Top 5 Albums That Disappointed Me in 2017

The 5 projects that underwhelmed me the most last year.

While 2017 had its fair share of good to great projects as well as overlooked-but-still-deserves-some-praise projects in general. There were also projects that made me have the sad face emoji that you see above. This is because all five of the artists, whose projects I'm about to talk about, I saw immense potential in their projects. 

Truth be told, I don't even get as hype for projects like I used to, all of my favorite projects, I realized, are projects I didn't anticipate. Projects that I didn't even know were coming out until the actual release date or mere days before it dropped. It never occurred to me that having expectations for a project, is actually just setting yourself up for disappointment.

I should know this, and on further thought, I do know this, but for some reason, every year, I fall into the same trap. I think it's because I see no reason as to why these artists should disappoint or fall short on their projects but in reality, anyone can fall off and have a bad year, what matters is...is if they are consistently trash...

And on this list...well, I've wasted enough time, let's get to the worse of the worse. Starting at number 5...

#5. Macklemore - Gemini

Customized artwork for Macklemore's "Gemini"

I like Macklemore. I really do. I think he's a genuinely good guy. That's why I HAD to put the poop emoji on this head. Ever since his debut with Ryan Lewis on "The Heist" in 2012 (Good album, but not so good-that-it-deserved-the-grammy-over-good-kid-maad-city good, but it had some cuts on it that I still revisit to this very day)...it's been a rocky road. In 2016, Macklemore made his return to the music scene, post "Heist" with "White Privilege II". 

While the message was truthful, the musicality and replay ability of the track was not. I was worried. Then Macklemore and his partner-in-crime Ryan Lewis dropped the trailer for the "This Unruly Mess I've Made" the follow up to Macklemore's commercially successful debut "The Heist". Now, stop what you're doing and watch that trailer I linked in the text, matter of fact, I'll link it down below...

Watch this ^

When I watched this trailer, I thought to myself, "Wow, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are back, and they aren't playing any games" and then I heard "This Unruly Mess I've Made"...

My reaction to "This Unruly Mess I've Made" + $100 dollars in monopoly money to however can spot where I posted this gif before.

After flubbing in 2016, I saw Macklemore pop up again, this time in an interview with Sway Calloway of Sway in the Morning. Macklemore had announced that he would be dropping an album without Ryan Lewis. And for some stupid reason, I thought "maybe it was RYAN who was responsible for the mess that was "This Unruly Mess I've Made"' and that Macklemore's quality of music would return to his pre-Heist days where he was dropping solo projects.

So naturally, I was looking forward to hearing "Gemini" and boy, that was bad.

First of all, this album should've been called 'Macklemore & Friends' cause every track with the exception of track 10 had a feature. Now, I don't mind feature heavy projects (I was a big fan of the Documentary 2.5 by The Game, peep the amount of features on THAT album) but none one of them did anything to enhance this project. Offset on the song "Willy Wonka" literally just said the song title, phoned in verse (you can tell he absolutely did NOT care about this feature verse) and bounced (still, Gucci Mane had the biggest feature finesse of 2017). The song "Marmalade" is really just Macklemore trying to cash in on that "Broccoli" single success that Lil Yatchy and DRAM saw in 2016. Compare the songs (Marmalade and Broccoli), and you'll see that they sound the  same except one is an obvious bite of the other (*hint: "Marmalade" is biting "Broccoli")

Overall,  Macklemore's "Gemini" was a BORING and FORGETTABLE experience. 

I give this album a giant poop emoji out of 10.

Do yourself a favor and just skip this release all together, Macklemore needs to go back in the studio and really think about his next release cause he's had 2 duds in a row, 1 more and I'm officially no longer checking for new Macklemore.

And to think...I was so interested in checking out this release, smh.

#4. Lil Yatchy - Teenage Emotions

Customized cover art for Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"

Admittedly, I've never been a huge Yatchy fan, but I saw his potential. When the Lil Boat mixtape dropped and made it's rounds on the internet, I went and listened to it. 

I was intrigued like

My reaction to hearing Lil Yatchy's Lil Boat mixtape for the first time 

I thought I saw a diamond in the rough, my thought process was "If Yatchy can capitalize off this quirky, I'm-just-a-kid-making-music-with boomin' beats" lane, he could really  be on to something.

I heard his follow up mixtape to Lil Boat called "Summer Songs 2" (both "Lil Boat" and "Summer Songs 2" , which wasn't as unexpectedly good as Lil Boat BUT I didn't lose hope, I figured Yatchy saved all his best material for 2017's "Teenage Emotions" where he would really show the industry his full potential...

BOI was I wrong. "Teenage Emotions" was a slog to get through, honestly. Not only are the lyrics atrocious (here is just a sample of some of the bad lyrics on this album)

[A few lyrics from the song “X Men” off Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"]

“You shouldn’t want beef from the start (uh-uh)

Everywhere I drive leave marks (yeah)

All of you niggas is marks (yeah)

You stinky and dirty like farts (uh)”

[A few lyrics from the song “DN Freestyle" off Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"]

“Uh, all day I’m rocked up

Plottin’ on a bad bitch to come and suck dick

Cook French toast and clean the bathroom

There’s piss all on the floor, bitch, go clean it up”

[A few lyrics from the song “My Business” off Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"]

“Leave a Nutter Butter on that little bitch face (aye)

And I love when she eat it, yeah I love when she taste (ew)

All in her face (pew)

I’m like ‘hahaha,’ all in yo face”

[A few lyrics from the song “Priorities” off Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"]

"‘Cause she get wet and she suck me like a insect

She my step sister, so I guess that’s incest

I could not stop lookin’ at those big breasts

Make your next move, your best life’s a game of chess"

[A few MORE lyrics from “DN Freestyle” (Seriously one of the worst rap songs I've ever heard)]

“Goddamn, Boat you hella wild

Turned your mother into a pedophile

Bet she wanna fuck me” 

[A few lyrics off "Peek a Boo" off Lil Yatchy's "Teenage Emotions"]

My new bitch yellow

She blow that dick like a cello

Now you might be like "These lyrics are hilarious!" I'm going to go check out the album! And you'd be mistaken. The context of these lyrics are not "so bad, it's good" territory. It's just bad, like it's hard NOT to tune this out cause it's so monotonously same-y. There isn't any zany charm that existed during the Lil Boat mixtape on this. Yatchy really thinks he is flexing on the competition with these lines, but he's making himself seem dumb and lame to be completely honest.

I remember when Lil Yatchy was on to the now defunct complex show "Everyday Struggle" and he said the cover art was supposed to represent the social outcasts of those teenage years. But as Myke C-Town from Dead End Hip Hop pointed out, this album doesn't represent those social outsiders at all.

I feel like I'm picking on Lil Boat but I really just want him to prosper, but he's has to come correct with his next project. Cause this? This is garbage, pure and simple. Even Yatchy knows it. I guarantee it.

#3. Eminem - Revival 

Subtlety customized artwork for Eminem's "Revival"

"Revival" didn't look good from the start. Ever since the track listing dropped weeks before the actual album. I was worried. Mostly pop features with the only Hip Hop feature being Phresher of all people (And he didn't even get a verse, he was just relegated to hook duty).

What did make me have hope was "Walk on Water" with Beyoncé, the first single from this album. This is because in the song "Walk on Water" Eminem discusses his flaws and how he often feels the pressure to top his best work among other things. It was the first time I've seen Eminem introspective in regards to his artistry, I'm used to Eminem being introspective in regards to his personal life (wants to kill his mother, loves his daughter, hates his baby mama, etc) and his professional life (beef with another rapper or public figure, reminiscing on his career, etc) but I've never really heard Em put a spotlight on his process before.

So my thought process was, "Oh, Eminem is making a grown man, introspective album that examines his life, career and legacy, cool." THAT is what I was expecting, or rather, what I wanted from Em, and as much as I hate to say this, I have to, in order to make whoever is reading this understand...I wanted Eminem to make his own version of Jay Z's "4:44". 

Everything that Jay Z did, I wanted Eminem to do in his own way, with his own sound. 

But instead, what I got was an Eminem, who went out and did exactly what he was beating himself up about on "Walk on Water", which is crazy. Eminem's "Revival" (the album as a whole body of work) was exactly what he rapped about not wanting to do on "Walk on Water" (the first song on the album). "Revival" was really a self fulfilling prophecy.

The album isn't good (If you couldn't already tell), I'll give you five salvageable songs on that album. Here we go: "Walk on Water", "Offended", "Framed", "Castle" and "Arose", that's it. That's five tracks, out of 19. 5 out of 19? That's a little more than 20% of the album. This album is mathematically a 2 out of 10. 

Of course there are people who are going to either say "people were too harsh" or "I actually like/love/enjoy/don't mind "Revival" and to those people I say, enjoy your album, enjoy your pop laden, alternative rock hits with a white guy rapping, enjoy it. As for me, I'm good on this album forever.

And by the way, that album came and went didn't it? After January 1st, 2018 hit, I didn't hear ANY "Revival" talk. All I heard, regarding Eminem, was the "Chloraseptic" remix with 2 Chainz, and the only reason people are talking about it, is because Eminem got mad and decided to actually start rapping. But honestly, I feel like Eminem can only rap like that when he's has something to go against. Em had something to go against in the "Chloraseptic" remix (Which were the people on youtube reacting to/criticizing his album). He tried to go against Trump on "Revival" but the fire and the passion wasn't present in any of the trump disses on "Revival". It was only present on the BET freestyle that he did in October of 2017, the same freestyle that got everyone hype in the first place for "Revival". It's all so funny and ironic when you really think about it.

The Eminem Freestyle got people hype for "Revival"

What's Eminem going to go against next? When you finally make it to a position where you're so comfortable, you've really got nothing to complain about (Being a rich white man in America who's well respected and admired in his chosen career field) it's hard to get mad, without getting fake mad. 

 "Revival" came and went, and for Eminem's album to fade into obscurity that fast? It says something, it says that people know good music and bad music, and that your brand as an artist can only get you (as an artist) so far before we actually need to hear something worth justifying having you around and in the hip hop conversation for so long.

Yeah, try again Eminem. "Revival" wasn't it. Maybe another full length "Bad Meets Evil" collab? I'm sure Royce could make room in his schedule.

#2. Logic - Everybody

Customized artwork for Logic's "Everybody"

I wrote a youtube comment on a channel that pretty much sums up my feelings on everybody, I'm going to post it here.

My youtube comment that succinctly summarizes my feelings on Logic's "Everybody":

 "DID YOU KNOW THAT LOGIC IS HALF BLACK? I feel like he mentioned that like 100 times during his promo of this album. Like in every rap genius vid he's like "Yeah so we got this concept and stuff and BY THE WAY IM HALF BLACK, and yeah so I'm rapping and the beats are nice but OH BY THE WAY IM BLACK IN CASE YOU FORGOT"  Like chill dude we get it you're mixed no need to bring it up every 5 seconds lol

Lol but yeah I agree with you on this being the best cover art of the year. Like I really want the vinyl literally just for the cover art. As for the music though? That's another story

I feel like Logic wanted to make an album with the sonic appeal of a "Coloring Book" like Chance's last mixtape, but he also wanted the seriousness of a "To Pimp a butterfly" when it comes to concept. The result is a mess. 

You know those diversity posters in schools that show like kids of every race reading books together or some weird sh*t?. This album is what those pictures are in music form. Diversity Quota: The Album is what he should've named this

I didn't enjoy this that much, other than that 1-800 song and the hook to Killing Spree, I can go the rest of my life without hearing this ever again. Also, how you gonna have Juicy J on a song talking about "KILL YO SELF" but then have a song talking about "oh don't kill urself" lol

Everything's just so forgettable, the whole story concept falls flat and it isn't compelling. Logic spends like half of 2 songs literally just preaching in my ear, like did I sign up for an audio sermon or a hip hop album like come on bruh

Logic's new name is officially "MARK DOUBT" cause that's what he did with himself on this album. Shame, and I was really looking forward to this album too.

Might see if I can just cop a vinyl sleeve or something without the actual record cause god damn does that cover go super hard."

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel about "Everybody".

Now for a history of how I discovered Logic and how I've followed him throughout his career:

I originally discovered Logic via my friend in high school during 2013 (I remember he played me the song "Disgusting" off the 'Undeniable' mixtape). "Welcome to Forever" was the first project I ever heard by Logic, so I caught him at the tail end of his mixtape era. I was impressed. I went back and downloaded his whole discography (including the tape he dropped when he went by "Psychological"). I was really diggin' Logic, he dropped "Under Pressure" in 2014, and I loved it (still his best project to date by the way). 

I saw Logic in concert the following year (2015) and it was good, and looking back on it, that was the perfect time to go see Logic cause he wasn't as known as he is now, but his fanbase was already established so it's not like there was only 10 people there. Perfect timing, I even have a shirt from that concert...

The front of my Logic shirt from the "Under Pressure" concert I went to.

The back of my logic shirt with the tour dates on it (I went to the Feb. 12 date)

A little while later in 2015, Logic dropped his second album "The Incredible True Story" (or T.I.T.S, the official abbreviation for the album, lol) and it was a solid follow up to Under Pressure, in fact, you can argue it's on the same level as his debut album, if not more.

2016 followed, he dropped the Bobby Tarantino project, wasn't feeling it that much, but I recognized it as just a fun mixtape that put out for the fans, all good.

Then 2017 came and 'Everybody' happened and here we are. I listened to the singles released for this project ("Everybody" (title track), "Black Spiderman") and I was a little skeptical, since this is the first time I wasn't feeling Logic's singles. "No worries" I thought, than I saw the track listing...13 songs. Cool. Already don't like two of them, but hey, 11 out of 13 ain't bad. Then it came out, and now you have the youtube comment I put in italics up above.

I say all of this to illustrate that up until now, I was a big Logic supporter (I am not at all a Logic hater), and Logic has never really disappointed or dropped the ball. "Everybody" was truly Logic's first real misstep. It's sad too, because you can tell by the cover art and the way Logic was promoting this album that he really wanted this to be his magnum opus, but it actually turned  to be his second worst project ever. 

So naturally, as a borderline stan, I have regressed back to a 'Guy who listens to Logic on occasion'. Hopefully, in his next release, I'll see a return to that Logic that was on T.I.T.S., Under Pressure and the Young Sinatra mixtape series.

And now, the most disappointing album of the year 2017 is...

Drum roll por favor...

the most disappointing album of 2017 is...

#1. Hopsin - No Shame

Customized cover art for Hopsin's "No Shame"

I discovered Hopsin in 2012 when his song "Sag My Pants" somehow made it's way onto my youtube feed and I was just watching random youtube. "Not bad" I thought to myself. A lot of what he was saying in that song was resonating with me as I was going through a little phase where I was almost exclusively listening to rock music. I had grown tired of hearing rappers sounding the same over the same beats, saying the same things.

Then I listened to "Ill Mind of Hopsin 4". "Oh this is really good" I said to myself, this guy is onto something "Get ready for "Knock Madness" he said? Why I guess I'm going to have to check that out."

Fast forward to 2013, "Knock Madness comes out", it's a flop. The majority of the album ain't hitting, it's weak sauce, chuck it straight into the recycle bin of your computer. Throw it in there like Stephen Curry hitting a three from anywhere on the court.

Fast forward to 2015, after fake retiring, Hopsin comes back with "Pound Syndrome" his follow up to "Knock Madness", somehow, "Pound Syndrome" is even worse than "Knock Madness" (Which I didn't think was possible because in Hopsin's own words, he said he "half-assed" Knock Madness, so if Knock Madness was half assed, and you put your full ass into Pound Syndrome, why does "Pound Syndrome" sound worse than the album you supposedly 'half-assed'?)

Then, near the end of 2015, Hopsin's record label "Funk Volume" disbanded over personal disagreements and internal conflicts. At first, this was bad news, but then, Hopsin started putting out singles...

These singles (such as "Ill Mind of Hopsin 8", "Bout the Business", "Die This Way", "Bus That" etc.) showcased a shift in Hopsin's sound. He was using modern 808s, not wearing the contacts, and not spitting corny/cringe lyrics. Instinctively, I was very interested in hearing Hopsin's next full length release. Then he dropped "Happy Ending", a single from "No Shame".

Allow me to quote the actual lyrics to the chorus of this song...

"Hello, how you doing?

I can give you good massage

I can be your everyting, you give me fifty bucks

If you no say nothing, I can give you sucky-sucky

If you give me more money, I give you do something lucky

Hello, how you doing?

I can give you good massage

I can be your everyting, you give me fifty bucks

If you no say nothing, I can give you sucky-sucky

If you give me more money, I give you do something lucky"

If this sounds like an asian stereotype in your head, that's because it is. "Happy Ending" is a song where Hopsin literally raps about paying a woman to have sex with him at a message parlor, and that's it. Now, rappers can rap about anything, but at least make it worthwhile to listen to. Like most story-telling raps have a twist, a surprise ending, or at something memorable to make the story stick to somebodies memory  banks. "Happy Ending" has none of that, the beat is  mediocre, the lyrics are lame (and racist) and there's just nothing interesting about a guy paying for  'services' from a Asian message parlor. 

The music video to Hopsin's "Happy Ending" [Warning: Really racist] 

Warning #2: You WILL cringe and the video is Not-Safe-For-Work (meaning there are some naughty bits shown in the video) so proceed with caution.

Instead of "Happy Ending", take Eminem's "Brain Damage", a song about Eminem's childhood where he encounters a bully. The story ends with his brain falling out of his skull and him having to go get it put back in his brain. Now, is that Silly? Sure, but at least it made the story worth telling, if only for an absurd ending. "Happy Ending" is really cut and dry  and not even in an entertaining way. This is one of those songs you use to troll people, one of those songs where your like "Hey, want to see something wild? Check this out." and  you show it to them just to get their reaction.

So this was a month prior to "No Shame" dropping. "Happy Ending" was making "No Shame" look shaky but I still had hope...

Then "Ill Mind of Hopsin 9" dropped...turns out this nigga has a son, along with Australian baby mama drama.

To spare you the innocuous details, Hopsin cannot visit his son because his baby mama won't let him and Hopsin, being the mature individual he is, puts all of the blame on his Australian baby mama.

"No Shame" starts off with the song "Hotel in Sydney", a recounting of the faithful night where he basically ended up getting the cops called on him by his Australian baby mama and he ends up getting banned from Australia. Unable to see his son, who at the time, was not born.

I'll give Hopsin this, it certainly starts off interesting, what with the woman drama and all that, but then, it quickly derails into forgettable songs, TWO different songs (Money on the Side, Happy Ending) that are exclusively about paying women for sex, and nothing else. These songs are just graphic depictions of Hopsin doing all sorts of wild things with what are essentially prostitutes.

Let me get this out of the way, you can totally rap about whatever you want,  BUT it must be entertaining to listen to. The songs on "No Shame" simply aren't. They are filled with Hopsin's bad hooks, his venom filled lyrics to toward his baby mama (see the song: "All Your Fault (Remix)"), rhymes that have no real meaning or purpose to them other to show that he can in fact rhyme words together, and most importantly, the majority of the songs on here lack self awareness, until we reach the penultimate song on the album "Marcus' Gospel", but by then, the damage is done, it's like Eminem's "Revival" but in reverse, Hopsin is rapping about being ashamed of the person he was all throughout the album. Rather than just saying what he doesn't want to be, and then proceeding to be the exact thing he doesn't want to be.

The more you look at Hopsin's life, the more you see parallels to Hopsin's all time favorite rapper, Eminem. But instead of making compelling music that stem from your dark thoughts, Hopsin did the opposite, and made repulsive music that will be here today and gone tomorrow into the land of forgotten albums. It's like Hopsin took the worst aspects of Eminem's prime era music (which, I would consider to be 1999-2002) and amplified them with his own corniness.

I haven't mentioned this on my blog before, but here it is. I give every artist three full length projects before I'm done with them. The last album I enjoyed from Hopsin was his album "Raw" in 2010. Ever since then, it's been done hill. The first strike was "Knock Madness" (2013), the second strike was "Pound Syndrome" (2015) and finally "No Shame" (2017), which was the final nail in the coffin for me, in relation to listening to Hopsin's music. And this three strikes rule goes for ANY artist. I was done with Kodak Black when he released "Project Baby 2" last year (I haven't enjoyed any Kodak Black album I've heard since I heard "Lil Big Pac" back in 2016).

I'm done with Hopsin man, stick a fork in me, done. I've held out hope since 2012, now it's 2018 and it's time to hang it up. The next time I listen to Hopsin, will either be through a feature or something happens to where he's getting a lot of attention off of a single. But as far as me listening to another full length album? Nah. He's going to have to get a lot of positive reviews for me to even consider another in depth listen to an album of his. 

I DO LIKE Hopsin's interviews though, he keeps a level of down-to-earth that is very appealing to me. That's about all the positive I can give to him for right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, that's my top 5 'worst of' list. Hope you enjoyed reading it, I'll see you in my next post.

Written by Joseph Sanker II on 1/24/17

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Written by Joseph Sanker II