<![CDATA[Under The Irrelevance

<![CDATA[Under The Irrelevance - Music]]>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:15:53 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[You Is What I Don't Need]]>Tue, 07 Jul 2020 03:08:05 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/you-is-what-i-dont-needBack in the MySpace days it was easy to find local artists just trying to get their music out.

But the game is so flooded with a bunch of lames and trolls that it gets tougher and tougher to find authentic music that has yet to be found out.

You used to be able to keep your ears to the streets, but now you gotta find something through SoundCloud or just gotta be lucky enough to find someone on IG who actually puts out good quality music.

Well guess what, we lucked up and had some connections and we found the next up and comers coming straight out of California. These two artists came together to Finesse the game for everything it will give to them.

We were lucky enough to reach out to each of the artists themselves, and they gave us a little insight to the makings of this track that you can easily put on repeat.

5.A.M · Finesse

"Finesse"
Lotta Bluntz and 5.A.M

Y'all always talking about "The Vibes" right? Well look no further. This is THE vibe.

This smooth track has all of the feels of Northern California from beginning to end. The beat is one of those tracks that Mac Dre would've hopped on in his prime, mixed in with a little bit of P-Lo type of sound.

The claps and bass makes you feel like you can comfortably bob your head as you ride in your car on your way to your bae's house. While the digital piano gives a glimpse of the modern sound we're all so used to feeling.

The drops for the hook make you pay attention to the detail of the vocals and ad-libs these two have placed so perfectly for the listener. Since we're on the subject, let's start with the hook.

Leave your heart on broke
(Leave ya ass, gon' leave ya ass alone)
You thought it was a joke, I'm cold
Baby I'm like the snow,
So you'll be addicted by tomorrow...
I know she can't forget me,
She feel like I just Finesse'd her

So we asked both of these guys if they were talking about a specific woman. While 5.A.M claimed it wasn't, Lotta Bluntz said it was about someone who he got a little too close to and they ultimately had to cut things off.

Lotta Bluntz kills this hook with his slightly slurred speech (by design) that grips the listeners ears, and leaves much to their imagination.

In this instance, he definitely is speaking from experience. We have all had a relationship that we can look back on and have many good memories, but in the end we ultimately realize that it could not work out.

Sometimes when you're in the heat of the moment, you tell the person that if things don't get better you'll leave. In this case, he warned her but she thought it was a joke.

He follows that up with reminding her of how addicting his game can be. And sometimes that can be a cold game.

And while the knew things had to end, she won't ever forget the cold game he put on her.

You is what I don't need,
You is what I don't need,
You is what I don't need,
You is what I don't need...
(x2)

This was the ending of Bluntz verse. And while we could've dove deep into the verse itself, we felt more attached to the bridge to the hook.

We asked him about this part specifically. You can hear the emotion and pain and strength all in one with the vocals he put on this part.

He told us "I know what I have to offer, needs to be matched in energy. Knowing I'm still going to be doing great after is what keeps me pushing."

Shouting You is what I don't need as you think about that person you were able to move on from gives you a little extra confidence as you move forward in life.

You drive me so crazyyyy, Shawty a Lexus,
Shawty addicted, her curves is what I'm grippin' on
I keep her drippin', She water that's what I'm sippin' on
Ain't no lovin' her right, that's what she trippin' on

5.A.M opens his verse up with a lot of double entendres.

Similar to a Lexus car, she drives him crazy. But he could possibly be talking about a girl named Alexis. Although I asked him multiple times if this were true, and he strongly stated there ain't no chick named Alexis he's talking about. But we'll just leave that one to the listener.

Her curves got him gripping onto her. Again, much like a car that is going through curves on the road, her body has got him gripping the "wheel" to keep things steady.

This is where it gets really good.

He refers to her as water, whereas he got her drippin' and like the water he drinks, he's sippin' on her. When it comes to The Drip, he could be talking about himself putting her in some designer clothes and whatever else, or he could mean sexually, or both.

Now this last bar got him wondering what's really going on. She trippin' on the fact that he loves her, yet it's still not enough. He ain't loving her "right" as she claims. So in turn, that's why "You is what I don't need."

She love me I hate it,
She love the way I toss her,
I love it when she boss me,
But hate it when she talkin
This MOB shit,
Bluntz crazy with the sauce on it
5.A.M shit, you know I put my mobbin' on it (Nasty)

Now all of a sudden she loves him, or so she says. But in reality, she's just in love with what he is and what he represents.

But he's not having it anymore. He hate it when she starts saying a bunch of shit that don't make sense. We don't blame him.

He closes it out by giving props to his counterpart on this track, and then shouts out where he's from.

The song closes out with one more hook, and then 5.A.M saying that he can't even say "SKRTT" without "Skrrrrrt." And in a strange way, we know exactly what he means.

Lotta Bluntz says he added that in the end because it puts him back into the exact moment they recorded this track, and it brings them both a good laugh.

This track brings together two artists who have yet to have their big break through. But us over here at Under The Irrelevance are ready to proclaim that these guys deserve your lended ear.

The summer of 2020 is going to be whatever you make of it. We're all trying to navigate through this year as smoothly as possible. And there may be no better track that keeps you feeling grounded and in tune with how your past relationships have gone than this one.

We know 2020 can't forget us, so we might as well Finesse her.

Make sure to follow both of these guys on Instagram!
Lotta Bluntz @lottabluuuntz
5.A.M @5aminthegwap

]]><![CDATA[Leader of the Delinquents]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:19:32 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/leader-of-the-delinquentsThoughout the years, Kid Cudi has changed his artistic stylings based upon the experiences he has had and the sounds he has tried to convey in the moment.

But everything he does, he owes to his original garage style of rap. Fast-paced, rhyming, hard-hitting lyrics that many artists now lack. A true rapper in every sense of the word.

If you haven't listened to his "Rap Hard Demo" you're missing an entire sound of Kid Cudi that you've yet to experience. But his latest single gives you a glimpse of what it sounds like when Scott goes back to his rapping roots.

Kid Cudi
"Leader of the Delinquents"
April 14, 2020

Early in his performing days, Kid Cudi would preview songs to his live audiences. With no beat, just the lyrics while the crowd clapped along to the cadence of the poetry.

In 2009, he previewed a song called "Deep Sleep" which was a sequel to his track "Entergalactic" from his debut album. We may finally hear that song when Cudi drops his next album entitled "Entergalactic" which will be accompanied by his own animated series on Netflix.

His newest single is what it looks like when he actually does release one of those early performance tracks.

He performed "Leader of the Delinquents" back in 2012 and someone in the crowd recorded it. So this track has been floating around for a while, but was never fully complete.

Until now.

In this live version, you can clearly hear the difference between this sound and a lot of the music he has been putting out since then. But this is what got him here.

The beat was created by his good friend Dot Da Genius, and instantly you feel like you're in that first car you ever owned. Riding down the street with one hand on the wheel while you nod your head and forget about all the toughest parts of your life.

The classic rhythm of the bass reminds one of some Bone Thugs N Harmony sound, true to Cud's Cleveland roots.

Hello friends, Cudder again
Gotta smack 'em with some shit before the world ends
Same old denims, wore 'em for days
I'm at home makin' jams in many wonderful ways

It's funny how life comes full circle. And how lyrics can sometimes break barriers of the time in which they were created.

Cudi couldn't have released this track at a greater moment in time, as most of us have been confined to our homes. Unsure of what the future of the world will bring, and if there will even be a future at all.

He introduces himself as if he's writing a letter to the audience, making us feel like he's our old friend who can't reach us because of the social distancing currently put in place.

Letting us know how he's been making the most of his time. Creating "jams" to get him through before the world ends.

I've been trapped in my mind, I've been tryna escape
Fame and loneliness, the recipe for disaster
I can't handle this shit, I'ma get plastered

Cudi has long been someone who can relate to people who have battled mental health issues in their lives.

Sometimes, we get trapped in our own thoughts and it's a constant struggle to get out of those dark corners of our mind.

The escape is the art itself. There is seemingly no other way for him to get out these dark thoughts without expressing them the way he so chooses.

But sometimes, even with a healthy escape, we find ourselves reaching for that bottle. Reaching for those pills. Reaching for that needle that will extinguish all of those dark thoughts, while killing the physical being of ourselves ever so slowly.

As Cudi chooses to get plastered, he continues with his letter.

From the outside lookin' in, shit is mellow
But sometimes I wanted to shoot my fuckin' face off
I'm talkin' game over, defeated the boss

Sometimes, we can tell if a friend or loved one is battling something internally. Their mood shift, the way they carry themselves, or if we just stop seeing them completely.

But other times, we know nothing of what they're going through. They try to burry those dark thoughts deeper and deeper. They find ways to make it appear as if all things in their life are normal.

You ask them how they're doing, and they always answer "Great. How are you?" Shifting the conversation elsewhere so that they don't have to answer to their true feelings.

This has led to suicide too often in our modern world. Cudi views his life as a game. And he assumes that if he were to kill himself, he would be defeating the boss that has won many of the battles he has been met with in life.

The boss that controls all of his choices and feelings could be met with defeat, if only he could find a way to end it all.

Hope with age, I can cope with my rage
I'm so damn passionate, there's no safe plane
To chill or dwell in, I'm always in the zone

There is one universal truth that lives within every human, regardless of what they are going through. And that is the fact that we all want to live.

Even those who are so close to suicide, and have battled with the thoughts for years, still find themselves with a desire to live. They don't want to kill themselves, but they feel it is the only choice left. They want to live.

So even in this horrible sight into his mind, Cudi still says that he hopes can cope with these thoughts as he grows older. But his passion for life and death makes him feel unsafe even in escape.

He feels that he is always in this "zone" that has brought him to write this letter.

Man, listen, I'm tryna find a way to tuck this nina in my skinnies
It's kinda tough, I don't see how they did it in the '80s
My angels ride for me at all cost

"Tuck this nina in my skinnies" is a reference to him trying to fit his gun in his tight denim jeans. This reference could be taken literally or figuratively.

He closes out the line stating that his angels ride for him at all costs. So he's got that heat on him to fend the demons off of him.

Whether that's with a gun, or his clean and clear thoughts that he has been able to develop as he has grown. Either way, he is ready to fight for his life.

Somebody better save them, God
'Cause young Scott Mescudi stayed on his job

The final line of this song is a message to God, who Cudi has referred to as "her" on multiple occasions.

He's calling out to her to save the demons, not himself. He has reached a point where he knows how to fight off these evil thoughts that float around in his life.

He has successfully found peace and is warning the demons that he can defeat them without having to make that suicidal choice.

As you listen to this track, think about all of the demons that you've been trying to fight off.

Especially with the secluded world we're living in, you may feel more lonely than ever. You're not alone in this fight.

God put Hell on Earth to test you. Don't let anyone win but you and the angels that ride with you.

]]><![CDATA[We Are All Alien Boys]]>Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:30:29 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/we-are-all-alien-boysMy wife does this really annoying thing where she plays new music and if I like it then she does one of two things. She either tells me "I see, he likes my music." or "Oh my god, you're so fucking fake. You always copy the music that I like."

I can never just enjoy the music she shares with me without one of those two statements being thrown in my face.

Listen wife, I have a mind of my own ok. I can like music whether you show it to me or not. But most of the time I will like it because of the fact that you shared it with me.

So yeah, I am fake when it comes to my taste in music. But whatever, I like your taste in music so that's like a compliment.

Anyway, here's some dope shit she put me on.

Oliver Tree
"Alien Boy"
February 16, 2018

Oliver Tree is a bit of a character. Actually, he's an entire character.

This scooter-riding, former Ska musician from Santa Cruz is full of color. Not only with his clothing, but with his production, lyricism, and on-screen persona.

The guy has been making music since he was three years old, and his most popular song to date has my three year old inspired to make his own music.

"Alien Boy" was not released as a single, but it has over 111 million streams on Spotify. I'll be honest and say the rest of the album is just so-so, but we'll give him his credit for this sensational track.

In this track, he is speaking from the point of view of an actual Alien Boy who fell to Earth.

He is an interesting specimen that has the hunting skills of a T-Rex, the teeth of a Great White Shark, and eagle beak, ostrich feet, and seven spider eyes. Sounds like an ugly muh fucka. But hey, he makes it work.

The lyrics are both confusing and confounding. However, you find yourself understanding exactly how he feels.

He's an outsider who still finds a way to know his place in this world. He may look different and think different, but in the end we're all just trying to find our inner peace.

And while he seems to understand who and what he is, he still finds boredom in his life. Even the most colorful of characters in this universe can still be met with questions of what they're really meant to be and do in their time.

He continues to talk about how he feels lonely, but that he is still going to pursue what he is looking for. He's really out here on his own.

There comes a point in the track where he is met with existential thoughts. Stating that he knows he won't be here for long. It could be interpreted as the alien having to go back to his homeland. But however you perceive it, just know that none of us will be on this Earth for very long.

This Alien Boy finds sanctity in the fact that he is comfortable in his own skin. And in his search of acceptance within himself, he finds a way to understand exactly what he was put on this Earth to do.

The lesson that I get from this track is one that raises many questions about my own life.

I have found myself getting extremely existential and wondering if I myself have come from another planet to learn about this world, and when my time is up I'll bring back answers to my homeland.

They'll tell me that this was all just a study of the planet Earth, and that my mission was deemed successful because of the accomplishments I achieved during my time.

You may not get that deep with it, but maybe after a joint or two.

]]><![CDATA[The Craig David Challenge]]>Sun, 29 Mar 2020 14:56:23 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/the-craig-david-challengeI see a lot of people doing "Challenges" on Instagram stories. I'm the middle aged grumpy "Get off my lawn" kind of dad stuck inside of a 29 year old's body. So whenever I see that dumb shit on social media, I shake my head quietly and say "Fucking kids."

But I have to admit, there's been one challenge that I actually like. People have been challenging each other to post 1990's-2000's R&B music, and I'm here for it.

So I have a story for you about two R&B jams by one British dude that have stuck with me for about 20 years now.

Before we break down the songs, I want to give you a little information on how we used to get our music.

We had CD's, and for you kids who don't know what that is, it stands for "Compact Disc." Most of your cars still have the feature to play a CD, but it probably just collects hella dust.

In 2001, we couldn't really burn CD's with only the songs we wanted. LimeWire was invented in 2000, but it hadn't really begun to pop off like that yet. So we had to buy the shit we wanted. Even if we only liked a couple of songs we heard on the radio, we had to buy the whole fucking album just to enjoy those songs whenever we wanted.

New CD's would drop every Tuesday, and you'd go down to Target or Best Buy and they'd be right there on display. But I remember this subscription my mom had, it was a booklet that would come in the mail that would have choices of hundreds of CD's.

I can't remember what it was called, and if you remember this then let me know. Basically, you could buy all genres of albums for a discounted price. Like if you bought 5 CD's then you get 3 free. It was a steal back then because you were going to buy the albums anyways.

You could even order albums that weren't out yet and they would show up in your mail the day they came out. This was revolutionary shit.

And I don't know why, but I specially remember this artist and this album and the time I asked my mom if she could add this to her order.

Craig David
Born To Do It
August 14, 2000

Craig David was bubbling up in the UK in 1999. His hit single "Fill Me In" was climbing up the charts over there, and he sustained a new level of popularity. But his music didn't reach the United States until May 2001, when him and his team decided to release this hit worldwide.

I remember watching the video for the first time on MTV Jams. As a ten year old boy, I didn't really understand the context of the song as he was talking about him and his girlfriend sneaking around her parents. But the melody and vocals were were so infectious that anybody who heard it loved it.

This storytelling in R&B form was masterminded so eloquently that it was impossible to turn away. Who was this kid? Why is his first song such a banger? Why did it take 2 years before anyone in the United States knew who he was?

Why were you creeping 'round late last night?
Why did I see two shadows moving in your bedroom light?
Now you're dressed in black
When I left, you were dressed in white
Can you fill me in?

Some time had passed by and I had learned every word to the song. Always waited for that part when it sounded like a voicemail message so I could distort my voice and say "Please leave a message after the tone."

I was a fan of this guy I knew nothing about. And then the next single dropped...

I remember MTV Jams would do this thing for a whole day whenever there was a new video, they'd have a little banner on the bottom that said "MTV Premiere." That's how you knew this was some new hot shit.

As soon as that guitar hit, anyone with a pulse was forced to groove. And then Craig comes in again with the storytelling, some of the best you've ever heard from an R&B artist.

In "7 Days" he explains to his friends at the barbershop about this girl he met that he just can't stop thinking about. He continues to say that things escalated pretty quickly and that they "Made Love."

Now look, I love this song and Craig David is amazing. But if you had sex with a girl for four out of the first seven days you met, I highly doubt it was love. Good effort though.

I met this girl on Monday
Took her for a drink on Tuesday
We were making love by Wednesday
And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday

After both of these singles hit, I knew I needed the album. I remember seeing it in that booklet my mom got in the mail and I asked her to get it for me. I probably told her I'd do the dishes or something, or however else a ten year old can pay their mom back for anything.

I still remember how I felt when I played the album for the first time. As a kid, it was all brand new to me. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there was great artists out there worldwide, and that the art of storytelling was an incredible and rare trait.

The ability to have the lyricism and poetry matched up with an amazing voice along with the melodies created by his producers and team made for this to be an incredible album.

I remember being in our little one bedroom apartment, singing songs off of this album as loud as I could with my mom we cleaned. This album not only made for great music, it allowed for the listener to create memories.

The pure love poured into the music makes it easy for someone to be taken back to the days they first heard it.

So the new challenge is "The Craig David Challenge." What album or song helps you relive memories of the past so vivid that you feel like you're there again?

]]><![CDATA[Strictly Only Bangers]]>Wed, 15 Jan 2020 02:49:12 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/strictly-only-bangersThe sound of Bay Area rap music has had an interesting path. A lot of good, a lot of bad, and a lot of experimental stuff.

From the late 80's and early 90's with Too Short, JT the Bigga Figga, Mac Mall, Mac Dre and E-40 where they had a more Pimp-style of rap.

To the late 90's early 2000's with Keak Da Sneak, Messy Marv, Rick Rock, The Federation and Yukmouth where they talked a little bit more about the streets.

To the late 2000's to the early 2010's with Diligentz, The Pack, Mistah Fab, Roach Gigz, and Clyde Carson that gave us The Hyphy Movement.

And then the last 5 years has given us P-Lo, Iamsu, Mozzy, Kool John, ALLBLACK, and kids like ShooterGang Kony. A very strange mix of the different Bay Area styles over the last 30 years.

This next album gives us a little bit of everything we love that is Bay Area rap music.

SOB x RBE
Strictly Only Brothers
December 20, 2019

As we enter a new decade, we are entering an era of new sound. Nobody will ever be original because there's been too many of those over the last 100 years. Artists will always find inspiration from others.

This album is one big compilation of inspiration from the history of Bay Area rap music. Anyone who has listened to SOB x RBE over the last few years may be surprised to hear what they came with in their fourth full length album.

I had listened to their first two albums as they came out. "Anti" was a major banger that drew me in, but outside of that there was little substance to what I was consuming.

The opportunities to be successful were there, but they were lacking something bigger. Their music wasn't giving me any sense of nostalgia, it was just music. The chances of me going back to listening to them were slim.

But it was Christmas day, and I was feeling particularly giving, so I gave them another chance. The first song drew me in.

The slick talk and beat to open up the album sounds like something from an early 90's E-40 track.

Thought only God can judge, but I've been judged ever since
Shit ain't been the same since the day we dropped "Cautious"
Ain't no money in the world that could amount to what we started

"Pass the Mic" has many quotes about how they got to where they're at. Not only can you hear them all on the same page, but you can feel like this is something different from what they've dropped before.

While their past albums have given a feel of kids just trying to seek acceptance, this track gives off a sense of them feeling like they have already proven they belong.

With the title of the song, you can imagine them coming into the booth with pure fury. Tired of feeling like they haven't been taken seriously this far into their careers.

They took themselves seriously, and expected the listener to do the same.

We don't hear this early 2010's sound as much as we should. There are heavy connections to The Diligentz when you listen to the beat carefully.

This track "Strictly Only Brothers" has many lyrics commenting on the guns they have and what they'll do with them. The album cover shows them showing off their guns. I don't know who y'all flexing on. Like, I'm a fan. I don't see what the problem is.

Bitch, I vow to never lose, I got a pocket full of blues
And I'm a witch with this stick, but it's a Glock it's not a broom
And I was really in that field while you was really in your room
And only kids get you a pass we still sliding by the rules

See, I told you they were talking about guns. I guess they were really trying to flex on someone.

But we have seen this from Bay Area music since forever. Tupac literally talked about murdering people for entire albums.

I'm usually all about positivity, but there's just something about gun violence that really gets me hyped up for my regular ass day job.

So when I first went through this album, I liked it. So the first thing I wanted to do was share it with my friends to see what they thought of it.

In the backroom at my job, we have a bluetooth speaker. So I told my coworker to play the album. I assumed they would just listen to it for a bit and then turn it off. It's pretty heavy on the street sound with a lot of connotations to gun violence.

But they seemed to like it, they even had the same view on it that I had. Saying that it sounded like a mix of new Bay Area sound with that 90's sound.

This track "Screamin Murdah" was playing when I came back to the backroom like 4 hours later. So I guess they liked this album.

Ah, your nigga died, nobody slide, nobody slid for 'em
Better stay up out these streets if you ain't built for 'em
My nigga gone, I keep that pole, I'm in the field for 'em
Any nigga disrespect his name, I gotta kill for 'em
My lil' nigga lost his brother and I feel for him
'Cause I been through that and I know you can't heal from it
I told him drop a body, fuck dropping tears for him
Load that chop, grab that Glock, hit they block screaming murder

That hook right there is incredible. It shows an unbelievable amount of transparency. He may have been yelling when he said it, but you can feel the pain in his voice the more you listen to it.

You talk about having somebody's back, this takes it to the next level. With words like these, it makes you wonder if your friends would really have your back like this.

This album is hands down the best work to date for SOB x RBE. These guys really got in the studio put their passion on the line.

They're older and have gone through more as artists and as young men. Money and fame usually changes people for the worse, but this piece of work makes us look forward to their future work.

So if you've listened to them in the past and didn't care for what you've heard, throw your previous thoughts on them out the window and give this album a try.

And if you've never listened to them before, make sure to get yourself in the right headspace. Or else you might feel like they're banging on you.

]]><![CDATA[Roddy Rich is Excused]]>Sat, 28 Dec 2019 01:46:34 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/roddy-rich-is-excusedOn March 31st, the West Coast lost a major figure in the rap game but more importantly in the streets. Nipsey Hussle wasn't just another rapper getting his money, he was a man from the hood giving back to the hood.

Giving young people the tools they needed to be successful on their own. Never took any handouts, and never gave any handouts.

Just a guy displaying what it truly means to help the people in his community.

But his loss inspired many young people to be better in everything they do. Especially young rappers from the west coast.

Roddy Ricch
Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial
December 6, 2019

When Nipsey Hussle got Roddy Ricch to be featured on his hit "Racks in the Middle," it felt like the beginning of something big for this kid. The track was released just one month before Nipsey's death, and was the last single he would ever release.

Roddy Ricch has done nothing but make Nipsey proud with the work he has done in 2019.

His feature on Mustard's major hit "Ballin'" played through everyone's speakers for the entire summer, catapulting him to his first certified Gold track of the year.

Both of these songs are nominated for Grammy's. The kid continued to build upon his work by ending 2019 with his debut studio album Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial.

Roddy didn't just pop up out of nowhere. He dropped mixtapes Feed the Streets and it's sequel in 2017 and 2018, which can be found on all streaming services.

Anybody who listened to these mixtapes could hear the potential, but there was still something missing. It could have been the hunger to be great wasn't quite there yet. Or maybe he didn't even know the potential he could reach.

But this debut album shatters all expectations anyone could have had of him. Similar to Luka Doncic coming into the NBA and taking over immediately, this kid has already cemented himself as a major player in the game.

This single "Big Stepper" was the first to be released off of the album in early October. The video displays Roddy in all black in the middle of the night, in front of a dark horse. A lot of undertones of Halloween mixed with the dark nights in his streets of Compton.

In the hook he states "I was taught to never show no love." Which just encapsulates everything needed to know about this track and where his mindset was while creating this album. This track was the big step to get him to where he was trying to be when dropping this album.

The buzz was just beginning, and was only going to grow.

He decided to keep the ball rolling when he dropped "Start Wit Me" just a few weeks later with Gunna.

Once again dressed in all black, like he's going to a funeral. Only this time, it is daytime and he's surrounded by those dressed in white.

There's a bit of ironic humor in this track when he says "I'ma hang with the gangbangers. He only hang with the feds and the rats and the mice." As Gunna was just caught up snitching a few years back on a crime television show.

But this track displayed what we could come to expect from Roddy. It has all the makings of Future's DS2 mixed with his west coast sound.

As with many of the songs on this album, you can make many comparisons to that classic from Future. But not only the music, but there's a lot of similarities in how this album will effect his career.

After Future dropped DS2, every album after that came with major expectations. Roddy Ricch came with the heat on his first album, and anything less from now on will be a disappointment.

After his second single, he revealed the release date of his debut album. With much anticipation, Roddy dropped one final single before the album "Tip Toe" featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

And I had the strap when I caught my case
Just got the grow house, started in the Bay

Everybody knows the best weed comes from Northern California, even those from Los Angeles know what's up.

But that case he's talking about is the only time he's ever been convicted of a crime. He was charged with domestic violence, when an argument between him and his girlfriend turned physical. Neither of them needed medical attention thankfully.

Here's a bit of advice for many of you young men out there. It's a real simple thing: Don't put your hands a woman. Just don't do it. You'll ruin her life, your life, and it's a really tough reputation to shake.

So I hope he learned his lesson when he posted his $50,000 bail. And hopefully men wake the fuck up and stop with this shit. It's flat out stupid.

The album is a hit. The perfect way to bring in the new year with some good music.

But with talent comes lofty expectations. A young man with all the talent in the world can blow it a million different ways. And I'd hate to see it blown due to domestic violence.

The substance of there album carries a lot of weight for a few reasons. He can carry on a legacy of knowledge similar to that of Nipsey Hussle, or he can limit his growth by simply putting out what everyone wants to hear.

I don't believe that he's actually antisocial, that doesn't really make sense for someone who decided to become a famous rapper. Reserved would probably be a better word to use, but that doesn't sound as relatable to the kids.

Regardless of the choices he decides to make in his young career, he'll always have this album. And he'll always have 2019 as a stepping stone to build off of.

]]><![CDATA[We, We, We Love Friday]]>Sat, 14 Dec 2019 00:11:24 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/we-we-we-love-fridayOne of my first jobs ever was at a minor league baseball stadium as a cook. My boss was pretty cool and let me play my music to get through our work day.

The playlist was mostly pretty good, had some throwbacks, but mostly new music. Everybody was usually pretty happy with my song choices, I didn't have too many complaints.

There was one song however that was polarizing. I would either see a huge smile on my coworkers faces, or I would hear loud grunts followed by "This song again?!"

But no matter how much they complained, every Friday right before the gates opened, I would blast this one song and sing it at full volume. As time went on, I got a lot of my coworkers to sing along with me.

It was a way to get everyone excited for work, and people still tell me to this day that they remember hearing that song every Friday and actually feeling a certain nostalgia when they think about it.

Rebecca Black
"Friday"
2011

Social media was still in it's infantile stages, so going viral really meant something different. When you went viral, you were the only thing everyone was talking about. And even though Rebecca Black's "Friday" came out in 2011, it still remains one of the most viral moments of the 2010's.

This was full of bubble-gum lyrics, and sounded like something you freestyle with your kids when you're trying to get them ready for school. Yet, those lyrics captivated people for the whole decade. Helping her to 140 million views on YouTube, and who knows how many plays on MySpace in its day.

We're going to rank those squeaky-clean lyrics because it seems like the right thing to do.

I'm sure you guys have heard the song by now, but if you haven't here it is.

It's Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody's looking forward to the weekend, weekend

This is a fact. Who isn't ever looking forward to the weekend? Even if you work on the weekends, there's just always a lot more going on during the weekend.

But especially for a 13 year old kid. High school is probably the last time you really had little to no responsibilities, so the weekend was literally all you were looking forward too.

This is probably the actual best bar of the song because you could see this being used in any huge pop song. A song based around Friday's could easily be a hit if some mainstream pop singer like Drake made it.

I see my friends
Kickin' in the front seat, sittin' in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

First of all, you're going to take whichever seat is available. If you have people in the front seat, you're getting the back seat, unless you just bully someone out of that front seat. And that would be fucked up, because that's your friend.

And it just reminds us how indecisive teenagers are. They can't even choose a damn seat in a car that has one seat available. So damn spoiled.

In the video, she makes her way to the back seat and rides in the middle. Which brings us to the next best line.

I got this, you got this
My friend is by my right, aye
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

Probably the most empty lyrics of the song, yet they still somehow carry an immense amount of weight.

First of all, what is it exactly that I am supposed to have got when she says that we got this? And why must she repeat it? She says that I now know it, but I don't know what the fuck she's talking about ten years later.

Then she says that her friend is by her right. She's not wrong, but I thought her car was full of her friends. Why is just the one girl sitting next to her the only one she is shouting out?

Fun, Fun, Thinkin' bout Fun
You know what it is

WHAT DO I KNOW?!

We, we, we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today

I just want to know why they felt the need to speak with such improper grammar in this instance.

They could've easily said "We're" instead of "We." But I guess if they did then "We" wouldn't be talking about it.

7 am waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal

We all remember what it was like getting ready for school. Especially on a Friday in high school. You had to make sure you looked good and was as she says "Fresh."

But the hardest-hitting, most relatable line in the song is "Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal." The fact that she had to let you know the bowl comes first should tell you how serious she takes her morning cereal.

She has one specific bowl that she uses for cereal, and she gotta have it. Cereal goes hard at any time of day, but the fact that she had enough time before going to school to eat her cereal should tell you how excited she was to wake up that Friday morning.

Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
Today it is Friday, Friday...
Tomorrow is Saturday
And Sunday comes afterwards

Here we are. The best line of the song.

I really don't know where to begin. The fact that they had to clarify the days of the week leaves me astounded to this day.

Unless you're a two year old listening to this song, then you know the days of the week. The whole damn song is about Friday. We know it's Friday. We know the days of the week.

Yet this line may have been the one that really pushed this song into it's viral holiness. It really just goes back to how pure and clean this song is.

It reminds us of everything that is good in the world. A kid who loved Friday's so much that she had to sing about it. My whole goal in life is to love anything as much as 13-year old Rebecca Black loved Friday's.

As much as people loved to hate on this song and this kid when the song came out, everyone knew the words. Not that it was hard, but they still knew them.

It was catchy, it was fun, and totally encapsulated a typical Friday for a young teenager. A certified viral banger.

]]><![CDATA[Lil Tecca Got What You Want]]>Tue, 19 Nov 2019 02:08:38 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/lil-tecca-got-what-you-wantI'm not sure when it began, but I've always gravitated towards the younger artists in music industry. I like artists of all ages, but for some reason I get intrigued with the amount of potential these younger artists show.

Just thinking about people we've wrote about on this site have been 6ix9ine, Smooky Margiela, Lil Skies, Jasiah, Bexey, and Jaden Smith. All artists 23 years and younger.

So let's keep the youth movement going with this next artist.

At this point, you've probably heard Lil Tecca's major banger "Ransom." And while that song is on my list of "Most Unskippable Songs," it's not what we're here to talk about.

In that song, he tells the audience that he's got what you want. Whether it's this or that, black or white, red or blue. He's got a versatility that you can only hear if you actually tune into his debut album.

With a lot of these young guys in the internet-era that we live in, you can make a lot of money off of one song. But it's difficult to maintain a career that way. An artist can make a few bangers and fall off and live rich for a while.

It takes time, dedication, and a willingness to grow. So when I hear an album like "We Love You Tecca" I listen for the potential more than anything else.

A 17-year old with all the potential in the world can throw it away in the timespan of a Vine. So let's dive into a few tracks that may just give us a glimpse into his future as an artist.

*We're going to try something new this time, where we break down certain lines into categories. Let's see how it goes.*

"Did It Again"

Smoothest Line: "If you want a feature, give me a grand. Drip on my body, I'm cool like a fan."

Everything with the kids nowadays is about "The Drip." For you millennials, think of it like "Swag" or "Steelo." The Drip can be anything you want it to be. It's basically the way you carry yourself.

On the surface, he just looks like another dorky kid you pass by in the hallway. He's got the big framed glasses and a mouthful of braces. But his flow carries a certain confidence that is similar to that you'd see from someone like Big Sean.

Most Quotable Line: "You steady watchin' all the winning niggas, you gone lose"

This is probably a caption on a million teenage boys' Instagram posts. The one's where they got their hood on and they're flipping off the camera. I was a teenage boy once, and I know for a fact I would've used this as a caption on one of my MySpace pictures.

Line that shows the Most Potential: "Fuck all the fighting, be cool. Fuck all the dying, keep tools."

Everyone has an opinion on gun violence. But we can all agree that dying at the hands of gun violence has got to stop. He's not with all the beef.

With that said, some people need guns to survive. Whether you agree with that or not is up to you. But a young kid with millions of dollars probably isn't going to chance anything. So if he thinks keeping a "tool" is going to help him navigate through, then so be it.

Maybe as he progresses as an artist and a young man, he'll be able to expand more thoroughly on this topic.

"Sidenote"

Smoothest Line: "You said you want beef, nigga go to Five Guys"

Once again, we're seeing that Tecca isn't really with the beef shit. But it's going to come eventually, if it hasn't already. At this time, it seems like he's not going to pay it any attention.

That goes for you, too. You'll spend a lifetime worrying about what other people want to say about you, when in reality you should be worrying about yourself. The only beef you should have is with yourself, and why you haven't reached that certain goal you've set for yourself yet.

Most Quotable Line: "She used to throw me, now she really want me. I can tell that she mad I'm on."

I'm not sure if he's talking about one girl in particular, but I know we all have that one person we think of when we hear this line. They don't really want you until you're doing good.

So if you just went through a break-up and you're trying to flex, use this as your next caption.

Line that shows the Most Potential: "Hit em with that slow grind, I had to go steady."

In an age where everybody wants everything right now, artists are more hesitant to think about what's to come in the long run. And I don't blame them, because people will judge you off your first piece of work.

Think about any artist you really like, most of them only get better with time and life experiences. So for a teenager to understand that it's about the "Slow grind" is a rare occurrence. I'm sure it took him a long time just to get where he's at, and it'll take a lot more work to get even better.

"Out of Luck"

Smoothest Line: "My life a movie the way they be acting"

When you get money and fame, it's hard to know who is really there for you because they are genuinely happy for you. Everyone will fake it just be a part of your lifestyle.

It sounds like a pretty basic line, and that's because it is. But as the first line in the song, it sets the tone for pretty much the whole album. This young man is trying to figure out what's real and what's Hollywood.

Most Quotable Line: "They say that 'This nigga a fucking nerd' ... Wonder why some nigga on the internet richer than them with brace teeth."

This one is a major fact. The first time I saw his video for "Ransom" was months ago. And before I even knew who he was or what he could become, I think I literally asked myself "Is this nerd for real?"

You know those old dorky high school pictures people show you of themselves? Lil Tecca is having to live his dorky high school in the public's eye. So he might as well use it to his advantage.

Line that shows the Most Potential: "Can't control if you broke or born rich. If you want a situation, nigga deal with it."

A whole mindset. Everybody has a different story and a different background. You may have been blessed with great parents and had more opportunities than other. But regardless of what opportunities you've had or haven't had, it's all about what you do with your situation to get the one you want.

He may not have even been thinking about it that deeply that when he spit this bar, but it's the state of mind that helped him get it out. If he's able to continue to have that hunger to make the most of every opportunity, he may just become something real.

This album gives us a lot of sounds and bars we've heard from a lot of other young artists. But it's the combination of his age, mindset, and his flow that give us faith that he can grow as an artist.

As a whole, I'd have to put this album as one of the best rap albums of the year. It's got versatility. There's something about it that just makes you excited for the future.

Not specifically for him, but for everything in your life. If there's something to take from this album, it's that we all still have that teenager with big dreams in our hearts. He was just able to put his dreams into music.

And maybe one day, We all will really love Tecca.

]]><![CDATA[Dave Steezy Shows Us Why Less Is More]]>Sun, 18 Aug 2019 05:29:11 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/dave-steezy-shows-us-why-less-is-moreWhenever your day comes, you need to be ready. Continue to move sharp because who knows when your moment is going to come.

Life can be rough sometimes, but that's no reason to stop moving forward. It's the little details and little victories that make everyday worth living.

So keep moving forward, and don't try to hung up on the fact that you haven't reached your big goals yet. Sometimes Less is More.

Dave Steezy
Less Is More
April 29, 2017

It's been two years since Dave Steezy dropped an album, But Less is More still plays like it's brand new.

These nine songs that amount to just 21 minutes of art, which makes it easy to play over and over. Sometimes the best part about an album is it's replay-abilty.

You could be on a drive to work and get stuck in some traffic and not even realize that you've just listened this album two times. You also won't even be mad that you were in traffic because the music kept your mind at ease. Uninterrupted good vibes, with nothing but quality sound.

Steezy starts off the album proving that he's focused on his mission with "AGo-Getter." He introduces the listener to some motivation with phrases like "Money makin' moves all day, I'm not lazy" and "Only elevate up, that's the shit that I'm on." They type of words you should be telling yourself on a daily basis to keep it pushing.

"Hokeo Drift" is a pretty funny name for a song. But it's exactly the kind of name for a song we'd come to expect from anyone who grew up listening to the likes of E-40 and Mac Dre. Northern California rappers typically have their own slanguage that they continue to build upon.

It's a weird thing to think about, but there are still people out there who are listening to the radio. And everyone knows what "radio music" sounds like. But we should be redefining what "radio music" is.

Because when you hear songs like "Naturally" it sounds like it can be a radio hit, but for some reason it's not because it may not have that "Pop(ular)" sound.

But that sound the radio stations should be looking for is quality music, not what's most popular. But I get it. Thats why pop artists like Drake, Chris Brown, and Ariana Grande are Pop artists. Because they specifically make popular sounds.

Back to our story, "Naturally" is the kind of song that could be played on repeat because of the unique sounds and how it can be a mellow beat while still making you gig at the same time.

He starts off by saying "Naturally, these things do happen." Just think about what you're going through right now, whatever it is, listen to these words. Guarantee that they relate to your situation.

My family gonna be involved,
Servin' niggas fat L's, yeah, We just hand em off
But you can't come with me,
Cuz I got that energy
Raised with the gangsters, I'm tapped with my inner G,
...
I don't sweat her, I just let her,
I go get my cake up
Gotta move kinda sharp just in case my day come

How many of y'all have used Airbnb before? I'm guessing it's going to be at least half. I'm still not sure what the track "Air B&B" has to do with the website. But I'm guessing when he's saying "Hit me when you on the way, I'm at a condo" he's talking about an Airbnb.

Either way, this song is real smooth. The beat lays down perfect like a blanket you put out for a picnic on a nice day. Steezy sandwiches two verses between three hooks. He literally brings the condiments when he says "Yeah I got the sauce, I got the condiments."

After the picnic and hanging out at the Airbnb, Steezy talks about his "Sunrise."

Girl, you make my sun rise
You make me cum right,
If I give you my love
Will you give me good time?

Everyone is looking for love, and a good time. But not just a good time as in "Oh yeah I had a good time with you last night." Good time as in like time well spent. Where you learned something about that other person and most importantly about yourself and your journey.

The sun rises every day because that's what it's done since the beginning of time. But it's all about finding people who give the sunrise meaning in your life.

Don't take for granted the little things in life, like the sunrise. If you spend too much time worrying about what's happened to you in the past, you won't be able to enjoy the time that's ahead of you.

So set an alarm tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise. And write yourself a note that simply says "Less is More." Guarantee it'll go a long way.

]]><![CDATA[Hot Boys get a Perfect Ten for the Summer]]>Thu, 08 Aug 2019 21:29:57 GMThttps://www.undertheirrelevance.com/music/hot-boys-get-a-perfect-ten-for-the-summerThe artist formerly known as DJ Mustard has changed his name and his position in the game. Mustard, who was just known as a producer who dropped fire beats now has the hottest album of the summer and possibly the Rap album of the year.

He went from being a hype man for YG to being the guy that artists only wish to work with. His beats are seemingly exclusively for only the hottest artists, as we can see from his latest release Perfect Ten.

These ten songs live up to the hype of the album title, however he’s got some songs that are getting overlooked. Of course the biggest bangers are “Pure Water” with the Migos and “100 Bands” with Quavo, YG, and Meek Mill.

But there’s a trio of songs that may never get the same amount of radio play as those songs, but are hands down some of the hardest tracks of 2019.

Intro
(featuring 1takejay)

What better place to start than the first track of the album. 1takejay came through with 2 straight minutes of bars. He didn’t even let the beat get a chance to breathe.

The summers in LA are always hot ones, just like this track. There may be no more relatable words than when 1takejay said “Ridin’ through the city where it’s litty, countin’ hunnids countin’ fitties,I like bitches with big titties”

All the talk of 2019 Summer has been that the women were going to have a Hot Girl Summer, but this is the anthem for the Hot Boys. The girls are taking an L this summer, boys y’all keep doing your thing.

While they going to keep claiming to be “Doing me” just tell them “Yeah I’m doing you too.” They can front and act like they’re all big and badd, but just play this track after you leave her house and you’ll know you’ve won the summer.

Baguettes in the Face
(featuring NAV, Playboi Carti, A Boogie wit Da Hoodie)

So I had to ask my 13 year old brother-in-law what Baguettes were. And from what I understand it’s a really expensive diamond. So I’m assuming when NAV says “Don’t ask me the time, I got Baguettes in the face” that he is talking about diamonds in his watch. If I’m mistaken, please let me know.

This track is perfect for if your girl just broke up with you and now you got some more money to spend on yourself. Let yourself be sad that she fired you, but then slap this and remember that you that n*gga for real fr.

Probably the most disrespectful bar of the entire album came from NAV when he said “Have you ever been with a boss? I know your boyfriend took you shopping at ROSS.” I just have to say that I’m personally offended and I’ll be filing a lawsuit.

These Hot Girls trying to act like they not about claiming about who they’re with, yet they’re the ones out here talking. Tell them like A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie said in the final verse “Don’t give me no hickies, baby give me sloppy.”

Hot Boys are two for two so far.

Ballin’
(featuring Roddy Rich)

The hardest track of the album, and possibly of the summer. Mustard linked up with fellow Los Angeles artist Roddy Rich to make a feel good song.

Everybody at some point will reach the peak of their life and will remember back to the times when they didn’t have shit. Whether it is mentally, financially, or physically, there’s always somewhere you can look back and say “This made me who I am.”

Roddy told his story of where he was just a short time ago, and it offers all kinds of inspiration. In the first verse he says “Young nigga on the corner, yeah I had to serve Crack. Uncle fronted me some P’s, had to get them birds back.”

If you’ve ever turned to selling crack on the corner, then you’ve been desperate for some paper. Whether it’s because you had to pay your bills or because you just love money too much, it takes a certain mindset to do that to get where you want.

So ask yourself right now, how bad do you want get to where you want? You don’t necessarily have to break the law to get what you want, but are you willing to put it all on the line?

I need all my Hot Boys to remember this; getting girls and all that is cool. But what’s even better is focusing on you and doing what you have too in order to take the next steps in your life.

So bump this album, get high, drunk, turnt, whatever you gonna do, and then use it as a motivation to set some goals for a Focused Boys Fall.

Heres an original Mustard Hot Boy Summer anthem...

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