Cal Chuchesta - The New CALassic: MIXTAPE REVIEW

Listen here (since it's not on Spotify)

Most mindblowing fact of the week? It's only been six days since The New CALassic landed on Audiomack, making waves all across the Internet. It feels like it's been weeks since it's dropped, but that might be due to the fact that I've been listening to it as much in six days as I listen to a normal album in a couple weeks. And it's a good thing I've been giving it so many listens because, man... this is so. freaking. dense. I wouldn't be able to do it justice if I was to review it, oh I don't know, the day after it came out. I don't know who that Anthony Fantano thinks he is, but can you get more presumptuous?

So, if you read my track review of "I Am Angry," you'd probably think this album was a shoo-in to be a 10/10. And, yes, I am enjoying this mixtape more than I ever thought it was possible to enjoy a mixtape and it definitely delivered on all the hype, but... I don't know, I was looking a little more into the background behind this mixtape, and I guess I'm a little concerned. I mean, it's basically public knowledge that originally Cal sold his soul to The Damon to have this mixtape released, and, yes, Cal was brought back from Hell by the power of smooth jazz courtesy of Creationist Cat, but has nobody stopped to ask what became of that demonic record deal? Isn't it abundantly clear that Cal is still being backed and hyped up by The Damon? I mean, how else on earth could he get signed by literally every record label in the world?

So, I don't really know how I feel morally about enjoying and endorsing an album that came about because of a deal with The Damon. People are throwing around terms like AOTY and BNM without stopping to think about the example Cal is setting for every young, up-and-coming MC who will think "If Cal could get signed to literally every record label in the world and drop such a fire mixtape out of nowhere by signing his soul to The Damon, why can't I??" Basically, I'm expecting to see major ramifications in the music industry generally and the hip hop community specifically because of this.

However, as a reviewer, I owe it to the artist and to fans to be as objective as possible and realize that all of that is context. So, for the rest of this review, I'm going to focus on the actual music and whether or not it is of quality.

The simple answer is, ohmyfreakinggosh yes. This is some of the highest quality hip hop you will hear this year. That is... when it's just Cal rapping. Due to the fact that Cal is such a brand spanking new MC, none of the features on this mixtape are worth listening to. Cal is reported to have "scored" these features through his roommate, Anthony Fantano's, social media connections. That's why we have such awful intros and verses as those provided by youaintpackinmeat, 3Pac, Filthy Frank, and Pink Guy. In regards to the latter two, their spots are on "Cocoa," one of the most wildly successful singles leading up to the release of The New CALassic. However, on the single version, they were absent, and now that they're here... They completely defecate on Cal's trademark G-rated, kid-friendly raps. Not only are their verses awkward and unenjoyable, but they're unnecessarily vulgar. It's so bad that I really just listen to the "bonus track," original single version of "Cocoa."

Thing is, Cal is just so charismatic that when he tries to share his throne like this, I'm just begging for him to push the wannabes out of the way and shine. Thankfully, on the majority of the album he does that. New CALassic kicks off with the banger "hot dinner" (shout out to Jahil Beats for the fantastic production). This track sets the tone for what makes the rest of the mixtape great: sleek references, non-stop supah hot lyrical fire, Cal's voice, Cal's raps, Cal's bars, and the brilliant idea to have Cal converse back and forth with his hypeman (who is also himself). We see them on this track and throughout discussing such things as Nicholas Cage movies, the direction of the song (in the middle of the track, like on "parody" where they stop the beat and go into a Drake-influenced R&B break) and the emotional journey Cal goes on throughout the album.

Yes, in addition to being a tape packed with hit single after hit single, this is also a concept album! Cal begins the journey cocky and on top of his game, but as the music continues, he confronts tragedies such as romantic rejection ("be my bae bae") and betrayal by his friends ("cal the best freestyle"). This leads to the eventual emotional climax of "i am angry," where Cal is literally exploding with anger, easily the most moving piece of art I have experienced this year. However, just as Cal is reaching the zenith of his righteous indignation, he folds and realizes he is nothing without those around him, his friends, who have gotten him this far. In a move of brilliance and benevolence, the closing track "i need my friends" finds Cal finding solace and stability in the ever-changing hip hop community.

This mixtape has been likened by many in several ways to To Pimp A Butterfly (which is probably The New CALassic's biggest contender for AOTY) and for good reason. Personal journeys of self discovery, extreme emotional dynamics, unbelievable narrative continuity, and incredible verses characterize both of these albums, but what separates this mixtape from Kendrick Lamar's opus (and what silence's haters who say Cal is ripping Kendrick off) is that, of course, this is Cal's debut effort.
I mean, that is just unheard of. Someone this new and this white rising to such a level of creativity right out of the gate.

I've barely been able to touch down on the sick production or individual lines that stopped me dead. So here's some of my favorites:

"How can I keep it kosher but go H.A.M. though?"
"Rappers don't ride bikes cause they can't handle bars."
"I'm an empirical lyrical miracle, I'm the hysterical spiritual spherical of miracle miracle miracle miracle miracle spherical miracle lyrical theorical" "Lalalalanonononobababababaneaneaneaneaneaneanea"
"Yeah yeah oh girl, be my girl, oh girl, you're my girl"

Of course, there's a lot more, but I'll let you discover those for yourself as you dive into this absolute musical treat. There's so much that could be said about this mixtape, and I can only have your attention for so long. Really, I think Cal's record executive, Mr. Doodyhead, sums it all up perfectly on "doody's second message": "Kanye West, Eminem, Drake... Talentless fools, as far as I'm concerned! You, Cal, you're the future."

OVERALL SCORE: 99/9.9/9/.9
Cal Chuchesta – The New CALassic
1. intro 2. hot dinner 3. i was throwin up on a tuesday 4. cocoa (remix) 5. doody's first message 6. parody 7. be my bae bae 8. sad boy 9. doody's second message 10. friend from the apple store 11. og radio interview 12. cal the best (freestyle) 13. i am angry 14. i need my friends 15. cocoa *BONUS TRACK* 16. cocoa (nmesh's whack cal zone remix) *BONUS TRACK*	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.

Cal Chuchesta - I Am Angry: TRACK REVIEW

There's been a lull recently of hip hop that has been piquing my interest. I'll be soon posting a (late) review for one of the latest albums to do so, but in the meantime, I wanted to touch down on an up-and-coming artists who has the blogosphere abuzz right now.

I'm, of course, referring to none other than Hartford, Connecticut's own Cal Chuchesta, whose debut mixtape, The New CALassic, is a little more than one day away from dropping. A few days ago, he released his seventh (yes, seventh) single leading up to its release, entitled "I Am Angry." 

Photo of Cal Chuchesta from a recent press release.

"I Am Angry" is unique in Cal's short discography in that it is his first track that features him being angry or "mad," as he phrases it here. Cal's signature sound thus far has been one of positive, family-friendly raps (an obvious influence from one of his hip hop heroes, Will Smith), rapping on such G-rated subjects as hot chocolate, making dinner, throwing up, and the unreliability of Apple products. Never have we seen the dark side of Cal like we do on this track, tearing into his haters like a Wisconsonian badger into a family of diseased rats.

The track begins with the rookie MC cautiously exploring his emotional reaction to being dissed, an experience new to him but so familiar to veteran rappers. After searching his feelings, and just as the eerily sparse trap-influenced beat drops, Cal raps with chilling emotion and youthful energy the earworm hook, "I am angry! Really mad! I am angry! And I can't control my temper, feeling bad!"

On the subsequent verses, we see Cal making his characteristically slick plays on words and witty references, nodding at such cultural icons as Rush, Claude Monet, and Comcast. As on his prior singles, his flow can sound amateur or even soft to the ears of a hip hop community so accustomed to overly complex and vulgar lyrics. But, again like on his prior raps, a patient listen will reveal incredible flashes of brilliance. 

On the first verse, for instance, Cal spits a line that could very well be the best of his short career so far: "Rappers can't ride bikes cause they can't handle bars." Hot. Freaking. Dang. The wit of this play on words, in case it went over your head, is that he is using the phrase "handle bars" to refer to the other wack rappers who can't control their flows into decent bars AND Cal uses "handle bars" to refer to the handlebars on the aforementioned bike, an image which he continues to flow off of for the rest of the verse. Wow!!

This is just one example of the brainy lyrics to be found here. But perhaps the most memorable part of this track is the raw emotion seen building on each repetition of the hook. By the final repetition, Cal is almost literally screaming into the mic with throat-searing rage. The intensity of Cal's anger and the honesty with which he expresses it is as refreshing as it is sobering.

Really, this is something you have to hear to believe, so check out the official audio below:

No one is doing this kind of thing in hip hop today. Suffice it to say, I am waiting with bated breath for this mixtape to drop. Follow this link to join in the countdown to this landmark release!   

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly: ALBUM REVIEW

Coming back into the world of popular music after being gone for two years on a mission was a lot different than I had hoped it would be. Instead of finding all of my favorite albums sounding new and fresh again, I found I still new every note and that I wasn't the same person who had connected so intensely to them before. Instead of being gloriously bombarded by the all new, life changing albums I had missed, I found that the best records of 2013 and 2014 didn't excite me or connect with me, either.

Now, through all of this, there was a 2012 album, widely regarded as one of the best hip hop albums of the decade so far, that dropped just twelve days after I left on my mission and to which I was completely oblivious. good kid, m.A.A.d city, the triumphant breakout album from Compton's 25-year-old Kendrick Lamar, had completely slipped me by. My introduction to him was November 2014's single "i" which I listened to because of the blogosphere's buzz, but I was at least as turned off by its pop-rap vibes as were Kendrick's hardcore m.A.A.d city fans. So, when To Pimp a Butterfly dropped, I dismissed it. What a wack album title from that pop-rapper. Black dudes flashing Benjamins and 40s in front of the white house, how clever and conscious.

But then I caught wind of what people were saying about TPAB, ("It is not a rap album: it is the absolute rap album") and I gave it a listen to see what all the buzz was about.

I remember it was about the time that "u," the emotional turning point of the album, came on that I knew I had found the sort of music I had been craving for almost 6 months. When he came on that track literally screaming at himself "Loving you is complicated!" I could almost tangibly feel the honesty and rawness and musicality I was hearing. I knew firsthand that sort of self-loathing and agony Kendrick was leveling at himself, as I think all human beings have felt at some point: "I tell you, you failure—you ain't no leader! I never liked you, forever despise you—I don't need you!" 

I was hooked. I devoured the rest of the album and for 78 minutes my hunger for meaningful, artful music was satisfied. 

Musically, this album is the rare rap album that maintains visceral power, street cred, and musical variety all at once. While being far more abstract than the straightforward (and delicious) m.A.A.d city, the beats on To Pimp A Butterfly catalyze Kendrick's charisma and flow with just as much power, if not more. Find me a banger more bump-worthy this year than "The Blacker the Berry." Find me jazz rap track this year more soulful than the duple-triple compounded "How Much a Dollar Cost." And find me any beat this year as dope as "Momma." Kudos to Knxwledge on that one; FlyLo, you better watch your back!

Yes, sometimes Kendrick experiments a little more than might be easily accessible.  But lyrically he never falters.  He weaves together a story arc over the course of these 16 tracks that I think is more dynamic and direct than the one that lit m.A.A.d city on fire. Kendrick, by way of a poem running throughout the album, takes us through his journey as an artist, fighting both the tides of personal sin and of institutionalized discrimination while trying to just make a difference to the people in his hometown. It starts with the deliberately bling-ish "Wesley's Theory" and the lines "When I get signed, homie, I'ma act a fool," and it ends with the raw, sober "Mortal Man" where Kendrick is talking to you, soul to soul. 

And yes, I choose to listen to the edited version, which does away with the vulgarity while leaving Kendrick's messages and stellar lyrics to enjoy.

Really, this album is so dense, so deep, and so effective that the only way to really get an accurate description is to listen to it yourself. It would take a textbook to divulge everything going on here (a textbook that will no doubt one day be written). I mean, an English professor sat down for 3 minutes to expose the layers of meaning in the 2 second lyric on "King Kunta": "the yams is the powers that be." 

All I can say is To Pimp A Butterfly impacted me in a way few albums have and, yes, I have thought through each of the 10's I'm giving these songs (including "i" which was revamped perfectly for the album). This album is one that I'll always poignantly remember. And I'll especially always remember how I felt the first time I heard the album-concluding ghost interview with 2Pac end in portentously abrupt silence, leaving both Kendrick and us without answers to the questions Kendrick has been so desperately pursuing on the album:

What is the place for a black person in America, when he can be hailed as a hero, a "butterfly" full of talent and beauty, one day but be devoured by fans, The Powers That Be, sin, hatred, cultural disunity, racism, "survivor's guilt," or lack of education the next?

How can Kendrick, African-Americans, or any American, really, keep a level of sanity in a backward nation of confused morals?

With decades of artists, centuries of philosophers, and millenia of human beings trying to identify and fix the ills that repeatedly, tragically ail the human race, is it even worth it for some Compton kid to put his heart and soul into a rap album to try again?

Pac? ....Pac? Pac!

OVERALL SCORE: 10
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
1. Wesley's Theory 2. For Free? - Interlude 3. King Kunta 4. Institutionalized 5. These Walls 6. u 7. Alright 8. For Sale? - Interlude 9. Momma 10. Hood Politics 11. How Much a Dollar Cost? 12. Complexion (A Zulu Love) 13. The Blacker the Berry 14. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) 15. i 16. Mortal Man	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.