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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