By Trey Alessio

A lot has happened in the world since April 14, 2017 when Kendrick Lamar released DAMN., and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. We’ve experienced some dark times, and, in the back of my head, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “What would Kendrick say about this?” “How would he react to what’s going on in the world?” “What would a Kendrick album sound like in 2020?” “How would his music bring us together in these trying times?” Well, 1855 days later, those questions were answered. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has been stuck on my brain since I stayed up late Thursday, May 12 to take in this new body of work. Since then, I’ve listened to this album more times than I care to admit. Spoiler alert: I love it. I can’t bring myself to fully dive into anything else because the level of artistry is in a whole other vicinity and, to be honest, can’t be matched by hardly any other album or song out right now. I’ve been wanting to give my thoughts about this for a minute, so here it goes–my take on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

(I think the best way to do this breakdown is by going chronologically through this album’s rollout and how it has grown with me.)​

On August 20, 2021, Kendrick released a note via a new website https://oklama.com/. To sum it up, Kendrick revealed the album he’s been working on would be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment. He said, “I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The struggles. The success. And most importantly, the brotherhood.” He finished the note with the words, “See you soon enough. - oklama” (I also have to admit, I strive to reach the intersection of success and happiness that Kendrick has achieved in order to go months without a phone.) Of course, this note sent the internet (including me) into a frenzy. Everyone wanted to know if Kendrick was going to retire after this album, what his relationship was like with TDE and, most importantly, when this final TDE album would be coming out.

On April 18, 2022, Kendrick released a press release on the same website that revealed the album title and release date for his album. We finally got some concrete information: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers would drop on May 13, 2022. Immediately, I tried to analyze and break down what the title meant and how it might tie in with the moniker “oklama.” We’ll circle back to this name.

On May 3, 2022, Kendrick posted a picture of himself holding two CDs and a book entitled Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. One CD was marked “Morale” and the other was marked “Steppers.” This led people to believe Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers would be a double-album.

On May 8, 2022, Kendrick unleashed a new installment in the ongoing promotional series with the single “The Heart Part 5.” First of all, this song is incredible. It starts off with Kendrick saying, “As I get a little older, I realize life is perspective. And my perspective may differ from yours. I want to say thank you to everyone that’s been down with me. All my fans, all my beautiful fans. Anyone who’s ever gave me a listen, all my people.” Before we get into the song, I want to highlight the words, “all my people.” Dissect, one of my favorite music podcasts, found the meaning of “oklama.” It means “my people,” which could mean Kendrick is speaking to his people as a representative for the black community. Aside from that, K Dot came back with a vengeance after his long hiatus to prove to the world that he’s still one of the best rappers to ever do it. The song samples Marvin Gaye’s song “I Want You,” and the video face-swaps Kendrick with OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle using deep-fake technology. The entire third verse is also rapped from Nip’s perspective, which was very powerful. I believe Kendrick chose these people for the video because each of them can be viewed either as a hero or a villain depending on the perspective. I believe Kendrick is leaning into this theme of perspective with this song. Maybe he’s saying we all–himself included–have a little good and a little bad in us. I believe the message of the song is “perspective leads to empathy,” which serves as a perfect appetizer to the album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

Later in the week, Kendrick revealed the album cover, which depicts himself holding his child. He also has a gun tucked in his pants and a diamond-encrusted crown of thorns on his head. In the background, his wife-to-be Whitney is sitting up in a bed holding their other child. It’s a powerful image and something that I immediately tried to dissect. (Kendrick is so intentional with every detail in his music and his rollouts, so it begs to be analyzed.) I believe there’s an apparent contrast here: a crown of thorns made of diamonds and a gun; the status and popularity of Kendrick Lamar and the prestige of the room itself. I think it could represent the good and the bad–again, depending on the perspective.

When Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers dropped, I tried not to go in with too many expectations, but my anticipation was through the roof. It had been five long years without a Kendrick album, and I was ready. 

I’ll be honest. After one listen, I didn’t LOVE this album. I was expecting a perfectly put-together body of work with an easily digestible story, but that’s not what Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is. So, I kept listening. After a few more listens, it grew on me. I remember driving around with my sister while the album was playing, and she said, “I don’t like the way he’s talking about women on this album.” (I think “We Cry Together” was playing, so these feelings were completely valid.) Her words stuck with me though. I ran the album back again, and it felt like I cracked the code. 

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is an 18-part therapy session. Each song has a different theme or message, but ultimately, on every track, Kendrick is facing a demon or getting something off his chest or revealing his candid thoughts about an issue. Every one of these moments is intended to lead to Kendrick’s self-growth. We don’t get the polished answer or response to the dark times over the past few years like we were expecting. Instead, we get the messy back-and-forth of internal thought that comes with therapy. We get the contradiction. We get the unpopular opinion. This is an album designed to piss some people off, and above all else, this is an album designed to grow on people—how meta, right?

Let’s break it down on the most-simplistic level. “United In Grief” deals with handling grief by excessively buying luxurious items. “N95” deals with taking off a literal and/or metaphorical mask to reveal your true self. “Worldwide Steppers” deals with political correctness and cancel-culture. “Die Hard” deals with avoiding relationship issues and Kendrick's insecurities about loyalty and commitment. “Father Time” deals with tough love and pride through the lens of Kendrick's relationship with his father. “Rich Spirit” deals with finding balance. “We Cry Together” deals with toxic relationships. “Purple Hearts” deals with overcoming toxicity in a relationship and coming out stronger on the other side. “Count Me Out” deals with finding self-worth and proving people wrong. (At the beginning of “Count Me Out,” we hear Whitney say, “Session 10: breakthrough.” I believe this is because Kendrick faced that toxicity and chose to overcome it.) “Crown” deals with Kendrick’s realization that he can’t please everybody. “Silent Hill” deals with avoiding negative influences. “Savior” deals with Kendrick’s realization that he’s just a human and not a higher power even when some people may put him on that kind of pedestal. “Auntie Diaries” deals with homophobia, transphobia (especially within the black community) and religion. “Mr. Morale” deals with self-care. “Mother I Sober” deals with facing trauma. “Mirror” doubles down on the theme from “Savior” and deals with Kendrick and his family’s well-being. All of these themes deal with Kendrick revealing a candid thought, facing a demon or trying to better himself. 

I want to circle back to the moment when it felt like I unlocked something about this album. After my sister told me she didn’t like the way Kendrick was speaking about women and I listened to the album again, the song “Mother I Sober” really hit me. In this song, he talks about his mother constantly asking him if his cousin ever molested him. He tells his mom that the cousin never touched him but the constant asking traumatized him and always made him question things. Later in the song, he raps, “There’s a lustful nature that I failed to mention. / Insecurities that I project, sleeping with other women. / Whitney’s hurt, the purest soul I know, I found her in the kitchen. / Asking God, “Where did I lose myself? And can it be forgiven? / Broke me down, she looked me in my eyes. “Is there an addiction?” I said, “No,” but this time I lied. I knew that I can’t fix it. / Pure soul, even in her pain, know she cared for me. / Gave me a number, said she recommended some therapy. / I asked my momma why she didn’t believe me when I told her “no.” / I never knew she was violated in Chicago.” At the end of this song, Kendrick’s fiancé Whitney says to him, “You did it. I’m proud of you. You broke a generational curse.” To me, it feels like Kendrick’s trauma of constantly being asked if his cousin molested him correlates with how he treated women. Of course, he always had a choice whether or not to treat women the right way, but I think Kendrick was subconsciously affected by this in a negative way. Now that he faced that trauma while also discovering the truth about his mom being abused–on this song and after the therapy–he’s able to overcome that pain. While overcoming that pain and vowing to be a good husband and father, Kendrick has now broken a generational curse. I believe this is the piece of the puzzle that unlocks a deeper, more powerful meaning for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. ​

Throughout the album, we hear tap-dancing on numerous songs. At the end of “We Cry Together,” we also hear Whitney say, “Stop tap-dancing around the conversation.” I believe Mr. Morale is Kendrick trying to be good and attempting to abide by his morals, and I believe The Big Steppers are the demons and vices trying to pull Kendrick in the wrong direction. I think the tap-dancing sounds represent The Big Steppers approaching Mr. Morale–whether he chooses to indulge or avoid these demons is on him. 

Circling back to the thesis that was provided by the theme of “The Heart Part 5,” the big message that I took away from this album is “perspective leads to empathy, and empathy leads to healing.” Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is ultimately an album about healing. It’s about the peaks and valleys of being a human. It’s about the beauty and the flaws. I’ve never been to therapy, but I would bet that it’s hard work that isn’t very pretty. I’m sure it’s messy and probably brings out the ugly. But I’d like to think the goal is to come out better. 

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is Kendrick Lamar’s most personal and vulnerable album to date. We all wanted his response to everything that’s happened over the last few years, but instead, he chose himself, his family, his happiness and his well-being. For that, I’m happy. 

By Trey Alessio

It’s 2019, and competition can be a glorious thing.
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January has finally rolled around, which means it’s the time of year when we hip-hop heads come together to look ahead at our most-anticipated albums of the year. Who’s dropping? When’s it dropping? Will it be an EP or a full-length? What features will make the cut? Who’s behind the production? Will it be a concept album or a variety of songs? Who will emerge into the emerge into the ranks of stardom and/or critical acclaim? All questions we like to ponder when the calendar switches over to a new year.

CREDIT: Kulture Hub

The biggest question mark and possibility, for me, this year is whether or not we’ll see albums from hip-hop’s most elite, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, and whether or not we’ll see TDE and Dreamville going head-to-head for rap’s most dominant label. Let’s investigate and speculate.

While Dreamville rapper J.I.D was on his promotional tour for his outstanding 2018 album DiCaprio 2, he told Complex, “We just really competing with TDE—this a whole other thing. We competing with TDE. That’s what needs to be known. Dreamville: we gotta step this shit the fuck up. Them n****s are fire. We gotta step it up—facts.”

This isn’t the first time the TDE vs. Dreamville talk has come to light, but, looking back, I think this could be a crucial bullet-point in the grand scheme of hip-hop—especially with the potential music in 2019.

First of all, let’s break down the artists signed to each labe. The artists signed to Top Dawg Entertainment include Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SZA, Isaiah Rashad, SiR, Lance Skiiiwalker and Reason. The artists signed to Dreamville include J. Cole, Bas, Cozz, Ari Lennox, Omen, J.I.D, Lute and Earthgang. Talk about talent. Both labels have G.O.A.T. contenders, first ladies that can sing their asses off and rappers with the potential to be in the same conversation as the current tier-one artists. ​

Next, let’s break down the discography of the labels dating back to 2016. On the TDE side of things in 2016, Schoolboy Q dropped Blank Face LP, Isaiah Rashad dropped The Sun’s Tirade, Lance Skiiiwalker dropped Introverted Intuition, Ab-Soul dropped Do What Thou Wilt and Kendrick Lamar dropped untitled unmastered, which is an EP in my book. On the Dreamville side of things in 2016, Bas dropped Too High To Riot, J. Cole dropped 4 Your Eyez Only and Ari Lennox dropped an EP Pho. 2017 for TDE included DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar, Ctrl by SZA and Her Too (an EP) by SiR. 2017 for Dreamville included The Never Story by J.I.D, West1996 pt. 2 by Lute and Rags and Robots (both EPs) by Earthgang. Last year for TDE, SiR dropped November, Jay Rock dropped Redemption and Reason dropped There You Have It. Kendrick Lamar also curated the Black Panther soundtrack with the help of most of the other members of TDE in 2018 as well. Last year for Dreamville, Cozz dropped Effected, J. Cole dropped KOD, Bas dropped Milky Way, J.I.D dropped DiCaprio 2, Earthgang dropped an EP, Royalty, and Lute dropped an untitled EP.

A lot of good music has been released between these two respected labels over the past few years. According to my top-10 hip-hop lists and my overall top-10 lists on the podcast, TDE scored two top-10 albums and one honorable mention in 2016, two top-10 albums in 2017 and one top-10 album and an honorable mention in 2018. Dreamville marked one top-10 album in 2016, nothing in 2017, and two top-10 albums in 2018. The quality matches the quantity for both squads with four GRAMMY nominations over this 3-year span across both labels. Kendrick won two GRAMMYs with To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. And that’s not even counting streaming numbers and chart-performance.

In terms of hip-hop power right now, I’d have to give the edge to TDE. According to my collective top-10 lists, TDE narrowly outscores Dreamville, 7-4. Anything Kendrick Lamar touches turns to gold, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Isaiah Rashad have all solidified themselves in the rap game and SZA has the potential to be a mainstream star. If you asked 10 people what the best label in hip-hop is right now, I think eight or nine would say TDE.

That’s not a knock on Dreamville. I’d say Dreamville has the most potential in hip-hop right now. J.I.D established himself as a potential great with DiCaprio 2 last year, Bas showed a ton of upside with Milky Way and I’m very interested to give Ari Lennox a full listen—and then there’s J. Cole, a top-3 rapper right now and a rightful contender to be in the conversation for one of the best hip-hop artists to ever do it. ​

CREDIT: Consequence of Sound

I want to see TDE and Dreamville go head-to-head. Not in an evil, Bad Boy vs. Death Row type of way, but rather a friendly competition type of way where each release, each feature elevates each member on opposing labels to step their game up one notch further than the previous.

I want to see Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole go head-to-head in 2019. Again, not in a Biggie vs. Tupac type of way, but rather a 1-a vs. 1-b, rap battle type of way. Remember when Kendrick dropped that epic “Control” verse (my personal pick for best verse of all-time)? His intent wasn’t malicious. K Dot was simply attempting to elevate the quality expected by his peers. That’s the type of competition I want to see with Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, TDE and Dreamville.

If this competition should come to fruition, it will have to start with the top dogs, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, both of which could be slated to drop albums this year.

Last year, J. Cole came out with KOD, and the final track was titled “1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’).” Cole revealed that the theme for KOD came to him while he was working on The Fall Off, which leads me to believe we’ll see this album in 2019. It was also rumored that Cole may drop a mixtape called The Off Season after he released the song “Album of the Year (Freestyle)” over Nas’ “Oochie Wally” instrumental. Cole also hinted at a potential project from his alter ego kiLL edward, who showed up on KOD. Both of these didn’t come out in 2018, so could we see them in 2019?

In a recent profile in the Los Angeles Times, Kendrick Lamar claimed “he hasn’t been working on a new album, but says that he’s constantly working.” Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony Tiffith also told fans not to get their hopes up for a new K Dot album back in September of last year when he took to Instagram to say, “ATT: KDOT DON’T HAVE A NEW ALBUM COMING NO TIME SOON. So keep playing DAMN until the kid is inspired again.” But Polydor Records, which distributes for Interscope albums in Europe, posted this now-deleted picture to its Instagram story recently. Kendrick’s distribution deal happens to be with Interscope. This is all speculation, but I’m holding out for a new Kendrick album in 2019.

If Cole and K Dot both released albums in 2019, it would be the first year the two have dropped albums in the same year since 2011 when Kendrick released Section 80 and Cole released Cole World: The Sideline Story.

Wouldn’t this be so ironic after all the hype for that joint-project between the two continued to build up after they teased us that one Black Friday back in 2015? Wouldn’t it be crazy if K Dot and Cole flipped the script and went toe-to-toe for hip-hop’s title belt, thus making the entire genre better? Don’t you think these two are destined to matchup against each other? Even their respective albums correlate, in my opinion. good kid, m.A.A.d. city is to 2014 Forest Hills Drive as To Pimp a Butterfly is to 4 Your Eyez Only and DAMN. is to KOD—and not just because they line up sequentially. I think each of these matchups line up stylistically as well. GKMC and FHD put K Dot and Cole, respectively, on the map in the mainstream eye. TPAB and 4YEO both had the least amount of radio potential but may be each rapper’s best album critically. DAMN. and KOD both were influenced by trap beats and stuck to a major theme to tell an overarching story. This can’t be a coincidence, can it? I don’t have the answers, but I can hope and pray for the betterment of hip-hip in 2019.
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As for the rest of the labelmates on TDE and Dreamville, Schoolboy Q, SZA, J.I.D and Earthgang are all rumored to be coming out with new music this year. J.I.D just may get what he wished for in the interview with Complex. This may be the year we finally see Dreamville take on hip-hop’s most dominant label, TDE. Can the quality stack up? Again, I wish I had these answers, but I don’t. I will continue to wait patiently like every other rap fan. Let the competition begin.

Now, enjoy these dope videos from some TDE and Dreamville members while we wait to see what will go down in 2019!

By Trey Alessio

CREDIT: XXL

Eminem just released “Walk On Water,” a brand new song with Beyoncé and the presumptive single off his upcoming album, which is speculatively titled, “Revival.” As you can imagine, the single was met with polarizing praise and critique—people seem to either love it or hate it. But I think the criticism that comes with this song poses a bigger problem within the culture of hip-hop.
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Disclaimer: I am a stan. I was put onto rap music when I first heard “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, and I very rarely dislike anything Slim Shady puts out. However, I’m going to remain as unbiased as possible on this topic because I think it’s important. 

Eminem just put out one of his most introspective songs in recent memory. He was more open, honest and humble than he has been in a long time, and he even displayed a lot of growth with lines like, “But if you bitches are tryin’ to strip me of my confidence, mission accomplished.” We haven’t seen this vulnerability from Marshall Mathers in a long time. He even says, “It’s true, I’m a Rubik’s—a beautiful mess. At times juvenile, yes. I goof and I jest—a flawed human, I guess.” It just seems like Slim Shady is coming to grips that he’s not above the genre and that he’s just another man with flaws. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air from the bearded Slim Shady. Plus Eminem had the help of Beyoncé—someone I never would’ve thought I would have heard on an Eminem song. Yet, many people seemed to hate this song, and it makes me wonder why.

Yes, I realize not everyone is an Eminem fan. I realize even some Eminem fans want that old school, crazy ass Slim Shady from the original “Marshall Mathers LP.” I imagine some fans just want bars; maybe some would appreciate more banging beats and crisper production.

This is where I have to stand up and defend “Walk On Water” because I think the criticism correlates into something on a bigger scale. The same people who criticize this song are probably the same ones who like artists who glorify drug abuse and domestic violence—both of which I realize Eminem has previously touched on in his music. But it also seems like the same critics are mainly fans of Young Thug, Future, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Pump and the list goes on and on. I understand and appreciate that there’s a time and place for everything. I like to listen to turn-up music when I’m getting ready to hit the bars, but I truly believe the only argument for not liking this new song, “Walk On Water,” is because it’s not trap enough or it doesn’t have a beat that will bump in the car or it doesn’t have very many catchy lines. And here’s where it comes full circle: the growth exemplified on “Walk On Water” shows how Marshall Mathers has grown past his drug-infused days when he rapped about killing his wife.
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To further my point, I posed this question: have we as a hip-hop community become so enamored with chart-topping singles and dope beats and catchy hooks that we have completely lost respect for lyricism, storytelling and the essence of simplicity?

This song was completely over a Rick Rubin-produced piano beat—a true testament that you don’t absolutely need drums and heavy bass to create a successful single. (And believe me, this will be on the radio by next week.) Eminem didn’t give us any one-liners that are going to be etched into our brains forever. The man simply spoke from his heart while Beyoncé killed it on the hook.

My point is: we need to stop constantly criticizing these artists for growing as human beings. Marshall Mathers has grown up and matured before our very eyes. We loved him for saying crazy things on a song that we’d never say aloud and that pushed the envelope, but we put him down for being open and honest about him coming to terms about his legacy? It’s hypocritical as rap fans. We need to appreciate these artists as they grow as people and push the boundaries musically. Sometimes it’s hard. I’m sure there have been times when an artist that I enjoy has put something out that wasn’t as good as something they previously put out. I’m just saying we should appreciate the craft and the fact the artist is trying to further their brand as well as the genre itself.
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By no means am I saying we should love everything our favorite artists put out because everything evolves and gets better with time. I just think we need to appreciate the growth.

Look at Jay Z. Earlier this year, he put out his 13th studio album, “4:44.” In my opinion, this is a top-5 Jay Z album, but some people criticized it because he was speaking on topics like credit, fatherhood and asking for forgiveness as a husband. 50 Cent even called “4:44” “golf course music” and “Ivy League,” meaning it was too soft. Yet, this album—much like Eminem’s song, “Walk On Water”—was more honest and open than anything Hov has put out in a long time. The majority of rap fans seem to tear down artists for being open and telling their story rather than making a banger or two. I enjoyed and appreciated Jay Z’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” but I’d much rather hear introspective Hov than trap Hov.

The same thing goes for Eminem. While I loved the crazy Slim Shady from back in the day, I appreciate songs like “Walk On Water” a little more because it shows growth and it’s more relatable.
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I understand not everyone has the same taste in rap music as I do and I definitely am an advocate for everybody being entitled to their opinion, but let’s appreciate these artists as they grow and continue to try new things. We may not like every piece of music they put out, but we should respect them for continually telling their story and growing as humans. 

CREDIT: ScreenRant

The third season of “Ballers” is underway on HBO, and it has the makings to be a really dope season, but the more and more I watch “Ballers,” the more I want it to live up to “Entourage.” It’s easy to compare both shows. Whenever I explain the premise of “Ballers” to somebody, I find myself calling it the “NFL version of ‘Entourage,’” but is it fair to put them head-to-head?

Sure, the similarities are all over the place. Both shows give a behind-the-scenes look into its respective profession portrayed on screen (one about the NFL, the other about the movie industry), both are kind of flashy, both are bombarded with cameos, both are centered on a group on guys being dudes, both are 30-minute dramedies, both are executive produced by Mark Wahlberg and list goes on and on. But before I dive deeper into differentiating the shows, I must say that “Entourage” is one of my top-3 favorite shows of all-time.

I was late to the “Entourage” party, but I binge-watched the series on HBO Go and fell in love with the message behind the bravado of Vinnie Chase, E, Johnny Drama, Turtle and Ari Gold. The boys taught me to enjoy the ride of life because everything will work out in the end. That message stuck with me, and I try to live my life with that mindset. It was the kind of show that was just fun to watch but really struck a chord and taught some legitimate life lessons along the way.

CREDIT: Playbuzz

“Ballers” has the same tendencies as “Entourage.” I remember watching the pilot episode of “Ballers” and thinking to myself, “This had everything ‘Entourage’ did.” It had the dudes you want to portray with Spencer Strasmore (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), Ricky Jerret (played by Denzel Washington’s son John David Washington), Charles Greane (played by Omar Miller), Vernon Littlefield (played by Donovan W. Carter), Joe Krutel (played by Rob Corddry) and Jason the sports agent (played by Troy Garity). It had the cameos with appearances from Don Shula, Larry Csonka, DeSean Jackson, Antonio Brown, Steven Jackson and Mark Schlereth. It had that iconic quote. When Spencer said, “Trust me… never buy a depreciating asset. If it drives, flies, floats or fucks—lease it!,” it reminded me of Ari Gold’s classic quote when he said, “Let’s hug it out, bitch.” Both shows just had the same vibe and some of the same storylines. Hell, in the second episode of the third season of “Ballers” when Spencer drove the Monster Truck and crashed it, I got a nice dose of déjà vu as I could just see the possibility of Spencer falling into a pill addiction much like Vince did in the seventh season of “Entourage.”

But now with the beginning of the third season of “Ballers,” something hasn’t quite hit me the way “Entourage” did at that point. “Ballers” is definitely a fun show to watch, but I don’t feel as connected to Spencer and the boys as I did with Vinnie and the boys, and that’s the difference. “Entourage” did a great job of giving us the flash that comes with Hollywood but, at the same time, peeling back the curtains and allowing us to get to know each character. We haven’t really gotten that yet with “Ballers” (granted it has only been three seasons so far).

I hope in the coming weeks we get to know Spencer, Ricky, Charles, Vernon, Joe, Jason and the rest of the characters on “Ballers” more, and while “Entourage” and “Ballers” have a ton of similarities, the two shows are very different. Let’s try to stop comparing this new series to an all-time great, and remember: manage expectations. 

CREDIT: Medium

Aside from my day job and being a media mogul and screenwriter on the side, I also produce an afternoon sports talk show. A few weeks ago, one of the hosts and I were talking about longevity in the rap game. I posed the question: if Tupac or Biggie were still alive, would they be hip-hop giants?

I said I thought Tupac and Biggie would still be very prominent in the rap game today. Ross, the host of the sports show I produce, disagreed. He said he thought they’d be making mediocre music and doing any and everything they could to hold onto the fame they achieved so early in their careers. 

CREDIT: Getty Images

Recently at the Governor’s Ball in New York, Childish Gambino stated that his next album might be his last. It made me think about all of the other rappers who recently threatened retirement. Logic revealed on the final track of his latest album, “Everybody,” that his next album, “Ultra 85”—the title unveiled by a secret code laid out in the album’s booklet—will be his last. J. Cole also said he plays with thoughts of retirement on his feature from DJ Khaled’s song, “Jermaine’s Interlude” on the album, “Major Key.” And don’t forget Jay Z and Eminem who both “retired” from hip-hop but have since come out with multiple albums.

This took me back to my conversation with Ross. It made me think about longevity. Is there a reason why these modern-day rappers are retiring early? I think I may have a theory.

Think about Tupac, Biggie, Kurt Cobain, Aaliyah, Heath Ledger, Jim Morrison, Selena, James Dean, Big L and all of the other stars that died way too soon. Why are they so beloved today? Their music or movies left such an impact but also left us wanting so much more.

Let me rephrase a previous question: what would Tupac or Biggie be doing if they were alive today? This is where I disagree with my buddy, Ross. Personally, I think Tupac or B.I.G. would be so much bigger than their music—they’d truly be modern-day moguls. Look at Jay Z. Yes, his most recent music may lack deep, introspective substance, but he co-owns a New York sports bar, the 40/40 Club, he founded the label, Roc Nation, he created his own sports agency company, Roc Nation Sports, he formerly was a minor shareholder for the Brooklyn Nets and encouraged their move to the city, he spear-headed the stream-platform war with his streaming service, Tidal and he co-owns an ultra prestigious champagne brand, Armand de Brignac. When he said, “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man,” he wasn’t lying. Now think about Dr. Dre. The man waited 16 years to put out his third studio album, “Compton”—one that came with critical acclaim and cracked my top-10 list in 2015. He was the first rapper that reached a billion dollars with the help of an epic Beats 1 headphone deal with Apple, he played a major part in making the “Straight Outta Compton” biopic movie—one that got an 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes--and he continues to be one of the most legendary producers in the rap game. That’s one side of the spectrum.

Here’s the other side. It could be the numerous artists who once had the fame and fortune and blew it all away, or it could be the artist who has successfully remained relevant in the game but has continued to produce project after project of lesser and lesser caliber. It could be MC Hammer who blew his $30 million fortune on multiple extravagant items. It could be Wesley Snipes who was convicted of three misdemeanor counts for failing to file his tax returns in 2008—possibly best exemplified on Kendrick Lamar’s intro to “To Pimp a Butterfly.” It could be Snoop Dogg who has successfully remained in the rap game, but hasn’t put out the quality that was once on the level of “Doggystyle.”

Here’s my point: Tupac or Biggie would still be very relevant if they were alive today. Their music may not be on the level it once was, but they’d more than likely be involved in other business, community or political ventures. Maybe Tupac would be a major contributor to Kendrick Lamar. Maybe Notorious B.I.G. would be a major contributor to Joey Bada$$. Maybe they’d be in movies or TV shows. Maybe they’d have other business endeavors. But they’d still be very relevant. And not to get super dark and cynical because I’m the most optimistic person you can think of, but maybe the best thing for Tupac and Biggie’s music was their deaths.

Maybe that’s why today’s rappers are threatening retirement so early and so often. Maybe they realize that less could mean more. Maybe they’ve figured out that the quality/quantity they put out can stand the test of time and, at the same time, leave us wanting more and more.

Let me put it this way: Outkast’s last album, “Idlewild,” came out in 2006, but we fiend for a new Outkast album. We maybe received three solo André 3000 features in 2016, but we all, as rap fans, crave a solo Three Stacks album. Less is more in this case. The hype, alone, will only add to the prestige and mystique that is André 3000, and a solo album would most likely not live up to the epically high anticipation we have put on something that hasn’t even been confirmed.

CREDIT: FACT Magazine

Logic or Childish Gambino or J. Cole or any other rapper could retire and do something else. If their music is deep and thought-provoking, it will stand the test of time and allow them to go on and do other things. Logic wants to write, direct and act. Childish Gambino is already killing the game with his FX series, Atlanta, his upcoming roles in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the “Star Wars” Han Solo spin-off, the live-action “Lion King” and the animated “Deadpool” he’s also bringing to FX. Let them do their thing.

Here’s my theory: Rappers can retire once they realize the music they make will stand the test of time with their fans—if the quality is there of course—and once they figure out that less could really be more. And you know what else it leaves room for?... The return.

I have my entire life to work. I can only bust my ass, hope and pray that I can create something that will live on forever. While I have years and years to even begin to think about the end of my career, I can only hope that when I retire, people will crave my product like we as fans crave these artists music, movies and TV shows.

By Trey Alessio

Every time Kendrick Lamar puts out an album, he leaves us a mystery to be solved.  One thing probably means another, the other thing probably has a deeper meaning and the deeper meaning is probably just one piece to the puzzle. His latest album, “DAMN.,” is no different.
Going into double-digit listens of “DAMN.,” something finally hit me like an epiphany. I felt like I finally understood what K Dot was trying to tell me on this album, and it started on “FEAR.”

Ever since “good kid, m.A.A.d. city,” Kendrick Lamar has always had that one long song on each album that ends up being the most important clue to the ultimate mystery. It was “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” which was 12 minutes, on “good kid, m.A.A.d. city.” It was “Mortal Man,” which was also 12 minutes, on “To Pimp a Butterfly.” I’m excluding “untitled unmastered” because I don’t really consider that an album as much as an EP, but if you really wanted to go there,  “untitled 07,” arguably the most popular song, was eight minutes. “FEAR.” was the  longest song on “DAMN.,” and I think it’s also the most important. 

CREDIT: NPR

“FEAR.” provides the thesis statement for the entire album. In the fourth verse of the song, Kendrick says, “I’m talking fear, fear of losing creativity. / I’m talking fear, fear of missing out on you and me. / I’m talking fear, fear of losing *loyalty* from *pride* ‘cause my *DNA* won’t let me involve in the light of *God.* / I’m talking fear, fear that my *humbleness* is gone. / I’m talking fear, fear that *love* ain’t living here no more. / I’m talking fear, fear that it’s wickedness or weakness. / Fear, whatever it is, both is distinctive. / Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth. / And I can’t take these feelings with me, so hopefully they disperse within 14 tracks, carried out over wax, wondering if I’m living through fear or living through rap.” Notice the words with asterisks are track names on the album. This is important because Kendrick Lamar is subtly leaving us clues to indicate not only the importance of this song, but also how it links back to every individual song.

Let’s rewind a little bit and pick out some very important lines within other songs that will lead us to the theme and the message K Dot is trying to portray. It starts on the very first song, “BLOOD.,” with the opening words, “Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?” This sets up the religious undertones embedded throughout the entire album. In other words, I believe Kendrick is saying, “Pick your poison.” Everyone has their vice whether that be sex, gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc., but the question that K Dot poses in the opening lines is basically asking, “Is your vice purely sin (wickedness) or is it your downfall (weakness)?”

Also on “BLOOD.,” Kendrick sets up a very interesting scenario with the blind woman walking down the street. As Kendrick goes over to help, she kills him. Could this woman represent God? (Remember “God’s a Girl” on Ab-Soul’s album, “Do What Thou Wilt?”) And could Kendrick admitting his sins to God eventually lead to his death on the album? Hold that thought. We’ll break this down further later on.

The next important line comes in the intro to “ELEMENT.” Kid Capri says, “Ain’t nobody praying for me. Ya’ll know what happens on Earth stays on Earth.” Especially with how these words are being said like a hype line, this could be very easy to go in one ear and out the other. But don’t let it go over your head. Kendrick feels like nobody is praying for him, which saddens him because he knows his vices will lead to his eventual death if he gives into his sins. I think that he thinks that prayers will act as a spiritual shield around him, and the fact that he isn’t getting this force field upsets him. “What happens on Earth stays on Earth” is important because I think another voice in Kendrick’s head is basically saying, “YOLO, I’m going to live my life and the sins I commit during my time on Earth aren’t going to follow me into heaven when I die.” I think Kendrick realizes this fully in the song, “FEAR.”

CREDIT: Hypebeast

K Dot continues searching for prayers and questions the world around him on “FEEL.” He opens the song again with “Ain’t nobody praying for me,” and continues to vent throughout the entire song.

Another important subtle line comes on “PRIDE.” The intro by Steve Lacy states, “Love’s gonna get you killed but pride’s gonna be the death of you and me.” Let’s fast-forward to the song, “LUST.” Is it a coincidence that pride and lust are two of the seven deadly sins? No. This whole album stems from the idea that your vices will follow you, but it’s up to you to decide whether it will be your downfall or not. “PRIDE.” and “LUST.” are the two most underrated songs on the album, in my opinion. They’re both important for the storyline and the cohesiveness of the album, and they’re very representative of the sins themselves—meaning the vibe and tone of each song coincides with the sin being committed.

I’d also like to pose this theory: “DAMN.” is the name of the album because if you give into your sins, you may just be damned to hell. Fast-forward a couple more songs and we’ll be back on the song, “FEAR.” I believe this track is the most important song on this album because fear is what follows Kendrick Lamar as a dark cloud, constantly reminding him of that very important question that continually pops up on this album: “Is it wickedness? Is it weakness?”

This leads me to the very important voicemails also on “FEAR.” This is where Kendrick’s cousin Carl says, “We are cursed people.” He later goes on to say verse two of Deuteronomy 28:28 in the Bible says, “You only have I known of all the families of the Earth, therefore I will punish you for all your inquires.” Carl says, “Until we come back to these commandments, we’re gonna feel this way and we’re gonna be under this curse.” He goes on to say the “so-called Blacks, Hispanics and Native American Indians are the true children of Israel.” This links back to the line on “YAH.,” when K Dot says “I’m an Israelite, don’t call me black no more. That word is only a color. It ain’t facts no more.”

“DAMN.” boils down to this: Kendrick Lamar feels cursed, and he fears his sins will lead to his eventual death. Remember the blind lady from “BLOOD.?” Maybe Kendrick gave into his sins and the way he chose to go about repentance led to his death by the hand of God on the first song of the album.

Kendrick Lamar recently said he wants this album to last for 20 years. With the very powerful and mysterious religious, political and racial messages embedded in this album, I’m sure it will stand the test of time.

Check out Zane Lowe's interview with Kendrick Lamar on Beats 1 for more "DAMN." insight.

CREDIT: The Tracking Board

On February 22, a power-move sent a ripple down stream and could potentially cause a major wave in the future of the film industry.

It was reported that Martin Scorsese’s long-in-development project, “The Irishman,” was picked up by Netfix from Paramount Pictures. This move comes after a big announcement that Brad Grey left as the studio’s CEO.

But why could this be so important? Name another Netflix release with the prestige of a director such as Martin Scorsese. You can’t. Sure, the stream-platform has produced dumbass Adam Sandler comedies like “The Ridiculous 6” and “The Do-Over” as well as some critically-acclaimed originals such as “Beasts of No Nation” and “The Fundamentals of Caring,” but none have the ceiling that “The Irishman” has.

My movie idol Martin Scorsese is widely recognized as one of the greatest directors of all-time. He has smash-hits like “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “GoodFellas,” “Cape Fear,” “Casino,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and the list goes on and on. Why is “The Irishman” turning the heads of Scorsese-junkies like me? Well, the Academy-award winning director will be reuniting Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino—three of the most icons actors of their time. Can you tell how pumped I am yet? And yes, I’m aware there might be some Benjamin Buttoning that has to take place. I don’t care. My anticipation is still at an all-time high.

CREDIT: Amazon

“The Irishman” will be based off a book entitled “I Heard You Paint Houses,” which details the life of Frank Sheeran. Sheeran was a big-dick, hot-shot Teamsters official with ties to the Bufalino mob family. (Spoiler alert…kind of…I mean, it’s a true story for God’s sake) Right before Sheeran’s death in 2003, he admitted to killing fellow Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, whose body has never been found since.

Can you imagine? We’ve got Scorsese—the master of crime dramas—with De Niro, Pesci and Pacino—the ultimate gangster actors—plus this epic story with an outstanding premise. This is bound to be a classic.

But the fact that “The Irishman” has the potential to be a hit isn’t what’s really important. It’s the fact that a movie of this caliber is coming to a stream-only platform like Netflix. Think about it this way: could you imagine not seeing “GoodFellas” in theaters when it first came out? It’s going to be kind of weird for me when “The Irishman” finally drops. Sure, it’ll be nice to chill on my couch and watch this gangster flick at my own luxury, but a part of me wants to experience something like this in the theaters. Despite my movie-experience preferences, I think if “The Irishman” is successful on Netfix, we’ll see more and more big-time movies come to stream-only platforms. 

I could see “The Irishman” and the impact it could have on the movie industry playing out the same way I can see Drake’s upcoming playlist project, “More Life,” shifting the music culture from albums to broader playlists. Could this be the death of movie theaters? Could this be the death of DVDs? It’s hard to say, but if Scorsese’s upcoming gangster film does numbers and gets critical acclaim, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more franchise movies make this same move.

An official start date hasn’t been set for “The Irishman,” but it’s tentatively slated for 2018. The film was first announced back in 2008, which is believable because Scorsese’s latest movie, “Silence,” took about three decades to come to fruition. But hopefully it’ll be worth the wait. “Silence” got an 84% of Rotten Tomatoes, so the formula for this long-awaited gangster movie has been set. (A dope story + time + a great cast = a classic movie.)

Only time will tell if “The Irishman” will even be successful or if it will truly make a wave in the stream-game, but it definitely has all the makings to do so. 

CREDIT: NJ.com

By Trey Alessio

CREDIT: XXL

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s almost that time of year to start debating about who deserves a spot on the XXL Freshman List. We here at R | U | NTRTND like to stay ahead of the curve, so here are the artists who I believe deserve a spot. On this list, I did my best to balance who I really enjoy with who I really believe will make the list. 

CREDIT: Mass Appeal

Remember when Sylvan LaCue (formerly QuESt) dropped “Searching Sylvan” back in 2014? Before that he toured with Logic in the first half of 2013 on the “Welcome To Forever Tour,” signed with Visionary Music Group and was poised to emerge as one of hip-hop’s top up-and-coming storytellers. In my opinion, if “Searching Sylvan” was released today, it’d be GRAMMY-worthy now that the Recording Academy is recognizing free, stream-only projects. “Searching Sylvan” is on that level. LaCue’s follow-up 2016 project, “Far From Familiar” has the same type of vibes. The man is a lyricist through and through. He utilizes skits to tell a relatable, honest, cohesive story, which seems to only come from the elite of the elite in hip-hop. I honestly thought LaCue was going to make the XXL list last year, but with the momentum of an array of self-produced singles, a tour with Saba and new music on the way, I think Sylvan LaCue may have enough of a force behind him to put on the Freshman List this year. 

CREDIT: Village Voice

​If I had to pick one shoe-in for this year’s XXL Freshman List, Saba would probably be my pick. His real buzz began when Chance the Rapper put Saba on his “Coloring Book”-single, “Angels.” After that monstrous guest spot, Saba released his album/mixtape, “Bucket List Project,” in October of 2016. This project was an honorable mention on my top-10 list of best rap albums from 2016. “Bucket List Project” was a cohesive project about chasing your dreams and crossing things off your bucket list, again showcasing his lyricism and storytelling. To follow up the album/mixtape rollout, Saba will be headlining the “Bucket List Tour” with Sylvan LaCue. Saba has all the tools to be a top-tier rapper moving forward in the industry. He has the big-time co-sign and a lot of momentum behind him to go along with his actual rap abilities. I would be shocked if Saba didn’t make the list this year.

CREDIT: Saint Heron

​Jazz Cartier was another artist I thought deserved a spot on last year’s XXL list. My first encounter with his music came when he dropped “Hotel Paranoia,” which I thought was a very well-done project top-to-bottom from the production to the variation of sounds to the lyricism. Jacuzzi isn’t brand new to the rap game, but I think he’s very talented and deserves a spot on the Freshman List. He has the ability to be the face of the “New Toronto” movement.

CREDIT: Made In Toronto

I was put on to Nav when I heard him on Travis Scott’s song, “Biebs In the Trap,” from the album, “Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight.” I know he has been doing his thing for some time now on the production side, but that Travis Scott feature put him on my radar. Nav has one of those hybrid R&B/hip-hop flows, which I think gives him the potential to be a breakout star in 2017. Back in December 2016, it was reported that Nav and Metro Boomin’ have a joint album on the way plus Nav dropped a fire new song entitled, “Some Way,” with The Weeknd, which will be on his upcoming self-titled debut mixtape set to drop on February 24. So, the momentum is there, the new music seems to be on the way and the talent is apparent. Nav could be this year's Desiigner, in terms of making the list off a feature and a single. Don’t sleep on Nav. 

CREDIT: Vulture

Noname isn’t brand new to the hip-hop community, but with the release of her amazing debut project, “Telefone,” I think she has enough popularity behind her to put her on this year’s XXL Freshman List. The quality of “Telefone” alone should propel her onto the XXL List this year. She’s lyricist and a beautiful storyteller plus she has the co-sign of the GRAMMY-award winning Chance the Rapper. It’s just easy to listen to Noname. I think it’d be fair to say she’s the new version of Rapsody. She doesn’t seem to be craving the fame, but I think it’d be cool if XXL showed her some love. I don’t believe she has announced any new music coming any time soon, but her outstanding 2016 has definitely trickled into 2017, so XXL should give her the nod.

CREDIT: The A&R Report

I just recently gave “Free 6lack” a listen and thought it was outstanding. I get a Bryson Tiller vibe from 6lack’s music. He’s another R&B/rap hybrid, which seems to springboard a lot of these artists into the spotlight simply because they can sing and rap. I think this dude has the potential to be in the same conversation as Anderson .Paak, Bryson Tiller and BJ the Chicago Kid—all of whom have cemented their name into the hip-hop and R&B culture. Other than 6lack’s album, “Free 6lack,” I don’t know much about him, but based on the quality of that project, I think he has earned his spot on this year’s upcoming XXL Freshman List. 

CREDIT: The Chicago Tribune

Chicago, stand up! If Joey Purp makes the list, that would mean three artists from Chicago (Saba, Noname and Joey Purp) would be on the cover, which would be really cool especially after the year Chance the Rapper had. But Joey Purp’s music by itself has the quality to put him on the XXL list. I don’t know much of his music outside of “iiiDrops,” but that project alone was incredible. It had the standout “Girls @”single with Chance the Rapper as well as the songs where he shines on his own such as “Godbody” and “Morning Sex.” Joey Purp can spit. He has the ability to go hard and then switch it up and show a softer side. The man needs some recognition. Show some love, XXL.

CREDIT: Pitchfork

​Kamaiyah is a breath of fresh, west coast gangsta rap. Her debut mixtape, “A Good Night in the Ghetto” was awesome. The quality of that project should propel her onto the XXL Freshman List this year, in my opinion. Kamaiyah also snagged a gigantic feature on YG’s single, “Why You Always Hatin?” alongside Drake. The buzz is definitely there, and this could be the year she steps out from the underground to the mainstream spotlight.

CREDIT: New Times Broward-Palm Beach

​This is my sleeper pick. I was put onto Wifisfuneral’s music after seeing some buzz about him on Twitter and SoundCloud. “When Hell Falls” is the only project I’ve heard from Wifisfuneral, but I could feel the emotion on every track from the project. He has the versatility to be a trap rapper/singer or a conscious lyricist, which goes to show you how talent this dude is. I think Wifisfuneral has enough buzz to push him onto this year’s cover. Don’t sleep.

CREDIT: DJBooth

​I’m not going to lie, I haven’t really gotten into a ton of PnB Rock’s music, but my sister—who’s in high school—raves about it day in and day out. So, he has the buzz going with the young hip-hop fans. I know just from my sister showing me his music that PnB Rock has more of a R&B vibe, which could make him a potential star for the radio charts. He recently released a project called “Goin’ Thru the Motions” with notable features from Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign and Quavo, so he has already cracked into the likes of a mainstream audience with those collaborative efforts. I wouldn’t be surprised if PnB Rock was on this year’s cover. 

Here are some other artists to look out for. 

Who do you think will make this year's XXL Freshman List? Let us know!

By Trey Alessio

I just finished the third episode of “The Young Pope,” and Lenny Belardo has to be one of the deepest, darkest, most complex, corrupt and manipulative TV characters I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if it’s the corrupt mafioso in me, but I just love a good puppet-master when it comes to TV, and this “Young Pope” got me thinking: “Who is the most corrupt, manipulative TV character out there?” 

(This contains spoilers from each show)

CREDIT: HBO

First off, when this trailer initially came out, I was instantly intrigued. It’s duly noted that my family and I are Catholic, so when I showed my mom this trailer, she called it sac-religious. Well, I guess I’m a sinner because this show is amazing so far. So what does Lenny have going for him in this contest of corruption? Well, Pope Pius XIII is a leader of the Catholic Church who doesn’t believe in God. What?! Could you even imagine? But does his lack of faith really make him worthy enough of our beloved crown of corruption title? While Lenny has brought up his lack of faith twice in the first three episodes, he really hasn’t shown any true signs of corruption. Yes, his homily was very brash and assertive, but I think Lenny truly believes in his mysterious methods—not showing his face to the crowd or media. Only time will tell, but I don’t really believe Lenny is trying to take down the Catholic Church…yet. Honestly, Cardinal Voiello might be even more corrupt than Lenny. We won’t know for sure until this HBO limited series has ended, but for now, we’re just going to chalk Lenny Belardo a.k.a. Pope Pius XIII up to a glorified dick. 

CREDIT: Starz

Ghost is the swaggiest character on our list. By day, he’s a popular club owner, and by night, he’s a drug kingpin. This man has to be a master manipulator as he dates a high school sweetheart who happens to be a FBI agent while continuing his run as New York’s biggest drug dealer. Ghost has multiple internal plans to save himself and his business as he starts to feel the heat from law enforcement that are revealed throughout the show in the perfect of ways. For example, Ghost plots to get his partner Tommy pinched and keeps the faith that Tommy won’t rat on him in order to keep himself safe. When Tommy doesn’t rat, Ghost schemes a way to free Tommy—a master move. However, Ghost does not take home our crown of corruption simply because in the most recent season he drops his Ghost persona and attempts to go fully legit for his girlfriend. 

CREDIT: HBO

The true head of the modern-day New Jersey mob was one of the best puppet-masters in TV history. Tony always looked 10 steps ahead and plotted his every move with such precision. For example, Tony suggests that his mafia friends put their elderly family members in a certain nursing home in order to hide their dirty money and weapons. The nursing home also served as a safe spot for mob meetings without the threat of the Feds listening. It stems from Tony. He’s the leader and the most manipulative of the mobsters on “The Soprano’s.” The man even had his friend’s restaurant burnt down because of an unwanted hit. Tony avoided the unwanted hit and his friend Artie picked up the insurance money. The list of corrupt, manipulative schemes goes on and on, but he doesn’t take home our corruption crown—which kind of pains me because Tony Soprano is one of my favorite overall characters of all-time.

CREDIT: Netflix

Drum roll… This leaves the one and only President Frank Underwood. Francis is our winner because every move he makes his diabolical; every move he makes is a behind-the-scenes scheme to further his role. He starts as the whip and plots his way to the Oval Office. The man has the first season’s president Garrett Walker impeached. He pushes his fling-of-a-girlfriend/reporter Zoey Barnes in front of a train. Could you imagine? A president who has a body count? Frank Underwood is the ultimate master manipulator. I think the best part about Frank Underwood and “House of Cards” is the fact that it has made me believe a lot of this corruption really goes on in real-life politics. (See tweet below from the most reliable source EVER.) I hope we never see the fall of Frank Underwood. The new season of “House of Cards” comes out on May 30. 

Do you agree with our list? Did we crown the right character? Let us know!

Frank Ocean recently released the follow-up to his stunning debut with the long-awaited album, “Blonde.” It was weird and just the right amount of outside-the-box to be a beautiful album. But “Blonde” made me realize something. It allowed me to look back and ponder how many great R&B projects we have received in the past couple of years.

After this epiphany, I attempted to find an origin for this soulful greatness and break down of how the culture has taken it all in.

My opening thesis statement goes like this: The quality of R&B has gotten better as the quality and popularity of hip-hop has gotten better. As I looked back and did some digging, I landed on an unlikely moment for the R&B genre and a more obvious event for hip-hop. 

On August 14, 2013, Big Sean released a promotional song entitled, “Control.” The song featured Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. Whether you like to admit or not, this song changed the rap game and its sub-genres for the better. On “Control,” Big Sean and Jay Electronica spit bars but Kendrick Lamar’s verse was the key factor and may even be the greatest verse of all-time. Kendrick name-dropped J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electronica, Tyler the Creator and Mac Miller and challenged all of them to set up their game. Kendrick said, “What is competition? I’m tryna raise the bar high. Who tryna jump and get it?” It was a healthy dose of bravado and showmanship. Kendrick was asking all of his fellow rappers to push each other to be better, and I think it’s safe to say it worked.

Ever since Kendrick set the Internet on fire with his “Control” verse, hip-hop, as a genre, has improved, and with the improvement of hip-hop has come the improvement in one of its sub-genres, R&B.

 Since Kendrick’s “Control” verse, we’ve been blessed with my personal favorite album of all-time, Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” The Weeknd topped the charts and snagged a GRAMMY for “Beauty Behind the Madness,” Logic took us to outer space with “The Incredible True Story,” Bryson Tiller burst onto the scene with “TRAPSOUL,” Dr. Dre came out of the shadows and released “Compton,” J. Cole went double platinum with no features and became a popular Twitter phrase with “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” Pharrell made everyone happy with his single, “Happy,” gangsta rap had its rebirth with great albums from Pusha T, Schoolboy Q, YG and others and Justin Timberlake stole our hearts with “The 20/20 Experience.” I’m out of breath just typing everything and that’s just naming a few moments.

There were a lot of amazing pieces of work from both hip-hop and R&B from 2013-2015, but 2016 has been amazing. We’ve already been blessed with Anderson .Paak’s “Malibu,” Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book,” Frank Ocean’s “Blonde,” Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo,” Beyoncé’s “LEMONADE,” Drake’s “VIEWS” and Rihanna’s “ANTI.” And again, that’s only naming a few out of the massive amount of great projects that have dropped in 2016. Plus we still have the fall and the winter to look forward to.

But to reaffirm my previous thesis statement, I believe R&B has gotten better as hip-hop has gotten better. It started with “Control.” It peaked with  “To Pimp a Butterfly.” I truly think Kendrick Lamar proved he’s one of the greatest with his album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” It was a message of hope amongst the dark days of police brutality on black males in America, and I felt the same way I did when I first watched “The Shawshank Redemption” when I listened to “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Rap’s greatness was followed by some R&B greatness. Beyonce’s “LEMONDADE” blew up the Internet and made all men scared to do any wrong to their female companion. I think Beyoncé’s “LEMONADE” album and the HBO short film to coincide was the female equivalent to Kendrick’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.” So, I think it’s safe to say the quality has only gotten better in both genres. As of right now, I’d argue that Anderson .Paak’s album, “Malibu,” is standing atop the list for best albums of 2016 so far. Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book” is up there as well. We have just been bombarded with great music, and it’s been awesome.

I think the reason why the quality of the music we love has gotten better and better is because artists aren’t afraid to express themselves and tell their story in different ways. Beyoncé premiered her album within a short film on HBO, and Frank Ocean put out the illusion of a live stream for a visual album and turned around a dropped a traditional album the next day. Artists are using the element of surprise when dropping albums. They’re also using the stream wars to their advantage. It’s really a free-for-all out there. 

In 2016, the possibilities are endless, and it’s great to be a fan of music, in general. I’ll be interested to see what kind of mediums and other methods artists will use to give fans their music. I guess there’s only one phrase that sums up the music world right now: What a time to be alive!