Legacy Track of the Week: RØMANS - Perfect
“I know you think you're so damn perfect, I bet you wish that you could go, yourself, I'm looking at you seeing nothing you're beautiful, but you know it all so well” 🔥🔥🔥 For those like myself just getting familiar, RØMANS is a London singer/songwriter who has penned records for Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Demi Lovato and Elton John just to name a few, in addition to having released 4 of his own EP’s under the Roc Nation imprint, with his 5th project entitled PEOPLE set to be released later this year. That’s where you’ll find this record that likely soon to hit Platinum status before long, this is the definition of a smash hit in every way.
Lenny Kravitz - Low
“I don't want this fame to be, staining my reality, yeahhh, don't lift me up, to take me down, I just want a lover, baby stay with me on the ground” Lenny Kravitz has just released his 11th studio album entitled Raised Vibration, and honestly beyond his fame this man actually deserves a lot more respect for his music. A true musician in it’s most classical sense, self taught from New York City and heavily influenced by the LA music scene in the 1970’s, Kravitz is deservedly a global superstar due to his talent and blend of culture. At first he was told by labels that his music wasn’t white enough or black enough, yet as the music industry evolved throughout the 80’s he soon had all the majors in a bidding war, which led to his relationship with Virgin Records and the rest was history. Now almost 30 years later to the day Kravitz is back and he sounds better than ever, once more over his own production that on this record also samples a Michael Jackson classic.
Lenny Kravitz - Johnny Cas
“Just hold me like Johnny Cash, when I lost my mother, whisper in my ear, just like June Carter, and though I fight these tears that I hide, just hold me tight for the rest of my life” An absolutely beautiful ballad that seems to be dedicated to Kravitz’s late mother, Roxie Roker who was also an actress with prominent roles in The Jeffersons, A Different World, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, and Roots in addition to many others. Her role on The Jefferson’s of Helen Willis also happened to be the first interracial couple shown on primetime television, and that’s further significant considering her son Lenny’s impact on music years later, as a vibrant mix of cultures and religion that comes with being both Black and Russian Jewish. Yet regardless of all its symbolism the song is an incredible work of art, though it seems as if the music industry in 2018 wasn’t ready to appreciate it.
Lenny Kravitz - 5 More Days ‘Til Summer
“Cause there are 5 more days 'til summer… takes me away…” A quintessential feel-good summer record and I’m leaving this on deck for 2019.
Lenny Kravitz - The Majesty of Love
“I feel the spirit coming right over me, it's an unexplainable high, and the only place that I wanna be, is with you right under the sky” Lenny Kravitz plays all his own instruments and this one is electric! 🎤🎸🎷🎻🎹
Lenny Kravitz - Ride
“I have loved you since the dawn, my love, through the storm, my love, we will ride…” Honestly the fact that the radio is sleeping on this album perplexes me.... Raised Vibration can be and should be played everywhere across the globe.
Estelle ft Luke James - So Easy
"Cause you make it so easy, yeah, I send him all the love (send him all), I just can't get enough (just can't get enough)" Estelle has just released her 5th studio album Lovers Rock, using a central theme that involves her parents Mike and Deen’s own love story, and if this was a tribute to their honor I’m sure she’s made them incredibly proud. If you thought Estelle was a one hit wonder from yesterday than you’re sorely mistaken, as this album is quality music from start to finish during a time where we need it most, and she even has Luke James on the track! Shoutout to the New Orleans legend I’m still thinking about his performance of Johnny Gill!
Estelle ft Kranium - Don’t Wanna
“You wake me up just to run away (run away), don't wanna let it go, why can't we let it go” The producer credits aren’t listed but the production on this album is incredible, and shoutout Jamaican singer Kranium who does his numbers on the hook.
Estelle ft Alicai Harley - Slow Down
“Shine like sun rays (go 'head and shine like sun rays)” No this isn’t the Brand Nubian classic but it’s a smooth record with a similar message and one of the standouts on Lovers Rock.
Estelle - Lights Out
“I'll give you one more try, I'll give you one more time, because I can't deny, your love, your love, your love” Another heater off Lovers Rock.
Estelle - Good For Us
“Now I might tell you ‘speed it up’, but I won't tell you ‘give it up,’ cause I'm not like the regular, together we're so much better” I hope my lady listens to this record and feels the same about me and this website, so for that reason this record hits particularly close to the heart and aside from being the last it’s also one of the best records on the tape.
Paul McCartney - Dominoes
“And lines of dominoes are falling, into place, ignoring everything in their way” The legendary Paul McCartney has just released his unprecedented 18th solo album (not including all his work with The Beatles) entitled Egypt Station and it’s definitely a musical journey worth the price of admission. Apparently, the name of the album is derived from one of McCartney’s own paintings he created in 1988, and I didn’t even know McCartney was a painter so that’s some good history in itself. In terms of music, it’s certainly not his magnum opus but there are some moments, one of which is this record produced by LA based musician Greg Kurstin, who previously co-wrote and produced Adele’s ‘Hello,’ in addition to records for Beck, Sia, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, and the Foo Fighters.
Paul McCartney - Back In Brazil
“Back in Brazil, there lives a girl, dreams of the future, and a far, far better world” Once again produced by Greg Kurstin and recorded in São Paulo, this uptempo record is easily one of the main highlights off Egypt Station.
Paul McCartney - Despite Repeated Warnings
“Despite repeated warnings, of dangers up ahead, the captain won't be listening, to what's been said” Although McCartney also worked with rising star Ryan Tedder on this album, it’s the records produced by Greg Kurstin that stand out the most, highlighted by this 3 part record that takes you from Egypt Station to an entire different universe.
Greta Van Fleet - Watching Over
“I wonder when we’ll realize, this is what we got left, and it’s our demise, with the water rising, and the air so thin, still the children smiling, can we see no sin” As profiled in recent weeks Greta Van Fleet is a band from Frankenmuth, Michigan and they are officially getting me back into Rock & Roll!!!!
Russ - Kill Them All
“Yeah rappers dissin' for attention that their music ain't gettin', I understand it's frustrating watching my rapid ascension” Russ has just released his sophomore album ZOO and overall it’s pretty damn impressive where it matters most, no matter what you think of his image or personality outside of the music. On this record Russ counters all his haters with jabs and hooks with relative ease, all over his own production which has been his calling card from the beginning.
Russ - Parkstone Drive
“See my dad was the man til his job cut ties, he went broke I got rich that shit fucked with his pride, yeah I recognize it was disturbing to see, the family stopped turning to him and started turning to me” Over a Sting sample Russ gets into introspective mode and talks about the struggle of his own success in comparison to his father, thus both lyrically and musically this is a record worth playing.
Russ - Begging You
“Time goes on, I hope I stay strong, don't you stop right now, you can't stop right now” Nevermind the positive message this is a 🔥🔥🔥 record and if Kanye recorded it you could bet it would do crazy numbers.
Russ - Keep My Wits
“And fuck the rappers who pretend to be amigos but want to see me finito like Pacino and Carlito” Say what you want but Russ got bars and real lyricism to go with his own top-shelf production… and in terms of Hip Hop that’s actually saying a lot.
Russ - Our Time
“But baby on the other hand, we be kicking it can't find nothing wrong with you, you stay up with me help me with a song or two, your momma loves me and I think my momma loves you too (oh-ooh, oh-ooh)” Another vibe and one of the many standout records on Zoo
Russ ft Rick Ross & Snoop Dogg - Last Forever
“Looking around at the collision of ambition and vision, I'm really starting to believe that I just dream for a living” There are only three features on ZOO in its entirety, and two of those are these contributions from Snoop & Rozay who both bless Russ with respectable verses.
Logic - Everybody Dies
“I'm already knowing that I'm gon' die one day, you gon' die one day, we all 'gon die one day, God already got the date set, so live your life, live yo' life, yeah you live it, that's a bet, cause if you ain't fulfilled in the end, you gon' be filled with regret, bet” One of the singles for Logic’s next mixtape YSIV, and if you’re a fan of ‘Mixtape Logic’ than you will not be disappointed.
Eminem - KillShot
“Had to give you a career to destroy it, lethal injection, go to sleep six feet deep I'll give you a B for the effort, but if I was three-foot-eleven you'd look up to me and for the record, you would suck a dick to fuckin' be me for a second” So Eminem has decided to take another headshot at Machine Gun Kelly and although it’s a fun record and a decent response did anybody notice his accusations thrown at Diddy???! Of course in terms of context MGK is signed to Diddy but does that warrant the ‘Puffy ordered 2Pac’s murder’ narrative??? I mean does Slim Shady actually think that??? Because if so that’s the real story out of this record and it seems to have gone completely overlooked by the media and perhaps even Diddy himself. “Kells, the day you put out a hit's the day Diddy admits that he put the hit out that got Pac killed, ah!” are the exact lyrics and they don’t really make sense as a harmless joke, where truth be told that’s not even something to joke about. On the flip side, if he’s serious then he should be asked to speak to it, because beyond any issues with irrelevant rappers his take on Pac’s murder requires some clarification.