Ann 2
Alain
JennYApathy - Wanna Snuggle? Album Review
October 26th 2009 03:37
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Label: Demigodz Enterprises
With so many big name rappers releasing their albums this year (Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, etc.), it was great to hear that underground rappers were also coming out with some new stuff. On our list of favorite rappers, Connecticut's Apathy is pretty close to the top. Relatively unknown to the mainstream, we decided to review his sophomore album to perhaps bring his music to a new audience. After the Snowgoons' collab album in the early summer, Apathy's Wanna Snuggle?
is the second underground album we're reviewing here at MuzikalMafia. Read on to find out what we thought of it. 1. Hell's Angel (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Hell's Angel is a short introductory track to the album. The second Apathy's voice comes on the mic, you get sucked in, listening to his every word. Despite being less than two minutes long, the track basically has two verses: the first in which Ap comments on the state of the economy, and the second where he formally introduces the album by saying, “Rats – I know a couple / I catch you in the jungle / 'Cause I'm a boa constrictor motherfucker – wanna snuggle?”
Alain: Hell's Angel has a smooth 90's style to it. It isn't Apathy's best beat but it's cool.
2. Money Orientated (ft. Emilio Lopez) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: In Money Orientated, Apathy ups his rhyming level. His monotone flow only enhance his rhymes which are cleverly structured throughout his verses. Emilio Lopez makes a decent appearance. I hadn't heard him in a long time so it was good to have him on here even though it felt weird – like seeing an old acquaintance that you haven't talked to in years. The beat didn't impress me. I found the voice samples very annoying after each chorus. As for the subject matter, well, the title is pretty self-explanatory and the track reminded me of Ap's “Doe For Clothes” from the Where's Your Album? mixtape.
Alain: The beat in Money Orientated is mad dope with a great bassline but I don't think Ap ripped it like he could have. The chorus was really dope and smart as he took some lines from an old rap song.
3. Gov't Cheese (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Gov't Cheese is another minute-and-a-half-long track. Here again, the subject of money is tackled; only this time, Ap talks about living in poverty. The instrumental is pretty neat: saxophones mixed with some percussion and drum machine gives it an old-school feel.
Alain: The beat on Gov't Cheese doesn't sound like an Apathy beat until he gets on it and the loop switches. This isn't his best beat either. The lyrics are cool but not ill.
4. On And Off The Mic (ft. Blacastan) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: On And Off The Mic is a good track but not as great as the others. Listening to it, it felt like the kind of track that would sound better when bumping it in the car instead of the home stereo.
Alain: Using an old drum loop and old instrument, On And Off The Mic has a 80s sound to it. What I didn't like about this track is that the beat has no feel to it. Yet, Apathy flows well on it, he flows like it was the 80s.
5. Back In L.A. (ft. Ryu & Veze Skante) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Back In L.A.'s smooth instrumental is vintage Apathy. Ryu's presence in the second verse makes it even better. I didn't really like the chorus but the track's vibe overall was great.
Alain: Back In L.A.'s beat starts out of nowhere but it's a really smooth instrumental. “Smooth” as in a song for the ladies. Ap does his thing on the mic and I liked his little singing on the chorus.
6. Shoot First (ft. B-Real & Celph Titled) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Where Back In L.A. is vintage Apathy, Shoot First's beat has Mike Shinoda written all over it. From the way the drum machine is sequenced to the small guitar notes, you can tell that the Linkin Park frontman had a hand in it. With heavyweights Apathy, B-Real and Celph Titled all taking a turn on the mic, this track is pure fire. At first listen, it seemed like the beat didn't fit with Celph but it becomes less noticeable after a couple of repeats.
Alain: What is there to say about Shoot First? Guest appearance by Celph Titled! Beat by Mike Shinoda! This track is insane! My favorite song of the album.
7. I'm A Demigod (listen to it HERE)
Ann: I'm A Demigod is all about Ap's skills on the mic. Using the beat as a measuring stick, he modulates his flow depending on the beat's level of intensity, going all out when the beat's exploding and slowing down to a monotone flow when the beat simmers down. His various shout-outs throughout the song makes it feel like a mixtape track. Among those shout-outs was the announcement that the Demigodz album is coming soon. I, for one, was happy to hear that. Excellent track produced by Teddy Roxpin.
Alain: I'm A Demigod is my second most favorite track of the album. The cut for the sample is off the hook and Ap goes hard on the mic. You can hear it in his voice. Purely raw track.
8. True Love (ft. Phonte of Little Brother) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: True Love is the album's love song similar to “Can't Nobody” from the Where's Your Album? mixtape. The boom-boom-bap of the drum machine along with the doo-wop voice loop gives this track an undeniable old-school sound that's great to listen to when you're just chilling.
Alain: True Love's beat is cool but somehow weird. It's definitely not Apathy's best beat. I don't think this song would go in my MP3. It's just too weird.
9. Mind Ya Business (ft. Chip-Fu) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Mind Ya Business is a good track with a slightly Jamaican flavor. The reggae vibe, punctuated by Chip-Fu's singing on the chorus, just makes you want to lie on a sandy beach and relax.
Alain: Mind Ya Business' beat is cool and relaxing. The mix of claps, background instrumental, and a perfectly set bassline makes for a dope beat. Ap does his thing and the chorus is cool. I love it.
10. Thinkin' (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Thinkin' has a pretty basic beat but it isn't noticeable thanks to the way Apathy carries the song with his flow. The chorus is quite catchy and stays in your head after only one listen.
Alain: Thinkin's beat sounds mad old because of the sample but that's really dope because that's hip-hop. The way they use the sample is really great. The chorus is also a good hook, not commercial but just great.
11. This Is The Formula (ft. J-Live) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: The horns in This Is The Formula's beat give it a distinctly old-school flavor. Ap and J-Live add to that feeling with a flow that feels somewhat dated yet fresh at the same time. It's definitely different from what you hear today.
Alain: This Is The Formula sounds like an instant classic song. Ap ripped the beat and the lyrics. The flow was on point. It's definitely my third favorite track.
12. Guys And Girls (ft. Blue Raspberry) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Guys And Girls' title is pretty self-explanatory. In it, Apathy explains how girls are all the same and want the same thing in guys. Ap's singing on the chorus was unexpected but after hearing it for the first time, you wonder why he doesn't try it more often. The female singing “When you put your faith in one guy / Sometimes, he'll make you happy / Sometimes he'll make you cry” at the end was a nice touch.
Alain: Guys And Girls is a song for the ladies of course. A real cool, relaxing beat. Listen to this when you wanna make a point to your girlfriend. The sample was used efficiently. The lyrics are cool.
13. Anyday (ft. King Magnetic) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Anyday is a good song. It's better to listen to it with headphones on in order to hear all the subtleties in the beat.
Alain: This song is mad cool. The beat is raw and dope. Apathy does his thing on point, that's the Ap I like. The chorus is dope. If you hate this song, something is wrong with you.
14. Candy (ft. Dose) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Candy contains a sample from the 50s. It's definitely different from anything you've ever heard. Although rappers sample a lot, they rarely leave the voice samples in their original form, opting instead for transformations which hide the samples' origins. Here, the chorus is exactly like a song you would hear in the 50s and yet the song as a whole works. A great track.
Alain: Supposedly for the ladies, Candy sounds like an 50's song for the old people to dance to only remixed, but that's only the sample. The beat is pretty cool, I feel it. You might hate it at first but you'll love it once you're used to it.
15. Run, Run Away (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Run, Run Away has a nice beat. It's a happy-go-lucky beat that just makes you want to move. What I find impressive on this album is that several samples would probably appeal to the older folks – and when I mean old, I mean “baby boomer” old – but Apathy makes it sound so fresh and modern that you can't help but like it. I mean, why can't rap today sound like Candy or Run, Run Away.
Alain: Run, Run Away is my fourth favorite song. You will never hear a rapper spit on a beat like this. It's so different; ill somehow but also relaxing and chill. It's not too jumpy but there's still a happy feeling to it. Furthermore, the chorus stays on your mind after only one listen.
16. No Sad Tomorrow (ft. Holly Brook & Mike Mass) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: No Sad Tomorrow is probably one of the weakest tracks of the album and even that is quite a stretch because it's still a pretty good song. The chorus is probably its brightest spot.
Alain: No Sad Tomorrow starts like a Japanese cartoon's theme song until the drums come in. Of course, Apathy does his thing. The chorus is also great, using a voice from somewhere.
17. Rhode Island (ft. Emilio Lopez) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Rhode Island is basically a shout-out track to the song's namesake. Apparently, that's where Ap first broke out and he simply wanted to give credit where credit is due.
Alain: Rhode Island's beat is off the hook! With a beat like that, you know whoever's on the mic has to kill it, and Apathy definitely did. This is DOPE! The chorus is pretty simple as they keep repeating “Shoutout to Rhode Island” but sometimes less is more.
18. What Goes Up (listen to it HERE)
Ann: What Goes Up starts with a sample from the 50s that transitions into the track's instrumental with the addition of a bass line. It's a quiet and relaxing instrumental. As usual, Apathy does his thing and comes out with another great track.
Alain: What Goes Up starts with an old song. The beat doesn't have any kick or hi-hat, just a little snare that I think was already in the loop. Ap has cool voice on this beat, he flows very well. This song is definitely thought-provoking.
19. Hard Times On Planet Earth (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Hard Times is a great track about Ap's career. From being ignored due to color of his skin to leaving Atlantic Records and becoming famous without having any “big money” come in, Ap wonders if life wouldn't have been better if he had just gone to school and became an engineer.
Alain: On this song, the chops from the loop are crazy and the drum pattern is well-made. And Ap once again does his thing. The chorus is a little lazy though. They didn't seem to make alot on it.
20. Slave (ft. Motive) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: On Slave, Ap's skills on the mic take center stage supported by a Poltergeist-like instrumental.
Alain: Slave's beat has an old gangster feel to it. The drum pattern is simply raw and the sample is mad scary and crazy. Apathy speaks like narrator of an horror movie. This track is dope. It's different from everything on this album.
21. Victim (ft. Holly Brook) (listen to it HERE)
Ann: Apathy simply kills it on Victim. Here again, the quiet instrumental leaves the spotlight to Ap's rapping. Holly Brook does a masterful job on the chorus. It's a perfect ending to what seems like a flawless record.
Alain: Victim starts with a guitar loop, then both Ap and the drums kick in. In my opinion, this beat is too simple – a guitar loop with basic drums, it was boring. Yet, Ap puts his storytelling skills to good use here and Holly Brook did a nice job on the chorus. Still, the song is not really special.
Final Word
Ann: Although Apathy's Wanna Snuggle? isn't as raw as his previous work, it's certainly his most consistent for lack of a better term. No track disappoints here and even when it feels like a track isn't as good as the others, a couple more listens usually set the record straight. The album gets better as you make your way through. After a handful of good tracks, the album really takes off from the sixth track on. When I finished listening to the album, my mind was made up, this is a 4.75/5. A couple of tracks kept me from giving it a perfect score but Wanna Snuggle? is definitely one of my favorite – if not my outright favorite – album this year. A MUST-BUY.
Alain: I give this album a 8.5/10. It's totally different from what you find on the shelves these days. Ap keeps the underground/old-school hip-hop feeling on this record. The only reason why Wanna Snuggle? is not a 9 is because I prefer Ap's first album. But that's just me. It's not that this album sucked or anything, it's only that it was totally different from the first one. It's good that Ap is experimenting but I prefer his style on his first album. But like I said, Ap spit on some beat that rappers today wouldn't even have the courage to spit on. Rappers nowadays are 75% beat, 25% lyrics, meaning if their beat sucks, the whole song sucks. Ap is 35% beat and 65% lyrics. He can kill a beat, no matter what the style is. If the beat is crazy, Apathy will lyrically put it on another level and you can hear it in his voice when he wants to go in or not. I don't understand why he's not known and respected the way he should be. Apathy is one of the illest MCs out there. Go check him out.
I personally think that the reason why his beats on this record weren't as good as the ones on his mixtapes is the copyrights for the samples. Since clearing samples can get pretty expensive, he can't sample anything like Kanye does so he samples what he can. I'm not saying he ain't rich or anything, I don't know, but listen to his mixtapes, the beats are insane. Anyways, I definitely recommend this album. There isn't a song that sucked enough to make me skip to the next one. Wanna Snuggle? is a MUST-BUY!
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, a throwback to their dance-pop early years. 
