anywhere and that annoys me. I'm assuming everything is made by the group's Producer/MC combo, Tommy Prospect. I applaud them for having all originals. The mixtape starts pretty basic to me, but as it progresses, their songs progress. There is sometimes more maturity in themes and ideas that I like. A big problem I see throughout the tape (moreso in the beginning) is that they'd be just rapping and talking. Like, they'd be saying stuff, but it wouldn't have much substance and they'd put in a fast flow to make sound cool. A lot of rappers do that and think it sounds cool, but what's a dope flow if you're saying nothing? What would Kendrick Lamar be if he switched topics with Cheif Keef? nawm saying? There would also be some typical lines I heard throughout the tape that just annoyed me ("I eat all of these rappers like they are dinner" -Miley Woo, "I'm caged in these bars" -Tommy Prospect, "What I'm cooking up"). Overall, the tape showed such potential with a mix of soulful stuff to just hard, trap type beats. It's a weird project that was going in different directions at time, but it was cool, you know? 74% - C
This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades and now I'm off go school shopping. All the shit is like 1 cent at Walmart right now before they start advertising.
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EndOfTime (Feat. Marlo D.) [Prod. by Richard Desire]

  It's been a minute since I've gotten to check my inbox and an hour since I've found something in there that I absolutely like. Aus Taylor sent me one of his joints, "EndOfTime" back in April, but I'm bumping my head to it like it just came with Yeezus. I don't know the sample, but that beat is so triumphant. Richard Desire did his thing! This was Aus' first original track, and for a first, it's great. Marlo D on that last verse kills. They rap about the somewhat cryptic society we live in. Aus, Marlo, and Richard are all parts of a Baltimore creative collective called "The Creators." After this track, Aus already seems like such an established artist. I'm definitely looking forward to see more. "What's time, but some organized nonsense?" 4.5 Nerd Contemplations out of 5 Nerd Approved Follow @ImAusTaylor on Twitter Follow OGAus on Tumblr Follow me on Twitter @WaverlySpades This track was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to go cop Yeezus (on Spotify because a nigga broke).

Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap [Mixtape Review]

What's up my favorite trekkies and nerds? It's me, the real Carlton Banks aka Bill Nye's 2nd cousin, aka the original black nerd, and a bunch of other monikers. Today, I want to review Chance The Rapper's newest free album, Acid Rap. I've loved Chance for a few months and I've been excited for Acid Rap for a very long time. Even before the few amount of leaks, I knew I'd like it way before I even listened, so I didn't wait to blog it to listen. I know most of this mixtape by heart, but I want to give an in depth review as to why this mixtape is so amazing. If you don't know who Chance The Rapper is, he's one of the most talented out of the wave of Chicago rappers we've been seeing lately. His flow is unlike any other and his singer/rapper style is something completely new (No Drake, Kanye, Cudi, etc.).  Let's get my true thoughts of each song.

 

Good Ass Intro (ft. BJ The Chicago Kid, Lili K., Kiara Lanier, Peter Cottontale, Will for the O'my's & JP Floyd for Kids These Days) [Prod. Peter Cottontale, Cam for J.U.S.T.I.C.E League & Stefan Ponce] - Such a soulful, churchy start. This is just a nice little touch. Besides the great melody, the slightly off snares and kicks sound so new it's ridiculous. The line up of artists here is crazy. This is truly a small taste/foreshadowing of what to expect with this mixtape. "Better bet I'd take that deal. Gotta watch out for my mother." He goes from talking about his family, to his drug use, and his music in general. This track is crazy. The trumpets and that singing outro.. This is such a beautiful song. I hear the slight Kanye influence. At some points in the outro, you hear the autotune on "So Good." And the track was entitled "Good Ass Intro." Kanye West's album was going to be called "Good Ass Job." This track was a good ass job.

"Did I turn to drugs and do better than my Alma Mater"
7/5

Pusha Man (ft. Nate Fox & Lilli K.) [Prod. by Ceej for Two9] - This track is just cool as fuck. If I had a whip, I'd turn my windows down and blast this all throughout the white neighborhood I live in. It's so charismatic. "I'm the new Nitty. Fuck it. Nitty the old me!" Nate Fox on the hook almost sounds like Childish Gambino. Are we sure that's not Childish Gambino?
"She came to party. She popped a molly. Said 'Come to papa.' She said, 'Papa yes!'" Much better than Rick Ross' line in U.O.E.N.O. lol
"10 damn days and all I gotta show for it is shows and shows and chauffers with road rage."
4.7/5

Paranoia (Hidden Track) [Prod. by Nosaj Thing] - I know this technically is apart of the last track, but it's almost like the Buried Alive interlude. It's it's own creation that serves it's own purpose. Chance tweeted that if you listen to this while tripping on Acid, the space on between is enough to time to prepare for the sudden change. He goes from rapping about some baller stuff to rapping about the state of his city. "Somebody'll steal daddy's rollie and call it the neighborhood watch." This track is  probably my favorite. It's anger with a purpose and a direction.  "They probably scared of all the refugees. Looks like we had a fucking hurricane here." I feel this song is almost an unanswered call. No other songs on the album speak of Chicago's violence like this one. He even states that he's scared. He says that everyone in Chicago is scared. It's an amazing change of outlook that you didn't specifically expect from the young, party-crazy emcee. "I hear everybody dying in the summer. Pray to God for a little more spring." First time hearing about the violence of Chicago from someone who's not contributing. If you didn't feel for Chicago before. You should now.
"Down here it's easier to find a gun than a fucking parking spot."
8/5

Cocoa Butter Kisses (ft. Vic Mensa & Twista) [Prod. by Cam for J.U.S.T.I.C.E League & Peter Cottontale] - This here is one of my favorite songs on the tape. It's already got a nice, churchy, soulful feel when the organs start. Cam and Peter are geniuses for this one. There's a little bit of a battle between Chance and Vic and that is beautiful. Both had outstanding verses. Chance gets very nostalgiac and it's a bit heartbreaking. Vic goes from talking about how he smokes with his band, Kids These Days, all the way to talking about how he believes they are all addicted. A feature from Twista is crazy for an up and comer, and his verse is AMAAAAZING. He definitely had that stereotypical black family we all know and love. "This is just a testament to the ones that raised me, the ones that I praise and I'm thanking. I need em, but the chronic all up in my clothes and I wanna get a hug, and I can't cause I'm stanking. Never too old for a spanking." Besides all of the melodies and great verses, the genius to this song is that it speaks on an aspect of smoking that no other rapper has touched on before. Smoking always leaves a smell on the smoker and many other loved ones in that person's life who don't smoke may be completely repulsed by it. (If you don't smoke, you probably already think the smell is repugnant.) What Chance, Twista, and Vic show here is how smoking separated them from the people they love. I assume other rappers have never really talked about it because it's nothing to glorify. You can really feel the pain in the song. They sorta make me want to start smoking, so I can relate to this one. haha. Not really, but still a dope track.
"A generation above me, I know you still remember me. My afro looks just like daddy's. Y'all taught me how to go hunting!"
7/5

Juice [Prod. by Nate Fox] - When this joint first came out, it was fire, but as I listen to it more, it's not that great, honestly. I mean, it's a really good song, but this one definitely loses replay value. That beat is still smooth as shit and the chorus can get you hype if you're in that mood. That lackadasical flow never truly gets old. This song is probably way more cool live.
"Everybody wanna sip until the juice spill, then everybody wanna bib, and then everybody wanna dip."
3.2/5

Lost (ft. Noname Gypsy) [Prod. by Nate Fox] - I never realized how beautiful love was on drugs. So tripping on Acid is the ideal date, now? Some girl wanna try this? That is the basic idea to this joint and it's simply beautiful. This is my first time listening to Noname Gypsy and she has a beautiful voice. "The only time he's love me is when I'm naked in my dreams." It's a sad love story because for the guy, it's always just an attraction, and the drugs help a bit. There's not much more to the love, but for the girl, she sees herself as being objectified. Weird how that changed around from a playful love song to a wakeup call.
4/5

Everybody's Something (ft. Saba & BJ The Chicago Kid) [Prod. by DJ Ozone] - Is that a J. Dilla sample? Well I know J. Dilla probably sampled it from something else, but the first thing I think is J. Dilla haha. Throughout this whole song, there's a lot of Chance's offbeat, yet soothing flow. I believe the word to describe it is scintillating. The song has a great message and imagery, but as Anthony Fantano said, the variety of things said here only scratch the surface. Chance doesn't go deeper than a line or two about problems throughout this song. He talks about religion, racial identity problems, police brutality, patriotism, etc, and wraps each verse up with the fact that somebody loves everybody, but it's never anything that truly hits you. BJ The Chicago Kid's verse is great. (I've never heard of him. Is he in Save Money Army?) This song is chill, but it doesn't have much replay value for me.
"Why God's phone die everytime I call on Him? If his son had a Twitter, I wonder would I follow him."
3/5

Interlude (That's Love) [Prod. by Ludwig Gorranson] - This is one of my favorite songs on the tape. The organs that start everything are beautiful. I would quote the whole verse if I could. I like how positively Chano raps. He makes love sound so beautiful, much unlike rappers today who treat it as a thing for bitch-nigga RnB singers and sensitive ass females. Chance gives it true light and I sing this everywhere. Whoever knew an interlude could be so powerful? I don't know who Ludwig Gorransen is, but the beat is filled with such essence and I'm in love with it.
7/5

Favorite Song (ft. Childish Gambino) [Prod. by Nate Fox] - I know a lot of people love this, but not even gonna lie, this is my least favorite song on the tape. I sorta hate it. The beat is jumpy and happy, but it's so happy that it's almost cartoonish. When he sings the chorus, it just sounds so fucking corny honestly. The wordplay is crazy and Gambino has a great verse, but I still just don't like it. Blame the beat. (Sorry, Nate!)
2.6/5

NaNa (ft. Action Bronson) [Prod. by Brandun Deshay] - Chance made a rap out of one of his adlibs lol. I wonder when he'll make a song called "Igh." That's new. Brandun Deshay sampled Red Clay for this joint. It's so chill. This song is cool and I can bump if it comes on repeat, but it's not like this is the first Chance song I search for on my Zune or anything. Action Bronson's verse is hilarious and perfect. Not much to say here.
4/5

Smoke Again (ft. Ab-Soul) [Prod. by Blended Babies] - Anthony Fantono said this is like a trap beat without hi hats, but it's better. I don't know why. It just feels more major, more live. I need to stop watching/reading album reviews before I finish mine. This track isn't lyrically great or anything, but it bumps. It's random as fuck. "No Drake, but I get my Drake on." This joint is almost a Cocoa Butter Kisses part 2, except the struggle this time is that smokers always want to smoke. It interferes, but they're not complaining haha. Ab-Soul honestly had one of the weakest verses I've ever heard from him on this, but it's still okay. The "lemme put my mouth where you potty, boo" made me puke a bit. "She only got you as a nigga on the side. That's the nigga on the side of a side bitch, homey!" Not even gonna lie. That's one of my favorite lines on the album.
"Lean all on that square, that's a fuckin' rhombus!"
3.4/5

Acid Rain [Prod. by Jake One] - The mood completely changes here. That hype shit dissipates a bit. This is the most introspective song in the mixtape, and unlike Everybody's Something, this one cuts deep. It is big restatement of the recurring themes of the mixtape: His drug use, acid, his friend who died, his rapid popularity, nostalgia, his highschool life, his relationship with Vic Mensa, etc. At the end of it end, he sings and old R. Kelly tune. It's beautiful in a sense. Jake One made an AMAZING beat and the perfect one for Chance. This was a great first single and is an amazing song.
"The richest man rocks the snatchless neckless."
5/5

Chain Smoker [Prod. by Nate Fox] - Here's another one of my favorites. It's another song where it touches some deep aspects of Chance's persona, but because of the upbeatness, it all just slips aways and hardly scratches the surface. "Last Chance joint gotta be a dance joint from an introspective, drugged-out standpoint." It goes from all of that to a filler space where he talks about how "this part is his shit." The whole song is sorta hypocritical to itself, but it's bouncy, so it's still cool. "Lot of niggas wanna go out with a bang, but I ain't tryna go out at all... Got a lot of ideas still to throw out the door."
"You and I look just alike and I'm afraid that this one right here might be the last time I write a song."
4.6/5

Everything's Good (Good Ass Outro) [Prod. by Cam for J.U.S.T.I.C.E League] - The intro is so nice. It's a conversation with his father. That is so heartwarming. "I used to be worse than worthless. Now I'm  worth hooks and verses." The whole track is a nice reminder of how far Chance has come and even though he's still just starting, he is without a doubt at a comftorable point in life. For him, everything's good! The trumpets come in and all opinions are made. You have to love Chance at this point. I love how he reuses previous themes of the mixtape in that beautiful outro. This is a great way to end the track.
"I knew I was fly when I was just a catepillar"
6/5

This album was probably the perfect album. It was better and worse than expected, but the highs balanced with the lows. The high points of the mixtape were really high. The low points weren't too low, they just weren't my style. I think that's the best part of this whole mixtape. I might not have liked a few songs so much, but I know a lot of other people went crazy over those songs (such as NaNa or Favorite Song). There truly was something for everybody on this tape. (Well, everybody who likes rap, hip hop, R&B, soulful stuff, jazz, and Kanye West.) This was something that rap needed for a while. There have been game changers in the past few years, but nothing like this right. Some might find Chance's voice and adlibs annoying, but those are just specifically Chance to me. They make him stand out and I like it all. His flow is ridiculous. I honestly wish Chance had a few more songs like Paranoia or Acid Rain out. On most tracks, when he gets introspective, it only scratches the surface, but on something like Acid Rain or Paranoia where he gets introspective and aware of the world around him, it really makes you sad and makes you want to rethink things. That's the only problem with Chance. The beats determine how seriously you take his songs. They're still all great songs whether you understand what it means or not. His lyricism is damn near 2nd to none. This whole tape is versatility. This shit makes me want to go trip acid. haha. Well y'all take a listen. All nerds and nonnerds alike should love this one.
99% - A+

This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades and now I'm off to enjoy these wonderful 77 days of summer that are finally here. (I'm also realizing Phineas & Ferb lied to us.)

Marcus Singleton (ft. Thrills William) - Be Mine [New Song]

What's up nerds? It's me, you're atypical blogger aka Bill Nye's 2nd cousin. Today, I have this track from Marcus Singleton. (Like I said, I'm trying to post more regularly.) Here are my thoughts. This song is pretty typical. The beat is smooth and what not, but still. That first verse is so boring and rapped so robotically, but it's slow, so it's not even cool. The 2nd verse is interesting. Thrills Williams said some nice stuff like "Bitches, I've had enough of em. Can't trust em. Can't love em." He knows that we don't love these hoes. Go peep the song.

1.7 Nerd Contemplations out of 5

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Summertime Sadness - A-1 [New Song]

What's up nerds and nerdettes? It's Bill Nye's 2nd cousin right here. This is a quick post. I've been a fan of A-1 since his first mixtape, After School Special. I don't know what it is about this guy Adam, but he makes good music. I don't know what it is to his music, but it all has a certain personality to it. I just saw this track in my facebook feed and pressed play. I was beyond impressed. The beat was made by Ryan Hemsworth and it is ridiculous. I love the sample, random noises, and that bass. A-1 touches on the dangers of Summertime, like the rise of murders and gang activities. It's a deep and somewhat touching song. The song sorta reminds me of a continuation to the end of Chance The Rapper's song, Pusha Man/Paranoia. Peep the track. It's amazing from my perspective.

6 Nerd Contemplations out of 5

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This review was brought to you by Waverly Spades, and now I'm off to work on my review of Chance The Rapper's new joint. I listened to it, and it was craaaaaaaaaaaazy.

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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