Good Music (3/28/13)

     I had not posted anything on Cory's Song for several months, but of course, you know I have still been staying up on music.  I have been listening to plenty of new music and I recently got into the whole mixtapes game.  Before I really did not consider it to be worth a crap, but since so many of today's new artist have started off on the mixtape circuit, I decided to see what all the hoopla was about.  To my surprise, some of the stuff is not half-way bad.  So I will talk about a lot of the mixtapes, and EPs (and whatever else the kids are calling them these days) a little bit more on later post.
     For now I just wanted to tell you about 2 of my favorite albums to come out in the months since I have been keeping low-key. 

good kid, m.A.A.d. city

First of all I wanted to talk about west-coast rapper, Kendrick Lamar's album good kid, m.A.A.d. city.  This album is dope. Its like Boyz in the Hood if it was an album.   It takes you on a journey  in the life of Kendrick Lamar.  At the end of each song there's these skits (they're hilarious).  This is my first time listening to music by Kendrick Lamar, but I hear he has been out for a minute now on the whole "mixtape scene".  He is a great rapper.  He has great flow and his storytelling is very creative.  I think he is something like a hip-hop prophet. (he often talks about religion on this album).  He gave me a Kanye West type of vibe, (All Falls Down Kanye, not the Kanye of today) with a strong message.  I really enjoyed the whole album, but I would have to say Money Trees was definitely my instant favorite.  Then in the last skit when Kendrick's mom was talking to him that honestly  almost made me cry.  All-in-all, this is a great album and I suggest you check it out if you have not already done so. 

Two Eleven

     You already know!!!  Brandy Norwood released her 6th studio album, Two Eleven to critical acclaim back in October.  If you have been reading Cory's Song, you know I ride for this lady, and could not wait to see what she had in store for me!  I have to be honest I just could not really get into Brandy's last two albums (maybe its because they followed Full Moon, and after that everything else is just...you know...not as good) but I could not give up on her.  I knew she could comeback. 
     Well, this time, she did not disappoint!!!  October 16 could not come fast enough!  I had to get this album.  I went out and bought the CD, and popped that bad boy in.  The 1st listen, I honestly wasn't getting into it.  I was like dang, Brandy! What is wrong baby??? Why can't you get back to your full glory?  It sounded weird to me.  Her voice had changed so much, again.  The songs sounded just spacy to me (for lack of a better term, its kind of hard to explain).  The beats were just really empty (they didn't have much going on).  It was as if she was singing into space.  Some instant stand outs to me on this 1st listen were Slower, which had a great beat, No Such Thing As Too Late, because I really liked her voice on that track, Without You, was the only song that I just absolutely loved,  and Paint This House.  Even though I liked the songs, the beats were off to me (save for Without You).  After Paint This House, that was the end of the standard version.  So I was actually disappointed, but luckily I bought the deluxe.  But, alas,the songs on there were spacy too.  I did however love the song Music, it was just breezy. 
     That was the 1st listen in the car.  Then I got home, and played it again, and loved every freaking song, and have been playing it non-stop ever since. 
     I don't know, its something with me about Brandy. At 1st I can't get with her when her voice goes through these changes.  I was the same way with Full Moon, but now the album is my favorite. 
     It is hard to pick a favorite off of this one, I love the whole album (save for So Sick...I just don't get it).  I will go with Without You since I loved it right off the back.  It is a different song for Brandy.  When I heard it, I said, "Wow!" she is singing like back on her 1st two albums. "  She has not sang like that since....Well,her 1st two albums!  I also like Music.  It makes me feel like I am on a boat.  It gives me R. Kelly Step in the Name of Love, Sade, Luther Vandross, or Frankie Beverly and Mase.  Calm and Smooth (if that makes any since).  Plus she sounds like she did when she was younger and I love when Brandy can give me those moments when  she goes back to young Brandy.  I love the whole album though, Paint This House, Hardly Breathing, Wildest Dreams, Wish Your Love Away. Everything! I think it is turning into my second favorite Brandy album, behind Full Moon, and from me, that is saying a lot...


Check out both of these albums.