Curren$y – Weekend At Burnie’s [Review]

Arkitekt July 1, 2011 20

Curren$y has been busy lately. You’ll be listening to his latest joint, and then a new record will drop out of nowhere. This is his second album to be released this year after Covert Coup with the Alchemist. He also has Muscle Car Chronicles, Pilot Talk III, Puff Daddy (ha), and a possible free album to be released from the record company in the short future. I’ve never seen the movie Weekend At Bernie’s, but I have a feeling this is Curren$y’s twist to relating it to marijuana (Hence the cover art & title). Whatever the concept is, I’m sure he won’t disappoint. If Curren$y is about anything, its quality over quantity. With only twelve tracks (two bonus), let’s see if Curren$y keeps the same formula.

1. #Jetsgo
Produced by Rahki
The album starts off with a nice soulful beat from producer Rahki. Curren$y finds his swag quickly as he sounds off about the Jets’ code. If you don’t know what jets mean, listening to the chorus a few times will help you figure it out. Spitta finds his rhythm when he ends this one on a high note,

Try to be more Flawless with it, calculated king of the city,
Christopher Walkin with it, I admire his empire, as did Biggie,
Machine Gun Funk out of the bowls,
Bubba Kush & Hindu Skunk previously rolled,
You know the game chump your chick choose,
Better luck next time captain save her,
Jets, Drugs, and Paper,
Sex, Sport Cars and Vacations

2. Still
Featuring Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy; Produced by Monsta Beatz
Monsta Beatz gives us a preview of what’s in store for Weekend at Burnie’s. He drops a slow tempo beat with a memorizing loop. I don’t know about you, but I feel like this song will go perfect with some bud. Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy return since they were last featured on Pilot Talk 2. All three sound good together here, but I’d say Trademark had the best verse. This may be my favorite joint on the album.

3. She Don’t Want A Man
Produced by Magnedo7 & Havoc
This is the second single off the album. This track is about a woman “who don’t want a man, she just wanna fuck”. Curren$y breaks it down on how it starts with these type of women to how it finishes. If this track has you reminiscing, then I’m sure you’ll like it too. I like how Spitta starts this one off,

She was a little red Corvette, fast as hell, turned heads on the set
Pretty skin, soft voice, asking for rough sex
Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets,
This particular evening she wanted to ride jets

4. One Life
Produced by Monsta Beatz
Monsta Beatz second beat isn’t as impressive as his first. You can tell the beat was heavily influenced by those early days of No Limit… but he forgot the hammer. The song doesn’t get better with two average verses by Curren$y about living life “highed up”. Not the worst track, but there is nothing standout about it.

5. You See It
Produced by Monsta Beatz
Things get better from Monsta Beatz when he makes this track bang with a heavy drum bass. This is another track about living the jet life. Spitta is basically saying you can look the other way, or act like you don’t see it, but we know you see us stuntin’. Pretty simple lyrics, but the musical vibes make it better.

6. Televised
Featuring Fiend; Produced by Monsta Beatz
I really hope this isn’t a marijuana ode to the late Gil-Scott Heron. “The reeferlution will be televised” drowns out the chorus as Curren$y & Fiend speak on smoking weed worldwide. It has an okay beat, there is a real mellow feel to it; it’s just not the usual beat we’re used to hearing from Monsta Beatz. Plus, Fiend could’ve been left off. This one is for the smokers.

7. This Is The Life
Produced by Monsta Beatz
This is one of the more complete feeling songs on the album. It features a nice blend of piano strings and drums that go perfect with the chorus. Don’t be surprised to hear that this is another song about living the Jet life. One thing I’ve noticed about a lot of upcoming emcees (notably Wiz & Spitta) is how they re-quote some of Hip Hop’s most memorable bars. Here is an example of Curren$y flipping a Cypress Hill quote,

Hits from the bong, Cali strong, got me feelin’ like,
I could kill a man, but I’d rather kill a baseline

8. On G’s
Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark Da Skydiver; Produced by Monsta Beatz
Monsta Beatz slows down the beat once again. Young Roddy & Trademark appear for the second time on the album. The three emcees go through different stories of how they’ve been making money. There are some decent lines here and there, but for the most part this song is very average.

9. Money Machine
Produced by Dirk Pate & Monsta Beatz
Dirk Pate is added to the producer list as he helps Monsta Beatz stay in line with the album’s smooth laid back feel. Spitta lets the beat build for a good thirty seconds before going on a two minute lyrical onslaught. This song is about coming up in the game and how people (including himself) react to fame.

We’ll have this whole world changed by tomorrow,
Lighters and oz ‘em in my cars, and no way am I playin’ with ya’ll
When I say I’m so high, if I was to trip and fall, I’d land on Mars
But don’t mistake my highness for blindness
Giving me them fake smiles, I know what’s behind them
I swim with the sharks aye day

10. What’s What
Produced by Monsta Beatz
Ten tracks into the album and it still has that mellow smoker feel to it. This is the shortest song on the entire album as Curren$y rhymes about what type of women he likes. At times, it sounds like he is rapping randomly, but the beat keeps the song intact. It’s okay for how short it is.

11. JLC
Produced by Frank Dukes
This was supposed to be the first bonus track, but I think it’s on every retail version out. Frank Dukes handles the production as CurrenSy raps about “JLC” (“Jet Life Commandments”). Although, it sounds more like he’s addressing the haters,

The beats bitch niggas is scared of, I goes in on
So King Kong, go ‘head with that Felecia ask Craig what he’s smokin’ on
Personal, this mind it won’t work for you
Your whole click in trouble, need a focus group

12. Get Paid
Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark; Produced by Drupsey
The first thing I noticed about the song is the beat. It sounds really familiar from the loop to the drums. It is a bonus track so it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s recycled. Young Roddy & Trademark appear on another song about making money. The chorus can get repetitive, but Spitta, Roddy, and Trademark all lay down verses that seem to balance out with the beat. I wouldn’t call this a standout, but it’s still good.

Bottom Line:
In the end, I’ll have to say I’m not disappointed by this release, but I felt it could’ve been better. There were atleast three filler songs that should’ve been left of the album. On the production tip, Monsta Beatz does a good job shaping the album into having more of a laid back smoker feel. Weekend at Burnie’s isn’t as good as Pilot Talk 1 or 2, but it’s still an album that’ll leave fans happy. I just hope he adds a little more diversity on his next album.

  • P-Body

    You never seen Weekend At Bernies before? Wow!

    This is a solid album for sure. I like this one a lot but not as much as the Pilot Talk and the Covert Coup with Alchemist. I like what Curren$y have going on. We need this type of stuff in hip hop especially with the laid back smooth beats. Awesome review

  • http://www.nappyafro.com B-Easy

    “I just hope he adds a little more diversity on his next album.”

    That statement is true. While I like Curren$y, sometimes I feel he’s doing the same thing over and over again.

    • P-Body

      Just like Drake

      • http://www.twitter.com/itsyoungblaze Young Blaze

        I agree. I feel Drake does it a lil more than Curren$y though

      • http://www.nappyafro.com B-Easy

        Okay now guys, let’s not turn this into a Drake post…

  • http://www.twitter.com/itsyoungblaze Young Blaze

    Definitely a solid album.

  • Mr. Jones

    i almost want Curren$y never to move on if this is the quality of the work he constantly repeats. really like this record and almost all of his records.

  • DGAF

    Fuck diversity. This is dope, like every other Curren$y album. Hardest working most consistent rapper out

    • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

      As much as I love Curren$y, I must admit I am craving for some unexpected sounds from him. I know he probably won’t but his songs are getting redundant.

    • P-Body

      I have to co-sign with DGAF. Dude putting out good quality music and the type of tracks he rap on is by far different & better than what they play on the radio these days.

  • Roger

    Curren$y scores! Album is good one, with thousands or rapper around, this performance stands out!

  • saule wright

    I may be in a music induced coma…but um, I don’t know that I’ve heard anything this cat has put out. Miixtape or otherwise….

    • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

      You have. Curren$y was originally signed to YM and he was on Tha Carter II.

    • http://nappyafro.com Verbose

      peep this SDub:

      http://www.nappyafro.com/2011/01/13/why-you-should-listen-to-curreny-mixep/

      http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PRR0OYCD

      DuB really did his th’ng-th’ng here. just dont read the comments….I dunno what we were on that week
      me and DuB were being instigators in there, haha

      • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

        Now that I think about it LP never came through on the challenge (tisk, tisk).

        • http://nappyafro.com Verbose

          #unsurprised

          • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

            and he is always the first one to call someone out. How rude!

    • P-Body

      He was also with No Limit.

    • Seraphin

      If that is indeed true, then you are sorely missing out.

      I didn’t really fux with Curren$y until Smokee Robinson, so I am catching up. But so far of what I have heard (Smokee Robinson, Pilot Talk I, Pilot Talk II, Return to the Winners Circle, and Covert Coup) the guy is extremely dope. Offically a fan.

      I’m listening to Covert Coup as i type this.

  • boricua

    Just downloaded this bad boy….


 
 
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