Throwback Pick

Donell Jones Where I Wanna Be

This has got to be the best cd to date that Donell Jones did.  I’m going to call this a masterpiece of a cd that is killing half the r&b cds that are out right now.  9 out of the 11 songs on this cd are nonstop slow dancing spending time with your lady and man type music. You can’t go wrong with it at all the stand out song is Think About It (Don’t Call My Crib) the beat and words to the song are perfect can’t find a flaw in the song.  Other songs you gotta listen to are Have You Seen Her & the title track on the cd Where I Wanna Be. You put this cd in and won’t skip a song until track 9 Pushin the beat and song as a whole is horrible. I am go say Donell wasn’t focused or had a cold that day something.  Have You Seen Her is another stop what you doing and 2step type song that you can’t ignore.  The hook on this song was a monster and Donell was kind of stripped down letting a female know how he felt about her. Donell showed his writing and producing skills and vocal talent that showed why he is one of the best alone.

All in all this cd you can’t go wrong on a date night or trying to get laid night lol! This is a must have for all my slow music lovers! I will give this a 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young Jeezy: TM103-Hustlerz Ambition

The wait is finally over Jeezy is back with TM103 and let me get right to it and say it wasn’t worth the wait at all.  Jeezy put out a good cd but with all the hype this cd had it was suppose to be a classic. TM103 is far from classic but sadly this is Jeezy best cd to date and makes me wonder is he in the pool with most rappers that will never make a classic cd.  Starting the cd off it comes with a lot of heat that makes you wanna ride to with tracks like Waiting, What I Do (Just Like That), OJ Feat Fabulous & Jadakiss this song right here is heat with a typical Jeezy beat and he delivers like Fed Ex doesn’t allow his guest to outshine him on this song.  Everybody drops nice bars I can’t complain at all on this one a must listen. Way Too Gone Feat Future is another monster and will give you flashbacks from the clubbing days and a theme song for those on the block getting theirs. The beat to this song is a banger also if you got beat put this one on blast bass line is like a flu sick!!!!!!!!!! Supafreak Feat 2 Chainz (Titty Boi ) is where the cd starts to get weak this song is ok and really Titty Boi could have been left off the song his flow was wack. The middle of this cd gets wack with all these sucka for love wanna be hardcore love songs. Jeezy that aint your strong suit you dedicated to many songs to it. Let’s not repeat this on the next cd. All We Do, Leave You Alone Feat Ne-Yo please stop doing hooks Ne-Yo your getting wasted on trash ass tracks like this one. Everythang is wack like the previous to mention songs. Now there are two tracks on here that I am 50/50 with first is Trapped Feat Jill Scott nice song Jill killed the hook and Jeezy held his own with this one I will say this is more of a 70/30 song for me not 50/50. Now F.A.M.E. Feat T.I. is 50/50 its okay but you go skip it as much as you go listen to it. A shockingly good track on the cd wrapped around the weed man is Higher Learning Feat Snoop Dogg, Devin The Dude, Mitchellel everybody gave quality lines in this one and like I keep saying give Snoop a part not the whole song and you will remember What’s My Name Snoop. Devin the Dude is always a beast on people songs this was no different. For some reason Jeezy went and got Trick Daddy out of rap retirement should have left him there. This song is a train wreck in every way possible.  The true star and standout on this cd is I Do Feat Jay-z,Dre 3000 if you listen to any song on this cd this is the one you listen to. Now I will say sadly Jeezy does get outshined on this song by 3 stacks but Jeezy does outshine Jigga on this one. Somebody needs tell Jigga don’t try a different style on somebody cd stick with what you know. This is the one hood love song that Jeezy should have had on his cd and left it at that because the others compared to this one are wack. 3 stacks words can’t express how he killed his bars and make you ask when is he go drop his solo or give us another Outkast cd.

Jeezy cd is a good one but doesn’t live up to the hype or wait and has major missteps on it. Sidenote somebody give Jeezy a Ricola for his throat. I rate this cd 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roscoe Dash: J.U.I.C.E.

I don’t know if Maxi singles from the 90’s are making a comeback or something but Roscoe Dash drops a 7 track cd for the world to hear.  Now I got to admit at first  I was scared to listen to this cd but it in some regards was worth the listen.  Let me first say Roscoe Dash 7 songs is good enough he doesn’t need to do more than 7 songs.  The first track on the cd I Do Feat K La isn’t that bad at all and whoever this K La is she killed her part. Made me forget whose song it was the way she took control over it. The standout track on this maxi single is The Impossible the beat everything about this song is nice. You should put this on repeat at least once and just enjoy it.  Another standout is Sidity Feat Big Sean don’t know how it happens but Roscoe got Big Sean to spit a good verse I hope he paid him in cash for it. Now of course with good comes the bad and on this cd it’s some horrible tracks on here. Let’s start with the worst of them all Good Good Night Roscoe WTF was you thinking words can’t express how bad this song is.  Into the Morning Feat Wale that beat was so horrible I couldn’t even focus on the verbal in this song just hit skip. Very First time is wack also another song on the skip special. After listening to this cd I can say I don’t need another Roscoe Dash and to keep him on the hooks that is his strong suit clearly!

I don’t know if maxi singles are taking over the world right now or something but here is another one that is decent at best. I rate this cd a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Common: The Dreamer/The Believer

Common has finally came down from Hollywood to bless is with another cd. After listening to this cd I feel like Common is  like LL Cool J a better actor than rapper. When are rappers going to realize stop making cd’s in between movies or whatever you are doing.  This cd was okay it didn’t feel like Common had full focus on his art that made him and put him where he is now.  Let me get into the cd now Ghetto Dreams Feat Naps is straight heat but yet again like on Mary cd Nas still the show and makes you wonder where is his cd at! NAS WE NEED A NEW CD ASAP TO SAVE THE RAP GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ghetto Dreams hands down is the gem on the cd that is a must listen to.  Blue Sky is another nice track on the cd to listen to but after that like the stock exchange the cd goes downhill from there.  So Sweet is okay at best nothing you got to here and The Believer Feat John Legend beat is wack and John Legend on the hook outshines Common contribution to the song.  There are too many songs to list to avoid  if anything listen to the three that I gave a thumbs up too!

Common please do us all a favor and find yourself or stop rapping whichever comes first. I gotta give this cd a 2 out of 5 NICE TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throwback pick

Dr Dre: The Chronic

You can’t mention west coast rap without saying this cd. This cd hands down put west coast back on the map. Remember Ice Cube was recording but with east coast producers for a minute. So The Chronic was the first real west coast funk after NWA stopped as a group.  In the early 90’s there was no better label than Death Row and really I think in my opinion to date there are only maybe 3 labels that have had better talent than what Death Row had. You put in this cd and like the song Let It Ride you don’t skip anything because you missing classic music. Dare’s production and beats were all priceless that still can’t be touched even though Chronic 2001 was another classic but can’t touch the first Chronic.  This go ruffle some feathers but The Chronic is the best cd to ever be made by a west coast rapper.  This needs to be a blueprint on how to make west coast funk! I know I usually list gems on the cd but this whole cd is a gem/standout put it in and please play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing needs to be said but 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anthony Hamilton: Back to Love

The Soul of R & B is back in Anthony Hamilton with his latest effort Back to Love. He picks up right where Point of it All left off at about 3 years ago. Hands down no one sings with the soul or passion like Hamilton does I think we all can agree with that one.  On this cd he does show a lot of growth in his subject matter and he also display his religious church upbringing on a couple songs. I give him credit for that because most won’t do that on their cd.  Let’s start with the misses on the cd just two in my book. First up is Mad it had a country feel to it and threw the cd off when it had a good flow to it. The second and only other bump in your musical world on this cd is Sucks for You who ever told Anthony this song worked lied to him. This seemed like a Cee-Lo Green track nothing Hamilton should have been a part of at all.  A shocking pairing was Hamilton and Keri Hilson that worked real nice on Never Let Go they didn’t overshadow each other and stayed in their lanes.  The stand out song on this cd everyone should relate to that is with that special one I’ll Wait (To Fall In Love) this is deep to get told this by someone put this on repeat and everyone should say this to their loved one! WOO is another one that needs to be heard and not skipped over at all. The title track Back to Love is another gem on the cd that should get put on repeat from time to time. You won’t be disappointed in this cd at all and is a nice one for the collection. Now I will admit it’s not outdoing his last cd but it’s a damn good one and well worth the wait.

Like I said in the beginning the Soul is Back and I gotta give it 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wiz Khalifa & Snoop Dogg: Mac & Devin Go To High School

In the history of music most duo cd’s are a epic fail remember Baby & LiL Wayne Like Father Like Son, JayZ & R Kelly Best of Both World 1 & 2, Let’s not forget Kanye & JayZ Watch the Throne all these have been flops in every way possible. Lately through Em & Royce 5’9” bucked that with their cd Bad Meets Evil and Wiz & Snoop tried to keep this going on their cd.  I think when this cd was getting made they must have heard me because I have been saying since Snoop song Drop it like its Hot you need to hear him in spots not over a whole song. That being said brilliant job of featuring Wiz really and sprinkling Snoop around him throughout the cd. I will be the first to say that I thought Wiz was average at best but in this cd he proved me wrong and damn near made me a fan of Taylor Gang.  Not really but it sounds good and makes me ask why was Wiz better on this than his debut cd?  Snoop & Wiz are the like the rap version of Cheek & Chong on this cd no shock 85% of the rap topic is about weed. Songs like You Can Put it in a Zig & I’mma Put it in a Blunt lets you know they go rap about what they know well.  Talent Show is a stand track on the cd that needs to be noticed and get ya pen and paper for Bishop Don Juan gives lessons at the end of the song.  OG Feat Currensy goes hard also and needs to be heard also. The majority of the time you can really let this cd ride and when is the last time you could say that about a cd that had Snoop name on it? Now there are some wack tracks of course French Inhaler is just wrong & so is the lead single Young Wild & Free is on the weak side of the cd also.  I got back and forth on whether or not I like World Class or not. It’s okay at best no heat compared to Smoking Feat Juicy J & I Get Lifted no shock a song about being lifted. I recommend all my smokers to give this a listen and you won’t be disappointed.

Wiz & Snoop are shockingly a good team and I wouldn’t mind seeing more from them in the near future. Now this is a good cd but it does suffer on content and for that I can only give this cd a 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

The Roots: The Undun

So The Roots took time off from there day job of being the band for Jimmy Fallon to put out a new cd. Now I gotta admit I am not a big Roots fan but they came with it this go around. They have to put together a solid cd and if you haven’t been a fan you will be after listening to it. The Roots are one of those groups that will never get the props they deserve in Hip Hop when they are on the essence of Hip Hop. It’s like they are a jazz group with a rapper leading the way.  They have several good songs to hear on this cd first up Sleep Feat Aaron Livingston is a banger along with The Otherside Feat Blial & P.O.R.N. hearing Bilal on the hook makes you want a 3^rd cd from him soon. Stomp Feat Just Blaze & P.O.R.N.  needs to be heard as well. Hands down this is a good cd from start to finish between the beats and the subject matter you can appreciate some real intelligent rap and not the typical bitch when my money and make it rain rap that we get so often. The Roots are a good change of pace in this commercial rap world we live in.  Now with the good comes the bad and the bad is you get a couple Jazz track on the cd and that is fine.  It feels like those songs take away from the cd as a whole the only track I think should be skipped is Lighthouse Feat Dice Raw I will just say this song is just bad period.

All in all if you looking for some real rap to the left of 106 & Park The Roots cd is the way to go. I give this cd 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rihana: Talk that Talk

Let me first ask how the hell is Rihana still making music? Now I will say that I was shocked and found about 4 decent songs on this 15 track cd that she puts out. None of the 4 are anything that stands out to where you gotta hear them. If you didn’t your ears will thank you for missing them. Mine are still mad at me for that torture because her cd is techno for the most part and made me like I needed to be at a rave or a gay club or something. Her song Cockiness is a nice song but I felt I was too young to hear it and kids don’t need to hear it at all! This should never make it to 106 & Park if it does I am shutting them down. The beat on Birthday Cake was a monster I can’t even hate on it sadly I don’t remember her lyrics to the song because the beat grabs you.  The other two songs are We All Want Love and the title track Talk that Talk Feat Jay-Z and Jigga man gave a wack versus its like he owed her something and jumped in and out the booth. Next Jigga show some love if you do another song with her.

To sum it up Rihana you owe me 20 minutes of my life back! This cd shocked me that I found something that I liked so I gotta give it 2 out of 5 NICE TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

50 Cent: The Big 10

It was about time for 50 to show his face again in the rap game.  Sadly like last time out he did nothing to help his cause of trying to show he isn’t a fluke since his first time out.  The cd started off with heat on the intro asking when hasn’t been hot sadly he must have no remember his last two cd’s or this mixtape cause they are far from hot! The only other stand out on this mixtape worth listening to was Niggas Be Scheming and that was track 2. After that it’s like a train wreck and can’t believe he had the nerve to use Pac on the hook of “Off and On” damn disrespectful to Pac.

Somebody take away 50 Cent mic because right now I think I could beat him in a cypher at the Hip Hop Awards. 50 you got money go run off with it and never come back to the mic. This cd gets a 0 out of 5 rating I LOST TIME OUT OF MY LIFE LISTENING TO THIS MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny Gill: Still Winning

Guess Who’s Back is how I will start this review.  Vintage two stepping and making love type music has made a comeback to the R&B Thug in the club love songs. Johnny Gill shows that he still got it and shouldn’t have waited so long to do another solo cd.  11 tracks of HEAT you won’t be disappointed put it in and let It ride from start to finish.  Stand out track on the cd is In The Mood of course  and is the lead single but where Johnny shows the voice hasn’t changed any at all is on Who is He is vintage Johnny Gill.  Take my word for it get this and don’t even think twice about it.  If you love the old school R&B here it is right here! Another standout on this cd is Long Time Feat former LSG member Keith Sweat & Eddie LeVert filling in for the late Gerald LeVert. These 3 heavyweights don’t let you down at all on this track and a must listen to on this cd don’t skim this one listen to it.

Johnny Gill cd is refreshing and much needed in the R&B Thug world of R Kelly & Trey Songz right now. You gotta get this if you are an old school music lover I rate this cd 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Game: The R.E.D. Album

The Game last cd LAX Files left a bad taste in west coast fans mouth compared to Documentary and Doctors Advocates both classic cd’s in their own right. Game latest effort puts west coast rap back on the map and reminds you why Dr Dre handpicked him to be the next king of the west coast rap.  The City Feat Kendrick Lamar hands down standout track on the cd. Kendrick Lamar almost outshined Game when he took over the song at the end of the track. Ricky takes you back to Boyz n Da Hood with this track classic west coast funk on this one.  The cd is full of guest stars on 85% of the cd but it works to where I don’t see it as a negative.  All the Way Gone Feat Mario Game was almost outshined by Mario on the hook on this one.  Speakers on Blast Feat Big Boi & E-40 you get to nice verses from all parties involved on this track. You can almost let this cd ride for the most part but you want to avoid Born in the Trap, Good Girls Gone Bad Feat Drake and all the interludes with Dr Dre where really not needed at all. Also avoid Mama Knows Feat Nelly Furtado and what should have been a beast of a song Drug Test Feat Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg shows even more how Snoop best days are like my 20’s behind him! Hands down that was the worst song on the cd and the most disappointing to where it has me worried about Detox if it ever comes out.

Welcome back to Game and keep making music like this and he will stay on top of west coast rap.  Forget LAX Files and enjoy The R.E.D. Album west coast rap on the way back. I rate this 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter IV

When we last heard from Wayne he dropped Tha Carter III and that was a classic. Some was worried what could a sober Wayne put together and we got the Tha Carter IV. I will admit at first I was like this cd was wack and not leaving up to the Carter III. The more you listen to it the more you realize that you can’t compare the two at all. Although stand out tracks like 6foot 7foot Feat Cory Gunz & John Feat Rick Ross it makes you think he got the same aggression from the last Carter cds.  Was very  misleading single How to Love which I think is weak and a miss on the cd shows that Wayne was more laid back and verbal on this cd. That being said he got some heat on tracks like Blunt Blowin, Mega Man & She Will Feat Drake. Not to be missed also is the Intro, Interlude Feat Tech N9ne & Dre 3000 & Outro Feat Nas, Bun B, Shyne  & Busta Rhymes it would have been nice had they keep the song together instead of breaking it up like they did.  There are several good songs on this cd and some that fall short in Abortion, President Carter & like I mention earlier How to Love. It’s Good is okay not something you would listen to it all the time on the cd.

All in all sober Wayne put out a damn good cd that needs to put in the collection and one of the best rap cd of the year. I rate this cd a 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keith Sweat: Til the Morning

Keith Sweat drops what seems like is his 100^th cd in the game.  Sadly, it’s time for Keith Sweat to hang up and just tour off his old music. This cd is hard to express how bad it was because I found myself listening and then daydreaming. Some of these songs just wouldn’t end and keep going and going and going. 5 minute song felt like a 10 minute song and then some I’m still trying to end the nightmare of this cd. The whole cd wasn’t bad there was some decent songs Candy Store, High as the Sun and a leftover LSG song Knew it All Along the title track Til the Morning was good also. That is where it stops everything else is a big time miss! I am a big Keith Sweat fan and it kills me to say this about him his latest work but I stand by it.

Keith please stop making music it’s not working for you anymore! Stick with your hits and your hey day because like the dishes in my dishwasher you  are washed up! I rate this cd 1out of 5 TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe: The Good The Bad The Sexy

Those that have been waiting on Joe to come back he is back. I now his last time out Joe Thomas, New Man was some new trash and had me thinking that Joe was washed up. This cd right here takes you back to classic Joe cd’s All That I Am, My Name is Joe & let’s not forget Better Days. For the most part you can let this cd ride and remember vintage Joe from the late 90’s. Circles & Almost There are the stand out tracks on this cd that you must listen too.  Out of the 11 tracks on this cd 9 are damn good I gotta admit. Dear Joe is another good standout track put in another aspect this is a Dear John break up song that makes you say damn and then say I been there before. The two songs to skip on the cd are Pull My Hair & Drink Up to me Joe stepped out of his lane on these tracks and no one told him that.  This is a top 10 R&B cd for 2011 and I guarantee after you hear it you will say welcome back Joe we have missed you!

Joe reminds us that we still got a while before we will say remember when Joe was good because he is still a beast in the game! This shocked me completely and it was a great surprise I must say this cd is a 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyrese: Open Invitation

After some years off making several Transformers movies Tyrese comes back to the forefront of R&B. I was skeptical at first because usually a long time off means wack music and makes you say thanks but no thanks. This time around I was glad to be wrong in every way shape or form to be wrong.  Right now this is the best cd out right now in R&B you can let it ride and not skip anything at all.  I will say this is Tyrese best and most complete effort since his Coke Cola commercial lol! This cd was well worth the wait and you won’t be disappointed all the songs are here deserve a listen too. Standout tracks are I’m Home Feat Jay Rock, Nothing On You, I Gotta Check Feat R. Kelly & Rick Ross although I was disappointed that Kellz was just on the hook.  I Miss That Girl is the only song that is somewhat weak but still a decent song on the cd.  It was nice that Tyrese ended the cd with a poem to his fans to show his thank you for his loyal fans that have been waiting on a Tyrese cd.

Listening to this cd you can’t help but thing that Tyrese is in love and wants people to know it. Open Invitation is a must for you collection for all the R&B lovers. I give this cd 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pusha T: Fear of God II

This right here is what you call a mixtape from start to finish you let it ride no skipping at all. Hands down Pusha T Fear of God was the best mixtape of year but who knew he would top his own mixtape like he did.  Fear of God 1 & 2 hands down the two best mixtapes of the year in my book.  I dare someone to find me one better! When you can take Ric Flair and make a hot song around one of his interviews from a wrestling match that lets you know greatness is coming. Every song in some ways is different and has heat on them. I’m not even go pick just one song just go tell you put it in push play and let it ride! Side note this heat he putting out I hope he doesn’t do like Drake & J Cole with better  songs on the mixtape & average music on his debut cd.

I will just say heat coming from Pusha T he should have left the Clipse a long time ago!!!!! This cd right here is a 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trey Songz: Inevitable

Don’t know the reason Trey decided to drop a 5 track cd but I gotta give props he put out some heat though.  I wasn’t feeling that it was only 5 tracks but you can let them 5 ride and not skip one at all! The only problem I got is Trey is living the R&B Thug mindset a little too much but if it works why stop it I guess! This is well worth having in the collection and gets ready for another Trey Songz ASAP!!!

Trey did a good job on this cd and you hope more good music is to come since he took it back with a Maxi single. I have to give this cd 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drake: Take Care

Drake drops yet again another flop people!!!!!!!!!!! I am really finding it hard to see how he is going take rap to the next level.  Two albums in and they both are suspect I need him to go to rappers rehab and find what everybody keep screaming about.  I’m not even go spend a lot of time discussing this cd because I lost enough time listening to the cd. There was on standout track produced by Just Blaze Lord Knows Feat Rick Ross. Drake went hard on this one and this is the rapper I am looking for more often. I will admit though he did get 187 on his own track by Rozay reminds me of when Jay Z did Renegade on Blueprint and Em did a 187 on him as well.  The first single Headlines is okay along with Underground Kingz nothing I would listen to all the time really! As far as the wack tracks it’s all over the cd just pick one! This go make some mad but I am go put it out there Drake is a average singer & rapper and he just showed it on this cd big time. Maybe he can go back to Degrassi and keep acting!

This cd hands down is one of the worst of the year top 5 with no problems. I give it a 1 out of 5 TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

J.Cole: Cole World The Sidelined Story

After the long wait and several mixtapes over the past 2 years or so J Cole finally drops his debut. I gotta get it out the way and say that I am very very very very disappointed with it. He put together a good first effort but if you put it next to his mixtapes this is trash at its finest.  It seems like he did so many mixtapes when it came time to make his cd he didn’t have focus something. The very first single Who Dat had you thinking some heat was coming but that was far from the truth. The standout track on this cd was Dollar & a Dream we all can relate to that.  In the Morning feat Drake was nice a track they didn’t try to outdo each other and stayed in their lane.  I like Can’t Get Enough Feat Trey Songz but I think J Cole got outshined by the guess on this one. That is never a good thing for your lead single at all. Cole World & is another nice track on the cd. Now lets get to the songs to avoid and there are several but I am only go focus on Mr. Nice Watch Feat JayZ this hands down has got to be one of the worst songs I ever heard before. Jay versus was like yesterday’s newspaper trash and his protégé didn’t do any better at all. I am go ask that next time they get on a track together we get a better effort or just stop it period!

All in all J Cole first cd wasn’t a bad debut but compared to his mixtapes he left a lot to desired on this cd. I rate it a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wale: Ambition

At first I didn’t wanna hear this cd due to him signing with Maybach Music Group. Glad to report that I was way off base about this cd. Wale showed that going to Maybach wasn’t a down fall at but a good move. His beats throughout the cd was flawless and fit him and his style of rapping. I don’t think he changed his style at all and keep doing what we are used to from him. Stand out song of course that everybody has heard is Lotus Flower Feat Miguel which was a nice flow up single to Ambition Feat Maybach family for the most part. Those two songs kinda make you think Wale is about the ladies and kinda on some LL Cool J type mindset but that is far from the truth. Once you hear Legendary you see he is still going hard as he can on that track.  No Days Off is another fire cut that will keep you riding along with listening to Chain Music. White Linen with Ne-YO on the hook isn’t bad either to keep the partying going. All this heat on Ambition makes you somewhat ignore the 3 mishaps on the cd. At all cost avoid Sabotage, Miami Nights & Focused Feat Kid Cudi I have no idea what the thought process was on these 3 but I am glad it wasn’t repeated on the other tracks. The pure heat from the rest of the cd you will ignore those 3 tracks and just skip them like I do.

I have to say Wale shut it down with this cd and I hope that is more to come like this one. I would have to rate this cd 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ludacris: 1.2 Gigawatts: Back to the First mixtape

Out the gate all I gotta say is the Intro to start this mixtape let you know Luda meant business. This mixtape is filled with beats galore and rhymes to go with it. For the most part this reminded you of vintage Chicken & Beer, Back for the First Time Luda on the mic! The star track on here is Bada Boom I don’t know what’s harder Luda’s rhymes or the beat good combo. I guarantee you play that song you go wanna hear it at least twice. Other stand out songs are Say it To My Face Feat Meek Mill, Rich & Flexin Feat. Waka Flocka shockingly Waka does a nice job next to Luda doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.  Another Gem on this mixtape is I’m On Fire Feat. Big K.R.I.T. this is hands down second best song on the cd and makes me say when is Big K.R.I.T. cd go drop? Now I gotta keep it 100 the cd was a hit there are some why moments. First up is I Ain’t the One Feat Titty Boi (refuse to say 2Chainz) this song seemed like they didn’t but anything into was just at the studio and made a song just because. Shake & Fries Feat Gucci Mane reminds me why I am not a big Gucci fan at all this song could have been left off cause its holding the mixtape back along with Muthafucka Can You Buy That tired of the songs about money in recession its need to be Muthafucka I Just Donated That if anything Luda.

To sum it everyone that has felt Ludacris has fell off since he dropped Release Therapy some time back. After you listen to think you will say he is back with a chip on his shoulder that I don’t can be moved right now. I will have to rate this mixtape 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 Chainz: T.R.U. REALigion mixtape

Here may go be 2 Chainz but I am still go call him Titty Boi from his DTP days! Now I don’t know what all the hype and fuss was about. This was Titty Boi first time stepping out on his own being in the forefront.  He had a lot of missteps I will chalk it up to being nervous because it felt like he was repeating a lot of his lyrics. It’s not a good look when the beats outshined the lyrics.  I gotta give Dj Drama props them beats went hard in the paint. I’m not go say all the cd was bad there was a couple nice tracks on their Money Making Mission showed promise skill wise and he outshined the beat nicely.  Undastatement & Slangin Birds feat Young Jeezy, Yo Gotti & Birdman was another stellar track but Titty Boi did get showed up by his guest on the cd. The best track on the cd that I recommend everybody here is One Day at a Time Feat Jadakiss anybody on the grind in life will feel this track.  Titty Boi & Jadakiss do a good job of trading verses and don’t try to one up each other and just spit heat! Let’s talk about the bad now really too many lows to mention so I will keep it light and say that Spend It feat TI was wack Drumma Boy beat waste over weak rhymes. Stunt, Riot and Viagra all have the same fate great beat weak rhymes from start to finish.

2 Chainz/Titty Boi whatever you wanna call him needs to go back to the drawing board or better yet just stick with Playa Circle. Don’t know if he has what it takes on the solo aspect. That being said I gotta give this cd 2 out of 5 rating NICE TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

B.O.B.: EPIC: Every Play Is Crucial

Let me first say WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wasn’t a fan of B.O.B. at first but after hearing this mixtape I am a big fan! Bobby Ray showed skills I didn’t know that he had and held his own with some heavy weights in the game.  Boom Bap feat Ti & Mos Def & 5 on the Kush feat Big K.R.I.T. & Bun B & Things Get Worse feat Eminem are highlights on this cd. I gotta say that Bobby Ray didn’t fall to the background at all with all the big name features. Displayed a nice flow throughout did a good job of rapping and singing. Hands down this is one of the best mixtapes of the year. Now there was some low moments Welcome to the Jungle, Fucked Up & Friday Night Star are so bad they scare me. Have no idea what was on his mind when he made these songs but I hope that thought never comes back.

I gotta say this mixtape was a good surprise and damn near has me thinking about going back to listening to B.O.B. first cd because I may have missed something. I gotta give this cd a rating of 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carl Thomas: Conquer

I need for Carl Thomas to get Emotional again so I can get some better music from him. This cd #4 and it seem like Carl was lost in the cd from to time deciding if he wanted to be pop or r&b. When he focused on r&b music he gave some good songs on here like Round Two, Don’t Kiss Me feat Snoop & Sweet Love. There was some disappointment in songs like Love Distance Love Affair, The Night is Yours & Conquer. It would be nice to see Carl Thomas hook up with Diddy again or maybe JD  and get back on top back in the late 90’s when he dropped Emotional.

All in all Carl cd did go up and down but it was a good effort. Nothing I would say rush out and buy but it if was on sale and you needed to buy a cd I say get it. I rate this cd 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!

Robin Thicke: Love after War

Lets start off by saying Robin Thicke is the new modern day Micheal McDonald. He puts out another stellar cd for his 3^rd time out.  Love After War picks up where Sex Therapy left off at. Now I will say his music still continues to have that old school feel to it. Sometimes I felt like I need to be in a Caddy listening to this off a 8track player instead of iTunes lol! You won’t be disappointed by this and what shocked me about it all is that there was only one feature on the cd. The lone feature on here was Lil Wayne no Shock there at all. They came together for another gem in Pretty lil Heart. Since everbody wanna do cd’s together I wanna see them do a Best of Both World type cd it could be a classic unlike Jay-Z & R. Kelly attempt.  A few good songs to give a listen to The New Generation, title track Love & War, All Tied Up. Songs to avoid Lovely Lady, Full Time Reliever I have no idea what he was thinking when he made these songs.

Robin Thicke keep making this good feel good music. Some how you making 70’s sound with a currrent day feel and its classic you have created your own lane much props. I rate this cd 4 out of 5 FIRE cd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Master P: TMZ (Too Many Zeros) mixtape

This mixtape was horrible and being a big fan back in the 90’s of No Limit. This was sad to hear and Master P killing his legacy of what he did with No Limit. There are no highs this cd is filled with bad song after bad song!

Sorry P but I gotta give this cd 0 out of 5 TIME I LOST OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T Pain: rEVOLVEr

I was expecting so much from this cd and got so so so so little from it. I really cant say much on it but yet again another bomb dropped by T Pain. This cd is full of confusion from it starting out like a r&b cd then going to the direction of house music and then it turns into a rapper. I think focus got lost recording because there is no steady flow or concept. Also I need for T Pain to stop being in love with a stripper cause damn near every song is about a chick’s butt & stripping seems like. After listening to this cd I am going to start a campiagn to keep T Pain producing and doing hooks and stop making CD’s. It was hard to find but here are some hightlights on the cd: Sho-time, 5 o’clock, Center of the Stage that is where it stops. Everything else was trash and then some!

T Pain needs to pick a style and stay with it and then maybe we can get a good cd out of him. I rate this cd 1 out of 5 straight TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary J Blige: My Life II – The Journey Continues

New release from Mary has hit stores called My Life II now let me first say somebody should have stopped Mary from naming the cd that.  Nothing can or will ever touch My Life that is a classic  and My Life II is far from a classic. I will say that MJB has put together a good solid cd and showed yet again that she is still the Queen of hip hop & soul. I don’t see anyone taking that title no time soon.  I will say that I didn’t care for all the features on the cd but at the same time that is what everyone does now.  Lets see where to begin there are a lot of good moments on this cd. Mary has grown with her music and the sad thing about that is her fans aren’t going to fill the happy Mary. People have to realize that she has grown and like she has said before no more drama.  The best track on the cd is 25-8 and that further shows how Mary is in love and happy with her life right now.  Now the song featuring Nas “Feel Inside” is a good song on a old Wu Tang beat.  Sadly in this song Mary does get lost in the song due to Nas spitting fire on 2 verses.  The rest of the guest appearance stay in check and let Mary shine and doesn’t take the spotlight away.  Another song that I have to give props to is “Love A Women” featuring Beyonce they two giants in the game made a great song together. This is much better than what Beyonce did with Alicia Keys a while ago. They did a good job of staying in there lanes of how they sing and didn’t try to outshine each other.  Other songs to listen to: Mr. Wrong feat Drake, Why feat Rick Ross & Don’t Mind. Songs to avoid Midnight Drive ( please tell Mary stop rapping and kill Brook lynn ), Aint Nobody, Need Someone.

My Life II is a good cd with the wrong title Mary has yet again shown growth just sadly her fans havent grown with her. I rate the cd 4 out of 5 Fire CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tank: Diary of A Mad Man mixtape

Tank takes an adventure into the mixtape world like everyone else. I was a little about this at first due to how good Tank last cd “Now or Never” was and him finally making a complete cd compared to his first cd’s in his career. I have to give Tank credit he made a solid mixtape and keeping his good music rolling. There is some confusion while listening he does have a lot of up tempo songs not as many slow songs as you would like to hear from Tank.  I will say you can late the cd ride for the most part but about midway Tank does stumble with trying to talk clever in a song and make it a party record at the same time. Songs to listen to Underrated, Stars girl, Money on the Floor. Songs to avoid Don’t be Mad at Me, I Be on One, Tip Yo Cup.

All in all Tank put out a good mixtape that is a must get I rate it 4 out of 5 FIRE CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!