I didn’t think we’d end up reviewing this one since it’s not technically Hip-Hop; Plus most of you have had this album for the past couple of months anyway (Shout out to Amazon!). But we all love Weezy over here, so we figured why not. Lil’ Wayne has been pulling out the guitar like crazy right around the time C3 came out; now he’s here to prove that he can actually play it. Well, kind of. Most of the instrumentals on the album come from other producers with Weezy playing on a few songs. Let’s see if Rebirth was really worth waiting for.

American Star
Featuring Shanell; Produced by DJ Infamous
Lil’ Wayne jumps on an epic guitar intro, Auto-Tuning as usual. I don’t know how I feel about this one: Part of me thinks he’d sound a lot better if he left the Auto-Tune alone and actually tried to sing a little bit. The Auto-Tune/guitar combo doesn’t really work too well to me. Shanell makes the hook really hot (“Dope-boy with a guitar!”) and the track works very well, courtesy of DJ Infamous. The track kind of falters towards the end where Weezy pretty much loses control and starts yelling with the Auto-Tune. Overall, OK song.

Prom Queen
Featuring Shanell, Produced by DJ Infamous & Drew Correa
This was the first single off the album. This was the song that had even King Jerm questioning what the fuck Weezy was thinking. It must have aged well, because I kind of dig it now. I said KIND OF. Tt still has some of the stupidest lines I have ever heard (“I love her fancy underwear…”), but overall I think it’s an OK song. This is an example of a song where Auto-Tune actually works with rock, which makes it a notable song on the album.

Ground Zero
Produced by Patrick Stump
This is one of those songs that I really wanted to like, but it got good way too late into the song. The lyrics don’t mean much until the end of the song; Where society is going and how it seems like we’ve reached ground zero. It sounds really good, except for the hook which sounds like it was thrown together at the very last minute. Other than that, another OK song; nothing too notable.

Da Da Da
Produced by Cool & Dre
I gotta give Weezy props on this one; he did it here. The first of the song had me scratching my head, mainly because he cranked the Auto-Tune up so damn much I couldn’t hear anything he was saying. The hook seems lazy at first, but it gets to be catchy when combined with yet another flawless Cool and Dre production. Check for Weezy’s last verse on the song and you can’t tell me you can’t wait for C4. Plus, he actually plays an instrument on this song: the bass, which has its own solo in this song. First song off the album I co-sign fully.

Paradice
Produced by Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf of “Let it Rock” fame made the beat behind this one. I like the message of this one (Live your life, the price of fame, etc.).  Still, can’t get behind this musically. SKIP!

Get A Life
Produced by Tha Bizness
This sounds like Jonas Brothers…I’m not lying. Well, Jonas Brothers with f-bombs. I feel like they locked Weezy in a room full of syrup, weed, and various other drugs with Auto-Tune, and this song came out of it. SKIP!!

On Fire
Produced by Cool & Dre
Alright, I’m not gonna lie and say this song isn’t hot when it is. Cool & Dre production on this one sounds right at home. Wayne sounds a lot better on this track just straight up spittin’ rather than the auto-tune tracks he was trying to put together previously. Also gotta give Weezy props for the guitar solo at the end of the song, despite the fact that it was 2, maybe 3 chords at most. I’m surprised this didn’t make more of a splash on the Hot 100. Good track.

Drop The World
Featuring Eminem; Produced by Hit-Boy & Chase N. Cashe
I don’t think I have to say much here. Only thing I wish is that he would’ve saved this track for Tha Carter 4. The obvious stand-out track from the album, nothing else on here compares. Eminem blazes his 16 on this one:

“I came up from behind and pretty much snuck up
And butt fucked this game up
Better be careful when you bring my name up
Fuck this fame, that ain’t what/I came to claim
But the game ain’t gonna be the same on the day that I leave it
But I swear one way or another I’m a make these fuckin’ haters believe it”

This will be in my Top 5 songs of 2010, believe that.

Runnin’
Featuring  Shanell; Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
This another song I really liked off this album. It proves that Weezy needs to leave the singing to singers and just keep on rapping. Shanell does an excellent job with the hook on this song, providing some much needed emotion that was lacking on a couple of the previous tracks. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League is great here and gives something Weezy can actually flow pretty well over.

One Way Trip
Featuring Kevin Rudolf; Produced by Travis Barker
Travis Barker brought the drums with him on this one and Kevin Rudolf with the guitar definitely completed the song. The drums allow Weezy to let loose lyrically and let Rudolf take care of the chorus, which makes the song one of the highlights of the album. It sounds like at the point in the album Weezy realized he’s a better rapper than he is a guitarist.

Knockout
Featuring Nicki Minaj; Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
Another great 90’s sounding guitar riff courtesy of J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Nicki Minaj isn’t as much singing as she is talking, but her voice sounds nice over the slower riff the song goes into for the hook. She also gets to spit a little bit with the Auto-Tune, which sounds lil’ fucked up, but it goes with the whole punk-rock thing that the song’s got going on. This sounds really similar to Jonas Brothers/Nickelodeon but it works here for some reason. Good song.

The Price is Wrong
Produced by Chase N. Cashe
Yeah, I’m not feeling this one at all…SKIP!!

Bottom Line:
Let’s be honest with ourselves: While some of us can applaud Lil’ Wayne for trying something a little different, I don’t think any of us can say that this was a good album. I’m probably only going to keep about 3 or 4 of these tracks on my PSP. I feel like if Weezy had dropped this album riding off the buzz of Tha Carter 3, this would have been a huge success, good music or not. But it’s on track to only sell 150K it’s first week, a far cry from “A Milli”. Because this album came out almost 2 years after C3, your fans are gonna expect a real album, not an experiment gone wrong. I just hope that after this Weezy drops the guitar for good and continues to show us why he’s known as one of the best rappers alive.

nappyPicks: “Drop the World”, “Knockout”, “Da Da Da”, “One Way Trip”

Download: Lil’ Wayne feat. Gudda – “Fuck Today (Rebirth Mix)” [NOT ON ALBUM]
Download: Lil’ Wayne feat. Nicki Minaj – “Knockout”

2008 was my first year on the ‘Fro, and I was doing it real big; I went from reviewing Green City and Yung Berg to reviewing T.I. and Kanye in just 2 months! The Kanye album I had been skeptical about the entire year, mainly because I thought the Auto-Tune thing was wack and seeing Kanye make an Auto-Tune only album made me double take: three nearly classic hip-hop albums and now this?! I was offered the Ludacris album that was coming out the same day, but I passed on it for 808’s & Heartbreak because I figured ‘Ye would come through.

However, my review for the album was really mixed. Some songs like “Heartless”, “Welcome To Heartbreak”, “Paranoid”, and “See You In My Nightmares” I really liked, but then there were songs like “Bad News”, “Robocop”, “Pinocchio Story”, and “Amazing” that I thought were either weak or not up to par. I ended up not committing either way and giving the album 3 stars out of 5. I’ll never forget, King Jerm commented on the review a couple days after it was put up and said:

“I promise you H2O..5 years down the line people will still throw in the 808’s just to listen to some of the gems that Ye put out on that album. It’s all about artistic expression, but it has to be done right. Kanye executed this album very well. Like I said, give it some time.”

I laughed and said “I’ll take that bet.” And here we are, only 1 year and 3 months later and I’m already giving this album another spin. And what’s worse, Jerm was right. I really like this album now. The craziest thing about it, I know why I like this album now compared to my feelings towards it when I first reviewed it: since then, I’ve experienced heartbreak and stress of my own, and that allowed me to approach the album with an open mind and re-review it fairly.

Quick story:

I’d been dating this girl for about three months when we had to break up mutually, but we understood that we’d get back together after I took care of some things. Well, one of my FORMER friends who had been flirting with this girl while we were going out, went after her to an obsessive level. She turned him down every time, but never really distanced herself from him because she saw him as a “best friend”, so he would never stop trying.

Well, finally we got back together a couple months later after I had worked some stuff out, but things was rocky; she had trouble trusting me and wanted a lot more control in the relationship, which I wasn’t down with. Out of nowhere, she broke up with me in a text message the same day we were supposed to see a show. I go to school the next day and what do I see? Her talking and laughing with my supposed to be friend. I have to go through my entire day seeing them walk down the same halls I do together, the same ways I used to walk with her. It’s been a month since all that had happened and I’ve tried to move on, but every time I tried she’d end up in the back of my mind and it’d be too hard.

So one day I found myself singing: “See You in My Nightmares”, and I immediately listened to the whole album again. I felt like this time, I could identify with everything Kanye was going through: “Bad News” wasn’t just Kanye trying to sing, it completely fit my situation. That feeling you get when you hear that something that was good for so long has just ended right in front of your eyes. “Say You Will” meant so much more to me. So many promises that were made to me were broken, that I just wanted someone not to just say something, but mean it. Somehow, that four minute instrumental was much more important than before. Even songs like “Robocop” didn’t seem so bad after this listen. Which shocked me, because I hated that song.

The Taiko Drums and the Synth Sounds both help to channel the emotion that Kanye is feeling, and good music is good music; the songs still hold up a little over a year later and convey that same emotion. Maybe it was just me who connected with this album recently in light of my recent circumstance, but I feel like Jerm was right; years from now, we will be checking out 808’s. Top to bottom, I co-sign this album. Except “Pinocchio Story”. It doesn’t seem to fit the album very well in my opinion. Every other song is tight to me; I’d compare this album to Kid Cudi’s with better production. While my original review was for three stars, in light of my recent listen, I’d have to award this album four stars out of five.

I wanted to write this column because when “Off That” leaked to the internet and the first tracklisting came out, I didn’t believe it. I thought Jay had fallen off, that he had gone Kingdom Come again. Then when I finally got the whole album, it was like I ate all of my words. Sure, there were the songs I didn’t like: “Hate” is terrible, probably one of the worst of the year in my opinion. But EVERY other song was amazing. When I listened to this album I realized: “This was what Kingdom Come should have been. The new, older, more sophisticated Jay rapping deftly over beats provided by the likes of Kanye West, No I.D., Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz.

You know an album is special when it has a lasting impact not only on the Hip-Hop community, but on the music world in general. The Blueprint 3 is one of those albums. “D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)” finally solved the problem we all have been experiencing by single handily starting the “Anti-Auto Movement”. “Run This Town” brought Rihanna back into the spotlight after a long-hiatus, and “Empire State of Mind” created what is sure to be known as the N.Y. anthem for some time.

A lot of people are going to be mad that this won over albums like Relapse, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II, Us, Deeper Than Rap, and The Last Kiss. I’ll admit myself, I thought that OB4CL2 should have won this award. But then I had to sit down and really think: What did Jay-Z give us? What impact did this have on the Hip-Hop world? When it came down to it, when the whole staff went to vote, The Blueprint 3 ended up on nearly every staff member’s lists. It’s been said before, and it’s true: most of the people who think this album isn’t good are stuck comparing it to the original Blueprint. Was this album classic? No, it wasn’t, there were a couple of missteps on the album. But when you talk about lyrical depth (“I had to lace up my boots even harder/Father is too far away to father/Further-more are the kids/either smoke reefer/Or either move white/ there’s few writers in my cipher”), musical quality, and overall Hip-Hop impact, The Blueprint 3 stands out amongst the other releases of the year. In my opinion, it is arguably Jay’s best post-retirement album. That’s why we award it with the nappyafro.com 2009 Album of the Year.

Runners Up:
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II
Rick Ross – Deeper Than Rap
Eminem – Relapse

First it was The Good Morning Mixtape now here’s The House Party Mixtape. New Year’s is coming up, which means that the house parties are about to go down (Yessir!), so what better selection of music to bump than Hip-Hop? Rather that, what better selection of music to bump than a mixtape provided by ya boys H20 & nappyafro? EXACTLY. This collection is made to be played at a party, which is why it’s so long (28 tracks niggas!). We got everything from Cypress Hill, De La Soul, and House of Pain to Jay-Z, Kanye, T-Pain, and N.E.R.D. Check it out and make sure you bump this one at your next party. Tracklist & link below (B-Easy did the cover art).

1. Beastie Boys – “Fight For Your Right To Party”
2. House Of Pain – “Jump Around”
3. Cypress Hill – “Born To Get Busy”
4. De La Soul – “Me Myself And I”
5. N.E.R.D – “She Wants To Move”
6. N.E.R.D – “Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)”
7. Kanye West – “Good Life” (feat. T-Pain)
8. T-Pain – “Tipsy”
9. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa”
10. The Game – “House Of Pain”
11. Freeway – “Flipside” (feat. Peedi Crakk)
12. 12 – DJ Jazzy Jeff – “Brand New Funk 2K7″ (feat. Peedi Crakk)
13. NWA – “Express Yourself”
14. Pharrell – “How Does It Feel”
15. De La Soul – “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)”
16. Jay-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”
17. Nas – “Represent”
18. 50 Cent – “In Da Club”
19. 19 – T.I. – “You Know What It Is” (feat. Wyclef)
20. Young Jeezy – “And Then What” (feat. Mannie Fresh)
21. Swizz Beatz – “It’s Me Bitches”
22. Jay-Z – “Run This Town” (feat. Kanye West & Rihanna)
23. Jay-Z – “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”
24. 2Pac – “Temptations”
25. RZA – “You Already Know” (feat. Inspectah Deck, Kool G Rap, & Suga Bang Bang)
26. Clipse – “Popular Demand” (Popeyes) (feat. Cam’ron & Pharrell)
27. Timbaland – “Say Something” (feat. Drake)
28. Drake – “Forever” (feat. Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, & Eminem)

Download: The House Party Mixtape

Raise your hand if you wanted a full review of Hurricane’s new album. Yeah, I figured. That’s why we’re doing a FFWD on this one before 2009 is gone for good.

Hurricane’s new album definitely wasn’t on my radar this year mainly because I didn’t figure that his album would actually come out this year. The project seems really rushed; the album is really short at only ten tracks and two of the tracks are less than three minutes long. There is another glaring flaw that this album has: out of the ten tracks on this album, eight of them are dedicated to the ladies. While that wouldn’t be a problem if the songs were good, most of them aren’t. “Coke Bottle” (featuring Mouse) is a good example; great beat but the hook is wack and Chris ain’t helping things. Same with “I Want It” featuring Fiend 4 Da Money. This song coulda been good, but it fails because of the poor hook and the beat.

However, I’m not gonna lie, this album does have bright spots. Chris starts the album off right with “I’m Back” (Produced Shawty Redd). His flow and lyrics on this song surprised me and it made me hopeful for the rest of the album. He’s developed a faster flow (Like a cheaper version of Twista). He gets some assistance from the likes of Mario, Plies, and Bobby V, so the album features aren’t completely terrible, but it could have definitely been a lot better.

Bottom Line:
Chris isn’t gonna wow anyone with this one. If you’re gonna pick this album up (and you know who you are), then my review doesn’t really matter ’cause you were gonna anyway. I’ma give the dude his props, he’s gotten a lot better since his debut. His flow is better and his lyrics are better. Not by much, but it’s an improvement. Still, I can’t really recommend buying this at a length of ten songs when only about 2-3 are good.

nappyPicks: “I’m Back”, “Headboard”, “Last Call”

Download: Hurricane Chris – “I’m Back”

What can you say about Clipse? I can say that they are a very underrated Hip-Hop group. You know, the type that everyone knows makes good music, but were never exceptionally successful commercially. Hell Hath No Fury was definitely one of the albums of the year back in 2006. But at the same time, it launched without a Top 40 single and hasn’t even gone gold yet three years later. Now, Clipse is back with Til The Casket Drops. Despite the absolutely horrible cover, Clipse looks like they’re in position to drop another very good album. Let’s see what they bring this time around.

Freedom
Produced by Sean C & LV
The beat on this one is HARD!! The sample might catch some off guard a little bit in the beginning, but then the beat hits you hard in the eardrum with it’s pounding drums and guitar riff. Both Malice and Pusha T showed up for this one, but I feel like they coulda did a little bit better lyrically. Still, for an intro, it’s hot as hell. Good song.

Popular Demand (Popeyes)
Featuring Cam’rom & Pharrell; Produced by The Neptunes
On the first listen, I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t exactly feeling the beat. I wanted to like it, but it sounded like another recycled Neptunes production. The beat got hotter each time I went back to listen to it, and now I’m liking it. I’m DEFINITELY not feeling the hook, Pharrell messed it up by making it too long. Cam’rom’s verse was good, but he messed up big time by half-singing/rapping his verse like Pharrell did the hook. Both members of Clipse came solid with their verses, but overall it’s just an OK song.

Kind Of Like A Big Deal
Featuring Kanye West; Produced by DJ Khalil
This was the street single for the album that got everyone excited. The beat is hot! The hook is simple but enjoyable, with Pusha T doing his best Kanye-impression. Kanye himself went IN!!! I could hardly believe his flow on this track when I heard it:

“Spittin’ fire on the PJ in my PJ’s
Fire Marshall said I took it to the Max like TJ
Yea people I said Marshall’s we play
I guess I’m like the Black Marshall meets Jay
Meet Ye’ alligator souffle, got it made
Special Ed got head from a girl in special ed
Ya know the pretty ones in that dumb class
But she got that dumb ass
Hit high school and got pregnant dumb fast
What happen Tisha, your boyfriend come fast?”

Damn. Kanye needs to make an album NOW!! Clearly, ‘Ye out shined the others; with lame lines like: “Got me looking to the heavens like a javelin throw”, how can you expect to shine? Still, great song.

Showin’ Out
Featuring Yo Gotti; Produced by The Neptunes
This song overall is just OK. The beat is hot, again, and lyrically there are some wow moments (“Seein’ through your poker face, that nigga bluffin’/Ladies goin’ gaga for a nigga tryin’ fuck him”), it just doesn’t stand out on the album as a whole. Yo Gotti doesn’t spit anything too memorable, but I can see why they put him on here; this is the kind of music he makes and he feels right at home. Still, nothing really make this track better than the others on the album.

I’m Good
Featuring Pharrell; Produced by The Neptunes
The official first single off the album. I don’t care what anyone says about The Neptunes, when they want to, they can deliver beat-wise. THIS SONG IS MY SHIT!!! Plain and simple. When I first saw the music video for this, I was singing along to the song and everything. Damn. Anyway, both Malice and Pusha went in on this one:

“Man I’m killing it, riding in that brand new
Swimming through the streets, looking like I’m Shamoo
In that big body, with the wet paint
I got some pocket change, from selling wet weight
Today is a good day, ice cubes on my chest
Looking at my Blackberry, freak hit me on the text
Come and beat it up, I just need a minute
You can K ya ass, you ain’t gotta lay in it (Yes!)”

“Finally I’m free, all my dues paid
Them yellow diamonds got the charm like it’s Minute Maid
And I’m lookin’ good, and I’m feeling good
Try an’ stop my shine–I wish a nigga would”

Damn! Pharrell delivers a hook that’s not just good, it’s beautiful! Well, I mighta exaggerated there, but it’s nice. Great song, one of my top picks off the album.

There Was A Murder
Produced by DJ Khalil
I like Clipse’s flow on this one, but the whole song has me up in the air about it. It’s a semi-reggae style beat but it’s questionable (The jury’s out on the hook too). This is one of those hard songs to judge because some people will love it, and others will hate it. So I’ve got mixed feelings on this one.

Door Man
Produced by The Neptunes
Damn! This song is what we call a BANGER!! It’s a little too long, clocking in at a little bit over 5 minutes, but the hook is hot and Pharrell adds to the song through an uncredited background vocal that adds to the song. I’m feeling this one; Clipse rides the beat well (While neither spits anything too memorable). This one would definitely scorch the clubs.

Never Will It Stop
Featuring Ab-Liva; Produced by Sean C & LV
Nah, I’m really not feeling this one. This song doesn’t exactly sound out of place but at the same time just isn’t as good as the previous tracks. The beat is hard (again), but at the same time Ab-Liva isn’t really adding anything to the track and Clipse barely shows up here. SKIP!!

All Eyes On Me
Featuring Pharrell & Keri Hilson; Produced by The Neptunes
Neptunes did it again on this one. This beat is absolutely club ready and I could see this tearing up the radio. Keri Hilson’s hook is infectious and the beat backs her up sounding like that “red carpet runway” kind of shit. Clipse pretty much knew they didn’t have to show up for this one and you can tell because they sound nearly asleep on this. Still, it doesn’t really hurt the song because Keri Hilson does most of the work. Good song.

Counseling
Featuring Pharrell and Nicole Hurst; Produced by The Neptunes
Neptunes did it AGAIN!! Man, why do ya’ll hate on The Neptunes when they bring beats like this?!?!? Pharrell showed up for the hook once again; he kept it simple and infectious this time and is a good formula he should follow more often. Nicole Hurst’s role is that of the “ooohhs” over Pharrell’s hook, but she still adds to the song with her verse towards the end. Clipse once again didn’t really go all out here but again its acceptable because the whole song works so well. Great song.

Champion
Produced by The Neptunes
OK, now I know why people hate on The Neptunes; they blatantly recycle their beats. I swear, this sounds EXACTLY like “Loose Wires” from Kenna’s album Make Sure They See My Face back in 2007. The beat sounds way too distant and Clipse is barely trying at this point to me gliding through their lines till they get to the hook. It worked well up until now because the hook was so good on the previous songs but here there is no excuse. The girls singing back up help the song a lot though. It’s not a skip but very forgettable.

Footsteps
Produced by DJ Khalil
Nope, not feeling this one. SKIP!!

Life Change
Featuring Pharrell & Kenna; Produced by The Neptunes
Seeing both Kenna (One of my favorite singers out right now) and Skateboard P on the track together got me interested. P is using one of his talking-style hooks right here, but Kenna definitely showed up. While he only sings one line he makes it infectious. The beat on this is very electronic; something I’d expect seeing Kenna on the track because that’s usually the beats that he usually sings over. Clipse is rapping really well on this one and actually show up with good flows. It’s a good rebound from the past couple of missteps. Great way to end the album.

Bottom Line:
I’m not just saying this because I’m one of the few Neptunes fans left, but I feel like Clipse shoulda just taken all Neptunes beats on this album (With the exception of “Freedom” and “Kind Of Like A Big Deal”). All the best beats on this album come from The Neptunes. Not that the production was bad; it was nearly impeccable! But this album is a good example of the fact that a good beat can only help you go so far. On some of these songs, Clipse sounds asleep or even bored with their own lyrics. This definitely is a step down from Hell Hath No Fury, but it’s still a pretty good album that wouldn’t disappoint if you picked it up in stores. Clipse did a good job here and hopefully new music from them will come sooner than later with the quality stays at this level.

nappyPicks: Cop the whole album. Clipse hasn’t exactly had stellar sales.

Download: Clipse – “Door Man”
Download: Clipse feat. Nicole Hurst – “Counseling”

I hope it doesn’t count as hating if I say that ever since 2003’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, 50 has gotten worse with time. I hope it doesn’t, because the truth in that statement is fact; Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ has sold over 10 million copies worldwide to date. 50 Cent recently struggled to move units after an album leak and competition from Kanye. He’s also been charged with getting soft, making a lot more commercial songs than he used to. In response, 50 replied that he’d really been waiting for Curtis to come out so he could release his “real” album, Before I Self Destruct. Claiming it to be his hardest album since his debut, we finally get to hear the album that everyone has been waiting for. Does 50 exceed expectations with BISD?

The Invitation
Produced by Ty Fyffe
Now THIS is how you start an album. 50 sounds REAL hungry on this one, jumping on with little hesitation: “You want some? Come get some!/Nigga it’s Murder One when you see my gun/I just squeeze and squeeze ’till the whole clip done!/You just bleed and bleed ’till the Police come!/Huh? You want some??” If this first song is any indication of the entire album, then 50 may have been right about his promise (thank you!!). Ty Fyffe definitely brought the fire with the beat, and 50 flowed on it like a proven vet: “I’m far from a centric, I’m so psychotic/I don’t need you to shoot for me, nigga I got it!” Great song.

Then Days Went By
Produced by Lab Ox
The sampling here is flawless. This beat is hot as hell courtesy of Lab Ox. 50 sounds good flowing on this track, rapping about his younger days in the hood. While his flow over the track sounds really good, he doesn’t really spit anything notable lyrically. He makes up for it with the hook, which is crack: “I seen niggas gettin’ rich, then days went by/Then days went by, then days went by…” The hook make the track much more appealing. Good song.

Death To My Enemies
Produced by Dr. Dre & Mark Batson
Dre’s first appearance on the album, and it’s BLAZING!!!!!! “Dre, niggas think we bullshitin’!” The the beat drops and it’s fire!! “I bring money to my niggas that bring death to my enemies”. 50 keeps up the pace as with the first few tracks and keeps it truly gutta over a Dre (& Batson) production. Did anyone else catch the Wayne diss? (“This ain’t Tha Carter/Nigga this is Sparta/It’s harder I die I be a matar/Respect me like your father”)

So Disrespectful
Produced by Tha Bizzness
I think this song is more popular for it’s disses to Jay, Game, and others than it’s actual quality. Not saying that the quality is bad, the beat is pretty good, and the repeated “So disrespectful” was a good choice to use for the hook: simple, yet effective. Anyway, the disses in question are: “Jay’s a big man, he’s too big to respond/I’m a big dick, you know the one everybody on” and “Come on Game, you’ll never be my equal/Your homies shoot doors, my niggas shoot people!” The disses aren’t bad, but c’mon we all know Fif can do better than this. He almost sounds asleep on this track. Not bad, could have been better.

Psycho
Featuring Eminem; Produced by Dr. Dre
The Three-Headed Monster reunites on one track for the best effort I’ve heard from Fif in a very long time. Fuck best song on the album, this is one of the best songs of the YEAR!! The beat is perfect, sounding just like those old fashioned 1950’s horror movies plus 50 and Em both showed up for the track. Well, you know Em murked the track and it’d be hard for 50 to even match him on this considering its Em’s style of subject matter. But 50 did a very good job:

“Look look, I come from a different crew, you fuck with me, I’ll get to you/A clip or two’ll cripple you, just ’cause I ain’t got shit to do”.

Wow. Don’t think Em slouched either:

“You pop off the top it’s like opening vats of acid/Beat the Octamom to death with a Cabbage Patch Kid/Attack a snatch, yeah there’s something to jack a batch in/Impregnate her then shoot up the embryo sack with Mac 10s/Triplets, quadruplets and a couple of back to back twins/Dead fetuses fallin out all over, Jack is back again”

Damn. What more can I say? Excellent song.

Hold Me Down
Produced by Team Ready & J. Kevs
What a transition. We went from killing everything in sight to a song for the girls guns. This is the usual 50 throwaway female song; ABC style beat, with 50 using a couple clever metaphors to get by. I will give him props for doing the whole my gun is my girl (See 2Pac’s “Me And My Girlfriend”). The hook ain’t bad, but this song gets kind of boring and is pretty short anyway. I’m not skipping this one, but it’s pretty blah. Not really feeling it.

Crime Wave
Produced by Team Demo
This is what I’m talking about. I heard this on the local radio and this was crazy. The hook is perfect, the beat is hot, and 50 is spittin’ crazy shit on this one too:

“I’m not tellin you to shoot somebody, but if somebody try to shoot you shoot ‘em/Don’t waste time, lil’ nigga just do it/Any nigga out of order, must be serviced/See now now you hesitatin boy you makin me nervous/The Feds know I clap heat felonies on my rap sheet/Front on me try to run from me hollows be up your back B!

After the last song, this was the perfect recovery! BANG THIS ONE!!!

Stretch
Produced by Rick Rock
The pianos on this one are ridiculous, and make the beat sound really hard. The hook fits, but the “stretch…” is a lil suspect. 50’s flow on this one is pretty good: “Your favorite bad guys gone!/The Joker’s dead!/So for now till forever your stuck with the kid./I ain’t supposed to be a boss, I’m supposed to be a enforcer!/I’m supposed to hold a gun, not be stuck in the office!” The lyrics probably won’t wow you, but at the same time, it’s a serviceable song.

Strong Enough
Produced Nascent & OB Da Problem
DAMN!! This song is hard as hell!! The sample is: “Your life is over…” again and again. Damn. 50 didn’t play around on this one either: “These niggas ain’t strong enough/They money ain’t long enough/When they bump heads with me, they find out the guns do bust/We gettin’ money in god we trust/Suck on this nigga!” You gotta hear this one to believe it. Great song.

Get It Hot
Produced by Black Key
Can’t believe this wasn’t one of the first singles. It sounds like “Get Up” and “I Get It In” combined with a much hotter beat. This would have blazed the charts! Fif came correct with lines like: “I’m a made man, a Don Corleone/No matter where I’m at, I’m doin what the fuck I want!” This one was obviously made for the club, but that’s not exactly a bad thing since it works well on this song. Good song.

Gangsta’s Delight
Produced by Havoc
This is a gangsta play on the classic song “Rapper’s Delight”. While I appreciate 50’s creativity, I wasn’t really feeling it myself. It could have been executed much better. The way it is now, it’s actually pretty skippable. However, I’m sure some people will like it. The beat isn’t too bad, it’s just something that you can tell was meant to be filler.

I Got Swag
Produced by Dual Output
The beat on this is really hot; Fif chose great production on this album. This is basically what the title looks like: 50 flossing to the max. The hook is kind of hot though and this definitely could have been a single. Lyrically, 50 is aiight, nothing too shocking: “Me, I’m into me/I destroy my enemies, even if they kin to me.” Good song, but again, you can tell this was meant to be filler.

Baby By Me
Featuring Ne-Yo; Produced by Polow Da Don
This was the first official single off this album, steadily getting more and more airplay. Compared to the other first singles from 50 Cent, this definitely underwhelming, even compared to “Straight To The Bank”. It’s grown on me though; the sample was perfect for this song. 50 was definitely asleep on this one: “I need you to be what I need/More than liquor or weed/I need you to maybe give me a seed/I need you to give me reason to breathe, I need you/I’m tellin’ you so now you know what I need.” Damn. Even 50 fans have to admit that sucks. Ne-Yo definitely controlled the song here. Overall, it’s a fun little song but 50’s parts bring it down. Sadly.

Do You Think About Me
Featuring Governor; Produced by Rockwilder
What was 50 THINKING!?!? This is the exact same song as the previous one without the awesome sample and Ne-Yo. Instead, you get 50’s same lackluster rhymes and some no-name singer on the hook. The beat is aiight, but it could have been used a lot better if 50 woke up and chose a really singer to do the hook. Sadly, this is the second single…
SKIP!!!

OK, You’re Right
Produced by Dr. Dre
The street single off the album. Dre was on point here, this beat bangs and has that classic eerie sound to it. Sadly, 50 barely showed up for this one. It’s like he realized even being on a Dre beat would make him sound good so he didn’t need to come correct with the lyrics. I mean, he comes with two verses, each 12 bars long, and with the same sounding monotone delivery. Disappointing. The song still sounds good without 50’s help and proof that Dre can make any rapper sound good flowing on his beats.

Could’ve Been You
Produced by DJ Khalil
Why would anyone end their album like this? SKIP!!

*Bonus Tracks*
I fucks with “Flight 187″ and “Man’s World”, but the new original version of “Baby By Me” could definitely have been left off. And by the way, why are “Man’s World” and “Flight 187″ not on the official album?? Damn!

Bottom Line:
Did 50 live up to his promise? Well, yes, I think he did. He’s got some ridiculous songs on here that definitely live up to the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ pedigree. But at the same time, he’s got some shit songs on here that are some of the worse he’s ever done (read: “Do You Think About Me” and “Could’ve Been You”). I was actually a little surprised there weren’t any shots thrown at Rick Ross seeing as that was pretty much the biggest Hip-Hop beef of the year. Speaking of Rick Ross, I think that this was the better album between the two of them because some of the good songs on this album are better than the best songs on Deeper Than Rap. 50 did a prettty good job here all things considered, but at the same time, I think we all know he can do much better than this. After all the hype surrounding this album, some people might feel he under-delivered.

However, just because King Jerm gave Deeper Than Rap a 4.5 and I think 50’s album is better doesn’t mean I’m gonna give 50 a 4.5. Ross’ album deserves a 3.5 in my humble opinion, shit, maybe even a 3 flat in my book. So I’m rating 50 based on that.

nappyPicks: “Stretch”, “Crime Wave”, “Psycho”, “The Invasion”, “Death to Enemies”, “Strong Enough”

Download: 50 Cent – “Flight 187″

Download: 50 Cent feat. Jovan Dais – “Baby By Me” (Original Version)

Download: 50 Cent – “Man’s World”

Download: 50 Cent feat. Gucci Mane – “Crime Wave (remix)”

Alright, if you’ve been to the forums, then you know that I’m not the biggest Kid Cudi fan. He’s just too different. I mean, can you even call what he does Hip-Hop or rap? Plus, what is his appeal? The man can rap, but he’s not running for “Best Rapper Alive” anytime soon, and his singing is mainly monotone talking. Damn. Was I really the right person to review this album? I figured I’d take it since Chew pretty much dished this one to me. And anyway, the cover for this album looks cool, it looks like one of those special artistic albums that hardly even come out anymore. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like “Day ‘n’ Nite”, and “Make Her Say” has got to be some of Kanye’s best production ever. Still, can Cudi make a fan out of me? Let’s experience The End of Day.

*Act I: The End of Day
Explanation: Kid Cudi here is dreaming; in his dreams he can do anything he wants to do, and he is happy. The first part of the CD.

1. In My Dreams(Cudder Anthem)
Produced by Emile
This intro immediately caught my attention. “Here in my dreams…” Cudi sings. His singing still hasn’t really caught me as being good, but it’s a catchy song with a very cinematic beat behind it, and it really sets up the album and starts it up on a very good note. You could play this song, sit back, and relax with the synth and the violin like sounds in the background. I’m impressed! After two verses, Common comes on as the narrator of the album, spitting some poetry, introducing the story of a young man who believed in himself, “The man on the moon…”. Great song, gets you in the mood for the album.

2. Soundtrack 2 My Life
Produced by Emile
Alright, this is about as close as we get to actual Hip-Hop on this entire album, and it’s good. I mean, like I said before, Cudi is not going for best rapper alive anytime soon, but he’s got enough skill to keep it fresh at the same time. The song is basically a biography of his life and how this album/song is the “Soundtrack 2 His Life”. The beat on this is nice; the production is spacey and street at the same time, so it really does fit Cudi’s style very well. The songs on this album have a weird, kind of cinematic feel to them. Overall, great track, on of my top tracks of the album..

3. Simple As…
Produced by Plain Pat
The sample of “A…B…C…” and “1…2….3″ was a little weird at first, but then when Kid Cudi jumps on the track, he straight up kills it. I mean, again, I wouldn’t exactly call this Hip-Hop, but it’s great. The hook is infectious; this guy can’t sing, he makes infectious hooks basically by talking! It kills me. Anyway, this track is hot! At the end of the track, Common comes on and basically introduces us to the next section of Cudi’s life: the Rise Of The Night Terrors.

*Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors
Explanation: Suddenly, Cudi must now deal with a horrible intrusion into his dreams; the night terrors have entered his dreams, and are showing him flashbacks to the dark times in his life. Note: This is my favorite part of the album.

4. Solo Dolo (Nightmare)
Produced by Emile
This song is very spacey and bare bones, and first I didn’t really like it because I thought it went on for way too long, but I started to like it after awhile. Cudi sings(?) about how throughout his life, he was alone and he was: “Mr. Solo Dolo”. Like I said, when I first heard this, I was thinking: “SKIP!” But, it grew on me after a couple listens, and I like it now. It’s a good, but not great, track.

5. Heart Of A Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)
Produced by Free School
I laughed when I heard the title, but this is a great song! I guess at this point in the album, Cudi has realized that he can handle these night terrors, and is standing up to make sure they don’t stop him from realizing his dreams. Cudi’s back to rap on this one, and his flow on this high speed track really impresses me. The Kid’s got skills! Also, the infectious hook on this one had me putting this on repeat a lot. This is definitely without a doubt one of my top songs off the album; when someone has doubts about Kid Cudi, just point them to this song. Not only is it his theme song, but it’s also good for pumping you up, trust me. Excellent song.

6. My World
Featuring Billy Cravens; Produced by Plain Pat & Jeff Bhasker
Ok, this is my favorite song off the whole damn album. This one song instantly made me a Kid Cudi fan. This song is like “Solo Dolo” and “Heart of a Lion” mixed together. In saying that, I’m saying that Kid Cudi is talking (call it rapping if you want, but there is NO FLOW AT ALL) about how he felt as a child. Not gonna lie, the parts with Kid Cudi are a little drab, mainly because he’s talking to us in straight up monotone right here, but then Billy Cravens comes on and just kills the hook, because his singing is amazing on this track. It’s weird cause it’s just one sentence: “This will be my world”, but it’s AWESOME!! Plus the story Kid Cudi has to tell is deep: how he spent time as a child in his room, on the moon, dreaming, and how it was only place he really felt safe. Damn good track!

*Act III: Taking a Trip
Explanation: Still haven’t figured out the exact meaning of this section, but if I had to make a ballpark guess, I’d say its all about taking drugs. So Kid Cudi I guess wakes up from his Night Terrors and starts to take drugs…? I mean the lyrics really fit that explanation, but I’m not exactly sure.

7. Day ‘n’ Nite (Nightmare)
Produced by Dot Da Genius
This is the song that made Cudi an international star. I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on this track because we’ve all heard it by now. Well, when I first heard it, I didn’t like it. I mean, the man is TALKING! But that hook is hot! So is the really spacey production that is provided by Dot Da Genius. Real good shit, but you already knew this. Good choice for the first single also, by the way.

8. Sky Might Fall
Produced by Kanye West
Wow, it’s kind of hard to believe that Kanye only produced 2 tracks off this entire album! This track he did a really good job on, despite the fact that he brought his synth-like Graduation sound to the track. Unsurprisingly, that sound fits perfectly here on the album. Cudi, I assume, is very high right now, talking about how the sky might fall, but he’s not worried at all. His singing on the track is actually good, I like this track a lot. ‘Ye’s production helps to assist this song from being just OK to Great.

9. Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)
Produced by Matt Friedman of ILLFONICS
This on some 80’s/pop/Michael Jackson tip (R.I.P. King of Pop, we miss you!). This song is about taking ’shrooms with your girl! No, I’m not lying. Cudi’s singing here is also great, he’s started singing more I suppose because as the album goes on and he begins to conquer his fears, he is more willing to show us the real him instead of hiding behind a rapping facade.. At least that’s my guess. The beat’s on point, the singing is great, the lyrics are…eh? But all-in-all, good song.

*Act IV: Stuck
Explanation: Well, again, I’m not exactly sure what is going on here, but it’s basically I assume that Kid Cudi is stuck between his dreams and reality(?). Here, you see a lot of different tracks from what we’ve seen earlier, and that, plus the less spacey sound on this compared to previous tracks, tells me that this is a realistic part of Cudi’s life. Of course, this album is all about Cudi accomplishing his dreams, so I guess it all fits.

10. Alive (Nightmare)
Featuring & Produced by Ratatat
I can’t tell exactly if Ratatat is doing the hook or if Cudi is, but either way it’s good. Ratatat showed up with the beat; it makes me want to check out some of their stuff. Cudi also showed up for this one. At first, I didn’t really like this song overall, but the hook and the beat grew on me as time went on. Overall, a solid track off the album.

11. Cudi Zone
Produced by Emile
This basically Kid Cudi in his own little world again. The track never really grabbed me, which is weird because it sounds very similar to the other tracks. I’m not skipping this one, but at the same time, it’s not one my favorite tracks, it almost feels a little bit like filler to me. Average track.

12. Make Her Say
Featuring Kanye West & Common; Produced by Kanye West
The second single off the album, this basically Cudi showing off his lyrical chops alongside lyrical heavyweights Common and West. He holds his own, and the refrain: “She said she want whatever she like/But she gotta bring her friends/And we can have one hell of night/And a day” is simply genius. ‘Ye sampling is straight up the best sample of the year IMO; the acoustic version of “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga (Don’t see the appeal!) is superb, and fits the song perfectly. Overall, this is an excellent song, definitely one of the album’s highlights, at least production wise.

13. Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)
Featuring MGMT & Ratatat; Produced by Ratatat
This is supposed to be the third single off the album, and this one didn’t really grab me either. The rock style of this track doesn’t really seem to fit with the rest of the album, and Cudi seems a little bit off on this one. Once again, not a skip, but it’s one of the lower parts of the album in my opinion.

*Act V: A New Beginning
Explanation: Kid Cudi, upon realizing that his dreams are just dreams, has realized that he had the ability to put his dreams into reality, and the end is simply a new beginning…I think.

14. Hyyerr
Featuring Chip Tha Ripper; Produced by Crada
Nah, I’m not feeling this one at all! I’m sorry, SKIP!!

15. Up, Up, & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)
Produced by Free School
Damn, what is up with these titles?!? This is a great way to close out the album despite the fact that there is no cohesion between the previous track and this one. Here, Cudi is basically realizing that no matter what happens, he’ll be “Up, Up, & Away” because no matter what, there will always be obstacles in his path, and he’ll overcome them anyway. That’s the deep version of it anyway, haha. Anyway, this is a great track. At the end, Common comes to basically say what I already told you in the explanation, except that Cudi has a new enemy to face, the machine and the ghost within. Sequel, anyone?

Bottom Line:
Well, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong: this was actually a great album. I mean, everyone knows I’m a Jay-Z stan. I still think The Blueprint 3 is album of the year (haven’t heard that Raekwon yet, it’s probably better), and I’ve been bumping it like crazy; it’s at least better than Deeper Than Rap! But Kid Cudi’s album actually made me listen to something other than BP3, because it was that good. Everyone was telling me Kid Cudi was on that new shit and it was good, and I guess I was too close-minded to see what the possibilities were with an artist like him. Granted, can he sing? Hell no! Can he rap? A little, but he’s no Rakim. So what exactly DOES Cudi bring to the table? He’s unique, he can make VERY infectious hooks, and he brings an epic feel to every track he’s on. This whole album felt like damn movie! Like I said, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong. Kid Cudi’s debut is a breath of fresh air and should be a great start to an even better career.

nappyPicks: Cop the whole album! Only one slip up on the whole thing and we should definitely support artists an innovative as Kid Cudi.

Download: Kid Cudi – “Heart Of A Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)”
Bonus: Kid Cudi – “I Hear Them Calling” (Not On Album/Produced by Eminem)

Glad I got back from Philly in time to write this…what do you get when you add a bottle of cognac to one of the world’s biggest egos?? Taylor Swift in tears, apparently. Damn. Kanye has jumped on stages before bitchin’ about not winning when he thought he deserved one, but he was out of line here for couple of reasons. First, Taylor Swift has never won a VMA before; it was her first ever award from MTV, and ‘Ye pretty much killed that moment for her. If somebody jumped on stage when Kanye won his first award, I bet he’d have something to say about it.

Second, he was even fighting for himself! He was fighting for…wait for it…Beyonce! Now I know Beyonce and Kanye are good friends, but can you even NAME all the awards that Bey has won in her career?? Plus later on that night, Bey ended up winning Video of the Year, so that kind of made Kanye look like a dumbass even more.

It was a good look for Beyonce to bring Taylor Swift back on stage with her. We all thought Kanye had calmed down after his mother’s death, but what he did here obviously shows that he hasn’t changed much at all. Kanye’s apologized like 3 times already, but c’mon: if Beyonce hadn’t won Video of the Year, do you seriously think Kanye wouldn’t have called MTV racist like he did two years ago??

Does this mean that I’m no longer a Kanye fan? No way, the man has a huge ego, but he makes damn good music. But for his actions Sunday, he is without a doubt THE DMF OF THE WEEK!

Kanye West Steals Taylor Swifts Spotlight

Kanye West Apologies On Jay Leno

Man, is it me, or is the Hip-Hop world asleep?? When every single major release is a mixtape and the latest interesting news is Joe Budden getting punched in the eye, you KNOW the game is asleep right now. This is one of the reasons why I hate summer. No high profile Hip-Hop releases, no good video games coming out, and crappy summer movies! Sure, we had Mos Def with The Ecstatic right before summer, but other than that, what were the high profile Hip-Hop releases? Maino’s debut album and Fabolous’ Loso’s Way. Loso’s Way is another good album from Fab, but he kept us waiting on that classic album AGAIN. Maino is aiight, but two high profile Hip-Hop releases for the summer?!? Wu-Tang’s Chamber Music was hot too; have to show them some respect. Same for the Slaughterhouse album; that was bangin’!!

But answer this question for me: What album are you really waiting for this year? A few of you will say The Blueprint 3 (I’m cautiously hopeful at the time of this writing), Detox (like that’s actually coming out this year), Relapse 2, Only Built for Cuban Linx II, and Before I Self-Destruct. Three of those albums are coming out next month, on the tail end of summer. But for real, a lot of you have been sleeping out there! What about Yung LA?? What about Lupe Fiasco?? What about Wale?? Exactly.

That’s why this edition of Boomin’ From The Stoop is called SLEEPING, cause all of ya’ll ASLEEP! Lupe released the first single off his album Lasers, which was formerly called The Great American Rap Album, which was formerly called Everywhere (whew!), called “Shining Down”. I’ve been listening to it, keeping it on repeat, but I didn’t hear not one person mention it on the site! Also, shout out to Spyzyda Myzayne for looking forward to Futuristic Leland. Someone is awake! How about Wale and his Attention: Deficit debut album?? Nah, everyone is too busy listening to his mixtapes!

This is exactly what the homie KAJ was talking about in his column. I’m sick and tired of seeing all these mixtapes during the summer. I’m not gonna lie to you, mixtapes aren’t really my thing; They don’t really appeal to me. I may download a mixtape here and there (who DIDN’T download So Far Gone??), but personally, I judge artists by albums, not their mixtapes. There have been some nice mixtapes lately, I’ll admit that. But we’ve said time and time again that we at nappyafro.com NEVER want to be one of “those” websites that post up a mixtape everytime it drops. Yet with the lack of Hip-Hop albums coming out, what choice do we have?? Reviewing R&B? Hell no!! The Hip-Hop artists in the game need to get they shit together and drop real albums.

But I digress, I didn’t exactly come here to rant. I came to put ya’ll on to three songs you may have been sleeping on.

Download: “Shining Down” by Lupe Fiasco Feat. Matthew Santos
First off, this song was leaked like 3 months ago, and no one said shit. Damn! At first I was a little skeptical about this song; getting Santos and Soundtrakk back together on one song sounds like he’s trying to make “Superstar” all over again. But the results here are nice. Santos’ hook is crack, and Lupe continues with the deep lyricism: “I don’t idolize America, I’m dancin’ with the stars”. Are any of you excited for Lasers? LupE.N.D. used to be my most anticipated album of the year, but since it’s not Lupe’s last anymore it fell out of the top 5.

Download: “Taser Gun” by Yung LA
For real, I don’t even know if this album is still coming out. If it is still coming out, I’ll bet money it does worse than Big Kuntry’s album (6k first week out!). I’ll be real though, to me LA is just ok. He comes hard with infectious hooks, but his whisper flow gets on my nerves a bit. I don’t know why, but I actually kind of like this song and the whole “space-futuristic” thing that LA is using as his theme.

Download: “Chillin’” by Wale Feat. Lady Gaga
Everyone should have heard this by now. This is official single version; it’s longer than the one on his Back To The Feature mixtape, and has a completely different beat. Personally, when I first heard the song, I thought it was aiight. Wale’s wordplay is cool, but I think in Hip-Hop nowadays, we already know to dismiss the first single from every album that comes out, which is actually kind of sad. Still, the beat is hot, courtesy of Cool & Dre, and Lady Gaga did her thang. While this song is kind of disappointing, I’m still excited for Attention: Deficit.