Reviews
Vince Staples: Prima Donna –After the critically acclaimed Summertime
‘06, Vince is back with the 7 track EP, Prima Donna. Stylistically, Vince is in a
sort of post-Summertime place. The content isn’t any brighter, but sonically
and technically Vince is on to something different. As he paints his reality in
the most descriptive and accurate way possible, it is obvious that Vince hasn’t
changed, and, even more troubling, he isn’t at ease either. Contrary to the negative emotions that he portrays on Prima Donna is the production that sounds
bouncy and lively. While the low quality audio recording interludes add character, they feel like leftovers from Summertime, and I feel like Vince is moving in a
more theatrical direction. Prima Donna definitely signifies that the Long Beach
rapper is changing direction, but through the music he opts to turn on his hazards instead of simply using one of his blinkers.
-Rosh Jobin
Willis The Lion: Lion Season – Willis got really funky with this one. Smooth
as hell from start to finish, Lion Season really shows the growth of Willis’s style
from his previous mixtapes. With aspects of jazz becoming a basis of his sound.
The highlights of the project were the spoken word portions that really illustrate his thoughts in the most natural and vulnerable fashion with ease. Paired
with the positive messages and the nice vibes from the music, Lion Season is
a staple in Willis’s steadily growing catalogue and an excellent introduction to
the Stone Mountain artist.
-Rosh Jobin
Lil Yachty: Summer Songs 2 – Lil Yachty surprised me with this one. Summer Songs 2 fixes just about everything that bothered me with his previous
mixtape, “Lil Boat: The Mixtape.” The entire vibe of the project feels amazing,
and masks the quality of the material for the majority of the project. Yachty
shows that he’s more than just a one trick pony by rapping with slightly better
bars on this mixtape. However, he continues to shine more in his emotional autotune crooning. For those who doubt whether his music really connects with
the masses or whether he has the potential to really impact the rap game, then
look no further. Because whether you hate him or love him, Summer Songs 2
gives Lil Yachty the footing he needs to actually change Hip Hop’s landscape,
one “Lil Boat!” at a time.
-Rosh Jobin
All reviews were written by Rosh Jobin, Kyra Williams, and Mason Murphy.
Let us know if you agree or disagree with us on Twitter.
Rosh Jobin : @roshjobin
Kyra Williams : @kyraolivia1008
Mason Murphy : @ soundblaster98
& Check out the revivews that didn’t make Issue 14 on roshuareview.com
featuringCASH&TERRYAPOLLO
Date- July 26, 2016
I met these two guys on the same day that I met Kodie Shane. In fact, I interviewed them right after I interviewed
the Sailing Team star. But in reality, none of that was supposed to happen. So how did these two brand new artists find
their way into the 14th issue?
These guys are good friends of the one and only Mxdern Ade’, a longtime friend of The Roshua Review. So when
X artist cancelled on me after I paid $50 to reserve Mark SQuared Studios, I was basically losing my shit. No negative
energy towards X artist though; I understand things happen. However, on this Tuesday, I wasn’t in as much of a positive space. I was literally on my way to the studio when I got the news, so I’m frantically calling everyone on my “Need
to Interview” list. I called really dope artists like Jeremy Chine, Tero Demarcos, Count Qua, LongMoneyTez, and Will
Hill to see if they could come through short notice, but there was-understandably- one reoccurring reply: No. So here
I am hating life while I’m driving to Tucker, GA, and I’m dreading the fact that I’m down $25 that I invested into TRR.
In hindsight, that sounds really cheap, but at the time I was operating paycheck to paycheck and couldn’t afford to
be cancelled on. So it is 2:30, and I’m about 20 minutes away from the studio. Alexa is in the passenger seat trying to
find anything remotely positive about this situation. Her trying to cheer me up gives me a little hope and somehow
inspires me to call the big man himself. I remember Ade’ telling me about a multitude of artists that he knows that I
need to interview, so when he picks up I beg him to just bring me one. One artist to Mark SQuared Studios by 4:00;
that’s all I need. And although he doesn’t make any promises, I find solace that there’s a possibility that this reservation isn’t going to waste. I hang up the phone and hope for the best as we inch closer to our destination.
I arrive to the studio and get set up. My bro Corey pulls up in a Lyft because he’s a Sailing Team fan boy, and wants
to meet Kodie Shane personally. Everything’s good to go as the clock hits 3:00, and there is a mean ass silence filling
the room. So now I’m waiting on Kodie Shane to show up for what turns out to be an oober long time, and I start
freaking out about how the day has gone to a waste.
Then I get the call. Ade’ came through with the plug, and he’s 30 minutes away. If “My Nigga” would have started
blasting from the obnoxiously loud speaker in the next room over, I wouldn’t have even been mad. Although I had no
idea who he was bringing with him, I felt an enormous sense of relief, and from that point on the day really made a
turn for the better. About 15 minutes later, Kodie arrived, and we had a super cool interview that I knew would make
waves on the internet. We took some quick pictures and said our goodbyes as Kodie dipped out the studio to find
some food.
Almost immediately I get a call from Ade’ trying to figure out where we are. I walk out the room to try and give him
directions and I’m face to face with him. To this day, I don’t understand how those guys didn’t run into Kodie Shane,
because they literally came in right when she left.
So now I get to finally meet who I’m about to sit down and have a conversation with: Cash & Terry Apollo.
Who are these guys, though? Well, they’re two artists from the Southside of Atlanta who’ve got something to say. We
talk for about 15 minutes, and I can tell that the two a re like brothers. They practically finish each other’s sentences and share some pretty similar views on many issues. Cash, a rapper, and Terry Apollo, a singer, have yet to truly
release material, but if their music reflects their thoughts then we’re all in for a treat. During our conversation, we
discussed Police Brutality, Drug Addiction, Opportunity, and Assessing one’s self. They addressed each subject with
great opinions and heartfelt answers, and it was a deep transition from the Kodie Shane interview that I literally had
less than 20 minutes ago. It was a necessary one though. Many times with artists, it’s hard to reach that point of a deep
conversation because music comes first and foremost. But since I wasn’t familiar with any of their work, we could dive
right in to some important conversations without any ego stroking, boasting, or celebrity name dropping. These two
guys haven’t glimpsed the success and celebrity because they’re still putting in work to lay the foundation for their
careers.
Cash & Terry Apollo may not have a mixtape for you to listen to, but I will always applaud them on their eagerness
to jump on the opportunity to sit down for an interview with me. My journalism mentor, the legendary Steve Baltin,
once told me to say yes to every opportunity until you make a name for yourself. I live by that advice, and let it be
known that I interview everyone, including the artists I that I approach and the artists that approach me. What makes
me respect Cash & Terry Apollo is their legitimate grind and their willingness to take advantage of an opportunity.
They may not have the clout yet, but when they get it, remember TRR interviewed them first.
-Rosh Jobin