Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang

The New and Improved

Gone is the Busta Rhymes you knew. Gone is the WOOHA! Gone is the animated, bug-eyed, crazy color-wearing MC from the late ‘90s. Gone are the dreads. Gone. What stands in his place is a close cropped, introspective musician that has switched up his style. One step closer to bringing New York back (where many believe rap belongs). One step closer to bringing rap back. He’s with a new label and equipped with better production. An older, wiser Busta Rhymes strives for a new beginning with the aptly titled LP, The Big Bang.

The highly respected Dr. Dre starts off the album with a highly lackluster intro entitled Get You Some. Dre holds up his end of the bargain but Busta proves himself to be a slow starter. New York Shit shines as the brightest star on the first half of the album. Swizz and Busta try single handedly to resurrect New York with this single and it probably could work except for the fact that hip hop is anchored so deeply in the south right now. The smooth baseline and lethargic melody coupled with the inflection that is Busta Rhymes creates the perfect anthem. The Big Bang gets some help from the unexpected feature of Rick James on In the Ghetto. This track resembles the musical complexity of Andre 3000 matched with the simplicity of a trumpet laced beat provided by DJ Green Lantern. Not to mention this is one of Busta Rhymes strongest cuts lyrically. Armed with Q-Tip and J-Dilla, Busta Rhymes spits on a throwback to the early ‘90s and bashes the state of the game today in You Can’t Hold a Candle.

Busta Rhymes sounds determined not to turn into the “fall offs” that he discusses on the last track of the album. This is an extremely solid project laced with features but devoid of the feel of a compilation. This is purely Busta and we hear that from the first second of sound. He’s older, but not the Busta of old. The production has been thoroughly upgraded and he relies more on substance than shock value and crazy visuals. This album, not quite a masterpiece, is by far one of his best.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: Touch It, Cocaina, Goldmine, In the Ghetto

Dem Franchize Boyz - On Top of Our Game

On Top of What?!

Similar to screw music and twisting to their respective areas, the snap sound has probably been around ATL for years before it went nationwide with groups like Dem Franchize Boyz and D4L. The problem with a regional sound is that once it hits the mainstream, fickle fans get sick real quick. Luckily DFB provides enough variety on On Top of Our Game that redundancy isn’t an issue, but quality is. The songs that you’ve heard on the radio are all you need to hear on this album.

The album is kicked off with My Music and a featuring from the southern legend Bun B. Ridin’ Rims is probably the best on the album that gets no radio play, but that’s not saying much. It’s entertaining; it makes for a nice flossin’ song and almost anything is right with a touch of JD. Lean Wit It Rock Wit It is the song that teaches you how to do that ATL snap dance that everyone is doing right now. The beat is simple yet sufficient to get you leanin’ and rockin’, but two Fat Joe references in the same song? Step your rap game up. As if the album weren’t bad enough, DFB drops the gem Stop Callin’ Me. This track is perhaps the most ignorant noise that I have heard in a long, long time. I would say listen to it once so you get my point, but really it’s not worth your time.

Hands down, JD makes hot songs. But he can’t make artists that aren’t hot, hot. And the one problem that DFB has is the bane of being horrible. So really, if you want to hear DFB, continue to listen to the radio, continue to watch MTV and BET, but whatever you do, don’t buy/get/illegally obtain/listen to On Top of Our Game. Another thing they’re not.

Lil’ Wayne - The Carter II

We're Waiting.

His voice is unmistakable. That N.O. gumbo flow mixed with the raspy Louisiana cadence hits the track running rarely missing a step. We have seen Lil’ Wayne grow from Hot Boyz fame to his current grown man swagger. He has definitely come into his own as one of the premier rappers in the south if not the entire game. Influenced by Hov and driven by home, this New Orleans rapper creates a sound that appeals to fans all across the country. The Carter II just might be the beginning of the rise from regional dominance to superstar status.

Wayne took putting your best foot forward to heart when he made Tha Mobb the first track. Hands down the best track on the whole album, it is five and a half minutes of fire that the fireman should come with on every song. There seems to be a pattern with Lil Wayne and the hot cuts on this album. If there is no hook, then most likely it’s going to be a keeper. Fly In and Fly Out, produced by T-Mix both shine along with Tha Mobb. And Oh No is yet another example of Weezy getting loose without a chorus. Huslter Musik has that sit back track sound with a funky mellow beat that Wayne rides relentlessly. The Heatmakerz come with their familiar sample sound on Receipt and Weezy raps and ode to his woman over snares and bass. Shooter seems a little uncharacteristic to Wayne’s usually edgy flow but this has to be a favorite of The Carter II. The sounds are so contrasting that it makes the final product unique. Weezy Baby is a personal favorite because I now know what the hell “weezy f. baby, please say the baby” means. It still doesn’t make much sense but I get the meaning.

After perusing The Carter II, I am positive that Wayne is the best no hook rapper out right now. No contest. Wayne is at his premium when he just gets on a beat and straight spits, whether written or free, and he has numerous examples on The Carter II. In these cuts he thinks of the cleverest one liners that I’ve heard from any rapper in a long time. The production was good and rather fitting for this album. T-Mix and Heatmakerz supplied the bulk of the beats and created a sound that fits with Wayne’s style. Overall, the album was par but nothing more. If you want to hear Weezy at his finest, get a mixtape, don’t buy an album. His albums don’t reflect what he is capable of as a complete rapper. The flow is bananas, apples, oranges and all that but the lyrics are lacking and his songs are not entirely cohesive. He reminds me of that kid with ADD. You know he has the potential to excel, but he’s all over the place.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 matches

Hot Trax: Tha Mobb, Shooter, Feel Me, Hustler Musik

Juelz Santana - What the Game's been Missin'

Not Quite.

The first time I heard Juelz Santana was on Welcome to New York City with Cam and Jay-Z. Oh Boy was the first time I heard him and knew who he was. That was the anthem that summer. The shit was mad catchy and it didn’t matter what they were saying…you just said “oh boy” after it. Well this album is not exactly what the game’s been missing. Really it’s not even close and in face it’s exactly what the game needs less of; the formula of charismatic rappers over catchy beats saying next to nothing. The game is flooded with them. The game is drowning because of them. Santana is one of many.

Oh Yes is the first track to jump out at you on the album. We all recognize the song and Santana succeeds in giving “wai-ai-ait” a whole new meaning. The song will definitely get you moving and although cheesy no one else has a place on that track besides one of the Purple City Bird Gang. Jeezy and Lil Wayne make an appearance on a cut that looks promising on paper. But the two cameos got their Santana on. I am Crack (me shaking my head). Real bold Juelz. Unless you are rocks in a vial, you are not crack. Period. The last redeeming value of this album would definitely be Mic Check. The beat is crazy thick and it’s probably something you’re going to be singing along to.

You know how you keep buying Tyson fights expecting to see Tyson knock a dude out like he did in the late 80s and early 90s? You keep lying to yourself, convinced that this will be the time that the real Mike shows up. Well this is Santana in the flesh. You want him to be Cam, you expect him to be as amusing, but he doesn’t quite make it. He’s Bleek to Jay, Nashawn to Nas, Harold Minor, Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse to Jordan. He just never panned out. This album is no different. Juelz Santana has energy and hot beats, but you need a little more than that to make good product. Get your wai-ai-ait up!

Hot Trax: Lil Boy Fresh, Oh Yes, Good Times, Mic Check

Black Rob - The Black Rob Report

Where You Been?

When was the last time we heard from Black Rob? Whoa, it’s been a minute. But did you think you were ever going to hear from him again? All of a sudden he drops. No single, no radio play and very little promotion. He just showed up; SURPRISE! This report to let you know that he’s still alive (barely…have you seen him?) and he’s still an MC. The first go around, that dude from Spanish Harlem didn’t even get a chance to let you know what kind of MC he was. But this time, as they say in Texas, he showed his naked ass. He knows he isn’t going to do big numbers. Diddy knows that too. This album, untouched by the Bad Boy glam of the late 90s, is The Black Rob Report.

The trial of Black Rob begins this album. They Heard I got Life, the first full track on the record has a nice sound except that Rob doesn’t make much sense on it. He sounds more like a punch drunk boxer during a post fight interview. Then Akon makes an appearance on Watch Your Movements combining with Rob to make one of the few hits on the album. The title B.R. is indicative of the song. Mad simple. So simple that it is borderline lazy. Ready is also a diamond in the rough employing an old school beat and an army of little kids on the ultimate shit talk track. B.L.A.C.K. is a real mellow banger in which his verses are interrupted by periodic radio like spellings of his name. Team is the track that makes this album totally incredible (not a good thing) to me. Rob shares his album with a bunch of people that Diddy selected from an MTV reality show…not exactly how you want to represent yourself Rob. Unless, of course, Diddy made you do it.

The whole album really sounds like it should have been released in the mid 90s. It has that kind of sound along with that kind of flow. There are no glittery beats, sure hit singles or made for club anthems and that’s what I like about it. Black Rob kept it real Black Rob this time. But what happened to that BR that we used to know? The one who could have emerged as Bad Boy’s second best storyteller? It seems like he never came to fruition. He shows a glimmer of the skill he showcased on Life Story, but he’s been away far too long. Valiant effort Black. You had about 3 or 4 hot ones, but the rest…not so good. The last track is called The Verdict. The judge or the jury foreman starts to read it, but the track ends before it is announced…so I’ll finish. Guilty. Guilty of wackness in the second degree, but he gets off with 3 years probation.

Hot Trax: Ready, B.L.A.C.K., Ya’ll Know Who Killed Him, Smile In Ya Face

Twista - The Day After

The Days After...?

The name says it all. Two seconds into a track, you already know who it is with no hesitation. Twista has made a career out of his rapid fire flow which at first seemed kind of gimmicky but in the end established itself as rather unique. Roger Troutman’s computer machine was gimmicky. Twista’s flow is quite genuine. He took a regional sound and made it recognizable across the nation. So recognizable that if another dude from the Chi tried to establish himself as a twisting rapper he would be accused of biting. His last album, Kamikaze, was one of the best albums of that year and it was the first time that he had gained somewhat of a following that wasn’t cultish. The Day After failed to capture that magic and was an extreme drop in quality from his previous effort.

There was a time when a Twista intro was something to look forward to…but not this time. Get it How You Live gives us a break from his normal flow and shows that he can slow it down and sound just as good. A little help from Scott Storch didn’t hurt either. Do Wrong is a track that features Lil’ Kim and a sample from Al Green. This track didn’t disappoint, but Twista could have schooled Kim before she tried to mimic his style. On Heartbeat, Twista does a duet with…a demon? It was a good stab at creativity, but the song was wack all the same. Hip-hop’s favorite cameo (Pitbull) brings it on Hit the Floor, a song that will make you do just that if you’re up in the club.

Has he come with a weak verse in recent memory? No. I don’t think so. But he definitely has done his share of hot garbage tracks (mostly on this album). Hooks have never been his strength which is evident on his solo projects. The album also gets repetitive at times. Yes the thighs are thick, yes she looks good in a thong and we believe that you can’t wait to get shorty home, so there is no need to reiterate on every other song. It seems that he has gotten comfortable in his old age. A phrase that no rapper ever wants to hear in his career, but it’s the truth. He’s been grinding for years, at least 15. In this decade, he’s become a very formidable and recognizable artist. He was still hungry when Adrenaline Rush and Kamikaze came out. Now he is not. Twista’s paid…and it shows.

Hot Trax: I’m A Winner, Hit the Floor, Do Wrong, Girl Tonite

Lil’ Kim - The Naked Truth

More Than a Woman

I was curious. Kim has been holding it down for female rappers since she dropped Hardcore. She held her own in a game dominated by men, but how many of you cats put her joint in the whip and rode around to it? She was respected. Not as an artist, but as a female artist. She repped BK. She rocked ice. She pimped the Gucci frames. But she wasn’t B.I.G., she was Lil’…and she was a girl.

I’m still curious. Fresh off of a federal case, in which she was convicted and sentenced to serve a year and a day, she dropped The Naked Truth. What does she have to give to her fans before she spends a whole 366 in the Bing? What made them give her 5 whole microphones? I was curious. I never found the answer.

She did surprise the hell out of me with that single though. She had a new voice and a sing-songy flow that you had to nod to. Whoa is crippled by the 1980s pop sound that isn’t exactly considered retro or cool at the moment. We knew it was coming, but it’s All Good (a BIG sample on the album). On I Know U See Me Kim shows off her ability to sound like…T.I. It’s okay though because it displays her versatility to get slow and smooth like a southerner. Then she turns right around and sounds like Eminem on Quiet. Subliminals? Despite her imitations, she switches up flows constantly, which is to be commended.

The Naked Truth is definitely her magnum opus. In fact, it was a lot better than many of the albums that have come out this year. And that, believe it or not, is not a testament to the futility of the “game” but a genuine compliment to her work. It shines as a complete album. Kimberly Jones has absolutely stepped her flow game up and I applaud this record. It shows her growth as an MC. Lil’ Kim has been blessed and hurt with the gift and the curse of being the minority in her field. You have to be NICE to succeed as a woman in rap, but then again you’ll always be the woman in rap. She’s in a rut where she will only be compared to other women in the game when the truth is she’s better than some of the dudes.

Hot Trax: Spell Check, Lighters Up, All Good, We Don’t Give a Fuck

David Banner - Certified

Certificate of Mediocrity

Crunk. It’s what’s hot in the streets right now. Or it was about two years ago. It seems that David Banner gained recognition during the “A-Town Revolution” back when it was cool to yell on the verses and scream on the hooks. Excuse me sir, but I think it is time to move on. To his credit, he has dispensed some of the hottest beats of this very young century. But for an artist like Banner, I expect more from his solo efforts. Banner comes off as one of the few artists of the Crunk Era that mixes in actual substance with his style. This album is half and half. Half of that good ol’ down south, homegrown ignorance and the other half is good, but still not what I expect from David David David Banner.

Certified opens with the unfamiliar: a rock guitar in a southern hip hop track. Lost Souls provides what to look for in a David Banner album; His ability to talk shit about what’s going on with his people. Treat Me Like is the classic rumble in the club song, a niche carved out by the south. Banner also gets a little help from the L.O.X.’s front man Jadakiss. On Everything mixes with one of Chi-town’s finest to create, what I think, is the hottest track on the record. Westside is an ode to his hip hop heroes out West in which he employs the West Coast sound to compliment his dirty south flow. The pimp mentality on record, created and perfected by none other than Too Short is on display with Take Your featuring Bun B.

Banner gathers the help of many different artists on his latest LP. Jada, Too Short, Dead Prez, Kweli and Bun B just to name a few. But what is special about these collaborations is that, with their styles, they find a way to meet in the middle, creating a hybrid geographical mix. And Banner is never afraid to let you know where he is from. But the weakness of the album lies in the chanty and repetitive hooks in which he (or someone else) yells the same thing over and over again. It may slide for a few songs but more than half the album is way too much. Other than that, Certified is tolerable. It’s not one of those records that’s going to jump out at you when you put it on. But it’s good, and nothing more.

Hot Trax: Lost Souls, On Everything, Take Your, Ridin

Kanye West - Late Registration

He's Major

Often, we see an MC drop consecutive albums. Rarely do we see an MC drop consecutive hot albums. Never do we see a producer moonlighting as a rapper drop two consecutive vials of crack. Damn Kanye. I was sleeping. I was waiting for it to drop, but I knew it couldn’t have touched the quality and completion of The College Dropout. I listened to it once and was interested. I listened to it twice and was impressed. I listened a third time and was sure that the same lightning had struck on two different track lists. Musically, the album is as close to flawless as one can achieve. With the blend of hip hop and cinematic score, Kanye has carved out a niche that can’t be copied by others or reproduced by him. Lyrically, there are many better MCs, but no one sounds better on a Kanye beat than Kanye. And he continues to prove that with Late Registration.

“Wake up Mr. West!” We open to Bernie Mac sounding something like a constipated old man. He blends into a somewhat primitive beat that introduces us to the sweet sound of the old ivory keys. From here on out, Kanye keeps your ear to the speaker. Touch The Sky gets the head moving with the blaring horns and newcomer Lupe Fiasco. Drive Slow jumps on the Houston highway employing the talents of Paul Wall and the legendary screw sound. I can’t help but imagine how much better Crack Music would be if The Game had an actual verse, regardless, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. Kanye also gets some help from Nas on We Major by dropping one of the hottest verses of the year. Every song is solid and whenever you put it in the stereo; you’re going to want to listen to it from beginning to end.

Although feature-heavy, this album is undeniably all Kanye all the time. Most of the guests contribute just the right piece that makes the track complete. How many people can boast that two of the greatest rappers ever (Nas and Hov) were on their album? For this reason, Kanye West has emerged as a musical genius in the world of hip hop. For the hip hop ignorant, he sounds like much more than noise on beats. For the hip hop savvy, he has raised the bar for every beat head on the planet. Leaving Late Registration only leaves you anticipating his next LP.

Hot Trax: All…except Addiction

AZ - AWOL

Sleep No More.

AZ is one of the most enigmatic rappers of our time. Lyrically, his name should be mentioned along with the greats, yet not many know who he is. He’s a shadow of a rapper. He moves through the industry dropping off diamonds, kind of like a thief in reverse, and then he’s on his merry way. This one doesn’t complain about how much he doesn’t sell. He’s never switched his style to keep up with the times. He’s always been AZ all the time. AWOL sounds like a whole different animal. It’s vintage, classic and unmistakably AZ. He still as never managed to match the best bars with the baddest beats, but with this album, he comes closest. AZ’s One of the few rappers who can hold the title of being your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. But again, with no fanfare. His M.O. is under. Underrated and underappreciated. Understand why AZ is still “that dude” yet still under the radar.

“You know my persona.” These are the first words of his latest LP. Oh, we know and the tables are set. Can’t Stop provides ample hip-hop quotable material. Each verse keeps the same end rhyme yet avoids being monotonous. Still Alive starts with…”If you in the club.” That’s not what I want to hear AZ say at the beginning of a song. The beat is distracting (read wack) and the hook is empty, making this one the weakest tracks on the album (Envious being the other). He quickly makes up for it with AZ’s Chillin. Here he mixes the simple rhyme pattern of RUN DMC with that AZ flow. Bedtime Story had potential but it faded out right in the middle which leads me to believe that the first verse was the only thing worth keeping. Envious, in my humble opinion, should have never been recorded. The beat is way too simple (also read wack) and his flow struggles on it. No comment on Bounty Killer. A.W.O.L. provides the perfect bookend to AZ’s newest album. No hooks just verse. Now that’s real hip hop.

Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone. Three Hall of Famers who never won a championship. AZ is the equivalent in hip hop. The Jimi Hendrix of rap. Everyone likes him, but no one listens to him. He never got the acclaim he deserved. He never got his shine because he never sold that many records. He never got his hands on that championship. AWOL is a statement. Especially with rap in the shape that it is in today, people are going to listen. More will finally realize what few already knew.

Hot Trax: So Sincere, Can’t Stop, AZ’s Chillin’, City of Gods, A.W.O.L

Kurupt - Against the Grain

Walking Dead

“Enter coast here” music will always be hot on said coast. West coast riders will forever bump west coast music. East coast thugs will always knock that New York sound and rappers from the third coast will, well…be crunk. With that said, let’s discuss Kurupt, Young Gotti, Gotti bin Laden, Neo Hoffa, Gotti Vorhees or whatever he wants to be called. Why do I feel like only cats on the west coast would like this album? Against the Grain is chock full of beats with those loud Cali claps and synthesized sounds that you would only hear on an album recorded way west of the Mississippi. Now I’m not saying it is a wack record because it may have been hot to someone on the west. All I’m saying is there is no market for it outside of California. The flow is ehhh….the beats are ehhhhh… but Against the Grain is 100% Cali. What does that say about west coast music?

After the extra terrestrial introduction, Kurupt welcomes us with his first full track, Speak on It, which mostly accuses certain rappers of trying to be the “new” Pac and everyone else for trying to be Death Row. Can U Feel It is a skeleton of a feel good track that attempts at summer anthem status, but doesn’t quite make it. The beat is thin and Kurupt isn’t bringing much to the table lyrically. Slide N Slide Out is reminiscent of the California tunes that once ruled the air waves in the early 90s. Kurupt collaborates with some loud mouth New Yorkers (MOP) on Jealousy, which may break the record for the use of the word “muthafucka” in a song. The most successful song on the project is the obligatory sensitive thug track on every rap album entitled Tha Past. Kurupt makes the best of his abilities along with the slow melodic production.

There are two things that I realized after listening to Against the Grain. 1) It is always good to hear Pac on an album…always. And 2) Oh how the mighty have fallen. It may not be fair that I rest the reputation of Death Row, DPG and the whole west coast on one man and one album, but I have been left no choice. Kurupt is synonymous with the west. As are the chucks and khakis that he incessantly name drops. And this is what the west has to offer. If “the grain” is synonymous with good music, then Kurupt’s latest LP is appropriately named.

Hot Trax: None

Proof - Searching for Jerry Garcia

...the Search Continues...

Proof. You know, Big Proof from D-12 fame. Man you know D-12, Eminem’s guys. Riiiight. So for those of you who don’t know, Proof can be seen doubling as Eminem’s hype man. Now he’s Searching for Jerry Garcia. I hope he’s found what he’s looking for because if you’re looking for a good listen, you won’t find it here. Proof employs that same sound that made both of D-12’s albums wildly popular (sarcasm). The nasal-ridden, chanty hooks are tiring to listen to and the beats are down right mediocre. But make no mistake, Proof separates himself as the 2nd best rapper in the whole click…behind Bizarre of course.

Searching for Jerry Garcia opens with a skit of Proof thinking to himself at an awards show. It then goes into the first musical track Clap With Me which makes the album seem very promising, but disappoint ensues from there. Forgive Me showcases Proof’s strong lyrical skills but could do without 50 Cent’s classic pre-pop hook. Purple Gang makes an appearance on the album with a track creatively called Purple Gang. These guys sound like a much better D-12 which might lead to a successful career in rap. Pimplikeness is the obligatory D-12 cut on every D-12 related album. It’s funny, controversial and, as always, runs a little too long after six cats are squeezed into one song. Searching for Jerry Garcia ends with a concept that has been visited many times, yet he manages to keep it original and keep it Proof.

The album is well rounded and creative, but it just isn’t complete. It’s almost as if he half assed on every single song to make a half-assed album. From top to bottom, it could have been better. Lyrically, Proof is the truth and he shows that in his effort, but you need much more than words to create a song. In the other departments i.e. production and hooks (mainly production) this album was severely lacking. So instead of looking for Jerry Garcia, he should have been looking for that fire to back him up.

Hot Trax: Clap Wit Me, Purple Gang, Gurls Wit da Boom, Kurt Kobain

Young Jeezy - Let's Get it: Thug Motivation 101

Young Jeezy Album...I Call it Wack Rappin'

Young Jeezy hustled his way to the top of the hip hop circuit with little flow and the buzz of a pre-pop 50. Strangely, he’s found a large following by taking the road oft traveled in the world of MCing. What is it about him that makes him so hot in the streets right now? Well for one, he’s from the south. Jeezy’s gettin’ it on that dirty train that made a pit stop in the ATL about 2 and half years ago. The train has yet to leave the station except for a couple of recent round trips to Houston. Once again Jeezy raps about the life…from rags to riches standing over “two pots, like Benihana’s”. I understand all that, but how many ways can you describe “white”. Jeezy’s got a bunch.

But something about his flow separates him from the rest…it’s the ad libs. (Thaaaaaaat’s Riiight) Leaving nary an open space between breaths, Jeezy sprinkles the track with “yeaaaaaaaahs”, “heeeeeeyyyys” and “HA HAs”. And it works. And the reason it works is because the beats are so fire. You don’t want to like it. Your loyalty to hip hop won’t allow you to, but 20 seconds into every song (no lie…every song) your head is noddin’ as you lean from side to side. Jeezy and his production mesh so well that it is hard to denounce the lyrics while your actions say otherwise.

Young Jeezy’s not a rapper and he readily admits it. He is a “street poet” and I suppose that is his ticket to getting away with repeating the same phrase in consecutive bars. His flow is oddly similar on every song, but you like it…or at least I do. It’s sort of clever and kind of amusing in that Cam sort of way. Let’s Get It is an anomaly of hip hop. You might like the album, but you hate what it represents. The songs knock, but he’s not saying much. Jeezy’s success is born from his charisma, voice and amusement factor…and oh yeah, he’s “fly like a helicopter” (Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah).

Hot Trax: Go Crazy, My Hood, Bang, Air Forces

Cassidy - I'm a Hustla

Don't Ask Me About Him

Cassidy first came onto the mainstream scene via a collabo with R. Kelly and the club hit Hotel. Then he dropped something for the ladies with “It don’t get no better”. Then he tried to say he was a “hustler homey”. And that’s when I said… “I don’t believe you”. Is it just me or did Cassidy’s debut ruin his chance of being as thuggish as he claims he is? With his sophomore album, he successfully attempts to return to his roots, but perhaps he over does it. If you take away all of the spraying and hustling that he does throughout the album, you are left with a little less than crickets and rolling tumbleweed. But hey, what can you expect from an album entitled I’m a Hustla? The problem isn’t with the flow, the production nor the songs. The problem lies within the content. Wack content is what holds so many average artists back from being good ones and Cassidy seems to follow the trend.

He starts strong with The Problem Vs The Hustla, an intro track in which he battles himself, while paying homage to the skill that started his buzz. He also finishes on a good note with The Message, although he should have added his name to the list of entertainers in legal trouble. But in every track between he is out to prove that he is a bona fide hustla.

The boy Cass has an affinity for claiming he’s the best since certain rappers have left the Earth. This is a habit he needs to rid himself of badly seeing that he’s sold only gold and his second effort is getting a luke warm reception. The Crack song is weak and should have never been recorded. Bellybutton, a song designed to gain the popularity of “Hot in Herre”, fails miserably in its attempt at anthem status. The lineup of 6 minutes of Death (Lil’ Wayne and Fabolous) had the potential of being an album redeemer but ends up being a highly disappointing six minutes…and 26 seconds.

I’m a Hustla knocks as the first single and B-Boy Stance might be the gem of the album. C-Bonics shows some wordplay versatility but all in all, Cassidy never ceases to rap about anything else. He’s a nice MC and his flow is reminiscent of a certain Philly native. But after listening to Cassidy’s second album… Let’s just say things get better with time, hard time.

Common - Be

Be...Common's or Kanye's?

I’ve never been a Common fan. I’ve always found his flow to be a few steps away from ‘on’. You know, the type of ‘on’ that you can knock your head to. The type of ‘on’ that sounded fly no matter what one was saying. Well…Common is still off. Regardless, I think it’s a good album, but not necessarily a good Common album. It is obvious that Kanye West has left his finger prints firmly indented on this creation and much of the credit for this being a sold contribution to hip hop can be accredited to him.

The two Chicago natives collaborated to produce an album which is 4 parts production and 1 part flow. The beats are amazing but Common does have a place on the album and the two mesh quite nicely. His lyricism forces you to pay attention despite his utter lack of flow and delivery.

The album starts hot off the block with the title track Be and continues to The Corner where Common pays homage to the street life in an out of the ordinary display of delivery. Testify tells a courtroom story behind one of the more simple beats on the album. The sample, although catchy, becomes a little overbearing. Common finishes up strong with the cuts The Food and They Say. In both songs, Kanye trumps Common and leaves the most memorable impression. The last track It’s Your World is dressed up as one of those motivational songs that misses its mark. The fact that it is almost 9 minutes long designates it to being played only once, if at all.

Be is a solid effort from Common which is made enjoyable by the superior production. In this latest installment, Common’s flow is just that…common.

Mike Jones - Who is Mike Jones?

Who the Hell is Mike Jones?

Which came first, the “who” or the “Mike Jones”? It seems that the MC has made it impossible to say one without the other much like Eminem did when he dropped that infectious single from his Slim Shady LP. Now we all know the name of the Houston native, not to mention his phone number too. Who is Mike Jones continues the bloom of not only southern rappers in hip hop, but also rappers reppin’ the Lone Star state. But it seems that the latest addition to the Texas roster needed a little more practice before getting tick in the big game.

The Mike Jones phenomenon was seemingly built off of repetition and he doesn’t shy away from that in this album. Continuous shout outs of his phone number and name, although catchy, can get frustrating and annoying at times. Turning Lane is a prime example of where his echo goes horribly wrong. A minute into the track you wish Jones would turn or get his ass out of the lane. His album has the creativity of a mix tape and assortment of what sounds like throw away beats from his production team. For example, the hooks on a few of his songs are samples from other cuts on the album. I don’t know if he was just lazy or thought it sounded hot, either way, the style works for a compilation CD but not for an LP.

Of course Jones must emote from his sensitive side with the cuts Grandma and Five Years from Now. Both are unimpressive lyrically but Grandma has production that emerges as superior to the rest of the album.

The album is not entirely without redeeming quality. Still Tippin’ is a banger that everyone can knock their head too and Back Then is gettin’ back at all the people that said he wouldn’t make it. Know What I’m Sayin’ is an ode to Houston’s unique screw music, employing the skills of Texas legends Bun B and Lil’ Keke. Depending on what part of the country you hail from, you will either love or hate the album. It has that southern style that southerners can tolerate, but lyrically it lacks and the production can use some help.