When hopefuls aren’t scrounging Youtube for the next “Curren$y-type-beat,” detractors keyboard-hurl at Curren$y the missive that his rhymes rarely vary in subject matter. But Spitta is not only immune to how many metaphorical likes he receives, the man wears it like a badge of honor. The list of protégés having successfully broken away from a major label conglomerate and amassed a loyal following is almost nil in the grand scheme, and Curren$y has done so by remaining steadfast to his entrepreneurial approach: the ability to flood the web with an endless supply of music, thus achieving both critical and stoner critical mass without spoiling his J.E.T. Life brand in the process.There’s just no artist in the game more deserving of deigning to charge $100 for a complete Jet Life 3 experience (though Nipsey’s upped the ante by a factor of ten), which includes memorabilia and exclusive videos in addition to the laid car music you can normally expect from Spitta.
Subtle tweaks in his beat selection and theme overtures have dictated most Curren$y projects, from the hammering MPC Alchemist-laced samples of Covert Coup to the alternative rock flourish of Muscle Car Chronicles, but to the glee of hardcore fans, Pilot Talk 3 nostalgically revisits the wake-and-bake labyrinth of the first installment of the series. Fittingly, the album commences with “Opening Credits,” a track that exquisitely captures the effect of THC-clouded mornings. Following a soulful sample, the Stoned Immaculate narrates his rise to prominence while leaving no stone unturned in the process. “Long As The Lord Say” also lounges in sonic feel-good vibes dominated by airy horns while Spitta adds more G Code wisdom in his customary hushed, monotone vocals.
While not one to typically maneuver out of his J.E.T. Life certified inner circle in terms of features, the seemingly odd pairing of Riff Raff and Spitta on “Froze” provides one of the album’s signature tracks. The dispersed 808s and muted periods allow the two emcees to remain loyal to their respective lyrical modus operandi — the dirty south bounce-cadence of Riff and the composed hustler flow of Curren$y.
Curren$y’s keen beat selection is unrivaled in comparison to the new class, but sometimes the Spitta experience (where projects are meant to be played from start to finish) makes it so that certain songs lack specific replay value on their own merits. “Get Down” fits in nicely with the overall tranquil ambience of the album’s track list, but lacks the gravitational pull of a song like “Froze.” Tracks like these well exceed mediocre status or the infamous “filler” title, but they function merely as pleasant bridges to the more gripping material.
Both Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa resurrect their brotherly chemistry on “560 SL,” but a flavorless chorus somewhat deteriorates a potential masterstroke for their resume. An improved trade-off is executed on the Jadakiss assisted “Pot Jar,” two artists that in recent years have found a harmonious chemistry of their own. Spitta acts as honorary D-Block member on “Alert,” as well.
Although it seems blasphemous considering not only his namesake but also the content in which he has built his lengthy discography on, Spitta seems much more preoccupied with spitting game than past releases. Ushered in by jazzy background singing and a trumpet, “Search Party” is brief but potent, a quick lyrical synopsis of his issues with the game and the impetus for why he records in the first place. On that note, “Dress better than your stylist nigga / I’m not even trying / You wasting time looking at shit you ain’t even buying” is just one of many blistering rhymes that attend “Briefcase.” The same sort of lyrical severity penetrates “Lemonade Mimosas,” and along with a few other cuts on the album like “Froze,” is one that fans will constantly come back to — a seemingly impossible feat seeing as how many tracks Spitta has discharged over the years.
There are always plenty of fans who hang onto to an artist’s first project as their magnum opus, such as the immovable Tha Carter and The College Dropout, but most Curren$y fans will be spending much of their time arguing wherePilot Talk 3 ranks in the series. While other artists are constantly on the prowl for the latest trend that will keep their names relevant, Spitta never ventures out of his own lane, and yet, his latest material never seems to spoil.
5 stars this album is fire
Pilot Talk 3 takes a step back from the fiery debate over Kendrick Cole and Big Sean and gives listeners like me a grown man album to let my Windows down and roll through the entire album front to back only skipping one song and cruising. This is Jet Life at its best.
Perfect description man
Spitta never fails.
Don’t sleep on spitta
Raw
Curren$y killed it with his third installment to the Pilot Talk Franchise. He’s my favorite artist!
3.5 stars?
I know ratings are subjective and all, but don’t be a fucking droid. To say PL3 is a slightly above average album, as indicated by the rating, is akin to saying “this shit is cool” which is far from the truth.
I thought this was the worst one in the series and the mix job on this album is amateur at best which is crazy because 1 and 2 sound so good. Overall I’d say it is slightly above average. Do you really think this is as good a Pilot Talk or Pilot Talk II which are both 4-.5 out of 5? Just curious because I like WAB better
@ThaTruth,
Well said. PT I & II are better albums all the way around. As far as the production (mixing and quality), I don’t expect many to hear the difference. Stoned Immaculate sounded great. PT III sounds like he recorded and mixed it in his room. BTW, is letting the audiance hear that page turn Spitta’s new thing? With that being said, I’d still buy it if I could.
Dope music. Great addition to the Pilot Talk series. Just wish there was a CD version to have in my collection and to bump in the whip.
This album is another reminder why he keep killing it. He stayed true to his word and never changed up just the address.
Jet life to the next life
jetsgo
My nigga spitta always come thru with that fire, he never disappoints! Can’t wait to see him on 4/20 in H-tiiiiiine, it’s goin diiiiine! #itslit
Amazing album from front to back, exactly what I wanted.
Life
I mean damn. Ya’ll act like couldn’t give it a 4. That’s at the WORST.
“remarkably consistent” but 3 and a half stars? That’s weird for a review that made me want to listen to it so much
classic
It’s like heaven in my ears
He’s got us all hooked. PT3 got me feelin like a music crackhead
AT IT’S FINEST…
Curren$y been consistently dope since day one.
Beat selection, flow and lyrics all on point.
It is really sad that such a big website like HipHopDX has someone with such terrible writing skills employed and also in charge of handling the Pilot Talk 3 review. So many errors, terrible word choice, and mistakes on even the album title in the first paragraph (Jet Life 3??). I stopped reading right after the first paragraph because of it! It’s a shame this person makes money for this slop. A better writer leads to better reviews and more excitement for the readers about the album experience. No need to use huge words at every chance you get when it’s not necessary strictly for the sake of sounding intelligent. Spitta for life! Classic stoner shit.
Thanks for the feedback Holmes. My mistake on the album title.
GOAT!!!
Simplicity at its finest
#JLR
Great project, glad to see how Curren$y has evolved throughout his career
SMH AT THE REVIEWER, 3 1/2 REALLY, THERE’S AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE FOR THIS TO BE 4 1/2. BEATS, LYRICS AND GUEST APPEARANCES ARE ON POINT, PROBABLY THE 3RD BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR BEHIND kENDRICK AN LUPE, so far this year I’d ranks albums:
1. Tetsuo and Youth
2. To Pimp a Butterfly
3. Pilot Talk 3
4. Mr. Wonderful
5. B4 Da A$$
6. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt
7. Words Paint Pictures (Big Pooh)
8. Album About Nothing
9. Blade of the Ronin
10. Persona (Mello Music Group)
dey give earl sweatshirt a 4 but not this?? crazy
Whoa whoa there earl’s new SHIT deserves four stars. I don’t agree with the 3.5 rating either
great album. the beat selection is on point.
This review is disrespectful. The only way I can see a professional music critic giving this album a 3.5/5 is if hip-hop wasn’t their genre of expertise. But this is supposed to be a hip-hop site. 3.5/5 for Pilot Talk 3 is UNACCEPTABLE. Even if you don’t like Curren$y’s unorthodox flow (which I will admit is an acquired taste) I don’t see how you can hear the incredible production on this album and 3.5/5 pops into your mind. Did we listen to the same album? Like… wtf?
Every track on this album is FIRE. Dope beats and dope rhymes, the very ESSENCE of hip-hop. The only thing you can say is wrong with this project is that everything sounds similar but that was intentional. Curren$y doesnt make “trying to please everybody” albums with a joint for the ladies, a joint for the clubs, etc (like Big Sean for example). He made an album with a CLEARLY DEFINED SOUND (JUST LIKE THE BANDS THAT CRITICS SUCK OFF LIKE RADIOHEAD DO). I expected at least a 4/5 if not a 4.5 from you guys.
5/5 from me. Spitta’s best album imo. Next time ya’ll write a review please make sure ya’ll get a member of ya’ll staff that is actually familiar with the artist’s work to do it because this motherfucker KELLAN MILLER obviously has no idea what he’s talking about. Curren$y put mad work into this album… Niggas is ungrateful these days…
Spitta always comes with it…. Dope laid back vibes to ride out to and put one in the Air!!
Definitely not a 3.5/5
3.5 is so disrespectful….. the flow is so tecknic they don’t even see it.
Lame niggas call this “stoner rap” but real niggas know the difference. Wiz Khalifa makes stoner rap. Listen to the nigga Spitta’s words and you’ll see that this is 100% pure “HUSTLER MUSIC” like Reasonable Doubt and Thug Motivation 101 before it. The only difference is that the music itself is the “drug” that he’s selling. If you’re a lame nigga who’s not on your grind you wont like this… This is that OG shit…
Thats what these niggas dont get. Coded hustler rap. And he aint ever had to sell nothing. He seen it, NO all day. Shit be going past niggas eardrums. “Its boring” nah they just wanna turn up. Clowns
im blown away
the only wrong I can see is…(i’m nitpicking at this point)
it ran a little long
it sounds like his other projects. this is a valid but null argument since were this far into the mans discography/career
“life I chose” was straight
the wiz track was alright
style’s was coasting on alert
jada was imo the best feature.
Beat selection is on point as usual.
rhymes are consistent and good from beginning to end
fits as a good addition to the pilot talk series
I don’t how that constitutes a 3 1/2
Simply amazing
LOL you Curren$y stans are off the chain.
just wait until the review for tech n9ne’s album comes out.
1. 50 cents 2. lil waynes 3. lil bs 4. drakes 5. kanyes
Haha yeah those Lil B stans are on a whole different level. Them niggas need serious therapy.
spitta did again..its been a long time since an album gave me the perfect vibe again(Except Kendrick’s) …its 4.5/5 .Dx heared another album…
Anyone that thinks Tha Carter was Wayne’s first project has no business reviewing hip hop music.
Carter 2 is easily better than the first one as well. Immovable? Ha. Nothing Wayne has done is immovable.
True shit… who’s paying these clowns. Somebody please send me a link for a writing position because these dudes are garbage.
This album is so under rated… Its a masterpiece imo. Curren$y’s best work and that’s saying a lot because he’s released PLENTY of quality material. He’s always had a great ear for beats but the production on this album is spectacular. The way the lush instrumentation blends with the soulful samples is truly awe inspiring. Spitta doesn’t re-invent the wheel when it comes to his technique here tho. He actually does the opposite and takes a more minimalist approach; stripping his song structure down to one extended verse on many tracks. I think this works perfectly with the dream-like production and the entire album plays like a constant stream of consciousness and soul. A closer listen reveals that the lyrical content has far more depth than the “Weed Rap” stigma that has become synonymous with his sound. The intricate lyrics tell the story of a remarkably consistent independent artist whose musical empire has become far more like a multi-million dollar drug ring than a underground rap operation. Highly rewarding for the patient listener.
This was a pretty dope album but that Love Story album by Yelawolf is what I’m waiting for it will be fire and prob album of the year 4/21
It would be nice if Shady would promote the damn thing. Yelawolf is screwed as far as album sales go.
Anotha one to smoke and ride to…Jet Lalalala
Doesn’t meet my standards, the beats sound cheesy. His lyrics are always cool but the beats degrade them. Covert Coup is a perfect spitta tape to me
3.5? Who is rating these albums? 3 straight underrated albums in Currensy, luda and Wale. 4/5
Jets fool..PT3 definately didnt disappoint..
Nyquil in lyrical form.
Drugs for your ears 5/5
No homo my negus, but this album perfect for them late nights chilling with your day one nigga naked in the waterbed, trill talk.
Nigga you gay.
Amazing album. 5/5
Jet-Life!!!
Jet Life!
firee!!
dopeee