True.. a lot of gangsta rappers are posers but YG actually lives that shit. I hear that once you're a blood, you're a part of it forever, no matter how famous and successful you are, you can't get out. And I don't think he glorifies his lifestyle, he just shows it as it is.

I'm honestly not entirely sure why this has bothered me so much, but I have some ideas.

Mostly, I think it's about timing. Again, this is 2016. You're right, we talk about a lot of gangsta shit, and I've always been largely ok with it. But part of the reason I'm ok with, I think, is that almost all of it is in the past. The pretty distant past, in hip-hop years. It's like, 2pacalypse now and Me Against the World and Ready to Die and Life After Death, 36 Chambers, and so on... These albums are all part of history at this point. It was exciting and nervy and maybe even socially necessary for rappers to make hard, violent, scary music back then. Socially necessary because it had been a while since white America associated blackness with power or strength. It was novel, and it scared white folks, and that was excellent. But it didn't turn out all that well in the end, and despite the many classic records that fall under the gangsta sub-genre, it may have actually had a negative overall impact on hip-hop and cultural discourse alike.

But still, it happened, and for a while it was good, and I listened to it, and I still can listen to it to this day, partly because that era is very much over. There's nothing to worry about at this point. And the genre seemed to learn a lesson from that era, and now rap that's informed by that lifestyle is coming in more diverse and thoughtful incarnations.

To have a something like this drop NOW, it just feels tacky. I guess not everyone did learn their lesson. In other words, golden era gangsta rap is historically important. But to put out a major label, long-anticipated album and make it a Gang-focused ode to Bloodness just feels wrong. We already HAD the '90s, and we already HAD the whole thug life thing. It feels like a devolution of rap, or a complete disregard for the history of the art form. It also feels lazy.

Another reason why I think this pisses me off so much is because of the last minute change to the album name, which turned "Brazy" into a headline word, and definitely acted as a advertisement, whether that was the intention or not. Oh hey, this just in, new YG album now called Still Brazy... Why? Well, because .... and then it becomes a focal point, and more people know about the culture and more people learn that YG's a banger.

ALSO ... Do you even listen to YG?
This is not the kind of artist who raps about his painful experience so he can process it and create art. This is a self-proclaimed heathen, debauched, and unapologetic, reveling in excesses and the "krazy" shit he does. My Krazy Life was like the Bizarro Good Kid, mAAd city; it had nothing to do with art. It was just about being loud and wilin' out, and celebrating being an absolute thug. And it was a pretty goddam good album for what it was. (For what it was)

You assume that he thinks of his music artistically because you think about music that way. You assume the imagery/symbolism/whatever has some artistic purpose because he's technically an "artist" in the colloquial sense of the word. But I promise you, YG is not that kind of artist.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm just sayin how I feel man...

I don't entirely agree with this part. MKL had a track about being cheated on and how he's hurt by that relationship gone sour. The album proper ends with an apology to his mother. I feel like MKL (for what it was) actually had a cohesive story, with an interesting dichotomy that was rather thoughtful. This new album just doesn't have that depth to me.

Well the new album has a few (very straightforward) political songs.. whether y'all like it or not is up to you, but this is the man's art and the way he chooses to express himself..

what a smart and mature post! it's hard to be threating and hard anymore because most white people are jaded and used to it by now and don't care. old people could give a fuck and parents these days have heard it all. if art can't shock as it's aesthetic anymore, it has no purpose. it's old man blues. when I hear a republican talking about violence in hip hop these days I think of Ice T and Body Count. whatever old man. nice try old man.

ha! i realized we're talking about YG. fuck dat dude. he needs to go dunk his fucking fat head in a vat of acid. lame fuck! GAWD! his corny shit sucks!!!

nigga i talk real shit!!! im a trendsetter nigga!!! YOU DONT KNOW ME NIGGA!!!! YOU DONT KNOW ME NIGGA!!! IM RIGHT NIGGA!!! YOU DONT KNOW ME NIGGA TRENDSETTER NIGGA!!! IM RIGHT NIGGA!!! BOUT EXPLOSION NIGGA!!! FOLLOW ME NIGGA!!

lame ass nigga!! STRADDLE DAT NIGGA!!!! SPOON IN DA HAND NIGGA!!! DEVILS HATE!!!!! MY SHITE IS TRENDSETTER NIGGA!!! MARY CHRIST NIGGA!!!! YOU KNOW IM RIGHT!!! NIGGA!!! SHE BE FLIPPIN SWAT ON MA NIGGA!!! TANGLE UP IN DA FINGER NIGGA!!!! SHOE LACE STRANGLE NIGGA!!! FOUR HEY HURRAY NIGGA!!!! BIRTHDAY NIGGA!!! ASHTRAY NIGGA!!!!! CANT CURSE NIGGA!!!! IT'S TOO LAME NIGGA!!! NEW STYLE NIGGA!!! OLD SCHOOL LAME!! NIGGA!! TRENDSTEADER NIGGA!!! COOKING DAT PLASTIC NIGGA!!! SHOE LACE!!! TOE KICK SAW!! NIGGA!!! SHOELACE NIGGA!!! COUNT DA WAYS NIGGA!!! PIE COUSIN!!! BIRTHDAY!!! NIGGA!!!

pie cousin nigga!! PIE COUSIN NIGGA!!! PIE COUSIN NIGGA!!! PIE COUSON NIGGA!!!
RICE BOWL NIGGA!!!!

trendsetter nigga!!!!

let me get ol school nigga!!!

DICK IN YO FACE NIGGA!!!

Plolla!! Nigga!!! Sret Straight Nigga!! Indney Nigga!!! I Stop Fuycking Bitches Nigga!!!! suck mi dick !!!

wyo hwy we? we? whey u we o we yo? nigga hatin? always be hating!!! drinking hateraid hatin nigga!!

lick da head!!! storp slurringaxa nigga!!!

Well, yeah, I liked (like... rpesent tense) My Krazy Life quite a bit. And I know the songs you're talking about, so I feel you. But I actually think you are the one who told me — when I was making some comment about wishing MKL was more like good kid at its core — that it's like good kid turned upside down, less about regret and reflection, more about embracing the "Krazy." I remember because I thought it was a prett astute observation, and that maybe YG was kind of a balancing force for Kendrick. A straight up crazy ass thug motherfucker. There's probably a need for that to some extent, lest hip-hop lose its sense of humor entirely and disappear up its own asshole.

But I was just expecting a lot more from this album in general. The ugly ass cover and the "Brazy" thing and the red red red, ultimately just the shit cherry on the cake of shit.

Still think it's totally possible to write about gang violence in a tasteful way that's appropriate for this era, and that YG has chosen not to do that. But the dude's a kid himself. What the fuck does he know?

so you guys think i have a chance? u dudes want my mix email me.

CROWN ME!!! i know you liked it. you think im a loser. what till the beats.

hip hop is about one thing and one thing only. braggadocio.

Jesus man, you need to re-watch that Seinfeld episode where George learns about shomanship, and decides to start "going out on a high note" in his every day life. There's some important bullcrap in there that I think you could benefit from.

Yeah i said that on MKL YG was the dude pouring drinks on Kendrick's "swimming pools", its like the same album structure told from two polar opposite storytellers.

That's what it was, yeah. Excellent description.

Are y'all not excited about the new Frank Ocean album?

Revisting Channel Orange right now.

Ah, yes. Forgot all about that though. Only had a chance to read a headline this morning before the day exploded. Haven't given it a second thought.

But yeah, sure. Definitely excited. About goddamn morherfucking time.

I don't know who Frank Ocean is. Sounds made up.

I don't believe you.

Probably not your cup of tea anyway, but for what it's worth, Channel ORANGE is one of the defining records of 2010's R&B. One of the best too. Perhaps second only to D'Angelo's Black Messiah.

fuck the bullshit can we get some Billy Ocean in this bitch??

Is he Billy Ocean's son?

For real. I don;t know this FRank Ocean. Perhaps they don;t play him here in HTown radio?

Ice T - I'm Your Pusher.

https://youtu.be/_nODi6OECzs

had not heard this since High School

New Travis Scott, 2 Chainz and Dinosaur Jr albums this Friday too.

sremmlife 2 as well on the 13th

yeah I'm excited for the new Dino Jr.

He was a member of Odd Future. He kinda made history for the world of hip-hop when he came out of the closet. He's a singer, but has done a bit of rapping here and there, and was definitely one of the boys on early Odd Future tapes.

Cut out on his own in 2011 with the *excellent* nostalgia, ULTRA. mixtape where he covered Coldplay and it actually was badass.

In 2012 he dropped his official debut album Channel Orange, and it's not an exaggeration to say that it's one of the best and most groundbreaking popular music records of the era. It was nominated for Album of the year at the Grammys. My favorite songs are "Crack Rock" and "Pyramids." He's been a highly coveted guest spot since, appearing on tracks by Kanye, Jay Z, Kanye & Jay Z and maybe some others ;)

If you know Odd Future, and have opinions about them, set them aside before checking out Frank. He's by far the most talented and sophisticated member ever associated with the group, and his solo career made pretty much every OF release look infantile by comparison. He's indebted to D'Angelo, Maxwell, Prince... but he's really his own thing. I've heard people compare Channel Orange to OK Computer on multiple occasions (kind of a shit comparison for people who only understand music in the context of super popular music... the albums are nothing alike, except perhaps in scope.)

He's been famously elusive since the hype around Orange faded, turning up for a couple guest spots a year at most. People have been eagerly awaiting his follow-up for four years, and it almost seemed like it wasn't going to happen at some points.

So yeah, kind of a big deal. Louder's a fan. I'm a fan. NR's a fan. Everyone should be really. Again, I don't think it's quite up your alley, but Frank Ocean is motherfucking amazing.

Me too. I did not like I Bet on Sky, but I've a renewed interest in this one after hearing the solo collage and reading the pitchfork review, which claims it has the best Lou tracks of the Beyond-present era.

I doubt that anything's going to top "Your Weather," but I'm happy to give it a chance. It's supposed to be closer to Beyond in spirit, and that's the last album that I really loved from start to finish.

I loved Beyond.

And yeah Frankie Ocean is legit. Even though he is a singer I love his verse on "Oldie"

I'ma throw some Frank Ocean at my wife. she may dig upon the grooves....

Should I take this to mean you've listened yourself?

I avoid most R&B like Thurston Moore avoids sexagenarian women....





Too soon?

Yeah, do your wife a favor and put her onto some Frank Ocean. She'll be grateful. :)

new Dino Jr? really? dig! it's so weird been on a heavy Dino kick from last week to this week..


Frank Ocean is cool. he should stop by more and stop being a stranger. way more tolerable than the rest of that Wolf odd futhder crew.

I live for the low notes! lighten up. im here to project comic relief. no one else is.

I have a prediction. what if hip hop in the future doesn't use curse words? it would be like an anti hip hopist thing? will the mumble take over indistinctly between the real and the mumble southern jargon of the new breed.

another note: will noise not use guitars for feedback? instead will they use the common hair dryer to reinforce their anti-rockist attitude? will noise even be a thing? I cant wait till that time comes. "guitar? my parents used a guitar for noise, your crazy!!!!". one kid says Sonic Youth the other says yr lame. and the battle is endless.

im baffled as to why some of you listen to some of this shit in this thread? at least four or five of you are 35 and older I know. one guy is the age of consent and he's louder. the rest of you seem like old men trying to be cool. I have a really really HARD time believing you guys take some of this shit serious. listening is one thing but discussing it in depth like studying WWI is crazy ass shit!! pure madness.

I feel like ice cream. you can't really relate to this shit? can you? you go to bed with this shit in yr head? your old school NAS WU TANG old man SNOOP public enemy.

one fucking dude here is younger than 26. the rest of you are middle age or approaching. still listening to kids stuff. and you have a problem with me? amazing!!!!!!!!! unreal!!! unfathomable!!! disgrace!!!

hope u guys get the help you need and godspeed.

I almost forgot that Odd Future used to be a thing..