2Pac - All Eyez On Me THROWBACK ALBUM REVIEW

Tupac Amaru Shakur. The rapper. The poet. The outspoken activist. The...thug. Regardless of what you label him as, we all can agree that he is the most iconic hip hop artist in the history of music. Through all the ups and downs, through all the drama and even leading up to his death, he has been the most inspiring artist to this new generation of rappers. So many quotable lines not only from songs but just from him speaking. See, it wasn't just about his music, it was about what 'Pac stood for. What his messages were. How he wanted to uplift his people in the ghettos and in the hood through every thing he did. I could continue on just reflecting on his life but that would be a whole other blog. A lot was going on around the 1996 time period. Hip hop was at the height of the infamous east coast/west coast beef. Lead of course by both 'Pac and Biggie who went from friends to enemies quick (again, that's a whole other story). So with so much drama going on around him at the time, it's a wonder how 'Pac was able to put together this masterpiece. All Eyez On Me. Before I start this review, it's a couple things I want to address. First, it was extremely difficult to decide which of his albums to review. So many of them are slam dunk classics. From 2Pacalypse Now, to Strictly 4 My Niggaz, to Me Against The World, to The Don Killuminati (my personal favorite). I eventually ended up picking the album that probably gained the most attention and recognition. The second thing is this. As you know, this album as great as it is, is incredibly long. Double disc albums tend to be that way. So unfortunately, as much I would like to address everything about this album, I can't. I don't want this to be too long. I'll just touch very lightly on some notable tracks for me. Right off the back...the first track..."Ambitionz Az A Ridah". A serious argument can be made that this is one of, if not thee greatest intro song on a hip hop album of all time. It's certainly one of the most iconic instrumentals ever. Being sampled a number of times by rappers that came after. The way that beat just blasts through your speakers/headphones with such brute force is just...wow. It's a beat only 2Pac could have did justice too. Much props to Daz Dillenger on the production here. I love the collaboration on "Got My Mind Made Up". It features dope verses from Tha Dogg Pound, Method Man & Redman. Once again, Daz Dillenger comes through again with another dope production. Now let me get to the four singles that are on this first disc. "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted" is of course the dope collaboration between him and Snoop Dogg. The two flaunt their gangsta and show no love to authority in such cocky ways. The pairing between these two on this track was flawless. 'Pac's loud and aggressive demeanor combined with Snoop's laid back persona and sinister voice made for one of the best collabo's of the mid-90's. Of course, 'Pac got a lot of love from the ladies. In comes "How Do You Want It". I always rant about how rappers today have such a difficult time making good songs for the ladies. Take not, THIS is how it's done. He found a way to croon women but still sound thugged out at the same time. K-Ci & JoJo's hook just made the song more live. This is definitely one of the best rapper/singer collaborations ever. "I Ain't Mad A Cha" is the memorable dedication to his homies that he used to down with. Some got locked up, some died, and some just lost contact. It's a song everyone could relate to. Then...there's "California Love". What more can be said about this? Ask anyone from Cali and they'll tell you themselves that this is thee official anthem of the west coast. Such and iconic beat, an iconic collabo with Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman (the originator of the auto-tune), and an even more iconic music video (check it out below). I could go on but the bottom line, the track is just borderline classic. Period. "Only God Can Judge Me" is basically 'Pac's response to critics and media type labeling him as a "out of control thug" and things of that nature. Telling them that God is the only one that can judge. He's also goes on addressing him being shot, friends becoming enemies and so on. There were some songs I loved just because of the beat. "No More Pain" which is a very fast paced almost 2014-ish sound beat. The laid back sounds done by DJ Quik on "Heartz Of Men". But then there's "Can't C Me" which is hands down my favorite production. Much like "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" on the first disc, this track starts off the second disc with a hard hitting beat produced perfectly by Dr. Dre. Speaking of relatable songs (he has so many of them), "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch" is a song that so many need to hear. Especially a lot of these young women today. So many women get disrespected, treated wrong or called out of their name not because people want to do that, but because that's how they present themselves. Whether it's their attitude, their sexual behavior or whatever it may be. You can't be mad if someone calls you "bitch" or "hoe" when you present yourself as such. Just one of 'Pacs many teachings there. "All Eyez On Me" is another favorite of mine. Simply because if you're a die hard Nas fan like myself, then the beat for this song sounds awfully familiar. That's because it's the same exact beat for Nas's song "Street Dreams". I never really knew the situation behind that and I'm sure it's a whole other story. I'll just leave it as a really dope beat done justice by two of the best ever. "Run Tha Streetz" shows the loyalty of a woman to her man regardless of him running the streets. This was definitely my second favorite hook that was sung on the album. There's so much more I can say about this album but like I said, I'ma keep it short. Overall it's a no brainer why this album sits in hip hop immortality. It's an album that defied 2Pac's career and maybe even his life. I give it a final grade of a A+. Song titles like "Heaven Ain't Hard To Find" and "Life Goes On" where he touches on life and death is something he did a lot of. It plays right in to the belief many people had that he saw his death coming. Which is why he spoke of it so much. Whatever the case, 'Pac knew how precious life is. He learned a lot through everything he's dealt with in his personal life, his career, and so much other drama. This album reflects that in every way. The album defies who 2Pac is as an artist, as an poet, as an activist, and most importantly as a black man in America. He is remembered as all of those things. But to me, he will be remembered as someone who changed lives through his words. You call those kind of people...an inspiration. That's what he is and will forever remain. R.I.P. End.

Final Grade: A+

CREDITS

Executive Producer

Marion "Suge" Knight

Lead Artist

Tupac Shakur

Production

Delmar Arnaud

Johnny Jackson

DeVante Swing

David Blake

Doug Rasheed

Michael Mosley

Ricardo Thomas

Andre Young

Bobby Ervin

Mark Jordan

Quincy Jones III

Collaboration

Calvin Broadus

Danyle Robinson

Bruce Washington

Yafeu Fula

Nathaniel Hale

Delmar Arnaud

Ricardo Brown

Reginald Noble

Clifford Smith

Cedric Hailey

Joel Hailey

Stacey Smallie

Anthony Forte

Shawn Thomas

Andre Young

Roger Troutman

Danny Steward

George Clinton

Nancy Fletcher

Jewell Caples

Tyruss Himes

Natasha Walker

Richard Serrell

Michel'le Toussant

Mutah Beale

Brandt Jones

Dannell Stevens

Earl Stevens

Label

Death Row/Interscope

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

Wiz Khalifa

28 Grams

Available now on Datpiff

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Trina Janelle

Gainesville, FL

Instagram: @_mollyandmary

Copyright 2014. Mic Navarro's Corner.

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50 Cent - Animal Ambition ALBUM REVIEW

From bullets, to beef, to money, to his rise to hip hop power. Just a few things that best describes the controversial life and career of one Curtis Jackson. It's a story that many of us are all too familiar with by now. Guy grows up in Jamaica Queens, guy get shot nine times and survives, feuds with Ja Rule and Murder Inc, releases dozens of mixtapes taking shots at everyone, gets with Dr. Dre and Eminem, releases one of the highest selling debut rap albums of all time in 2003's Get Rich Or Die Tryin, which today is considered a classic. Like I said, we all know the story. From a music and business perspective, 50 Cent has pretty much achieved the true hip hop American dream. But now at a time where the sound of hip hop and everything around it has took a drastic change since 50's prime days, the question is: Does 50 still have it? Does he still have that fire and hunger? Your guess is as good as mine. It's been quite a while since 50 has dropped some music. Obviously because he's been involved in so many other business endeavors. So there certainly is an amount of intrigue when heading into this. His fifth album Animal Ambition. Like I said it's been about five years since 50's last album Before I Self Destruct. An album filled with rushed lyrics and rushed beats. Wasn't feeling it at all. So I really didn't know what to expect on this. I thought this album was quite up and down for me. It had it's good moments and it certainly had it's bad ones. I could say it's average but I don't even think it's that. First off, prior to listening to this, I thought this album would be one of two things content wise: 50 being same old 50. Not really changing much. Or him trying to adapt to today's hip hop sound and switch up what he normally does to sound like the young guys (much like Jay-Z did on Magna Carta...Holy Grail). Turns out...it's the same old 50. Rapping about his usual hood thuggery (stealing, robbing, killing etc.). Which is all a good thing. However you do get flashes of some more 2014-ish content, flow and production. Speaking of, if anything held this album back it may have been the production. Some of it was choppy, some seemed rushed, and some just sounded like 50 just was not comfortable rapping on it at all. There were only a few good ones on what was only an eleven track album (fourteen if you have the deluxe edition). So now let's get down to business. The albums starts off in typical 50 Cent fashion with the track "Hold On". This actually took me back to old mixtape 50 Cent as far as his flow and what was being said. The beat is very calm and mellow. Almost too calm for an intro track. I found myself kinda liking it though (despite the "different day different ass different tits" line that made me face palm in laughter). My favorite track if I had to pick is "Irregular Heartbeat". Like the intro, this too had a very slow mellow beat. In fact it's much, much slower and almost sounds dead. But I really like this because of the guest verses from Jadakiss, who's been a favorite of mine for years, and Kidd Kidd who was on a number of tracks on this album. Again this is 50 on his old shit again. The hook even takes a line from one of his old songs. "Pilot" was a song that grew on me quickly. My first listen I really wasn't feeling it. But once I gave it a few more listens it became more and more likeable. I like the catchiness and jumpiness of the beat. He had three R&B features that weren't that bad. Not surprising considering 50 has done well with R&B features in the past ("21 Questions", "Candy Shop", "Ayo Technology", "Baby By Me"). The first was the single "Smoke" with Trey Songz.  The beat was cool and Trey did very well on the hook. Perfect for a first single. The other two are "Twisted" with Mr. Probz, which sounds next single worthy, and "Winners Circle" with Guordan Banks. They both actually sound a little similar as far as beat tempo but they were alright. Now...things I had issues with. I didn't like the beat or hook on "Don't Worry Bout It". I also didn't like Yo Gotti's poor guest verse. "Animal Ambition" probably was the worst beat on the whole album. This is the song where it sounded like 50 was not comfortable rapping on this beat. Also, another half-assed hook. "Hustler" was another lazy beat and lazy hook (in case you haven't guessed yet, this was the main issue with every song I didn't like). I'm still on the fence about the final track "Chase The Paper". The track features Kidd Kidd, Prodigy and Styles P. I wanna like this song I really do, but I think the generic beat is holding it back. Hopefully it may grow on me because the guest verse were cool. The three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are pretty much forgettable. "The Funeral" was a boring no-hook track that could have really used one, "You Know" had the most bizarre-est of beats that totally doesn't fit his style, and "Flip On Yo was a waste of a Schoolboy Q feature. He only had one line on the hook and that was it. Like Really? My advice: get the basic edition if you're gonna buy it. Overall, I'm still on the fence with this album. It's not great, it's not terrible, but yet "average" doesn't describe it either. It's complicated I know. However, I'ma give this an average grade of a C+. Despite the fact that little rustiness can be heard from him on this album, 50 Cent still has that hunger and desire to win. I believe that's where the whole "animal ambition" theme comes from. The hunger, determination and aggression of a animal...or a beast. It's something 50 Cent has had since day one. From hustling in the streets, to escaping death from gun shots, to having the highest selling hip hop debut ever, to CEO and business mogul. I think Curtis Jackson's quest to win has been conquered. Like him or not, he won a long time ago. I don't think anything will change either. End.

Final Grade: C+

CREDITS

Executive Producer

Curtis Jackson

Lead Artist

Curtis Jackson

Production

Frank Dukes

Charles Brown

Steven Thornton

Andre Young

Dewaun Parker

Mark Batson

Steven Allen

Gonzalo Estrada

Martin Rodriguez

Jacob Dutton

Anthony Caines

Justin Woods

Ky Miller

Tyrone Fyffe

Collaboration

Mario Mims

Tremaine Neverson

Curtis Stewart

Jason Phillips

Dennis Stehr

Jayson Robbins

Albert Johnson

David Styles

Quincy Hanley

Label

G-Unit/Caroline

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

Slaughterhouse

House Rules

Available now on Datpiff

Mic's Web Chick Of The Week

Azzy Phoenix

Chicago, IL

Twitter: @kissmyazzy

Instagram: @azraariza

Copyright 2014. Mic Navarro's Corner.

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Nitty Scott, MC - The Art Of Chill ALBUM REVIEW

When it comes to female rappers, I have many ways in determining just how good they are. She has to be dope to the point where when I'm listening to her music, I forget I'm listening to a female. This was the exact feeling I had when I first listened to Nitty Scott, MC. Now there are a lot of dope female rappers out but very few fit this description. Nitty fits it to a T. The first time I heard her was in 2011 on a freestyle she did over Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover" instrumental. I was literally blown away. Her hard hitting lyricism, punchlines and old school throwback flow was something I haven't heard from a female rapper in quite a long, long time. She sounds so much like a combination of MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante. Two of the first ever female rappers of the 80's. Her style seemed very underground, New York battle rap like. Which again is something you don't see in most femcees. The freestyle was featured on her debut mixtape The Cassette Chronicles. After listening to that tape, the follow up Doobies & Popsicle Sticks, and her 2012 EP The Boombox Diaries Vol. 1, I was most certainly eager to hear this. Her debut album The Art Of Chill. Now coming off of two dope mixtapes and a dope EP, I was kinda expecting that same hard Brooklyn edginess of hers to be present on this project because that's essentially what turned me on to her (besides her looks). After listening, I am overly impressed with this album. It was great and far beyond what I expected. Nitty kinda goes out of her lane and takes on a concept conscious album. The concept comes straight from the albums title. She's showing you "the art of chill" by making a album filled with more calmer and more relaxing sounding tracks. You know..."chill" music. The album just gave off such a peaceful and positive vibe. But what really stood out the most is the very deep and emotional topics of discussion on a few songs. Especially the ones where she opens up about her past demons (I'll address that in a moment). This album made me reminisce back to The Mis-Education of Lauryn Hill (who some compare her to). Minus the singing, it presented the same kind of soulful sound and positive messages and stories being told. For the kind of rapper that Nitty is, this is quite a tough concept to tackle. I mean there are some male rappers that have trouble with this. But she nailed it and did an excellent job. I have tons of positives about this album so I'll get right to it. Off top I gotta start with the one thing that stood out the most...the emotion. "Still I Rise" is the emotional and saddening story of Nitty's dark past. She talks about being sexually abused by her step-father. Then talks about how her mom wasn't there for her during that situation, or in other words how mom put him before her and how much it devastated her. You would think such a beautiful person like Nitty would have never experienced anything like that. I truly admire her bravery for coming out and telling this story to the world for the first time. Sexual abuse and/or rape is a serious issue. It occurs way too much in today's society and it needs to be talked about. Especially by these rappers who kids are kinda looking up to now. Nitty probably isn't the only person in the game to suffer such a tragedy but she's one of the few bold enough to open up and talk about it. Kudos to her for being strong about it. Love the song. The album begins just as the album title describes. Very chill and very relaxed. It starts with "Generation Now (Psychedelic Little Buddha)". A fiery flow filled with some of the more dope lyrics on the album. The beat is very calming and mellow just like much of the production on the album. The following track is "Apex" which features Ab-Soul. I love the jazzy sound of the beat with the horns and all. Again, super dope lyrics especially from Ab-Soul guest verse. The word play from both of them was just so awesome. She then gets a little braggadocios on "Feng Shui". I mean she wasn't too over the top flaunting her swag. It was at a tolerable rate. Plus on such a laid back beat you can't really be that over the top anyway. Tracks like "Lily Of The Valley" and "Little Sister" are so poetic and sounds as if she's doing spoken word poetry. These songs also serve as lessons being taught to the young ladies of today. Which so much negativity surrounding majority of young women today, it's songs like these that need to be heard so they can realize what life really has to offer. Hopefully they get motivation from it. Right in the middle of the album is where the sound kinda changes to something more faster and kinda mainstream-ish. "Knowbody Knows" is the only song on here that sounds anything close to a single. The beat is very uptempo and a total pace changer from the rest of the album. Again she continues her poetic skills by actually doing spoken word this time over the hook. Her words are actually quite deep and inspiring once you sit and listen close. But this is one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love it. The pace continues to pick up on "U.F.O. (Unfiltered Offering)". I like the alien/galactic/spacy sounds on the beat and within her lyrics. Most of which was referencing things dealing with outer space and extra terrestrials. I even like how on the hook she changes her voice to sound like an alien. Awesome track. Now of course, she's a female so there will be at least one lovey-dovey song. Or...something like that. The track is "Pyrexxx Pink" and on it she compares her sex game to a drug and how it's got her dude addicted. Fiending for more (which is also said in the hook). It's a real interesting twist on that kind of topic because most of these thirsty guys out here today do act like fiends towards these women because the sex is that good. Had this song been made by any other female rapper it just would have been you're typical X rated sex fest. Also her flow on here was very uptempo and mainstream. As if she was rapping on a trap beat. I found myself to like this though after a few listens. My negatives for the album aren't nothing serious. I was a little bothered by all the interludes. Each one was nothing but this string sounding instrument being played. Almost sounds like relaxing meditation music. I know it supposed to tie in with the concept but I don't know...I guess it was just too many of them. It made it hard for each song to transition into the other perfectly. Nothing else more than that though. Well, to close, I am overly pleased with this album. Nitty has certainly impressed me with her ability to master this conscious style of rap and being very poetic. I give this a final grade of a A-. Without question, Nitty Scott, MC is a breath of fresh air for the female division in hip hop. With so many of them sticking to the same generic script, it's so refreshing to see one, especially one as young as her, come to the game with something more different and unique. Instead of looking up to femcess like Nicki Minaj, Trina, Lil Kim etc, these young girls today should consider taking a listen to Nitty Scott, MC. She's is obviously here for them and to be a role model to them. Showing them you can still be sexy, still be fly and have swag but at the same time be smart about it and don't make terrible decisions that could change the course of your life. I mentioned how this album took me back to Lauryn Hill's hay day. I honestly believe that we may have now stumbled onto the modern version of her. Possibly someone who will follow down that same path to greatness. This was to me...The Mis-Education of Nitty Scott, MC. End.

Final Grade: A-

CREDITS

Executive Producers

Michael Clervoix

Giuliano Jules

Lead Artist

Nitzia Scott

Production

Chuck Strangers

Yuri Beats

Brandon Sene

David Willis

Jay Jennings

Ty Real

Big Blesson

Collaboration

Herbert Stevens IV

Brandon Sene

Robert Regis

Thomas Jones

Stacy Barthe

Kendrick Duckworth

Label

Boombox Family Entertainment

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

Slaughterhouse

House Rules

Available now on Datpiff

Mic's Web Chick Of The Week

Azzy Phoenix

Chicago, IL

Twitter: @kissmyazzy

Instagram: @azraariza

Copyright 2014. Mic Navarro's Corner.

micnavarro.blogspot.com