When I first bought Before Taxes I knew that I wanted to do an album review on it. It had this feel to it that I've never heard on any other album. After liking Before Taxes so much I decided to buy the EARN also by yU and then I realized that this album had the same awesome feel which lead me to this, the first dual-album review on the site. Enjoy!
Before Taxes is the older of the two albums and when I got it in the mail I immediately put it on. I had not heard any of yU's solo stuff prior to this album but I had heard him on a few features with Oddisee and Def Dee and noticed he had this certain twang to his voice that wanted me to look further into him. On a lot of albums it takes time for me to come around to liking them, not on Before Taxes. From the very first track I was hooked and I really listened to what yU was saying in his lyrics and by doing that I learned he is one of the best lyricist I've ever listened to. On Before Taxes you really get to see who yU is, mainly because he tells you all about his whole family tree in the song "The Rock" in a way that is 100% unique to hip-hop. Another cool thing in this album are the samples he incorporates, They are always on point with the tone of the song and it gives the album a presence I have never heard on other sample heavy albums. Before Taxes is a great album and it made me buy the EARN not too long after listening to the it all the way through. In conclusion, it is one of coolest albums by one of the coolest dudes, get this album ASAP!
(Now onto the EARN) Before Taxes may have been the perfect introduction into who yU is, while the EARN let me know really what he is all about, and that's dope music! This album may have some of the all around chillest songs I've ever heard. Everything is so smooth! Sometimes when I listen to the EARN I feel as if I'm listening to a greatest hits compilation of yU because all of the songs are sick! These songs are deep hip-hop tracks, and by that I mean they're stories and meaningful songs that are more about life and it's challenges, and less about money, cars, and fame. I would much rather listen to an album like this because it's something that most people can relate to. I never got why the public would want to listen to a rapper talk about everything he has, when you have none of it and can't relate to anything that the rapper says. The beats are all awesome on the EARN and the lyrics that got me hooked on Before Taxes are coming even stronger on this album. I can say that after hearing both of these albums yU is now on my "favorite emcee's list" because of their uniqueness. I never got why anyone would want to be like someone else, and I think that yU sees that too and decides that he has his style and won't change and that is a very respectable characteristic in a person. Check this guy out, check BOTH of these albums out! yU is a lyrical monster and YOU NEED to hear him!
*Buy these albums! They're both on itunes so you can buy them there, or on bandcamp at http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/before-taxes and at http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/the-earn
*Follow yU on twitter @yUthe78er & check out all of his other music at http://yuthe78ermusic.bandcamp.com/ and on itunes.
*Buy tangible copies of the albums and his other work at http://www.mellomusicgroup.com/search?q=yU&x=0&y=0
*Follow the blog on twitter @UC_AlbumReviews and check out our other posts on GREAT ARTISTS!
No comments:
Post a Comment