Various Things

I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like to because of finals (only one more semester of college!) but I have a few things that I need to get off my chest real quick:

• BAYTL came out yesterday. It is literally the biggest disappointment of 2011. I've read a lot of reviews (all bad) and they all basically say the same thing: Gucci Mane's rapping has significantly improved but it's totally overshadowed by how wack V-Nasty is. She's really bad. I really can't believe that this is a major label studio album. It would make more sense as a mixtape, but what the fuck. Who would ever buy this? I think Gucci and V-Nasty are sleeping together. They're both pretty gross, but cool in their own right, so whatever. I was really looking forward to this too.
• Waka's new mixtape Lock Out with French Montana is so damn good. Thank God at least one member of 1017 Bricksquad (I think they're just Bricksquad or BSM, but I'm an OG fan and I know them as 1017) put out some good music this week. This should have been an album. I've been listening to it all night and it's amazing. Waka's rapping has also gotten a lot better and the production value is really good. I think this dude Chinx Drugz who's on a lot of songs (I gotta look him up because he's good) sounds a lot like Jim Jones or Cam'Ron. This mixtape kind of sounds like Dipset or even 50 Cent. I gotta look up French Montana because I bet he's from New York. I just checked and he is!! I knew it. This mixtape has a northeast feel to it. This dude is also signed to Bad Boy, so cool. Go listen to this tape, it's one of the best this year. I'll write a full review of it soon. 
• I think production value in today's hip hop has made it easier for mediocre rappers to get signed to major labels. I think a lot of kids are getting really good at Logic and are making dope beats and then they try to rap and it's like ....ugh stop. The first person that comes to mind is of course Tyler, The Creator. He's a pretty decent producer (he's the main producer of Odd Future) but his rapping just flounders. Also, guys like Lil B and even Soulja Boy. I'll be honest, I'm basically Soulja Boy's biggest fan but his songs are mostly good because of the production. I think his rapping isn't that great, but his songs are always amazing cause the beats are sick. A$AP Rocky is a guy that is both an amazing rapper and his songs are well-produced, but he's getting lumped into this "new wave of rap" bullshit. 
• Just wondering, but does Drake ever mention Degrassi in his raps? I really doubt he does (I even googled it) because I'm sure he doesn't wanna bring up the fact that his only street cred comes from when his token black character on a Canadian teen soap opera from the early 00s got shot and subsequently was paralyzed. It makes him seem a bit soft, no?
• I was recently reminded of this song (Drake mentions it in one of his songs off Take Care) and the video is so hood. I live a few blocks away from Magnolia St and this looks like it could be filmed in my neighborhood. Uptown New Orleans is my neck of the woods too.