Just got through my first listen. I am going to take my time and process what I just heard, but a brief few thoughts five minutes after...
- this is the most aurally pleasing album I have ever heard...if you even want to call it an album. Each song represented a thematic roller coaster with twists and terms and drops and spins, with the only solace being that you knew Lupe was the conductor and he'd keep the cars on track no matter where it went next.
- this album makes the Lupe before Janaury 20th 2015, the man I considered to be the best rapper of all time, look amateurish. I don't known what he became during these studio sessions but there had to be some type of Godly intervention where the Holy spirit took over this man's soul.
- everyone knows I'm a huge fan of the guy so this is going to make me sound like a huge dork, but I am really struggling to find a single flaw in the album from any stand point. Maybe the banjo sounding instrumental at the beginning and the end of Dots and Lines is something I could have done without? I don't know....it was unique and different still.
- the hooks and production are impeccable. Perfection. I get the impression that nobody involved on this product wanted to let Lupe, a man going through torment on his record label, down. They all gave him everything, and in return the table was perfectly set for Lupe to dominate the microphone with nothing hindering his greatness. Reminds me of an all time great player finding the right squad to maximize his ability. Maybe a Kevin Garnett going to the Celtics or a Randy Moss on the 2007 Patriots.
- The density of SONGS - not just mural - but SONGS - on this album makes the likes of Failure and Dumb It Down seem flakey croissant thin. What's beautiful about it is the layers that require multiple listens to fully digest, decipher, and undercover are complimented by the aforementioned production that makes Lupe's challenge not a burden, but an exciting journey you can't wait to continue exploring.
- Lupe knew exactly what he was doing making Deliver the first single. As deep as that song is, it's a little brother in depth compared to a bunch of Shaquille O'neals and Yao Mings. Chopper and Deliver were the "lighter" songs on the album and perfectly sequenced to give your brain a little break to relax itself for the home stretch.
- I felt since 2012 that Good Kid mAAd was the best hip hop album of the decade. I no longer feel that way after hearing this.
- I feel like a kid who just got 12 amazing toys to play with and have no idea which to tackle first so I'm just gonna play with them in the order I received them.
- As incredible as Mural was, nothing after it disappointed. Mural actually stood out as the only song that's just a "This is why I'm better than all of your favorite rappers" while the others are so much more than that. Mural was just Lupe stretching before beginning to paint. And what a beautiful stretch it was. Pause.
- I feel incredibly bad for Joey Bada$$ because while he dropped a fantastic debut, I can no longer go back and listen to his album with any real joy for a long, long time. I don't know if I can listen to any other rap material for a long time after hearing this - old Lupe included.
- My cousin told me when she first heard it (she bumped the leak) that it wasn't just an album, but a piece of art. I thought she was gassing to get me excited. What she really said was an understatement.
I was planning on writing a more formal review, but I'm going to need some time to sort what I just heard out. I'm kinda in a "wtf" mode right now and I don't think I can write my best like this.
Oh one last thing, Lupe said in an interview last night that the seasons were essentially pallet cleansers to reset your taste buds for the next segment. After hearing the album, I completed agreed with and respected his decision. The summer songs felt far more light and playful than the rest of the album. The fall was beautiful yet dark and dreary, and the winter was without remorse and the heaviest material on the album. Brilliant.
I laugh in anticipation of the negativity I'll read, but it comes with the territory. No one and nothing is ever going to be liked by everyone, but I know what I just personally experienced. It's something I've never felt before and it has completely reinvigorated my love for music and inspired me to take my writing abilities to the highest level possible.
Okay I'm out for now.
