Curren$y – Pilot Talk II

    With a resume thrice as long as expected from an artist who so recently gained national attention — No Limit Records signee until 2005, Young Money until 2007, dropping a jaw-dropping 10 mixtapes since 2008 earning him a spot on XXL’s vaunted Freshmen ‘10 cover — N.O.’s Hot Spitta has cultivated his corner of the Rap-o-sphere so potently that the aroma defines expectations. His lazy flow and unconventional rhyme schemes and seemingly train-of-thought ramblings have always been the roots of his appeal. It’s what fans appreciate about him first. It’s half of what makes Pilot Talk 2 (his second album this year) engaging despite it’s consistently limited content.             


    Take album opener, “Airborne Aquarium” for example, where Curren$y meanders about his T-top ’87 Corvette, smashing under his new pool table, his chick who calms his “bad nerves” so he calls her “his Ritalin” and other contextual aimlessness.  The track works because of the way lines like “Emotional luggage / Nothing of it / I don’t check bags / I just carry on leave that bullshit in the past” bounce all over the track’s hopping snares and lurking flutes.  The same combination carries cooled out cut, “Michael Knight”.  From the dope Paid In Full movie reference that opens the first verse to the second’s unflinching conclusion (“Survive rough land / Cactus plants growing in dessert sands / Alive I stand / Left for dead though a nigga didn’t die / I got highed up so I could autograph the sky”), Curren$y survives because he floats so erratically.   

    “Flight Briefing”’s triumphant high hats and bluesy intonations and the presence of arguably the album’s most introspective verse adds a quick hit of celebration to PT2.  It’s nearly impossible not to feel a sense of inspiration when hearing Spitta earnestly dissect his atypical path to recognition:

    “With these lazy eyes I’ve seen / More than you can see in seven lifetimes / Get you on track / Got the fresh scoop from inside / Give you insight on the situation cause I’ve done it twice / Done the dotted line tight rope walk / Where the suits want results they don’t talk / Dozens of songs locked away / and rotting in a vault / No one to blame it was solely my fault / No salt thrown”

    It’s nearly impossible not to picture Curren$y and Dom Kennedy flying down a beach side highway somewhere, passing the joint back and forth, “Ocean’s in the back, Porsche’s in the front,” when floating to the trumpets and subtle electric bass strings on “Real Estates” — even if the song offers little more than women and whips. Swagger alone isn’t a substitute for range, but it is enough to leave an impression; to appreciate the groove.   

    Regardless of what subject Spitta starts on, women and weed will eventually wander it’s way into the verse. It’s not a surprise.  It’s part of the train-of-thought nature of his style and the reason there isn’t a track longer than four minutes and 48 seconds on any of his last four projects: his content is so focused that anything extra is an overkill. His lazy, unconventional flow adds just enough depth to require dissection to keep up, yet the outcome is always predictable. There’s rarely a surprise ending so the production becomes infinitely more important to overall replay value, and Spitta’s ear for beats is far from suspect.

    Ski Beatz and The Senseis laced the album with eight of the thirteen track album’s bluesy, smoked-out sound bed, delivering the foundation for the other half of what makes Pilot Talk 2 engaging. “Montreux,” with it’s organ keys, be-bop high hats and culminating horn section feels like Jazz night at B.B. Kings or, as it’s title is derived, The Montreux in New Orleans.  

    Curren$y’s unabashedly brash commentary rambles lovely over “A Gee”’s flat electric chords and the uplifting horns on “Highed Up” appropriately elevate Spitta’s hazy octave. The Monsta Beatz produced, “Famous”, works somehow despite sounding like the theme music to 1980s TV drama, Moonlighting.  The piano keys on “Silence” fall short even though it’s the album’s lone sonic detour.  Not only does it feel out of place with the Bourbon Street groove maintained throughout the LP, but it’s drowsy pace combined with McKenzie Eddy’s whiny hook damn-near induces a weed nap.   

    Curren$y sounds at home over the left-of-center, blues-like production featured on Pilot Talk 2. While similar in feel to it’s predecessor, Pilot Talk, this follow-up is much less commercial in approach. The backdrop, though sometimes redundant, is more intimate, substituting any real peaks of audio genius for a solid, cohesive chilled-out-smoke-and-float ambiance. Raekwon on the “Michael Knight (Remix)” — which differs only with the inclusion of The Chef’s verse, clogging the album with essentially the same song twice — is the lone name guest appearance this time around. Unfortunately, Young Roddy, Trademark Da Skydiver and Fiend do little to erase the memory of Snoop Dogg, Jay Electronica, Devin The Dude, Mos Def, Big K.R.I.T., Wiz Khalifa on the original.  All three seem unnecessary considering how they showed up only to deliver unmemorable verses. Curren$y is less of a lyricist kicking weighty bars and picturesque stanzas and convoluted enigmas, but rather the exact opposite. On Pilot Talk 2, he’s more of a mood: a visceral rapper spitting in unpredictable flows and weeded-out ramblings that connect over jazzy high hats and bluesy arrangements. Expected or otherwise, sometimes that’s all that’s needed. 

    108 thoughts on “Curren$y – Pilot Talk II

    1. this nigga is a fuckin wack ass watered down 2010 bitch friendly b.g.

      and b.g. is still better than this bum ass nigga. he’s a dope lyricst, if you consider drake and nikki minaj a “problem”.

      ski savin this kids career, ski get your beats to some real mic hogs or make another camp lo album. he aint new either, he been around like 10 years. hasnt improved at all, wack nigga.

    2. i don’t agree with switch. Curren$y has his unique style and sounds good fo’ me. Ski’s beats are bangin’. Flight Briefing is a banger.

    3. Curren$y kills it on mixtapes, but can’t make a decent album to save his life. Hopefully Wiz can, or else they both way too alike.

    4. Go buy a Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, or KRS-One album if you don’t own them all…PEACE & LOVE, Let’s keep authentic hip-hop alive!

      1. I know your intentions are good, but don’t try to force music on people, let them figure it out themselves. I love real true original hip hop, and i don’t really care for A Tribe Called Quest. Just don’t feel em. Thats what music is, you have to feel it, and everyone doesn’t feel everything the same. Though i will recognize them as quality music, just not my thing.

    5. One of the best albums of the year. I love the vibes on this record. I don’t think the reviewer really took the time to listen to this album–it flows beautifully from track to track and has the feeling that it’s a real album and not just a collection of songs. Love the beats, love the rhymes, love the flow. Killer record.

    6. “the company man” did give this album a harsh review. First off, he miss quoted what curren$y said about Ritalin on “Airborne Aquarium” (he’s talking about his car not his girl). The tracks on the album have very worldly, jazz feel which blend together beautifully. Overall the production quality makes this a very cohesive album. Only thing I do agree is that the features on this album do distract and do not add much value.

    7. how are niggas saying spitta cant spit?? thats all he does is spit dope ass lyrics, i like drake too but yall niggas hate every new school rapper that aint drake or nicki

    8. So in dx’s eyes pink friday was better than this????????
      pink friday was a good album, but this..this is bringing hiphop back and people are to dumb to realize it

    9. Definitely not as good as Pilot Talk 1. seems like the reviewer liked a lot of the album though. wiz was on scaling the buillding. thought that was a bonus track

    10. Curren$y is ill….his album are ill when you take them for what kind of artist he is. To expect him to be anyhting else is to rob one’s self of a great experience. His lyrical content is on the level of Ghost/Wu…all he needs is the right game plan and he will have at least one album thats considered a bonified classic in hip hop. Ski Beatz is great, but link Ski and No ID/Kanye on the co-chair postion and Curren$y will get his classic. Ghost did it with the same style, Curren$y can too. I got hope for Spitta, cuz he brining back that stream of conciousness rap I identify with

    11. DID YOU KNOW THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” IN THE UNITED KINGDOM????

      WE ONLY HAVE “POETIC LICENCE”,BUT ANY LAW IN THE U.K CAN OVER RIDE IT!!

      DUE TO RACISM IN MY FAMILY TOWARDS MY DAUGHTER,I RESPONDED WITH POETRY & HIP HOP LYRICS.

      THIS LEAD TO A COURT CASE AGAINST ME FOR THREATS TO KILL & HARASSMENT!

      THE JUDGE AT CROWN COURT DECIDED TO PLACE A “FIVE YEAR RAP & POETRY BAN ON MY MATERIAL!”

      “I AM OFFICIALLY THE FIRST EVER U.K RAP ARTIST & POET TO BE GIVEN THIS BAN! (2009-2014)

      ITS TIME TO STAND UP PEOPLE…DONT LET AUTHORITIES DICTATE WHAT YOU CAN & CANT SAY!!

      IF I RAP OR WRITE ABOUT CERTAIN SUBJECTS OR NAME CERTAIN NAMES,
      I’LL BE FACING UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON!! FOR RAP & POETRY!!??? WTF!!!

      CROWN COURT PAPERS DETAILING MY RAP BAN UP IN MY PHOTO ALBUMS NOW!!!
      FEEL FREE TO LEAVE ME A COMMENT IF YOU FEELING WHAT IM DOING!! STAY BLESSED!

      http://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DONHONKI
      http://WWW.SOUNDCLOUD.COM/DONHONKI (Back catalogue of my tracks)
      http://WWW.SOUNDCLOUD.COM/WORDZAREWEAPONZ (My spoken word poetry audio)
      http://WWW.TWITTER.COM/DONHONKI
      http://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/DONHONKI1
      http://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM IAN DONHONKI DUNNE

    12. This is a good album I like this more than the last one. Young cat step up his game with this this some smokers music riding around in your car relaxing. This fill good music should he be killing and selling dope on every track like alot of todays music does. Music is just music no matter where you from south, east, mid west where ever the artist is from ass long as it bangs then Ill play. Back when hip hop started late 80’s no one cared what state you were from it got played if sounded good. Now a days we can’t play this because it’s from where ever all thats needs to stop. Thats like saying the oldies is one races music and I hear that alot from people kill that and open your closed minds.

      1. can anyone figure a cohesive sentence in that paragraph above. what the fuck are you saying you high crusty moron. picture his red japanese eyes and his satisfied face after he wrote this like he dropped a fuckin bomb on us. well, mister knowledge god, fall back and watch those owen wilson movies and keep dreamin

    13. the only people that think spitta is garbage is the people that don’t understand his bars…. this for the educated weed heads… shit is ecstacy to the ears when high.. and yea i gave it 5 stars to boost it up.. YEOWA

    14. I can’t really agree with this review, this album felt very well put together. The production was very nice and Curren$y was doing his thing. Real Estates has yet to come off of repeat.

    15. how can you make a cd callled pilot talk and not discuss weed on every song… pretty idiotic review if you ask me… smoke a joint next time u wanna review spitta hiphopdx

    16. faggots give good ratings to drakes pop album and dont give the weed album of the year the rating it deserves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      this is why i dont take suckcockDX seriously anymore, they lost it when they started dick riding drake!!!!!!!!!!! jets niggasssss

    17. this review started off well put then they kinda started baggin on spitta. honestly hes my favorite rapper cuz he keeps it real and blows trees and still about his business at the sametime. ppl dont like him cuz he doesnt sing like wiz or drake or they dont understand his flow. hes all about weed shoes diamond supply co and bitches and thats exactly wat US JETS expected. keep doin u spitta…….silence is my favorite song and i bet everyone agrees its different but still audio dope

    18. Continue to be impressed with Spitta. Can’t fucking believe he’s releasing 3 albums this year. Ski’s production on this is amazing.

    19. HONESTLY THIS IS A HORRIBLE RATING. EVERY TRACK WAS DOPE. EVERY TRACK HAD A DOPE BEAT GOOD LYRICS THATS ENOUGH TO ALMOST BE CALLED A HIP HOP CLASSIC. IF ANYTHIN U GUYS COULD HAVE AT LEAST GAVE IT 4 STARS. I MEAN ISNT THIS WUT HIP HOP IS ABOUT? I PERSONALLY THINK PILOT TALK 2 IS A 2010 HIP HOP CLASSIC THAT WILL LIVE ON.

    20. such a dope album, classic imo. this rating doesnt do its justice. and this nigga reviewing it got it out for spitta. smoke a joint and relax brah, no need to hate on him fool.
      jets nigga

    21. Lame n*ggas won’t get it. J-E-T-S
      Review was weak as there is much more to Curren$y’s flow as superficiality. His uncanny wisdom and ability to craft “the cool” is what he’s about. His trusty commrades talk that shit just like he does and blends perfectly on the tracks. Solid 4

    22. This album is better than a 3/5. I like PT2 better than PT1, not to take away from PT1, but Curren$y changes things up on this album and it suits the way he raps better. I’d give it a 4.5/5 if I could give half ratings, but I’m making it a 5 because I don’t think many people appreciate the mark Curren$y is making on rap game. There is no one out like the Spitta.

      Hey, does anyone know what DX gave PT1? I don’t understand how they rate albums

    23. I Don’t Give A Fuck what nobody says this is a classic. Ten years from now niggas still gon be bumpin this. The reviewer ant do this album justice. Curren$y embodies a lifestyle and he expresses that in his music with an amazing ability. His way of rapping and beat selection are incredible. BTW Live instrumentation provided by Ski Beatz and the Senseis is great. J.E.T.S.

    24. I swear i can not stop playing this album it is a classic, i bought this and ye’s and ive only listened to MBDTF about three times but played PT2 about 40(no bullshit) every time i ride i gotta put it on and every time i spark up

    25. I think we gona try to knock Pilot Talk II for not living up to the first but I personally feel this album is complete and unique in its own way. The music is creative and Spitta’s flow is not up for discussion because yesterday and today his flow will always change and that what keep our interests whether we hate the guy and his music or praise. I say keep doing ya thing Spitta. JETS FOOL. MUSCLE CARS CHRONICLE 2011. WUDDUPP

    26. i foreal liked pt2 better then the first one, its such a chill album with the beats he spit on but he killed all the tracks

    27. Damn hiphopdx u fuckd up the rating ..who ever gave it 3/5 stars should get fired .:…I think it is a 5 but u should have gave it a 4 a less

    28. Really solid piece of work.Everything fits on this album and doesnt feel out of place. Great instrumentals through out the album. At first listen it seems like a solid 3.5 album but another listen shows a 4 star piece of work.
      Fav Tracks:Famous, Silence, Flight Briefing

    29. this album deserved atleast a 4.5…the music landscape, the mood it creates, the flow, the crazy creative lines, this was a solid album…

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