Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Cupcakke - "Ephorize"


CupcakKe ladies and gentlemen!  AKA Miss Elizabeth Eden Harris.  This young lady has been making her rounds on the internet like crazy the last year or so releasing a couple of Mixtapes and Albums and such.  Her first project, early 2016's "Cum Cake", served as quite an eye-opening intro to CupcakKe's music.  First off, if you're not familiar with her style, miss Cake has a bit of a potty mouth and doesn't censor herself to anyone.  From viral hits like "Vagina" and "Pedophile" to deep cuts like "Juicy Coochie" this obviously isn't a Tape for everyone.  However, I did end up enjoying most of this project.  Sure, it's basically Porn for a good chunk of the project, but CupcakKe has so much character it isn't even funny.  Tracks like "Pinocchio" and "Yo Lost" showed CupcakKe going for a slightly more aggressive sound that I wasn't that into.  But even more of the personal tracks like "Exceptions" and "Pedophile" which go deep into CupcakKe's youth in often depressing fashion showed that she was on to something a little bit larger in scale to a few sex tunes.  Her next Mixtape "S.T.D." was pretty solid as well.  The shocking, raunchy tunes continued with tracks like "Doggy Style" and "Best Dick Sucker", but the personal tunes continued as well with "Opportunity".  Now, I still had a hard time taking tracks like "Motherlands" seriously.  But I had a bigger issue.  A lot of these tunes seemed incomplete to me.  Hell, even going back to her previous tape after listening to this, a lot of these tunes still sounded incomplete.  CupcakKe's late 2016 "Audacious" on the other hand, DID feel complete.  The production on this project was so much more impressive and interesting, and the beats from start to finish had just as much character as CupcakKe.  But of course, CupcakKe remained the star, whether it be on Raunch-Rap tunes like "Spider-Man Dick" or deeply personal tracks like "Ace Hardware".  Overall, "Audacious" was the first time I felt like CupcakKe had given us a complete project.   CupcakKe continued to grow with 2017's "Queen Elizabitch".  Sure, there were still some tunes on here that could make a Soccer Mom reach for the skip button, "Cumshot" of course being the main offender.  But the production was glamorous on here and the beats were pretty much exactly where I wanted to hear Miss CakKe.  Now, these new singles from CupcakKe have been average, certainly nothing absolutely mindblowing from her.  But still, certainly decent.  Let's chat about this new CupcakKe album.

This album starts off with "2 Minutes".  It's a very sweet piano intro, which is something I feel like we haven't heard to this extent from CupcakKe.  It's a solid start for the most part, with CupcakKe dropping some surprisingly current bars.  It's a nice switch-up from her usual blast right into a ridiculously raunchy sex tune.  As a whole, "2 Minutes" is actually seriously commendable really, as CupcakKe really starts to go deep into her own psyche about who she is and what she represents.  It's certainly refreshing from CupcakKe, even though I do wish it was longer and made a bigger statement.  Up next is "Cartoons", which on the other hand is the sort of banger that I've really been waiting for CupcakKe to come through with.  I love the beat here and the wildly colorful production.  While coming out with a banger like this after that truly heartfelt intro may be a little counter-productive, I actually really love this tune. Some of CupcakKe's one-liners are as hilarious as ever, and all of these cartoon character references one after another is nothing short of seriously creative.  CupcakKe remains after all of these years, absolutely brimming with personality.  This is just the sort of creative, colorful banger I really wanted to hear from CupcakKe.  Up next is "Duck Duck Goose", and so far I feel like the production on this album has been a serious standout, with a lot of this actually reminding me a lot of what CupcakKe's dear friend Charli XCX has been up to.  Now, this is a real throwback for CupcakKe, with her going hard on all of the Raunch-Rap that she's overlooked the past few tracks.  But this one is so unbelievably over-the-top, even for her standards, in the best way.  So much so, that I seriously can't help but burst out laughing every time I hear this, mostly because of all of these ridiculous images.  I'm just gonna come out and say it, "Duck Duck Goose" is one of the most hilariously enjoyable CupcakKe tunes in years.  On the other hand, "Wisdom Teeth" is going for a totally different style and beat.  It's alright and all, but it's not nearly as colorful as the material CupcakKe usually works with, which does bug me a little.  So let's chat about CupcakKe's performance on this one.  In all honesty, I don't think I've ever heard her with such hunger and such an aggressive performance.  Honestly, she ends up sounding straight up dangerous.  But I still feel like I'm not completely into these more aggressive tunes compared to her more flamboyant performances, but that's just me.  I do have to say though, she's come a long way with her more vicious bars.  And the production on here is still REALLY solid. "Crayons" is up next, and right off the bat this beat goes with CupcakKe's performance so well.  Honestly, this one took a little while to grow on me.  And as far as a tune for supporting the LGBT community goes this is probably one of the more anthemic and creative ones I've heard recently.  CupcakKe has obviously touched down on  a lot of these themes in the past, but this is still really refreshing.  Of course, CupcakKe brings in a few raunchy sex lines that'll most likely make you blush.  But outside of that, this really works wonderfully for CupcakKe. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD7jC-qL9h0

    Now, I don’t like saying this, I really don’t.  But Cinnamon Toast Crunch” is straight up awful, and the exact direction that I’ve always feared CupcakKe would go down.  Quite frankly, this track is obnoxious.  And it’s a shame, because that beat is absolutely ridiculous and booming.  I give CupcakKe credit because she does somehow keep her personality in check.  But I just really wish she took this a whole different direction.  Not to mention, in an album filled with tunes that I wish were a minute or so longer, why the hell is this track so long?  Now, for a more low-key, introspective and personal tune, “Exit” is one of the better ones CupcakKe has come up with.  I mean, she’s made a career of freaky tunes about sex in every way, so it’s honestly refreshing to hear her stand up to a dude that’s mistreating her, especially after hearing her early tunes about some of the abuse she’s dealt with.  There are a couple of super cheesy lines that are a little tougher to get through.  But still, I’m nothing short of impressed with “Exit”.  Not to mention, the very smooth, pristine beats continue to be a serious standout.   But then I hear “Self Interview”, which really sadly, I can’t take seriously.  Now, lyrically this may be the most important tune here.  CupcakKe drops line after line that makes you think about who she is, and the world in general, and how we treat others (mostly women).  And as far as that goes, honestly, I have nothing bad to say.  Just the opposite honestly, I’m seriously impressed with CupcakKe for penning such a sincere tune.  But the whole concept of a “Self Interview” is so damn cheesy.  I feel like it easily could have been packaged slightly differently and it would have come off so much better. I still enjoy this tune for the most part, but I do wish structurally it was switched up a little.  On “Navel” on the other hand, CupcakKe just sounds so much more in control of her performance in every way.  She sounds so much more confident here.  To be honest, it’s tracks like this that impress me the most on the album.  Here, CupcakKe continues to drift away from her constantly raunchy lines, in exchange for a more aggressive banger.  On “Navel” though, I can easily take her so much more seriously.  CupcakKe sounds so fierce in her performance, and some of her one-liners actually come off as dangerous sounding.  The very whimsical beat, the very glitzy production, this one works on every level.  Not to mention, when she does drop the occasional kinky line, it comes off so much more effective.  Up next is “Spoiled Milk Titties”, and I don’t know about you but that title does nothing for me.  Now honestly, with all of the more mature tunes here, a track like this quite frankly seems out of date.  There are some good elements here and there, like, it’s certainly sexy, and I do love the wailing guitar in the background.  As far as the instrumental and the beat goes, I actually dig a lot of this.  But some of these lines just seem tasteless after so many of the more forward-thinking tunes here.  I get it, every album has to have its more serious moments and some fun moments too.  But moments like this make me feel like CupcakKe is running out of things to say. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr_NNEVqmaw

    CupcakKe however has, believe it or not, saved some of her better tunes for last.  When I hear beats like the one on “Total” I really can’t help but get into a great mood.  I have to hand it to CupcakKe, she really chose a LOT of very vibrant beats that go with her personality wonderfully.  Now honestly, this is a really great sound for her as a whole.  It’s much more down to earth, even adorable at times.  But it’s not too much where it comes off as eye rolling or cheesy.  “Total” is easily a major standout for the album.  For me, a track like this is so much more impactful than a track like “Self Interview”.  But at the same time, as more mature as it is, it still seriously bangs and is a pretty damn explosive pop tune.  Honestly, I didn’t think CupcakKe had this in her.  The very sunny, bouncy production continues to be a major selling point of this album with “Post Pic”.  To be honest, it’s a spectacle to see just how far CupcakKe has come just from a production stance.  Her performance once again is charismatic as hell, filled with personality, and cocky in the best way.  I mean, if she’s going for a more sexy tune, this isn’t nearly as over-the-top as some of her early tunes, obviously.  But at the same time, there’s even an element to this that’s sort of empowering.  It’s bizarre, but it works really well for CupcakKe.  Now, I honestly really got hyped from hearing the intro to “Meet and Greet”.  But follows is just so bland.  I love just how vicious CupcakKe still comes off.  But this, to me, just doesn’t sound like a track she would write on her own.  This just seems so influenced the current Trap nonsense happening that I’m trying to escape by listening to CupcakKe.  There are some great one-liners throughout, but most of this track is just repetitive and annoying. It’s moments like this that make me think CupcakKe still has a long way to go when it comes to maturing.  Sadly, “Single While Taken” really isn’t that much better.  I have no issue whatsoever with CupcakKe going for a more aggressive sound.  But here, I feel like CupcakKe is taking herself way too seriously.  Even on some of the more mature tunes earlier, at the very least they were fun.  And once again, I do have to commend CupcakKe because lyrically once again this is deep and really touches down on topics that need to be talked about.  Not to mention, we’re getting to know her more than ever.  Honestly, I just really wish “Single While Taken” was more colorful.  This album ends off with “Fullest”, and as cheesy and poppy as this is, it absolutely first CupcakKe’s very colorful personality.  Not to mention, her very bubbly personality is on display at its finest.  But on top of that, this just sort of rounds up a lot of ideas that CupcakKe has brought up on the last few tracks, but puts them together more interestingly. 


Rating: 7.5/10

Give A Listen To: “Cartoons”, “Duck Duck Goose”, “Total”, “Navel”

Genre: Hip-Hop / Pop Rap / Pop

Overall Thoughts:  This is obviously CupcakKe on her best behavior and a collection of her most mature tunes yet.  That goes without saying.  She also pairs that with some very clean production as well as colorful beats that work tremendously alongside of CupcakKe's wild personality.  There are some Raunch-Rap tunes thrown in to keep her older fans happy, and some surprisingly current topics as well.  But for me, it's the latter I have issues with at times.  CupcakKe brings to the table a lot of topics and scenarios that haven't been discussed much in Hip Hop, which is fine.  But the total package on a handful of those tunes falls criminally flat.  Outside of that, this is a very vibrant and colorful project from CupcakKe.

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