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Hip-Hop & R&B Music
- New Reviews
5 Discs = Classic | 4.0-4.5 Discs = Impressive | 3.0-3.5
Discs = Noteworthy
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3.5 out of 5 discs |
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Snoop Dogg
Ego Trippin
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It's been more than 15
years since Snoop Dogg stepped on the scene. He's had
his fair share of ups and downs, as he illustrates on ""Never
Have 2 Worry" from his ninth studio album Ego Trippin'.
But LBC's musical ambassador has weathered the storm and is
almost as popular as when he first came out. And with
Ego Trippin', Snoop does whatever he wants to do, a
formula that seems to be his preference on many of his later
albums. "Sexual Eruption" is the surprise hit that
flashes back to the funk ballads of yesteryear and features
Snoop singing on most of the song, with the only rap being a
minuscule verse towards the end of the track. He
continues this trend on the cover of The Time's "Cool," a move
that was probably prompted by collaborating producer Teddy
Riley. Everlast offers some assistance on the
country-themed track "My Medicine." He still reps the
West Coast on songs like "Press Play" (featuring Kurupt for
the chorus and ad libs and DJ Quik on the boards), "Life of
The Party" with Oakland's own Too Short and Mistah F.A.B.),
and "Waste Of Time" with Oakland's own Raphael Saadiq for
vocals and production.. But Snoop Dogg wouldn't be who
he is without stepping outside of his comfort zone to embrace
other sounds. He journeys to the Dirty South with the
mediocre "Staxxx In My Jeans," reps the streets on "Ridin' In
My Chevy" and gets a little too far out with Pharrell on
"Sets Up." Some of his 'female friendly' tracks would be
"Been Around The World," "One Chance (Make It Good)" and
"Those Gurlz." ""Can't Say Goodbye" is the closing track
that serves as an retrospective of his growth as a man,
father, husband and artist. One thing that can be said
about Ego Trippin' is that Snoop Dogg performs an array
of material for the masses, not just one segment. Some
may consider this as a risky career move, and others might
think he's never going to be what he used to be. I think
Snoop Dogg is just happy that people are even still talking
about his rap career and listening to his music fifteen years
after a cameo on a soundtrack song. Can you even
remember any other artists that appeared on the Deep Cover
soundtrack? |
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2.5 out of 5 discs |
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An "elephant in the
room" is described as a problem that everybody knows exists
but nobody bothers to bring it up because it would be too
humiliating. Such is the case with Fat Joe's doomed rap
career. Anybody that's paid any attention to the
declining sales and popularity of Joey Crack knows that it's
only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. His
crew knows it; that's why the Terror Squad has had more lineup
changes than Must See TV. So with the collection of
unimpressive tracks on Elephant In The Room, Fat Joe
substantiates everybody's beliefs that he's fast approaching
that exit ramp that has been visited by the likes of Ja Rule,
DMX, and soon 50 Cent. "K.A.R. (Kill All Rats)" is one
of the few tracks that actually sounds decent, with a
throwback to early Fat Joe . "I Won't Tell" with singer
J. Holiday is another track that is at least listenable.
But the album standout has to be his collaboration with KRS-One,
a pairing that actually works out for the song "My
Conscience." But the rest of the album is either
uninspiring or too bland to even force yourself to listen to.
"Ain't Saying Nothing" featuring Plies unfortunately lives up
to its name, Lil Wayne provides little for "The Crackhouse,"
and the failed attempt at a pseudo dance track with "Cocababy."
DJ Khaled does his usual role of being an annoying hypeman and
mediocre producer for the track "Get It For Life." Scott
Storch fails miserably with the production on "Preacher On A
Sunday Morning," a song that just sounds like a bad idea from
one glance at the title. And Swizz Beatz gives Fat Joe a
decent up-tempo track to rock called "Drop," but Fat Joe
doesn't work it like a classic DMX or Eve track. Things
don't look good for Fat Joe. He has a crew that is
practically non-existent (a la Flipmode Squad), yet another
failed album (well, barely an album considering it doesn't
even clock in at 45 minutes), and a stupid beef with another
doomed rapper (pay attention to how well 50 Cent's Before I
Self Destruct does whenever it comes out).
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Fat Joe
Elephant In The Room
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3 out of 5 discs |
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Flo Rida
Mail On Sunday
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Flo Rida literally appeared out of
nowhere. Nobody remembers him from DJ Khaled's album
We The Best where he was featured on "Bitch I'm From Dade
County"...mainly because nobody bothered with DJ Khaled's
album to begin with. Hitting that minor roadblock meant
nothing considering the fact that Flo Rida was solidifying his
album Mail On Sunday with huge superstar cameos that
would help deter listeners from the fact that he has little to
offer in the lyrical department. Enter the single "Low"
with T-Pain and the most downloaded commercial single ever,
and it features production from virtual unknown DJ Montay.
Now everybody and their mommas are rocking to the single
(which fit perfectly on the soundtrack for Step Up 2: The
Streets), and Flo Rida has the attention of the masses for
his debut album. He follows with the equally
dance-infused "Elevator" which features the musical mastermind
of Timbaland. Sean Kingston continues the MTV playlist
with yet another up-tempo track titled "Roll," but Flo Rida is
a little more mellow with his delivery on this offering.
Lil Wayne and Birdman fail with their contributions on
"American Superstar" and "Priceless," respectively.
Will.i.am digs up "In The Ayer," a track that sounds more like
a cut from his Black Eyed Peas reject pile. Yung Joc
seems to provides his own throw-away track for his assist on
"Don't Know How To Act." Trey Songz collects an easy
paycheck for the lackluster slow cut "Freaky Deaky."
"Money Right" featuring fellow Carol City counterpart Rick
Ross sounds like a slam dunk on paper, but the execution is
lifeless and does little for the album. The crazy thing
is the fact that all of these are songs with guest
appearances, leaving you with even more questionable solo
material like "All My Life," "Ms. Hangover," "Act Like You
Know" and "Still Missin." The only thing that works for
Flo Rida on this album are the commercial singles and the
up-tempo melodies throughout. He's got a lot of
different styles in his repertoire, but he's got a long way to
go if a long-term career in music is his main motivation.
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5 out of 5 discs |
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The most known
unknown....that pretty much sums up the sentiment on who Conya
Doss is to her legion of underground fans. Now on her
fourth album (yes, she's been doing it for awhile now,
people!) Conya Doss releases Still..., the perfect
title since she's all about staying the course with her
unpretentious melodies to accompany her down-to-earth lyrics.
"Common Ground" is a story about actually trying to keep a
relationship together, a notion that is repeated on the
equally enjoyable tracks "How About Us" and "Let Me Love You."
Conya professes her undying love on "Can't Stop," and she
continues that same dedication with "What I'd Do." She
works up a delightful ditty for the album's lead-off single
"Something 2Nite," while "It's Over" is the perfect break-up
song to leave on somebody's voicemail when they aren't holding
up their end of the relationship. She picks up the pace a
little with "Right On Time," a song that could easily be
placed in a club mix of some sort. "I Miss You" is a
remarkable ballad that sounds like she took her time with
creating it, making it more than a simple regret song.
Fellow Dome labelmate Angela Johnson does great production
work on "Emotions," while "Turn It Up" talks about escaping
from it all by blasting your favorite track on the radio.
"Come Over" talks about stepping to somebody for some
conversation to see what it leads to. "Message" is a
passionate ode to her supportive fans who've encouraged her
along the way to keep doing her thing. She closes the
album with the smooth, mid-tempo track "Ride."
Still... embodies what all of her long-time fans have been
used to all these years, and what the R&B world has been
craving from the artists that they do know about. I
think it's time for everybody to look beyond the Top 40 charts
and the stale radio playlists if they're looking for real
music. With a little digging, you'll eventually find
quality albums like Conya Doss' Still...
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Conya Doss
Still...
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4.5 out of 5 discs |
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Day26
Day26
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"Damn, we
been doing this for a long time now!" proclaims Diddy on "Got
Me Going" from the debut self-titled album by Day26. And
surely Bad Boy has been doing it since the mid-90s when he had
acts like Craig Mack, Faith Evans, Total, and Notorious B.I.G
in his stable. Diddy has had male R&B groups on his
label before, namely 112 and then New Edition for one album in
2004. The only thing with those groups was the fact that
they started to outgrow the current trend in R&B, with 112
starting out in the mid-90s and New Edition grabbing the
hearts of fans since the early 80s! Enter Brian Andrews,
Michael McCluney, Qwanell "Q" Mosley, Robert Curry, and Willie
Taylor to star in Making The Band 4 to capture the hearts of a
whole new generation of R&B fans. And Day26 has all the
elements necessary to be well received instead of an
afterthought. Enlisting producers like Brian Michael
Cox, The Runners, Mario Winans, Danja, and Kwamé for their
first project proves to be the best move for Day26.
"I'm The Reason" starts off the album with a super hyper drum
beat from Malay and lyrics to match. "Got Me Going" is
the lead-off single that's been climbing the chart because of
it's simple delivery and a subject matter that listeners can
relate with. The head-nod factor of the album standout
"In My Bed" is produced by Danja, the same mastermind behind
many monster hits as either a solo producer or co-producer
with Timbaland. "Silly Love" is a charming track, while
the Kwamé-produced track "Come With Me" will put you in the
mind of 112 with its mid-tempo beat and smooth harmonies.
"Co-Star" is a feel-good cut, while the guys slow it down for
the seductive "Come In." "Are We In This Together" is
another album standout for its harmonies throughout and
powerful lyrics. "What It Feels Like" is another smooth
ballad that the guys pull off without a hitch with help from
Soul Diggaz on the boards. "Since You've Been Gone"
follows suit with a more mid-tempo flow however. Malay
returns with another energized beat for the enchanting "If It
Wasn't For You." Noted as a 'song for the ladies' at the
beginning, "Don't Fight The Feeling" seems to be a bit
overproduced, and it distracts the listeners too much to
actually enjoy it. The album closes with the 'B. Cox'
bonus tracks "Ain't Going" featuring fellow labelmates Danity
Kane and Donnie Klang and "Exclusive (No Excuses)."
Overall, Day26 proves that you can build a group from the
ground up and still manage to put out quality material.
Going outside of the Bad Boy stable of in-house producers was
Diddy's best move for Day26, something that he didn't do the
first time around with Bad Boy's Da Band. Couple that
with good songwriting and the built in marketing and promotion
from the show, and you have yourself a R&B outfit that is
ready for today's ever-changing musical landscape.
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4 out of 5 discs |
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The electric bass guitar
never sounded so good. Anybody that is a sucker for it
should know the name Marcus Miller. With more than 30
years in the business and a portfolio that includes extensive
work with people like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and David
Sanborn, Marcus Miller has also managed a formidable solo
career that spans the last 20+ years as well. And his
latest release, simply titled Marcus, is a welcome
addition to his discography. The brazen yet groovy flow
of the album opener "Blast!" will certainly get the party
going if it's not already. "Funk Joint" is a
carefully-timed offering that serves up a slightly bouncy
rhythm to nod your head to. The prominence of Corinne
Bailey Rae's singing coupled with David Sanborn's brilliance
on the sax prove to be the right mix on the cover of Deniece
Williams' "Free." He continues his journey to the past
with a thumping rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."
Bluesman Keb Mo' does his thing with "Milky Way," while the
interlude "Pluck" runs like an actual track. Lalah
Hathaway lends her vocals for the jazz cover of Robin Thicke's
"Lost Without You," a great attempt at drawing in today's
younger generation. The spoken word version of the song
closes the album and features actress Taraji P. Henson.
Speaking of spoken word, Marcus enlists Russell Simmons' Def
Poetry's own Shihan the Poet for the track "Cause I Love You."
Lalah Hathaway shows up again for the smoothed out melody
"Ooh." He goes full instrumentation on the stirring
ballad "When I Fall In Love," the melodic "Strum," and the
subdued Miles Davis cover "Jean Pierre." He closes with
his interpretation of Tower of Power's "What Is Hip?"
featuring David Sanborn and the aforementioned spoken
word version of "Lost Without You." If you're a newcomer
to the musical offerings of this Grammy Award-winning artist,
Marcus is a good starting point.
Listen and enjoy Marcus for yourself by visiting
Marcus' Miller's website. |
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