Peace and Happiness

Eh, they aight

Well, not all YNs are beefing with each other...I figured that since the Yellow Album came out this week, I should do a post on that as well.  I'm not a big Dom Kennedy supporter, in fact I don't really check for dude at all.  All I know is that he's from California, and even that I only knew because Tyler referenced him in a track (with some disdain).  This is actually good though, since I can listen to his mixtape more objectively and focus on the music rather than the person.  I'm actually kinda curious, since this is the first review I've done of something that I wasn't already bumping.


1. So Elastic - An OK way to start the album...I'm already aware from this track though that I shouldn't have my lyrical bar set too high for dude.  So, with that in mind, the track is decent.  Nice and laid-back, definitely some chillin music for summer/spring.  Like I said though, don't expect any lyrical acrobatics on this one - 3/5


2. Been Thuggin - Well, his sequencing is on point thus far.  Great way to get the energy up on the album after the first track.  It's also nice that this is a short track, I'm not REALLY trying to hear dude rap for 4 minutes, hahaha.  This track plays to his strengths though, this is a very solid track.  I fucks with it. - 4/5


3. We Ball (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) - Oh shit, a K Dot feature?  Damn, this nigga must be on a little more than I thought he was.  The beat is fire, and the overall vibe is nice.  Again, Dom's not a lyrical wizard or anything, but he does what he does and sets it up for Kendrick to slay the beat.  Not really a fan of Kendrick doing that little hook thing in between the two verses, but his verse is dope.  NOT TO MENTION THE RIC FLAIR SHIT AT THE END.  Yo, this is dope.  I'll go ahead and give it a 5/5, even though it's more like a 4.5/5


4. My Type of Party - The first misstep of the album IMO.  Not feeling anything about this track, really.  If you like it, you like it.  It's just not for me. Period. - 1/5


5. Girls on Stage - On this one, we get back to Dom's strengths.  The beat is mellow, but kinda keeps your mind off of the lyrics.  It's short and pretty to the point, which is great for Dom.  I fucks with it. - 3.5/5


6. Don't Call Me (Ft. Too $hort) - Biiiiiiiiiiiiitch!  Wait.  I don't think he said that once on this track.  Fuck!  Is a Too $hort track a Too $hort track if he doesn't say "Biiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"?  I need answers!  Anyway, this one actually has a direct message...ho don't fucking call me in the morning!  Fuck!  I'm making money!  This one's also chill as fuck, but...I really want to deduct a point for not hearing "Biiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"  Especially since he baits it at the end of the track.  - 3.5/5


7. 5.0 | Conversations - Well, he's got his formula down.  Another chill beat you can vibe to, even after the beat switch, and overall, nothing really to write home about lyrically.  I can't hate too hard on it, but he's really sounding like a Wiz Khalifa with even less lyrical ability.  - 3/5


8. Gold Alpinas (Ft. Rick Ross) - A Rick Ross feature?  Damn.  If you think reading this review has become redundant, just imagine listening to the shit...and listening to it multiple times because you don't want to miss something.  The beat is mellow.  He's got a simple hook.  And now he's got Ross on board to stunt...cars are the topic here, in addition to getting money and shit.  I fucks with Ross, but he really doesn't sound at home here.  It's wild...I hadn't heard a beat Ross didn't sound good on in a while, but...here we are. - 2.5/5


9. PG Click (Ft. Niko G4) - This one has a little more energy, which is a change from what the tape has been.  Overall though, it's just a sped-up version of any of his earlier tracks.  You can vibe to it, but you can vibe to any track on here, for the most part.  Niko isn't special either, so it's not like he can get saved by someone like on "We Ball."  Just a lot of mediocrity here.  You haven't struggled until you've tried to listen to a 7 minute track by this dude.  LUCKILY, the latter half of the track has more B.I.G. lyrics than Dom lyrics....so I was able to avoid that situation.  I'll give him credit for this though; he knows that a longer track should have the background split in two, rather than just 6+ minutes over the same beat. - 3/5


10. Lately - The beat on this is more traditional West Coast.  You could imagine Game spitting some shit over this...it's basically a low-rent Dre beat.  I wouldn't be surprised if dude was a ghost producer for the good Doctor, tbh.  It could be just exhaustion, or maybe this album is just too mellow, but at this point, I'm really tired of this guy's rap voice and his raps.  Very meh-inducing.  - 1/5


11. Hangin' (Ft. Freddie Gibbs) - When that Freddie Gibbs/Madlib project comes out, I will be one of the first ones reviewing it.  Without a doubt.  Gangsta Gibbs is that nigga.  Fittingly, this beat is less mellow, more gutter.  Interestingly enough, Dom sounds just as at home on this as on chill beats.  If you've listened to Gangsta Gibbs before, you know his shit is fire.  Great flow, great delivery...I fucks with Gibbs.  This track is a very welcome change from earlier offerings on the tape (although really, there hasn't been a mellow beat in a few songs).  This isn't the best song I've heard with Gibbs on it, but it's still a solid track - 3.5/5


12. 1:25 - This one is actually dope.  Straddles the line between bumpin and mellow, and does it well.  Dom's got a gift for adapting to any beat that he's on, and it's on display here.  Pretty decent track.  When you're not getting bombarded by mellow beat after mellow beat, you can enjoy dude's raps a little more.  - 3.5/5


13. P + H - The end of the album, this one has that generic computer voice on it at times...which isn't dope.  The beat is dope though, and the concept is nice.  A low-energy way to end an overall mellow album...which works.  Peace and happiness is all any of us can really hope for.  I fucks with this ending. - 3.5/5



Overall, he makes his weaknesses a bit too apparent on this, but he also showcases his strengths pretty well. A little too mellow for my taste, and he has no hope of shining on tracks with Kendrick Lamar or Freddie Gibbs, but overall, this is an OK mixtape.  I'm giving it a 3/5, with the final 3 tracks keeping it from a 2-2.5/5