Compiling how compilations are compiled
Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade brand has expanded the scope of what compilation albums can do...
There is something so vainglorious about the creation of a hip-hop compilation album. The curator assumes their taste trumps others’ refinement to the degree that, while they may not be technically talented in music, they have the superiority to decide how the subservient artists on the album should conform to their vision. This is a broad generalization of the objective definition of being a curator, but it applies to many in the music industry. Compilation albums are also not a definitive segment of the major album release market, but for the sake of this article, I am referring to compilation albums as those that are orchestrated by an overarching conglomerate/executive-producer rather than an individual vocalist or musical group (i.e Wu-Tang Clan). Moreover, I am distinguishing a musical group from a label; musical groups are consistently intertwined on a creative level, but labels often merely endorse artists to embark on their own individual endeavors. The most prominent and recent installment in the hip-hop compilation pedigree is Cole Bennett’s All Is Yellow under the umbrella of his audiovisual production corporation, Lyrical Lemonade.
Bennett occupies a unique place within the music industry, as Lyrical Lemonade is not a label, but a media corporation that Bennett had created off the back of his auteur approach to music video production. Through his visual work with the likes of Jack Harlow, the posthumous Juice Wrld and Lil Durk, Bennett has been able to leverage his clout and connections to concoct a rare type of compilation album. Lyrical Lemonade’s genesis as essentially a one-man show spearheaded by Bennett has informed his approach to his debut album. In an interview with Anthony Fantano (@theneedledrop on YouTube), Bennett explains that even prior to the conceptualization of All Is Yellow, he has had his creative fingerprints on more than just the music videos for the artists he collaborates with, but also the music itself. Bennett enjoys creating mini-narratives or visual motifs through quirky editing and idiosyncratic behavior in his music videos and with his visually-situated mindset. He says it helps to conform song structures to the storyboarding of his videos. Bennett explains in the interview how he sometimes had to disrupt standard song-structure etiquette in order to fit the music to its visual translation on All Is Yellow; this was an essential component to the album, as Bennett plans to produce a music video for every song on the album (which he is still in the midst of). This had its trials and tribulations, beyond the fact the Bennett has little musical authority over the artists he is employing and asking to have faith in his curative vision, he also had to get them to buy into his cinematic one. This was epitomized by the eccentricity of Chief Keef refusing to wear the same black suit that Bennett has required every artist in the videos for this album to don. After some back and forth, Keef submits and Bennett is ecstatic; this is one of the more wholesome moments of the album’s behind-the-scenes footage and showcases how Bennett’s hands-on process is unique in its intimacy. Musical acts almost always outsource their video efforts, with rare renaissance figures like Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Rocky proving to be exceptions. Bennett can be added to this list as well, but it is important to understand the foundation that was laid for the compilation medium prior to his own attempt at it.
DJ Khaled is likely the general public’s most popular intake of compilation albums. Khaled began his career rooted in the Miami-NYC crossover culture that produced the likes of Fat Joe and Rick Ross, as well as frequently employing the likes of Cash Money Records representatives like Lil Wayne and Birdman, as the label moved from New Orleans to South Beach. Understanding the growing appeal for posse cuts that was depicted on “We Takin’ Over,” Khaled began to nationalize his brand under the anthemic refrain of “We The Best,” also the name of Khaled’s debut album and business. What started as essentially Khaled using his friend-group that was built off his early membership within Joe’s Terror Squad label began to expand into a formulaic hit-machine. Fast-forward just a few years from Khaled’s introduction into the mainstream and there are hits like “All I Do Is Win” and “I’m On One.” None of Khaled’s music is necessarily notable for its substance or conceptual themes beyond the DJ’s self-branded repetition of “We The Best.” Most songs are braggadocios and expressing, or flaunting, their gratitude for the luxuries of life. Khaled is also not one to put on smaller artists and primarily opts to collaborate only with those where a song produces a reciprocal and commercially beneficial result. As Khaled grew into a cult-meme figure on Snapchat and throughout social media, his individual celebrity personality started to saturate his musical efforts, where he occasionally would get other artists in on his jokes for the sake of producing a chart-topper. Songs like “I Got the Keys” (featuring Jay-Z and Future) and “Major Bag Alert” (featuring Migos) exemplify how Khaled’s comedy became reappropriated for further mass appeal. Khaled’s singles often use his most elite connections to build hype for his albums, such as his numerous collaborations with Drake. Khaled’s unwieldy feature lists of A-list acts has been criticized upon every one of his album releases for its preference of style over substance, but this is something that the DJ does not deny. Upon Father of Asahd failing to top the Billboard Top 200 in 2019 behind Tyler, the Creator’s Igor, Khaled proceeded to disparage Tyler’s Grammy-winning effort as “mysterious shit” that you do not actually hear in the real world. Tyler took the diss in stride, making Khaled seem as though he lacked the self-awareness that many thought he did. This mini slice of beef also put the spotlight on how detached Khaled is in the production of his album; he used to produce heavily, but now acts more as an A&R with a production team handling much of the creative work. This is a stark contrast from another role in the curation of a compilation album: the auteur producer.
Producers like DJ Muggs, The Alchemist and Metro Boomin are all genuine musicians that seem to create songs for their albums with a concrete creative vision in mind. Take Boomin’s debut album and its direct sequel: NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES (2018) and HEROES & VILLAINS (2022). Unlike his frequent full-album collaborations with the likes of 21 Savage, these two albums do not cater towards a specific artist, but in the direction of a particular tone. Both albums are moody in nature and embody the anti-villainy of hip-hop as a genre. Additionally, all production work is handled by Boomin, rather than Khaled who invites other producers on his work, so there is a cohesive aesthetic. Muggs and Alchemist focus more on capturing the overall mood of their general production style rather than creating a so-called concept album, but are just as hands-on as Boomin. Alchemist is known for his crate-digging chops and Muggs is known for his grimy atmosphere. All three are perfectionists with their work though; they have artists that they know will have faith in their visions because of the chemistry that they have built throughout their work together. Boomin has Savage and Travis Scott, Muggs has Roc Marciano and Alchemist has Earl Sweatshirt and Boldy James.
Lastly, there are the label-headed compilations. The most prominent one of the past decade is likely J. Cole’s Dreamville label’s release of Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019). The short documentary that visually retells the creative cascades that culminated in the album’s release does well to embody what sets label compilations aside from ones orchestrated by a producer or single curator. Labels have many mouths to feed, but there is no easy way to increase traction for their smaller artists, so compilations can serve as a spotlight for their talents. Labels have clear hierarchies, especially ones ran by artists themselves; the Dreamville head-honcho is J. Cole, but artists like Bas and J.I.D are his proteges that do not necessarily have to fight for spots on a label compilation. Newer Dreamville artists at the time, like EARTHGANG and Lute, are essentially given auditions for the hip-hop mainstream through an album like ROTD III. More than this though, many artist-led labels do not have the luxury of their pioneering force simultaneously occupying the most popular status in the group. Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy and Birdman’s Cash Money Records serve as the artist-ran label archetype, where the leading force is a hybrid businessman-rapper, with the former occupation gaining more emphasis. J. Cole is an outlier in this regard, as he is a superstar in his own right. That means that unlike standard label compilations that usually insulate performances to those on the team, J. Cole’s appeal and his open-house approach to this album attracted many suitors, widening the competition to the extent that every song became a lyrical bloodbath for who would be autocratically given the spot to shine by Cole. While these types of albums often do not have the conceptual consistency as one that is developed in a more linear fashion, like those of Boomin and Muggs, there is a general sense of teamwork and camaraderie that is not apparent in the transactional ways of a DJ Khaled.
Returning back to Bennett, it is clear that he is well aware of the historiography of hip-hop and is highly passionate. This shines through in the manner in which he blueprinted All Is Yellow through taking stylistic bits and pieces of the other various compilation albums that predate his own. Like Khaled, Bennett’s prominence as a contributor to the music industry at large benefits him with connections that someone without direct musical involvement would normally not wield; All Is Yellow features frequent music-video collaborators like Lil Yachty and The Kid LAROI. Like Metro Boomin, Bennett had his hand in the construction of every track from a pure logistics perspective, as well as a quality-control one. Additionally, just like Boomin, Bennett installs the motif of the color yellow, as well as the general attire and ambience of his musical guests. And like J. Cole, Bennett’s All Is Yellow is a continuation of his brand, Lyrical Lemonade through the album’s visual-centricity. Bennett may have not produced one of the best albums of the year, but he should bask in its novelty and so should fans of his.