Anthony Fantano Doesnt Know How to Review Rap Music

The internet has done many great things for music, but not necessarily for traditional music criticism. Print reviews are dead (because people don't buy magazines anymore); even if they weren't, most people aren't really into reading these days (because Twitter and Snapchat and YouTube); and critics are no longer relied on to tell us which albums are worth ownership (because we tin only stream them for ourselves. And nobody buys albums anyhow).

However, the internet has paved the way for a new breed of critic to rise from the ashes of traditional music criticism: someone who reviews an album in front end of a photographic camera, uploads the video to YouTube and gets thousands—in some cases, millions —of views. Within this curious world of YouTube music criticism, at that place are ii distinctive camps that have emerged: those who review albums and those who react to albums.

The proper name—and face—at the forefront of video album reviews is, of course, Anthony Fantano. His aqueduct, The Needle Driblet, has attracted a cult-like following through a consistent output of 10-to-15 minute reviews, in which he puts the anthology in context, outlines the general gist of the project and explains what he does and doesn't like nigh information technology earlier giving the anthology a score out of 10. His ratings are as hotly debated equally Pitchfork's ("you lot're a bald fucking idiot six/10 is ridiculous" reads one of the tamer comments on his infamous review of Kanye West'south My Beautiful Nighttime Twisted Fantasy.).

If Anthony Fantano appears to accept a more cerebral approach to music, BigQuint'southward is purely visceral. One of the nigh well-known—and downright entertaining—music reaction personalities on the net, Quint's videos are all near capturing the roller coaster of emotions, improvised choreography and stank faces of that first listening experience. A bad song will leave him staring down the camera similar Ice Cube in Friday; a adept song will brand him "woo!" like Rick Flair; a groovy song will make him ride the holy ghost out of his room and down the hallway. Quint'southward chair-breaking reaction to Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE." is already a archetype.

Somewhere in the center lies Dead Terminate Hip Hop, a channel that combines Quint's personable honesty with Fantano'south attention to detail. Expressionless End'south reviews are conducted as roundtable-mode discussions, with long-time hip-hop heads Feefo, Beezy, Kinge and Myke C-Boondocks dissecting the latest rap albums, also every bit the topics surrounding them. In their recent review of Kendrick Lamar's DAMN., for instance, the guys debated the (fake) conspiracy theory surrounding another album, the hunger for harder raps from Kendrick, and André 3000'south influence on the tape—esoteric things that many mainstream publications oasis't picked up on. Dead End Hip Hop is basically like watching a barbershop argue on YouTube.

With a combined subscriber base that's nearing 1.five million, it'south piece of cake to meet why channels like The Needle Drop, BigQuint and Dead End Hip Hop accept become so popular in contempo years.

For starters, the format makes music criticism easily digestible for an audition that's increasingly consuming video content over text. All, if non nearly, of these "critics" are independent, so they don't have to worry about a bad review burning bridges within the music industry (non that you'll take hold of united states of america pandering to such politics hither at DJBooth). Equally much as it pains this author to admit information technology, video reviews offering a more compelling, human experience than written ones can. Yous experience a stronger connection—skilful or bad—with someone when they're in forepart of a camera rather than behind a byline. It's why at that place'due south an entire subreddit, rife with memes and within jokes, dedicated to The Needle Drib.

But which matters more: reactions or reviews?

"What I effort to practice with my format...is to show people that it's not a death penalty to put a controversial opinion out there."

Based on popularity lone, Anthony Fantano's 972,000 subscribers (and counting) would suggest The Needle Drop'south reviews are the most important. Fantano'due south reviews are engaging, informative and sometimes hilarious in their brutality (similar his review of Large Sean's Dark Sky Paradise, in which he repeated the word "no" for three minutes and 47 seconds). They also encourage people to think critically virtually the music they're listening to—or at the very least, put into words how they feel nearly it. But browse the comments section on any of his videos.

While his opinions can be divisive and, at times, dubious (like giving ScHoolboy Q's excellent Bare Face LP a five-out-of-ten), there'south something admirable near the way Anthony Fantano isn't afraid to bring, say, Kanye Due west's The Life of Pablo back down to Globe while the rest of music media props it up on a pedestal. "What I attempt to do with my format...is to show people that it'southward non a capital punishment to put a controversial opinion out there," he said during an episode of hisNeedle Drop podcast.

Still, ane of the biggest criticisms of Anthony Fantano is his power to exist a fan, which is part of the charm of these YouTube critics. When you're reviewing more than a dozen albums each month (eighteen in April alone) in guild to pay the bills, how much time is left to simply bask the music rather than thinking about what score yous'll requite it? Fantano has described his approach to reviewing albums as "workmanlike," which is a sad reality given how fickle the content wheel is—if you don't review an album inside 3 days, did you even review information technology?—merely how much does that hinder his task?

Which is where a channel like BigQuint comes in. Quint's videos are an accurate fan-to-fan experience built on a common beloved—and occasional crushing thwarting, like the time he couldn't even go through Child Cudi's Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven—of music. There's something strangely satisfying almost watching someone wild the fuck out to a song you were wilding the fuck out to only a few days ago (although let's exist clear, Quint will never,always exist out-wilded). His reaction videos permit you lot to vicariously relive that first listen of an album y'all'll never get back. And hey, maybe the truest album review is just seeing how much it makes yous scrunch your face and motility your body.

Coil to Continue

Beyond the entertainment gene, BigQuint's channel is also surprisingly useful when it comes to digesting new albums that yous oasis't quite fabricated your mind up almost nevertheless. Non because of what he says (as vivid as his reactions are, his "final verdict" reviews are unsophisticated and unnecessary), but in the way he edits his reaction videos. Those x-to-15-second snippets of songs double up every bit a sort of highlight reel of an anthology, allowing you to get a better grasp of the projection in 20 minutes, as opposed to threescore (or however long the album runs).

Just of form, many albums deserve—better yet, require—to be studied at length. BigQuint losing his mind to Kendrick Lamar'southward DAMN. is fun and relatable, but stopping there is a disservice to the fourth dimension, thought and energy put into that album, which has more than layers to be peeled back than even the biggest K. Dot stans might retrieve. When it comes to rap albums, specifically, who does a better job of peeling back those layers?

Hip-hop is the most popular genre amongst Anthony Fantano's audition. Seven of the 10 nigh popular videos on his channel are rap anthology reviews, with To Pimp a Butterfly sitting on over two one thousand thousand views. Yet, it'south hard to ignore Fantano's somewhat sketchy relationship with hip-hop. Growing upwardly, he listened to more punk than rap music and in one case admitted he had to "larn" how to talk about and review other genres.

"Shit like this irks hip-hop listeners and makes them exist like, 'what qualifies this guy to talk nigh this stuff?'"

This disconnect sometimes reveals itself in Fantano'south work, like the time he praised Travis Scott's Rodeo for making modernistic trap music "anthology worthy" while panning Future'south DS2, Young Thug's Barter 6 and Principal Keef's Finally Rich. "Shit like this irks hip-hop listeners and makes them be like, 'what qualifies this guy to talk about this stuff?'" writer Craig Jenkins said directly to Fantano while actualization on The Needle Drop podcast last yr.

There'due south too something inexplicably irritating about watching a guy who looks like a composite sketch of a Williamsburg hipster—the seasonal trendy mustache, the thick frame glasses that sit halfway down his olfactory organ—shitting on widely loved rap albums that, permit's be honest, weren't made for "the internet'due south busiest music nerd" to listen to by himself in his living room, even if a lot of his critiques are valid.

With that said, Fantano has never claimed to exist an authority on rap music. "I never said I was a hip-hop head; I don't want to be a 'caput' for whatever genre," he clarified in a video addressing the very subject field. He reviews a broad range of music which reflects both his tastes and those of his audience, so maybe you're the idiot for taking what he says as gospel. Afterward all, his reviews are just personal stance. "It'due south not and so much a statement of perfection equally much as it is enjoyment," he said while explaining what constitutes a 10-out-of-10.

Dead Terminate Hip Hop is arguably the almost accurate hip-hop conversation on YouTube. Feefo, Beezy, Myke C-Town and Kinge view—and, of course, review—music through the lens of rap nerds, not music nerds, and their language and perspectives reflect that. Beyond the visible hip-hop exterior, Dead End Hip Hop as well digs deeper than most dare—or intendance—to do, peculiarly when it comes to the intersection of music and race.

In their review of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, the beginning thing Myke C-Town talked about was the idea of black people being built-in into a "cocoon" of outside forces that eventually becomes cocky-imposed, and how other entities pimp that struggle for profit; Fantano called the anthology's concept "pretty beautiful," but never actually explained or explored information technology farther (it's worth pointing out that Expressionless End gave themselves nine more days to review the album than Fantano, simply that's probably irrelevant).

As insightful as Expressionless Finish Hip Hop's reviews are, you can't help but feel the aqueduct could benefit from an injection of youth from time to time, like their debate on Lil Yachty that didn't have a unmarried teen in the room. As is the nature of roundtable discussions, their videos are sometimes guilty of lacking structure and cohesion. Only whatever comes out of their mouths, yous know it's from a place of passion, knowledge and honesty.

Between review channels like The Needle Drib and Expressionless End Hip Hop, and reaction channels like BigQuint, the kind of music criticism yous watch says every bit much about you as a music fan equally it does the music you actually mind to. Which aqueduct you gravitate to depends on what purpose music serves in your life, how securely you think about music, and how receptive you are to tastes and personalities that may not reflect your own.

The rise of these review and reaction channels also raises bigger questions virtually music criticism as a whole. Will YouTubers always truly supplant "professional" music critics who write for respected publications? Should you seek to challenge your opinion or simply reinforce your existing viewpoint? Should you care what whatsoever of these people accept to say at all?

The all-time advice is to absorb it all: relish BigQuint'south reactions, sit down with Anthony Fantano's scores and immerse yourself in Dead Terminate Hip Hop's in-depth discussions—as well equally reading your favorite writers. It tin merely atomic number 82 to a more informed opinion. Because when it's just you and the music, it's your opinion that matters the most.

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Source: https://djbooth.net/features/2017-05-02-anthony-fantano-bigquint-reviews-versus-reactions

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