Category: ur face

Review: The Paxtons – Avenue B

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Avenue B is part deuce in the series, released January 2012. It was my introduction to The Paxtons and is my favoritest in the series. *waves* Hi, YOU (yeah, YOU!)

Track 1: Lil Bit Of Livin’: NOW THIS is how you start an album. Beat so smooth and infectious. The ad-libs really bring this jazzy little ditty to life. Then Chris starts the party. On some real smooth shit. Opening bar sets off my entire LIFE “with the right light we can make poor look decadent”. That’s what everything is about right? From the rappering game to the 9-5 game. Anywho his verse is basically about this broad he picks up, smokes out, then bangs out. And that’s just life. Chorus is pretty perfect “it’s just a lil bit of livin’”. DUH! Remember this the everyman rapperer group! Dave comes out on some smoothed out braggart rapperer bravado and that’s just fine with me. He is better than you and his weed smoke is of a higher potency, again, DUH! They just livin, a lil bit at a time.

Favorite bar(s): “pardon the garden I swear I’m hard in own mind, beard James Harden” – Dave

Oh man if that bar was rewritten today?!? He’d say “Beard game James Harden” and life would be grand!

Track 2: She Know: Dave is on first and this is about a broad. I mean it’s called “She Know” so what else do I expect? He tells her he’s from the Go but lives in Brooklyn. This is relevant because reasons. The verse ends incomplete. Dave, did you hit it raw or not?!? I need to know. Chris saingin on the hook again cuz he’s the best. And when his verse starts he straight to it! Said he aint even talkin about sex cuz he already knows she gonna take that D. Just gotta figure out where. SHE KNOW! Also, Chris only crushes bad bitches and they best not tweeter about the fuck they make. Oh yeah, The Paxtons have a skill that most rapperers seem unable to master: THEY ALWAYS PICK BEATS THAT ARE GOOD AND THAT THEY SOUND GOOD ON!

Favorite bar(s): Numbers exchanged, she already know ima know her frame – Dave

Track 3: F**K Friends: THIS IS (most likely) MY FAVORITEST SONG IN THEIR ENTIRE CATALOG! This is the first song that SHE (yeah, HER) sent me and it was like BOOM!! This entire song is perfect. There’s like 3 phases to it. The intro is awesome in its’ own right. Chris’ chant is infectious and ever so relevant. Then the beat switches and Dave goes in. Dave talks about a one night stand that turns to more but it shouldn’t be more but the fuck game vicious so he keeps going even though he knows he shouldn’t. Then Chris begins to spit the most glorious most perfect rapper in the history of rappering. I mean that’s all there is to it. His flow, word play, his refrain, his entire being is perfect in this verse. Then there’s another verse with a slight change to the beat and Dave drops a trill ass verse to close the joint out. It’s an amazing song about sex and friendships and being more and being less. It’s everything!

Favorite bar(s): so that I don’t write out the ENTIRE song (which I WILL do, don’t tempt me) cuz various not so subliminals will be sent to HER . . .

I took your best and you got mine too, but we was our best when the shit felt new – Dave

Track 4: Stay In Love (Feat Ohboi! Niyre): This is another absolutely amazing song. The 2nd verse is literally EVERYTHING to me. Or it was (still is). SHE know (is this OUR song? That’s a whole nother write-up for another time). . . This is just one song I say you HAVE to hear to FEEL it. It means a lot to me for various reasons. It’s Love. All Love. Dave & Chris show Love in several aspects, Love life, love another, your town etc. The guest singing is also just spot on. It’s the proper compliment to the entire vibe of the tune.

Favorite bar(s): Chris’ entire verse but for the review’s sake: long as I got you what matters? Not a damn thing else, my life is Love itself – Chris

Track 5: Again: Track starts with Chris and his verse is basically about smoking. It’s not that corny rapperer smoking shit that we have heard endlessly though. Far from it. Hook is simple. Super simple. But it just works so perfectly! Crazy. Doing more with less. THE PAXTONS! Dave chooses a bitch in his verse. Then he proceeds to pipe her down, again and again. Trill G shit.

Favorite bar(s): Penchant for the prose, aint no pension for them flows/ keep my penmanship prolific but I’m pensive round these hoes. – Dave

Track 6: Hayling’s Interlude: this is literally just a beat interlude. It’s not bad. I actually enjoy it. Who’s responsible for producing it?!? But since there’s nothing to analyze I’m gonna eat these strawberries before the next song. Yummy

Track 7: Curb Service: Before I start, “curb service” should be the new terminology for getting head in the car. Man or woman. Think about it “I got me some curb service last night”. That’s killer. Anyway . . . Chris is tired of all these folk just talkin and not movin shit. Aren’t we all?! Geezus. I mean basically he tryna give us the game and be bout that business. I feel you, Chris, play on my brotha. Dave playin wit a hoe but he drop that hoe off cuz he got trill life shit to take care of. And he know he can pick her up later if a nigga feel like it, curb service, WHAT?!?! He a G like that.

Favorite bar(s): the sky, your eyes, your thighs, your hair, and hell I’m beautiful right?/ ok that last one was for you, take in your beautiful sights – Chris

And so ends the venture into Avenue B. It was a fun ride. I learned a lot about myself and all that kind of shit. Got a couple more blocks to stroll though. Avenue C+D .

Review: The Paxtons – Avenue A

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Avenue A is the first of the 4 part Avenue series by my best friends The Paxtons. It was released Sept 2011. Let’s get right to it

Track 1: Grow Up: Chris opens up on the Intro; which is quite literally an “intro” beat they are rappering over. Chris is perfectly in the pocket with his flow on the beat (Dave is too). Which is basically synth strings and chords with minimal drums. His rappering covers the basic rapperer topics BUT it’s the old “it’s not what you say it’s how you say it”. Dave verse is a little more on the personal side. Chris and Dave have this way of saying things that’s not overly simplistic but also not that lyrical miracle-y verbose annoying way of rappering. It’s just perfect. It’s a part of their charm. Kind of like Murs or Phonte, as rapperers they embody the every man. We can relate and that’s where they catch you. And look, this is the “INTRO” to the series. THE VERY FIRST SONG!

Favorite bar(s):Failure’s not an option I promised my people so much/ banking on the future since I’m stuck in the present/ still attached to the past holding on to my investments/ potential was the only thing I had to bet with . . . – Chris

Track 2: I’m Goin’: This one starts with the hook, which has another one of the things I Love about The Paxtons. Chris is singing on the hook. He has not the greatest voice but it just works. No autotunin. The beat is slower, melodic. The crying guitar is the best. Synth? Live replay? Sample? Doesn’t matter, it’s there and it makes the beat. Dave meets a bitty at the show in his verse cuz that’s what the song is about, DUH! Listen to the hook. He out being a rapperer but sounds like he staying faithful and twice he been got by his hoes. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm? Chris met a hoe at the Philly show. Sounds like he tryna talk her into talkin or talk her into the spot and out the draws and/or both. True stories? I hope they got the panties

Favorite bar(s): Fools rush in but it’s hard being paient/ either 3rd time’s a charm or a pattern like paisley – Dave

Track 3: Five Dollars (Ft Sincere DaVinci): The beat here opens with the same generic synth as travis porter’s strip club classic “Make It Rain”. Chris opens up. This sounds like one of those bravado rapperers. He’s better than you, he knows it, shows it. It’s like getting flexed on, on the basketballing court. Good show chap. The first guest verse belongs to SincereDaVinci. And let me tell you, I don’t care about this guy or what he’s saying. He’s probably the homie from Chicago they threw a verse to *shrugs* Dave on third and has the best flow on the beat. More braggadocio. But again, HOW YOU SAY IT! It’s more or less along the lines of Chris’ verse but Super Dave’d out.

Favorite bar(s): got a nice ring to it, Dwyane Wade/ lens snap on a nigga, Dwayne Wayne/ Stay superman high, Dean Cain man. – Dave

Track 4: Hanging: they use Cex – Chicago here. Song about the struggle really. Ill’s of the streets. How you gotta get it how you live. Being slaves to certain things in life, especially vanity. It has some real depth. Dave and Chris both talk about how you gotta take care of self, right way or wrong way. Also, how you get lost in that path. The real gem though, is the outro that involves more of Chris’ singing.

Favorite bar(s): Wish the world would just leave me alone, let me zone out in my head, come let’s roll. . . old lady don’t blow my high, especially when you don’t know my life. Don’t know my life. Don’t blow my high – Chris

Track 5: Everybody’s A Star: the only thing I can stay about the beat is that it’s infectious and catchy as shit. This another one them “every man” tracks. Life’s everyday stuggles.I don’t say this in a bad way. In the first verse Dave talks about how his tape makin noise on the internets but it’s for free download so he see no ends off that. That’s the everyday struggles of being a rapperer. They just wanna make it. Don’t we all.

Favorite bar(s): Take shots to bring in the new year/ miss a star, hit an angel, it cries two tears – Chris

Track 6: Curtain Call (Ft GLC): Chris open up talking about being surrounded by the different hoods. Another thing I can relate to. You may not be around it but it’s all around you. Dave opens with a dream of being shot in them same hoods. Then speaks about the “success” of the city, that ultimately doesn’t lead to them “fixing” the city. Yet the city is STILL his heart. I feel you, fam. Then another Chicagoan hops on the mic, Mr. GLC. He’s a “pimp” in his verse, unless there’s an underlying message he seems to embrace the “hood” idea that Chris and Dave observe and choose not to partake in.

Favorite bar(s): I’m in the middle of it really you shouldn’t expect shit/in this world not of it, though; now that’s perspective – Chris

Track 7: No Easy Way (Ft Puma): Open’s with the hook. “Sink or swim, hustle or die”. That’s ultimately what Dave’s verse is about. Sounds optimistic (to me). He also acknowledges that he’s here for the bullshit, and he’ll grow up when need be. This is the “there’s a time and place for everything” moment. Life is serious, life is struggle. He’s here for all that, but he’s also here for everything else. Then Chris sings us what I’m gonna call a bridge. He just wants to take a timeout from life for a smoke break. CHUUCH, my brotha, CHUUCH!

Favorite bar(s): I’ll get there when I show up/ party til we tore up/ hope you’ll still be there waiting for me when I grow up – Dave

And just like that Avenue A is over. Sad faces. Though, this is not The Paxtons first release, it’s the first in the Avenue Series and it’s a good intro to get to know them as artists and people. A is also a great way to set the tone for the rest of the series. Play on, playas. Guess I’ll play Avenue B now . . .

Oh yeah, another cool thing is that each track has it’s own artwork. That’s neat.

The Paxtons Catalog Review: Intro

I feels like the first I ever heard of The Paxtons was the homie FWMJ tweetering about them. Or just tweetering the names of their songs as he listened to em. I had them on a list of people I need to check out for at least a year. Then old whatshername, yeah HER, tells me I need to listen to them IMMEDIATELY! Sends me a couple song names and then BAM!! I’m all in. I started with Avenue B (which is my favsies of their catalog; more on that later.) Then A, then work and the manhattan project. Then Avenue C+D when it finally dropped. SHE guided me thru the beginning, but I got to the end on my own. Now Chris and Dave are like my best friends.

Background? Idk maybe I’ll interview them next. But they’re Chicago kids. Now they rep the ‘Go from NY tho. Dave just had him a baby. Well I assume he impregnated a woman, cuz us men can’t have babies. Unless he did then well… That’s just a whole nother story. Chris Instagram pics of him chillin wit family. So there’s that. I don’t know man, they’re just my best friends, ok? Fuck

I mean this whole thing came about because Dave tweetered that he wants someone to go thru and “review” their music, for realsies. So I told him that I’d undertake the task and here we are. Only thing is I’m doing my version of a review because traditional reviews seems kinda boring these days. Robotic really. Matter of fact, I need my best bud Meka to start writing reviews again, NOW! Maybe, just MAYBE, I’ll start writing more, we’ll see how this goes. But I got you Dave (& Chris)! So, here’s the review of The Paxtons entire catalog. ENJOY, BITCHES!

PS. I’d be a little more precise with my grammar and syntax if I was being paid to do this but I’m NOT. So spare me the grief assholes.

PS again. Hi, YOU. *waves*

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