childish gambino – Radio Laurier

April 4, 20170 Comments

Week 12.2 – A Farewell – April 3, 2017

For the very last time, DJs Deej, Nix, and Winks were in the studio. First and foremost, we would like to thank all of the supporters of the show who have tuned in on Monday nights, our management team, Radio Laurier, and Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications. Each piece is truly appreciated.

ICYMI, here is our year in summary:

This year brought about a lot of growth for the “After Class” brand on social media. Just last year, DJ Deej launched the @RLAfterCLass Facebook page. During this school year, the page crossed the 100 like threshold. Twitter under the same handle as Facebook was present, but DJ Winks brought the feed back to life with the “Track of the Day” feature, and well-timed updates and playlists. Through DJ Nix, we made our way onto Instagram under the handle @afterclazz. Although we are not going to be on the air anymore, we still intend to keep these social media channels going to put our successors in an excellent position for next year.

We went through our highlights of each month. They included DJ Nix joining the team in September; getting creative with homemade Halloween costumes in October; The Weeknd releasing Starboy in November; Childish Gambino releasing Awaken, My Love! in December; celebrating DJ Nix’s birthday in January; travelling to New York (Nix) and getting wisdom teeth out (Deej) in February; the Ripley’s Aquarium (Winks) and Drake’s More Life in March; and DJ Deej’s birthday and the upcoming WLUSP Volunteer Appreciation awards for April.

We were fortunate to be able to attend a few concerts during the school year and write several reviews on both those and albums that we loved. Click the links below to read:

Concerts: Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Matthew Good

Albums: Starboy, Awaken, My Love!, Culture

Our last track list is as follows:

“Redbone” – Childish Gambino
“Fade Away” – Logic
“M.A.A.D. City” – Kendrick Lamar
“Rockabye Baby” – Joey Bada$$ & Future
“HUMBLE.” – Kendrick Lamar
“Trophies” – Drake
“Poetic Justice” – Kendrick Lamar ft. Drake
“Down For Me” – G-Eazy & Carnage
“Chillin” – Wale ft. Lady GaGa
“The Good-bye Song” – Out of the Box

Friendships were created and strengthened, music and issues in the media were debated, and nothing but good times were had. After a collective five years with Radio Laurier, we can honestly say that we are proud of what we have accomplished. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity, and look forward to watching the station continue to grow.

Good-bye, for now, until we meet again.

Much love,

Deej, Nix, and Winks

Radio Laurier’s After Class 2016-2017

The Zeitgeist of Hip-Hop: Migos’ Culture

Album Reviews

February 6, 20171 Comment

The Zeitgeist of Hip-Hop: Migos’ Culture

Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, set social media ablaze with all things Migos on January 8th when he shouted out the Atlanta hip-hop trio and their single “Bad and Boujee” during his first Golden Globes acceptance speech. The big ups to Migos increased Spotify streams of the single by a staggering 243 percent and it didn’t stop there—Glover confirmed an upcoming collaboration with the group and proclaimed Migos “the Beatles of this generation.” Currently, “Bad and Boujee” is the number one song on the Billboard 100.

Migos, no strangers to the charts, have ruled the past few years with singles such as “Versace” with a feature by Drake, “Look at my Dab,” and “Fight Night,” but would the string of successes continue for the trap trio upon the release of their latest musical effort?

With much hype and anticipation, Migos released their sophomore full-length album, Culture, on January 27th with features from heavy-hitters like Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert and 2 Chainz. Upon listening to the album through, I could not help but notice the vocal seamlessness of Qauvo, Offset, and Takeoff—a melodic and literal representation of their growth since their 2013 mixtape, Y.R.N. (Young Rich N****s). Migos’ growth spurt did not leave their signature catchy hooks and undeniable chemistry in the dust, but played on these strengths and set the bar for the future of hip-hop.

Most of the 13 songs on the album feature a heavy bass line without sounding indistinguishable from one another as unique songs. Being said, Migos has gone from mastering the art of the single to mastering the art of the album.

The Migos, without hesitation, have launched beyond notoriety into superstar status.

If you’re bad and boujee, you will (probably) like these tracks from Culture:

“Get Right Witcha”
“Slippery (feat. Gucci Mane)”
“Deadz (feat. 2 Chainz)”
“Out Yo Way”

Shows/After Class

January 10, 20170 Comments

Week 1.2: January 9, 2017

DJs Deej, Nix, and Winks would like to welcome everyone to 2017. The trio had a few weeks to rest and recupe for the new term, and had a lot to talk about as a result.

Movie Reviews:

Passengers (DJ Nix) – cool concept, but too much focus on a romance (6.5/10).
Rogue One (DJ Winks and DJ Deej) – excellent CGI and testaments to the original (7.5/10).
Why Him (DJ Nix) – easy watch utrageous humour but done right for the length (7/10).
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (DJ Deej) – good CGI and references to the world of Harry Potter, but the film was too overloaded with snippets of plot for what is expected to be a five film franchise (7/10).

Music: None of the hosts watched The Golden Globes, but the highlights were certainly there. Specifically, the fact that Childish Gambino thanked Migos for making “Bad and Boujee.” His hit show Atlanta took home an award, but the speech is the talk of the town. Since being made, the hit track has had an increase of stream volume of 234%. That’s the power of word of mouth.

Night Life: The owner of popular the Uptown Waterloo spots Night School / Stark and Perri just launched his newest venture on the 3rd of January, called “Becky’s Apartment.” It promises a youthful yet homey atmosphere. The DJs plan to check it out together after next week’s show; stay tuned for reviews!

This week’s track list is as follows:

“Random” – G-Eazy
“Controlla” – Drake
“Wild Child” – Lupe Fiasco ft. Jake Torrey
“On Top” – Flume ft. T-Shirt
“Moves” – Big Sean
“Stay Close” – Flume
“Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran
“Castro” – Yo Gotti ft. Kanye West, Big Sean, Quavo, 2 Chainz
“All In” – Kid Cudi
“Multiply” – A$AP Rocky ft. Juicy J

Mondays from 10-11 p.m. Tune in, and turn up.

Shows/The RapUp

December 7, 20160 Comments

The Rap Up: Episode No. 12

It’s Going to be a Cole Winter

King Cole has done is again!!! Damnnnn J. Cole back again with another Album. The is titled For Your Eyes Only. After a two-year hiatus, it is safe to say the J. Cole is back again to cause a lot of rumble with his next album. The album is set to release on December 9, 2016. Cole released a documentary that was exclusively on Tidal showing the process of a day in his life and how a regular day in the studio is like for him. In the documentary, Cole released two videos, “False Prophets” and “Everybody Dies”. The records have caused quite a stir in typical Cole fashion as he sits back and watch the reactions. The track list for the upcoming album was released last night with ten songs and there were no features on the album. Just another album to go platinum with without any features. Cole has proven over the years that he is lyrical and is not to be messed with on the mic. As the days goes by the anticipation for the album grows. Cole brings the style of old school hip hop to the new school crowd.

Awaken, My Haters

Childish Gambino dropped a brand new album this week, but unfortunately thanks to J. Cole, it has been slightly over shadowed. Gambino’s latest effort Awaken, My Love has been receiving mixed reviews. First and foremost, this is not a traditional Hip-Hop album, which has caught quite a few people off guard. If you can manage to get over the fact there is no “single” or “bars”, it’s a bit easier to digest. The sound of the 11 track album has been described by fans as “1970’s heroin funk” (whatever that means), unapologetic acid-soul (again whatever that means), and Gambinos transition from Childish to Adultish Gambino. While artistic progression is always the moniker of a pure artist, this album is admittedly more difficult to digest than his previous works, and requires a more complex appreciation. Usually HotNewHipHop.com‘s comment section is nothing more than trolls and jokes however a user explained the our feelings of this album perfectly, “Album is not for everybody thats obvious. Some will f*** with it and some won’t. Me personally it’s not what I was hoping for but I like it for what it is.”

(Written by Garrick Gray & TJ Mroz)

Songs Played This Week:

Everybody Dies – J.Cole (7:11)

False Prophets – J.Cole (30:35)

Wrote My Way Out – Nas & Dave East

Leave Me – Post Malone

Rockin – The Weeknd

All I Know – The Weeknd Ft. Future

Terrified – Childish Gambino

Stand Tall – Childish Gambino

Dear Theodosia – Chance the Rapper, Francis & the Lights

Baptized In Fire – Kid Cudi (E)

Drove U Crazy – Gucci Mane Ft. Bryson Tiller (E)

Suggested Articles:

Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!”

Williams & Williams in the Morning – December 2, 2016

Shows/After Class

December 6, 20160 Comments

Week 12: December 5, 2016

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There was so much to talk about; this weekend was very overwhelming for music (but in the best way possible). Childish Gambino dropped his third studio album, Awaken, My Love!, a new song by Kid Cudi and Travi$ Scott titled “Baptized In Fire” was released a teaser for Cudi’s upcoming album, and J.Cole released album artwork and videos for the sudden release of his fourth studio album, titled 4 Your Eyes Only. DJs Deej, Nix, and Winks are happy with, and looking forward to everything.

In a slight revisit of Starboy by The Weeknd, the DJs looked at its progress since its release. As of right now, all eighteen tracks are on the Billboard Top 100 list, which is a repeat of the accomplishment that the artist had with his last album, The Beauty Behind the Madness.

It was a little bittersweet for the trio, as it was the last show of the semester. There are only twelve episodes left before they leave Laurier for the next step in academia, and otherwise. It may seem like a lot, but this term has gone by quickly. The trio are looking at introducing some new segments next term. If you want us to highlight a less mainstream artist, please Tweet us at @RLAfterClass or comment on our Instagram post @afterclazz.

This week’s track list is as follows:

“True Colours” – The Weeknd
“Redbone” – Childish Gambino
“St. Tropez” – J. Cole
“Leave” – Post Malone
“Now and Later” – Sage the Gemini
“Snow (Hey Oh)” – Red Hot Chili Pepper
“All Night” – The Vamps ft. Matona
“Old Thing Back” – Matoma ft. Ja Rule and The Notorious B.I.G.

Album Reviews

December 2, 20161 Comment

Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!”

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It’s here. Childish Gambino has released his third studio album, Awaken, My Love! It is available on iTunes and Apple Music, Glassnote, Spotify, and through what he terms as a “virtual reality vinyl.” It is 11 tracks of nothing less than soul food. There is not a single ounce of rapping on the album. It is filled with smooth vibes, instrumentals, choir vocals, and overlaid spoken word. So far, besides the originally released singles of “Me and Your Mama” and “Redbone,” I am really into the songs “Baby Boy” and “Stand Tall,” as well as “California.”

Since it has only been released today, there is not yet any indication that Childish Gambino plans to tour this album, but because it is such easy listening, I wonder how it would do in a live setting. When I saw Gambino in back in 2014, he freestyle rapped and sang near the end of his performance, and it went from a hype hip-hop to a coffee house vibe in the blink of an eye. It was unexpected for a lot of people, given how fast-paced the rest of the show was. For me, this album is reminiscent of that specific moment, and therefore I think it could be carried forward in a tour.

In the spirit of subtle marketing, Gambino snuck his album artwork into the 9th episode of his show, Atlanta, called “Juneteenth.” The rapper (if we can even classify him anymore, being that he is so versatile), both writes and produces the show, as well as stars in it. As I said before, is there anything that he can’t do?

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There is only one song that I am huge not on, and it’s called “Riot.” It seems to disrupt the cohesion of the album a little bit, but this could change after a few more listens. Overall, I am going to give the album a rating of 9 out of 10.

ICYMI, this is the audio of the first single from the album, titled “Me and Your Mama.”