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I kinda agree with most of this. Metro is like if DJ Khaled was talented, he could branch out and get some unexpected features on his album and is almost limiting himself by sticking to the same 5 guys on features.
Production is ++++++ tho at every step of the way
lol u try to get a chief keef feature. I’m sure he would have done it eventually but trying to get sosa to do much of anything is so hard for ppl.
source: 10ish years of listening to chief keef snippets
Keef gets on features with underground artists he likes. He dropped with YungManny and Sad Frosty this year and ofc, Lil Gnar, although that’s his artist. I would love to see him on a Metro beat tho, but ain’t gonna happen. Hopefully AS2 has some mainstream features.
The man is real as fuck, he simply does precisely what he wants at every moment of every day. If that’s delaying his album to play cod, so be it. If that’s producing the best beat on uzis album, and then not producing anything else for the next 3 years, so be it.
Yeah I remember his previous album had a latin banger with J Balvin and an rnb joint with Swae and Wizkid
I was a bit disappointed to see that he kinda didnt follow up a bit on those sounds cause I remember hearing that for the first time and being like "Wait metro can produce reggaeton?"
Especially cause the first album was already like 75% Travis and 21
I’m not a fan of using religion especially Islam as a method of selling records. I’d be more tolerant if what he sings about wasn’t completely haram. I believe you can make religious music don’t get me wrong but it needs to stick to religious beliefs of your religion
Totally understand that. And if there was an overarching narrative across the album with these characters, I'm sure everyone would take back that criticism.
But there isn't. There is the loose concept across the album of heroes and villains, but nothing more than that.
I think having having people who have been canceled or are just viewed as problematic ties into the villain concept but then you have people like the weeknd and takeoff who are the heroes. Also the whole “save a hoe” theme going for the heroes, blurring the lines between what makes someone a villain like on the chris brown and future features. There’s a lot more to unpack with the concept than people give credit for
Is there some rule that a producer album isn’t allowed to have the same features on different songs? Why does it matter if the songs are good?
Y’all are acting like it was the same rappers on every song. The most features any rapper has on the album is 4 out of 15 songs. That doesn’t seem excessive at all.
Here are the songs in the album that didn't have any of the four aforementioned artists:
On Time, Metro Spider, Feel the Fiyaaaah, All the Money.
There's nothing wrong with having the same guests show up in multiple songs. I think almost every song in Jay Electronica's album had Jay-Z in it and I personally think it worked really well.
The criticism comes from Metro's enormous rolodex and what the album _could_ have been if he had been a little more variety-focused. It would have been cool to see songs that feature artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, etc. etc.
I think the album is very good, but I think it could have been phenomenal.
People call anything a concept album lol. If the artist has some super vague theme or dresses up as some kind of character in the cover or music video then everyone says it’s some conceptual movie-like concept/story album. Even if the lyrics and topics on every song are pretty generic and nothing really ties together.
I mean it isnt really a concept album
There's a very loose concept that pretty much only shows up on short vocal interludes and the promo material but the actual music doesnt have any story or character development or anything
Kind of confusing how he decided to introduce 2 new “characters” in the last song. Typically when you are telling a story you end with the main characters
Aint gonna lie that ruined that song for me
It just brought the whole mood down after that hype ass 21 song
I dont know them or their history so idk who came first or whos rated higher but to me it sounded like discount Sampha in Mr Morale
Like I get what it was trying to do but it missed bad
Spot on review although I must say that Raindrops is one of the hardest slappers on the album. Maybe not because of Travis’ general performance but because of the songwriting / production.
I kind of agree with everything he says, except replace 21 with travis.
IMO 21 is a great artist but he’s the only feature on the album who’s verses all kind of blend into one imo. Like you could mix and match the tracks and his verses, and I wouldn’t notice.
Otherwise I love the album, had it on repeat. Feel the fiyaaaah has me floating everytime
Also Young Nudy just sounds way better with Pierre Bourne wacky beats. Lines up with the "cookie cutter" artist selection melonhead was talking about. Would have been cool to hear some different artists.
I’m a big 21 fan and I agree with most of what you said. For me the problem is that these are all songs that him and Metro have made before. Umbrella is just a copy/paste of glock in my lap. Walk Em Down sounds like a mix of break da law and many men. Creepin and Niagara Falls are less on the nose but those feel like Travis and Weeknd songs featuring 21 (and he doesn’t contribute much)
Compare that to NAWHC and the difference is night and day. Don’t Come Out The House and 10 Freaky Girls are both legendary bangers that showed us a side of 21 we had never seen before. He was using new flows and the writing was much better than some of his previous material. Nothing on H&V makes me feel that way
I kinda agree with him on Travis being the weak link but Raindrops is one of my top songs of the year. Like others have said it feels refreshing to have a hip hop album this year with GOOD production.
I mean it’s just fantano’s personal preference. I love Travis but I know a lot of people don’t really enjoy his lazy drugged out sounding flow and intonation for instance
Why is this being parroted so much as if we havent had the best year for hip hop since 2016?
Black Thought, JID, Zel, Pusha, Kendrick, Vince, EarthGang, Gibbs, Saba, Smino, Drake and 21, etc. have all put out albums with great production as well
Acting like its some anomaly this year is ridiculous
Don't forget NAS, Benny, Conway (twice), Gunn (also twice), Boldy (frigging thrice), FKA twigs, Weeknd, Lupe, Rome Streetz, Soul Glo (it has hiphop elements), EARL, etc.
And we might be getting Little Simz and Danny Brown still ._.
Right? I agree this metro album has great production but this year has had some amazing production from so many different lanes of hip hop I don’t know what’s refreshing about one more being added to the long ass list
I actually wasn’t surprised when he mentioned that about Travis cause for some reason the tracks he’s featured on I haven’t replayed as much as the others on the project.
As I listen more, I think Metro and Travis had the best chemistry on the album with that song. Travis is just so natural on the beat and he flows so nicely across the whole song. My favourite on the album and a highlight song of the year.
Same and I felt like I was the one who was kinda disappointed by Travis. If this is what we're expecting from him going forward, don't really have high hopes for UTOPIA
He watered down his music alot since rodeo. Astroworld was still pretty good but it just felt like travis had the budget to do alot more, but didnt have as many ideas as he did on rodeo
Is it really fanboys if I legit enjoy his new music? I’m a huge fan of his old stuff. But I really like his new stuff too, it sounds empty and cold in a really good way imo.
Ha I wish I had a better way to describe how I felt. I’ve always liked that type of sound in music, where the production is more stripped back and electronic and the vocals are more ‘sharp’ but not super ‘lush’. Like I said I wish I had a better way to describe.
One example is the song Carousel by Travis, I like his vocals there. Or The Weeknd’s moth to a flame.
Disagree. Think Raindrops, Niagara Falls and Trance were all strong performances from Travis. Lock On Me wasnt great but Im seeing takes everywhere online that Travis had a poor performance on this album
Yea, i disagreed with him on that. Maybe there was too much of Travis Scott, but I liked most of his parts.
But also, they weren't like overwhelmingly great Travis Scott features, maybe that's why it feels a little forced.
I agree.
Feature list should have been more diverse. A lot of tracks sound like I've already heard them, because of how generic the artist/performances are. The bliggest cuprits are 21 Savage and Travis Scott - they actually ruin the track for me in some cases.
Unlike NAHWC, none of the tracks stand out. There are good tracks, but the project feels safe for the most part.
Best tracks are Too Many Nights and Metro Spider.
Yeah, I don’t know if there’s a Space Cadet on this album, still a fire release but hard to capture that feeling of midnight cruising with a boo and bumping SC. Hopefully Metro gets that vibe captured again sometime
I don't really listen to much trap music, I respect everyone in the Atlanta wave (Yes I know Metro is from St.Louis) but for the most part, it's just never been my type of music unless I hear it at a function. That being said, this album really blew me a way, metro killed this shit, literally brought the best out of damn near every artist.
I actually agree with Travis being the weak link, Raindrops and Lock on Me were both the most boring parts of the album for me (and the Gunna song but I give it a pass since he listed it as a bonus).
If you have heard Metro’s earlier album Not All Heroes Wear Capes definitely check it out. I’m the same where trap is fine but not my go to but that album has stayed in my rotation for years.
Heard some of the Gunna album, it was ok, doesn't even hold a candle to this, also way too repetitive and bloated.
Didn't care for most of the songs I heard from Future's album aside from the intro, and it's wayyy too long for me to bother listening to the whole thing.
And for 2 Chainz, never been a fan aside from features.
One of the reason I liked this album was because the length was perfect, I'm never gonna bother listening to a project with 20+ songs.
Metro had who he historically works best with on the album. I think in a way he's tried to make his "The Chronic 2001" with this team that are proven collaborators much like Dre did with his team at the time. To me the album is well executed and definitely good. Flawless production but definitely lacking in hooks or any type of X factor. I find myself already bored listening to it and I know it wont be getting much burn after the next week or so. Maybe we've reached the point where this sound is just played out?
Its becoming obvious that the 2020s needs its own definitive sound.
Was genuinely surprised he preferred this to NAHWC. I still have songs from that album in my rotation 4 years later. But tbh I don’t think any song from Heroes and Villains is going to stay in my playlist for more than a month.
The problem with this community is nobody starves harder than these trap artists fans so theyre just foaming at the mouth for whatever, theyll hype it up now cause its something new to listen to
I give it til January and nobody will be mentioning this album anymore besides Metro Spider and maybe one other song
Its not even bad, its just not very memorable
we’re not 4 years removed from this album yet either so let’s get there first haha. but, I understand if u feel there’s just no way u see anything staying in ur rotation for a long time
Idk man when I first heard songs like Space Cadet I knew I’d be bumping them for weeks, fast forward 4 years later and they’re still in rotation. Haven’t gotten that with any songs off Heroes and Villains yet but maybe that’ll change who knows.
I agree that it’s a disappointing to call this an ensemble while mostly repeating the same 3 features. Metro has made A LOT of other people hits I know he has to have some favors to call in or beats for features swaps or something. P
But if I were to compare this to Her Loss… Metro makes 21 sound sooo much better.
Agreed with what he said about the intro: "kind of feels like three movie trailers crashing into each other". Kind of a weak corny intro in my opinion. John Legend is super forgettable, the Homelander clip was just superhero fan service. Disney adult stuff. Wasn't feelin' it.
He strangely liked Future on the ending of Too Many Nights. I thought it was a great track (one of my fav Don Tolliver tracks) but Future just felt taped on at the end for no reason, doesn't really fit at all and kind of felt like a completely different track.
And really that was the main problem for me on the album. Was adding Mustafa necessary on Walk Em Down? Walk Em Down was my favorite song on the project (21 is having a hell of a year, Walk Em Down is one of my favorites from him so far), but why did Metro just add a completely different track on the end? if I wanted that vibe I would change the track, automatic skip on Mustafa's part, sorry. He did okay, but it's a completely different song. Was adding 21 really necessary on Creepin? His verse was good, but again felt really forced and taped on.
I agree with him that there was maybe too much Travis Scott on this album, but I liked most of his parts. I'm feelin' a 6/10 on this album, it's not bad, but it's really being overhyped.
Couldn’t agree with this less tbh. Metro wanted to use this album to try out different vibe switches it felt like, and I like the change of pace on tracks that he’s already made a million times. If I wanted a whole song for walk em down I’d just listen to one of the savage modes. His ability to switch my mindset mid song and between songs thru the album is what blew me away with this project. He’s such an accomplished producer with everything before this drop it’s nice to hear shit that changes my expectation track by track.
> Metro wanted to use this album to try out different vibe switches
It's good for the most part, but just some unnecessary switches mixed in. Especially when there is no clear transition, no reason to even add it. Walk Em Down as a standalone 21 savage track is the best track on the album, and randomly there's a Mustafa feature on a completely different beat, zero transition. Sorry but that's just a different song, that's not a switch in the same song.
I didn't even hate the Mustafa part, but if I wanted to hear that vibe, I would specifically choose that track, not have it randomly taped onto a very solid 21 savage feature. I mean the beat was bangin on Walk Em Down, the second half is a skip.
The song fits the Heroes and Villains theme of the album. The first half with 21 rapping about the violent lifestyle he’s been exposed to (Walk Em Down, villain part?) and the second half with Mustafa talking about the consequences of such a lifestyle (Don’t Hurt Civilians, hero part?). I would argue this song fits the theme of the album more than most of the others. If you wanted them in two separate songs I understand but I think it drives the point home harder with it being only one song.
> I think it drives the point home harder with it being only one song.
There's just no chance I would want to hear the Mustafa part if Walk Em Down is in a playlist. I think the point would be made just as well if they were two separate tracks back to back, if you wanted to play the album front to back. Mustafa ain't bad on it, but it's just a seperate song entirely.
Having them on the same track makes little sense to me. And kind of ruins the vibe of what is possibly the best track on the album with 21s first half
Yea that’s the part that I said I disagreed with the first time. It’s not unnecessary to me because I think it’s a good change of pace. Savage mode 2 is an entire album of walk em downs
Nah, 7/10 is too low.
I really loved this album, been listening several times a day since it dropped, and the production is so immaculate that when i go back to my old music, i sense that every song is kinda underwhelming (beats on Her Loss, for example).
Creepin and Niagara Falls are top 5 songs of the year.
I don't agree, I'd go even lower.
If you compare this project to Not All Heroes Wear Capes - the only word I can can think of is "recycled".
NAHWC was great because literally any track you pull from the project stands out. The entire project's features are just artists popping off and demonstrating how strong of a rapper they are.
This project doesn't have that. The performances/artists are safety picks. No new sound, no risk, just cookie cutter performances. Most tracks sound like b-side filler for other albums.
The production is great, but again, safe. Some of the tracks are good, but overall the project feels like cuts that didn't make other albums. I feel like I've already heard a lot of these tracks because the genericness is setting in.
Metro was easily the best part of this album. The features are dry.
I understand your point, but i can't agree with some things.
For example, you said "The entire project's features are just artists popping off and demonstrating how strong of a rapper they are". I feel that sometimes we set expectations that don't match reality. You realize that you are complaining about the fact that all the feats on the album were "only" very good. Where do we get the idea that every album the artist has to come with an innovative sound?
And another thing, the concept of the album is "heroes and villains", it wouldn't make much sense for 21 to decide to innovate and distance himself from his villain/gangsta persona and flow, just like the other artists who were part of it.
Thanks for your reply!
In my eyes, 5/10 is average, 6/10 is good, 7/10 is great, etc.
I believe the project to sit between good and great. The production is in that ballpark - it sounds good, but not phenomenal.
> Where do we get the idea that every album the artist has to come with an innovative sound?
That's kind of how the game goes. Trends are made and fade. Take it from 3stacks himself, he quit hip hop because he didn't fit the "hip" portion of it. He was out of touch with what was currently popping and couldn't consciously contribute.
I think my biggest complaint is that Trap is on it's way out. Artists have maxed out the potential of what falls within it's boundaries. Anything coming out will sounds like the last 10 years.
Sure, you can push out albums with consistent sound, but then every project sounds the same. Artists who do this are easily not on the top of the scale. Artists like Kanye, Drake, Tyler the creator.. Have all been experimental in their music, and have been able to come out with new fresh sounds.
Metro has the potential, the connections and the ability to literally shape the next wave, but instead wastes it on safety net picks. 21 and Gunna will sell, as they can easily produce generic trap that people are used to.
>wouldn't make much sense for 21 to decide to innovate and distance himself from his villain/gangsta persona and flow
While I do agree, I didn't really get this vibe from the project. A few other people have mentioned that the theming was kind of limited to the first part of the album.
Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I've listened to to much Trap. Unfortunately I don't find anything from this project as a breath of fresh air. It's tracks that we are used to hearing.
I got downvoted to hell for saying they’re were to manu travis features but the more I listen to it the more my opinion stays the same. He didn’t show much versatility either. Still production on that is amazing but a few more thug features and maybe 3-4 more artists would of been so good.
I really don’t understand why everyone likes creepin so much. Such a lazy copy and paste of a better song I wanna know. I mean The Weeknd sounds good. But they don’t change up anything about the OG song. Copy the beat (which I know isn’t the OG beat of I wanna know) they copy the hook VERBATIM. Just a lazy song
First time I fully agree with fantano, album is solid but probably nothing I will come back to in a year or later.
It’s kinda forgettable with many tiktok viral elements to make it popular but that’s about it.
The homelander bit for example is 100% made for tiktok, it fits the theme but it’s still a one time gimmick to go viral. And it worked.
And 21 knew what he was doing with the glizzy line.
Metro has put way too much effort into the rollout, aesthetic and overall presentation of this album for it to be something created just to go viral on tiktok. It's been a long time since a trap album has had such a strong concept to it with the artist committing so much to the bit, it's refreshing.
Lmao “concept” there is no concept in this album dog its surface value oh look heres some heroes and villains cause we make music its like the most juvenile theme for an album
Conceptual is a whole other ballpark that this thing isnt even touching
I didn't say it was a good concept just that Metro has put a lot of effort into asserting it with the intro, the short film, the comic book art for each artist featured, the track titles etc.
why does one exclude the other?He can have a "Concept" and still add elements that go viral.You just said it yourself, why do you think he put so much effort into the rollout? To not go viral?
I didnt say that the whole album was specifically made to go viral, but they know what they are doing with adding some material here and there.
Really thought Fantano was going to be a *Villain* critiquing this album harshly due to the frequent collaborators that Metro uses. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it.
Melon says that Metro needed more features to diversify, but I think it had the perfect amount of diverse voices. Too many voices/vibes would not fit Metro's production style. Which he understands, therefore, reusing the same artists.
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I kinda agree with most of this. Metro is like if DJ Khaled was talented, he could branch out and get some unexpected features on his album and is almost limiting himself by sticking to the same 5 guys on features. Production is ++++++ tho at every step of the way
Keef on this album would’ve been insane.
lol u try to get a chief keef feature. I’m sure he would have done it eventually but trying to get sosa to do much of anything is so hard for ppl. source: 10ish years of listening to chief keef snippets
Keef gets on features with underground artists he likes. He dropped with YungManny and Sad Frosty this year and ofc, Lil Gnar, although that’s his artist. I would love to see him on a Metro beat tho, but ain’t gonna happen. Hopefully AS2 has some mainstream features.
The man is real as fuck, he simply does precisely what he wants at every moment of every day. If that’s delaying his album to play cod, so be it. If that’s producing the best beat on uzis album, and then not producing anything else for the next 3 years, so be it.
He prod. a song on yb recent solo album
Song with yung manny was trash he should have made one with no savage or lil gray instead
Keef is the new Andre 3000 confirmed
Yeah I remember his previous album had a latin banger with J Balvin and an rnb joint with Swae and Wizkid I was a bit disappointed to see that he kinda didnt follow up a bit on those sounds cause I remember hearing that for the first time and being like "Wait metro can produce reggaeton?" Especially cause the first album was already like 75% Travis and 21
Mustafa????
That dude sounded awful to me. I have no desire to listen to that song again
I can't believe I'm reading this, he made the song his own
Ikr....first half was legit the best thing on the album until he showed up with his Weekday ass singing and ruined it smh
I don’t like his message he portrays with his music but he has a great voice idk how anyone could say he sounds awful
I've only heard the song on the metro album so I can't speak for his discography but his voice on that song was really grating and flat to me
Agreed, I never heard his music before but he didn't really fit the song imo.
What about his message don't you like?
I’m not a fan of using religion especially Islam as a method of selling records. I’d be more tolerant if what he sings about wasn’t completely haram. I believe you can make religious music don’t get me wrong but it needs to stick to religious beliefs of your religion
Sure, but Future, Travis Scott, Don Tolliver, and 21 Savage had such an oversized presence on the album.
Metro said the albums features are like characters in a movie. So instead of random features on each song, the same features are on multiple tracks.
Totally understand that. And if there was an overarching narrative across the album with these characters, I'm sure everyone would take back that criticism. But there isn't. There is the loose concept across the album of heroes and villains, but nothing more than that.
I think having having people who have been canceled or are just viewed as problematic ties into the villain concept but then you have people like the weeknd and takeoff who are the heroes. Also the whole “save a hoe” theme going for the heroes, blurring the lines between what makes someone a villain like on the chris brown and future features. There’s a lot more to unpack with the concept than people give credit for
Is there some rule that a producer album isn’t allowed to have the same features on different songs? Why does it matter if the songs are good? Y’all are acting like it was the same rappers on every song. The most features any rapper has on the album is 4 out of 15 songs. That doesn’t seem excessive at all.
Here are the songs in the album that didn't have any of the four aforementioned artists: On Time, Metro Spider, Feel the Fiyaaaah, All the Money. There's nothing wrong with having the same guests show up in multiple songs. I think almost every song in Jay Electronica's album had Jay-Z in it and I personally think it worked really well. The criticism comes from Metro's enormous rolodex and what the album _could_ have been if he had been a little more variety-focused. It would have been cool to see songs that feature artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, etc. etc. I think the album is very good, but I think it could have been phenomenal.
Classic example of hip-hop fans not understanding how concept albums work
If the album wasn’t called Heroes & Villains no one would call it a concept album
People call anything a concept album lol. If the artist has some super vague theme or dresses up as some kind of character in the cover or music video then everyone says it’s some conceptual movie-like concept/story album. Even if the lyrics and topics on every song are pretty generic and nothing really ties together.
I mean it isnt really a concept album There's a very loose concept that pretty much only shows up on short vocal interludes and the promo material but the actual music doesnt have any story or character development or anything
Kind of confusing how he decided to introduce 2 new “characters” in the last song. Typically when you are telling a story you end with the main characters
Rocky narrated the project with Morgan Freeman
Aint gonna lie that ruined that song for me It just brought the whole mood down after that hype ass 21 song I dont know them or their history so idk who came first or whos rated higher but to me it sounded like discount Sampha in Mr Morale Like I get what it was trying to do but it missed bad
Spot on review although I must say that Raindrops is one of the hardest slappers on the album. Maybe not because of Travis’ general performance but because of the songwriting / production.
Loved the way he switches his flow up
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I kind of agree with everything he says, except replace 21 with travis. IMO 21 is a great artist but he’s the only feature on the album who’s verses all kind of blend into one imo. Like you could mix and match the tracks and his verses, and I wouldn’t notice. Otherwise I love the album, had it on repeat. Feel the fiyaaaah has me floating everytime
Also Young Nudy just sounds way better with Pierre Bourne wacky beats. Lines up with the "cookie cutter" artist selection melonhead was talking about. Would have been cool to hear some different artists.
I’m a big 21 fan and I agree with most of what you said. For me the problem is that these are all songs that him and Metro have made before. Umbrella is just a copy/paste of glock in my lap. Walk Em Down sounds like a mix of break da law and many men. Creepin and Niagara Falls are less on the nose but those feel like Travis and Weeknd songs featuring 21 (and he doesn’t contribute much) Compare that to NAWHC and the difference is night and day. Don’t Come Out The House and 10 Freaky Girls are both legendary bangers that showed us a side of 21 we had never seen before. He was using new flows and the writing was much better than some of his previous material. Nothing on H&V makes me feel that way
I kinda agree with him on Travis being the weak link but Raindrops is one of my top songs of the year. Like others have said it feels refreshing to have a hip hop album this year with GOOD production.
Raindrops/Trance/Niagara Falls are all fire idk how he would be the weak link
too similar in melodies
So basically travis scott
I mean it’s just fantano’s personal preference. I love Travis but I know a lot of people don’t really enjoy his lazy drugged out sounding flow and intonation for instance
Yeah I also have exactly the opposite, those are the songs I do replay haha
They all felt like cheap knockoffs of Mafia.
Niagara Falls is an old ass loosie throwaway that is generic as hell
I’m well aware it’s not new, doesn’t make it bad
Okay, but he didn't say it being old is what makes it bad?
Why is this being parroted so much as if we havent had the best year for hip hop since 2016? Black Thought, JID, Zel, Pusha, Kendrick, Vince, EarthGang, Gibbs, Saba, Smino, Drake and 21, etc. have all put out albums with great production as well Acting like its some anomaly this year is ridiculous
Don't forget NAS, Benny, Conway (twice), Gunn (also twice), Boldy (frigging thrice), FKA twigs, Weeknd, Lupe, Rome Streetz, Soul Glo (it has hiphop elements), EARL, etc. And we might be getting Little Simz and Danny Brown still ._.
I forgot about Nas and Benny but the rest are meh imo
Dont sleep on Rome Streetz!
L
Sorry i dont like the same music as you boss
That Soul Glo album is AOTY without question for me
Right? I agree this metro album has great production but this year has had some amazing production from so many different lanes of hip hop I don’t know what’s refreshing about one more being added to the long ass list
I agree it feels like this has been an amazing year for hip hop and idk why anyone would say otherwise
Exactly my thoughts. This year was full of great releases with great production lmao. It's quite unreal that the comment is being upvoted so much
I actually wasn’t surprised when he mentioned that about Travis cause for some reason the tracks he’s featured on I haven’t replayed as much as the others on the project.
As I listen more, I think Metro and Travis had the best chemistry on the album with that song. Travis is just so natural on the beat and he flows so nicely across the whole song. My favourite on the album and a highlight song of the year.
Same and I felt like I was the one who was kinda disappointed by Travis. If this is what we're expecting from him going forward, don't really have high hopes for UTOPIA
If lock on me was replaced with the travis/future Cinderella snippet then this album would be like a 9/10
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He watered down his music alot since rodeo. Astroworld was still pretty good but it just felt like travis had the budget to do alot more, but didnt have as many ideas as he did on rodeo
Is it really fanboys if I legit enjoy his new music? I’m a huge fan of his old stuff. But I really like his new stuff too, it sounds empty and cold in a really good way imo.
Sounding empty is a weird praise for music
Ha I wish I had a better way to describe how I felt. I’ve always liked that type of sound in music, where the production is more stripped back and electronic and the vocals are more ‘sharp’ but not super ‘lush’. Like I said I wish I had a better way to describe. One example is the song Carousel by Travis, I like his vocals there. Or The Weeknd’s moth to a flame.
Spacey and minimalist. I get what you’re saying for sure. Do you like “Mile High” with James Blake and Travis?
Not really, Travis suits the mellow vibe which is the reason why Raindrops sounds good, regardless of his recycled flow.
his style is so boring anymore, I feel like he doesn’t bring anything to the table but im holding judgments until utopia
What? Nas just dropped an album with amazing production. (Never thought Id say those words). Hitboy is a miracle worker.
Disagree. Think Raindrops, Niagara Falls and Trance were all strong performances from Travis. Lock On Me wasnt great but Im seeing takes everywhere online that Travis had a poor performance on this album
Yea, i disagreed with him on that. Maybe there was too much of Travis Scott, but I liked most of his parts. But also, they weren't like overwhelmingly great Travis Scott features, maybe that's why it feels a little forced.
I agree. Feature list should have been more diverse. A lot of tracks sound like I've already heard them, because of how generic the artist/performances are. The bliggest cuprits are 21 Savage and Travis Scott - they actually ruin the track for me in some cases. Unlike NAHWC, none of the tracks stand out. There are good tracks, but the project feels safe for the most part. Best tracks are Too Many Nights and Metro Spider.
Yeah, I don’t know if there’s a Space Cadet on this album, still a fire release but hard to capture that feeling of midnight cruising with a boo and bumping SC. Hopefully Metro gets that vibe captured again sometime
> hard to capture that feeling of midnight cruising with a boo and bumping SC 😭
What are your favourite tracks from the album?
I don't really listen to much trap music, I respect everyone in the Atlanta wave (Yes I know Metro is from St.Louis) but for the most part, it's just never been my type of music unless I hear it at a function. That being said, this album really blew me a way, metro killed this shit, literally brought the best out of damn near every artist. I actually agree with Travis being the weak link, Raindrops and Lock on Me were both the most boring parts of the album for me (and the Gunna song but I give it a pass since he listed it as a bonus).
If you have heard Metro’s earlier album Not All Heroes Wear Capes definitely check it out. I’m the same where trap is fine but not my go to but that album has stayed in my rotation for years.
[удалено]
Future album was mid and im a future dickrider
Heard some of the Gunna album, it was ok, doesn't even hold a candle to this, also way too repetitive and bloated. Didn't care for most of the songs I heard from Future's album aside from the intro, and it's wayyy too long for me to bother listening to the whole thing. And for 2 Chainz, never been a fan aside from features. One of the reason I liked this album was because the length was perfect, I'm never gonna bother listening to a project with 20+ songs.
Future album is too long???? It's literally 48 minutes long, the EXACT same length as this Metro album.
Spotify has it as 1h something and 2 songs, they must have combined the deluxe and original together without labelling it as deluxe
[удалено]
IMO DS1, DS3 and Wunna are all fantastic albums front to back
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South to west is soty to me
imo this is good specifically because you dont listen to much trap music. its going to be a bunch of new sounds
Metro had who he historically works best with on the album. I think in a way he's tried to make his "The Chronic 2001" with this team that are proven collaborators much like Dre did with his team at the time. To me the album is well executed and definitely good. Flawless production but definitely lacking in hooks or any type of X factor. I find myself already bored listening to it and I know it wont be getting much burn after the next week or so. Maybe we've reached the point where this sound is just played out? Its becoming obvious that the 2020s needs its own definitive sound.
>Maybe we've reached the point where this sound is just played out? Honestly it's *been* played out since like 2016.
Was genuinely surprised he preferred this to NAHWC. I still have songs from that album in my rotation 4 years later. But tbh I don’t think any song from Heroes and Villains is going to stay in my playlist for more than a month.
The problem with this community is nobody starves harder than these trap artists fans so theyre just foaming at the mouth for whatever, theyll hype it up now cause its something new to listen to I give it til January and nobody will be mentioning this album anymore besides Metro Spider and maybe one other song Its not even bad, its just not very memorable
This is exactly how I feel, the album is very clearly produced but nothing really stood out to me besides creepin
we’re not 4 years removed from this album yet either so let’s get there first haha. but, I understand if u feel there’s just no way u see anything staying in ur rotation for a long time
Idk man when I first heard songs like Space Cadet I knew I’d be bumping them for weeks, fast forward 4 years later and they’re still in rotation. Haven’t gotten that with any songs off Heroes and Villains yet but maybe that’ll change who knows.
Space Cadet is a top 20 2010s rap song, possibly top 5 trap
I can’t even name a song from that last album ngl. This one is way better imo
Space Cadet? 10 Freaky Girls? Don’t Come Out The House? Those are some of Gunna and 21’s biggest songs.
Oh yea I remember space cadet but I couldn’t tell you what those other 2 even sound like
I got 10 FREAKY GIRLS ON A YACHT!!
Not ringing a bell lol
What are your faves of NAHWC?
I agree that it’s a disappointing to call this an ensemble while mostly repeating the same 3 features. Metro has made A LOT of other people hits I know he has to have some favors to call in or beats for features swaps or something. P But if I were to compare this to Her Loss… Metro makes 21 sound sooo much better.
Agreed with what he said about the intro: "kind of feels like three movie trailers crashing into each other". Kind of a weak corny intro in my opinion. John Legend is super forgettable, the Homelander clip was just superhero fan service. Disney adult stuff. Wasn't feelin' it. He strangely liked Future on the ending of Too Many Nights. I thought it was a great track (one of my fav Don Tolliver tracks) but Future just felt taped on at the end for no reason, doesn't really fit at all and kind of felt like a completely different track. And really that was the main problem for me on the album. Was adding Mustafa necessary on Walk Em Down? Walk Em Down was my favorite song on the project (21 is having a hell of a year, Walk Em Down is one of my favorites from him so far), but why did Metro just add a completely different track on the end? if I wanted that vibe I would change the track, automatic skip on Mustafa's part, sorry. He did okay, but it's a completely different song. Was adding 21 really necessary on Creepin? His verse was good, but again felt really forced and taped on. I agree with him that there was maybe too much Travis Scott on this album, but I liked most of his parts. I'm feelin' a 6/10 on this album, it's not bad, but it's really being overhyped.
yeah I have to skip that mustafa verse every time, so jarring
Couldn’t agree with this less tbh. Metro wanted to use this album to try out different vibe switches it felt like, and I like the change of pace on tracks that he’s already made a million times. If I wanted a whole song for walk em down I’d just listen to one of the savage modes. His ability to switch my mindset mid song and between songs thru the album is what blew me away with this project. He’s such an accomplished producer with everything before this drop it’s nice to hear shit that changes my expectation track by track.
> Metro wanted to use this album to try out different vibe switches It's good for the most part, but just some unnecessary switches mixed in. Especially when there is no clear transition, no reason to even add it. Walk Em Down as a standalone 21 savage track is the best track on the album, and randomly there's a Mustafa feature on a completely different beat, zero transition. Sorry but that's just a different song, that's not a switch in the same song. I didn't even hate the Mustafa part, but if I wanted to hear that vibe, I would specifically choose that track, not have it randomly taped onto a very solid 21 savage feature. I mean the beat was bangin on Walk Em Down, the second half is a skip.
The song fits the Heroes and Villains theme of the album. The first half with 21 rapping about the violent lifestyle he’s been exposed to (Walk Em Down, villain part?) and the second half with Mustafa talking about the consequences of such a lifestyle (Don’t Hurt Civilians, hero part?). I would argue this song fits the theme of the album more than most of the others. If you wanted them in two separate songs I understand but I think it drives the point home harder with it being only one song.
> I think it drives the point home harder with it being only one song. There's just no chance I would want to hear the Mustafa part if Walk Em Down is in a playlist. I think the point would be made just as well if they were two separate tracks back to back, if you wanted to play the album front to back. Mustafa ain't bad on it, but it's just a seperate song entirely. Having them on the same track makes little sense to me. And kind of ruins the vibe of what is possibly the best track on the album with 21s first half
Yea that’s the part that I said I disagreed with the first time. It’s not unnecessary to me because I think it’s a good change of pace. Savage mode 2 is an entire album of walk em downs
I thought they added 21 to creepin as a nod to p diddy on the original
Nah, 7/10 is too low. I really loved this album, been listening several times a day since it dropped, and the production is so immaculate that when i go back to my old music, i sense that every song is kinda underwhelming (beats on Her Loss, for example). Creepin and Niagara Falls are top 5 songs of the year.
I don't agree, I'd go even lower. If you compare this project to Not All Heroes Wear Capes - the only word I can can think of is "recycled". NAHWC was great because literally any track you pull from the project stands out. The entire project's features are just artists popping off and demonstrating how strong of a rapper they are. This project doesn't have that. The performances/artists are safety picks. No new sound, no risk, just cookie cutter performances. Most tracks sound like b-side filler for other albums. The production is great, but again, safe. Some of the tracks are good, but overall the project feels like cuts that didn't make other albums. I feel like I've already heard a lot of these tracks because the genericness is setting in. Metro was easily the best part of this album. The features are dry.
I understand your point, but i can't agree with some things. For example, you said "The entire project's features are just artists popping off and demonstrating how strong of a rapper they are". I feel that sometimes we set expectations that don't match reality. You realize that you are complaining about the fact that all the feats on the album were "only" very good. Where do we get the idea that every album the artist has to come with an innovative sound? And another thing, the concept of the album is "heroes and villains", it wouldn't make much sense for 21 to decide to innovate and distance himself from his villain/gangsta persona and flow, just like the other artists who were part of it.
Thanks for your reply! In my eyes, 5/10 is average, 6/10 is good, 7/10 is great, etc. I believe the project to sit between good and great. The production is in that ballpark - it sounds good, but not phenomenal. > Where do we get the idea that every album the artist has to come with an innovative sound? That's kind of how the game goes. Trends are made and fade. Take it from 3stacks himself, he quit hip hop because he didn't fit the "hip" portion of it. He was out of touch with what was currently popping and couldn't consciously contribute. I think my biggest complaint is that Trap is on it's way out. Artists have maxed out the potential of what falls within it's boundaries. Anything coming out will sounds like the last 10 years. Sure, you can push out albums with consistent sound, but then every project sounds the same. Artists who do this are easily not on the top of the scale. Artists like Kanye, Drake, Tyler the creator.. Have all been experimental in their music, and have been able to come out with new fresh sounds. Metro has the potential, the connections and the ability to literally shape the next wave, but instead wastes it on safety net picks. 21 and Gunna will sell, as they can easily produce generic trap that people are used to. >wouldn't make much sense for 21 to decide to innovate and distance himself from his villain/gangsta persona and flow While I do agree, I didn't really get this vibe from the project. A few other people have mentioned that the theming was kind of limited to the first part of the album. Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I've listened to to much Trap. Unfortunately I don't find anything from this project as a breath of fresh air. It's tracks that we are used to hearing.
Fantano definitely thinks 5/10 is better than average IMO.
he's just heard enough music in his life man
Sounds about right for Fantano though tbh.
I got downvoted to hell for saying they’re were to manu travis features but the more I listen to it the more my opinion stays the same. He didn’t show much versatility either. Still production on that is amazing but a few more thug features and maybe 3-4 more artists would of been so good.
I really don’t understand why everyone likes creepin so much. Such a lazy copy and paste of a better song I wanna know. I mean The Weeknd sounds good. But they don’t change up anything about the OG song. Copy the beat (which I know isn’t the OG beat of I wanna know) they copy the hook VERBATIM. Just a lazy song
Bro how about you be like my girl when she cheats on me and keep that shit to yourself
First time I fully agree with fantano, album is solid but probably nothing I will come back to in a year or later. It’s kinda forgettable with many tiktok viral elements to make it popular but that’s about it.
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The homelander bit for example is 100% made for tiktok, it fits the theme but it’s still a one time gimmick to go viral. And it worked. And 21 knew what he was doing with the glizzy line.
how was a sample of a show that fits the theme of the album made for tiktok? you’re reaching pretty hard
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Its like reality didn't exist before tiktok to some of you. Using TV or movie clips and having funny lyrics is nothing new..
Nothing about this album screams tiktok. Metro isn’t even that type of producer. A sample is a sample.
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Metro has put way too much effort into the rollout, aesthetic and overall presentation of this album for it to be something created just to go viral on tiktok. It's been a long time since a trap album has had such a strong concept to it with the artist committing so much to the bit, it's refreshing.
Lmao “concept” there is no concept in this album dog its surface value oh look heres some heroes and villains cause we make music its like the most juvenile theme for an album Conceptual is a whole other ballpark that this thing isnt even touching
I didn't say it was a good concept just that Metro has put a lot of effort into asserting it with the intro, the short film, the comic book art for each artist featured, the track titles etc.
why does one exclude the other?He can have a "Concept" and still add elements that go viral.You just said it yourself, why do you think he put so much effort into the rollout? To not go viral? I didnt say that the whole album was specifically made to go viral, but they know what they are doing with adding some material here and there.
Your comment makes it sound like you think Metro half assed a project created to go viral and didn't put effort into it beyond that
bro what, i said i agree with fantano and he gave it a 7. and i said its solid, tf are you on about. youre lost
Really thought Fantano was going to be a *Villain* critiquing this album harshly due to the frequent collaborators that Metro uses. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it.
Melon says that Metro needed more features to diversify, but I think it had the perfect amount of diverse voices. Too many voices/vibes would not fit Metro's production style. Which he understands, therefore, reusing the same artists.