Cloud Rap Album Review

LONG.LIVE.A$AP

Packed full of psychedelic and dreamy beats along with suggestive actions, this album is breathtaking. The feeling that runs through the listener’s body influences the mind in multiple ways.

The album LONG.LIVE.A$AP by A$AP Rocky was released in 2013. Recorded by LLC/RCA Records and marketed by Polo Grounds Music/ ASAP Worldwide, LONG.LIVE.A$AP sat in the tenth position of the year-end US Top Rap Albums chart. Studio sessions occurred in various locations such as Florida, New York, California, and others.

Lyrics throughout the album makes the impression of gold and diamonds. ASAP Rocky depicts a show in listerner’s minds. The use of imagery creates the image of money. The artist also uses personification to erect an image of the love of money, while you can’t love money due to the fact that money does not have the ability to love back. The intricate diction use that Rocky incorporates in the album, creates the impression that you yourself are rich. The waste of money is heavily imbedded all throughout this music, allowing the audience to feel what his life is like without actually partaking in the careless lifestyle.

This album is a looking glass into the life of a cloud rap artist. The actions portrayed in the songs on the album represent the lifestyle of sex, drugs, and no fear of tomorrow. I highly recommend this album to those individuals who would like to get a peek inside the livelihood of a rapper.



Image by: Nicklas Verbes




Beauty Behind the Madness

Love is notorious for leaving hurt in the heart of humanity. In this album ,lyrics dive deeply into themes of heartache and the act of moving on. The audience moves out of their headphones with the sensation that the world around them has changed beyond belief.

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, otherwise known as The Weeknd, dropped his album Beauty Behind the Madness on August 28, 2015. The album was recorded by Republic Records as well as XO. With various producers on the tracks of this album, it reached number one on the US Billboard 200 following its release. The Weeknd features several other popular artist leading to mass popularity among the youth of the nation.

In the most famous single of the album, “The Hills”, The Weeknd is trying to express the thought that if you think you can top it, come on over. He portrays the fact that he has already experienced the eliten, and no being can come close the the level where he resides. In another song of the album, “Losers”, the artist conveys the fact that anyone lesser settled for less, once again reminding his peers that he is at the top of the game. The Weeknd is doing nothing more than trying to spread his name beyond where it stands. His songs seem to be directed at those who caused hurt in his life.

Not only does this album expose what happens behind closed doors, but also the things that make us who we are.Hence the album title, “Beauty Behind the Madness.”



Image by: Mayu Shimizu



17

Thoughts derived from controversial topics in today’s society are rooted miles beyond the surface of this album. Listeners walk away with a completely new outlook on life.

XXXTENTACION, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, with the help of multiple producers, dropped this album with eleven tracks. The album was released by Empire Distribution and Bad Vibes Empire on August 25, 2017. Sounds of the lo-fi and hip-hop genre qualify this album to fall in the realm of cloud rap. 17 sat at number two on the US Billboard 200 charts of 2017-18. The album made an appearance high in the charts once again in August of 2018, following the death of XXXTENTACION.

In this album XXXTENTACION shares the aspects of life that drag him to his lowest points and derail the train from the tracks. The tracks of this album provide reasoning for the lifestyle he has acquired. He portrays the hardships of life that are not shared with the world. The hurt that humanity has endured, but is too afraid to speak of. Jahseh helps the audience to understand the lack of respect by telling how the world is damned him; how God has damned him. The feeling left after listening to the album stays lurking in the depths of listener’s minds, truly impacting their outlook on mankind.

There are problems in every individual’s life. By listening to this album the audience can walk away with the comfort of knowing that they are not the only one that experiences these taboo subjects. I definitely recommend this album to anyone who might be at a tough point in life.



Image from: Dash Two