web stats
  • Home
  • Music
    • All Music
    • Freestyles
    • Mixtapes
  • Videos
  • News
  • Exclusives + Premieres
    • Premiere
    • Exclusive Interviews
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Music
    • All Music
    • Freestyles
    • Mixtapes
  • Videos
  • News
  • Exclusives + Premieres
    • Premiere
    • Exclusive Interviews
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Album Reviews

Album Review: Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – ‘Surf’

HHNM Staff by HHNM Staff
June 3, 2015
Chance The Rapper & The Social Experiment Release ‘Surf’ For Free

surf artwork

There are not many rappers who would take the path that Chance The Rapper has chosen over the past few years. Analyzing the allure of Surf, the new free-on- iTunes album from Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, requires a bit of a refresher in order to understand how we’ve received this enchanting body of work. Chance The Rapper’s 2013 breakout project Acid Rap still stands as a critically acclaimed record and while most rappers would have used the universal praise to jump-start a promising solo career, the Chicago artist decided to pass on the label offers and officially joined on with his band The Social Experiment. This album is a product of brass virtuoso Donnie Trumpet taking the lead alongside a large group of talented creatives which includes a wide spectrum of certified emcees as well as an ensemble of instrumental experts. While fans who are expecting a standard rap album may listen to Surf and feel bewildered, the album is an exuberant, free-flowing experience which reflects an authentic level of uncompromised musicianship.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.
More Videos
0 seconds of 2 minutes, 37 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ?
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9
Next Up
Serena Williams makes appearance during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show
00:27
Live
00:00
02:37
02:37
 

While the iTunes version of Surf does not list any features, there are a noteworthy number of all-encompassing guest appearances who dive head first into the genre-bending world of The Social Experiment. The team friendly mantra of the band proves to have an eclectically effective impact on the other artists who join in on the joyful vibes of the collection. Proof of these smile-inducing moments are widespread throughout the project as the listener is treated with rejuvenated performances from Busta Rhymes and B.O.B. on “Slip Side” as well as strikingly lyrical showcases from Noname Gypsy and one of the guest-spot kings in the game J Cole. These tracks set a quality standard early on, and the well-supervised unpredictability of Surf allows the project to shine as an organic creation birthed from a progressive state of mind. Whether it is the smooth crooning of buzzing Virginia rapper D.R.A.M. (“Caretaker”) or the ‘somehow these trap artists fit right in’ appearances from King Louie and Quavo of Migos on “Familiar”, the long list of personnel on Surf helps fuel its upbeat, soulful backbone.

Despite the endless grouping of both well-known and undiscovered artists on Surf, Chance The Rapper remains unmatched in his ability to bring forth a Broadway-esque type of energy. Chance may not want the entire spotlight hovered over his enthralling character, but he takes center stage numerous times with particularly memorable moments on the mesmerizing intro “Miracle” as well as the Erykah Badu-featured “Rememory”. From a lyrical perspective, Chance The Rapper is able to package important life messages within his infectious flows and attention-grabbing delivery. The ‘be comfortable with your-self’ anthem “Wanna Be Cool” (ft. Big Sean and Jeremih) is a prime example of this as well as the thought-provoking advice of “Windows”. There is no shortage of songs with similarly cheerful attributes, and the gospel/jazz fueled production of The Social Experiment is expertly composed in a manner which empowers the purity of Chance’s meaningful, clearly vocalized expressions.

Surf is an album which refuses to abide by the standards of traditional ‘hip-hop’ music, but Chance The Rapper continues to find a way to directly reach the heart of his ever-growing fan-base. Each track (whether it’s meant to be uplifting or gloomy) on this effort is a fun-filled sonic journey and the colorful elements of its arrangement/melodies/live instrumentation qualifies Surf as a robust body of work. A portion of the hip-hop population just does not have an affinity for Chance’s style, and this project won’t change the minds of the aforementioned group. Surf is not meant to be an album for one to easily pick out two or three catchy singles and call it a day. The accessibility of the project lies in the chemistry of The Social Experiment as a band who delivered a cohesive effort (thanks to Donnie Trumpet), which can be best be described as a groovy jam out session. Chance The Rapper and The Social Experiment have garnered much popularity for their innovative nature, and Surf is only further confirmation that the collective has an enjoyable appeal which transcends the boundaries of what a ‘hip-hop centric’ band is supposed to sound like.

Repeatable: “Warm Enough”, “Windows”, “Rememory”

Skippable: “Questions”

Purchase: Free download or stream here

Related Posts

Eminem ‘Kamikaze’ Production Credits
Album Reviews

Eminem Gains Some of The Lost Ground with ‘Kamikaze’ (Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Travis Scott Unveils ‘Astroworld’ Album Cover & Track List
Album Reviews

Travis Scott Goes Grander & Joins The Company of Elites with ‘Astroworld’ (Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Drake Updates Parts of ‘Scorpion’ On Streaming Services
Album Reviews

Drake Falters But Still Gives Us Memorable Moments on ‘Scorpion’ (Album Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Stream Teyana Taylor’s New Album ‘K.T.S.E.’
Album Reviews

Teyana Taylor Proves Her Mettle with ‘K.T.S.E.’ (Album Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Kanye West & Kid Cudi Reveal ‘Kids See Ghosts’ Album Cover
Album Reviews

Kanye West & Kid Cudi – KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Album Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Stream Kanye West’s New Album ‘Ye’
Album Reviews

Kanye West’s ‘ye’ Fails to Hit The Bulls Eye (Album Review)

7 years ago

...

Read more
Load More

Discussion about this post

ADVERTISEMENT

Sign up for our NEWSLETTER for breaking stories and exclusives.

We never share your email with any 3rd party. You can unsubscribe at any time.


 

POPULAR

News

Donald Trump Says Kanye West Is Acting “Crazy” & Needs “Help”

October 17, 2022
News

Kanye Calls Drake “Greatest Rapper Ever”; Claims Drake Slept with Kris Jenner

October 16, 2022
News

Nicki Minaj & Latto Diss Each Other on Twitter; Latto Calls Nicki a “Bully”

October 14, 2022
HipHop-N-More

© 2008-2023 HipHop-N-More. All Rights Reserved.

HHNM

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Music

FOLLOW US

No Result
View All Result
  • Music
  • Videos
  • News
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • Premiere
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • New Artist Submissions
  • Read us on Google News
  • Read us on Apple News

© 2008-2023 HipHop-N-More. All Rights Reserved.