Hip-hop trio Big Grams released their debut extended play "Big Grams" on Friday.
The group consists of former Outkast member Big Boi and American electronic-rock duo Phantogram (formerly Charlie Everywhere).
"Big Grams" starts off with Big Boi rapping over a funky electronic beat, with Sarah Barthel (one-half of Phantogram) on the hook.
"Run for Your Life" is an upbeat-but-relaxing song that sets the tone for the rest of the EP. The following track, "Lights On," begins with a guitar intro and an electronic beat that simultaneously build up until the two meet as the hook starts. Big Boi comes in and drops his verse at the end, making us reminisce his Outkast days.
"Fell in the Sun" was Big Grams’ first single, which debuted on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show on Sept. 10. Phantogram shows out again with a dope electronic beat composed of a deep bassline, which includes a snare and a subtle jazz feel to it in the background.
Big Boi shows his versatility on "Fell in the Sun," which might be my favorite song on the EP. The Atlanta rapper shouts out his city on "Put It On Her" over a rather simple beat compared to the rest of the EP, while Phantogram’s Josh Carter takes a break from producing and instead spits a 12-bar.
Phantogram really stands out in the flawlessly produced "Goldmine Junkie." The hook and additional vocals are incredibly smooth, putting you in a trance.
"Born to Shine" is the EP’s sole feature coming from New York/Atlanta rap duo Run The Jewels. Killer Mike and El-P team up with Big Boi to kill this crazy beat Phantogram cooked up.
The last song, produced by Skrillex, is "Drum Machine," and the title doesn’t lie. Skrillex takes full advantage of the drum machine with a heavy bassline and plenty of additional percussion sounds throughout the song. The complex dance track has a lot going on and is full of Phantogram vocals and a short Big Boi verse.
Although the album is only seven songs long, it may be the most enjoyable 27 minutes of music you’ve heard in awhile. In a time where uniqueness in the hip-hop scene is rare, Big Grams gives us a refreshing EP that will leave you wanting more. Big Boi’s classic style layered over the new-school production and vocals from Phantogram blend together perfectly. While this isn’t the first time Big Boi and Phantogram have teamed up, it is the first time they’ve made an official group release.
With "Fell in the Sun," "Goldmine Junkie" and "Born to Shine" already getting a lot of radio play on Beats 1 and other stations, Big Grams is on the come up and already making noise.
Big Boi, 40, shows that it’s never too late to try something new and, although short, the "Big Grams" EP is exactly what we need in hip-hop right now. If you’ve been sleeping on Big Grams, it’s time to wake up.
***
On Friday, Fetty Wap finally released his self-titled debut album, "Fetty Wap."
The 20-song deluxe album comes with nine features from fellow Remy Boyz artist Montana "Monty" Buckz and a feature from M-80 on "Rock My Chain."
The album starts off with Fetty’s well-known hit "Trap Queen" and continues with "How We Do Things," a song that details how far Remy Boyz have come since hitting stardom.
The album includes a different version of the popular "679," which doesn’t feature P-Dice but instead has a new verse from Fetty. He and Monty team up for their hits "Again" and "My Way," but sadly, Drake’s remix is not on the album version of "My Way."
The fourth song, "Jugg," is another party anthem that you’ll be sure to hear on a Midtown night. Fetty Wap goes all-rap on "Boomin" but gets back to singing and showing out for his squad on "RGF Island."
Perhaps my favorite song, "D.A.M.," comes about midway through the album. The catchy tune has the same effect that "Again" and "My Way" have, meaning you’ll be dancing and singing along loudly to the hook.
Fetty has talked about how the Haitian culture has influenced him and his music, and it definitely shows on "I’m Straight," which uses steel drums in the background and a catchy bass line that create a cool, Caribbean-sounding track. M-80 drops a dope verse on "Rock My Chain," but the turn-up doesn’t last for too long.
Further along, Fetty channels his inner Drake and preaches to the taken ladies while Monty thinks back to a previous relationship on "Rewind." The album closes out with "For My Team" and "Whateva," which are more laid back compared to the rest of "Fetty Wap."
The artist’s unique voice and style makes his music hard to describe; however, what’s impressive is how quickly Fetty Wap has risen to mainstream status.
The New Jersey native first hit the scene in April 2014 but didn’t blow up until 2015.
In January, Kanye West brought the artist out to perform "Trap Queen" during his Roc City Classic performance.
With Yeezy’s co-sign, Fetty Wap became a star virtually overnight.
The star has perfected his signature voice and sound, and he hasn’t missed on any song he’s released so far.
Although he’s been putting out music for a couple years, Fetty Wap has dominated the charts all throughout 2015, becoming the first artist since Eminem in 2013 to have three songs simultaneously on the Billboard Top-20 chart.
Overall, "Fetty Wap" has some great songs and is a strong debut album from the 2015 XXL Freshman.
