For some reason Donny Goines has never been featured on nappyafro. We’ve talk to the brother, had interviews set up and something always fell through. Well that’s changing now with this; his official second album The Breakfast Club (Which is free!). The album features production work by Statik Selektah, Dame Grease, & Cookin’ Soul as well as Termonology, Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas on the rap side of things. Check out the tracklist and then download the album.

1. Don’t You Prod. by Cook Classics
2. Bring It Forward (New York, New York) Prod. by Versatile
3. Whatever It Is (Feat. Mela Machinko) Prod. by Frequency
4. Money (Feat. Mistah F.A.B) Prod. by DJ Static
5. Don’t Mess with a Woman (Feat. Amanda Diva & Naledge) Prod. by Dub Z
6. Sublime (Feat. Peter Hadar & Outasight) Prod. by Buckwild
7. She Like (Feat. Che Grand & Izza Kizza) Prod. by Apple Juice Kid
8. Make Me Feel (Feat. Emilio Rojas) Prod. by Kwame
9. Oh No (Feat. Patent Pending) Prod. by The Goverment
10. What U Expected Remix (Feat. Rain, Termanology, Reks & Big Lou) Prod. by Statik Selektah
11. A Love Song (Feat. Lydia Caesar & Skyzoo) Prod. by Digga
12. Closer Prod. by Dame Grease
13. Digital Genocide (Feat. Planet Asia & Poison Pen) Prod. by DJ Snips
14. Grateful (Feat. Tanya Morgan & Jeremy Carr) Prod. by Cookin Soul
15. Party Apple Prod. by Apple Juice Kid
16. Can’t Get it Right (Feat. A.Pinks, Esso & 6th Sense) Prod. by 6th Sense
17. These Times Prod. by Dub Z

Download: Donny Goines – The Breakfast Club

Dipset has a fiercely loyal fan base. I can’t lie though, outside of Juelz, I don’t really dig most of them. They are pretty damn entertaining though. They rep hard for each other and that’s wassup. So, we have another offering from JR Writer who seems to never leave the studio. Is he making the most of his time, or wasting tracks? Let’s find out….

It’s Like A Jungle
Produced by Spectacular
Writer comes in riding a smooth ass laid back groove. The title pays homage to the classic “It’s Like A Jungle” but does little beyond the name to praise the song. Nothing more than a simile flip song over a decent groove. It gets boring by the end of the song and seems to set the tone for the album to stall out the gate.

Hate On Me
Produced by Mec-One Productions
A SICK rendition of the hook from The Who’s song, “Love, Reign O’er Me” is the backdrop to this track, only flipping it to say “Hate On Me”. This shit is dope as hell despite an odd change in the background chord. I can’t wait to hear the freestyles over this shit. Anyway JR does alright as he keeps it Dipset with the swagga splashin’ on this track that should have been the first song.

Come With Me (Freestyle)
Produced by Heatmakerz
The Heatmakerz have produced tracks for Weezy, Juelz, CL Smooth, N.O.R.E, and Cormega chime in and offer up a decent track. Lyrically, JR talks about everything and nothing and all points between including him saying “Once I shit on a nigga, he neva gonna smell the same”. Wow….overall, I’m not impressed with this one.

Change
Produced by IKD
We get a lot more melodic track that features some ill chords and a chior inspired “ah ah” chant in the background. The base of the track sounds like some 8-bit Nintendo music, but it works quite well. “Duck hunt with all these birds in the game”. A hint I guess.Ha! “If I was Superman the S would be a dollar sign.” Me too fam, me too.

Serious B.I.
Produced by Trackdealerz
I think it may be a Beatles or Monkeys sound bite (I’m pretty sure I’m way off) for the intro, but the track is fantastic. It is, however, a victim of the same bug that bites this entire album, it’s too damn short (see bottom line). This could very well be the best track on the album, and it is nothing more than a lyrical interlude. Damn shame.

Dimelo
produced by M.Dot Murda
M.Dot Murda, who most recently did some tracks on the Gangsa Grillz album, brings us this Latin influenced track complete with mariachi horns. “Dimelo” is a Dominican word that, loosely translated (ie I googled) means “tell me about it” or “What’s good”.  Now, with that understanding, this song makes no fucking sense. I think he just grabbed a dictionary and started to rhyme any word that made sense. “Blow me like a hankerchief?” That’s not gangsta. Dimelo with that?

Do Dat
Produced by GM Productions
Look, I try my best to be productive, but if you are producing a dance/club track and it’s not a banger, then it’s worthless. “Do Dat” does nothing for me. SKIP.

Let It Rain
Produced by Dame Grease
Goon Music got 1 star as Dame stepped in the booth and played rapper. However, on the boards, he has been a part of a 3 and 4 star rating (Sheek Louch & Freeway).  So, what does he give us on this track…from the boards? 4 STARS. The track is incessant with the “Let It Rain” chant and the anthemesque (new word) quality of the synth and bass.  Again, JR offers up some lazy ass lyrics; I let it rain, who gonna rain check me/I keep a bucketful, I ain’t talkin’ bout KFC. I could offer up more, but you get the point.

Uptown Girl
Produced by Spectacular
With his teeth in the Billy Joel classic by the same name, Spectacular produces a fun track infused with the bounce. This is a song for the ladies, it was about time right? Shout out to all the uptown girls. Clocking in at 1:52, there isn’t much to say, if I type much more it will be longer than the damn song.

Killer Crack
Produced by B-Rocc & Piff Perweiler
When it comes to this rap, I’m a Silverback/I got gorilla raps/Grab ya’self an ice cold drink and chill with that / ………these cats harmless/They look like shit/Look at me, I’m the shit. I’m starting to see right through JR Writers wordplay. I try not to expect lyricism from everyone, but damn, you gotta try harder than that.

How You Want It
Featuring Fred Money; Produced by Hood Ghanndi
No sooner than I ridicule him, he comes with some better lyrics. The track is…myspace-ish, but it’s not bad. The sound quality is great and it’s layered and busy, in a good way. It has a haunted house quality to it; Castelvania style. The hook is hard as hell though; How you want it bitch/Nigga/(4x) I be with the gutta clique/A hundred guns, a hundred clips/Sit you in a fuckin’ ditch/So tell me how you want it bitch … It’s hard to listen to this shit and not feel like punchin’ someone in the face. The beat is hard and hype and is a certified banger. He clearly knew it this time as this is the longest song on the entire album. Fred comes on and gives us a little more delivery quality with his flow, but the “I’m on your ass like hemorrhoids line “rendered the rest of his flow mute to me.  Song still will break necks.

You Know I’m Nice
Produced by YH
YH loves the keyboard. I am speculating but when you hear this track, you will agree. Chords…chords…and chords. Loop. Chords…loop. It’s really a simple track that has its most interesting moment around the 1:50 mark when JR ain’t rappin’. Sad part is that the track is only 2:07 long. By this point, I am very biased against JR’s style so you may want to stop reading this review right here. Just skip to the bottom line.

We Ride Or Die
Produced by Soul Professa
Soul lives up to his name on a very fly track. We get more blizzard, swagga, and Aston talk…oh, and talk of asparagus pockets. Decent…song?

On My Way 2 Space
Produced by Trackdealerz
The track, one word, Ominous. Hands down, the best song on the album. From track to lyrics, this shit is a winner. Soon as I’m finished forensics couldn’t make the trace (nope)/Who you kiddin’ you be singin’ like you Babyface /…I wash these lil’ monkeys up/Now these niggas Bathing Apes/…I step in the ring in reptiles like I’m Jake the Snake. By far some of his best wordplay the entire album. Did I mention the beat is Kah-razy? Cause it is.

Hands Up
Featuring Fred Money; Produced by GL Beats
The build up on this track is dramatic as hell…but then it never seems to cross the mark. It builds and builds and seems like they forgot the bass. On top of that, without something to ground it, the rappers seem to get lost in an orgy of sound…and no one is cumming. JR sounds even less inspired than he has on any other track. Fred’s’ vocals are way too high and lyrics are typical. I guess I’m one of the hatin’ ass bitches he talks about in the song, I’m sure some of you will agree.

Bottom Line:
JR is clearly influence by his label mates and has become a “Cam Santana” hybrid. For those of you who know how to write rhymes, he flips the same sound of each last bar too many times. Like, each song has ONE word to rhyme with. Car, far, bar, star, are, tar, etc. I think there are ways to do this that can come off clever and I realize that in certain settings, but when you only have 2 songs out of 15 that are longer than 3:10 and the average being 2:30-2:40, it starts to sound like a crutch…to me anyway. Speaking of the clock value, most of these songs are so short they don’t have a hook, not as a concept, but as a handicap considering the entire album clocks right at the 40minute mark. Essentially, this is an album that will be the background for a lot of mixtapes in the near future as the tracks are the clear stars on this album. I am POSITIVE I will be considered a hater for this review, so I put on my heat suit. Most Dipset lovers will love this, album as the innanets are a buzz with folks crowning HIM as the best rapper alive. Hey, not me, I’ve read it more than once. Anyway, the beats really do have the ability to carry the album and his funny and clever moments are scattered around just enough to keep you busy.

nappyPicks: “On My Way 2 Space”, “Hate On Me”, “Change”, (most any of these as instrumental are pretty solid)

Download: JR Writer – “On My Way 2 Space”

Even though Dame Grease may not have a big name like producers Timbaland or Pharrell, he definitely has a big track record. He has worked with the artists such as Nas, The Lox, Freeway, T.I., Jay-Z, N.O.R.E, Beanie Sigel, Fat Joe, Mary J. Blige, Kelis, and many more. Dame Grease also is responsible for basically producing DMX’s whole first album, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (Which might be one of the hardest albums ever!) as well as providing the score for movies Exit Wounds and Cradle 2 The Grave. It’s been 8 years since Dame Grease dropped his 2000 compilation Live on Lenox Ave., and a lot has changed with his new album Goon Musik. Where Dame produced every track and only rapped one track for his first compilation Live On Lenox Ave., he now raps on almost all off tracks while still holding all producing credits for the new album. Where the first album had more star power like Nas, Cam’ron, & Scarface; the new album is full of cameos from unknowns and underground rappers. Should you care? Let’s find out…

1. Goon Musik Intro
“The music you feel when you feel like busting a motherfucker’s head open.” It seems Dame is definitely taking back to the streets on this one as he describes what “Goon Musik” is on the intro while screwed voices and gun cocking sounds are in the background.

2. Lotzilla
Featuring Bigga Threat & Loose Cannons
The first song of the album reminds me of something you would hear by DipSet  (Maybe because both acts are from Harlem). Dame raps first, and while I was surprised that he voice wasn’t half bad, he rhymes leave a lot to be desired. The hook is a little tired too; “You said you rowdy, rowdy/Well look we rowdy, rowdy/Somebody’s wrecking parties/Everybody shake ya bodies”. The Godzilla noises in the background was a creative touch though.

3. 9’s Out
Featuring Meeno & Tony Wink
Hey, it’s Meeno. Remember the guy from Mase’s side group Harlem World? The one who went at Jay-Z on Dame Grease’s first compilation on a song called “I’m That Nigga”? Yea, me neither. The actual beat on this song is good though; the hard bass and pianos do the job. It’s your basic song about having to pull you guns out and not playing games in the street. Nothing really stands out in the form of lyrics though; more thug talking and drug dealing stories.

4. Connecticut Kush
Featuring Max B & Messiah
Speaking of DipSet earlier, ex- DipSet member Max B drops by on this track. Of course he provides his trademark hook singing. While the beat, lyrics, hook and is not the worst, I wish they would venture out more with the lyrics; if you gonna kill 20 niggas by the forth track, at least be creative with it. This is especially true when a song is supposed to be about smoking weed. I also will note that Dame Grese had the best verse here.

5. Gangsta’s Fairytale
Featuring Bigga Threat & Tony Wink
The hook on this one is garbage! “It’s just my gangsta’s fairytale/Ladi, ladi, ladi, ladi, ladi, ladi, lock block/Badi, badi, badi, badi, badi, badi, badi, pop pop!…” SKIP!

6. Bout To Ride
Featuring E. Snaps
At first, when I heard E. Snaps talking, I thought it was Drag-On; he actually raps a little different though. This song is another victim of a weak hook. Of course the song is about being down when the beef hits. Even though so far I not liking this album, I will say Dame does a good job of placing sound effects on a lot of these tracks (For example, he has crowd riot noises on this one in the background).

7. The Tombs
Weird interlude about tombs. The beats sounds like something DMX would wrecked in his early days though.

8. Hustla Dog
Featuring Mysterious & Bigga Threat
The song starts out with a clip from the movie Ghost Rider. It also kept my attention cause I had Mysterious on the track, you know, the big girl who almost made it into the end on Puffy’s first season of Making The Band? Yea, that girl. I’m happy to hear she’s still doing her thing. Besides that the song actually kept my attention with a nice beat and a good hook. It‘s basically talking about working hard in the streets; it’s what I call a New York “crunk” song. Not saying that it tries to be Southern, just that I see New York getting hype over this one in the club.

9. Goon Luv
Featuring Fosho, Tony Wink, & Tanya T6
For somebody who made a beat for a songs like “Feds Takin’ Pictures” & “Niggaz Done Started Something”, Dame Grease came with his “Z” game on this one. It tries to be the ladies/radio song of the album, but it’s just sad. SKIP!

10. Coke Talk
Featuring E. Nast
Guess what this song is about? One clue: It’s not about a soft drink. Grease changes his cadence on this one (Kinda like DMX did on “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”). The beat gets redundant and even though the song is called “Coke Talk”, it’s really no different than a lot of song already heard on this album.

11. Lenox Ave Boys
Featuring Meeno, Messiah, & E. Snaps
Even though Grease is talented on the boards, its here that I realize that after hearing most of this album, the beats sound a lot alike. This particular song does nothing to stand out; nobody spits anything with style or creativity to make you take notice.

12. Picture Me
Featuring Meeno & Sixx Tray
Why did Tupac ever utter the words; “Picture Me Rolling”. Now almost every thug rapper tries get their Pac on and repeats those words. It still surprises me how some of the album’s beats are third rate though…like this one for instance.

13. Get Yo Hand Out My Pocket
Featuring Tony Wink & Messiah
When the first guy started rapping (Don’t ask me who; I can’t tell anymore), I didn’t know if he was rapping or talking. The beat is not bad, I just don’t know if it’s the best beat to rap over. I kinda liked the hook though.

Bottom Line:
While I respect what Dame Grease has done in his career as a producer and I understand that this album was to strengthen his label Vacant Lot, I’d be lying if I said he didn’t drop a disappointment with Goon Musik. Even though the album could be looked at as homage to early 90’s New York street-inflected Hip-Hop acts like Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan, it doesn’t do that kind of music well. It’s doesn’t do “street-ready” anthems creatively or even different from what you might have already a thousand times before. But why would a talented producer such as Dame Grease drop a compilation that has beats that are lacking? Maybe he was too busy worrying about his rhymes and delivery instead his producing. All in all, Goon Musik is not my kind of music.

Download: Dame Grease feat. Mysterious & Bigga Threat – “Hustla Dog”