Clipse - Til The Casket Drops

Artist: Clipse
Album: Til The Casket Drops
Release Date: December 8, 2009

The long awaited 3rd album from the Virgina duo known as Clipse has finally arrived.  Arguably one of the best duos to ever pick up a microphone have had their share of issues and setbacks prior to this release.  Releasing a slew of mixtapes, freestyles and features, not to mention an interesting video blog, they have managed to keep their name in the streets and fans salivating at the mouth while awaiting their  commercial release.

Freedom – This intro to the album is powerful as they mix their killer flow with a rock track.  lyrically assassinating the track.  “Cocaine aside all of the bloggers behoove/ my critics finally have a verse to jerk off to.” – Pusha T (5/5)

Popular Demand Featuring Cam’ron – Here they team up with Cam’ron on a Neptunes beat with a Pharrell assisted hook for their latest single.  The instrumental was custom tailored for their type of flow.  Cam’ron adds something the missing piece to the puzzle. (3.5/5)

Kinda Like A Big Deal Featuing Kanye West – The first single off the album.  This is definitely one of my favorite tracks as they murder this drum heavy interlaced with a mean electric guitar sample.  Teaming up with Kanye is a good look for this track as they both heavily use metaphors to make you rewind and replay the track until you catch each and every one of them. (4/5)

Showin’ Out Featuring Yo Gotti – Opening with their trademark “Yeck!!” The Clipse  dismantle this track with their sharp lyricism.  The appearance of Yo Gotti on this track is a surprise but he seemed to hold his own with all the cocaine rap that is spewed throughout this track. (4/5)

I’m Good Featuring Pharrell – The second single released seems to be going for a radio friendly vibe while still staying true to their roots.  This track demonstrates that they can take street rap and make it marketable and radio friendly. (4/5)

There Was a Murder – This spaced out instrumental seems rather busy.  Likable but busy nonetheless.  Not one of the best tracks but they still managed to lyrically carry where the instrumental failed. (3/5)

Door man -Money talk is heavy on this one as they say in the hook ” I put my money on the roof and crush this B****h.  The beat is amazing, yet simple as they rap about money, cocaine and cars. I’m not really a big fan of the topic from them because it seems to easy to rap about having money and buying nice things.  Anybody can do that. (3.5/5)

Never Will It Stop Featuring Ab-Liva -A rags to riches type theme with an assist from fellow re-up gang member Ab- Liva. (3/5)

All Eyes On Me Featuring Keri Hilson -The third single seems to be aimed at the clubs with the Neptunes produced House/club music inspired track.  This was definitely meant to have you out of your seats and on the floor dancing. (4/5)

Counseling Featuring Pharrell and Nicole Hurst -The instrumental and hook are a good fit as the duo speak about needing counseling for their lust for women and fast luxurious cars and things. (3.5/5)

Champion Featuring Pharrell -I really like the ‘bigness’ of this track as they proclaim to be the champion of this rap game. (4/5)

Footsteps -Reminiscent of something from Lord Willin’, they murder this this track. The hook seems out of place. (3.5/5)

Life Change Featuring Pharrell and Kenna -On this track they speak about how life evolves and changes over time.  What was relevant yesterday is not today. (4/5)

This album is not a disappointment if you are a Clipse fan.  If you are not a Clipse fan then you may become one after listening to this album.  They seemed to somehow keep their raw essence but at the same time open themselves up to a new audience.  Some of the standout tracks to me are Freedom, Kinda Like a Big Deal,  I’m Good and Showin’ Out.

Overall I give this album a 4.5 out of 5.

Great Album! Definitely worth the purchase price.

Wale - Attention: Deficit

Artist: Wale

Album: Attention: Deficit

Release Date: Nov 10 2009

As Wale releases his long awaited debut album the question is, can he translate his mixtape success to a major label release?  While he has been able to bring some much needed attention to the DMV rap/hip hop scene, will carrying a city on his back be too much or will he handle it with grace and become a star?

Triumph: On this Drum and trumpet heavy Kanye West track, Wale does his best to introduce you to his style of metaphorical delivery.  ” Tommy Frazier on the 1′s and 2′s/or Michael Vick if yall bark ni**a yall through.” 3.5/5

Mama Told Me: Wale slightly infuses Go-Go into this track with the congo drums playing in the background of this soulful track.  Here he raps of the hardships that occur while he’s trying to put the DC rap game on the map. He seems to flow effortlessly over the track with ease. 4/5

Mirrors Feat. Bun B: Easily one of my favorite tracks.  He once again collaborates with one of my favorite Rappers, Bun B on a major level.  Though he is out shined, he holds his own against the veteran in a tale of how he believes he is better than the current slate of  rappers. 4.5/5

Pretty Girls Feat. Gucci Mane & Weensey: Not one of my favorites on the album.  To no fault of Wale but his features seems to fail him.  Gucci Mane is at his best, if you call it that and Weensey’s voice drives me crazy.  This song really fuses current hip hop with the Go-Go I grew up on. The instrumental is heavy with drums and is great for his third single. 2.5/5

World Tour Feat. Jazmine Sullivan: He teams up with Jazmine Sullivan on the second single to explain how his life is like a world tour and the problems that this jet setting can cause.  Stress, not getting due respect, disappointing his parents because if his choice of career, relationship falling apart but also the good things that come along with it. 4/5

Let it Loose Feat. Pharrell: Pharrell jumps on this track to add another element to this already dope instrumental. Wale seems to be holding back as he flows with Pharrell on the hook. 3/5

90210: This is one of my favorites as well.  Here he raps over a crazy bass heavy instrumental about the perils of living the fast life.  Lyrically taking us through a journey of how a girl will do anything from bulimia to cocaine to be a part of the ‘in’ crowd. 4.5/5

Shades Feat. Chrisette Michelle: As a darker skinned brother with a once  anti light skinned girls complex I can totally relate to this song.  Here he takes us through a time in his life when Black wasn’t so beautiful.  Chrisette’s beautiful voice compliments this track and his verses so well as she croons the hook. 4.5/5

Chillin Feat. Lady Gaga: The lead single off the album.  Teaming up with Lady Gaga on this smash as he raps about the lighter side of rap. 4/5

TV in The Radio Feat. K’naan: Teaming up with fellow African K’naan (Somalian) for an African connection of sorts.  Once again he seems to be holding back and is almost outdone on this one as K’naan raps the hook and gives a great end verse. 3.5/5

Contemplate Feat. Rihanna: He contemplates why he’s with a female that doesn’t want to be with him. The relationship is over as they contemplate why. He definitely gives his all over this slow instrumental. 4/5

Diary Feat. Marsha Ambrosius: Another slow track accompanied this time by Marsha Ambrosius (Formerly of Floetry).  This time he puts himself in the shoes of a young black girl as she writes in her diary about the bad relationships she’s in with him. Very well written. 4/5

Beautiful Bliss Feat. J. Cole & Melanie Fiona: This is beautiful bliss! Basically.  Here the future of Roc Nation (well, not exactly. See Wale is signed to Interscope as an artist but is managed and does his touring through Roc Nation/Live Nation) team up to wreak havoc on this track.  With Melanie Fiona’s soulful voice on the chorus and J. Cole providing the best verse I’ve heard in a long time, this song is definitely a hit.  Wale is out shined once again by his featured guest but still provides a well written verse nonetheless. 5/5

Prescription:  A nice horn heavy instrumental that he metaphorically describes himself as the prescription to the sickness that has taken over hip hop.  He is that medication that he hopes will save the game.  He ends this song and album masterfully with a spoken word rant of sorts about hip hop. 3.5/5

This album is an introduction for some to his ability as a lyricist.  Though at times I feel that he was holding back and could have done a better job, the wait for this album was worth it.  I feel like some of his metaphors and punchlines can get lost in the record at times because he throws so many out at once.  You may not get what he’s saying until you’ve replayed the song a few times.  Some of the standout cuts are Mirrors, 90210, Shades, TV In The Radio and Beautiful Bliss. This is a feature heavy album and at times that can play to his advantage like on Shades and sometimes to his disadvantage like Pretty Girls. Though it could have been better at times, it beckons back to a time in hip hop when lyrics actually meant something and made sense.

Overall, this album is solid for a major label debut and he proves that he can make the jump from the underground to Major label success. I give this album a 3.5 out of 5.

Solid Album. Worth the Purchase.

A few albums that I’m really digging but I haven’t had time to write full reviews on. They are on the way, just have allot of other things going on right now.

Mario - D.N.A.

Trey Songz - Ready

Melanie Fiona - The Bridge

Wale - Attention Deficit

Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt 2

Ghostface Killah - Wizards of Poetry in Emerald City

Okay so in efforts to use this new video camera that I purchased I am going to do video reviews of albums in addition to the regular album reviews. I’ll still do the album reviews with the track list breakdown but the video will accompany the written reviews. Just a little something extra.

That is all.
Sincere

Letoya Luckett - Lady Love

Artist: letoya Luckett

Album: Lady Love

Release Date: 8.25.09

Lady Love is the sophomore release, and follow up to the certified platinum self title solo debut, from the H-town resident. With this album the ASCAP and Grammy award winning singer/songwriter proves that she has what it takes to remain a force in the world of female R & B.

Track listing review below:

Lady Love – The first track is an upbeat tune introducing you to her vocal ability and setting the tone for the rest for the rest of the album. (3/5)

She Ain’t Got – This rock infused track is the second officially released single. The instrumental is something that could easily get airplay on top 40, pop & R & B stations as well as urban outlets. Think Lady Gaga or Fergie type track. Even though it’s not a typical R & B track she holds her own as she sings of a cheating lover’s taste in a mistress. (4/5)

Not Anymore – This ballad is the first official single and my one of my favorites. The instrumental is light and piano based allowing her voice to shine on the melody. She sings of being tired of her relationship and not dealing with it anymore. (5/5)

Lazy – Here she sings of not wanting to be in another relationship because she feels she can’t handle it after having so many bad relationships in the past. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ type of message. She once again matches the instrumental vocally, though the track seems kind of big. (3.5/5)

Good To Me – This track reminds me of some prince in his Purple Rain or Under the Cherry Moon phase. Slow, with repetitive piano chords throughout and heavy drum loop. She sings of the things she wants in a man with him just being good to her as the undertone. (4/5)

Over – This is another favorite of mine. On this slow ballad she sings of ending it with a cheating boyfriend in a ‘what if’ scenario of all the things that he actually did. The echo in the hook of “Over” is really well done and fits perfectly. (4.5/5)

Regret Feat. Ludacris – With an assist from Ludacris on the third official single Letoya sings of how her Ex is regretting leaving her and wants to be back with her. This slow melody really suits her. The track is very similar and sounds like a slowed version of Mary Mary’s God in Me. Ludacris didn’t seem to do his best on this one but nonetheless it’s a great collaboration. (3.5/5)

I Need A U – This is a sexy ballad. She whispers the melody over a slow organ infused track as she sings of her fantasy guy to come and “ease her pain” of loneliness. The Guitar solo on the bridge puts this over the top. (5/5)

Take Away Love Feat. Estelle – On this mid tempo track she has some real talk with Estelle about a guy that just doesn’t seem to understand that she can’t be with him right now. They decide that she should take her love away. Not one of my favorites but it’s still a great track and the Estelle collaboration works. (3/5)

After Party – An up-tempo track compared to the rest of the album. She sings of the after party being the next relationship because the one she’s in isn’t working. The instrumental is simple, allowing her to do her thing. (3/5)

Drained – I like this one. The instrumental reminds me of an old school Nintendo game though. Here she admits to draining the love from the relationship, breaking his heart and possibly ruining future relationships. (3.5/5)

Tears – She glides over this sultry ballad and sings of how love has brought her to tears of joys. This is something that she hasn’t experienced before and can’t understand why she feels so wonderful yet she is in tears. (4/5)

Matter – On this simple drum heavy ballad she sings of how her ex boyfriend’s new girlfriend doesn’t matter because she can’t do the things that she was able to do. A classic song of love lost and regret. (4/5)

Love Rollercoaster Feat. Mims – Mims seems to shine a little more as Letoya is relegated to the chorus and bridge. The mid tempo instrumental is one of the busier tracks on the album. She seems to easily groove though as she sings of love’s ups and downs. (3.5/5)

Don’t Need U – On this Beat box driven instrumental, Letoya sings of realizing that she must move on and that she doesn’t need her ex in her life anymore. (3.5/5)

This album solidifies that not all artists suffer from the “sophomore jinx” musically. Her talent is undeniable and the production is simple and not overdone, allowing her voice to shine and carry the song as opposed to the music carrying her voice. The tone for this album seems to be of a relationship lost. This is definitely worth the purchase price.

Overall I give this album 4 out of 5.

4 Out of 5 Stars = Great Album.

Ginuwine A Man's Thoughts

Artist: Ginuwine
Album: A Man’s Thoughts
Release Date: 6-23-2009

A Man’s Thoughts is the highly anticipated sixth album from Ginuwine. This album definitely marks Ginuwine’s comeback to the world of R and B. Even though he’s been gone for a while he’s back to prove that he still has what it takes. As a veteran in this game, his influence can be heard in the newer artists such as Pleasure P, Mario, Chris Brown, Omarion and just about every young male singer out.

Interlude – During the intro he thanks his true fans for supporting his 13 year career and dedicates the album to them.

Show Off – This piano laden track easily demonstrates his vocal ability. The beginning would lead you to believe that it’s a slow burner, until about 5 bars into it. The beat totally flips and becomes a dance track. It reminds me of a Day 26 track as he sings about telling his lady to show off her beauty.

Trouble Featuring Bun B – This seems forced to me for some reason. Bun B saved this one from being skipped over. It’s a good song but something is off. It’s Beat driven and dance worthy nonetheless.

Last Chance – This is the first slow burner of the album. Here he croons about doing whatever he has to do to win her love, if it’s his last chance. This is genuine Ginuwine here.

One Time For Love – On this piano acoustic track he sings of the trials of love, both good and bad. A beautiful song, lyrically and instrumentally.

Open The Door – A kind of funky little track as he sings asking his young lady to open the door to her heart.

Get Involved Featuring Timberland and Missy Elliott – He teams up once again with Timberland and Missy on this house influenced dance track. This is a great dance track, but can wane on you after a while.

Orchestra - Accompanied by a beautiful piano solo, he compares his love making to that of an orchestra. The instrumental seems a little too busy for this theme of the lyrics and title but still an okay track.

Touch Me – This song reminds me of the old Ginuwine. It has an old school feel to it. It’s either the simplicity of the track or the melody, I’m not sure which. Here he swoons as he loses his mind as she touches him.

Lying To Each Other – On this over synthesized track he sings of the woes of relationships and how all they do is argue, but lie to each other saying how happy they are in the broken relationship just to make it through. A story most people can relate to or have gone through at some point in a relationship.

Even When I’m Mad – Here he explains that regardless of how mad he is or what happens that he will be there to take care of her and has her back. “Even at your worst, I gotta put you first. We’ve come too far to put this in reverse.”

Bridge To Love Featuring Brandy – Drum and bass heavy track about not being afraid to cross that bridge called love. They sound nice together. Both of their voices compliment the track.

Used To Be The One – On this track he asks how he can make his relationship better and get back to being the better man he was before. Not one of my favorites on the album. The track is a little too busy for my taste.

Show Me The Way – A beautiful melodic love song about being in love and loving it.

Overall, this album proves that he still has what it takes and though I don’t think he’ll win over the younger crowd that may not know of his earlier work, he doesn’t disappoint his loyal fans.

I give this album 3.5 out of 5.

3.5 Out Of 5 An Average Album

Pleasure P - The Introduction Of Marcus Cooper

“The Introduction of Marcus Cooper“, the debut album from former “Pretty Ricky” member Pleasure P, arrived in stores and online on June 9th 2009.  As the first member to leave the group, he seems to have found success outside of the foolishness that is that group. The track by track review is below.

I’m A Beast Featuring Yung Joc – The self proclaimed “bad boy of R & B” comes out the gate with a fast up-tempo bouncy track. Even though it’s upbeat it’s still ‘grindable’. On this track he brags about his love making ability with an assist from Yung Joc.

Boyfriend #2 – The second single of this album. Here he sings about being that 2^nd man, if the first doesn’t do the job. This song is catchy and actually sets the tone for the remainder of the album.

Tender Roni (Handcuffin) – This slow jam is somewhat of a continuation of ‘Boyfriend #2’. Here he croons about not wanting to sneak around anymore and make her his official “Tender Roni”. The song is well written.

Under – Another slow dragger that shows off his vocal ability. Here he displays his falsetto skills. This is one of my favorites. It’s definitely on “baby maker” status.

Let Me – The heavy drums and instrumental are reminiscent of old school prince. Think Purple Rain era. The lyrics flow effortlessly over the melody as he sings about asking her to let him turn her on while spelling her name with his tongue.

Gotta Have You – This piano/synthesizer heavy track is easily a repetitive choice. He sings of a former love that, after seeing her with another, wants to have again.

Did You Wrong - The first single, and an easy favorite. On this slow piano driven instrumental he sings of the heartaches of a relationship and how to deal with it. I’m sure we’ve all been there.

Your Love – This track has that old school feel to it. Not his best vocal performance but he carries the song nonetheless.

Fire Lovin – This is the first uptempo-ish song as he sings of promising great love making every night, if she chooses to be his girl.

Birthday Suit – Over this melodic mid tempo track he sings of umm… her birthday suit…

Illusion – This song also has that old school Jodeci, Teddy Riley’s New jack Swing to me, even though it’s a slow song. This song seems well written, but once again this is not a great vocal performance but I think it’s meant to sound that way.

Dream In The Air – This is a big song. Here he sings of reaching your dreams and not letting anything stop you from reaching it. Very inspirational message of not giving up and letting others stop you from achieving your dream, no matter how impossible it may seem.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It came out a lot better than I expected. His vocal ability is evident and he will only get better in time. I give this album a 4 out of 5.

4 out of 5 stars = A solid album worth purchasing.

The much hyped debut album from newcomer Asher Roth was
finally released on 4/20/09. He has been receiving acclaim and buzz ever since
Don Cannon and DJ Drama joined forces to drop the mixtape known as the Greenhouse
Effect . Seems every rapper relevant in the game is co signing for him.
Let’s see if he can live up to the hype and deliver.