Summer
'06 - 1st Half Album Roundup
by: Malik Sinsear, for Entertainment
Busta
Rhymes – The Big Bang
Fiyaballs
Fiya 3 on
the CD: NY Shit, In The
Ghetto f/ Rick James, Don’t Get Carried Away
f/ Nas
I’ve got to be honest with you,
when Busta Rhymes left Leaders of the New School to go
solo, I just knew he wouldn’t be able to carry
one album much less the seven prior to his FINALLY released
Aftermath debut, The
Big Bang. Goddamn, was I wrong--like Star Jones
in Spaghetti straps showcasing all that loose flab-wrong.
But on to my View of
this album (ehhhh?). In all honesty, Busta did take
too long to release Bang, but in the words
of Abe Simpson, “Hot
diggity damn, I’ll take it!” I can’t
remember the last time an album lived up to the three
year hype that preceded it, but this one does without
a doubt. I was tempted to give the record the big five;
I mean Dre laced the beats lovely, Busta rips them
to shreds like an unwanted credit card application
and all the guest spots are on point from Hip-Hop heavyweights
Nas and Raekwon (Don’t
Get Carried Away, Goldmine) to Stevie Wonder
and O.G. Rick James (Been Through The Storm,
In The Ghetto)
and even through lesser known artists Mr. Porter and
my favorite soulful voice since big Aretha herself,
Latoya Williams (They’re
Out To Get Me, I’ll Do It All). I mean,
everyone brought their best material to the studio…well,
except for Missy. Lord J.C., I’m starting to
think this girl lost her ability to make good music
along with all the weight she dropped. How We Do
It Over Here sounds
just as corny as the title suggests. Frankly, when
she compared her hips to Beyonce’s on the Touch
It remix I
swore off acknowledging anything she'll do for the
next year. I also threw up a little in my mouth; just
a little bit. Anyway, that’s
why Bang didn't
shoot off a perfect rating.
Ice
Cube – Laugh Now, Cry Later
(2
1/2) Fiyaballs
Fiya 3 on
the CD: Why We Thugs,
The Nigga Trap, Growin Up
Cube musta been bored. All that money he’s getting
from movies and TV, he really has no reason to make music.
But then again Will Smith hasn’t
had a reason in two decades and he pumps CD’s
out like he’s
depending on that advance to pay his and Jada's freaky
ass parties...ahem, "allegedly." With
Laugh Now, Cry Later,
I’m pretty sure Cube laughed half the time he
was in the studio making the record. And if he didn’t,
he laughed while going over which Mike Epps jokes he
wanted to use for the interludes. Cube showcases three
alter ego on his latest album: Conscious Cube (Why
We Thugs), Nostalgic Cube (Growin
Up) and Club Cube (Go To Church and more
than half of the album).
Just so we’re clear on it, Club Cube should be
stabbed dead. As far as I’m concerned Ice Cube
don’t have no business in a club. Save the Who’s
The Mack video, I don’t think Cube has
ever been in a club. He damn sure don’t look
or sound like he belongs there. And that’s
really the downfall of this CD. I just never buy
him getting drunk and crunk with Lil Jon. “I’m
your provider, You’re a fly girl, bitch, I’m
a spider,” he
exclaims on Steal The Show. I think you get
the point.
Yung
Joc – New Joc
City
(1
1/2) Fiyaballs
Fiya 3 on
the CD: It’s Goin
Down, Don’t Play Wit It, Picture Perfect
I have a question, like a legitimate one: What exactly is the
difference between Crunk and Snap music? Does one exclusively
include dance steps or what? I really have no idea why they’re
classified as separate genres of rap, but I digress…anyway,
anyone else find it ironic that Puff always ends up
dealing with rappers that sound or look like somebody else? I
know I’m not the only one that’s
noticed Yung Joc looks like Ma$e and sounds like T.I.
Sadly for him, that’s
where the similarities end between him and credible
rappers. On his debut album, New Joc City,
Joc attempts to piggyback the ATL movement and create
a club record, but it just doesn’t work out that way for
the guy that mentions Jordans more than Cormega used to mention
Air Maxs. The lead single, It’s Goin Down sets
the tempo for the club record Joc intended to make, but by the
time the Jeezy influenced adlibs and lacking topics roll around,
oh say around track four, (Do Ya Bad,
Knock It Out) City quickly goes from a promising
business enterprise to the neighborhood crack house.
Devin – Weed,
Wine and Women
Fiyaballs
Fiya 3 on the CD: Dime
A Dozen, The Best Way, Strange f/918 & K.B.
Devin Copeland introduced himself to the world of music back
in the early 90’s
as a part of the Odd Squad. His witty lyrics and harmonizing
melodies were on point, even back then, but he really got noticed
and gained his following as his debut solo album, The Dude made
every other filthy minded black male that listened to Rap-A-Lot
records a Devin fan for life. He’s as close to Bob
Dylan as you’re going to find in Hip-Hop, so if
you like folk records about drugs and sex then this is
about as good as it’s gonna get. Devin’s
hard luck and come up stories about women have been done
over and over, but he seems to always find a way to make
the next one interesting enough for you to want to hear. As
his new record, Weed, Wine and Women goes, Devin
has thoughtfully given the listener a synopsis of the
whole record in the title. Every track discusses one
of those three things in depth during its three minutes
and change of time. Ummm, I guess Dime A Dozen does
it the best as The Dude flows like a pro over an old
school influenced beat. Excuse me, but how in the hell
do you review a Devin album? It’s like tastefully
critiquing the latest RoundandBrown.com site update.
Look, Devin has new stories and his flow is still smooth
as ever. If you’re a freak that appreciates good
music, go cop.
