You can't a club head, listen to the radio, or even frequent a strip club without hearing one of the infectious party tunes from ATL rap trio Travis Porter. At just the age of 20, rappers Ali, Quez, and Strap couldnt even make it into some clubs but have been dropping bangers from each of their many mixtapes. These fellas made steady buzz in the game with their hit single "Make It Rain" and have been steady poppin' out hits since. Their debut album From Day 1, Porter sets itself apart from the everyday rappers by delivering well spoken and thought provoking rhymes like, "you wanna see some ass, I wanna see some cash...make it rain". Such lyrical content that really makes you sit back and ponder the very meaning of life and the benefits to society you can bring...sike, these guys make party music and that they do very well.
Their debut album keeps the same trend of simple beats coupled with playful vocals that are best suited for "twerkers" or stip club anthems. Other than the year old hits "Make it Rain" and "
Bring it back", there isnt much variety or stand-out singles memorable singles. The opener "Aww Yea" sets the tone for the party album. The Diplo produced "Wobble!" is a fun track with a heavy bass that is sure to get anyone dancing. The trio enlist Jeremih on the chorus to try and romance new and old TP fans with the track "Ride Like That" and take it straight to the bedroom with their single "Pussy Real Good" ft 2 Chainz. Other noteable features are up and coming artists Mike Posner and Tyga ( 16-bar feature on "Ayy Ladies").
It is clear that Travis Porter knows how to make dance tracks and quick hit rap songs for any party playlist, but with From Day 1 they lack diversity that their mixtapes offered. At times, this album got very repetitive but it was still entertaining to say the least. What hinders this debut is the recycled, already pre-released standout singles and lack of versatility in beats and rhymes that most first albums should have This is not a classic at all, but still a good effort from the TL party boys. If you were already a fan of TP before Day 1, then you wont be disappointed.
"Wobble"
"Ayy Ladies"
After much hype across the blogs and much anticipation from his heavy fan base, Kid Ink dropped his independent label LP Up and Away earlier this month. At first I was a little hesistant to comment on the West Coast emcee, but after he teamed up with DJ Ill Will in 2010and listening to a few of his leaks off his 3 mixtapes, I am slowly becoming a fan. Although he may come across as generic to most, his debut album has something that can appease even the most critical hip-hop fan and makes you understand why XXL recognized him as part of the up-and-coming Freshman '12 class.
"Don't worry bout me bitch, I came for the doubt" Ink adamantly lets listeners know on his synth-beat heavy intro track "No One Left". It's clear that this LA native is out to prove that he is more than just a gimmick rapper or unoriginal by taking the bold, and cheaper, step of having no features on this 12 track album. The following track"Is it You" cools the mood while leading into the more "hip-pop", radio friendly "Time of Your Life". "Act Like That" has the rapper trying to convince his gf what any other male in a long-term relationship fantasizes about doing with his girl and another female friend with a catchy beat. Ink keeps the consistency of dope beats and catchy hooks on the bass heavy beat track "Walk in the Club" and club banger "Drippin". He delves into a little bit more of a darker tone with the second single "Lost in the Sauce" and motivational "hell and Back". Other songs like "Roll Out" and "Roll Out" could have been left out and come across as just repetitive with similar sounds from previous tracks. Ink comes back and finishes strong with a track for the haters "Never Gave a Fuck" and auto-tune flow "Carry On".
With three mixtapes behind him and a few singles making a steady buzz in the industry, Kid still has something to prove but makes a decent effort with his debut release. The majority of the album seems to follow the same subject matter of drugs, girls, and clubs, but fails to have enough diversity to really make the listener see the difference between Ink and other rappers in the game now. Although having producers like Jahlil Beats, Cardiak, Ned Cameron, and more on this LP make the beats sonically pleasing, lyrically I found many of the verses unoriginal and mindless enough to be catchy. This is definitely not his best work but he has potential to have hits with equally dope lyrics coupled with solid beats.
"time of your life"
"No one left"
"Hell and back"
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