Category: Blog

It’s that time of year again, where we count down our favorite things of the year while welcoming in the new year! I will be counting down my top 10 favorite songs that I have been listening to all year long. 2017 was a great year for metal, a lot of bangers and heavy hitters were released this year. Did any of your favorites make the list?

IMPORTANT!!!! I play these songs, along with many others, during my set on WKNC!! Come head bang with ya girl on Friday nights from 10pm-midnight! To listen online, go to WKNC’s website and click on “MP3” in the “High Quality” section. Don’t be lame, come hang out with The Saw!

10. Attila – Three 6

I’m back at it with my Attila jams. Okay, so this song came out on Halloween and I was ~~~SHOOK~~~ Attila is that band where party metal is acceptable. I honestly feel like I need to go to a rave or something after seeing them. This song goes back to their “heavy s***” as Fronz likes to put it, and I agree with him. This song is more of a banger because the anthem is so catchy. “If you’re down with the devil say hell yeah, I’m burning down your church like 666.” It reminds me of their song Party With The Devil and I’m vibing with it. The riffs are super chunky and that is a 10/10 in my book. Ever since I heard this song I instantly considered it a bop. Say what you want about Attila, they put out some really catchy music.

They seriously need to tour with BROJOB. I would love to see that, it would be super weird but very entertaining.

9. Make Them Suffer – Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)

This song is off Make Them Suffer’s newest record, Worlds Apart, and this is my favorite song off that record. It has that metalcore aspect that I like with the clean vocals but with riffs that still make it heavy. You just want to mosh it up and jump around when this song kicks in. The singer also throws in some “BLEIGH” that we all know I go insane for. Honestly how can you not get hyped when they start randomly growling weird things in the mic. Is it just me? Okay, moving on. The vocals are really great, you can hear the highs and lows, along with the harmonizing with the keyboardist. They incorporated a lot of different aspects in this song and they pulled it off. It is such a bop. I love it so much.

8. Code Orange – Forever

Code Orange snuck up on me this year. I’m really digging this band recently. I didn’t get to see them when they came through North Carolina… stupid finals. BUT this song is a banger, the opening riff just makes you want to bang your head. If this song was on a “try not to headbang” challenge… yeah, I would lose immediately. Jesus Christ the riffs in this song are just great, I listen to it almost every day because I love how chunky this song is. Their new record is such a bop 10/10 would check it out if I was you.

7. Volumes – Finite

Now this song is kinda mellow for me, but hey, it’s a bop. It is like my party song because I sing it when I’m in the shower. It’s so groovy and I do some really weird dance moves when I play it. Honestly, Finite is just so catchy and the guitars really make it a bop. I feel like this song would be in some YouTube sorority recruitment video because it just makes me want to run around with my girlfriends and awkwardly smile and do hand symbols at the camera. But that wouldn’t happen because 1) I am not in a sorority and 2) they wouldn’t play this song in one of their videos.

6. Wage War – Stitch

You know I gotta put my boys in Wage War in here! This is the first song I heard off their new record “Deadweight” and if you’re sleeping on this band, you are definitely missing out. This band is going to be BIG; just wait. So again, going along with my theme of literally every song that made this list, the riffs are great. Briton’s voice is amazing and his deep growl that he does on the end makes me want to throw chairs around and mosh. You just want to bounce and headbang when this song comes on. They are literally one of the best metalcore bands that I have ever seen and heard. This entire song is so catchy and really shows how they are developing their sound. 

5. Arch Enemy – First Day in Hell

This is literally one of my favorite Arch Enemy songs of all time. Alissa’s voice in this song is really powerful and I love the eerie vibe that I get from the beginning. The reason I like this song so much is because of the chorus and how there is a breakdown after it. It’s a banger and will literally make anyone bang their head. Like I said before, if this song was on a “try not to headbang” challenge, I would totally lose. The guitars’ harmony is really beautiful and really make this song complete.   

4. FRCTRD – Negative

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. FRCTRD is a new deathcore band from France and I am so happy that I discovered them. The guitars are really chunky in this song have some type of electronic sound in the background and it sounds so cool. The singers voice is very thick and his pig squeals are a major key. He can pig squeal and then transition to deep growls flawlessly. Now what makes this song so great is the ending. The breakdown at the end has me ~~~SHOOK~~~ it is an offbeat sound with chunky riffs that just make you want to go into total mosh mode. This band is something else, I love them.

3. Thy Art Is Murder – Puppet Master

This song is such a heavy hitter – oh my god. CJ’s voice is incredible and I can always tell when Thy Art is on because he has such a strong, distinctive voice. The drumming technique is amazing and really brings this song together. How this guy drums is awesome, I don’t know how he sits there with a straight face and pounds away. This song has a bouncy vibe to it that you can’t help but jump to. And when the breakdown hits, oh boy, its’s great. I can’t help but start jamming out when the breakdown hits. Puppet Master really sets the vibe of how their whole record goes.  

2.  Miss May I – Swallow Your Teeth

Obviously, I had to put one of my top favorite bands on this list. This song is a complete anthem and makes me want to bounce. The riff that starts in the first few seconds of the song reminds me of “Hero With No Name.” This is a sing along song that I really enjoy. The chorus is very catchy and has great harmony from Levi and Ryan. Speaking of Ryan, when he sings his clean vocals before the breakdown hits, oh my lord, it is beautiful. Then Levi comes in with an “OHHH” and BAM breakdown begins. I absolutely love it. The song basically talks about the fact that you shouldn’t put up with anyone’s crap and that people just need to learn when to shut up sometimes. It has a mainstream vibe to it that I can see being played on the radio (minus the cussing), but all in all, it’s a banger and you should check it out.

1. Dying Fetus – Fixated on Devastation

If you listen to my DJ sets on Friday nights, then this song shouldn’t be a surprise (and if you don’t listen to my set, what’s up man? You’re really missing out). This song starts off like a typical death metal song but then it gets groovy. AND I LOVE THE GROOVE TO THIS SONG!! I do some weird dance move with my hands that I can’t really describe but it’s great. They played this live when I saw them at Summer Slaughter and I automatically fell in love with it. If you could dance to death metal, this would be the song. It has components of death metal that are very traditional but then they start jamming with a groovy breakdown that I have never heard another band do. Around the last few minutes of the song, they start to groove again and bring in a slow breakdown that just makes me lose my mind. When the groove starts with the guitars, and the deep growls, it is impossible to stay still. This song is an automatic bop. If you are trying to get into Dying Fetus start off with this jam, you won’t regret it.

The Saw  

 

2017 may go down as the poopiest year of the ‘10s. Unless of course you’ve spent the whole year with the TV off and your earbuds plugged in your ears, in which case you may think of 2017 as a pretty solid year for Hip Hop & RnB music. Not nearly as good as 2015 or 2016, but 2017 has given us many new faces and many new favorites, while also reminding us just how much some familiar faces have grown. So what better thing to do than to torture myself by only picking out my personal Top 10 albums for this year. I’m not sure if it was harder picking my top 10 or ranking my top 10, but nonetheless I am a fighter so let us move on to the list.

10. Smino – blkswn

 

The first time I fell in love with Smino’s music was last year on the Monte Booker assisted track “Kolors”. The song was just a teaser of what could happen when Booker’s atmospheric, groovy beats mix with Smino’s eccentric flow and sharp lyricism. That blend of styles is what eventually would become the St. Louis artist’s debut album, blkswn. Running at 18 tracks long, blkswn can best be described as a long, but never boring, ride through space at 2:00 a.m. in a Honda Civic (and yes I am aware that there is no sense of time in space). Producing nearly the entire album, it is hard to ignore what Booker is able to bring to the table as an up and coming producer redefining the genre of hip-hop. Smino raps on various different topics that range from Netflix and chilling with his shawty to speaking on the black experience in America and delivers this with a very fresh and unique flow. Also, the sequencing on the album cannot be ignored. It’s is so good to the point where you don’t know where one song ends and the next one begins, producing a very fluid album listening experience. For sure worthy of a Top 10 position this year.

Favorite Tracks: “Glass Flows”, “Netflix & Dusse”, “Anita”, “Father Son Holy Smoke”

9. Goldlink – At What Cost

 

Goldlink impressed many critics, fans, and myself with his second mixtape And After That, We Didn’t Talk, which was released two years ago. Instead of continuing his career in LA or another major city, Goldlink decided to stay home and create an album all about home. At What Cost is all about, and for, the DMV (a popular nickname for the area surrounded by Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia). Goldlink raps about many DMV related topics, such as go-go music and the increased gun violence and death of many black youth in the area. It’s easy for Kendrick Lamar or Drake to rep their hometown because their hometowns are so popular already. The DMV is a city often underlooked as a major hip-hop city and Goldlink wanted to prove that on At What Cost. With features from many popular DMV artists, like Wale, Mya, and Shy Glizzy, and songs that feature go-go production, At What Cost is a fun, dancey, and entertaining album that let’s the world in on the sounds of the DMV. Also, it would be remiss of me not to mention that “Crew”, with its infectious hook sung by Brent Faiyaz, is one of the best songs of this decade. Don’t @ me.

Favorite Tracks: “Have You Seen That Girl?”, “Meditation”, “Crew”, “Kokamoe Freestyle”, and “Some Girl”.

8. SYD – Fin

 

Despite the name of the album, Syd’s career in music is far from over. Syd (formerly Syd da Kid) has been around making music since 2011 with Odd Future. Her band, The Internet, has put out 3 albums, including the Grammy-nominated Ego Death released in 2015. In 2016, Syd delivered a few features for artists like KAYTRANADA, Isaiah Rashad, and Common. It was 2017, however, where Syd established herself as an independent and confident voice in R&B. Fin is Syd’s first solo project and she sounds as fierce as she has ever been. Leaving the familiar neo-soul sounds of Ego Death behind, Syd goes for a more contemporary, 90’s R&B flavor on Fin. Focusing on topics of success and relationships, Syd delivers a fresh R&B album in a time where R&B is beginning to become stale in lyrics and trap heavy in production. Syd has struggled with stage fright and anxiety for most of her career, but these past two years, and on Fin, Syd has proven that she is here to be a confident, sexy, and bold R&B artist. Syd’s songwriting ability and magical, lush voice make for a stellar debut album.

Favorite Tracks: “Shake em Off”, “All About Me”, “Smile More”, “Body”, and “Dolla Bills”

7. Princess Nokia – 1992 Deluxe

 

A few things caught my eye when i first saw Princess Nokia’s 1992 Deluxe: it was an album titled after a year (those albums are proven to be better), her bright smile on the cover, and her totally New York tomboy outfit. New York City’s Puerto Rican culture is huge and is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many representatives of Puerto Rican culture in Hip-hop (Fat Joe is the only one to come to mind). But have no fear, Princess Nokia is here and she is amazing. You may know her from that video of woman throwing soup on a man’s face in a subway after he was screaming racial slurs and two young black males. Yeah, she’s the one who threw the soup. That same attitude is what makes 1992 not just a great, gritty album, but also a very classic New York album. Nokia’s bars and verses are vicious and unapologetic. Nokia raps about her mischievous upbringing (“Bart Simpson”), her tough personality (“Tomboy” & “Mine”), and the beautiful city she grew up in (“Saggy Denim” & “ABCs of New York”). She mixes modern trap production with classic NY boom-bap and clever, illustrious lyrics to create a wonderful peek into the life of Princess Nokia.

Favorite Tracks: “Bart Simpson”, “Mine”, “Saggy Denim”, “Green Line”, “Goth Kid”, “Brick City”, and “Chinese Slippers”

6.  Brent Faiyaz – Sonder Son

 

If Brent Faiyaz’s name sounds familiar it’s because it should. I mentioned him earlier when I was talking about Goldlink’s explosive hit “Crew” that really made Brent Faiyaz a popular name. He also worked on a project with his group Sonder, which was a very soft and smooth RnB album. But Sonder Son sounds completely different from anything he has released before. Sonder Son is the proper introduction to Brent Faiyaz himself and proof that he is more than just a really good voice. Sonder Son is filled with personal narratives and introspection, which is pretty different from most RnB albums you hear nowadays. It does, of course, come with a few love songs as expected on almost any RnB album. But what makes Sonder Son stick out to me the most, and why it’s on this list, is the throwback 90’s RnB production and 90’s feel it has. Faiyaz was born in 1995, but Sonder Son sounds like it was made in 1999. The 22-year old’s clever and mature songwriting and production with beautiful guitar riffs and slow drums makes for a very solid debut release.

Favorite Tracks: All of them but I want to say that “Talk 2 U” is my absolute favorite.

5. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory

 

Vince Staples is young, black, intelligent, and loud and Big Fish Theory will not let you forget that. Vince came out with his strong double-disc debut Summertime ‘06 two years ago and in the last two years, Vince has drop any guest features for a wide range of artists (ScHoolboy Q, Gorillaz, Kali Uchis) and even dropped the Prima Donna EP last year. These last two years highlight how much Vince has grown as an MC and has even strayed away from his usual sound and Big Fish Theory is a good example of that growth and change. Vince is still rapping about topics concerning race and politics, but this time in more curt and direct manner than before. With shorter verses and repetitive hooks, Vince wanted to get straight to the point on this album. Fans of Vince Staples will no doubt the huge difference in production this time around. Giving off Yeezus vibes, the production is very industrial-EDM heavy with maybe only one or two songs that actually sound like a traditional hip-hop beat. With features from artists like Kilo Kish, Ray J, Ty Dolla $ign, and a killer verse from Kendrick Lamar, Big Fish Theory is the backdrop to a dark, apocalyptic future. Kind of imagine if Tron was set in Long Beach, California under a corrupt system and that’s what Big Fish Theory sounds like.

Favorite Tracks: All of them

4. Tyler, The Creator – Scum F*ck Flower Boy

 

Tyler’s debut studio album came out over six years ago and Mr. Creator has come a long way since his roach eating days. Released two years after the experimental album, Cherry Bomb, Flower Boy is Tyler’s most mature album to date from his writing to his production. The first single “Who Dat Boy” (featuring a verse from his buddy A$AP Rocky) was a very excellent return from his two year hiatus and “911/Mr. Lonely” is one of the best (and most fun) songs to come out this past summer. From the very first track, it is clear that Tyler’s production has been highly influenced by very bright and sunny sounds, which matches perfectly with the sunset and sunflowers on the front cover. You can also tell that, from the very beginning as well, that Tyler is getting more personal on this album than he has on any other album he’s put out. Discussing topics of fame, loneliness, nostalgia and his own sexuality, we get a very good look on what’s really going on inside the mind of Tyler, The Creator. As usual, the entire album was produced by Tyler himself and it is some of his best production. With lush strings and vibrant keys, it is very clear that Tyler has been learning how to incorporate more sophisticated instrumentation into his work. And despite the list of popular names that pop up in the features (Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis, Lil Wayne), it still feels like Tyler’s show and he is shining brighter than ever.

Favorite Tracks: “See You Again”, “Who Dat Boy”, “Pothole”, “911/Mr. Lonely”, “Boredom”, “November”, but really all of them

3. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

 

I think I speak for most people who listened to DAMN. that the title is more than appropriate. Once I finished listening to this 55-minute project, all I could say was “damn”. From beginning to end this album slaps. And it slaps hard. The transition from the suspenseful intro “BLOOD.” into the Mike WiLL Made-It produced “DNA.” is rush of bars and beats as we are reintroduced to much angrier Kendrick Lamar that we haven’t heard for a few years now. DAMN. is a pretty good painting of what 2017 turned out to be as far as politics and social issues go. Lamar discusses what’s going on his life (“FEEL.”, “LOVE.”, “FEAR.”) as he is becoming even more of a superstar, while also reflecting and commenting on the current state of the people (“LUST.” and “XXX.”). As expected, Lamar’s pen game is as vicious and intricate as ever and the production on this album has been taken new heights. Sounding nothing like his last two LPs, DAMN. further shows how Lamar has probably grown the most among his peers and is definitely one of the best.

Favorite Tracks: All of them let’s be honest it was pretty fire

2. SZA – Ctrl

 

Ctrl is one of my favorite albums of the year (it’s my #2 duh), but my sister loves the album even more than me and has her own personal connection to the album. So the following review will be told by sister, Carmen. Enjoy.

“This album is one of the most empowering albums of 2017 for women. Solána Imani Rowe is a badass woman who is not afraid to sing what she really feels. SZA released her debut album this past June, after months of delays, and it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The types of things she sings about mainly on this album are the empowerment of women, demanding respect from men, sexual acts and behavior, the intimacy and heat of relationships, and just the grimy truth of how people are in today’s society. The first song on the album is “Supermodel” and it is about how SZA slept with her ex-boyfriend’s friend because her ex did her wrong and left her. This was such a dope way to start an album off because she comes straight out and says basically “yeah I’m leaving and slept with your friend oh well that’s what you get”. Not many women in the industry will say something so straightforward. SZA’s lyrics and the way she sings them so confidently is what makes this album very strong. The following track on the albumis the Travis Scott assisted “Love Galore”. SZA wrote this song to tell the story of a man hitting a girl up saying he’ll be down and how he’s a real one but then after he gets what he wants he leaves. This song is one of the most popular off the album because of the boppy vibe it has. It’s something that as soon as you hear the beat and what she’s talking about you just go “ahhh sookie sookie now” and just dance.  My personal favorite off the album is “The Weekend” because she sings about the role of the main chick and the sidepiece in the relationship. Many women, and myself love the vibe that the song gives off because the feeling of having someone trying to play and take advantage of you but then the tables are actually turned and you’re the one who’s playing them is like no other. Also it explores the high people get off of sexual behavior because for SZA to be a woman and to tell that man you are only here to give me what I want to please me sexually and that’s it, incredible.”

— Carmen

Although it is not her first album under Top Dawg Entertainment, Ctrl is the proper introduction to SZA and proves she is ready to be a superstar.

Favorite Tracks: “The Weekend”, “Go Gina”, Drew Barrymore”, “Doves In The Wind”, “Garden(Say it Like Dat”

1. Joey Bada$$ – ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$

 

Personally, I think Joey Bada$$ is the best MC in the game right now. While some people may give the “Best MC” award to Kendrick Lamar, I think if Joey can make 3 more albums like ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ (ABBA), then he would definitely deserve that title. Joey has put out three solo projects, one of which was his debut album. All three of his previous projects were solid, with clever lyrics and an old school boom-bap aesthetic. However, on his debut album, Joey never really switched things up and basically released another mixtape. I’ve always compared to Joey to Biggie in how he has the ability to sound effortless when rapping and has never really had a bad verse or song in his career. Since we know that Joey is a good rapper, I was really looking forward to ABBA in hopes that he would also be able to construct a good album with a message and a concept. And boy did Mr. Bada$$ deliver. Running 12-tracks long, ABBA is Joey’s most political album yet. Splitting in down the middle, we see in first 6 tracks that Joey takes on a Superman role in addressing racial issues in America and provides lots of hope. The production is rather light and joyful, and Joey has a very calm tone throughout. That is until the last 6 tracks on the album. Starting with “Rockabye Baby”, Joey switches the flavor and starts to release his own personal anger over the issues in America by rapping with a voice that is much more aggressive and production that slaps. Most importantly, though, this album is relevant and could not have come at a better time. Being so young, it is impressive to see an artist like Joey Bada$$ take on political rapping and while also making a good and cohesive project. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is one of Joey’s strongest projects and it was my personal favorite for the year of 2017.

Favorite Tracks: All of em fam

Honorable Mentions:

A$AP Mob – Cozy Tapes Vol. 2

Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom (honestly have not given this a thorough listen or else it might’ve been top 10)

J.I.D. – The Never Story

Daniel Caesar – Freudian

 BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION II