Lil Wayne, J Cole, Dr. Dre bound to impress

Music to My Ears: CunninLynguists Make Dreams a Reality

After listening to CunninLynguists' newest album, "Oneirology," I was struck by two things: how very similar and yet how very different it was from CunninLynguists' previous work.

Music to My Ears: Lil Wayne album lacks luster, “Watch the Throne” shines

Welcome back to another school year! Since my primary objective is to share awesome music with my readers, I have decided to widen the scope of this column beyond hip-hop releases to better achieve this goal. While hip-hop is certainly a big part of my life, it is by no means the only genre of music that excites me—I look forward to sharing other genres as well. Of course, you can still expect hip-hop reviews and recommendations about hip-hop, starting today with my discussion of the August 29 release, "Tha Carter IV."

Music to My Ears

Lil Wayne, J Cole, Dr. Dre bound to impress

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

Ryan Erskine

Columnist

May 6, 2011

As I ponder an appropriate farewell, I reflect on what my intentions were when I began this musical column. One goal was to provide readers with comprehensive and thoughtful reviews of recent albums from hip-hop moguls and veterans. I also hoped to suggest new music from up-and-comers that were less well known.

Upon reflection, I realize that the majority of my reviews have focused on releases that most excited or compelled me. After all, readers would have found little use for this column if it concentrated on disappointing albums that I thought should be avoided. Even when a review required negativity, I analyzed that particular album so as to express something positive or to at least voice confidence in that artist's future projects.

With this goal in mind, it is fitting to end the semester with suggestions of near-future releases that I am eagerly anticipating. This way, readers can kick off the summer with an eye out for what I expect to be among the best of 2011.

Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV"

One album that I have been awaiting since its predecessor is Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV." Although you will be hard-pressed to find a month where Lil Wayne has not produced something notable, the entire "Carter" series has propelled Lil Wayne into superstardom. We heard "Go DJ" on "Tha Carter," and "Fireman" on "The Carter II."

Then Wayne's third "Carter" album exploded with hits like "A Milli," "Lollipop," and "Mr. Carter," just to name a few. Lil Wayne then released "I Am Not a Human Being" while incarcerated, which was supposed to consist of leftover tracks from the upcoming "Tha Carter IV."

Since his release from jail, Lil Wayne released the first single, "6 Foot 7 Foot," which was produced by Bangladesh, the same producer behind the monster hit "A Milli." Rumors have been flying that Lil Wayne has ditched his jailhouse work and started from scratch on his new album. But, the extent to which "I Am Not a Human Being" is tied to the upcoming album is really a non-issue. I am confident that Lil Wayne will deliver and I definitely recommend watching out for its supposed release on June 21.

J Cole's Debut

Another exciting and anticipated release is J Cole's debut album, which has yet to be named but should be released in 2011. J Cole, signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, has released three impressive mixtapes that all point to an incredible future rap career. His most recent mixtape, "Friday Night Lights," has me craving the release of his debut album.

The production is amazing (especially for a mixtape), and the lyrics are particularly creative. Although many rappers who exude the most confidence ironically show the least skill, J Cole is an exception. Until J Cole releases his debut, be sure to listen to the first single, "Who Dat," as well as his "Friday Night Lights" mixtape.

Dr. Dre's "Detox"

Finally, an album that nearly every hip-hop fan has been awaiting for over a decade—Dr. Dre's newest album, "Detox." Since his 1999 album, "2001," Dr. Dre has been primarily focused on the production side of the industry, producing much of Eminem's work as well as songs for 50 Cent, The Game, and others. During those years, rumors of "Detox's" release repeatedly resurfaced, only to be met with more delays.

When it seemed that "Detox" was only a joke or simply too good to be true, Dr. Dre proved otherwise by releasing singles from the anticipated work at the end of 2010. "Kush (featuring Snoop Dogg & Akon)" achieved immediate success and "I Need a Doctor (featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey)" gained even greater acclaim in 2011, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A third single called "Die Hard" is due to be released today. Whether Dr. Dre is milking the publicity or merely waiting to perfect the album, I think it is safe to predict that "Detox" will be one of the most important hip-hop albums of the modern era.

The Dean's List

For readers hoping for immediate satisfaction while they join me in awaiting these 2011 releases, check out The Dean's List's newest mixtape entitled "The Drive-In." Their music has a similar vibe to Chiddy Bang's "The Swelly Express," but they add their own unique flavor.

Happy listening, and have a great summer!

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