Shade Sheist feat. Timbaland - "Money Owners"
With a beat reminiscent of Aaliyah's "Try Again," Timbaland has dropped the illest bassline in a good minute. Shade Sheist's mellow tone may not have been the best match for this instrumental, yet it was almost impossible to mess it up completely.Sacario feat. Fat Joe and Angie Martinez - "Live Big (RMX)"
The lyrics won't make this one a hit - that's for sure. But, the beat is bangin' and somewhat successfully walks the thin line of keepin' it gutter with a jiggy flair.Onyx feat. Havoc (of Mobb Deep) - "Hold Up"
Picture this: All the fellas of Onyx and Havoc chillin' around a table, puffin' on somethin,' and drinkin' somethin'. Next to their drinks, which are at different levels, are some forks. Sticky Fingaz starts to knock his fork in a little pattern on the bottle in front of him. He starts to really feel this and begins to hit other people's bottles too. This scenario seems very reasonable as the motivation for this beat. Its simplicity comes off pretty hot, actually, which makes it even more exciting to hear a comeback from the fellas that blew up the scene with "Slam."Scarface - "My Block"
Scarface's upcoming album keeps sounding better and better. First he does a collabo with Jigga and Beanie Sigel, now he comes with this track as an ode to his neighborhood. The piano in the background is reminiscent of Ghostface Killah's "All I Got Is You" and the lyrics have the same sense of reflection as Ghostface's opus. Keep a lookout for this one.The Roots-"Thought At Work"
It's about time The Roots came with something new. On this cut, the group uses a Beatles sample while also paying homage to Kool G. Rap's "Men At Work." The title of this track can't be any truer, as Black Thought bein' the lyricist that he is, spits hot line after hot line while also singin' the hook.Giddy's Goods...
Musiq - Juslisen
Damn, I've been waiting for this album and fortunately I was not disappointed. In his sophomore effort following Aijuswanaseing (yeah, what's with the spelling?) Musiq Soulchild has easily stepped in right where he left off and given us yet another gem to listen to. With his lead single "Halfcrazy" Musiq gave us just a taste of what's to come on this album. Much of this album focuses on love, but Soulchild takes a few moments to express his appreciation for his parents on the track "Motherfather." Musiq shines on tracks where it's evident he's experienced exactly what he's singing about. On "Previouscats," Musiq details the difficulty of being in a relationship with someone that takes out insecurities resulting from previous relationships.
"Newness" details the happiness that comes with finding a new love, and as he says, "everything is cool/when love is all brand new/cause you're learnin' me and I'm learnin' you." "Solong" is reminiscent of Alicia Keys' duet with Jimmy Cozier, "Mr. Man." On this track Musiq contemplates the pros and cons of cheating on his girl, but comes to realize that while his escapade for the night won't last for long the memory of it will last forever. Other highlights of the album include, "Realove," "Caught Up," "Dontchange," and "Bestfriend." Vocally, Musiq carries this album, but don't think that the production is lacking in any way, as the beats not only serve to compliment Musiq's vocals but make each track even hotter. I could go on and on about the tracks on this album, but I'll just comment on these few. Juslisen is not your typical cookie-cutter R&B album; it's original, creative, and definitely music to your ears. This is definitely one of the hottest albums of the year, not to mention the album has 17 full-length tracks. Pick this album up immediately or I'll swear you're halfcrazy.
Spring Phever with Mobb Deep...
The duo with classics such as "Drink Away the Pain," "Shook Ones Pt. II," "Survival of the Fittest" and recent hits like "Hey Luv" and "Burn" will be on campus this week for Spring Fling. While I wish they'd been the third and final act of the show, I'm still thrilled to have these two here this weekend. If for some reason you don't know who Mobb Deep is, here you go...On the heels of a classic LP, The Infamous MobbDeep, the duo has released three highly acclaimed albums. While much of the hip-hop world has given in to the watered down, commercially driven formula that appeals to many listeners today, Mobb Deep has stayed true to their roots and left the sugar-coated rhymes to other artists. Last year, the duo, primarily Prodigy, was engaged in a verbal spat with rapper Jay-Z. While both seem to have gotten the best of one another, the larger than life-size picture of Prodigy in dance attire at Hot 97's Summer Jam Concert in NYC last summer must have left a sour taste in his mouth. Nevertheless, Prodigy and his partner, Havoc have dusted themselves off and come back strongly with Infamy. With that said, get your asses to Spring Fling and give this duo the respect they deserve.
