Blai's reviews (Hip-Hop)
y0, word 'n all that.
It's Blai, this is where I review the newest, illest shit that's on the market. Freshly released albums gets a short review here with a songlist.
Reviewed
M.O.P - Foundation
50 Cent - War Angel
Rick Ross - Deeper than Rap
I'll start off with M.O.P's "comeback" album "Foundation" that is their first complete album since 2004. Let's start off with some background information about them...
Lil' Fame and Billy Danzenie formed hardcore rap act M.O.P. The duo's debut single, "How About Some Hardcore," became popular and led to the release of their first album, To the Death, in the spring of 1994. Two years later, they delivered Firing Squad. Third record First Family 4 Life was released in March of 1998; Warriorz followed two years later. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
You know the rest. Featured on "Get Rich or Die Trying - The Soundtrack", "Bad Boys 2" and they've combo'd with Fat Joe, Fifty, Lil Jon, Stylez P and Jay Z among others.
"
M.O.P. – Foundation" was the best album they've done so far.
Songs like Stop Pushin, and Street Life built a bridge between gangster rap, grunge and soul which was very entertaining to listen to. The album differed between those genres and it was the same with the lyrics, one song was about Brooklyn where they come from, another song was about making it through hard times, one song was a praising and another one was about the streets. The beat has definitely improved since "Warriorz" from 2000 (even tho Ante Up is one of their illest tracks ever. The album is very even. There aren't 3 sick tracks, 1 killer and then the rest is rubbish. It's rather even, some are better than others but overall it's very good.
They've varied their style and at the same time explored and tried to experience new combinations and create something fresh. A couple of songs were beyond expectations, but others felt like any other song that you've heard too many times with a mainstream old beat along with the same "gangsta" lyrics. I'll give it an 8.5/10 though for the creativity and for the brilliant songs "
M.O.P. – Sharks In The Water", "
M.O.P. – Stop Pushin" and "
M.O.P. – Blow The Horns" with the latter as typical "Konvict Muzik" song (for you Akon, Marshall lovers) with both a "chill base", rapping and a chorus in the oh-so-famous electrical autotune.
The album doesn't start off with a skit or anything - in fact, there aren't any skits at all. It's a pure music album that delivers track after track and it starts off with a bang. I'd say this is their best tracks, their best song and deffo a CD to add to our collection of killer-cd's from NY along with Blaq Poet, Big Twin, Tragedy Khadafi And Trez and of course
Raekwon.
Now I'm awaiting Cormega's next cd.
If you have Spotify - then consider yourself a lucky bastard. These links are to the songs @ Spotify. Apart from that you'll find the CD in your local Music store. Released Sept. 15th.
50 Cent - War Angel
Woop Woop! Time to keep the change because next up is fifty with his album "War Angel". This is the raw, old-school 50, taking it back to those classic mixtape days. War angel features ALL brand new music from the boy fif, the hungry, grimey sounding 50, similar to the music he wrote in his grandfathers basement. I'm talking about the raw beat that we hear in GRoDT, Get Up etc. It's not the electrical mix that we hear from Timbaland etc. Now, now, It's not that I don't like Timbaland, what I mean is that this is a step back from his mixing with Akon, Timbaland etc. And it's not the chiller beat that we hear in Body Snatcher's that released in -08 feat. Fifty, Yayo and Banks which is the perfect music for chilling with a hookah or whatever you like *wink.
This album consists of music that you listen to while bodypumping at the gym, boxing or at the rawest clubs out there - tho probably mixed by some dj.
I scan through the cd to read the track names, lyrics, length and I smile. This is the good old fifty with raw lyrics,
~3min long beats. Perfect for one rapper - since he doesn't feat. anyone else in this album.
<3mins = too short, not enough lyrics etc
>3mins = boring / old, repeatedly...
*puts on the 1st song "1 line Niggas"*
1 Line Niggas is an excellent way to start off this cd. It's 2min16sec short but nevertheless a sick introduction to this CD. We hear the raw but oh so famous beat and he starts off with some talking then spills no time on 40secs intros. He starts off with a shabang!
The album is complete. He's not just back... he's
BACK! And after listening to his album a couple of times I can easy say that
50 Cent – 1 Line Niggas, 50 Cent – Cocaine,
50 Cent – Codes and
50 Cent – Cream 2009 is the best ones he's produced since GRoDT.
- Complete tracklist -
50 Cent – 1 Line Niggas
50 Cent – Codes
50 Cent – Redrum
50 Cent – Cream 2009
50 Cent – I'll Do Anything
50 Cent – London Girl
50 Cent – Better Come On Your A Game
50 Cent – Get The Message
50 Cent – Cocaine
50 Cent – I Gotta Win
Execllent LP. One of fiftys best. A must have for everyone who's into his raw material. No autotune, no synth/techno sounds. Just a raw base, an instrumental pattern and his voice spittin' lyrics. Same themes but powered up! No tricks, no bad tracks, an awesome cover and a reasonable price.
Easy 9.5/10
fun fact - The beginning of "Cocaine" is taken from the movie "Blow" - you know, the movie where Johnny Depp acts as the drugdealer George.. ah nvm, check it out
"HERE".
Rick Ross - Deeper than Rap
Original CD Cover
| Maybach Mixtape Cover
|
1. Background
Rick Ross, or should I say William Roberts, as you might know started out rapping in Miami, aiming it to be one of the centers of rap once again. Influenced by the notorious B.I.G and Luther Campbell he started out in mid nineties. You might know him from his mixes with Trick Daddy, or his collabs with Akon and Konvict Muzik.
Rick Ross is currently appearing everywhere, as one of the key featured artists of the Terror Squad along with for example Lil’ Wayne, Akon and Trina which leaves him with not too much time to focus on himself and his own LPs. (Terror Squad is Fat Joe’s record label. Includes artists such as OZ, Tha Realest and DJ Khaled. It also includes producers such as DJ Khaled, Cool & Dre, StreetRunner and DJ LV.) However, he managed to spit out an album a year, but he needs to either increase production, feature more songs, or increase the quality because even though his featured songs is having a higher sale, his own albums aren't.
2.
Track list
1. "*Mafia Music" The Inkredibles
2. "Maybach Music 2" (featuring T-Pain, Lil Wayne & Kanye West)
3. "*Magnificent" (featuring John Legend)
4. "*Yacht Club" (featuring Magazeen)
5. "Usual Suspects" (featuring Nas)
6. "*All I Really Want" (featuring The-Dream)
7. "*Rich off Cocaine" (featuring Avery Storm)
8. "*Lay Back" (featuring Robin Thicke)
9. "Murda Mami" (featuring Foxy Brown)
10. "*Gunplay" (featuring Gunplay)
11. "*Bossy Lady" (featuring Ne-Yo)
12. "*Face" (featuring Trina)
15. "*Cigar Music (Bonus track)"
3.
Album Comments
Okay, so on to the album. Personally, I like Rick Ross the best when he’s featured, or when he’s collabing with Akon or Marshall from Konvict Muzik but this album is really good. We have a lot of featured artists such as Lil Wayne, Kanye West, T-Pain, John Legend, Trina etc. It’s a pretty nice variety of artists which gives the album a nice vibe. Maybach Music 2 is an excellent track, prodded by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and it’s to them I give creds to. It’s a nice, laid back vibe, nice amount of bass, not too heavy.
Making Lil Wayne end the song as the last featured artist before ending chorus by T-Pain was a great choice. Ever since I heard him ending “Takin Over” after Birdman I’ve always wanted him in the end of a song, not as a starter as he was in “9MM” even though he did a good job. (But Snoop & David Banner killed "9MM" 
)
The album is Rick Ross personified. This is his element, he does what he do best, laid back, chill rap at first, then the still chill, still laid back, but the heavier base, higher speed and more intense lyrics… south style of course.
50% of the lyrics is self praising, 25% of the lyrics is about money, 25% of the lyrics is about drugs/women. Okay not really, but you know what I mean. My top songs from the album? “Rich off Cocaine”, “Magnificent” and surprisingly enough, “Face”. I’m not a fan of Trina, but the two of them work great together, even though I dislike her whiny ass voice.
Nas is also doing a good job on the song "Usual Suspects".
(I have a feeling that Rick Ross is slowly moving towards the Rap/RnB mix. Not sure if that's what I want him to do or not...)
4. Recommended or Not?
It's an album you can listen to once, maybe twice. But not an album that sticks with you. 7/10
I actually didnt know em at all, think Im gonna search for some other tracks on YT now 
) tho..
*dont have*
The fact that it's nr 1 on the track was a very good choice tbh. But I did like all of his tracks, more or less.
Not that I heard too less or anything, I just don't feel like choosing a single one over all the good one's.