Fat Joe - Me, Myself & I

The Real Joe

Long ago he emerged from the shadows of the late Christopher Rios. For a while it was Big Pun and that other fat dude but Joey has since created an identity all his own. This is his seventh album and the way it sounds, his best yet. I doubt it will be his best selling (for lack of commercial appeal) but he’s commercially stable so let’s see what the Bronx Bomber has to offer.

How many times have I said it? The intro is that first fix that makes you want to try some more. And on Me, Myself & I, Pendemic makes a statement of what’s to come. Not only did Streetrunner represent, the evolution of Joey continues with his lyrically progression. When I first heard No Drama, I was thinking that the song was hot but I swear I heard it before. It sounded like a Ross remix. Excuse me while I rant. I listen to Where My Money from the Rick Ross album. Which reminds me…I listen to Money on My Mind from the Lil’ Wayne album. This reminds me…so I listen to Hustlin’ from the Rick Ross album. Apparently The Runners are in a scam selling the same beats to multiple MCs. Get money, I guess. Anyway…back to Joe. Make it Rain features Lil Wayne (for the second time on the album) on a Scott Storch production. Fat Joe gets back with Streetrunner on Bendicion Mami. The baseline hits beautifully with the sample and sets the mood just right for The Don to talk about his mama.

The new Fat Joe is really good, but he flies dangerously below the radar nowadays. Lately, I haven’t seen him jumping in swimming pools draped in baby blue minks or licking the bottom of a fresh pair of footwear. A good thing. Nor have I heard the leader of the TS BS’n with R&B i.e. Ashanti, R. Kelly and J.Lo. Also a good thing. The album is lyrically surprising and the percussion is superior. Never have I been so indifferent about an album’s release yet so impressed about the outcome. It’s currently in contention to be one of the best rap albums of the year. Me, Myself & I gets away from the glitz and glam and gets back to rap and that’s what we fans like to see.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: Pendemic, The Profit, Make It Rain, Bendicion Mami

The Game - Doctor's Advocate

The Doctor is Out

He’s not your typical West Coaster. His music made it out of the hood. And onto the radio…and the television. And (gasp)…to the East Coast. There was something about the young man from Compton that appealed to the entire hip hop community. No marks, no busters, no jheri curl juice. He wasn’t just your ordinary Los Angeles lyricist.

In January 2005, The Game dropped a near classic with his first release, The Documentary, under Dr. Dre and Aftermath. Laced with an all star cast of producers and a 50 affiliation, failure was not an option. The West Coast Hope had a bright future ahead of him…or so we thought. Since that release, he’s fallen out with 50 and Dr. Dre left no fingerprints on his new album (yeah I dusted). Without the Doctor, what does the Advocate have to say?

Doctor’s Advocate like The Documentary employs the talents of critically and commercially acclaimed producers. It’s comprised of a dream list that any rapper would love to have half of his album. It’s Okay, however, is not one of those names but brings the hammer all the same. Scott Storch and The Game collaborate on Let’s Ride to create…a G-Unit track? Doctor’s Advocate is definitely the best track on the album and possibly the best track I’ve heard from The Game…ever. Busta Rhymes lends a voice and Jonathan Rotem completes it. The Game then goes back to his roots with the clever Ol’ English.

So what The Game lost 50 and Dre? No one cared, but everyone wondered. Can he stand on his own two? Can he make music without two obvious contributors to his success? I wanted to listen to Doctor’s Advocate and I wanted it to be better than The Documentary however difficult a task that may seem. It wasn’t. And it wasn’t even close.

The name dropping was gimmicky the first time. It was his thing, his shtick, if you will. Now it’s just in the way. Now it’s Dre every other bar and it’s ancient. We know you have the utmost respect for the man who jumpstarted your career, but this is YOUR album. Perhaps The Game is making up for him not being on the record at all. I guess we know what he is without a Dr. Dre track.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: It’s Okay, One Night, Doctor’s Advocate, Why You Hate the Game