Before I start I will give you an introduction. Many people have made albums of people after death this is only Biggie’s 2nd(Born again) the Biggie duets is supposed to be a the best of biggies verses collaborated with artists of nowadays or of the past he never got to work with. The challenge of the collaborating artist as well as the production staff is to complement B.I.G.’s verses. I will give a little backround of the song and a review of it after.
1.Live from Jamacia---eh it’s the intro only talking basically an intro as if B.I.G. was doing a concert in Jamacia one listen is enough.
2.It Has Been said(Eminem,Obie Trice, P. Diddy) prod. Eminem-----The first song on the CD and the first song that shows you this isn’t gonna be a Biggie CD. Eminem, Obie Trice and P. Diddy are the only people with verses. Eminem’s verse was a tribute to his legacy and was good not great but good. Obie’s verse another tribute verse and seemed like he just tried to hard to make it sound like he really wrote this for B.I.G., then Diddy’s verse of tribute was nothing but trash. One of the worst Diddy has spit in a while. He tried to get his point across that biggie was his friend and this CD was not just a scheme to get money, However with verses like this it doesn’t work.
3.Spit your game(Notorious B.I.G., Twista, Krazie Bone) prod. Swizz Beats----It combines Biggie’s verse on Notorious Thugs with new verses with Krazie bone and an addition of Twista. Big’s verse is sped up to match the Swizz Beats beat. It defiantly doesn’t add to the song but it doesn’t take away from it either. The beat is nothing special and “Swizzy’s” adlibs in the background give the song a bad appeal. Final verdict waste of a good B.I.G. verse.
4.Whatchu Want(Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z)prod. Danja----Finally the third B.I.G./Jay collab that had been recorded. These two have always worked well together from Brooklyn’s finest to Love this Dough. Biggie’s two verses were also the first unreleased ones on the CD. Nice verses from B.I.G. but one of his predictable battle verses and Jay stepped up to improve the song with a great verse that included this line “You based on us, you fiction/Ya eight's don't bust, you a constant contradiction” Danja also gives the best production so far on this disc.
5.Get your Grind on(Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun, Fat Joe)prod. Sean C.----- The intro to this song gets you ready for greatness as a collab between B.I.G. and Big Pun is talked about. The beat creeps in as B.I.G. spits excerpts from “My Downfall” while freeway spits another uninspired chorus. Big Pun comes in with a verse along with Fat Joe. Puns verse is average at best but delivered nice, while Fat Joe’s verse explains how far he’s has fallen since he was just starting in the terror squad. Terrible is the only word to describe it. Skipping this track is a good idea unless you love pun’s delivery and B.I.G.’s verses. Sean C and Diddy did nothing with this beat just a simple piano loop some quiet violins.
6.Living The Life(Notorious B.I.G., Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Faith Evans, Bobby Valentino)prod. The Hitmen----- A song about the Life after making it “B.I.G.” . Biggie starts this with his verse of “Let Me Get Down” off of Born again. A highly upbeat song however this song doesn’t seem to fit anyone’s verses. And sounds really crowded with three R&B voices on it(Faith Evans, Cheri Dennis, Bobby Valentino). The verses have a couple punchlines but not something you can’t wait to listen too again.The Hitmen and Diddy cooked up what sounds like the finished beat to the previous song(Get your grind on). This is yet another song with just Big names.
7.The Greatest Rapper---an interlude where his Son C.J. states his dad was the Greatest Rapper Ever….in other words a waste of 8 sec.
8.1970 somethin’(Notorious B.I.G., The Game)prod. Dre & Vidal------ The title can tell a Biggie fan where his verses will be coming from(Respect for those that don’t know) and as it intro’s to the beginning the Chorus and beat are sounding nice until…. You hear the verses. NO B.I.G.’s verses are the same except his voice is changed and is chopped up. His delivery is destroyed and If you since Game only has one lackluster verse with a coupl nice lines Biggie Fans are recommended to just listen to “Respect” off of Ready to Die. Not a good song at all.
9.Nasty Girl(Notorious B.I.G., P. Diddy, Jagged Edge, Nelly)prod. Jazze Pha----The first single off the CD and a single is exactly what it sounds like. I wouldn’t even recommend DJ’s playing this at a club it’s so bad. Jazze Pha the only beat it seems he knows how to create and Biggie’s verse is from Nasty Boy and tells the story of going out and getting with a girl. However Didd’y verse and Jagged edge sound like they are at a strip club throwing money. Not only don’t they fit Nelly, spits half a verse and it sounds like he was busy doing something else during his verse. This song is definitely shippable material. As much as I dislike this song Jagged edge sounds nice on the track.
10.Living in Pain(Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Nas, Mary J. Blige)prod. Just Blaze-----This is clearly the Best song on the CD. It looks a little intimidating seeing 3 hip hop Legends combining with an R&B Legend but this is what the other songs on the CD were trying to be. This song is great and worth many spins. Mary J delivers heart felt vocals along with an amazing chorus as only she can. Biggie and 2pac both spit unreleased verses that sound meant to go together. Nas comes after and sounds determined to spit one of his best for the simple fact he understands he’s on the track with greatness and man does he do it. I wouldn’t say it’s his best but it’s nothing short of great. All this is Backed up by a Gloomy hard hitting beat from Just Blaze definitely something special. The three verses by Nas, 2Pac and B.I.G. complement each other so well. They all talk about the House of Pain but three different houses. Biggie speaks on the pain of growing up and doing stuff that hurt him emotionally and the people around him physically. 2Pac spoke on the pressures that pain a man trying to make it in this world and all outside forces that can get you down. Nas Brings it to 2005 and gives explains how we are still living in this world that’s a “House of Pain”.
11.I’m Wit Whateva(Lil' Wayne, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones)prod. Stevie J-------This wasn’t a good look No Biggie on the track at all. In the original version of this song which was one a Diplomat’s mix tape has Biggie with the first verse off Ready to die. This track without Biggie has no place on this CD. As far as Lil’ Wayne he has a predictable punch line after punch line verse but rides the beat well on this track. After wheezy says his piece the song needs to be turned off ASAP. Juelz’s verse is very choppy and after listening to it many times I still have not figured out on good thing to say about it.
12.Beef(Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep)prod. Havoc------This verse is the best one from Biggie on the CD, wasn’t changed much and the beat while not similar to the one on Life After Death it is a good one nonetheless I would say that this one is actually better. It is the first verse from What’s Beef. Mobb Deep was a nice touch to the song showing the violent side of beef. P.Diddy managed to effect this song in a negative way by trying to seem intimidating with his high pitched curses over the end of the record including that this is the second best song on the CD.
13.My Dad-----another interlude from his daughter saying that Biggie was her Dad and at the risk of sounding unsympathetic to her situation I will have to say she also should have been left off because her and her brother have now wasted 18 sec combined of my life. These interludes are annoying and should have been left off at all costs.
14.Hustler’s story(Notorious B.I.G., Akon, Scarface, Big Gee)prod. Reefa------- WOW I usually don’t like Akon but he did his thang with the Chorus of this track.This song is overall surprisingly good. Scarface is a nice touch and If Akon would not have “sung” his verse if you call what Akon does singing. Big Gee delivers a nice verse and complements the theme of the song while adding his ownlittle touch. This is a very Underrated track.
15.Breakin’ Old habit’s(Notorious B.I.G., T.I., Slim Thug)prod. Chink Santana------another well produced track(3 in a row) and If T.I. would have stayed on the chorus would have greatly impacted the song. B.I.G.’s verse is nothing short of amazing with lines like “While I just, slang coke, smoke pounds to choke/Got lawyers watching lawyers so I won't go broke” The song is about after fighting all your life your habits of fighting still impact you in everything you do and are hard to break. Slim Thug delivers another surprisingly good verse with lines like “I roll strapped glock 40 in my lap/I rap but still think like I'm grinding in the trap/Trying to adapt to the change from the streets to the game/Can't be selling CD's and still selling dem thangs” T.I.’s chorus is great and this is where you get the sense that the album is flowing.
16.Ultimate Rush(Notorious B.I.G., Missy Elliot)prod. Scott Storch------This song is not good anyway you slice it. Missy Elliot comes off and does her verse and it sounds like she is only on the song because lil’ kim was not. Missy is the main reason for the failure of this is a song. She has terrible lines after terrible lines. B.I.G.’s verse is lackluster and doesn’t sound like it belongs on this beat. Storch’s beat is way to cluttered and is another problem with this song. This song starts the decline of the album.
17.Mi Casa(Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly, Charlie Wilson) prod. DJ Green Lantern----- The beat on this song is not terrible but is far from good. Then the fact that R. Kelly didn’t even try to be on the same page as B.I.G. was upsetting. B.I.G.’s verses of friend of mine were altered, again his voice was made into a higher pitch. Another skippable track unless you really like hearing the words to friend of mine and even then I would suggest just getting out ready to Die.
18.Little Homie----- Interlude saying Biggie is and will always be the king of New York.
19.Hold Ya Head(Notorious B.I.G., Bob Marley)prod. Clinton Sparks------ on first listen the intro to this song is great the beat is moderately upbeat and Bob Marley repeating a little hook and sounding nice. After about 20 sec. The beat drops out and it’s more of somebody banging on the left side of a piano and the lyrics from Suicidal Thoughts come in. His voice is noticeably different to someone who is used to hearing it on RTD. My first problem with this song is that it sounds like too different songs they tried too hard to put it together. My Second and main problem with this song is that these once poetic and sad lyrics were chopped up into three verses with way too many pauses. The third thing about this song is that it is completely unnecessary, There are already too many songs and this is just changing a good song that needed not to be messed with.
20.Just a Memory(Notorious B.I.G., The Clipse)prod. Scram Jones-----Scram Jones and the Clipse make this such a nice track they actually take the attention completely away from B.I.G. Malice and Pusha-T’s verses were much better than the verse that biggie spit by a long shot. Biggie’s verse was the first off of the song “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Kills you” and is a good verse. The Clipse make this one of the best songs on the CD with their great descriptive verses. This beat sounds exactly like the type the Clipse usually uses not overly complex or overly simplistic; it is just complex enough to not take away from the lyrics.
21.Wake Up(Notorious B.I.G., Korn)prod. Jonathan Davis------- Korn and Biggie may sound strange but I like the way he sounds under these guitar’s the beat is sort of dark and gloomy and becomes really energetic as biggies verses change. He spits the classic If I should die before I wake’s first verse. Where he starts “I’m loco bro but ain’t no Mexican/I got nines in the bedroom, Glocks in the kitchen/ and a shotty by the shower if you wanna shoot me while I’m shittin.” When the song get’s more up beat B.I.G. kicks the lyrics to “Kick in the Door” too finish off the song. All in all an interesting concept for a song and sounds nice together very pleasantly surprised by this song. Even though I couldn’t figure what wake up has to do with it. DISCLAIMER if you don’t like rock and roll or corn after Biggies second verse you may want to press skip because that’s all that’s left.
22.Love is everlasting-------- A track where Biggies mother say’s what I think is a poem she wrote for her son. I don’t like the sound of her voice and if you don’t then another skippable interlude ends the CD.This CD has it’s up’s and it’s Downs It has some nice unreleased verses and different versions of many other verses Biggie has created over the years. Not many songs came together and really meshed well but the ones that did were fantastic.
Rating:6.3 way too many skippable tracks and poor attempts of duets mixed in with some classic tracks. Overall It get’s my three step system.
1. insert and press play.
2. Skip around.
3. Eject.
Review Done by the one and only Jonathan Layon Crook
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
50 Cent: Power of the Dollar
Once again, I'm gonna split this into three parts.
50 Cent is one of the few rappers that is hated by hip hop fans of all types, even the kinds that don’t normally agree on anything. The “backpackers” hate him for being the living embodiment of everything that’s wrong with hip hop nowadays, labeling him a no-talent hack who appeals to the mainstream crowd. The “socially conscious” crowd labels him a modern day minstrel show caricature, an ignorant thug perpetuating negative black stereotypes in exchange for a quick buck. You have the “hardcore” crowd who views him as a snitch and a wannabe gangsta who appeals only to white suburban kids and has lost all respect in the streets. Finally, you have the crowd that I’m sure the majority of the people in this group fall under; the fans of plain old good hip hop no matter its background. They dislike him for the simple fact that as of now, he sucks. His lyrics are lazy, his concepts cliched, and his present catalogue devoid of any sort of substance. If you fall under the first three categories it’s doubtful that 50's never released debut Power of the Dollar will change your perception of him. The title alone should be evident that content wise, its not all that different from the usual that we’ve seen from Mr. Jackson. Drug dealing, money, hoes, shit talking, and killing run rampant throughout the entire CD. However, if you’re simply a fan of good hip hop, I urge you to check this album out. Those who have grown accustomed to the uninspired and just plain crappy music that 50 has put out lately will likely be surprised by what you hear.
Intro:
The album starts with a very cinematic intro. Police and ambulance sirens are heard in the background and dark and soulful music that you might hear out of a blaxploitation film plays. A man, one of 50's “boys” I imagine, starts to speak about the concept of change and how the whole world revolves around it. 50 then joins in and the two of them both label themselves as “winners.” They then deliver a message that many today would see as a stark contradiction to 50's modern day image. To paraphrase “It aint about how many cars you got, or how much ice you rock, it aint about that shit, its about how the fuck you feed your family. Understand that, simple minded muthafuckas. Ya’ll busy getting pimped. So think about that shit, when you recoup your record deal. Yeah, think about that shit cuz you living off the strength of the next nigga anyway.” The sincerity of this little monologue is debatable. But one things for certain, it’s a very strong album intro that pulls the listener in from the get go.
The Hit:
The production of this song, like all the songs on the album, are done by the Trackmasters. Because of this, the majority of the songs sound similar but I like what Tone and Poke do. The beats aren’t as epic and booming as the ones on Get Rich or Die Trying but they have a very smooth and soulful sound that mend well with 50's flow. And that’s the first thing you’ll notice about this song; 50's flow. Keep in mind, the album was made before he got shot in the mouth, and the difference that it caused in his voice is striking. There’s no slurred mumble. His voice is clear, powerful, and engaging. That’s what you’ll notice the most because the song itself isn’t all that memorable. Its basically a way for 50 to introduce his style to the listener and it contains the typical gangsta boasting. But one thing that it does achieve is establish 50's undeniable mic presence and swagger. There’s something about the calm and icy cold demeanor that he has when he raps about his gangsta lifestyle. He doesn’t sound angry, aggressive, or like he has anything to prove. He simply sounds indifferent. This makes him all the more powerful.
The Good Die Young:
I’ve heard this beat before but I can’t remember from which song. I’m sure Tone and Poke used it again since the album was never released. But anyway, this is one of the better songs on the album. It has a very laid back feel as 50 muses about street life and the lifestyle that he lives. It’s one of the few songs where 50 really “opens up” and the listener gets a reasonable look at where 50 is coming from.
Corner Bodega
This is more of a skit than an actual song. Basically 50 tells a story about him making a drug deal. The way that 50 describes it is very engaging and he paints a visual and atmospheric picture that gives insight into the life of a drug dealer. Definitely better than your typical album skit.
Your Life’s A Line
I’m sure most of you have heard this song. It’s a bonus track on Get Rich or Die Trying. Its basically 50 bragging about how gangsta he is while throwing some subliminal shots at Ja Rule. 50 has some decent punchlines and his flow is on point, but to be honest I never really liked this song that much. The chorus is annoying to me.
That Aint Gangsta
This song has one of the better beats on the album. The song is once again 50 bragging about how gangsta he is, but like the whole album, it has a lot more depth than you might think. The level of detail and insight that he gives into the gangsta life is incredible. In a way, he’s educating the listener, almost giving a journalistic account of life on the streets. As you’ll find out later on though, the amount of information that 50 gives gets even bigger as the album progresses.
As the World Turns
This is a song that features U.G.K. The beat is banging and it has a very down south type beat. The song basically talks about the importance of money. 50 tries a southern type flow on this but to be honest I don’t like it that much. I’ll give him an A for effort but it sounds forced. This becomes even more evident once Bun B starts spitting and completely murders 50 on the track.
Ghetto Qu’ran
I’m sure most of you have heard about this, the infamous Ghetto Qu’ran. Many people think it’s the reason that 50 got shot as he describes the street life and various drug dealers in a way that might have been a little TOO accurate. I’m not hear to debate whether it was right for 50 to make this song and whether or not it makes him a snitch. What I can say is that the song is incredible. The emotion and the amount of detail that 50 brings is amazing and after listening, you truly feel as if you’ve just gone on a 4 ½ minute journey into the mean streets of Jamaica, Queens.
Da Repercussions
Self-explanatory. 50 basically goes over the codes of the street and the consequences of not following those rules. Pretty ironic that he has this song play right after Ghetto Qu’ran but whatever. It’s another strong song with good production by the Track Masters.
Money By Any Means
This song is amazing because of the simple fact that its not redundant. At this point in the album, 50 has already told us time and time again that money is important. The fact that he can do it yet again but still sound fresh is pretty incredible. Once again though, he gets outshined by a guest artist. This time its Noreaga.
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Material Girl 2000
Not really feeling this song. It’s basically a song about gold diggers. The beat is hot and 50 rides it well but I just didn’t like the concept of the song.
Thug Love
This is easily the most commercial song on the album and I think it was supposed to be the first commercial single as it features Destiny’s Child. The song isn’t all that bad and 50 actually has some nice verses but it doesn’t belong on an album like this. This would’ve fit better on The Massacre.
Slow Doe
All right, so Money By Any Means was cool but by now the whole “money” theme is overkill. Still, 50's flow is strong once again so I was able to tolerate it.
Gun Runner
This is probably one of my favorite skits/story songs on a hip hop album ever. It basically starts off with 50 asleep and being woken up by an old friend who is interested in buying guns from him. I won’t ruin the rest but I will say that 50's story telling techniques on this one are incredible. In the span of 2 minutes, 50 manages to make a song with realistic dialogue, an interesting plot, and a darkly humorous surprise ending.
You Aint No Gangsta
All right, I know this is gonna sound cliched but this is easily the most “gangsta” song on the album. The beat is probably the darkest and most foreboding on the whole album and 50 works his gangsta bravado to perfection on this one. Once again, its his laid back and matter of fact tone that works so effectively.
Power of the Dollar
Probably my favorite song from 50 Cent ever. The beat, 50's flow, his lyrics, his intensity, his emotion. This is 50 at his best. I know I sound hypocritical praising this song when I complained earlier about the money theme being redundant but this song is so good that it transcends its own tired concept. The song is probably the best examples of 50's flow perfectly matching the beat. I LOVE this song.
I’m A Hustler
With a song as great as Power of the Dollar preceding it, it would be easy for this track to be overshadowed. But it surprisingly holds its own. The beat is a BANGER, reminds me of something that Primo could’ve produced. 50 doesn’t say anything too substantial on this one but he does have a few interesting lines. “I hate a liar more than I hate a thief, a thief is only after my salary, a liar’s after my reality” and also “Here’s a jewel, love your enemies and hate your friends, your enemies remain the same, your friends always change.” Philosophical wisdom coming from the creator of Candy Shop? Maybe not, but the lines are interesting nonetheless.
How to Rob
This is probably the most memorable song on the album and it’s the track that really gave 50 his first major buzz. You’ve probably heard the song or at least heard about it but basically its 50 describing different ways in which he’d rob popular artists in the recording industry. And he spares no one. Everyone from Lil Kim, to the Wu Tang Clan, to Kirk Franklin(yes, you read that right) is a victim of his crime spree. The single caused a lot of controversy and pissed a lot of people off. Was it right or responsible for 50 to make a song like this? No. Is it hilarious and entertaining as hell? You bet ya. Here are my two favorite lines. “I’ll rob Pun without a gun, snatch his piece and run, this nigga weighs 400 pounds how he gon’ catch me son?” and “Caught Timbaland and Missy with the pound, I was like ‘you, give me the cash and put the hot dog down!” Great song and the perfect way to end the album.
In closing, to me, this album is in many ways like a very good blockbuster film. Not a whole lot of substance but so well crafted and made that I can look past that. Way better than the Massacre and in my opinion(and I’m sure a lot of people disagree with me on this) better than Get Rich or Die Trying. 8 out of 10.
50 Cent is one of the few rappers that is hated by hip hop fans of all types, even the kinds that don’t normally agree on anything. The “backpackers” hate him for being the living embodiment of everything that’s wrong with hip hop nowadays, labeling him a no-talent hack who appeals to the mainstream crowd. The “socially conscious” crowd labels him a modern day minstrel show caricature, an ignorant thug perpetuating negative black stereotypes in exchange for a quick buck. You have the “hardcore” crowd who views him as a snitch and a wannabe gangsta who appeals only to white suburban kids and has lost all respect in the streets. Finally, you have the crowd that I’m sure the majority of the people in this group fall under; the fans of plain old good hip hop no matter its background. They dislike him for the simple fact that as of now, he sucks. His lyrics are lazy, his concepts cliched, and his present catalogue devoid of any sort of substance. If you fall under the first three categories it’s doubtful that 50's never released debut Power of the Dollar will change your perception of him. The title alone should be evident that content wise, its not all that different from the usual that we’ve seen from Mr. Jackson. Drug dealing, money, hoes, shit talking, and killing run rampant throughout the entire CD. However, if you’re simply a fan of good hip hop, I urge you to check this album out. Those who have grown accustomed to the uninspired and just plain crappy music that 50 has put out lately will likely be surprised by what you hear.
Intro:
The album starts with a very cinematic intro. Police and ambulance sirens are heard in the background and dark and soulful music that you might hear out of a blaxploitation film plays. A man, one of 50's “boys” I imagine, starts to speak about the concept of change and how the whole world revolves around it. 50 then joins in and the two of them both label themselves as “winners.” They then deliver a message that many today would see as a stark contradiction to 50's modern day image. To paraphrase “It aint about how many cars you got, or how much ice you rock, it aint about that shit, its about how the fuck you feed your family. Understand that, simple minded muthafuckas. Ya’ll busy getting pimped. So think about that shit, when you recoup your record deal. Yeah, think about that shit cuz you living off the strength of the next nigga anyway.” The sincerity of this little monologue is debatable. But one things for certain, it’s a very strong album intro that pulls the listener in from the get go.
The Hit:
The production of this song, like all the songs on the album, are done by the Trackmasters. Because of this, the majority of the songs sound similar but I like what Tone and Poke do. The beats aren’t as epic and booming as the ones on Get Rich or Die Trying but they have a very smooth and soulful sound that mend well with 50's flow. And that’s the first thing you’ll notice about this song; 50's flow. Keep in mind, the album was made before he got shot in the mouth, and the difference that it caused in his voice is striking. There’s no slurred mumble. His voice is clear, powerful, and engaging. That’s what you’ll notice the most because the song itself isn’t all that memorable. Its basically a way for 50 to introduce his style to the listener and it contains the typical gangsta boasting. But one thing that it does achieve is establish 50's undeniable mic presence and swagger. There’s something about the calm and icy cold demeanor that he has when he raps about his gangsta lifestyle. He doesn’t sound angry, aggressive, or like he has anything to prove. He simply sounds indifferent. This makes him all the more powerful.
The Good Die Young:
I’ve heard this beat before but I can’t remember from which song. I’m sure Tone and Poke used it again since the album was never released. But anyway, this is one of the better songs on the album. It has a very laid back feel as 50 muses about street life and the lifestyle that he lives. It’s one of the few songs where 50 really “opens up” and the listener gets a reasonable look at where 50 is coming from.
Corner Bodega
This is more of a skit than an actual song. Basically 50 tells a story about him making a drug deal. The way that 50 describes it is very engaging and he paints a visual and atmospheric picture that gives insight into the life of a drug dealer. Definitely better than your typical album skit.
Your Life’s A Line
I’m sure most of you have heard this song. It’s a bonus track on Get Rich or Die Trying. Its basically 50 bragging about how gangsta he is while throwing some subliminal shots at Ja Rule. 50 has some decent punchlines and his flow is on point, but to be honest I never really liked this song that much. The chorus is annoying to me.
That Aint Gangsta
This song has one of the better beats on the album. The song is once again 50 bragging about how gangsta he is, but like the whole album, it has a lot more depth than you might think. The level of detail and insight that he gives into the gangsta life is incredible. In a way, he’s educating the listener, almost giving a journalistic account of life on the streets. As you’ll find out later on though, the amount of information that 50 gives gets even bigger as the album progresses.
As the World Turns
This is a song that features U.G.K. The beat is banging and it has a very down south type beat. The song basically talks about the importance of money. 50 tries a southern type flow on this but to be honest I don’t like it that much. I’ll give him an A for effort but it sounds forced. This becomes even more evident once Bun B starts spitting and completely murders 50 on the track.
Ghetto Qu’ran
I’m sure most of you have heard about this, the infamous Ghetto Qu’ran. Many people think it’s the reason that 50 got shot as he describes the street life and various drug dealers in a way that might have been a little TOO accurate. I’m not hear to debate whether it was right for 50 to make this song and whether or not it makes him a snitch. What I can say is that the song is incredible. The emotion and the amount of detail that 50 brings is amazing and after listening, you truly feel as if you’ve just gone on a 4 ½ minute journey into the mean streets of Jamaica, Queens.
Da Repercussions
Self-explanatory. 50 basically goes over the codes of the street and the consequences of not following those rules. Pretty ironic that he has this song play right after Ghetto Qu’ran but whatever. It’s another strong song with good production by the Track Masters.
Money By Any Means
This song is amazing because of the simple fact that its not redundant. At this point in the album, 50 has already told us time and time again that money is important. The fact that he can do it yet again but still sound fresh is pretty incredible. Once again though, he gets outshined by a guest artist. This time its Noreaga.
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Material Girl 2000
Not really feeling this song. It’s basically a song about gold diggers. The beat is hot and 50 rides it well but I just didn’t like the concept of the song.
Thug Love
This is easily the most commercial song on the album and I think it was supposed to be the first commercial single as it features Destiny’s Child. The song isn’t all that bad and 50 actually has some nice verses but it doesn’t belong on an album like this. This would’ve fit better on The Massacre.
Slow Doe
All right, so Money By Any Means was cool but by now the whole “money” theme is overkill. Still, 50's flow is strong once again so I was able to tolerate it.
Gun Runner
This is probably one of my favorite skits/story songs on a hip hop album ever. It basically starts off with 50 asleep and being woken up by an old friend who is interested in buying guns from him. I won’t ruin the rest but I will say that 50's story telling techniques on this one are incredible. In the span of 2 minutes, 50 manages to make a song with realistic dialogue, an interesting plot, and a darkly humorous surprise ending.
You Aint No Gangsta
All right, I know this is gonna sound cliched but this is easily the most “gangsta” song on the album. The beat is probably the darkest and most foreboding on the whole album and 50 works his gangsta bravado to perfection on this one. Once again, its his laid back and matter of fact tone that works so effectively.
Power of the Dollar
Probably my favorite song from 50 Cent ever. The beat, 50's flow, his lyrics, his intensity, his emotion. This is 50 at his best. I know I sound hypocritical praising this song when I complained earlier about the money theme being redundant but this song is so good that it transcends its own tired concept. The song is probably the best examples of 50's flow perfectly matching the beat. I LOVE this song.
I’m A Hustler
With a song as great as Power of the Dollar preceding it, it would be easy for this track to be overshadowed. But it surprisingly holds its own. The beat is a BANGER, reminds me of something that Primo could’ve produced. 50 doesn’t say anything too substantial on this one but he does have a few interesting lines. “I hate a liar more than I hate a thief, a thief is only after my salary, a liar’s after my reality” and also “Here’s a jewel, love your enemies and hate your friends, your enemies remain the same, your friends always change.” Philosophical wisdom coming from the creator of Candy Shop? Maybe not, but the lines are interesting nonetheless.
How to Rob
This is probably the most memorable song on the album and it’s the track that really gave 50 his first major buzz. You’ve probably heard the song or at least heard about it but basically its 50 describing different ways in which he’d rob popular artists in the recording industry. And he spares no one. Everyone from Lil Kim, to the Wu Tang Clan, to Kirk Franklin(yes, you read that right) is a victim of his crime spree. The single caused a lot of controversy and pissed a lot of people off. Was it right or responsible for 50 to make a song like this? No. Is it hilarious and entertaining as hell? You bet ya. Here are my two favorite lines. “I’ll rob Pun without a gun, snatch his piece and run, this nigga weighs 400 pounds how he gon’ catch me son?” and “Caught Timbaland and Missy with the pound, I was like ‘you, give me the cash and put the hot dog down!” Great song and the perfect way to end the album.
In closing, to me, this album is in many ways like a very good blockbuster film. Not a whole lot of substance but so well crafted and made that I can look past that. Way better than the Massacre and in my opinion(and I’m sure a lot of people disagree with me on this) better than Get Rich or Die Trying. 8 out of 10.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Volume 10 - Pawn Shop
This review is gonna be on Volume 10 - Pawn shop. Alot of you have no idea who I'm talkin about. So I'm gonna give you a little knowledge before this one just so ya know what your dealin with:
"Part of Los Angeles' Heavyweights Crew, which included Freestyle Fellowship, Medusa, and Ganjah K, Volume 10 was part of the West Coast's vibrant underground rap scene in the '90s. Like many Los Angeles MCs, Volume 10 honed his skills during battles at the Good Life Cafe, but set himself apart as an MC able to balance both thuggish violent imagery and skill-heavy open mike styles. After a guest spot on Freestyle Fellowship's Inner City Griots in 1993, he released his debut full-length, Hip-Hopera. The album spawned a hit single, Pistol Grip Pump, which would later be covered on Rage Against the Machine's Renegades. 10 also appeared on the Project Blowed compilation in 1995, considered by many to be one of the underground's defining moments. A second solo CD, Psycho, appeared in 2000 on 10's own Pump Productions."
Due to the fact this album hasnt even been released yet. I cant be too exact on the Production but I know most of it was handled by Bionik of beat science. So now that I've got you up to date on this cat I'll jump right into this same as always. Track by track
_____
1.Aint Talkin Bout Shit
This is a great way to start of any album. A Great bangin beat with some nice keys and drums it just bounces along beautifully. Volume comes nicely on this track and shows of a little of both sides of his style a little gangsta a little battle rhymer as he raps about "nothing". He just makes up some nice bullshit rap about all the things he has and how hard he is in a mokcery of all the Bling bling rappers. Nice track and 10's flow is great.
2. Skate F/ P.E.A.C.E of Freestyle Fellowship
Now to start off i should say had this been the first track i probably would have just deleted the album but the first one actually made me pay attention to this. I'm happy I did. The beat comes off like 90% of the crap on the radio it's not bad its just very commercial sounding the hook is also pretty commercial sounding. HOWEVER Volume 10 and P.E.A.C.E Kill it they both hit the mic hard and do a great job over this fast paced beat. They are basically tellin other cats not to F*%k with them basic concept but a good song!
3. Ghetto Children F/ P.E.A.C.E of Freestyle Fellowship
When this track starts out your givin the hook and man does it suck! its Volume singing and man does he suck at singing! the rest of the song is pretty nice as they rap about life as a kid in the ghetto. The beat is simple but nice. P.E.A.C.E makes another solid appearance and i quote "Mary J shoulda been on this one" I couldnt have put it better myself. Other then the hook this song ain't bad but holy fuck does the hook suck!
4. Gangsta is as Gangsta Does
This is the side of Volume i dont like that much. I've never been a fan for "gangsta rap" i dont understand the whole concept of being proud of something which in essesnce is a plague on society's but anyway Volume raps about being a gangsta (surprised?) the beat is very simple with a heavy Kick and some weird synth behind it it works nicely for the track. not bad overall
5. Suga Wuga
The beat on this track is pretty cool its a very repetitive beat with some nice female vocals sampled in the back. Volume goes a lil different on this track he lays it down nicely but it's not his standard flow and he's constantly changing it up. The best part of this track is he speaks the chorus and a childs voice is sampled over it saying the same thing (think Common - Watermelon). The whole song is about his child and he does a great job on it. Definatley one worth checkin out.
6.Pawn Shop
The title track doesnt dissapoint at all the beat reminds me of something Illmind would do with some nice keyboard and a mix of other instruments and good use of samples. 10 does a great job of spitting on this track and he RIPS it up then slows it down its a a great listen. I Slept on this track a bit and havent really had alot of time to analyze the lyrics but i believe whats he's gettin at is his little known status in rap.
7.Peeka-Boo
Petey Pablo anyone? no he's not on this track but if they did a remix with him I wouldnt be surprised at all the beat instantley made me think Petey Pab although it sounds kinda nice is not my choice. Volume 10 does a good job on this I guess but I dont like it that much the beat kinda makes me feel sick.
8.Jubilate
I don't even care what this song is about the beat is a shitty attempt to sound like a producer made it as opposed to a 9 year old on his computer. really shitty song. Volume 10 sounds like crap the hook makes me want to beat him senseless and it upsets the nice flow the album had going. SKIP IT!
9.Zeke
Ok I've been waiting to get to this one. Its fuckin DIRTY!! The beat is alot like Peter Frampton talking through his guitar repeated with a nice simple drum beat. Now here is the part I can't believe. Volume 10 comes with the LAZIEST FLOW EVER! It's like he weighed 450lbs and just ran up a flight of steps only better (haha i dont know how else to discribe it). With 10's flow over top of such a weird beat this track is killer!!! It alone makes this album almost worth the money and definatley worth a download. The song as far as I can tell is about a friend named zeke and him and the shit they did. Please check out this track this is the only place you'll hear something like this!
10. Donky Donk
Ok here is a track for the guilty pleasures thread. The beat sounds like something off of a 50 album and somehow 10 sounds completely different his voice becomes all nasally and weird. For some reason tho i really enjoy this song the hook sounds hilarious and as far as i can tell its all about ass. I know better then to like tracks like this but im sure it will grow old soon.
11. Happy
This song has been buggin me for days as I cant figure out the beat I know its an old rock song with some drums added and I know I've heard it I wanna say Zepplin but somehow it doesnt seem right anyway it sounds real nice. 10 comes nice on this track and gets his Hendrix on in the hook. A nice change up on his part and gives a nice balance to the album after previous tracks.
12. Family Tree
Okay so ya know how earlier I said 10 shouldnt sing? That isnt always true. The beat is fantastic and has a bit of a Dr Dre feel to it. The way 10 sings\raps over this beat is great another very original track which gives some understanding to why he is as respected as he is, or at least was before the world forgot about the Heavyweights crew! To be honest I've listened to this track many times and everytime I think I understand what he's talkin about he says something that throws me off but I'm pretty sure he is talking about god and family. If I'm wrong my apoligies for misinforming you. Like I said great track.
13. Good Life
I didnt think it was possible but this song actually manages to Suck & Blow at the same time. 10 sounds very good over it but the beat sounds unfinished and messy. The hook sounds like absolute garbage and brings back the whole Volume 10 shouldnt sing comment. The funny thing about this track is that he's talkin about how great his music is. Its enjoyable Irony! Everytime I listen to it it does kinda grow on me (3rd listen since I started reviewing the track) but the hook just kills it I mean its not a good song by any means but the rhyming and flow are pretty on point regardless.
So there is my review for Volume 10 - Pawn Shop. By no means is this album a classic there are a few tracks that should not be on any album,mixtape or webpage but despite it's weak points i still enjoyed this album and some of the originality displayed by Volume 10 is responsible for making it as enjoyable as it is. i wouldnt reccomend this album to everyone but i think everyone should get there hands on "Zeke" that track is Fantastic. Anyone wants the one song lemme know i'll hook you up over MSN. Volume 10 has been fairly entertaining over the years and has always had great presence on the mic. This album is no different and makes for a nice listen when ya wanna switch things up a bit.
Overall 7.2/10
Comments???
"Part of Los Angeles' Heavyweights Crew, which included Freestyle Fellowship, Medusa, and Ganjah K, Volume 10 was part of the West Coast's vibrant underground rap scene in the '90s. Like many Los Angeles MCs, Volume 10 honed his skills during battles at the Good Life Cafe, but set himself apart as an MC able to balance both thuggish violent imagery and skill-heavy open mike styles. After a guest spot on Freestyle Fellowship's Inner City Griots in 1993, he released his debut full-length, Hip-Hopera. The album spawned a hit single, Pistol Grip Pump, which would later be covered on Rage Against the Machine's Renegades. 10 also appeared on the Project Blowed compilation in 1995, considered by many to be one of the underground's defining moments. A second solo CD, Psycho, appeared in 2000 on 10's own Pump Productions."
Due to the fact this album hasnt even been released yet. I cant be too exact on the Production but I know most of it was handled by Bionik of beat science. So now that I've got you up to date on this cat I'll jump right into this same as always. Track by track
_____
1.Aint Talkin Bout Shit
This is a great way to start of any album. A Great bangin beat with some nice keys and drums it just bounces along beautifully. Volume comes nicely on this track and shows of a little of both sides of his style a little gangsta a little battle rhymer as he raps about "nothing". He just makes up some nice bullshit rap about all the things he has and how hard he is in a mokcery of all the Bling bling rappers. Nice track and 10's flow is great.
2. Skate F/ P.E.A.C.E of Freestyle Fellowship
Now to start off i should say had this been the first track i probably would have just deleted the album but the first one actually made me pay attention to this. I'm happy I did. The beat comes off like 90% of the crap on the radio it's not bad its just very commercial sounding the hook is also pretty commercial sounding. HOWEVER Volume 10 and P.E.A.C.E Kill it they both hit the mic hard and do a great job over this fast paced beat. They are basically tellin other cats not to F*%k with them basic concept but a good song!
3. Ghetto Children F/ P.E.A.C.E of Freestyle Fellowship
When this track starts out your givin the hook and man does it suck! its Volume singing and man does he suck at singing! the rest of the song is pretty nice as they rap about life as a kid in the ghetto. The beat is simple but nice. P.E.A.C.E makes another solid appearance and i quote "Mary J shoulda been on this one" I couldnt have put it better myself. Other then the hook this song ain't bad but holy fuck does the hook suck!
4. Gangsta is as Gangsta Does
This is the side of Volume i dont like that much. I've never been a fan for "gangsta rap" i dont understand the whole concept of being proud of something which in essesnce is a plague on society's but anyway Volume raps about being a gangsta (surprised?) the beat is very simple with a heavy Kick and some weird synth behind it it works nicely for the track. not bad overall
5. Suga Wuga
The beat on this track is pretty cool its a very repetitive beat with some nice female vocals sampled in the back. Volume goes a lil different on this track he lays it down nicely but it's not his standard flow and he's constantly changing it up. The best part of this track is he speaks the chorus and a childs voice is sampled over it saying the same thing (think Common - Watermelon). The whole song is about his child and he does a great job on it. Definatley one worth checkin out.
6.Pawn Shop
The title track doesnt dissapoint at all the beat reminds me of something Illmind would do with some nice keyboard and a mix of other instruments and good use of samples. 10 does a great job of spitting on this track and he RIPS it up then slows it down its a a great listen. I Slept on this track a bit and havent really had alot of time to analyze the lyrics but i believe whats he's gettin at is his little known status in rap.
7.Peeka-Boo
Petey Pablo anyone? no he's not on this track but if they did a remix with him I wouldnt be surprised at all the beat instantley made me think Petey Pab although it sounds kinda nice is not my choice. Volume 10 does a good job on this I guess but I dont like it that much the beat kinda makes me feel sick.
8.Jubilate
I don't even care what this song is about the beat is a shitty attempt to sound like a producer made it as opposed to a 9 year old on his computer. really shitty song. Volume 10 sounds like crap the hook makes me want to beat him senseless and it upsets the nice flow the album had going. SKIP IT!
9.Zeke
Ok I've been waiting to get to this one. Its fuckin DIRTY!! The beat is alot like Peter Frampton talking through his guitar repeated with a nice simple drum beat. Now here is the part I can't believe. Volume 10 comes with the LAZIEST FLOW EVER! It's like he weighed 450lbs and just ran up a flight of steps only better (haha i dont know how else to discribe it). With 10's flow over top of such a weird beat this track is killer!!! It alone makes this album almost worth the money and definatley worth a download. The song as far as I can tell is about a friend named zeke and him and the shit they did. Please check out this track this is the only place you'll hear something like this!
10. Donky Donk
Ok here is a track for the guilty pleasures thread. The beat sounds like something off of a 50 album and somehow 10 sounds completely different his voice becomes all nasally and weird. For some reason tho i really enjoy this song the hook sounds hilarious and as far as i can tell its all about ass. I know better then to like tracks like this but im sure it will grow old soon.
11. Happy
This song has been buggin me for days as I cant figure out the beat I know its an old rock song with some drums added and I know I've heard it I wanna say Zepplin but somehow it doesnt seem right anyway it sounds real nice. 10 comes nice on this track and gets his Hendrix on in the hook. A nice change up on his part and gives a nice balance to the album after previous tracks.
12. Family Tree
Okay so ya know how earlier I said 10 shouldnt sing? That isnt always true. The beat is fantastic and has a bit of a Dr Dre feel to it. The way 10 sings\raps over this beat is great another very original track which gives some understanding to why he is as respected as he is, or at least was before the world forgot about the Heavyweights crew! To be honest I've listened to this track many times and everytime I think I understand what he's talkin about he says something that throws me off but I'm pretty sure he is talking about god and family. If I'm wrong my apoligies for misinforming you. Like I said great track.
13. Good Life
I didnt think it was possible but this song actually manages to Suck & Blow at the same time. 10 sounds very good over it but the beat sounds unfinished and messy. The hook sounds like absolute garbage and brings back the whole Volume 10 shouldnt sing comment. The funny thing about this track is that he's talkin about how great his music is. Its enjoyable Irony! Everytime I listen to it it does kinda grow on me (3rd listen since I started reviewing the track) but the hook just kills it I mean its not a good song by any means but the rhyming and flow are pretty on point regardless.
So there is my review for Volume 10 - Pawn Shop. By no means is this album a classic there are a few tracks that should not be on any album,mixtape or webpage but despite it's weak points i still enjoyed this album and some of the originality displayed by Volume 10 is responsible for making it as enjoyable as it is. i wouldnt reccomend this album to everyone but i think everyone should get there hands on "Zeke" that track is Fantastic. Anyone wants the one song lemme know i'll hook you up over MSN. Volume 10 has been fairly entertaining over the years and has always had great presence on the mic. This album is no different and makes for a nice listen when ya wanna switch things up a bit.
Overall 7.2/10
Comments???
Strange Fruit Project - The Healing - Album Review
So the review you've got comin at you in case you randomly click on threads without reading them first is: "Strange Fruit Project - The Healing". Strange fruit Project consists of 3 members S1/Symbolic One (Rappin, Production) Myth (Rappin) Myone (Rappin). One thing you need to know about this review is that there are 2 versions of this cd a North American Release and Japan Release. Most of the tracks are the same its just the last couple that vary. I have included the tracks from both versions in my review.
Same deal as before track by track. Let's Get It On!
1. Intro
Kinda weird start to the album its crying and wierd eerie music in the back. it sounds kinda cool and as you listen to the album you understand that it goes through the stages of a man's Spiritual Healing hence the title of the album. however for people buying the album and poppin it in the deck for the first time it sounds a little weird. nothin wrong with it other then confusion.
2. Ready Forum
So here we go the first Real track on the album. Symbolic One comes hard on the beat its a quick piano laced beat with some nice additions throughout the track. Lyrically these guys are tight the combination of S1, Myth & Myone are a fierce trio on the mic. However because I've never heard anything solo from any of them I really dont know which one is which meaning for most of this review I will be refering to them as a whole (lyrically). Great track to start things off.
3. You (the only ones)
Illmind sets SFP up with a beautiful beat and a great sample to work the background and the hook depending on how he breaks it. I'm really starting to become a bit of an Illmind mega fan due to beats like these he's really starting to impress me. when listen to this track the beat takes it for me but lyrically this is a very very very tight track the hook is tight and fits perfectly with the beat. Definatley a highlight on the album
4. Under Pressure
S1 is back on production for this track and he does a nice job its a slow rolling beat with a nice tuba or some shit which adds a nice kick to the beat. Lyrically its a nice track but not really a highlight to me its well done and they flow nicely over the beat. It just doesnt do alot for me but I think thats more opinion then any fault of SFP.
5.Good Times
S1 teams up with Roger Blevins on this track to give an almost latin feel to this very up tempo beat. All 3 members rap there ass's off on this track and really flow nicely over such a fast beat. the hook is real nice aswell with a nice sound. Another real nice track on this so far enjoyable album but things are just getting started.
6.Liberation f/ Toby
The foundation comes on for production on this one and this is the first beat I've heard by them. It's a nice slow jam with some nice drums and a simple bassline but overall a nice beat. SFP does a fairly nice job of slowing it down and rollin with the beat although this isnt really there style. It's a nice track with a good hook but SFP are at there best when playing verbal b-ball.
7. Get Live f/ Erykah Badu
HOLY CRAP! Now i don't know how this little group from Waco texas got Ms Badu on their album but i like it and Illmind once again brings some fire on the beat. Erykah as always sounds amazing her vocals just roll out over the beat and everyone just comes together and flows amazingly on this track. Fantastic!
8. Soul Clap
Jake one did the beat for this track and generally I'm not a big fan of his beats although the one he did for El Da Sensai was pretty tight. This one is even better! with some sick horns and a great drum line. SFP rips it up on this track and lyrically I think they are at there best here the hook just goes beautifully and was a great choice for there single!
9. Special F/Thesis
the beat on this track was done by 9th wonder and he gives them a slow beat although they do a much better job of holdin it down really flowin nicely Thesis does a beautiful job on the hook and her vocals add a real nice flavour to the track. Throughout the track the discuss different points in life when they feel "Special".
10. Pinball
Vitamin D provides this beat and its about as close to a gangsta track as SFP will ever get the beat sounds like something out of super mario and its a braggin big talk kinda track. Nothing special but in the flow of the album it fits nicely.
11. Rise F/ Little Brother
Alright now we get to the real heat. Once again Illmind provides a great beat Piano's a nice drum beat and it really goes nice with the flow of the track. all them members do a great job here both rapping and also on some vocals for the hook. Big Pooh sounds great on this track and as usual Phonte brings his "A" game they are both great additions to SFP's sound and most fans of LB will probably like this album. the main concept of the track is just about the rise to the top of the game. Being a big LB fan makes this one of my favorites.
12.Cali Cruisin F/ Deloach & Bavu (NA Retail)
This is a nice track with S1 on the beat. Overall I'm not a big fan of this track but I'm a huge fan of Deloach so its always in the rotation for him alone. The name of the track basically tells you everything you need to know for this track. They spit about Cali and thats that. it sounds good nothing wrong here, just not a favorite of mine.
13 Parachutes F/ Thesis (NA Retail)
Once again S1 handles the production and comes up with a nice beat. For adult contemporary audiences. Thesis sounds good and SFP sounds great but i just can't enjoy this track! thats all i have to say listen to it and dont let me ruin your opinion but I just dont like it.
14 The Plague (JP Retail)
So everyones favorite producer Nicolay comes in for this track. Man this guy can make a nice beat. This track is really really nice its slowed down which as i said doesnt fit SFP all the time but they make it work and the beat helps alot. the song basically touches on the struggles of life in society with religion etc. I Love it i gotta say one of the best tracks on the album!
15 Makin My Way (JP Retail)
Now this is the track that did it for me! M-Phazes of all people comes in with a DIRTY beat i love the piano the drums the sample everything is just great on this beat! Myth, S1, & Myone all kill it on this track the way they use the beat in there rhymes is amazing and the hook is MAD infectious I've got 3 freidns on SFP from this track alone. This track is basically about just doin your thing hustlin rhymin and keep movin. My Favorite track for sure.
16. God Is F/ Darien Brockington & Yahzarah
I have to say this is probably S1's weakest beat on the album its not horrible but has a weird flow to it and the drums dont seem to match although lyrically this track is tight and Yahzarah and Darien Brockington add that amazing soul that only they can put on a track! they discuss God and life and its nice track despite the beat.
*Hidden Track
After The Healing F/ Verbal Seed, K-Otix,Tahiti, Skotch & Kay
S1 again comes up with a strange beat but it works better in this situation then before. Everyone comes strong lyrically but this track doesnt do a whole lot for me although it is well done and im sure many people would really like it.
After sitting and having a really good listen to this album I've found some of the weaknesses in what seemed like a flawless album. Although it is still a Fantastic release and one definatley worth checking out. The high points on this album are Stunning to say the least and the lows are still better then the inconsistencies found on other albums. I really dont have any complaints with SFP's album there are just some tracks that are better then others and im sure different listeners will appreciate different tracks. The production is farely solid through the bulk of the album and a few tracks are Phenominally produced. Lyrically this album is 100% sound they flow beautifully and show off some great wordplay and teamwork on the mic. The collaborations are all wisely chosin and really add to the variety of the album. The overall flow of the album is great and makes a nice listen all the way through. personally i feel the Japan retail is the superior product but I'd suggest everyone getting both versions just to get a taste of all the tracks.
Overall 8.1/10
Same deal as before track by track. Let's Get It On!
1. Intro
Kinda weird start to the album its crying and wierd eerie music in the back. it sounds kinda cool and as you listen to the album you understand that it goes through the stages of a man's Spiritual Healing hence the title of the album. however for people buying the album and poppin it in the deck for the first time it sounds a little weird. nothin wrong with it other then confusion.
2. Ready Forum
So here we go the first Real track on the album. Symbolic One comes hard on the beat its a quick piano laced beat with some nice additions throughout the track. Lyrically these guys are tight the combination of S1, Myth & Myone are a fierce trio on the mic. However because I've never heard anything solo from any of them I really dont know which one is which meaning for most of this review I will be refering to them as a whole (lyrically). Great track to start things off.
3. You (the only ones)
Illmind sets SFP up with a beautiful beat and a great sample to work the background and the hook depending on how he breaks it. I'm really starting to become a bit of an Illmind mega fan due to beats like these he's really starting to impress me. when listen to this track the beat takes it for me but lyrically this is a very very very tight track the hook is tight and fits perfectly with the beat. Definatley a highlight on the album
4. Under Pressure
S1 is back on production for this track and he does a nice job its a slow rolling beat with a nice tuba or some shit which adds a nice kick to the beat. Lyrically its a nice track but not really a highlight to me its well done and they flow nicely over the beat. It just doesnt do alot for me but I think thats more opinion then any fault of SFP.
5.Good Times
S1 teams up with Roger Blevins on this track to give an almost latin feel to this very up tempo beat. All 3 members rap there ass's off on this track and really flow nicely over such a fast beat. the hook is real nice aswell with a nice sound. Another real nice track on this so far enjoyable album but things are just getting started.
6.Liberation f/ Toby
The foundation comes on for production on this one and this is the first beat I've heard by them. It's a nice slow jam with some nice drums and a simple bassline but overall a nice beat. SFP does a fairly nice job of slowing it down and rollin with the beat although this isnt really there style. It's a nice track with a good hook but SFP are at there best when playing verbal b-ball.
7. Get Live f/ Erykah Badu
HOLY CRAP! Now i don't know how this little group from Waco texas got Ms Badu on their album but i like it and Illmind once again brings some fire on the beat. Erykah as always sounds amazing her vocals just roll out over the beat and everyone just comes together and flows amazingly on this track. Fantastic!
8. Soul Clap
Jake one did the beat for this track and generally I'm not a big fan of his beats although the one he did for El Da Sensai was pretty tight. This one is even better! with some sick horns and a great drum line. SFP rips it up on this track and lyrically I think they are at there best here the hook just goes beautifully and was a great choice for there single!
9. Special F/Thesis
the beat on this track was done by 9th wonder and he gives them a slow beat although they do a much better job of holdin it down really flowin nicely Thesis does a beautiful job on the hook and her vocals add a real nice flavour to the track. Throughout the track the discuss different points in life when they feel "Special".
10. Pinball
Vitamin D provides this beat and its about as close to a gangsta track as SFP will ever get the beat sounds like something out of super mario and its a braggin big talk kinda track. Nothing special but in the flow of the album it fits nicely.
11. Rise F/ Little Brother
Alright now we get to the real heat. Once again Illmind provides a great beat Piano's a nice drum beat and it really goes nice with the flow of the track. all them members do a great job here both rapping and also on some vocals for the hook. Big Pooh sounds great on this track and as usual Phonte brings his "A" game they are both great additions to SFP's sound and most fans of LB will probably like this album. the main concept of the track is just about the rise to the top of the game. Being a big LB fan makes this one of my favorites.
12.Cali Cruisin F/ Deloach & Bavu (NA Retail)
This is a nice track with S1 on the beat. Overall I'm not a big fan of this track but I'm a huge fan of Deloach so its always in the rotation for him alone. The name of the track basically tells you everything you need to know for this track. They spit about Cali and thats that. it sounds good nothing wrong here, just not a favorite of mine.
13 Parachutes F/ Thesis (NA Retail)
Once again S1 handles the production and comes up with a nice beat. For adult contemporary audiences. Thesis sounds good and SFP sounds great but i just can't enjoy this track! thats all i have to say listen to it and dont let me ruin your opinion but I just dont like it.
14 The Plague (JP Retail)
So everyones favorite producer Nicolay comes in for this track. Man this guy can make a nice beat. This track is really really nice its slowed down which as i said doesnt fit SFP all the time but they make it work and the beat helps alot. the song basically touches on the struggles of life in society with religion etc. I Love it i gotta say one of the best tracks on the album!
15 Makin My Way (JP Retail)
Now this is the track that did it for me! M-Phazes of all people comes in with a DIRTY beat i love the piano the drums the sample everything is just great on this beat! Myth, S1, & Myone all kill it on this track the way they use the beat in there rhymes is amazing and the hook is MAD infectious I've got 3 freidns on SFP from this track alone. This track is basically about just doin your thing hustlin rhymin and keep movin. My Favorite track for sure.
16. God Is F/ Darien Brockington & Yahzarah
I have to say this is probably S1's weakest beat on the album its not horrible but has a weird flow to it and the drums dont seem to match although lyrically this track is tight and Yahzarah and Darien Brockington add that amazing soul that only they can put on a track! they discuss God and life and its nice track despite the beat.
*Hidden Track
After The Healing F/ Verbal Seed, K-Otix,Tahiti, Skotch & Kay
S1 again comes up with a strange beat but it works better in this situation then before. Everyone comes strong lyrically but this track doesnt do a whole lot for me although it is well done and im sure many people would really like it.
After sitting and having a really good listen to this album I've found some of the weaknesses in what seemed like a flawless album. Although it is still a Fantastic release and one definatley worth checking out. The high points on this album are Stunning to say the least and the lows are still better then the inconsistencies found on other albums. I really dont have any complaints with SFP's album there are just some tracks that are better then others and im sure different listeners will appreciate different tracks. The production is farely solid through the bulk of the album and a few tracks are Phenominally produced. Lyrically this album is 100% sound they flow beautifully and show off some great wordplay and teamwork on the mic. The collaborations are all wisely chosin and really add to the variety of the album. The overall flow of the album is great and makes a nice listen all the way through. personally i feel the Japan retail is the superior product but I'd suggest everyone getting both versions just to get a taste of all the tracks.
Overall 8.1/10
Kenn Starr - Starr Status - Album Review
Ok so I finally found an album I really wanted to review and in the same style as Hemz I'm goin Track by Track. I've had this album for a little while now but never really got around to listening to it until about a week ago an then i realised i was missin out on something good so here it is.....
____
Kenn Starr - Starr Status
1. Starr Status (Intro)
Like it says this is just an intro track. It is 2:54 and Oddisee gave a great beat to start this album off with. It's a nice piano laced beat with what sounds like a girl moaning sampled beautifully. Kenn just flows nicely over the beat and basically runs through what to expect after buying the cd. Nice intro and sets the feel for the album instead of wasting your time like so many others.
2. Against The Grain
This track starts off with a classical piano playing and Illmind adds some nice drums and although it's a simple beat it's really nice. Kenn shows of a bit of his flow on this track and spits pretty hard over this beat. This track is basically Kenn sayin that he knows how the game works but still chooses to "do it for the love" and not for the wealth hence the title. Great track and really liked the Illmind beat.
3. Relentless f/ Kev Brown
Okay, So I'm definatley a little biased on this track due to not only Kev Brown spittin on it but he also laced it with one of his classic soulful beats. There is something about a good Kev Brown beat that just makes me wanna lay back an zone out with the headphones on. This is no different. Starr spits some nice lyrics and him and Kev Brown basically throw it back an forth ridin the beat beautifully from start to finish. There is no hook on this track and its pretty much just a nice "Low Budget reppin, Maryland Hailin" Bragging track. Overall a tight track but nothin breakthrough.
4. The Same Pt. 2
Oddisee has takin a page out of 9th Wonders book for this beat with a nice set of drums and a dope sample it really has the feel of a 9th track to me. Kenn raps about how hip hop is polluted with Ice and capitalism. This track is alright the beat is nice Kenn's flow is nice but the hook is a little weak alright track overall but nothin to write home about.
5. Mr Nice Guy f/ Wayna
This is definatley one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is a great Oddisee beat and the hook with Wayna is great. Kenn spits about women and how they "Wanna thug but she dont want everything that goes along with it" and how nice's guys finish last. Kenn does a really nice job on this track all 3 verses are really well put together and does a great job gettin his point across. Great song
6. Middle Fingaz
M-phazes does the beat for this track and I'm not really feelin it that much. The whole story on this song is that Kenn is gonna do what he wants and only cares about those who care about him but the hook is weak and his verses seem rushed an unoriginal. One of the weaker tracks on the album.
7. U Will
The worst track on the album. Kenn Starr comes pretty hard on this track but the production by DJ Roddy Rod (???) is really bad its a very simplistic beat with a wierd bassline and just ruins the track it sounds out of place and makes it hard to focus on the lyrics. Had this been an acapella track I'd love it but the weak production takes away all enjoyment.
8.Never Too Late f/ Sean Born
After the previous 2 tracks this is a godsend The beat by Kev Brown is one of his best and the hook fits perfectly. Kenn Starr & Sean Born both spit real nice with Kenn definately comin out on top as they rap about stayin on the grind and doin there thing. This is one of the best tracks on the album both rhymin and production.
9. Carry On f/ Supastition & Darien Brockington
Oddisee comes through again with a nice piano laced track and Kenn & Supastition dont dissapoint either. With Darien Brockington on the hook this track is just Killer!! Hard to move on with the review as I could go on about this track for awhile My favorite track forsure! Really Really great track I can't stress that point enough!
10. Waitin' On You
Kenn Starr takes it down a notch on this great beat by Khrysis of Justus League fame. He spits some nice emotional lyrics and shows he can do a nice slow jam. nothin wrong with this track at all. Starr holds it down really well.
11. Inside f/ Wayna
This right here is Illmind at his finest a soulful beat with a nice keyboard base and a great sample used in the hook. Wayna does a nice job on the hook and Kenn spits some nice lyrics about how he feels about different situations in his life. Another great emotional track with a beat that showcases Kenn's Style perfectly.
12 Back @ It Again f/ Median & M-Phazes
M-Phazes redeems himself for his earlier beat with this one and Median flows over it like it was made just for him. M-phazes also spits on this track which is a talent I didnt know he had and really hold it down well. Kenn comes strong again with some nice lines. This is a nice track with your standard Braggin and Metaphors. Good track
13. Nothing but Time f/ Oddisee
This is an alright track and the beat by Young Cee is good but nothin special here. oddisee and Kenn rap back an forth about bein on top of the game an shit which seems almost stupid since its his first album but I guess thats just part of hip hop's nature so all in all not a bad track.
14. Another Day f/ Sean Born & Chronkite
This is one of those tracks that just feels like a ton of thought went in on it. The Kev brown beat is great and Chronkite kills it on the hook. Kenn Starr and Sean Born both bring nice verses to the track and just talk about payin the bills an stayin on the hustle. This is a beautifully put together track and a great listen every time.
15. Know Too Much (To Go Back)
Oddisee switches up his style a bit here and comes up with a great beat with quick drums and a fantastic sample on the hook. At times it sounds like Kenn falls behind the beat but always catches it again later in the verse. He raps about life, its struggles and being yourself. This is a real nice listen with the beat being the highlight.
16. If f/ Asheru & Talib Kweli
This is listed as a bonus track on the album and it is a GREAT way to finish things off. The Oddisee beat has another sample for the hook of the track which states "If it wasnt for this. If it wasnt for that. It would be a better world." Kenn Starr, Asheru & Kweli all bring fire to this track and follow suit with the Hook discussing the problems in the world. Fantastic track to finish.
I was really impressed by Kenn Starr's debut the production was solid all the way through minus a few tracks. Kenn really brought some great lyrics and a tight flow to the table. The collabo's were all good choices and didnt really disappoint or take away from Kenn's presence. In my opinion this album is one of the better ones from 2006 but it probably wont get the recognition due to poor promotions. Kenn Starr hasn't broken down any hip hop barriers or come with anything THAT different he just came to spit some great rhymes and brought some amazing beats with him. I would definitley recommend this album regardless of personal preferences. Hopefully my review here will get some people checkin out this album and maybe throwin a lil money his way. I tried to keep my review short an sweet hopefully I still covered all the bases for everyone.
Overall 8.8/10
Comments??
____
Kenn Starr - Starr Status
1. Starr Status (Intro)
Like it says this is just an intro track. It is 2:54 and Oddisee gave a great beat to start this album off with. It's a nice piano laced beat with what sounds like a girl moaning sampled beautifully. Kenn just flows nicely over the beat and basically runs through what to expect after buying the cd. Nice intro and sets the feel for the album instead of wasting your time like so many others.
2. Against The Grain
This track starts off with a classical piano playing and Illmind adds some nice drums and although it's a simple beat it's really nice. Kenn shows of a bit of his flow on this track and spits pretty hard over this beat. This track is basically Kenn sayin that he knows how the game works but still chooses to "do it for the love" and not for the wealth hence the title. Great track and really liked the Illmind beat.
3. Relentless f/ Kev Brown
Okay, So I'm definatley a little biased on this track due to not only Kev Brown spittin on it but he also laced it with one of his classic soulful beats. There is something about a good Kev Brown beat that just makes me wanna lay back an zone out with the headphones on. This is no different. Starr spits some nice lyrics and him and Kev Brown basically throw it back an forth ridin the beat beautifully from start to finish. There is no hook on this track and its pretty much just a nice "Low Budget reppin, Maryland Hailin" Bragging track. Overall a tight track but nothin breakthrough.
4. The Same Pt. 2
Oddisee has takin a page out of 9th Wonders book for this beat with a nice set of drums and a dope sample it really has the feel of a 9th track to me. Kenn raps about how hip hop is polluted with Ice and capitalism. This track is alright the beat is nice Kenn's flow is nice but the hook is a little weak alright track overall but nothin to write home about.
5. Mr Nice Guy f/ Wayna
This is definatley one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is a great Oddisee beat and the hook with Wayna is great. Kenn spits about women and how they "Wanna thug but she dont want everything that goes along with it" and how nice's guys finish last. Kenn does a really nice job on this track all 3 verses are really well put together and does a great job gettin his point across. Great song
6. Middle Fingaz
M-phazes does the beat for this track and I'm not really feelin it that much. The whole story on this song is that Kenn is gonna do what he wants and only cares about those who care about him but the hook is weak and his verses seem rushed an unoriginal. One of the weaker tracks on the album.
7. U Will
The worst track on the album. Kenn Starr comes pretty hard on this track but the production by DJ Roddy Rod (???) is really bad its a very simplistic beat with a wierd bassline and just ruins the track it sounds out of place and makes it hard to focus on the lyrics. Had this been an acapella track I'd love it but the weak production takes away all enjoyment.
8.Never Too Late f/ Sean Born
After the previous 2 tracks this is a godsend The beat by Kev Brown is one of his best and the hook fits perfectly. Kenn Starr & Sean Born both spit real nice with Kenn definately comin out on top as they rap about stayin on the grind and doin there thing. This is one of the best tracks on the album both rhymin and production.
9. Carry On f/ Supastition & Darien Brockington
Oddisee comes through again with a nice piano laced track and Kenn & Supastition dont dissapoint either. With Darien Brockington on the hook this track is just Killer!! Hard to move on with the review as I could go on about this track for awhile My favorite track forsure! Really Really great track I can't stress that point enough!
10. Waitin' On You
Kenn Starr takes it down a notch on this great beat by Khrysis of Justus League fame. He spits some nice emotional lyrics and shows he can do a nice slow jam. nothin wrong with this track at all. Starr holds it down really well.
11. Inside f/ Wayna
This right here is Illmind at his finest a soulful beat with a nice keyboard base and a great sample used in the hook. Wayna does a nice job on the hook and Kenn spits some nice lyrics about how he feels about different situations in his life. Another great emotional track with a beat that showcases Kenn's Style perfectly.
12 Back @ It Again f/ Median & M-Phazes
M-Phazes redeems himself for his earlier beat with this one and Median flows over it like it was made just for him. M-phazes also spits on this track which is a talent I didnt know he had and really hold it down well. Kenn comes strong again with some nice lines. This is a nice track with your standard Braggin and Metaphors. Good track
13. Nothing but Time f/ Oddisee
This is an alright track and the beat by Young Cee is good but nothin special here. oddisee and Kenn rap back an forth about bein on top of the game an shit which seems almost stupid since its his first album but I guess thats just part of hip hop's nature so all in all not a bad track.
14. Another Day f/ Sean Born & Chronkite
This is one of those tracks that just feels like a ton of thought went in on it. The Kev brown beat is great and Chronkite kills it on the hook. Kenn Starr and Sean Born both bring nice verses to the track and just talk about payin the bills an stayin on the hustle. This is a beautifully put together track and a great listen every time.
15. Know Too Much (To Go Back)
Oddisee switches up his style a bit here and comes up with a great beat with quick drums and a fantastic sample on the hook. At times it sounds like Kenn falls behind the beat but always catches it again later in the verse. He raps about life, its struggles and being yourself. This is a real nice listen with the beat being the highlight.
16. If f/ Asheru & Talib Kweli
This is listed as a bonus track on the album and it is a GREAT way to finish things off. The Oddisee beat has another sample for the hook of the track which states "If it wasnt for this. If it wasnt for that. It would be a better world." Kenn Starr, Asheru & Kweli all bring fire to this track and follow suit with the Hook discussing the problems in the world. Fantastic track to finish.
I was really impressed by Kenn Starr's debut the production was solid all the way through minus a few tracks. Kenn really brought some great lyrics and a tight flow to the table. The collabo's were all good choices and didnt really disappoint or take away from Kenn's presence. In my opinion this album is one of the better ones from 2006 but it probably wont get the recognition due to poor promotions. Kenn Starr hasn't broken down any hip hop barriers or come with anything THAT different he just came to spit some great rhymes and brought some amazing beats with him. I would definitley recommend this album regardless of personal preferences. Hopefully my review here will get some people checkin out this album and maybe throwin a lil money his way. I tried to keep my review short an sweet hopefully I still covered all the bases for everyone.
Overall 8.8/10
Comments??
Canibus - Rip the Jacker - Album Review
So I'm back at it again this time reviewing Canibus - Rip The Jacker. The album was produced entirely by Stoupe Enemy Of Mankind (of Jedi Mind Tricks fame). There are no collaborations on this disc it is simply Canibus over stoupe beats from start to finish. a little background on Canibus:
"Expectations were high when Canibus unleashed his Wyclef-produced debut full-length, Can-I-Bus (1998), on Universal. Critics unfortunately panned the album and listeners did so as well, so Canibus receded from the spotlight quickly. He returned two years later with his follow-up for Universal, 2000 B.C., but it too found little embrace, and Canibus soon found himself returning to the underground circuit from which he came. He interestingly sought to battle his way back into the spotlight as he originally had, ultimately confronting Eminem of all rappers. The tactic proved fruitless, though, and alienated Canibus even further from the mass market. Even so, he retained a cultish following and continued to release albums independently of the majors,(including 2002's Mic Club, 2003's Rip the Jacker, and 2005's Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well,occasionally firing off more of the battle raps he remains most known for, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers."
1. Intro
A nice little drum beat playing behind a sample of I'm assuming a movie about Jack the Ripper its only 33 seconds long but kinda cool.
2.Genabis
Stoupe does a nice job on this beat with a nice drum layer and some sampled vocals in the back which give this beat an eerie feel. Canibus makes good use of the beat and raps about his mic skills and greatness and other topics. this is one of the better tracks on the album as the beat suits canibus' flow quite nicely and the hook comes across fast and vicious with a nice spit to it.
3.Levitibus
Another interesting beat from Stoupe with his trademark sampled vocals in the back giving that eerie undertone to so many of his beats. Canibus spits hard as usual although he once again raps about how great he is and how everyone should love him etc. I'm not a huge fan of this track although i know some feel it is one of the best on the album.
4.M-Sea-Cresy
Stoupe comes up with a great beat on this track nice drums and some nice samples comin through on the hook. Canibus slows down his flow a bit but it doesnt sound bad as one might think its almost a nice change hearing canibus flow with a little less edge. Once again Canibus raps about his lyrical skill and how he is underrated etc. Great beat and an enjoable listen
5.No Return
The beat on this track has alot of different instruments mashed up throughout it and what probably shouldnt work actually sounds pretty nice. The hook is a vocal sample that really fits great over the beat. Canibus does a fantastic job on this track he lays down 3 verses and each is a different story of his death. he demonstrates a little of that potential he's always had on this track. One of my favorites on the album
6.Spartibus
Stoupe delivers a very simple beat on this with a beautiful Rakim sample for the hook. This is just another battle rap track from Canibus and he comes with his usual hard spit lyrics and imagery. An Enjoyable track but nothing to exciting as the sample of Rakim outshines Canibus.
7.Indibisible
Stoupe comes with a quick beat that has a spanish feel to it and an interesting sample on the hook. Canibus sounds a little awkward over this beat and i think it just a slight clash of styles on this one. Another battle rap in 3 verses from Canibus. The beat is a nice listen the hook is great but the overall track leaves something to be desired.
8.Showtime at the Gallow
Man this track is out of character on the album. It sounds like it was produced by the Beatnuts. Its a nice beat and Canibus sounds good over it although the samples brought in on the hook dont seem to fit to well. On this track Canibus returns to stating his superiority over other emcees and lyrical firepower. another okay track although Canibus' choice of lyrical matter on this disc starts to grow old by this point.
9.Psych Evaluation
Stoupe comes back with another ferocious beat and some great samples including a couple from Portishead which sounds great. Canibus does his standard battle raps and declares his greatness his flow comes across tight as usual but nothing new from him on this track.
10.Cemantics
The beat Stoupe brings on this track is like Nightrider meets Batman with more drums. It's an interesting beat with another sample heavy hook in between Canibus' standard rhymes and flow. The album is beginning to wear on and lose a bit of its appeal.
11. Poet Laureate II
Finally a track for Canibus that he can just spit over. It's a tight fast paced beat which Canibus just rips for 7:19 it switches up twice into 2 less then stellar Stoupe beats more suited to a more versatile emcee although it doesnt take much away from the track and eventually switches back to the original heat. Canibus still lays down his standard battle style raps but he never stops. It is all 1 long verse and it is downright impressive. His flow only makes modest adjustments to the changing beats but this is truely Canibus at his finest.
Canibus has always been hailed as an incredible lyricist and when it comes down to spitting it fast and hard he is one of the best. The biggest flaws with Canibus is his versatility and ability to remain interesting. On this album with the solid production from Stoupe it makes a far more listenable album then Canibus' other works and being only 10 tracks in length also makes it easier. Canibus doesnt really do anything extraordinary on this album as far as his individuall verses go and really there are only a few tracks that warrant alot of listens. I would definitaley reccomend this album to anyone looking to check out Canibus for the first time as it is definatley his finest work so far. I think in the future if canibus were able to recruit some solid artists to collaborate on his albums it would give them a much more interesting sound. Although only produced by 1 producer there still seems to be little flow to this album often times it seems as if it just a collection of 10 tracks throwin on 1 cd. Not being a big Canibus fan, this has been a tough review for me as it is hard to remain un-biased while listening, I hope I have done an acceptable job and havent upset any fans of this album.
Overall 6.3/10
Comments???
"Expectations were high when Canibus unleashed his Wyclef-produced debut full-length, Can-I-Bus (1998), on Universal. Critics unfortunately panned the album and listeners did so as well, so Canibus receded from the spotlight quickly. He returned two years later with his follow-up for Universal, 2000 B.C., but it too found little embrace, and Canibus soon found himself returning to the underground circuit from which he came. He interestingly sought to battle his way back into the spotlight as he originally had, ultimately confronting Eminem of all rappers. The tactic proved fruitless, though, and alienated Canibus even further from the mass market. Even so, he retained a cultish following and continued to release albums independently of the majors,(including 2002's Mic Club, 2003's Rip the Jacker, and 2005's Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well,occasionally firing off more of the battle raps he remains most known for, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers."
1. Intro
A nice little drum beat playing behind a sample of I'm assuming a movie about Jack the Ripper its only 33 seconds long but kinda cool.
2.Genabis
Stoupe does a nice job on this beat with a nice drum layer and some sampled vocals in the back which give this beat an eerie feel. Canibus makes good use of the beat and raps about his mic skills and greatness and other topics. this is one of the better tracks on the album as the beat suits canibus' flow quite nicely and the hook comes across fast and vicious with a nice spit to it.
3.Levitibus
Another interesting beat from Stoupe with his trademark sampled vocals in the back giving that eerie undertone to so many of his beats. Canibus spits hard as usual although he once again raps about how great he is and how everyone should love him etc. I'm not a huge fan of this track although i know some feel it is one of the best on the album.
4.M-Sea-Cresy
Stoupe comes up with a great beat on this track nice drums and some nice samples comin through on the hook. Canibus slows down his flow a bit but it doesnt sound bad as one might think its almost a nice change hearing canibus flow with a little less edge. Once again Canibus raps about his lyrical skill and how he is underrated etc. Great beat and an enjoable listen
5.No Return
The beat on this track has alot of different instruments mashed up throughout it and what probably shouldnt work actually sounds pretty nice. The hook is a vocal sample that really fits great over the beat. Canibus does a fantastic job on this track he lays down 3 verses and each is a different story of his death. he demonstrates a little of that potential he's always had on this track. One of my favorites on the album
6.Spartibus
Stoupe delivers a very simple beat on this with a beautiful Rakim sample for the hook. This is just another battle rap track from Canibus and he comes with his usual hard spit lyrics and imagery. An Enjoyable track but nothing to exciting as the sample of Rakim outshines Canibus.
7.Indibisible
Stoupe comes with a quick beat that has a spanish feel to it and an interesting sample on the hook. Canibus sounds a little awkward over this beat and i think it just a slight clash of styles on this one. Another battle rap in 3 verses from Canibus. The beat is a nice listen the hook is great but the overall track leaves something to be desired.
8.Showtime at the Gallow
Man this track is out of character on the album. It sounds like it was produced by the Beatnuts. Its a nice beat and Canibus sounds good over it although the samples brought in on the hook dont seem to fit to well. On this track Canibus returns to stating his superiority over other emcees and lyrical firepower. another okay track although Canibus' choice of lyrical matter on this disc starts to grow old by this point.
9.Psych Evaluation
Stoupe comes back with another ferocious beat and some great samples including a couple from Portishead which sounds great. Canibus does his standard battle raps and declares his greatness his flow comes across tight as usual but nothing new from him on this track.
10.Cemantics
The beat Stoupe brings on this track is like Nightrider meets Batman with more drums. It's an interesting beat with another sample heavy hook in between Canibus' standard rhymes and flow. The album is beginning to wear on and lose a bit of its appeal.
11. Poet Laureate II
Finally a track for Canibus that he can just spit over. It's a tight fast paced beat which Canibus just rips for 7:19 it switches up twice into 2 less then stellar Stoupe beats more suited to a more versatile emcee although it doesnt take much away from the track and eventually switches back to the original heat. Canibus still lays down his standard battle style raps but he never stops. It is all 1 long verse and it is downright impressive. His flow only makes modest adjustments to the changing beats but this is truely Canibus at his finest.
Canibus has always been hailed as an incredible lyricist and when it comes down to spitting it fast and hard he is one of the best. The biggest flaws with Canibus is his versatility and ability to remain interesting. On this album with the solid production from Stoupe it makes a far more listenable album then Canibus' other works and being only 10 tracks in length also makes it easier. Canibus doesnt really do anything extraordinary on this album as far as his individuall verses go and really there are only a few tracks that warrant alot of listens. I would definitaley reccomend this album to anyone looking to check out Canibus for the first time as it is definatley his finest work so far. I think in the future if canibus were able to recruit some solid artists to collaborate on his albums it would give them a much more interesting sound. Although only produced by 1 producer there still seems to be little flow to this album often times it seems as if it just a collection of 10 tracks throwin on 1 cd. Not being a big Canibus fan, this has been a tough review for me as it is hard to remain un-biased while listening, I hope I have done an acceptable job and havent upset any fans of this album.
Overall 6.3/10
Comments???
Eminem: Infinite
It’s always interesting to hear people complain about how badly Eminem has fallen off. Aside from his decrease in lyrical skill and creativity, the chief complaint always seems to be that he's "not being true to himself" because of his dramatically toned down content. According to these people, Eminem's true self is the crazed and psychotic "Slim Shady" persona that dominated both the Slim Shady and The Marshall Mathers LP. Yet they might have a different opinion after listening to Infinite. With little money and promotion Em released the album out of the trunk of his car back in 96. The album was a flop, barely selling anything and generating accusations that Em was biting off of Nas and AZ. The failure of the album had a significant impact on both Em’s career and his personal life as he contemplated suicide because of it. It also was the foundation of the anger, bitterness, and rage that led to the creation of the Slim Shady persona. Em used this persona to shock and entertain and the rest as we say is history. Em’s career blew up and Infinite was long forgotten. While today the few people who have listened to it give it more respect than it initially received, Em’s debut is hardly ever held in the same esteem as his first two commercial albums. This is upsetting to me because from a lyrical standpoint, I truly believe that Infinite is just as good if not better than any of his commercial work. True hip hop fans who appreciate raw lyricism need to check it out. Before you do though, be warned. Infinite is mainly a lyrics driven album. The lack of money that Em had while making it can be heard in the lackluster beats and sound quality. It took me awhile to get used to it when I first heard it. But after giving it many listens, I was able to appreciate the simplicity and subtlety of the production. Like the Rza’s earliest work, the production has a “less is more” philosophy and the stripped down beats serve as a good contrast to the intense lyrics that Em spits. Still, I can understand if you’re not feeling the production. What is undeniable however, is the lyrical fire that Em brings on this. But anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough and I’m starting to sound like Noah(just playing man) so without further ado, here’s my track for track review.
Infinite
The title track has a slow build. Soft pianos are heard and Em introduces himself and what he represents. Then the snare hits and the song goes into full gear. Em then precedes to spit some of the most clever and mind boggling lyrics I’ve ever heard from any rapper. Here’s a little sample.
“Imitator intimidator, stimulator, simulator of data, eliminator, there’s never been a greater, since the burial of Jesus, fuck around and catch all the venereal diseases, my thesis will smash a stereo to pieces, my accapella releases, classic masterpieces through telekinesis, that eases you mentally, gently, sentimentally, instrumentally, with entity, dementedly, meant to be, infinite.” Wow. Just look at all the internal rhymes and multis. Incredible. Not only the best song on the album but one of the best songs of Eminem’s entire career.
W.E.G.O.
Nothing substantial here. Kind of a pointless skit introducing the next song. Its Proof that does the introduction though.
It’s Okay
In my opinion, this song has the best production on the whole album. A very soothing and laid back beat. Its in this song that you realize just how different Eminem’s whole persona and mindset was on this album. He talks about the struggles of his life. But rather than express anger and violence he expresses hope for the future. He talks about his love for his daughter AND his wife. Yes, he actually says something nice about Kim. And there’s even more of that later. There’s one line here that really emphasizes the dramatic change that he’d eventually go through though. “And in the midst of this insanity, I found my Christianity, and through God, there’s a wish he granted me.” Who would’ve thought that the man who would evilly corrupt the minds of little boys and girls was a self professed Christian? Makes you realize the ridiculousness of taking the whole Slim Shady persona seriously.
Tonite
The most commercial song on the album, basically a typical party song except with weaker production and MUCH stronger lyricism. Em’s flow on this is on point and he drops some nice punchlines. “You couldn’t see me with binoculars, I’m armed like an Octupus, step on stage and you’ll get socked and pushed”
313
This song is pretty substantial. It features an underground Detroit rapper named Eye-Kyu. What’s so amazing about it is that it might just be the only song I’ve ever heard where Eminem gets upstaged by a guest rapper. I wont say that Em gets murdered because he holds his own. But this Eye-Kyu dude(has anyone heard other stuff from him) spits some of the most ridiculous shit that I’ve heard in awhile. I can’t even pick any sample lines for you to read so I’m just gonna post his entire verse.
“Yo some people say I'm whack, now if that's right
I'm the freshest whack MC that you ever heard, in your
lifetime
My slick accapella sounds clever with the beats
Boy I'm the deepest thing since potholes to ever hit the
streets
Forgot a gold digger's succubus , my souls thick with
ruggedness
With the mic I'm like a dyke, can't no nigga fuck with this
I got more Different Strokes than Philip Drummound
On open mic I bone your women just to keep my lyrics coming
(bitch)
We elevated to new heights premeditated
Let it be that I stated they hate it now that they see that I
made it
The escalated can be put to the test of greatness
Snatch the heart from MC's and I ate it
So I take it that's the reason I'm hated
To represent my temperment
If rap was a dick all you so called hard MC's would not be
impitant
But pimping it, and acting like you could rock a show (so)
Harder than LL's Rock the Bells, but you is a ho (now)
Everything that you collaborate I lacerate
My rhymes they keep coming like nympho maniacs that
masturbate
At a faster rate, yeah I got something for your ass to hate
I blasterate, and have you all running master gates
And as for face clutching and touching the flows
I got them open like marijuana smoke up in your nose
Bucking these hoes, I got that shit down to a science
Leaving them hot and bothered, turned on like an appliance
Defiance, no we won't have that
You want your shit to blow up?
Well I'ma stuff some dynamite in your ass crack
And blast that shit to kingdom come
Then bring them some of this real hip-hop
I drop beats and you ain't singing or gonna do a thing about
And you all knew from Meeko
That you couldn't hold your own with the strength of Lou
Forigno
So stop that bullshit and flow
Yo, you need to come with the real skills, and act like you
know”
So yeah, he pretty much kills it and he definitely outshines Em. But Em does have one punchline that had me rolling. “Cuz you can be quick, jump a candle stick and burn your back, and fuck Jill on a hill, but you still aint Jack.”
Maxine
Not really feeling this song. Em has a nice verse but the song is brought down by the guest rappers. One of them is Denaun Porter aka Kon Artist of D12. Its basically a cautionary tale about a promiscuous woman.
Open Mic
Another lyrically amazing battle track from Em. Once again, production is lacking and the chorus from some underground emcee named Thyme is annoying. But Eminem makes up for it by completely murdering the track with incredible rhymes showcasing his battle rap background.
Never 2 Far
This song is basically the prequel to Lose Yourself. A very inspirational song that shows Eminem at his most hopeful and optimistic.
Searchin
All right, I couldn’t even believe this song when I first heard it. Its pretty much the anti-Kim. It’s actually a love song dedicated to her. And theres no gimmicks or anything like that. Its just a straightforward love song. Yet another song that’ll make you wonder if Eminem really made the album.
Backstabber
Didn’t really like this song. The beat is weak. Em’s rhymes are good(he pretty much spits consistently on every track) but the content and concept is lacking. The title is self-explanatory. Em rants for awhile about backstabbers.
Jealousy Woes
A decent song but definitely the wrong song to end the album with it. The album starts off so strongly with its two best songs back to back, has a consistent middle and then slowly declines toward the end. Its basically a song about Eminem complaining about a particularly jealous woman. The song is decent and it belongs on the album but it definitely shouldn’t have been the closer.
To conclude, if the album had better production and better song order I would’ve considered it a classic. Lyrically I think it ranks up there with the legendary lyrical albums. And its interesting to think about the direction that Em’s career would’ve gone in if this album hadn’t bombed. Once again, this is a must have for any Eminem fan and any hip hop fan in general. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.
Infinite
The title track has a slow build. Soft pianos are heard and Em introduces himself and what he represents. Then the snare hits and the song goes into full gear. Em then precedes to spit some of the most clever and mind boggling lyrics I’ve ever heard from any rapper. Here’s a little sample.
“Imitator intimidator, stimulator, simulator of data, eliminator, there’s never been a greater, since the burial of Jesus, fuck around and catch all the venereal diseases, my thesis will smash a stereo to pieces, my accapella releases, classic masterpieces through telekinesis, that eases you mentally, gently, sentimentally, instrumentally, with entity, dementedly, meant to be, infinite.” Wow. Just look at all the internal rhymes and multis. Incredible. Not only the best song on the album but one of the best songs of Eminem’s entire career.
W.E.G.O.
Nothing substantial here. Kind of a pointless skit introducing the next song. Its Proof that does the introduction though.
It’s Okay
In my opinion, this song has the best production on the whole album. A very soothing and laid back beat. Its in this song that you realize just how different Eminem’s whole persona and mindset was on this album. He talks about the struggles of his life. But rather than express anger and violence he expresses hope for the future. He talks about his love for his daughter AND his wife. Yes, he actually says something nice about Kim. And there’s even more of that later. There’s one line here that really emphasizes the dramatic change that he’d eventually go through though. “And in the midst of this insanity, I found my Christianity, and through God, there’s a wish he granted me.” Who would’ve thought that the man who would evilly corrupt the minds of little boys and girls was a self professed Christian? Makes you realize the ridiculousness of taking the whole Slim Shady persona seriously.
Tonite
The most commercial song on the album, basically a typical party song except with weaker production and MUCH stronger lyricism. Em’s flow on this is on point and he drops some nice punchlines. “You couldn’t see me with binoculars, I’m armed like an Octupus, step on stage and you’ll get socked and pushed”
313
This song is pretty substantial. It features an underground Detroit rapper named Eye-Kyu. What’s so amazing about it is that it might just be the only song I’ve ever heard where Eminem gets upstaged by a guest rapper. I wont say that Em gets murdered because he holds his own. But this Eye-Kyu dude(has anyone heard other stuff from him) spits some of the most ridiculous shit that I’ve heard in awhile. I can’t even pick any sample lines for you to read so I’m just gonna post his entire verse.
“Yo some people say I'm whack, now if that's right
I'm the freshest whack MC that you ever heard, in your
lifetime
My slick accapella sounds clever with the beats
Boy I'm the deepest thing since potholes to ever hit the
streets
Forgot a gold digger's succubus , my souls thick with
ruggedness
With the mic I'm like a dyke, can't no nigga fuck with this
I got more Different Strokes than Philip Drummound
On open mic I bone your women just to keep my lyrics coming
(bitch)
We elevated to new heights premeditated
Let it be that I stated they hate it now that they see that I
made it
The escalated can be put to the test of greatness
Snatch the heart from MC's and I ate it
So I take it that's the reason I'm hated
To represent my temperment
If rap was a dick all you so called hard MC's would not be
impitant
But pimping it, and acting like you could rock a show (so)
Harder than LL's Rock the Bells, but you is a ho (now)
Everything that you collaborate I lacerate
My rhymes they keep coming like nympho maniacs that
masturbate
At a faster rate, yeah I got something for your ass to hate
I blasterate, and have you all running master gates
And as for face clutching and touching the flows
I got them open like marijuana smoke up in your nose
Bucking these hoes, I got that shit down to a science
Leaving them hot and bothered, turned on like an appliance
Defiance, no we won't have that
You want your shit to blow up?
Well I'ma stuff some dynamite in your ass crack
And blast that shit to kingdom come
Then bring them some of this real hip-hop
I drop beats and you ain't singing or gonna do a thing about
And you all knew from Meeko
That you couldn't hold your own with the strength of Lou
Forigno
So stop that bullshit and flow
Yo, you need to come with the real skills, and act like you
know”
So yeah, he pretty much kills it and he definitely outshines Em. But Em does have one punchline that had me rolling. “Cuz you can be quick, jump a candle stick and burn your back, and fuck Jill on a hill, but you still aint Jack.”
Maxine
Not really feeling this song. Em has a nice verse but the song is brought down by the guest rappers. One of them is Denaun Porter aka Kon Artist of D12. Its basically a cautionary tale about a promiscuous woman.
Open Mic
Another lyrically amazing battle track from Em. Once again, production is lacking and the chorus from some underground emcee named Thyme is annoying. But Eminem makes up for it by completely murdering the track with incredible rhymes showcasing his battle rap background.
Never 2 Far
This song is basically the prequel to Lose Yourself. A very inspirational song that shows Eminem at his most hopeful and optimistic.
Searchin
All right, I couldn’t even believe this song when I first heard it. Its pretty much the anti-Kim. It’s actually a love song dedicated to her. And theres no gimmicks or anything like that. Its just a straightforward love song. Yet another song that’ll make you wonder if Eminem really made the album.
Backstabber
Didn’t really like this song. The beat is weak. Em’s rhymes are good(he pretty much spits consistently on every track) but the content and concept is lacking. The title is self-explanatory. Em rants for awhile about backstabbers.
Jealousy Woes
A decent song but definitely the wrong song to end the album with it. The album starts off so strongly with its two best songs back to back, has a consistent middle and then slowly declines toward the end. Its basically a song about Eminem complaining about a particularly jealous woman. The song is decent and it belongs on the album but it definitely shouldn’t have been the closer.
To conclude, if the album had better production and better song order I would’ve considered it a classic. Lyrically I think it ranks up there with the legendary lyrical albums. And its interesting to think about the direction that Em’s career would’ve gone in if this album hadn’t bombed. Once again, this is a must have for any Eminem fan and any hip hop fan in general. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.
Ma$e: Harlem World
Harlem World is the multi-platinum solo debut of Harlem's rapper Ma$e. Ma$e started his career in Children of the Corn alongside Big L, Killa Cam, and Bloodshed as Murder Mase, but the group eventually broke-up after Bloodshed's death, and Ma$e signed with Bad Boy Records. This is where he released Harlem World in 1997.
1.) Puff's Intro
It's actually a pretty sweet intro. The beat has like this "Shaft" feel, actually more like a "Super Fly" vibe. It intensifies as it continues building the intro up and making it more suspenseful. Puffy gives the introduction to the album, and explains the listener is about to enter Ma$e's world, the Harlem World. A really good intro.
2.) Do You Wanna Get $? (ft. Puff Daddy)
The beat is sub-par it seems like the meter is off or something, and there is a squeak that repeats throughout the song, that gets quite annoying as the song progresses. Ma$e lyrics and flow are simple and nothing impressive. Nothing you couldn't find from any "Lil" or "Young" on the radio today. The chorus is the strongest part to the song and it's nothing spectacular. An average song at best.
3.) Take What's Yours? (ft. DMX)
A "gangsta" song in which Ma$e telling everyone he's not one to mess with. Even if you are not into rapper's talking about guns, and acting like thugs Ma$e does a nice job doing so again with some very strong lyrics. "Word from the wise, niggas jerk pies, we hurt them guys Bust lead, to skin they head and leave them circumcised So how you wanna settle this? Rappin' or on some ghetto shit We can do it yo way, with mics or with metal shit"One of my favorite songs despite the overdone premise for a song, Ma$e's lyrics are on point. And when you make a track telling people not to mess with you, who else but DMX do you want telling them so in the chorus. DMX sings in his raspy voice, but it fits the song perfect and is well done. The beat is simple with laced with several pauses; a solid beat nothing fancy, but good for rapping over. A good track.
4.) Mad Rapper (Interlude)
A stupid interlude, where they have a mock TV Show and talk to his producer. It's pretty lame.
5.) Will They Die For You? (ft. Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim)
Song about how far your "boys" will go for you, how loyal they really are. Puff Daddy opens the track with a weak verse talking about his money, even though he didn't write the lyrics are poor and his delivery are poorer. Ma$e has a strong verse on this track. One of my favorite verses he spits in the whole album, good lyrics and some multi-syllable rhymes, make for a good verse. "Make my own chips, I copped my own 6/I knock my own shit, like I'm on my own dick." The third verse from Lil' Kim is pretty solid with some nasty lyrics like: "I'm the same bitch all ya'll wanna try ya'll luck with/Lil' Kim spreads like syphilis/You think I'm pussy?/ I dare you to stick your dick in this." Haha. Any alright nothing beat, has a little funk feel to it, but a little to repetitive. A decent track minus the Puffy verse. The chorus is weak, and shows why Ma$e is better off having someone else sing the hook on his songs.
6.) Lookin' At Me (ft. Puff Daddy)
Catchy hook, and nice beat definitely makes the song an easy listen. The beat is actually by Pharrell so there's no surprise it's very easy to get stuck in your head, but it's definitely a recycled beat (Probably of Puffy's influence), but I'm not exactly sure the source. Ma$e uses his ultra slow flow in this song. He raps about "haters" looking at him in a club, because he's got money, power, and beautiful girls. As cliche as it sounds, it's a pretty decent track, you have to consider how Ma$e deals with the criticism considering he went from Murder Mase to Ma$e (w/ the dollar sign). One line says it all to me, "I was Murder/P. Diddy made me pretty/Did it for the money, now can you get with me." Clever line explaining how can you hate on him for clocking loot. Ma$e has strong displays of lyrical talent in this song:"And if it's not a problem you can meet me at 10I'll be in room 112 and bring four friendsAnd if you gon' hit me, it gotta be a quickieAnd please no hickies, cause wifey's with me"One of the best tracks on the album.
7.) White Girl (Interlude)
Surprise another stupid interlude about putting Ma$e on the phone with two girls. Terrible, except in the background you can hear "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems".
8.) Love U So (ft. Billy Lawrence)
The beat just doesn't fit Ma$e's style of rapping. The chorus is a total rip and the voice of Billy Lawrence is somewhat annoying. Lyrics are sound, but not solid enough to make up for the songs many other weak spots. A weak track.
9.) The Player Way (ft. Eightball & MJG)
Eightball has the first verse and comes strong on the track, MJG follows doing the chorus and does a nice job. Ma$e's verse is alright, but is followed by another better Eightball verse. Eightball and MJG come stronger than Ma$e on this track, which makes sense seeing the topic of the song. The beat is alright, has a nice feel that fits the rest of the album.
10.) Hater (Interlude)
An interlude about Ma$e not coming back to the hood once he got with P. Diddy. Could have gone without.
11.) Niggaz Wanna Act (ft. Busta Rhymes)
Another "gangsta" song about "niggaz" coming after Ma$e and how he's prepared to deal with them. He opens with a weak verse, nothing strong lyrically, but lacks a strong flow too. Granted the beat is a hard one to handle. Second verse from Ma$e is a tight one, where he multi-syllable rhymes for the most part and has some quality lines like: "Shock niggas who thought I was a pop nigga/You go against Ma$e you get your wig rocked nigga." Third verse is strong, but nothing amazing. You start to hear Busta Rhymes in the background as the verse begins. As it ends you hear Busta doing the chorus of the song that Ma$e was doing previously and Ma$e finishes up the song with shout outs. An average song with an average beat and average production. Busta should have been used more in this song, like when you see featured you expect him to spit a verse, but he doesn't. The song doesn't meet the expectations.
12.) Feel So Good
If you aren't familiar with the album Harlem World, this is one of the two singles you are more than likely already familiar with. Song has nice production, when it starts you immediately recognize it from the introduction of the song. Catchy hook "Bad, bad, bad, bad boy/ You make me feel so good." The lyrics are pretty solid with clever responses to criticism of Puffy and his producing techniques : "Do Ma$e got the ladies?/Do Puff drive Mercedes?/Take hits from the '80's?/But don't it sound crazy?".This is one of those songs that is the epitome of Bad Boy Records. A solid song that could be played daily, and not get real repetitive.
13.) What You Want (ft. Total)
The other of the two singles from Harlem World that most hip hop listeners are already familiar with. Another very good beat with solid production. An easy beat to rap over, and Ma$e does a nice job riding th beat with another display of his slow flow. Another strong hook just like Feel So Good, which makes sense as to why both these songs were hits, solid hooks = solid fan base. The premise is about Ma$e spoiling his girl with ridiculous gifts just to make her happy. Decent lyrics with lines like "I wanna do my thing so we be established/And I don't want you rockin' in them fabrics/Girl, I will give you karats 'til you feel you a rabbit." A good example in this song how Ma$e makes words rhyme by slightly altering pronunciations, a style he uses frequently. Another strong song.
14.) Phone Conversation (Interlude)
Wow, another pointless interlude, where I can barely understand Ma$e. It's supposed to show he's a player. Weak, but again you here another Biggie track in the background. Does someone have a crush on Biggie?
15.) Cheat on You (ft. Jay-Z & Lil' Cease)
Sample "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" a pretty nice beat, another song showing strong production. 112 sings the chorus, and harmonize well. The song is about why a girl would cheat on any of them. Ma$e has the first verse, and does a decent job. Lil' Cease is up next, and spits a pretty weak verse as expected, it flows well, but that's it. Next on the mic is Jay-Z who spits a decent Jay verse not one of his best, his flow tends to be a little choppy. A decent song overall, but average at best.
16.) 24 Hrs. to Live (ft. Black Rob &DMX & LOX)
Puff intro's the track and Ma$e spits the first verse. The song is pretty self-explanatory, what they would do with 24 hours to live. Ma$e is verse isn't that strong one you might expect from the current Ma$e. Jadakiss is next, and spits a pretty funny "fuck it" attitude verse. "Yo, yo if I had 24 hrs. to kick the bucket, fuck it/I'd probably eat some fried chicken and drink a Nantuckett." Black Rob is next, and raps a solid verse. It's nice because all three verses flow into one another without any interruption. The chorus comes through, then Sheek is up followed by Styles, Styles spits the better verse of the two with much stronger lyrics. DMX is the last to spit, and quite frankly raps an average verse. No rapper distinguishes himself on this track by spitting a far better verse than any of the others; however, this is a good track, it's always fun to have 6 different MC's spit on a track, plus Diddy and 112.
17.) I Need to Be (ft. Monifah)
The opening is funny about Ma$e's boy messing with an underage girl. The chorus by Monifah is solid, she has a good sound for the beat. Ma$e uses his extra slow flow on this track, an understatement to call it lazy. His flow is so slow and monotonous it makes the song unbearable. Easily the second worst song on the album.
18.) Watch Your Back (Interlude)
Stupid, some guy calling to warn Ma$e he's tired of him giving his girl his number and if he doesn't stop, he'll have to deal with him.
19.) Wanna Hurt Mase?
A nice beat, seems a little overdone at certain points but Ma$e does a nice job with it. The chorus is stupid and it's similar to when 50 Cent tries to sing a hook. But the verses are pretty strong. A good track, if you like the "Cookie Monster singing", naw but a good track, just not the best listen, a little choppy.
20.) Jealous Guy (ft. 112)
The song opens up and you think that Ma$e is now part of Boyz II Men, it's seems like one of their songs without a doubt. The beat fits their style perfectly. It's a good beat and has nice production. 112 sings the chorus and it sounds okay, but then Ma$e sings his verse, hilarious, haha. It's gotta be a joke, worse than Ja Rule singing. Then Diddy sings and it doesn't sound like Diddy at all, surprisingly sounds worse than Ma$e. Reminds me of Keith from American Idol, if you don't know youtube it. Ma$e sings again and does slightly better, but is still terrible. Without a doubt the worse track on the album. A must listen though if you love a good laugh, and appreciate rappers failing at trying to sing R&B.
Alright, Ma$e's Harlem World is a solid album. After listening to it you definitely get the idea that Ma$e is a talented rapper. Definitely has the Bad Boy feel all over the album. One weak spot is the themes of his music do get repetitive and that's one of the worst parts. But the album is definitely worth a listen for anyone who has never heard it. It has many catchy hooks and some good lyrics, solid production throughout the album, by a credited list of like 20 producers with P. Diddy's name "topping" them. It's honestly worth a listen for anybody who thinks Ma$e is a garbage rapper.
Overall 7.5/10 . . .
* Any credit given to production, is given in this regard: Bad Boy's production style is designed to move units and if you listen to the album you'll know the only thing important to Ma$e and Diddy is making money. So in that regard the production was quite efficient and well done. It's a commercial success going Multi-Platinum.
1.) Puff's Intro
It's actually a pretty sweet intro. The beat has like this "Shaft" feel, actually more like a "Super Fly" vibe. It intensifies as it continues building the intro up and making it more suspenseful. Puffy gives the introduction to the album, and explains the listener is about to enter Ma$e's world, the Harlem World. A really good intro.
2.) Do You Wanna Get $? (ft. Puff Daddy)
The beat is sub-par it seems like the meter is off or something, and there is a squeak that repeats throughout the song, that gets quite annoying as the song progresses. Ma$e lyrics and flow are simple and nothing impressive. Nothing you couldn't find from any "Lil" or "Young" on the radio today. The chorus is the strongest part to the song and it's nothing spectacular. An average song at best.
3.) Take What's Yours? (ft. DMX)
A "gangsta" song in which Ma$e telling everyone he's not one to mess with. Even if you are not into rapper's talking about guns, and acting like thugs Ma$e does a nice job doing so again with some very strong lyrics. "Word from the wise, niggas jerk pies, we hurt them guys Bust lead, to skin they head and leave them circumcised So how you wanna settle this? Rappin' or on some ghetto shit We can do it yo way, with mics or with metal shit"One of my favorite songs despite the overdone premise for a song, Ma$e's lyrics are on point. And when you make a track telling people not to mess with you, who else but DMX do you want telling them so in the chorus. DMX sings in his raspy voice, but it fits the song perfect and is well done. The beat is simple with laced with several pauses; a solid beat nothing fancy, but good for rapping over. A good track.
4.) Mad Rapper (Interlude)
A stupid interlude, where they have a mock TV Show and talk to his producer. It's pretty lame.
5.) Will They Die For You? (ft. Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim)
Song about how far your "boys" will go for you, how loyal they really are. Puff Daddy opens the track with a weak verse talking about his money, even though he didn't write the lyrics are poor and his delivery are poorer. Ma$e has a strong verse on this track. One of my favorite verses he spits in the whole album, good lyrics and some multi-syllable rhymes, make for a good verse. "Make my own chips, I copped my own 6/I knock my own shit, like I'm on my own dick." The third verse from Lil' Kim is pretty solid with some nasty lyrics like: "I'm the same bitch all ya'll wanna try ya'll luck with/Lil' Kim spreads like syphilis/You think I'm pussy?/ I dare you to stick your dick in this." Haha. Any alright nothing beat, has a little funk feel to it, but a little to repetitive. A decent track minus the Puffy verse. The chorus is weak, and shows why Ma$e is better off having someone else sing the hook on his songs.
6.) Lookin' At Me (ft. Puff Daddy)
Catchy hook, and nice beat definitely makes the song an easy listen. The beat is actually by Pharrell so there's no surprise it's very easy to get stuck in your head, but it's definitely a recycled beat (Probably of Puffy's influence), but I'm not exactly sure the source. Ma$e uses his ultra slow flow in this song. He raps about "haters" looking at him in a club, because he's got money, power, and beautiful girls. As cliche as it sounds, it's a pretty decent track, you have to consider how Ma$e deals with the criticism considering he went from Murder Mase to Ma$e (w/ the dollar sign). One line says it all to me, "I was Murder/P. Diddy made me pretty/Did it for the money, now can you get with me." Clever line explaining how can you hate on him for clocking loot. Ma$e has strong displays of lyrical talent in this song:"And if it's not a problem you can meet me at 10I'll be in room 112 and bring four friendsAnd if you gon' hit me, it gotta be a quickieAnd please no hickies, cause wifey's with me"One of the best tracks on the album.
7.) White Girl (Interlude)
Surprise another stupid interlude about putting Ma$e on the phone with two girls. Terrible, except in the background you can hear "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems".
8.) Love U So (ft. Billy Lawrence)
The beat just doesn't fit Ma$e's style of rapping. The chorus is a total rip and the voice of Billy Lawrence is somewhat annoying. Lyrics are sound, but not solid enough to make up for the songs many other weak spots. A weak track.
9.) The Player Way (ft. Eightball & MJG)
Eightball has the first verse and comes strong on the track, MJG follows doing the chorus and does a nice job. Ma$e's verse is alright, but is followed by another better Eightball verse. Eightball and MJG come stronger than Ma$e on this track, which makes sense seeing the topic of the song. The beat is alright, has a nice feel that fits the rest of the album.
10.) Hater (Interlude)
An interlude about Ma$e not coming back to the hood once he got with P. Diddy. Could have gone without.
11.) Niggaz Wanna Act (ft. Busta Rhymes)
Another "gangsta" song about "niggaz" coming after Ma$e and how he's prepared to deal with them. He opens with a weak verse, nothing strong lyrically, but lacks a strong flow too. Granted the beat is a hard one to handle. Second verse from Ma$e is a tight one, where he multi-syllable rhymes for the most part and has some quality lines like: "Shock niggas who thought I was a pop nigga/You go against Ma$e you get your wig rocked nigga." Third verse is strong, but nothing amazing. You start to hear Busta Rhymes in the background as the verse begins. As it ends you hear Busta doing the chorus of the song that Ma$e was doing previously and Ma$e finishes up the song with shout outs. An average song with an average beat and average production. Busta should have been used more in this song, like when you see featured you expect him to spit a verse, but he doesn't. The song doesn't meet the expectations.
12.) Feel So Good
If you aren't familiar with the album Harlem World, this is one of the two singles you are more than likely already familiar with. Song has nice production, when it starts you immediately recognize it from the introduction of the song. Catchy hook "Bad, bad, bad, bad boy/ You make me feel so good." The lyrics are pretty solid with clever responses to criticism of Puffy and his producing techniques : "Do Ma$e got the ladies?/Do Puff drive Mercedes?/Take hits from the '80's?/But don't it sound crazy?".This is one of those songs that is the epitome of Bad Boy Records. A solid song that could be played daily, and not get real repetitive.
13.) What You Want (ft. Total)
The other of the two singles from Harlem World that most hip hop listeners are already familiar with. Another very good beat with solid production. An easy beat to rap over, and Ma$e does a nice job riding th beat with another display of his slow flow. Another strong hook just like Feel So Good, which makes sense as to why both these songs were hits, solid hooks = solid fan base. The premise is about Ma$e spoiling his girl with ridiculous gifts just to make her happy. Decent lyrics with lines like "I wanna do my thing so we be established/And I don't want you rockin' in them fabrics/Girl, I will give you karats 'til you feel you a rabbit." A good example in this song how Ma$e makes words rhyme by slightly altering pronunciations, a style he uses frequently. Another strong song.
14.) Phone Conversation (Interlude)
Wow, another pointless interlude, where I can barely understand Ma$e. It's supposed to show he's a player. Weak, but again you here another Biggie track in the background. Does someone have a crush on Biggie?
15.) Cheat on You (ft. Jay-Z & Lil' Cease)
Sample "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" a pretty nice beat, another song showing strong production. 112 sings the chorus, and harmonize well. The song is about why a girl would cheat on any of them. Ma$e has the first verse, and does a decent job. Lil' Cease is up next, and spits a pretty weak verse as expected, it flows well, but that's it. Next on the mic is Jay-Z who spits a decent Jay verse not one of his best, his flow tends to be a little choppy. A decent song overall, but average at best.
16.) 24 Hrs. to Live (ft. Black Rob &DMX & LOX)
Puff intro's the track and Ma$e spits the first verse. The song is pretty self-explanatory, what they would do with 24 hours to live. Ma$e is verse isn't that strong one you might expect from the current Ma$e. Jadakiss is next, and spits a pretty funny "fuck it" attitude verse. "Yo, yo if I had 24 hrs. to kick the bucket, fuck it/I'd probably eat some fried chicken and drink a Nantuckett." Black Rob is next, and raps a solid verse. It's nice because all three verses flow into one another without any interruption. The chorus comes through, then Sheek is up followed by Styles, Styles spits the better verse of the two with much stronger lyrics. DMX is the last to spit, and quite frankly raps an average verse. No rapper distinguishes himself on this track by spitting a far better verse than any of the others; however, this is a good track, it's always fun to have 6 different MC's spit on a track, plus Diddy and 112.
17.) I Need to Be (ft. Monifah)
The opening is funny about Ma$e's boy messing with an underage girl. The chorus by Monifah is solid, she has a good sound for the beat. Ma$e uses his extra slow flow on this track, an understatement to call it lazy. His flow is so slow and monotonous it makes the song unbearable. Easily the second worst song on the album.
18.) Watch Your Back (Interlude)
Stupid, some guy calling to warn Ma$e he's tired of him giving his girl his number and if he doesn't stop, he'll have to deal with him.
19.) Wanna Hurt Mase?
A nice beat, seems a little overdone at certain points but Ma$e does a nice job with it. The chorus is stupid and it's similar to when 50 Cent tries to sing a hook. But the verses are pretty strong. A good track, if you like the "Cookie Monster singing", naw but a good track, just not the best listen, a little choppy.
20.) Jealous Guy (ft. 112)
The song opens up and you think that Ma$e is now part of Boyz II Men, it's seems like one of their songs without a doubt. The beat fits their style perfectly. It's a good beat and has nice production. 112 sings the chorus and it sounds okay, but then Ma$e sings his verse, hilarious, haha. It's gotta be a joke, worse than Ja Rule singing. Then Diddy sings and it doesn't sound like Diddy at all, surprisingly sounds worse than Ma$e. Reminds me of Keith from American Idol, if you don't know youtube it. Ma$e sings again and does slightly better, but is still terrible. Without a doubt the worse track on the album. A must listen though if you love a good laugh, and appreciate rappers failing at trying to sing R&B.
Alright, Ma$e's Harlem World is a solid album. After listening to it you definitely get the idea that Ma$e is a talented rapper. Definitely has the Bad Boy feel all over the album. One weak spot is the themes of his music do get repetitive and that's one of the worst parts. But the album is definitely worth a listen for anyone who has never heard it. It has many catchy hooks and some good lyrics, solid production throughout the album, by a credited list of like 20 producers with P. Diddy's name "topping" them. It's honestly worth a listen for anybody who thinks Ma$e is a garbage rapper.
Overall 7.5/10 . . .
* Any credit given to production, is given in this regard: Bad Boy's production style is designed to move units and if you listen to the album you'll know the only thing important to Ma$e and Diddy is making money. So in that regard the production was quite efficient and well done. It's a commercial success going Multi-Platinum.
MURS 3:16: the 9th Edition
MURS and 9th Wonder - MURS 3:16: the 9th Edition
1.) Intro
The intro beat starts off pretty sweet, but gets annoying with a repetitive elctronic sound that echoes in the background. But for an intro, MURS spits a dope verse explaining the album and more importantly its purpose.
2.) Bad Man!
A very innovative song that shows MURS' versatility, as he discusses women and reveals both sides of his love life. How he's often confused with a bad man, and how he's really not, he's just an honest man. He spits real talk over the 9th beat. This beat has repititive sample of "Bad Man" looped throughout the track which works well for the song and its lyrics. A well produced track. The song is a good song. Another strong track.
3.) 3:16
Amazing production on this song by 9th Wonder. Soulful feel, dope beat, that fits MURS' flow perfectly. One of the songs that makes you think they were made to work together. MURS gets crazy on this song with dope lyrics attacking the rap game and the rappers who are earning success. He comes hostile challenging them to step to his crew, Living Legends.
4.) The Pain
"Because I'm more Coldplay than I am Ice-T". Amazing and innovative song. MURS talks about the pain and disappontment that comes with being a nice guy. Not too many rappers rap about women treating THEM unfairly. A great rap anthem to the typical nice guy who's getting played, and doesn't understand why "bad" guys get the girls. Like MURS says "Every bitch needs a dog, so I guess that's why you want him." Another well produced by 9th Wonder, similar sound and feel to Bad Man! which makes the album flow real well.
5.) Trevor an Them
The first story telling song on the album, it showcases MURS ability to tell a story in a song, something he does very well. A funny story, that makes you think MURS probably can't tell a better story than this. One of 9th worst beats on the album, the production is choppy, but the song is decent despite this fact. A track that tends to be skipped.
6.) Freak These Tales
Hilarious account of MURS' love life an lack thereof. One of 9th's best beats on the album. Once again keeps to the soulful feel, the production is good and 9th does a good job with the samples he uses. Once again MURS' lyrics are on point with clever lines like "They say you come twice the first time, now I understand/ I came once inside her then I became a man."
7.) H-U-S-T-L-E
A great song with great lyrics by MURS. His flow is crazy strong in this song as he spits to a heavy sampled 9th Wonder beat. The beat keeps to the soulful feel the whole album has. The song has a very catchy hook making it very easy to get stuck in the listener's head. Clearly, the song has the most crossover potential for commercial success of any of the songs on this album. MURS talks about hustling, but does it in a very original way that differs greatly from what we normally see in hip hop. He talks about ways of hustling no one would even imagine and helps to redefine the word in hip hop. He gives a realistic voyeurism into the life of a "hustler", he says it best with "Cheap dirt hustles, no glorious tales, but it did keep my black ass from going to jail."
8.) Walk Like A Man
Classic. One of the best story telling songs ever. MURS recalls the account of his best friend getting killed and the revenge he seeks after it. The song is incredible a must listen. What's so great is unlike most rap songs it ends with MURS regretting the vengence he longed for. One of the best examples of production by 9th Wonder available. A dope beat and well constructed song. Amazing . . .
9.) And This Is For...
Song critical of hip hop today. MURS puts it on the majority of mainstream rappers we have today. The opening verse says it all, easily one of the best verses of its kind.
"Damn time's done changed these thugs do what they like
Some of them be your friends to try and find a new wife
And still hit the block and slang rocks at night
But you could be dead wrong with your pockets right
Contrary to what the legendary B.I.G. had to say
You don't have to sell drugs or make the NBA
It's easy to get a grant and get an MBA
To achieve one goal there's more than one way
Young people on the whole we have lost our way
I don't care what it cost I'm not impressed my nigga
That throwback jersey is a dress my nigga
I remember diamonds used to be girl's best friend
Enslaving Black children with them third world gems
I don't care about your rims, kids ride Big Wheels
Up until they learn balance and it's obvious you haven't
With way more ego than you have true talent"
10.) The Animal
Phonte spits the first verse, and does a good job, fits the album well. One of 9th weaker beats again, but a beat designed to be easy to rap over. A corny and almost lame hook. Not the best song to have as the last song on a great album. But the lyrics on the song are again on point. It just doesn't meet the expectations of a song with MURS, Phonte, and 9th Wonder all involved.
All in all MURS 3:16: the 9th Edition is a great album. Easily one of the top 5 albums since the turn of the century. It has that Illmatic feel, in the sense that the whole album is harmonius and flows together perfectly. Great things happen when rappers put their faith in its entirety into the hands of a good producer. More artists need to let producers sculpt their albums without the interference of others. This album is a must listen for any hip hop head, it's great lyrically and sound in production. It establishes MURS as one of the premier rappers in the world underground and mainstream. MURS put it best with the promotion shirts for this album, "MURS is better than your favorite rapper." In 10 years it will be considered a classic, as the word spreads on this album to more heads.
I give it a 9.4/10
1.) Intro
The intro beat starts off pretty sweet, but gets annoying with a repetitive elctronic sound that echoes in the background. But for an intro, MURS spits a dope verse explaining the album and more importantly its purpose.
2.) Bad Man!
A very innovative song that shows MURS' versatility, as he discusses women and reveals both sides of his love life. How he's often confused with a bad man, and how he's really not, he's just an honest man. He spits real talk over the 9th beat. This beat has repititive sample of "Bad Man" looped throughout the track which works well for the song and its lyrics. A well produced track. The song is a good song. Another strong track.
3.) 3:16
Amazing production on this song by 9th Wonder. Soulful feel, dope beat, that fits MURS' flow perfectly. One of the songs that makes you think they were made to work together. MURS gets crazy on this song with dope lyrics attacking the rap game and the rappers who are earning success. He comes hostile challenging them to step to his crew, Living Legends.
4.) The Pain
"Because I'm more Coldplay than I am Ice-T". Amazing and innovative song. MURS talks about the pain and disappontment that comes with being a nice guy. Not too many rappers rap about women treating THEM unfairly. A great rap anthem to the typical nice guy who's getting played, and doesn't understand why "bad" guys get the girls. Like MURS says "Every bitch needs a dog, so I guess that's why you want him." Another well produced by 9th Wonder, similar sound and feel to Bad Man! which makes the album flow real well.
5.) Trevor an Them
The first story telling song on the album, it showcases MURS ability to tell a story in a song, something he does very well. A funny story, that makes you think MURS probably can't tell a better story than this. One of 9th worst beats on the album, the production is choppy, but the song is decent despite this fact. A track that tends to be skipped.
6.) Freak These Tales
Hilarious account of MURS' love life an lack thereof. One of 9th's best beats on the album. Once again keeps to the soulful feel, the production is good and 9th does a good job with the samples he uses. Once again MURS' lyrics are on point with clever lines like "They say you come twice the first time, now I understand/ I came once inside her then I became a man."
7.) H-U-S-T-L-E
A great song with great lyrics by MURS. His flow is crazy strong in this song as he spits to a heavy sampled 9th Wonder beat. The beat keeps to the soulful feel the whole album has. The song has a very catchy hook making it very easy to get stuck in the listener's head. Clearly, the song has the most crossover potential for commercial success of any of the songs on this album. MURS talks about hustling, but does it in a very original way that differs greatly from what we normally see in hip hop. He talks about ways of hustling no one would even imagine and helps to redefine the word in hip hop. He gives a realistic voyeurism into the life of a "hustler", he says it best with "Cheap dirt hustles, no glorious tales, but it did keep my black ass from going to jail."
8.) Walk Like A Man
Classic. One of the best story telling songs ever. MURS recalls the account of his best friend getting killed and the revenge he seeks after it. The song is incredible a must listen. What's so great is unlike most rap songs it ends with MURS regretting the vengence he longed for. One of the best examples of production by 9th Wonder available. A dope beat and well constructed song. Amazing . . .
9.) And This Is For...
Song critical of hip hop today. MURS puts it on the majority of mainstream rappers we have today. The opening verse says it all, easily one of the best verses of its kind.
"Damn time's done changed these thugs do what they like
Some of them be your friends to try and find a new wife
And still hit the block and slang rocks at night
But you could be dead wrong with your pockets right
Contrary to what the legendary B.I.G. had to say
You don't have to sell drugs or make the NBA
It's easy to get a grant and get an MBA
To achieve one goal there's more than one way
Young people on the whole we have lost our way
I don't care what it cost I'm not impressed my nigga
That throwback jersey is a dress my nigga
I remember diamonds used to be girl's best friend
Enslaving Black children with them third world gems
I don't care about your rims, kids ride Big Wheels
Up until they learn balance and it's obvious you haven't
With way more ego than you have true talent"
10.) The Animal
Phonte spits the first verse, and does a good job, fits the album well. One of 9th weaker beats again, but a beat designed to be easy to rap over. A corny and almost lame hook. Not the best song to have as the last song on a great album. But the lyrics on the song are again on point. It just doesn't meet the expectations of a song with MURS, Phonte, and 9th Wonder all involved.
All in all MURS 3:16: the 9th Edition is a great album. Easily one of the top 5 albums since the turn of the century. It has that Illmatic feel, in the sense that the whole album is harmonius and flows together perfectly. Great things happen when rappers put their faith in its entirety into the hands of a good producer. More artists need to let producers sculpt their albums without the interference of others. This album is a must listen for any hip hop head, it's great lyrically and sound in production. It establishes MURS as one of the premier rappers in the world underground and mainstream. MURS put it best with the promotion shirts for this album, "MURS is better than your favorite rapper." In 10 years it will be considered a classic, as the word spreads on this album to more heads.
I give it a 9.4/10
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Ghetto Pop Life
So, in 2003, Lex records released a collabo album from 2 relatively unknown artists. The producer: a quirky guy who named himself Danger Mouse after the cartoon crime solver of the same name. The rapper: a guy who had enough balls to call himself "the gifted one" on his debut album. Together the pair made an album that will not soon be forgotten. Peep this shit!
1. Born-A-MC
Dynamic beat on this one. Danger Mouse starts things off pretty strong. Slow chorus which contrasts with Jemini’s quick rhyming. It’s a short, one verse intro, but it gets the job done, and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
2. Ghetto Pop Life(intro)
First time I heard this I was like… uh what? Its basically just some cathedral choir singing (The Ghetto Pop Choir). But when you get at it and listen, they are singing the lyrics to the hook on Ghetto Pop Life. This track should be ignored unless you are trying to listen to the album front to back.
3. Ghetto Pop Life
The titular (ha) song of the album comes off real nice. Danger Mouse again on a bangin’ beat. It is sophisticated, yet something you could party to, which I feel is Danger Mouse’s biggest strength as a producer. You still got the Ghetto Pop Choir hitting you with some angelic sounding oohs and ahhhs, which adds a lot to the beat. Lyrically, the song is pretty decent. The song features some decent call and response vocals from “the gifted one.” However the chorus is kind of meaningless. Overall though, the track is really memorable. I tend to prefer this album for its production though, and this is one of the better beats on here.
4. Omega Supreme (who?!)
Track starts off decent enough, with some pretty good guitar and hi-hat with Jemini giving a few shout outs. This beat is pretty good, but its not one of Danger’s best. As usual, he keeps it from getting repetitive by continually chopping up the guitar sample. Jemini shows his control of words on this track, and at one point raps increasingly and increasingly fast as the beat drops out. The hook is features some pretty decent singing, but its nothing really amazing. At the end of the track the whole beat drops out except for the drum and Jemini goes on that pretty well.
5. What U Sittin on (feat. Tha Liks)
A song about fine asses. Even before the beat comes in a vocal sample echo’s the theme of the song… “A phat ass, a phat ass…” This song wouldn’t bring much without the humorous rhymes of the Alkoholiks. The beat is surprisingly flat, and uninteresting (except the bass line which is nice), although this allows you to fully appreciate the rhyming, and the chorus. The chorus made me laugh the first time I heard it. Not the actual words, but the way they sing it. Jemini brings it too, but in all honesty, this is the joke song of the album.
6. The Only One
BANGIN’ BEAT! The use of the blues scale is just so nice, the vocal sample is VERY well implemented, and the rest of the samples and the drums manage to keep the song funky and fresh. Love this beat. With that said, I will move on to the lyrics. Jemini does nicely on this track. His flow, timing, and breath control are very nice on this track. He spits some nice rhymes about being innovative and fresh. I love how he doesn’t necessarily bash materialism in general, but instead talks about how people need to stop buying the same stuff as everyone else. He “makes his living deep so you won’t be so shallow.”
7. Take Care of Business (feat. J-Zone)
Nice beat here. A little darker than most of DM’s other stuff on the album, and it’s actually has a little less of a presence, but it definitely works. This is where the album seems to take a turn in terms of mood. This track reminds me almost of Linkin Park, but with a Rakim sample. I would be interested how much of an influence J-Zone might have had on it. Jemini and J-Zone start doing short verses back and forth, and eventually as it comes to the hook they meet up and start going at it together. It sounds real good.
8. Brooklyn Shit
Danger Mouse hits us with some powerful strings, and some slammin’ drums. The beat is pretty good, but nothing too special, except when for brief moments a little bit of accordion come on, adding a new layer to the beat. Jemini raps about and reps Brooklyn. To be honest, I don’t really find this track to be that memorable, but it is still worth a listen or two.
9. Yoo-Hoo!
Track starts out with some funny vocal samples about guys fucking snakes. Then the beat comes in, a more laid back beat, slower tempo than most of the tracks on this album. Beat features some blues guitar, and a nice blues organ with some tremolo. It sounds very good, and sets a nice mood for the song. It’s a song about sex, and the beat is nice and sexy. Jemini lets his braggadocio shine through and talks about how is specialty is “gettin’ her skirt up above her head,” and “getting up in between her legs.” For a song about how much he’s getting, Jemini manages to keep it pretty low key and cool. And the hook is very smooth and catchy. Good track.
10. Copy Cats (feat. Prince Po from Organized Konfusion)
Beat reminds me of ‘Fiddler on the Roof:’ that sort of Jewish/Russian sound that is almost like a marching song. Pretty good, and pretty memorable. This is where the album starts coming back to that fun sound that Danger Mouse is known for. Prince Po hits us with a verse on copycat rappers who can’t create a style of their own, and Jemini follows suite. “You can put your foot in my shoe, but you just can’t fit it.” That pretty much sums up the lyrical part of this song.
11. Don’t do Drugs
A sample of Chris Rock asking an audience member if he does drugs opens up the track with a little scratching session of the words “I’m so high.” Danger Mouse brings it on this beat. Anyone who knows anything about Danger Mouse knows this is his creation. It sounds like one of those old song-cartoons in washed out color. It definitely carries a piece of Brian Burton’s soul. Jemini plays the part of the drug dealer on this track, as well the potential drugee. He basically exposes the way that dealers are very keen to hook new customers, and all that.
12. Medieval
Probably my favourite track on the album. Also my favourite beat. It is so dynamic, with lots of different layers that drop in and out with the greatest of ease. Danger Mouse manages to blend medieval piano, a punchy synth and another performance from the Ghetto Pop Choir. Like I said, my favourite beat on the album, and one of my favourites of all time. And obviously, when you get a feature from Pharcyde (although, its only Bootie Brown), you gotta expect good things. This is a nice concept song, everything goes back to medieval times. Jemini flows nice on the mic for a good first verse. Then the show is stolen by “Lord Doja.” AKA sir Bootie Brown.
13. Bush Boys
Going from medieval times into modern ones goes surprisingly smoothly. A sample of George Bush manages the transition. And Danger Mouse hits us with such a smooth beat with an unusual, but nice blend of piano and sitar. Jemini gets all political on us criticizing the Iraq war. Jemini again exhibits masterful control over his words here changing up the flow very well, especially on the second verse. But what really makes this song for me is the ending, when you see what is going on “meanwhile in Iraq.” Have a listen at this one. “The Bush Boys coming.”
14. Here We Go Again
The vocals on this are beautiful. Danger hooks it up with a funkee bass line and some wah wah. But the beat is one of the more subtle ones on the album, and where the album takes its final turn in terms of mood. Jemini gives you an outlook on the world from the “eyes of the disenfranchised.” This is probably the deepest song on the album lyrically and thematically. The song covers so much ground all I am gonna say is check it out for yourself, cause anything I say will not do this one any justice.
15. I’ma DooMee
The intro is nice and chill with some electric piano, some ooohs and aahs, and a dedication to “all the cats in the industry who are on the road with shorties at home,” and the “shorties.” The beat is again subtle, although this time the drums are pretty bangin’. Jemini basically comes through confessing that although he may be committed to his shorty at home, and that he would “never try to hurt [her],” he’s gotta bust a nut when he’s on the road. The song seems to be heartfelt, and even if you take question with Jemini’s morals, you can tell he is not trying to cheat on his girl, or disrespect her. He even encourages us not to do the same.
16. Knuckle Sandwhich
Final track of the album. Its too bad its almost over. DM hits us with another subtle beat that only gains prominence through the jazzy trumpet sample that keeps coming through. The little vocal sample plays a real subtle role, but helps keep the beat fresh. This track is more like an outro than a legit song. Jemini basically hypes himself up the whole track. “A lotta niggas can’t touch me but they still feel me.” After he does his best to get some shine, and gives a few quick shout outs he starts asking, “Why they wanna come at me like that?” Well, for one thing Jemini, you and Danger just made one hell of an album.
This album is definitely one of my favourites, consistently in my top 5. I just love Danger Mouse. His production is so unique, and so dynamic, and I cannot get enough. Jemini “the gifted one” comes through with a solid performance, and the few guest performances helped make some of the best tracks on the album. Overall, I think this album is great, and I give it a 9/10. Cannot wait for their follow up whenever that comes out.
1. Born-A-MC
Dynamic beat on this one. Danger Mouse starts things off pretty strong. Slow chorus which contrasts with Jemini’s quick rhyming. It’s a short, one verse intro, but it gets the job done, and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
2. Ghetto Pop Life(intro)
First time I heard this I was like… uh what? Its basically just some cathedral choir singing (The Ghetto Pop Choir). But when you get at it and listen, they are singing the lyrics to the hook on Ghetto Pop Life. This track should be ignored unless you are trying to listen to the album front to back.
3. Ghetto Pop Life
The titular (ha) song of the album comes off real nice. Danger Mouse again on a bangin’ beat. It is sophisticated, yet something you could party to, which I feel is Danger Mouse’s biggest strength as a producer. You still got the Ghetto Pop Choir hitting you with some angelic sounding oohs and ahhhs, which adds a lot to the beat. Lyrically, the song is pretty decent. The song features some decent call and response vocals from “the gifted one.” However the chorus is kind of meaningless. Overall though, the track is really memorable. I tend to prefer this album for its production though, and this is one of the better beats on here.
4. Omega Supreme (who?!)
Track starts off decent enough, with some pretty good guitar and hi-hat with Jemini giving a few shout outs. This beat is pretty good, but its not one of Danger’s best. As usual, he keeps it from getting repetitive by continually chopping up the guitar sample. Jemini shows his control of words on this track, and at one point raps increasingly and increasingly fast as the beat drops out. The hook is features some pretty decent singing, but its nothing really amazing. At the end of the track the whole beat drops out except for the drum and Jemini goes on that pretty well.
5. What U Sittin on (feat. Tha Liks)
A song about fine asses. Even before the beat comes in a vocal sample echo’s the theme of the song… “A phat ass, a phat ass…” This song wouldn’t bring much without the humorous rhymes of the Alkoholiks. The beat is surprisingly flat, and uninteresting (except the bass line which is nice), although this allows you to fully appreciate the rhyming, and the chorus. The chorus made me laugh the first time I heard it. Not the actual words, but the way they sing it. Jemini brings it too, but in all honesty, this is the joke song of the album.
6. The Only One
BANGIN’ BEAT! The use of the blues scale is just so nice, the vocal sample is VERY well implemented, and the rest of the samples and the drums manage to keep the song funky and fresh. Love this beat. With that said, I will move on to the lyrics. Jemini does nicely on this track. His flow, timing, and breath control are very nice on this track. He spits some nice rhymes about being innovative and fresh. I love how he doesn’t necessarily bash materialism in general, but instead talks about how people need to stop buying the same stuff as everyone else. He “makes his living deep so you won’t be so shallow.”
7. Take Care of Business (feat. J-Zone)
Nice beat here. A little darker than most of DM’s other stuff on the album, and it’s actually has a little less of a presence, but it definitely works. This is where the album seems to take a turn in terms of mood. This track reminds me almost of Linkin Park, but with a Rakim sample. I would be interested how much of an influence J-Zone might have had on it. Jemini and J-Zone start doing short verses back and forth, and eventually as it comes to the hook they meet up and start going at it together. It sounds real good.
8. Brooklyn Shit
Danger Mouse hits us with some powerful strings, and some slammin’ drums. The beat is pretty good, but nothing too special, except when for brief moments a little bit of accordion come on, adding a new layer to the beat. Jemini raps about and reps Brooklyn. To be honest, I don’t really find this track to be that memorable, but it is still worth a listen or two.
9. Yoo-Hoo!
Track starts out with some funny vocal samples about guys fucking snakes. Then the beat comes in, a more laid back beat, slower tempo than most of the tracks on this album. Beat features some blues guitar, and a nice blues organ with some tremolo. It sounds very good, and sets a nice mood for the song. It’s a song about sex, and the beat is nice and sexy. Jemini lets his braggadocio shine through and talks about how is specialty is “gettin’ her skirt up above her head,” and “getting up in between her legs.” For a song about how much he’s getting, Jemini manages to keep it pretty low key and cool. And the hook is very smooth and catchy. Good track.
10. Copy Cats (feat. Prince Po from Organized Konfusion)
Beat reminds me of ‘Fiddler on the Roof:’ that sort of Jewish/Russian sound that is almost like a marching song. Pretty good, and pretty memorable. This is where the album starts coming back to that fun sound that Danger Mouse is known for. Prince Po hits us with a verse on copycat rappers who can’t create a style of their own, and Jemini follows suite. “You can put your foot in my shoe, but you just can’t fit it.” That pretty much sums up the lyrical part of this song.
11. Don’t do Drugs
A sample of Chris Rock asking an audience member if he does drugs opens up the track with a little scratching session of the words “I’m so high.” Danger Mouse brings it on this beat. Anyone who knows anything about Danger Mouse knows this is his creation. It sounds like one of those old song-cartoons in washed out color. It definitely carries a piece of Brian Burton’s soul. Jemini plays the part of the drug dealer on this track, as well the potential drugee. He basically exposes the way that dealers are very keen to hook new customers, and all that.
12. Medieval
Probably my favourite track on the album. Also my favourite beat. It is so dynamic, with lots of different layers that drop in and out with the greatest of ease. Danger Mouse manages to blend medieval piano, a punchy synth and another performance from the Ghetto Pop Choir. Like I said, my favourite beat on the album, and one of my favourites of all time. And obviously, when you get a feature from Pharcyde (although, its only Bootie Brown), you gotta expect good things. This is a nice concept song, everything goes back to medieval times. Jemini flows nice on the mic for a good first verse. Then the show is stolen by “Lord Doja.” AKA sir Bootie Brown.
13. Bush Boys
Going from medieval times into modern ones goes surprisingly smoothly. A sample of George Bush manages the transition. And Danger Mouse hits us with such a smooth beat with an unusual, but nice blend of piano and sitar. Jemini gets all political on us criticizing the Iraq war. Jemini again exhibits masterful control over his words here changing up the flow very well, especially on the second verse. But what really makes this song for me is the ending, when you see what is going on “meanwhile in Iraq.” Have a listen at this one. “The Bush Boys coming.”
14. Here We Go Again
The vocals on this are beautiful. Danger hooks it up with a funkee bass line and some wah wah. But the beat is one of the more subtle ones on the album, and where the album takes its final turn in terms of mood. Jemini gives you an outlook on the world from the “eyes of the disenfranchised.” This is probably the deepest song on the album lyrically and thematically. The song covers so much ground all I am gonna say is check it out for yourself, cause anything I say will not do this one any justice.
15. I’ma DooMee
The intro is nice and chill with some electric piano, some ooohs and aahs, and a dedication to “all the cats in the industry who are on the road with shorties at home,” and the “shorties.” The beat is again subtle, although this time the drums are pretty bangin’. Jemini basically comes through confessing that although he may be committed to his shorty at home, and that he would “never try to hurt [her],” he’s gotta bust a nut when he’s on the road. The song seems to be heartfelt, and even if you take question with Jemini’s morals, you can tell he is not trying to cheat on his girl, or disrespect her. He even encourages us not to do the same.
16. Knuckle Sandwhich
Final track of the album. Its too bad its almost over. DM hits us with another subtle beat that only gains prominence through the jazzy trumpet sample that keeps coming through. The little vocal sample plays a real subtle role, but helps keep the beat fresh. This track is more like an outro than a legit song. Jemini basically hypes himself up the whole track. “A lotta niggas can’t touch me but they still feel me.” After he does his best to get some shine, and gives a few quick shout outs he starts asking, “Why they wanna come at me like that?” Well, for one thing Jemini, you and Danger just made one hell of an album.
This album is definitely one of my favourites, consistently in my top 5. I just love Danger Mouse. His production is so unique, and so dynamic, and I cannot get enough. Jemini “the gifted one” comes through with a solid performance, and the few guest performances helped make some of the best tracks on the album. Overall, I think this album is great, and I give it a 9/10. Cannot wait for their follow up whenever that comes out.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead Review
Aight.. first. Props to Hemmers for starting this stuff in the first place. I'll do it the way he did it and go track for track.
I first must say. I didn't get this album right away, nor did I give it extreme listens til I was supposed to review it. After further listens to it...It's really NOT that good of an album.. here's why
----
1. Money over Bullshit
A typical opening track in all honesty. Has that hard sounding blaring type sound to it. I don't mind this LES beat either, the piano adds a nice little compliment to it. Nas is kinda boring on this track however. Not the fierce opener I was looking for and is kinda drowned out by the beat. Everything about this track is rather quite typical, not classic Nas ( and you'll see not much on this album is). Too much talk about that violence gun clapping and money that is kinda wack
2.You can't Kill Me
One of my least favourite tracks on the album. A weird, Nastradamus like beat. An entire album of this would be terrible, sounds exactly like something that woulda been on I Am or Nastradamus. Another LES beat with a 'blah' chorus and 2 mediocure verses with a few clever lines. But as i mentioned, the beat and the corniness of the song are huge turn offs
3. Carry On Tradition
You don't need credits to tell you this is a Scott Storch beat. It doesn't get much more commercial than this beat. Its a catchy beat at that, and it backs yet another mediocure Nas rapping about all the things he and his people need to continue. He talks about his disgust for the hip hop game and how its become terribly wack. Here is where we get a GOOD first glimpse of him hating the rap game at the moment. He even challenges rappers to see which of the new guys could ' rap a big daddy kane line the fastest'. Not a bad track not a great one either.
4. Where are They Now
aahhhh FINALLY. A GOOD GOOD track off of this album. A Nice Salaam Remi beat that uses a very classical James Brown sample ( get up get out). Nas remenisces about people that have suddenly just disappeared. Everyone from Spindarella, Finesse, Young MC, Tone Loc, Mic Geronimo..the list goes on. Makes it sound so nice.. and makes a bold mention that its NOT a diss record, he just wants all these people to come out from whereever they are! I like this track... its an ode to legends
5. Hip Hop is Dead
The first GREAT track off of the album, the first single. First off, the balls an artist and the management team have to have to reproduce an already used sample, one album later. The beat is Will I Am, using In Da Gadda Da Vida much better than Salaam used it in Streets Disciple. Its harder hitting and the drum loops are a nice touch. Nas also raps much better on this track...ask questions to the people, talks about naturally.. hip hop dying, and his reaction to it...what he would do. Who to blame, who not to blame, and his dedication to the game. He fits a LOT into this song so poetically. Which is why I feel its so nice. Teh chorus is nice too.
6. Who Killed It?
Nas' first trademark story book track on the album. And its done well. A combo beat by Will and Salaam. Its kinda a weird,corny beat, but suits the song quite well. To put it simply, its about a Detective(Nas) attempting to find out the mystery of a murder of Hip Hop. There are many nice hip hop references in this track as well as a pretty funny story about how hip hop died, and what happend with the murderer. I think more songs like this shoulda been on the album because I love the creativity and the truth of the metaphors used.
7. Black Republicans f/ Kelis
I gotta admit, everytime I listen to this album, this song gets multiple plays and extra special listen. A BANGING BANGING BANGING beat from LES... I am still trying to figure out who could ghostproduced this, because this came outta no where. Using BEAUTIFULLY a Godfather 2 snippet that includes blaring trumpets that are perfect for these 2 'godfathers of rap' so may seem. Jay-z enters in strong with his first verse, and literally fits the beat beautifully. The lyrics are from a guy who's truely made it, looking at the people below him...and the state of the hip hop city. Nas' verse enters strong as well. Beautiful flow like Jigga's... and speaks once again about the corruption of the street politics. Its really hard to say who was better on this track, they were both great, and are both trying to clean up this sad city.
8. Not Going back f/ Kelis
I've tried tried tried tried tried to give this track a chance. The stargate beat provides for a track that should be taken seriously. The problem is, I really CANT take this song seriously. Nas' flow on this song is brutal, the Kelis hook is wack, and I'm not sure what point he's trying to get at. I'd like to think this song is a metaphor for him not going back to something like that commercial sound he displayed on his worser albums. The end of the song has him listing off Labels and just saying ' not going back'. I'm sure this song probably is good, i've given it many listens, but really can't find myself enjoying it or taking it seriously.
9. Still Dreaming f/ Kanye and Chrisette Michelle
Wow... SMOOOOOOOTH track. I gotta admit, didn't like this track at first, but it greatly grew on me. A wonderful Kanye beat who's beats work EXTREMELY well on a Nas vocal. The thing is, Kanye's verse kinda ruins the song. Making guest appearances are never and have never been his strong point. The sample voice of Chrisette is used wonderfully. Nas raps about all that he wish he coulda had, but compares it to the reality. He points out that most of the people who are ruining the game are the Dreamers. Great track, one of the best.
10. Hold Down the Block
Not a bad track for following up so smoothly put together . A nice change of pace on a Mark Batson beat. I mean, he's done similar tracks, one that sticks out right away is Represent. So this joint pretty much holds no weight compared to something like that. Its a typical chill on the stoupe, watch my city see what happens, this is what happens in my hood song. Nothing special, but no one does this better than Nas when he's on the top of his game
11. Blunt Ashes
Produced by Chris Webber... YES.. Chris Webber. Trades in time outs for beat making. Kinda a wack beat, very lazy, he was probably high outta his mind when he made this. Not a bad concept by Nas though, starts off by another story telling. If the fucking chorus trumpets didn't run right in the middle of a verse and seemingly cut short, this could actually be a decent track. I mean, with this track, I feel Nas is about to tell a really good story, then these stupid trumpets kick in and.. Nas just ends it. Its not a BAD track, but like most of this album so far, its Mediocure. COULDA BEEN better if he extended these stories.
12. Let There be Light f/ The Williams
One of my favourite songs on the album. The beat by Kanye contains these QUICK 2-3 hit drums. The concept is beautiful. That when everything is down and out, theres that bright spot. Its a typical song yeah.. but this song really has this uplifting feel and is quite symbolic on an album called ' hip hop is dead'. Similar to Blunt Ashes, Nas is cut short by a chorus ( a much better one at that). I really do appreciate the spirit of this song, and love the lyrics Nas speaks of. The singer provides wonderful vocals too. Overall, this song is nice
13. Play on Playa f/ Snoop Dogg
Worst song on the album? Storch provides yet another bore of a beat. Surprisingly ( cause I don't like Snoop) I feel Snoop steals this song from Nas and provides the better of the verses. This beat does NOT suit Nasty at all is much too laid back, fast and not his style. Its hard to feel that this song is anything but a song about pimping out. I can'teven pinpoint any 2nd or 3rd meanings on this track. Its about 'ballin'... Not my cup of tea.. or Ovaltine Shake as Nas says. Skip this track unless your a Snoop fan. By the way...storch butchers a beautiful marvin gaye track
14. Can't Forget About Us f/ Chrisette Michele
Another beautiful track thats SOOOO smooth. Using a VERY popular track by Nat King Cole Will I Am shines on this track. The singer(Michele) provides a beautiful Chorus too. Nas once again looks back at all that he can't forget. This includes the more positive hip hop movements, urban cultured features. Its a nice track that you can listen with peeps and be like ' SHIT... remember that?!' Who wouldn't wanna remember Mr T as a wrestler, Jordan's shot against the Jazz. This is a nice song for the heads
15. Hustlers f/ Game
I gotta admit this too. After Black Republicans, this usually gets another bunch of listens. The beat although not stellar is addictive. Its hard not to bop your head to this 'Dre beat' and Marsha Ambrosius ( who's been on FIRE as the voice of many heaters recently) chorus. Nas and Game trade verses and its actually not that bad. It has game sucking more of the industries dick and proping up Nas and Dre and lowriders and such ( what happend to this guy, he was such a versatile, quality mc!) and Nas talks about what he likes and how he may do it in style. As good as this track as the potential to be, I think my expecatations were too high. Nas' last verse is much better than his second and sheds a new light on the track.
16. Hope
An accapella that is REALLY hard to review. Its just Nas rapping. Its a great close to the album. Its a track you just have to listen to, and is hard to review because he talks about so much. But as I mentioned, its a great ending to this album
All in all this album is no where near my expectations.The thing is when the tracks are good, they have potential to be VERY good. The beats provided by Will I am, Salaam and Kanye were all bangers. I woulda left Storch off and limited LES' work on this album. The lyrics were on for Nas. The thing is, I reviewed this album ( overall) in relation to the concept. For an album that started off with a song called ' money over bullshit' and ended with a song called ' hope' its a great comparison. The thing about Nas is that he ALWAYS have double, and sometimes triple meanings for his tracks. This review could be totally inaccurate. Nas is always a hard emcee to review. I can't say this is better than God's Son, or even the same level as Stillmatic. Its not bad, not great...specially considering what Nas has done inthe past, a Nas at 50% is still better than most emcees at 100 %. I just feel that this album coulda easily been a 10 song album. Illmatic was 10, and it was a classic. Its more of whats BAD on this album that brings it down as opposed to what coulda been really good.
7.9/10
I first must say. I didn't get this album right away, nor did I give it extreme listens til I was supposed to review it. After further listens to it...It's really NOT that good of an album.. here's why
----
1. Money over Bullshit
A typical opening track in all honesty. Has that hard sounding blaring type sound to it. I don't mind this LES beat either, the piano adds a nice little compliment to it. Nas is kinda boring on this track however. Not the fierce opener I was looking for and is kinda drowned out by the beat. Everything about this track is rather quite typical, not classic Nas ( and you'll see not much on this album is). Too much talk about that violence gun clapping and money that is kinda wack
2.You can't Kill Me
One of my least favourite tracks on the album. A weird, Nastradamus like beat. An entire album of this would be terrible, sounds exactly like something that woulda been on I Am or Nastradamus. Another LES beat with a 'blah' chorus and 2 mediocure verses with a few clever lines. But as i mentioned, the beat and the corniness of the song are huge turn offs
3. Carry On Tradition
You don't need credits to tell you this is a Scott Storch beat. It doesn't get much more commercial than this beat. Its a catchy beat at that, and it backs yet another mediocure Nas rapping about all the things he and his people need to continue. He talks about his disgust for the hip hop game and how its become terribly wack. Here is where we get a GOOD first glimpse of him hating the rap game at the moment. He even challenges rappers to see which of the new guys could ' rap a big daddy kane line the fastest'. Not a bad track not a great one either.
4. Where are They Now
aahhhh FINALLY. A GOOD GOOD track off of this album. A Nice Salaam Remi beat that uses a very classical James Brown sample ( get up get out). Nas remenisces about people that have suddenly just disappeared. Everyone from Spindarella, Finesse, Young MC, Tone Loc, Mic Geronimo..the list goes on. Makes it sound so nice.. and makes a bold mention that its NOT a diss record, he just wants all these people to come out from whereever they are! I like this track... its an ode to legends
5. Hip Hop is Dead
The first GREAT track off of the album, the first single. First off, the balls an artist and the management team have to have to reproduce an already used sample, one album later. The beat is Will I Am, using In Da Gadda Da Vida much better than Salaam used it in Streets Disciple. Its harder hitting and the drum loops are a nice touch. Nas also raps much better on this track...ask questions to the people, talks about naturally.. hip hop dying, and his reaction to it...what he would do. Who to blame, who not to blame, and his dedication to the game. He fits a LOT into this song so poetically. Which is why I feel its so nice. Teh chorus is nice too.
6. Who Killed It?
Nas' first trademark story book track on the album. And its done well. A combo beat by Will and Salaam. Its kinda a weird,corny beat, but suits the song quite well. To put it simply, its about a Detective(Nas) attempting to find out the mystery of a murder of Hip Hop. There are many nice hip hop references in this track as well as a pretty funny story about how hip hop died, and what happend with the murderer. I think more songs like this shoulda been on the album because I love the creativity and the truth of the metaphors used.
7. Black Republicans f/ Kelis
I gotta admit, everytime I listen to this album, this song gets multiple plays and extra special listen. A BANGING BANGING BANGING beat from LES... I am still trying to figure out who could ghostproduced this, because this came outta no where. Using BEAUTIFULLY a Godfather 2 snippet that includes blaring trumpets that are perfect for these 2 'godfathers of rap' so may seem. Jay-z enters in strong with his first verse, and literally fits the beat beautifully. The lyrics are from a guy who's truely made it, looking at the people below him...and the state of the hip hop city. Nas' verse enters strong as well. Beautiful flow like Jigga's... and speaks once again about the corruption of the street politics. Its really hard to say who was better on this track, they were both great, and are both trying to clean up this sad city.
8. Not Going back f/ Kelis
I've tried tried tried tried tried to give this track a chance. The stargate beat provides for a track that should be taken seriously. The problem is, I really CANT take this song seriously. Nas' flow on this song is brutal, the Kelis hook is wack, and I'm not sure what point he's trying to get at. I'd like to think this song is a metaphor for him not going back to something like that commercial sound he displayed on his worser albums. The end of the song has him listing off Labels and just saying ' not going back'. I'm sure this song probably is good, i've given it many listens, but really can't find myself enjoying it or taking it seriously.
9. Still Dreaming f/ Kanye and Chrisette Michelle
Wow... SMOOOOOOOTH track. I gotta admit, didn't like this track at first, but it greatly grew on me. A wonderful Kanye beat who's beats work EXTREMELY well on a Nas vocal. The thing is, Kanye's verse kinda ruins the song. Making guest appearances are never and have never been his strong point. The sample voice of Chrisette is used wonderfully. Nas raps about all that he wish he coulda had, but compares it to the reality. He points out that most of the people who are ruining the game are the Dreamers. Great track, one of the best.
10. Hold Down the Block
Not a bad track for following up so smoothly put together . A nice change of pace on a Mark Batson beat. I mean, he's done similar tracks, one that sticks out right away is Represent. So this joint pretty much holds no weight compared to something like that. Its a typical chill on the stoupe, watch my city see what happens, this is what happens in my hood song. Nothing special, but no one does this better than Nas when he's on the top of his game
11. Blunt Ashes
Produced by Chris Webber... YES.. Chris Webber. Trades in time outs for beat making. Kinda a wack beat, very lazy, he was probably high outta his mind when he made this. Not a bad concept by Nas though, starts off by another story telling. If the fucking chorus trumpets didn't run right in the middle of a verse and seemingly cut short, this could actually be a decent track. I mean, with this track, I feel Nas is about to tell a really good story, then these stupid trumpets kick in and.. Nas just ends it. Its not a BAD track, but like most of this album so far, its Mediocure. COULDA BEEN better if he extended these stories.
12. Let There be Light f/ The Williams
One of my favourite songs on the album. The beat by Kanye contains these QUICK 2-3 hit drums. The concept is beautiful. That when everything is down and out, theres that bright spot. Its a typical song yeah.. but this song really has this uplifting feel and is quite symbolic on an album called ' hip hop is dead'. Similar to Blunt Ashes, Nas is cut short by a chorus ( a much better one at that). I really do appreciate the spirit of this song, and love the lyrics Nas speaks of. The singer provides wonderful vocals too. Overall, this song is nice
13. Play on Playa f/ Snoop Dogg
Worst song on the album? Storch provides yet another bore of a beat. Surprisingly ( cause I don't like Snoop) I feel Snoop steals this song from Nas and provides the better of the verses. This beat does NOT suit Nasty at all is much too laid back, fast and not his style. Its hard to feel that this song is anything but a song about pimping out. I can'teven pinpoint any 2nd or 3rd meanings on this track. Its about 'ballin'... Not my cup of tea.. or Ovaltine Shake as Nas says. Skip this track unless your a Snoop fan. By the way...storch butchers a beautiful marvin gaye track
14. Can't Forget About Us f/ Chrisette Michele
Another beautiful track thats SOOOO smooth. Using a VERY popular track by Nat King Cole Will I Am shines on this track. The singer(Michele) provides a beautiful Chorus too. Nas once again looks back at all that he can't forget. This includes the more positive hip hop movements, urban cultured features. Its a nice track that you can listen with peeps and be like ' SHIT... remember that?!' Who wouldn't wanna remember Mr T as a wrestler, Jordan's shot against the Jazz. This is a nice song for the heads
15. Hustlers f/ Game
I gotta admit this too. After Black Republicans, this usually gets another bunch of listens. The beat although not stellar is addictive. Its hard not to bop your head to this 'Dre beat' and Marsha Ambrosius ( who's been on FIRE as the voice of many heaters recently) chorus. Nas and Game trade verses and its actually not that bad. It has game sucking more of the industries dick and proping up Nas and Dre and lowriders and such ( what happend to this guy, he was such a versatile, quality mc!) and Nas talks about what he likes and how he may do it in style. As good as this track as the potential to be, I think my expecatations were too high. Nas' last verse is much better than his second and sheds a new light on the track.
16. Hope
An accapella that is REALLY hard to review. Its just Nas rapping. Its a great close to the album. Its a track you just have to listen to, and is hard to review because he talks about so much. But as I mentioned, its a great ending to this album
All in all this album is no where near my expectations.The thing is when the tracks are good, they have potential to be VERY good. The beats provided by Will I am, Salaam and Kanye were all bangers. I woulda left Storch off and limited LES' work on this album. The lyrics were on for Nas. The thing is, I reviewed this album ( overall) in relation to the concept. For an album that started off with a song called ' money over bullshit' and ended with a song called ' hope' its a great comparison. The thing about Nas is that he ALWAYS have double, and sometimes triple meanings for his tracks. This review could be totally inaccurate. Nas is always a hard emcee to review. I can't say this is better than God's Son, or even the same level as Stillmatic. Its not bad, not great...specially considering what Nas has done inthe past, a Nas at 50% is still better than most emcees at 100 %. I just feel that this album coulda easily been a 10 song album. Illmatic was 10, and it was a classic. Its more of whats BAD on this album that brings it down as opposed to what coulda been really good.
7.9/10
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