by Mr.DGAF » Oct 11th, '13, 06:43
DGAF'S Going Forward Review
Me
This is a great song to open the album with. The concept is dope; basically three verses dedicated to huge parts of your life. The first verse is sick with the detail, you sound so laid back and at peace. I really dig that mane. The second verse is one of my favorites on the entire album. Delivery is fucking on point, you sound so bitter. Flow is sick too, simple but it gives the story a lot of room to operate. In terms of writing, you killed this verse. One of your best examples of progressing a story with a vivid detail while still keeping the impressive rhymes, which I think is your greatest growth in terms of writing. Third verse is dope too yo. This song is one of my favorites in terms of writing and lyrics. Just so honest. There’s a few flow slips in the last verse but it’s like twice, and then you get right back to a good, consistent flow. This is a great album opener, sets the tone pretty damn well.
To You
Maybe my least favorite song on the album, which is cool because I still like listening to it haha. First verse is cool, I like the progression of thought through it. The “life sucks” line was pretty dope too, the way it just comes out without any pre-requisite makes it sound so cold. Second verse is pretty good too, not my favorite, though I really like the iTunes line huehue. To me this song is one of those that we’ve seen the concept of from you before, but it seems so tightly produced and written that it feels like the ultimate way in which you could execute it. The third verse is sick, I love the flow of the first two lines. The delivery in that verse is fucking dooooope, you sound so hungry bruh. Good shit.
The Dream
I really, really like this beat yo. I’ve heard this song so many times, but it’s still one of my favorites from the album. TBH, the “gotta take me in line” is one of my favorites from you. Like ever. You sound so pissed and desperate and hungry, it’s just perfect. Like forreal, this song is really good haha. The beginning of the second verse is dope too, I love the honest man rhyme scheme. “The world is smaller now that I’ve traveled it”. Seriously haha, when I heard this song the first time I had no idea you were capable of making music like this. The writing and production and rapping are so fine-tuned, it’s ridiculous. The beat and elevated sense of panicking in the third verse is dope, it really captures the feeling of the escalating desire to be someone in the rap game.
Chasm
One of my faves from the album, you know that. The beat is cold as fuck yo, and you spit some raw ass lyrics on it. Reminds me of I Want It, but I think I like this song more. The beat is catchy as shit haha, especially during the hook, that little melody is nice. The flow on this is tight, no slips at all. You’ve definitely gotten better flow wise, there’s a lot of diversity on the album in those terms. One of the songs that gives that confident, I know I can rap songs. Atlas follows that theme pretty well as well haha. Also,welcome…..to the chasm in my MIND
Atlas
Another one of my favorites, probably because of the hook and the beat tbh. “Slicing through”, that scheme is so sick, it’s been stuck in my head since I heard it. Basically from that part of the verse on you straight kill it, great placement of schemes and delivery to top it off. Dat hook. You’ve got a great ear for catchy hooks man, this is a good example of that. Second verse is dope, don’t have too much to say about it. I just like listening hue. In the third verse comes one of my favorite segments of bars from you; the kobe line and the dateline, chris line. Clever shit huehue. “FUCK YOU A BIT”
How the Heart Shrinks
One of my favorite concept songs for the album. That’s another point I think you’ve grown immensely in; I know people were complaining about you making love songs all the time, and this is the album to prove them wrong. There’s some really cool stuff in here, all while sticking to the overall theme of the album. The story-telling on this one is pretty damn sick. I remember not liking the hook at first, I thought that there was too much going on in the background, but I think it fits the kind of beautiful, sad feeling of the song. Plus the lyrics are dope as shit above the beat for the hook. The second verse is awesome, I love the delivery of the “awkward as fuck” line, and the rhyme there is another instance where I feel like you’ve grown into a more natural rhyming pattern. It just flows so organically.
If Only She Knew
If only she *whew*. Punch ins for the first few bars are kinda hearable, I suppose, but not a bad thing tbh. I think the sad face line is a bit ehhh haha, the flow is a bit weird tbh. The singing though, I feel like it sounds like some lead singer from an old punk rock band, which isn’t terrible. It’s not the best sounding, but I love that you went at it yourself. Really ambitious, and it doesn’t sound too bad either. Though the “lights out” part is a bit pitchy haha. Second verse is pretty damn good, I have no complaints about that one. The masterpiece line to end was dope, one of my faves from the song. I kinda just vibe to this one yo. If only she hue.
Mirage
Ahhhh, you know I love this one. That damn beat is so fucking catchy. Of course, you’ve heard me say multiple times I prefer the beat a bit more bare for the verse, but it’s nothing that persuades me to dislike the verse. Just personal preference. I’ve always liked the golf ball line, and your delivery on the pick up truck line is awesome haha. DAT HOOK DOE. Goodness, I can listen to this for days. So melodic and catchy man. Of course life is a bitch and the timing is shit. Love dat line, I find myself humming the words to this song a lot man, that’s no lie. This is one of my favorites for sure on the album, but not the best. Not yet at least. BTW that bridge is sick yo, I really love the beat build up then the snare comes back in. I know you don’t really like the verses on this, but IDK why honestly. This song bangs yo, I really bump this quite often. Great shit here yo.
Our Place
This beat is so relaxing man, and you fit that vibe so perfectly. Like, I can’t get over this beat man, it’s so cinematic and beautiful. There’s some seriously poetic/deep lines in this, one of my favorite verses on the entire thing. The opening lines flow so well, you just sound so at home on this beat. Plus DAT STORY. Got my popcorn out and listened over and over, totally tops what I usually do every Wednesday night. Honestly though, this verse is dope as shit. I think the beat plays a bit long, but I know you intended that; I usually just skip it unless I’m in the mood to just vibe out and then I’ll let it play and enjoy. I like to believe the Universe is deep inside me.
Footsteps on the Beach (And the Moon)
Damn, this beat. Seriously, the beats on this album are so fucking good. You and Mat have a great ear for making beats, and they suit you really well. Can’t wait to see what you’re capable of back in Alaska. Anyways, to this song. You know I love the “die like you never lived at all” scheme, you just rattle off some insane schemes there. “I wake up, I wished I hadn’t” whew. Honestly, some of the lines on this LP, and the caliber of them, really surprised me when I first heard it. You really, really stepped your game up in almost every aspect for this tape. That guitar solo too, damn. This song just rules haha, I quite enjoy it. When I bump the album now, I never skip this song. Plus the video to it is awesome yo. Those last lines were a mindfuck too, I like to sit and reflect on that for hours while smoking a cigar out on my porch.
Butterflies
FUUUUUCK YES. My favorite song on the album. Like, damn. When I played this tape for my friends, this is the song that stuck out to them as well. This song is where you hit your stride to me; I think a strongpoint in this album is the cohesiveness. It all sounds so similar yet different and fitting. Yes. That hook is so catchy hue. I love the “nope” ad lib behind the “another life” line haha. The first verse flow is awesome, pretty different from what you generally do flow wise, and you make it work. This verse is just dope yo. Dope in the pit of my stomach. I like the opening lines to the second verse, the shy lines resonate haha. The grow a pear line also hit, kinda cheesy, but it’s endearing mostly. “No eye contact, why?”, that line is dope man. Then the third verse hit. WHEW. My favorite verse on the tape, just fits so perfectly for the entire song. Lots of passion, the layer fits it so well, and the lack of chorus makes that transition so damn perfect. That third verse is a big reason why I love this song so much man, good shit right there mane.
Get Through
I like the calm flow for the first verse, it escalates pretty well and then calms back down a bit. Fits the topic pretty well, you went above and beyond with adding so many different aspects to make this tape appealing. I really like the hook too, that effect on the rapping part bangs, and the singing works really well on this one. Not quite as pitchy as the If Only She Knew chorus, pretty catchy. The flow in the second verse hits a stride in the middle, you can barely hear the sandwiched rhymes between that flow. I thought that was a pretty big bonus mane, this song is pretty good as well. Not my favorite, but a solid song, nonetheless. I have to admit though, the end of verse 3 is really impressive. The delivery and flow on that is pretty damn dope.
I Want It
First of all, dope beat yo. This has such a cool atmosphere hue. I love the effect of the “first kiss” lines, stuff like that makes it more enjoyable to listen to tbh. You spit pretty hard on this man, and the delivery matches it well. I’ll kick your AEEESSSS because I want it. I just enjoy listening to this one, put it on a workout playlist and run 500 miles before I succumb to ice (water). Just dope listening yo, can’t say much else.
Six Feet Under And Above
Whew, intro speaker comes in for the full album renegade. So much command and presence in his voice, made me feel the atmosphere really effectively. He probably should be signed or something. Anywho, I really really like the delivery on this track. So dark and empty feeling, perfect for a funeral. You nailed the lyrics for it too, the writing for this album is so solid mane. I quite dig the concept for this, again another concept we haven’t seen from you, and you killed it imo. The second verse is my favorite on the song, just vibing to the lyrics and enjoying it all. Though, I must say the intro bars for that third verse flow really well, I like dat scheme.
Crowded Hallways
For some reason, I remember you sending me the lyrics for this song really vividly. I remember you wanted this to be some climactic song, and I think this really nailed that. The vibe of it, the beat and the lyrics and the hook, really caps the album in such a perfect way. This is another one of my favorites, probably 4th behind Butterflies, Mirage, and Chasm. Verses take this one away, so much truth and honesty in there, and again, dat BEAT. Hook goes hard too, which is one of the things I think you do best on this album. “Minds atomic”, that and the split hairs/atoms/ “brain ain’t changed, man in the middle” lines are so dope man. You just spazz right there, I dig it. I always liked the third verse, the intro bars are cool, “oh, the big one?” “I’m the biggest douche on the face of the planet” hahahahaha. Absolutely love that line man, probably my favorite single bar from the entire album. The set-up and all just kill me every time haha. The fourth verse bangs too man, this is probably the most complete song on the entire tape. Every verse is a contender for best verse on the tape, the beat and hook are sick too. Then the last line comes in and wraps it all up, dope dope dope.
5 O’Clock
The hidden track, buried deep in the depths of a tiny crevice hidden in the groove of one compact disc. This song has such a happy vibe to it, it’s so cool haha. First verse is cool yo, I like the “Crack and flicker out” line, the flow on that one is dope. I really do dig this beat too, the switch on the gives me inspiration line is dope too. I love the hook though, so catchy. Fuck you and your ability to consistently make catchy hooks hahaha. “the founding fathers be like ‘this kid isn’t bad’”, haha. Damn. I really really like your vibe on this song man, just so cocky and confident, and you should be dude. This album, this is really good shit. You’ve made an album I think you should really be proud of. Also, I am no piece of shit yo.
Pros
Hooks are tight as shit on this album, you really surprised me with that. Beats are dope as fuck too, you and Mat created a sonically unique and familiar feeling album at the same time, and I know that doesn’t make any sense, but fuck it. The style of rapping on this is really fucking dope too, you’ve improved a lot not only in delivery but in writing too. The schemes and bars are a lot tighter; there’s not many filler bars or forced rhymes on the tape. That’s something I think is most impressive to me, how drastically your style of writing changed, and for the better too.
Cons
Ehhh, nitpicky wise, I suppose you have a few instances on the tape where flow isn’t perfect. I can’t really bag on that too much though, considering the growth there and how solid it is through most of the album. There’s a few songs that aren’t as appealing musically as the rest of the album; I think Get Through and To You are the only two songs where I find them kind of bland sounding compared to the rest of the tape. And even then, I still enjoy those songs, so call it what you want, but to me, almost every song has some unique vibe that hooks you in immediately.
Overall thoughts
I didn’t really think you were capable of this kind of music man. Especially the cohesiveness of the entire album, it’s just overwhelming. Each beat flows so organically into the next, they’ve all got the same type of vibe too. It’s incredible when I hear the shit you produced before this album and then listen to the LP; you really stepped up. I was listening to some older tapes of yours before, and the quality, both in recording and rapping, are head and shoulders above anything you’ve released prior. So much improvement in such a quick amount of time, it’s ridiculous man. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this process, and that you included me in it honestly. Watching you progress through this album, I could tell you were really focused on creating something to be proud of, and I know there were times when you doubted yourself and the product you had created. But trust me, this album is good dude. Maybe it’s because we’re friends, I dunno, but I honestly do just randomly listen to this album and enjoy it. I’d probably give this album a 74/`100 right now; I know I change my opinions sometimes on it, but in general I think this hovers somewhere in the mid 70’s. This album is the culmination of a growing artist, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with going forward (hue).
You'd be surprised...
How many truths you can hide in flows
Quest for SixTeam Emma Stone Buns till amazing... :')
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lol.
