JumpinJack AJ

He's getting love for the music. We have a handful of (partial) songs. He just needs to drop these singles or get the album out. I fear he's gonna drag it out to the point that the hype for new music will weaken from his followers who aren't as loyal.

I don't know if this article is important, but it's kinda interesting. https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/are-rap-albums-really-getting-longer/ Are Rap Albums Really Getting Longer? How the lengths of popular hip-hop records have shifted across the last 30 years. Graphics by Patrick Jenkins by Andrew Mayz Lists & Guides Rap July 27 2018 So far, 2018 has been dominated by a seemingly endless run of huge rap records with intimidatingly long tracklists and runtimes: Eminem, Migos, Post Malone, G-Eazy, and Drake have all held the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart this year with LPs that include at least 18 tracks and run for more than an hour. The apparent trend has been met with critics decrying the deluge as a crass way to game streaming numbers. Then Kanye West, ever the contrarian, went against the grain by releasing a run of conspicuously brief G.O.O.D. Music albums that all clocked in at under 30 minutes. It all made us wonder: Are rap albums really getting longer? To investigate, we compared the runtimes and number of tracks of the Top 20 rap albums on Billboard’s year-end charts from the past 30 years. Our data begins in 1988, the first year Billboard’s year-end Top R&B Albums chart featured at least 20 rap albums. At this point, hip-hop was evolving from a singles-oriented genre into an album-oriented one, with full-lengths like Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (58 minutes; 16 tracks), EPMD’s Strictly Business (44 minutes; 10 tracks), and rap’s first double album, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s He’s the D.J., I’m the Rapper (72 minutes; 17 tracks) among the year’s most popular rap records. But overall, the biggest hip-hop albums of 1988 were decidedly succinct compared to what would come later, with the average runtime at about 49 minutes, and the average number of tracks at around 12. And, as always, format played a role: Most people in the late ’80s were buying cassettes, and ingrained limitations including the modest capacity of physical media helped keep runtimes in check. The shortest popular rap album of the late ’80s was Brooklyn MC Dana Dane’s Dana Dane With Fame, which managed to pack all of its goofiness and dark humor into 37 minutes of breezy rhymes and beats. On the other hand, the longest was As Nasty as They Wanna Be by 2 Live Crew—18 tracks and 79 minutes worth of horny, bass-heavy party music, with each of the four members getting their own tape side. While As Nasty as They Wanna Be’s commercial success was partially due to the censorship controversy that surrounded it—the album was ruled obscene by a federal judge, making it illegal in parts of Florida for almost two years—it also helped pave the way for more lengthy, bawdy rap albums. As the ’90s progressed, both the average number of tracks and average album runtimes for the biggest rap records increased sharply. This trend peaked in 1998, when hip-hop albums ballooned to an all-time high of about 75 minutes and 20 tracks long. The popularity of star-stuffed movie soundtracks like 1994’s Above the Rim (77 minutes; 18 tracks) and 1998’s Master P comedy I Got The Hook-Up (78 minutes; 21 tracks), along with cinematic double albums from 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., and Wu-Tang Clan contributed to the decade’s bulge. The ’90s also marked the golden era of the CD, which allowed artists to create longer albums without worrying about having to flip over a cassette or vinyl record. CD players also allowed people to flick between songs with ease, making gargantuan tracklists feel more manageable and encouraging artists to take more of a something-for-everyone approach. The longest album this decade was Scarface’s 1998 feature- and filler-packed opus My Homies, lasting 136 minutes. After rapid growth in the ’90s, rap album lengths stayed high throughout the first 10 years of the 21st century. In fact, hip-hop records were never longer than they were that decade, when the average popular album ran for about 17 tracks and 67 minutes. It felt like every rapper was trying to make their feature-length statement around this time, even as the popularity of MP3s rose, and the music industry went through a tech-addled tailspin. Album lengths were evolving faster than the physical media that supported them, resulting in many albums being released on double CDs. There was OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (135 minutes; 39 tracks), UGK’s Underground Kingz (129 minutes; 29 tracks), and JAY-Z’s The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (112 minutes; 25 tracks), to name a few. Even Nas, whose 10-track, 40-minute 1994 debut Illmatic is often held up as a model of concision, got in on the extravagance, releasing his longest-ever album, the 87-minute Street’s Disciple, in 2004. But as rap vets were stretching out their creativity during this time, some younger stars were compressing hip-hop in new ways. The shortest popular rap album of the 2000s was 13-year-old Lil Bow Wow’s Beware of Dog, which lasted only 11 tracks and 34 minutes. Meanwhile, newcomers like Lil Jon and Soulja Boy achieved some of the first viral internet hits with quick, catchy hooks and even quicker ringtones, which became a billion dollar business dominated by rap music in 2007. This shifted the focus of the genre away from albums, and back towards the success of singles. Average album track lengths and runtimes dipped slightly in the early 2010s before steadily increasing over the last few years, as hip-hop/R&B became the most popular genre in America. Meanwhile, with the rise of streaming this decade, the average number of tracks has grown, from about 15 in 2010 to 17.5 last year. This could be because streaming services incentivize artists and labels to pad track listings in hopes of capitalizing on these platforms’ click-based monetization systems. The expansion of hip-hop’s cultural footprint has also played a part: The longest popular rap album this decade was the 2015 cast recording for the wildly successful Broadway musical Hamilton (142 minutes; 46 tracks). That said, the 15 albums that have reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart in 2018 have had less tracks and significantly shorter runtimes on average compared to records from the previous three years. So for every extravaganza like Migos’ Culture II (105 minutes; 24 tracks) or Drake’s Scorpion (90 minutes; 25 tracks), there are more modest statements including J. Cole’s KOD (42 minutes; 12 tracks), Jay and Bey’s Everything Is Love (38 minutes, nine tracks), and Kanye’s Ye (23 minutes, seven tracks). This current disparity likely stems from artists and labels’ uncertainty about how to best utilize the freedoms associated with streaming, where the technologically imposed time limits of CDs and cassettes no longer apply. And if the wide range of this year’s runtimes tells us anything, it’s that rappers are still figuring out how to best navigate this latest technological turn.

I must say, I'm really excited about this. I hope he records the audio book, too.

I came to the board to share this. LOL

FIFTH HARMONY - Messy (self-titled) 2017

I previewed the new Pusha T album and liked a lot of what I heard, but didn't feel compelled to buy it yet.

Please, no. The sequel album concept is usually a disappointment or misused.

I was at work yesterday when he posted this. I had to leave the office and give it a listen. I love it. He left the beat smokin' . Like the songs on Lost + Found, he doesn't waste a single lyric. Everything he spits, he spits for a reason. No filler lyrics. With mainstream music being nothing but paid commercial time, this is the perfect way for him to re-introduce himself musically and get attention without being a partly under-the-radar independent artist or a record label pawn. I will say I'm not a fan of hearing FP cuss on a song, but he's not overdoing it, or for the sake of getting a PA sticker. I just hope it's not prominent in the new music. He built his career on being selective for what he says, so it's going to disappoint a few people.

I have been enjoying M3, but it's not the kind of album that I listen to non-stop for days. The musicians that make up The Playlist are incredibly talented. I think Rhymefest, Dayne Jordan, and Uhmeer are crazy talented, though I do wish there was more variety when it comes to the emcees on the album. 2 Step, Child of God, Stronger Than Me, Wide Awake, Skater's Paradise, and the Outro are my personal favorites. THE ALBUM IS GETTING A PHYSICAL RELEASE. I had a feeling it would. You can pre-order on Jeff's website: http://www.djjazzyjeff.com/shop/. I really wanted it on CD, which they don't sell separately, so I ended up getting the package with the Deluxe 12″ 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Edition (signed), the #M3 T-Shirt, the USB, and the CD, plus the Chasing Goosebumps double vinyl. I actually already have Chasing Goosebumps. I kinda wish they'd let me trade that for ANY other vinyl in his store because I don't think I have any of it, other that The Magnificent Instrumental, but the copy I have skips. I was also kind of bummed because I had a 15% off coupon code from a previous purchase that didn't work.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - Warm Sentiments Zingalamaduni (1994)

Here's their interview and performance on Wendy Williams' show: http://www.wendyshow.com/2018/04/05/en-vogue-talks-new-album-performs/#.WslIlTMh2M9

Ahhh, this is a sound I've missed.

The latest single...

Here's an excellent interview.

Terry, Cindy, and (now with) Rhona are back! En Vogue Is Back with a New Album & Sound The award-winning R&B group on their decades-long career, the one ’90s trend they’ll never wear again, and their upcoming tour. By: Noah Lehava Photography: Tristan Kallas “Oh my gosh, we’ve been making music from analog to digital recording,” Cindy Herron giggles as I ask her how things have changed for her and fellow En Vogue-ers Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett over their 27-year-long career. We’re in the penthouse suite at The Jeremy in West Hollywood, the sun is setting, and the “Don’t Let Go” vocalists are wrapping up a day of back-to-back press. With 20 million records sold to date under their belts, En Vogue is about to release their seventh studio album, Electric Café—their first in 14 years—on April 6th, and are embarking on a European tour early next month. You would never know they’ve been up since dawn by the way they work the camera. But, then again, with a thriving career that spans over two decades and one that’s racked up countless accolades, they quite literally are the ~definition~ of pros. As the golden hour faded and we snapped our final shots, I sat down with the R&B group to talk about their new sound, how they’re prepping for their international tour, and their personal style. On their new evolved sound: Terry Ellis: “Initially our album was going to be EDM-inspired. But as we got into the studio [and] we started to create, the sounds just started to evolve. We started with Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy—the original founders and producers of the group. The through line is definitely the En Vogue signature sound, but you’ve got some punk soul now. We’ve got regular straight up and down R&B, we’ve got some EDM twinges. There’s an eclectic blend of sound right now. Each time we went into the studio we’d say, ‘One more song.’ Finally landed on a ‘Rocket’—we were like, ‘It’s time to take off.’” What it was like creating the “Rocket” video: Rhona Bennett: “It was really great. We worked with the director Damien Sandoval. And we were out in El Mirage dry-lake desert.” CH: “We got there just before sun-up. It was freezing [Laughs]. We got into hair and makeup, and then we got out there, and the sun was hot. It was a really great experience and something new for us. Damien, the director, used a drone. He was just standing there playing with it like a kid, but he was getting these amazing shots. We’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, video-making has changed [Laughter].’” How the industry has changed over the years: CH: “Oh my gosh, we’ve been making music from analog to digital recording. There weren’t that many record companies [in the ’90s]. TE: “Of course cassettes are out of the door [Laughs].” RB: “Vinyl is coming back.” TE: “There are no record stores anymore. The tools: auto-tune, the way you record, the sounds that you can put on your recording while you record, sending it to Melodyne—it can sing for you now, it can change your vibrato. It can straighten your note…” RB: “Although we don’t use those.” [Laughter] CH: “Thank goodness we all came up old-school, so if you need to go in there and earn a note, we can go in there and earn a note.” TE: “Also social media—it allows you to stay directly in touch with your fans and be more accessible, which is really cool.” Their tour essentials: [in unison] “Alkaline water [Laughter].” CH: “Veggies; having a veggie plate.” TE: “Makeup remover towelettes.” RB: “Workout clothes, so that we can work out. And that’s pretty much it. And trying to get some sleep—it’s a luxury.” Favorite way to chill out and unwind: RB: “I’m going to take myself to dinner. I love taking myself out to a nice dinner when I’ve been working. There’s a bomb sushi spot near my house. I have my palate worked up for it.” Their pre-show rituals: TE: “We pray and we vocalize. Before we go onstage, we tell each other to go out and have fun with your friends.” How would you describe your style: RB: “I wear a lot of black. I wear jeans and combat boots and my jewelry. I wear my gemstones—I love what they represent. Whatever I see in them, that’s what they remind me of. And so that’s what inspires in me.” TE: “I’m a moody dresser. It fluctuates. But my general attire usually is a baseball cap, blue jeans, white t-shirt, and some Converse tennis shoes.” CH: “When I’m at home and in town, you can catch me on almost any day in workout clothes. Because I’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then I kind of just stay in those clothes all day, just running errands and doing stuff. I stay in them all day [Laughs].” The look from their past they are retiring for good: TE: “Yes. Biker shorts. [Laughter]. There is a video of us when we performed at Oprah Winfrey’s show, and the style at that time was very tailored fitted jackets and biker shorts. I don’t even know how, to this day, that was in style, but we have this look, and it’s on video. And I would never, ever do that again.” http://coveteur.com/2018/03/29/en-vogue-new-album-personal-style-profile/

I posted about this awhile back: I haven't gotten it yet strictly because I wanted to put it as birthday suggestion for nostalgia's sake. lol I want to be in my 30's and opening a JJ+FP present from my parents.

Thanks for sharing this! A lot of this is mentioned in the interview that's in the remastered 2-CD version of He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper.

When I saw the title of this topic, I knew what it was going to be about before I even opened it. LOL!

Dang, Nat dropped a post. She's going to disappear for another decade after this. :) ...but let's hope not.

When I heard this on his Instagram, I just listened to it looping. It's lyrically sharp while being classic Fresh Prince. The beat is dope too. The vocals on the hook are the perfect touch. I feel that the St. Patrick's Day theme kind of distracts from from the song, but it hooked a lot of people who were trying to see what he was doing in the video. From the lyrics we've heard, it reminds me a lot of the songs on Lost + Found. Not a single lyric is wasted. Each one adds to the story.

Anything is possible. They put new songs in the live action Beauty & The Beast. They had Lin Manuel Miranda do music for Moana. I must say that it's hard to process exactly what this news means for him as a lyricist, emcee, and producer working under the unbrella of Disney.

This is an excellent documentary on Craig Mack's career.

I'm glad to see someone standing up for classic Hip-Hop. Hopefully it does well. Classic Hip-Hop and R&B stations are becoming more common since commercial urban music that occupies former Hip-Hop/R&B stations is mostly garbage.

That last time Craig hit the mainstream...