Johnny Questionmark "Falling In Like" Review

First things first this is going to be my first ever real review of a CD. In the past I did what I like to call lyrical breakdowns. That is where I take a song from an album and write my own interpretation of the song while I was listening to it at the time. It seemed to be well received and people enjoyed them. But this is going to be a full CD review with I hope a sort of review on each track. I hope I can do the CD justice. Ok then onto the review.

Falling in Like is an album you wasn’t expecting coming from a person you may or may not have known about in the past. First off this album holds nothing back. Johnny Questionmark comes out swinging and it really shows. This album is a labor of love. It found life on Kickstarter and did amazingly for a relatively unknown rapper from Minnesota. Johnny was one half of the Minnesota rap group Playaz Lounge Crew (PLC). They had a pretty good following and some great music. They lost out on getting signed to a Psychopathic Records to Axe Murder Boys. This reviewer is actually pretty happy they didn’t win even thought their talent was much better than AMB. It is hard telling what we would have gotten if they would have gotten signed. Ok enough boasting about PLC or Johnny here is a review of his debut solo album “Falling In Like.”

I can go on and on about each track on this album but I will highlight a few tracks and then give my final thoughts on the album. The album starts off with the track Written In Lights. This track is featured in Season 6 of the YouTube series Lights and a Backdrop (link to video will be placed at the end of this review.)  Before the album came out I listened to this track a lot. It’s a great opening track to start off this album with. The track plays off like an anthem, and expresses it in the chorus, “we ain’t quitting until it’s written in lights.” This track also gives the listener a glimpse to who Johnny is and that he isn’t going to stop regardless the hardships that come about. The record starts off strong and keeps getting stronger from there.

Each track holds its ground on this album. The track 6,7,8 has to be my favorite on the album. With some amazing lyrics, amazing production from Caesar, and very catchy chorus it’s hard not to like this track. “So hit me once and call it nothing but beginners luck. And begging for attention wishing I would give a fuck.” This track was on heavy repeat for a long time, and each time I listened to it I didn’t grow tired of it.

The next track I want to high light is Whiskey featuring Dood Computer from Albany. For those who that know me knows I am a huge supporter of Dood Computer’s music, and have shown, shared, and forced everyone to listen to his music. This track is a perfect drinking song produced by Lazerbeak of Doomtree fame. The production on this track is top notch and so are the lyrics from both Johnny and Dood. The track Hang With Us features Mac Lethal, and it’s another drinking song.  This track is a little more upbeat. Again Johnny shines with this track, and so does Mac. It has another catchy chorus and top notch production.

The cd ends with the track Not Coming Back. It’s a perfect ending to this cd. The track is just Johnny talking about losing someone in your life. Relationships end and in the chorus Johnny basically talks about no matter how much you drink they are not coming back. The production is a slow beat that goes really well with Johnny’s words.

I only highlighted a couple tracks off this cd, but honestly every track on this cd is amazing and holds its own. Johnny shines on everything he touches on this cd and his hard work really shows in this cd. One thing that kills me about most radio rap is that it lacks heart, and most people don’t understand my hate for it. This cd to me is better than anything I have ever heard on the radio because it has heart. The track MN Mean (Touble) is a good example of where music is heading to, and Johnny expresses his feelings on stuff being dumbed down for the masses. You can tell that Johnny loves what he is doing and that music is his passion. There is no stopping him now. Johnny Questionmark is a force to be reckoned with. The bottom line is that this cd is just the start and the next thing his does is going to be even better. For those inspiring artist that listen to this cd be sure to take notes, because you can learn a thing or two. Just remember don’t listen with your wallet listen with your heart. This album is one of my top albums of the year, and will be for years to come. This cd is a buy for anyone who is a fan of PLC, or of rap with heart.

http://www.johnnyquestionmark.com/

https://twitter.com/JQuestionmark

https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyQuestionmark

- Star Crossed -

Is this something you know to be true?

The end is nothing new

To rise upon this starlit night

Over and under and back again

Watching the moon reflect on our souls

Drowning out the sound of the traffic below

We look out for one another

Sharing our moments without a thought

Let’s close our eyes

And drift into sleep

The sky is falling

Each star is a new chance

Love isn’t for everyone

But there is always that one

To change your mind

To give you hope

We begin to feel the end is near

But do we rely on our conscious

Or do we go with our guts

As we sip this drink

The very last one

We hold on tight as we fall asleep

One last rest until our very last breath

Like star crossed lovers

Another Romeo and Juliet

- Sleep Sheep Sleep -

She was created from an image that is copied
Over and over again
Made from the same clone
Torn from the nipple
Mothers milk spilt upon the floor
Sheeps over sheeps
Fucking each other
Little babies fall from the creator
Images in a magazine
Teens wanting to be each other
Torn from the womb
Mirror images from a beauty pagent
Hope you fuckers burn
Little fires everywhere
Flesh fall from the bones
Smell of death in the air
Mothers milk is spoiled
Little sheep are being brough to slaughter
Laughter without a sound
Ha Ha Ha Ha
Bastards
Killer in need
Copies upon copies
No one is ever different
Twinkle twinkle
Little star
Goto sleep
And never wake up
Lambs to the slaughter
Sheep umong sheep
Douchbag clone
On the alter they prey
On the alter they will die
Behead the sheep
Lead them to their deaths
You will never be the same
And that is ok

- We Have Come This Far -

We have come this far

Under tomorrows sun

Drove all this way

To reach into our dreams

We can’t turn around now

For we are out of words

Fueled on the hopes of a future lost

Guided by unspoken bond of man

We have come this far

We will ride on into the night

We can’t turn around now

- nothing Holds Tomorrow -

I’ve lost my hope on tomorrow

So fuck it

Here it goes

nothing

We brought this upon ourselves

Wondering why we haven’t thought about this yet

We dive into yesterday like we have something to look forward to

Tomorrow should never have came

Especially for a person like me

This noose is awful loose

Maybe you should tighten it up for me

Don’t let me slip out

For I regret if I do

I just want to hang around for awhile

This is nothing to care about

nothing

You shouldn’t worry about me

I am just fine

I am going to just hang here

Lend me your ear just for a moment

I want to let you know something

Something that should have been said years before

I am nothing you should worry about

I forgot about yesterday

I am not worried about tomorrow

This is something that is no more

Something you shouldn’t worry about

Just nothing

nothing

About Last Night

We have spent a large chunk of our lives searching for the person that will complete the other side of us. From the days of the cavemen to the people of today, we all do what we can to achieve the ultimate goal. To be happy.

Webster’s dictionary defines happy to be: Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment, or having a sense of confidence in or satisfaction with (a person, arrangement, or situation). But what does this really mean? Many have different definitions of happy. We have to do whatever it takes to reach that point in our lives. This blog isn’t about being happy, it is about last night. But before you know about that night you must know the days leading up to it. Here is a story, a story full of words and emotions, my story.

A few weeks back I started talking to this girl. This girl was a friend of one of my friends and she felt like I should talk to her. My friend was on the lookout for her a good guy. Someone that wouldn’t treat her like shit or beat her. So she figured we should talk and I agreed. I took some balls and messaged her first on facebook. We talked through the day on there until I gave her my number. I figured this would be a lot easier than facebook, and I can do about my day. We talked a lot over the next week and some. She seemed really into me and my friend said that she told her the same. So I was excited when she said she was going to hang out this weekend with us. We talked a lot which lead up to last night. I stepped out of a lot of comfy zones to get to where I was. We were enjoying each other’s companies through the phone.

Talking through text is a whole new world compared to talking in person. This girl was a lot different than I would have normally gone after. But I figured I would step outside my comfort zone to see how the other side lives. It took a lot of me to do this, and I am still feeling the effects of it. Last night was a good night but yet a bad night that lead into a bad morning. Well you now know where it started not it’s time to learn where it ended.

I come off as a shy person at times, but last night I was far from shy. I was doing something I don’t normally do and it scared the living shit out of me. I get off work and go to the store to pick up some adult drinks, and then I was off to my friend’s house to meet up with her, her boyfriend, and the girl. Now I am leaving her name out of this for respect toward her and how crazy some of my friends get when girls mess with me. I get there and her face is buried in her laptop totally ignoring that I came into the room. This should have been a sign for me to just say I couldn’t stay and leave, but I didn’t listen to myself and I stayed.

The night ended up being a lot of this. Her burying her face into a computer and not really talking to me, but I sat there awkwardly waiting. I was trying to spark up conversation but it fell short. We all ended up going to the gas station later for something and I stayed in the car with my friends bf. Later I found out that my friend asked her in the store what she thought of me and she said she liked me. Why didn’t I get that same vibe from her? The night was a bunch of mix signals and a huge mess. She ended up passing out and I stayed awake until after 5 am, and I woke up with her gathering her stuff and gearing up to leave. We didn’t sleep in the same bed or anything but separate couches. She said she had an emergency and had to leave. I don’t doubt that from happening but something seemed off.

I gave her a hug and told her it was nice hanging out with her. She agreed and said she should be back next weekend for the whole weekend. I walked her to her car but she seemed to be giving me a cold shoulder. That night was a mess, but I had a good time with my friends.

Shortly after she left I went home. I walked to my place thinking about the evening and wondering where things went wrong. My friend’s bf called me saying I didn’t have to leave but he understood why I did it. For some reason I wanted to cry, but I held it in for the best of me. He agreed with me on saying she was sending mix signals all night and basically ignoring me. So why is my luck so bad? Why can’t I ever catch a break? I am such a fuck up…

me

My mind don't work like everyone else's. This is something off about it. It is hard to explain how it works because I don't fully understand. But what I do know scares me. I am a smart man. I do well in my classes without doing much at all. I lack some people skills that effect me a lot. I had to learn ways around these blocks in order to have any kind or relationship with someone. This hinders most romantic type of relationships I tend to have. This does limit me in ways to meet someone. I keep those friends that I do have close because I really don't have many that I can call true friends. I am grateful for what I do have. And I can't ever begin to think them for just accepting me.