Daytona – Pusha T (By: Brad Trevenen)

Once self-dubbed as “the last cocaine superhero,” Terrence LaVarr Thornton, or Pusha T, has remained untouchable and well respected as both a former member of Clipse, as well as a solo artist and now president of G.O.O.D. music. After four years of delays, scraps and reworks, the album formerly intended to be titled “King Push” has instead released as “Daytona.” At only 7 tracks and barely scraping the 22-minute mark, Push doesn’t pull the biggest numbers, but he certainly throws the biggest punches, and no one is off limits.

Bearing the Midas touch of Kanye West, every beat is appropriately molded to accommodate Pusha’s boom-bap, stoic raps. “The Games We Play,” for example, features the padded twang of a banjo while the devilish grin on Pusha’s face is nearly audible. And “Come Back Baby” seamlessly transitions from his verses to the soulful sample of George Jackson’s “I Can’t Do Without You.”

Although his music has always been somewhat crutched by his somewhat narrow subject matter (that of trapping, expensive cars and fine clothes), mentions of high fashion brands on “Daytona” are nearly absent. It has been said that Rick Ross (feat. on “Hard Piano) can make driving a Honda Civic feel like a Rolls Royce, and Pusha T offers a similar fantastical escape. Except, he isn’t the romanticized fantasy – he is the fantasy, the living evidence built on action that’s more convincing than any amount of cinematic imagery that would otherwise “paralyze” the “conscious.”

The album also served the function of baiting Drake with his ghostwriting, after years of opting for subtlety. Unable to resist, Drake replied within hours, and made the fatal error of mentioning not only Push, but Thornton’s fiancé, as well as Kanye West. Push let the attention simmer and days later released “The Story of Adidon,” a vicious but well executed character assassination. The cover featured Drake in blackface, and the song revealed that Drake had a secret bastard child with an adult film actress, and strongly implied that Drake was abandoning the kid just as Mr. Graham did him. Drake never responded. “The luxury of time” proved Thornton worthy of the name: King Push.

 

ye – Kanye West (By: Brad Trevenen)

Kanye West needs no introduction. From saying George W. Bush hates black people on PBS, to disrupting the VMAs, to claiming to be a god, to wearing MAGA hats and making some brash statements on slavery, West is a loose cannon. Considering however his recent admission to opioid abuse post-liposuction, as well as ongoing struggle with mental health issues, Kanye’s actions do not go by without some contextual understanding and sympathy. His most recent album, “ye,” brings into special focus his bipolar disorder, whose cycle is represented in full by the time the album reaches its conclusion.

The first three tracks embody his mania. Nostalgic MBDTF-era autotune usher in dark suicidal and homicidal thoughts on “Today I Thought About Killing You” and welcome the gritty relapse of drug abuse on “Yikes.” Kanye’s manic delusions about his cultural and sexual value underscore insolent verses with moments of playfulness. The experimentation of “The Life of Pablo” appears muted in comparison. Movement throughout the beats on “ye” is signaled with distorted crashes and warped vocal chants, often held together only by a robust skeleton of drums. Kanye’s vocals, though commanding and forward throughout, deliver verses without a great deal of explicit depth, but remain imbued with value when considered as part of a whole.

The next three tracks detail the aftermath of Kanye’s unrestricted impulses. “Wouldn’t Leave” recognizes the emotional strain on those close to him and expresses appreciation through strained vocals that segue into longing reassurances of love sung by Charlie Wilson and Kid Cudi on “No Mistakes.” The inherent futility of the episodic cycle reaches its zenith on “Ghost Town,” a recapitulating ballad scored by dissociative happiness.

The weight of reality dawns in spacey melancholy on “Violent Crimes,” and Kanye’s epiphanies signify some amount of growth and progress despite his mental illness. When the cycle renews, the futility is apparent. But when it ends, progress is made. His emotions are raw, and his portrayal of bipolar disorder is exceptional. If there were ever a phoenix metaphor, Kanye is it.

 

Swimming – Mac Miller (By: Maddie Hepler)

Groove; Emotion; Redemption; Swimming. Mac Miller’s fifth studio album consists of thirteen tracks which heavily reflect upon his own personal rollercoaster of progression which he has experienced from the drop of his first tape, But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy, to his most recent release of the lyric-heavy, spiritual ride that is Swimming.

There has been a lot of speculation from critics that claim that Miller’s motivation behind the release of this album stemmed from the ending of him and pop-sensation Ariana Grande’s relationship. However, in an interview with Zane Lowe, when asked about life post-Grande, he says: “Life is stressful, so of course there were stressful times. It’s not that unique, you know? I was in love with somebody. We were together for two years and we worked through good times, bad times, stress, and everything else – and then it came to an end and we both moved on… And it’s that simple, you know?”

Moving beyond his hype-type music, he allows for listeners to be graced with feelings of pure appreciation when it comes to the music itself – like the genius bassline in “What’s the Use” to the synth-y swells of “Self Care” – but he also creates space for a rather intellectual, lyrical dissection of his work, too.

With that bit in mind, from the mouths of babes, it makes digesting this work of art as easy as sitting down and talking to an old friend; it’s not always easy, but it’s necessary. Miller totally and completely revels in the beauty that is music at its core, and his intention is fairly evident given the route that he was aiming to take: “This time, it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to say – what kind of music I wanted to make. It was a lot of experimenting. We finally landed on some type of a path and I took my time.”