Mekhi Granby

Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne (born April 18, 1996), better known by his stage name Ski Mask The Slump God, is an American recording artist from Broward County, Florida. The up and coming musician is best known for his songs “BabyWipe” and “Catch Me Outside.” Both have music videos directed by Cole Bennett, which currently sit with over 40 million views each. Notable collaborations with rapper XXXTentation such as “Take a Step Back” from the mixtape Drown-In-Designer have played a significant role in the growth of his popularity.

Days before it’s official release on May 11th, Beware the Book of Eli was leaked by Ski Mask himself (according to Renz Ofiaza of Highsnobiety) in frustration towards his management team. Thirteen songs were attached to that version of the project, while the official release includes only ten tracks. A highly anticipated release in the underground/off-mainstream music world with a wicked cover art and solid duration of 22 minutes. Short-length projects and songs have become a trend for this generation’s hip-hop artists to add replay value for streaming purposes and retain appeal to a younger fan base due to their short attention span.

 

Ski Mask captivates the listener’s attention when he fires off rapid lines accompanying a catchy chorus on the intro “LOST SOULS.” Rich the Kid makes his first of two appearances adding to the established energy with his popularized ad-libs and complex rhymes in his traditional way. On “RUN,” Ski Mask showcases his lyrical ability and perfected/somewhat trademarked rapid-fire flow over an instrumental produced by Timbaland.

A saddening drop-off into a more slower-paced, repetitive, and basic sound from both Ski Mask and Ronny J on “THROWAWAY.” Although it’s shorter than two minutes, it’s excessively mundane, making it unbearable to listen to. Embracing the title, Ski Mask refers to the H&M scandal on “COOLEST MONKEY IN THE JUNGLE,” while expressing his feelings towards the potential influences that bred the incident. “And tell the white supremacist to lick my big toe.”

Despite the negative connotation the song is themed around, Ski Mask didn’t hesitate to address the topic in a way that could bring him criticism. His willingness to engage with controversial topics made this one of my favorite songs from the project, the instrumental is appealing and vocals from both Ski Mask and Sahbabii compliment it seamlessly.

Ski Mask is at his best when he’s able to rhyme at a faster pace, so “SUICIDE SEASON” has a slower BPM and I find myself not enjoying the song overall as much. I appreciate the variety the project offers, and I wouldn’t say this, or any mellow songs from Ski Mask are bad. “DoIHaveTheSause?” is another favorite of mine, he clears up his claim stating “might be the coolest monkey in the jungle but I’m not baboon (I’m not a baboon). He could simply be stating that he’s the most talented, popular, and or praised in the industry.

Branching from his comfort zone, Ski Mask experiments with melodic tones and trades lines with Danny Towers on “GEEKIN,” I thoroughly enjoy this song. Interestingly Ski Mask admits to releasing the album before its scheduled date, “I just copped me new ice for the weekend (weekend), and just like my mixtape that b***h leakin’ (hey!).”

Returning back to the high energy, on “CHILD’S PLAY” Ski Mask makes references about gaming (Kingdom Hearts), movies (Jaws, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Child’s Play) and the Greek god Poseidon. Ski Masks rapidly lays two verses on the track “DAPPER DAN,” to get an idea of how fast-paced it is, the song is one minute and thirty-six seconds. A great song with a memorable chorus and lyrically jam-packed verses.

Overall, Beware the Book of Eli is a different sound than I’m used to listening to. I recommend it for younger listeners with a short attention span or anyone who enjoys hype-rap music. The content is somewhat repetitive, short in length, and randomly peculiar in a way that appeals to many people.

Eric Valenti

Staff Writer

A Quiet Place has received spectacular reviews after its release on April 6, 2018/ Despite ridiculously high hopes for the groundbreaking silent film, Director and starring actor John Krasinski managed to knock his third movie in the director’s chair out of the park..

I thought it was so cool that someone could make a silent horror movie. The silent aspect of this movie is part of why I think this movie has gotten such great reviews.

The movie follows a small family in 2020. Most of the Earth has been wiped out within three months by blind alien creatures with hypersensitive hearing. The creatures are fast, armored and huge. When they hear even the smallest noise they use this trait to locate their prey and attack. The Abbott family has created an assortment of tactics to avoid making noises, such as laying sand in trails to different stores and parts of their home and have set up different colored lights for different situations. The Abbott’s got extremely careful after the loss of their youngest son. The basic premise of the movie focuses on how this family tries to survive by making no noise at all. The biggest thing the family has to keep quiet is when the mother goes into labor, and what they do is pretty creative.

Plotwise, the movie is relatively simple However, the thing that got the movie such a high rating is the aspect of making everything silent. Every noise you heard made you jump in your seat. You don’t hear anyone speak until 45 minutes into the movie. When you hear the first person speak, in you head your saying: “Oh thank god, I thought I was losing my mind.” But I think that’s what the director wanted to feel. He made you feel like you went deaf.

The acting in the film is great, the characters are super unique and relatable. The setting is eerie, it’s a farmhouse in the middle of a forest. The movie is a 10/10 plot and character wise.

If you’re looking for a film with an intricate plot, look somewhere else. But if your looking for a film that makes you scared to breath, A Quiet Place is perfect for you.

Matthew Milligan

Staff Writer

Last weekend I got the chance to see the latest coming of age movie Love, Simon. A movie adaptation of the young adult book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, what set this story apart from all the other mainstream rom coms directed at teens is the fact that the main character Simon is gay.

Right off the bat this movie got points for me because it featured a gay protagonist. Too often are LGBTQ+ characters swept under the rug or restrained to mildly amusing but still disappointingly shallow side plots. It was refreshing to see a story that revolved solely around a queer character.

Simon being gay means that he had to deal with a lot of the invisible issues that most LGBTQ+ youth experience every day. When the film began, Simon was still deep within the metaphorical closet and the suffering he experienced was clear. A memorable part of Simon’s struggle for me was when he knew he was gay but could not bring himself to say it out loud. Little yet crucial details such as that were peppered in throughout the movie, which were deeply relatable. These events, however, left me wondering how many heterosexual people watching could pick up on those types of things.

Simon’s coming out story is beautiful. He has supportive parents (his conversation with his  mom made me tear up), understanding friends, and an anonymous online romance with the mysterious Blue (which is a nickname in case you didn’t pick up on that). His coming out story is almost too perfect, which is where my primary issue with the film lies.

Being an aspiring blockbuster hit, the film is a dual-edged sword. Yes, it is great that being gay is being normalized and that stories like these are being told, but at the same time with all mainstream movies there can be a lack of authenticity that takes away from the messages being told. My biggest fear before watching this movie was that it would be a gay movie intended for straight audiences, and my fears have been partially recognized.

I say this because the film spent too much time trying to be a regular teen movie The plot deviates from Simon’s sexuality to spend time covering other teenage movie tropes such as drinking at parties or being in a love triangle among straight people. In addition, when compared to the book, Simon is made much more manipulative towards his friends in what I would say is a cheap attempt to create drama. I couldn’t help but cringe when watching that overplayed scene where Simon sulked down the hallway to sad music while feeling alone.

I was disappointed when the film  in some ways followed the footsteps of teen movies before it, but it doing so also made me think. What if Love, Simon to an extent was trying to be just like every other highschool movie? What if that was the point, to prove that being gay is just another thing and that we shouldn’t make such a fuss about it?

Regardless of the film’s intentions I’d have to say that overall I truly did enjoy it. Nick Robinson kills it as Simon and the movie itself has one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard (if you like alternative and electronic you’ll agree). Plus, Love, Simon took the step that other movies were afraid to and told a wonderful story about a young gay man coming into his own. If you were thinking about seeing Love, Simon after it “came out” in theaters, you were thinking correctly.

Lauryn Lewis

Staff Writer

Tory Lanez recently dropped his long-anticipated album, ‘Memories Don’t Die’. This is his second album to be released since ‘I Told You’ was a hit back in 2016. While Tory has had plenty of singles on the radio since as well as mixtapes, the ‘Say It’ singer has been holding out on his fans for the past two years.

During the past two years between albums, he has partnered with one of my favorite artists, Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. Unfortunately, Meek did not make the album but Tory did manage to snag some other hot artists including, Future, 50 Cent, Fabolous, and a few others.

Here are my thoughts of the tracks on the new album.

MEMORIES

As the intro, Tory reminisces about how the people around him, treated him before fame. He recalls being made fun of but making a vow to never trade who he was for someone he wasn’t.

Old Friends x New Foes

The title for this song is pretty explanatory. Tory uses a very catchy phrase in this song. “Old friends become strangers. New friends become dangerous.” The beginning of the song starts off slow but quickly switches up (like his friends) to a fast pace beat where Tory goes off. The song is basically a clapback at all the haters who he once thought were on his side.

Shooters

Shooters is type of song that you put on when you first get in the car to get everyone hype. The song refers to Tory’s friends as his “shooters”, who are basically willing to do anything for him. While him and his friends are out acting reckless and having a good time, they are also making sure to show everyone else they are the hottest out.

4 Me

I honestly feel like Tory put his heart into this song. He recalls a past relationship where he is constantly doing for his female companion, but she never returns the favors. So instead of continuing this pattern of instability, Tory decides that he is going to start doing for him. The song is probably relatable to anyone who has been in a relationship where one is putting in more effort than the other.

Skrt Skrt

Skrt Skrt will most likely be playing in every club over the Summer. It is everyone’s typical record about feeling attracted to someone who is playing around with them. The one thing that makes this song stand out from the others is that it has a very catchy and somewhat calypso beat that will get everyone dancing.

Benevolent

Tory shows his fans and haters in this song that he really has bars. During the three minute and forty-seven second track, Tory barely stops rapping. The song sounds as if it could have been a freestyle over a very nice beat that samples Jay Z’s, ‘Song Cry’, during the last minute fo the song.

Real Thing (Ft. Future)

Both rappers/singers give the world a taste of what it is like to be rich and have hundreds of girls flocking onto you. The real thing is being referred to as being taken care of and spoiled with luxurious gifts.

Hate To Say

This song speaks facts that many are scared to realize or even deny because it won’t help them get through the day. Over this soft beat, Tory praises himself for the accomplishments he has made in the past year, and the accomplishments he plans to make in the upcoming years. My favorite part of the song is where Tory gives Philly a shoutout by saying, “Did a song with Meek Milly called it Litty. Really I just did that ‘ish for the city in love with Philly.” Another interesting thing that he mentions in the song is an altercation that he was almost involved in with rapper, Travis Scott.

B.I.D.

B.I.D. stands for ‘Bust it Down’. This is one of the first songs I heard off the album and also my favorite song on album. This is definitely a song that will come on in a party and have everyone lit!

48 Floors (Ft. Mansa)

The first thing that I noticed when I was listening to this song was the beat. The beat really caught me off guard because I didn’t expect it to be so vibrant and strong. The song is about Tory Lanez finally getting the girl he wants to go with him to his penthouse that is most likely on the 48th floor. Throughout the song, Tory tells stories about the adventures that him and his lady friend in experienced in his penthouse. Halfway through the song, the beat switches and Mansa starts rapping with a mellow-like voice.

B.B.W.W. x Fake Show

This is what appears to be another freestyle. Tory boasts about all the things he has accomplished during his first few years in the music business. He makes sure to let all the other rappers and singers in the industry know that he has no plans of giving up anytime soon. Fake Show is the second half of the song where the beat becomes dark and Tory speaks on some of his fears as an entertainer.

Dance For Me (Ft. Nav)

When the song first started, it was nothing like I expected it to be. I thought the song was going to be about his relations with a performer. The song is the complete opposite. While it is a little upbeat, it is more heartfelt because he speaks on an issue that is that many entertainers deal with. It seems that he has finally found a girl who isn’t after all his luxuries but instead his heart.

Pieces (Ft. 50 Cent)

This was another one of the songs that had a very catchy beat. While I was listening to the song, I felt that it might have been a homage to New York hip-hop. Tory mentioned a few legends from “The Big Apple” and the feature from 50 Cent made it seem even more reasonable. Besides the homage, the song does a really good job of showing Tory’s storytelling skills. I expected 50 Cent to have a longer verse but he did good during his little time.

Connection (Ft. Davo, Fabolous & Paloma Ford)

Collaborating was probably the best thing to happen for this song. All the different voices and harmonizing in the song helped it stand out. It is guaranteed that if you listened to the song, you will feel a “connection” from the romantic intention of the song. As always, Fabolous delivered some of the best lyrics on thes song.

Hillside (Ft. Mansa & Wiz Khalifa)

Essentially, the song was confusing to me when I first listened to it. Nav opened for the song and kept repeating a chorus about the hillside and the realside. As Tory and Wiz Khalifa came about in the song, I started to understand that it was about having that one girl who would hold it down and keep it real all the time.

Hypnotized

Hypnotized is probably the only song on the album that is strictly pop with a tad bit of reggae. The entire time that I listened to the song, I was picturing Tory being hypnotized by a girl who he met at the club and could not take his eyes off of and that he eventually started chasing her through the club and out the club. I could see this song on the pop charts in the near future.

Happiness x Tell Me

I absolutely feel in love with this song because of how down to earth it was. It reminded me of Alicia Keys’ song, ‘You Don’t Know My Name’. The setup of the song was basically the same. The interlude of the song was different because while Alicia expressed her attraction for a customer, Tory tells the story of how he found out his mother passes away. During the second part of the song, ‘Tell Me’, Tory just wants everyone around him to be honest with him.

DON’T DIE

Don’t Die has two different meanings in the song. The first meaning would be relating to gun violence and Tory’s experience with a family member being shot. The second meaning would be relating to him as an artist and a person. Tory doesn’t want to do anything that could possibly end his career because he feels he has so much more to accomplish. He also constantly thinks about how his mother would react if she were here with him which shows how much of an impact she’s had on his album.

Overall, Tory did a phenomenal job on this album. I have never listened to one of his albums all the way through before but I am excited that I did with this one. My top three songs on the album would be ‘B.I.D.’, ‘48 Floors’, and ‘Happiness x Tell me’. Those three songs would fall under the categories of party music, sensual music, and heartfelt music. I really appreciate that Tory opened up about a lot in this album including the passing of his mother. I hope that he will continue to be open with his fans through his music because I believe that will not only attract more fans but give them hardships to relate too. I am also looking forward to him collaborating with some more artist (hopefully SZA).

Mekhi Granby

A&E Editor

Ermias Asghedom, better known by his stage name Nipsey Hussle is an American recording artist and entrepreneur born (August 15, 1985) and raised in Los Angeles, California.

He’s released several mixtapes throughout his career, most notably: three installments of his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series, The Marathon, The Marathon Continues, and Crenshaw.

Hussle formed his own label “All Money In” in 2010 after suffering through to two rocky deals with other record companies. The enterprise was the home for his memorable 2013 album Crenshaw, which Hussle successfully sold 1,000 copies of for $100 each — Jay-Z famously bought 100 copies himself.

In late 2017, Hussle merged All Money In with Atlantic Records. Keeping up the marathon theme from his previous mixtapes, Hussle delivered his debut album Victory Lap through his imprint with Atlantic on February 16th of this year.

“I’m prolific, so gifted. I’m the type that’s gon’ go get it, no kiddin’” — these are the very first words you hear from Hussle on this project that set the tone for what’s to come. Sonically pleasing vocals from Stacy Barthe perfectly complimenting the track. Motivated, determined, empowered, and influenced is how I feel after listening to this intro, excited to dive head first into this album.

Appealing to his home turf, Hussle instills that West Coast feeling in the next few tracks that include features from YG, Puff Daddy, and Kendrick Lamar. These tracks aren’t my favorite, most likely because I never was into the West Coast sound, but that doesn’t make these tracks any less great than the opener. I assume that the intention was to appeal to his core audience and individuals that subscribe to that sound, which I can’t be mad at.

Smoothly transitioning back into that storytelling and growth rap, on Blue Laces 2 Hussle paints several pictures of his current success while swiftly taking us back to the gang and street culture he was raised in. Speaking on independence, entrepreneurial endeavors, taking risks, and a shout to Jay-Z on Hussle & Motivate.

“Always had the passion, N***a this a classic,” a claim from Hussle on Status Symbol 3 that I wouldn’t disagree with.

On Succa Proof Hussle speaks about the sudden abundance of gang affiliation in hip-hop, signing the deal with Atlantic, and differentiating the real from the fake. The repetitive chorus and instrumental makes this track a skippable one for me.

Hussle has tons of music to show for, this being his debut album makes it clear that Hussle isn’t making bold claims on Grinding All My Life. Definitely a motivational and energized track to say the least.

These next few songs are my favorite from the project and make the listening experience worthwhile. Million While You Young, Loaded Bases and Real Big serve as the perfect closing for this album. Features from The-Dream, CeeLo Green, and Marsha Ambrosius make me feel like Hussle saved the best for last. Across these three tracks Hussle raps about being under pressure, the story of his success, being self-made, putting himself in positions that aid his career, remaining hopeful, living in the moment, and much more.

As if fourteen amazing tracks wouldn’t satisfy the masses, Hussle provides two additional thoughtful bonus tracks that flow seamlessly with the outro. Double Up and Right Hand 2 God are easily two of the best bonus tracks I’ve ever heard. I’m happy with the positioning of these tracks and feel as though they fit best where they are.

Readers should give this album a listen because it lives up to the hype and, in my book, qualifies as one of the best projects released this year. More than half of the tracks are standouts to me — give it a listen.