Nas
Untitled
Def Jam Recordings/Columbia
4/5

Written By: Samir Siddiqui

‘”The game needs him,
plus the people need someone to believe in,
So in God’s Son we trust, cause they know I’ma give ‘em what they want
They lookin’ for a hero, I guess that makes me a hero”

It may have been the recent onslaught of super-hero movies that inspired the lead-single of Nas’ latest LP, but “Hero” is a good representation of Nas’ current position in hip-hop today. Nas is like a disgruntled super-hero who has been unsettled by recent conditions; disheartened by the state of the game, Nasir Jones incited applause and fury with his 2006 album Hip-Hop Is Dead. But after deciding to name his follow-up after the N-word (a title which was later scratched), Nas left heads wondering whether his provocations were just attempts at garnering attention, rather than sincere, bold statements. Now, with his controversial title removed, Nas presents arguably his boldest album to date with Untitled, an unwavering artistic statement that follows through with its ambitious intentions.

At the heart of Nas’ latest project is the aforementioned “Hero,” and it’s by far his best “pop” achievement to date- surrounded by impressive synths, courtesy of Polow Da Don, Nas weaves in an out of the grand production with rhymes worthy of the song’s title: “Nas’ the only true rebel since the beginning, still in musical prison/ still in jail for the flow, try tellin’ Bob Dylan, Bruce, or Billy Joe they can’t sing what’s in their soul!” On the opposite site of the sonic spectrum, DJ Toomp provides the lush strings-backing for “N.I.*.*.E.R.,” an inspiring track that chronicles the under-appreciation of African-Americans achievements under slave society.

Unlike on Hip-Hop Is Dead, where Nas would drift in and out of relevant subject matter, most of Untitled sees Nas’ lyrics focused and potent. Nas holds nothing back on the wordplay-heavy “Sly Fox,” a seething attack on Fox News, with lines such as, “What’s a fox characteristic? Slick shit, censored, misinformation, pimp the station, over stimulation/ reception, deception, Comcast, digital satan, the fox has a bushy tail, and Bush tells lies and fox trots, so I don’t know what’s real.” Likewise, the closing “Black President” is well-written and engaging, as Nas presents his honest inclination towards accepting Barack Obama’s calls for change and equality.

And although some off-topic, generic verses creep in through the cracks, the high-level of lyrical quality holds up for much of the album, as Nas challenges the practice of the principles that founded “America,” and later, cleverly compares the appeal of “Fried Chicken” to that of a no-good vixen (the horns provided on the latter song is a stroke of production mastery by Mark Ronson). While Untitled is an LP chalk-full of winning moments, the album isn’t void of slip-ups. “Make the World Go Round” is a flat pop tune full of empty synths and out-of-place Chris Brown vocals, and an otherwise solid track, “We’re Not Alone” is needlessly dragged into boredom due to its excess length. The album also could have benefitted from an extra punch in the form of the would be single “Be A Ni**er Too,” among other scratched tracks.

Still, Untitled features an invigorated Nasir Jones, and showcases one of hip-hop’s greatest emcees as still one of the most prolific acts in the game today. Lyrically, Nas challenges himself to be better, taking on serious subject matter and taking the time to tackle it with dense, well thought-out raps that do the music justice. Aided by a production line-up that is highlighted by lesser-known beat-makers such as stic.man of Dead Prez, DJ Green Lantern, and Jay Electronica, Untitled is another great achievement to add to Nas’ already stellar catalogue.

G-Unit’s follow-through in delivering an album that caters to their core fan-base proves to be a move that both helps and hinders their latest project, Terminate On Sight. Aside from the club-friendly synths on the lead single “I Like the Way She Do It,” T.O.S. is virtually void of pop influence; instead, the album is driven by aggressive content and gritty production. But while the familiarity of T.O.S. means 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo are never out of place, it also ends up restricting the group’s ability to tread new ground or expand their sound. The cast of mostly unknown producers featured throughout the LP constantly hover just above mediocrity, with most of the numbers relying upon simplistic drum patterns or repetitive synth arrangements.

Review by Samir Siddiqui

It is when the songs deviate from formulaic approaches that T.O.S. starts to work on a musical level- the sinister “Straight Outta Southside” is the perfect backing to the Unit’s bravado, and a touch of flute on “Piano Man” is a perfect contrast to the otherwise grimy beat. “No Days Off” is an all-around standout, as sombre piano loops compliment the combative verses of the Unit, and despite the lack of lyrical exercises on T.O.S., the title track sees Lloyd Banks displaying his potency for constructing engaging rhyme patterns, with bars like, “Everything was slow motion, but I think I got the potion, ’cause now that they’re over-dosin’, all my doors are back open// and my Cadillac toatin’, ni**a play with me, I smoke ‘em.”

However, several cuts lack the spark that songs like “Let It Go” provide, and the album suffers from stretches of monotony, worsened by the inability of the tracks (aside from the closer) to stand apart from each other. And while songs like “Ready or Not” and “Party Ain’t Over” are serviceable, the overly-casual song-writing prevents them from really making a forceful impact. Where T.O.S. succeeds is in bridging the gap between G-Unit’s mixtape and album material, and in that, the project almost guarantees approval from the group’s large fan base. Still, the LP is a safe, calculated offering that finds G-Unit trying to gather their feet, instead of attempting to out-race the competition.

N*E*R*D
Seeing Sounds
Interscope Records
4/5

Written By: Samir Siddiqui

For superstar producer Pharrell, there’s not much at stake when he decides to gather his N*E*R*D cohorts for a new album. After all, the pockets of Skateboard P’s designer jeans are probably lined with dollar bills from all the producing he does for other A-list artists. And perhaps that’s what makes Seeing Sounds such an uninhibited success- with virtually no commercial expectations to live up to, Pharrell, Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, and rapper-friend Shay Haley combine talents to deliver a new LP bursting with energy and musical experimentation.

Seeing Sounds shatters the mould of contemporary urban music by breaking the rules whenever it feels fit. The album drifts in and out of hip-hop, pop, funk, and rock vibes, and does so not only from song to song, but in between cuts as well. The soundscape for the opening song, “Time For Some Action” begins with glass-tapping keys, only to shift to a low, rumbling bass-line, before closing with a synth-heavy backdrop. Then, on “Sooner or Later,” N*E*R*D work their magic by opening with a sombre vocal performance by Pharrell, which then takes a back-seat to a killer, electronica-inspired guitar arrangement that kicks in half-way through the song. Even on the standout lead-single “Everybody Nose,” a track laced with throwback horns and up-tempo drums, N*E*R*D add an element of surprise by throwing in a piano-infused bridge to relax the mood, if only for a few seconds.

There will be those who gripe about the quality of N*E*R*D’s lyrics, but for the most part, Seeing Sounds overcomes most of the group’s song-writing limitations. Certainly, Pharrell’s lyrics are expectedly-empty (”life is short, and black and white, just like little penguins“), and his vocal ability only reaches so far, but it’s hard to deny the cheesy charisma of Pharrell when he croons about the need for a “Love Bomb” over a classy, strings-heavy beat. And while not every song captures the dynamic energy of the stripped down, rock-infused “Anti-Matter” or the dance-inducing “Spaz,” Seeing Sounds is a concise, entertaining piece of work from front-to-back.

With “Yeah You” being the only truly mundane moment on the LP, Seeing Sounds is not only a resounding, envelope-pushing album that oozes fun and excitement, but it is also a shining example of Pharrell at his producing best. And if N*E*R*D’s performance on Seeing Sounds and on Kanye West’s Glow In The Dark Tour are any indication, Chad and Shay seem to be the ideal collaborators for a producer who is displaying a re-found touch for crafting good music.

Lil Wayne
Tha Carter III
Cash Money/Universal
3.5/5

By: Samir Siddiqui

He’s been self-proclaimed and dubbed by others as the ‘best rapper alive,’ has enjoyed over a year of being hip-hop’s go-to guest feature, and has been the most hyped-up hip-hop artist in recent memory, all without having a classic album to solidify his A-list status. Two-and-a-half years after the release of his last LP, the time has come for Lil Wayne to translate his success into a great full-fledged album, and his attempt comes in the form of Tha Carter III. But with some doubting Wayne’s ability to create excellent material on his own, the third instalment of Tha Carter series fails to land to a knock-out blow to Weezy naysayers.

The album kicks off on a high as Wayne brings emotion and energy to the fiery “3 Peat,” a simile-heavy declaration of superiority, which is complimented by a spacey backdrop and a dramatic strings arrangement. Wayne calls upon the other “Mr. Carter” for Weezy/Jay-Z collaboration number two, and the two emcees let loose over a light-hearted piano-and-horns production; while Wayne throws shots back at the haters, Jay-Z provides the calm confidence of a seasoned vet, “I’m right here, in my chair, with my crown, and my dear, Queen B, as I share, my time, with my heir// Young Carter, go farther, go further, go harder, is that not why we came? And if not, then why bother?” Wayne later shows off some innovative thinking on the other-worldly “Phone Home,” where he paints himself as a martian, and on the clever “Dr. Carter,” where he carefully revives a sluggish emcee from rap oblivion. On another creative highlight, “Shoot Me Down”, Kanye West’s simplistic, guitar-laden production creates a before-the-war-type tension for Wayne to drop some of the album’s most engaging raps over.

However, while Tha Carter III boasts a few left-of-center song ideas, far too often does Wayne veer into the generic and uninspired. “Got Money” not only features lame song-writing and a grating T-Pain hook, but the front-and-center synths sound almost identical to those on Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo Fingers.” On the following track, “A Milli”,” the dreadfully repetitive beat drowns out Wayne’s raps for the most part, and with gems like “we pop ‘em like Orville Redenbacher,” producer Bangledesh was probably on the right track (pun intended). Even the super-catchy lead single “Lollipop” stands tall compared to the laughably-bad “La La,” a track marred by an awkward beat and corny one-liners- like Wayne says, it’s “wittier than comedy.”

The old tricks don’t always fall short, though. Wayne enlists Babyface to add a smooth throwback feel to the straight-forward love-song “Comfortable,” and when rapping alongside fellow mixtape staples Fabolous and Juelz Santana on the well-executed, Alchemist-produced “Nothin’ On Me,” Wayne seems at home. Previous collaborator Robin Thicke (”Shooter”) brings out Wayne’s most vicious lyrics for the second straight album, as Wayne lays waste to the minimal beat on “Tie My Hands,” with lines like, “Yes, I know the process is so much stress, but it’s the progress that feels the best// Cause I came from the projects straight to success, and you’re next, so try, they can’t steal your pride, it’s inside// Then find it, and keep on grinding, ’cause on every dark cloud, there’s a silver lining.”

For a guy who is supposed to be the “best rapper alive,” such showcases of lyrical excellence are few and far between, and the ambitious nature of Tha Carter II is replaced with a more complacent Weezy on volume three. While the artistic reception to Tha Carter III likely won’t have too much of an effect on his commercial status, the LP stands to be a career-defining album for Lil Wayne. So while Tha Carter III delivers in spades, it is surely not the project that will have hip-hop faithful adding Weezy to the list of “Tupac, Biggie, and Jay-Z.”

Usher
Here I Stand
LaFace Records
4/5

Written By: Samir Siddiqui

Four albums deep into an incredibly-successful career, hit-making is no longer a challenge for R&B superstar Usher, its common practice. So while the lead single for his new LP, Here I Stand, represents classic Usher, the album itself veers away from the formulaic approach of his earlier efforts. The infectious club smash “Love In This Club” is “Yeah!” revamped for 2008, with poppier synths, slower-toned vocals, and a guest verse from go-to Southern-staple Young Jeezy, and it serves as an equally effective album opener. But while the memorable Confessions featured a barrage of instant hits towards the front, and slowed towards the long back-half, Here I Stand moves along at a gradual pace that allows Usher to limit filler and maximize the quality of his best cuts.

While it is clear that Usher can create catchy tunes with ease, Here I Stand focuses more on displaying the vocal talents of the now-married veteran, as he croons with emotion and control on the mid-tempo ballad “Moving Mountains,” a song further aided by a terrific piano-synths production, courtesy of The Dream. Usher later drops a killer hook on the straight-forward “Before I Met You,” and exchanges verses with Beyoncé on the simplistic, well-sung “Love In This Club Part II.”

Here I Stand is not without it’s highlights, and fortunately, for every misstep, such as the sonically out-of-place “What’s Your Name?,” Usher provides a slew of single-worthy songs such as the No I.D.-influenced “Best Thing” and the up-tempo “Appetite,” a song chalk-full of melodic synths and tongue-and-cheek lyricism. And while cliché song-writing still plagues Usher on songs like “This Ain’t Sex” and “Lifetime,” Here I Stand still holds up as a strong collection of solid music. Usher’s latest offering may not feature as many monster records as Confessions, but by giving importance to the construction of the LP as a whole, the project succeeds in ways his biggest album never did.

Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
1st & 15th/Atlantic Records
4.5/5

Written By Samir Siddiqui

In the midst of a strong music year in 2007 for hip-hop, influential figures in the game had a difficult time detracting the critics of the genre, but there seemed to be one prevailing response to the increasing scrutiny of rap music. Hip-hop took the stand that it’s artists are merely modern-day poets, relaying the harsh realities of their surroundings in whatever matter they see fit. But the fact of the matter is that many of the artists giving hip-hop a bad name are simply not “poets”- what they represent is the over-commercialization of hip-hop that breeds artists who are looking for a quick buck, paying no mind to the possibly large consequences. But there are artists who fit the bill of a “poet,” and Lupe Fiasco is definitely one of them. Not so much for the “positive” content he delivers in his raps, but ultimately for the creativity displayed in his work, most significantly his uncanny ability to pen vivid, in-depth stories that tackle a plethora of concepts and themes.

The dramatic element of Lupe Fiasco’s career fuels the “poet” comparisons, as the untimely leak and low sales of his debut album, Food & Liquor, along with his recent “Fiasco-gate” troubles seem to only fuel his passion on his sophomore set, The Cool. Much has been made of the “over-exaggeration” of Fiasco’s uniqueness (he samples Inspector Gadget on the first full song…), but The Cool merely re-enforces the idea that Lupe has absolutely no intention of conforming his music to mainstream standards. Continuing the story of “The Cool” from his last LP, “The Coolest” is another eerie narrative, with Lupe detailing the infatuation of The Cool’s character with the temptress “The Streets.” But this isn’t a concept album, and Lupe ventures into the not so glamorous life of stardom on “Superstar,” before drifting to the light sounds of “Paris Tokyo.” However, the first stretch of the album is disrupted by the excruciatingly annoying sample which is looped throughout “Gold Watch,” and Lupe’s wandering rhymes don’t do much to help.

However, the next four songs included in the middle of the lengthy album make up one of the best stretches on a hip-hop album this year. First, the piano-drenched “Hip-Hop Saved My Life” presents the story of an aspiring southern artist who attempts to leave behind the perils of the streets for a more secure, prosperous future as a rapper. Next, Lupe breaks down the lives of three distinct characters on the ingenious “Intruder Alert,” as the accounts of a rape-victim, a drug user, and a poverty-stricken parent are strung together over dramatic violin strings and a light piano-based beat. Lupe creates an incurable virus that threatens humanity on “Streets On Fire” before writing from the perspective of a child soldier on the thought-provoking “Little Weapon” with chilling lines like, “This candy gave me courage not to fear no one, to feel no pain, and hear no tongue, so I hear no screams, and I shed no tear, if I’m in your dreams, then your end is near.”

While the album runs a bit long, the album’s end stretch is not without its moments. “Dumb It Down” may come-off as somewhat over-ambitious, but the rock-driven sounds of “The Die” and “Fighters” are more than worthwhile. Also, the slowed down “Put You On Game” is yet another imaginative cut, as Lupe raps from the point of view of the “Game,” a character representative of all the world’s vices, and Lupe makes sure to drop some clever allusions to The Godfather and Scarface along the way. “Fighters” seems like an obvious closer, but Lupe decides to drop a fluffy pop cut “Go Baby” to end the album, a forgivable slip-up, and the only song here that is truly weak in both lyrics and production.

Musically, The Cool picks up from where Food & Liquor left off, as in-house producer Soundtrakk, who provides the bulk of the production with an indie-rock-hip-hop feel, continues to deliver score-like soundscapes for Lupe to craft his stories over. Lupe’s rhymes are more adventurous than ever, and although he may drift off a little too far left at times, he’s at his best when he’s creating visuals with his intricate story-telling, a true sign of a hip-hop poet. Lupe Fiasco, hip-hop’s savior, is far-fetched, but The Cool is another very strong showing from one of hip-hop’s most relevant young emcees, and another reason for fans to hope his next opus, L-U-P-END, is not just that.
 

Ghostface Killah
The Big Doe Rehab
Def Jam Records
4/5

Written By Samir Siddiqui

The Wu-Tang Clan are years removed from their prime, both artistically and commercially, but one member of the Clan seems to forever be at his artistic best, continuously providing the rap game with the charisma and energy that only he can deliver. Ghostface Killah, who dropped not one, but two very good albums in 2006, returns just a year later after the release of More Fish to give us The Big Doe Rehab, and not surprisingly, Ghost doesn’t fail to impress.

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Ghost is joined by Beanie Sigel on the opening track “Toney Sigel,” and the two deliver a banger, and provide some political quips to boot, “They say that my project should undergo therapy, we never voted, we votin’ for Oprah, Obama, and Eric B…..I think with the wisdom of Malcolm, got the soul of a panther, so ‘by any means’ is the anthem, you gon’ have to cut me out the track like cancer.” Ghost, Method Man, and Rae put together a reflective narrative on the soulful “Yolanda’s House,” before Kid Capri hypes up the Hitmen (LV & Sean C.)- produced “Celebrate,” Ghost’s anthem for a good time.“White Linen Affair” is the Toney Awards on wax, as Ghost name-drops the ‘who’s who’ of the music and entertainment business, while adding his humorous two cents to the mix, “Paris Hilton and Lindsay, holding down Britney’s skirt, no more free looks, you gotta’ put in work.” But not all the tracks are as easy to like, as “Rec-Room Therapy” is overly casual and skippable, and “The Prayer” is aggravatingly out-of-place and unnecessary- Ghost isn’t even on the track, but instead Ox performs a cringe-worthy mini-song.

The Hitmen show up again on “I’ll Die For You,” where exquisite keys are layered perfectly over a sped-up-sample that voices the song’s name. It sounds like something off of American Gangster, but Ghost’s rhymes contain a vulnerability to them that only he could provide. The annoying repetitiveness of “Paisley Darts’” production is almost un-important, as Trife Da God and Method Man rip the collabo track with confidence. Next, the elegant, sweeping horns on “Shaky Dog Starring Lolita” provide an excellent base for Ghost and Raekwon’s back-and-forth- it sounds like a mid-90’s Wu-Tang track, as the smooth producing nicely contrasts the aggressive lyricism of the two emcees.

Aside from the unneeded skits and interludes, there is very little to criticize on The Big Doe Rehab. Ghost is clearly anything but lazy with his rhymes, and even more impressive, he continues to rap over production that blends the old-school Wu sound with the soulful and band-inspired sounds of modern hip-hop today. LV and Sean C. of the Hitmen provide five cuts here, and alongside lesser known producers such as Anthony Acid, Ant-Live, and Frequency, put together a set of beats that flow well without being repetitive. Ghostface was arguably the MVP of hip-hop music in 2006, and his performance here, combined with his efforts on the Wu’s 8 Diagrams, as well as his other guest appearances, put him in position to repeat in ‘07.