The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 - 5
'Resurrection' soars
By GRACE HAMILTON
Daily Arts Writer
DEF JAM
"I'm coming for you, Kendrick"
YG gets 'Krazy' o
successful debut
Lethal chemistry
with DJ Mustard
visible in album
By JACKSON HOWARD
Daily MusicEditor,
Earlier this year, YG made
the dubious assertion that he
and his producer DJ Mustard
were the next
Snoop and Dr.
Dre. While this
is just utterly My Krazy
ridiculous, it's
easy to forget Life
how 20 years yG
ago, Snoop
Doggy Dogg Def Jaoi
and Dr. Dre
were also a pair
of unproven and hungry young
men from Los Angeles who, with
incredible chemistry and lots
of still to come grooiTmdbreaking
music 1 Aould fth1 ii t to #.n et.
YG probably isn't going to
change rap musicj ft it 11tf
in the midst of the West Coa st
rap resurgence spearheaded by
Kendrick Lamar and his TDE
crew, the impact of Mustard,
YG and their extended family
can't be overlooked. In fact,
YG and Kendrick make for a
fascinating pair themselves -
Kendrick the intellectual, YG the
gangbanger; Kendrick the sober
contemplator, YG the inebriated
celebrator. It's easy, then, to
dismiss YG as a one-dimensional
ratchet music exploiter who
got a deal based on Mustard's
catchy production. But while My
Krazy Life, YG's Def Jam debut,
is no good kid, m.A.A.d city, it
is equal in honesty, personality
and a dedication to exploring the
complicated life of growing up in
Compton.
Under the supervision of
executive producers Jeezy
and Mustard, the latter of
whom handles most of the
production, My Krazy Life is
surprisingly cohesive, with
smooth transitions between
songs, skits holding together
central themes and even a loose
storyline running throughout.
Like Kendrick's debut, the
album is steeped in classic L.A.
rap tradition. Mustard utilizes
Dre-esque synths and twinkling
pianos and YG's oftentimes
frantic and slurred flow channels
a combination of 2Pac, Tha Dogg
Pound
stickin
sex, f
family
but Y
Cent, I
mainto
while,
But
with I
WestI
gives t
part, N
job of
typica
as wf
violins
and lu
"I
excitin
places
two o
rapper
Musta
specta
a vend
true tc
tha
legend
rippcr
that,.s
startt
from I
lunatic
Mor
and Warren G while oftentimes in the simplicity of
sg to a limited palette of YG's rhymesbuthe'd probablybe
riends, gangbanging and the first to agree. He's nowhere
. it's nothing innovative, close to lyrical excellence, but he
G, like a golden-era 50 isn't trying tobe. And while some
has become masterful over of his more boneheaded rhymes
aining his gangster image might take away from the album
still catering to the ladies. at points, the rudimentary
it's YG's lethal chemistry nature of his lyrics is offset by
Mustard's now in-demand their genuineness and delivery.
Coast ratchet sound that Outside of "My Nigga," "Who
the album its legs. For his Do You Love?" with Drake and
lustard does an incredible "Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)"
both embodying the most with Kendrick Lamar, the two
1 aspects of his production most high profile cuts, run back-
ell as innovating with to-back in perfect cohesion.
, choppy drum patterns "Love?" is classic Mustard piano,
sh breakdowns. chants and sinister synths, and
Just Wanna Party" is Drake murders it, as he tends to
ig simply for the fact that it do on wild guest spots, boasting,
ScHoolboyQandJayRock, "I'mma crush that ass even if
if TDE's most ferocious it ain't too big / I would pinky
s, on a classic minimalist swearbut my pinky ring toohbig."
rd beat. The result is Featuring production from
cular - ScHoolboy spits singer-producer virtuoso
smous verse that is more Ty Dolla $ign, who has been
o his original Crip origins .tssociated with YG and Mustard
most of Oxymoron, while foryears "ReallyBe"isbothparto
lary guest appearance material and lyrical exercise.
Jay Rock does exactly Kendrick s is killisg features
shoutssg tinanialit ti the like its 2011 again ,and ovs Ty s
of his verse, "Nigga, Fi bubbhlng drums and wily synths,
Bounty Hunters, East Side he and YG trade syncopated,
c /Gangbang, slap a bitch." bush-voiced onslaughts. YG
re intimidating more than manages to keep
up, but Kendrick takes it a level
higher, providing a dizzying,
awed w ild neurotic rollercoaster of a verse,
1 2 lamenting his childhood and
shouting out dead homies with
both humor and paranoia.
"Sorry Momma," the Dolla
$ign-assisted closing track, is
anging songs follow: basically YG's take on 2Pac's
n Back Being Bool" - a classic "Dear Mama," and is an
ation into "Blood" speak interesting, but fitting, choice
er to never utter the letters to wrap up the album. His
K, which are associated vulnerability has never been
he rival Crips - finds YG more on display - "Damn, now
.g with total confidence I'm feeling less than a man," he
ibrating Mustard synths, raps - but by starting the album
on "Meet tlhe Flockers" with a skit by his mother and
"1AM" YG breaks out endingit with a tribute to her, YG
storytelling to impressive is consciously reminding us that
s, describing in detail a he is more than the guy behind
invasion that sounds eerily "My Nigga" or another hooligan
r to the one he was jailed slapping asses and smoking
e years ago. weed. Like Kendrick, another
this level of authenticity good kid trapped in a mad city,
skits from his mother, YG admits he's flawed - he's
bbery stories, the guest wild, he's impulsive, but he's still
from unknown artists and young, still doing the best he can,
s like Tee Cee, RJ and and as the chants of"I knowI did
Lanez - that makes YG so wrong" take over the final track,
e. He's real. He's honest. you have no problem forgiving
.lso blunt in his delivery, him.
tmes to a fault, but at least
essage always gets across.
bluntness is reflected
ABC's new series,
"Resurrection," premiered
on Sunday, March 9, diving
directly into
a fast-paced
narrative
that does Resurrection
not pause for
anything. Sundaysat9 p.m.
The show ABC
is based on
the book,
"The Returned," by Jason Mott,
and follows the stories of the
families and friends whose
loved ones begin mysteriously
returning from the dead. The
pilot episode brought in almost
20 million viewers.
The pilot traces the story
of Jacob, who wakes up in a
Chinese rice field, and is taken Epping awesome
back to his home in Missouri
by agent Martin Bellamy in the outcome.'
(evidently to be one of the the fact that th
show's main protagonists). quickly is a goo
Upon their arrival on the no room for bor
doorstep of Jacob's family Details, twi
home, his aging parents inform emerge over
Bellamy, and a near silent
Jacob, that the boy died almost
32 years ago. The story begins
to unfold. ABC sh
Initially, it may be difficult
to suspend disbelief. What broadZ
should be felt as an emotional
reunion between Jacob and
his parents does not draw out
the intended response; instead, the episode,
the sheer impossibility of it all complexity a
dominates the feelings in the viewer's desiret
scene. However, the speed with "Resurrection"
which everyone seems to accept structure to "Hi
"resurrection" as a rational from character
explanation, challenges the with interwove
legitimacy of the show on the an element of m
whole. It's as if not enough work This quality
was done on the part of the the true story
writers to really convince you; death comes
they assume we're convinced is another re
anyway, amatter of fact. watching. We
This makes it hard to feel what really hap
emotionally connected to any of Dead people
the characters or even invested to life, mini
c
r
i
6
That being said, component, seems like a bizarre
e plot moves as concept for a TV show, at least
od thing; there's on the surface. However, it
edom. caters very well to current
sts and turns tastes - strong supernatural
the course of component as well as mystique.
The directorshave apowerful
eye and the cinematography is
impressive enough to hold your
low has attention even when the writing
falls short. Still, the show is
appeal. careful not to go to overboard
with trying to be creepy; the
eerie ethos of the show is just
adding to its
nd thus the
to pay attention.
has a similar
eroes," bouncing
r to character,
n plot lines and
ystery.
of suspense, as
behind Jacob's
into question,
eason to keep
want to know:
pened?
e coming back
s any zombie
right.
By the end of the episode,
there are more characters
involved, more questions left
to be answered and even a new
character resurrected. You
may, at this point, be surprised
to find yourself hooked.
"Resurrection" has lots
of promise to be a new hit
series. It's playing into a kind
of formula for success, by
including a mystery, a love
story and a wide-enough range
of characters to appeal to an
equally broad audience. This is
one to keep an eye out for.
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