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”

I decided to step out of the box and review something that I never would have listened to, the Teriyaki Boyz second album Serious Japanese. This is the follow up to their 2006 release Beef of Chicken. I am not going to front as if I know facts about the group; I am going to my trusty Wikipedia for some tidbits. The group consists of five members all from Tokyo, Japan: Ilmari and Ryo-Z from Rip Slyme, VERBAL from m-flo, rapper WISE and Nigo, the DJ and founder of the popular Japanese streetware brand A Bathing Ape. Now that we know a little background of the group…let us get to the music.

Please Come Intro!
Produced by Adrock
The album kicks off with a techno sounding beat with some talking in the background. Nothing serious, just the start to the album.

Work That!
Featuring Pharrell & Chris Brown; Produced by The Neptunes
The first thing that catches you on this song is the house music inspired beat. This is the third single that will get the girls on the dance floor shaking what their mother gave them. Chris Brown added some vocals at the end, but this is still a dance heavy track that I would even cut the rug listening too.

After 5 (AM)
Featuring Mademoiselle Yulia; Produced by Towa Tei
This song puts you in the mind of the Black Eye Peas with the international pop feel to the song. The song has plenty of elements to it, sounding video gamish for a second. This song sounds FUN.

Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)
Produced by The Neptunes
The Neptunes show their creativity on this track with their production. This track does make me want to trick out a car and drive fast and furious. I can dig it.

Sweet Girl
Featuring Dondria; Produced by Jermaine Dupri
JD takes his sound to the Far East and the Teriyaki Boyz did their thing on this track. I like the way they flipped the lingo from English to Japanese in the song and still fit the song. It puts you in the mind of T.I.’s “Why You Wanna”. I must say that this one is a BANGER!

Teriya-King
Featuring Kanye West & Big Sean; Produced by Kanye West
Kanye joins in and MURDERS the track! The beat is sick on this one, but what did you expect from Yeezy. Don’t think that the Teriyaki Boyz mailed this one in…VERBAL did his best Kanye impersonation and represented the crew well. So far, this is my favorite off the album. SICK!

5th Element
Featuring Cornelius; Produced by Cornelius
This beat on this track sounds like an old school rap song, but with more sounds added to the beat. This is the first song on the album that did not jump out there and grab me.

Serious Japanese
Produced by Mark Ronson
The track on this one is FIRE! It will remind you of MC Lyte’s “Paper Thin” In the beginning. I do not understand what the guys are saying, but they ride the beat to perfection. This might be my favorite track on the album. BANGER!

Zock On!
Featuring Pharrell & Busta Rhymes; Produced by The Neptunes
The Neptunes return with the space age production, and Busta lends his lightning fast flow to the Boyz on this track. The beat fits Busta style, so he adds to the songs success. This was actually their second single off the album.

(Can’t) “Bake” That “Fape”
Featuring TAKAGIKAN & Adrock; Produced by Adrock
Adrock brings you back to the Beastie Boy sound on this track. The beat is complex, but not to the point where it ruins the song. The production is TIGHT and the Boyz do their thing on the song. HOT!

いつも It’s More
Produced by SUPA DAVE WEST
The production on this one switches gears from the up-tempo feel to a more laid back approach. The beat is nice, but I like to hear the Teriyaki Boyz sound with more energy.

I Still Love H.E.R.
Featuring Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West
This was the first single off the album. Martin Louie the King Jr. comes through with top-notch production again on this album. On this song the Teriyaki Boyz show that they know their Hip-Hop history giving homage to some of the pioneers that paved the way for today’s generation. Off subject, but I think Phonte would have gotten SICK on this track.

Get the Hell Outro
Produced by Adrock
This is the Outro that sounds exactly like the intro.
Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious) Remix Featuring Fam-Lay, Pharrell, & Pusha T; Produced by The Neptunes
Same beat as the original, only difference is this time the Star Trak family joins in on the fun. The remix is HOT.

Bottom Line:
This is something I never would have listened to, but after listening to the album…I actually enjoyed it. They did not miss a beat with the production on this one. Knowing Japanese might would assist me in enjoying the album more. The Teriyaki Boyz may not be on Hip-Hop heads radar, but they should. Hip-Hop is evolving and branching out to different corners of the world. This album will not be considered “classic” by American standards, but it is one you should definitely check out. If you are looking for a change from the run of the mill Hip-Hop artists, take a trip to the Far East and check out Serious Japanese by the Teriyaki Boyz.

nappyPicks: “Work That”, “Sweet Girl”, “Teriya-King”, “Serious Japanese”, & “I Still Love H.E.R”

Download: Teriyaki Boyz – “Serious Japanese”

How do you label Ludacris? Is he a southern rapper? Is he a Hip-Hop mogul? Is he a rapper-turned actor? To me Luda is all of these, and none of these. When you think southern rap, you think of guys like Shawty LO, Soulja Boy, & Gucci Mane. I hope everyone can agree that Ludacris is on another level compared to those dudes. When I think of the word mogul, I imagine Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, & Suge Knight. These are people you can clearly associate to a record label. When I say Russell Simmons, you instantly think of Def Jam, Jay you instantly think of the ROC, and Suge you (hopefully) think of Death Row. When you think of Luda, DTP isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Sure it’s a successful label, but Chingy is the only artist most people will recognize (and that’s saying something). As an actor, Ludacris has chosen great roles, but always gets stuck in a supporting role. Look at the movies he’s been in: Crash he plays the thief, Hustle & Flow he plays the successful rapper, and in Fred Claus he plays a DJ. 2 Fast 2 Furious is the exception. But as a recording artist, Luda has earned his place among Hip-Hop royalty. Theater Of The Mind has the potential to go Gold (maybe platinum) before the end of 2008. After that long-ass intro, you’re probably asking how is the album? Well…

1. Intro
Produced by The Runners
I was scratching my head for the first 40 seconds. But once the beat kicks in, this transforms from your average Intro to “Ultimate Satisfaction Part II”. Same slow beat with the strange loop, and the same Luda with the rapid-fire flow. I was pretty impressed with Luda’s lyricism until the last 30 seconds which is just filler. At the same time it’s an above average rap-intro, what more can you hope for?

2. Undisputed
Featuring Floyd “Money” Mayweather; Produced by Don Cannon
Floyd Mayweather is the first of four random celebrities to pitch in with a vocal sample. Didn’t really add anything to the song. This was a sick-ass track though. The beat was nice, I can see this being the new Don Cannon beat to freestyle to. But when it comes to the wordplay, my jaw dropped: “And if you sittin’ on chrome/I’ll call up my boys and have you stripped of ya medals like Marion Jones”. “Luda leaves intruders stretched out like gymnastics/And acrobatics I’m superstar status/The mouth of the South like Gangsta Grillz you bastard” This is a fucking banger!

3. Wish You Would
Featuring T.I.; Produced by DJ Toomp
Like Luda said “It was bound to happen sooner or later”. The two real “Kings of the South” sound real good over this bouncy Toomp instrumental. And they spit some straight crack for almost five minutes. And for once I can honestly say, I was really feeling the hook on this track.

4. One More Drink
Featuring T-Pain; Produced by Trackmasters
After the two songs above this track fucking sucks. It’s not a terrible track, but it’s clearly a single. You might hear this one in the club, but I’d advise you to skip it. It’s featuring T-Pain; that should already tell you something.

5. Call Up The Homies
Featuring The Game & Willy Northpole; Produced by Clinton Sparks
Not bad. Game and Luda exhibit some good storytelling here, over Clinton Sparks’ Dr. Dre-esque beat (with the heavy funk instrumentals). Willy Northpole’s verse seems out-of-place, but it was weak to begin with. I’m guessing Luda just stuck him on the track to improve the youngn’s sales since he’s signed to DTP. This might be one you will have to repeat.

6. Southern Gangsta
Featuring Rick Ross, Playaz Circle, & Ving Rhames; Produced by StreetRunner
Ving Rhames’ handles all the rapper’s introductions. Sounds like an MC introducing boxers before a fight, which is funny considering Ricky Ross is on this track. Luda turns in a good 16. I’ve never been a Rick Ross fan, but this is one of his better verses (from what I’ve heard anyway). And for the second track in a row Luda gives his DTP weed carriers a guest spot to bolster there sales. Still the same result, Playaz Circle sounds just as awkward on this track as Willy Northpole sounded on “Call Up The Homies”.

7. Everybody Hates Chris
Featuring Chris Rock; Produced by Don Cannon
Don Cannon is a much better producer than he gets credit for. DJ Drama doesn’t hold a torch to this dude, and I’m glad Luda realized it. Another sick beat, but Luda didn’t really hold my attention on this one. His lyrics fluctuate from generic to sick after every bar. And the hook…. Come on Luda!

8. What Them Girls Like
Featuring Chris Brown & Sean Garrett; Produced by Darkchild
This was the first single if I’m not mistaken and it’s nothing you should ever check out. Ever! Not saying it was downright terrible, but why waste your time?

9. Nasty Girl
Featuring Plies; Produced by Swizz Beatz
Another one for the ladies. This song left me wondering who actually bought Plies album? Really? You can enjoy that shit? Really?…Proof that anyone can be a successful Rap artist these days. Who needs flow and lyricism when you can loudly babble into a microphone? That’s what I want to hear! Smh.

10. Contagious
Featuring Jamie Foxx; Produced by Scott Storch
Yet another song for the ladies. This album has really taken a downward turn. On a random note, you’ll probably never guess that Scott Storch produced this track. It’s almost nothing like any of his previous work.

11. Last Of A Dying Breed
Featuring Lil Wayne; Produced by Wyldfyer
And we now return to the album called Theater Of The Mind. You can tell Luda saved his best lines for this track. Even though this wasn’t a single, this is probably the track everyone will skip to once they cop this album. Lil’ Weezy on one of your tracks is a bonafide way to sell records these days. As for the track, Wyldfyer provides a perfect instrumental for this head-to-head face-off. To me this was the song where Luda shows the world that he can flow with Weezy and hold his own. The first verse set the mood, and set up Wayne’s verse perfectly. I’m no Wayne stan but I’ll admit he came with a pretty sick verse too, even though his voice sounded hoarse as hell (lay off the lean homie). On a sidenote, it’s pretty fucking funny to hear Ludacris make a song declaring himself to be “One of the last lyricists alive”, when that’s nowhere close to realistic. And how do you possibly feature Lil’ Wayne on this song when he was partly responsible for the death of the MC? Aside from that hypocrisy this song was pretty good.

12. MVP
Produced by DJ Premier
Damn. Who would have ever thought Ludacris could secure a Primo beat? At the same time, who really wants to hear Luda over a Primo beat? No one. Even though I’m a fan of both artists, they don’t really sound too good together. I doubt this song will have much of a fanbase, aside from heads wondering how Luda got this beat. Seriously, first Termanology, now Ludacris. What’s next, DJ Premier producing Soulja Boy and 50 Cent?

13. I Do It For Hip Hop
Featuring Nas & Jay-Z; Produced by Wyldfyer
I was really disappointed with this track. Everyone came with their C game. Besides Wyldfyer (the producer) who came with his F game, this instrumental is terrible. Add Luda’s obviously hypocritical lyrics to Jay and Nas’ uninspired lyrics and you get this mess of a song.

14. Do The Right Thang
Featuring Spike Lee & Common; Produced by 9th Wonder
This is a pretty soulful send-off. It took me a few listens to fully appreciate 9th Wonder’s optimistic contribution and I’m still not really feeling the beat here. But it’s a good track, decent way to end this album.

Bottom Line:
I felt that Ludacris tried way too hard to make everyone happy on this album. He made a few bangers, a few songs for the ladies, and a few songs for the heads. I’m sure his fans will gobble up this album and tout it as a classic, but for people new to his music this may not be the best place to start. Just by looking at the musical features you can tell how different the songs are. T.I. & Nas, Common & Lil’ Wayne, DJ Premier & Plies… those names just don’t sound like they would ever be together. And that is what makes this album hard to listen to at times.

I got one thing to get off my chest. I don’t always agree with the ratings on this site. I don’t think Theater Of The Mind is an amazing album or even in the top 10 of ‘08, but it is better than Paper Trail & The Recession in my book, so that’s why it got the rating it got. And because I know y’all would leave angry comments.

Update: Okay, maybe it was a little high

nappyPicks: “Undisputed”, “Wish You Would”, “Call Up The Homies”, & “Last Of A Dying Breed”

Download: Ludacris feat. T. I. – “Wish You Would”

Bonus: Ludacris feat. Nas & Jay-Z – “I Do It For Hip-Hop”

Yup, T-Pain is back. Wait, did he ever really leave? Just like Weezy, T-Pain has over-saturated the game constantly: he openly admits it and treats it like it’s his job. That said, T-Pain’s albums have always been…alright. I mean, the singles from the albums are almost always banging: “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)” and “Buy You a Drank” have both been on my playlist for a long time now. Still, as a whole, they aren’t really that solid; he always seems to let a few songs slip through the cracks. Well, now Thr33 Ringz is out; can T-Pain prove he’s more than just a hitmaker? Let’s check it out.

Brand New Show
This is just a skit to start the album: a couple of guys complaining about running the circus stuff. It doesn’t really get me in the mood, but T-Pain’s voice is funny; you can tell which one he’s playing.

Welcome To Thr33 Ringz
After a quick shout out to the Nappy Boy Ent. label, T-Pain launches into a rap just to start out the album. I really don’t think Pain is the best rapper. He uses punch-lines that aren’t the best: “They think a niggasandwich”. slicker than a mayonnaise Still, the beat is bumping! I wish I had the instrumental. At the same time, it’s less than a 2 minute song; by the time you feel like skipping it, it’s over.

Ringleader Man
I remember T-Pain performed this song at the BET Awards 2008, proclaiming himself to be the “Ringleader of this Rap Game”. This song got me really excited for Thr33 Ringz, and it’s awesome. It’s really a melodic song, and while I’m not completely sure, I think T-Pain didn’t use the auto-tune for this. If that’s true, wow! He’s actually not bad of a singer without it. The beat is dark, but it all works well. One of the standout tracks on the album.

Chopped & Screwed
Featuring Ludacris
I think this should have been the first single off the album. It’s all about men getting blown off by women, and as a teenager, I’ve had experience there. T-Pain commands the track well, and it sounds like the circus theme that he’s been trying to get with this album. Luda spits a good verse to add to the song; his lyrics haven’t really wowed me lately with his new album. However, that doesn’t diminish the quality of this song. It’s great, and another one of the top tracks off the album.

Take A Ride (Skit)
Yeah, time for another skit. T-Pain’s voice is still hilarious as he plays the circus worker chilling in T-Pain’s Cadillac with his buddy. They go for a ride in Pain’s Cadillac, talking about going to this strip club, when the dumbass riding with the circus worker burns the guy’s hand while smoking, causing them to crash Pain’s Cadillac. This skit is hilarious, period. I listen to this one a lot, it’s much better than the other ones.

Freeze
Featuring Chris Brown
After “Kiss Kiss”, let’s just say that my expectations were high for this song. While it isn’t exactly “Kiss Kiss II”, it gets the job done as the “get up and dance” song. Teddy’s crooning on the track is superb, and Chris sounds good on here: the two of them actually make a formidable duo. This was recently released as a single, it should do well. Not as well as “Kiss Kiss”, but good.

Blowing Up
Featuring Ciara
This feels like “Bartender II”, to be honest. It’s weird, but for some reason it’s got that vibe, even though the beat and the track is a lot slower. Ciara and T-Pain sound really good together on this track because their voices mesh together very well. At the same time, it ends up being just an OK song; not one I would really put on repeat.

Can’t Believe It
Featuring Lil’ Wayne
I think I already covered this song when I did a column on the music video for this song. T-Pain’s choice for the first single was good, as this single’s performance proves. I was expecting something that was going to be as huge as “Buy You a Drank”, but hey, #7 on the Hot 100 ain’t bad, and not every song can beat “Whatever You Like”. Lil’ Wayne’s verse is actually awful; at first I had no idea what he was saying, but now that I do, I can say without a doubt he’s better than this. I mean, rhyming “doing” with “ooing”? Man, that’s some Shawty Lo shit! Even if you a Weezy fan you can’t tell me that wasn’t weak. Still, he doesn’t bring the song down, though he doesn’t add to it either.

It Ain’t Me
Featuring T.I. & Akon
Finally! I’ve always wanted T.I. and Teddy to work together. It’s basically talking to all these girls who run up on all these dudes ask for stuff. As T.I. says in the beginning of the song: “It ain’t what I can do, it’s what I will do.” This coming from the man who made “Whatever You Like”? Anyway, this song is really good; Akon sings kind of whatever; he is continually getting overshadowed by T-Pain. T.I.’s verse is really like his Paper Trail verses: it’s good to see that even after his last album he’s still writing stuff down. Really good track, it stands out from the others.

Feed The Lions (Skit)
The “Circus Worker” is back here, bitching about how his pay and how much he does. He tells a story about how a lion who was under fed, ate up three little white children after they threw popcorn at it and T-Pain blamed him. Then T-Pain comes out straight up yelling at them for smoking in his Cadillac. It’s pretty funny to hear Pain arguing with himself. Not a bad skit.

Therapy
Featuring Kanye West
This is my favorite track on this whole album, even though the lyrics on the track are a little questionable: “5,6,7,8/ I don’t need your sex I’ll masturbate.” No comment there. It’s basically just about T-Pain getting over this one girl. Kanye jumps on the track as well. When I first saw his name, I was kind of worried. Would it be the 808’s and Heartbreak Kanye, or the Graduation Kanye? Kanye is actually rapping on this track, and man, it’s a breath of fresh air from the singing he’s done. Kanye MURDERS this song. In fact, I’m not even going to put any lines from his verse up because I’d have to put the whole thing up. Just check this out!

Long Lap Dance
T-Pain here is basically making a song for all the people out there who hate short lap dances. Because of that, he makes a song that is pretty long for the lap dance crowd. This song is kind of a quiet slow jam for the ladies to do their thing, but as a song it’s really not that good.

Lorraine (Interlude)
I just don’t get the point of this skit. It’s a British guy (Yeah, a British guy) who calls up Pain claiming to have fucked his girlfriend Lorraine. T-Pain then responds that the girl Lorraine is NOT his girlfriend at all. Yeah. SKIP! On a side note though, T-Pain says in the skit he has 11 #1 records this year alone. Damn! Get ya money man!

Reality Show
Featuring Musiq Soulchild, Raheem DeVaughn, & Jay Lyriq
This also could have been a single. It’s like a super-R&B collabo with T-Pain, Soulchild, DeVaughn, and Jay Lyriq all singing one verse with T-Pain doing the hook. I feel like though they all gave great performances, Jay Lyriq kind of sticks out as being the weakest link of the group, which I understand since he’s only been on songs with T-Pain before, never releasing any albums or even singles before. The strongest performance is definitely Raheem though; he did his thing for sure on this track. Overall, great song.

Keep Going
T-Pain throws the auto-tune away and sings without it for a track about the people in his life who keep him going in the music business. While it shows again that T-Pain is a good singer without the vocoder, I feel like this track doesn’t belong on the album. It doesn’t really fit with the other tracks in beat or sound, and not just because he’s not using the vocoder. I’m almost leaning towards a skip here, but I’ll leave that up to you.

Superstar Lady
Featuring Young Ca$h
First official dud of the album. It’s 3 minutes long, about the same thing that you heard done better in the previous tracks, and it has a terrible rapper on it called Young Ca$h. Man, these rappers are getting really creative with their names nowadays, aren’t they? SKIP!!!

Change
Featuring Diddy, Akon, & Mary J. Blige
See the big names on this track? Forget it, this track is awful! Diddy doesn’t spit one bar, Akon is weak, and though MJB can do no wrong, she can’t save this track. Did I forget to mention it’s over 5 minutes long? SKIP! SKIP! SKIP!

Digital
Featuring Tay Dizm
I think it’s time to mention how much I hate Tay Dizm. This nigga was on Rap City in the freestyle booth and lasted like 6 bars before stopping. Then T-Pain, the host for the episode, goes on and spits like 30 off the top of his head, completely putting him to shame. How is an R&B singer gonna freestyle better than a rapper?? However, I didn’t even get to Dizm’s verse before I had to skip this song. It’s just terrible. SKIP! SKIP! SKIP!

Karaoke
Featuring DJ Khaled
I knew this song was coming with all the people with vocoders nowadays, I knew T-Pain was going to talk to all the people out there jacking his style. T-Pain actually spits some amazing bars on this track, but the real problem here is DJ Khaled: he sucks! There is no hook on this song, just Khaled yelling randomly “We the best!” and all the random shit he yells. So, after you hear T-Pain spit a memorable line like: “This ain’t no disrespect, go ahead and do ya shit/But my daughter told me to tell y’all ‘get off my daddy’s dick!” (DAMN!), Khaled jumps on with all his nonsense. This nigga even had the nerve to yell out “We Global!” at the end of the track for publicity. No matter how cool T-Pain is with Khaled, that’s just disrespect. If you can ignore Khaled, it’s a hot track, but for me, SKIP!*

(*Note: ALL of the deluxe tracks suck, and they’re all SKIPS to me.)

Bottom Line:
Let’s get the bad out of the way: like a Three Ring circus, Thr33 Ringz is really disorganized. The rapping, singing, and skits sometimes don’t mesh together. Furthermore, T-Pain’s guest stars sometimes don’t live up to the billing: Akon sucks, I actually think he should quit while he’s ahead, Khaled is Khaled (nuff said!), and the rest of the Nappy Boy crew (Tay Dizm, Jay Lyriq, and Young Ca$h) are well below what they should be at. That said, Thr33 Ringz is undoubtely T-Pain’s most complete and finest album to date. Only thing that would make it better is to trim the fat: cut down the tracks at the end that don’t work and make it at 14-15 track album. Still, in the end, T-Pain shows a lot of potential both with and without the vocoder, and finally shows he’s a lot more than a hit-maker, but actually a talented musician. With this album under his belt, he can claim the title of Ringleader, and even better, live up to it.

nappyPicks: “Therapy”, “Chopped ‘N Screwed”, “Ringleader Man”, & “I Can’t Believe It”

Download: T-Pain feat. Kanye West – “Therapy”

Taking a break from his recent stint in Hollywood, David Banner releases his fourth major release The Greatest Story Ever Told. Taking three years since his last album, Banner took on worthy causes on while away from the mic. Standing up for Hip-Hop in front of cameras in a time when Hip-Hop was becoming public enemy #1, Banner wasn’t looking for publicity. He was doing was he’s always done, speaking his mind. So do you think the Mississippi native will stop now?

So Long
Produced by Get Cool
Banner starts off the album with a bang by calling our generation a bunch of cowards. DAMN! I’m not mad, because the truth hurts some time. The song is HOT! Is it me or does Banner sound like Nas on this track? It doesn’t matter, the song is bananas!

G.S.E.T Intro
Produced by Warryn Campbell
Yeah, you have an intro as the second track. Awesome.

Suicide Doors
Featuring UGK & Kandi; Produced by David Banner
Sampling one of my favorite songs “Shoulder Lean” and featuring one of my favorite groups, UGK, Banner comes off with a BANGER! The production is top notch, along with a verse from Pimp C (R.I.P.) and his partner in rhyme Bun B, the song is a must hear.

9MM/Speaker
Featuring Lil’ Wayne, Snoop Dogg, & Akon; Produced by Akon
This is the official lead single off the album where you have Weezy making his obligatory appearance along with Snoop and Akon behind the boards. The song is pretty tight; but I get tired of Akon on the hook.

T. I. Speaks (Interlude)
T.I. fills us in on the history of him and Banner.

Get Like Me
Featuring Chris Brown & Yung Joc; Produced by David Banner
The second single off of the album that has summer written all over it. You’ve heard this one before, if you haven’t, turn on BET and watch for about an hour and you will see it.

Shawty Say
Produced by David Banner
This is the supposed to be the third single off the album. Kind of funny that “Lollipop” gets sampled already. But Banner does a good job with the beat and the rhymes fit the beat. I have to say the ladies will love this one when it comes on.

A Girl
Featuring Dre; Produced by Cool & Dre
This song is terrible! SKIP!

Syrup Sipping (Banner Beat Break)
Produced by David Banner
Banner gets on the soapbox and speaks his mind for a little bit.

Hold On
Featuring Marcus; Produced by David Banner
Banner gives us a Pac style of song on this one. Banner just kept it “real” on this one, and it worked.

Cadillac On 22’s Part 2
Produced by David Banner
Banner goes back five years to make a sequel to one of his biggest hits “Cadillac on 22’s.” While he can never outdo the first one, the second one is soulful. I like it. Check it out!

Uncle Swac (Interlude)
Banner on the phone with his uncle recalling the story how he drove 751 miles with a sick baby Banner on a pound of “reefer” and a fifth of Hennessy. Uncle Swac sounds like a fun person to be around.

I Get By
Featuring Carl Thomas; Produced by David Banner
Banner takes an Isaac Hayes song and recreates a nice track on this one. The production and lyrics paint images and memories of the South on the song. CHECK FOR THIS!

Freedom (Interlude)
Really it’s a freestyle by Banner where he touches on some social matters. Banner stays giving it to you raw.

B.A.N (The Love Song)
Produced by  Warryn Campbell
This beat is TIGHT! This is the song dedicated to all those fuckboys out there. This is one that will get heavy play at all the clubs across the South. BANGER!

Fuck You Hoes
Featuring Jim Jones; Produced by Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre save face on this track with an assist from Jim who gives us his signature “Baaalllllin” at least 25 times. It’s a hot song with a nice beat on it.

Marz (Banner Beat Break)
You have Banner just playing around on a beat.

Ball With Me
Featuring Chamillionaire; Produced by Nitti
Nitti assists on this “Rubberband Man” sounding beat featuring Chamillionaire. Interesting choice to put Chamillionaire on this song, not that he doesn’t fit, it just doesn’t seem like his kind of song.

K.O.
Produced by David Banner
Banner will incite riots with this song when it comes on in the club. I bet this will be the background to somebody getting knocked out on YouTube in a little while! If this comes on in the club, GET CLOSE TO THE WALL!

Fly
Featuring Jazze Pha; Produced by David Banner
Damn Banner was doing well until I heard this one…STRAIGHT DUD! I don’t think the SEXY when I hear Jazze Pha crooning. SKIP!

Faith
Produced by David Banner
Banner’s song about some trials and tribulations he went through. You have to like songs where the artist paints a picture. Banner recounts about his travels from Mississippi to New York and back that included his Astro van getting stolen in Alabama.

Wealth (Banner Beat Break)
Produced by David Banner
Banner gives you some Hip-Hop/Jazz just without the rhymes. DIG THIS!

Bottom Line:
David Banner delivered the best album of his career with The Greatest Story Ever Told. This album has two major slips ups and nearly six interludes. Other than that, this is a solid album. This album has something on it for everyone to listen to, which might help out with mainstream sales. This is an album that is worth the money to pick up with it being stacked from top to bottom. David Banner will surprise a lot of people when they listen to this album.

nappyPicks: “So Long”, “Suicide Doors”, “B.A.N (the Love Song)”, & “Faith”

Download: David Banner feat. UGK & Kandi – “Suicide Doors”