(Acquitted; 2013)
I usually make a conscience effort to not write about music critics. As a rule of thumb, "meta" is best reserved for jazz quartets that earn their keep by performing sample-based J Dilla instrumentals. But I can't help but notice the same circles that were championing J Cole and frowning upon at Gunplay just three years ago have quietly about-faced, despite the fact that neither artist has deviated far from their 2010 incarnations. Most would cite Gunplay's performance on "Cartoon and Cereal" as his watershed performance, as if "All On You" and "Straight Up Menace" weren't just as poignant, sans Kendrick's annoying ewok-inflection. That said, "Cocaina" is something I can honestly I've never heard from the human L.A. riot. He's inexplicably stumbled onto a narcotic-laden summer anthem with Top 40 potential. Unfortunately, Def Jam is so committed to pushing "Bible On The Dash" (it's been repackaged on upwards of five different mixtapes) that it probably won't push an iota closer toward a concrete release date. As The Martorialist already pointed out, "Drop Da Tint" is clearly the best song featured on Acquitted, but "Cocaina" will probably be remembered as the biggest missed opportunity.
I usually make a conscience effort to not write about music critics. As a rule of thumb, "meta" is best reserved for jazz quartets that earn their keep by performing sample-based J Dilla instrumentals. But I can't help but notice the same circles that were championing J Cole and frowning upon at Gunplay just three years ago have quietly about-faced, despite the fact that neither artist has deviated far from their 2010 incarnations. Most would cite Gunplay's performance on "Cartoon and Cereal" as his watershed performance, as if "All On You" and "Straight Up Menace" weren't just as poignant, sans Kendrick's annoying ewok-inflection. That said, "Cocaina" is something I can honestly I've never heard from the human L.A. riot. He's inexplicably stumbled onto a narcotic-laden summer anthem with Top 40 potential. Unfortunately, Def Jam is so committed to pushing "Bible On The Dash" (it's been repackaged on upwards of five different mixtapes) that it probably won't push an iota closer toward a concrete release date. As The Martorialist already pointed out, "Drop Da Tint" is clearly the best song featured on Acquitted, but "Cocaina" will probably be remembered as the biggest missed opportunity.
