Needless to say, the highlights here are whenever Stack$ isn’t spitting. He’s not what you’d call “bad”… just bland. His flow comes right off the assembly line and remains unchanged…
It’s insane to think that Tony! Toni! Toné! might be a lasting legacy, but since that group disbanded, Saadiq’s done some great production work, garnered a few Grammy nods and you still can’t name five songs he’s been on. … Go ahead and try… I’ll even spot you that one with Naked D’Angelo off of the Voodoo album.
There are two things that make Superpsychosexy especially frustrating. The first is the production … the beats are dense, complex and entertaining. But The One wastes most of them with this sleep-inducing style. Second, the insufferable ego of The One overshadows every other aspect of this album—good and bad. This album plays like the most self-serving of vanity projects. …
The concert was put together to promote the group’s Heritage album, as we’re off to a way-dated start as images of the Berlin Wall-collapse and Nelson Mandela appear on the video screen. This is followed by two male dancers (complete with knockoffs of Bobby Brown’s Every Little Step double-breasted-suit-jacket-with-no-shirt look)…
After an extended bout of label drama, including one shelved release and another inexplicably entitled Country Boy, Richardson is going independent in an attempt to cash in on the kiddie R&B sound made popular by acts like Chris Brown. … He definitely has a future—perhaps a long one—but, the hope here is that his music evolves with him and targets an audience that can really appreciate his all-around talent. …
If you’ve never heard of The Funk Brothers, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’re not alone. For over decade, Eddie Willis, Bob Babbitt and Uriel Jones performed much of the production work that was masterminded by legendary producer Berry Gordy, forming the foundation of that ubiquitous Motown sound, back in its heyday. …
The Grouch – Show You the World
Legendary Music / ADA (4/8/08)
Hip-hop / Rap
It’s been about 15 years since the West Coast consistently dominated the hip-hop scene. Despite the continued presence of tired acts like Snoop Dogg and his Dogg Pound (actual combined age in human years: infinity), the truth is that California’s peak lasted [...]
I’m old enough to remember where I was when Keith Sweat’s 1987 debut album – the triple-platinum Make It Last Forever – was released. Back then, you could drop an album that was just eight tracks long, but then again, back then we all thought the New Jack Swing era would last forever. Just Me is perfectly listenable, but is actually one of those rare albums from an established artist that might be a stronger lure to newer fans than those of us who could say we knew him when.
Rap is a young man’s game. That’s not something that’s up for debate, but come on. When you’ve been raised listening to wonderful lyricists spit, it really puts the meandering storytelling of tracks like “Snakes” and the insincere hunger and drive on “Meal” in their proper perspective. With apologies to the late ODB, Rocko for the kids. …
When it comes to Miami-based drug n’ thug rapper Rick Ross, it’s all too easy to dismiss him. He’s from the South, so that’s strike one. His stage name is yet another tired tribute to an infamous real-life ne’er-do-well for strike two. And, he’s assembled a shockingly awesome cast of guest artists and producers for his sophomore effort. What the hell? …