AllHipHop Review Board
KillaCham
Members, Moderators Posts: 11,417 Regulator
Currently Reviewing
Review schedule
Albums
A$AP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP
Wale - The Album About Nothing: 1 more review
Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$: 1 more review
Singles
TBD
Welcome to The AllHipHop Review Board! Based on the entertainment review website Metacritic, The AHH Review Board is a rating system where all IllCommunity forum members can review albums and songs to create an average and final numerical score for each piece. Members will write mini (or full-length) reviews of new (sometimes old) album or song releases and rate them, creating a universal score from IC posters.
This will be good to get some discussion flowing as well as share opinions in a more professional manner. Users will be able to see what posters think about what's new this week, what was great this year, and what some of our all-time favorites were, as well as contribute to each official rating.
Rules
-No trolling. Posters are allowed to express opinions on and criticize reviews from others - just no straight up trolling. That is still a warnable offense in or out of this thread.
-Reviews for songs must be no less than 70 words. http://www.wordcounter.net/
-Reviews for albums must be no less than 130 words (it's really not that much). http://www.wordcounter.net/
-Each review must have a rating or it will not count toward the final score.
Scoring
-Each review from members will be compiled and averaged into 1 final score for each album or song that is reviewed.
-Final scores will range from 0-100, with the higher number indicating a better overall average for reviews. Final scores will be highlighted in different colors to indicate good, bad, or average review scores. If the numbers are too hard to read, then you can look at the pretty colors (see below):
Score conversion:
-Each member rating must be on a scale of 4 (0 to 4), 5, 10, or a letter grade (between A or A+ and F or F-).
-Reviews from moderators and allhiphop staff will be included into the final Member Score, but will also create a separate Modscore.
-Again, each review must have a rating to count toward a piece's final score.
-Any review that violates any of the rules will not be counted toward that piece's final score.
Review process
-Albums or songs up for review will be chosen by Reason moderators and/or if there are 3 or more members requesting them to be reviewed.
-Each album will generally be up for review for 3 weeks.
-Each song will generally be up for review for 15 days.
-At least 1 day prior notice will be given for each review period.
-Extensions for review periods will be at the discretion of KillaCham or other moderators.
Comments
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Scoreboard
Albums
J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive: 82 (ModScore: 74)Kendrick Lamar - To ? A Butterfly: 92 (ModScore: 95)
Member scores
StoneColdMikey: 4/5
Breezy-Kilroy: 4.5/5
usmarin3: 4.5/5
bbkg79: A-
deathrowzorro: 4/5
ModScores
YoungGoldie: C+
SixSickSins: 4.5/5
Stew: 7/10Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth: 94 (ModScore: 90)
Member score
eternal soldier: 4/5
silverfoxx: 9.4/10
BobOblah: 9/10
D0wn: 10/10
bless the child: 10/10
G.Avant: 10/10
Listencloser: 7.2/10
jazzybella: 9/10
LonedogAchilles: 9/10
IceBergTaylor: 9.2/10
ModScores
Sion: 9.5/10
YoungGoldie: 9.5/10
KillaCham: 9.6/10Wale - The Album About Nothing: 67 (Pending score)
Member score
Listencloser: 9.8/10
IceBergTaylor: 9.7/10
power_wisdom: 10/10
LonedogAchilles: 9.9/10
Roster Player #99: 8.9/10
TheEyeronic1: 9/10
silverfoxx: 9.2/10
ModScores
Stew: 9/10
Sion: 9/10
Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$: 90 (Pending score)
Singles
Big K.R.I.T. - Soul Food (feat. Raphael Saadiq): 89 (ModScore: N/A) -
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@Breezy_Kilroy , drop your review you posted in the Forest Hill thread.
Ill post my review later today. -
Dope ish Mods.
Somebody needs a raise -
This could actually become a good thread if people take it serious
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Oh for sure. I gotta annotate it tho. It's kinda all over the place
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Breezy_Kilroy wrote: »Oh for sure. I gotta annotate it tho. It's kinda all over the place
Do it up. Just make sure it has a rating. -
I'm gonna download it now i'm drop my review later
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Ill start the review by saying Cole is one of my four favorite new school rappers in the game (K.Dot,Drake,Rocky), so I was anticipating this album's release more than any other album this year. I admit my expectations for this album was high , following a very solid album "Born Sinner" and acouple dope mixtape tracks like" Revenge of the Dreamers". "Forest Hills Drive" is a decent project, but it's definitely a decline in quality imo. I also feel there wasn't much growth in the content. Listening to a Cole album you would think he's in his early 20s, because alot of the times he speaks from the pov of an adolescent. I gave it a pass the first couple albums, but on album number 3 I cant do that, he'll be 30 in a month... So songs about losing his virginity and chillin at his boys moms house smoking weed hoping to get rich isnt showing that he's evolving. There are a few songs that show growth like "January 28th" and "Love Yours" , but there's too many adolescent raps on here imo. Being that the title of the album is his old address, this album might purposely be meant to represent the pov during his youth, but the fact that he's BEEN rapping like that, I dont see a point to make a whole album doing it more. Musically its not bad, but it isnt great either. I dont mind Cole harmonizing on the hook (Adolescence 03') but this ? should never, ever ever ever.... sing whole ballads again in life. (St.Tropez, Hello,Intro)
Favorite Tracks- January 28, Fire Squad, No Role Modelz , Love Yourz
Worst Songs- Hello , St. Tropez(Extra strength NyQuill)
Letter Grade - C+
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^^^
Nail on the ? head. I give it a B-. And "No Role Models" is a good song but is a complete send off. After the Uncle Phil line, it turns into a typical Cole song about ? hoes. -
Y'all not gonna let this flop @Breezy_Kilroy @deathrowzorrow
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Y'all not gonna let this flop @Breezy_Kilroy @deathrowzorrow
Nah I'll do it when I get on my laptop -
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jazzybella wrote: »
It's a review I saw on Facebook and to me is the BEST review I've read -
We're only looking for personal reviews in this thread.
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YoungGoldie wrote: »We're only looking for personal reviews in this thread.
I was just sharing...dnt bring your embarrassment from GNS over here....chill out bruh -
huh? Nobody's thinking about that ? . Just letting you know we're only looking for personal reviews in this thread, post that ? in the album thread. Plus the joke from gns went over your head lol
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I saw this thread and wanted to share a review I read....calm down
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Feelings for not getting what Goldie's tryna say.... should also be a fail button for ? up the hyperlink...
jazzybella lost -
This album basically came out of nowhere. I was let down by BS. But still was anticipating this album very much. With over a week of listening to this album I must say that this is a great album and Cole finds his niche. There isn't no cringe worthy songs like his two previous albums had where you can tell it was forced. Cole as lyrical as ever. Production still needs a little help but huge improvement from last album. Before the album came out, it was announced that Cole been working with Chance The Rapper and with this album , you hear Chance's influences. Cole crooning and singing on the hook wasn't needed in some songs and took away from songs like St. Tropez. This album is where Cole sticks what he does best, rapping about his youth with vivid stories about his old women, and the struggles his mom had to deal with. while people might complain that he doesn't try to rap about different topics, i don't have a problem with this. don't fix something that isn't broken. I would like for him to take that next step like his peers kendrick and drake did with his next album though. but in 2014, there isn't many rappers that is putting out quality music like Cole.
High points: Lyricism, stays in his lane
low points: the singing ballads
best tracks: GOMD, Fire squad, January 28th
Worst tracks: hello
4/5 -
Gonna post the review on Allhiphop tonight or tomorrow if nobody beats me to it lol
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Being in the age of albums with 13 features on a 15 track album this is a breathe of fresh air.
Cole did his thing by himself. at no point did I feel he could've used someone else point of view.
He stepped his pen game up and he is better on the boards than previous efforts.
even if he didn't make all the beats he still was able to get to expand his sound outside of the sometimes monotonous and identical production. and that's what many felt was holding him back was staying in the pocket and not trying to explore different sounds. there were no cringe worthy bars on this album, he left that "out ? me" ? in the past. Perhaps Cole's best asset is his ability to relay emotion and remain relatable. There was no shortage of Cole speaking on world issues such as Ferguson, poverty and being black in America. The album starts strong and finishes strong even though it does feel a little short outside of "Note to Self".
Although the quip on "Firing Squad" about white people stealing our ? is a highlight however it overshadowed the fact that Cole was spitting. "January 28th" is another standout track where he was proving that he can be elite on the lyrical side. As previously stated Cole stepped his pen game up and it shows from top to bottom. There shouldn't be any doubt whether or not if Cole can hang with his peers. Punchlines have been his weakness but he had a few that stood out. It's great to see his growth as an artist after 3 albums.
Cole showed that he understands how to construct songs. That's not to say he didn't put forth the effort before but I feel it was something that he completely improved on and it shows in songs like GOMD, Apparently and No Role Modelz. As relatable as "Wet Dreamz" may be I truthfully could've done without it. That's not to say I didn't like it but after the standout Jan 28 he should've placed another track after it to keep the momentum going.
The next step for Cole is getting motherfuckas that can actually sing. It's ok in spurts but when he is dedicating entire songs like "Hello" to his less than Drake singing voice it becomes a problem. Although Cole can't really sing or harmonize it doesn't bring down the overall value of the album. You almost have to applaud the fact he is taking that type of risk. There are many highs and very few lows. It's fun, relatlable, there is emotion, substance and lyrics. Practically everything you would want from a Cole album. This should've been his first but it is his third and definitely his best effort.
4.5/5
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My biggest complaint about Cole was always his production and his monotonous singing. He sings alot on this album but it's bearable. What I and damn everyone has been asking Cole for the longest is outside production to break up his monotonous sound and he finally listened. The album flowed so well sonically and none of the tracks sounded forced. It feels like Cole found himself. The first half of the album is the more lyrical part but the second half is where the soul is. Best songs are January 28th, Adolescence,etc and Hello is the worst. It's Coles best album imo.
4.5/5 rating -
THIS ? IS OK...I LIKE COLE'S ENERGY ON THIS ALBUM
ESP. ON "JANUARY 28TH" & "FIRE SQUAD"
THE BEATS ARE ON POINT & SO ARE THE RAPS...
THAT SINGING ? HE'S ON GOTTA GO THO...
I DIDN'T HATE THIS ? , BUT IT SUFFERS FROM "MORE OF THE SAME"
3/5 -
I don't post up here too often, so I hope I may participate as well.
This album, though....................man. I'm a girl that can typically tell within 10 seconds of hearing a song whether or not I'll like it and, for that reason alone, I rarely sit through and listen to an album in its entirety. This album, however, compelled me to listen and I didn't regret the hour and change I spent listening. This is by far my favorite J. Cole album. I've noticed that some folks don't like his beat selection, but I found the sounds refreshing and that they meshed well with the respective songs. He allowed himself to be vulnerable and open with the story each song told. I see soooo much improvement in this work compared to his earlier works, he truly develops and evolves with each project. I absolutely love that his prevailing themes were genuine love and happiness, not material things and big ? heauxs. I love that he said no more kings--that they (rappers) must present a strong, cohesive example to the younger generation and talk about things that matter. Who else is spitting about love and happiness with such raw, blazing fieryness? There were moments in nearly every track where the lyrics and flow had me like:
Need to listen a few more times to solidify the order in which I would place the songs in regards to faves, but I know for certain that Apparently & Love Yourz are up there. Only song I didn't really care for was St. Tropez. Other than that I give it 4.5/5. Phenomenal.