ARTIST: Tyga
ALBUM: Hotel California
LABEL: Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records
RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2013
Tyga’s World
Written by Jeremy Weeden
Young Money Entertainment artist Tyga returns to the music scene with his third studio album, Hotel California. Fresh off the heels from 2012’s Careless World: Rise of the Last King, Tyga obviously intends to strike while the iron is hot. Hotel California is a star studded affair featuring guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Chris Brown, Game, Wiz Khalifa, Future and Jadakiss. The album features production from Cool & Dre, DJ Mustard, David D.A. Doman, Lil C, SAP and Mars of 1500 or Nothin.
The album gets started with the Ryan Hunt produced “500 Degrees” featuring label mate Lil Wayne. On this New Orleans flavored track Tyga gets things started with lyrics like “I’m killing this shit, and I’m killing your mind/One verse at a time, the shivers are mine/I murdered this shit, just takin my time/Got bars, front gate/ face shot, blind date.” Not to be outdone by the young gun, Lil Wayne also drops a hot verse with lines like “Schoolin’ motherfuckers, I’m their favorite subject/Broomstick in my pants, I’m bout to go witch hunting/I’m already loaded, these niggas still buffering/ I fuck my girlfriend and her best friend, these niggas is lesbians/Don’t cross me like a pedestrian/ I’m getting head watching ESPN.”
The next song, the album’s first single “Dope” featuring rap kingpin Rick Ross is reminiscent of “Rack City” with its stripped down bass heavy beat and catchy chorus. This standout track features a sample from the Snoop Dogg classic “Deep Cover” and will definitely be one of the most played songs in the clubs this summer.
Promotional single “Molly” featuring Wiz Khalifa is another guaranteed club banger. One can easily guess what the song is about from the title and both rappers drop verses about partying with Molly. Wiz Khalifa has a stellar appearance with lyrics like “I might pull up in some shit that you’ve never ever seen/ And if I said how much I made, then you won’t even believe/Me and T-Y gettin gnarly when we pull up to the party/ Brought a whole pound of Mary and I can’t seem to find Molly”
Tyga slows it down on “For the Road” featuring Chris Brown. This slow jam samples SWV’s “Rain” and finds the rapper lamenting a girl who is leaving him due to his lifestyle and the mistakes he has made.
Hotel California’s third single “Show You” featuring Future is a nice summer jam with a laid-back drum heavy beat. “Hit Em Up” is a hard-hitting track produced by DJ Mustard which borrows the chorus from C-Murder and Snoop Dogg’s hit “Down 4 My Niggaz.”
“It Never Rains” is produced by Miami beat squad Cool and Dre and samples Tone Toni Tony’s hit song “It Never Rains (In Southern California).” The song also features The Game who reminds us why he is one of the best in hip-hop with lines like “Nowhere to nothing, money longer than that suburban/Love her but she a stripper, magnum wrapped just like a turban.”
Another standout song on Hotel California is the Jay-Z sampled “M.O.E.” For Tyga this acronym does not stand for money over everything, but music over everything. This slow riding track also features Wiz Khalifa who once again delivers a nice guest appearance.
“Hijack” features the always entertaining 2 Chainz who does not disappoint here with ridiculous lines like “Marijuana, money, and vagina/I got plaques on my walls, you got gingivitis/Still sell a brick like I won’t retire/Hijack your bitch, steal your wifey/Man my chopper go hyphy, you got your bitch in some Nikes/I got my bitch with some dykes and she saying she like it/ We were down in Paris, keeping it Eiffling/You was at home, keeping it trifling.”
Tyga keeps the Young Money flag flying high with Hotel California. It is a good summertime album with good beats and catchy choruses. Hotel California is perfect for riding too or playing at a party and is sure to be one of the soundtracks to the summer.