It’s been a little over a year since I first heard about Brendan Bennett. Already two of his songs are on my Spotify “most played” list. Not surprising considering he can’t seem to release a bad song. He stayed busy in 2019, releasing EPs and singles non stop, each one gaining more traction. I can only hope for a full length record in 2020 but in the meantime, Brendan discussed his influences with me:
Frank Ocean – Blond
“I don’t even know where to begin with this one. This album to me is like an audible blanket. Wrapped under its woozy production and Franks poetic waxings, whenever I return to this project I feel like I’m hiding under the covers. There is comfort and warmth supplied by its touch, but it leaves me with a sense of fear and loneliness. The blanket cannot really protect me, and I am reminded of that fact. The unease of vulnerability looms, and yet I am embraced. Blonde. There isn’t a track to skip, a moment to miss, nor a lyric that I don’t want to immediately tweet or tattoo somewhere on my body, so it’s difficult to even highlight its best moments. This project constantly reminds me of every person I’ve ever loved, and the depth to which I felt enamored by their company. It reminds me of the haunting fact that I am alone, afraid, and unsure of myself. No album has ever made me feel quite so deeply, and I am eternally grateful to live in the time of a Mr. Frank Ocean.”
Kanye West – Yeezus
“Ranking Kanye albums is like trying to rank my favorite family members. They all have such an important place in my heart and the sheer act of admitting a preference feels like a sin. Until his recent efforts, it seemed like Ye and his ever-changing ensemble of creatives could do no wrong, and his discography is full of absolute classics. For me, however, Yeezus takes the cake as his greatest project, and it takes its place as one of my top 10 All-Time albums. Even in 2020 the album feels fresh and ahead of its time. For a project as minimalist and sparse as it is, every song feels so rich, and the climaxes are some of the greatest musical moments I’ve ever experienced. Frank Ocean’s outro on “New Slaves”, Mike Dean’s guitar solo (paired with Bon Iver and Chief Keef’s haunting vocals) on “I Can’t Hold My Liquor”, and Kanye’s absolutely mind bending, cocaine-fueled last verse on “Blood On The Leaves”— it’s hard to find anything that tops the beauty, pain, and rage of Yeezus.”
Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo
“Isaiah Rashad is the most criminally underrated artist on the planet, and his debut project single handedly saved my life on more than one occasion. He is, to me, what Kid Cudi was and is to so many others. This project could easily be renamed The Problems of A 20 Something, as he laments to himself on the last verse of my favorite track, “Heavenly Father”. Rashad tackles some of the hardest subject matters with soul and wisdom, while maintaining the feeling of distance and nihilism that can come from a time in which the world seems to be burning around us. Missing fathers, drug addiction, sex and love, the permeating hope for a way out of it all…Cilvia Demo without a doubt deserves its place on my list.”
Drake – Take Care
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Drake, but the span of time that began with the ambient, melodramatic Marvins Room and ended with the masterpiece that is The Ride, is home to some of my favorite music ever. In all honesty it single handedly inspired me to be the artist I am today. Some of the songs that didn’t even make the album (“Club Paradise”, “Dreams Money Could Buy”, “Trust Issues”, etc.) are better than other artists’ whole discographies. “Over My Dead Body” is one of the most incredible intro’s I’ve ever heard. The Weeknd’s sonic influence was the perfect match to Drakes somber reflection on old flames, his rise to the top, and the challenges that have come from growing older and more jaded with the space around him. It is his most vulnerable project to date, home to some of his best rapping, and by far his most complete sounding body of work.”
Mac Miller – Faces
“It was very hard for me to pick which Mac album was going to make this list. Swimming, Watching Movies With The Sound Off and Delusional Thomas are all masterpieces in my eyes and could easily make a version of this list on any given day. I decided to go with Faces, however, as I believe it was Mac at his most vulnerable and personal. Frenetic, drugged-out, and cooped up in his Beverly Hills mansion with the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Ab-Soul, this project feels like the moment Mac simultaneously put everything together and watched it all fall apart. It was ambitious, colorful, playful, and dark all at once, and is home to some of his best rapping. “Colors and Shapes” remains one of my favorite songs of all time.”
Earl Sweatshirt – solace
“The project solace cannot be found on Spotify or Apple Music. In 2015 Earl followed up his dark and brooding I Don’t Like Shit I Don’t Go Outside with a 10 minute YouTube video posted on a random account. Though to some this may not seem like a project in its length of time, it is most definitely a project in its scope. The transitions are seamless, weaving in and out of the mind of a broken man in the grips of mourning— battling depression, addiction and a crippling eating disorder. At the midway point, all seems lost, until the final breakthrough. “I got my grandmama’s hands, I start to cry when I see ‘em,” he begins the last verse. Solace ends with the sounds of horns, and hope. I can’t quite articulate what this album makes me feel, but it is undeniable, it is uneasy, and I return to it often.”
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
“Kendrick is undoubtedly one of the best album makers of all-time. His 3 or 4 album run (depending on if you consider Section .80 his debut) is impeccable, and each project has their unique reasons that one might crown them on top of the others. For me, the winner is obviously To Pimp A Butterfly. The creativity, intensity, and overarching cohesion combine for what is truly one of the most memorable and daring efforts by any artist in recent memory. “Momma”, “u”, “Alright”, and “Hood Politics” are some of the tracks I revisit often, but it is really the album in its entirety that deserves to be recognized. It is one of the rare moments of music where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
SZA – ctrl
“SZA has been one of my favorite artists since I heard her soundcloud EP See.SZA.Run. She is one of my favorite songwriters, alongside Frank Ocean, as they both have the ability to pierce you with their words in a way you wouldn’t think was possible. Infections, angry, vulnerable, and sad, her ability to wrestle with her emotions and turn them into something beautiful is a skillset in which she seems to be unparalleled. “Supermodel”, “20” “Something”, “Garden (Say It Like Dat)”, “Go Gina”, and “Anything” are songs that will be on repeat for me until the day I either die or lose the ability to feel. One day I hope to thank her in person for her vulnerability and strength, as this album has become the soundtrack to so many of my emotional, late nights.”
Saba – CARE FOR ME
“Not enough can be said about how talented Saba is as an artist, and nothing in his discography quite captures his soul, his intelligence, and his musicality like the tragic CARE FOR ME. Created in the aftermath of losing his cousin and early mentor John Walt, the project is grey, grieving, and gorgeous. His voice grabs a hold of me every single time I press play on this project. “BUSY / SIRENS”, “CALLIGRAPHY”, “GREY”, and “SMILE” are home to some of the most incredible verses I’ve heard in my lifetime, and in the midst of my own loss, this album never fails to make me feel un-alone, and unafraid.”
Smino- blkswn
“Smino has been one of the most exciting new artists in recent memory, and there seems to be no one quite like him. With his ear for melody, his ridiculously impressive/unique flows, and a playful lyricism that shines throughout it all, blkswn felt like reset button on music. In a lot of ways he reminded me of a soulful younger Wayne. I remember listening to the project on repeat during a 22 hour road trip alongside Bella Meyer, my good friend and the incredible artist behind most of my cover art. Every time we listened it felt like we found something new, whether it was a punchline that had previously went over our heads or a harmony/background vocal that added yet another layer to Monte Bookers rich sonic production. It was like finding a hidden gem inside a hidden gem inside the hidden gem that is Smino.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
J Cole – Born Sinner
Isaiah Rashad – Suns Tirade
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy
Drake – Nothing Was The Same
Chance, The Rapper – Acid Rap
Earl Sweatshirt – Doris
King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
Check out my interview with Brendan Bennett below:
FOLLOW BRENDAN BENNETT
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
SPOTIFY
APPLE MUSIC
SOUNDCLOUD
GENIUS