CD REVIEWS
JUVENILE
"JUVE THE GREAT"
CASH MONEY/UNIVERSAL
3 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
After Juvenile’s
highly publicized split with Cash Money, he formed his own UTP Records and spent
the majority of his time producing – uh, warrants for cocaine possession and
failure to pay child support. With no visibility, he was in danger of falling
off the fickle rap map completely. His recent less-than-triumphant return to
Cash Money feels like a half-hearted attempt to generate some income and remind
fans that he still exists, and the album reflects this mediocrity. The lead
single, "In My Life," is decent, but nothing in comparison to classic Juve like
"Ha," "Set It Off," and "Back that Ass Up." Mannie Fresh does come through with
a few bangers, including "Bounce Back" and "Cock It," but they’re interrupted by
a few pointless skits and forgettable tracks. Producer Slice T drops a few nice
cuts, including "Head in Advance" and "Fuckin’ With Me," featuring Juve’s UTP
family Wacko and Skip. Make sure you listen the whole way through, because the
standout track is easily the last cut – "Slow Motion," an extended version of a
song featured on a previous Soulja Slim (R.I.P.) album. Juve spits nicely, but
Slim straight kills the track. Even though Juve boasts, "I’ve got my money
right, mind right, life right," on "Fuckin’ With Me," he just doesn’t sound like
he’s in that zone. Baby actually sounds more comfortable flowing on "Bounce
Back" than Juve, proving that practice does indeed make perfect. Juve still has
his trademark drawl, but his voice has changed slightly and it’s obvious that
his time off wasn’t spent honing his skills. Lyrically, he addresses his drug
problems on "Bounce Back" and wannabe-baby-mama drama on "It Ain’t Mines" ("You
be scheming all day, hoe, take a day off / Find another target, this one you
need to stay off / You looking for a reputation? I’mma give you one / Far as I’m
concerned, that baby could be from anyone / …Saw the grin on your face the
moment I saw you in court / Wish I woulda saw your face after the test was
exposed"). I’m actually a Juvenile fan, but this album isn’t a good
demonstration of his talent. Hopefully he can "Bounce Back" from this bland
effort and get back into his element. I do hope this album sells some units,
though, so Abebe Lewis can get a royalty check for mixing "In My Life." Things
must be rough financially over there at Circle House studios, since they’re
taking so long to pay their OZONE invoice. - Julia Beverly,
jb@ozonemag.com
CEE-LO
"CEE-LO GREEN IS THE SOUL MACHINE"
4.5 BLUNTS
(OUT OF 5)
It’s been a long
journey for Cee-Lo Green. As a member of the unforgettable group Goodie Mob, he
made a truly soulful contribution to hip-hop. With albums like "Soul Food,"
"Still Standing," Dungeon Family’s "Even in Darkness," "World Order," and his
intense verse on Outkast’s "Liberation," Cee-Lo has never been afraid to use his
lyrics and unique voice to soothe your mind, body, and soul. In 2002 he stepped
out onto the scene with his first solo project, "Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect
Imperfections." Now he’s back, and as soulful as ever with his sophomore solo
project. He’s from the South, the "A" to be exact, and he’s not scared to take
you to church and preach. On "Evening News," he lets you know what really goes
down in the evening, and enlists Pharrell to explain the art of music on "The
Art of Noise." Cee-Lo poses philosophical questions throughout the album: "Think
about it – are you sure you’re really living?" Despite his intensity, he manages
to have some fun and play around in the process with the melody while throws in
some animated vocals. "Sometimes" is a gift to spoken word lovers, and while
he’s at it, he throws in a little something for the battle rappers. The Soul
Machine offers a little something for everyone – the only thing he doesn’t do on
this album is fuck around. – Iisha Hillmon,
doopyaka10@aol.com
KANYE WEST
"COLLEGE DROPOUT"
ROC-A-FELLA/DEF JAM
4.5 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
The producer behind tracks like Jay-Z’s "Izzo" and Ludacris’ "Stand Up"
expresses his views over the phenomenal production we’ve come to expect from
him. "College Dropout" is simply not a normal album. The concepts are amazingly
fresh, unique, and creative, as Kanye raps about life, family, and the
near-fatal car crash which left his jaw in need of reconstructive surgery. His
lyrics provide a clear insight into his struggles and successes, over refined
production with his distinctive habit of using soul samples. Very few artists
are successful when it comes to serving in the dual roles of MC and producer;
often, their strength lies in one and is lacking in the other. Kanye, however,
does both with tactful ability and precision. The first single, "Slow Jamz,"
featuring Jamie Foxx and Twista, has become a radio staple. Several other
standout tracks include "Two Words," featuring Mos Def, Freeway, and the Harlem
boys choir; "All Falls Down," which borrows its hook from Lauryn Hill’s
"Unplugged" CD; and "Through the Wire," an intriguing track that serves as a
testament to Kanye’s dedication. He recorded this track literally through the
wire which held his jaw in place after his car accident. "College Dropout" is a
must for hip-hop CD collections. – Rohit Loomba,
poombster@aol.com
TRILLVILLE & LIL’ SCRAPPY
BME/WARNER BROS.
3 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
Over the past few years, Lil’ Jon has proven himself as the King of Crunk. Now,
after securing a label deal for his own BME Recordings with Warner Bros, he
presents us with a split album from his artists Trillville and Lil’ Scrappy.
Most of the tracks, of course, are produced by Lil’ Jon, so you could either
criticize the album for its lack of lyrical content or you could appreciate it
for what it’s intended to be: a high energy album full of club bangers. But with
one producer, the beats tend to become bland and repetitive. Individual songs
lose their identity, weakening the album. With the exception of a couple tracks,
most of the songs feel like sequels or revamps of an original. On Lil’ Scrappy’s
half of the CD, he presents us with a little over 25 minutes of songs that are
all possible anthems, especially the ATL banger, "F.I.L.A. (Forever I Love
Atlanta)" where we see classic Lil’ Jon production and song structure married to
Lil’ Scrappy’s raw description of the "A." On the tritely titled "Diamond in My
Pinky Ring," we hear a different flavor, with producer Bingo’s dark synths.
Scrappy also enlists the help of Casket, Nod, and Grip, who all drop that heat.
As we reach the end of Scrappy’s allotment, the most shocking moment of the
album comes with a guitar-driven track produced by Lil’ Jon. This
uncharacteristic beat is a spit in the face to anyone who labels Lil’ Jon as
just a beatmaker, truly proving his musical skills. Moving onto Trillville’s
section, after riding out to the popular single "Neva Eva," the album takes a
major dip. Songs begin to become monotonous and basically just filler material.
The uninspired production on "Bitch Niggaz" and "Some Cuts," combined with the
many obnoxious skits throughout the album, lowers the quality of the album
overall. – ADG, adg@tmail.com
TWISTA "KAMIKAZE"
ATLANTIC RECORDS
4 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
It was the determination and passion of the Japanese that gave birth to the
kamikaze. Day after day, Japanese pilots would bid farewell to their family and
friends, take off, and fly themselves into the decks of unsuspecting American
warships during World War II. They were so dedicated to their cause they were
willing to die for it. Twista, clearly dedicated to his own cause, is back to
prove himself with this followup to his previous release, "Adrenaline Rush."
Spinning headfirst into the industry, Twista’s flow should land him in the
Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest rapper. "Kamikaze" allows Twista
to take his flow to a new level. The tracks on this album are consistently good.
"Get That Doe (Ain’t it Man)," is a banger. Twista spits it for the ladies on
"Still Feels So Good" and "Drinks," a verbal seduction, but he comes off best
when he switches up his flow, alternating speeds from fast to slow ("Badunkadunk"
and "I Know"). Too much of his rapid-fire flow tends to sound repetitive ("Kill
Us All"), and when he rhymes at regular speed he sounds like an average rapper
("Get Me"). Ludacris’ flow is a nice complement on the collaboration "Higher,"
and of course by now you’ve heard the massive hit, "Slow Jamz," where he is
joined by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx. Twista’s unique style is a nice change of
pace for one verse, but a whole album of tongue-twisting is a bit much to handle
unless you’re a diehard fan. He realizes this, however, and does an admirable
job of mixing up the tempo with a number of slow tracks, soulful hooks, and
collaborations to balance it out. I would have appreciated Twista and Beenie
Franks’ flow on "Shows Over" a lot more if it wasn’t for Freeway’s standard
off-key shrieking at the beginning of the track. The album closes out with two
more impressive guest appearances, "Hope" featuring Cee-Lo and "Lovely Day"
featuring Anthony Hamilton. – Rohit Loomba,
poombster@aol.com
ROYCE 5’9"
"DEATH IS CERTAIN"
4.5 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
With this title, Royce reminds us of a fact of life. But throughout the album,
he ensures that death is only physical, releasing bravely honest tracks that
hip-hop fans will be listening to for years to come. His album is loaded with
truth and reality instead of the usual sex, drugs and rims. Throughout the
fifteen tracks, he shares his wisdom. This album wasn’t recorded for the radio
or the fans, it was recorded for Royce. It’s a reinvention of himself, a real
album with real meaning, a rebirth of a talented MC with knowledge to share.
These tracks feel like an epiphany, laced with anger, rage, and an
acknowledgement and advisory. The "parental advisory" sticker on this album
shouldn’t be for explicit content but rather for explicit truth. Some listeners
might not be ready for this. Musically, the production throughout the album is
perfectly fitted for Royce’s style and message, provided by a variety of
producers including Carlos "6 July" Broady, DJ Premier, and Asar. Standout
tracks include "I & Me," "Beef," "Something’s Wrong," and "Death is Certain Part
2." Hip-hop is bleeding, and Royce has put together a solid album to heal the
wound caused by a lack of concepts. By abandoning the concept of creating
radio-friendly commercial tracks, he focused on the raw strife and struggle of
life. – Rohit Loomba,
poombster@aol.com
RAN ROVER
"RIDE WIT’ YA BOY"
BOTTOM GROUND
2.5 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
Ran Rover’s debut album is filled with a variety of subject matter, ranging from
the explicit "She’s a Freak" to the sticky-icky-influenced "Smoke With U," where
Snoop "the non-smoker" takes a second to give us yet another verse ‘bout that
ganja. Although this is Ran’s album, the whole Bottom Grounds camp shows up
repeatedly, especially Chad and G-Slimm. The album’s production isn’t credited,
but it’s basically hit-or-miss. Production on "Oooh" and the title track seems
unfinished, especially compared to blazing tracks from JT like "Ridin’ Heavy."
We also see solid production on the highlight of the album, "Drama in the Club,"
where Juve the Great lends 16 but Ran outdoes him with spitfire lyrics and
delivery. Appearances by other members of the camp (Krush, Big Chad, Dean, G-Slimm,
and Mika) ultimately hurt the album’s flow. – ADG,
adg@tmail.com
PITCH BLACK
"PITCH BLACK LAW"
UNIVERSAL RECORDS
4 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
In 1995, D.G., Devious, Fast, G.O.D., and Zakee, collectively known as Pitch
Black, graced us with an EP that stayed under the radar. They haven’t stopped
hustling since, getting the attention of artists like Wyclef, Kool G Rap, Busta
Rhymes, M.O.P., and Kay Slay. Even though this album has a few filler tracks,
Pitch Black has enlisted some of the heavyweights like DJ Premier, Foxy Brown,
Swizz Beatz, and the newest addition to Dre’s army, Busta Bus. The only drawback
is the latter part of the album. DJ Premier and Foxy Brown lend some nice talent
to these men, but don’t fully utilize the potential of these tracks. It’s easy
to overlook this, however, when you get to tracks like "Are You Hard," the
Wyclef-influenced "I Shot the Sheriff," and the mixtape banga "Go Hard."
Overall, the album’s lyrics fit the tracks, with the occasional misstep on
tracks like "To Be the Best." In closing, the last album that truly embodied the
rawness of hip-hop like "Pitch Black Law" has to be Screwball’s "Y2K: The
Album." Word! – ADG, adg@tmail.com
J SUPER & ROB FAME
"PEOPLE GET READY"
SUPERSTANG ENT.
3.5 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
If I had to summarize Super & Fame in two words, I’d say: "Comin’ Up!" The duo
shows a lot of potential with this release, and the production is incredible.
From the menacing violins in the intro to the low-end synth used on the
Mississippi anthem "Where You From (601)," each of the elements implemented
throughout the album serves its purpose well. The soulful sample used on "People
Get Ready" will have a certain Roc-A-Fella producer/rapper hittin’ the rewind
button. Halfway through the album, we take a little detour and get hit with four
or five straight filler tracks. With a guest appearance from Orynda on "Freaky,"
we reach the weakest part of the album, where everything from the flow to the
production sounds unmotivated. The subject matter throughout the album is
varied, and for the most part Super and Fame seem to be focused on the good in
life and the possibilities that lie ahead, like on tracks like "Strange" ("I’m
sorry for the way my brain operates, waitin’ on the better day, but right now I
feel strange / And I don’t want to feel strange no more / Man, I’ll tell you, I
can’t live this way no more"). With the exception of a few tracks, this is a
good, solid album. Good lyrics, solid production, and nice delivery from both
MCs. Guest appearances are kept to a minimal, leaving J Super & Rob Fame with
plenty of time to shine. – ADG, adg@tmail.com
DIALECT
"MUSIC OF A CULTURE"
ONE LIFE ENT
3 BLUNTS (OUT OF 5)
When most artists form a group, their album represents the group as a whole and
still leaves that fine line between members to accentuate the flavor they bring
to the group. In the case of Burns, Jenkins, & Wood, these lines are really
blurred. Most of the time this works for them, but occasionally it hinders the
album. On the jump-off track "Gettin’ Bent," the production seems to overshadow
the skills of all three artists. About a third of the way through, however, with
songs like "Fuck Shit" and "Ride," the beats of Steph, Jenkins, Fred Freeman and
Saint Denson start to fit Dialect the majority of the time. All three members
claim Dade County to the fullest, but Wood’s Jamaican heritage is apparent on
"Ghetto Jump," which has that island feel but deserves a faster tempo track. The
production on "Time" and "Cowboy" is weak. As a whole, the album is average.
There are a couple great tracks, four or five solid songs, and the rest is
filler, at best. – ADG, adg@tmail.com
KILLER MIKE & GTO
"DAT CRACK VOL. 1"
GRIND TIME
Killer Mike and his Grind Time Official family lock down the block with this
underground mixtape that’s packin’ straight heat. Most listeners should already
be familiar with Mike from his Killer verses on cuts like Outkast’s "Whole
World," Jay-Z’s "Poppin’ Tags," and his own "A.D.I.D.A.S." The Ying Yang Twins,
Lil’ Jon, T.I., Bone Crusher, and Bun B of UGK stop by for guest appearances.
This release proves that the rest of his GTO fam (Jackpot, J, SL, Rocky Dennis,
Nario, Sharpshooter, Pill, Zack, GG, Tae, and Lil’ Nick) has skills to match.
Collectively, they show us fiends they’ve got that good shit with songs like "GTO
Anthem" and "Trap Check," where Jackpot breathes life into the overused "Make it
Clap" instrumental, giving Killer a run for his money. The 20-track album
includes skits and drops that add a mixtape flavor to it. We also get to revisit
a few regional hits, like the street banger "Reakshon (remix)." – ADG,
adg@tmail.com
PITBULL
"UNLEASHED VOL. 3"
ON TRAK/BIG MOUTH
Mixtapes and independent albums are becoming more and more important within the
hip-hop community as a way for an artist to steer his budding career in the
right direction. In Pitbull’s case, even after collaborating with several major
artists and signing a promising deal with TVT Records, he’s still maintaining
his presence in the streets of the 305 by releasing the third mixtape in his
"Unleashed" series. With the help of DJ Rob-N, Pitbull presents us with
exclusive Pitbull freestyles and miscellaneous drops taken straight from radio
stations, voicemails, and mixtapes. The real beauty of this disc, however, is
the several original Pitbull songs. He takes us back with the Diaz Brothers’
"Don’t Stop the Rok," a story told over an uptempo track that has a retro feel
to it. Next, Pit calls on his fam, Cubo and Skope, who flow over a beat similar
to the Biggie/50 "Realest" track. On the hustler’s anthem "Hustler Withdrawal,"
the chemistry of Pit and his producers the Diaz Brothers is dead-on, and it
proves that he’s a more seasoned songmaker than you might think. He also creates
his own songs over some well-known instrumentals, hitting us with "Represent,"
"Saltshaker (remix)," the posse cut "That’s Nasty," and his current banger, "Culo!"
As the album comes to a close, we get a clearer view of Pit as he accompanies
Nas and drops some knowledge on John Lennon’s classic, "Imagine." - ADG,
adg@tmail.com
JOHN DOE
"STILL SAVAGE"
When I first heard DJ ASS FACE scream his name on the intro, I laughed MY ass
off, but that was the last time I laughed while listening to this CD. This
mixtape is packaged very well, even coming with a Busta Rhymes audio sample from
Hot 97. John Doe, Timbaland’s newest artist, has a very versatile voice and is
able to create a presence for himself on virtually all these tracks. He’s
mastered the art of pimpin’ his voice. His voice has a slight resemblance to the
late B.I.G.’s, but if you’re a true hip-hop head you can tell the difference
immediately. With the majority of these tracks "jacked" from other artists, you
get a good idea of what his skill is, first bangin’ it out on the DJ Muggs/RZA/GZA
track "3rd Word War" and then flippin’ it to last year’s "What Happened to That
Boy." R&B? Like I said, he comes fully equipped. JD manages to give us an
all-star remix of Mya’s "My Love is like Whoa," making you question if this was
the original or the remix. If all else fails to grab your attention, the cover
artwork will. – ADG,
adg@tmail.com
CURTAINS
"YOUNG BROOKLYN #1"
Album mixtapes are a dime a dozen: take another artist’s beat and freestyle over
it, add a few skits, a little bit of original material, a couple established
artist’s guest appearances, and BAM! Instant promotion. Where most of these
tools fail is the overabundance of material that shows nothing but a freestyle
MC and useless skits. Curtains skates past this dilemma and uses his skits to
poke fun at the mixtape game and the state of hip-hop in general. On this album,
we get more than just freestyles. Curtains uses well-known beats like "I’m
Ready" (Diplomats) and "G’d Up" (G-Unit) to create his own songs with complete
concepts. Two of my personal favorites are "Johnny" and "Doin’ My Job," the
latter simply because it feels sincere, like Jay-Z’s slept-on "Song Cry." On
"How I Does It," Curtains’ arrogant flow takes a page from Nas, claiming, "I got
bad chicks, but understand this, homey / I don’t kick game, chicks just
understand my story." The 35+ minutes I spent listening to this disc was
well-spent, with very few exceptions. – ADG,
adg@tmail.com
CARL THOMAS
"LET’S TALK ABOUT IT" (SAMPLER)
BAD BOY/UNIVERSAL
This 15-minute sampler offers more artistry than most albums five times as long.
P. Diddy hits us with an intro, letting us know he’s confident in his artist. We
get a glimpse of his brilliance with "Let’s Talk About It," a track that could
easily fit into the 70’s soul era. After this, we jump into the livest track on
the sampler, which actually sounds a bit forced. Next we encounter a Just Blaze
track that sounds a bit too similar to last year’s F-A-B-O and Ashanti/Tamia’s
hit, and a generic LL Cool J verse on the first single, "She Is." The remaining
songs are just filler tracks, nothing outstanding. It sounds like Carl might
have caught that sophomore jinx, but don’t quote me on that – it’s just a
sampler. – ADG, adg@tmail.com
