I Need My Flowers. Honest Music Review.

New Album from Len-Dor produced by Pro-Logic

Flowers are given for many reasons but the 2 that stand out to me are for death and for love. Hip-Hop itself has been going through a lot of ups and downs. Death and rebirths of styles and trends has always been part of Hip-Hop's expression and the music gives purpose and fulfillment to those trends. No matter where Hip-Hop is socially, morally and spiritually, the music is the defining characteristic of what makes the culture amazing. We celebrate the good, tolerate the bad, and revere the greats. This album will put conversation about the culture in your vibe and in your conversation with many statements made to the beat or song and the rhythm of life.

I Need My Flowers, is an album brought to you vocally by Len-Dor. A Canadian MC with Trinidadian blood and a soul of a poet that brings life to the auditory lens of the listener. He is not your typical MC. His flow is slow, deliberate and clear so you will get what he says and a lot of the messages he gives are gut checks when it comes to manhood (Discipline), faith (False Prophets), and giving your lady what she needs to feel good (Angel). An MCs job is to leave seeds in the minds of their listeners and he does this with rhymes that are written to paint pictures and sounds war on those that falsify how they represent to the people in our culture. With additional songs like Lies of Life and Speak Softly, Len-Dor gives the listener not only his experience in life but warnings to those that hurt people and to the people that are living in this hanging world we share.

The production of this album was handled by fellow MC and Producer Pro-Logic. If you love Soul samples and Boom Bap music, this album will put one in a place where the seed dropped by the lyrics are being nurtured through the bass lines and the harmony of the music rapped on when making this project. Part of making this project work in finding the sounds that make the MC speak in a way they can heard and the lyrics can be felt and both the MC and the producer were able to capture the prize of the listener's ear if they choose to hear. The highlight of the album to me is the song Bullpen.

This song gives us Hip-Hop's response to Justin Trudeau and the changing world from Canada's point of view. In America and Canada we are going through a trade war, tariff leans and economic distress. Len-Dor, Fraction and Pro-Logic strategically bring out the activism in Hip-Hop by calling out the authorities that are failing people and the expressing the pain of the citizen in this struggle being shared.

When a seed is planted and nurtured there comes a growth. This album can be used to spark the growth of the minds and inspiration to the new listeners and veterans to this artist. Those seeds will lead to the next voices that can be inspired to bring the change to the world and evolve the music to its' new age of expression. Len-Dor say he needs his flowers and he can receive them in 2 ways. 1 he deserves to get praise for releasing this project and giving the world quality Hip-Hop to help aid not only Canada but the world in understanding Hip-Hop's value in world by telling our stories about where we are from. Then 2 by giving the inspired masses that hear this music his flowers will be given as the cause to the why the people and creators have stirred to spark the minds of those to come and his flowers are the appreciation and recognition for making a project that can lift every mind to create. I Need My Flowers is the album that can teach the world Canadian Hip-Hop lives in a good place and it's fertile to grow greatness in the culture musically and socially for sure. The flowers to come will give the world something special to see, feel, and hear when the art is produced and the music is shared with the world.

I Need My Flowers:

https://len-dor.bandcamp.com/album/i-need-my-flowers

Social Media:

Len-Dor: https://www.instagram.com/len_dor13/

Pro-Logic: https://www.instagram.com/joebiwan75/

Kendrick Lamar Makes A Statement At The Super Bowl...Game Over.

Kendrick Lamar stand in the middle of a make shift American Flag

Kendrick Lamar is a G.O.A.T. contender that has made Hip-Hop culture stand at attention for the last year with a Hip-Hop battle versus another G.O.A.T. of the culture Drake. No matter how one may feel about the battle, Kendrick Lamar has taken the Super Bowl 59 stage to create a story that will change the battle rap landscape forever.

Battle Rap is a part of the Hip-Hop game where clever rhymes and theatrics have been used to 1 up a competitor with showmanship and the Super Bowl is one of the grandest stages to showcase a competitive show to dominate another rapper. After Kendrick Lamar collected 5 Grammy awards Super Bowl 59 was the next grand stage of his great career to conquer. This is an honor not many artists get to achieve and Kendrick used this opportunity to further cement his name in Hip-Hop conversation for years to come. A conversation that not only will talk about who is the greatest ever but how to use showmanship to always be remembered in the conversation.

During the show of course Kendrick did songs from his recently released album GNX. Of course Kendrick brought out his musical muse SZA to connect on the chemistry they have shown since the Marvel's Black Panther soundtrack hit "All The Stars". Those are the given, hearing good music. But the show is the key to being remembered and Kendrick did that with the many references that created a battle statement with his performance.

Samuel L. Jackson being "Uncle Sam", an American character used to give commentary to the performance, represented the sentiments of the mainstream of the music industry and America. He reminded Kendrick to "play the game", by doing his hits and giving the people what they want. Kendrick's performance was littered with references that were game changing like using the Squid Games set as a stage for his performance. The X in Squid games is a reference to end competition and it was highlighted on the stage during the performance. Kendrick Lamar had dancers dressed in the colors of the American Flag red, white and blue. The dancers not only represented the different colors of gangs in California Street culture they created the flag in symbols of joined unity and also as a separate collective to symbolize the country as well. The Game of unity and politics shown here reflects the state of the country in the new Donald Trump era of America.

With people debating if "Not Like Us" would be performed Kendrick hinted at it during the show and when it finally was played the crowd made it known that is what it came to see, the competition of Hip-Hop shown aka the hit. The Drake hate has been shown for his ability to stay at the top of the charts and this song stopped a lot of Drake's momentum. The hate for Drake has not only come from his success but the conversation has changed to his treatment of women and during the performance, an ex girlfriend of Drake, Serena Williams, made her appearance dancing in the "Not Like Us", set to make the statement of respecting the women in the culture and not using them for clout or as degraded notches under his belt. The game of optics and morality on display here.

With DJ Mustard on stage and the crowd chanting "A-Minor", Kendrick Lamar brought the battle to the mainstream and though "white mainstream America", may not understand or get it. For the Hip-Hop Kulture though, we see the play on words, the play on theatrics and we give Kendrick his just due. When you play the game there is a winner and a loser. Drake lost this battle and when the performance was over, Kendrick hit the button to signify that when the words "Game Over" appeared in the crowd. The battle in Hip-Hop went to the next level with this performance because now the evolution of the battle has taken shape. From Kool Moe Dee stepping on Kangol hats to signify his issue with LL Cool J, to the Summer Jam screen where Jay-Z went at Prodigy of Mobb Deep to claim dominance in the game. Kendrick used the biggest sporting event in North America to end a battle with a credible competitor. Even with DJ Akademiks' failed attempt to sabotage the performance by releasing the track list of the show, Kendrick made his mark and ended the battle with a smile and the words game over in the crowd.

Whether you like Kendrick or think Drake did not lose the battle, this was Hip-Hop on display and even with Lil Wayne not being chosen to perform in his home state, Hip-Hop was on full display and the world took notice. Will this performance be remembered? I believe so because it one upped showmanship and gave Hip-Hop artists another level to meet and beat when it comes to showing the world they are the best in their craft. There is only one way to secure a victory in a battle and it is to put a close on that chapter. Kendrick did that and now we wait to see what Drake will do and what is next for Kendrick Lamar and his label Pg Lang. Good job K. Dot the game is over and the conversation is finished...for now.

Triple Piragua Is The Link Where FBA and Hispanic Soul Meets. Honest Project Review.

The new album by Mic Mountain

In today's Hip-Hop climate we now have a discussion based on the question, " Who started Hip-Hop?" We have people arguing about foundational identity, culture, theft, racism, FBA and it seems everyone is forgetting about the most important aspect of Hip-Hop culture. The most important component of Hip-Hop is the soul. Mic Mountain dropped an album that delivers the soul of the islands with Hip-Hop rhythm that feeds the desire to move and enjoy the fruits of the culture.

The Hispanic culture is known for its drums and sounds that speak from congas, maracas, bongos etc. When you mix that with traditional Boom-Bap beats you set the stage for a miraculous mixture of rhythm and soul from the islands of the Caribbean to the island of NYC. Triple Piragua is just that, a perfect mixture of different cultures united by soul and sound to represent Hip-Hop culture.

Mic Mountain brings that 90s Hip-Hop feel lyrically with this album giving you bars that are flavored with Spanish lingo and English slang that will make him a stand out artist that can flow bilingually and efficiently with any artist that is out today. His guests on this album compliment him well and do not overpower him as he can stand on his own as a complete artist. Songs on his own shine on this project (Calle Soul) and songs with guests stand out to show his diversity and ability to rhyme with anyone salute to Muñeca MC (Puñetazo). Triple Pirgaua features veteran respected MCs like Psycho Les, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Prince Po, Nu-Jericans and more.

In a time where people are standing in opposition of who started what and who did this or that. Good music will be the one thing in the Hip-Hop Kulture that unifies everyone. Triple Piragua is one of those albums that can break this conversation and give everyone something to celebrate by its blend of everything that makes Hip-Hop culture great from so many people. This album has Rhythm, Blues, Soul, Drums, Beats, Bars, Entertainment and a Message. That message is that Hip-Hop is alive and well. It also shows us that through appreciating each other's perspective and truth no matter what the argument is "We Will Be Here Forever...", and good music like Triple Piragua will make sure we continue to live on in quality good music.

Triple Piragua by Mic Mountain is Available on Bandcamp and Streaming platforms to Purchase and Stream.

Listen Here:

https://micmountain.bandcamp.com/album/triple-piragua

Triple Piragua Music Video:

Triple Piragua Music Video by Mic Mountain

Mic Mountain

Social Media Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealmicmountain/

Website: https://micmountain.com/home

Meet Mic Mountain