Heavy ‘RotaSHUN’ #1

For The Love of Music

I’m a massive fan of everything music. Hip hop, Reggaeton, Salsa, Merengue, Country, EDM, Reggae. Just about anything with a good beat and good vibes. As long as I can remember, I’ve always been curious enough to want to learn and understand how music is made, from the beat making process to chorus and verse structure. I even recorded a few English and Spanish songs back in college that are tucked away in the depths of the interweb, where they will probably remain forever since I can’t login to the account anymore.

As a kid, I would print and memorize words to complex rap songs. I can still recite most of those songs, which is crazy to think how our brain can retain hundreds if not thousands of songs, but I can’t remember what the hell I had for breakfast this morning. But every Friday morning, religiously, I log onto my Apple Music account and check for new releases and spend the rest of my week listening and analyzing albums on my drives to and from work. If the album is good, it’ll stay on my rotation, if it isn’t, then I’ll delete it and never listen to it again. So my idea for the monthly ‘Heavy RotaSHUN’ (Rota-tion with a hard Spanish-accented SHUN) segment to my blog was something I couldn’t wait to share. Here, I will post what I’m listening to, while also looking to explore new music you guys may have to share. It will have a little bit of everything, so if your hip hop music taste aligns with mine, check out some of the Latin music or country music I share, you might actually like it. (Obviously not all music is family friendly…sorry Mami.)

The following are in no particular order, but make sure to scroll to the end for my ‘Spotlight Album’. Click on the links to take you directly to the albums!

Burna Boy – Love, Damini

This album is one of my favorites at the moment. Burna Boy, a Nigerian artist who finally hit the mainstream airwaves after being featured by Drake a few years ago, brings his Afrobeats and Dancehall music, along with some hip hop tracks that dig deeper into his personal life. This album is fire, beginning to end.

Future – I Never Liked You

Finally! Future puts out some quality music after a few years of giving us some sub-par albums. Featuring Kanye West, Drake, Kodak Black, Young Thug and Gunna among a few others, this album has the feel of some of our favorite mixtapes that Future is known for.

The Black Keys – Dropout Boogie

I was introduced to this band while I was in Afghanistan and have been hooked ever since. They haven’t had a bad album, so be sure to check out their whole discology if you like this album. Their infusion of blues and rock and roll along with their catchy choruses will have you playing the air guitar without even realizing it.

Logic – Vinyl Days

He says he went ‘Pop’ for the money and made 50 mil. Can you blame him? Now Logic went back to what his day one fans remember, real raw hip hop. Dropping the same day as Drake’s recent flop, this album gave me chills with the production and lyrical cadence that he delivers.

Luar La L – L3TRA PLATINUM RELOADED

This album is for the streets. Puerto Rican hip hop with a few catchy tracks (Side B****). I find myself playing this album over and over, as this new artist keeps evolving. Not for everyone, but I like this shit.

Luke Combs – Growin’ Up

Yeah yeah, this is ‘new’ country, blah blah blah. The man can write some good ass songs. Crack open a cold beer (Coors Light preferably) and give this one a listen. If you’re around my age, you’ll find yourself relating to a lot of the tracks. It has all the country stereotypes (drinking, trucks, fishing, breakups) and I freaking love it.

The Weeknd – DAWN FM

Instant classic. Pretty much every album The Weeknd has dropped will forever be remembered. He might be one of my favorite artists because he offers the complete artistic package. Each album tells a story and I love the way this album takes you through a journey via its interludes and tracks that flow seamlessly to the next one. I can see this one winning Album of the Year at the Grammy’s.

Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti

OBVIOUSLY, I had to mention this album. Might be my favorite one this year, or most played, due to its variety of sounds. There’s chill beach music, reggae, trap, merengue, dembow and even an Afrobeats track. He’s often criticized for his vulgar lyrics but in a recent interview he said, and I’m paraphrasing/translating here, that he’s not making music for people who don’t like it, he’s making it for the people who DO like it, people who HE can relate to. So it’s not for everyone, but one thing is for certain, the kid puts out good vibes and good energy. And THAT, I will always support.

SPOTLIGHT ALBUM

The AV8R & ADAMBOM – The Enola Gay Project

You wanna HEAR a movie? This is it. I’m no history buff so I had to Google the project name, Enola Gay, which was the plane that dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima back in 1945. The AV8R (Aviator) + ADAMBOM (Bomb), yeah that’s genius AF, and the art cover paints it perfectly. The album starts off with an Intro that instantly takes you back in time as a man over the radio announces details on the mission that will ensue. Then the Little Boy drops and right off the bat, you hear the kind of vibe you’re gonna get throughout. This album is gritty, as the artists go bar for bar with different but very complimentary styles. It’s hard to pick a favorite track because they’re all so unique. If your head ain’t bobbing with OWYH (Off With Ya Head), you’ve got issues. LNR Banditos has a Narcos kinda feel with its beat and ends with an expletive-laden Spanish dialogue that continues the movie vibe this album takes you through. After their club banger, VV’s On My Neck (CLICK FOR VIDEO), they take you on a trip with Jet Off, before reverting back to that underground/hardcore/Mobb Deep-esque kinda flow with Pray For Me. If the album ended there, I would’ve been more than satisfied but after a brief interlude that hilariously describes the aftermath of the bomb being dropped, we’re blessed with two more beautiful tracks that dive deeper into the artists’ lives. The melodies and samples on these tracks are so well put together, just as they are throughout this whole album. Nothing Left, might be my favorite, as it is a very relatable track that will have you singing along to its chorus.

If you haven’t heard of these guys before, I really hope you’ll give them a listen. The AV8R is a tremendous artist, rapper/singer/producer (just to name a few) and will also be releasing his solo project The Emancipation (Deluxe) July 15th. ADAMBOM’s latest project Bomstantine is also available on all platforms.

Thank you all for tuning in, I’ll likely be doing these posts once a month. If you have any input, as always, feel free to comment and share!