Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Roman Reloaded

Nicki Minaj drops her sophomore cd to platinum plus Pink Friday. This isn’t your typical Hip Hop by any means at all. I will give Nicki credit for TRYING because that is all she did was try! You can tell she had influence from being on the Brittney Spears tour because we had several pop/techno tracks on the cd.  So we got tracks like Automatic, Beautiful Sinner, Starships, Whip it & Pound the Alarm all are wack and sorry attempts at being techno music. I give an A for effort but an F for finished product.  There are numerous songs to avoid on this cd and I think a lot of fans are going to be like WTF Nicki really after they hear it. Roman Holiday good beat wasted on weak rhymes and her still showing she is a gimmick and not a rapper like everybody wants her to be.  Fire Burns don’t know if they were playing in the studio or something but this song makes no sense at all. Come on a Cone Nicki trying to come hard comes off weak/wack whatever you want to say another tight beat wasted on this cd.  Sex in the Lounge feat Lil Wayne & Bobby V I hoped would be something and it wasn’t Wayne gave a half ass’d set of bars and his female protégé followed suit. Shockingly Bobby V stole the show on this one his hooked outshined everybody on this song. There are several other trash tracks on here to many to keep mentioning so I will stop after this one Gun Shot feat Beenie Man I guess this is her attempt at her reggae side of music. It was a reggae mess Beenie Man on hard times and needed a check I think because there is no other reason to disrespect your music genre like this. Bob Marley go come from the dead and ask him why man why!  Out of the 19 tracks I listened to there was 6 songs that I felt were good. The sad part about that is due to the guest appearance is the reason you will like the song. Nothing worst then having features and they outshine you ask Jeezy about that on TM103! First up is Champion feat Nas, Drake & Young Jeezy you already know Nas and Jeezy showed out and reminded everybody that Drake is average at best even Nicki outshined Drake on this one.  Nicki did step her verbal game up on this track glad to see their maybe a glimmer of hope. I Am Your Leader feat Cam ‘Ron & Rick Ross the hook to this was wack and not need at all more of the gimmick shouting/loud talking and sounds cartoon like. No shock Rozay reminded you why he is the boss of Miami and Cam ‘Ron actually put some heat on wax and it’s been a while since he has done that.  You forget Nicki is even on this song gets lost in the shuffle so sad. Beez in the Trap feat 2Chainz on this one Nicki finally outshines her guest on a track and if 2Chainz spits another wack set of bars like he did on this one I am going back to calling him Titty Boi. This had a nice beat and good overall set of bars from Nicki on this one.  I am back and forth on Stupid Hoe it’s a 50/50 like or ok track to me.  Clearing she is calling out Lil Kim and another female rappers on this one.  Roman Reloaded feat Lil Wayne finally Weezy gave a nice set of bars on this track but the protégé did get him on this one.  The beat on this track I think the best beat on the cd overall almost made me lose my lunch it’s so sick!

After listening to this cd Nicki still has a ways to go in the rap game with her skills and stop being a gimmick. Right now by her being the it girl, it really won’t matter in people’s eyes cause she has no competition at all.  In my opinion she is average at best and could never touch Eve, Kim or Foxy when they was big and she really couldn’t spit with Shawna that wouldn’t even be a fair battle right there.  She is better than Trina and Rah Digga and female rappers like that but they never were a big deal anyway. After listening to this cd a few times I gotta give it 2 out of 5 NICE TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throwback Review

The Click Game Related

Most people when they think of rap groups on the West Coast they think of NWA, Dogg Pound and The Click. This week throwback review is The Click Game Related. The Click was underground legends that you couldn’t be slept on. Like always every cd has good and bad moments on them so lets it into it. We Don’t Fuck Wit Dat is a solo on the cd that is strictly B-Legit displaying verbal to show why he is 40’s right hand man in the group. It’s a nice tale about a day in the life of Mr. Hemp Museum.  Another nice track and it was a risk but 40 pulled it off is sampling the Computer Love beat for Scandalous.  Everybody showed skills on this to show that even a classic like Computer Love can be a rap song.  World Went Crazy is borderline standout song on the cd. E 40 gives a good tale about his birth into the world and when base rock hit the streets of the bay area. Hot Ones Echo Thru the Ghetto is bay area funk letting you know we ain't no joke and we go get dat ass! Something you and your click will ride to when you gotta let somebody know.  Some of the weak songs to skip over are Out of My Body, Get Chopped and Boss Baller all I will say is they all are horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nuff said! The standouts on the cd that you need to hear if nothing else Wolf Tickets we all know somebody that always talking but never back the talk at all. Hurricane is another fire cut about that drink that get you so tore back you don’t remember nothing at all! I remember my freshman days at GSU (Grambling State University) and I had my moments with Hurricane too!  The cream of the crop of standout songs is the hustler’s anthem before Rick Ross had his song Hustling you had The Click Be About Yo Paper. This song right here is the blueprint til this day what money making rather legal or illegal needs to be about.  

All in all I will say this cd is a good one that you need in your bay area/west coast rap collection. The only knock is the bad songs are so bad they kinda outshine the fire on this cd. So that being said I will give this cd a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Above the Rim Soundtrack

When the Above the Rim soundtrack came out West Coast was on top and taking over the rap game. Nobody in their right mind wanted to mess with Death Row and this started the ball on record labels doing soundtracks for movies. Now the majority of the people on this cd are now null and void since this was over 20 years ago.  This was a 90’s who’s who of music at that time from Dogg Pound all the way to H-Town. Let’s do things different this time and get the trash out the way cause all the other songs are heat and must listen to songs.  CPO-Boss Hog song Jus So Ya No this song was ok but not a must listen the female on the hook wouldn’t stop screaming and that really took from the song. AL B. Sure I’m Still in Love With You how the hell did Al B get on here is my question? He was washed by now and this song is WASK AS HELL and way out of place for this soundtrack. This was a sad ass remake T-Pain could auto tune a better remake!  O.F.T.B. Crack’EM this song was a sad attempt to be NWA felt like this another group on Death Row that should have never gotten a deal but a lot of labels got garbage acts. Jewell It’s Not Deep Enough this song I kinda go back and forth on it was ok but at the same time weak to me and its sad cause Jewell duet with Aaron Hall called Gonna Give it to You is outright fire side note where the hell is Aaron Hall? Now that we got the trash out the way let’s get to the heat on this Soundtrack first up is SWV Anything  this song is good from start to finish and whatever guy what’s to hear from his lady. Sweet Sable Old Time’s Sake is a nice ride to track sipping on something maybe. H-Town Part Time Lover this song right here had everybody on lock from male to female. This was a theme song for people who didn’t want a relationship but just kick it. This is nothing but a MONSTER of a song just listen to it I don’t need to give it anymore props! Dogg Pound Big Pimpin’ & Dogg Pound 4 Life both songs showed why DPG was hands down the best group on the west coast at the time. Big Pimpin’ beat was hard nice from the G-Funk era and Snoop on the track and Nate on the hook you can’t go wrong with this one.  Dogg Pound 4 Life is a hard track that you listen to going to find somebody.  Dj Rogers Doggie style the name of the song says enough so I will move to the next track! 2Pac & Thug Life Pour Out A Little Liquor this song should have been a single but all my hardcore fans could relate and feel this song and gave it hella play.  2Pac at his finest spitting fire for his dead homies and ready niggas to not forget their dead homies!  This soundtrack also introduced everybody to Lady of Rage Afro Puffs this song was raw and showed that west coast had a female voice that had been void since Boss disappeared from the rap game.  The stand out track on this soundtrack that was lead single and still to this day get people to rapping or singing the hook to it myself include is Warren G feat Nate Dogg Regulate.  Now I have never been to the west coast but this song is a breakdown of what a typical night can be for fellas in LA I think. This song put Nate Dogg on the map for being a MONSTER on the hook to this day nobody is touching Nate Dogg on hooks. You put this song on repeat at least twice first time do Warren’s part second time do Nate Doggs part.

Above The Rim Soundtrack set the bar for how a soundtrack is suppose to be with a movie. I wish they go back to that mindset because 95.6% of the soundtracks now are beyond wack. You already know I am going to say this cd is 5 out of 5 CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melanie Fiona: The MF Life

Today we get Melanie Fiona sophomore cd The MF Life and I think we are getting to know what type of artist Melanie is.  I must say that this cd did surprise me in some good ways and better than what I expected.  Melanie is a mixture of old and new school R&B singer from what I get from this cd. Songs like Bones displays the skills that she learned listening to old school great but sadly not everybody will vibe with this song. My 70’s R&B lovers won’t hit skip like others will.  I Been that Girl is a song that you would have expect Mary to sing but Melanie beat her to it nice song about girlfriend that was lied to and took the guy back.  The two tracks featuring rappers This Time feat J.Cole & Running feat Nas are two good tracks and both rappers respect whose song it is and don’t overshadow Melanie.  It’s time for the songs to avoid Change The Record feat B.O.B. from the moment you hit play this songs is wack and B.O.B. verse wasn’t a bright spot it’s like he didn’t even try.  Watch Me Work is a Melanie meets rock song and it is an EPIC FAILURE ON ALL LEVELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  L.O.V.E. feat John Legend & Can’t Say I Never Loved You is both failures that should have been left on the floor. There are 3 stand out tracks on this first up is Break Down These Walls great song about relationship one member of the group being hurt before and struggling to open up to the other. We all can relate to it 100% I think because we all have been either person before. The lead single 4AM is nice and I thought the stand out track about calling your other half phone getting no answer and all the wrong things run through your head. The remix to it 6AM feat T-Pain is the standout track out of the 3 best track on the cd and this continues to where your other half finally answers the phone. T-Pain sounded like his old self that has been missing in the game and Melanie shows she can do a hip hop fused track with a monster beat.

I will say that Melanie Fiona has almost made me a fan I think this next cd is going to get knocked out the box. This cd is way way way and did I way better than the first one. She isn’t there yet but getting close I give this cd a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Diggy Unexpected Arrival

After about a year or so of the wait Rev Run son Diggy hits us with his first cd. First track on cd Hello World is not a bad little track to introduce us to Diggy or as he calls himself the Jetsetter.  Need to Know is a nice cd but a teenager version of 50 Cent 21 Questions it’s kinda of been their done that type song but for his crowd they don’t know about 21 Questions and will eat it up.  The Reign is a good track calling out all the other teenager rappers letting them know he on top and they will be in second for a while.  Like every cd that is a lot of wackiness and Diggy has that fate as well. Unforgiveable Blackness is horrible Diggy is as about as black as Joan Rivers so this song was way out of place.  Glow in the Dark has to be due to his influence with the Neptune with beat and whatever he trying to pull off it doesn’t happen. 4 Letter Word another sucka for love wanna be LL Cool J type track please  PSA moment “rappers stop singing on tracks there are enough out of work R&B singers that will do it for you”. Ok I’m back let’s get to some of the better tracks that stand out on this 13 cd debut 88 feat Jadakiss now Diggy does his version of going hard and talks about his bloodline in the game from Rev Run to Russell and Jadakiss does a good job of falling in line and not surpassing him. The beat was killer and he rode it nicely no slip ups at all. Special Occasion feat Tank (got the r&b singer this time) is a nice song to a female but Tank on the hook makes you forget its Diggy song once he opens his mouth and you heat them pipes! The gem of the cd we all have heard several times is Do it Like You Feat Jeremih on this one Diggy and Jeremih got that chemistry to where it works and sounds like they been working together for years. Sounded like a joint effort nobody outshined anybody nothing but heat on the song.

Now I will say I am clearly too old for Diggy hands down but even 16 yr old me wouldn’t listen to this I don’t think. In today’s teen rap world they will love it and Diggy may have the same run that Bow Wow had. I will give this a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raheem Devaughn Destination Loveland

We haven’t heard from Raheem in about 2 years now and he hits us with a new mixtape with his homie and everybody’s Uncle Big Snoop Dogg. Now at first you would think this is a odd combo but it’s not what you think. Snoop was only on one song Be the One that was nice song from start to finish. This mixtape only had one track skipped out of ten and that was Rock with the Best I couldn’t get pasted the beat and the old school feel that it had. You put in this mixtape and let it ride from start to finish and you will be happy. Stand out heaters are All Ready this song so fire and nasty all in one I didn’t feel like I was old enough to be listening to it. Radio Raheem another gem to where he shows them pipes and real R&B music. Forever feat Phil Ade & Marsha Ambrosius was a lovely song to where I didn’t even mind the rapping on the song. It would have been even better if it had been left off the song but it all still worked. This mixtape could have been a regular release it got so much heat on it. I wasn’t a fan until his last cd this mixtape has gotten me on lock and now I am like what’s next Raheem!

This cd is what you need when you wanna hear some real R&B music with no wanna be club tracks on there. I gotta give this 5 out of 5 if this aint a CLASSIC show me what is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throwback Review

Master P: Ghetto Dope

First let me say this cd right here was a monster when it came out. This really put No Limit on the map in the 90’s and continued they strong hold on the streets and untouchable music at that time. Now by no means was this a classic cd there was some trash on here.  Ghetto Dope title track was a gimmick song about making that powder sounded like Hammers version of making weight just sad.  Tryin’ 2 Do Something was another gimmick track trying to be commercial or something. Throw ‘Em Up you lose focus on this song just seemed like it went on and on and on could have been left off the cd. Stop Hatin was jus outright horrible nothing else needs to be said on that but I am hating on it.  Songs to listen to are Only Time Will Tell beat was killer hook was a little weak but all in all it worked.  Let’s Get ‘Em is straight up my crew looking for you crew type track before we had Lil’ Jon we had songs like this.   We Riders fall along with this also can’t go wrong with it.  Captain Kirk was a classic track on this cd everybody knows somebody tricking off money to get some ass from a female. Saving hoes that don’t need to be saved is what this song is about.   Eyes on my Enemies I think everybody can relate to this when you on the club or wherever and you see somebody you beefing with. You watch them the whole time to make sure they don’t get you before you get them.  Weed and Money & Make ‘Em Say Ugh are all ok to me they are songs you would skip from time to time not an every time listen. Now the heat you gotta listen to is Bourbons & Lacs because of this song I felt I need something with white walls on it so I could roll hard through the streets. Pass Me Da Green title speaks for itself who didn’t get high to this track when it first came out? Plan B was the blueprint of what it meant to have a main chick and a side chick. Side chicks like on this song are far and few in between.  Lastly you got Miss My Homies this song goes with DRS Gangsta Lean every time I hear this song I think of all my fallen friends and family. It’s a sad song but a fitting song when you lose someone.

All in all this cd was one of the best the year it dropped you can’t tell me it wasn’t because even today you can ride to it. I gotta give this a 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ja Rule Pain is Love 2

So mister “Murda” himself is back in the fold to drop another cd from behind bars this time.  When I first saw Ja was dropping a new cd I didn’t expect much from him at all. His last two cd’s where wacker than Mims damn near.  Now I will Ja his props in his heyday late 90’s early 2000’s he had many club hits that I thank him for that kept females on the dance floor! Let me get off my flashback moment and focus on Pain is Love 2. I don’t know what it is about rap cats and prison but a lot of the time it equals good music. Now I know this cd was done before he was about to go in but maybe knowing he was going he wanted to get out some good work for the fans.  I think hands down this is his best work takes me back to Venni Vetti Vecci before the money, fame and saying “Murda” every 4 words.  The first track (Intro) Fuck Fame feat Leah Siegal is a nice intro to let you know this is a stripped down Ja no bright lights of big name features on the cd. Real Life Fantasy feat Leah Siegal we get the pain part of the cd where Ja spits I miss Black, Charlie, Ashanti, Gotti, Vitda  never thought we never be family. That line right there lets you know once murda inc crashed it hurt him the most the way this track goes. I always say we need more of these songs about the rappers life and not his fantasy. Another good track to check out is To The Top feat Kaleena of Dirty Money this is vintage Ja song from his heyday nice R&B chick on the hook and a nice flow and beat you can ride to.  Now here are some songs to avoid at all cost Black Vodka I dont know if he was talking about the drink or a females I was damn lost he was trying to be too hard and I was like stop please stop lol! Never Had Time feat Jon Doe horrible Ne-Yo wanna be on the hook beat was wack and his rhymes was just as weak as the beat. Clearly he wasn’t paying attention or owed somebody a favor with this track.  Spun a Web feat Amia is a 50/50 song I like it and hate it at the same time. I go back and forth it’s not an every time listen at all.  Now there are 3 gems on this cd that need to he heard first before you listen to anything else Parachute this is something got a rock beat but it works and Ja shows why he was a beast in the game for a while. Next up is Superstar  shows the storytelling skills about  somebody having fame in the game but I think it’s him really talking about himself in some regards. Lastly Drown feat Somong & Kenny Dark is nice track that steps into the auto tune game but Ja holds it down kills a nice baseline nice hook it shines and works together you wanna put this one on repeat at least twice.

Al l in all I will say that if Ja Rule keeps making cd’s like this he will get me as a fan without a doubt. I gotta give this cd a 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maino Day After Tomorrow

Maino hits us with his second album and I will say it’s better than the first one. Sadly I don’t have much to say about this cd because it was ok. Everything song sounds the same there was nothing that really stands out. The best song to listen to is Cream feat TI & Meek Mills they both gave priceless bars on this track. Glad to Be Alive is a song that I think 2pac would have shined on if he was still around. This cd is really nothing missed at all.

I hope he was a better thug than he is a rapper because right now he is lacking! I will give this cd a 2 out of 5 NICE TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyga: Careless World

Let me first say I didn’t expect much from this cd due to everything from Young Money being wack outside of Carter III & IV coming out. The lead single on this cd Rack City or as I call it Wack City had me leaning the wrong way on this cd I will admit. Lets first get the wack tracks out the way and like I already mentioned Rack City fire beat how lyrics to it. Far Away feat Chris Richardson was boring and felt like it didn’t belong on the cd like it was a pop track on a rap cd. He should give to Glee or something. Love Game is another sucka for love rap song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Rappers unless you are LL stop the sucka for love songs please. Muthafucka Up feat Nicki Minaj is another wack song that Tyga actually was cool but yet again flavor of the month was wack and pulled the song down big time. Young Money realize she is wack and cut her lose to get a real female MC not a gimmick. Let’s get to some fire track on the cd now first let me say Careless World and Lil Homie feat Pharell are must listen to songs that start the cd out real nicely. Tyga did make a mistake and had some heavyweights on some tracks and got outshined by them. Potty Mouth feat Busta Rhymes OMG is what I will say on this Busta showed why Cash Money signed him and he is the best talent on the label. Tyga nice try but don’t step to Busta again unless he is half sick or something and not focused.  Lil Wayne is featured on two tracks Faded and Lay You Down I will say Tyga held his own on Faded but Wayne reminded him he was boss on Lay You Down.  King and Queens feat Wale and Nas is another fire track and a standout track vintage Nas and Wale keeps impressing the masses to show that Ambition wasn’t a onetime thing and he has real skill. Stand track was raps future Let it Show feat J.Cole and these two young guns showed that the future of hip hop is in good hands right now.  Celebration was another stand out track with T-Pain on it you forget how good of a producer and hook singer T-Pain has been in his career but this track reminds you wrapped around good lyrics from Tyga. One more stand Black Crowns just Tyga by himself and he kills it nice beat and hook he showed true talent.

Tyga did a damn good job on this cd and shows why he is next best talent on Young Money behind Lil Wayne and Drake needs to take note of what a good cd is. I rate this cd 4 out of 5 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Estelle All of Me

Let me first start this review by saying damn! Who knew Estelle had it in her I am very pleased and shocked by this cd. She has come along way since her first to where the best song was American Boy feat Kanye West. The first track on the cd The Life let you know you were in for a good ride musically. She was blessed with some heavyweights on this cd International (Serious) feat Chris Brown & Trey Songz produced by David Banner is straight heat! Best part about this is she didn’t get outshined and helped her own on this track.  Cold Crush is another banger with a funky little beat to it and nice female perspective about hollering at a crush. Now the biggest issue with this cd but Estelle being from overseas her ear is a little different from ours. So she has some songs that are ok that the beat may turn you off and you listen to it from time to time.  First up on the okay list is Speak Ya Mind, Love the Way We Used to and Wonderful Life all 3 of these songs you will listen to from time to time but not all the time. Before I get to the wack songs let me give Estelle a PSA stop rapping you average at best. Stick to what pays the bills and that’s your voice not your bars! I had to get that off my chest now songs to avoid like the plague at all cost.  Found my Way, Do My Thing & Back to Love are horrible and Back to Love rides that line of ok and trash I just don’t know where it fits in so I listed it with both. Do My Thing was worst out of the three and whoever told her that track was hot needs to be fired. Let’s get to the two gems on the cd Thank You is beautiful track that showed her real R&B skills that are there. The cream of the crop on this cd is Break My Heart feat Rick Ross this is a repeat at least 3 times type track. Just when you think Rozay outshined her she comes back with some beautiful lyrics that anybody in a new relationship can feel.  The hook the beat all work well together and the best part about the song I think is they both hold they own weight to where this could have been a single for either.

I will say this was a good stepping stone for Estelle to build on in her career. Reminders please stay away from rapping and you will go far. At first listen I was ready to give this cd a 4 but after listening again due the bad songs being so bad I will give it a 3 out of 5 SOLID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!