Drama Gangsta Grillz: The Album [review]

I've actually been waiting for this CD for a bit. After the feds swooped down on him, I assumed he was going to put the whole project on freeze, so I applaud Drama, Don Cannon and the rest of the AMG fam for pressing on and creating this opus, which combines the hot beats of a dope mixtape and, well, the ridiculous rhymes of a dope mixtape.

"The Setup"
The intro to this disc is a skit showing what probably happened during the raid of Drama and Cannon's studios. It's done well, but it's not really funny or anything, plus it's predictable - I knew dude was going to throw this disc in his CD player after the raid. It'd be a dope setup to the album if this was something that was constant throughout the CD.

"Gangsta Grillz (ft. Lil' Jon)"
Lil' Jon gets his nigga on, being crazy ignorant and non-rappin'. Big bottomed beat on this one, which is basically a minute and a half of Jon talkin'. Yawn.

"Takin' Pictures (ft. Young Jeezy, Willie The Kid, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Young Buck And T.I.)"
Dame Grease produced a heater of a track on this. It's a simple enough melody, but it has that intensity and fury. Big anthem for those d-boys and shit on the block. Jeezy lets us know he wants to be a crack dealer, Willie tries to sound relevant, Jimmy still drops "ballin'!" adlibs, Rick Ross sounds like Jeezy with swag, and Young Buck is just happy to be included. T.I. waxes everything without really saying anything. One of the highlights of this disc.

"Keep It Gangsta (ft. Yo Gotti, Webbie & Lil' Boosie)"
What a waste. Wack beat, wack MCs, predictable all the way through.

"Cannon (Remix) (ft. Lil' Wayne, Willie The Kid, Freeway & T.I.)"
The original was a wild number with Busta Rhymes and Tip going for broke over a heater of a Cannon track. This one doesn't top it, sadly. You'd think someone like Weezy could do the track justice, but he's spat better on lesser beats. I am not feeling Willie at all... he sounds like he's trying to be Papoose, like that's hot. Freeway does the beat justice, and Tip sounds weird, like he had a cold. Why touch ill shit?

"Makin' Money Smokin' (ft. Willie The Kid & LA The Darkman)"
Why? ... answer me that.

"5000 Ones (ft. Nelly, T.I., Diddy, Yung Joc, Willie The Kid, Young Jeezy & Twista)"
The pre-requisite skrip club track. And it sucks. It tries everything to be "Make It Rain", but fails. Ultimately, an expensive turd.

"The Art Of Storytellin' Part 4 (ft. OutKast & Marsha Ambrosius)"
Noz already let you guys know how ill the Andre verse is. Cannon's beat is a gem, understated and smooth, letting true MCs do what they need to. Probably the most Hip-Hop track on the disc, and another true highlight.

"Katt Williams Interlude"
What's pimpin', pimpin'? Katt just doing his thing, talkin' about smokin' weed and being his hilarious self. Not really necessary, but I am a fan.

"187 (ft. Project Pat, BG and Eightball & MJG)"
This track got that 808 drum rockin'. Project Pat's flow got old years ago, but its funny to hear him say shit the way he speaks. Not really a track you put on to get into. It's one of those tracks that you end up keeping on when you are passing a dutch in a car on a cold night. You don't want to listen to it, but it's OK enough to let ride.

"The Mad DJ"
Dumb interlude where some white girl buys the Gangsta Grillz mixtape while some dumb dude wants a DJ AlmostDoesn'tCount mixtape. I don't know many mixtape sellers who will tell you that they don't want to sell you something. That never happens in my hood.

"Beneath The Diamonds (ft. Devin The Dude, Twista, LA The Darkman & Mr. Porter)"
Some pimp shit. Lovin' that smoooth ass beat. I mean anything with Twista AND Devin The Dude is beautiful idea. D12's Mr. Porter does his thing with the beats though.

"Talk About Me (ft. Young Buck, Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo)"
I love this beat. Nottz is the man with his. Young Buck's verse and chorus are laughable. Lloyd phones in his 16, and Yayo... Yayo. I know MCs like to do doubles, to accent certain lines and shit. Yayo sounds like he's trying to be his own hypeman, which sucks when all of his lyrics are garbage.

"No More (ft. Lloyd, Willie The Kid & T.I.)"
Is this an attempt at a radio single? If so, it sucks. And why is Willie The Kid all over this? He is not someone you should be building an empire around.

"Diddy Interlude"
Diddy sucks on Drama's dick. Explains why Dram is called "Mr. Thanksgiving". Yawn.

"Throw Ya Sets Up (ft. Yung Joc, Willie The Kid, Jadakiss And LA The Darkman)"
Why Jadakiss is in between these bullshit MCs is a great Question. Cannon's got a batch of beastly beats. I think, with a beat this fierce, they coulda took out Willie, Joc and LA and put in, like, Beanie Sigel, Ghostface and who knows... Kool G Rap or some shit. They fucked the dog on this one.

"Aye (ft. Young Dro & Big Kuntry King)"
P$C in the house. I'm not the biggest fan of either Dro or Kuntry, but this has a nice bop to it. The Runners are everywhere... on the low.

"Grillz Gleamin' (ft. Lil' Scrappy, Bohagon, Diamond & Princess (Of Crime Mob))"
What a bunch of bullshit. Is that an R. Kelly sample in this? This beat sounds unfinished. And the rhymes sound unfocused. Too weak of a track this late in the disc.

"Gettin' Money (ft. Paul Wall, Killa Kyleon, Lil' Keke & Slim Thug)"
Texas in the house. Nice laidback 'Lac ridin' music. Not that that's always dope, but you can chief and bop to this one.

"Outro"
The boss at the precinct gets upset because they busted mixtape DJs. That's the only connection to "The Setup", which is just sad, given the potential for commentary Dram could have exhibited.

"Cheers (ft. Pharrell & The Clipse)"
Dope Khao beat, with some sly bass in it. Skateboard P said this is for the fly Spanish girls, then just spits garbage. Pusha & Malice let us know that they can murk beats that are NOT Neptunes creations. Fire.

I'm disappointed. The potential = right there. Don Cannon, fly guest MCs, but this is just like your misguided mixtapes. No underlying, interconnecting theme. No genre-defining moments. It has some dope tracks on it, but it's muddied by a host of wack rappers, tired beats, and seems to be thrown together to capitalize on old trends.

rock the dub gives Gangsta Grillz: The Album a 2.5 out of 5. The pros don't outweight the cons by a long shot. If you want to sip on some 'gac and puff a few blunts, this is the soundtrack to that. If you are looking for the real, you will be more disappointed than anything.

Burn Deez: "The Art Of Storytellin' Part 4", "Talk About Me", "Takin' Pictures"

related links:
DJ Drama on MySpace
The Aphilliates website
Gangsta Grillz website

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Scarface Made [review]

I knew that this CD would be good, but I was still surprised at how consistently dope this disc was. I've been a fan of Scarface's, but for some reason I don't own a lot of his material. I am going to change that very soon, and his 7th (and final?) solo LP, Made, made me do it...

"Intro"
Pretty straight forward on this intro. We reestablish that we hate you punk ass snitches, you B.A.N.'s, and we reppin' for them real niggas. And damn, 'Face been doing the damn thing for 20 years? Holla...

"Never"
Best track on the album, and the first new Scarface track I heard off this joint. Just has that hypnotic beat, and the way he plays his rhymes off the "never" sample in the beat was a nice touch. If you wanted to know what 'Face stood for, just put this one on and listen carefully. Real nigga quotes through and through.

"Big Dogg Status (ft. Wacko)"
Nice, 808-and-fake organ beat. Dude is just straight boastin' in this one, slippery smooth flow with that hard edge to it. Thick funk for the trunks.

"Girl You Know (ft. Trey Songz)"
This is the single. Scarface is lettin' you ho's who stay with the Q&A that he is gonna do whatever he wants, but he still loves you. Sort of. Nottz did his thing on the beat.

"Burn (ft. Z-Ro)"
Stone-cold killer feel. Scarface puts you in the passenger seat, letting you know what's going through the mind of a dude who just took someone's life and is escaping from the scene. That chorus is so involved. So involved.

"Go (ft. Nina)"
I feel like this a lot - just need to get the fuck out of the spot every now and again. Get out of everything and just go zone out. Not that you hate your family, you just need time for delf. This beat isn't the dopest, and while the chorus works, I could have done without it personally.

"Dollar"
Tone Capone with a wild track on this one. Scarface comes from the gut with this flow. The beat has these sounds that remind me of raindrops, or could it be change falling from the sky? I don't like the chorus on this one either.

"Boy Meets Girl (ft. Tanya Herron)"
One of the top tracks on this disc. This is some ghetto Romeo & Juliet shit. The story catches you in the end, and it's worth the wait. Another funky number, but on the slower pace.

"Who Do You Believe In"
Dude reminds me of Pac on this one. Just goes extra hard and poetic into the social commentary. Nice, organic sounding beat. I'd love to hear 'Face rock these tracks live with a band behind him. I also like how the chorus is just the title said twice, and the rest is left blank. Dope track.

"Git Out My Face"
Hardcore Hip-Hopera. Complete with an opera chorus singing some shit about "fake ass niggas". The way the strings are worked with that beat are dope, too. One of the most original beats on the album, and a bit off center from the rest of the disc, but one of the sleeper gems. Scarface just goes at it on this one.

"The Suicide Note"
Not since Biggie's "Suicidal Thoughts" has a Hip-Hop track about death left me speechless. Super storytelling on this one, with 'Face delving into a situation where he leaves a suicidal friend only to have to turn back around to a grisly discovery. Ill, too ill.

"Outro"
Instrumental of the beat from the intro. Really moody, macabre shit. Cinematic almost.

All in all, one great Hip-Hop album. I am upset that Scarface is planning on not doing any solo albums anymore, for he is one of the only guys who can, lyrically, keep you involved throughout an entire long player by himself. You see those features? Those are all cats on hooks - Face shares no verses. And he doesn't need to. He seems to never smile, but for the dark, gritty, real life subject matter, no smiles or happiness is needed. Know what you expect, and give this elder-statesman of Hip-Hop his props.

rock the dub gives Made a 4 out of 5. For what it is, it performs perfectly. Dope beats, raw rhymes, and a constant theme. 'Face does it the best.

Burn Deez: "Git Out Of My Face", "The Suicide Note", "Never", "Burn"

"Girl You Know" video:

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Barak Yalad A Loss For Words [review]

Calling both Springfield, Mass. and Brooklyn, NY home, Barak Yalad is one of the Rawkus 50, and his debut album, A Loss For Words, was released on the 27th of November. Dude is super lyrical, and the beats are definitely unique. Let's track-by-track this jawn:

"Intro"
Yalad is mad humble. He don't care if you download it, bootleg it, or whatever, he's just happy to have an album out after 18 years in the game. I love the weird backwards-sample loops in the beat. Kind of a random intro, but hey, it could be on some dumb shit like some other MCs...

"The Beginning"
Oooooo... any track that wheels itself mid-verse gets an instant grin from me. The beat is just ill by itself - imagine a Gregorian chant being looped and pitched, then add a funky bassline and tight drums to it. Def. takes me back to the headnodding tracks of '98. Dude's got rhymes galore, something that makes the title of this album mad ironic, but his voice and delivery reminds me of Pharoahe Monch during the later Organized Konfusion days, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. That chorus is kind of lacking, but whatever.

"Music"
I'm not a big fan of heavily-distorted rock-infused beats, but this one has me open. I like that "fitted like white-people's jeans" line, and dude def. has wild lines, but you have to pay mad attention, which is refreshing. There's mad shit going on in his verses...

"Bewitch"
I'm a sucker for beats that sample from like old TV shows or just that sound of the '50s and '60s. My assumption is that this is jacked from the Bewitched theme song, but that's just an assumption. Dude is stylin' on mad cats with his "slick talk and walk", but there's no real concept as of yet, which is a fault of many underground MCs. That "ritzy" sample at the end of the track is ill, too.

"Beautiful"
Ah, a track with more depth. Yalad spends this one breaking down things in life that are beautiful. You can imagine how this one goes down (peace is beautiful, not paying bills is beautiful), and it does exactly what you'd expect. Dude is mad insightful, and intelligent, though. Understated beat, not really one of the bangers on the disc.

"The Release"
I'm not really feeling this one at all. It seems like it's more about his spiritual ideals, I guess he is a muslim? Not really my thing, and that chorus reminds me of a random Busta Rhymes line...

"Lion"
Best beat on the entire album; sounds like some Shirley Temple shit. I do NOT like how he kind of just stopped rhyming at the end, instead repeating a mantra, but I do like how aggressive and, well, lion-esque he was on this one.

"Times Change"
This one puts me to sleep. The piano-driven sample sounds odd, like it has some weird filter on it. His rhymes are more on the tapping the paranoia and problems of our society today, but I've heard this numerous times in the past, and done a bit better than this.

"Linguistics"
"Eat you like a sandwich". Word. Dude just has rhymes for days. Not all of his lines pop, but put together its a heavy package. This is actually one of the odder cuts, only because he hits with so many lines, this is would be for the punchline-lovers, but its lacking in sharp darts. I really do like that beat, though, with that faint saxaphone in there.

"So Cool"
Interesting organ-driven beat on this one. One of the better choruses on this LP, too. This one would go down well in concert, has a nice swing to it.

"False Prophets"
So he's a Hebrew Israelite? I knew a kid who was a Hebrew Israelite. He used to sell FAT sacks of green, but then when I bought it, I'd be at his tiny crib, so we'd smoke out of the sack I brought. It was a lil better than schwag, but wasn't KB in any sense of the phrase. I saw the R. Kelly video AND Fight Club with this dude, and even performed his ceremony on a Friday night once. He used to kick this stuff, letting me know who was real and who was perpetrating. He was a cool dude, actually. I miss that guy.

"Crop Cream"
I dunno who this chick is rhyming on here, but she's kind of aggressive. "New Jack like Ice T" is a funny line. I was never big on beats like this; it's mad large, but that wailing in there just does not appeal to me. And I wasn't expecting dude to even speak about cats that "will eat your food", but yeah.

All in all, this is a solid set. I'm not sure I know a lot more about Barak than I did when I first heard this - I know he's lyrical and spiritual. He definitely has rhymes, maaaad rhymes, but sometimes it can be quite overwhelming, especially for a 12 track album that's less that 50 minutes long - I feel like I've sat through an hour and a half of lyrics. Some nice ideas on the beats, but really, you've heard a lot of this before. It's just good to hear Rawkus giving guys like Yalad the chance to shine in today's scene.

rock the dub gives A Loss For Words a 3.75 out of 5 stars. Dude has boatloads of rhymes, and the beats definitely knock, but the ultimate goal doesn't feel like it was met. I am intrigued, though, to hear what Barak Yaland has in mind in the future.

Burn Deez: "Lion", "So Cool", "Bewitch"

related links:
Barak Yalad on MySpace
Barak Yalad's Rawkus Profile
Barak Yalad on Facebook
Listen to the entire LP via Rhapsody

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Ghostface Killah The Big Doe Rehab [review]

In recent promotions for The Big Doe Rehab, Ghostface has been seen with the goalie mask back on. I immediately took that as a sign of the God MC being back on his grisly, and I was 100% right. RZA is lucky that 8 Diagrams won't drop on the same date, for based on early reviews, The Wu woulda lost. And for good reason: Ghostface crafted one of, if not the, illest LPs of 2007. Not just on the basis of "yo these beats are dope" or "yo he has some wild rhymes on here", the shit just, end to end, is fire.

A hilarious intro sets the pace, early. Ghost encounters some dude flossin' at his table, trying to be really Big Will, and dude owes him money! Ghost promptly gets in dudes ass, and I can only assume that this is a metaphor for how Ghost feels in the current game of Rap. We are then immediately transported to a fire collaboration between Tony Starks and Beanie Sigel, going hard as hell on "Toney Siegel (AKA The Barrel Brothers)". "Yolanda's House" follows this, and is a surprisingly fluid mix of rhymes with Method Man and Raekwon. It's a hilarious tale of Ghost on the run, ending up in Mef's lady's crib, while Meth is airing her out! Just some wild stories and flows coming through here. You can forgive Ghost for sounding redundant, topic-wise, when he steps into the "I just murdered a man" story on "Walk Around", but he goes down a totally different lane, exposing the inner torment and paranoia that's birthed from an experience like that. We revisit Fishscale's "Shakey Dog" with "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita", jumping right into the robbery gone wild story, only this time we get to not only experience the Tarrantino-style story with a Robert Rodriguez-esque Mexican shootout with "!", which is a nice touch.

Most of Ghostface's lyrics are on that level, though: vivid, intricate descriptions, with smooth flows that make you smell the gun powder, duck from the gunshots, laugh at the blunt-soaked comedy, and just get enraptured in the world according to Ghost. "White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)" has Starks and Shawn Wigs taking you into a crazy awards show, with Tony serving as host and M.C. for the evening, with station breaks and such to boot. Ghost's son, Sun God, hit with a hilarious line ("if he lollygaggin'/word to momma I'm bodybaggin'"), but the rest of the Theodore Unit sounds like the Bravehearts through most of the album. "Paisley Darts" (one of 5 joints laced by LV and Sean C) sounds like an updated Enter The Wu-Tang flavor of a beat, with the wailing in the beat, the hypnotic drone, but with tighter drums. The production on the album is just lush, and a wicked combination of that hardcore grimey street flavor to the usual soulful-affairs that are now commonplace on a Ghostface longplayer. Scram Jones packs a string-driven gut punch with "Yapp City", which has loads of kicks alternating back and forth, accentuating the thunder and fury of the lyrics. One of two bonus tracks, "Killa Lipstick", has Ghostface waxing seductive sorcery over a loop of Faze O's "Riding High", weaving tales of sexy female hitmen, who seem to be the only females that Ghost is infatuated with. Method Man comes with a dope hook, and Masta Killa even steps in and murders his verse. There's seemingly nothing wrong with this disc.

And that's the beauty of Ghostface. He's rarely off when it comes to the darts, so it usually hinges on the production and the overall flow of the album. At just under 50 minutes, this album doesn't spend too much time trying to be something it's not. Ghost knows his role, and spends equal time dropping dark, edgey Rap tracks alongside more touching, heartfelt cuts in his own signature style ("I'll Die For You"). Hell, even the interludes that he doesn't rhyme or speak on (like the Ox-assisted "The Prayer") still speak volumes, and you can tell he's right there, big smile on his face, truly feeling everything.

The best thing about Ghostface's persona is that he is the epitome of real. He doesn't give a shit if you think he's weird for getting choked up about his people dying, or showing his true feelings when he takes a life, or is all about the witty scenarios, bringing comedy to situations like getting chased by the cops. It's all him, and all the marks of a true MC. He can create tornadoes where calm days laid, and make thunder appear from the palm of his hand. He will "fuck you will you die slow" and push your whole onion back, but you will know before you go that he had ample reason, and meant every inch of it. And it will sound fly as FUCK. If this isn't the best LP of 2007, let me know what is.

rock the dub gives The Big Doe Rehab a 4.75 out of 5. Ghost does everything right on this CD, wasting no time in giving you all facets of his personality, and matching the illest rhyme to the perfect beat. The only drawbacks: a lil' too much of the Theodore Unit, but even that is excusable with such quality around them.

Burn Deez: "Paisley Darts", "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita", "Tony Siegel", "Walk Around", hell, the entire CD is essential.

Ghostface's The Big Doe Rehab is in stores December 4th. Go grab that if you love Hip-Hop.

related links:
Ghostface on MySpace
Ghostface's Def Jam page
Ghostface breaking down the LP with MissInfo

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Styles P Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) [review]

Last year, I reviewed Styles P's Time Is Money, and while I felt it overall, I was kind of upset that there was an overabundance of rhymes that, while dope, didn't have the STING that P usually infuses into his mixtape masterpieces. Since then, P left his previous label and linked up with Koch to bring forth Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), which must be a play on his debut solo album. He's progressed since that set dropped, but does that mean he is capable of dropping an end-to-end banger?

Well, if you're a D-Block fan, the answer is an undeniable "yes". On the short intro, Styles lets you know how he feels: "I'm better than all of you muthafuckas. Point, blank, period". What does he do next, though? Drops a weird ode to herb, "Blow My Mind", which has Swizz Beatz providing a track that sounds like more of an ode to someone's moms or lady, as opposed to a track devoted to getting ready to get blowed. I can see something like this going off well in concert, with Ls and bags of burn getting thrown around crazy, but not only P's flow can save this one on wax. This is followed by the random Ray J-featured "Let's Go". I was confused as to why Ray J is a) on the mic singing and b) on a Styles P album, but anyone who can smash Kim Kardashian, then get paid for the sextape can sing my eulogy. Hi-Tek's bottom-heavy bounce sets this one off perfect. Imagine getting lit with a chick to "Blow My Mind", then getting ready to go to the club or to the summertime cookout; "Let's Go" is the soundtrack to getting dressed and riding to the spot to get live. From then on, Styles lets loose with a barrage of that raw uncut. "Alone In The Streets" has Vinny Idol doing what he does best: throwing some ill piano flourishes overtop a hard kick. Paniro spends this track letting you know that he's out in the streets all night/morning trying to "get it in", although I find it hard to believe that a 33 year old dude is truly still in the game.

The Alchemist drops two heavy tracks for Styles: "All I Know Is Pain" has a very non-ALC beat (it actually sounds like a spiced-up Eminem instrumental), but it still knocks, allowing Ghost to pour his heart out about damn near everything. The other is "Green Piece Of Paper", which is another "wow, ALC produced that?" kind of tracks, and is one of the highlights of the album. Throw it on, hear the first bar, then WHEEL IT! Akon produces and is featured on "Got My Eyes On You" which, if you didn't pay attention to the lyrics, would sound like a serious anthem in those clubs where the rainbow triangle is prominent. This track is OK, but "I'll Still Kill" hits a bit harder. I was surprised at how much I dug "Look @ Her", what with P saying he needs to do a track for the females. P nails his persona nicely: a rugged, fitted-hat-low nigga dropping science about his lady, his way ("she remind you of your first .22/she real small and got alotta bang"). I saw that not only did P have Beans on this CD, but he had Ghostface as well. I was disappointed by the instrumental for "U Ain't Ready" (hey Dame Grease, who really wants to hear some melancholy, Drumline sounding beat?), but Beanie and P go back and forth nicely. "Star Of The State" is a bit better, but again it's more for the chemistry between P and Starks. Pete Rock comes correct with the flipped Isaac Hayes sample on "Gangster, Gangster", which features both Jadakiss and Sheek Louch doing what they do best: giving you that fire rap over a dope beat. I also loved hearing the Black Thought-assisted "Cause I'm Black", which features a line I use to this day, both in jokes and in serious convo, and has a dope, 70s Black Power/revolution feel to it. And if you have any question on how dope Styles is on the m-i-c, throw on "Da 80's", which has a throwback sound to it provided by the one and only Kid Capri.

What I dislike is that, there's mad gangster, and hardly any gentleman on here. Styles P prides himself on the duality of his character: he has spent most of his career being the intelligent hoodlum, the thug poet. And with a title like Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), you'd expect him to go hard in the 187um rhymes as well as the more conscious flows, but we don't see that at all. Kind of like how he did with Time Is Money and "I'm Black", which is disappointing. I can understand that you niggas won't buy an entire disc of pro-Black shit, nor will you cop that real deep, introspective shit, but with a guy like Styles P, who definitely has a large fanbase, it would take a cat like him, or a 'Kiss to help convert cats. Make those niggas on the block spend some time speaking on the ills of society instead of strictly speaking about which whip they are going to cop next. It's actually insulting; the title makes me immediately think that there should be some kind of balance, some kind of effect to explain the causes. But sadly, we get what P always brings us: that raw with no consequences.

In the end, you can't really blame P, though. It's damn near a documented fact that niggas don't buy shit that could be considered "smart". Tony Roberts' interludes personify the kind of niggas that are sheep, flocking to what their MC idols portray, but instead of giving them more food for thought, P just feeds them more. One of these days, our stomachs are going to bust, and who's fault will it be? I doubt MCs will take any responsibility, they were just going for the "Green Piece Of Paper"...

rock the dub gives Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) a 3.5 out of 5. For all of his intense, vivid rhymes, P fails to knock it out of the park. For all of the duality he spits in various interviews, his CD continues to fall back on the same jewels he always spits, which will no doubt satisfy hardcore D-Block-ites.

Burn Deez: "Green Piece Of Paper", "Da 80's", "Gangster, Gangster", "Cause I'm Black"

Styles P's Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) is in stores December 4th, 2007.

related links:
Styles P on MySpace
Styles P on Koch Entertainment

BONUS BEATS: "Blow My Mind" video:

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Young Jeezy "Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration" [review]

Young Jeezy doesn't ask you niggas to get money, he doesn't suggest you get money -- his eerie intro, "Hypnotize" fucking COMMANDS you to get money. Why, I don't know, for if you listen to Jeezy rap, there's no way you could get more than him anyways. Matter of fact, there isn't shit you can do better than Jeezy: you don't own enough powder to beat him, you won't own enough ice to get over on him, and you never been out in the trap/on the grind as much as he did. That's one thing I don't really get about niggas on the mic today. I know that cats have been all about being the best since day dot, but these days, that's all it's about. Niggas just speakin' on what they own and how big they cake is. You'd think that Jeezy, who said he was going to get more introspective on this one, would, well, get introspective.

You know what I hate about albums like this? No matter how much I love the way it sounds overall, I don't think they last the test of time. It's not that the "sound" of the CD gets stale, but it's just that we already know what Jeezy is all about. It's hard to get deep into his lyrics, or really flip over his lines. Hell, he doesn't even consider himself a rapper, and listening to his 16s, I tend to agree with him. He creates a soundtrack to the streets, saying he is speaking to the youth, but he is really just talking up an underbelly that many live and cannot escape, and making it seem glorious. At the end of the day, if you take anything this prick says seriously, you're listening too deep and giving him too much credit. I cannot even break down his themes, because he only has one. So instead, I talk about how the tracks sound and point out things that make me laugh. It's all I can do when the subject matter is so fucking stagnant and repetitive.

From the sounds of "Still On It", Jeezy is still on that "D-Boy shit". Hell, he is still on the block everyday! Is he speaking to his audience or for his audience? In any case, this track follows "Hypnotize", on a slower 808 crawl of a beat, sounds like something niggas would listen in the early morning after collecting their spoils of the Drug War and think big over clouds of blunt smoke. Shawty Redd's "J.E.E.Z.Y." tries to not only reintroduce Jeezy to the masses, but it also let's you know about what's going on in the trap. I do like how he has that "Jeezy like to drank/Jeezy like to smoke/Jeezy like to mix Arm & Hammer with his coke". The repetition of this should make any critical thinkers chuckle. Don Cannon comes correct on the boards with "Mr. 15", with it's smooth sample and heavy kicks. He's an up and comer, and this beat just proves how thoro his sound is. Jeezy, again, takes it back to the block. Why R. Kelly is on "Go Getta" is beyond me: if he put him on here to try to impress the crowd with how "versatile" he can be, he might as well grab Elton John and get him singing about being a "go getta". The beat by The Runners is boring, and R. Kelly's wailing gets annoying after a while. He sounds like he's trying to recreate Best of Both Worlds -- hey, Jigga exec produced this, right? How did he let Kells slip by, with their history?

Speaking of cameos and guest beats, there's a few notables on this disc: T.I. stops by on "I Got Money" to drop his ATL flavor. He's my favorite MC that I cannot understand - his flow is bananas, but his drawl confuses me. Need a trap-to-English dictionary for that nigga. This track apparently features Kanye West as well, but I wouldn't know it: Jeezy drops 2 verse, Tip drops a verse, and I guess Kanye makes a random noise in the background? And Jeezy fucked up putting Tip on the end - he overshined that nigga. Keyshia Cole steps up on "Dreamin'", doing nothing to quell the "Jeezy loves Keyshia" rumors from earlier this year. The track is a snore, though - Jeezy trying to get his "December 4th" on over some sad synths, slow beats and some high pitched vocals, for no good reason. Timbaland drops a on "3 A.M." a beat that is definitely not his best, but not one to totally throw away either, probably why Jeezy grabbed it. He does do some funny shit though, with his "ad libs here/ad libs there/fuck it.. ad libs everywhere". He hears us talking, and commented - I can respect that one. "Bury Me A G" has a pretty un-ATL beat, it actually sounds like Just Blaze-lite, which is a good thing here. He gets his 2Pac on, talkin' tough about dying with a gat in his hand and hate on his mind, which we can all respect. Mr. Collipark brings some jazzy horns to "Wha You Talkin' About", but kind of falters when he layers more horns over it, but the track still maintains a degree of cool to let Jeezy explaining his views on getting gwap and changing the game... the chorus is a bit of a let down, though. DJ Toomp also provides the bed to "I Luv It", the single that is currently blowin' up the charts right now, and is probably one of the best tracks on the whole damn CD. It encompasses what Jeezy is about: coming from the trap and being a G, and not being ashamed of it. Hell, he embraces it, the joy, the struggle, the pain, the pleasure. It's just been done before.

Don't get it twisted, I like Jeezy. I laugh at his ad libs, I like his sly lines and his swagger is no joke, but I just feel like I've heard this album before. Actually, I have: his debut. He kept it similar for his fans and the buying public, I guess, but for someone who has done what he's done in the time he's done it, it feels like there's been no growth from one joint to the next, and that is a bit of a letdown. Jeezy had cases, beef over his clothing label, and hell, growing under one of the dons of the game, he has nothing more to talk about than the trap? All of the greats, they've written their lines as their life dictated: as their situations grew and mutated, so did their rhymes, and we loved that. These days, everyone wants to maintain their market share, make sure their base is covered, but they end up making the same songs, just with the latest crop of popular producers. I cannot knock that hustle, and Jeezy is milking the hustle, which gets 'nuff respect from me. Jay spent a good chunk of his early career spitting coke raps, and the Clipse still have residue on their fingers. The difference is, they took time to switch up the flows, inject some humanity into it, basically, repackage their dope and redistro it to the masses. If Jeezy doesn't handle his business like he handles the weight he supposedly moves, he might end up being relegated to a weaker dope spot.

rock the dub gives Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration a reluctant 7 out of 10. While Jeezy keeps his pen stuck on repeat, the selectio of beats helps drive his trap tales to your trunk. Smarten up, and inject something else into your next one, dog.

Young Jeezy's Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration hits stores on December 12th, 2006. Get more info on Jeezy at the CTE website, or at his Def Jam website.

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Ghostface Killah "More Fish" [review]

Before I get into all of this, I have one question: how can Ghostface put out 2 CDs in one year, and guys like Redman have been sitting on the shelf for a bit? Anyways, Ghost is Back! And he decided to bring his Theodore Unit with him, not that we were dying to hear from Wigs or anything, but it's better than Nelly dropping a new album. The question remains: is this a new album, or is it a compilation? I mean, this is no OB4CL, but the "featuring" list is heavy: Trife Da God, Sun God (Ghost's son), Cappadonna, Sheek Louch, Redman, Solomon Childs, Eamon and others. This release having Ghost on the top billing is pretty smart - might have worked wonders for the previous Theodore Unit CD if it was like "Ghost featuring Theodore Unit", but I digress...

This disc, simply put, is kind of disjointed. You get the normal Ghost, from his faster flow on "Ghost Is Back", which jacks the classic "Know The Ledge" from Rakim, where he even namechecks a posthumous Gerald Levert. "Josephine" was previously on Hi-Tek's most recent album, in all of it's somber glory. "You Know I'm Good" is a track that Ghost Debo'd from Amy Winehouse (think of his work on Beyonce's "Summertime"), and is one of the highlights of the album. He has been flipping his style over more commercial work since he first dropped (remember that "Freek'n You (Remix)" from back in the day?), and I'm surprised he doesn't get more guest cameos. "Block Rock" is a thick tune, with a thick beat provided by Madlib. The way Ghost doubled his voice, it works so well over this one - his higher octave doubled over a fuzzy mindfuck of a banger. Sheek Louch hops on a slowed down head nodder, "Blue Armor", gelling well with Tony Starks. Who knows what they are talking about aside from just murdering the beat with some razor sharp flows. "Outta Town Shit" has Lewis Parker dropping a crisp drum track with some funky pianos, dropping bi-coastal funk on the masses. Ghost delivers one of his intricate stories about his past days of crime and breakin' niggas off. Gotta love it.

Sounds all good right? Well, the majority of these jams are sans-T.U. heads. Once one of his flunkies jumps on a track, the disc steps down a bit. "Good" has one of the most annoying beats and I guess this Mr. Maygreen singing ass bastard is the one trying to harmonize with a shitty beat. Not a "good" look at all. MF Doom recycles another one of his classic beats for "Guns 'N' Roses", which isn't that bad, but I don't get what happened to Cappadonna. It sounds like he's been smoking cigars - his trademark voice sounds a lot huskier, and his darts weren't hitting like the have in the past. "Street Opera" has father and son locking horns over a female wail over an odd soul romp. The beat is kind of simplistic, and is only saved by the vocal over the beat, which is just a boring drum loop and some random stabs. Lyrically, it's on point, but the beat makes me hit the skip button. "Miguel Sanchez" is another track that is weakened by a poorly chosen track - this one is again a snooze-inducing track that, without Ghostface rhyming, sounds like any other niggas just happened to jump on this disc; the first verse sounds like an AZ-ripoff, and not a good one. "Grew Up Hard" has a lackluster track and does not feature Ghost at all -- just Wigs and Solomon the same ol' street nonsense. No originality, no flavor ("being rich is the poor man's dream" -- yeah, no shit). The same goes for "Gotta Hold On", which has Wigs and Eamon sounding like everyone else wanting to be sentimental over a booty track.

You would think that someone like Ghost, coming from a crew as legendary as Wu-Tang is, would know which members of his Unit should stay and which should bounce. If he kept Trife, his son Sun God and gave Cappadonna some Zoloft, he could rebuild the other spots with some other wild niggas. Cats like Wigs, Childs and the rest just bring the good qualities of this collection down with their redundant lyrics and weak flows. And why did Kanye get up on the "Back Like That (Remix)" (I wonder what Raekwon thinks about the Roc being in the building)? The original was a nice combo of Ghost's love troubles and Ne-Yo's chorus - there's no need for Fendi West's flame-on lines ("I'm so sick like Ne-Yo say/I'm laid back like Neo"?)... and what did Ghost think putting drunk-ass Tracy Morgan on the intro of his disc was going to accomplish? Ghost has done better just going off the dome about banana Snapple and other shit, no need for Tracy and talking about peanut butter on his toes.

When you do the knowledge to this "Fish" situation, this sequel to Fishscale plays just like the Hollywood big budget sequels - instead of giving the people more of what made the first flick work, they come back with some extra ingredients, new characters, and a host of boring/unoriginal premises to waste our money on. This CD seems like a glorified EP as opposed to a complete album, which is essentially not how it wis being marketed at all. Def Jam wants to make a buck off of the fans that have stuck by Ghost ever since Ironman, but they are going about it the wrong way: give us more Ghost, less filler or just keep the quality Ghost tracks on the backburner until his next album.

rock the dub gives More Fish a 7 stars out of 10. While the quality Ghostface tracks shine as bright as ever, the overabundance of Theodore Unit tracks knocks off a few points.

Ghostface's "More Fish" drops in stores on December 12th, 2006. Get more info at Ghost's official website, and on his MySpace page.

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Mos Def "Tru3 Magic" [review]

You know the old saying "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it"? I am truly living that right now.

Although I enjoyed The New Danger, I was feenin' off of tracks like "Beef", and stayed confused as to why Mos Def wasn't dropping MORE straight up Hip-Hop cuts. With his final solo LP for Geffen, Tru3 Magic, dropping soon (Jan. '07 from what I hear), he tackles Hip-Hop with a fury - and with mixed results.

The meat of the tracks I dig on this collection are ones that I've already heard: everyone should know the controversy behind his Katrina-war cry, "Dollar Day (Surprise, Surprise)", which turns Juvenile's "Nolia Clap" on it's ear, and does what Hip-Hop is meant to do: challenge authority, make you dance, and do it with a defiant swagger not seen in any other form of music these days. "Undeniable" was released as a single recently, sounds like he took Black Jack Johnson and made them recreate some Superfly-esque flavor to some 2k6 minimal bass kicks. It's got a nice, smooth feel to it, letting Black Dante coast with his buttery flow. "There Is A Way" again seems to be taken from some mid-'70s Black Power meeting, with it's sung/chant of "there is a way/no matter what they say". Sounds like a revolution - but against what, and with whom, is the question. "Crime & Medicine" has Mos Def revisiting The GZA's "Liquid Swords". Mos actually sing/toasts the classic "when the MCs came..." lines, and proceeds to murk that ska sample. I'm not sure if I'm just into the fact that he picked one of my favorite beats or that he just sounds so perfect over it, but regardless, this track is my pick of the litter.

Of the newer tracks, they are scattered. "Thug Is A Drug" has Mos asking these thugged out MCs on the mic to "tell the truth"... over and over. The beat is a mixture of 808 beats, an odd piano sample, and loads of tumbling drums, making a meal that can be funky, but it sounds to basic for Mos' complex lyrics. This is something that kills a good part of the project for me: the lack of dope beats to back up the dope rhymes. "Murder of a Teenage Life" highlights and explains the ills of today that can contribute to, well, the killing of many of today's teens, but the annoying keys clutter up Mos' preaching. "Fake Bonanza" revisits the funky, sample heavy sound of the Black Star album, which is a blessing - I don't think I've heard Mos sound like this since Black On Both Sides, and I miss it. "Perfect Timing" has Mos over a sparse boom-bap, which is weird on it's own, but his voice has this ridiculous echo on it, so his rhymes sound like the mumbles of Black Thought on The Roots' "Don't Say Nuthin'", but it sounds like he is paying tribute to some of the Golden Era Hip-Hop acts (Get Fresh Crew, JMJ, Rakim, etc.), I just never get why the dedication to real Hip-Hop are never really "Hip-Hop". "Napolean Dynamite" has a smooth, funk-heavy feel to it, but at times Mos actually sounds like other guys - I swear parts of his first verse remind me of MF Doom's DangerDoom flows, with his "green and googly wide-eyed and surprised/razzle dazzle tiny mustache and fry-fry" type of lines (note: that's not a 100% verbatim, but it's damn close).

Mos ends this album with a track that tries to revisit the beauty of "Umi Says" called "Lifetime". Under an odd mixture of live drumming, dull keys and some baby noises, Mos croons about, well, "keep-keeping on" and all other types of "don't give up"-style musings. Does it work? Not necessarily, which has been a problem with Mos post-BOBS. He is a true artist, so his passion is to keep it fresh - not reinvent the wheel type pressure, but to keep pushing himself to stay new, stay current, but also stay out there. I'm not sure if he wanted to stay on good terms with Geffen by delivering an album that could get played on Black Radio, but none of these tracks truly speak to the Top40 bullshit that is out there. While "Dollar Day" drops a recognizable beat, most niggas would rather give their FEMA dollars back to the Dope Man than try and take the revolution to Dubya's face. "There Is A Way" might be cool in the New Black Panter Party set, but no one gives 2 shits about that kind of revolution these days. On the tracks where Mos is more laid back with his flow, not trying to be on some "action NOW!" type of feel, the music is too lackluster to be taken seriously.

At the end of the day, Mos Def is probably one of the most gifted lyricists making music right now -- it's just how does he want to go. Is he trying to be Andre3000, who can kick an ill verse (peep his shit on the "Walk It Out (Remix)"), but album wise wants to be the poor-man's John Coltrane? Is he trying to appeal to the Kanye-crowd of kids who will go buying (RED) products whilst getting Fendi logos carved into their head? If Mos is smart, he'd fill the void that Public Enemy has left - the voice of the streets. There aren't too many prominent griots in the mainstream right now, and with his acting chops, he should be able to tackle both avenues. It's really on him right now. Mos: there is a way...

rock the dub gives Tru3 Magic 6.5 stars out of 10. While there are flashes of Mos' bright light, his divided interests hinder him from creating a truly cohesive long player.

NOTE: This review is of a promo copy of the Tru3 Magic album. It is slated to drop in Jan. of 2007, or on Dec. 19th 2006, depending on who you ask, and the tracklisting is subject to change. Get more info at Mos' website. Also check out Mos on MySpace.

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Gwen Stefani "The Sweet Escape" [review]

Gwen Stefani's solo career is what happens when the punk rock chick who is into loads of "eclectic" styles of music tries to make you dance. At times, her selection of tracks are on some quirk-by-numbers shit: while Pop Radio is accepting of many odd sounds, some weird samples of The Sound Of Music, yodeling, and serious low-end bassline are not really one of them. I can see the bassline and the percussion heavy drums of "Wind It Up" being ready for the clubs, but that yodeling nonsense? That's for the frat girl who's had one too many shots of Patron and should be in a taxi on her way to her bed. Yet, that's also how Gwen comes off...

Her days being the reluctant frontwoman of No Doubt seem to not even come to play with her solo musings. Her singles don't really rely on her singing as much as they focus more on her attitude and persona. Gone are the "Spiderwebs" and other tunes that tug at your soul and really speak to you, and now we get tracks like "Orange County Girl", with her sang-rap and a pretty cheesy beat behind it. Swizz Beatz recycles his current-craze of ill beats on "Now That You Got It", and it's like a flashy remake of his most popular sounds, coming off forced and forgettable. "Don't Get It Twisted" lets you know in the intro that this is "the most craziest shit ever", and goes from some pretty crazy electronic mastery to a, for the lack of a better word, shitty combination of fuzzy bass, Dance Hall-lite and borrowed come-ons - that "uh oh, uh oh" didn't work for Lumidee, what makes Gwen think she can get it off?

The rub is, when Gwen wants to, she can really write some amazing stuff. "Yummy" has her getting her sexy on after giving birth to her son recently. "Early Winter" is probably the closest to her past rumblings with No Doubt, taking that indie-rock, college radio circa '88 style of writing and sound. "Fluorescent" comes on like classic Funk, complete with a heavy kick and some freaky horns. This one takes it back, and lyrically it's sweet to boot, singing about how much she cannot believe she is still with this person she loves. The sad part is, she sounds like she jacked a Dirty South beat on the very next track ("Breakin' Up"), with eerie synths and handclaps trying to mask the fact that she cannot get her flow or lyrics to gel right over this track.

Looks, Gwen, we get it - your record collection is cooler than most kids, but just because you are influenced/inspired by many different forms of music, that does not automatically mean you can just put them on and breathe life into them. "Hollaback Girl", honestly, was kind of a fluke. If you didn't have that "B-A-N-A-N-A-S" chant in the track, I honestly doubt it would have gotten to be so big. That track, like many on this collection, sound so disjointed, or just recycled. "U Started It" sounds straight off Pharrell's In My Mind, which doesn't really say anything special. Your 80's cheese/R&B funk of "4 In The Morning" sounds too Madonna, not enough Gwen. As I stated earlier, tracks like "Yummy" work for a minute, but that's only because you use your voice at times as another part of the track. The "raps" from you and Funkmaster P grow tiring, and you guy strying to harmonize midway? Leave that shit on the cutting room floor.

At the end of the day, there's too much nonsense and pretension in this collection. You get the feeling that not only is Gwen not trying to get back to the No Doubt style of music, that she is trying to be this generation's culture-chameleon. Wearing new sounds like panties, she switches everything up so swiftly. The question is: why? Is she trying to hide the fact that, stripped down, her voice/writing doesn't really compete with some of the other females in the game right now? I mean, Fergie is doing that "white girl can't rap" shit to death, why does Gwen, who has been hailed for her chops and style a lot longer than Fergie has, have to travel down that same path? Take away the out-there production, and you're left with 12 tracks of tofu - bland and mundane substance, but given a splash of spice and cooked up in a different light, and you can make it taste like whatever you want. And for Gwen, this just isn't enough.

rock the dub gives The Sweet Escape a 5 out of 10. Some interesting ideas get lost in translation, and Gwen sounds like too many crappy artists to really be taken seriously.

Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape is in stores today. More info on Amazon.com; check out her official website for clips and other treats about Gwen.

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Eminem Presents: The Re-Up [review]

CDs like these fuck up what the consumer thinks of the underground Hip-Hop "street mixtape" scene.

This project was initially rumored to be a mixtape in memory of Proof, and went from that to a mixtape showcasing the new acts that Shady/Aftermath have forthcoming. Apparently these tracks were so polished that Eminem decided to put this out as an official mixtape compilation thing, featuring beats largely from himself and The Alchemist (who kind of deviates from his normal, sample-driven style to a more homegrown sound), putting this on the shelves in every Best Buy that fake thugs can get to.

For shame, considering that guys like 50 Cent, who Eminem signed, were the direct product of the grimey, take-no-prisoners, leave-no-beat-unjacked school of mixtapes. You cop a mixtape on mixunit.com or at your local bodega, and you will get some real shit. Well, lyrically, it might be some fake shit, but you get the raw uncut shit. Polished mixtapes come off corny when they get a "proper" release, in my opinion, for they dilute what you are truly trying to do -- it's going from keeping your ear to the streets and creating that buzz to trying to create a buzz and create a mass-media dollar, which is a mixed message.

Take, for instance, the inclusion of new signee Ca$his on the lead-off single, "You Don't Know". Now this track features Em, Fiddy and Lloyd Banks alongside Ca$his. We get a 16 from Em, a shitty 16 from 50, and 8 bars of murder from Banks. Why does Ca$his have to share his bars with Banks? If I truly believed in someone, and thought enough of the mixtape I am making for them that I'd go ahead and turn it into an official Best Buy jump-off, why put a fucking bandana on their face and have them spit half of a weak verse? Why does the house that Dr. Dre built need another Tony Yayo?

And why does this feel like a glorified Eminem beat tape? Is he really trying to get put on beat-wise? That over cinematic, slow-creep of a beat bullshit... I think the comment he makes in the intro, "Shady Narcotics", fits well for his career right now: "I think it's about time we just cut the bullshit". For a mixtape that is to bring forth your new blood, why does Ca$his (who hails from the OC, apparently) have 2 solo tracks, and Bobby Creekwater (??) have 1 track? Fucking forever-in-the-background ass Stat Quo has a gang of solo tracks, Em and 50 have their own tracks all over... and Proof is only getting 58 seconds? Why does the best MC out of your crew, the one who died earlier this year, get almost a minute?

The saddest part of this is the fact that the established artists come off sub-par. "Whatever You Want", the track from D12 members Mr. Porter & Swifty McVay, is just boring -- remedial drums, odd choice of piano samples, and a lot of guntalk from guys who were just crying about their dead homey not too long ago. Great message. Em has the audacity to drop a mixtape with a track entitled "Public Enemy #1", and refused to use the original Public Enemy track? At least his flow is still intact -- Em, keep it on the mic! He also choosed to include a few tracks between himself and 50 the Soul Man. "Ski Mask Way" from 50's last LP gets a Remix treatment... *yawn*. And I don't really think it was clever of funny when Em ended his rhyme on "The Re-Up" with "Kiss my black ass!", even if 50 starts with "nah tell them to kiss my black ass". It's lazy, coming from a dude as ill as he. And do we really need to hear 50 talk about watching The Game like he was a "proud dad" -- why are you jacking Nas lines, don't you hate him? We then get treated to a remix of Akon's "Smack That", featuring throwaway verses from Bobby Creekwater (??!?!?) and Stat Quo ("ass so swole, have your boy like whoa"?)... why was this even included? Speaking of Stat, hearing his solo joints, I can tell why he has only dropped mixtapes and guest verses - no real "oomph" in his voice or lines, just some Xerox "gangsta-by-numbers" shit.

I don't hate all of the CD though. The 'Shady Remix' of Obie Trice's "Cry Now" is fire: funky bass, soaring, alternating horns. Obie is jacking mad flows, but he sounds good doing it. Eminem's "No Apologies" is vintage Eminem, him just going through what's going on in his life via his rhymes. I wish he would stay in that lane. Hearing Proof for just under a minute was dope, even if the clicks and booms in the beat are annoying. Sadly, that's about all I can truly say I like about this album.

All of the elements are there: a successful cast, loads of money in the bank, but I'm not sure what happened here. It's like the failures of 2006 (Lloyd's LP, Mobb Deep's LP, the loss of The Game, etc.) have backed the Shady/Aftermath camp into a corner, and instead of reinventing the wheel, they hit us with a "re-up" of some stepped on, Arm & Hammer-laden smack that, while it sounds good for the average dope fiend, leaves us junkies with a sore arm and an empty wallet. My only hope is that this CD does terrible numbers, so Eminem can either shit or get off the pot. His skills on the mic are on point when he isn't on the fart-joke nonsense of Encore, but he is not a thug, he was never a gangsta, and aside from signing 50 Robinson, he hasn't really found a G that works with his beats. Fuck a Re-Up, just be an MC and give us some raw in it's purest form.

rock the dub gives Eminem Presents: The Re-Up a 4 out of 10 stars for weak beats, weak delivery and a supporting cast that does not hold up the status of a faltering label. No apologies.

Eminem Presents: The Re-Up is available in all retail music outlets December 5th, 2006. More info here.

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The Week of the Review

Just a quick note to you faithful readers: since there are only about 21 shopping days left this Holiday season, we here at rock the dub figured we'd give you some ideas for gifts for the Hip-Hop/Pop music fans you know out there. So this week, we will be reviewing some of the littany of CDs that will be dropping this week; from Eminem to Gwen Stefani, Young Jeezy to Lil Scrappy. One CD a day, to make up for the lack of reviews around these parts. Great, right? We will try to touch on all points, and give you some great pointers on what to spend your dough on, and what to leave on the shelves.

Our service, to you. Enjoy! And there will be a recap at the end of the week, so you lot don't miss out.

-khal

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