Forever Be Known - Demps

            Now one of my favorite tunes for summer, probably the second track I heard from Demps as well. He starts off on the right foot, and just lets you soak the beat up. And perfectly in sync with it. The production is simply amazing. As he mentions the beat is by Kanye West.
            Before this song I had not heard this beat. This beat is practically the definition of summer chilling. I just can't think of a beat I like more than during the summer. From the smooth bass, and those soft drums, to that soul sample. It is so perfect in every way, the way it goes from slow and smooth, carrying to more intensity, almost effortlessly on Mr. West's part, that just makes it too damn good. You will also notice some trumpets play at one point. This beat just makes you want to sit back and watch the sunset. Ah puts your mind in a state of sedation, where the only thing around you in this song. And for awhile it will be up there will my favorite instrumentals.
           As for the rap, well it is interesting. Quite a few clever lines. But for the overall image of it, it really puts you in for that summer feel. Just going place to place to chill out with other people, the perfect summer days are like that. The lyrics tell us he is just a simple guy on his mission to be somebody. Telling the stories of himself in a small town making the best of it. On his quest to be forever known.
You just have to listen to this one. That is all I have to say.

Summertime- Demps

Ah, summertime.......

Relax, think, and esape

           One of my favorite summertime tracks, how appropriate. The beat is really one of those feel good tunes, and Demps brings some pretty hot wordplay and such. Since we live in the same area, I really connected with a lot of the lyrics and such. Just can't help resist that line:

Nothin' like Dalton in the summertime

Double true to that. Indeed a summertime feel to it. One of relaxation and a lot of good imagery to set your mind free. The chorus is great too, once again so many good words that just say, it is summertime. Days of running under the sunshine, and nights dreaming above the stars. Or days that seemed to last forever, whether just vibing out to music or whatnot. This song is here to tell you that summer is just that So many perfect memories of summertime. With a bunch of hot lines you can't go wrong with this song. The chorus just hits the spot:

The winds in my hair in the summertime heat

I feel good rappin' to a summertime beat

Fancy lifestyle fresh kicks on my feet

Summertime's wheres my mind finds its retreat

Really puts a lot of summer feel into every line. The 1st in that simple feel of summer, that you are really outside enjoying the weather, the simplest way to enjoy it. Then of course you can be rappin' or doing other work, that is another part of summer, doing things during summer that just feels good. You also feel good and just comfortable with who you are, you may be living any lifestyle with any pair of shoes, but it will always feel fancy during the summertime. And the last line is just a given of summer, that is where I imagine everyone finds there retreat. That is the time when you can just lay back and take it all in. My mind can unwind and just finally get on track with what I want in life. Maybe that is what summer is all about. Perhaps that is when we finally get to dream with our eyes open. We just have all that time to really consider what is important to us and what we can do better ourselves, and better plan to live a happy life. Even if you aren't living a fancy lifestyle you can at least relax in the summertime heat, and get to that fancy lifestyle of yours, whatever that may be. That fancy lifestyle can be what our personal success is, or of course taken literally, it is a life of leisure and wealth. Which is what we all want. However, we all have our own definitions of leisure and wealth, which makes everyone success different from everybody elses. Yep, the chorus is pretty damn good.

          Another interesting part of the song is how the verses really change throughout. The 1st verse kind of establishes him as a rapper, just a lot fun put in his lines, and he really puts out that he may have what it takes to be a great rapper. Then the 2nd verse really puts a lot of sense into the summer theme in relation to the chorus. He speaks of what he was, and how he has changed and that his foundation of himself has completely changed since then. And he is happy with this change, and that he has found himself without need of correction. That is really a true look at summer, at this point we have no struggles and all we can do is just look at ourselves in the past and dream of what is ahead. Without the stress of normal life, we feel like we have no other corrections for ourselves. As we have just completed something amazing, such as a school year. So what now? Well nothing but celebrate, and just enjoy the summer. That you see, is the time we reminisce and look backwards and ahead. The 3rd verse really completes the feel, also parallel to the end of summer as well. By the end, there isn't much to do but hangout and get ready to spread out like graffiti on a train. Again, the dreams that we plan for ourselves, ready to go out and chase our goals. Summer is that important, gives us the time to establish ourselves, and get ready for what is ahead, looking at how we used to be and improving upon ourselves based on what we know. So enjoy your summer while you can, it feels like forever away, but before you know it. It will be the end of August.
           He does a great job introducing the beat. As it just starts up he says:

With a beat like this. I can't imagine that'd you'd feel bad

The beat is really jumpy and gives you that a really great feel. A good use of synths, and a huge assortment of other electronic sounds. Nice feel to it, however that is required of a summertime track, it needs to make you feel good. Summertime is exactly that. Most summer jams should help us with my whole summer philosophy above, helps us think while keeping our overall emotions happy and positive. 

A true track of gold. Something I never want to forget as I get older.

The Summer Mixtape - Demps

           This was another first of my hip-hop albums. After buying my debut CD's I was already really liking the vibe I got from my hip-hop library; which at the time was only consisting of 3 albums; yet there was so much more to look in qualities of hip-hop. This wasn't an actual album, and if you don't know me personally you probably don't have it, although that'd be cool if you did. It was basically just a mix-tape made from a friend of mine. And at the time I wasn't aware that people could just rap over tracks and just turn out something good. When I first heard I was just so surprised of the quality and thought how amazing was that he could make this music. And I really like the feel of most of the tracks, and the raps are all quite good.
           There are a few tracks that are actually favorites of my whole selection of songs, so the mixtape is definitely worth checking out. This was actually the same friend from my 1st post. At the time he was just selling CDs and now he has quite a bit more material.
           A lot of the tracks you can find on Youtube. You can search him on the site by K Demps. Now he just goes by Demps. Hopefully this will help you understand more as I review tracks. There feels vary throughout the album.

Songs that are more upbeat and fun:

I Love Weekends- Parody to "I Love College"

Fire Side Rhymes- Pretty sure it was a freestyle. Still quite awesome.

Outta World- Really fun beat, kind of a goofy and funny song.

L.A.X.- No doubt the sickest track on the album, a ridiculous flow and a great instrumental.

Verbal Threat- Vicious attack to other rappers out there.

Summertime- Another great highlight of the album. The beat just makes you feel great.

We Reminisce- Perhaps a whole story about him and a certain girl. Really nice beat to ride to.

More Emotional or Laid Back:

Nothing Like Me- A gritty and realistic story, that really progresses throughout the song.

Back To the Old Ways- A track that he reminisces on, and reflects on changes.

Gold- A great cover of Kanye West's Drive Slow. Really great rhymes.

Family Business- A very sentimental song, about his sister. Just listen.

Key to the City- Really chilled out beat, makes everything around you slow down.

Ctown 2001- I believe that this is the best track on the album, so much nostalgia.

          I will definitely try and review most of these throughout the summer, but I do have some other projects I plan to review. Make sure you have a great summer, and bump some good tunes.