You know, it seems like the more new singers that I hear every year the more different their music sounds. The genre is evolving beyond words. See here's the thing. There was once a time where R&B was either one of two things: your traditional love making slow jams and your more dancy radio/club friendly jams. Today, it's a combination of both but with a lot more hip hop influence. In both production and lyrical content. This is certainly the case with newcomer August Alsina. Although he's been in this since 2011, I'm actually just being introduced to him like a month ago. I always hear his current hit "I Luv This Shit" on the radio but never knew who it was until recently. But it appears to me that that record is what's essentially gaining him any kind of attention and is also making some anticipate this. His debut album Testimony. Like I said I'm just finding out who he is. So I've heard no other music from him besides that one song. Nor did I have any expectations for this. At first listen I really didn't know what to make of this album. When you first hear it it sounds like your typical hip hop/R&B fused music that's become popular today. Nothing special. But after I took my time and listened to it more closer I saw where he was coming from and thought the album was cool. Just cool. Again, heavy rap influence on this album. With the guest features and the production. However what makes it a stand out from the rest is his life story that he tells. He somehow finds a way to perfectly balance the tales of his struggle growing up in New Orleans and the party/sex lifestyle this style of R&B generally brings. Basking in all of his accomplishments thus far but also understanding what he has gone through to get there. Realizing that he too has made mistakes on the way. Things like this make him a interesting person to check out and get to know. The production on this album I felt was just decent. It's rap influence yes but it sounded repetitive at times. Like there was much variety of different sounds. This is why sometimes trying to blend rap beats with slow R&B beats doesn't often work depending on whose involved. But it didn't hurt the album at all though. There wasn't any songs I strongly liked or strongly disliked so I'll just break down some of the stand outs. The album starts with the track "Testify" and this is pretty much what I was just talking. his trials and tribulations growing up. From getting in trouble on the streets and in school, to not knowing his dad, to his moms putting him out and him becoming homeless. These kind of stories I love to hear because it's such a hard grind to go from that to fame and it certainly makes you think and appreciate things more. Then the very next track "Make It Home" continues to talk about all the troubles he endured on the streets. Selling drugs on the streets, running from police etc. On the hook he tells a loved one (I'm assuming a girlfriend) to tell everyone that he loves them if he doesn't make it home. It's quite obvious now that he is so happy that he's made it out of that struggle to where he is now as he should be. Jeezy drops a guest verse on here that wasn't bad but I don't think was really needed. August was very capable of carrying this song himself. In fact, I kinda felt that way about all the features on this album. They wasn't bad, just not needed. But with the heavy rap influenced sound on this album it's understandable. "FML" (which if you not familiar with Internet lingo stands for Fuck My Life) features Pusha T and here once again he's reflecting on his negative past and how he wishes life wasn't like this. I liked how it sounds like he singing over the phone because it gives the impression that he may be venting to someone over the phone. Which we all do a lot when we have problems to discuss. The track "Mama" is of course the dedication to is mother telling her that he made t and thanking her. No need to further explain that one after everything else I've said here. It seems all the songs with meaning were the most likeable songs because he has such an interesting back story. There's that and there's the tracks that I expected to hear. Songs like the second single "Ghetto" with Yo Gotti was cool, "Grind & Pray/Get Ya Money" with Fabolous was also cool (even though it sounds to me like he's talking about saving strippers which I thought was a no no in hip hop), and "Benediction" which featured Rick Ross was pretty cool as well. The best beat if I had to pick belonged to another single, "Numb". It features B.o.B and Yo Gotti and is produced by DJ Mustard who's been killing it lately with the beat making. Now like I said there were no songs that I strongly disliked but just some I didn't care for too much. "Porn Star" is a prime example of where R&B is today when it comes to sexual content. It's much more explicit and out there. Remember singers used to sugar coat their sexual lyrics (well....some did). Well it's not the case anymore. Some will like this song but it's kinda basic to me. It's really for the ladies to like I suppose. "Kissin' On My Tattoos" is not only a corny title but the hook was just as corny. I'll certainly be lad when this "tatted up" fad dies because these guys are full of themselves. Now the first single "I Luv This Shit" was cool when it first came out but of course, the radio abuses it and now it's become irritating. Especially the remix with Trey Songz and Chris Brown. I thought listening to it in context with the album would have changed that but nope. "You Deserve" was just average if that. I laughed because on here he's talking to a girl telling her that he's the man for her and she can do better than what she has. That's something straight out of Drake's playbook. More than likely people will like that song but it's not my cup of tea. Well anyway, to close this, the album was just okay. Production kinda held it back but the story and concepts make up for it. This album was a perfect example of coming from nothing to something from a R&B perspective. I give this a final grade of a C+. Overall, minus August Alsina's personal story, this album sound wise is a perfect example of where R&B is today. It's rap influenced, it's more edgy, and the sexual content is much more stronger. But the fact that August Alsina was able to tell his compelling story through that kind of sound speaks volumes. Many other aspiring singers, and rappers too can learn from Alsina's story. Just because your stuck now in a struggle doesn't mean you will never make it. Work hard, grind hard and have faith. The rest will fall into place. Just watch. End.
Final Grade: C+
CREDITS
Lead Artist
August Alsina
Production
Jasper Cameron
Eric Hudson
Christopher Gholson
Dijon McFarlane
August Alsina
Knucklehead
DJ Spinz
Collaborators
Jay Jenkins
Terrence Thornton
Jonathan Jackson
Mario Mims
William Roberts
Nicholas Williams
Bobby Ray Simmons
Christopher Brown
Tremaine Neverson
Label
Radio Killa/Def Jam Recordings
Happy Easter!
-Mic Navarro
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