Jarren Benton - My Grandma's Basement ALBUM REVIEW

As the south continues it's mainstream dominance, there have been plenty of new MC's emerging from the south  that don't have your typical southern sound. As far as lyrics, production and just overall originality. Two names I can think of immediately are Childish Gambino (Atlanta) and Jay Electronica (New Orleans). Both are very lyrical and based on their music style no one would guess they are southerners. Now add to that list Jarren Benton, who's from Atlanta. As a member of the up and coming rap group/label Funk Volume (also consisting of Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, SwizZz and DJ Hoppa), he's no different from the other members. Armed with sharp, fast paced, comedic and yet graphic lyrics, it's crazy that many people don't even know of him. My first time hearing him was on Dizzy Wright's 2012 album Smoke Out Conversations where he had a guest verse. I had to hear more of him. Later that year he dropped his sophomore mixtape Freebasing With Kevin Bacon which I didn't get to hear all the way through. Just a few tracks. Well I finally got to hear a full length project from him and it's this. His debut album My Grandma's Basement. Based off what I have previously heard from him and the kind of music the Funk Volume members tend to make, my expectations were moderate to say the least. After listening, this album was much doper than I anticipated. Lyrically Jarren is so diverse on this album. He's able to flow on a variety of beats and yet still have the same flow and lyricism. As I listened to this, his flow, and lyrics reminded me so much of vintage Eminem. I'm talking 1999 Slim Shady LP Eminem. Those comedic and graphically humorous lyrics about things like killing people in the most torturous ways, raping women in the most graphic ways imaginable, spazzing out on drugs and just all other kinds of fucked up shit. He even does the record scratching sound effect with his mouth that Eminem used to do. The overall production was solid. There were even some trap beats on here that he did justice to and made them listenable. So here's what I enjoyed from the album track wise. The second track "Razor Blades & Steak Knives" is my favorite on here. His lyrics were dope on the whole album but this was easily the best track lyrically. The beat stands out from the others as well. This song showed off those humorously insane lyrics the best (lines like "the burn on my dick when I piss feels like a snake bite", "eat a dick like a faggot on bath salts", "I'll murder your rap career then super glue my pubes to my face to make a beard", "eat shit and slit your wrist and jump off a roof and land in a pool of syphilis"). Not to mention he has a strange high pitched voice, almost like a nerd voice, that fits well with the things he raps about. But yes this song was the best to me. When I saw the track title "Smells Like" I thought this would be about some very x-rated material but it wasn't. The song features RA The Rugged Man and Mic Buddah and it maybe the most over the top graphic song on the whole album. I mean it defines horror-core hip hop. It has this funky and raw underground beat which gives it the perfect disturbing feel to match the lyrics. Despite all of that, I like the song. "Bully" was another excellent beat produced by Kato (who did majority of this album). It has this nasty and grimey New York sounding beat and features a dope guest verse from Vinnie Paz. "Life In The Jungle" is one of the few song on here that had a trap sounding beat. But this one was the best lyrically. Dope song. However, "PBR & Reefer" had the best trap sounding beat on the whole album. Better bass. The single "Go Off" features fellow Funk Volume members Hopsin and SwizZz. This song had a lot of fast paced adrenaline from all three and really was a pretty cool song. I would have loved to hear it on a much more slower beat but it was still cool. "We On (My Own Dick)" was a cool song. It sounds like it might do good as a radio/club song. I think Dizzy Wright's verse is what made the song though. He made it sound like one of his. I love the drum and symbols on "The Way It Does". This actually sounds like a beat more up Eminem's alley. Again, lyrics were good and the song was too. Now for the things I didn't like so much. The track "My Adidas" was supposed to be a play on the classic Run DMC hit. The song was okay overall but I wish he would have tackled the concept more than what he did. A sample or two would have helped. If "Heart Attack" is what he calls a song for the ladies then...wow. The overall feel of it was not good for me. He's rapping about getting over a bad break up it seems and it sounds way too aggressive for what the song is talking about. I understand that's who he is but he could have toned it down a bit for this one song. Of all the songs with trap beats, "OJ" was the worst one. I think it's the hook that I just did not like. I tried to force myself to like but...no. Wasn't feeling it. "I Don't Deserve It" wasn't bad but compared to the rest of this album the song was too "happy". Well the beat was anyway. I don't know if he was trying for a mainstream sound here but if so then it was a fail. But this one may potentially grow on me. Well in conclusion, I enjoyed this album a lot. The combination of lyrics and production on this were for the most part very well done. I give it a final grade of  a B+. Jarren Benton is dope enough to not only gain props from underground fans but he has potential to even reach mainstream. He and the rest of Funk Volume are poised to do big things in the future. I just hope more people take notice. I'll for sure keep my on them. End.

Final Grade: B+

Wale - The Gifted ALBUM REVIEW

Today, so many of these new rappers are able to find instant stardom. It happens so quickly that you never see it coming. Wale's quick rise to stardom shouldn't really surprise anyone. Prior to inking a deal with Maybach Music Group, very few people knew of Wale. Those that did know only knew mostly because of his first ever single "Chillin", in which really Lady Gaga's feature drew the attention to that song and him. It wasn't until the deal when Wale was able to find instant commercial success. Churning out hit after hit becoming a household name in the process. Well here he is with another installment of hits. His third album The Gifted. Now for me his best work was his 2009 debut Attention Deficit. On there he was lyrical, he was deep, he was poetic and creative. But when he released his 2011 sophomore effort Ambition (which was right after the MMG signing) that's where things went left for me. Ambition was a major disappointment for me. A huge decline from his debut. Too many terrible attempts at radio hits, too many R&B features which lead to soft Drake-like songs, and dumbed down lyrics. It seemed to me he let the fame and popularity take over him that quickly. I understand that when you get a major deal you're music will change a bit but this was a change of disastrous proportions. Then him denying it on the album ("fuck money, fuck fame") didn't make it anymore better as you could clearly tell that's bullshit. It was as if the two albums were done by two complete different artists. It's for all these reasons why my expectations for The Gifted were kinda low. Well after listening to it, my expectations were met. This album was just below average for me. Only slightly better than Ambition. Just slightly. However there are many similarities between the two. I feel like his flow and lyrics are getting more and more dumbed down. That was really the number one case with this album. Even on the songs where he tried to sound deep and poetic he still sounded dumbed down (which I will address later). Plus what is up with those awkward breaks or pauses he takes in between some bars? It's like he filling spots where he couldn't think of any more lyrics with pauses and ad-libs. The production on this was quite bland considering the number of radio attempts on here. Ambition may have had the better production and I didn't even like those beats either. I'll start with some of the few things I like. If I had to pick a favorite track it would probably be "Heaven's Afternoon". This is the first time in a while that I've heard a trap beat with a interesting sample done right. It might be the high pitched violin strings in it that truly brings the song to life. It was the only song that I actually repeated after the first listen. Meek Mill really wasn't needed on there either. Would have been a lot better if it was just Wale. The following track "Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece)" was okay. He tried for a religious topic hear but despite the fact that he didn't quite nail it that good, the beat and the overall sound was alright. Lyrically the intro track "The Curse Of The Gifted" was the best song on here. There were some parts where he addressed some of the responses to his last album and claiming that he sold out for fame. Though he talked about it the sound of his voice seemed like he wasn't phased by it all but I think deep down he was. Now the things that I didn't like. The second single "Clappers" was just...borderline awful. I can't even express in words how bad this was. Wale needs to never make an attempt at a twerk song again. Terrible verses from both Juicy J and especially Nicki Minaj. Now the first single "Bad" I'm still on the fence about but the remix is just terribly bad (no pun intended). Rihanna sounds nowhere near as good as Tiara Thomas on the original version. Then the fact that she tried rapping on it made it much worse. I can't tolerate her singing sometimes and she had to nerve to rap. "Rotation" was a total snooze fest. It sounded like him, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, all three of them rolled out of bed and walked in the booth rapping half sleep. Some of the most laziest, tired verses and lyrics I've ever heard on one song. Sad because that song had a potential to be good. Now I prayed he wouldn't do the unthinkable on this album and guess what...he did it on "Vanity". Singing on auto-tune. Not good. Wale does not have the talent or voice to do this. Terrible song. "Tired Of Dreaming" is him channeling his inner Drake again. The beat kinda makes it halfway listenable but the issue is it sounds like it could be another single. Which only means yet another simping R&B radio song from Wale. Ne-Yo was okay on the hook but Rick Ross was seriously not needed. Just like on the hit from his last album "That Way". Please stop putting Ross on these love songs. On "Gullible" I see what he was trying to do as far as the topic. People believing everything the media throws at them and all of that jazz. The problem is he didn't tackle this head on. I mentioned this in the beginning that because his flow and lyrics sound so mainstream now you can't even take him serious when he's trying to kick knowledge. This song was too jumpy and happy. It should have had a more serious tone and sounded more deep and poetic. A good concept ruined. My final analysis overall is that this album was not all that good. It's really on the same level as Ambition minus a few things. I give it a final grade of a C-. I fully understand Wale's sudden change in music sound, because of the MMG deal. But I can't be the only one that misses Attention Deficit Wale. I'm sure Wale is a smart guy. He should be able to balance his lyrical poetic side with his mainstream side. Instead he just let's the mainstream fame consume him to where he reaches on these albums for a commercial sound. Hopefully, he can find that balance because at this rate, it's gonna get worse and worse. End. 

Final Grade: C-

Kelly Rowland - Talk A Good Game ALBUM REVIEW

Back in the day, when Destiny's Child was in their prime, we all knew because of their success they could or would end up doing good as solo artists. Beyonce' we all pretty much knew would garner the most success solo seeing as how she was the lead singer and got the most attention. Michelle pops up every now and then but hasn't really been seen or done much music lately. But could any of you have predicted that Kelly would have the success she has now? Me personally I didn't quite see it coming. Not saying she doesn't have the talent because she does but let's just say she has become successful to the point where she not in Beyonce's shadow anymore or know as "that other girl that used to be in Destiny's Child". Kelly is now one of R&B's most popular names. Really since 2007 it's when it all began. That's when she dropped her sophomore album Ms. Kelly and that huge summer record "Like This". It's safe to say she's done quite well for herself. Here she is now with her fourth album Talk A Good Game. Now I didn't get a chance to hear her third album Here I Am that dropped in 2011. Just the single "Motivation". But based off of general response it was a okay album. Well this time around it may be the same thing. I thought the album was pretty cool. Again, I can't really say if it's a step up or a step down from her last album because I didn't hear her last album. Kelly continues her heavily hip hop influenced R&B sound mixed with her sultry and seductive vocals. There was a lot of that plus some emotion. Well now let me point out some highs and lows on the album. Right off the back, the song that stands out the most (and a song that's already been heard by many) is "Dirty Laundry". This is where most of the emotion comes from that I spoke of. On this song she speaks on the heartbreak she felt sitting back watching her "sister" Beyonce' make it all the way to the top while she was just kind of in the background. Along with being in an abusive relationship at the same time. She even admitted to feeling jealous about it all. You can really hear the sadness and emotion in her voice on this song and it was really moving. Ironically, the song that follows that is "You've Changed" which featured both Beyonce' and Michelle. Now I thought this song would be in response to "Dirty Laundry" but it wasn't unfortunately. It was just them back on their old Destiny's Child shit singing about men problems. Would have been better if it was a response though. The first two tracks of this album perfectly shows how much of a sex symbol Kelly has become. The intro song "Freak" which has this cool funky uptempo production, and the single "Kisses Down Low" (doesn't take a genius to put two and two together there). She just continues to let out and show off her inner freak. Which honestly I think she had bottled up inside her all these years and now that she's solo she can let it out. I think I speak for every man when I say I'm not mad at her at all. The middle of the album is where the more slower and softer R&B songs like "Dirty Laundry", "You've Changed" and "I Remember". Those and also "Stand In Front Of Me" were the only real slow jams on the album. Thankfully the hip hop features didn't over do it (besides Lil Wayne on the single "Ice"). "Street Life" featured a okay verse from Pusha T. It was okay overall but I didn't like that opening line Kelly said: "Ooooh there go my baby daddy". I don't know the way she said it just sounded all weird and ratchet. "Gone" was also decent but may have gotten ruined by yet another half-assed guest verse from Wiz Khalifa. Kevin Cossum probably had the best guest verse on "Talk A Good Game" which to me sounds like a potential third single. I like the throwback drum beat on "Red Wine". She had really soft and mellow vocals on this one which was alright but I would have liked to hear some more energy from her on a dope beat like that. Well in conclusion, I think the album was pretty cool overall. A feel good summer R&B album. I give it a final grade of a  B-. Kelly Rowland has officially reached the point where she is no longer known as the "them" in "Beyonce' & them". While she may not reached the level of fame and stardom her "sister", it's clear that Kelly has the talent, look and attitude for mainstream R&B. Ms. Rowland isn't going anywhere. Personally I'm glad because I'm sure like every male, I'm enjoying this sexy and flirtatious music she bringing to the table. Keep doing your thing. End.

Final Grade: B-

Mac Miller - Watching Movies With The Sound Off ALBUM REVIEW

Many of today's new school MC's, through the mixtape game, were able to gain popularity in a very quick amount of time. But it was very surprising to see how quickly Mac Miller became popular. Once he dropped his 2011 mixtape Best Day Ever (my favorite project from him) and released that single "Donald Trump" he instantly developed a huge fan base. Mostly among the partying college kids and stoners. Later that year he released his debut album Blue Slide Park. It would go on to become the first independent rap album in history to go gold in the first week. Not bad for a white boy from the suburbs of Pittsburgh. With an accomplishment like that you just knew more attention would come his way. Thus the anticipation for Watching Movies With The Sound Off. His sophomore album. Now while others were greatly anticipating this a part of me was a little worried. Last year he released his seventh mixtape Macadelic in which he totally changed his sound to nothing but bass banging trap beats. I really didn't enjoy that tape at all and it had me worrying that he would continue with that sound on this album. Well thankfully, he didn't. He went back to the sound that he displayed on his debut but just expanded it more. I thought the album overall was pretty good. Like I said he went back to his original sound before the Macadelic mixtape. However there is a bit of a difference present. The overall sound of it to me defines "stoner music". Majority of the album (the first half of it to be specific) has this very mellow, calm, psychedelic (and somewhat depressing) sound to it. The type of sound again that a stoner would love. I don't even smoke and I felt high listening to it. Mac Miller already has a laid back monotone voice to begin with so that mixed with these kind of beats produces that sound. Although it wasn't too mellow to the point where the album bores you because the content of some of these songs keeps you up and paying attention. Well now here's some of my highlights from this album. My stand out track for me would have to be "Red Dot Music". One thing I noticed about this album is the impressive list of guest features. Might be the best line up of collaborators I've seen so far this year. This track features Action Bronson, who drops a dope verse, and is well produced by The Alchemist. The track kind of blends Mac's original sound with a bit of 90's boom bap. In fact it was when this song started that the album's sound started to change. The end of this track is very dope as Loaded Lux spits an acappella verse that almost sounds like spoken word poetry. Mad dope. "Watching Movies" was the only song on here that sounded like the songs that were on Macadelic but this wasn't that bad. It was tolerable. The extensively titled "Suplexes Inside Of Complexes And Duplexes" was the most unique song to me. It has this eerie and mellow beat with soft pattern 808 drums. Jay Electronica drops a dope lyrical verse and may have out shined Mac on his on track. The electric flows on "Gees" was cool. Mac Miller mellows it out while Schoolboy Q comes in with his brash persona and livens it up more. Like I mentioned there's so many "stonerific" songs and the one that stood out the most to me was "Remember". It literally sounds like he was laid back in a lounge chair while high and decided to rap. But it's a cool song. Things get quite hilarious as he teams up with Tyler, The Creator on "O.K.". The two spit funny lyrics about females. Mac name drops a few industry chicks he'd like to have to himself and Tyler was well, Tyler. "Matches" sounded like it would've fit well with either Blue Slide Park or Best Day Ever. It mixes a mainstream sound with Mac's laid back sound. Ab-Soul had good-but-not-great verse on there too. It may sound funny, but "Aquarium" just sounds like the suburbs. It sounds so smooth and relaxed. Sounds like a stroll though the park or something. It's pretty cool. Well now some of my low lights. There are some rappers that should never, ever, attempt singing. Mac is one of those rappers. "Objects In The Mirror" was the first and he just sounds so weird. I think on that beat he could have rapped and still got the point across because the singing, or lack there of takes away from it. The second, and worse one was "Youforia" when he is actually trying to attempt hitting high notes. No. This may have been the worst song on the whole album. Like is he trying to take the Drake route or what? Just terrible. "I'm Not Real" wasn't bad but it was disappointing. I was hoping Earl Sweatshirt was gonna spit some lyrics only to find out he's only on the hook. The song was cool but it needed more of Earl then what it got. Perhaps Mac chose to put Earl on the hook only because he didn't want to risk the chance of Earl lyrically destroying him on his own song. I don't know. "Goosebumpz" had the most strangest and bizarre beat on the whole album. It really doesn't fit with Mac's sound, voice or flow. Thankfully it's only a deluxe edition bonus track because it really needed to be left off of the album. Or need another beat I don't know. Overall, I don't see a sophomore slump here. The album for the most part was pretty good. I give it a final grade of a B-. I still have to place Best Day Ever as my favorite project from him. I understand Mac Miller tries to experiment with different sounds but there's just some rappers that need to stick with what they do best. What Mac Miller does best is the white boy/stoner/college kid music. I like him as a artist and I think he will be around for a while. Gold in the first week was a big time accomplishment for him. What will happen this time around? Let's just watch. End. 

Final Grade: B-

J. Cole - Born Sinner ALBUM REVIEW

It sure didn't take long for me to jump aboard the J. Cole bandwagon. Once I heard his 2010 mixtape Friday Night Lights that was it. I was impressed with his lyricism, story telling ability and over all poetic sound. Traits you won't find in many of these new school rappers. Not to mention he's a pretty good producer as well. His 2011 debut Cole World: The Sideline Story was easily one of my favorite albums from that year. Probably one of the best debut's in a long time. It's for that reason why this, his sophomore album Born Sinner, is one of my most anticipated albums of 2013. Now again, coming off of a stellar debut and a series of exceptional mixtapes, many including myself had very high expectations for this album. My only questions prior to listening to this was what route would Cole go as far as sound and content this time. Will it stay the same? Will a bit more mainstream sound be involved? Would he flex his producing skills and experiment with out of the ordinary beats? Turns out he didn't change much since the last album. What he did however was get more creative concept wise. I thought this album was very well done. Especially from a creativity stand point. Now I'm sure many people didn't notice one thing because even I didn't notice it until listening to this twice. Cole tried to make a attempt at a concept album. The album title is Born Sinner and on a lot of the songs he is speaking on many acts of sin. Not only within the industry but in life period. In particular, the seven deadly sins (hence the seven gold lines on the album cover). I know that probably should have been quite obvious from the get go but you never really put it all together until you've listened to the whole album. Well now on to some notable tracks. By far my favorite track on this album without question is "Let Nas Down". I knew this would be my favorite before even listening to it. Anyone that knows me knows that Nas is my favorite rapper of all time. To hear Cole make a song paying homage to a legend that many critics have been comparing him to was extremely dope. On the song he basically talks about growing up on Nas's music, his influence on him, meeting him for the first time etc. What really hit home was when he mentioned how Nas wasn't feeling his first single from his last album ("Work Out"). It made him feel bad and felt like he "let Nas down". This is why I have a huge level of respect for J. Cole because a lot of these other new rappers aren't doing this like this. Saluting the ground breakers. The last one I can remember that's similar to this was Asher Roth's 2009 track "As I Em" where he was paying homage to Eminem. Very dope song. "Trouble" was another dope track. I loved the soulful choir on the hook. Really brought the song to life. The song "Born Sinner" was another soulful choir assisted track that ended the album on a very good note. It also featured a good hook from James Fauntleroy. On "Niggaz Know" he does some fast spitting while borrowing a few of Biggie's lines from "Notorious Thugs". It was a cool track. The last track (for the deluxe edition) "Sparks Will Fly" was cool too and very catchy. I love Jhene Aiko's voice on the hook. 'Rich Niggaz" was an interesting song where he talking about how many with riches let it take over them and forget who they are and where they came from. Also how the less fortunate sometimes envy them but shouldn't because they should be happy with what they do got. There's a lot more but I'll keep it short. "Chaining Day" has this smooth throwback sound that I really liked. He was talking about how chains/jewelry makes or changes people and changes other people perception on them. "New York Times" is a surprising collaboration between him and 50 Cent where he's basically just giving big ups to New York City. Cool song. "Land Of The Snakes" and "Miss America" we're two other notables for as well. My cons with the album are nothing major. "Forbidden Fruit" was a song that I actually did like but I was just disappointed that Kendrick Lamar was only on the hook. I would have loved to hear hip hop's two lyrical leaders of the new school go bar for bar but whatever. It's still a cool song. The single "Power Trip" I try to force myself to like but I don't know I just can't. The beat isn't that bad. It's very jazzy sounding. But just like with the singles from the last album, this may be a glaring weakness for Cole. He's not really that good at singles for the ladies. "Ain't That Some Shit" is an interlude and that's exactly why I have a problem with it. It's a uptempo and more radio friendly song but it's not a full song. It should have been. Almost sounds like something that would have been on Jay-Z and Kanye's Watch The Throne album. The production overall is a bit of a concern. Like I said J. Cole is a good producer and he will get better as the years go on, but I feel like a lot of the beats on here, as well as previous projects, are very soft, mellow and non-energized. Which makes some people call his music "boring". I understand that he does this kind of production to go with his deep and poetic song topics but I'd like to see him use more louder, broader beats with more energy. They don't have to necessarily sound mainstream but just liven them up more. Well in conclusion, I definitely did enjoy this album and the concept applied to it. I give it a final grade of a B. I still believe his last album was better but this one was enjoyable. J. Cole at this rate is on pace to really become another Nas or even another 2Pac from a poetic stand point. Hip hop could certainly use more young minds like J. Cole. It's clear that the messages he delivers in his music, he wants the world to hear it and learn from it. He want to be a teacher and someone positive that the much younger generation can call a role model. Just like the ground breakers before him. Like I said if he keeps it up, he'll become the same thing that the rappers he looked up to all his life are. A legend. End.

Final Grade: B

Kanye West - Yeezus ALBUM REVIEW

Well...here we go. Kanye West. Arguably the most polarizing figure not only in hip hop but in all of music today. While there are people worldwide that love and worship him, there are those who despise him for so many obvious reasons. But despite his over-bearing arrogance and narcissism, it's easy to see that today he is hip hop's most brilliant mind from a musical stand point. From production, concepts, creativity and originality. No one does it quite like Mr. West. With five damn near classic albums already under his belt, it's easy to understand the level of anticipation for Yeezus. His sixth album. Now I myself had doubts about this. Mostly because of his last album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That album was one of the best I've heard in years and I felt like Kanye may have set the stakes high and/or raised the bar too high even for himself. That album was so triumphant that I believed that it would be difficult to follow that. This along with a lot of early low praises from fans and internet bloggers (due to the album leaking) had me in serious doubt about this album. You would think after dropping so many good albums that wouldn't be the case. Well I can honestly say for the first time since I started doing these album reviews, I am at a complete lost for words about this album. It's not that the album was bad but man, this was a major decline from his last album. As I predicted. Before I begin breaking down all the songs I gotta address the overall vibe I get from this album. In short, this album is basically one big "fuck you" to everybody. To critics, haters, doubters, all of the ones who despise him like I mentioned before. I feel like he no longer gives any fucks (not that he gave any before but it's blatant this time). That's probably why it's only ten tracks and why the CD is a completely clear case with no art work or anything. He doesn't care anymore about what people want. We all know very well about his arrogance and cockiness and him just being a straight up asshole but on this he was all of that times 1,000. Majority of the lyrics on here (which majority of them sounded rushed) are rude, sick, ignorant, blasphemous and extremely over sexual. In a way I feel like he's trolling the media by purposely rapping about things he know will piss them off. All of this was said through what sounds like an angry and frustrated Kanye West. Could it be that he's fed up with all the b.s. surrounding him? Like for example the media and tabloids constantly worrying about him and Kim Kardashian maybe? Who knows. But it's quite clear after listening to this that he is bothered. Well with all of that said, here's my likes and dislikes with this album. First off, the way this album started off was very, very bizarre. Within the first three to five tracks he tries experimenting with somewhat of a dance/funk/techno sound on his beats and that mixed with the over the top lyrics I mentioned left a bad taste in my mouth. The overall sound of the album in general is much different but that beginning part of it was just too much to take. I suppose people who like that sound might like it. The first track "On Sight" is the definition of what I just said. The beat sound like some 70's techno funk that just sounds messy. "I Am A God" pretty much sums up everything I said about this album. This song alone is enough to makes religious folks swarm Best Buy and Target protesting that this album gets removed from shelves. He raps about all the trends he started, all the awards and accomplishments in a bragging manner. Thus explaining why he is "God". "Black Skinhead" has this uptempo clap heavy beat that really just sounds so awkward. Not only that it takes away from what he saying. I had to listen to this about three times so I can hear the lyrics. "New Slaves" I think would have been a much better song if the beat was better. It was way to flat and boring. But the message I got clearly. Speaking on modern day slavery and all of that. He had a line on here that goes back to what I said about his whole "fuck you" attitude towards critics and such that went like "you see there's leaders and there's followers/but I'd rather be a dick than a swallower." There was one name I saw on the track list and I got worried immediately. Chief Keef. He's on "Hold My Liquor" and thankfully, he's only on the hook. But still sounds horrible because he's on auto tune. The song in general is weird because the song ends with nothing but instrumental for over a minute and a half. As if he didn't feel like adding any more lyrics to the songs. This could be him not giving a fuck again. Now usually I don't mind sexually explicit songs but lord did he over do it on "I'm In It". The lyrics on this are not the least bit attractive. He's rapping about sex but in a perverted rapist kind of way. He even does it in a demonic like voice in the first verse. Here's some of the awkward cringe worthy lines: "eating Asian pussy all I need was sweet and sour sauce", "your pussy too good I need to crash/your titties let them out free at last", "black girl sippin white wine/put my fist in her like a civil rights sign". Bottom line...I could have did without that song. "Blood On The Leaves" was actually not that bad of a song. He goes back to his 808's & Heartbreak theme with the auto tune here. The beat sounds similar to C-Murder's "Down For My Niggas". He even sings the hook from that song. If I had to pick, "Send It Up" would probably be my favorite track on here. I like King L's verse on there. It sound very dark and haunting and he kinda sounded like Frank Ocean when he raps. The beat was kinda cool to with all the screeching horns and weird siren sounds. "Bound 2" may be the only song on here that doesn't sound like blatant arrogance and sounds like what we heard on previous albums. Well I'ma finalize this by saying that for me and probably die hard Kanye West fans, this was a disappointment coming off of what is to me a classic album. I give this a poor grade (by his standards) of a C. Some people may see some creativity in the overall sound but for many others, they probably won't see that at all. It's clear that Kanye has a lot bottled up inside him and is haunted by past tragedies and such. In some cases it's understandable why he has the attitude that he has. But he also needs to realize that he has hardcore fans world wide that care about him and what he does. By releasing this, I don't believe Kanye cares that they care and that's sad. I feel like he should publicly apologize to his fan base for doing this (wishful thinking I know). Bottom line...he needs to get it together. I would have given this a better grade but...I guess I don't give a fuck either. End.

Final Grade: C

The-Dream - IV Play ALBUM REVIEW

As the R&B game continues to change to more of a hip hop/pop type of sound, there aren't many singers left that brings the kind of R&B The-Dream brings. Not only is he a talented artist but I believe he's an even more talented producer and song writer. He's written and produced numerous hits for many big name singers. Also since 2007, he's had his own share of big hits. We all can remember him bursting on the scene with the hit "Shawty Is A Ten" like it was yesterday. Well here he is with his fifth album IV Play (sounds very similar to a certain classic 90's R&B album doesn't it?). Prior to this I've honestly only heard two other albums from The-Dream. His 2007 debut Love/Hate and 2009's Love vs. Money. I never got to hear his previous two albums prior to this one so most of my references for this review will be from the albums I heard. This album to me was pretty good. Not great but enjoyable to say the least. I mentioned how R&B's sound is changing going the hip hop/pop route and The-Dream has dabbled in that before and he does it a lot on this album. There's a mixture of hip hop tracks, uptempo pop soundings tracks and of course your soft slow jams. All mostly talking about sex, sex and more sex. With a album title like IV Play, you just know he was gonna take it to the next level with the subject. The overall production was just okay to me. Again there was a mixture of R&B/hip hop/pop sounds and this was mostly due to production. I didn't have a song that I liked the most or more than others but just ones that I enjoyed and here's a few. The beginning of this album, like the first five songs at least, all had hip hop sounds and it started with the intro song "High Art". I did enjoy it after a few listens. The hook is very catchy and the beat is pretty good. Jay-Z has a guest that was well...let's just say he's had better feature verses than this. The following track was the title track "IV Play" is a good track too. It definitely has this old school 90's R&B feel to it. I could see this being a favorite for couples looking to make a few babies. The next two songs is where the sexually explicit content gets heavy. "Equestrian" is another slow jam where he talks about how he loves seeing her "ride it" along with other things. Again, another baby maker. The next track "Pussy" should pretty much speak for itself. The hook went like "got my left hand on the booty/got my right hand on that pussy". I'm sure some will get enjoyment out of that. The album goes back to a hip hop sound here with guest verses from Big Sean and Pusha T. Pusha T's verse seemed very brief and phoned-in and Big Sean verse was filled with corny lines like "that pussy is a work of art painted by Michael Angelo" and "I wake up the pussy and cantaloupe it". That aside the song is decent. "Turnt" definitely sounds single worthy as it features the very interesting guest feature combo of Beyonce' and 2 Chainz. I'm really not a big fan of the term "turnt" or "turnt up" but the song ain't bad. Beyonce' dropped some pretty good vocals (almost to the point where she made it seem like it was her song). Meanwhile 2 Chainz verse sounded very lazy and un-energetic. Like he just rolled out of bed and walk into the recording booth. "Where Have You Been" is a nice duet with him and Kelly Rowland that also has a potential to be a single. It's more softer than the other songs with features and was the only song that talk about other relationship related things besides sex. The whole breaking up and missing you thing. Cool song. "Slow It Down" sounds like the next big twerk song but for the slow twerkers. Though Fabolous delivers a very poor guest verse I don't think it was that bad to where it ruined the song. Decent song overall. Now here's what I didn't like. He has a song called "Michael" and once I saw that I thought of one thing...Michael Jackson. Sure enough, he tries to mimic MJ's voice and does it so poorly that this was damn near hard to listen too. I understand it's a way to salute him or whatever but this wasn't the way to do it. "Loving You/Crazy" has this uptempo pop sounds that really doesn't do much for me. I want to say it might grow on me but I highly doubt it will. Plus this song was unnecessarily long which made it worst. The song "New Orleans" really had me confused. On the hook he says "I think she put that New Orleans on me". I don't even want to believe he means what I think he means by saying that. Nonetheless that hook isn't good to me at all. Overall, I thought this album was good not great. I give it a final grade of a B-. I could see a lot of people, especially the couples, liking majority of this project. I still believe The-Dream is a much more talented songwriter and producer than he is a singer. But one thing I can say is that though he mixes hip hop with it at times, he still sticks to the roots of old school R&B crooning. Hopefully everyone else can get back to doing that. Let's hope. End.

Final Grade: B-