HIP HOP

Track Listings

1. Intro

2. Q & A

3. Hip Hop

4. Words From Buka

5. 3 Yrs Ago

6. Ill Technique

7. More Words From Buka

8. The Pros

9. Its Working

10. The Place To Be

11. If Hip Hop Was A Crime

12. Settle The Score

13. Ayanna Monet

14. Due Process

15. Xtinction

Editorial Reviews
XXL MAGAZINE JUNE 2001
XXL MAGAZINE RATED "XL" JUNE 2001 ISSUE

Product Description
Buka Entertainment Quality Hip-Hop Music

HIP HOP

HIP HOP,Lone Catalysts,B.U.K.a. Ent.,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,Underground Rap

HIP HOP

HIP HOP

Average customer rating:

Perfect

Cool but the last one was better

Its weakness was the last album's strength

Finding the "Moment"

"Finding Forever" cements Common's legacy in "The Game" as kickback records get kicked to the back.

Finding Forever
Common
Manufacturer: Universal Music Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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From Nothin' to Somethin'

ASIN: B000RN86BK
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Intro
Start the Show
The People
Drivin' Me Wild
I Want You
Southside
The Game
U, Black Maybe
So Far To Go
Break My Heart
Misunderstood
Forever Begins

Amazon.com

It's no small feat to follow an instant classic like Common's Be (2005) but he skillfully builds on that success with a worthy sequel. The two albums share much in common, especially with Finding Forever's focus and brevity (under 50 minutes) and especially with Kanye West's musical direction. The two Chicago natives have forged a strong chemistry together, especially on songs like "Start the Show" and "Southside" where both men appear, but just as a producer, West makes his presence felt on everything from the catchy piano tinkles of "Driving Me Wild" (featuring British chanteuse Lily Allen) to the brass-knuckled "The Game" (featuring DJ Premier). As has become his trademark, Common balances heartfelt earnestness ("Black Maybe") with clever charm ("Break My Heart") though he has one too many love songs ("I Want You"). Whether Finding Forever surpasses Be is a matter of individual, song-for-song taste: At worst, it's on par--a laudable accomplishment for a veteran now 15 years into his career. --Oliver Wang

Album Description

Multi-faceted Hip-Hop superstar Common is prepping his highly anticipated seventh album, Finding Forever, for a July 31st release on G.O.O.D Music/Geffen Records. The album is the follow up to the four times Grammy nominated, critically heralded and Kanye West produced Be, which spawned hits including The Corner, Go, and Testify. Finding Forever, finds Kanye again taking the bulk of production work with help from Will.I.Am on the sultry I Want You, the late great J. Dilla on So Far To Go, featuring a surprise guest appearance by D'Angelo and G.O.O.D Music producer Devo Springsteen on Misunderstood. On Finding Forever, Common, rips the mic like a hungry newcomer. The street single The Game produced by Kanye with scratches by the legendary DJ Premier is a horn drenched, vintage NY rap boom-bap banger from the Chi-town emcee, no less. The resounding lead single The People finds Common lyrically asserting why and who he creates his music for over regal strings, delectable keys and hard to get vocals by Gil Scott Heron. This is the explicit version.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2007-08-08

I personally thought "BE" was solid if unspectacular, but "Finding Forever" is without a flaw. I'm on my 3rd copy already because people will not give this CD back if you loan it out, so be forewarned! There is simply not a bad song in this entire bunch and picking favorites is really beside the point, but I will tell you the moment I fell in love with this insta-classic, when the bass and background vocals drop out on "U, Black Maybe" and Common starts his spoken-word confessional over a simple backdrop of bongos, about the persecution we face from other people including "your own", I cried. Another highlight is the superb "I Want You" produced by and featuring wil.i.am. on an addictive chorus. Props to Kanye West for his great contributions, my favorite being the classic ear-rattling boom-bap on the opener "Start The Show". This is the best 'real' hip hop album since last year's "Game Theory" by his comrades The Roots. Essential listening.

Cool but the last one was better.......2007-08-07

I've listened to this album three times in a row just waiting to embrace it, but minus "Break My Heart," I haven't bobbed my head to ANY of the beats. The lyrics are intelligent in usual Common style, and it's a cool CD, but the album just has a steady flow throughout. No standouts. No bad songs. But "Break My Heart" was the only one I'd really want to buy.

Its weakness was the last album's strength.......2007-08-07

When reviews began claiming that this album surpassed "Be," I was a bit skeptical. I loved every song on "Be," sometimes not so much for Common's rapping (a little under his par at that time), but simply for the quality of the overall production. I had rarely heard such a soulful, cohesive and beautifully-layered record. Fans will enjoy the fact that on "Finding Forever," Common definitely steps up his wordplay and delivery from the last album. The problem this time around, in my opinion, is the production.

Intro - Very cool, no problems here.

Start the Show - I was caught a little off-guard with this one. After hearing track one, I wanted a mellow beginner, but was instead blown out of my seat. This beat was working for me until they brought in that annoying and repetitive four-note layer of chime-sounding instruments. Too much.

The people - Between the despairing string sections and the happy, synthed-out sections of this beat, "The People" sounds like two different songs. A little too weird for me.

Drivin' me Wild - The piano part is the most repetitive and elementary loop in a song I've ever heard, and the sung hook just drives me over the edge. Forget wild, this song will drive you crazy.

I Want You - It's beautiful in Chorus World where the synths come back in and Will-i-am is singing. As soon as the verses start back, though, all one hears is drums under Common's voice. Some will enjoy the simplicity here, but others will admit this song sounds a little empty.

Southside - LOVE the beat and the battle-rap-style verses. This is definitely one you can bang your head to. My only beef with this song is Kanye yelling with Common in the chorus and trying to sing at the end. Though either one or both are probably supposed to be funny, this isn't a funny song...it has rock guitar and gritty drums in it. Kanye sounds like he recorded those parts from a hospital bed after an asthma attack.

The Game - You either love the little 3-note organ pattern over drums or you don't. That's about as deep as this song gets. Cool scratches, though.

Black Maybe - I've heard this drum pattern in a million other songs, but I'll give Common credit for a very original song idea. It was also refreshing to hear more musical depth in this track.

So far to Go - I love the groove of the drums here, and this track is growing on me.

Break my Heart - Best song on this album due to great vocal sampling. The beat's shift from verse to hook sections is again a bit weird, but because it isn't as drastic as "The People," it works a bit better.

Misunderstood - This song is growing on me...not much I can complain about. Are we sure this isn't produced by Dr. Dre?

Forever begins - Creative drum pattern, good piano, and a pretty good closer. Not too bad, but it won't be stuck in your head like the closer from "Be."

My advice? Buy 2-4 of the MP3's and hold your breath for a better-produced Common album. I am a HUGE Common fan, but this album as a whole disappoints me more with every listen.

Finding the "Moment".......2007-08-07

This project is very decent yet it has it's drawbacks that should be noted. First of all, Common has lyrically pigeonholed himself. How many times can you say the things but in a slightly different way? Hearing him portray himself as the hip hop Stokely Carmichael has gotten very tiring. His range of subject material is more minute than ever even though it's positive. However, being positive can only be seen from the contrast of negativity. In other words, too much of a good thing is bad. The production is "cute" at best. Kanye is no J Dilla. The beats on "The People" and "Black Maybe" are fragile beyond belief. Kanye's sound isn't wholesome and fully blossomed as Jay Dee's was and is. There is absolutely no "thump" in his beats as if Kanye has never heard of a kickdrum.

There are about 2 too many "love" songs. Leave 2 of "Drivin' Me Wild" , "Break My Heart", "I Want You", or "So Far To Go" off the CD. And speaking of "So Far To Go", the lyrics are awful. The lyrics seem to be an afterthought as Common does even take them seriously. It was thrown together at the last moment and came off as a slap in the face to the legend J Dilla. The version on "The Shining" is ten times better and should have been on the cd instead. Also, Kanye said that he chopped up the samples the way J Dilla would have, but the only thing on this cd that reminds me of J Dilla is the 15 second beat on the end of "I Want You" that could have only been done by someone from Detroit like Kareem Riggins because I know Will I Am couldn't have done it. The beat was both refreshing and agitating because it reminded me of a J Dilla beat yet it lasted for only a short moment.

A few of the songs seem like they were made for 13 year olds like "Break My Heart" and "Driving Me Wild" - very immature. About 2 months ago on www.wikipedia.com, I saw a track listing for this project. Common had a song titled "The Ambassadors" that featured Nas on the cd. Why was that an unused track? Now if you go to www.wikipedia.com, you will see that songs featuring The Last Poets and Eminem were left off the cd as well. What happened? The Kanye West and Common dynamic duo thing is boring now. It would have been great to hear Common rhyme with other heavyweights in the game. Was he going get shown up by Nas and Eminem on his own project like Eminem did Jay-Z on "Renegade"? I wonder.

All in all, this project is acceptable. I really believe that Common isn't putting his full effort in his music anymore, as he has 3 movies coming out in the near future. This project isn't as better as "Be" and "Like Water For Chocolate" kills it. And yes, even the misunderstood classic "Electric Circus", which was waaaay ahead of it's time. It's a shame and a travesty to keep hearing Common apologize for that right-brained masterpiece - another insult to the late great J Dilla. That project was creativity at its height.

Common has a blueprint that needs modifications. It's getting to be the same ole song only appropriate for the moment, not forever...

"Finding Forever" cements Common's legacy in "The Game" as kickback records get kicked to the back........2007-08-07

I have followed Common Sense ever since I heard the track "Take It EZ". Originally, I didn't purchase Can I Borrow a Dollar?, but I definitely enjoyed "Take It EZ", "Breaker 1/9", "Soul By The Pound", "Heidi Hoe" and "Charms Alarm". Once I heard "I Used To Love H.E.R.", Common's dedication to hip hop, I knew that his next CD, Resurrection, would also be worth checking out, but for some reason I didn't purchase the CD right away. When I saw the video for Common's track with Lauryn Hill, "Retrospect For Life", once his 3rd disc had already dropped, One Day It'll All Make Sense, that's when I decided to make my first Common purchase. Tracks like "Gettin' Down At The Amphitheater" w/De La Soul, "G.O.D." w/Cee Lo, "All Night Long" w/Erykah Badu, "Stolen Moments Part 2" w/Black Thought from The Roots and "Making A Name For Ourselves" w/Canibus ended up being my favorite tracks. Common's 4th CD, Like Water For Chocolate, may have just been his best CD. The DJ Premier produced 1st single, "The 6th Sense", "Dooin It", "A Song For Assata", and one of his most successful singles to date, "The Light" ended up being my favorite tracks. Electric Circus seemed to be more of an experimental CD for Common. Although I did enjoy the 1st single, "Come Close" which featured Mary J. Blige and the CD's closer "Heaven Somewhere", Common definitely lost me within the experiment of this CD. However, Nas had "Nastradamus" and Jay-Z had "In My Lifetime Volume 1" so just because Common made 1 CD that I didn't enjoy didn't mean that I would stop supporting Common.

However, at the right time, it seemed as if Common had his own "Resurrection" after some of his fans were disappointed with "Electric Circus" with his verse on Kanye West's "Get 'Em High", which also featured Talib Kweli. If any of Common's fans thought he had lost it after "Electric Circus" he definitely proved them wrong after just one verse. I later found out that Common had signed with Kanye's G.O.O.D. music imprint and while I was hesitant at first, I figured that if anyone would steer Common's career back in the right way that Kanye could. When I first heard "The Corner", that was definitely the Common that I had missed on Electric Circus. Common seemed like he had a passion to rhyme again and with Kanye West on the boards it seemed as if Common had a point to prove all over again. Be was in the CD player for a long time. My favorite tracks ended up being "The Corner", "Testify", "Chi City", "Go", "Real People" and "The Food", which was originally featured on The Dave Chapelle Show.

The first track that I heard off of Common's 7th solo offering "Finding Forever" was "The Game". The Kanye West track definitely had an old school feel to it and Common sounds like he is trying to make sure that people didn't believe that "Be" was a fluke. He also wants to make sure that if you are tired of listening to the hip hop of today, which has no substance at all that you have a CD that you can put in your stereo or in the CD player in your car that you can actually learn something from. Common's 2nd single "The People" which features Dwele is an excellent example of that. Common could have easily went with "Break My Heart" or "I Want You" as the next single. However, he dares to be different. He doesn't want to follow the trends of the rapper who is just motivated by selling units and selling his soul to "The Game".

"Finding Forever" was released on July 31, 2007. After a short instrumental intro, Common and Kanye West's hook does a good job to "Start The Show". Common's lyrics are just as potent as they are on "The Game" and Kanye has one of his best beats on "Finding Forever" on this track. You will definitely be able to tell that Common has some subliminal messages in the track for a certain rapper or rappers in general. "Drivin' Me Wild" may take awhile to grow on you because, in my opinion, it's not a track that you will like after just 1 or 2 listens. This is track 1 of 4 that Common has on "Finding Forever" where he is talking about a woman or women in general. While it may not be one of Finding Forever's best tracks, "Drivin' Me Wild" will grow on you after awhile. Will.I.Am stops by to produce what may be the 3rd single in "I Want You". While I have never been a fan of The Black Eye Peas, Will.I.Am has definitely impressed me with his production work on the latest offerings from Mary J. Blige, Nas, Game and John Legend. He also produced another track that should be on "Finding Forever" in "A Dream" that was featured on the "Freedom Writers" soundtrack. One of the best production moments on this CD is when Will.I.Am. changes the beat of the track before the 3rd verse begins. Track 2 of 4 for the ladies is neck and neck and may even be a tie with "Break My Heart". Will.I.Am has a nice hook and Common's lyrics take care of the rest. "Southside" features Kanye West and the 2 rappers do a good job of going back and forth together with their verses like they have been in a group for years. The track appears to be a freestyle with a nice Kanye beat and you can never go wrong with that combination. Common even goes as far as saying, "You in the building, but the building's fallin', you wouldn't be ballin', if your name was Spalding". It appears Nas isn't the only one that has words for fly by night rapper of the moment, Jim Jones. Common is a teacher spreading his lessons on "U, Black Maybe". On the track, Common makes you think as he raises the question of Blacks always trying to blame the next man, which is usually another race, for their problems. However, in some cases we bring our own people down and we don't even recognize that fact or we in our own system of denial. Common features track 3 of 4 for the ladies in "So Far To Go" which features D'Angelo and is produced by the late, great J Dilla. The track was originally featured on J Dilla's "The Shining" CD. Common was also featured on another track on "The Shining" entitled "E=MC2". "Break My Heart" may be the song that will stay in your head just because of the Kanye West sample. However, Common's wordplay on this track is simply phenominal. He describes a situation where a woman is hesitant to get invloved with him and Common uses his lyrics to get the woman to "come on and go with him". This track is definitely one of my favorites on "Finding Forever".

Devo Springsteen must have gotten access to Kanye's stash of samples because he cleverly uses a sample on "Misunderstood". The clever use of the sample, the production and Common's lyrics make this track a nice combination. Bilal does a good job on the hook and Common does his best to make people understand that the problems in the world today are real problems and not just things that you can ignore because it isn't happening to them. "Forever Begins" ends "Finding Forever" on a nice note especially with Common's verses and towards the end of the track with the powerful words. The chorus is fine but it seems as if Kanye had an "overproduction" moment when the singers started singing the hook.

Overall, "Finding Forever" is a CD that will be in your CD player for awhile just as "Be" was. I would give a slight edge to "Be" as far as what CD I like better but "Finding Forever" is just as nice as "Be" was. Common's 2nd CD on G.O.O.D. music will also end up being a classic to most of his fans and fans of real hip hop music. There are some moments that Common will have you wondering why are you talking about Jen and Vince Vaughn and Ryan and Reese Witherspoon, however, his attack of the 2007 "I must sell unit" rappers on "Start The Show" and "The Game", his lessons on "U, Black Maybe" and "Misunderstood" and his wonderful tracks for the ladies with "Break My Heart", "I Want You" and "So Far To Go" will make you forget about any disappointments that you may have with this CD. If this CD doesn't cement Common's legacy in rap music, I am not sure what else he will have to do in order to convince you of his skills. If you liked "Be" and if you are a fan of Common's previous CDs, then you would be a fool to pass up on "Finding Forever".

James' Top 5

1) The Game
2) Misunderstood w/Bilal
3) The People w/Dwele
4) Break My Heart
5) Start The Show

Honorable Mention:

Southside w/Kanye West
I Want You w/Will.I.Am
So Far To Go w/D'Angelo
Forever Begins
U, Black Maybe

Ranking Common's Discography: (This was hard)

1) Resurrection
2) Like Water For Chocolate
3) Be
4) Finding Forever
5) One Day It'll All Make Sense
6) Can I Borrow A Dollar?
7) Electric Circus

Average customer rating:

Beasties Instrumental
Beasties are Back
the beastie boys have done it again
Skip it
Poor

The Mix-Up
Beastie Boys
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PY32CE
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

B For My Name
14th St. Break
Suco De Tangerina
The Gala Event
Electric Worm
Freaky Hijiki
Off The Grid
The Rat Cage
The Melee
Dramastically Different
The Cousin Of Death
The Kangaroo Rat

Amazon.com

Having long since shed their image as hip-hop's clown princes, the Beastie Boys now bring what feels like their emeritus recording, a celebratory instrumental memoir of all of the influences (except punk) that brought them to their secure place among hip-hop's fickle elite. The party opens with the aptly titled "B for My Name," its plodding bounce staking claim to the mid-tempo path the album treads almost throughout. "14th St. Break" picks up the pace, especially in the auxiliary percussion breakdown, complete with rally whistle. Then, beginning with "Suco de Tangerina," the album drops into a deep groove cut from dub- and dancehall-tinged ostinati that carry through a full third of its tracks. Among these, "The Gala Event" suffers from a lack of developmental motion that characterizes many of these tracks, but highlights still abound. "Off the Grid," for example, departs from the otherwise unbreakable chill and rips the proceedings wide open, blooming again and again in a series of pulsing riffs that celebrate the very institution of the instrumental groove. More than 20 years since Licensed to Ill took a long, irreverent piss into the mainstream, it seems you can still fight for your right to party. --Jason Kirk

Amazon.com

The Mix-Up is Beastie Boys' first-ever full album of all-new instrumental material. The follow-up to 2004's To The 5 Boroughs, The Mix-Up features Diamond, Horovitz and Yauch back on drums, guitar and bass, with able assistance from Keyboard Money Mark and percussionist Alfredo Ortiz, on 12 brand new wordless, sample-less, scratchless originals. Sure to please fans of the instrumental cuts from Check Your Head and Ill Communication and the cult hit compilation album made up largely of those tracks, The In Sound From Way Out!, The Mix-Up finds NYC's favorite sons drawing on one of their arsenal's primary strengths and pushing it into bold new directions.

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Licensed to Ill
Awesome, I Shot That
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Customer Reviews:

Beasties Instrumental.......2007-08-07

I predicted years ago The Beastie Boys should just do an all instumental recording. I got what I wanted and I am satisfied.

Beasties are Back.......2007-08-04

Off the charts outstanding! The Boys have mastered their instrumental stylings, and have created an amazing cornicopia of sound. Far more advanced than earlier instrumentals that were wooven through out various albums, or collected on 'In sounds from way out'. If you dig this side of the Beasties, you need not dig any further!

the beastie boys have done it again.......2007-07-30

a lot of people are basing this album on from their prevous popular albums like check your head, hello nasty (my favorite), 5 boroughs, ect. but there are a lot of ignorant people out there and dont realize that they have already made an album with just instruments called the in sound from the way out. and it was excellent and so was this album. put it on and just sit back and chill to it. the beastie boys do a great job mixing it up, which is one of the reasons why i love the beastie boys and one of the reasons why they are my all time favorite! its all about the music, a good band can make music with lyrics but a great group can produce music without lyrics. this album has been everything i have asked for, if you loved anything from the beastie boys, im sure you will love this. i know i did!

Skip it.......2007-07-30

I would say if you are new to the band you might find this appealing. For me it was not the same as past musical experiences I had in listening to albums of the past, including several that came after the famous "Licensed to Ill" which I have heard is one of Capitol Records all-time best selling albums. This CD left me frustrated as I did not feel there was very much creativity at all. As they say; "to each his own" but I personally felt this CD was a letdown.

Poor.......2007-07-28

Picked this up, was so excited, first song...all insturmental...i was like ya cool, i dig, then next song...no lyrics, all the way through the 12 tracks. very dissapointed, sure the mysic is good, but thats not what makes the beastie boys the beastie boys. if you are eager to listen then give the sample on amazon a quick listen, chances are that is all you will need

Average customer rating:

Excellent CD
3-1/2 stars -- On the T.I.P. of my tongue
This album is fire!!!!!
Disappointing
T.I. - T.I. vs T.I.P.

T.I. vs T.I.P.
T.I.
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000Q3646A
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Tracks:

Act I: T.I.P.
Big S**t Poppin' (Do It)
Raw
You Know What It Is
Da Dopeman
Watch What You Say To Me
Hurt
Act II: T.I.
Help Is Coming
My Swag
We Do This
Show It To Me
Don't You Wanna Be High
Touchdown
Act III: T.I. Vs. The Confrontation
Tell 'Em I Said That
Respect This Hustle
My Type

Amazon.com

T.I. may take alter-egotism to new heights on T.I. vs. T.I.P., an album that's essentially a spinoff of a song (Trap Muzik's psychologically charged "T.I. vs. T.I.P."), but few artists have been known to spin something so compelling out of a concept so silly. T.I.P. is the hoodie-wearing hustler we get to know in the first part of this exceptionally long disc--he curses and boasts behind the beats with a lazy bravado that manages to be both slouchy and sharp (check out "Da Dopeman," "Watch What You Say" featuring a fired-up Jay-Z, and "You Know What It is," with Wyclef), and T.I. is the right-minded tycoon-type who takes over for a while in act two. As smooth an operator as T.I. is--"Show It to Me," featuring Nelly, finds its groove and never lets up--he's more compelling in the grittier parts of the disc, including a four-song final act in which the two halves of his deeply divided personality square off. "Respect This Hustle," the M.C. commands on the next-to-last track; detractors will try not to, citing the slightness of his concept. T.I. is at the top of his game, though, and he makes it heard. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Excellent CD.......2007-08-07

I am a huge T.I. fan....and this was a great CD he put out. Great Job T.I.!!!!

3-1/2 stars -- On the T.I.P. of my tongue.......2007-08-07

T.I. is one of those artists that is hard to follow because he pretty much releases a new album every year. That said, the only other album I heard from him in its entirety was Trap Muzik. But over the years he's definitely come up in the ranks (and even landing success on the silver screen with ATL, although few people outside of Atlanta saw it), so I decided to check out T.I. vs. T.I.P.

The split personality theme might seem a little corny ("Act III", anyone?), especially because the personalities really don't sound much different from each other, as reviewer E. Chance said best. But for the most part, T.I. does deliver. "Big Ish Poppin'" was a smart choice for the first single; other notables include "My Type", "Don't You Wanna Be High" and "Help Is Coming".

T.I. also does fine when guest stars come aboard. Jay-Z drops a nice verse on "Watch What You Say to Me", as does Eminem on the aptly titled "Touchdown". And while I have no idea whom Alfamega is, he, Busta Rhymes and T.I. just RIP UP "Hurt".

But with an 18-track album lasting 73 minutes, you can't help but find a few errors. "Respect This Hustle" is fine until you get to the spelling bee chorus, and although "You Know How It Is" and "My Swag" aren't terrible, it's like this: if you're trying to be extra-hardcore, I'm not sure Wyclef Jean is the best person to be with. Speaking of that, the guest stars don't ALWAYS shine, especially Nelly on the already questionable shake-that-a** song, "Show It to Me". The first verse contains: "You see T.I. and Nelly on it, you know the track gon' blow." Can't argue with THAT.

T.I. never really breaks any new ground or anything with his albums, but he still continues to give us the stuff we'd expect from him without sounding redundant, so if you already like him, T.I. vs. T.I.P. shouldn't change your opinion.

Anthony Rupert

This album is fire!!!!!.......2007-08-03

I am not a big fan of the current state of rap/hip hop but have a few artists I check for. I personally think the lyrics and albums were a lot better about 10 years ago. But this album is the best I have heard in a while. T.I. cleverly switches his flow up throughout the album and raps his verses with a lot of passion. Especially on "Tell Em I Said That". That song might not make a great single because of the content but is easily the best I have heard from him. I have all his music except for the first album, and this one is the most complete. All of them have been good but this one, track for track shows his growth as an M.C. Standout tracks are "Raw", "Da Dopeman", "Touchdown", "My Type", "You Know What It Is", "My Swag", "We Do This" and of course "Tell Em I Said That". On that track he is goin' superhard at any rapper that never lived the life he talks about and breaks down their whole gimmick and how they try to get in the rap game. T.I. is easily one of the best emcees in the game and you gotta respect the fact that he stepped out there and called himself "King" before he even had all the major success he has now. It just shows what can happen if you believe in yourself..."As A Man Thinketh" so shall he become.

Disappointing.......2007-07-30

I actually liked a few tracks off of King...I would probably have given that a 3...
But this, this was horrible...

I'm just really sick of this recycled trash that hip-hop has turned into where basically everything people talk about concerns...

1. How many women they've slept with, and in general misogyny, disrespecting women as much as possible.
2. Drugs, drugs, and more drugs....I was a dopeboy...yee ha...I was a dopeboy...You can't hustle like me...yada yada.
3. Materialism...I know "cash rules everything around me" but it'd be nice to hear about the bad aspects of cash. It's not everything, but when you listen to so much of the genre these days all you hear is MOB. Money's more important than love, peace, kindness, God...any of that stuff that ultimately matters more than anything else.

I could go on, but I'm sure I got my point across...
I'm just glad Common's "Finding Forever" is coming out manana, or else I would have given up on most contemporary rap.

T.I. - T.I. vs T.I.P. .......2007-07-29

T.I's (A.K.A. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr) fifth album is "T.I. vs T.I.P." (2007). I found this release to be a sub-par effort from T.I. - a lot of the music found throughout the release being repetitive - a definite step down in lyrics and production from his last album. Not impressed by the lead single ""Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" - a track about people who talk big and don't back it up. To me T.I. is a fine example of that an average MC who calls himself "King" and does not back it up. I have no real interest listening to whole album based upon T.I.'s own internal battles. First track I did feel on this release was the Mannie Fresh produced "Da Dopeman" which T.I. laces with a solid chorus. Track's like Danja produced "Hurt" & Just Blaze's "Help Is Coming" will work for those who are looking for something to bang in the whip.The rest of the album is a mess to me one of the worst moment's for me was listening to Eminem trying to rhyme with a whiny flow on "Touch Down". T.I.'s braggy lyrics get beyond tiring, and the production found on this release is generally bland. Enlisting well known artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes did not benefit this release, nothing against any of them but felt no one brought anything special to the table. I would rather hear a hungry MC who has something new to say. "T.I. explained the album's title, saying, "It's basically a battle within myself, there's not nobody out there doing what I do as well as I do it, so I see myself as worthy competition for myself". T.I. needs a wake up call, way to much ego, not enough quality music. "T.I. vs T.I.P." is not a release I would recommend for the collection.

Average customer rating:

Major hit-maker finally makes some hits he can call his own...
Tasty beats however
One problem
Shocked at shock value
Can't stop Tim

Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Timbaland
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Good Girl Gone Bad
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Dignity

ASIN: B000NA26ZE
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Oh Timbaland
Give It To Me
Release
The Way I Are
Bounce
Come & Get Me
Kill Yourself
Boardmeeting
Fantasy
Scream
Miscommunication
Bombay
Throw It On Me
Time
One & Only
Apologize
2 Man Show

Amazon.com

When the most exciting producer in pop music himself puts out a CD, the thrill is in the discovery: The world may have already suspected that Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and a small army of other singers owed 75% of their fame to the stockpile of skittering beats Timbaland built and then graciously set them upon, but here's a chance to prove it. Or it might have been in less welcoming hands. Shock Value is a far-reaching and ambitious disc; a masterpiece, even, in its own way. But it's not at all self-centered. If there's a point being put across here, it's that Timbaland came by your vote as behind-the-scenes musical man of the hour honestly: pair him with Fall Out Boy or the Strokes, and he will not only provide tracks that surprise you by maintaining their rock 'n' roll integrity, he will also convince you that shimmer's role in rock music has, to now, been tragically misguided and miniscule. Re-team him with Timberlake and Furtado (for the near-flawless track "Give It to Me") and he will again trade vocal bites, but they will still be nibbly, not voracious. In a CD full of experiments and puzzles (why is Elton John just piano-playing, not singing? And how did the L.A. band One Republic end up on this disc?) a single truth emerges: Timbaland's taste is impeccable, but his judgment is even better. Shock Value, by virtue of its swirly beats and mesmerizing rhythms, will bring him a smidge closer to the spotlight. But because it's a disc of collaborations, he'll retain the shadowy-genius reputation that precedes him, and that he so richly deserves. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Major hit-maker finally makes some hits he can call his own..........2007-08-01

Timbaland is lauded by almost everyone as the hit-maker. If you want a radio friendly club beat laden single then seek out Timbaland and consider you're dreams answered. This is made apparent by the recent rise of pop stars Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado who have just blown up lately thanks in large part to Timbaland's infectious beats. So here finally Timbaland steps behind the microphone in order to explore his own vocal talents and let the world see what would happen if he was allowed to make the music he wanted to make. Thankfully he's a genuine artist and didn't just put out another rap album that could easily be mistaken for the countless other no-talent releases year round. In fact with `Shock Value' Timbaland delves into different musical styles and does so with expert maneuvering, delivering a unique and memorable musical experience.

Of course when you pair Timbaland up with his musical soul-mate Timberlake you have instant hit status, and so Timbaland enlisted Justin's talents on three tracks, and those three tracks are standouts. `Give it to Me' also partners Timbaland with Nelly Furtado, a voice that Timbaland helped make a household name. It's a brilliant choice for a first single for it establishes Timbaland's mark while still keeping him comfortable, mostly behind the shadow of the better vocals. `Release' is a fun song but the real gold is found on `Bounce' which teams Timbaland and Timberlake with Dr Dre and Missy Elliot. The beat is one of Timbaland's best and the song in itself will lodge itself in your brain.

Another collaboration that suits Timbaland very well is that with upcoming star Keri Hilson who appears on three tracks as well. `The Way I Are', also featuring D.O.E., has a fantastic beat that belongs in the club. I'm sure everyone has heard this song by now so you know how great it is. `Scream' also features Keri but couples the two with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. I don't care what your feelings are about the Pussycat Dolls, that girl has a beautiful voice. Personally out of the three I think I prefer `Miscommunication' but it's a hard toss up with `The Way I Are'. On `Miscommunication' though Keri Hilson really shines and that makes me lean more in that direction.

The remainder of the CD has Timbaland teaming up with random rappers and rock groups in order to create some of the more interesting tracks in hip-hop today. Teaming up with ultra-popular pop-punk band Fall Out Boy on `One and Only' was a brilliant step. In fact `One and Only' is one of the best tracks on the album. The Hives provide some entertaining aspects of `Throw it on Me', but it's `Apologize' that really blows me away. California based OneRepublic is a brilliant band and I just want to take the time to thank Timbaland for bringing their music out for the rest of us to experience. `Bombay' is very satisfying, coupling hip-hop beats with intoxicating Middle Eastern vibes and vocals. Timbaland also reunites with his old partner Magoo on `Boardmeeting' with nice results. It's not the greatest track here, but it's still great. `Time' is different, featuring She Wants Revenge, and it's not quite as successful a pairing as the previous, but it'll definitely grow on you, that's for sure.

Some of his more rap influenced tracks are a little bland, like `Come & Get It' featuring 50 Cent and Tony Yayo or `Kill Yourself' featuring Sebastian and Attitude. It's not that they're awful it's just that their nothing new. They sound like they belong on a less expressive and expansive album, maybe like something done by 50 Cent himself. It's just not up to the standard that Timbaland sets for himself, although the piano beat running though `Kill Yourself' is a nice touch. `Fantasy' is decent, but Money takes over the track and it becomes more or less another pop-diva recording without much substance. I still don't understand the closing track `2 Man Show' featuring Elton John. It had so much potential, and Elton is a master of the ivory keys, but the track is a major disappointment. In the end `Shock Value' is a disc that should entertain and impress anyone wondering what Timbaland has rolled up his sleeve. Here's to his major success. Can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

Tasty beats however.......2007-07-23

This is the first hip-hop album that I had ever bought and I'm satisfied with it. I thought this was Timbaland's solo album, but in truth only the first track "Oh Timbaland" can be described as a solo effort. As for the whole album you can expect to listen to the unique beats that is his signature.

As genius as he is in creating beats, he is no lyricist or at least a keen observer of lyrics. Take the first four lines into the song "Miscommunication" which incidentally was not written by him as Timbaland could have suggested better rhymes instead of the ones there.

My favorite among his collaborators in this album is Keri Hilson. Her smooth singing voice provided counterbalance to Timbaland's throaty effort, as evidenced in the track "The Way I Are". Unfortunately I don't feel any chemistry between Timbaland and Hilson as the lyrics would have suggested. Timbaland, as charismatic he can be, just don't have the persona for flirting with a 'co-star'.

Another collaborator worth mentioning is Amar, the British/Indian singer on the track "Bombay". Here I'm particularly fond of Timbaland's accentuation of the upbeats, slight syncopation of the downbeats, added with the otherworldly qualities of Amar's Indian singing style.

The rest of the tracks I'm not really fond of. "2 Man Show" with Elton John for example, feels a bit dry and uninspiring. The tracks with fellow hip-hop collaborators I can't really decide as this is, after all, my first hip-hop album.

One problem.......2007-07-21

Timbaland has a talent for making hits, and there are so many potential singles on this thing it's not even funny. But there are a bunch of filler songs in the middle of the album that are disappointing.

There are a lot of good, fun, danceable songs on this CD, it's just that the bad songs really weigh down the good ones. Tracks 6-10 could've been left out quite easily. Since the cd is 17 tracks long, I'm constantly skipping over those songs to get to the good ones. It's just inconvenient.

Other than that, this is pretty good. Like I said before, it's just annoying to have to skip over a bunch of songs.

Favorites: The Way I Are, Bombay, Throw It On Me, Time, One & Only, Apologize

Shocked at shock value.......2007-07-13

Now, I'm not going to say I didn't like the album. I did like it. But, I just do not feel Timbaland let loose enough.
I think he is a wild stallion, but it just felt like something was pulling back on the reins, something was MISSING.
I can't put my finger on it, but felt this album was...Too controlled to offer an SHOCK to me.
I wanted a cut loose RAW BEAT album.
I was satisfied, but being satisfied means the content was just satisfactory. I want to be satiated. I hope another album is to follow this, I really do. I'm addicted to the beats, Timbaland is EXCELLENT for those. I can't get enough. BUT, please next time don't just shock me.
I want shock waves, electricty to the veins. Maybe next time.

Can't stop Tim.......2007-07-09

This album rocks. I love that Timberland teamed up with all different types of artists. Rock this!

Average customer rating:

Graduation
Kanye West
Manufacturer: Roc-A-Fella Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Finding Forever
Curtis
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Ear Drum
Desire

ASIN: B000RG1FMO
Release Date: 2007-08-21

Album Description

This is the official label release of Kanye West's new CD. Features the singles "Stronger" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing."

Average customer rating:

Get it now!
Rip off
REFRESHING!
Suicidal, Suicidal, Suici....
simple garbage....

Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

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From Nothin' to Somethin'
Epiphany
Finding Forever
Good Girl Gone Bad
T.I. vs T.I.P.

ASIN: B000ROA03Q
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Intro
Kingston
Take You There
Me Love
Beautiful Girls
Dry Your Eyes
Got No Shorty
There s Nothin
I Can Feel It
Drummer Boy
Your Sister
That Ain t Right
Change
Colors (2007) (Reggae Remix featuring Vybz Kartel and Kardinal Official)

Album Description

Sean Kingston, a 17 year old native of Jamaica is not just a new face in popular music, he's accomplished the rare task of creating a new genre where rap, reggae, dancehall, pop, a touch of doo-wop and remarkable songwriting all combined into something totally fresh. Add in Sean's family roots which cite reggae king Buju Banton as his uncle and Jamaican legendary producer Jack Ruby as his grandfather and you have one of the most exciting debuts this year.

Customer Reviews:

Get it now!.......2007-08-06

Finally a CD worth every penny! More than half of the tracks on this album are ready to released as singles...this album is great to have at your summer party!!

Rip off.......2007-08-06

You know, when I first heard the "Beautiful Girls" song, I thought it was catchy... cool song. Then I saw Kingston on the Today show and I thought "cool, maybe this kid will be then next Prince Buster." Kid had a band, a double bass, and all the players were to the nines...

Man, was I wrong. I've listened to most of this album. I know a lot of people have pointed out that "Beautiful Girls" is a rip from "Stand by Me", and they're right... but the song's good enough that I can overlook that. The rest of the album though... Rip off...

REFRESHING!.......2007-08-02

What can I say about this record? Let's face it R&B/Hip-hop has been really stale this year. I'm impressed to see such a young artist using innovative sounds/lyrics. Why are so many R&B/Hip-hop artist afraid to draw from other influences in different genres of music? I listen to all genres of music so I can appreciate this record.

I think people who have rated this album poorly have "limited" taste in music...meaning they don't mind hearing the same beats/lyrics over and over from artist to artist. Or they propably haven't really listened to this record.

If you enjoy Sean Paul, Michael Jackson, Kanye West buy this record. Yes, it's that good.

Suicidal, Suicidal, Suici...........2007-08-02

Sean Kingston seemed to come out of nowhere with "Beautiful Girls" this summer. The song gained well through the charts landing him a very good, summer, breezy-reggae hit, with one very unexpected ending. And now he delievers with his new self-titled debut. With Kingston's debut, you get the obvious flowchart of an R&B newcomer. A few party songs ("Kingston", "Got No Shorty", "Drummer Boy"), a few heartfelt ballads ("Me Love", "Dry Your Eyes") and the obligatory "song of the summer" "Beautiful Girls", most notable for Kingston killing himself by the end of the song. Tied in for good measure is the song featuring whatever young R&B girl that's hot at that current, and then you find "There's Nothing" with Paula DeAnda. And to match his hot, hit single that samples Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", he and Rotem then sample Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" on "I Can Feel It" with mixed results. Anything new or exciting going on here? No, but there's nothing bad going on here either. Originality isn't quite Kingston's gem, although bringing breezy, summery, Jamacain styled music, that would indeed be Kingston's gem quality. His voice isn't the rangiest, but his perplexed, unpredictable flow is what makes it the most interesting. Add in producer Jonathan Rotem and the aforementioned list of love songs, party songs, and some hood tracks, and you get one set of enjoyable reggae/hip-hop jams that define the summer. Some may question the aggression of the disc (he's barely 17), and Kingston might not be too out of the box. But he's not the dull pencil in the box either. 3.5 stars.

simple garbage...........2007-08-01

Beautiful Girls" is really a misleading song. It seems to imply that maybe Sean Kingston was going to have producers that might do something interesting; combine R&B, in the vein of Sean Paul, with bubblegum doo wop. The song is, in a word, the perfect guilty pleasure. Thing is, everything else on Sean Kingston's debut album is pretty much...uh...***.

You don't expect much out of an R&B album these days when the artist in question had an army of merchandise available a month before his album had even leaked, so I really wasn't expecting that much. But the single that led to all of this madness ("Beautiful Girls") was probably my favorite single of the summer. Thus, my expectations for some massively awesome fusion between Sean Paul, 50's pop bands and a fat Nelly were shattered with one listen to Sean Kingston.

Notice the two quick references to Sean Paul? Yeah thats because Sean pretty much sounds like a white kid who wanted to sound Jamaican like his idle, Sean (convoluted!). Kingston has tried to embrace his Jamaican roots supposedly, so despite the fact he was raised in the US he attempts to sing with all the vigor of a Jamaican kid fresh off the street. The result is pretty much what it sounds likes- an American trying to sound like an islander with eh results. It doesn't help they really take the time to touch up the sound of his voice in studio- while it makes for a pleasant sound on "Beautiful Girls" the rest of the album gets annoying and sterile sounding quick.

Canned beats. Thats pretty much what Sean Kingston has going for him on the entire album. While the Phil Collins sampling "There's Nothing" is a pretty interesting song, everything else pretty much could belong to any other wannabe rapper. There's the club bangers, the radio-ready hits, the ballads, and the "remix", but inexplicably missing is a real reason to buy the album! When everything sounds like a homogenized version something Sean Paul or Busta Rhymes (yes Busta) did years ago, and the most interesting part of the album is the fact Kingston samples a dreadfully boring Phil Collins song, its pretty self explanatory where this leads.

Maybe this could be salvaged if Kingston had kept the kind of innocent charm "Beautiful Girls" exudes throughout most of the album, but instead its generally more faux-gangsta frontin' made by the same tired producers (or rather producer- JR Totem produced the entirety of the album) that make the same tired album filler over and over and over. "Me Love" is a decent song and is already getting geared up to be the next single, but even thats too annoying to give Kingston another successful single. Get ready for Sean Kingston to be the big one-hit-wonder of 2007. Sean Kingston is entirely devoid of anything that makes a pop album worth listening to; even the catchy stuff is so wrapped up in the absolute fakeness that its hard to take seriously. Perhaps a better term would be "to take lightly."

The bottom line is just get "Beautiful Girls." Its the jam of the summer, and is a certifiable hit that'll likely be at the top of the list for the 2007 section of Remembering the 00's. Just forget about the album and you'll never have to be bothered with more of the same tiresome trash.

Average customer rating:

Quite Impressive!
Love This CD
"say it"
Great Sophomore Album!
Best

Because Of You
Ne-Yo
Manufacturer: Def Jam
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000NVL4EW
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

Because Of You
Crazy (feat. JAY-Z)
Can We Chill
Do You
Addicted
Leaving Tonight (feat. Jennifer Hudson)
Ain't Thinking About You
Sex With My Ex
Angel
Make It Work
Say It
Go On Girl

Amazon.com

Kelly Clarkson, kindly step aside: the title "Because of You" now belongs to Ne-Yo, who has done things with it no one with a pair of hands to clap will soon forget. And not just on the phenomenally appealing first single. Throughout Because of You, the sophomore disc by the songwriter responsible for such monster hits as Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful," a flutter-voiced fluidity--the kind seldom heard since Michael Jackson's Off the Wall days--reigns. Jay-Z makes room to let it rip on "Crazy," and Jennifer Hudson wraps herself around it with restraint on "Leaving Tonight," a lovers' quarrel that could hold its own against anything Marilyn McCoo & Billy David Jr. cared to toss off in their heyday. If it's MJ who's lingered in Ne-Yo's ear longest, Prince hasn't gone silent, either: echoes poke up on the far-out "Sex with My Ex." Elsewhere, shades of contemporaries such as Nelly and Diddy show through. Overall, though, Ne-Yo's flammable hooks, flirty vibe, and flawless vocals reveal an R&B genius in the making. If the talent bar for up-and-comers is set impossibly high in the coming years, chances are it will be all because of him. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Quite Impressive!.......2007-07-12

I'm just saying you should check out what other reviews have been written from a reviewer before you let it pursued you for or against a release because it may influence how much credit you give their review.
This sophomore release by Neo shows maturity, growth and solidifies his presence in the R & B genre. Because of You, Crazy minus J-Z intro., Do You, Leaving Tonight, Aint Thinking About You, Make it Work, Tell Me, are most noteable. Which is quite a number of tracks, practically the whole CD. Each track flows into the next, you can really just press play and relax, let the music work it's magic.
BET Awards Show said it "Best R&B Male" enough said.

Love This CD.......2007-07-12

Simply put, this is a great CD! My favorite songs are:
2. Crazy f/ Jay-Z
4. Do You
6. Leaving Tonight
11. Say It

I recommend this CD to listeners who prefer a CD that isn't filled with featured rappers!

"say it".......2007-07-10

if "say it" were the ONLY song on the album, i still would've gotten my money's worth. i also love "do you", "because of you", and "can we chill". all in all i like about the same amount of songs on this album as i did on the other one.

Great Sophomore Album!.......2007-07-07

I am always wary of sophomore efforts from singers, but I really loved Ne-Yo's first CD, and I love the fact that he's a songwriter -- his songs usually make sense -- so I went ahead and picked it up even though I had only heard snippets of "Because of You" (the title track) and no other song. I'm glad I did. I really love this CD from start to finish -- the tracks are smooth and you can definitely see the influence from different artists on the CD. It's a "chill on a Saturday afternoon" CD (and that's exactly what I am doing right now), and I like it better than his first CD.

My favorite songs on the album: "Crazy" (featuring Jay-Z, it's well written and a really smooth entry on the CD); "Can We Chill" (smooth dance track about being in a club, which I usually hate, but this one is pretty well written as well and I love the beat and melody), "Addicted" (the premise is funny, and if you can laugh good-naturedly at Ne-Yo's grandstanding in the CD -- it's a great song), "Leaving Tonight" (I love Jennifer Hudson, she sounds like a goddess on this CD, American Idol shouldn't have cut her and I hope she comes out with a CD ASAP!) and "Sex With My Ex" (Prince fans should flock to this one, it sounds like something The Artist would've sung.)

Best.......2007-07-06

Neyo has come with his sophomore album STRONG. This is a play right through CD. All of the songs are HOT!

Average customer rating:

So entertaining!
Up a notch......
amazing version
Mark's Version of other hits!!
It delivers the goods in style.

Version
Mark Ronson
Manufacturer: Red Int / Red Ink
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Back to Black
The Reminder
Icky Thump
Our Love to Admire
We Are the Night

ASIN: B000PGTF4G
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (featuring The Daptone Horns)
Oh My God (featuring Lily Allen)
Stop Me (featuring Daniel Merriweather)
Toxic (featuring Tiggers)
Valerie (featuring Amy Winehouse)
Apply Some Pressure (featuring Paul Smith)
Inversion
Pretty Green (featuring Santo Gold)
. Just (featuring (Phantom Planet)
Amy (featuring Kenna)
The Only One I Know (featuring Robbie Williams
Diversion
L.S.F. (featuring Kasabian)
Outversion

Amazon.com

Following up his success in helping produce Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, Mark Ronson's second solo project covers a series of mostly British indie-rock songs but with a funky soul remake. The meeting of two styles you ordinarily wouldn't associate with one another makes for some interesting hybrids. The cover of Radiohead's "Just," done with Phantom Planet is unexpectedly excellent but hearing Tiggers and Ol' Dirty Bastard remaking "Toxic" by Britney Spears will probably leave more folks scratching their heads than nodding them. Overall, the balance is positive and should hopefully open up both indie rock and funk fans to both respective genres. In a class by itself is Winehouse's cover of the Zutons' "Valerie," --the best song Paul Weller and Martha Reeves never made. --Oliver Wang

Product Description

A lot has been said about Mark Ronson. Some have called him "a 21st century Quincy Jones," while others know him as one of the worlds finest DJ's with International renown, favored by the decadent fashion cognoscenti, the Hip-Hop elite and anyone in general who likes to party... Now add to that list THE PRODUCER DU JOUR! From his stellar production on Christina Aguilera's multi-platinum "Back To Basics" to his cutting edge contributions on the much buzzed about Lilly Allen album "Alright, Still Back To Black" and the genre bending Amy Winehouse release that's taking fans and critics by storm, Mr Mark Ronson is strutting his stuff, and strutting it well.

With all the production credits for other artists under his belt, he's now turned his attention to his own project, Version, the album the UK critics are calling a Major winner. Version is a beautiful collection of cover songs, re-imagined by Mark. His philosophy on Version was to work with songs he's long loved- while not trying to make them better, he just wanted to make them bounce... From the feel good "Valerie" cover (The Zutons) featuring Amy Winehouse, to the quirky and fun "Oh My God" (Kaiser Chiefs) featurung Lily Allen, to the piece de resistance: "Stop Me" (The Smiths), featuring the soul stirring vocals of newcomer Daniel Merriweather, Version is poised to be the must-have album this summer

Customer Reviews:

So entertaining!.......2007-07-25

I love listening to this cd. The songs are all incredibly catchy. This is my favorite album to play at work. Great fun!

Up a notch.............2007-07-20

Knows whats up. "Stop Me" and "Oh my God" better than the originals.
Ronson kills it.

amazing version.......2007-07-17

Mark Ronson's latest album could be one of the best albums that i have heard this summer. His fresh beats that he mixes with every track are unlike anything I have heard in a long time. Whether it's Coldplay, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen or Kasabian each and every track has it's own flare. I went to a concert in Manhattan just last week and I am telling you his music is just as good if not better in person. I highly suggest buying this album!!!

Mark's Version of other hits!!.......2007-07-11

Mark Ronson is a DJ/producer, and on "Version", he takes other peoples songs, some hits, others obscure, and does his version using guest vocalists. The general sound is rich in horns, set to a funky, danceable rhythm, and loads of guest artistes on vocals. The album has already hit #2 in the UK.

Lead off single, and #2 UK hit "Stop me" is a lovely remake of The Smiths' "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before" which segues into The Supremes' hit "You keep me hanging on" over Hip hop beats. It features the lovely vocals of Australian Daniel Merriweather

Amy Winehouse (whose brilliant "Back to black" album he produced parts of) guests on the sunny Motown-like "Valerie", which was originally done by The Zutons.

Lily Allen (whose lovely album "Alright, Still" he also produced parts of) guests on the retro funk sounding "Oh my God", a remake of the Kaiser Chiefs song. It is currently in the UK top 20.

Britney Spears' hit "Toxic" is slowed down and almost unrecognizable, featuring vocals by Tiggers and a rap by ODB.

The Maximo Park song "Apply some pressure" is given a slight ska feel, set to an almost marching beat. Vocals by Paul Smith.

Kasabian show up on a funky remake of their "L.S.F", while Coldplay's "God put a smile on your face" gets the big horn section treatment.

Robbie Williams (his "Rudebox" album was also part produced by Mark) shows up on the Shaft-like remake of The Charlatans "The only one".

I like it!!!

It delivers the goods in style........2007-06-18

Mark Ronson's a busy man. He's been producing for Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Robbie Williams, yet has still found time to focus on his own studio album.
Comprised of new versions of old classics, it's a very entertaining listen from back to front, featuring the likes of Amy Winehouse, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Daniel Merriweather and Kasabian, all helping Ronson put his considerably fresh and funky twist on familiar tunes.
Highlights include the late ODB rapping to the Britney Spears refix of Toxic, Winehouse making vast improvements on the original with 'Valerie' and Phantom Planet singing an uber cool version of Radiohead's 'Just'.
Impressively suited for a party play through, this is definitely one to pick up for the nearing summer months.
With "Version", super-producer Mark Ronson has set out to prove that pop voyeurism and experimentalism don't have to be bad things using his own unique re-interpretive style.
Hence, he has assembled an album of spectacular cover versions that deliver very alternative versions of modern classics from Coldplay, The Charlatans, Radiohead and The Smiths.
Some listeners will undoubtedly write it off almost instantly as disastrous. Others may take some convincing.
But for many, "Version" is a brave, bold, blast of an album that almost always gets things right.
Ronson, for his part, emerges as a musical artist of the highest calibre -a music innovator whose funk-strewn re-interpretations effortlessly place themselves on the right side of cool.
On the whole, "Version" is a cut above most cover version compilations, as well as a darn fine party album for the approaching summer season. It probably won't impress the die-hard cynics - but for those willing to open their minds, or anyone in search of some expert funk, it delivers the goods in style.
My picks: "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", "Oh My God", "Valerie", "Pretty Green", "Amy", "Just" and "Toxic".

Average customer rating:

Lowering The Bar
Oh Boy This Album Is The S***
MANY REALLY GOOD songs on this CD
Pretty Good
Not impressed; More substance and hits would've been nice...

Epiphany
T-Pain
Manufacturer: Jive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000P0JQ9Q
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Tallahassee Love
Church featuring Teddy Verseti
Tipsy
Show U How featuring Teddy Pain & Teddy Penderazdoun
I Got It
Suicide
Bartender featuring Akon
Backseat Action featuring Shawnna
Put It Down featuring Ray, Teddy Penderazdoun & Teddy Verseti
Time Machine
Yo Stomach featuring Tay Dizm
Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')Featuring Yung Joc
69 featuring J Lyriq
Reggae Night
Shottas featuring Kardinal Offishall & Cham
Right Hand
Sounds Bad

Amazon.com

T-Pain opens the liner notes to his hotly anticipated second disc with a couple of helpful definitions: An epiphany is "the manifestation of a supernatural being" (definition No. 1) or "a sudden moment of insight or revelation" (No. 2), the opening page puts forth. Because most of the R&B record-buying world knows that T-Pain is not a supernatural being, but a stylish and inventive singer from Tallahassee, it would seem the second definition inspired the title--T-Pain probably felt flashes of inspiration when laying out the lyrics. A single spin ought to convince listeners a little of both factored in, though: Songs like "Bartender" and "Buy U a Drank" send out a southern hip-hop vibe silky enough to be considered a revelation (thanks partially to Akon, who pitches in on "Bartender"). And because the entire album leans hard on the vocoder, tracks such as opener "Tallahassee Love," a nod to Tupac's "California Love," sound otherworldly, a la definition one. Throughout, T-Pain hands out hooks like there's been a two-for-one sale. Maybe they came to him in a series of epiphanies. Or maybe a benevolent R&B being--some supernatural force who knows how to make a hit record--whispered them in his ear. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Lowering The Bar.......2007-08-05

As if the bar hasnt been set low enough in the last few years of pop music TPain with songs like Im in love wit a stripper and Buy you a drank, has actually made the bar lower. I thought that would be impossible with acts like the Ying Yang Twins and numerous other hip hop acts already circulating but no, T has done it. In short, the dumbest most worthless music ever to grace the airwaves and otherwise. HIP HOP IS DEAD!

Oh Boy This Album Is The S***.......2007-07-30

Please dont believe those negative reviews there are plenty of good songs besides bartender and buy you a drank. My favorites are "Tipsy" "Put It Down" and "Right Hand" and "69" but theres many more that I enjoy. Buy the album and see for yourself, its really good. This is my favorite album of the year T-Pain realy shocked me, I never heard his first album but this one is great.

MANY REALLY GOOD songs on this CD .......2007-07-23

It's not perfect, although VERY few albums are. For a mainstream album to have a song as serious as Suicide that directly discusses HIV/AIDS it's amazing! Backseat Action and Put It Down are two sexy songs and whether he meant it to be or not Yo Stomach is hilarious. I suggested everyone I talk to go buy the CD for those songs not for the radio songs (Bartender and Buy You A drink - which are good dance songs). Also, I think I liked all of the songs on the album but Buy You A Drink and that is because it has been PLAYED to H3LL and back on the radio.

ALSO Church comes HARD (the second song on the CD)!

If a person gave this CD a rating lower than 3 they are not really into Hip-Hop/R&B so I would not suggest anyone who is into Hip-Hop/R&B take their advise!!!

Pretty Good.......2007-07-03

I noticed a lot of people did not like this album. I thought it was pretty damn good. The reason why I didn't give it five stars is because there are two stupid skit and two song I don't like. That leave me with 13 songs that I really liked. It has both a comical side and a serious side. I suggest you buy this album yourself and see what you think. It makes for good driving music too with a lot of bass. Check it out.

Not impressed; More substance and hits would've been nice..........2007-07-01

So I joined the bandwagon and bought EPIPHANY. Why you ask? Well my friends, "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" was bumping and it was one of the most undeniably catchy (as well as stupid) songs of 2007. I couldn't resist. I'm not a big fan of "clubby" R&B albums, but sometimes i give into guilty pleasures. In some respects with EPIPHANY (which I have to agree with one of the reviewers that this is no "epiphany" by any means), I wish I'd let the album itself pass by and just downloaded "Buy U A Drank". But I had to indulge and I can't help to say that ultimately EPIPHANY is a disappointment. Then, you also have to think mentally, that with such club-savvy artist as T-Pain, Akon, and sometimes R. Kelly (though excluding nis great new album DOUBLE UP), that the club-centric albums only tend to have one hit. Sure, EPIPHANY is good for a couple of worthy numbers (first single and "Church" to name a few), but overall, it is nothing but a mess. Sure, I'm happy T-Pain surprised everybody to take the #1 spot on the Billboard charts, hold back both Rihanna and expected chart-topper Paul McCartney, but still you wonder if people were expecting a real "epiphany" for the money. Oh well.

The album begins with the introductory track, "Tallahassee Love" in which T-Pain not only defines "epiphany" but also gives love back to his hometown, Tallahassee. It is completely unnecessary, as with most intro tracks, but it is actually better than some of the full length tracks on EPIPHANY. "Church" has the most undeniably catchy groove of EPIPHANY with an incredibly soulful guitar riff, tropical sounding drum-programming, and random interspersed "rah!" during the verse. Vocally, T-Pain sounds top notch, even if he is halfway between singing and rapping. T-Pain sounds among the hardest ever when he sings: "***damn, you think you cool, you think I'm not, you think you're tough, ***damn, you think you're hard, you think I'm soft, you think you're rough... I'm gonna have to take you're a** to church..." Sure the song's ridiculous, but it is worthy of spins in the CD player. "Tipsy" features overall repetitive, but sound production work, with an undeniably catchy sounding synth-line. Sure the track lacks substance, but it is the same man who took "I'm N Luv Wit A Stripper" to #6 on the pop charts. "Show U How" is plain annoying and odd, though the hook is well performed. "Suicide" is perhaps T-Pain's first attempt at being serious (it is a song about AIDS), but he falls short, particularly when he uses clumsy lines as "cause I f***** her/ and didn't have a rubber on me." Sure, it is a worthy enough track, but again, it comes over cornier than it ultimately should.

Second single "Bartender" tries to bank on the success of the great "Buy You a Drank", but it also falls short. It isn't bad, but the repetitive piano loop doesn't quite sell as well as the great "Buy You A Drank". Sure, T-Pain jacks his discoverer Akon, but it still doesn't make "Bartender" as top-notch as the inescapable first single. "Backseat Action" features mammoth drums supporting T-Pains heavily produced vocals (that stupid vocal effect again) and proves to be one of this albums few stronger tracks. "Put It Down" is solid as well, making it look like EPIPHANY might have a stab at redeeming itself after a number of misses via "Show U How" or even the utter unconvincing nature of "Suicide". "Put It Down" actually has some very nice moments, even moreso than "Backseat Action". "Time Machine" is a miss, while "Yo Stomach" is OK. "Buy You a Drink" almost comes too late, and is followed by misses that continue all the way to the end of the album ("69", "Shottas", "Right Hand", and finally "Sounds Bad").

It's unfortunate for T-Pain because had he bottled the best of EPIPHANY and perhaps written songs with more substance not so focused on sex or the strip-club, he may have truly had his FIRST epiphany. Sure at times, EPIPHANY is on the edge of at least being average, but with so many misses and with numerous unconvincing moments and a title such as EPIPHANY, a listener can't help but rip on T-Pain. More substance in the future please - you are a talented rapper and vocalist. 2 stars.

Average customer rating:

awesome album
He's Back...As If He Never Left
Truly Remarkable.
Pretty good, but you gotta get the Best Buy version
Not up to Monch standards

Desire
Pharoahe Monch
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000JJRIOI
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Intro
Free
Desire
Push
Welcome To the Terrordome
What It Is
When the Gun Draws
Let's Go
Body Baby
Bar Tap
Hold On
So Good
Trilogy

Customer Reviews:

awesome album.......2007-08-07

very good album. pharoah monch is one of the best emcees out there. do yourself a favor and buy this album!

He's Back...As If He Never Left.......2007-08-04

Not too many people can take the time off he did and make this good of album. There might be one or two tracks you may skip, but for the 10 out of 12 songs you wont skip a beat. The rhymes are are good as they get. His wit and all-around knowlegde is displayed throughout cd. A must buy or a must have!!!

Truly Remarkable........2007-08-02

Simon Says isn't on this record, nothing that resembles it is either. If he had been able to release his second solo album in maybe 2001, there might have been. But with 8 years in between ventures, he's matured quite a bit. The same outstanding wordplay, imagery and mind bending lyricism is here, and the production is more than solid.

The only weak song, which is still enjoyable because of his humor and word play, is Bar Trap. If you're patient enough to listen to the whole song, Trilogy is fantastic and one of the more original, clever ballads to come out of hip hop in years.

"New York City respect my game like Joe Namath/and I protect my name, like yo anus/in prison..." - off the track 'Desire'.

I had originally downloaded this album months ago. But I felt compelled to buy it after seeing him perform a few songs off it with a live band at the Rock the Bells concert.

Pretty good, but you gotta get the Best Buy version.......2007-07-25

This is my first Pharoah Monch album. Having listened to some of his collaborations over the years ('Dub Plate' w/Wyclef, 'Love' w/J Dilla, etc.), I knew he was going to have a classic album with this one. Well, at least it's classic compared to a lot of what's coming out these days.

The big problem with this disk is the production. I believe a great beat can save a bad MC, but a so-so beat cannot save a great MC, and that's the case here on 'What it is,' 'Gun Draws,' 'Hold On,' and 'Trilogy.' I haven't heard much from Mr. Porter before (Only 'Around the World' on Game's Doctor's Advocate album, which also wasn't that great), but after learning he learned under J Dilla and Dr. Dre, his work's really disappointing here.

Enough with that negative ish, you gotta love the intro to the album, a slave song that compliments many of the issues PM talks about on this CD. This naturally leads into 'Free,' which is as hard as any song released this year. Then The Alchemist produces 'Desire,' an incredibly soulful song that's probably the best on the album. A great beat compliments 'Push,' but as another reviewer commented it's not long enough. 'Welcome to the Terrodome' is a cover of the Public Enemy classic with a political introduction by Chuck D himself. It's as good as always, and Pharoah adds a bit of his own flavor here. 'Let's Go' is pretty good, a more laid back track compared to some of the other songs here. 'Body Baby' has the best beat and hook on the record, further proving that blues and hip hop mix rather nicely. 'Bar Tap' has a decent beat from one of my favorite producers at the moment, Black Milk (go cop his CD too, while you're at it), and it's also pretty funny. I love Erykah Badu, but she can only do so much for the boring 'Hold On,' but it's immediately redeemed by 'So Good,' one of the best pre-sex hip hop tracks of all time. Try playing this during a romantic night and see if clothes DON'T come off. Finally, 'Trilogy' does get better as the track progresses, so skipping ahead makes this an ok track.

But you gotta get the Best Buy version, which has the excellent 'Book of Judges.' This is what 'Gun Draws' should have been, it's angrier, more controversial and fresher. With this version, PM has just released the hip hop album of the year so far, though it could be replaced shortly by Common, Kanye West and Chamillionaire.

Not up to Monch standards.......2007-07-23

In the barren wasteland of the current hip hop desert, one tends to look at anything that doesn't sound exactly the same as the mainstream trash as something better than it truly is. If this album were released in 1994-2000, it would be considered in Pharoahe Monch's minor works. Surely we wouldn't place it with his seminal masterpiece Stress: The Extinction Agenda, or even the now defunct solo record Internal Affairs. This album has way too much sugary r & b hooks throughout, this from the same guy who posited "Why do you choose to listen to R & B?" Gun Talks is a standout cut, but haven't true Organized Konfusion fans already been down this road with Stray Bullet?
Pharoahe's skills on the mic are always going to be at the top of the game, the production and lack of subject matter needs to catch up. Mediocre and redundant.

Soul Music: