Skip to main content

R.I.P. Nipsey Hussle - Revisiting Victory Lap



I was shocked to hear about Nipsey's murder earlier this week. The L.A. rapper had been active for nearly 15 years when he finally released his major debut "Victory Lap" last year to both critical and fan acclaim. He was the poster child for how hard work and dedication finally pay off when you don't let go and don't compromise. His message of approaching life as a marathon rather than a sprint resonated with all audiences no matter where you're from or what your upbringing was. He really was bigger than life, and like a Tupac before him, his message touched a lot of people and he was trying to do a lot of good for his community.

Outside of the "Victory Lap" album, his discography is very long and you should check out his "Bullets Ain't Got No Name" and "Marathon" mixtape series. It's been just over a year since "Victory Lap" released and as I was listening to it yesterday I couldn't help but think that it has classic album potential. I was already ranking it number ONE  Rap/Hip Hop album of last year and now would definitely put it my top 5 so far this decade.

From the opening celebratory track to the last hidden bonus track, "Victory Lap" brings you into Nipsey's world of constant grind and never ending search for self-improvement. This album definitely has a mood of its own and sounds like nothing else.

Every single song on the album is a potential single, and most turned out to be released as singles long after the album came out. Take the title track for example, where Nipsey Hussle raps gems like "Yeah, look I'm finna take it there/This time around I'ma make it clear/Spoke some things into the universe and they appeared/I say it's worth it, I won't say it's fair/Find your purpose or you wasting air" over a banging beat supported by Stacy Barthe's singing, showing you don't have to dumb it down to make a hit.



The YG-assisted "Last Time That I Checc'd" has him trading bars of wisdom with a rival gang affiliate over a beat you would normally only expect to hear pure bragadoccio raps on.





And the list goes on with a star-studded cast with some of the most popular and most talented names in urban music from Kendrick Lamar, to Cee-lo and P. Diddy. The hits are too many to name and each song has its load of lessons and insights into how to find a way to a successful life.

"Victory Lap" is the ultimate blueprint to success through hardship and will resonate with everyone who strive to do better in life. Nipsey's passing away is heartbreaking, but this piece of music will ensure a long-lasting legacy for the sunny state figure. R.I.P. Nipsey. Your music will always live on.



Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Top 10 Rap Albums of 2023

I always like to take time now to reflect on releases from the previous year. There’s so much music coming out that it is difficult to make up your mind on a top 10 at the end of the year. You’ve got to wait until early the following year and let the music sink in, sit with the output a little while before you can put a best of list together. We’re now almost at the end of February and I feel like I can present my top 10 for 2023. So here we go for another ranking, starting from the top with number 10, and making my way down to number 1. 10. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday 2 I’ve never been much of a fan. I’ve always seen Nicki Minaj’s music as pop rather than rap and hip hop. That was until I checked out her 2018 album “Queen” on which she leaned a lot more on the rapping than the singing and that album I kind of liked. Nicki Minaj had not released a proper project since then and there was much anticipation for “Pink Friday 2”, even more so that this is the part 2 to what his seen by most a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Most Anticipated Albums of 2023

 Only just finished putting together my 2022 year end list and back again with a list of my most anticipated rap albums of 2023. Some of these have been announced - with or without firm dates - and some of have not, but there is a good chance they will come out in 2023. Let’s get into it! Skyzoo & The Other Guys: The Mind of A Saint Inspired by the TV show “Snowfall” which recounts the story of one of the most prominent drug dealers, the album will be tapped from the perspective of a fictional character, Franklin Saint, who has gone from through the trials and tribulations of a major trafficker. But unlike many rap albums that glorify the life, Skyzoo plans on addressing the harsh lessons of the life of crime and use it the album as a vehicle to show the double-sided reality, which is something many rappers fail to tackle. Knowing Skyzoo’s skills and with his 2021 album still in rotation, I’m sure we’ll be in for a treat. Dropping January 13th, 2023. El Michels Affair & Bla...
Post a Comment
Read more