Hallo Concordians,
This is week six of the On Beat newsletter *insert hoorah’s!*, where The Concordian’s Music Editor keeps you “on beat” for everything happening in the music world.
Every year, fall proves itself to be a really strong season for music, and this year is no exception. With that said, here are three songs that were released over the fall that you should definitely check out!
“Peppas” (feat. Black Star) - Westside Gunn
Will Westside Gunn ever miss? Well, definitely not on this track. The flygod pulled features from legendary rap duo Black Star, composed of Mos Def and Talib Kweli who both prove they still got it. Gunn is also more than holding his own on the track, proving he can punch in the same weight class as the two rap heavyweights.
“2007” - JID
“2007” came out as a bonus track to JID’s last record The Forever Story and it might just be the best song on the album. This seven-and-a-half-minute masterpiece sees JID vividly reflecting on his coming-up in the rap game, starting from college where he played division one football all the way to the day J. Cole signed him to Dreamville. Many beat switches and spoken word passages from JID’s dad and J. Cole, and JID’s impressive storytelling abilities make for an incredibly entertaining listening experience. A strong contender for the best song of 2022.
“The Ending” - BROCKHAMPTON
To call this a BROCKHAMPTON song would be false advertisement as only Kevin Abstract appears on the track. Regardless, it is still a great tune where Abstract reflects on a period before the fame where he believed the boyband were going to become superstars. And they did!
There is always a lot to write about in music so if you are interested in writing for us, whether it’s an album review, a concert review, a profile of an artist, an interview with a band, or even a piece about current events in music, reach out to music@theconcordian.com and I’m sure we can figure something out :)
Linked below is what you might have missed this week on The Concordian’s website.
Hip-Hop: A Genre Of Music Or Society’s Scapegoat For Gun Violence?
Another rapper has been killed in the United States as a result of the gun violence epidemic
On Nov. 1, American rapper Takeoff from the hip-hop group Migos was shot and killed in Houston, Texas. The 28-year-old rapper was outside of 810 Billiards and Bowling Houston when an argument broke out that led to the shooting.
The news of Takeoff’s death spread rapidly and left many in disbelief because it seemed that he died over nothing. There were no drugs, weapons, or anything criminal found on him, which left many wondering why this happened.
It seems that every year, at least one rapper gets shot and killed and then their death eventually becomes another statistic.
Sadly, Takeoff was the latest victim in this ongoing crisis.
According to a summary of the statistics by CNN, in 2018, XXXTentacion was robbed and gunned down in Florida. In 2019, Nipsey Hussle was shot over 10 times while helping out his community in Los Angeles. In 2020, Pop Smoke was shot during a home invasion in California. King Von was also shot and killed in 2020 during a dispute in a parking lot outside of a hookah lounge. Lastly, in 2021, Young Dolph was fatally shot while buying cookies in Memphis.
However, not everyone feels pity for these rappers. There is crime committed in all communities but when it comes to this genre of music, it’s reported differently towards the public.
Ben Shapiro is a US political commentator known for his controversial opinions. In 2019, he interviewed a rapper named Zuby and discussed how hip-hop negatively impacts people. “From the outside, when I listen to hip-hop, I don’t hear a bunch of family-oriented messages. In fact, I hear a lot of messages that are degrading to women, I hear messages that push violence, that are disparaging to the police.”
It seems as though people who blame hip-hop for the violence in Black communities can’t separate fiction from fact.
Hip-hop and rapping is a form of storytelling and rappers are often talking about their own life experiences and problems, with some exaggeration to make it entertaining.
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, also known as 21 Savage, is a famous rapper who’s respected in the culture. On his 21st birthday, he was shot six times but survived to tell the story. This year in August, he sent out a tweet that was faced with instant backlash. “Atlanta we have to do better, put the f****** guns down!!!!!” the tweet read.
21 Savage was called a hypocrite because his lyrics depict him shooting, killing and robbing people. He responded back and informed the public about how his music is a narration of his life. “I ain’t never promoted violence. I just rap about what I’ve been through, or what I’ve heard about, what I’ve saw. That ain’t me promoting violence,” the rapper said on Instagram.
While there are many who advocate against gun violence, the number of rappers who have been killed this year only seems to be growing.
In 2022, Trouble, Snootie Wild, Tdott Woo, Wavy Navy Pooh, Goonew, Lil Devin, Archie Eversole, JayDaYoungan, FBG Cash, Rollie Bands, Young Slo-Be, Earl Swavey, Money Gang Vontae, PnB Rock, Desto and now Takeoff all are dead due to gun violence.
Although these rappers were senselessly shot dead, it seems as though because of who they were, how they looked and the fact that they rapped, they were expected to die. In reality, there is a gun control problem in the United States which is constantly left unaddressed when someone passes away in the hip-hop community.
QUICKSPINS: Drake And 21 Savage – Her Loss
Despite being a collaborative album, this most certainly did not feel like one
After only five months since his more house-oriented project Honestly, Nevermind, Drake is back for more with Her Loss. On this new one, Drizzy is teaming up with Atlanta rapper 21 Savage for their new collaborative effort.
After seeing massive success with previous cooperations in the past, such as “Knife Talk,” and Jimmy Cooks,” both becoming some of Drake’s biggest hits of the 2020s, it was only natural for the two MCs to unite for a whole album as they are now used to creating fireworks together.
To classify Her Loss as a joint effort between Drake and 21 Savage would feel like a crime, as it feels very much more like a Drake album featuring his sidekick 21 Savage than an equal partnership between the two. In fact, Drake accounts for 66 per cent of all words said on the record, while 21 Savage raps 26 per cent of them. The other 8 per cent is from guest appearances, such as Travis Scott on the excellent “Pussy & Millions.” Drake also has four songs alone on the album compared to 21 Savage, who only has one.
Despite not being labelled properly, this is definitely an improvement on Drake’s last two records. He sounds way more cutthroat than he usually does and even though 21 Savage isn’t on the album as much as I would have wanted, he’s still helping Drake bring out his more aggressive side with the help of some more ominous trap beat selection. Drake even goes in with some reckless disses, calling out Megan Thee Stallion, Soulja Boy, and Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian.
Her Loss contains a lot of fun moments, and you can definitely feel their chemistry. Songs such as the opener “Rich Flex” with its various beat switches, the ruthless “On BS,” and “Broke Boys” with its phenomenal second half are all infectious yet very hard-hitting.
Regardless, it does have some misses, like the way-too-long “Hours In Silence,” the uneventful “Spin Bout U,” and the forgettable “Jumbotron Shit Poppin.” Oh, and don’t get me started on “Circo Loco,” which is another instance of an older hit being sampled to gain more traction. This time, it’s “One More Time” by Daft Punk that is victim of this awful trend.
Drake also has a couple of corny one-liners, like on the closer “I Guess It’s Fuck Me,” where he says “If bein’ real was a crime, I’d be doin’ life,” like come on man. But honestly, he might be one of the only artists that can get away with saying things like that. He makes up for it with “Middle of the Ocean,” which is another classic laid-back Drake cut that sees him get in his bag over a beautiful instrumental.
Yes it’s not perfect, and yes it’s a shame that 21 Savage isn’t on the album as much, but overall, Her Loss is one of the more fun Drake records to have come out in a hot minute.
Trial track: Middle of the Ocean
7/10
Concert Review: Bright Eyes Ends Its Decade-Long Hiatus With A Stunning Performance
The band played in Montreal last week, in one of the last performances of their 2022 tour
The indie rock band Bright Eyes is on its first tour in nine years. Their show in Montreal last week did not disappoint their patient fans.
Bright Eyes went on a hiatus in 2011, after lead singer Conor Oberst announced that they would be retiring the band. However, in 2020, they released new music and started preparing for a world tour. The tour had to be postponed to the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After years of waiting, Bright Eyes’ return delighted their Montreal fans.
The opener of the show was Hurray for the Riff Raff, a band created by singer-songwriter Alynda Mariposa Segarra. The songs were beautifully written for the singer’s range, and the style fit perfectly with the rest of the show. Segarra had a nice stage presence, and effortlessly filled the space with their dancing. They brought that same energy when they joined Oberst for the vocals of a song later in the show. The band looked like they were having fun together, and it translated into their music.
While it took Bright Eyes almost an hour to set up after Hurray for the Riff Raff, their performance was well worth the wait.
Oberst sang beautifully. His unique, raspy, vulnerable and expressive voice sounded just as good as it did years ago. He perfectly portrayed the emotions of Bright Eyes’ often sad and cynical songs.
Oberst’s delightful eccentricities entertained the crowd throughout the night. From introducing the audience to the band’s wolf plushie “Wolfy” to revealing his “Conor Oberst Ruined My Life” t-shirt, the singer let his fun-loving personality shine through between the songs. He often got sidetracked while introducing the pieces, and the concert became “The Conor Show” as he told stories about his life and the band.
The entire band’s chemistry was very warm and inviting. Any listener could see that they loved playing together. The spotlight switched from the vocal line to a trumpet solo, a piano improvisation, or a new violin line. Oberst moved around the stage to play one-on-one with different members of the band, or to listen more closely when he wasn’t singing.
“First Day of My Life,” one of Bright Eyes’ most well-known songs, was a moment of contrast in the night. Most of the band sat down, leaving only Oberst on the guitar and vocals, Mike Mogis on the mandolin, and the violinist. A new violin line had been added to the song, and it complemented it perfectly without ruining its soft atmosphere.
During the last song, Oberst and the backup singer danced and sang together at the centre of the stage, and Oberst gave her the mic to finish off the song.