Civil war to civil lawsuit: Drake v. UMG

By Jociel Colon Even if you haven’t been paying much attention to the rap scene this past year, there’s no way you could ignore the civil war that ensued this past spring with Drake and Kendrick Lamar leading the charge against each other. But how did this civil war end up in a civil lawsuit? It’s easy to assume you’ve heard Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like … Continue reading Civil war to civil lawsuit: Drake v. UMG

Album review:  ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ by Tyler, the Creator

By Jociel Colon Tyler, The Creator can be labeled in a multitude of different ways—polarizing, ingenious, genre-bending. You just can’t describe him in one word. When he first appeared on the music scene in 2008 with his collective, Odd Future, his creativity was overshadowed by his rebellious personality and explicitly offensive lyrics. Though the subject matter of his music has changed somewhat drastically since his … Continue reading Album review:  ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ by Tyler, the Creator

Transcending the Joke Status: Bladee and the Power of Online Music

In a hazily shot YouTube video, Brandon MaCartney sits at a table after shooting footage for an upcoming project. “My music is love, man”, he says to the camera, as two scantily clad women duck in and out of the room. The music video for “Wonton Soup” may have been recorded over 10 years ago, but it is an important example. It reminds us that … Continue reading Transcending the Joke Status: Bladee and the Power of Online Music