"Crib In My Closet" ft. A$AP Rocky & Rick Ross- 2 Chainz

Near the end of his lead-off verse on the churning collabo "Crib In My Closet", the indomitable 2 Chainz snarls "yeah I'm a motherf***ing poet." With such brazenness and delivered in such an oppressive climate, it’s hard to take the claim seriously. The same guy that once went by the moniker Tity Boi is now placing himself in the company of Rimbaud and Walt Whitman? It's enough to rankle anyone who enjoys "Mercy" up until the ATL-rapper makes his appearance.

But the declaration is so authoritative it’s hard not to take 2 Chainz seriously. Amongst the current trap-revivalists, he's comparable to someone like Allen Ginsburg. Every word he utters is comprehensible, but how exactly those words fit together becomes a mystery. As he laces up a pair of "Timbs" he sets aside his "peanut butter MCM" handbag. While he's had a history of intermingling food and fashion, "Feds Watching" immediately comes to mind, the peculiarity is in no way lessened. Who's ever seen a handbag before and thought "Jiffy"?

In some ways, he's the anti-A$AP Rocky which makes their particular partnering on the Metro Boomin track such a joy. 2 Chainz sprints towards the surreal, while Rocky's content to kickback in the land of the literal. When he talks about his collection of Prada from the '99 line you can rest assured it's not a product of his imagination. "I'm in Vogue, this winter, the runaway, no Insta," he waxes over the gothic chants and drum machine slithering. Everyone else needs to stage their photos and add filters when they hop on Instagram; all A$AP does is point and click. 

And in the picture "Crib In My Closet" snaps, you'll see Rick Ross looming large. Before you can say "huh" he's filling up his closet with 4000 pairs of shoes. A closet he can't tend to because he's sitting "second row at the fight." Ross is all about conspicuous consumption and in "Crib In My Closet" he devours everything in sight. He goes into seizures over how much his watch costs and buys up Floyd Mayweather's mansion just because. But for all of his chestpuffing, he can't compete with 2 Chainz. Ross has intentionally crafted himself as a Bill Gates figure no one could ever get at. Chainz is the everyman pulling rubber banded money out of Nike shoeboxes. For all of his enigmatic qualities, he's the most relatable one here.

What's New(s)?

Panda Bear gets high on new release

Anyone that's heard Panda Bear's monolithic 2007 release Person Pitch has undoubtedly felt like they're on drugs. Echoed vocals and sampled chatter would loop endlessly like a perpetually cresting wave. Getting caught up in the pure auditory spectacle of it all was as simple as letting go. 

"Marijuana Makes My Day" is a logical continuance of that detached, druggy feeling. Soft humming and chants that wouldn't be out of place on the savannas of Africa fill the background. Bubbles of water can be heard floating to the surface and immediately popping. For his part, Panda Bear repeatedly mutters the titular phrase to the point of it becoming a mantra. The first time I heard it unfurl, I pictured Paul Simon's Graceland fed acid and thrown to the bottom of a crystal-blue lake. Whatever vision it generates, it's a powerful one.

The Animal Collective drummer is working on a new album to be released this year, entitled Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper.

 

Bikini Kill reissues continue

Last year to honor their 25th anniversary, Bikini Kill, the most well-known band of the riot grrrl movement announced a series of reissues through the recently established Bikini Kill Records. In addition to releasing their discography through Bandcamp, the Kathleen Hanna fronted group reissued their debut self-titled EP in November to warm-reception.

Next up in the series is, Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, the group's 1993 split effort with British riot grrl act Huggy Bear. The expanded edition of the LP will feature seven new live tracks, in addition to unearthed photos and liner notes from the band members themselves. You can find the tracklist below along with a clip for 1993's "Rebel Girl" from the Pussywhipped LP.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah:
1. "White Boy"
2. "This Is Not A Test"
3. "Don’t Need You"
4. "Jigsaw Youth"
5. "Resist Psychic Death"
6. "Rebel Girl"
7. "Outta Me" 8. "George Bush Is A Pig

9. "I Busted In Your Chevy Window
10. "Get Out
11. "Why"
12. "Fuck Twin Peaks"
13. "Girl Soldier"
14. "Not Right Now"

Rick Ross, Kanye West, & Big Sean get "Sanctified" on Arsenio

Regardless of the middling album it comes from, Mastermind centerpiece "Sanctified" is an absolute embarrassment of riches. DJ Mustard's 'Ye-inspired soul beat, Rick Ross' beautifully restrained bark, Kanye's rabid Quavo-aping flow, and Big Sean's pinging paper-chase chorus all blend together so well you can't help but wonder how much editing time was committed to this effort.

Last night any studio-tinkering was forgone for an absolute showstopping performance on Arsenio. After a long absence from late-night, Kanye has seemingly been everywhere in the last few weeks and months, and that is firmly felt in the clip. The entire crowd goes next-level crazy when West comes giddily running out on-stage. From that point forward, everything becomes icing on an extremely rich cake.

 

Check back in Monday for more of the newest in new(s) and follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

Thanksgiving Playlist

Whether it's family, friends, food, or football everyone has something to be thankful for not just today, but everyday. That said, it's easy to fill up on too much food, throw the remote down after the Cowboys give up another touchdown, or storm off after your relatives give you just a little too much lip. I for one am thankful for music, and whether your day be friendly or dysfunctional, I hope there's something in this playlist that whets your appetite more than another plate of mashed potatoes ever could.

Have a safe and happy holiday, and try not to injure yourself during the Black Friday madness tomorrow, all those discounted DVDs won't watch themselves.

"Mashed Potato Time"- Dee Dee Sharp

"And Your Bird Can Sing"- The Beatles

"Ham & Eggs"- A Tribe Called Quest

"Family Business"- Kanye West

"Thanksgiving"- Kendrick Lamar

"She Don't Use Jelly"- The Flaming Lips

"Harvest"- Neil Young

"Macy's Day Parade"- Green Day

"Food Fight"- Titus Andronicus

"Chicken and Meat"- Das Racist

"Lonesome Electric Turkey"- Frank Zappa

"Vegetables"- The Beach Boys

                                                         "Yams" ft. Triple C's- Rick Ross

"Nutmeg"- Ghostface Killah

"Meat is Murder"- The Smiths

"Chicken Grease"- D'Angelo

"Filipino Box Spring Hog"- Tom Waits

                                  

                                                 "Peach, Plum, Pear"- Joanna Newsom

                                  

                                                            "Pecan Pie"- Golden Smog
                                     



                                           "Yam the King of Crops"- The Mountain Goats

What's New(s)?

Rick Ross unveils Mastermind trailer

Last month Rick Ross dropped the churning "No Games" and now Rozay is continuing his Mastermind campaigning with an official trailer. The video waxes retrospective starting with a wet behind the ears '99 Ross and weaving through career highlights from "Hustlin" to "B.M.F." and his boisterous feature on the velvety "Devil in a New Dress". In typical Telfon Don fashion, he also intermingles clips of Muhammad Ali proclaiming his status as the greatest and choice gangster film clips. The album, his sixth official studio LP is slated for a December 17 release through MMG/Warner Bros. 

In other Rick Ross news, the Bawse is now featured in a remix of Drake's delicate Nothing Was the Same track "Hold On We're Going Home" where he's surprisingly subdued in his guest spot. Check it out here.

Fiona Apple debuts new song live

Last week while being heckled, Fiona Apple found time to debut a new track live, likely entitled "I Want You to Love Me". Now audio of another track Apple debuted at the Portland show has surfaced, entitled "Tipple". The song bears a noticeable country tinge, as a Blake Mills mandolin part prattles in the background and Apple rambles on in a drawn-out sprechgesang style. Musically it bears a striking resemblance to much of The Band's rootsy work.

Fiona Apple's tour for The Idler Wheel... with collaborator Blake Mills continues throughout the rest of October and dates can be found here.

Prince drops new video

Back in August, Prince debuted new single "Breakfast Can Wait" featuring the above incredible cover art, with Dave Chappelle as Prince. And now the Purple One has released a video for the song's straightforward funk strut. The breakfast-centric clip features an abundance of dancers, plenty of pancakes, and a female Prince impersonator portrayed by director Danielle Curiel, but sadly no Chappelle. Maybe he couldn't find the right Zorro type outfit to wear.

"No Games" ft. Future- Rick Ross

"No Games" is a perfectly apt title for a Rick Ross song. Anytime the Teflon Don takes to the menacing imperial churn of a track like "No Games", it has all the makings of a video-game villain laying waste to a hero's hometown. And this is Rick Ross ascendant to dizzying heights of villainy. "It's the takeover," he forewarns underneath the fevered Future hook. Ross practically chortles at the prospect of the competition being "foreclosed". If an unfortunate soul dare speak his name out of turn, killers will be dispatched. Before he was "blowin' money fast", here he's clocking Olympic times. Why invest in stocks when you can snatch up a 100-thousand dollar watch? He's not spraying rounds and popping bottles with evil intent, but out of his own benevolence. As Rozay himself says, "bow down to the biggest."

In Revue- "God Forgives, I Don't"

If honesty was the best policy Rick Ross would've been flat broke years ago. The man's meteoric rise to the top of the rap game has been fueled by fabrication. In 2008 the coffin on Ross' career began to lower as it surfaced that he was a former Corrections Officer, a far cry from the drug-pushing character he had crafted on previous records Port of Miami and Trilla. On record, Ross was pushing Scarface levels of cocaine and buying up entire car dealerships with the money; in reality he was essentially keeping those same dealers down. You could almost hear the final flecks of dirt pouring over Ross' body as 50 Cent in a YouTube video promised to "f**k his life up, for fun." But instead of running from the falsehood and pressing reset on his career, he lovingly embraced it and 2009's Deeper Than Rap became his third consecutive #1 album, leaving 50 and most other haters six-feet deep. The man had a Lazarus-like comeback, one that is in full bloom on this his fifth album.

The first thing you can't help but notice when listening to the ominously titled God Forgives, I Don't is the beat selection. Even the album's bangers have a richness to them you'd be unlikely to find on a Waka record. "So Sophisticated" features a ferocious verse from Maybach Music cohort Meek Mill who rides a synth line and clattering keyboards as Ross equates MMG to rap's mafia. Rozay re-ups on "Hold Me Back," which plays like the sequel to 2010's "B.M.F." but noticeably lacks Lex Luger on the boards. While Ross is engaging, snarling like never before, producer G5Kid can't replicate the blueprint Luger authored. 

As great as the bangers are, the record would be void without the soulful samples brought by Jake One and Cool & Dre. "Ashamed" re-purposes Wilson Pickett's "Shameless" to great reward with Ross wondering if the d-boy life style is really worth it. Jake One mans the ship on "3 Kings," with a gripping guitar line and stormy chorus. In a rare appearance, Dr. Dre drops in and thoroughly outclasses Ross and Jay-Z,  shamelessly plugging his headphones along the way. Admittedly the track is a bit of a disappointment for Hov' who can't rise above C-status, noticeably leaving the end of a line in suspended animation.  

Production team J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League easily captures M.V.P. status for the album, tailoring songs with a silky lining that would make Armani proud. The stalwart "Maybach Music" series is brought back with Pt. IV, a cut that plays like the love child of Kenny G and early 2000s Cam'ron with a dash of South Beach sheen. Ross even manages to comment on his highly publicized seizure with a grin-inducing "B.J." joke. "Sixteen" is the triumph of the record, starting with a blaring sax solo and settling into a tremulous beat-blast. Ross is in rare form here, recalling his verse from "Lord Knows," and reflecting on how his life has gone from "ten-speeds to Trump Tower." Guest Andre 3000 slips free from the shackles of the sixteen-bar structure and delivers a grandiose verse that zigzags from dolphins to the dope game to desperately trying to court his neighbor. Dampened only by an ill-advised guitar solo near the song's end, the verse is the sort of awe-inspiring moment that grabs your attention and refuses let go of the reins.

The truest mark of this album's success is that often even its weak moments feel like wins. While Drake is curiously underutilized on "Diced Pineapples," he still croons a chorus that's equally despondent and resilient. "Call me crazy, s**t at least you callin'," is the sort of late-night rationalizing anyone in a rocky relationship has ever engaged in. "Touch 'n You," is the sort of "paltry" pop-rap tune that shouldn't succeed, but coasts on Ross' lover-man personae. Ultimately that's what it takes to be the boss, to make the most out of every opportunity. To come up with gold in every undertaking, and right now no one in rap has the Midas touch quite like Rick Ross.

"Sixteen"

      

"Keys to the Crib"

Given his rattling-snarl, its not often that you can call a Rick Ross track smooth, but "Keys to the Crib," featuring LOX-member Styles P off Ross' Rich Forever mixtape perfectly fits that definition. With opulent-production from the Inkredibles, Ross mostly sticks to wealth & drug-talk which have become his bread and butter. But with that thunderous voice and this silky-smooth production, it doesn't even matter.

Rich Forever download link: http://www.datpiff.com/Rick-Ross-Rich-Forever-mixtape.296828.html

No Rozay for Now

"Hustlin"- Port of Miami

 

First, we found out his collaborative tape with Drake would be pushed back and now word straight for the Rick Ross camp is his forthcoming album God Forgives, I Don't is getting similar treatment. The album, originally slated for a December 13 release has now been pushed back until "around first quarter, early second quarter of next year." The Telfon Don is taking it in stride, telling MTV the delay gives him time to drop his "biggest collabo," yet with rapper Jay-Z.

Given their success together on "Free Mason," arguably the best cut on Ross' 2010 offering The Teflon Don, I think the album will be well worth the wait.

"Free Mason" ft. Jay-Z - Teflon Don

 

"Til' You Know It's Real"

Rick Ross & Drake

The pair have announced a forthcoming mixtape.

Having previously linked up for "Free Spirit," and "Lord Knows,"  Ricky Ross and Drake are getting together again, this time around for a full mixtape. No official release date has been made known, but the mixtape will be called Y.O.L.O (You Only Live Once). The project has stalled a little as of late, due to Ross's recent health problems. In other news, Drake made it known in the XXL interview that the long-promised Lil Wayne mixtape is on hold for now.

"Free Spirit"