Mee Blog - rap

First off, a statement should be made: It's definitely not a Hip-Hop album and I definitely don't consider it a typical "Kanye" album. So, I wouldn't think it fair to compare 808s and Heartbreak to any of his other solo albums. There's just no rapping on here.

This album has the feel of a side project . He had to get his feelings out about his Mom, his ex-fiance and the way he's dealing with the media attention he gets now. This is what he created. I think we all would have wanted a rap album from him, but instead, we got the musical manifestation of the emo haircut and bright yellow Asics. This can be compare to Outkast’s Andre 3000 venture from rap - The Love Below, although Love Below was more soulful, while this is more synth, more pop, more 80's. Although Kanye's name stamp on the album is redeemable quality, as he's proved himself so far as being someone who puts out quality music and his albums are usually an auto-cop for me because of this. But the album stands on its own merit.

Although It’s easy to lump this album with the T-Pain trend of Autotune, but this is completely different - Drums, rhythms, samples, keyboards, sound nothing like a T-Pain album. T-Pain has played it out on the R&B tip, and Lil’ Wayne has used it somewhat on mixtapes and such, as have countless other artists, but no rapper has made a whole album using it, combining rapping, and singing, with a completely unique soundscape.
Is it the most unique concept ever? No. But I definitely think this album is very different then what is going on anywhere else in the music industry, and I think the album will be huge.

Recommended Track:
“Love Lockdown”: The first single and undoubtedly the best song on the album.

If you were a fan of Non-Phixion, or more so if you've been a fan of Psycho+Logical records, you should dig this. It's more of the same from Ill Bill - governmental conspiracies, thug posturing, metal references etc. the lack of Nerco beats isn't really a problem as production is pretty uniformly solid here with sort of an epic gothic feel - not too different than Necro's vibe, but with more emphasis on the epic banger type of track than he usually does.

The only real missteps are the metal chorus from the lead singer of Soulfly on "War Is My Destiny," the chorus on "White Ni**er," (while I like the verses and beat, I could easily get the point and do without the chorus) a couple weak guest verses (Hero on "Too Young" needs to go), and the beats on "UBS" (The original version was laced with a Slayer sample. The album version of the beat is pretty bland). I was a little disappointed with the beat on the Raekwon track too.

Everything else is pretty enjoyable here - that is if you enjoy Psychological records. If not, I doubt this will convert you.
The grimy 90's formula is still present, but updated in a fashion so that it doesn't sound like a relic, or a self conscious throwback like a lot of underground dudes stuck in the 90's.

Recommended Track:
"Society is Brainwashed": Even if you don't like Ill Bill style, you may want to at least check this DJ Premier produced track. It sounds like it was pulled right out of Non Phixion's The Future Is Now sessions.

Is this the best G-Unit related album since The Massacre? You Bet. It is shockingly good actually. The latest two G-uniteseque albums, Beg For Mercy and Curtis, were the defining albums of a complacent G-Unit era. TOS is a return to the pre-Get Rich Or Die Trying mixtape steez G-Unit. The beats here are infinitely better than on Beg For Mercy and Lloyd Banks actually has me rewinding verses again - whatever he's doing with his voice, it works. He doesn't sound like Ben Stein any more. Even 50 raps like he still cares.

I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed much from G-Unit since Get Rich or Die Trying, and although I was not really expecting anything crazy from TOS, especially after hearing the radio joints, I had a lot of fun here, especially in the first half of the album. "Casualties of War", "Piano Man", and "No Days Off" are seriously all bangers. Content wise, it does not sound as if they're trying to justify neither hip hop nor NY, it's not nostalgic or overtly defensive. It's just some hard music which lacks the near-classic joints to keep it in rotation for long, and which occasionally falls through on the production tip, but never by much. I can live with that.

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This album will probably dominate my summer speakers.
After all of the album leaks, the slew of subpar and on par mixtapes that have been released over the past two years, I didn't think that this album could ever live up to expectations, but listening to this for the first time had me geeked like I used to get back as a youngling for new releases. In fact, the first 7 songs are all phenomenal. The beats are all pretty simple and loveable, allowing Wayne to be his weird ass self. Thank god for drugs.
What I love about Lil' Wayne is how he basically ignores the strict rules of the game that every other rapper lives by: giggling like a girl on tracks, messing around with the vocoder on every other song, and generally sounding out of his brains for the majority of the album. So take that as a warning, this album is unorthodox, and that might turn off some fans who decided to listen to the album due to the "Lollipop" hype. But it has a unique sound to it, and for most part - creative beats and entertaining flow and lyrics from Wayne.

Recommended Tracks:
"Comfortable": this track is the real shocker for me. It's a legitimate love song, from an angle you don't really see songwriters take. It gets to me a little, which is baffling. A Wayne song plucked my heart strings?!

"Nothin' On Me": Dope beat with an 80s meets 2K sound. Almost sounds like something the Neptunes would drop back in the "Superthug" era, and as a bonus, a dope Fabulous verse.

Bun B's second album came a few months after the death of his partner in rhyme, Pimp C, one half of UGK. And it seems that Bun has done everything to pack his new album with every kind of replacement for him, and filled the track list with guest appearances.
After admitting that he is not adapting at singing hooks and constructing full songs, he partnered with Lil' Wayne, Jodeci, Lupe Fiasco, David Banner and many, many more for a little help.
The album has a feel of a "Bun B Hosts..." more than a real solo effort by an artist that's molding himself a new career path after his group demise. But don't get me wrong – there are some great individual songs, and Bun seems a lot more focused, in terms of rhyming and production than the first Trill, while the production feels more intense. And although nothing is really touching the obvious bangers of his debut, such as "Draped up" or "Get Throwed", the album as a whole is more coherent and stable. So this is where Bun B stands: familiar production, solid rhymes, but overall a little rudimentary compared to what is expect of an artist of his caliber.

Recommanded Track:
"Damn I'm Cold": Not Bun's usual surrounding – Hammond Organ and a soul sample accompany Lil' Wayne and Bun's rhymes, but the result is astounding. Soulful rendition of everything that's right with southern rap right now.

"When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold" star isn't the cool booklet of children stories found in the 40 page hardback or DVD that both come with the deluxe edition, or the mature raps displayed here, but rather in the production of the album, by Rhymesayers in-house beat maker, ANT.

ANT has always come correct with beats, but he never really worked outside the Rhymesayers collective so he didn't develop into a household name. He should be, but he isn't. The beats on this album prove that he clearly deserves to be mentioned alongside star producers like Jake One, Madlib, RJD2, and 9th Wonder. From "Lucy Ford", his first album, you could sense that ANT has a really gifted ear and a knack at pulling the right samples. On When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold he puts in one of his best efforts I've heard

The other side of the duo is Slug, the MC, now closer to 40 than he is to20, and it shows in his raps, since there is only so much groupie talk or bathroom throwing-up you can take per artist. I think Slug is at the point in his career where he reckoned he can make more mature music. The average Atmosphere fan may not appreciate the album on first listen, but the older ones (like myself) will actually enjoy the growth. His singing is an abomination, but nonetheless seems to work in some cases (take "You" for example). "When Life Gives You…" shows Slug with confidence in his flow and a more relaxed rhyme pattern. From the bluesy melodies to the soft-spoken raps, Sean seems to have adjusted his comfort zone. I'd imagine that at about 8 minutes into the album you'll see what I'm talking about.

The album starts off good, but finishes great. This is worthy of one of your few 2008 purchases. I'm not labeling it classic or the best album of 2008, I am saying this is a really good album that can only get better with each listen. From the structure of the beats to the ripe raps Slug has given us, "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold" does not disappoint.

Recommended Tracks:

"The Waitress": Slug moves to 3rd person mode, and laments on an unstructured relationship on a wonderful jazz sample.

"Painting": On some mellow summer time tip, this song has that intangible infectiousness that will get into your head and haunt you.

Gunning for the worst pun in rap music's history and Nelly's sing songy radio friendly lane, Flo Rida is the latest artist rising from the southern rappers assembly line.

Flo rida's 2nd single, "Low", has been a huge success, spending 10 weeks as the number 1 single in the United States. It seems like the first half of the album is doing its best to duplicate the hit with similar songs, with a remarkably low rate of success.
The problem is that the album is sloppy and casual, the rapper running through his routines with some skill - but they still are routines.
There is just no substance on this album at all, Everything sounds forced and fake. It’s like he heard one Nelly song and decided that this whole flow thing was for him. Previously released songs like "Birthday", "Radio" and "Man in the Mirror" could have acted as a counter to the overly generic pop-sync melodic-flow formula the album sticks to so faithfully, but alas, they aren’t included in the album. The album could end up being another "Country Grammar" with like 5 singles and Flo Rida actually going platinum (multi if you consider the ringtones), but the problem lays with the LP itself, which gives a feeling of going through the motions, and nothing else.

Recommended Track by our Musicologist:

"Elevator": the Timbaland produced single suits Flo Rida best, as it zig-zags between 80’s up-tempo pop and an urban club drum kit.

Odds are I like Fat Joe more than you, so factor in some bias, but this album is incredible.
The production is strong, almost shockingly strong. The balance between singles and street bangers is perfect (or as close to it as you are going to get in 2008). Granted, there are a couple of mistakes ("Drop" and "I Wont Tell"), but overall this is the best Fat Joe album in a very long time. I thought "Me, Myself" and I was a great return to form, but this destroys what he did on that album. His flow is as good as it has ever been.
First half of the album is your typical synthesized Cool & Dre/DJ Khaled, Miami faggot hop that only Rick Ross does well, tracks 6 -12 are much better, with "Preacher on a Sunday" and "That White" being the best tracks overall.

Recommended Tracks by our musicologist:
"That White": Easily one of the top 5 DJ Premier productions of recent years. The track feels and sounds like a DITC homage done justice.

"Preacher On Sunday": KRS-One and Joe go back and forth on the track, in a surprisingly honest (and dope) way.