By Trey Alessio

CREDIT: Rap Basement

This album is probably one of the most sought-after projects of the New Year. Weezy announced his last installment in “Tha Carter” series back in 2012, and since then, this album has faced nothing but roadblocks.

After an alleged and confirmed-fake tracklist surfaced back in 2014, Lil Wayne filed a 21-page lawsuit against the Cash Money label in January of 2015. According to the lawsuit records that surfaced online, Wayne delivered the sound recordings for “Tha Carter V.” Although the label was supposed to pay Wayne eight million dollars for the final project and another two million dollars for the delivery of “Tha Carter V,” Cash Money failed to pay him, breaking their legal agreement, according to Lil Wayne.

Along with the lawsuits, Birdman finally said in 2016 that “Tha Carter V” would eventually see the light of day. However, Lil Wayne told TMZ Birdman was “full of shit”—a sad moment for Tunechi fans. 

But there still may be hope. The infamous pharmaceutical douchebag Martin Shkreli recently claimed he obtained “Tha Carter V.” He even previewed a song on Periscope that clearly has Lil Wayne’s vocals. Shkreli said he got the album legally, but other reports surfaced that he may face legal trouble for previewing one of the album’s songs.

So what do we really know about “Tha Carter V?” Well, we don’t have a lot of concrete facts, but we do know what the cover art will look like. We can make an educated guess that it will be a two-disc project based on Shkreli’s Periscope comments and other surfaced reports.

We have also been led to believe Mannie Fresh will have some involvement with the album—there was even a rumored song from “Tha Carter V” that he shared himself. We also can make an educated guess that “Tha Carter V” won’t be Tunechi’s only project coming out. A recent Facebook post of his claims “Tha Carter V,” “Dedication 6,” “Funeral” and a newly rumored project called “Velvet” could be coming out in due time. However, this tracklist wish list will focus only on “Tha Carter V.”

The real question is: will we get a bunch of old songs that have been locked in a vault since 2012 or will we get some fresh Weezy songs? With this installment of “Album Anticipation + Tracklist Wish List,” we will speculate.

Do I think we’ll get a ton of new songs? No. Do I hope “Tha Carter V” will be a living, breathing piece of work much like Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo?” Of course. I don’t expect any concept as Weezy F has never really been one to tell a cohesive story, but I do expect bars. I expect a massive amount of wordplay and punch lines. I’d also like to see production from Mannie Fresh, Metro Boomin’, Mike Will Made-It, David Banner, Street Runner, Kane Beatz and Swizz Beatz. How cool would it be to hear Lil Wayne say, “If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot ya?” Here’s my attempt to balance what I think we’ll get and what I’d really like to see with this album. 

1. Intro (feat. Jay Z and Kanye West) – opens with the classic Lil Wayne light up sound effect and goes straight into bar after bar… I think “The Throne” could definitely appear on a song because Jay Z and Kanye West have collaborated with Weezy in the past and hopefully time has squashed their “beef.” I also think he could continue his trend of unlisted big-time, legendary features on the intro, interlude and outro.
2. Start This (feat. Mannie Fresh) – old school, boom-bap sound much like “Go DJ”… I think this is feasible because Mannie Fresh shared a snippet of this song back in 2016 and claimed it was for “Tha Carter V.”
3. Life of Mr. Carter – “Mr. Carter” from “Tha Carter III” vibes… Recently, this snippet surfaced online and its alleged home is “Tha Carter V.” Expect bars and good punch lines.
4. Believe Me (feat. Drake) – This song was released back in the summer of 2014, but I think its popularity will put it on “Tha Carter V” as the lead single.
5. Off to Mars – “Phone Home” vibes… Weezy has always considered himself out of this world/an alien/a Martian, so I think it’s definitely feasible to get another weird song about outer space.
6. Dreams Of the Top – Wayne raps over an uplifting, piano beat… I think this could be the sequel to his song, “Nightmares Of the Bottom,” from “Tha Carter IV.” That was probably my favorite song from “C4,” so I’d love to hear more of those vibes on this album.
7. Start A Fire (feat. Christina Milian) – This song was released in November of 2014, but I think it will show up on “C5” because the artwork for the single includes the Roman numeral “V.”
8. Interlude (feat. Busta Rhymes, Juelz Santana and Ice Cube) – banging beat with bars on bars… I think he continues with the legendary unlisted features on this interlude. Busta Rhymes is a frequent collaborator of Lil Wayne’s, so I think he could show up on the album. Juelz Santana recently claimed he has around 20 unreleased tracks with Lil Wayne, so why not put him on “Tha Carter V?” Ice Cube is my sleeper pick for “C5.” I think that’d be an epic collab.
9. Greatest Of All-Time – braggadocios bars… This could be an epic sequel to the song, “Best Rapper Alive,” from “Tha Carter II.”
10. Crazy (feat. Eminem) – crazy Slim Shady vibes meshed with “A Milli”… I predicted Lil Wayne would show up on Eminem’s upcoming album, so I think it’s possible that they traded feature-for-feature. They have collaborated on the songs, “No Love” and “Drop the World,” so I think another Shady-Weezy song could show up on “C5.”
11. Womanizer (feat. The Weeknd) – “How To Hate” vibes… This feature is more of a want than a “I think it will happen.” The Weeknd is the ultimate R&B singer to touch on the topic of women in a trippy, drug-infested way, which would be a dope addition to a Lil Wayne album.
12. South Bound – introspective, deep song about Lil Wayne’s roots… Weezy’s Tidal exclusive, “The Free Weezy Album,” had a lot of songs with meaning, so I think we could see some introspective songs on “C5,” which I’d absolutely love.
13. Mula – “Got Money” vibes… Whether it will be a nod to the Cash Money label before all the beef or whether it will be about his Young Money imprint, I think a song about money intertwined with label talk is definitely feasible for “Tha Carter V.”
14. No Chance (feat. Drake and Future) – the hit single with a catchy hook from Future… With the success of Drake and Future’s “What a Time To Be Alive” joint album and Drake’s “Summer Sixteen” Tour, I think a collab with mentee Drake and close affiliate Future could be very possible for Lil Tunechi.
15. Live Forever – “How To Love” vibes… I think Lil Wayne will have at least one song where he strictly sings.
16. Outchea (feat. 2 Chainz) – “Bounce” from “Collegrove” vibes… I think a 2 Chainz feature is more than likely because of their past collaborative efforts.
17. Hallelujah – Weezy raps over a powerful beat with choir vocals in the background. This could have the same vibes as the song, “Glory,” from “The Free Weezy Album.”
18. Like Father, Like Son (feat. Birdman) – “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” vibes… I think it’s very possible for an old song with Birdman to show up on “C5.” A song like this would obviously have been recorded before all the lawsuits.
19. Get ‘Em High (feat. Rihanna and T-Pain) – bars from Tunechi, catchy hook from Rihanna and T-Pain… This could be another chart-topper for “C5.” I think a T-Pain feature is more feasible than a Rihanna feature, but I’d love to see either or both on the album.
20. Outro (feat. The Game, Gucci Mane and Snoop Dogg) – bars on bars on a banging beat… Lil Wayne will continue to find epic features for his intro, interlude, outro series of songs. 

Do you think "Tha Carter V" will ever see the light of day? Let us know!

CREDIT: Spin

Trey and Brandon break down the Oscar nominations, the new Star Wars title, the NFC and AFC Championships, preview the Super Bowl and talk about the latest in the music world plus much more.

By Trey Alessio

CREDIT: Stop the Breaks

I’ve been excited for this album ever since I went to see/meet Logic in Minneapolis back in 2015. I remember during the Q&A someone asked about his next album, and he said it’s going to be a concept album about God, society and life, in general. I remember thinking to myself, “This sounds like the perfect album.”

Very few details have emerged about this album. Logic announced the upcoming album will be titled “AfricAryaN” on Dan Harmon’s “Harmontown” podcast. During that interview, he also said “AfricAryaN” will be about the cultural evolution of man and how, scientifically, the first man and woman came from Africa and over time culturally evolved with lighter skin. Logic said the album will be about being black and white (he is biracial), and seeing life from two sides.

We also know from pictures Logic has posted that Neil deGrasse Tyson has some involvement with the album—most likely narration. He also recently posted a picture with Patrick Starrr, saying they were working on the album, and another picture with Killer Mike from Run the Jewels. Along with the pictures, Logic tweeted that the message within the music is “peace, love and positivity”—something he has been preaching for years.

So what do we know? We know “AfricAryaN” will be a concept that’s mostly racially and most-likely politically driven. We know from a Rolling Stone interview that it’s going to be introspective and mostly told from the perspectives of others. We also know what the beginning stages of the album cover will look like and that it’s tentatively set for a 2017 release.
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I’ll be the first to tell you, I’m an avid member of the Ratt Pack, and I have high expectations for this album. When I made my 2017 entertainment wish list, I even wrote down that I wanted “AfricAryaN” to be Logic’s version of Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” and I truly think it has that kind of potential. I think 2017 could be the year Logic breaks down the walls and really becomes an elite artist in the eyes of a widespread audience and possibly from the scope of the GRAMMYs.

I would like to see this album entirely produced by Logic’s in-house producer 6ix. He is the 40 to Logic’s Drake. He is the Martin Scorsese to Logic’s Robert De Niro and/or Leo Dicaprio, and I think their perfect combo could be exemplified on “AfricAryaN.” I would also like to see Logic stick entirely to a cohesive theme throughout the album. We don’t need the turn-up song. We don’t need the radio single. Give us an entire project with a beautiful message. I would like to hear the emotion and the dark tones throughout the album leading to positive, hopeful and inspiring climax.

CREDIT: SamSpratt/Twitter

1. The Beginning – Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how the first man and woman on Earth came from Africa and how everyone stems from African roots.
2. Black – Logic raps over heavy, almost jungle-sounding drums about how every human being has African roots… He also delves into living in modern times from the perspective of a black man.
3. White – Logic raps over a piano beat about how over time humans’ skin became lighter and lighter… He also delves into living in modern times from the perspective of a white man.
4. Molded – Dark tones… Logic raps about being a biracial man in America and being molded by society and his surroundings. I think this is a good spot for the line he spit for Rolling Stone awhile back.
5. Evolution – Neil deGrasse Tyson gives some scientific background about how humans evolved generationally from black to white. Logic further explains this evolution and raps about seeing things from two racial perspectives.
6. Racism – More dark tones… Logic raps about the inequality between two races and feeling stuck in the middle.
7. Revolution (feat. Killer Mike) – Logic raps over a triumphant, uplifting beat and meshes his singing voice about the black race rising up against white supremacy and other bigotry. I think this is a perfect spot for that snippet we heard in the song from “Bobby Tarantino,” “Studio Ambience At Night: Malibu.”
8. Come Together – Logic sings with a hint of auto-tune so we can feel the pain… He pleads for the human race to come together as one.
9. Peace, Love & Positivity – Rap/R&B mixed song… This has been Logic’s motto forever now, so I think it’s very feasible for this to be a song on “AfricAryaN.”
10. The World (feat. Patrick Starrr) – Logic sings about the people of Earth dropping their racial identifications and coming together as one human race. I’d love to hear a Young Sinatra-style rendition of “We Are the World.”
11. Thank You, God – Logic raps over another uplifting beat about his faith in God. He talks about almost losing faith in humanity but finally realizing with peace, love and positivity, anything is possible.
12. Unity – Logic raps over beautiful, angelic tones about finally living in a world where race doesn’t matter.
13. AfricAryaN – Logic raps about how he is black and white, and he suggests everyone is the same as him.
14. The Future – Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how the human race can only go on if it comes together through peace, love and positivity. Logic finishes the album with beautiful melodies of hope.

CREDIT: Pitchfork

By Trey Alessio

In 2016, there were many albums that were announced but never saw the light of day. These remain in musical purgatory, but in this “Album Anticipation” series, I’ll break down the albums I’m looking forward to this year and create my dream tracklist for each project. Here’s the first album in this blog series. 

Eminem isn’t the most active on Twitter, but on October 19, 2016, Slim Shady tweeted out a link to a 7-minute jaw-dropping, bar-for-bar freestyle/a cappella song and announced he’s working on a new album.

I’ll be the first to tell you, I am a Stan through and through, so when I heard this news, I started freaking out. I can’t wait to see what Eminem has up his sleeve. There are very few details about this upcoming album, but I think it’d be fun to speculate and/or wish.

First of all, I’d like to see this album entirely produced by Dr. Dre. Eminem’s last album, “Marshall Mathers LP 2,” was produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, and while I thought it was great, it did kind of have more of a mainstream vibe to it. Dre brings out the best in Eminem, and I’d love to see Slim Shady’s best work. With that being said, I’d also like to see a lot of crazy, Slim Shady vibes and a reunion-of-sorts with former frequent collaborators. It seemed like Kanye West’s album, “The Life of Pablo,” and Chance the Rapper’s mixtape, “Coloring Book,” both were a gathering of friends and a creative space for beautiful music. I want to see Eminem’s version of that. Wouldn’t it be cool to see Eminem bring back some familiar faces (Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne) to lay down some fire on this new album?

I also want a mixture of the old school, crazy Slim Shady vibes, the weird, comedic-voiced Slim Shady vibes and the inspirational, pump-up Eminem vibes—all dope vibes. Wouldn’t that be the craziest Eminem album ever? I just want the nostalgia meshed with the new-school, evolved version of Eminem on this upcoming album. I’m not expecting a cohesive story, but I am expecting greatness.

1. I’m Back Again – No hook, just bars… Slim guns anyone from Donald Trump to Kim Kardashian to Christopher Reeves to Lindsay Lohan with a “Rap God” vibe. No one is safe. This could be a sequel to the song, “I’m Back,” from the original “Marshall Mathers LP.”
2. Drained (feat. Anderson .Paak) – A song about how women and fame drain all his energy… He will most likely flame some prominent females from the current world of pop culture. Anderson .Paak will be on the hook—something that could be feasible simply because they’re both on the same label, Aftermath.
3. Motivation – the pump-up song… Eminem always seems to throw in that quintessential fiery, motivational song such as “Lose Yourself,” “Till I Collapse,” “Not Afraid,” “Survival.” It seems likely that Eminem would put out a new pump-up, possibly lead-single song.
4. Paul (Skit) – Paul Rosenberg leaves Marshall a harsh voicemail about making another album under the Slim Shady persona. I want some more hilarious Eminem skits on this next album.
5. Detroit vs. Everybody Pt. II (feat. Big Sean, Royce Da 5’9” and D12) – The follow-up to the Detroit anthem from “Shady XV”… Eminem teams up with fellow Detroit-natives Big Sean, Nickel and D12 to pay homage to their hometown. We’ve all been waiting for the sequel to this song, and I think Eminem’s album might be a perfect spot (if it doesn’t show up on Big Sean’s upcoming album, “I Decided).
6. Steve Berman (Skit) – Eminem discusses this new album with Steve Berman, who isn’t pleased with the final product. Bring back the skits, Em!
7. Bitch Please III (feat. Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay Z and Lil Wayne) – Braggadocios and womanizing… Eminem rallies up the crew for the “Marshall Mathers LP” follow-up song. This could be feasible as there were rumors circulating around the Twittersphere that Dr. Dre purposed a European tour with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Throw in Jay Z—who toured together in 2010 and collaborated with Eminem on Jay Z’s song, “Renegade”—and Lil Wayne—who collaborated with Eminem on “Drop the World” and “No Love”—to give us the most monstrous track possibly ever. 
8. Finger On the Button – politically, socially conscious… Eminem always used to have a politically-driven song like “White America” or “Mosh.” With “Campaign Speech” under Eminem’s belt, it seems likely that he’ll touch on Trump’s presidency and other political topics.
9. New Wave – Eminem throws shade at the new wave rappers such as Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, etc. He also challenges elite-level rappers to step their game up, much like Kendrick Lamar did with his “Control” verse back in the summer of 2013. This seems feasible because on “Shady XV,” Eminem rapped, “Perhaps I’ll launch some cracker taunts at Action Bronson, Macklemore, Mac Miller and Asher Roth / And have some back and forths / And record a wack response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse and perform “Fack” in concert.” Eminem actually did perform “Fack” for the first time in Brazil last year, so maybe he’ll actually give his version of a “Control” response.
10. Calm Before the Storm (feat. Rihanna) – the radio jam… Whenever Eminem and Rihanna team up on a track, it’s sure to be a chart-topper. 
11. Ken Kaniff (Skit) – Eminem’s gay alter ego is back… We all love Ken Kaniff’s hilarious skits, so it would be cool to see him show up on this new album.
12. Suckin’ It – the funny song with Eminem’s goofy, funny voice (for example, “Ass Like That”). Last December on Shade 45, Eminem jokingly teased a new song with the hook saying, “Tell me what time, what time, what time, what time are you sucking it?” While we all think this was just a joke, Eminem seems like the kind of guy to flip a stupid joke and make it a funny song.
13. Detox (feat. Dr. Dre) – “Forgot About Dre” and/or “Old Time’s Sake” vibes… We all know Dre scrapped “Detox” and released his album, “Compton,” in 2015, but what if Eminem got Dre on a track where they unleash their inner demons?
14. After Mathers – contemplates what the rap game will be like after he’s gone… I’d love to hear hardcore “Marshall Mathers” vibes on a song like this. I think something like this is possible because Eminem is getting older and probably thinking more and more about his legacy.
15. Bonnie and Clyde ’17 – insane, serial killer, Slim Shady vibes… What if Eminem got his grown-up daughter to hop on a sequel to their song from the “Slim Shady LP?” I think this would blow everybody’s minds.
16. Impatient (feat. 50 Cent) – “Patiently Waiting” vibes… We’ve all been waiting for 50 Cent and Eminem to hop back on a track together since 50 Cent released his loosie song, “My Life,” back in 2012. Maybe our wish will come true with this new album.
17. To Infinity – “Infinite” vibes, maybe touching on his legacy again… I think this is possible because Eminem recently re-released a re-mastered version of his first-ever single, “Infinite.” Maybe Slim Shady will leave us where he originally started.

CREDIT: Rap Basement

Trey and Brandon talk about the College Football Playoff National Championship, break down the winners from the Golden Globes, review "La La Land" and much more.