The average hip-hop fan had an amazing summer simply because some of the hottest and most anticipated artists dropped their projects. Music that comes out during the summer is much more important than any other time of the year. These albums set the vibe and tone for the summer!
When listening to these albums, I analyzed the production quality or how well the album is put together. I am a huge fan of the poetic voice and storytelling going on within the album. With that, I focus heavily on what the artist is talking about and even where that person’s head is at when it comes to their music career. Lastly, I enjoy analyzing the themes throughout an album and how well the artist portrayed them.
Now, let’s get into the good stuff! Both Drake and Scott released amazing projects this summer. However, I think Scott’s “Astroworld” was much better than Drake’s “Scorpion.”
Drake’s fifth studio album wasn’t what everyone expected in regard to his response to Pusha T’s strong remarks about his role as a father. Drake’s “Scorpion” focused heavily on helping his fans understand that he wasn’t trying to keep his son a secret, he was trying to protect his son from the negativity that comes along with blogs and internet commentators.
Beyond that, Drake fired shots at rappers who had the nerve of talking down on his name. “Scorpion” is richly produced; rap veterans DJ Premier and No I.D. gave a helping hand in the production quality. The most popular tracks on this album are “Nice for What” and “In My Feelings.” Producer 40 had his hands all over the production of these songs. 40 contributed heavily to securing that these songs are the “gems” of this album. Both of these songs sit at the top of the top 100 tracks on billboard charts. In fact, “In My Feelings” sits, unbothered, at number 1.
On the other hand, can we say that the other 23 tracks on this album sit even close to this level? Drake does a good job at creating tracks and projects that’ll run the chart. However, that is simply because of his brand. It’s like when Kanye West releases a new pair of sneakers. People buy every last pair because of the “YEEZY” label they have, not necessarily for how nice the shoe is.
Scott’s “Astroworld” is arguably his best album yet. His skill allowed him to metaphorically create an amusement park through every one of his songs. In my opinion, “Astroworld” is a location that’s far, far from Earth. The best words I thought to use when describing “Astroworld” is pleasantly complex and here’s why: There is something satisfying at every turn.
When hearing songs like “Astrothunder” and “Stop Trying to Be God,” one begins feeling a sense of outer space. The rich production provides listeners with an outer space feeling through Scott’s balance between auto-tune and his natural voice. This balance is one of Scott’s most unique qualities. Scott does a great job at finding the perfect moment to auto-tune.
For example, his use of auto-tune in “Stop Trying to Be God” is perfect as it gives his voice a godly quality. It sounds as if he is preaching or reading some kind of biblical scripture. Scott states that he is the “glue” of this album where he acknowledges and recognizes that putting an album together is very much a team effort.
Oftentimes, listeners overlook the fact that an album is a piece of work that is put together by more than just the headlining artist. Scott calling himself the glue shines light on both the fact that he pieced everything together, as well as the fact that other artists are taking credit for work that they probably did not contribute to!
Lastly, Scott’s “Astroworld” is completely successful because of his artistic approach when curating this project. With the help of composers/producers such as Frank Ocean and Frank Dukes, Scott was able to help us visualize “Astroworld”; a world he created for us.
All in all, Scott’s “Astroworld” sits above Drake’s “Scorpion” because of how well Scott executed this project from front to back. “Astroworld” is a complete project from start to finish and did not have many holes throughout the track list. Beyond that, Scott’s artistic approach gives him the upper-hand when putting “Astroworld” next to “Scorpion.” Again, don’t get mad if your opinions don’t match mine! Shoot me an email and let’s talk about it!