Pilot Talk II is the fourth studio album by rapper Curren$y. Ski Beatz participated in the majority of the album production. Curren$y himself stated in an interview. TIDAL: Listen to Airborne Aquarium on TIDAL. TIDAL is the first music service with High Fidelity sound quality, High Quality music videos and Curated Editorial, expertly crafted by music journalists. Login Start Free Trial Start Free Trial.
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Mar 6, 2019 - He saw the peasant, and the flow of tears rolling down this poor man's. Finally, turn again and walk as far as you'd like before placing the last.
Today I will tackle what originally appears to be an incredibly easy question: 'who is Curren$y'? Based on his stage name, you get a sense of what he stands for and what he raps about - the lavish life associated with being a famous musician. And upon first glance, Curren$y seems to be the statistical average. Curren$y's music commonly fits the mold of the generic rapper - braggadocios lyrics discussing his rich lifestyle, in which he is surrounded by beautiful women, luxurious sports cars and the best drugs and alcohol money can buy. Seemingly nothing substantial. However, Shonte Franklin AKA 'Curren$y' has been one of the hardest working and most consistent rappers of the past decade - compiling 25 mixtapes, 4 full length studio albums and copious guest appearances on other tapes . Although he is often labeled as an average artist that merely blends in with the crowd, he is much more versatile than most hip-hop fans believe and remains in my mind one of the best 'mixtape rappers' in the genre. Curren$y's buttery, calming flow smoothly dominates any beat as if it were hand crafted for him. Additionally, his storytelling ability can at times transform a simplistic tale into an impressionistic work of art - in which listeners are entranced into the same euphoric drug-like state in which Curren$y often lies.
EARLY LIFE
Curren$y spent his childhood in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans - one of America's largest and most notoriously dangerous government housing projects. Curren$y found his way out of the projects via hip-hop, largely thanks to his brother Jisaidie Hicks AKA 'Mr Marcelo'. Working as an independent artist, Curren$y released mixtape after mixtape for 7 years. In that time, he signed with 3 different labels, finding little success. Eventually, New Orleans rapper/businessman Master P recognized Curren$y's work and signed him to No Limit Records in 2002 - at the age of 21. Curren$y then became a member of Master P's group, the '504 Boyz' along with rappers such as C-Murder and Mystikal. The group released one record after Curren$y's arrival: Ballers. Additionally, Curren$y appeared on 5 songs on Master P's 11th studio album: Good Side, Bad Side.
YMCMB
Curren$y's talent was recognized by up and coming New Orleans rapper Dwayne Carter AKA Lil Wayne, who signed him to the YMCMB label. Curren$y was then featured on various YMCMB releases, including Carter's extremely popular Dedication mixtapes.
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Thanks in part to the popularity of Lil Wayne's mixtapes, Curren$y was finally able to find his own niche. In 2008, Curren$y showed what separates him from the crowd - his incredible diligence and consistency. Within 8 months, he released an impressive 7 mixtapes - most notably Independence Day and Welcome to the Winner's Circle. The following year, Curren$y parted ways with YMCMB and signed to independent label Amalgam Digital. Within the year, Curren$y released his 1st studio album, aptly entitled This Ain't No Mixtape. Among the notable tracks are 'On My Plane' 'Elevator Musik' and 'Galaxy' - all of which are feel good songs with electronic beats. And within three months, Curren$y released his 2nd studio album - Jet Files. Among the notable songs on the tape are 'On My Way', 'The Pledge' and 'Burn an Ounce'. In 2009, Curren$y collaborated with another up-and comer, Wiz Khalifa making the mixtape How Fly.
It was in this time that Curren$y’s storytelling abilities became apparent. Gangsta grillz the album volume 2. On “Paternity Test” Curren$y tells a simple fictional tale about his appearance on the show Maury - recalling “The man on the other end said ‘Good evening’/ Is this Mr. Franklin with whom I´m speaking?/ And I said yes, indeed it is… My name is Bryce and excuse me bro, /But I´m calling on behalf of the Maury Show/ See Julie Jessing gave birth to a daughter, /And submitted your name as the definite father”. And on “Hear It and Fear it” - Curren$y says: “I wonder what ever happened to my new pitbull puppy/ When the hurricane came through?/Cause Petfinder(?) said they she was rescued /Mousa had one, they said they had his too/But when we hit the shelter, we saw near two of them dogs!”. In the midst of the song, this part of his verse appears at first to be a tangent, but ends up sounding like a genuine, casual conversation. It’s almost as though Curren$y’s just spending his precious time in the studio telling a personal story so you feel like the two of you are friends.
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It’s nothing too complicated, but he makes it simple, in such a way that it seems conversational - like he’s friends with the listener. That’s really the main appeal of Curren$y - his raps are simple but not in an unintelligent manner. Instead, he does so in such a friendly and personal manner that you feel a certain connection to his music.
PILOT TALK SERIES
Following the success of How Fly, Curren$y found his first shot at mainstream success. In 2010, Curren$y collaborated with producer Ski Beatz to create the 2 instillations in the Pilot Talk series. The Pilot Talk tapes contain a more jazzy, psychedelic-soul sound, marked by jazz-driven hooks and atmospheric beats. Notable songs from the Pilot Talk series are: 'Address', 'Breakfast' and 'Airborne Aquarium'. In 'Airborne Aquarium', Curren$y provides us with what is perhaps one of his best lyrical works, claiming 'Before I got on this beat, I made out a bucket list/In these bars, I granted its death wish/Legendary layup, Jordan with the left-right switch' and ' Half Rose, Chandon, OJ in my glass/Mimosa, Testarossa program Countach curriculum/Doors open like a pendulum, swinging'. Yes, he's not really saying much, but it blends so well with the production. It's all about the manner in which he says it: cool and collected - with a slight southern drawl. Combine that with the jazzy, bass driven beat and it makes the simple seem poetic. With the Pilot Talk series, Curren$y proved that it's his ear for beats and his ability to effortlessly match his flow to said beats that makes him stand apart from the average rapper.
It was in this time Curren$y united with Damon Dash’s and his record company “DD172” - a relationship that would remain strong for several years. The two formed a strong relationship during the production and subsequent releases of the Pilot Talk series. In the same time period as the Pilot Talk series, Curren$y collaborated with Damon Dash once again on Ski Beatz’s Debut album: 24 Hour Karate School. The three also collaborated on the BluRoc Festival live CD, which doubled as a documentary. Although BluRoc Festival was poorly received by critics, the experience formed a tight bond between Curren$y, Ski Beatz and Damon Dash.
JET LIFE
2011 was another big year for Curren$y. First, he formed his own imprint: known as 'Jet Life' with Le$ and Mr. Marcello, among others. Curren$y collaborated with his new imprint to release two mixtapes: Jet Life to the Next Life and Jet World Order. Solo, he released Return to the Winner's Circle, Smokee Robinson and Verde Terrace. Lastly, Curren$y released a studio album, A Weekend at Bernie's and paired up with The Alchemist for Covert Coup. 2011 once again proved Curren$y as a musical workhorse - as it was marked by a versatile set of releases despite his reputation. Although Curren$y rarely changes his lyrical themes, Curren$y excels at switching his production style. He seems to bounce around from producer to producer, with each mixtape tweaked ever so slightly from the last - and his string of tapes in 2011 is a perfect example. Covert Coup is heavily electronic, 'BBS' samples a twangy guitar progression with high pitched female vocal repetition, while 'Scotty Pippen' has odd cloudy, spacey synthesizers and a simplistic drum sample that perfectly compliments both Curren$y and Freddie Gibbs (seriously, Gibbs is flawless on this track). On the other hand Verde Terrace employs some heavier beats - 'Car Talk' is accompanied by grandiose trumpets, cymbals and harder hitting drums while 'Ways to Kill Em' contains a strong guitar riff and quickly paced snares. DJ Drama's presence as a hype-man really changes the mood of a tape as well - as usual. The main point is Curren$y doesn't change much of what he does, but he does it so well that he fits perfectly over whatever beat is provided for him. And that's what separates him from the crowd. The only truly weak mixtape out of this stretch is Return to the Winner's Circle, which was supposedly created in only 5 days.
2012
After his highly successful 2011, Curren$y continued to grind out incredible amounts of high quality music in 2012. He released 3 full length albums - The Stoned Immaculate, Muscle Car Chronicles and Jet World Order 2 with Jet Life. Additionally, Curren$y released 5 mixtapes, most not notably The First 28 with Styles P, Cigarette Boats with Harry Fraud and Priest Andretti. Impressively all of them have completely differing styles. In Muscle Car Chronicles, Curren$y reunited with close friend Damon Dash for an experimental hip-hop/rock fusion album. As with most rap/rock fusion tapes, Muscle Car Chronicles was poorly received by critics and fans. However, it proved Curren$y doesn’t hesitate to switch his style up.
On the other hand, Priest Andretti is a thematic mixtape that follows the eponymous character, loosely based on Curren$y's moniker 'Spitta Andretti'. The tracks on this tape aren't particularly special, but the samples make this tape intriguing. Curren$y samples dialogue from old Blaxploitation films - which create an interesting story throughout. And to continue his theme, Curren$y employs soul influenced beats. '2 Much' encapsulates the whole mixtape. It begins with extended dialogue and a piano solo and continues with a slamming piano and hi hat beat throughout - all while Curren$y calmly discusses his elaborate lifestyle.
In Cigarette Boats, Curren$y partners up with producer Harry Fraud to create a hazy, more atmospheric mixtape. Most notable is 'Sixty-Seven Turbo Jet' in which Fraud samples Phillip Bailey's 'Children of the Ghetto' which meshes perfectly with Curren$y's lazy, molasses-like flow. Fraud's production works perfectly with Curren$y throughout - and this remains one of his Curren$y's best projects. The tape seems to give off a mysterious vibe and listening to the tape feels like a lackadaisical adventure through Curren$y's hazy mind.
2013
2013 was somewhat of a down year by Curren$y's standards. He only released 4 mixtapes - all of which were once again at least fairly decent. Curren$y paired up with Harry Fraud and Smoke DZA to make the EP The Stage and developed a solid mixtape New Jet City. Standout songs include 'First Light', 'Choosin' and '10 Bricks'. His reunion with Harry Fraud was short and sweet - consisting of just 10 minutes of material. Fraud's sampling once again pairs perfectly with Curren$y - seemingly a treat specially constructed for his biggest fans. On the other hand, New Jet City is somewhat of a mixed bag. Curren$y switches between the hard hitting 'Choosin' and more of his standard mellow tracks like 'Three Sixty' and 'Sixteen Switches Part 2'. The tape overall is fairly average, but boast more mainstream features than usual, such as Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J and French Montana - which I see as Curren$y's goal from the project. New Jet City provides listeners with some solid tunes, all while grabbing Curren$y more attention from various mainstream fan bases.
2014
In 2014, Curren$y returned to his usual form, compiling six mixtapes, half of which were developed as compilations with his Jet Life partners. His solo works The Drive in Theater, Saturday Night Car Tunes, and More Saturday Night Car Tunes were all fantastic tapes. Their content is pretty much exactly what you would think based on the titles. The music is, according to Curren$y to 'get you where you gotta go' - essentially for entertainment on a lazy cruise around the city. Curren$y sets the atmosphere perfectly, but if you're looking for originality in these tapes, you'll rarely find it. Notable tracks include 'Night Like This', 'Money Shot', and 'Godfather 4'.
SUMMARY
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Despite his reputation, Curren$y is much more than your average rapper. Although he rarely, if ever, approaches social consciousness or revolutionary changes to the genre, Curren$y has a surprising amount of variety. Curren$y has collaborated with DJ Drama, The Alchemist, Harry Fraud, The Neptunes, Monsta Beatz, Ski Beatz, and many more. And throughout, he's made attempts to change up his style, all while maintaining his 'everyday man' persona.
Unfortunately, Curren$y is seen as a mediocre artist to the general public - he isn't particularly catchy and his lyrics are often fairly shallow. His personality comes off as a little dry too - at the very least he isn't super media friendly. Simply put, he can be boring at times - if you don't enjoy hearing about a rich rapper's life, you probably won't like Curren$y. Lastly, Curren$y can be tacky at times (but what rapper isn't?). It's honestly one of my favorite things about him, but sometimes it's a bit much. One minute Curren$y will be discussing his high life, and the next he's comparing you to chewed bubble gum. And in the music video for 'WOH', he's seen drinking Champagne out of a straw by himself on what appears to be a chilly NYC rooftop.
Curren$y remains one of the hardest working musicians currently producing music. Although he's no Beck (who plays 12 instruments), Curren$y has a unique ear for production and a diverse and lengthy selection of projects to choose from. His large discography can be quite intimidating, but give an average listener a run through of his music and somewhere along the way, a few songs will definitely grab their attention. Curren$y's no game changer but you have to give the man credit, he sticks to what he knows best and does it incredibly well.
Edit: Typos
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from the album Pilot Talk II 路Lyrics Terms of Use
Tour Stop: Kacey Musgraves, The Magpie Salute, Thursday
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Advisory - the following lyrics contain explicit language:
[Intro]
Haha, Yeauh Lames Catch Feelins We Catch Flights, Jet Life, Fool Turn it Up Some Lames Catch Feelins We Catch Flights, Jet Life, Yeauh, Eauh Related
[Verse]
I'm gettin hella mail from jail, niggas tellin me to kill it, When they get out I'll bring them 'round some bitches, Shinobi how I kick it, American Ninja, major motion picture, Flippin my remote, same way I do them hoes, But she already know before she touch my Chevy door, Real nigga, lemme make it as clear as my windows, No square shall enter in the circle of winners, Know I'm prepared for whatev, you know what I been thru, Rearview, Clear vision, memories of paid dues, Confined to a runway, thunderstorms came thru, But look what it came to, somethin' that amazes you, soon as you quit hatin' and hear what I gotta say to you, Baby blue, souls D's, White 11, '96, No retro card came with this, Same year, my Impala with the floor shift, 4-door suicide, Muscle car chauffeured, Shawty body chocolated, Russel Stover, Brung weed wit' her whenever I invite her over, Polo sweater, tether belt hangin' off her shoulder, No care, over here, so we put it in the air, Walkin' 'round my house, say she wanna fuck errywhere, That's cool baby, but I just got that pool table, We ain't gotta stay away from it, It's all good, if you wanna get under it, then I guess I can fuck with it, Before I got on this beat, it made out a bucketlist, and these boys, I granted his deathwish, Legendary lay-up Jordan with the right-left switch, Hang time, Hand glide, Stir fried, Chanky-eyed, Shanghai, Candy rain, drizzle frame, I ride, '87 Corvette ZR1, to the T-top softened, put 'em in the trunk bitch, all gassed up, she been drinkin' from the pump, That's all bad, tryna pass, fucked around and crashed, Bitches all flip, Fools tryna make it last, Emotional luggage, nothin' of it, I don't check bags, I just carry-on, leave that bullshit in the past, Half Rose, Sean Don, OJ in my glass, Mimosa, Testarossa program, Prota-J curriculum, doors open like a pendulum swingin, Rock in my Jetset Emblem, Fool is to serve like Wimbledon, Interior cinnamon, the car that I'm sittin' in, Calm my bad nerves, I call her my Ritalin, Just kiddin, not pillin', just element twistin', From the herb come the fire and the wind I'm livin, not pillin', just element twistin', From the herb come the fire and the wind I'm livin, From the herb come the fire and the wind I'm livin Yeauhh Photos
[Outro]
(Mumbling) Jets, where haven't we Jets, where haven't we been Jets, where haven't we. . .
Song Discussions is protected by U.S. Patent 9401941. Other patents pending.
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