Being young can have both its advantages and disadvantages. On the one side, it gives the opportunity to live free, not to have a care in the world. On the other side, it can be daunting and confusing, not clearly defining oneself or their ambitions. Both seem to be the case for Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, two emcees from Atlanta, GA by way of Tupelo, MS who comprise the duo Rae Sremmurd. As seen on their debut project SremmLiife, the two young artists spit narratives of carefree living while unintentionally expressing the feeling of being confused to where it leads to inconsistency.

After a couple of listens, what obviously stands out as one of the most positive aspects of SremmLife is its production. This can be attributed to the group being the first act from renowned producer Mike WiLL Made-It’s EarDrummers recording label, so its only fitting. It does not stray to far from the “turnt up” reservation with hard hitting, synthesized beats that would have anyone nodding their heads. Additionally, the beats fit the artists as they easily glide over them ever so effortlessly, accentuating both their voices and cadence. This is evident on the track “Safe Sex Pay Checks” and their lead single “No Flex Zone” as they croon, “They know better…” with styles like this are very catchy and infectious. From what it appears, SremmLife was greatly put together, pairing the talent of the two rappers with a well in tune executive producer to create a cohesive body of work.

Although SremmLife will have your feet tapping, it does also have its downside. Overall lyrically, it is inferior. Not only do the lyrics focus on subject matter that has been overly presented (cars, girls, getting wasted) with a very simple delivery. This is shown on the horrible Young Chop produced “My X” with lyrics like, “You should have had a check bitch/(Hold on a second) You could have had a check bitch/Should of, would of, could of/Now I’m with my next bitch/And you just another name on the check list…” This is a recurring obstacle for the group as for most of the album, the lyrics and subject matter do not sound original and comes off as regurgitations of what every emcee that is currently residing in the south. This leads to another negative aspect, the project does not seem to focus on a particular fan base or audience, or at least not the one that it was intended. It seems that they are trying to reach an older audience that can only appreciate it for the moment as oppose to the younger audience that idolizes them. Either way there seems to be no true relation between the demographics that they are targeting.

Overall, SremmLife shows that Rae Srummurd are talented in their own right, but need some fine-tuning. With this, they could possibly determine a more structured approach to the building of fan base. But with the good production that they have received thus far, it might only be a matter of time.

Let’s discuss a trend that has been circulating in hip-hop for a little while now, the sequel album. It seems as If a lot of artists right now are coming out with the “sequel” to either their most critically acclaimed or commercially successful albums. Now, at first there was nothing wrong with this concept, but as of late it seems to be getting used and abused by that mainly the sequel has nothing to do with its predecessor. Something only to be used as a marketing tool to entice the general public into buying the album in hopes that it will be reminiscent of the first (or in some cases, the first and the second, etc.). This does not seem to be the case for Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, a brilliant, yet dark and eclectic reflection of his current life that abstractly brings you into his psychedelic world, all serving as a contrasting extension of his first LP, Man on the Moon: End of Day.

As a sequel album, MOTM 2 serves as a continuation from the first by that on MOTM, Common narrated that, “The end is never the end. A new challenge awaits, a test that no man could be prepared for, a new hell he most conquer and destroy, a new level of growth he must confront himself…” In addition, Scott Mescudi himself defined this project as being dark by nature and oppose from being his dreams that he was discussing, this time he touches on his life and career up to this point. All of this can be seen in the contrast musically of both intros from the two albums respectively “In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)” and “Scott Mescudi vs. The World” (ft. Cee-Lo Green), as the latter opens with a sample of the former and Cudder saying, “What up, how’s everyone doing, you are now in the world I’m ruling…” which is ironically the title of Act I. This again is an extension of the previous album by that it is once again broken up in acts, with the first one concluding with the album’s unofficial first single “REVOFEV”, a dark and rhythmic track that will have you thinking, “where you’ll be for the revolution…” as if you were Winston Smith from 1984.

The next act takes you on “stronger trip” in which it gets into the artist’s love of being intoxicated/inebriated, mainly justifying it periodically on why he does and how he enjoys being so as exemplified on “Don’t Play This Song” featuring Mary J. Blige with, “I’m in a maze/I’m in a daze/I’m losing it/I’m rockin’ in my rocket ship, I be a blimp on your radar bitch/Feels like things can’t be covered/Until the day I’m above myself hovered…” Act II continues with “We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up)”, a melodic song that gets you ready for the high of the Bone Thugs inspired “Marijuana”, leading to the concluding song of this act, “Mojo So Dope”, that will have one feeling that they are ridin’ on their way to Act III to “Party On” with Cudi and Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids on the groovish “Asher Kusher”. This is also home to the album’s first single “Erase Me”, a crusin’-ish track that is truly astounding except for the subpar guest appearance by Mr. West (peep all the “Ria” references, etc.). Act III concludes with the rebellious “Wildin’ Cause I’m Young” and the hypnotizing party-esque observant “The Mood”.

Act IV gets straight to the point of the his “transformation” with the electronic “MANIAC” (ft. Cage and St. Vincent) (the latter being artists that perform the song to which this track samples), followed by the highly impressive namesake of the album, the official second single “Mr. Rager”, an abstraction of a masterpiece of care-free living that is an expression of fun and freedom. The act concludes with the no regret “These Worries” (ft. Mary J. Blige) and “The End” (ft. GLC and Chip the Ripper) which takes you into the next act that discusses how “You Live and You Learn” with the reflective “All Alone” and the self expressive “GHOST!”, but the album ends with what might be the crowning jewel, “Trapped in My Mind”, which basically paints the whole picture of where he is at right now in his life, he does not know, and it is beautiful for one to express that, it is like someone saying that they don’t know the answer to a general question, the honesty is truly refreshing, and the artist knows this and accepts it, which only makes it better…

Overall, MOTM 2 is truly the “Blueprint” (not 1, 2, or 3…) to how a sequel album is supposed to be with its consistent production (another excellent job by Emile who produces the majority of the tracks on the album, who contributed heavily to the first MOTM…), and outstanding sequencing of tracks that just all seem to gel together additionally following the acts entirely, all the while serving as an extension to the first LP while at the same time being a total contrast, showing the maturation of “Mr. Solo Dolo” to “Mr. Rager” in a transformation that improves from the former with less self deprecating and overly redundant analysis of his life only to address more of his inner thoughts in an abstract way that some might find confusing, to where it might be hard for some to follow due to it being very vague and evasive, but at the same time, enticing, which will garner more listens to the album so one would understand it more clearly, but maybe that is the whole point, to take you on another wonderful trip to the moon…

Devin the Dude has to be one of the most honest rapper on the scene. He is not one to rhyme about things that he does not do, he’s just a guy who likes the ladies and his weed, which is reflected in his music. Suite #420 does not stray away from the usual script, probably being his best album since his debut The Dude.

On Suite #420, it seems that Devin is in his most comfortable state. For instance, on previous albums he always had a track or two that somehow linked him to the rest of the hip hop community or to prove that he makes hip hop music, if it was the form of guest appearances, production, or remakes, but this time around he does not do that showing that he is more comfortable with his status. Another thing is that he is more adamant about marijuana smoking. On the intro “Cultural Coffee”, various accounts from all walks of life in the form of audio vignettes are used to justify it; bringing up the question of legalization. This differs from his previous albums where he speaks on the enjoyment, but did not take a stand on its legalization. So the album goes on to speak on his habits with this underlining theme on tracks like “What We Be On” and “We Get High”, but it is on “Ultimate High” where the point is brought home with lines like, “D-E-V-I-N/C-O-P-E-L-A-N-D/Would give you my vices but see then you’ll try to send me/To jail, hell, for what, because I’m smokin’ that weed/Please, leave me alone, go find the coke and the speed…” In addition, with the previous mentioned lines and the track “All I Need”, marijuana is compared to narcotics debating how it is not that bad compared to the harsher drugs, once again, bringing up the question of legalization. Devin still keeps it right with the females with songs like “That Ain’t Cool”, discussing how ladies try to claim their territory by leaving distinguishable items behind after secret late night visits, but he more so uses his singing talent for his songs for the ladies on the outstanding “I Can’t Stand It”, “Where Ya At” and “Its on You”, proving that he can still create beautiful music without going outside his usual boundaries.

Overall, Suite #420 is a fantastic album that most of Devin’s hard core fans will appreciate, but does not go out of its way to find new listeners, which makes the album so great, by that it seems that Devin has accepted his cult figure status while making music for his niche audience, giving weight to the age old saying, “…its 4:20 somewhere…”

“Between your future and your present, between what’s real and what’s fake, between where you are and where you want to be, lies the land of make believe…” This is the underlining theme of the latest album from emcee Naledge and producer Double-O, better known as Kidz In The Hall, for the album Land of Make Believe. In contrast with their previous album, the critically acclaimed The In Crowd, one can see the growth in self –awareness from the Ivy Leaguers. On the former, there was a sense that the group had something to prove or accomplish, not only for themselves, but for the whole Midwest region, which could be seen in the number of guest appearances amongst Midwestern emcees and their peers. But this time is different. It is almost as if a realization was made with the release of Naledge’s mixtape Chicago Picasso. Basically on Chicago Picasso, Naledge seem to find his voice, and he has always been very cocky, but now he is comfortable, feeling like he has nothing more to prove. This is the same for the production. Double-O is not scared to experiment, which results in some of the best production that the game has been missing with the same monotonous beats that we are accustomed to hearing.

The lyrical and production clinic begins with the intro, over a thumping drum kick assisted beat as Naledge describes what the group is up against, “Desk full of CDs with no one to listen/For every Rip Hamilton there’s 5 Eddie Griffins/10 Len Biases, 100 Ben Wilsons, 1,000 Will Gates, daddy always told me that you seal your fate…”, knowing that at anytime one could succeed to the highest plateaus or descend to the lowest pit in this circus called music. This is followed by the underground smash “Flickin” and the electric groove, lead single, “Jukebox”. Other notable tracks include the uplifting “Take Over the World” and the peer-to-peer feature “Fresh Academy” featuring Chip the Ripper and Donnis. Another good guest appearance is the Kid Daytona assisted “Out to Lunch”, a 90’s-esque track that helps to show the diversity of production by Double-O.

Overall, Land of Make Believe is a coming out party from a group that was been looking to join the party for a while now, well, no more outside looking in, no more trying to be down with the in crowd, their time has arrived. But what is most interesting is how this is album serves as a testament of patience, where as on the previous album one could tell or feel the anxiousness of gaining recognition that one should not have to fight for, but now it is like they do not care about how one might feel cause they understand themselves that much better as musicians, accepting things that might discourage most, but is it funny how things work, when you have a philosophy of “letting the chips fall where they may…” everything seems to work out for the best, truly defining that everything happens for a reason.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/06/kidz-in-the-hall-land-of-make-believe/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2009/04/23/asher-roth-asleep-in-the-bread-isle/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2009/04/23/asher-roth-asleep-in-the-bread-isle/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:09:13 +0000 http://localhost/hiphop/?p=2611 [cont.]]]> Bob Dylan once said, “the times are a changing,’” and for the music business that couldn’t be more true.  With music becoming more accessible, it would only be natural for the expansion of different market bases.  With more people buying different kinds of music from different mediums, purchases will more than likely reflect the listener’s personal tastes.  This is relevant when it comes to Asher Roth.  Hailing from Morrisville, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia, Asher Roth led the life of the average suburban kid, one of a beer drinking, marijuana smoking slacker.  So it would only be fitting that the main focus of his music would be made for that audience.  Such is the case of Asleep in the Bread Aisle, a brilliant, but maybe too well niched manifesto of the All-American slacker.

There are many things that make this LP exceptional.  For one, the niche marketing for this project is highly impressive.  With the subject matter and his persona culminated with the marketing of artist primarily over the internet, from the very roots from which he began, was ingenious.  This is clearly seen on the lead single, the frat boy anthem “I Love College.”  On this track, Roth manages to visualize the college experience in the version of a wild night to some, but a normal one for him that involves his favorite past time, partying with friends, exemplified by that infectious hook we’ve all heard over and over again. Secondly, by primarily enlisting newcomer Oren Yoel with production responsibilities, Asleep in the Bread Aisle truly relates to its audience while blending well with the artist, mainly due to its heavy use of guitar riffs and distortion, something that is not seen that often in hip-hop.  This album also manages to show the diversity of subject matter while displaying Asher Roth’s lyrical skill.  On “La Di Da” a song about the pressures of trying to make it in the music industry and how to deal with it, Roth spits, “Every second is a blessing/Yes, it is precious, suggest you can all instant message/The impression when you’re finding your direction/ Then heading non-stop just to find that the road was blocked/You wanna pop/Flip your lid and stomp/But settle down and work it out is really all you got…”

Roth also manages to showcase his story telling ability with “His Story” in which he discusses the life and lost ambitions of a middle aged man and how he sees those dreams in his own children, all the while trying to keep his family and his own life together.  The album’s true highlight comes when Asher deals with an issue that he is surely going to have to deal with, the constant comparisons to Eminem.  He seems to deal with it well with the track “As I Em” featuring Chester French by stating, “And now the masses think that Asher wants to be a Marshall Matthers/They say, ‘Asher is not a rapper, nah, his ass is just an actor’/Cause we have the same complexion and a similar voice inflection/It’s easy to see the pieces and the reach for that connection…” possibly not alleviating the unwanted comparisons, but hopefully to make them less frequent.  But the special gift of the album is the fact that Asher Roth comes off as truly himself, not trying be anything more or less.  By someone who does not come from money or a fast life and is not trying to portray that life for the sake of selling albums, this brings a sense of humility or commonness to the album and a breath of fresh air to the world of hip–hop.

The only issue with this album is that it might be too niche.  Basically, an album should appear to its base, but have the ability to appeal to those outside of it.  This mainly comes with the production, but maybe if two songs had been incorporated with some more traditional hip-hop elements then it would be just that more complete.  Overall, Asleep in the Bread Aisle is a great experience in suburbia told through the eyes of a slacker, humbly expressed and fundamentally excellent. – RH

There is no denying that Rick Ross possesses the presence of a boss, through his bravado and persona.  But what is notable is that he manages to step his game up lyrically.  This could possibly be attributed to his recent “beef” with 50 Cent as exemplified on several tracks, one of those being “Mafia Music”.  Beautifully setting the tone for the album over the Inkredibles production and descriptive lyrics, Ross rhymes, “We steppin’ on your crew/’Til them mutha fuckers crushed/And making sweet love to every woman that you lust/I’d love to pay your bills, can’t wait to pay your rent/Curtis Jackson’s baby mama I ain’t asking for a cent/Burn the house down/Gotta buy another/Don’t forget the gas can, jealous, stupid mutha fucker/To another chapter/Paper that I capture/Caught up in the rapture of gun shots and laughter…”

But withstanding the battle, Ross makes his presence known whether it’s with the help of R&B artists John Legend and The Dream respectively on “Magnificent” and “All I Really Want”, describing fine living on “Yacht Club” ft. Magazeen and “Rich Off Cocaine”, or holding his own with two of the games top emcees on “Maybach Music II” ft. T-Pain, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne, undoubltably Ross personifies the ambiance of a Mafioso don while showing that he is up for any challenge that is thrown at him.

The low point of the album comes in two phases, the first being that towards the middle of the LP, five of the songs truly take away from its quality.  The Robin Thicke featured “Lay Back” sounds like a hip-hop version of Usher’s “Love In This Club”, while the Foxy Brown assisted “Murder Mami” is plagued with a awful hook, “Gunplay” is just downright horrible, “Boss Lady” featuring Ne-Yo sounds forced and is somewhat redundant following the other R&B-esque tracks, and “Face” featuring Trina is irrelevant and would probably be better suited for her album.  But the biggest problem with Deeper Than Rap deals with unanswered questions and contradictions.  This is clearly evident with the recent accusations of Rick Ross working as a corrections officer.  He addresses this on “Valley of Death” by saying, “Call your boy a c.o./But if I really was/When all these niggas undercover fuckin’ niggas up/Keep it trill, a nigga never wore a gun and badge/Kept a nice watch, smokin’ on a hundred sack…” but then turns around and says, “Can’t criticize niggas tryin’ to get jobs/Better get smart, young brother live yours/Only live once and I got two kids/And for me to feed them I’ll get two gigs/I’ll shovel shit, I’ll c.o./So we can bow our heads and pray over the meatloaf…” adding to the contradiction at the very least of integrity and while leaving innuendos more ambiguous.  Lying deeper is the fact that has not really been addressed on his previous projects, how did he get to the status that he rhymes about?  It is as if a movie were to begin in the middle with no real explanation of its preceding events.  This would add to “credibility” and answer many questions that can make his music more relatable.

Overall, Deeper Than Rap is a very solid album with lyrical growth and great production.  In addition, it proves that Rick Ross plans to have a long career in hip-hop, but in order to do that, one has to confront all challenges that come their way and not leave any stone unturned.  At the very least, Rick Ross shows that keep living his reality, but not disproving it as fantasy.  – RH

The album starts off strong out the gate with the first single “Rockin’ That Thang” leading the way.  With its catchy lyrics and hypnotizing beat, The-Dream manages to capture one’s imagination through great imagery that often strikes a chord with the listener.  He also manages to switch gears with the mid tempo Kanye West assisted “Walkin’ on the Moon” and a strong duet that serves as the second single “My Love” featuring Mariah Carey.  But the crowning moment(s) of this album has to be the title track and its sequel.  “Love vs. Money” and “Love vs. Money Pt. 2′ both take on the subject of one outweighing the other in a relationship, a brilliant concept that has not been done and is relatable to the point of views from which they are told.  In addition, Love vs. Money has great transition between tracks, not the typical fading in or out that one might be accustomed to hearing.  The production on here is not too bad as the Dream reconnects with his partner in crime Tricky Stewart for the majority of the album, which for the most part is impressive.

Not that this album has many downsides, because it doesn’t, but the ones that it does have are very distinguishable.  For one, the adlibs that are used are not only outdated, but are over used and at times are downright annoying (“Ay!”).  In addition, even though the production is great, it does not stray away from the typical sound that we are used to hearing from this artist.  More specifically, even though the tracks “Put It Down” and “Sweat It Out” are decent songs, they essentially have the same chorus proving how the Dream has a hard time stepping out of his element.  In relation, the song “Take You Home to My Mama” just sounds forced and contrived, not fitting the overall feel of the album.

Basically, Love vs. Money is a decent album, but it truly shows how comfortable The-Dream is with himself and success as an artist.  By not straying away from the same formula that got him to where he is can be viewed as smart to some, but it also can be seen as fear or content.  Every great artist has to take chances every now and then and The-Dream must decide if he just wants to be good or great.  That is what separates the mediocre from the legends, which he has the ability to become if he decides. – Ryan Harrison

Overall, the lyrics on this album seem outdated and it can be witnessed on predominately on every track.  This mainly comes in the form of delivery reinforced by making it seem as if Large Professor was rhyming in a time capsule.  Even though the lyrics and subject matter are old fashioned, the production is not.  Musically, this album can stand up to anything to date, but that cannot help it to prevail alone.  The best moments on the album comes when Jeru Tha Damaja, Lil Dap, and Big Noyd rhyme on solo tracks.  This only reinforces the idea that Large Professor is a better producer than emcee.

Depending on how you look at it, this album can be a gift or a curse.  The sad part is that lyrically, it does not live up to what a famed emcee from the golden era of hip hop is capable of, but the production shows that Large Professor can grow well with time.  It is as if there are two Large Professors each moving in a different direction.  If both can get on the same path, maybe the next offering will be different. – RH

It is evident that Elzhi is a true lyricist as exemplified on the opening track “The Leak” with the artist giving you a “sneak peak” into his life that brilliantly sets up the album, consistent with the majority of the production done by Black Milk.  “Motown 25” is a thumping track that features fellow Detroit Native Royce Da 5’9”.  In fact, what is very interesting is how Elzhi manages to incorporate his fellow Mid West cohorts on songs like “Fire” featuring Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Fatt Father, Danny Brown, and Fat Ray, recruiting fellow Slum Village partner T3 on “Save Ya,” and “Yeah” featuring Phat Kat, all the while managing to hold his own and not drowned out by the solid guest appearances.

Where the album seems to not live up to its potential is particularly the fault of the artist.  Elzhi has had a tendency to try and prove himself to be a lyricist when he really does not have to, because it is already evident.  This can be seen on “Guessing Game” a song to where the last word of the verse is changed, changing the meaning of the verse itself, leaving the listener trying to keep up and not able to just enjoy the music.  “Talking in My Sleep” is a track that deals with his inner thoughts, but comes off convoluted and at times simple rambling.  In addition, no matter how impressive, there are too many guest appearances for a debut LP.

Overall, The Preface is a solid debut from a very good artist.  Elzhi proves that he can hold his own when it comes to a solo effort once again living up to expectations.  Minus its imprefections, The Preface just like its featured artist manages to get the job done. – RH

The album offers a unique blend of rock, alternative, and hip-hop that sets itself apart from its peers.  “Shine Again” is a dark track that discusses love lost and lost paths in life that showcases the band’s ability to observantly rhyme about trials and tribulations or just about life itself.  “Life in a Cage (Electric)” is very reminiscent of mid 80’s rock mixed with precise scratching and electric melodies that make it a stand out on the LP, while “Hush” is an erotic guitar riffed headknodder that has the listener bouncing along with the each verse. Mainly Remind Me In 3 Days… is a splendid compilation of fused music that at times feels like a breath of fresh air.

While most of the songs are lyrically sound, there are a few moments that hinder the albums achievements.  For example, Krispy Kream has a habit of mentioning his name on every track which after a while becomes annoying.  Not helping are the dated lines that are used with references to Bel Biv Davoe and the movie Face Off.  In addition, the song “Daddy’s Little Girl” is just plain horrible, but most of all, one would think that a group would be more introspective on their debut album and discuss more about their lives and more diverse subject matter, especially being affected by one of the most horrific natural disasters our country has ever seen.

Withstanding its shortcomings, Remind Me In 3 Days… is an impressive debut from a group that definitely has talent.  In no way should its mishaps have any impact on how one views their abilities, but with more structure and concise lyrics there is not telling what heights the Knux can achieve. – RH

What stands out about this LP for starters is the production.  Pretty much every beat on this album is at least decent, but of course some are better than others.  Most notably, the two producers who stand out are Rick Rock and Lil’ Jon.  With the former, Rick Rock sets the tone for the album with two tracks that seem to fuse hip-hop with the whole hyphy movement, “The Ambassador” and “I’m The One.”  But it is when these two team up again for “Tell It Like It Is” where the magic happens as E-40 spits straight gospel while taking folks to church with the truth, or at least how he sees it.  As for Lil’ Jon, his production helps 40 to stay true to his Bay Area roots while branching out to a different coast, mainly to those listeners who reside below the Mason-Dixon Line.  This is evident on the track “Got Rich Twice” featuring Turf Talk.  Another impressive thing is how 40 Water manages to stay relevant.  This is mainly due to the perspective from which he rhymes, mainly as someone looking back and being reflective and not trying to keep up with the hip-hop “Joneses.”  An example of this can be found on another Lil Jon produced track “40 Water.”

Unfortunately, the album begins to fall off after track 12.  This is not due to production, which surprisingly remains strong throughout the album, but due to the length of the LP along with the repetitive subject matter.  These two ideas go hand and hand by that 18 tracks is too long for an LP (at least this day and age) which makes the subject matter after a while seem very redundant with the references to drug dealing and constant ballin’, which really gets old about half way into the LP.  For someone who has been in the game as long as he has it is a wonder how he could not have managed to add some diversity to what he was discussing, but maybe on his next outing that will change.  Who knows, maybe with a more concise and diverse album E-40 and the Yay Area could have been sitting on a classic, or at least damn close to it. – RH

Musically, this album is very profound.  Saadiq manages to capture the vibe of that era, from the production and the mixing to the overall sound of the album, making it reminiscent of a sound that captivated audiences for generations.  This is seen from the outset with the tracks “Sure Hope You Mean It” and “100 Yard Dash.”  The album then takes a turn down south with “Big Easy,” having one feel like they were in a speakeasy enjoying the beautiful music.  The crowning moment is found in the duet “Just One Kiss” featuring Joss Stone, mainly due to the chemistry between these two artists, which is quite great.  Serving as a tribute to the greats of the 60s, The Way I See It definitely gets the job done.  You can imagine some of the greats of that time sitting in on a session contributing to the music and taking it to greater heights, mainly due to just their presence alone.

And that is the issue with the album.  Yes, the music is great and Saadiq manages to catch lightening in a bottle with the production, but ironically, the album lacks soul.  At times, it seems like this album is a mere imitation of the music that he was influenced by being way to generic and not descriptive, having the listener feel the music, but not really relating to it.  All in all, this is a good album, but it is a wonder with a little bit of fine-tuning what this album could have been. – RH

With all but one song produced by the artist, Q-Tip manages to come with an eclectic vibe that is hard at times, but subtle at others, which blends the tracks together well, assisted by creative transitions in between songs. Lyrically, Q-Tip has not lost a step with his abstract flow and smooth delivery. Some examples are, the mellow “Getting’ Up,” the jazzy “Shaka,” the neo soulish Rafael Saadiq assisted “We Fight/Love,” and the cool Amada D featured “ManWomanBoogie.” One thing that can definitely be said is that the Abstract takes every opportunity to prove why his type of emceeing is needed, predominately because of the way that he puts words together through his unique style bringing a quality of originality to his music.

The downside of this album, although being musically superior, it still lacks variety, production wise. Probably because it is pretty much exclusively self-produced it comes off that way, but as far as being experimental or just differing in technique or instrumentation, this album is sorely deficient. But nonetheless, The Renaissance is a superb LP that offers a true artistic interpretation of life, all the while solidifying why Q-Tip is still relevant. – RH

“The Intro” sets the tone as Devin rhymes, ”Walk kinda lympish/Smell kinda hempish/Player type style/With the pen I’m kinda pimpish…” letting the average fan know that right out the gate you are getting what you are looking for, no more no less.  Devin continues only the way he can on tracks like “Getting High,” “She Want Me To Get Closer,” and “Makin’ It Hard.”  But what is most interesting on this album is Devin’s attempt at something different with “Searching” an eerie track of what you experience from a bad trip or prolonged usage of drugs of all types while making you laugh for a strange reason all at the same time.

The only flaw on this mixtape is when some of Devin’s crew try to hold their own on their own song, and being that their subject matter and delivery is so different from the featured artist, their attempts come off uneven and out of place.  But most importantly, aside from new artists and similar to greatest hits compilations, a mixtape cannot be fairly judged since it’s soul purpose is to give their fans material that they would not ordinary be able to retrieve while giving them the gift of more music from their favorite artist, or serving as a liaison to their next project.  And Smoke Sessions Vol. 1 is an example for that the average fan will not be disappointed and waiting or getting his next featured LP. – RH

The Recession begins beautifully with “The Recession (the Intro).”  Over a magnificent DJ Toomp beat, you hear testimonials from the average person trying to make it followed by Jeezy reinforcing the point with clever witty word play.  Later on the album, Mr. 17.5 speaks again on the downside of society on the Kanye West assisted “Put On” that serves not only as a public service announcement, but also as an anthem for the down and out.  But interestingly, Jeezy manages to touch on some topics that he normally wouldn’t as he talks to his critics of his lyrical ability on “Word Play”. He is also found getting quasi political on the Nas featured “My President,” proving that Jeezy is much more than a drug dealing thug, but someone with keen observations with a sound opinion.

But it is the middle of the album where things become disappointing.  If you were already a fan, one would be satisfied for that it is not out the ordinary of what you are used to hearing from Jeezy, but he manages to miss a real opportunity to expand on what he sees to be a tough times, but mixes it poorly with fast living and the same old topics on tracks like “Hustlaz Ambition,” “Amazing,” and “Welcome Back.”  But overall, Jeezy is on the right track proving that the dope boyz finally get it… – RH