Lil Wayne – Marcel Friday

INTERVIEW: Producer Jimmy Duval on Creating XXXTentaction’s ‘Look at Me!’ & Expanding Outside of Rap

Updated: December 30, 2018

Originally posted on Billboard 7/17/2018

It’s not everyday that you wake up to your song hitting one million streams online and without even realizing it. For Jimmy Duval, that hard-to-believe scenario about producing his first hit almost never happened. “Look at Me!,” the track that took Florida rapper XXXTentacion from SoundCloud to RIAA Certified Platinum was a beat that was never meant to land in XXX’s lap.

If left up to his late collaborator, the success of the record was also never meant for Jimmy to enjoy. Initially released on SoundCloud by Rojas, a former associate of Jimmy’s, the song not only left him off the credits, but he didn’t even know it existed until his manager happened to stumble upon the track.

INTERVIEW: Bay Area MC Saweetie Talks “Icy Grl” & Social Media Fame

by Marcel

Updated: December 30, 2018

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Originally posted on HipHopDX 11/13/2017

For as many rappers as the Bay Area has produced, Kamaiyah is one of the few women to break through in the scene’s rich history. Hayward native Saweetie wants to become the next female MC to break the trend and put on for women in NorCal.

“I’m a Bay girl. The Bay raised me,” Saweetie said when asked about her history of living across California. “I love Sacramento too, so I kind of have two hometowns: Hayward and Sacramento. Those two cities shaped me into who I am today. I’m definitely a Cali girl but more like Bay Area.”

INTERVIEW: Kayla Brianna & London On Da Track Going Half On An EP

by Marcel

Updated: December 12, 2018

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Originally posted on HipHopDX 10/20/2016

Kayla Brianna, R&B’s newest darling, recently stopped by DXHQ and announced that she’s teaming up with London on da Track for a new EP. “London on da Track and I are actually doing an EP together so I’ll be going to Atlanta in a couple weeks to work on that.” The announcement comes on the heels of her latest single and video “Work For It” produced by London and featuring YFN Lucci.

Also known as the daughter to NBA champion and NBA on TNT star Kenny Smith, the 23-year-old artist is looking to break out and make a name for herself in music. The partnership with London aims to do just that. London has made a name for himself over the past four years, producing for all of the South’s heavyweights from Waka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, Rich Homie Quan and Travis Porter to fellow Cash Money artists Lil Wayne and frequent collaborator Young Thug. London is best known as the mastermind behind the boards on T.I.’s 2014 RIAA gold-selling winner “About the Money” featuring Young Thug and Rich Gang’s chart-topping single “Lifestyle.”

ALBUM REVIEW: Jay IDK – The Empty Bank

by Marcel

Updated: December 12, 2018

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Originally posted on HipHopDX 9/29/2016
Rating: 3.8/5

For Maryland MC Jay IDK, life has been on an upward incline since his 2015 album SubTRAP. The success of his last album has put him on a trajectory to gain traction outside of PG County and the DMV. Jay opens up on what his newfound progress comes with and how to balance the expectations of getting money with his latest album The Empty Bank.

The cover art, depicting Ben Franklin with a noose around his neck as he sits on a rented luxury car, serves as the perfect metaphor for the album. Jay gets right into the heart of the album’s subject material with the Kain Carter and Masego-assisted “Mr. Mills” to kick off The Empty Bank. The song starts with an instructional chant of, “Sex, Drugs, Money” as Jay IDK raps, “I guess I figured it out; money ain’t shit. I guess I figured it out; money is dick/a bitch will tell you your shit is good if your money long even if your dick is shorter than Gary Coleman”. As Mr. Mills continues to wax poetic with lines such as, “I’m spending everything I got on everything I don’t need” and “My friends see they say ‘sheesh he got lots of cheese’ it’s probably from the smiles they see on my IG but them smiles ain’t really me” he’s interrupted by a bill collector attempting to collect on his $30,000 studio bill.

ALBUM REVIEW: 2 Chainz – Daniel Son; Necklace Don

by Marcel

Updated: December 12, 2018

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Originally posted on HipHopDX 8/21/2016
Rating: 2.9/5

For 2 Chainz, the past few years have been spent trying to keep up with the buzz and success that 2011 garnered him with his T.R.U. REALigion mixtape and his 2012 debut album Based on a T.R.U. Story. His sophomore album B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time peaked at #3 on the charts but fell way short of the impact his previous efforts made. After a series of swings and misses including ColleGrove, his joint album with Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz is back with his latest offering Daniel Son; Necklace Don.

As you can imagine by the name of the project, the direction and theme borrow influences from The Karate Kid. The tape opens with an offensive Asian accent complete with live action karate sounds to bring the accompanying, stereotypical artwork full circle. Mr. Hair Weave Killer continues the oriental trend with “Get Out the Bed” as he combines hard hitting bass over a nostalgic, melodic soundbed akin to the 1987 Sega Genesis hit game, Shinobi. 2 Chainz The sounds of robust 808’s and the fawning over his codeine addiction highlight that he is certainly in his element.

ALBUM REVIEW: Birdman & Jacquees – Lost At Sea

by Marcel

Updated: December 11, 2018

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Originally posted on HipHopDX 7/21/2016
Rating: 2.4/5

Recent headlines haven’t been too kind to Birdman. From continued allegations of short-changing Lil Wayne to becoming a punchline after his Breakfast Club interview, the Stunna has been trapped in a revolving door of L’s. In between it all, the Cash Money capo has still been able to keep a pulse of today’s music scene with Young Thug and Rich Gang. And now with his latest protégé Jacquees, Baby is looking to shift the focus back to the music. Unfortunately, for him, rapping is still not his forte.

Lost At Sea opens up with “Wise Words”, an underwhelming, emotive soundbed chocked full of empty rhetoric and lackluster lyrics. Jacquees thoroughly disappoints with lines like “And I’m lost at sea on a yacht and plus my Rollie’s a pool/and then I stack my money longer than you.”

Marcel Friday

Social Media Manager Creative & Social Strategist Journalist

Tag: <span>Lil Wayne</span>

INTERVIEW: Producer Jimmy Duval on Creating XXXTentaction’s ‘Look at Me!’ & Expanding Outside of Rap

INTERVIEW: Kayla Brianna & London On Da Track Going Half On An EP

ALBUM REVIEW: Jay IDK – The Empty Bank

ALBUM REVIEW: 2 Chainz – Daniel Son; Necklace Don

ALBUM REVIEW: Birdman & Jacquees – Lost At Sea