Murs (from Living Legends) and Slug (from Atmosphere) return with their third Felt project entitled Felt3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez. For those of you who don’t know, Felt reaches out to a new producer for each album. On the first felt (A Tribute To Christina Ricci), the album featured production by Living Legend member The Grouch. The second album (A Tribute To Lisa Bonet) was produced by Atmosphere’s Ant. This time around they went outside of their groups and selected indie artist/producer Aesop Rock. Murs and Slug picked the right guy if they want a real indie sounding album. Let’s just hope that the three have good chemistry in doing so.

In my opinion, Murs and Slug are two of the most underrated emcees. They have both spent over ten years in the game, and are still looking for some respect. Both of these guys would definitely be in my top five underground artists. Slug had arguably the best album last year with When Life Gives You Lemons…. Murs’ first album with 9th Wonder (Murs 3:16 – The 9th Edition) is acclaimed to be an underground classic. Plus, what is there not to like about these two. If you listen close enough, their lyrics relate more to you than most other Hip-Hop today.

1. Protagonists
Produced by Aesop Rock
This is the first (internet) single to promote the album. Aesop shapes a nice beat that Murs and Slug can spit over. Aesop is not afraid to display his producing style as he throws some nice guitars on the beat. This song explains what Felt is about, and I believe is a message to the fans that claimed they sold out. Here is a line Murs uses to prove his point, “We still spittin’ on that indie bullshit, Legends, Rhymsayers, Def Jux, the full clip”. This is a great start to the album.

2. Felt Chewed Up
Produced by Aesop Rock
If you think the first song didn’t sound “underground” enough, then this will definitely twist your perspective. Aesop hits us with a beat that is reminiscent of Daddy X’s (Kottonmouth Kings) style. This song explains how Felt has been chewed up (in the rap game), but are still doing their thing. Once again, Murs shines on a few verses which show why he is a leader of the underground, “Our rhymes have a little bit more to give, so I give it, and I stay on tour to live”. Then, later, “I do it big on the independent tip, new car, no rims on the whip”. If that isn’t a hot underground line, then I don’t know what is.

3. Get Cake
Produced by Aesop Rock
Aesop definitely makes his presence with the funky beat on the interlude “Get Cake”. This song sounds like it should be on a Cage album. I liked the video of this song to help promote the album, but I don’t think this should have made the final copy… well maybe if it wasn’t an interlude.

4. Bass For Your Truck
Produced by Aesop Rock
Both Murs and Slug trade verses about a girl with serious issues. This is no surprise for Slug because he always has a couple of these songs on his albums. Murs keeps the same type of formula for this song and does it well. However, I’d still give the edge to Slug. He has one of the best styles of illustrating narratives. Another good thing about this track is the beat provided by Aesop Rock. You wouldn’t think the beat would fit the type of lyrics, but Murs and Slug have no problem with it. This is a definite standout for me.

5. Like You
Produced by Aesop Rock
This track helps explain my introduction on how Felt is just like you and I. Their lyrics let you know that they are no better than you, and no different than you. This is why underground groups like Felt can do tours constantly. They are a Hip-Hop group that actually performs in front of their peers. The song has some nice lyrics now and then, but nothing that really stands out.

6. Permanent Standby
Produced by Aesop Rock
Murs and Slug tell you two stories that involve some girls that went down the wrong path. Murs starts off telling you a tale about a girl who got lost in the big city. The story goes from a cocaine addiction to being taken advantage of to becoming a whore. In the end, she realizes she is too real for a city of plastic (hmm sounds like Vegas) and moves away from the city. Slug steps up next and speaks on girl that moved from the Desert to the Midwest. This girl not only goes through the cocaine and whore stage, but turns into an alcoholic as well. This narrative ends when the girl finds out that the Midwest is not for her too. The two emcees are real even when you compare them on this track. They both speak on similar stories and both display the art of storytelling.

7. Kevin Spacey
Produced by Aesop Rock
Aesop drops his second interlude. It’s just as crazy as the first with wild voice samples. However, I prefer the first one over this.

8. Ghost Dance Deluxe
Produced by Aesop Rock
After one listen, this song quickly reminds me of “My Alien Girlfriend” off Molemen’s Killing Fields album. They both are about those certain type of females that seem too real to be true (such as a ghost or alien). The haunting beat really fits the theme of the song. The only difference between Murs and Slug’s verses is how they respond to the topic. Basically, Murs is the unbeliever and Slug is the believer. I’m feelin’ this one.

9. Revisiting The Styleetron
Produced by Aesop Rock
Next up is an energetic track that will make about anybody in the mood to party. Slug drops an interesting verse, “I’m like X-Y-& Z, I stick by the back door, let it go free, that’s what the track’s for, my jobby job is rock a party, taught your mommy to karaoke La Di Da Di”. This line may not sound too clever, but you have to realize that this song (“La Di Da Di”) is one of the most sung songs in hip hop. This is how I like to see people use swagger.

10. Whaleface
Produced by Aesop Rock
This is the first (non-instrumental) track that I would find average. Murs and Slug compare those haters (you know the ones who think their shit don’t stink) to whales. It’s a decent song, but nothing too significant about the lyrics or creativity.

11. Glory Burning
Produced by Aesop Rock
Slug starts by describing a guy who is running from the police. He really paints the picture as he goes into deep detail about the setting and mood. Next, Murs jumps on the track and continues to describe what is going on in the guy’s head. Then, he switches up his lyrics and lets you know that he is talking about himself. Murs storytelling turns into a style where he is talking to himself, and sounds like he is losing his mind. The closer you listen to the lyrics, the more you will appreciate this song and Murs’ ingenuity. Plus, this is another Aesop Rock beat that perfectly fits the frame of mind.

12. Henrietta Longbottom
Produced by Aesop Rock
The beats shine brighter each time I listen to the album. The delivery on this beat is flawless. Murs and Slug start rhyming about the rumors of Henrietta Longbottom. The rumors get crazier as the two continue to rhyme. In the end, Slug ends the rumors with a nice verse, “I don’t know if you care or if you invest, but Henrietta is dead, no more no less, never really met her, so I’m not losing sleep, but Longbottom is long gone, rest in peace”.

13. She Sonnet
Produced by Aesop Rock
This is a tribute to all the people who doubted Felt: critics, fans, etc. I’m starting to think that Felt is growing a chip on their shoulder. There has been a lot of talk about them selling out after their last solo albums. What some people need to understand is that people can’t keep doing the same shit. I’m sorry haters, but Slug is better with a band than by himself. Why hate on a little change? And now Murs can’t get major producers on his albums because it means he sold out? Get the fuck outta here; I’m trying to listen to the best music possible… no matter who made the beat. Anyways, here is a line Murs used to describe what he’s trying to achieve, “Fuck a bitch, love a women, that’s my new motto/ Yeah, I’m ignorant but trying to be a role model”.

14. Felt Good
Produced by Aesop Rock
This is a flat-out Hip-Hop song. There is no unexpected metaphors, no storytelling; just a nice display of lyricism. However, some of the lyrics are similar to the previous track “She Sonnet” – “breath, please, give me freedom and some peace, a fugee to the beast with the demons and police”.

15. Deathmurdermayhem
Produced by Aesop Rock
Murs starts to rhyme (or mock) about those fake rappers who people love because of their image. On the other hand, Slug takes a more aggressive style, and speaks on what he wants to do to these hypocrites. The main point is to do Hip-Hop right. What I like most about this song is how they flipped the script. It may not be the artists selling out, but rather their fans. Maybe you’re the fake when you don’t really understand what you are listening to.

16. The Prize
Produced by Aesop Rock
Where did Aesop go? Never mind, he’s definitely back on this track. This song is about “The Prize” or goal, and how some people aren’t achieving it because they are too busy worrying about somebody else’s. This is yet another track that might have some people looking in the mirror before they criticize again. Slug sums it up on the chorus, “I don’t even think you’re looking at the prize, I think you’re killing time looking at what’s mine”.

17. G.I. Josephine
Produced by Aesop Rock
Felt is back with another symbolic song on “G.I. Josephine”. “G.I. Josephine” represents that female that all guys have respect for. This is that type of women that all men are searching for. Murs and Slug do a brilliant job showcasing their lyrics and originality on this one.

18. The Clap
Produced by Aesop Rock
This is a short interlude by Slug. He says to picture someone and presume they have the clap (no herpes). It’s a little funny, but shouldn’t have been on the album. For the last interlude, I was hoping for something that involved Rosie Perez.

19. We Have You Surrounded
Produced by Aesop Rock
You ever feel like you’ve been ripped off by an artist when you buy their album. Not because it wasn’t good, but because it seems like they don’t give a fuck about you? They never go on tour, and when they do, they are nowhere to be found after the show. Well then, this track is dedicated to you. Felt lets their fans know how much love they got for them. However, they do let you know how some fans get out of control too.

20. Give It Up
Produced by Aesop Rock
I first want to touch on the beat by Aesop Rock. It starts almost like it should be on a film soundtrack, then it really takes off when Aesop mixes in some guitars and other sounds. The beat is nicely done and should be appreciated. The soundtrack lyrics shape the beat – like a movie after it reached its climax.

21. Paul Reubens
Produced by Aesop Rock
Here, Murs and Slug have some fun on the microphone. I think they take a few jabs at the mainstream. Nevertheless, it sounds like they are taking a victory lap. They both do their thing, but I think Slug takes it on his last verse.

Bottom Line:
At the end of the day, everyone’s first question is how does this compare to the others albums? Personally, I find this better than Felt 1, but not Felt 2. The first Felt album was good, but only had ten tracks (including two skits). The second Felt album is one of my most played albums. It’s filled with great lyrics and production; making more than half of the songs standouts. I also believe some on Ant’s best work is on that album. Felt 3 is nothing compared to the first two; mainly because of Aesop Rock (which is not a bad thing). I imagine a lot of fans are not going to like this strictly because of the beats. However, you’ll see how gifted Murs and Slug truly are if you took the time to listen to how they adjust on certain beats. Their lyricism and creativity is nothing you should pass on either. Don’t be afraid to let it grow on you.

Everyone’s second question is who did better? Was it Slug or Murs? In my opinion, I’d give it to Murs. It’s not that Slug did poorly, but Murs is more of a hyped rapper and the energetic beats fit his flow better. Plus, he dropped some quotable lines that I’ll be explaining for weeks to come.

One thing I didn’t like about the album was the unnecessary interludes. I know it’s a big thing to have Aesop Rock as the producer, but don’t ruin the album by having the listener use the skip button when he or she didn’t have to.

Lyricism: (4.25/5); Production: (3.50/5); Originality: (3.75/5); Overall: (3.75/5)

nappyPicks: “Protagonists”, “Felt Chewed Up”, “Bass For Your Truck”, “Permanent Standby”, “Ghost Dance Deluxe”, “Glory Burning”, “Henrietta Longbottom”, “G.I. Josephine”, “Give It Up”

Download: Felt (Slug And Murs) – “Bass For Your Truck”

Any Hip-Hop enthusiast, “Hip-Hop head”, or casual listeners should almost immediately recognize the name Rakim in connection with the genre of Hip-Hop music and its history. Rakim’s trail in Hip-Hop music is one that can be traced back to the Golden Age of the 80’s when the music was said to be in its truest and rarest form. As a duo with DJ Eric Barrier, the two made up the team of Eric B. & Rakim in releasing one of the most storied and influential Hip-Hop albums of all-time in Paid In Full, as well as other memorable albums that followed (Follow The Leader, Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em, Don’t Sweat The Technique). Like most good Hip-Hop groups (Little Brother, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Gang Starr, etc.) all things must come to an end eventually and that end came in 1992 for Eric B. & Rakim. But from that end came a new beginning for Rakim in the form of a solo career with two releases in 1997 (The 18th Letter) and 1999 (The Master) that saw moderate success with hits like “When I B On The Mic”, “The Saga Begins”, “New York (Ya Out There)” and “It’s Been A Long Time”. Just like the DJ Premier produced track it has been a long time (ten years in fact) since we last heard and saw an album from Rakim and now in 2009 we have his third solo release entitled The Seventh Seal. In describing the album’s title Rakim stated, “I’m using it metaphorically in Hip-Hop hoping to kill the old state of Hip-Hop and start with the new.” building off the number 7’s significance and influence from the Bible. Any extended period of time between releases for any artist has the possibility to have positive and negative results (see: Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, Royce Da 5’9”’s Street Hop), it’ll be interesting to see if a ten year span has brought on rust or recovery for The God MC Rakim.

How To Emcee
Produced by Slyce
If Hip-Hop was a college or school institution it’s pretty clear to say Rakim would be a professor with a Masters degree in the subject as he rhymes on the chorus (“I could show you how to emcee like I got a degree”). With the Hip-Hop landscape turning to the Pop scene and being more driven with lyrically inclined rappers, this is a type of song that is greatly needed. Lyrically Rakim comes correct with the bars in displaying to listeners why rappers (won’t name any names) have been emulating his flow and delivery since ’87. The production provided by Slyce is sufficient with an old-school feel but comes off sounding too bouncy and playful for Ra’s rhymes and the song’s subject matter.

Walk These Streets
Featuring Maino & Tracey Horton; Produced by Needlz
The second official single that had listeners thinking it was a track from Rakim & Dr. Dre’s Oh, My God sessions when it first premiered back in October. In saying that Needlz does his best “Dre” impression on the beat (which sounds similar to “Been Through The Storm” on Busta Rhymes’ The Big Bang album) in giving Ra an introspective backdrop for him and Maino to deliver tales of the trials and tribulations of the street life. Maino was a good selection for a feature on this track as he gives vivid descriptions of the life that has played a major part in his life (Jadakiss is somebody else that I could have heard easily on this track spittin’ a verse). The chorus sung by Tracey Horton gives life to the track and bring it full circle in matching the feel of the song. This was a good pick for the album’s 2nd single, which should have some nice visuals to accompany it soon.

Documentary Of A Gangsta
Featuring I.Q.; Produced by Y-Not
In similar ways to Ludacris’ “Southern Gangsta” on Theater Of The Mind, Rakim presents to listeners the life and times of a gangsta in documentary style like BET’s American Gangster series. Ra basically displays his storytelling skills on this track in telling about the moves and mindset of a gangsta in the streets. The beat by Y-Not is perfect production for the theme and feel of this song. In many ways this is the track that Luda wanted to make on his album as it presents the topic in a more convincing way.

Man Above
Featuring Tracey Horton; Produced by Nottz
As you could guess from the song’s title this track is about Rakim’s daily conversations with God in regards to the things going on around him in the world and in the hood. Nottz delivers a nicely produced beat as Ra he speaks about keeping the faith even when things aren’t looking their best and not falling into the traps that surround. On this track Rakim is able to deliver some conscious lyrics and a message without sounding too preachy, which is something that not too many rappers can claim to do (except Brother Ali). Once again Tracey Horton comes through in providing the hook for this song in a superb way that adds to the track.

You And I
Featuring Samuel Christian; Produced by Samuel Christian, J. Wells & Lorenz
While Rakim might be talking about a significant other on this track, I really believe that he’s speaking about Hip-Hop in the figurative when he speaks about the chemistry and bond that him and this other person shares until the end. A song of this topic has been done many times before and Rakim puts together a nice version for his catalog. Samuel Christian (who supplies the singing on the chorus), J. Well, and Lorenz give this track a nice dark, sinister sounding backdrop that fits well with Ra’s flow and delivery.

Won’t Be Long
Featuring Tracey Horton; Produced by Jake One
As Rakim stated at the beginning on this track in summarizing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “How Long, Not Long” speech, this song is built off those exact words in being titled “Won’t Be Long”. Rakim’s lyrics follow suit in speaking about perseverance and determination in whatever it is that you’re focused on achieving and accomplishing. Jake One’s production on this track is subtly presented with his signature bass (that sounds kind of 80’s) that serves well for Ra’s rhymes as well as Tracy Horton on the chorus again.

Holy Are You
Produced by Nick Wiz
This is the album’s lead single and the song that let everybody know Rakim was on the return with an album after ten years of waiting. Nick Wiz uses an unorthodox sample and builds a hard-pounding street beat over it that sees Rakim in prime form with lyrics and rhymes. When this song first appeared back in July it let listeners with doubts know that Rakim hadn’t lost a step over the span between his last album.

Satisfaction Guaranteed
Produced by Neo Da Matrix
Just as “Holy Are You” reassured listeners about Rakim’s skill and ability on the microphone, that’s where the basis of this track’s topic lies. Over some nicely sampled production by Neo Da Matrix, Rakim lets listeners know that his rhymes and music equals instant satisfaction. For most Hip-Hop aficionados Rakim delivers exactly what they’re searching for and feel is a missing part of Hip-Hop music today.

Workin’ For You
Produced by Jake One
While “You And I” was indeed about Rakim’s relationship with Hip-Hop, this song speaks about Rakim’s relationship with his woman. Jake One samples William Bell’s “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” for some feel good production as Rakim talks about how he’s working and doing what he can to provide for his lady. Rakim delivers some good lyrics in regards to the subject matter about loyalty and faithfulness to his other side. They say that every Hip-Hop album has to have a track dedicated to the ladies and luckily Rakim takes the better route with that choice instead of going for the cliché track heard on most albums.

Message In The Song
Featuring Destiny Griffin; Produced by SWJ
On this track Rakim talks about the one thing that is present and can be heard in his tracks regardless of the subject matter and topic, and that being a message. As heard so far through this album Rakim has touched on different topics from relationships to religion to street life, and on all of those tracks he offered lyrics with something to be learned and gained in listening. This is something that more rappers need to be focused on doing in their music instead of it just being the same cliché topics of drugs, women, partying, etc. with no real substance. SWJ provides Rakim with some great sampled production as his daughter Destiny Griffin supplies her father with a nice chorus.

Put It All To Music
Produced by Poppa Pillz
The sampled beat produced by Poppa Pillz immediately gives this track a 90’s Hip-Hop feel and Rakim uses it to his advantage as he speaks about putting everything of all subject matters to music. His analysis of using music to deal with problems and how music has a place with everything in life is something that I can relate to as a listener. Rakim sounds most comfortable on this track than on any other track on the album most likely because of the smooth production provided.

Psychic Love
Produced by Nick Wiz
In getting back to the tracks for the ladies, Rakim uses the smooth production from Nick Wiz to speak about love and his affection for a certain lady. This can be seen as a more seductive track than the previously heard “Workin’ For You”, and ultimately it works for Rakim and doesn’t come off as much of a stretch for him in terms of the theme and lyrics. It’s great how an emcee like Rakim can do a track like this and still keep it away from the area of sounding clichéd.

Still In Love
Produced by Nick Wiz
For those listeners that were curious as to how Rakim might feel about the current times of Hip-Hop music and the genre in its declining state, this track serves as your answer to that question. Ra speaks about how he still has love for Hip-Hop even though things aren’t as they were when he was in his prime delivering albums in the 80’s and 90’s. With enjoyable production as heard from Nick Wiz it’s easy to see why Rakim still has a love for the game while others are claiming “Hip-Hop Is Dead”. Like Cormega said on Born And Raised, “Hip-Hop ain’t dead, it’s just tired of the drama” and with music like this that statement from 2006 can be retired as its evident that Hip-Hop is in no way deceased.

Dedicated
Produced by Nick Wiz
After 13 tracks Rakim decides to finish off the album on a sincere note in dedicating the track to his mother and speaking about what she truly meant to him and his life. He talks about his heartbreaking experience in losing his mother and the times their bond together ever since his birth. Nick Wiz provides a nice beat that fits with Rakim’s lyrics and the song’s topic. This was a good way to end off the album as it nicely brings things to a close in allowing for listeners to start to listening experience again back at the first song.

Bottom Line:
In being ten years since his last album release with The Master I was like a lot of fans and listeners is not being quite sure about what to expect from Rakim with a new album especially in 2009 and the current state of Hip-Hop. A part of me was excited to finally be hearing some new music from The God MC after being satisfied with his two previous releases, but the other part of me was concerned about Rakim possibly changing up his style to better conform with the ways of the music industry of today. Luckily my concern was nothing more than a worry as Rakim proved that he hasn’t lost a step with The Seventh Seal and ultimately reassures listeners that he’s still one of the nicest emcees in the game regardless of the ones (Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, T.I., Nas, Drake, J. Cole…) that have come after him. There really aren’t any tracks on this album that are below average or sub par for an emcee like Rakim as many of them range between good to great. Throughout the album Rakim delivers lyrically on every aspect from lyrics to flow to delivery to subject matter. The only thing that holds this album back from being even better is the production that’s heard. While it’s always great to give new and lesser known producers a platform to showcase their skills, it would have been nice to hear something from the established producers that Rakim has collaborated with on past albums like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Clark Kent, as well as including a song or two from his work with Dr. Dre during their Aftermath period together. Knowing that this isn’t Rakim final album it can be certain that we’ll eventually hear music from those sessions and music from some of Ra’s previous collaborators. Overall, Rakim sees the same success with The Seventh Seal that Raekwon saw with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II and Royce saw with Street Hop in delivering an enjoyable album despite years spanning between releases… Let’s just hope it’s not another ten years before the next Rakim album is released.

nappyPicks: “Walk These Streets”, “Holy Are You”, “Message In The Song”, “Put It All To Music”, “Documentary Of A Gangsta”, “Psychic Love”

Download: Rakim – “Holy Are You”

Download: Rakim feat. Maino & Tracey Horton – “Walk These Streets”

Given the current state of Hip-Hop music in 2009, a resurgence of “real” Hip-Hop music and return to the lyricism as heard on classic albums of the 90’s has been seen with recent releases like Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II, KRS-One & Buckshot’s Survival Skills, and Marco Polo & Torae’s Double Barrel. Since his debut in 2006 with the 9th Wonder assisted Cloud 9: The 3 Day High and follow-up mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Power Of Words, Skyzoo has undoubtedly noticed the declining state of Hip-Hop music and has been on a mission to bring things back to the way they once were. This is evident with an album titled The Salvation, as the term “salvation” by definition is the saving of humanity from death or eternal damnation. With this album Skyzoo is set on saving listeners and the genre of Hip-Hop from death via untalented artists with limited skills and abilities on the microphone (I won’t go into names here… everybody has their own list). With producers along the lines of 9th Wonder, Just Blaze, Black Milk, Illmind, Nottz, and Needlz, and the credible history of Skyzoo as an intellectual, lyrical emcee, this album looks good on paper to be a success, but in the end does that translate to a quality product.

1. The Opener
Produced by Cyrus The Great
In relation to the album title, the opening track starts off with a gospel interlude followed by some piano playing the leads into some piano driven production by Cyrus The Great. The production plays its role as Skyzoo immediately lets listeners know what they’re getting with this album in the form of lyricism and a return to real Hip-Hop music. This track is a good introduction to the rest of the album that follows.

2. Return Of The Real
Produced by Just Blaze
Speaking of a real to Hip-Hop music, that’s exactly what this track is about as stated by the song title. Skyzoo enlists music producer extraordinaire Just Blaze for this track as he delivers with one of the most energetic beats on the album. After a trademark Just Blaze introduction, Skyzoo gets right into it over the head-nodding beat in speaking about how he’s one of the last few lyricists remaining in the game and is destined to bring the realness back to the genre. This is a track that definitely knocks on the system, as Skyzoo does a good job on his intentions with his convincing lyrics and flow.

3. The Beautiful Decay
Produced by 9th Wonder
This track stood as the first official single for the album with an accompanying video released a few months back that provided excellent visuals to compliment Skyzoo’s lyrics describing the inner city life in a positive manner by name it “The Beautiful Decay”. 9th Wonder supplies Skyzoo with one of his signature soulful beats that fit his lyrics and flow like a glove and sound like something you might have heard from their sessions back on the Cloud 9: The 3 Day High project. This is an excellent track that shows Skyzoo in his zone in speaking about city life and its surroundings.

4. My Interpretation
Produced by Best Kept Secret
On this track Best Kept Secret provides some airy flowing production as Skyzoo gives his interpretation of “getting lifted” with his head in the clouds on his journey to the top. The soulful production once again fits nicely with Skyzoo’s rhyming, as he doesn’t sound one bit out of place with his vivid descriptions and portrayal.

5. Popularity
Produced by Nottz
Getting back to the energetic sound that was heard a few tracks ago on “Return Of The Real”, Skyzoo recruits Nottz behind the boards of this track as he supplies some bouncy production while Skyzoo proceeds to let listeners know why he’s one of the most popular emcees on the rise in the game and doesn’t show any signs of being stopped. Being the type of rapper that Sykzoo is, this is the closest you’re going to get to hearing a potential commercial song receiving radio play, and honestly a song of this kind is one I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing compared to the likes of “You’re A Jerk” or “Money To Blow”.

6. Like A Marathon
Produced by 9th Wonder
9th Wonder returns to the scene with some more soulful production for Skyzoo to deliver some words of inspiration to those on the road to pursuing their dreams. “Like A Marathon” is clever wording which ultimately translates to never giving up and quitting as life and the roads to our goals can feel similar to running a marathon. It’s quite clear to see how Skyzoo and 9th were able to put together a quality project in three days as their chemistry is unlike many other emcee/producer pairings. This track is another gem to be found on the album that listeners are sure to enjoy and relate to with their own lives.

7. The Shooter’s Soundtrack
Produced by Cyrus The Great
After six tracks this is the first track on the album that I’m not really feeling and probably won’t get many repeat listens from me. Cyrus The Great provides some nice production on the track but it sounds dull and gets repetitive after a while of listening. From Skyzoo’s lyrics (which aren’t his best delivered and sound a bit boring like the production) this track is meant to be the soundtrack for those in the streets living the crime life. Ultimately compared to the previous tracks heard, this track sounds more like it was meant and would fit better on a mixtape than an album. The skit/interlude of Skyzoo and his girl’s phone conversation does well in setting up the scene for the next track but sort of goes on too long.

8. Under Pressure
Produced by 9th Wonder
9th Wonder comes through again, this time utilizing the same sample (“Walk On By” – The Undisputed Truth) used by J Dilla on his Donuts album cut “Walkinonit” to a good degree for the production on this track. Skyzoo takes note from the sample’s song title in dropping lyrics about being under pressure in a relationship while doing what’s necessary and providing for both, but realizing that it can no longer work in the end. This is another good song of relatable virtues and values that are realistic in the lives of many going through relationships and difficult times.

9. Penmanship
Produced by Black Milk
In a recent Q&A session (“Ask Skyzoo”) with Skyzoo on 2dopeboyz, he replied to a question that there were two producers that he had to have on his debut album being Just Blaze and J Dilla. As heard on the previous track “Return Of The Real”, he was able to accomplish ½ of his goal with a Just Blaze produced track, but unfortunately due to the untimely passing of J Dilla he wouldn’t be able to have a track produced by the late great Detroit legend. Insert music producer Black Milk who in his own right is one of the best up-coming producers in the game and becoming a Detroit legend in his own right. Having some similar qualities of J Dilla to his name in terms of production and sound, Black Milk provides Skyzoo with the closest rendition to having a Dilla produced joint on his debut album. Black’s production consists of a pulsing organ riff backed by off-beat drum programming that might throw some listeners at first, but is head nodding none the less. On the track Skyzoo gets down in delivering lyrics pertaining to his lyricism and tight pen game. This song reassures listeners that Skyzoo is no here today gone tomorrow type emcee, and his lyrics are some of the nicest out of the rest of the next generation rappers.

10. Dear Whoever
Produced by Illmind
From the previous up-tempo track, Skyzoo decides to slow things down a bit with “Dear Whoever” in which he rhymes lyrics in the form of a letter addressed to past girlfriends (no one in specific) that he went through the same circumstances with. Speaking about being in a relationship where he lowered his guard and put all of his feelings out in the open for his significant other, only to realize that them being apart was better for them than being together. Illmind’s soulful production on this track fit comfortably well in complementing Skyzoo’s lyrics and the track’s subject matter. This song seeming so personal from Skyzoo’s lyrics is a gem to be found on the album.

11. For What It’s Worth
Produced by Eric G.
After a brief interlude of wise words from the late great Tupac Shakur, we’re hit with one of the most heartfelt tracks on the album. Eric G. beautifully samples Dee Dee Bridgewater’s “My Lonely Room” as the perfect backdrop for Skyzoo to deliver lyrics about living life for what it’s worth in the time given while battling between making a living on the block within the drug game or facing the struggles of the legal life to reach dreams. When Skyzoo is in his element of tracks describing life’s trials and tribulations he is one of the realest emcees behind the microphone. In the case of where that’s seen with “For What It’s Worth”, it stands as one of the best tracks on the album.

12. The Necessary Evils
Produced by Needlz
Those who have been following Skyzoo’s career since his start in 2006 through the various mixtapes he has released will recognize this track from his 2007 mixtape Corner Store Classic. Needlz produces a dark, sinister sounding beat for Skyzoo to deliver lyrics about the necessary evils of the street life that seen as everyday living for those involved. Much like the previously heard “The Shooter’s Soundtrack”, this track doesn’t standout in comparison to some of the other strong production found on this album and feels out of place on this album since it was previously featured on a mixtape from two years ago. This is another track that won’t receive much play from me and is one that could have been left of the final track listing.

13. Easy To Fly
Featuring Carlitta Durand; Produced by 9th Wonder
This song features the only guest appearance to be found on the album with Carlitta Durand supplying the hook in gracious vocal styling. 9th Wonder supplies soulful, floating production that fits well with the song’s topic as Skyzoo drops lyrics about a girl that he’s trying to take away from her current bad situation into a better relationship with him. Topic wise this track hold’s the same weight as most of the female tracks we’re used to hearing on rappers’ albums, but the track’s production and guest feature give it an edge from falling totally into the cliché standing.

14. Bottom Line
Produced by Eric G.
Off his fantastic production heard on “For What It’s Worth”, Eric G. returns with some more soulful sounding production on “Bottom Line”. On this track Skyzoo spits lyrics about being on your grind in whatever you do and how it comes so easy if the grind is something you’re consistent with. This is a good track to be heard and stays in tune with most of the soulful tracks heard throughout the album.

15. Metal Hearts
Produced by 9th Wonder
Mr. Douthit returns for the last and final time on the album with some lively, soul production in sampling Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” to good results. Skyzoo uses the nice composed beat to speak about his dedication and devotion to the grind in doing whatever is necessary to see success at the end of the day.

16. Maintain
Produced by Nottz
Skyzoo brings things full circle and ends off on a similar note and mood that was heard on “The Opener”. With the sound writing on the paper in the background, he speaks maintaining in life and in the music industry. Talking about making it to a point that not many people taught they would be him at in delivering an album and having a record deal after three years of diligence and never quitting in the process. This track does a good job in closing our the album on a peaceful vibe that gives listeners the idea that Skyzoo has finally made it to the point in his career that he has been striving for.

Bottom Line:
Many people outside of the underground Hip-Hop scene might not be well familiar with Skyzoo as an artist and his works, but one thing is sure after listening to this album and that is that Skyzoo will be a name that people all over will be familiar with in due time. With an album dubbed The Salvation, Skyzoo’s intentions of bringing the rap game back to its respectable nature of quality music and strong lyricists are evident, and he succeeds in doing that with this album. Skyzoo is an emcee that isn’t afraid to go against the grain of popular dances and trendy gimmicks in providing listeners with the quality, “real” Hip-Hop that has been a missing element for so long now. While he isn’t the only one on this quest and making the necessary steps with an album of this kind (see: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II, Double Barrel, Slaughterhouse, The Ecstatic, etc.), Skyzoo definitely makes the movement strong with the addition of his debut album. During a time where artists’ albums sound more like compilations with guest features just for the popularity of a name (ex: Lil Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z, etc.), Skyzoo realizes that his is his show and uses the platform to showcase himself to listeners with only one guest appearance on the whole album. Aside from a couple of choice songs that threw off the flow and cohesiveness, The Salvation is a prime example of good Hip-Hop that so necessary nowadays. Much like Hip-Hop albums in the 90’s featuring one of two main producers, this album has that feel cohesiveness, as most of the tracks are able to flow easily into each other. With some further work, Skyzoo is on the verge of releasing a classic album in given time. Those searching for quality Hip-Hop outside of the blitz of commercial radio albums and singles should look no further than Skyzoo and The Salvation. When it seems like too many rappers “forgot how to be real and remembered how to be wack”, it’s good that Skyzoo is vice versa.

nappyPicks: “The Beautiful Decay”, “Like A Marathon”, “Under Pressure”, “Dear Whoever”, “For What It’s Worth”

Download: Skyzoo – “The Beautiful Decay”

Bonus: Skyzoo – “Return Of The Real”

More Than A Game tells the story of now NBA superstar LeBron James and his fellow teammates during their high school years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. It follows the team’s journey of trials and tribulations to the eventual success of a high school basketball national title in 2003. With every documentary that depicts the story on film, there’s an equal telling of that story through music. 8 Mile had it with Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture 8 Mile, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ had it with Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, so it would only make since for a film as strong as More Than A Game to have one. The purpose of a film’s soundtrack should be to present the essential elements of the film and essential tell the story of the film without watching the actual movie. The soundtrack should make the listener feel as though they have seen and experienced the movie through listening. Both soundtracks to 8 Mile and Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ do a great job of this (the former more than the latter) and if listeners are hesitant to seeing More Than A Game with the fear of it being more Crossover and Like Mike and less The Basketball Diaries and Hoop Dreams, hopefully listening to this soundtrack will sway their decision.

1. Drop It Low
Ester Dean featuring Chris Brown; Produced by Polow Da Don
As the first track you hear on the album, you immediately get a bad feeling about listening to the rest. From the title of the song you could already get a feeling as to what this song is about and how it would sound. Featuring typical production from Polow Da Don, Ester Dean sings about dropping her booty low (original huh??) and a return of Chris Brown to the music scene after his incident with Rihanna. Given the story of the movie and how it looks to be, I don’t really see at all how this song relates or got included other than a commercial single for the young crowd to dance to.

2. Forever
Drake featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem; Produced by Boi-1da
A song that everybody should be well familiar with by now as it’s an official single for the album with an accompanying music video released last week. Boi-1da continues with his current streak in providing some bouncy production for all four emcees to deliver everything from average to stellar verses on. While Drake, Wayne, Ye drop good verses, the show is obviously stolen by Mr. Mathers who obliterates his verse with fantastic wordplay, precise delivery, and even flow switching to top it off. This was a quality selection to be included on this album.

3. King On Set
T.I. featuring Young Dro; Produced by The Smash Factory
A song from the self-proclaimed King of the South before his current jail stint that features fellow Grand Hustle member Young Dro dropping rhymes atop production from The Smash Factory that fit well the aforementioned rappers. A song that sounds like it could have fit on T.I.’s King album, features T.I. donning his fast flow while Dro take his time in defining the word “king” and how it applies to him. This track obviously fits LeBron more in present times with his “King James” moniker more than it did during his high school days.

4. Stronger
Mary J. Blige; Produced by Polow Da Don & Hit Boy
This time around Polow Da Don delivers much more meaningful production along with Hit Boy as they supply a beat for Mary J. Blige to deliver in classic MJB style. As one of the album’s official singles, this song perfectly fits with the theme of the movie of individuals standing together as one to over come struggles and hardships. This song truly gives you the feeling of the movie without having seen the preview beforehand.

5. History
Jay-Z; Produced by Kanye West & Kenoe
This song was previously released back in November ’08 around the time of Barack Obama’s election as President of the United States in which Jay-Z performed at the President’s Inaugural Ball. In regards to that event this song fittingly serves as Jay cleverly refers to “history” as his child after searching and finding his wife “victory”. Kanye and Kenoe provide a historic sounding backdrop for Jay to deliver inspirational verses on a song that fits well with the historic legacy left by LeBron and his teammates at SMSV.

6. Top Of The World
Rich Boy featuring Chili Chil; Produced by Rich Boy
After a few inspirational tracks, Rich Boy brings the energy back to the album with this self-produced track. Rich Boy’s beat is the trademark hard thumping southern production that suits him so well, as he delivers lyrics letting listeners know why he’s one of the young rappers in the game moving towards the top and why his gold selling debut album Rich Boy was no fluke. Chili Chil provides the hook on this track that makes the song complete and gives you a feeling of the fight and push within Lebron and his teammates during their quest of a national title.

7. I’m Ballin’
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em; Produced by Hamsquad
Upon reading the song title and featured artist you should already know what to expect from this track. With production from Hamsquad that fits Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s typical style, he proceeds to drop lyrics concerning his economic status as the song title implies. Nothing really special with this track other than the fact that Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane are starting to sound like the same person on tracks with the identical flow/style, subpar lyrics, and limited content matter. Once again other than commercial purposes, I don’t really see why this track was included on this soundtrack, and it’s status serves more towards LeBron in his current status more than how he was during his high school days before endorsements and contracts.

8. We Ready
Ya Boy; Produced by Harvey Mason, Jr.
After the previous lacking track, this track brings things back up for the soundtrack featuring Ya Boy dropping lyrics in regards to being ready for the challenge and task at hand, which for LeBron and his teammates was obviously winning the national title. The production from Harvey Mason, Jr., who executive produces the soundtrack and produced the film, is done in fitting battlefield style that connects well with the song’s topic and the lyrics delivered.

9. Go Hard
Hayes; Produced by Jerome Harmon
Continuing with the theme of persistence and determination, Hayes delivers a track in motivational style about pushing on and not stopping when met with opposition. The track’s production from Jerome Harmon, who also contributed to “Venus vs. Mars” on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, is a synth filled, organ driven beat that pushes and supplements Hayes’ lyrics and subject matter to a higher level.

10. Frozen
Jared Evans; Produced by Jared Evans
This track features artist Jared Evans both behind the mic and behind the boards as he delivers lyrics over subtle production about being stuck or “frozen” in a place of misfortune and adversity while trying to make it through. The track connects on a level with the movie and how the team must have felt when things just weren’t going as they expected or wanted them to.

11. If You Dream
Tank featuring Tyrese, Toni Braxton, Jordin Sparks, Omarion, Faith Evans, JoJo, Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton & Steve Russell; Produced by Harvey Mason, Jr., Durrell ‘Tank’ Babbs & J. Valentine
A truly inspirational song in terms of song topic/title, lyrics, and production, featuring an all-star casts of R&B/Soul artists to bring the album to a close. The piano driven production on this song perfectly match the topic of never quitting and giving up on your dreams to accomplish your goals in the end. This song is probably the best match on the album in terms of capturing the movie’s story and plot in a single song, and it does a great job in delivering that aspect. This song alone should make any listener eager to go see More Than A Game in theaters.

Bottom Line:
In terms of doing what a soundtrack is supposed to do in complimenting the film, Music Inspired By More Than A Game does that efficiently. While there were a couple tracks (“Drop It Low”, “I’m Ballin’”) that felt out of place and didn’t really relate to the film’s story, a good number (“If You Dream”, “Stronger”, “History”) of them conveyed that story with great results. Listening to this album gives you a feel and understanding of the trials and tribulations that LeBron and his teammates had to deal with on their way to the top in being the best high school basketball team in the nation in 2003. Those that continually hate on LeBron James as an accomplished NBA basketball player can truly see the passion, hard work, and dedication to the thing he loved most in the game of basketball and hopefully get a better understanding of everything that he overcame in the process to becoming one of the best rising stars in NBA history from his high school journey. The often sports related quote “there’s no I in team” is best exemplified with the More Than A Game documentary as it shows as a team they could take on the world and accomplish that which couldn’t be achieved individually. How basketball movies like Hoop Dreams, Sunset Park, Coach Carter, and The Heart Of The Game served as inspiration for those with dreams of one day making it to a career the NBA, More Than A Game continues that tradition for kids all over with posters of LeBron, Kobe, and Wade over their walls. Get to theaters and see More Than A Game as well as picking up this soundtrack even if your aspirations lay elsewhere other than basketball. This is a documentary and soundtrack that provides inspiration and motivation to dreams of all kinds.

nappyPicks: “Forever”, “Stronger”, “History”, “Top Of The World”, “If You Dream”, “Go Hard”, “King On Set”, “Frozen”

Download: Tank feat. Tyrese, Toni Braxton, Jordin Sparks, Omarion, Faith Evans, JoJo, Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton, & Steve Russell – “If You Dream”

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)

This was probably the most difficult album review that I’ve had to write during my tenure at nappyafro. Having previously written this album review in full with what I thought was an unbiased view led me to revisit it and start anew. Even though the initial review I composed offered a detailed view of the album, I needed to further distance myself as a Jay-Z fan before I would really be able to fairly judge its value and significance. Distancing myself as a Jay-Z fan in being able to properly review this album, which meant forgetting my adoration for classic albums (Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, The Black Album) and overlooking my distaste for disappointing albums (The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse, Kingdom Come, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life). I had to go into this album review with a fresh mindset clean of all of Jay-Z’s successes and shortcomings, and view this album on its own terms without comparison to any previous albums. Enter The Blueprint 3, an album that has recently been the most anticipated by listeners since Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Eminem’s Relapse. It’s easy to understand the reasons for such anticipation, as it has been almost two years since Jay-Z’s previous release (American Gangster) and this album follows undoubtedly one of the best albums in his catalog (The Blueprint). Being the final album in the Blueprint trilogy, Jay-Z has gone on record in saying this album is the definition or blueprint of the “new classic” and should be viewed as such in being the new model for rap’s younger generation of rookies and stars, and being focused on the music and instrumentation side of things. It shouldn’t be compared or viewed in the same light as the original Blueprint album, which is labeled the “old classic” but viewed in the perspective of the digital, Auto-Tune heavy music industry we reside in during today’s times. The world “blueprint” as defined by Webster’s dictionary is something serving as a model or providing guidance. In terms of Jay-Z as an artist, few could argue that his career doesn’t meet the criteria of said definition. Over the years his superior and classic status albums have served as models and sources of inspiration for countless artists (both up-and-coming and established). The Blueprint displayed his life foundation and development from soul music being present in his childhood, The Blueprint² showed his exploration of various genres and musical taste… So where does The Blueprint 3 stand?

1. What We Talkin’ About
Featuring Luke Steele (of Empire of the Sun); Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Jay-Z has always been known for having strong opening tracks (“The Prelude”, “Can’t Knock The Hustle”, “A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More”, “The Ruler’s Back”) that set the tone for the rest of the album and the rest of the tracks that follow. He seemingly understands the importance of making a good first impression in knowing that it’s important to catch the listener’s attention at the start, which will hopefully encourage them to listen until the end. Immediately you notice the change with the lush, advanced sounding production provided by duo of Kanye West and No ID who handle a majority of the album’s production and set the tone. The song initially grabs the listener’s attention but soon wears thin in terms of production value becoming dull and boring after a while. Most people are familiar with some of the lyrics on this track from the acapella “freestyles” Jay had been performing at shows in the past two months, which garnered some hate and ruffled the feathers of The Game and Jaz-O (“Talking ‘bout gossip, I ain’t talking ‘bout Game…Even Jaz made some scraps, he could’ve made more but he ain’t sign his contract”). It’s kind of contradictory though as by even mentioning you’re not talking about insert name here, you’re ultimately still talking about them by referencing their names. Sure diss tracks and harsh words towards Hov have come from Jaz, Game (The Game), Dame (Damon Dash), and Jimmy (Jim Jones), but at this point in Jay’s career and the success he’s seeing it’s rather pointless to even acknowledge the fact. None of these individuals could really greatly affect his career and he’s just playing into their hand to bring attention to their dismal careers from being mentioned by a bigger star. Other than this Jay stays true to the song title in explaining why he’s still one of the most talked about figures not only in the genre of Hip-Hop but around the world (just ask Oprah, lol). This is a passable opening track to the album, but it’s far from the level of some of previously mentioned opening songs that truly did the job of capturing the listener’s attention.

2. Thank You
Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Listening to this track you get the feeling that it should have been placed towards the end of the album possibly as the final track in closing out the album. This song could be thought of in the same light as the Mary J. Blige collaborative effort “You’re Welcome” in possibly being a concert show closing song, which sees Jay thanking fans and listeners for their continued support over the years as well as boasting and flaunting his financial stability and lavish lifestyle. Jay delivers some well-crafted verses, but the most intriguing has to be the third verse in which he compares the dismantling of his rivals and competition to the destructive events of 9/11. While some have called foul and claimed he was out of line for making the comparison to such a tragic event, I don’t think what he did was done in a disrespectful manner but said rather creatively. Not too many other artists could have presented and broken it down in the same manner that Jay did in this verse. The sampled production provided by the Chicago duo has finale type of feel to it but at the same time I sounds similar to Dr. Dre’s production heard on the Kingdom Come album. The drums and horns presented in the song are comparable to those in the song “30 Something” while the audible sampled voice/talking in the beat’s background give it a similar feel and sound to “Gold Watch” off Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool. While it’s a good track that can start to get boring after a while from the lackluster beat and Jay’s casual flow, but I still find this to be one of my favorite tracks on the album as I did when I first listened to it.

3. D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
Produced by No ID
This is the well-known first official single of the album that has garnered both praise and criticism from critics and listeners alike. No ID hooks up Jay with a creatively sampled beat that allows him to lyrically attack Auto-Tune users and enthusiasts alike while keeping the listener’s heading nodding along the way. This was one of my favorite tracks when it was first released as it built great anticipation for album and showed Jay getting back to the aggressive style that many thought he veered from. People have been saying this song shows Jay “bullying” or “hating” on younger artists and those using the software plug-in for all the wrong reasons (Ron Browz, Webstar, etc.) but as he stated in defense, once something becomes a gimmick (i.e. Wendy’s Commercials) it’s time to move on and I think this song and his way of thinking are justified. While Jay isn’t the first one to speak out against the ills of Auto-Tune, it’s good to see a song like this being pushed and played on a mainstream level. Commend him and Kanye (of all people) for thinking up a song idea like this and following through with it against the popular trend.

4. Run This Town
Featuring Rihanna & Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West & No ID
The second official single of the album has brought along both praise and controversy (Freemasonry, the Devil, etc.) similar to “D.O.A.”. When this song was initially released I was a bit disappointed in comparing it to the previous single, and once the video leaked the accompanying visuals decreased my disappointment level. The song embodies the topic matter and complement the rebel marching production from Ye and No ID. Jay delivers braggadocio lyrics about how he, his record label, and label mates are running the industry, which is nothing new and has been recognized by now. Kanye does the same with a punch line heavy verse filled with comedic and intense lines that sounds like the Kanye of old from The College Dropout days. Rihanna provides a simple yet effective chorus much to the degree of T.I.’s “Live Your Life” that does it’s just job and nothing more. The more recent focus of this track has been listeners claim of Kanye outdoing Jay on his own track, but honestly I don’t think that happens here. Sure Jay’s verses aren’t spectacular and mind-blowing, but Kanye’s verse doesn’t really shine that much greater. I think the punch lines present in Ye’s verse (“She got an ass that’ll swallow up a G-String/And up top, uh, two bee stings”) are reason that people think he murders Jay on this track, but ultimately he just comes off in having a more clever and cunning verse, not one that’s better. When it comes to murdering Jay on his own track that position is still one solely owned by Mr. Mathers on “Renegade” and this track doesn’t see any of that type of lyrical homicide taking place.

5. Empire State Of Mind
Featuring Alicia Keys; Produced by Shux, Co-Produced by Jane’t “Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic & Angela Hunte
“Hey ref SUB… come on out Nas, you’re in Alicia” (boos and jeers from the crowd among the angry and puzzled faces). If this song was a Monday Night Football game or the NBA Finals that would be the scenario that played out upon the release of this album. The original plans for this album called for the third collaboration effort between Jay and Nas (“Black Republican, “Success”) and it was one that many people were looking forward to but unfortunately for unknown reasons Nas was replaced by Alicia Keys on the final track listing. Does the song suffer from the replacement? Not at all! As the song title indicates (a nice play on “NY State Of Mind”) Jay tells you about the city he loves and call home. If you couldn’t recognize by the New York Yankees fitted over the years (“I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can”) Jay reps his city to the fullest and knows it quite like no other in speaking about his time in the drug game running through various boroughs, how he has become one of NY’s most historic figures and the influence the Apple (city) can have on a young Eve (woman). This song basically serves as an ‘ode to his city much like Kanye’s “Homecoming” and Alicia provides the soulfulness on the track’s chorus and bridge that take this track to the next level in their first collaboration together (hopefully not the last). Nas would have fit perfectly on this track along with Alicia Keys and it would have served as a nice homage to the classic Illmatic track, but you certainly can’t be mad at the final results from the applied change. The song essential becomes one of the best on the album and posses the stadium status necessary to make it a New York anthem.

6. Real As It Gets
Featuring Young Jeezy; Produced by The Inkredibles
In listening to this track it feels like one that was intended for a Young Jeezy album and comes off as Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z instead of the other way around as if Jay is reaching to appeal to a Southern audience that is currently infatuated with the likes of Jeezy, Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, and others who have the draw. The Inkredibles provide some epic but undistinguished sounding production that caters more towards Jeezy than Jay, which sees them speaking about how they’re some of the realest rappers in the game and how listeners shouldn’t look further than them to find it. I don’t know if that’s an accurate declaration when looking at others rappers that span the entire genre and the jaded rhymes at times from the two don’t do much to convince the listeners otherwise. While this song sounds like it’s on the wrong album, it’s still a good one that delivers and serves its purpose.

7. On To The Next One
Featuring Swizz Beatz; Produced by Swizz Beatz
The first time I listened to this song it gave me a “Really Jay??” expression on my face. Being the first time in since Kingdom Come (“Dig A Hole”) that Jay and Swizz have linked up for a track and about 10 years since the last time it was successful (“Jigga My Nigga”, Vol. 3: Life And Times Of S. Carter), it comes off as disappointing. The production provided by Swizz Beatz is in typical fashion as it has that signature bounce that he’s known for but given his history in knowing what he’s capable of he could have came a lot better. In terms of lyrics Jay holds up his end of the bargain in speaking about how he’s always forward moving and never caught being in the same light as everybody else. With a better beat the results could have been better and matched the track’s potential from these two collaborating.

8. Off That
Featuring Drake; Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
This was the track that started it all in regards to the leaked BP3 tracks produced by Timbaland and saw people’s interest and promise for the final album decrease. I’ll admit that when I heard this song after it leaked I was with the majority of listeners who felt that this track was real disappointing for Jay’s standards and limiting Drake to just hook duty was a big letdown. Timbaland provides Jay with some of the Techno-infused production that he has recently become known for and while it’s catchy it can becomes dull over time. Timbaland can be hated for his production on this track but credit is due as he’s one of the few music producers that isn’t afraid to try new things that eventually see others following months and years later. This is Jay’s track to address current trends (Audemars Piguet, Cristal, Rims, Timberlands, “Making It Rain”, Oversized Clothes/Chains, etc.) that he feels a “R.I.P.” is necessary. Topic wise it’s very similar to the previous track where Jay states the facts about how stays ahead of the game and boasts that he’s still proficient in his “trend killing” abilities. We’ll see how many of these get added to the list with Throwback Jerseys and such (Probably a good majority…but I don’t know about Timbs Hov, that’s so NY). This track had the potential to possibly better with a verse from Drake instead of just featuring him on the hook, but we’ll have to see if that collaboration happens on Drake’s Thank Me Later debut album. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the third single from the album (Since it was rumored to be the 2nd before “Run This Town”) as it would work well in the club.

9. A Star Is Born
Featuring J. Cole; Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Even more anticipated than Jay working with Drake was his collaboration with his label signee J. Cole. So many people were ready to be disappointed when it was initially seen that Cole was nowhere to be found on the album but feelings changed when the official track listing was released. Kanye and No ID provide some subtle production that doesn’t overpower the emcees and allows the lyrics to shine for the listeners. Jay’s uses his verses to commend and celebrate those in Hip-Hop music who have become stars over the years in their careers (Eminem, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye, T.I., Outkast, Mobb Deep, Snoop Dogg, etc.) and who are due to become stars in their own rights (Drake, Jeezy, J. Cole, etc.). He also talks about his rise to fame from the corner to the crown of the rap game while figuratively passing the torch to the rookie who delivers an effective verse and holds his own on the track with Jay. This song and J. Cole’s verse remind me of Kanye’s track “Touch The Sky”, which introduced the world to Lupe Fiasco and stands as the defining moment in his career from which it took off from. J. Cole is destined to become a major force in the music industry in some years and stand as one of the top figures of the new generation of rap music, this track further solidifies that point and shows that Jay knew what he was doing when he made him the first member of Roc Nation.

10. Venus Vs. Mars
Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
The final leaked Timbaland track that featured more laid-back production from Timbo this time around compared to his other two offerings. As the track title implies, Jay goes men vs. women (read: Jay vs. Bey) on his verses in using some clever play on words for the comparisons (Biggie/Pac, Blackberry Bold/Sidekick; “Me I’m from the apple which means I’m a Mac/She’s a PC she lives in my lap”). This is Jay’s “grown folk” track seeing as how there hasn’t been one on the album until this point and it’s one that could see some play in the clubs for its relaxing, laid-back feel.

11. Already Home
Featuring Kid Cudi; Produced by Kanye West
This is another collaboration that people were anticipating in seeing Jay hook up with another one of rap’s next generation stars on the rise. Kanye goes for dolo on this track in handling the production by himself, providing a lush beat that sounds like it could have had a home on his College Dropout or Late Registration album. Kid Cudi is left to the same fate as Drake in being brought on to just handle hook duty on this track and he does so in fitting fashion with it being not too much but just enough. Even though this track seems more fitting for Kanye or Cudi, Jay is able to make it work for him to a successful degree.

12. Hate
Featuring Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West
On this track Kanye goes solo again on the production side of things but provides some rhymes along with it this time around. The beat on the track sound like something that was done in the style of 808s & Heartbreak and for that fact fit Kanye more than it does Jay. This song isn’t too much stronger than “On To The Next One” in that it was one that could have been left off the album for better results. An average track and at best it just doesn’t work as a Jay track as much as it does for a Kanye track in looking like Jay was just following suit to Yeezy’s style and technique. The lyrics on this track basically follow suit to the song title with Jay and Ye talking about the topic of hate and haters with them copping a similar flow to LL Cool J’s “Going Back To Cali” in the first few bars of their verses respectively. This is the shortest track on the album so it’s one that listeners don’t have to sit too long through.

13. Reminder
Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
When Timbaland’s tracks leaked people were asking where the “bounce” was from him that he provided for Jay on tracks like “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Big Pimpin’”, well this track is the track that they were searching for. Compared to the other two Timbaland produced tracks on this album this stands as one of the better ones as the bouncy beat allows Jay to spit lyrics that basically remind listeners of who he is and what he has accomplished in the industry (10 #1 albums in a row… make that 11 with BP3). At this point in his career a reminder of these facts isn’t really necessary and if so you need to go back 13 years and catch up. This is a good track that brings the level and tempo of the album back to a steady pace.

14. So Ambitious
Featuring Pharrell; Produced by The Neptunes
Thought we weren’t going to hear from The Neptunes on this album, but you know that’s mandatory since The Blueprint². The subtle production provided by The Neptunes on this track has a similar sound and feel to Common’s “Punch Drunk Love” heard on Universal Mind Control and ultimately it’s sort of lacking for The Neptunes’ production value. However Jay utilizes it to deliver a motivational track about how he never gave up his dreams and ambitions when others said he couldn’t and the opposition was stacked against him… and a little sneak jab to Mr. Dash (“Old buddy, oh buddy!”). Pharrell supplies the chorus on this track in his usual falsetto style and if you know him this track’s topic is one that he is familiar with.

15. Young Forever
Featuring Mr. Hudson; Produced by Kanye West
As the title implies you should have guessed that you would hear Alphaville’s “Forever Young” in some shape and form and it appears courtesy of a sample in Kanye’s production work. Serving as the album’s closing track, this album has a similar feel to “Beach Chair” on Kingdom Come with its spacious production and Jay’s lyrics of reflection. Jay’s lyrics talks about staying young and never growing old, and how he will forever be Jay-Z (A play on his nickname “Young”) and won’t change from who he is regardless of the years that past. The chorus sung by Mr. Hudson basically takes from the original Alphaville track as he gives off a similar feel to hearing Chris Martin of Coldplay (You know Jay wasn’t going back to that after Ye accused him of biting on “Big Brother”… but we know the real story). While this track has a similar to feel to “Beach Chair” it is unfortunately not as strong production wise or lyrically. However it does a nice job of closing out the album on a calm and peaceful note.

Bottom Line:
15 tracks later and 8 years since the original, The Blueprint 3… is a really good album. Leading up to the 9.11.09 9.8.09 release there was much anticipation for this album in seeing how it ultimately would fare against the now classic The Blueprint album and in that regard it falls short of what that album achieved with classic status. But as Jay stated with this album he wanted to create the “new classic” and refrain from it being compared to the “old classic” (The Blueprint) in allowing it to stand on its own apart from the rest of the Blueprint trilogy. With that being the focus of creating something “different” and diverse from the rest of the albums in his catalog he achieved that as The Blueprint 3 is unlike any other album he has released lyrically and production wise. That doesn’t mean the results are a total successful from it being different. With this album he showed more diversity sonically in terms of production value and provided a platform for the rap’s next generation to be ushered in. By now it is understood that Jay-Z has matured/grown older, moved away from the street life that he used to be involved in, and isn’t the same Hov that was once heard on Reasonable Doubt. In working to present an album that’s diverse I think it succeeds in doing that while it might be a little too different for hardcore Jay-Z fans’ standards. Some songs on this album sound as if they were intended or would be better placed on other artists’ albums, which kind of shows Jay as reaching to appeal to other audiences and what’s deemed popular by Hip-Hop’s younger audience. But this album offers a good mixture of tracks with something to be found enjoyable by listeners of all types. In regards to its ranking with the other two albums in the Blueprint trilogy, it tops The Blueprint² but fails to surpass The Blueprint. Some mediocre tracks prevent this album from being labeled a classic but it still warrants a purchase from casual listeners and hardcore fans alike. Whether physical or digital, make sure you pick up a copy of BP3 when it’s released cause when it comes to bootleg copies… we Off That!

nappyPicks: “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”, “Run This Town”, “Empire State Of Mind”, “A Star Is Born”, “Reminder”, “Already Home”, “Venus Vs. Mars”, “Thank You”, “Real As It Gets”, “Off That”

I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t this come out two months ago?” If you were thinking this, you’d be right. But, as you may have noticed, it’s kinda slow around nappyafro (It happens). Plus we wouldn’t want to get an ass kicking from V-G (Somebody who has been riding with The ‘Fro for a minute now). Check out this dope review of Roc Nation’s first signee’s second official mixtape (Huh?). - B-Easy

Sometimes you just know something has gone awry in the Hip-Hop universe. Judging from recent catastrophes (the formation of SlaughterHouse) to unexpected earthquakes of Richter-astounding magnitudes (Drake), we are never safe. Well about a month and a half ago, J. Cole dropped The Warm-Up. Thanks to B-Easy here at nappyafro.com, I got word of the supposed follow-up to the first official J.Cole mixtape, The Come-Up. The first thing that went through my head was “Who the f%$# is J. Cole?” Shortly thereafter, “Jay signed this dude?” No screen time, no radio play, no hype, no anticipation. So I ask myself, “Who the hell cares?” I had time to find out of course, so I downloaded the material. But before my thoughts, let me address the Drake comparisons. I find some validity on the case. Imagine if Drake had got an overdose of Nas/3000 instead of Wayne… We’d have two J. Coles walking around. Both show vulnerability in their raps and seem to have a different perspective on M.O.B. than the rest of the rap world. Most obvious though, is in the introspective angles they approach their lines with. But this is not about Drake. We have J. Cole and he has something to tell you…

1. Intro (The Warm Up)
Produced by J. Cole
Over a piano solo, J. Cole lays out the concept of the tape on the age old basis of “now or never”. He speaks on “not giving up”, “being this close”, and “I finally did it”. Nothing you haven’t heard on every other mixtape/album intro…

2. Welcome
Produced by J. Cole
One of the first things I notice is his flow. Cole obsessively double rhymes, which clutches the track and doesn’t let go. The subject matter is a scattered stream of conscious that pretty much touches on any forthcoming topic. “I let these words flow out like water from a spout.” I believe he agrees with me. Fun, simple, and introductory.

3. Can I Live
Produced by Syience
From the jump this song is good and it gets better. If you’re wondering about J. Cole, LISTEN TO THIS SONG. Homie goes all the way in. His self-assessment is utterly ridiculous. He explains himself: “This is ‘The Boondocks’/ I swear yo I’m like Huey mixed with Riley/ Thursday I be tryna save the world then on Friday/ I hit the club/ Hopin that my dick get rubbed by some fat asses” and how another person (he’s referencing someone from the “Ville”) can’t live: “Like the phone when she heard the news/ her sister on the other line talkin to her shoes/ her only son, what a thing to lose/ more blacks singin more blues”. The track is also amazing. The piano and trumpet accents the maturity found here. Jay-Z “Can I Live”? Naw homie, play that J. Cole.

4. Grown Simba
Produced by J. Cole
Cole returns to the unspecified subject matter/stream of conscious as seen on “Welcome”. Song’s good. Punchlines are there. Flow is just fine. Track delivers (I dig the sample). Hook is satisfying, but nothing extraordinary. The subject hopping takes away here, but it still is really good.

5. Just To Get By
Produced by J. Cole
Freestyle? Really? This is a no hook, non-stop, shootout. Once again, nothing extraordinary, but it’s really good. Best line: “No Soprano/Half black, half white/ I’m a piano/ I’m an animal/ My video on Discovery Channel”

6. Lights Please
Produced by J. Cole
This is what I’ve been waiting for. After “Can I Live”, J. Cole went a couple songs without a real subject matter, but here he discusses how his intellect is pushed aside for sex. Introspection is found here at its finest. What makes it so enjoyable is the relation factor. I’m sure we’ve all had dumb broads that were worth it for the game. He should have got someone else on the hook, but it is very excusable. This is what I call REAL S#!+. Plies? Who?

7. Dead Presidents II
Apparently this is his second go at this beat since some dude told him he didn’t go as hard as he should have the first time around. I haven’t heard the first, but this isn’t particularly special following what I’ve heard him spit. It seems as if Cole clocks in at his best when he has a subject to focus on. Once again, this isn’t bad in the slightest, yet nothing to speak on.

8. I Get Up
Produced by J. Cole
As I progress further, I have to note that the tracks (Which are all produced by J. Cole [except 7 and 21]) are incredibly mature. This is nothing Zaytoven would give Gucci; a good and bad thing. While I could listen to the music all day, there isn’t much appeal to it. It’s basically jazz with 808’s and snare! Of all tracks, this is by far the most lackluster. It may come across as boring, I suppose. Anyway Cole speaks on why he “gets up” and how the drive to succeed resides with him, but not in everyone from the hood. Cole is able to create hooks that are “singy-songy”, but enjoyable (Word to Chamillionaire!) Very truthful and realistic approach to the “motivational” track.

9. World Is Empty
Produced by J. Cole
J. Cole quickens the pace of his flow for this one as reflected by the bouncy track. I’m feeling the sample on the hook. “Niggas rappin about how real they are usually turn out to be the fakest ones.” I couldn’t have said it better. The first verse is warm up (no pun intended), but the second verse and third are very observant. “A wise nigga told me don’t chase that cash/ follow your heart, you’ll make that fast/ Does a stripper love to shake that ass or do she wish to erase that past?” Its damn good music if you’re questioning your thinking after the song.

10. Dreams
Featuring Brandon Hines; Produced by J. Cole
The third standout track comes here and THIS SHIT IS FIRE! J. Cole’s approach is simply amazing here. The concept here is there’s this girl that has completely taken over his thoughts and he premeditates his meeting of the girl, to the murdering of her boyfriend, to getting married to the girl. Was it just me or was anybody feeling a little 3K in there? The Brandon Hines assisted hook mails this in as single material (Imagine the video!). This is the type of music I listen for. This is timeless. Listen to it.

11. Royal Flush
Here we go again… Straight stream of conscious rapping. I can use the same description for one of the earlier songs. Lyrics are hot, flow is nice, track is from “Royal Flush”. It’s good.

12. Dollar And A Dream II
Produced by J. Cole
Ok…. This song is boring. The track is soft (piano, snares) to start, the lyrics aren’t really that gripping, and the end is stupid (what is he talking about???) This song is dispensable.

13. Water Break (Interlude)
Interlude? Best interlude EVER! This is a radio freestlye is suppose (Green Lantern “On the Spot” right?). I’ll put it like this. If I would have heard this on the radio before I heard the mixtape, I would have been on my way to Best Buy to find this dude’s album. “Thought I’d get a deal and head straight to the dealership/ but lookin at my deal I prolly can’t afford benefits!” DAMN!

14. Heartache
Produced by Elite
I wasn’t really feeling this song as a whole, but I like the track and the sample. I mean the lyrics aren’t bad, he has got some quotables here, but something was missing. This is filler.

15. Get Away
Produced by J. Cole
Not feeling the track or sample on this one. Hook is cool and lyrics are mild. More filler than anything.

16. Knock Knock
Produced by J. Cole
See track 15.

17. Ladies
Featuring Lee Fields & The Expressions; Produced by J. Cole
Whew… This is refreshing after THREE filler tracks in a row. We know what this one is about by the title and here Cole doesn’t digress. The tracks and the song go perfect together and the hook assistance makes this well worth the listen. The ending is enjoyable as well.

18. Til’ Infinity
This is an absolute “meh” song. J. Cole can do much better. SKIP!

19. The Badness
Produced by J. Cole
DAMN… “Believe in god like the sun up in the sky/science can tell us how/ it can’t tell us why/ I seen a baby cry/ seconds later she laughed/ the beauty of life/ The pain never lasts/ The rain always pass/ the sun don’t always shine/ When it’s gone I’m lonely/ but when it’s there I’m fine/ I hate the winter time cause the nights come quicker/ the light make the whites think I’m a nice young nigga/ But at night they think twice and walk a little faster/ Funny, a hundred years ago I woulda called this nigga master.” Limewire, Youtube, zShare, something! Find this song. Enough Said.

20. Hold It Down
Produced by J. Cole
First off, I love this track. It’s somber and allows that introspection and vulnerability to show. The hook is great. Like I said earlier, J. Cole can make a good hook for himself (Peep game Chamillionaire!) and he doesn’t disappoint here. This song makes me feel a little better about leaving my homies for college. Nice Song.

21. Last Call
J. Cole hops on Kanye’s “Last Call’ and was as comfortable as Kanye was on the track. It’s no “Can I Live”, but it’s good. There’s a three minute speech at the end… Skip that part.

22. Losing My Balance (Bonus)
Produced by J. Cole
I’m curious as to where this track and sample came from… It’s from a genre far from Hip-Hop I’m sure, but Cole makes it work. Once again, he delivers on the hook and the lyrics are meaningful. I really like this one.

Bottom Line:
I guess it’s safe to say; the Hip-Hop world has a new problem. J. Cole is akin to global warming. It’s not going to immediately kill us, but with the right contributing factors, it’s going to get hot as hell. My main gripe here was the filler songs that were increasingly noticeable in the latter part of the mixtape. Had J. Cole dropped about 5 tracks off here, this would have been a flawless play through. No matter the case, when Cole is on topic, he is FLAME. The bumps in the road for this artist are going to come with the fight for radio play (He’s not very commercial) and against himself to stay on some kind of topic (He gets boring when he’s aimless). But overall J. Cole has the potential to stand among the GOATS. He’s is an absolute beast at his best. Like B-Easy already wrote, this is a must have mixtape of 2009. Oh yea… why isn’t J. Cole on BP3? Jay might be scared of another “Renegade”.

V-G Picks: “Can I Live”, “Lights Please”, “Dreams”, & “The Badness”

Download: J. Cole – The Warm Up [Mixtape]

Me being the lyrical connoisseur that I am, I’ve had an interest in the group Slaughterhouse ever since their formation late last year. Even the harshest of Hip-Hop critics would have to admit that the lineup of Royce Da 5’9”, Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, & Joe Budden is a relay team of straight spitters. So now, after roughly 10 months of the group’s creation, Slaughterhouse is releasing its self-titled debut. For all it’s members involved, this arguably could be the biggest release of their careers. Will this album deliver and boost the profiles of Budden, Crooked, Royce, & Ortiz? Or could it be an album full of lyrical verses with no direction? Well, it’s “Slau-gust” 11th and the album has finally and “officially” been released. Let’s find out.

1. Sound Off
Produced by StreetRunner
The horns signify the beginning of the Slaughterhouse album and the team forms likes Voltron…literally. Royce Da 5’9” starts it off and makes this so: “We a outfit equivalent to Votron’s/That boy Crooked I equivalent to four arms/Joell Ortiz is the body/The cannibal slash killer/Kill you then eat your body/Joe Budden is the pair of legs/He runs shit along side I, the apparent head”. The beat starts off slow and speeds up with each member changing flows to coincide. At first I preferred them to ditch the rapid flow, but after a few listen it proves to be the right choice. Order: Royce/Joell/Crooked/Budden. They’re off to a good start.

2. Lyrical Murderers
Featuring K-Young; Produced by Focus
The song starts out with a sample of “Onslaught” (“I ain’t with the leaning and rocking…”). The beat is slow and the sinister sounding pianos fit the title and feel. Crooked I definitely keeps with the theme and basically kills it with the first few lines: “Lyrical murderer/Blame Rakim/I’m a sniper shoot my way into your lame top 10/Pistol to your head if I ain’t next to Eminem…” I probably could have done without the hook though. Other than that the song delivers on the promise of the title. Order: Crooked I/Royce/Joell/Joey.

3. Microphone
Produced by Alchemist
Alchemist lends his signature hard-edged sound here. It really doesn’t do anything special but does do exactly what it’s suppose to; gives room for Slaughterhouse to bury this track. Each member performs well. Royce delivers first: “When I bless a joint/It like Spock came up in the spot and grabbed the beat by the pressure point”. But Joe Budden may have the most inspired sounding verse: “Crime ain’t started yet/Still very bars a mess/Fuck record sales or who the machine markets best/I’m the last motherfucker that y’all should test/I’m the sharpshooter/You the nigga I target next”. Order: Royce/Crooked/Joell/Budden.

4. Not Tonight
Produced by StreetRunner
Hey, it’s a remix of “Now I Lay” off Padded Room. Naw, but even though the two beats have different producers, both sound very (very) similar. That’s not to say that there aren’t any quotable lines in the bunch. Besides lazy beat selection, the crew throws some out there: Crooked I – “Y’all say that your pockets are big/I rather say that I’m Pac mixed with B.I.G.” I will point out that the hook is suspect but this song is not anywhere near skip status. Average. Order: Royce/Crooked/Ortiz/Joey.

5. The One
Featuring The New Royales; Produced by DJ Khalil
I know they’re was some disapproved rumblings when this song was released. But hey, what do you expect? It’s the first single. The production (Especially the hook) is made to be more acceptable to the public but the rhymes don’t necessarily show this Particularly when there lines about girls with ball breath (I loved the Speakerboxxx/Love Below line by Budden though). Even though this is not one my favorite song on the album, I’m not mad at this. Order: Royce/Crooked/Budden & Ortiz go back and forth.

6. In The Mind Of Madness (Skit)
This skit shows what’s inside the head of Joe Budden. “Pause”

7. Cuckoo
Produced by DJ Khalil
This was one of the first songs to the leak of the album. And this shit had me hype! As the title suggest, each Slaughterhouse member gets crazy on this track. Since all are given two verses, they have room to drop lyrics like: “My triggers is stupid/You thugs is funny/My bullets be going It for the love of money/Dumb!” (Royce Da 5’9”) or “I dig eyes ass out/Watch me though/This is Bull shit/All the coke don’t fit I need a Scottie nose” (Joell Ortiz). Sick rhymes like this will even make Eminem proud. Khali kills on the beat and provides something that lets the group go insane. Order; Royce/Joell/Crooked/Budden (Does Joe Budden have always to go last?).

8. The Phone Call (Skit)
DJ Premier leaves a message for Slaughterhouse.

9. Onslaught 2
Featuring Fatman Scoop; Produced by Emile
The sequel to the first song Slaughterhouse released as a group lives up to the billing. I think one problem with some lyrical acts is the production not meeting up to the standards. This is not the problem here. The beat puts this one in banger category. Everyone drops heavy bars but one that stands out to me is Long Beach’s own Crooked I: “Listen/Don’t make a nigga find ya dame and make the dime give me brains till my mind is drained/Listen/Don’t make me grab a nine and aim and how your dime did me do your mind the same/But different” Shit! Oh wait, but there’s more: Budden – “They say he talk tough with his fake ass/Four pounds put me in another weight class”. Okay, I’ll stop cause by now you’ve figured out this is one to check out for right? Order: Royce/Crooked/Joell/Budden.

10. The Phone Call 2 (Skit)
I’m sad to admit that even after a many listens, I still don’t know who’s on the phone here. Update: It’s Bun B. My bad.

11. Salute
Featuring Pharoahe Monch; Produced by Mr. Porter
Slaughterhouse calls in Pharoahe Monch in to sing the hook Even though I would have preferred Monch to trade bars with the group, I understand that it’s jut so many verses to go around. The production slows things down as each member explains why they deserve respect. It well made but it can come off as boring. What’s up with the 50 Cent sample in the beginning? Order: Royce/Budden/Joell/Crooked (Does Royce have to always go first?).

12. Pray (It’s A Shame)
Produced by ReaLsoN
For some reason to me this sounds like something that would be on a DMX album. I do see that the group is trying to show they can make songs about different subjects. This song deals with life’s ill and them dealing with it. Props should be given because they do talk about serious situation, but the beat really brings this one down. It’s shouldn’t be skipped though. Order: Ortiz/Royce/Crooked (Budden just does the hook).

13. Cut You Loose
Produced by Mr. Porter
Here the Slaughterhouse rhymes about the current state of “H.E.R” (Hip-Hop). It’s fitting since this is a lyrically talented group in an industry that’s not necessarily looking for intricate lyrics. This is also the song that Budden calls out Method Man by name (Which was reportedly done before the beef was squashed): “You disgust me/I twelve step my addict itch/So Method Man you can have that bitch”. It’s a song that once again shows that they can rhyme about something other than verbally taking someone’s head off. They’ve done it better on previously released songs like “Move On (remix)” but this is okay too. I still don’t know how I feel about that beat though. Order: Royce/Crooked/Joell/Budden.

14. Rain Drops
Featuring Novel; Produced by Filthy Rockwel
I guess they chose to slow the pace on this half of the album. Actually, the song is quite sensitive and members really try to give the listeners even more insight in their past and present struggles: Joell Ortiz – “I’m still waiting on my dad to get back/He went to store in ’84 and I ain’t seen he after that/Nother single mom/Public assistance/The rent wasn’t consistence/So they had back and forth to court in the month of a blizzard.” Album cuts like this are necessary in giving your fan more than just the singles. Order: Royce/Crooked/Budden/Ortiz.

15. Killaz
Featuring Melanie Rutherford & C. Brown; Produced by Emile
At first I was scratching my head on why they would end the album with this song. But after more plays, the beat and hook grew on me. The ominous sounding track has Slaughterhouse back in verbal form once again bodying the track: Crooked I – “For instrumentals I dig a grave/Then drop so many bars around you/When you listen feel like you in a cage/Niggas styles is sour/You making lemonade?/Take a thousand hours to write/Our rhymes minute made/Me, Joey, and Joell leave you crippled/Motherfuck five cent/But we’ll kill you over Nickel/We some killers”. Yea, that about sums it up.

Bottom Line:
Even though I don’t think this album will be breaking sales record on it’s release date, it’s still a win in my book. I think Slaughterhouse is doing what it’s meant to: Make first-rate lyrical music and raise the stock of it’s members (I personally wasn’t a much of listener of Crooked I or Joell before the formation of the group. I am now.). The debut album will give the dedicated fans what they want and hopefully fellow rappers will take notice and step up their pen game. Not to say that the album doesn’t have it drawbacks. It does sorta drag towards the end and some of the hooks could use replacing (And on a side note, doesn’t the album cover look like a New Era ad?). On the flip side, props must be given to Slaughterhouse for not cheating their supporters. They released around nine songs before the album and none don’t appear here giving you more new music for you buck. Besides all that, all members hold their own and no one seems like a Yayo or Freeky Zeekey… which is really unheard of these days. Hip-Hop needs for groups and albums like this to do well.

nappyPicks: “Cuckoo”, “Microphone”, “Onslaught 2″, “Sound Off”, “Killaz”, & “The One”

Download: Slaughterhouse feat. Fatman Scoop – “Onslaught 2″

Download: Slaughterhouse feat. M.O.P. – “Woodstock” [Not On Album]

We here at nappyafro are a family and when I got word that my bro KAJ wouldn’t be able to get the album review in for The Alchemist’s Chemical Warfare album, I didn’t mind stepping in and supporting my fam (that’s what we do!). This was one of the most recent albums that I was anticipating its release and sure enough on July 7 I picked up my copy. With it being five years since Alchemist’s debut release 1st Infantry back in 2004, many wonder with this album if he could continue the success that he saw on his first album. Let’s see how The Alchemist fares this time around on his second war-themed album.

1. Intro
Produced by The Alchemist
With a dark piano driven beat, Alchemist uses this quick introduction track to let the listeners know exactly what they are about to hear with this album. Various news audio clips play throughout this track with the album title/theme mentioned, which further sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow.

2. ALC Theme
Featuring Kool G Rap; Produced by The Alchemist
Alchemist opens the album with his theme song if you will, which features Hip-Hop legend Kool G Rap trading bars with him over a synth heavy pounding beat that has listeners traveling back to Alc in his earlier days behind the boards. While he’s definitely not one of the best producers behind the mic, Alchemist holds his own and allows G Rap to shine with his braggadocio gutter verse.

3. Lose Your Life
Featuring Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss & Pusha T; Produced by The Alchemist
If you’re a fan of Alchemist and follow his music then you should be familiar with this track as it was previously featured on Alchemist’s EP The Alchemist’s Cookbook along with an interesting accompanying music video for it (check it out if you haven’t already). It’s with good understanding why Alchemist decided to include this track on the album as well as he produces dark and mysterious sounding beat for Jada and Pusha to deliver stellar verses on. Snoop provides the chorus only on this beat and leaves room for the other two emcees to shine as they do with lines like: (Jadakiss) “Twenty little missiles in the clip of the five-seven/I’m like navigation if you tryin’ to find heaven… (Pusha T) “Billie Jean step over the track ‘til it’s glowin’/You’re thinking I’m the O-N/E, metaphors are no win/Avalanche P push powder ‘til you’re snowed in, no end”. This proves to be one of the best tracks on the album (despite the unnecessary skits at the end of songs throughout the album…artists need to stop including these on albums, PLEASE!)

4. Chemical Warfare
Featuring Eminem; Produced by The Alchemist
I remember when I heard about this track being featured on this album and everybody was really excited to hear an Eminem collaboration track with Alchemist, but the expectations proved to be too high after listening to it. Alchemist produces a slow tempo beat that suits Em’s style as he delivers his trademark rhymes over various things from Sarah Palin to the Octomom to the Jonas Brothers before abruptly ending his verse asking if he rhymed Octomom twice in the same rap (yeah you did Em…what’s going on Marshall??). Like I said, this song/collaboration was highly anticipating but fails to deliver the superior results that everyone was expecting to hear (better luck next time).

5. Grand Concourse Benches
Featuring KRS-One; Produced by The Alchemist
Of course you know Alchemist had to stay true to his underground roots and bring the only and one KRS-One aboard to satisfy the real Hip-Hop heads. Alchemist produces a bouncy piano beat for KRS-One to deliver rhymes and drop knowledge as only he knows how. The only thing that I’m really not feeling about this track is the chorus that KRS provides, but other than that it’s a pretty solid track overall. The skit that follows this track that features the backpackers and the street cats giving their respective thoughts about Alchemist’s beats and production comes off funny compared to the other unnecessary skits on the album.

6. Therapy
Featuring Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli & Kid Cudi; Produced by The Alchemist
This track happens to be one of the other tracks that were previously heard on Alchemist’s EP The Alchemist’s Cookbook and it fits in nicely with the rest of the tracks on the album. Properly titled, the relaxing beat produced by Alc provides therapy to the listeners’ ears as stated in the chorus provided by Kid Cudi (didn’t see that feature coming on an Alchemist album). Evidence, Blu, and Talib each deliver some nice rhymes that fit comfortably over Alchemist’s beat.

7. That’ll Work
Featuring Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile; Produced by The Alchemist
When a lot of people saw this track they probably thought their eyes were playing tricks on them but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a bad track because of The Alchemist’s pairing with Three 6 Mafia and Juvenile because you’d be very wrong. Alchemist isn’t known for producing Southern style beat as it contrasts his New York sounding production, but Alc shows that he’s diverse behind the boards. Three 6 Mafia sound at home on this track as the beat seems catered to their style and sound, but it’s Juve who goes in lyrically on this track (hopefully some new Juve is in the works…it’s been 3 years long enough since Reality Check). If anyone was doubting Alchemist’s skills as a producer before this track thinking that he couldn’t fit with the South, this is their wake up call (the snooze button is broke!).

8. Smile
Featuring Maxwell & Twista; Produced by The Alchemist
This track was the first single for the album with a great music video to go along with it. Alchemist produces a very uplifting beat that allows him to talk about his ups and downs and being able to smile throughout the hardships. Twista joins Alc on the track along with unexpected collaborator Maxwell who takes the track to the next level. Maxwell’s vocals fit nicely over Alchemist’s beat and Twista takes it back to his Tung Twista days during his verse as he displays to the listeners why he was once listed as the fastest emcee in the Guinness Book of World Records. Alchemist couldn’t go wrong in selecting this track as a single for the album and showing how easily he can switch his style up to match any artists’ style.

9. Keep The Heels On
Featuring Prodigy; Produced by The Alchemist
Definitely not your usual ladies track but it is coming from Alchemist and Prodigy (what you though Alc was coming with some soft shit??). Prodigy gets busy (no pun intended) on this menacing Alchemist produced track telling you about how he wants his chick to keep her heels on while it’s goin’ down. There’s not really much else to this track other than what’s expected and the pairing of Alchemist and Prodigy fits so well as usual (read: Return Of The Mac).

10. Acts Of Violence
Featuring Gangrene (Oh No & Alchemist); Produced by The Alchemist
The group known as Gangrene (Alchemist and Madlib’s younger brother Oh No) gives you an example of what you can expect to hear on their collaborative album. From the sounds of this track there is some good music to be heard when that album is released. Alchemist produces a hard-hitting beat that sees him and Oh No spittin’ lyrical bars with ease at the same time displaying their collective chemistry.

11. Lights, Camera Action
Featuring Lil’ Fame; Produced by The Alchemist
When you saw Lil’ Fame of M.O.P. featured on the track you should have already know what to expect and it’s nothing less than expected (other than the track being too short). Alchemist provides Fame with a suitable hard-hitting beat that fits his style with ease as he delivers the trademark lyrics you’re used to hearing from him. As I said the only problem with this track is that it’s too short at only 1:40 and it heads to the next track right as you’re getting into it.

12. Some Gangster Shit
Featuring Fabolous; Produced by The Alchemist
Unfortunately this track falls victim to the same fate as the previous track in being too short for such a great track. Alchemist’s sinister production on this track is a great fit for Fabolous to drop some “gangster shit” in this metaphoric verse with lines like: “Maybe I should just press charges for swagger theft/You faggots deaf if you can’t hear I’m hot as dragon’s breath/Naw I’m past hot, I’m the sun’s mascot/With stacks on deck I’m at yo neck like an ascot”. This track sounds like one that should have been included on Fabolous’ Loso’s Way album as it fits the tone and feel of what he was going for with it. This is one track on the album that needed to be longer than the 2:00 it was.

13. On Sight
Featuring Dogg Pound & Lady of Rage; Produced by The Alchemist
Just as he showed you on his track for the South, Alchemist shows some love to his hometown on the left coast with this West Coast feature. The beat produced by Alchemist with its synths sounds a bit generic and average for a producer of his skill level while the Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage deliver quality verses on the mic. Despite some good verses from the guests featured, this track comes off sounding average compared to some of the other stellar tracks on the album.

14. Take A Look Back
Produced by The Alchemist
This track serves as Alchemist’s lone track on the album where he takes time to reflect his life in his lyrics and talk about all of the things that he had to go through to become the respected music producer that he is today. Listening to this track along with watching the recent YouTube video of Alchemist producing beats during his college years make you really see how far Alchemist has come as a producer from his early days with The Soul Assassins and Dilated Peoples.

15. Under Siege
Produced by Oh No
Alchemist ends of the album with another preview of what’s to come from the pairing of Alc and Oh No as Gangrene with Oh No providing the production this time around. He doesn’t disappoint with the production either as he produces a bumping guitar driven beat that he and Alchemist get lyrical over. Oh No drops a nice verse but surprisingly Alc does him one better with lyrics like: “On some Steven Segal shit, salmonella chicken I’m kickin’ that raw shit/For practice, so when you snack on this you get nauseous” (damn Alc!). That Gangrene album is sounding better and better just from their two tracks together on this album.

Bottom Line:
So what’s the verdict after 15 tracks from The Alchemist…a very solid album! Not to be outdone by his great debut album 1st Infantry, Alchemist delivers some memorable tracks like “Smile” and “Lose Your Life” as well as some strong cuts like “Some Gangster Shit” and “Therapy” (“Keys To The City” should have been included on this album). But at the same time there are some tracks on this album like “Chemical Warfare” and “On Sight” that hold it back from being a stronger album. There are plenty of good tracks to be heard on this album and the listening experience proves to be an enjoyable one especially if you’re a fan of Alchemist and his work. Listening to Alchemist’s production style over the course five years you can tell the change as he displays more experimental/synth heavy beats than the soulful sounding ones that were once heard from him. In the end this album doesn’t see better results than 1st Infantry, which had so many great songs (“Hold You Down”, “Dead Bodies”, “Essence”, “Tick Tock”), but it does show Alchemist’s growth and progress in the five years since. In the time since then Alchemist has become one of the best producers in Hip-Hop and the go to guy behind the boards for some of your favorite artists like Lil’ Wayne, Fabolous, Slaughterhouse, Jadakiss and more. With the hard work and dedication that Alchemist has been putting in for years it’s a position that is well earned and well deserved. If you’ve been a fan of Alchemist you won’t be disappointed with this album and if you’re not take a listen and realize that he’s probably been one of your favorite producers for a while now.

nappyPicks: “Lose Your Life”, “Therapy”, “Smile”, “Some Gangster Shit”, “That’ll Work”, “Acts Of Violence”, “Take A Look Back”, “Under Siege”

Download: The Alchemist – “Lose Your Life”

I know that the review of Mos Def’s The Ecstatic album has been one that people have been looking for since Tuesday when it was released and I am happy to deliver it in its entirety. I apologize for three day delay in delivering this review but that’s what happens when you’re in school and you have to pay more attention to these things in life called “priorities”, but I thank those that have been patient in waiting on this review to arrive (the impatient ones…I’ll save those thoughts and words for another time). With The Ecstatic being Mos Def’s fourth solo album to date and three years since his last release (True Magic), people are wondering what to expect from The Mighty Mos. Will he return back to his true emcee form seen on early career works like Black Star and Black On Both Sides or continue with the experimental path he has been traveling as of late.

1. Supermagic
Produced by Oh No
Right off the back we can see that Mos is sticking with this more experimental side in starting off the album. Oh No provides Mos with a fast paced lead guitar filled beat that allows him to spit some rapid-fire lines. A lot of people were skeptical as to whether Mos was losing his edge and skills as a lyrical emcee but this track reassures that Mos is still an emcee to be reckoned with on the mic.

2. Twilite Speedball
Produced by Chad Hugo
Mos slows things down a bit on this next track but the intensity is still there with production provided by The Neptunes’ lesser-seen half Chad Hugo. Chad keeps the production diverse and ever changing on this track that Mos is able to ride without a problem.

3. Auditorium
Featuring Slick Rick; Produced by Madlib
This track has been on repeat since I first heard it and it’s with good reason. Madlib, one of the most diverse and creative producers of all-time, produces a beat of Middle Eastern flavor that flows smoothly and complements the verses of Mos Def and Slick Rick quite well. Wait…did I just say Slick Rick was featured on this track? Slick Rick “The Ruler”?? Hell yeah, the one and only appears on the track and shows why he’s still one of the best storytellers in Hip-Hop history with a verse that maybe upstages Mos Def’s. All in all this is one of the best tracks on the album so far and hopefully there are more of this caliber to come.

4. Wahid
Produced by Madlib
Madlib provides Mos with another beat on this next track as he delivers some good rhymes over the string filled production. There’s nothing too spectacular about this track as it just features a lyrical Mos Def over some nice Madlib production, kind of serving as an interlude of sort with the short track length.

5. Priority
Produced by Preservation
Again this track kind of feels like an interlude because of its short length but as opposed to the previous track I would have liked to hear more of this one. Preservation delivers a well-produced beat with piano and horns that Mos Def destroys lyrically. This track had all of the necessary aspects to be one of the best on the album but the short track length snubs that (it’s still one of the better tracks though).

6. Quiet Dog Bite Hard
Produced by Preservation
This song was recently performed live by Mos on the Late Show With David Letterman and I can see why he selected this song to perform. Preservation returns for another track to provide Mos with a tribal feel beat that he fits comfortably with. This song has the sound and feel of something that might have been heard on The Roots latest album Rising Down and I could have really heard Black Thought spittin’ some lines on this one.

7. Life In Marvelous Times
Produced by Mr. Flash
Mos attempts to bring out his rougher side on this track over some dark, dramatic, and synth filled production produced by Mr. Flash. Mos delivers some nice rhymes and adequate singing on this track but it almost sounds like a reach at times over the near mainstream sounding beat. This isn’t a bad track by any means but more of an acquired taste that is sure to grow on the listener after a few plays.

8. The Embassy
Produced by Mr. Flash
In similar fashion to the “Auditorium” heard earlier in the album, Mr. Flash provides Mos with some Middle Eastern styled production as he tells about his journey and travel in the land. This is another track that I wish was longer in length as it’s over when you start getting into it.

9. No Hay Nada Mas
Produced by Preservation
Mos hooks up again with Preservation for a track of foreign appeal if you may that features Mos showcasing his fluent foreign language over some lush production that is supplied. I wish I could have understood what Mos was saying but nonetheless this is a very nice track from start to finish.

10. Pistola
Produced by Oh No
Mos teams up again with Oh No on another fast tempo track that features some jazz styled production with Mos showcasing both his rhyming and singing to positive results.

11. Pretty Dancer
Produced by Madlib
The connection with Mos Def and Madlib on tracks are pure chemistry as they both complement each other quite nicely. Madlib produces a very nice beat that erratic in style while Mos keeps the listener in a lyrical daze on the microphone.

12. Workers Comp
Produced by Mr. Flash
On this track Mr. Flash once again provides Mos with some lush sampled production that allows him to display his lyrical prowess on. Like “Wahid” there’s nothing too spectacular about this track, just good music provided to the listener.

13. Revelations
Produced by Madlib
Like I said before, this combination of Mos Def and Madlib just doesn’t disappoint as evident on this track that stands as their fourth collaboration on this album. Madlib produces an ethnic sounding pulsating beat that Mos completely flows on effortlessly. This song could have had MF Doom on it for the ultimate satisfaction as it sounds like something you might have heard on the Madvillainy album.

14. Roses
Featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow; Produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow
This track really serves as a Georgia Anne Muldrow track featuring Mos Def and it works quite really in the end result. Over a nice piano driven beat produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow she delivers a strong vocal performance with Mos providing the background vocals and verse to accompany. This is a nice addition that provides a different vibe from most of the album’s other tracks.

15. History
Featuring Talib Kweli; Produced by J Dilla
This is the first song that I heard from the album before it was released and just like I loved it then I still do now. Those looking for the reunion of Black Star and complaining that there wasn’t any on this album can rest assured with this track as it provides what they’ve been looking for. Over a lovely produced beat by the great J Dilla (even after death he’s still better than most producers with production), Mos and Talib hook up to drop lyrical bombs not heard since 1998. This track stands as one of the best on the album that you will not be hesitant to hit the repeat button after the first listen.

16. Casa Bey
Produced by Mos Def & Preservation
I remember when I first saw the video for this song online and not really liking it too much and thinking if Mos Def’s new album was going to be worth it. But over time this song has grown on me and it most definitely is an acquired taste. Mos displays some very nice lyricism over very live production that suites the taste. This is a song that I could see Mos performing live to perfection with a band like The Roots.

Bottom Line:
So after 16 tracks does the final product result in Black Star, Black On Both Sides, The New Danger, or True Magic? Ultimately I think The Ecstatic combines the elements of all of those albums into one complete album that satisfies the different tastes of all Mos Def fans and listeners. There aren’t really any bad tracks to be found on this album and like I said much throughout the review this album is going to be an acquired tastes for many. Many Mos Def listeners and Hip-Hop enthusiasts are going to listen to this album expecting to hear Mos go back to the styling of Black Star and Black On Both Sides. Even though the production might not be as soulful as those albums were, Mos Def is still lyrically as strong now as he was then. That aspect of Mos Def has not changed or dwindled over time, as he’s still one of the most lyrical emcees in the game. This album showcases production wise that Mos isn’t scared to experiment and be different than the stale and monotonous production that has become standard with most Hip-Hop albums. I think this is one of Mos Def’s best solo albums to date and ranks right up there with his strongest one in Black On Both Sides. People can stop asking what happened to Mos Def and thinking he crazy because he’s challenging the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil’ Wayne in terms of lyricism. This album proves that he has every right to be challenging and questioning Hip-Hop’s best emcees because deserving so he is and has been one of Hip-Hop’s elite for a long time now (people just have a hard time acknowledging that fact). If you haven’t already picked up a copy of this album get your ass to the store or online right now and do so real quick! Like this review, The Ecstatic was worth the wait and delivers in the end.

nappyPicks: “History”, “Auditorium”, ‘Revelations”, “Quiet Dog”, “Casa Bey”, & “Roses”

Download: Mos Def – “Priority”