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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



3.5 out of 5 discs

Mariah Carey
E=MC2

The world has had a love/hate relationship with Mariah Carey when it comes to her music.  She stormed on the scene back in 1990 (wow, that's a long time ago), and has managed to weather the good, the bad, and the ugly throughout the years.  Many love her for her ballads, others like her Top 40 Pop songs, while few seem to enjoy her collaborations with rappers.  Well, all three of those are present on E=MC2, giving her broad fan base a little taste of everything.  Her standout ballads include "I Stay In Love," "Love Story," and "Bye Bye."  "Last Kiss" is a decent cut, but it isn't polished like many of Mariah's career ballads.  She dabbles a little with the Hip-Hop crowd on songs like the run-of-the-mill track "Migrate" featuring T-Pain and the halfway decent cut "Side Effects" featuring Young Jeezy.  Her collaboration with Damien Marley on "Cruise Control" has a tinge of reggae for the melody and comes across a lot more convincing overall.  Her happy-go-lucky tracks include the lead-off Pop single "Touch My Body," the bouncy R&B flavor of both "I'm That Chick" and "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," the eyebrow-raising "Thanx 4 Nothin", the Swizz Beatz produced "O.O.C., and the mid-tempo, mediocre track "For The Record."  She includes (as always) a highly inspirational song, this time it's the album closer "I Wish You Well"  Even though E=MC2 isn't her best offering, it will certainly please most of her fans nonetheless. 



4 out of 5 discs

After being released from prison, Lyfe released his critically acclaimed debut album LYFE 268-192 and captured the R&B market as a result.  He then faltered a bit with the barely gold-selling sophomore effort The Phoenix in 2006.  Lyfe returns on the scene with the release of his third album titled Lyfe Change.  He starts the album with the inspirational "Keep On Dreaming."  He then leads into the song "Warriors," describing all of the folks out there grinding just to get by.  "Never Never Land" talks about walking away from the game for love and for family.  "Brand New" featuring T.I. discusses how he's happy that his woman didn't change when his fame and popularity grew leaps and bounds.  "It's Real" is an slow cut where Lyfe addresses the realness of AIDS and wrapping it up for protection.  "Cops Up" is a good track until the annoying chorus is played, leaving you shaking your head wondering what in the world is going on.  "If You Think You've Got It Bad" is a laid-back reggae track featuring Wyclef Jean that talks about being fortunate about the good things because it could be worse.  The twosome continue their social commentary with "Wild Wild Wild," referencing people's misguided lives and hypocritical behavior.  The crossover potential of "Midnight Train" is undeniable, and it is easily the best offering on the album because it shows that you can say so much with so little.  "Hmmm" is equally as diverse in its delivery, but less likely to be a released single.  "Old School" is a mid-tempo track that is meant more as a feel good song and features Snoop Dogg for a short verse towards the end.  "Will I Ever" is a smoothed out ballad that questions whether or not love will come calling one day.  He does include the song "Baby I'm A Star" as a bonus track, but it doesn't seem like a necessary inclusion.  Lyfe Jennings does a knockout job with Lyfe Change and shouldn't have any difficulty with people relating to his newest material.   

Listen to "Midnight Train" by clicking or copying/pasting this link to your Media Player.

Lyfe Jennings
Lyfe Change

Also Available:
Lyfe Change Deluxe CD/DVD package



2 out of 5 discs

Ray J
All I Feel

Ray J has struggled for years trying to find an identity in the public's eye as anything but Brandy's little brother.  He's tried lurid videotapes, mystifying relationships with celebs, and even on-screen acting and TV personality jobs.  But he always seems to revert back to his love for music, an avenue that hasn't been very formidable for him.  His first album Everything You Want featured the pseudo hit "Let It Go," but it certainly didn't provide much of a significant start to his music career.  The success of "Wait A Minute" on the sophomore effort This Ain't A Game helped spread his name around a little more.  And the song "One Wish" from Raydiation helped his popularity grow a little more, but it still left much to be desired.  With the release of All I Feel, Ray J is hoping to break the one-hit-single-per-album trend, but ultimately he lives up to his legacy.  After an awkward intro, Ray J goes into full raunchy mode with the song "Like To Trick."  The hit single "Sexy Can I" featuring Yung Berg is basically a catchy strip club song, a recurring theme throughout the album.  "Gifts" is another one of those pole-riding tracks, while he tells about cheating on his woman with another on the song "Girl From The Bronx."  He continues a similar tale about being in love with his mistress and his wife on the track "Jump Off."  Yet another similar track is the song "Boyfriend" where he's the self-proclaimed 'boy toy' of another man's wife.  "All I Feel" is a decent cut about not being with his girl anymore, but the song suffers from Ray J's lack of holding his notes properly.  "It's Up To You" has one of the worst choruses ever heard, with an altered voice (possibly a vocoder) used for the lyrics.  "Where You At" featuring The Game is meant to be an anthem for all male and female ballers, but the beat makes the song unbearable. "Real N!ggaz" is just as uninspiring in its delivery, and the inclusion of a sub par verse from Styles P doesn't do much for the song.  He closes with the decent throwback sounds of "Good Girl Gone Bad" featuring Shorty Mack.  If Ray J was hoping that All I Feel would be his breakout album, he's got another thing coming...and that's the unemployment line. 


4 out of 5 discs

The Roots are probably the longest-running active rap crew, and for good reason.  With every project, they put together their own unique mix of music, lyrics, and originality that is unmatched by any other rap entity around.  Their sound transcends Hip-Hop, a move that can be both tricky and ingenious depending on how well it is executed.  Many have been long-standing fans of the Roots, but with each reinvention they capture a new segment of the population that become familiar with their material.  With their eighth studio album Rising Down, The Roots seem to only be concerned with entertaining their legion of fans than conforming their sound to get mass appeal via the radio or television.  The album starts off with Mos Def and Styles P collaborating with the group on the hard-hitting title track "Rising Down."  They keep the energy going for "Get Busy" featuring Peedi Peedi (a.k.a. Peedi Crakk), Dice Raw, and Philadelphia counterpart DJ Jazzy Jeff on the wheels of steel.  Black Thought runs solo for the drum-heavy "75 Bars," while "Criminal" features Brooklyn rapper Saigon and Truck North and a large dose of experimentation when it comes to the music. "I Will Not Apologize" is a decent album track that features Talib Kweli (he's only on the chorus though), Dice Raw, and P.O.R.N.  Malik B. continues his ongoing contributions to The Roots (he disappeared for a number of albums before reappearing on the group's previous album Game Theory) with the song "I Can't Help It."  Truck North, Dice Raw, and P.O.R.N. reappear for the dark tale "Singing Man."  Malik B. and Talib Kweli surface again for "Lost Desire" while Common makes his presence felt for "The Show," a song that speaks to the desire behind being a consummate rapper.  The album closes with the tune "Rising Up" with DC rapper Wale and R&B sensation Chrisette Michelle adding their own flavor to the song.  Rising Down is definitely worth it if you are a long-time fan of the Roots or a Hip-Hop lover looking for something different than the current offerings on the market today.

The Roots
Rising Down

 



4 out of 5 discs

Gnarls Barkley
The Odd Couple

Brian Burton and Thomas Callaway might not be names that you are familiar with, but the two men are far from unknown.  After the overnight sensation of the single "Crazy" and the critically acclaimed debut album St. Elsewhere, the ingenious recording artists that make up Gnarls Barkley became much more than a duo with a humorous moniker.  They broke down all barriers and broke all the rules when it came to appealing to a global audience.  Nobody expected them to be as popular as they did, a sentiment that both Dangermouse and Cee-Lo probably felt as well.  The dynamic duo returns with the highly-anticipated follow-up The Odd Couple, an album that most certainly will be measured up against its predecessor.  "Charity Case" is a fun ditty that leads off the album, while "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" is a slow, drawn-out bluesy track that suits Cee-Lo's distinctive voice perfectly.  "Going On" is a good example of Dangermouse's use of single-time and double-time beats for the same track, a technique rarely heard in today's music.  "Run" is a hyperactive cut that is great for workouts and is far from the lethargic song "Would Be Killer" that follows on the album.  "Open Book" is probably the most abstract selection on the album with both Cee-Lo's idiosyncratic delivery and Dangermouse's production having a purposeful ambiguity to it.  "Whatever" is the perfect title since it captures the apathetic nature of the tale told by Cee-Lo about being alone in the world.  "Surprise" is classic Gnarls fair, while "No Time Soon" sounds nothing like any other Gnarls song because of its stripped down melody and Cee-Lo's extended chanting throughout.  "She Knows" is a short abstract offering with a rather eclectic mix of music behind it.  The welcomed weirdness continues with the uncanny "Blind Mary."  "Neighbors" is another album standout with its infectious melody and Cee-Lo's unrelenting verses.  They end the album with "A Little Better," an contemplative tune that is in line with their other material. It may not be as groundbreaking as St. Elsewhere, but fans of the first album should enjoy most of The Odd Couple.


3.5 out of 5 discs

Rick Ross is back after taking the rap world by storm with his mammoth hit single "Hustlin'" commanding the airwaves, cd decks, and cell phones.  Heck, the ringtone went Platinum before his debut album Port of Miami was even released.  It's unfortunate that this only translated to a Gold album, but the groundwork was laid for him to make his newest project just as anticipated.  He starts off Trilla with the matter-of-fact disposition of  "All I Have In This World" featuring Mannie Fresh, who tactfully uses the famous Scarface line for the chorus.  T-Pain lends a hand for the hard-hitting track "The Boss," while R. Kelly lays his vocals for the alluring cut  "Speedin'"  The old school beat pairs up nicely with Rick's straightforward lyrics on "We Shinin'"  "Money Make Me Come" is for the money-hungry women who ride and die with their hustlin' lovers.  The song sounds mysteriously like Rocko's "Umma Do Me," probably because both were produced by newcomer Drumma Boy.  Trey Songz appears on another hustler's anthem titled "This Is The Life," while Rick continues his street talk and drug references on "This Me."  The radio friendly cut "Here I Am" featuring Nelly and Avery Storm has a mid-tempo flow and is geared to the female listeners.  The clear cut album banger has to be the Jay-Z assisted "Maybach Music," a J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League production you can only hope they'll do a video for.  It is followed nicely with two additional J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League tracks, namely the thumpin' heaters "Billionaire" and "Luxury Tax" featuring Lil Wayne, Trick Daddy, and Young Jeezy.  The album closes with the sub par "Reppin My City" and "I'm Only Human" (yes, the latter idiotically uses the melody from the 80s song by Human League).  Luckily there are more hits than misses on the rapper's sophomore effort, making Trilla a good buy if you're into Rick Ross.

Rick Ross
Trilla

 




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