The Scene

Any young artists who encounters some success is going to also encounter a few troubles. Mac Miller is 23 years old and has been through the ups and downs of success in the music business which influenced various projects he has done leading up to 'Go:od AM' which is his debut album with major label Warner Brothers. 

Mac signed a pretty hefty deal with Warner Bros, leaving Rostrum Record who Mac came up with early in his career and it's usually at this point where the 'sell out' conversation starts up. I was weary, but I see Go:od AM as the best example in hip hop right now of how major labels are doing things slightly differently as they try to compete with the ever-changing music business. This album doesn't feel like there were any restrictions placed on it by the label, nor does it sound like the label had any real say in how they wanted the album to sound or the classic 'we need a single for radio' type of vibe.

Those are the two key influencing factors in this album. Mac has battled addiction which kind of led him to go into hibernation with there being many great yarns of how much unreleased music as he locked himself in his studio for a few years. I can't really see this as a negative, it's just that Go:od AM comes after that chapter and there's a strong sense of reflection as well as a chirpy hope. There's also the bigger budget of Warner Bros which has opened doors musically but it's also given Mac a shitload of money as well and there's various references to that throughout the album.

The Songs

1. Doors - Something different, I love it when albums start with a unique little sound
2. Brand Name - Business Mac over a smooth beat, flow switches up constantly.
3. Rush Hour - Slick reflection, a low key jam.
4. Two Matches ft. Ab-Soul - Uplifting for the youngsters 
5. 100 Grandkids - Lyricism, use this as an example of why/how Mac can rap.
6. Time Flies ft. Lil B - Buzzy bit of knowledge from Lil B, flexing over a funky beat.
7. Weekend ft. Miguel - Miguel!? Ya and it goes down nicely.
8. Clubhouse - You're grinding while Mac is in the clubhouse.
9. In The Bag - Turn up and peep the Schoolboy Q skit.
10. Break The Law - Play this and I'll be up off my feet, pretending to rap and shit.
11. Perfect Circle/God Speed  - Not too many could spit on this minimalist beat.
12. When In Rome - Mac can rap.
13. R.O.S - Cute little love jam, or lack of love jam.
14. Cut The Check ft. Chief Keef - Rapper/businessman with the Keef feature.
15. Ascension - Wind it down and let's hope it's not as depressing as the last one.
16. Jump - Uplifting, it's like a happy death.
17. The Festival ft. Little Dragon - Ah yes, my favourite song.

The Vibe

Trying to nail the overall vibe of Go:od AM is difficult because like all good albums it takes you on a journey through a variety of different vibes/emotions/feelings. Despite the borderline depressing lyrics that do tend to fly over your head the first time you listen - there's plenty of rewind factor here - there is an uplifting essence to the album which leaves a good taste in your mouth/ears.

A large factor in my love for this album is how Mac juggles the various components of a good album. You get the storytelling and reflection which comes via brutal honesty which is delivered in a highly entertaining and skillful way, commonly referred to as having 'bars'. The best hip hoppers are able to serve up albums like this which provide food for deep thought while also offering tunes to get you head nodding and trying to figure out what Mac's saying in his raps. There's a party vibe, there's a sombre vibe and there's a 'I'm good with the mic' vibe as well so I'm sure you can find something to enjoy.

The Music

It's always a hard task to use a wide range of producers and their beats for an album and get it all sounding like a cohesive project. That's what goes down on Go:od Am though as I counted 20 different producers getting credit for their work on various songs which notable beat-makers such as DJ Dahi, I.D. Labs, Thundercat, Sounwave, Tyler, The Creator and Sha Money XL all lending a helping hand. 

Larry Fisherman, the beat-making alter ego of Mac Miller doesn't make an appearance which is interesting as he seems to be more focused on his craft as an emcee here. The variety of producers at play gives Mac a different canvas to work with on each song while giving the listener a fresh experience with each song. This doesn't break up the album though and there's a sense of cohesion which I find odd, although it is a familiar theme in hip hop and it's equally as likely to find a rapper dropping an album with one producer as it is to find more than five producers helping out.

There's also a few interesting features on the album, my favourite being Little Dragon on 'The Festival'. Chief Keef drops a pretty average verse on 'Cut The Check' while Miguel shines on 'Weekend' which catches the eye as a match made in musical heaven and Ab-Soul features on 'Two Matches'. Then you've got Lil B doing what he does best - dropping wisdom on 'Time Flies' and I think everyone should listen to the Based God's thoughts every so often.

What I love though are the guest appearances that aren't listed as features. This throws back to the quintessential hip hop album with the skits and all that as Schoolboy Q and Domo Genesis pop up for a laugh on 'In The Bag' which also has Juicy J dropping a catchy line, as he also does on 'Break The Law'. Singer Elle Varner provides vocals on 'Doors', 'Brand Name', '100 Grandkids' and 'R.O.S' while Pittsburgh rapper Vinny Radio gets a helping hand from Mac and appears on 'Rush Hour' and 'Perfect Circle/God Speed'.

I swear to God I put the hero in Heroin
These flows, kilos
I could sell snow to a ski slope
I could sell evil to the devil
Nonbelievers to a temple
Shit, I could sell water to a speedboat
And these eyes is iconic
I went pro, made profit
Now I keep some dead faces in my pocket
Gettin' faded, I been stoned all week
But what's a God without a little OD? Just a G - 100 Grandkids

Oh yeah, I thought I’d have it figured out by now
Shit would be simple, problems would be in the past by now
Me and the homies would be sitting on millions
Reminiscing on times when we were so broke and living in Oakland just chillin'
I thought I’d have it in the bag by now
I thought that we’d be kicking back by now
I know that life is a bitch, I know that life is a bitch
I thought we’d put her in a cab by now - Perfect Cricle/God Speed

Ask God if she believe in me and will she accept me as a deity
And tell me the secrecy won't keep you free
I'm sleeping, won't dream until the demons leave
I took a nap, I need a tree in the shade
Feel the sharpness of the swords and blades of grass - Festival

I been having trouble sleeping
Battling these demons
Wondering what's the thing that keeps me breathing
Is it money, fame or neither
I been thinking about the places that I frequent
All the people that I see
I’m just out here livin' decent
What do it mean to be a G - Weekend

Eureka!

There's a pretty cool connection continuing to emerge between TDE, Odd Future and Mac Miller ... and the A$AP clan. Mac has worked with the likes of Vince Staples, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, The Creator many times before and regardless of who's album or mixtape it is, they usually deliver the goods.

Whenever an artists signs a big deal with a major record label, there's a worry that the label might look to hold greater influence over how the music sounds. And fair enough as they have invested money into the artist and they want a return on that investment, which usually results in more radio songs or singles ... commonly referred to as 'selling out'. This album however, like the most recent albums from Logic, Vince Staples and Big K.R.I.T shows how the labels are giving the artists the freedom they need to create the albums they want. I see this as a response from the labels to compete with declining record sales thanks to the internet thingy. 

Finale

Whether I was listening to Go:od AM in the car, or while I was exercising, or in the background while I hung out with the homies or after a blaze where I was enhanced by the herb, I thoroughly enjoyed the album. It goes down nicely regardless of the circumstance while also providing the bars, flow and production that hip hop fans can really enjoy and this album should serve as an example of Mac Miller's standing as one of the best in the business.