NorthBeachAsian

  On his latest self-titled record, Staples is at his most personal, reflecting on his past life at Long Beach, a chapter filled with gang violence.  The record starts well with the opener 'ARE YOU WITH THAT?'. Kenny Beats' enjoyable frostbiting instrumental is a suitable platform for an almost desensitized Staples asking his younger self,  'are you with that?'  Was he comfortable with the lifestyle of being  a thug, wanting a plug to get a little bread?  Clearly not, as when Staples recalls  those days and visit his Crips,  he is reminded of his  dead homies under the ground.  Then, over an ominous production sampling from Reske's 'WILD DREAM', Staples chillingly recounts a moment of being betrayed in 'LAW OF THE AVERAGES.' His traitor  'caught like a catfish'  and Staples got him  'falling and screaming like a Baptist.'  If you fuck Staples  out of his racks, he will put you on a shirt.  In 'SUNDOWN TOWN,' Staples seemi

  Admittedly I have never heard of Snoh Aalegra's output until now. What evoked intrigue for her third record, 'TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES', was the producers and features attached to the album. The first notable name here is 'No I.D', who has produced instrumentals for the excellent Jay-Z '4:44' record and moments from Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.' In the lead single for the album, 'LOST YOU', a soothingly sincere Snoh is complemented by No I.D's dreamy instrumental of minimalistic bass and lowkey synths as she sings of an ex-lover she misses dearly. No I.D's fruitful involvement continues on the opening 'INDECISIVE'. Here, Snoh pleasantly and confidently disses a supposedly unfaithful ex-lover over No I.D's chilling hi-hats and synthesisers. Then, later on in the record, No I.D's delivers a blissful piano-driven production that suits a hurt Snoh in the break-up ballad, 'WE DON'

  The weaker moments in Tkay Maidza's 'Last Year Was Weird Vol.3 ' appear on 'Syrup' and 'Kim'. Not to say that there are bad, but Maidza's monotone vocal delivery on the hook on 'Syrup' and the somewhat repetitive chorus on 'Kim' was not appealing. However, the EP overall is still a solid punch.  'Eden' is a pleasant opening for the EP with its smooth bassline and blissful strings and piano. Maidza 's rap verse here nicely  'flows like a yellow brick road' , while her chorus is relaxingly soothing. 'Onto Me' is  'sweet like honey ' with its summery vibe of production and Tkay and UMI being both captivating vocally. Then after 'Syrup' and 'Kim', Tkay satisfyingly rides the ominous wave of vocal samples on 'High Beams.'  In the penultimate 'Cashmere', more fruitful vocal sampling occurs. The vocal sample on the break-up ballad is a lush euphoria that complements a rhythmi

  Another Justice album is on the way, supposedly. As we anticipate the release of Justice's next record, Gaspard Auge, one half of the French electronic music duo, has provided a debuting solo project of his own, 'Escapades.' So, how does Gaspard here fare on his own? Well, following a short, sweet synthy intro in 'Welcome,' Gaspard dazzles with 'Force Majeure.' It is understandable why BBC had chosen this track as their theme song for the Euros 2020. The glistening synthesizers and thumping percussion make for a pleasingly atmospheric instrumental, fitting for a big sporting event such as the Euros. Another cut, 'Hey!', could have been a riveting alternative for a Euros theme. The uplifting choir sample, revving strings section, and rhythmic drums make 'Hey!' a fitting anthem for bright lights at European nights. Following 'Force Majeure', the synth waves are beaming, and the keyboard hooks are a satisfying earworm in 'Rocambole

  Saw him bloom in 'Flower Boy', then he told a breathtaking narrative of heartbreak in 'IGOR'. So what does Tyler, the Creator's sixth record, 'Call Me When You Get Lost,' offer?  The rollout of the 'Call Me When You Get Lost' has been fascinating. A massive billboard with the album's title had the phone number +1 (855) 444-8888. Call that number a part of the Momma Talk Interlude plays. Then with a few visual teasers, Tyler also unleashed the album's first single, 'LUMBERJACK.' A sampling of Gravediggaz's '2 Cups of Blood' makes for a nicely cacophonic instrumental for the track. Meanwhile, Tyler satisfyingly flaunts his  'seven zeroes'  while selling out Madison Square Garden, dismissing his critics that  'treat him like that boy from Malcolm in the Middle'  and  'cannot fuck with his performance of magic new wand'.  Additionally, DJ Drama is a hyping force within the track and continues to be s

The 'Hot Pink' era of Doja Cat saw a skyrocketing rise to stardom for the American singer-songwriter, so the space aesthetic for the cover art for her third album, 'Planet Her,' is seemingly fitting. Doja has proven herself to be a decent hitmaker, with a couple of tracks from her Hot Pink record like 'Say So' and 'Like That' being the craze on Tik-Tok. However, despite those fun hits, 'Hot Pink' struggled for consistency as an album, with the deep cuts being forgettably mediocre. Hopefully, 'Planet Her' sees an improvement. In the lead up to the release of 'Planet Her', Doja Cat released the album's first single, 'Kiss Me More', featuring SZA. A groovy tune, Doja is sweetly catchy over a delightful bassline as SZA is at her usual soothing self on her guest verse. However, then came 'Need To Know.' The galactic flavoured production from Dr Luke is serviceable. However, the ad-libs from Doja Cat across this trac