Cloud is back with his 3rd mixtape and I'm back with the 3rd review for Cloud. We all know Cloud has been rapping for almost two years from now. He's constantly making improvements. If you know Cloud personally he disappeared a while ago. He came back with his YOUNGSTER. Cloud himself describes the album as follows:
If you're familiar with Cloud's previous work you know the struggle for a quality microphone. I don't have anything to say about his mic this time, it's a clear mic with no feedback. But there is another problem. The tracks are mixed poorly. At times the instrumentals over power the audio by a lot but usually the instrumental is at the same volume or louder than the vocals.
The bad continues with the fact that Cloud messes up his flow on occasion. Sometimes he can't seem to catch the beat. Other times he struggles to cram extra bars into a verse before the chorus hits. This problem only appears on slow songs. On fast tracks Cloud catches the beat running and doesn’t stop. On slow songs it’s a matter of speaking too slow and not finishing the verse. An example is on “EARTHBOUND/MOTHERSHIP” where he takes audible breaths and tries to catch up and finish the verse.
Cloud has beats from multiple producers on this project. There’s 14 different producers on 20 tracks. While a few of the tracks sound similar there’s a lot of variety here that shows Cloud’s versatility.
Cloud has also stuck with the Brown Skinned Drake persona. So there’s more emotion music here than previous works. It fits him well. In addition to creating more emotional songs Cloud has also moved into story telling. The tracks “FridaySaturdaySunday” “VILLAGE/FESTIVAL” are his most flagrant attempts. Story telling requires two things. You have to have a story to tell and you need to make it interesting. Cloud does both of these. The problem however is he’s telling two different kinds of stories. He’s telling fictional stories about village festivals and princesses as well as real stories about his life.
There lies the key issue with the project. It suffers from an issue of duality. If I didn’t know better I’d think Cloud was crazy. Cloud is telling the story of where he’s been, I get that. The problem is some of the tracks are based on complete fiction and others are reality. At times it’s like he’s the only person in Toy Story that knows the toys are alive and he’s trying to convince everyone else. It’s almost as if he’s living in two different worlds at the same time and they just run together.
My favorite tracks on the album are “Kevin Durant” and “Wolf Fang Fist.” Kevin Durant is the type of tracks Cloud excels on. Fast paced and a simple beat. The track slows and Cloud follows, it speeds up and he follows. I don’t know if someone was coaching him while recording or if he had a different routine but this is the way you should be recording. The heavy bass is a nice touch. It’s also easy to tell when the chorus starts and the verse finishes.
“Wolf Fang Fist” has a nice verse from Cloud but Trey Skies drops the best guest verse on the project. Similar to “Kevin Durant” it’s the type of beat that Cloud excels on. Cloud raps about growing up but friends claiming he’s changed and how they have to get over it but he’s polite and doesn’t say any names. Then it gets ugly. Trey Skies just calls out names. In addition he drops lines like “Money doesn’t matter when it comes to skill” and “I record in Hell and let the Devil do the mixing.” He’s right, money doesn’t matter when it comes to skill. Money can buy a lot of SoundCloud plays but it won’t buy you fans. It’s a dope track, it’s a bonus I don’t like the people he’s mentioning either. I’m honest.
You can hear more Cloud on SoundCloud and follow him on Twitter
Follow @Gokus_Only_Son
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
Follow @OriginalKingD
I am returning from a time of loss and suffering, and I have found myself.
8 months, in the making, I present to you a story of what I myself experienced since I disappeared before the summer, all the way up until my return not too long ago.
YOUNGSTER
If you're familiar with Cloud's previous work you know the struggle for a quality microphone. I don't have anything to say about his mic this time, it's a clear mic with no feedback. But there is another problem. The tracks are mixed poorly. At times the instrumentals over power the audio by a lot but usually the instrumental is at the same volume or louder than the vocals. The bad continues with the fact that Cloud messes up his flow on occasion. Sometimes he can't seem to catch the beat. Other times he struggles to cram extra bars into a verse before the chorus hits. This problem only appears on slow songs. On fast tracks Cloud catches the beat running and doesn’t stop. On slow songs it’s a matter of speaking too slow and not finishing the verse. An example is on “EARTHBOUND/MOTHERSHIP” where he takes audible breaths and tries to catch up and finish the verse.
Cloud has beats from multiple producers on this project. There’s 14 different producers on 20 tracks. While a few of the tracks sound similar there’s a lot of variety here that shows Cloud’s versatility.
Cloud has also stuck with the Brown Skinned Drake persona. So there’s more emotion music here than previous works. It fits him well. In addition to creating more emotional songs Cloud has also moved into story telling. The tracks “FridaySaturdaySunday” “VILLAGE/FESTIVAL” are his most flagrant attempts. Story telling requires two things. You have to have a story to tell and you need to make it interesting. Cloud does both of these. The problem however is he’s telling two different kinds of stories. He’s telling fictional stories about village festivals and princesses as well as real stories about his life.
There lies the key issue with the project. It suffers from an issue of duality. If I didn’t know better I’d think Cloud was crazy. Cloud is telling the story of where he’s been, I get that. The problem is some of the tracks are based on complete fiction and others are reality. At times it’s like he’s the only person in Toy Story that knows the toys are alive and he’s trying to convince everyone else. It’s almost as if he’s living in two different worlds at the same time and they just run together.
My favorite tracks on the album are “Kevin Durant” and “Wolf Fang Fist.” Kevin Durant is the type of tracks Cloud excels on. Fast paced and a simple beat. The track slows and Cloud follows, it speeds up and he follows. I don’t know if someone was coaching him while recording or if he had a different routine but this is the way you should be recording. The heavy bass is a nice touch. It’s also easy to tell when the chorus starts and the verse finishes.
“Wolf Fang Fist” has a nice verse from Cloud but Trey Skies drops the best guest verse on the project. Similar to “Kevin Durant” it’s the type of beat that Cloud excels on. Cloud raps about growing up but friends claiming he’s changed and how they have to get over it but he’s polite and doesn’t say any names. Then it gets ugly. Trey Skies just calls out names. In addition he drops lines like “Money doesn’t matter when it comes to skill” and “I record in Hell and let the Devil do the mixing.” He’s right, money doesn’t matter when it comes to skill. Money can buy a lot of SoundCloud plays but it won’t buy you fans. It’s a dope track, it’s a bonus I don’t like the people he’s mentioning either. I’m honest.
- Lyricism- 6.5
- Flow- 8
- Production- 8
- Theme-6
- Replayability -7
- Individuality-9
You can hear more Cloud on SoundCloud and follow him on Twitter
Follow @Gokus_Only_Son
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
Follow @OriginalKingD
