Articles By: Jessikah Smith 
Jessikah is a writer with a passion for music and all things quirky. She resides in the Windy City and has been writing for 12 years out of the 20 that she has been living.
2 Chainz – Based On a T.R.U Story album review
Some albums you just have to take it for what it is when reviewing it. As much as I would like to you can’t compare the Chief Keefs to the Nases of the world when reviewing, or else just about everything would get a bad review. I tried to keep this in mind when reviewing 2 Chainz new album Based On A T.R.U Story, and even with no comparisons, the album Is still unbelievably ridiculously bad. I tried, I really [...]
Read more →Blackalicious – Melodica album review
Everything about Blackalicious’s EP Melodica exudes classic. From Gift of Gab’s complex raps to Chief Xcel’s extremely fresh production, their debut EP should be used as an example for every rapper on how to make a classic album. The production on the album takes elements from every genre, creating a melting pot of sounds that Gift of Gab conforms to in each track. “Swan Lake” begins with a clash of sounds that sound like the beginning to a rock track, [...]
Read more →Lollapalooza Review from a dedicated festie
If you ever wanted to know what beautiful chaos was then the one place for you to check out would be Lollapalooza. Within the magnificent Grant Park, there is another dimension where cell phone service is lost amongst the crowd, everyone is looking for these mysterious people Lucy and Molly, cut off shorts and cut up shirts is the suggested uniform, and literally anything goes. One thing is for sure, everyone Is there to bask in the comfort of some [...]
Read more →Lollapalooza Daily preview Sunday
It is Sunday, August 5th. The last day is always bittersweet. You have officially survived two days of some of the most beautiful chaos that you will ever experience, but sadly this is the last day you will be able to rage out in Grant Park until another year approaches. Sure you are feeling tired, but you know that today is the day that you must release all of your energy to give a lasting impression. This day there are [...]
Read more →Lollapalooza Saturday Preview
Ah, the second day of Lollapalooza, Saturday August 4th. Your adrenaline is already running on high from the excitement of the first day, and now you are going to take on the epic crowds again. Temperatures will reach 95 on Saturday, so make sure that you have lots of water to keep hydrated. After you make sure all of the necessities to enhance your experience at Lolla, it is time to focus on what is really important, the music! Some [...]
Read more →Lollapalooza daily preview Friday
People from all over will be putting on some comfy sneakers, stocking up on neon and headbands, and making sure they are nice and hydrated for a chaotic three days of music and camaraderie that is the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois. With a star studded lineup that includes some of the biggest live acts in the industry, it is no wonder that this festival sold out in record time. With Grant Park filling up with enthusiastic music fans, [...]
Read more →Azealia Banks – Fantasea album review
Azealia Banks is essentially the year 2012 embodied into one charismatic female with a love for all things Aquarian and a gorgeous mane of colorful hair. This year has probably been the craziest year for music yet. Music is steady becoming genre-less with categories of music clashing together that would never had even been a thought in someone’s mind a decade ago. Hip Hop has melded together with the high energy world of dance music, with artists like Nicki Minaj [...]
Read more →Nas – Life is Good album review
Nas is no stranger to controversy. The politically conscious rapper got noticed with his amazing ability on his debut “Illmatic.” Nas continued to make headlines as he went on to make ten studio albums, including one that was called Untitled, because the original title was rejected due to the sensitive racial epithet he was going to use. Fast forward four years to Life is Good, and Nas stirred up attention when he revealed that he was going to get personal [...]
Read more →MMG – MMG Presents Self Made Vol. 2 album review
In recent years, music collectives have been put in the forefront of the music industry with groups like YMCMB, Good Music, OFWGKTA, ASAP Mob, and Raider Klvn taking over the hip hop industry. In 2008, Maybach Music Group is Rick Ross’s addition to this trend, leading artists like Meek Mill, Wale, Gunplay, Stalley and more recently R&B crooner Omarion. Displaying their talents on Self Made Vol. 1, the first album shot Meek Mill into stardom, gaining him success on singles [...]
Read more →Smoke DZA – Rugby Thompson album review
Sometimes, when it comes to stoner rap, the only people who will enjoy the music are stoners. This isn’t the case for Smoke DZA’s signature marijuana-praising raps. For Smoke DZA’s latest album, Rugby Thompson he enlisted east coast beat maker Harry Fraud to produce the album in its entirety. This latest effort shows Smoke DZA’s growth from just another weed rapper to rapping about different content. Where this would hinder the versatility in many other albums, Harry Fraud’s soulful production [...]
Read more →