Artist: MOBB DEEP
Title: MURDA MUZIK
The infamous Mobb Deep are back on tha scene, bringing us much needed and apreciated noise outta Queensbridge... The release date on this CD has been pushed back more times than I can count. Problems with distribution, bootleggers putting the music on the street before release, and countless other problems kept Mobb Deep from putting out the CD when promised.. The end result was I got HUNGRY for the CD. Then I heard Quiet Storm and saw the video for it, then i became RAVENOUS for the CD.. When it was released I snatched it up quickly and took it home excited... I discovered that this CD is mighty tasty, however it did not fully quench my hunger, and I left the table a little unsatisfied...
Lots of quality guest spots are featured, Big Noyd, Cormega, Lil Cease, 8-Ball, Raekwon, Kool G Rap, Nas, and Lil Kim... Most impressive were the pairings with Kool G Rap (one of the best storytellers in the industry), Nas, and Lil Kim... Nas and his out of tune singing set it off on track 18 It's Mine, and Lil Kim straight ripped it on the Quiet Storm remix track 19 (proving that she has skills when she applies herself) .. For some reason I can't get a feel for the CD (not enough to judge it fairly).. I'm trying to force myself into it and its just not working.. SO, I wont give it a rating (right now). I'll just say its a typical Mobb Deep CD.. If you like them, pick it up .. If not get one of their older releases .... NUFF SAID !!
Artist: MARY J BLIGE
Title: MARY
Mary has grown from the (ghetto fabulous) " queen of hip hop soul " to a diva who sings her heart out with the best of them (Whitney, Celine, Aretha)... As for her newest release, chances are you will either LOVE it or HATE it.. there is little room for inbetween if you are a true Mary J fan.. The good tracks outweigh the bad tracks so I can't help but show this cd some love.. However its a style change from her previous releases, and I'm not loving it as much as My Life, Share My world, and Whats The 411...
Mary gets deep and shares her deepest emotions on this CD.. with topics ranging from being alone on Valentine's day, being the other woman, dealing with baby momma drama and fathers neglect, not being able to trust people in her life who hang around her because of her star status. Its overwhelming but heartfelt and raw.. The first 9 out of 14 tracks are the best ones, I kinda lost interest by the end.. Tracks 1 - 6 are my personal favorites.. It opens with her current single " All That I Can Say " (produced by Lauryn Hill), Moves into track 2 Sexy, and continues to keep up a strong smooth rhythm ( 1 - 6 )that is enjoyable and relaxing.. For those of you looking for Mary to open a track moaning and groaning over a jeep beat, those days are gone.. Mary has grown as an artist and I can respect that....
My rating for thos CD.. out of * * * * * 5 stars
I give MARY * * * 3 stars
Artist: GANGSTARR
Title: FULL CLIP.. A DECADE OF GANGSTARR
10 yrz of the finest from DJ Premier and Guru.. This is going to be a short review cuz it is full of nothing but greatness.. Its a mix of old school and new school featuring classics like Take It Personal, Step Into The Arena, The Code Of The Streets, Words I Manifest, Ex Girl To Next Girl, Mass Appeal, and Dwyck... Also featuring newer cuts like You Know My Steez, Discipline (featuring Total) Full Clip, Royalty (featuring K-CI and JO-JO) and The Militia.. Even remixes of the newer songs such as The Militia 2 featuring WC and Rakim (belly soundtrack), You Know My Steez remix featuring Lady Of Rage and Kurupt
For those not familiar with all of Gangstarr's tunes, or perhaps missed a cd or two while collecting old school material, this is the perfect way to sample his greatest hits old and new.. 10 years and counting in the hip hop world and they are just as tight as when they first started.. Have not fallen short yet. Now how many other artist can you say that about ?? You might shed a tear or two while listening to this cd from being overwhelmed by the greatness of DJ Premier and the classic lyrics from Guru.. Move over Batman and Robin.. cuz Premier and Guru are clearly the DYNAMIC DUO !!!
My rating for this cd.. Out of * * * * * 5 stars
I'll give this one * * * * 4 stars for being outstanding
Artist: GRENIQUE
Title: BLACK BUTTERFLY....
Should I go.. Should I stay... Broken Promises... And love gets in the way.. Something says stay.. Something says go.. But I don't think I even.. Love him anymore...
Thats the question Grenique asks in her new release on the song " Should I " .. Words have power and this sista drops some melodies that make ya vibe and fall deep into her world.. Her funky soulful beats, and rich voice are a perfect pair.. She hitts ya hard with driving guitars on one song, and a smoothe saxaphone on the next.. This is not a cd to be slept on, perfect blend of soul, jazzy tracks, and smoothe lyrics.. It's a unique cd that will be apreciated by music fans.. I'd compare her " style " to being the female version of Eric Benet (on his first release).. And if ya dont find yourself motivated to get dressed and go kick up your heels, after listening to a song like " Disco " track 10, then you must be dead between the ears .. I definately reccomend checkin this one out..
My rating for this cd... out of * * * * * 5 stars
Grenique gets * * * * 1/2 ..... 4 and a half stars.. SING ON SISTA ..
Artist: SLICK RICK
Title: THE ART OF STORYTELLING....
Rick The Ruler is back, and this time bringing along a host of guest stars to his cd.. Nas, Outkast, Rawkwon, Kid Capri, Snoop, Doug E. Fresh, Canibus, and Q-Tip all make apperances.. True to his reputation Slick Rick paints some of tha best verbal pictures.. He still has that sleepy smoothe voice.. My only complaint is that some of the beats fail to make my body move.. Rick pairs well with Outkast, just like he did on the remix of " Storytelling " by Outkast.. He also pairs good with Nas.. I'm not crazy about Canibus, so I did not feel him that much on this release.. The production is tight, lyrics are tight and overall its a good investment.. However there are no real standout songs that I can see becomming classics like Rick's old material " Hey Young World " Childrens Story" Mona Lisa " ect..
Yes the Ruler's back, and I hope he is here to stay..
My rating for this cd.. Out of * * * * * 5 stars
I give Slick Rick * * * 3 stars
Artist: RAWKUS RECORDS
Featuring: Mos Def, Mad Skills, Beat Junkies , Pharoahe Monch, Prince Paul , Kid Capri, Marley Marl, Pete Rock, Grand Puba, Sadat X , Bahamadia, Dialated Peoplez, Tash, Company Flow, Diamond, Cocoa Brovas, Eminem, Common... and more .. 27 tracks deep
Title: SOUNDBOMBING 2
Rawkus Records who brought us Blackstar, and Lyricist Lounge cd's brings us yet another PHAT release with Soundbombing 2.... Featuring hip hop's finest MC's both underground and commercial.. The cd opens strong and bangs all the way thru.. This is the ultimate mixtape.. If anybody asks " what is hip hop " I'd point them to this CD to get some knowledge.. Lyrically these MC's spit their best and Beat Junkies bring in the best beats... Any " head " without this CD in their collection needs a smack.. My fav cuts.. 7XL by Sir Menelik, Grand Puba, and Sadat X .. 1-9-9-9- by Common and Sadat X.. Chaos by Reflection Eternal and Bahamadia.. Any Man by Eminem... Soundbombing by Dialated Peoples and Tash (of the Liks crew) .. Every Rhyme I Write by Shabaam Shadeeq and The Cocoa Brovaz... and the list goes on and on because of 27 tracks I only skipped thru one.. I got madd luv for Rawkus Records and their artists
My rating for this cd.. Out of * * * * * 5 stars..
Soundbombing gets a full * * * * * 5 from me ..
For a preview of the cd and more info check out their site..
Artist: ERIC BENET
Title: A DAY IN THE LIFE..
I've been eagerly awaiting this new one from Eric Benet. I fell in love with his first release " True To Myself " a few years ago.. He returns with a hott one entitled A Day In The Life "..
It opens with a sexxy number " Thats Just My Way " which gives us insight to Eric's sensual ways.. He draws the listener in with his lyrics right from the opening line ...
" Feel me. Take me in slowly. So u can understand just how deep my love can go. Baby your river is flowing. So let me just fill you up till you overflow. Just feel me all over your body. I promise you'll thank me. If you do just what you're told. Cause you'll be whimpering gently. Shivering softly but you wont be sad or cold. You know what that is. Thats just my way "
Next up is a duet with Faith Evans " Georgy Porgy " A remake of a classic song... They have chemistry and sound great together.. Eric also pairs well with Tamia for the song " Spend My Life With You " .. I enjoyed track 5 " Loving Your Best Friend " where Eric ends up creeping with his girlfriends best friend.. I could truely feel the emotion in track 6 " When You Think Of Me " featuring Roy Ayers... He sings to an ex " Do you feel like dying. Do you break down crying. Do you fall down on your knees. Don't wanna go on living. Does your world start spinning. When you think of me ..." Thats one of those .. Baby you miss me now that i'm gone, songs.. Things get smoothe and spicy with track 9 " Why You Follow Me " Its got somewhat of a salsa beat, and I put that one of repeat.. " Come As You Are " shows Eric at dramatic best, showing off his vocal skill..
Eric's sophomore release should please fans of his first cd.. Its a slightly diffrent flavor from the first one, but I love his growth as an artist.. He has what it takes to have a long lasting career.. Most of the production on this CD is done by Eric Benet and Ali Shaheed Muhammed (of A Tribe Caled Quest ) Eric stands out as a unique performer who is not afraid to be " diffrent " from the other guys in RnB music.. His spirit, sensuality, and skill, shine all over this CD ..
My review for this CD.. out of possible * * * * * 5 stars
I give Eric Benet * * * * ....... 4 stars..
Artist: CHANTE MOORE
Title: THIS MOMENT IS MINE.....
I'm still not sure how I feel about Chante's new CD.. I am a HUGE fan of her first two releases.. In my opinion they are classics because of their passion, sensuality, and style... I could play her first two CD's and find myself floating.. Therefore I was shocked to try her new one and find it to be splashed with uptempo numbers... My sexxy singing Chante turned sped things up to my dismay
She still has that beautiful voice, but i'm struggling to get used to the style change especially fast tracks like 1, 8, 9,10 .. The slow cuts on the cd lack passion, Its prettty to hear, but stirs up no emotion in me, like her previous releases... I have a lukewarm feeling about the whole thing.. My advice.. If you don't have her first two in your collection, please go get them.. but stay away from this new one.. aight ..
My rating out of * * * * * 5 stars I give this one * * two stars...
Artist: NAS
Title: I AM
People say alot about Nas, he changed his style, he fell off, he went commercial, he went Firm crazy.. Escobar took over his personality.. Well say what you will, but I have a few opinions myself... Nas first release " Illmatic " is a hip hop classic that will go down in rap history and Nas himself will never top that one. His second release " It Was Written " was a change in style, full of player, mob style, casino dreams. The lyrics were still there no doubt, the beats were tight, but Nas lacked that raw grit and hunger (nasty nas) that made his first release historical. Next he came out with The Firm, which only had one decent song " Phone Tap " the rest was garbage, mafia fantasies, and worst of all it featured funky-Foxxy Brown and some other guy whose name I can't remember right now.. Now Nas is midway between his original/Nasty style and the new/Escobar style.
The cd starts off like a trip down memory lane with snippets from his best songs in a Nas mini mix. It moves into " New York State Of Mind II " I did not feel love for it as strongly as i did the original, but like I said earlier, Nas can't top his first material. " Hate Me Now " is Nas response to those who say he fell off and changed his style, of course it features another hip-hop hated artist, Puff Daddy. I would have liked the song more if Puff had not been yelling all over the place. " Small World " is a hott one, Nas spits lyrics vividly so that you can see the picture he paints with his rhymes..
One of my favorite songs is " K-I-SS-I-N-G " (featuring R. Kelly in the background) not only because it made me think of Nas and his luscious lips, but the ghetto love story made me think of a certain guy, it touched my heart.. R. Kelly sang na na na na in the background like he did in " When a woman's fed up" and Nas rapped in his sexiest voice
" Girl picture us married,you and me, K I SS I N G , I remember the first time, girl you and me, F U CK I N G " ...
" Nas Is Like " is a DJ Premier done track that will leave you nodding your head and reaching for the pack of Blacks to light one up.. " Money Is My Bitch " shows Nas at his lyrical shining best, he describes money the way he described his gun in " I Gave You Power " on the It Was Written CD . The end track " Undying Love " is a lyrical trip through a relationship gone tragically wrong. I dug the beat and lyrics. It seemed real to me, I could almost feel the story comming to life, and imagined a video, which will no doubt be a tearjerker. Overall, Nas still spits rhymes like a genius, the beats will keep you hooked, and this is a solidly produced and performed release.
MY RATING FOR NAS, out of * * * * * 5 stars this one gets * * * * 4 & 1/2
Title:
LIFE SOUNDTRACK
I'm planning on seeing the movie Life as soon as it comes out in theaters, but until then i'll be playing this hott soundtrack on a regular basis. It gives a taste of the best in Rap and R n B. First up is a hott one by Xzibit, Juvenille, Nature, Ja Rule, and Reptile " 25 to Life " and then its right into another good one " It's Like Everyday " with DJ Quik and R. Kelly... Destinys Child failed to grab my attention with " Stimulate Me ", but Maxwell brought me right back into the mix with " Fortunate " (i'm a die-hard Maxwell lover).. The good sounds kept flowing with " Loving you (remix) " by Sparkle (a new twist on the classic cut) and it works well for me. Unfortunately " Every Which Way " by Talent and the Vegas Cats sounds like a knock-off of a Timberland beat and it did not move me at all. But for every luke-warm cut a blazing track follows it. Kelly Price rips it up in yet another song where her man is cheating on her and going to leave her. We all know Kelly has vocal skill, and the R. Kelly produced beat is great. I predict a successful single and video for this one..
Brian Mc Knight is up next with " Discovery " all I can say is that every couple getting married this summer will be playing this at their wedding or reception, because its beautiful.. The next song is " Follow the Wind " and all I could think was, who the heck is Trisha Yearwood, It had that dramatic Celine Deion feel to it, nice vocals, however its not the kinda thing you bump for the hell of it, so I went to the next song.. Mya's song " Why Should I Believe You " is another one that I predict a single and video for, its going to be hott for the radio, I have not decided if I like it personally or not, but I dig the beat... " What Would You Do" by City High made me hit the skip button quickly.. " What goes Around " by Kadejah and Marie Antoinette got skipped even quicker.. Just when I was getting upset The Isley Brothers soothed my soul with a sure to be future classic song " Speechless " I always say you can't go wrong with the Isleys. Of course i'm sure you have heard the title track " LIFE " K-CI and JO JO, I don't dig it at all, it irratates the hell out of me... Wyclef Jean wraps up the CD with a kool song " New Day " that reminds me of Marvin Gaye's classic " Makes Me Wanna Holla "
MY RATING FOR THIS CD.. Out of * * * * * 5 stars, LIFE Soundtrack = * * * 3&1/2 Stars..
Artist: CHEROKEE
Title: I Love You...Me
Cherokee is one of those artist that probably won't get much airplay on the radio due to industry politics. Seems like urban radio stations play the same bullshit over and over all day long and pay no attention to " unique " artist.. For example Angel Grant, Tony Rich, Sleepy's Theme, Lenny Kravitz or Rashaan Patterson. Well before I go off on a rant about unfair tatics, let me do this review..
Cherokee is a soulful sista with a deep rich voice that you can't help but notice. The cd has a flair of originality that works well, featuring great beats and background instruments (no samples).. There are up-tempo cuts like " Ohh Wee Wee " that make ya want to wind your hips slowly to the music.. And cuts like " Stepping Stone " and " Blue Bottle Aftershave " drip with old school flavor, spiked with a hint of the blues and jazz. Cherokee is at her best on tracks like " I Love You.. Me " as she sings and shows off a bit of lyrical flow. I felt 10 out of 11 tracks, and to me thats outstanding for her first release... I hate to stereotype, but your average radio listening consumer will not appreciate this cd, chances are they won't hear it anyhow.. MY RATING.. OUT OF * * * * * 5 STARS, I give Cherokee * * * * 4 STARS.
Artist: Les Nubians
Title: Princess Nubians
When I first heard Les Nubians single " MAKEDA " I sat down in shock. I was suprised that it was getting played on the radio, not because it was bad, but because it was very good (and very french). WGCI, Chicago's top radio station is known for being GHETTO FABULOUS. I was wondering who was being blackmailed or threatened to get this song played. Anyhow, I'm glad its in regular rotation now and played frequently. I ran to the store and got this CD basically on word of mouth. I fell in love with it the first time I played it, and put it on repeat all day long. The first thing I'll tell you is the whole CD is in French. (Les Nubians are two pretty African ladies who live in France). I can't say too much for the review because I don't understand the song lyrics; however I can say that the CD is jazzy smooth and sexy. Everyone knows that French is a romantic language, and hearing these two soulful sistas with great voices only adds to the sensuality of the CD. My favorite cuts are " Les Portes Du Souvenir" " MAKEDA" , " Princesse Nubienne " , " Sourire " and " Sugar Cane " (sugar cane has a bit of english mixed in with the french). They even do a remake of Sade's Sweetest Tabou. The beats and music on the CD are hypnotic. Perfect for lounging in the tub, having a jazzy or poetic get together, a chill date, or just smoking a black and mild while driving and relaxing. I listen to this cd alot when i'm working on the computer, trying to unwind after a stressful day, writing poems, feeling sexy, or doing housework because its the perfect compliment to any mood. A definate addition to your CD collection..
MY RATING.. OUT OF * * * * * 5 STARS, Les Nubians = * * * * 4 STARS..
