Jay-Z - 4:44 album review
Jay-Z drags to the death the overuse
and usage of the word “nigga” all over the place making the track
annoying and tiresome. Jay-Z could proved his point a lot better than he
already did . There are all kinds of African Americans. Story of OJ is
about the hardships of African Americans over the course in American
history. Jay-Z covers grounds of racism on 4:44 as well.
The
song 4:44 is about a coded timeline of the relationship between Jay-Z
and his mother. 4:44 relates to the events they went through. Jay-Z was
influenced by the sounds of Jazz when writing this song and the 4:44
album. Overall 4:44 is a fusion of Jazz and rap thus resulting in the
sub-genre of Jazz Rap.
Moonlight samples The Dayton Family -
Real With This and Whodini - Friends. Notice the trademark boombox.
Caught Their Eyes pays ode and tribute to Prince for who Jay-Z
befriended before his death.
The album is shit. Jay-Z can record
an album better than this one such as Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint
for instance. 4:44 is worse than the Magna Carta album. It seems that
the 4:44 album was a cut and paste project.
0/5Ø.
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Ashley Ballard - Get in the Booth album review
Dance With Me made an impact in the dance music scene by charting at #5 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart in 2001. In timespan range of one week, Dance With Me charted onto the Billboard Pop Hot 100 Singles chart. Pop meets dance music on Dance With Me. Ashley Ballard is a true natural when performing Dance With Me. Her natural talent shines on this song.
I’ll Be Waiting is a smooth mellow pop song that is accompanied with an acoustic guitar playing in the background while following the beat. The acoustic guitar follows the beat a slow steady pace. I'll Be Waiting is a “hold you in my heart” type of song.
Back in the early 2000’s, the song Forever was #1 on the Soundclick Charts. Yes Soundclick! Ashley shows off her light vocals on the song Forever. Of course Forever is a love song. It’s catchy with sweet vocals.
Love is Real is a simple uptempo love song. The odd sound effects are strangely great on this simple song. RnB meets pop on the song Love is Real. Very well done with great vocals and chorus.
Hi Low is similar to the likes of the song 5 x 5. However Hi Low is mid-tempo compared to the rest of the album. Clearly it’s another catchy pop song. Atlantic Records should have chosen Hi Low to be a single and not just the promoting song Hottie as a single for which it was.
Hypnotized has a pop flair and pop feel. High powered synths accompany the processed beats of this upbeat pop song. You can’t help but follow the direction the beats go in as the beats seem to all go in different directions. Hypnotized is both high powered and high spirited due to the pop flair.
Ashley Ballard hypnotizes us as the listeners to her commands on the first verse.:
Look into my eyes
You're feeling sleepy
When I click my fingers
You'll wake up and not remember a thing
You're hypnotized
O-oh
Everything feels like a dream to her, but it’s reality on the song All I Ever. The first verse is a prime example to back that sentence up. It's like a dream to her but it’s reality. Fantasy and reality meet each other on the pop song All I Ever.
The way you make me feel
It's like a dream to me
Almost a fantasy
But it's reality
It is clear to thus as the listeners that Ashley is in high spirits during the bridge of this song. She is feeling so alive and high in spirit. Ashley can't deny how she feels inside.
Read the lyrics of the bridge to this song below.:
You got me high
Feeling so alive
Everything about you
You know I like
The instrumentation arrangements for this album are laid out in a manner of perfection. The beats follow the rhythm and the high powered synths accompany the processed beats. There are no fillers. Ashley Ballard - Get in the Booth is a wonderful album for all to enjoy. Fans of pop music will appreciate listening to this album. She has that Southern California vibe in her.
It’s a shame Get in the Booth wasn't released publicly as a retail album. Atlantic Records was supposed to release her debut album in 2001 on CD. It's unfortunate that this album got shelved by Atlantic Records in the same year. Atlantic Records really dropped the ball when they failed to promote her career properly. They had lost a star with true talent.
5/5*****!
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J-Mac – BO$$ Hoggin album review
J-Mac – BO$$ Hoggin came on CD from Pup Dog Records based outta Arkansas in 1998. J-Mac himself is a raw rapper that released another raw underground rap album such as this one here. If you are looking for explicit raw underground rap, then this album is the right album for you. Old school beats over G-Funk sines and sounds is what this album contains. The underground rap sound is prevalent here too. Mark Jones and Ardell produced this album of course.
It's a Little Rock/Memphis connection on this album. With Ska Face and Al Kapone from Memphis, Tennessee & Big Dank, D. Nelson, and VOS from Little Rock, Arkansas. Little Rock meets Memphis on this album.
4/5****!
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Victims of Society - Untitled album review
Victims of Society was a one time gangsta rap group from the 1990s outta Little Rock, Arkansas. The untitled album would serve as a demo album for their debut album On The Run which was released in 1995 on Pup Dog Records. Untitled was a demo on cassette. Playa Swang has a hip hop and R&B/Swing type of feel. Hip hop meets R&B swing. The gangsta rap vibe is there. The title "Playa Swang" is appropriate for the song. Hustlers and Players is a typical gangster rap track.
5/5*****!
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Victims of Society - On The Run album review
Victims of Society was a one time gangsta rap group from the 1990s outta Little Rock, Arkansas. On The Run was released in 1995 on Pup Dog Records. Many of their songs came from the Untitled demo cassette such as Playa Swang and Hustlers and Players. Mark Jones and Ardell Allen produced this VOS album as their produced their demo prior to the 1995 debut album. Who knew Little Rock had such a dope rap scene?!
The sounds of smooth gangsta rap, hip hop, and R&B swing can be heard throughout this album. For example the smooth gangsta rap sound on G Shit.
Playa Swang has a hip hop and R&B/Swing type of feel. Hip hop meets R&B swing. The gangsta rap vibe is there. The title "Playa Swang" is appropriate for the song. Having hip hop meet R&B swing was a genius idea as Hip Hop and R&B/Swing was popular at the time. Ardell Allen produced this song.
G Shit has that smooth gangsta rap sound from the 1990s. Who knew that Little Rock had such raw rap talent? Smooth is one word to describe the song G Shit. On Death Row is a gothic song that has a negative mood. The futures describes in this song are bleak.
5/5*****!!
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Lil Capn Travis - For All the Trick or Treaters EP review
For All the Trick or Treaters was an EP that was released on CD in 2003 by their own independent label Sleep Bunny Music in Austin, Texas. This EP would serve as a prelude and precursor to their 2004 album In All Their Splendor which was released on Glurp Records from Seattle, Washington. 4 songs were included on this EP. To all LCT fans, if you were looking for a full album, you will be disappointed as this recording is an EP.
This EP was locally in the Austin area only which is why the EP is highly sought after by LCT fans. The EP itself is rare and quite hard to find in stores. LCT's EP sold for $2 to $3 at Waterloo Records at the time the recording was sold. But that alone does not stop the album from being difficult to find.
For All the Trick or Treaters is the title track to this EP. Powerful psychedelic rock music is what is played on the song. Their songcraft/songwriting is as powerful and trippy as ever. The song has a foggy mellow vibe. Oddly the vibe is not spooky. Take notice the two-step used in this song. Overall this track is the best track off the EP. With Caroline is a teenage love song. The EP finalizes with the mystical song Magic Of December. Magic Of December is a hard rock driven ballad song. The song sort of has a country music feel.
5/5*****!!
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Military Thugs - It’s Da Military Thugs single review
Military Thugs from Southfield, Michigan represent a militaristic style of thug rap and a militaristic style of rap. Militaristic rap meets thug rap on this single. It’s Da Military Thugs single represents a more militaristic style of rap more so than thug rap or gangsta rap music. While the production quality is rather subpar and low, the beats compensate for the lack of high quality production. The vocal quality is rather low and subpar as well for many of the songs included on this single.
6 N Da Morning is about militaristic morning life in the military. The windy flute playing the high musical notes help the song 6 N Da Morning give off a militaristic feel. The vocal quality and production quality is rather low and subpar.
It’s 6 in the morning and the Military Thugs are late for formation. Another day of these damn frustrations. If the Military Thugs had things their way, they would be in Detroit. Military Thugs are still drunk off that E & J. The duo experiences the side effects of a hangover after drinking too much alcohol. By the time they line up in formation they are sober. The sergeant does not play games. Today is the day of the 7 mile roll march. During the 7 mile march, they step over several holes. The duo’s legs start to hurt and their feet are on fire.
2nd call happens during 9 AM. Their running their run during 9 AM. Of course they are dirty and sweaty from all that running around the military base. The government trains soldiers in the military to be built to last long. So this of course is not unusual. It’s no later than 6:30 PM after the run. The Military Thugs are hungry. Their boots are ready for inspection. They later participate in PT at 6 in the morning.
It’s Da Military Thugs represents a style of militaristic rap. More so than thug rap or gangsta rap music. It’s Da Military Thugs is a heavy bass ridden rap song with upbeat shimmering beats. Militaristic rap meets thug rap on the song It’s Da Military Thugs.
It’s Da Basstramental is a heavy bass ridden instrumental of the song It’s Da Military Thugs hence the appropriate title for this instrumental track of It’s Da Military Thugs. The production quality is rather subpar and low. The beats, however, compensate for the lack of high quality production.
5/5*****!
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