Headbanging for Days

By

 

    If Travis Scott's Astroworld were a theme park. Drake's "Sicko Mode" would be the main attraction. I don't really listen to mainstream rap much because of the excessive amount of explicit lyricism. I listen to more eastern pop oriented music. I listen especially to the "experimental" and unique ones, but this song is nothing short of that.

    Its three rapid and intense rhythm shifts feel like a rollercoaster. whipping your neck and jabbing your sides with unexpected twists and turns. Drake begins the song slowly. improvising over the cinematic organ entrance, implying that something big is about to happen. But it doesn't. skipping to the next beat before he's even found his groove. This could be another instance of Travis going too far. but the next instrumental is hard and funky, with a bounce to compensate for the abrupt transition.

    Travis demonstrates his willingness to experiment and deviate from his typically straightforward rap verses by following up the line "In the 305 ******* treat me like I'm Uncle Luke" with a sample of Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crew's "Doo Doo Brown." Drake returns in the final third. adding some carefree slick talk that the booming-yet-crisp Tay Keith drums demand: "Fellas think it's sweet (nah. nah)/It's on sight (yeah. what)." The frantic track rounds out with an energetic Travis verse. leaving you with a feeling where all you want to do is catch your breath and go for another spin.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Pain in the Mundane

By
Image
Takao (left) and Yukari (right), The Garden of Words (2013) When you're lost in your own path, can love even have a place in your heart? - An unstructured analysis of Makoto Shinkai's A Garden of Words      Makoto Shinkai’s The Garden of Words presents a love far more complicated than a typical romance. Instead of focusing on attraction, the film highlights how 15-year old high schooler Takao and 27-year old teacher Yukari connect through shared feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. Both characters are stuck in different ways, and the garden becomes a temporary escape from the pressures of school, work, and social expectations. In this space, they are able to open up without having to define what their relationship is.      The complexity of their bond comes largely from the state of their lives. Takao is still young and figuring out his future, while Yukari is older and struggling with professional failure and self-doubt. Because of this gap, their relat...
Read more

We are Flamvell.

By
Image
I write under borrowed fire, call it Flamvell — not a mask, but a match struck against quiet days and loud thoughts. This space is where words linger after they’ve learned how to burn gently, where stories breathe before they’re understood, and feelings arrive without asking permission. If you’re here, maybe you’re looking for sparks, or maybe you already carry some. Either way—stay. Fire, after all, is best shared. We are Flamvell.
Read more

Larger than Battle Rap

By
Image
Zaito vs. Charron, FlipTop "Siguradong maghahabol ka nang patanga-tanga Sa lalim ng pananagalog ko sa'yo Dahil gusto kong maramdaman mo sa wikang Pinoy At mariing kong sasabihin sa'yo Na isa ka, sa mga bobong tambalasang nakatakdang bawiin ng buhay sa mga kamay ko!"           As a long-time battle rap fan (yes, it is my guilty pleasure), there are certain battles that just stick with you—not because they were the most aggressive or the most viral, but because of what they meant at the time. For me, the FlipTop battle between Zaito and Charron is one of those memories I genuinely hold close. I’ve watched countless battles across different leagues and eras, but that matchup felt special in a way that went beyond wins and losses. It felt like a moment where worlds collided.      Zaito, to me, has always represented the heart of early FlipTop. His humor, timing, and crowd control are things you really had to grow up watching to fully appreciate....
Read more