The Carter IV Album Review

    The fourth installment in The Carter series is dropping at last, and I have had the pleasure of hearing it from front to back numerous times. In retrospect, Lil Wayne has morphed into so many personas and it’s hard to say who he is anymore. One thing I can finally say is that Wayne is a heavy weight in the lyrical arena. I bought The Block is Hot with my hard earned money as a paper boy in 1999, and was completely disappointed and refused to invest in such annoying music ever again! Nine years later, A Milli dropped and made it hard to not believe this artist was a changed man. So, I bought The Carter III and was completely satisfied with my purchase. I saw it as luck, though. I didn’t think lightning could strike twice in one spot. Well, lyrically. Although The Carter III is still his best album to date, The Carter IV holds its own with lyrics alone. Unfortunately, lyrics alone can not save an album in the hip-hop community
            The intro sounds like a track four to a mixtape than an introduction to a highly anticipated album from an artist that is revered as the messiah of the rap game; due mainly to the beat and the premise of the lyrics. Though the lyrics were dope from start to finish, they were highly inappropriate for where it was placed on the album. I can’t say that the lyrics were out of this world, but I can say that they were consistent and hard hitting from punch line to punch line. Blunt Blown gave me an immediate headache. I was never a fan of the Hot Boyz! Ever!...ok, I was a fan of the Hot Boyz; but I was young and lost. Once I came to my senses, I ended up hating the style the Hot Boyz had. I actually detest it. It’s an abomination to music in general. I say that to say this: the beat and the chorus to this song almost made this song sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. If it wasn’t for…..you know what, this song is garbage, I don’t care how consistent his lyrics were. The music was horrible. On to more important matters. On Megaman, The beat may be as generic as ever; but Wayne’s flow fused with his punch lines makes this song very hard hitting. I mean, really “Whoa nigga/ die slow nigga/ for dear life, you’re holdin on. En Vogue nigga/ Unload nigga/ reload nigga/ tools on deck, home depot nigga/ well if life is a b*ch, then mine is a gold digger/”. Although I can go without the “nigga” repetition, hearing him ride the beat while he murdered it gave me a feeling of nostalgia of when it was all about the lyrics.
            6 Foot 7 Foot is not my favorite song. It was a poor attempt to build the type of hype that A Milli did. The beat was catchy, but overall it was more of an album filler than a single to me. Cory Gunz’s voice is annoying, and besides the beat, Wayne’s lyrics are the only exciting aspect of this song. Nightmares of the Bottom has a generic 808 bass line, cheesy snares, and a moderate pace to it. I almost fell asleep listening to it until I hit the skip button. Which led me to She Will; which features Drake. She Will is probably the most exciting song on this album. From the beat, to the chorus, to the lyrics, to the delivery. The intro of the song sounds like a sample from Zelda ( the one on SNS. My old school heads know exactly what I’m talking about), but I love it! If only they could have incorporated some live instruments. And I don’t care, I’m a Drake fan. Yea, I said it. He laced the chorus with a smooth melody that made the drums almost feel real. Drake should have kept this song for himself and put it out as a single. I can’t wait for Take Care.
            Unfortunately  for all you T-pain fans, T-pain has finally retired. And if he hasn’t after this heart retching performance, he should. How to Hate has a cheesy beat and an even cheesier chorus. But, Lil Wayne saves this song from a sudden death with lines like “all I had to do was put two and two together/ but that just makes four. But not for-ever/ damn. So much for being a perfect couple/ I put in over time, I was working doubles/ I wish you the best, good luck boo/ weezy F, fu f*ck you/”I laughed at how he ended that line myself. The interlude that features the same beat he used in the Intro, Tech N9ne and Andre 3000 and NOT lil Wayne makes me wonder just what they were thinking. At first listen, Tech N9ne’s fast pace lyrics sound like nothing more than a barrage of words overwhelming your ears. He makes up for it by making sense and with a raw delivery, though. Andre is probably the only artist I know of that can be elegant on a hard beat and be successful at it. When are you dropping an album man? John features Rick Ross and is generic also. Why they chose to sample Rick Ross is beyond me; but this was another song that makes this album seem like a mixtape. I’m sure some of will enjoy the familiarity of it though. It’s hard hitting and the lyrics are on point. It just sounds like every other song Rick Ross makes these days. I won’t talk much about Abortion because it’s boring. It really sounds like a throwaway song from Rebirth. The lyrics, once again, very much worth listening to. I question that “hell of a smoker and a bit of a drinker” line though. I’m sure is probation officer is going to question why he is snitching on himself. So Special features John Legend and sounds like a song that 2 Pistols, Rocco, or Yo Gotti would be on. Lil Wayne seemed to have lowered his standards as far as quality in music for this song. The hyper snare, the same distorted horn in the back ground, and drowned out keys make this song very average and so five years ago. How to Love makes me appreciate a lot of things about Lil Wayne. I personally would have done this song differently, but its Lil Wayne, I’ll give credit where credit is due. He touches on some sensitive subjects that I completely agree with (the video was almost spot on with what I thought they would do with it). Wayne isn’t the best singer, but his vocals seemed appropriate for this type of beat. Good luck attracting that new demographic Weezy! President Carter has nothing but a good loop in its beat. But I love it! The only real problems I had with this song was the type of drums they chose to use and the repetitive chorus. I just think they could have been more creative than sampling Jimmy Carters voice over and again. I wasn’t fooled by the affects they put on his voice either. Its Good is a good song. Yes it is. Before I get to the main attraction of this song, I have to point out what I don’t like: the beat, Drakes verse, and the chorus. You would think I don’t like this song, right? But Jadakiss kills it and Lil Wayne sent a jab at Jay-Z that I can’t help but to respect. “Talkin bout baby money/ I got your baby/ kidnap your b**ch, get that how much you love your lady money/” I had to give him extra points for 1. Being clever and 2. Having the guts to go at Jay-Z. When it’s all said and done though, I got Jay-Z demolishing Lil Wayne. Yes, at the age of 42 and all. The Outro made me want to not only assault the engineer, but Lil Wanye himself. Why on earth did they use a beat that was used twice before? And they put Shyne on this song. I don’t have to say why Shyne is probably the worst choice for a feature on any album. Bun B was average, Nas stood out as expected, and Busta actually did decent. I didn’t expect that.
            Let me close out this review, though. The production for this album was sub par, features were very disappointing, song choice was thought provoking (in a bad way), but Lil Wayne’s lyrics were good enough to listen to every track. A friend of mine told me, after listening to the album, that he likes the sober Lil Wayne better. I can’t help but to agree. He is definitely in rare form. If he could only mix the production and features from The Carter III and the lyrical consistency of The Carter IV, he would make an undisputed, classic album. So I enjoyed the lyrics, but the music rarely did. Overall, this album is a failure. Yes, a failure. We expect more from Lil Wayne, and we should expect more from Lil Wayne. Aside from the hype he puts around himself, the hype that his fans and media bombard his image with makes us want more from Lil Wayne. He must still be on drugs if he is putting artists like Shyne and Cory Gunz on his album. It was a nice try though Lil Wayne. A for…no B for effort. I hate giving points. So if you get them, that means you earned them.

1.)    Intro – 3.5/5
2.)    Blunt Blown – 2.3/5
3.)    Megaman – 3.85/5
4.)    6 Foot 7 Foot (ft. Cory Gunz) – 3.5/5
5.)    Nightmares of the Bottom – 3.3/5
6.)    She Will (ft. Drake) – 4.5/5
7.)    How to Hate (ft. T-Pain) – 3.1/5
8.)    Interlude (ft. Tech N9ne & Andre 3000) – 3/5
9.)    John (ft. Rick Ross) – 3.3/5
10.)  Abortion – 3.3/5
11.)  So Special (ft. John Legend) – 3.3/5
12.)  How to Love – 4.4/5
13.)  President Carter – 4.2/5
14.)  Its Good (ft. Jadakiss & Drake) – 3.75/5
15.)  Outro (ft. Bun B, Nas, Shyne, & Busta Rhymes) – 3.2/5

Watch the Throne Album Review

                One last call for alcohol! I’m having my last run hip hop or rap or pop, or whatever you want to call it, so I’ll go out with a bang. I haven’t been listening to it much lately anyway. Have no fear though; I haven’t lost my touch a bit. I’m going to finish it up with the first of five reviews. The first being Watch the Throne. There has been hype beyond hype around this album. I honestly thought it would be nothing more than an idea that manifested into a few songs; at most a mixtape. Kanye and Jay are giants in the hip-hop community and we all know what happens when they get together. So we should only expect the best from these two, right? Wrong! I am disappointed in this album, to say the least. It is feelings like this that led me to hanging up my mic and ultimately leaving the hip-hop community completely. I am sure some of you have a scrunched up face right now; you probably don’t even want to finish reading! I completely understand if you feel that way. I have moved onto other areas in music and I probably sound completely out of my mind. Either way, this is still an unbiased column (unless Mary J. or Souljah boy is involved. I will never find room in my mental harddrive for admiration of those artists). So without further adieu, let us begin.
            Watch the Throne makes a wonderful first impression. No Church in the Wild drops an immediate attention-grabbing sample that is followed by the vocals of Frank Ocean (a new artist I recommend everyone give a listen to). Jay (of course Jay-z had to go first) lays his vocals first and does justice to the beat from start to finish. He finishes with a witty play on words, “I’m out here ballin, I know you heard my sneaks/ Jesus was a carpenter, yeezy laid beats/ Hova flowed the holy ghost, get the hell up out ya seats/…preach” Classic Jay-z. Unfortunately, Jay has the only lyrical highlight on this song. Kanye finishes off as normal Kanye. Now his lyrics are not horrible per say, they just lack shock value. He makes his presence known through riding the beat and stellar production though. After that valiant introduction, we come to a free fall. A pit stop. A buzz killer. A smack in the face. Life Off can be described in so many ways with so many words. The best I can think of is ear poison. Usually, I listen to a song while I describe it in my columns, but I’ve had too much exposure to this horrible excuse for a song. Jay and Kanye are an obvious good mixture; and you would think that Beyonce would only add to the glory. I was sadly mistaken. The beat begins as promising, but becomes a collage of loud noises and is then topped of by Beyonce’s already loud vocals (side note: normally, I really enjoy Kenye’s drum patterns. Either he didn’t lay them or he is slacking in a major way on this song). At this point Kanye is losing major points for lyrics and production. And …he insists on continuously using auto-tune. An immediate facepalm. And Jay doesn’t make it any better either. The sad part is the only good thing about this song is the last 45 seconds; where the song completely changes. The last 45 seconds of the song get a 3.6/5. I’ll leave this track alone though, I’m beginning to be sick just talking about it (if they put this song out as a single, I’m going to shoot through my wrists).
                Niggas in Paris is actually a release of the grip Lift Off had on your throat. You can breathe, put on your gaudy chain, fix your outfit and bounce your head in every direction as you listen. This hard hitting song makes you feel yourself and makes you want to move on the dance floor. Kanye finally makes a lyrical appearance. One highlight that I love is the fact that they managed incorporate the vocals of legendary anchorman Ron Burgundy. Two thumbs up! I won’t lie to you people, Otis was not a great song to me at first listen. After hearing it a few times, I became a fan. A big fan. I thought they were doing an injustice to my man Otis Redding. But I ended up loving it. The video was a work of art even. While Otis’ screaming, pleading vocals provide the drama in this song, Kanye and Jay literally smack this song around. Otis might be Kanye’s magnum opus on this album (look at my rhyme). I don’t blame them a bit for putting this out as a single. I would have made the song longer and changed how they ended it. But overall, very well delivered. Gotta Have It is worth listening to, but also worth hitting the skip button. I believe this was an attempt at being innovative and relevant. I will say that Jay and Kanye going back and forth reminds me of how Jadakiss and Styles P. used go back and forth on a verse. If they would have chose a different beat for this song, I would put it up there with the better songs. We get some time to think on WTT with the RZA produced New Day. Until this point in the album, I didn’t expect a song like this one. Kanye and Jay deliver cautionary, heartfelt advice to their future, unborn sons, and do it with justice. Kanye not only delivers lyrically, but shows a modest, regretful side of himself. I will say that this song provided the opportune moment for Kanye to vent some of his bitterness about his situation with Amber Rose. Though he did it with taste, it was taking a jab none the less. Amber Rose becomes the brunt of a clever line,“Don’t be like the daddy that I never was/ and I’ll never let em ever hit a strip club/ I learned the hard way, that ain’t the place to get love.” Over all this song is moving(do to a soulful chorus and soothing beat) thought provoking (wonderful perspectives and advice from Kanye and Jay), and well put together.
                 That’s My Bitch  is more annoying that anything. I’m sure there are some of you out there that will enjoy it. I enjoyed the congas and the chorus somewhat. But overall, this is a song that you would hear from an up and coming artist, not two seasoned pioneers with impeccable track records. The only perks about this song really are the lyrics, Charlie Wilsons vocals, and congas. I can go without the content and the beat as a whole. Welcome to the Jungle  is an ear sore for me, but I’m sure is a hype, get money song for some of you. I am not a Swizz beat fan…at all! The beat is nothing but a horrible loop with a dramatic moment that isn’t worth waiting for.  Honestly, I listened about five times, found nothing worth talking about and hit the skip button. Who Gon Stop Me almost follows in the previous song’s footsteps, but makes up with lyrics. Murder on Excellence makes Jay show his age as he reminisces too far back in the past for this generation to keep up with. This song overall is decent. I can go without them two singing (especially Jay). But it’s a decent song , worth listening to. The album comes to a rough landing (as if it had a great flight) with Made in America and Why I Love You. No, these are not bad songs; I like these two songs. But, I would not end an album with them. Although I think that Made in America  should have been a song solely done by Frank Ocean, I can tolerate Jay and Kanye’s lyrics. Why I Love You reminds me of the twisted mind of Eminem for some reason; don’t as me why. They muffled some rock music, put in a hyper snare, and added some hip hop flavor to it. I can say that this beat was the only beat that had diversity. Sadly enough though, they should have did more work to it.
                 Overall, WTT is a disappointment. Not because I “miss their old music”, but because I know what they’re capable of. Jay can deliver some ugg face lyrics (ugg face: an ugly face caused by dope lyrics). Jay should have carried this whole album lyrically. Kanye (a phenomenal producer) can make some of the best instrumentals and unique arrangements. Unfortunately, he did the exactly opposite. He contributed something that plagues hip hop till this day: repetitive loops, three choruses, lyrics, weak drums and drum lines, and no good music. There was no…..feeling in the music. It wasn’t risky. It didn’t make me feel bad for liking a certain song. It didn’t make me keep the album in my iTunes. I’m honestly upset that they didn’t reach out to The Roots for some live music and heart pounding drums. There are some good songs; I won’t completely bash this album. I’m happy they put Frank Ocean and Otis Redding on the album. From a hip hop standard; I guess you can say that this album is hotter than a lot of the music that is coming out in this genre. I still look up to them as leaders in the hip hop community, but they need to step their game up. They want us to "watch the throne", but that seems like nothing more than a good idea. The stock the enjoyment of hip hop is declining due mainly to lack of creativity and redundancy. So sitting on a throne and ruling over something that is becoming meaningless kind of useless. its like saying I'm the king of Klondike bars. No one care. I will say that  Jay has at least two more albums in him, believe it or not. Go ahead and laugh. Lyrically, he is holding it together. Kanye has a lifetime of producing to do. Unfortunately, I won’t hear them. The next reviews that are coming are The Carter IV, Take Care, Slaughterhouse, and Nas’ next album. Until the next review….

1.)    No Churh in the Wild (ft. Frank Ocean) – 4.4/5
2.)    Lift Off (ft. Beyonce) – 2/5
3.)    Niggas in Paris – 3.8/5
4.)    Otis (ft. Otis Redding) – 4.5/5
5.)    Gotta Have It – 3.4/5
6.)    New Day – 4.3/5
7.)    That’s My Bitch – 3.4/5
8.)    Welcome to the Jungle – 3/5
9.)    Who Gon Stop Me – 3.2/5
10.)  Murder to Excellence – 3.65/5
11.)  Made in America (ft Frank Ocean) – 3.5/5
12.)  Why I Love You (ft. Mr Hudson) – 3.6/5

Lupe Fiascio "Lasers" Album Review

                How goes it, everyone? It’s that time again! I had no choice! Too many people demanded it, and I heard too many conversations about it. As we all know, there is plenty of hype around Lupe and his new record Lasers. If you don’t, do your research. For those that are on it, we all know Lupe Fiasco to be bold when it comes to concepts and sounds; but this album by far is his most controversial. He’s more politically aware and he’s even calling people out, from politicians to some of your favorite rappers. Though he goes away from that signature sound (almost completely) that you’ve heard on Food and Liquor or The Cool, due to the expectations and terms of Atlantic Records, he still manages to deliver the same lyrics with a little more spice in the content. Is that enough though? Plenty of people that have had a hip hop conversation, or music in general, with me will be the first to tell you that Bello James could care less what you’re saying in a song, do you sound good!? I can honestly say Lasers is decent. That’s all I can give it. This is one of those situations where Lupe can say “I was just warming up “and get away with it. We definitely need a second go round at the making of this album. Now let’s dissect this thing!

                Lupe has a dramatic entrance to this one with Letting Go. He could have had a better intro, but we can work with this one. Letting Go is by far one of the best songs on the album, and he wastes no time in setting the tone of the album with some self reflection and honesty. Words I Never Said features the buzzing Skyler Grey on a beat similar to the one you hear on Dr. Dre’s I Need a Doctor. A coincidence, maybe...? Either way, all of you die-hard Obama fans better buckle your seat belts and iron out your panties; Lupe takes some of his first shots on this album at American’s current president and other well known politicians. At least we know who he isn’t voting for in the 2012 election. Aside from Barack Obama, Lupe voices his opinion (an educated opinion hopefully) about a lot of world issues and corrupt people in a position of power. It’s true; these are words he’s never said before (in this order), it almost seems as if Lupe is angry on this one, but words can take you but so far Lupe. Till I Get There keeps the pace of the album going. Lupe offers more of his honesty on his issues with Atlantic withholding the album. I Don’t Wanna Cry Right Now makes me want to cry right now. I know Lupe likes to be different, but this is just a cry for help, literally. I can see why some would like this song for it’s up tempo chorus and happy melodic vocals of MDMA (whoever he is. Whoever this guy is, he didn’t get the memo about auto-tune receiving its obituary by Jay). Unfortunately though, this song will not show Lupe in his worst light on this album.    

Have you ever seen a really good boxing match, and the champ goes down, and barely makes it to his feet as he grips the ropes for dear life? That’s what it’s like when Out of My Head comes on. Some one seriously needs to call Trey Songz, and who ever put this song together, and smack him through the phone. It’s not the beats fault, its not even Trey’s fault. It’s just hard to listen to this song while being fully aware of who’s rapping on it. The beat is ok; Trey does a decent job, but Lupe Fiasco’s presence on this song is identical to you walking into your kitchen in the middle of the night for a late night snack and you see me, Bello James, standing in the middle of your kitchen wearing a Viking hat, a hula skirt, a flip flop, one tap shoe, holding a pitch fork singing at the top of my lungs “Feed me socks!” That is all.

Moving on, Lupe makes up for it with The Show Goes On. Kane samples Float On by Modest Mouse (good song to sample if you ask me) and does a good job, considering this was his lead single. The harmony of the chorus compliments the theme of perseverance and overcoming struggle perfectly. We get a slight hiccup with Beautiful Lasers, the beat is lazy and Lupe’s flow sounds forced. No worries though, Coming Up is a good pick me up, and is some appropriate feel good music. Matt Mahaffey (try saying his last name three times fast) takes the repetitive route on State Run Radio. “And over again, and over again, and over again, and over again, and over again” (yes, I counted) is how you chose to open this song? Really? Not to mention you hear “state run radio” over and over again after you hear that! Over all it’s a decent song if you can get past the repetitive chorus. Lupe continues his slaughter on government policies and the propaganda fed to the public on this song, which I can understand. Break the Chain is a chopped techno song that sounds more like a song that was trashed by Linkin Park with a side of political messages. This song is for you die hard fans, and I don’t know who Eric Turner is, but he needs to put the mic down. All Black Everything is apparently where Lupe comes snaps back to reality. Start ducking, Lupe loads the gun and takes a shot at 50 cent. I don’t know. I could be wrong; I’m not instigating a fight. But if you read the lyrics “Eminem fitted in/ but then again/ he inspired a black rapper, tried to mimic him/ and that’s what really rose up out of Michigan/ then signed a white rapper by the name of 50 cent”. Remember these aren’t my words people, I’m just quoting.  Besides the warning shots, Lupe flips some very controversial ideologies and puts them into an interesting perspective. Never Forget You is something you can’t get mad at. It’s the end of the album and Lupe has had a hard run at trying to satisfy his fans and his record label simultaneously. So if it seems he’s out of breath, you know why. It’s not even close to a good ending (for those of you that didn’t buy the deluxe edition), but hey, give Lupe a gold star right on his forehead for even attempting to publicly fight the system plaguing the music industry by putting his own art on the slab and chopping it into pieces.

                To all of you protesters and Dj’s that supported the release of this album, thank you. To be honest though, this album needs to be recalled because of the presentation and lack of team work by Atlantic Records. I don’t mind some of the songs (that’s what we have iTunes for) but this will not look good on Lupe’s track record. I don’t know who MDMA is, apparently Atlantic is trying to advertise for him. I don’t know who called Trey Songz…..time out….really? trey songz and lupe? This is where R&B and hip hop should part ways. This does not work! That’s like putting R. Kelly and Mos Def on a song. I know you just made the ugly face, so did I. Anyway, I’m sure Lupe lost a few fans with this album, but I’m sure the true supporters understand and await his next effort.

1.)    Letting Go (ft. Sarah Green) – 4.4/5

2.)    Word I Never Said (ft. Skyler Grey) – 4/5

3.)    Till I Get There – 4.2/5

4.)    I Don’t Wanna Cry Right Now (ft. MDMA) – 3/5

5.)    Out Of My Head (ft. Trey Songz) – 2.3/5

6.)    The Show Goes On – 4.4/5

7.)    Beautiful Lasers (2 ways) (ft. MDMA) – 3.3/5

8.)    Coming Up (ft. MDMA) – 4.2/5

9.)    State Run Radio (ft. Matt Mahaffey) – 3.6/5

10.)  Break The Chain (ft. Eric Turner And Sway) – 2.8/5

11.)  All Black Everything – 4.3/5

12.)  Never Forget You (ft. John Legend) – 3.6/5

13.)  I’m Beaming – 4.8/5

14.)  Shining Down (ft. Matthew Santos) – 4/5

Am I still Hip Hop?

I wont apologize because I don't wear my jeans baggy enough for you to see my butt...
I respect women, make an honest livin, I dont watch television...
Through my years I've become humble and modest...
A goal that wasnt accomplished in a prison.
Am I still Hip Hop?
If not I understand...
I have separated my self from a generation of exposed underpants...
Meaningless facial tattoo, obnoxious rap grooves, gaudy jewelery, no self respect, & reckless attitudes...
I still burn up cyphers though, word play is crazy, im nice with the flow.
Peep it..
Even Jesus would preach this thesis to students and teachers. I was cursed as a fetus to hear the truth, blurt and repeat it. Watch me put these words in a sequence to ignite a surge, that will even give courage to the weakest, so they can face their fear and defeat it...
Yea I know I can spit...
I can hang with the best of em.
but I dont rap about my chain or my gun...I dont have one
no cars, no "bitches", no cribs, no riches...
I just have these bars that are the opposite of fiction...
Am I still Hip Hop?
If not its cool...
On my block we go to school
maybe three gun shots a year, and it was probably by a fool with something to prove...
The police are actually bored around my way, so yes the black youth is still harassed and unjustly tried..
Out of boredom of our law enforcement...
Nothing to do, they were picked on in school, beat up, ignored, and had no girl...
so they grew up, got a gun & a badge and took their frustrations out on the world...
I still dont like the police...
now if that isnt hip hop, I dont know what is.
Hip Hop gave us a righteous voice at one point and time.
We'd have our choice of rhymes, and we would actually make a point.
now it seems that voice is muffled, screaming so loud from the underground.
But the sound cant reach past the clouds and into the stars and speak loud enough to make a change.
Is that Hip Hop?
Or is that a culture divided, manipulated, and blinded?
A way to feed babies taken for granted.
A way to give the jobless jobs, and even make a way for your grandkid's grandkids
see...you got me preachin...
but thats all I know how to do when im disgusted with the current state of things...
I have this mic, and no other way to make a change.
I AM HIP HOP
I'm the MC that you doubt...
Never thought lil ol James would have an opinion or an identity...the boy got skills...
thats a given, most definitely...
Or am I just delusional, a wanna be...lol either way I love me...
I "speak proper", im not a pimp, I wear what I want and my sneakers are still hotter!
I can burn up 99% of you artists and still care enough to pick you up after I knock you down.
lift you up, wake you up, and build you up, cause you to realize that you look like a clown...
guess im just the modern day conscious MC, honest and aware of the way I live
so if its life or the mic, either way I Love Hip Hop...
Now Playing: Right On by The Roots ft Joanna Newsome & STS 

Adele "21" Album Review

    I apologize for the hiatus every one; I’ve taken my craft to the gym (corny metaphor for college) so I could improve it and bring it to its highest plateau. All for you! So I figured I’d do a quick review before heading to breakfast and getting back to these books. Let’s pick up where we left off with a good listen.
               I became aware of Adele through a really good friend of mine. She played Chasing Pavements (the live version), and I fell in love with Adele, but not deep in love. That song alone gets a 5/5 alone in my book though. Up until recently Adele has been a no-thought. When I heard about her actual success, I had to get a look at the lady. So, I googled Adele saw that she was a cute, pudgy little white girl! At first sight I would have never thought of her having such a voice. That goes to show, never judge a book by its cover…or a person by their face…whatever. That’s beside the point though. I heard she was putting out a new album entitled 21 (songs that represent her mind set and experiences at the age of 21). If only every adolescent roaming around aimlessly could take a look into them selves humbly and see the truth, and express what they see honestly. Anyway I listened to the album and I liked it; but you know I had problems with it. When do I not have something to say? Would I be Bello if I didn't have a comment or two, or three, or four? Anyway, with out further adieu, let’s get to the commentary.
               Adele brings in the album strong and maintains exceptional consistency throughout. Rollin in the Deep has a motivational flow to it; strictly for the soul searching lovers. I literally started clapping my hands when the chorus came on. My mother even came in the office and started dancing to the music (the visual is very embarrassing). Besides my mother’s busted tired dance moves, Rolling in the Deep is the best you’re going to get on this album when it comes to energy. Rumor Has It has a dramatic and funky introduction, and immediately draws you in. I began to fist pump in support of her funky, bitter attitude until the chorus came on. How many times can you say the word “rumors” in 15 seconds? “Rumor Has It” could have been much better with a better chorus. Moving along to Turning Tables, this song definitely lives up to it’s name.  I think the effect of this song is effect John Legend was looking for when he made Ordinary People. Unfortunately Ordinary People was exactly that. Ordinary.  She expresses her ideas with taste though. Who wouldn’t be fed up with the constant ups and downs that relationships consist of? If you were to ask me it’s a song about strength and maturity, being mature enough to let go of some one so you don’t end up destroying your self.
                 Don’t You Remember contributes another four minutes and three seconds of sadness to go along with tears you would already have shed with the previous song. How do you go from wanting to letting some one go on the previous song, then turn around and cry when they actually leave? At least she admits it when she says “I know I have a fickle heart, and a bitterness/ and a wandering eye, and heaviness, in my head”. The psyche of a woman we will never understand. Don’t bother to try understanding fellas. Set Fire to The Rain is the album’s brief lagging point, and when you think about it...really? set fire to the rain? That's when you know you're trying too hard. The album would have been better off with out it if you ask me. You come back to the good music with He Won’t Go. The beginning of the song lives up to the phrase “less is more” with subtle percussion moving into a smooth bass. You get another dose of Adele’s incisiveness accompanied by a choir on Take it All. She brings it back with “I’ll be Waiting” though. One and Only shows more of Adele’s ever growing maturity. Even though you’re getting more and more piano, it has a church vibe to it, real soulful.  The album pretty much has a steady pace with Love Song and Someone like You until you reach If it Hadn’t Been For Love. If it Hadn’t been for Love could have been a stellar ending to 21. The recipe for this song is nothing but the concept, an acoustic guitar, and Adele singing her heart out. This song is about the crazy things we do for love. I guess in the end we’re all looking for love in one way or another, and I would have loved if she would have stopped the album here. But, no! she had to end it with Hiding My Heart. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good song. But this could have replaced Set Fire to the Rain and made the album as a whole that much better.
                          Even though the album sings about nothing but heartache, pain and loneliness, I enjoyed it. It's a different perspective of the trials we encounter in relationships. Though they are mature perspectives, they are perspectives through the eyes of a 21-year-old. I can’t say I don’t look forward to her next album. Hopefully the title of her next album won’t chronologically correspond with the titles of her previous albums; that would be redundant and completely contradict the mature image she’s portraying. The album could have used some minor tweaking and a couple omissions, but she gets an A for effort and a mid-to-low B for presentation. Time to go listen to 19! No review for that one though, this is strictly for my listening pleasure. I know I’m late, I know.

1.)    Rolling in the Deep – 4.3/5
2.)    Rumor Has It – 4.0/5
3.)    Turning Tables – 4.6/5
4.)    Don’t You Remember  – 3.43/5
5.)    Set Fire to The Rain – 3.5/5
6.)    He Won’t Go – 4.0/5
7.)    Take It All – 3.85/5
8.)    I’ll Be Waiting – 3.8/5
9.)    One and Only – 4.0/5
10.)  Love Song – 3.8/5
11.)  Someone Like You – 3.7/5
12.)  If It Hadn’t Been For Love – 4.4/5
13.)  Hiding My Heart – 3.75/5

Gucci Mane "The Appeal Georgia's Most Wanted" Album Disassembly

DISCLAIMER: This will NOT be my typical review. After hearing this album I found it difficult to give my opinion with out going on a rant fueled by disgust and anger. There will be no subtleties. There will be no formalities. I will not be modest. But…I will you use manners. (Rules of engagement when rating music: 1.) Anything below a 3 is not worthy of being played. Therefore it is WACK. 2.) Skits receive an automatic 3 to level out overall rating (unless actual creativity was involved in creative process, thus giving it a higher rating.) 4.) Ratings vary from album to album. Hip hop R&B, rock etc… have different standards and are rated accordingly.).  To all Gucci Mane La Flare die hard fans…DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU FIND YOUR SELF WITH RUFFLED FEATHERS WHILE HEARING BAD TALK ABOUT GUCCI MANE LA FLARE.
            There are many unspoken categories for rappers and their music: Lyrical, entertainment, back packer, gangster, pop, etc… Radric “Gucci Mane” Davis is in a category all by his lonesome. Weather that’s a good or bad thing is irrelevant. The fact remains that Gucci Mane, in most cases, epitomizes every stereotype that is made available for a southern rapper. Many wonder why the name “Gucci Mane”. The answer to that question, most likely, will be the deepest you will ever travel into this artist’s persona, music, and style. He’s released countless mixed tapes, off hand independent albums, and now, three mainstream albums. With out a successful album under his belt, he presses on in the music industry with odd collaborations and an entourage full of circus acts and names to go with it: OJ Da Juiceman & Waka Flocka Flame. Armed with jewelry that looks faker than broken glass and bouncy club music, Gucci Mane has put on an entertaining circus act him self. Gucci’s Latest, The Appeal Georgia’s Most Wanted, has put on an even brighter light show of incoherent sentences, grammar that would disappoint a toddler, beats that make you want to dance around like a 50-year-old autistic person with immeasurable energy, and an overall disappointing arrangement of noise.
             Gucci Mane begins this menacing ear terminator with a decent theme and sound in the introduction. Little Friend opens up with the Scare Face theme followed by your normal 808 bass, dull percussion, and dramatic horns. Though Bun B sounds the most intelligent on this song, he doesn’t delivery his usual hit, but he actually betters the song with his presence alone. As you come to the chorus: “came to the country with a dolla and a dream/ and a choppa and a team full of killas, what chu mean/ I’m a bad guy, a bad guy from start to da end/ say hello to my little friend/ I coulda been a doctor/ shoulda been a lawyer/ I go to court so much I coulda been my own employer/ Ima die dope boy/ always been a hustla/ started of a customer/ now I get it past customs”, you can’t help but hold your head while you shake it. It’s very doubtful that Gucci would be qualified; let alone welcome, in a court room for reasons other than defending his own life. His stint in the doctor’s office won’t differ any either.
            Trap Talk takes Gucci Back to his Back To the Trap House vibe. This song is the same song as the previous song; the only difference is the chorus and the beat. Continuing with Missing, you hear the beat and immediately anticipate OJ Da Juiceman. Very bouncy and bass heavy, this song makes you scratch your head from beginning to end. It starts off with Sig H.B. making random sounds with his mouth and not making any sense at all what so ever. This track proves it self to be more of an annoyance than a song. Lyrically, Gucci Mane makes is third lap in the mindless imbecile marathon.
            What’s It Gonna Be Has a beat worthy of to be on an album, but still falls short to a boring stand point mainly because of Gucci Mane’s lack of substance and lazy delivery. He rides the chorus pretty well, but he speaks on things that have been the topic of every other song on the radio for the past 10 years.
            Making Love To The Money makes you question Gucci Mane for a moment. We won’t get into the beat because its generic and sounds like every other southern beat. Gucci Mane attempts to profess his focus on the money or exploit the slogan “money over bitches” in the chorus: “Maken love to the money, I swear the sex straight/ I kick dem hoes out, but let the money stay/ Maken love to the money like a sex tape/ I’m talking kim k/ I’m talking ray J!/ maken love to da money on da interstate/ cant keep my hands off her, we on a dinner date/ Im maken love to my money, shawty keep me straight/ I cant live with out her, I fuck her everyday”. This song has pause moments all over the place. Ultimately, its Gucci Mane’s pathetic attempt at being creative by personifying money (as if that hasn’t been don’t before (Nas)).
            Gucci Time features Swizz Beatz and makes you want to smack Swizz while telling him to stick to making beats and leave the mic skills to people that actually have mic skills. The beat gets a thumb up. Over all this song is hard hitting and forces you to go into your swag once your hear it. As we move along to Party Animal we continue the bounce and actually begin to tolerate the album, mainly because of the beat. Gucci continues making laps with lyrics like “She lyin through da EA/ smoken outa elway/ I fuck with them the long way/ but I don’t ride with passenger/ two seater, row eater, my car is a cannible/ just ate up the parking lot… (not able to comprehend the end of that line)”.
            Remember When has a faded Ray J on the chorus and a lagging beat that causes Gucci Mane to rap slower than normal. What makes it worse, Gucci yells to get his point across causing him to sound like a retard even more.
            Haterade is the albums one and only high point where Gucci Mane gets beat by a girl, Lyrically. Nicki Minaj stripes her self of all the cartoony antics and gets down and dirty on pharrell’s mellow beat with nothing but lyrics. Although you’re reminded of reasons why Pharrell should not sing, you get a chance to enjoy this song nonetheless. Its Alive is the exact opposite of it’s title. This song is so boring its dead. Prepare for a quick nap as you listen to this song.
            Gucci Mane continues to kill hime self on this album with lines like “I’m so fuckin paid, I just bought the dollar sign”. Even the most simple minded of listeners will shake their heads while listening to The Appeal Georgia’s Most Wanted. What we have to realize is; Gucci Mane wasn’t sent here to make us think. He wasn’t sent here to make us dance and have a good time. He was sent here to make us bounce when we’re bored. When you want to be silly after getting out of the shower, put on a Gucci tape. When you need to stay up late at night while driving from state to state, play Weirdo on full blast. Be sure not to sing along, and do not play his music while operating heavy machinery. The Appeal Georgia’s Most Wanted shows Gucci’s growth as far as production, but keeps Gucci Mane’s music in a fast food rap category. It barely sounds good, serves its purpose for the moment, and ultimately is not good for you. This may sound like hate to some of you, but if you like Gucci Mane’s music, you’re right. I hate you. Lol just playing. Every one has their opinion, and this album just so happened to make my opinion over shadow all the dynamics for writing an unbiased review.

1.)  Little Friend – 3/5
2.)  Trap Talk – 2.7/5
3.)  Missing – 2.4/5
4.)  What’s It Gonna Be – 3/5
5.)  Making Love To The Money – 2/5
6.)  <span>Gucci Time</span> ft Swizz Beatz – 3/5
7.)  Party Animal – 3/5
8.)  Remember When ft Ray J – 2.2/5
9.)  Haterade ft Nicki Minaj & Pharrell – 3.6/5
10.) It’s Alive ft Swizz Beatz – 2/5
11.) ODog ft Wyclef Jean – 3.1/5
12.) Dollar Sign – 3.1/5
13.) Brand New – 3/5
14.) Weirdo – 2/5
15.) Grown Man ft Estelle – 2.9/5


}Beats{         }Lyrics{        }Overall{
 2.7/5              1.5/5                2.4/5

Trey Songz "Passion Pain & Pleasure" Album Review

         R&B’s #1 playboy, Trey Songz, has had a pretty consistent ride through his career. He’s dominated the radio since 2005 with a plethora of hits and features (Gotta Go, Wonder Woman, LOL :-), I Invented Sex, and countless others). That’s not all that this ladies man has been involved in though. From being a Rocawear model to numerous performances and tours, this guy has been on top of his hustle.  Most recently his Nikky Minaj assited hit, Bottoms Up, has been heating up radios, ringtones, and message boards across the nation. The Virginia native’s latest is your everyday mixture of romance, heartache, and love rolled up into one more reason to have sex. Even though his subject matter is typical for an R&B artist, he definitely gives an interesting perspective on all sides of the board.

            Here We Go Again, the first track, hits the nail right on the head. Again, again, and again we endure Trey’s sexual innuendos and scant musical attempts. Maybe it’s because he’s young with raging hormones, or maybe he’s exploiting the slogan “sex sells”. We’ll never know. Either way, Trey comes out swinging with Love Faces. A melodic song with a heavy, steady bass line side by side with Trey’s pleading vocals. Get ready to sweat out your perms and for intense touching, ladies; you still have two more rounds to go with Massage and Alone. Trey Songz eases his way up your shirt with Massage while he prepares to get you Alone. Love Faces, Massage, and Alone are definitely a triple threat in the bedroom, but eventually become boring until his lead single, Bottoms Up, begins to play.

The Kane Beatz produced Bottoms Up hits the album by storm and relieves you from the previous songs. Nikki Minaj makes an impressive appearance with character, humor, and genuine entertainment in her verse. The up and coming female rapper stretches her voice and plays with words in such a way that would keep you entertained for hours. Considering the beat, exciting chorus, and Nikki’s cartoonish verse, Bottoms Up has listeners wondering why Trey Songz has a verse on this song at all.

     We hit intermission on Passion Pain and Pleasure with the dramatic, almost opera like interlude named Pain. This interlude makes you wonder why Trey Songz won’t dive into deeper subject matter and let listeners hear more of him instead of his acts in the bedroom more often. Broken heart maybe? Food for thought…

     Moving right along we have another song of heartache touching on the negative effects of good sex between friends. Trey shows his maturity on Can’t Be Friends and gives you a breath of fresh air. Even though he’s still talking about sex, he’s show diversity. Though this is a good song, its not material that should be used as a single, at least not in this day and age.

     Any true fan of real R&B can appreciate Please Return My Call. Trey takes us on a journey through a man’s apologetic nature and pleading ways. If we had more songs like this from Trey Songz we wouldn’t notice his pitchy vocals on every other song and we indivertibly hold Trey at a higher regard. Two thumbs up on this one Trey!!

     Unfortunately Passion Pain and Pleasure loses its momentum dramatically with the next few songs. Made To Be Together is boring musically and makes Trey seem weak and pathetic as a man. Pleasure annoys you at first listen and could actually anger some one. Red Lipstick takes you back to sex and is Trey’s horrible attempt at being sassy. Why he even wrote or chose to perform this song, I don’t know.

     Drake makes his way into the album on Unusual. Everything about this song is unusual. The drums are sloppy and the beat is very unorganized. Drake’s verse is just as sloppy as the drums and is actually the most unusual thing on the song considering his track record of witty lines and melodic placement of words on songs. Ultimately, some one with an acquired taste can only appreciate Unusual.

     Trey takes us down another sexual highway with Doorbell. Any pervert with a brain stem can figure out Trey Songz’s repetitive “ding dong” line playing through out the song.

     The best song on the album unfortunately has a late arrival. Unfortunate is a clever song vocally. The dramatic, yet subtle beat keeps you drawn in, and the words complement it with a certain feeling. Feeling is one of the last things you get from a Trey Songz song. Lol songz song. Humor made especially for me, don’t mind me. Picking back up on his creativity, Trey Songz has learned how to ease in his vocals and keep the listener hypnotized by using his voice properly. Unfortunate should have been put out in the 90’s for true appreciation.

Trey ends the album out of breath with Blind and You Just Need Me. Though he still shows hope for diversity on these two songs, Its evident Trey Songz has a long way to go musically.

     Trey Songz is obviously one for first impressions. At first listen, Passion Pain and  Pleasure is an instant keeper. But…Once spun in your CD changer a few times, you get tired of certain songs and you realize that Trey has given us more sex and less music. More then half of the actual songs of the album are sexual in one-way or another. Passion Pain and Pleasure is an album for the young and horny rather than the young and sexy.

            If you want a better version of Drake vocally, look for his other half Trey Songz. As flattering as that may sound, you shouldn’t take that statement too far in your mind. Trey songz’s vocals still remain pitchy and shaky. Ultimately, Trey has no diversity vocally, but he is tolerable. That’s the difference between Drake and himself. Over all this album is average with a few high points. One thing we can say about Trey though is he’s growing as an artist slow but surely. Better late than never, right?!

1.)  Here We Go again ---}Intro{

2.)  Love Faces – 3.5/5

3.)  Massage – 3.9/5

4.)  Alone – 3.6/5

5.)  Bottoms Up (ft. Nikki Minaj) – 4.2/5

6.)  –Pain---} Interlude {

7.)  Can’t Be Friends – 3.7/5

8.)  Please Return My Call – 4.1/5

9.)  Made To Be Together – 3/5

10.)  –Pleasure---} Interlude {

11.) Red Lipstick – 2.8/5

12.) Unusual (ft. Drake) – 3/5

13.) Doorbell – 3.2/5

14.) –Passion---} Interlude {

15.) Unfortunate – 4.4/5

16.) Blind – 3.8/5

17.) You Just Need Me – 3.3/5

  }Beats{   }Vocals{  }Overall{
    3.8/5      3.4/5        3.5/5

Usher "Versus" EP Review

  If there’s any one that wears their heart on their sleeve and makes you want to dance all at the same time better than Usher Raymond there wouldn’t be a need for another superstar in the R&B arena. As difficult as it may seem though, that’s not all the multitasking this mega superstar has managed to accomplish through out his illustrious career. While releasing six albums he’s captured the hearts of TLC group member Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, model Naomi Cambell, and most recently, stylist Tameka Foster. He’s written an album confessing his infidelities and an album expressing the heart aches of marriage, all the while selling a grand total of 45 million albums worldwide. Aside from his other business ventures, this guy knows how to stay busy. Most recently, though, his troubles seem more interesting than usual because he’s dealing with something that’s on the other side of the spectrum completely, marriage and divorce. He hasn’t suffered a total lose though; he’s gained two children in the process, boys at that! That’s like having four kids! Good job Usher, two thumbs up! Ushers’ latest is an EP that will at last bring everything to a closing as far as his recent marriage is concerned.
       Usher begins this EP with words and phrases you would expect from a bachelor fresh out of a divorce in the first song entitled “Love Em all”. This song begins with a rhythm reminiscent to LL Cool J’s “I Need Love” but soon transforms into your everyday synthesized love song with hyper snares, a subtle 808, and a repetitive chorus. With lines like “There’s enough of me to go around up in the club, yea! / There’s enough of me to make sure I pleasure all these girls in the club yea!” and “I’m gonna make sure its fat, gonna do you you you and you/ and then im gonna do her! Ok lets get it straight, all my ladies get in line, yea!” it is obvious this guy is single and ready to mingle. Eat your heart out ladies. Though this song fails to go anywhere musically, it still gets you in the mood to dance and ready for the next club song named  “DJ Got Us Falling In Love”. This song is one for the club and one for your boom box when you’re dancing naked fresh out of the shower. While infecting your speakers with a high-powered chorus, heart pounding drums, and synthesized sounds essential for a techno song, this song will put you in a good mood. This song is almost complete, but suffers a set back mainly because of Pitbull’s off brand Cuban swagger and less than impressive lyrics. This wouldn’t be your typical song for a rapper, and Pitbull makes it painfully evident that he should stick to his own party songs and not recite verses in a rappers place.
            Moving along, Usher turns the heat up a bit with “Hot Tottie”. Usher delivers a performance that would almost constitute this song an aphrodisiac. Usher wastes no time in getting it started on this song when he says ”I see you like to talk, I hear you baby/ claimin you a bad #*@!, show me baby”. Makes you want to grab your lady and kisser doesn’t it? Jay-Z makes a stellar appearance proclaiming him self as “King Hov”.  You don’t hear rappers ride a beat the way Jay does these days, and Jay-Z doesn’t slip once as he lyrically assaults this freak song.
            The mood changes though in such a way it would aggravate any woman in the heat of the moment with a song like “Lay You Down” and actually disappoints in comparison to the previous song. “Lingerie” sneaks it's way in though and makes the ladies want to slip into something sexy and put on a show for their mate. This groove puts your mind at rest and gears your body for freaky dance moves. Usher couldn’t get enough of his baby though with “There Goes My Baby” as this song was track number 3 on its predecessor “Raymond vs Raymond”. It’s a good song and is actually a perfect fit for the EP considering the direction Usher decided to take this “last chapter” of his. “Get In My Car” wouldn’t be a complete song with out Bun-B. Unfortunately it seems Bun didn’t try hard enough on this one. The beat has Bun B written all over it, but he disappoints with lines such as: “Well its big bun b, back on my B.I./ never been an every day joe like G.I.”…. Really Bun?  Over all this song is average and actually takes away from the project as a whole.
             Usher brings along Canadian newcomer Justin Bieber on the sensational remix of  “Somebody To Love”. This fast paced dance song makes you fall in love with the dance floor more than anything. Even though this song was initially put out by Justin Bieber it painted a perfect picture for Usher him self.
            Usher gives this EP an appropriate ending with “Stranger” while addressing some of the issues with love and loyalty.  The beat definitely give’s you sort of a goodbye feeling, and his lyrics along with his voice certainly give you the farewell vibe. Ultimately it’s a good closer to an interesting chapter in his life.
            Although Usher has stated that “Versus” is the last chapter in “Raymond vs. Raymond” you can’t help but wonder where he will go from here. How many more hearts will he be clumsy with? Who will bare his child next? How long will he be a bachelor? Who will be in his next love triangle? Regardless what the answer may be, one thing is for sure and two things for certain: Usher is going to sing his heart out and the people will get some good music in the process. So, if you’re looking to dance or simply reminisce on a past love, “Versus” is a definite keeper and should get heavy rotation in your CD changer or play list.


1.)   Love Em All – 3.3/5
2.)   DJ Got Us Falling In Love (ft. Pitbull) – 4.3/5
3.)   Hot Tottie (ft. Jay-Z) – 5/5
4.)   Lay You Down – 3.1/5
5.)   Lingerie – 3.8/5
6.)   There Goes My Baby – 4.4/5
7.)   Get In My Car (ft. Bun-B) – 3/5
8.)   Somebody To Love (Remix) (ft. Justin Beiber) – 3.4/5
9.)   Stranger – 3.9/5

} Vocals{     }Beats{      }Overall{
  4.1/5           3.5/5           3.9/5