Posts tagged album review

RapRadar has been putting out best/worst lists all week long including best/worst albums, singles as well as the most underrated albums and most disappointing albums.

Wale’s “Attention Deficit” was selected as #4 as 2009’s most underrated album. I’ve been keeping up with their selections and was most surprised and happy with the pick of Wale’s album because honestly, Attention Deficit was an incredible album with such quality that it should have moved many more units and should have gotten more hype.

Check out what they had to say: “Wale ain’t famous but all the famous people know him. Ha. Although, critically-acclaimed, Attention Deficit hasn’t fully connected to the general public and that’s a damn shame. It’s a solid debut that displays the promise of an even brighter future. Few MCs are versatile enough to make a record with Lady Gaga (“Chillin”) and Gucci Mane (“Pretty Girls”) and sounds as comfortably in command. Tell me the Tribe-inspired “World Tour” doesn’t knock. Can’t get Kanye to give you a track, fuck it, make a song he wish he wrote (“90210″). Still my personal favorite “Prescription” best represents the DMV’s finest, he’s lost in the sounds of the band and the lyrics are flowing like fine wine. I’ll take a refill.”

I always like shouting out new music and Max at Hold My Coat always come around with good stuff. Check out the EP by Mouth’s Cradle along with an track-by-track review.

Download “Baby Teeth” HERE <———————

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This is the official EP, “Baby Teeth” from up and coming duo, “Mouth’s Cradle” presented exclusively here at Hold My Coat.

Hold My Coat Review:

Quite rarely do you stumble upon someone like Mouf (Kevin Hegedus) and BLinn (Brandon Linn), and I mean that.  Mouf is a cluster of Chester French and Rob Roy, he can rap, sing, and absolutely murder any hook.  BLinn is the producer behind the scenes as well as the live show DJ, dude continues to make consistently dope beats.  The first track I ever heard from this duo was, “Honey from a Stone,” and I was quite impressed, until I heard their second song, “Cool,” and realized Mouf can most definitely spit.  This is an EP that will prove to everyone that this Syracuse University students mean business, and will soon be making quite a name for themselves.

1. Honey from a Stone

Everyone I’ve sent this to can’t stop singing.  This is the perfect example of Mouf’s abilities to create an absurdly catchy hook, and is definitely the pop track on the album that won’t be soon forgotten.

2. Cool

“Cuz that camels name is Kevin.”  Mouf absolutely destroys this beat, showing his abilities not just as a singer, but also as an MC.  His flow is on point, and it makes you want to hear more rap from Mouf.

3. Sleepydead (ft. Passion Pit)

This track is just fun.  And of course, Passion Pit brings the fire with their hit song backing the vocals, “Sleepyhead,” although BLinn absolutely twists the entire song to give it a whole different feel.

4. Meniscus

Mouf shows he’s just as capable as a one-man band, as he provides the vocal loops for this song, with a hard drum kick from BLinn.

5. Thank You!

Who would ever think to sample Golden Girls?  Mouf spits again on this absolutely ridiculous beat from BLinn, great ending to the EP.

Download “Baby Teeth” HERE

“Picture every guilty pleasure you’ve ever had; 50’s soul, garage rock, ABBA, video game music and white boy hip-hop. Roll it up into a blur of B-Linn laptop beats and Mouf’s frenzied lyricism, and you’re pretty close. If you can imagine the musical equivalent of a sugar-rush, you can probably get a solid picture of Mouth’s Cradle.”

-O, Morning Records

we’re going to take a different approach on this review than the review for “Before I Self Destruct”. instead of a song-by-song analysis, i’m going to just do a regular old general overview review.

Let me just say that a lot of people were doubting Wale’s release and it honestly is a quality record. i personally am impressed…

The album starts off triumphantly with trumpets and horns giving us a taste of Wale’s African roots. the first track “Triumph” is a great intro to the album and lets us bump thru to the next song. what I really like about this track are the bongos, drums and horns. it’s something really different that you don’t usually hear in hip-hop. the second track “Mama Told Me” continues the horns and African themed beat. it tells of Wale’s awe with how his career has grown so successful and it’s a great track for a freshman album. almost all of the remaining tracks on the album leave the heavy horns behind and we are returned to hip-hop that we recognize. the third track is “Mirrors” featuring Bun B and this track is a real catchy asking “mirror mirror on the wall who the realest of them all”. after “Mirrors”, we get to the real juicy part of the album with Wale’s singles bunched together.

The next group of songs can all gain radio play, that’s how quality this album is. “Pretty Girls” is a fun track with Gucci Mane and “World Tour” featuring Jazmine Sullivan is a real banger. “Let it Loose” features Pharrell has Pharrell’s cool chill beats with his relaxed vocals on the hook. these last three tracks are amazing and i was surprised with how good they are and the album isnt even half way through yet. the next track “90210” is about Beverly Hills girls, celebrity status, bulimia, and coke addiction. you would think that this song would have a message but it’s just a statement/summary of what’s going on in that life. there really isnt a positive message coming out of it. there is, however, a positive message on the next track “Shades” featuring Chrisette Michele. it tells how the color of your skin doesnt matter and that in this world we have a lot of different shades. it has an interesting, different sounding chorus with Chrisette Michele’s vocals so check it out. she has a cool style that hasnt been heard in hiphop.

the next track, everyone knows and loves, “Chillin” featuring the crazy Lady Gaga. in Wale’s latest mixtape “Back to the Feature” he collaborated with fellow African K’naan. K’naan is featured on “TV in the Radio” and it’s a new sounding track with more African/urban sounding beats with the return to the horns that Wale loves. my favorite track on the album is the next one that samples Rihanna called “Contemplate”. the beat is somber and heavy and the hook using Rihanna’s vocals just kills. Wale does a good job of using good titles for his songs because you can catch the drift of what his message is by just reading the song title and once you listen to the song and look at the song title again, you see the smarts behind Wale. the next track “Diary” featuring Marsha Ambrosius has a weird, slow beat and i dont like it too much, i’m not the biggest fan of the last few tracks on the album.

i do like “Beautiful Bliss” though featuring new RocNation MC J.Cole and vocalist Melanie Fiona. sit in your car at the turn of spring from winter and turn this song on, pull down the windows and turn the volume up. you will not be disappointed. the beat is great and the chorus with Melanie Fiona’s vocals makes this one of the stars of the album. going with the theme of the album name Attention Deficit, “Prescription” ends the album with a song with reference to drug abuse but that’s not the overall message. the soft bells and bongos send the album off in a similar way that it started but without the powerful horns.

the music in the album is amazing but Wale doesnt just succeed with beats and music, his lyrics also kill and he doesnt hold back. this is Wale’s first album and it is a great one. i love his music but sometimes, you cant help but just turn the track on and listen to the words and not the music. my favorite tracks, apart from the three previously released singles (World Tour, Pretty Girls, Chillin) are 90210, Contemplate, Beautiful Bliss and Let it Loose. two songs that can be “sleepers” and possibly great hits are Mirrors and Triumph, maybe maybe maybe TV in the Radio.

i give Wale’s freshman release “Attention Deficit” a rating of 8.5/10.

i definitely recommend buying this album. it’s full of singles and has a relatively okay flow to it but there are songs on there that everyone will find appealing. there’s something for everyone on there.

I’m going to be ending the day with quick updates in these big bold announcement things.
Here’s what to look out for tomorrow: a quick review of Wale’s Attention Deficit. It won’t be a long song-by-song review like i did for 50 Cent but it’ll be thorough enough touching on what i liked/disliked, etc… Also look out for another song i’m going to post along with a new artist feature.

LETS GOOOO

none other than, Sebastian

50 Cent’s newest project, Before I Self Destruct, gets released a week from yesterday but i already got a copy. Why did i already get a copy? Don’t ask stupid questions (haha).

Let me give a break down of what i thought about the album but in summary, if you liked Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and The Massacre, you shouldn’t dislike this album. It’s not more of the same because 50 hasn’t been putting out this kind of music for a while.

Track 1: The Invitation. This song is a crazy introduction to 50’s album with lines like “you want some, come get some/it’s murder one when i toss my gun” and “i just squeeze and squeeze til the whole clip come/you just bleed and bleed til the police come”. Sure, they are disturbing and violent lyrics but they are what 50 Cent is known for.

Track 2: Then Days Went By. This track slows it down a bit and talks about a chick. He obviously throws in some crazy lyrics but this slowed down jam is something you can bop to after The Invitation infuriated you with violent energy.

Track 3: Death to My Enemies. The title explains it all. 50 realized after The Massacre that people weren’t feeling the whole violent message in his music so he made a movie with the accompanying soundtrack and then the album Curtis. He soon found out that the soft, non-violent stuff wasn’t as popular so he’s back with a vengeance. The hook includes the line “i bring money to my n****s that bring death to my enemies”. I can understand that people don’t like this message but it’s what he’s good at. It’s like expecting Justin Timberlake to do well at a heavy metal song. He can’t because it’s not his niche. Non-violent stuff is not 50’s niche.

Track 4: So Disrespectful. This track was leaked weeks before the album dropped and it’s on fire. What’s good about this album and song is that 50 doesn’t hold back with lyrics or who he swings at. He talks about being disrespectful and talking smack to people like being in a higher tax bracket and somewhere that people can’t reach. The song starts off with some weird crazy lyrics but you can’t get past the hook and beat just getting you to listen to this song over and over again. You might even hear it on the radio.

Track 5: Psycho featuring Eminem. The undeniably unstoppable duo are back at it together. The last time you might recall they were on a track together was for Patiently Waiting off Get Rich or Die Tryin’. What i like about 50’s style is that he’s condescending and constantly tells people that he’s crazy and that they can’t mess with him. Psycho is nothing different. Eminem’s verse doesn’t disappoint either. Every time i hear this song i can’t help but think about Patiently Waiting

Track 6: Hold Me Down. It’s a “love song” about a girl telling her that she’s important and that 50 needs her to hold him down. There’s nothing more to say than it maintains having heavy beats like the rest of the album but the message and lyrics are more “romantic” for lack of a better word.

Track 7: Crime Wave. The title says it all. This track was also released early, it was the first leaked track after the release of “Baby By Me”. Just take a guess at what this song is about, 50 Cent protecting his empire and telling haters that if they try to screw him, he’s going to get back at them with a crime wave.

Track 8: Stretch. The little summaries and reviews of each song keep getting shorter because there’s only so much to say about 50’s music. Each song is a different short-story of violence. The good thing is that they’re all the same but it doesn’t get repetitive because they’re original. This song is about drug dealing and stretching your product. Some stuff just makes me chuckle…

Track 9: Strong Enough. With all due respect to 50, i’m not going to write anything else about this song. Just scroll up and read what i wrote before. This song is slower than the other bangers though.

Track 10: Get It Hot. When this song started on my iTunes, i thought it was “So Seductive” because the beat is very similar. This song though is about girls wanting 50. Here’s a line “she want me, why you think she want me”.

Track 11: Gangsta’s Delight. This one is a little gangsta parody/tribute to Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”. The beat is a little electro and 50 starts off with the same song format as “Rapper’s Delight” but it takes a 50 Cent twist. It’s actually pretty good/funny and keeps you listening.

Track 12: I Got Swag. Let’s leave it at this song combining all the songs about being the shit, not being able to be taken down and seducing girls all in one. It’s a 50 Cent song orgy.

Track 13: Baby By Me. You all know this song by now already. if you dont, get on this quick. it features Ne-Yo and it is FIRE. this is what you hear on your radio all day everyday. “have a baby by me baby be a millionaire”

Track 14: Do You Think About Me. 50 slows it down for this song and instead of getting the girls running to him with his boisterous lyrics, he asks the chicks if they’re thinking about him.

Track 15: OK, You’re Right. This is the second to last song of the regular edition CD, without the bonus tracks and 50 goes hard all the way thru. there are barely any tracks (maybe one or two) that are not straight fire songs. 50 Cent calms down with this track by listening to his critics and instead of getting mad and “killing” them, he gets them to shut up by saying that they’re right but that they dont know what they’re talking about.

Track 16: Could’ve Been You featuring R. Kelly. Did i read that right? does it say R Kelly? Yeah it does, R. Kelly is featuring on this track donating his vocals to the last track on the album. The song has drum beats with a snare and maracas. It’s just a regular old song with no specific message but the one that everyone loves, live large and just chill with your girl.

Overall rating for this album: 9/10

I gave it a 9 because not all the songs made me beat my head but Crime Wave, So Disrespectful, Psycho, Baby by Me, Death to My Enemies and others made the album too good to give a low rating.

On another note, i’ve only given one album in my (recent) life a 10/10 and that was Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon”.

everyone stay tuned for my review of 50 Cent’s “Before I Self Destruct” tomorrow or the day after. got an advance release copy and i’ll break it down. but let me tell you something, it is some quality throwback 50 Cent on this. no Curtis Jackson nonsense, this goes hard!