Over the past week, Kanye's been on a quest to change things in the industry. The gist of it is that he's pushing for artists to maintain their masters and get better deals. However, there's more to it than that.   

https://djbooth.net/features/2020-09-17-kanye-west-recording-contract-breakdown-legal

Video episode here: https://youtu.be/jDr8z9uOUVU

As mentioned in every one of my reviews, the runtime of an album is very important to the listening experience. More often than not, I find myself preferring albums that are on the shorter side simply due to the lack of focus that many longer projects have. Join me as I tell you all the reasons why I like shorter albums!

Also, video link is here: https://youtu.be/4XTaBByvLpg

Five years ago, (September 4, 2015) Travis Scott dropped what some may call a genre defining album with Rodeo. This album's impact may not yet be seen, but in the coming years we may see its results.

Video podcast available here: https://youtu.be/AJK9oQSgg5o

As I've said before, the Bay Area is not to be underestimated and my guest today is no exception. Casey Cope is a rapper from San Leandro, California and was kind enough to stop by this week to talk about himself and his latest project For Now. For Now is available on every streaming platform, and it's definitely worth a listen! Huge thanks to Casey for hopping on the podcast!

As always, video's available here: https://youtu.be/oqLWjXzdQG8

Quarantine's been difficult for everyone, including the music industry. Now, I'm not talking about the people who are going to be selling records no matter what, because they'll be fine. I'm talking more about the people that really rely on tour and merch sales to make a living. The same people that you might be finding more about now that everyone spends all day on social media.

As always, video is available here: https://youtu.be/Fn4iczMVDhg

The XXL freshman list has always been a source for the general public to learn where the sound of hip hop is going and what's currently popular. Each year 10 newer rappers are selected for the list to represent the new/current sounds in hip hop. For years, the Freshman list has been faced with criticism from many (including myself) due to their choices. However, as time passes I think it's more important to look at the sound of hip hop when the freshman class is selected rather than the individuals.

As always, video podcast is available here: https://youtu.be/9pUPymP2m4k

Deluxe albums have always been a way for artists to give their fans a little more music. In the past, deluxe albums had just a few more songs at the end of the album, for the people that wanted more music and were willing to pay the extra couple of dollars. Nowadays, it feels like every album gets a deluxe version, but instead of adding just a couple of songs, they're adding an entirely new album.

Video podcast available here: https://youtu.be/wmi7GdxER2Y

On August 1, 1995, two years after the release of 36 Chambers, Raekwon the Chef dropped his debut solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. While this isn't the first solo Wu-Tang album, it's definitely one of my favorites. What sets this album apart from the previous Wu-Tang releases is the divergence from the typical RZA sound. This album brings about the birth of mafioso rap, which has basically taken over, even if it's not as prominent as it is on this album.  

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the album when it came out or when you first listened to it. Also let me know where it ranks compared to all other Wu-Tang solo debuts!

Here's Wu-Tang's breakdown of each track: https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=39731

Video version of the podcast: https://youtu.be/iebWf9KJar8

It's been 1200 days since Kendrick Lamar dropped Damn, and since then fans have been clamoring for a new Kendrick project. Seeing as it's been a while and he doesn't do too many features, that's understandable. However, what if he were to go a different route and do something bigger than music?

Video podcast available here: https://youtu.be/vEWR-laxG8w

Logic announced his retirement from rap on July 16, 2020 with the announcement of his upcoming final album, No Pressure. This week I take you through my issues with Logic and my hopes for his future.

As always, you can find the video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/LlyO9VpwsIM