20 Watts

Provoking lyrics and a decent beat round out Lupe's latest single

“Shining Down” feat. Matthew Santos – Lupe Fiasco

Melting hip-hop and rock with a hint of soul, Chicago hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco’s newest single “Shining Down” reiterates the point that Lupe is one of the more underrated lyricists of our time.

The beat is composed mostly of a piercing electric guitar, keyboard and a tight bass line. Matthew Santos, a familiar voice on Lupe tracks, does a great job mellowing out the beat while increasing the intensity with his unique, soulful voice. A string section breaks the monotony for a brief moment late in the track and underscores Lupe’s words. Although the beat can get fairly monotonous, it does give listeners the context to understand everything he is trying to say.

Fiasco’s words are the highlight of this track and should be the focus of all of his songs. He has an incredible knack for telling stories through rap, and unlike most other artists, he rarely curses except to make a point.

Overall, this track has gotten me excited: Lupe Fiasco is back to being Lupe and using his new-school style to break the mold. Hopefully, people will listen to what he has to say.

Naledge's latest album needs refinement

Chicago Picasso – Naledge

One of the reasons why Naledge (from hip-hop group Kidz in the Hall) has never reached stardom could be his unfortunate name. However, his latest album, Chicago Picasso, shows promise more than anything. Naledge’s reason for this album was to take “all aspects of Chicago” and put it all in one album. The mixtape represents “never doing anything straightforward and never doing the same thing twice.”

Naledge has a cool flow when he’s not trying to be Lil’ Wayne. Unfortunately, the album bounces all over the place when it comes to production, never staying on one scene. Some of the tracks, such as “Standing On Sofas,” sound like southern beats while “Blessed By God” is West Coast relax rap.

The album is supposed to be a mixtape and I have to say it’s a convincing facsimile of one. But if it’s a mixtape, why am I paying money to buy it off of iTunes?

Overall, this album needs some major surgery. The promising concept is there, but Naledge needs to hone his raw sound and nature, and possibly his name, to become great. I think it may be time to sit down and figure out a style and sound, because even Picasso had a style.

Best Track: “Blessed By God” featuring a Pinks

– Zach Goldstein