All hail 'Yeezus', call it bad weather

I suppose I should first point out that yes, I am a Kanye fan, however, I am first and foremost a hip hop fan. This therefore means I am not in love with everything the man creates, the perfect example of this being 808's and Heartbreaks, an auto tuned moment of disaster in my opinion. This stance may suggest I am about to slate "Yeezus" for being so far out there different. In fact I really quite like it. It has had 5 full listens now and, whilst I don't love every track, this album is a winner.

It is most definitely a Marmite album for sure, the customer reviews on Google Play are testament to that, as are the comments on the You Tube upload of the album (You Tube Yeezus). Whilst everyone seems to have their own opinion on this release music is a very subjective topic and needs context. The context here is that the genre of music in which Kanye operates had been starting to stagnate. How then can people say an album that has stirred up so many opinions, both positive and negative, and caused so much discussion, is a flop? It worked, Kanye did his job effectively and that is why I like it.

My favourite track by some margin is 'Black Skinhead', the only track I can see being released as a single and one Radio One will possibly take up and play to death in the not so distant future. It's the drum beat that makes it, it's reminiscent of Marilyn Manson's intro to beautiful people which is a great track too. It may be because of tracks like this that people are calling the album 'dark', it is not dark, if you want to hear dark rap get a Necro album. This is frustration being vented and seemingly in a way to try to wind a few other people up in the process, and why not?

Popular music is becoming sterile with no-one allowed to say anything or do anything controversial anymore. Just look at how boring the Brit awards have got. Whatever happened to Liam Gallagher and Robbie Williams starting fights (albeit hand bags at dawn) or Jarvis Cocker's genius stage hijacking while Michael Jackson performed Earth Song?

Kanye is bringing controversy back to music, contradicting himself, producing beats that are off beat, winding up critics and rap fans is all good in my opinion. Anyone that suggests he has lost it and this is a confused, messed up album need only skip to track 3 subtly titled 'I am a God' ft. God. Who is the featuring artist? Kanye. Just screaming. He knows what he is doing and I for one congratulate him. Since debuting College Dropout you can never say he has stagnated despite many of his contemporaries have.

Modern Gents Trust The Old School

As fashions change and trends come and go, some traditions remain. Those traditions stick primarily because they are effective. Male grooming is such a tradition, granted elements of this have been blown way out of proportion by corporations cashing in on people’s vanity. I am not suggesting ‘guy-liner’, tinted moisturiser or eye roll ons are a tradition that we all need to get involved in. However there are a few I think we should all embrace, the main one being the wet shave.

Store brushes upside down to preserve the bristles

This process is the original form of male grooming and doesn't have to involve a trip to seek out a barber shop near you when you can achieve those same results at home. The secret to a real shave involves acquiring three pieces of equipment; a good quality brush, shaving foam and a decent razor. Once you have these there are three simple steps to follow.

Step one: Preparation

Try to shave after a shower. The hot water and steam will soften the beard and open pores which both lend to a much closer shave with less chance of cuts and irritation.

When applying the cream use the badger brush to raise the hairs as much as possible. Avoid using creams with menthol as these tend to stiffen hair and close pores, neither of which are desired effects.

Step two: Shaving

Dull blades = razor burn, not pretty. I know they cost way too much but when that little green line of whatever they claim it is has gone, your blade is starting to become dull and will not perform well. You don’t need the latest 8 blade vibrating razor, just a decent, sharp one.

Avoid applying too much pressure, it is better to pull skin tight and shave smoothly over the skin. Rinse your blade often as stubble quickly clogs up the blades. If you have a longer beard to be removed shave with the grain first, re lather and go against the grain the second time. This will take longer but gives a better result with much less chance of cuts.

Step three: Protect

Close your pores with very cold water and pat your face dry, don’t rub. Get over your hang ups and use a non alcohol based moisturiser or balm to help the skin heal. It’s not camp to moisturise after you just dragged a sharp blade across your face, it is sensible!

That’s it. Three steps and you can be barbershop smooth in no time.

6 months late...

2012 was the year that Bizarre left D12, Lil Wayne surpasses Elvis’ Billboard record with 109 appearances, Nelly gets busted with heroin in Texas and 50 cent simultaneously ends his problems with Fat Joe (no not that Fat Joe) and starts new ones with Gunplay and French Montana.

In terms of album releases we saw big ‘hits’ from Flo Rida, Rick Ross and 2 Chainz (all certified gold). Lupe gave us his fall off album, Nicki Minaj re-released Pink Friday (twice) and lest we forget Cruel Summer from the ironically titled GOOD Music. Clearly 2012 was not a vintage year for hip hop all round.

However, this is Good Things, and thanks to two young men from opposite sides of the continent there was a gleaming ray of light from this mess of noise and irrelevance. Thank you Kendrick Lamar and Joey Bada$$.  ‘1999’ was released on June 12 (albeit a mixtape not a debut album) followed by ‘Good kid m.A.A.d city’ on October 22 and faith could be restored in an industry struggling to find direction.

I don’t believe that good music from the genre is dying out, nor do I that rappers have suddenly become less talented. The problem, in my opinion, lies in the success and plaudits gained by the biggest stars. Back in the day Tupac, Biggie, NWA, Public Enemy all stood for something. A struggle against racism, inequality, gang culture all of which added to the passion of their lyrics. Production was relatively low key with a focus on getting the message of the song across. Yes it was controversial, yes it was violent, it was full of foul language, drugs and abuse but it was passionate and relevant. Then it all went soft. Eminem flourished as he brought his own personal pains and torments to the mic, but he too got swallowed up by the fame and ‘yes men’ convinced the utter drivel of songs like ‘Lose it’ were worthy of chart success. Few artists have demonstrated clearer than Lil Wayne the rise and fall of this fame, just try to listen to IANAHB2 without skipping at least 75% of the tracks.

Now this hunger is making a comeback. Joey Bada$$ has achieved a sound that could have been released alongside Illmatic and not sounded out of place. No mean feat for an 18 year old on an independent label. If he can keep his feet on the ground and build on the momentum of 1999 there is no doubt this man will go far. His success could in itself become a catalyst for the Pro Era team to go on and release their own albums.  Then comes an eagerly awaited debut that did not fail to live up to the hype.

I had come across Kendrick Lamar a year or two previously with his EP Overly Dedicated. To be honest I wrote him off. It was not a great listen with some very average beats and only signs of what was to come, it never really hit the mark for me. I was then convinced, only this year, to give his full studio album a listen and so I obliged. This is not a conscious rappers album nor is it a gangster rap album inspired by his hero Dre. This is classic rap story telling at its best. Even the ‘Skits’ are relevant listening as they tie together the tracks and fill in some of the back story. The production is great, shoving the lyrics to the forefront but supporting them the whole album. For me this album has taken influence from old school hip hop and made it even better because of its introvert nature. The reflective styles of his lyrics don’t condone or condemn they just make you think. At last!

I only hope this is not a concept album but in fact is the first of many modern classics offered up by King Kendrick.