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Thursday, 3 November 2016

ALBUM: Meek Mill - DC4 (Review)

Rarely do rugs get pulled out from underneath individuals with the speed and brutality of Meek Mill's Summer 2015 L-athon. The closest comparable examples are nearly all fictitious: Maximus' sudden enslavement after a battlefield victory in "Gladiator," Gary Bertier getting in a car crash while speeding away from a pep rally in "Remember The Titans," Lane Pryce running into financial rock bottom after successfully orchestrating a business coup in "Mad Men."

Meek, like all aforementioned parties, began his Shakespearean drama of a summer on top of the world, at the undeniable peak of his career at the time. That Spring, he had started dating Nicki Minaj, a paradigm for success and bodaciousness in hip hop, and on the third-to-last day of June, he released Dreams Worth More Than Money, his best-received and first #1 album. Less than a month later, however, it would all crumble in the eyes of the public as he started, stalled, and then quickly and unanimously lost a beef with Drake. This shouldn't have diminished DWMTM's success, but to this day, mention Meek's name to a rando on the street and odds are "Drake beef" will pop out of their mouths before "number one album." It doesn't help that Meek has gone on to feud with The Game and hometown legend Beanie Sigel in recent months either -- "beef" has appeared next to his name far too many times in the past year and a half.

Dreamchasers 4 arrives quite a while after its original announcement, and with good reason. Save for this January's 4/4 two-part EP, it's Meek's first major chance to right his ship-- "comeback" seems too extreme a word for a guy who topped the charts 16 months ago. He's clearly spent a ton of time selecting beats, crafting verses, and collecting features, and it shows. The grandiose, lush-sounding DWMTM marked a departure from Meek's more workmanlike previous releases, and although DC4 was made on a lower budget, the attention to detail is comparable to its predecessor. The production and song structures are varied, the mood shifts throughout, and the features, in general, are pretty lit. The only problem is that unlike the majority of his last album, a good deal of DC4 doesn't sound like a Meek Mill project.

Intro "On The Regular" fakes us out with an "O Fortuna" sample (very original, Meek) that makes it seem like another huge, bar-filled "DC1 Intro" is on the way, but instead Meek opts for a pretty basic hook and even more pedestrian flow. That's not to say it isn't an enjoyable track, but for Meek, whose calling card is jaw-dropping lyrical displays on intro tracks, it feels like an unwelcome side-step. Ensuing tracks "Blessed" and "Litty" fare better, the former off the strength of an amazing beat, the latter thanks in major part to Tory Lanez, but again, they don't sound like Meek songs. "Blessed" has the wavy New York cool of a French Montana track and "Litty" has Meek seeming like the featured artist. It's not until "Shine" that we get the Meek of old. He's given plenty of room in the beat to seem totally in command of the song's pacing, perfectly timing flow switches with transitions, and his weighty lyrics matching the inspirational-sounding backing vocals.

It's not that I want Meek to stay stagnant-- later standouts "Lights Out" and "Blue Notes" prove that he's more than capable of maturing his sound -- but his personality and sound are both so integral to him sounding like a commanding presence on the mic rather than a itinerant shouter. When stuffed into a track like "Froze," so middle-of-the-road and definitionless that it feels like a DJ Khaled throwaway, he just sounds like a another dude doing Migos flows far less interestingly than the actual Migos. (A truly lackluster verse by Nicki -- "make n*ggas stare at my hands, even though I am not miming"?! -- doesn't help either.)

Whereas DWMTM's guests seemed to cater to Meek's sound, this time around Meek is more okay with stepping out of his comfort zone, as he does most noticeably on "Offended." It feels like a Young Thug or 21 Savage song that Meek hopped on, right down to the de-tuned piano keys and more muted beat, and while Meek does fairly well fucking with a more melodic delivery than usual, it doesn't feel like he's playing to his strengths. A far more fitting foray into Atlanta's universe is "Way Up," whose 6/8 time signature provides an obstacle course that makes for much more thrilling verses from Meek. Meek's at his best when he's pushing his voice to its limits, showcasing his unique gifts rather than fading into the background or doing karaoke with other styles of rapping. As he's told us and showed us many times throughout his career, Meek Mill is not an actor or a faker; he's incapable of being anyone but his real, aggressive Philly self. DC4's main problem is that he attempts to change that perception without first taking any acting lessons.

All that said, the end result of DC4 is similar to previous Dreamchasers installments, despite arriving there in a completely different way. A few very strong tracks ("Litty," "Shine," "Lights Out," "Blue Notes," "Way Up," "Tony Story 3") tentpole and otherwise scattered, tedious listen, whihch could be said about any of the previous tapes in the series. Here's where the success of DWMTM actually distracts you from the rest of Meek's career-- it's easy to forget that before that, he was known as a super talented rapper with a healthy list of amazing tracks and guest appearances, but no truly stellar full-length to his name. DC4 shows that he's not willing to go gentle into that very same good night again, as he actively tries to expand his boundaries, but in matching DWMTM's ambition and expansiveness, he often loses the very core that's always grounded his music.

Sunday, 17 July 2016

Pokémon Go: Everything You Need to know to Get started With Pokémon Go

How to play Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is finally here. After a few delays, the augmented reality-infused Pokémonapp launched last week, and spread like wildfire over the weekend, with hordes of eager pokémon trainers taking to the streets to try to catch ‘em all. Confused about how it works? Need a few tips on your way to becoming a pokémon master? Read on.

How do I get started?

First things first, you’ll need the Pokémon Go app, available for iOS and Android in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. If you’re not in those areas, hang tight, as Ninantic is rolling out to other regions as time goes on.

Once you’ve been logged in, you’ll get a brief introduction by the dreamy Professor Willow, who’ll give you an introduction to the game, and walk you through catching your choice of the three starter pokémon — either a Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur, which should all be familiar to Pokémon regulars.

After that though, the game pretty much leaves you on your own, aside from a small tips section that mostly explains basic map icons. But there three basic parts to Pokémon Go: catching pokémon, visiting pokéstops, and gym battles.

How do I catch pokémon?

Catching pokémon works mostly like you'd expect: you simply walk around with the app open on your phone, which will buzz when pokémon are nearby. Tap on the pokémon on the map, and you’ll switch to the catching interface. The color of the ring surrounding the pokémon helps determine how easy it is to catch — green is easiest, yellow intermediate, and red the most difficult.

Pokémon are found at different CP (Combat Power) levels, which more or less determines how powerful the pokémon will be. To raise a pokémon's CP, you'll need two resources: stardust, a generic item you obtain with each pokémon that you catch, and the pokémon's specific candy, which can be obtained by catching duplicates of the pokémon you want to level up. For example, to level up a Zubat’s CP, you’ll need stardust and Zubat candies. Similarly, to evolve your pokémon, you’ll need to use more of that pokémon’s candies, which will also dramatically raise the CP of that pokémon. As your character level increases, you’ll encounter higher level pokémon in the wild and be able to level up the CP level of your pokémon more.

Different pokémon are found in different places — so while The Verge office might be infested with Zubats, going farther afield may result in different or rarer pokémon.

What are pokéstops?

Pokéstops are important landmarks, marked on the map at significant (usually) local locations. Visiting pokéstops is the primary way of getting items. When you’re close enough to a pokéstops to activate it, the map icon will expand into a spinning pokéballs icon, allowing you to tap on it to obtain items, such as pokéballs, potions, revives, and eggs (which can be hatched by walking around). You can also activate lure modules at pokéstops, which are marked by a swarm of hearts on the map, increasing the likelihood of pokémon appearing there. Some items, however, can only be purchased with pokécoins, which can be earned by fighting in gym battles or bought as in-app purchases.

How do I level my character up?

You can earn experience from nearly every activity in the game — catching pokémon, fighting at a gym, visiting pokéstops — which in turn levels up your character. You’ll also be gifted items when you reach a new level. Additionally, once you reach level five, you’ll be given the chance to choose from one of the three color-coded factions: red Team Valor, yellow Team Instinct, and blue Team Mystic, and have the opportunity to battle other trainers in gyms.

What are gyms?

Gyms are in-game locations that are typically tied to major real-world areas — such as the Bryant Park Fountain or Times Square — where you can battle other trainers. If a gym is held by your faction, you can select a single pokémon and train against other members of your team, raising the amount of prestige points associated with the gym. The higher the prestige, the more pokémon that can be stationed at the gym, which in turn grants higher daily bonuses of stardust and pokécoins that can be earned. If there’s an open spot at a gym, you can add one of your pokémon to help hold down the fort. Gyms held by one of the two rival factions, however, need to be battled for. If you and your fellow members defeat the pokémon stationed there, you can lower the gym’s prestige and eventually return it to a neutral level. It can then be claimed by your faction and a pokémon can be left there to fight against new challengers. Battling in gyms also gives your pokémon experience and raises their CP and HP.

How do I battle?

Battling in Pokémon Go is like a simplified version of the classic Game Boy game. Pokémon face off one-on-one, and can use one of two attacks — tapping on the enemy pokémon to do a low-damage light attack, and tap-and-holding to unleash a special attack once your meter has filled. Additionally, you can dodge enemy attacks by swiping left and right. Battles continue until one of the pokémon has fainted. And of course, standard pokémon damage type rules are in effect: water pokémon are effective against fire types, fire against grass, etc. Pokémon can be healed or revived using potions and revives that you can obtain from visiting pokéstops.

What are the different items, and how do I get them?

Pokéball / Great Ball / Ultra Ball — Pokéballs are your bread and butter tool for catching pokémon. Great balls unlock at level 12 and are better at capturing pokémon, while ultra balls, which unlock at level 20 are even more useful for high-level pokémon. All three can be obtained at pokéstops once you’ve reached the right level, and regular pokéballs can be bought with pokécoins from the Store.
Potion / Super Potion / Hyper Potion — Potions allow for pokémon to be healed in between battles.
Revives — Allow for revival of pokémon that have fainted in battle.
Lucky Egg — An item that doubles the experience you gain in the next half-hour after use. Can be obtained at pokéstops or bought using pokécoins from the store.
Razz Berries — A higher-level item obtained starting at level 8, Razz berries can be used on higher level pokémon to help prevent them from running away. More can be found at pokéstops once they've been unlocked.
Egg Incubator — Egg incubators are used to hatch eggs, which can contain rare pokémon. You’re given one incubator for free that has unlimited uses, while additional, three-use incubators can be found in pokéstops or bought with pokécoins. Eggs hatch after being incubated for a certain walking distance that depends on the specific egg (usually between two to five kilometers).
Lure Module — A temporary use item that can be applied to a pokéstop that increases the chances of encountering wild pokémon at that pokéstop for all nearby users. Can be found at pokéstops or bought using pokécoins form the store.
Incense — A temporary use item that increases the likelihood of encoding wild pokémon for the user of the item for the next half-hour after use. Can be found at pokéstops or bought at the store with pokécoins.

Tips and Tricks:

Buy an external battery! Pokémon Go can be a huge battery drain on your phone, since the app needs to be running constantly.
There are no pokémon centers in Pokémon Go, so revives and potions remain the only way to heal injured or fainted pokémon.
Wait to evolve pokémon until you're at least level 10 — the boost you receive in CP from evolution is tied to your character level, and the higher your level, the greater the gain.
Hopping on a bicycle is a fun, fast way to hatch pokémon eggs quickly.
Make sure to stay hydrated when catching pokémon outside.
Consider turning off the augmented reality interface — it's fun to see pokémon in the real world, but the camera consumes more battery life and constant movement can make pokémon more difficult to catch.
Be smart and make sure to always be aware of your surrounding and people nearby.
Pokémon Go relies on Google Maps data — try downloading the maps directly from Google to cut down on battery use and data consumption.