Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

Let me start by saying Kanye is a genius in that studio.  This album is appropriately titled cause he definitely uses 808s throughout the whole thing and its all about heartbreak.  Dubbed a breakup album, it starts with Say You Will.  This song sounds like it could've been made for Sade.  Its almost like he was listening to Sade as he created this song.  One thing he does on this song and throughout the album is let the beats ride at the end.  Artist don't do that anymore.  Another thing is the killa string arrangements.  To me hot beats laced with nice, intricate string arrangements shows attention to detail and care for the art of music.  Kanye is killin it on this album.  The next song Welcome to Heartbreak talks about missing out on a lot of the normal things in life when you are living the "good life".  The song is pretty deep.  Amazing is a song that will start off kinda weird to you but will have your attention and head bobbin before its over.  Paranoid...this 80s retro sounding song should be every man's anthem....ha.  "You worry bout the wrong thangs...the wrong thangs"....its real catchy.  Its real funny that the tracks are so ridiculous and the songs are so catchy that you don't even get too concerned with the fact that Kanye is singing....with the auto-tune that T-Pain brought back.  The next song RoboCop is probably the best example of how good strings laid over an 808 drum beat can sound.   This song is a continuation of the song Paranoid really.  He talks about a woman checking up on you like she a RoboCop....."Up late night like she on patrol/Checking everything like I'm on parole/I told her some things she don't need to know/She never let it go".

In the song Bad News Kanye talks about getting dogged by a lady.  Wonder how true the lyrics on this album are?  Hmmm....oh well.  The beat on this song is strong and keeps that head goin up and down as you listen to what he is saying.  Kanye had some things to put out there on this release and he knew just how to do it...put it on hot tracks.  Most people will listen to it if its on a hot track.  See You In My Nightmares is truly a breakup anthem for anyone that has recently gone through one...a bad one I should say.  Kanye joins up with Lil Wayne on this one.  I know...who hasn't done a song with Lil Wayne....ha.     

I could go on and on about this album and Kanye's skills but you need to hear it for yourself. Go ahead and get this one in yo collection.  You will not be disappointed.

Songs To Repeat

The whole album.

Slim - Love's Crazy

What happened with 112?  All I can say is that I'm not feeling this album yet.  Two tracks....So Fly and Sweet Baby.  Sweet Baby takes you back to the 112 days.  This ultra-smooth track will definitely make you go see yo lady if you aren't already with her.  Just picture yourself on your way to see her in your car (or dream car) riding down the highway at a slight high rate of speed...at night.  Just put this on repeat and ride.  Yall know what So Fly sounds like so there's nothing to describe.  Check him out for yourself though...you may feel different....who knows I may like the whole thing at a later time.   

Robin Thicke - Something Else

Today's "blue eyed soul".  Remember Hall and Oates, The Police, Tears for Fears and on and on?  Remember how much soul they had?  Just take all that and put it in today's music....you have Robin Thicke.  Really this guy is real R&B.  I just felt the need to shout out the white groups with soul from the 80s...ha.  For real this cd is something special.  Robin can sing...or sang.  His production is on the disc is really nice.  He gives you different looks at his abilities - from laid back smooth lounge sound of You're My Baby to the stepping sound on Sidestep.  He throws a percussion filled sound at you like Sade on Ms. Harmony and then hits you with a head boppa on Tie My Hands featuring the special touches of Lil Wayne.  You can lay your lady/man down to the guitar laden Cry No More or reminisce on Marvin Gaye in Loverman...he reminds you a lot of him in this song.  

Something Else to me is just that...something else.  There something on there for everyone.  

Notables

You're My Baby

Sidestep

Magic

Ms. Harmony

Loverman

The Sweetest Love

Cry No More

Tie My Hands

Everybody's a Star

Ebb and Flow

Styles P - Phantom Gangster Chronicles Vol. 1

Really....you may want to check out Styles P - Phantom Gangster Chronicles Vol. 1.  Dude can rap....plus the tracks are crazy!  Its only an EP so it has a few songs but its worth gettin.  True Hip Hop  

My favorites:  The Hardest featuring AZ, Where I'm from, Don't Want It

OLD SCHOOL ALERT!!!

All you music lovers get the song Stay With Me by DeBarge.  Its the original for Biggie's One More Chance Remix and Mariah Carey's I'll Be Lovin U Long Time. 

Q-Tip - Renaissance

Before you get this cd...and you must...pull out some old Tribe Called Quest and listen to it.   This cd puts in that mind frame.  Usually its hard for an artist to come back and release music relevant to the current time period.  He has accomplished this with this cd.  I can understand why he's holding a drum machine on the cover cause the tracks are ridiculous....his lyrics are on point too.  For me this cd starts at Gettin Up, the first single.  This is a feel good song that will....get you up or your mood anyway.  Gettin Up flows right into the next song, Official.  Oh man...yo neck is really about to be sore from the the head bobbin.  Cause the cd just continues with the next hard track for You.  And on and on it goes.  I was real pleased to see that he got with Raphael Saadiq on WeFight/WeLove.  He also has two other songs Norah Jones and D'Angelo that are just as pleasing.  Q-Tip definitely picked the right people two work on this cd.  Renaissance is a true audible pleasure...especially if you are a Tribe Called Quest fan from back in the day.  Q-Tip still got it.  Buy it!!!

Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman

It is my opinion that Ne-Yo is one of the most talented writers and producers ever.  He writes about a wide range of topics.  And he is one of the only writers nowadays that writes smooth bridges in his songs that add a lot of character to the songs.  Dude is truly talented.

Year of the Gentleman starts out in the club with Closer and Nobody.  Closer with its house-like feel and Nobody with its hard club beat get yo head noddin real quick.  Then he slows you down with the tantalizing Single....which should definitely be heard in a nice clear, high quality sound system.  The next song Mad is a typical slow Ne-Yo song.  It talks about not going to bed mad at your significant other...ha...easier said than done...or in this case sung.  I would say most couples have gone to bed mad at each other....for a few straight nights probably.  Then we come to Miss Independent...he blew my mind with this one.  The track is ridiculous and the lyrics talk about a dream woman for most men...most men that have their own anyway.  The core beat to the song sounds reggae inspired but the rest of the elements in the track do not sound reggae influenced.  It all comes together nicely though.  Why Does She Stay....uh because yo azz is paid...ha.  This song sounds good a typical Ne-Yo slow song for the women to love.  Fade Into the Background will get yo head noddin.  It has a nice sunny day feel to it that will definitely get some repeat action.   This is another song that has to be listened to a little louder volume than the rest...of course in a nice sound system.  Pay attention to the other sounds in the track.  Oh yeah do that with Miss Independent too.  One thing I always pay attention to with Ne-Yo's tracks are the string arrangements...always on point! 

Overall I like this cd but I wish it had some more of those chart toppin tracks Ne-Yo gives other artists.

Montell Jordan - Me and U

I'm was just sitting here checkin out Montell Jordan's new cd...only one song I can say to purchase is Me and U.  Personally I'm not feeling the cd.  Montell has always been able to deliver one or two hot tracks but never a whole cd.   Get Me and U....you won't be disappointed.  Its a smooth track that'll make that head bob.  Definitely one to have a drink to.

Estelle - Shine

Estelle...what can I say?  She shocked me with this one.  This cd is one of those pleasant surprises that come in life sometimes.  I knew about the first single American Boy and I liked the song when I first heard it...even if it uses the same beat from Will.I.Am's song "Impatient".  I really only thought she would have that one song....until I read that John Legend was involved...that made me look into it further.  I'm hooked now.  She talks a lot of junk for the women out there...but its cool.  Sometimes the strong English accent throws you off but the music is so nice you keep listening.  You can tell she's a fan of hip hop by the sometime hip hopish element she brings to the tracks.  The funny thing is she can give it you on an upbeat hip hop/RnB track or a reggae inspired track...she can even give it to you on a slow, smooth RnB track.  Versatility is hard to find these days....but she does it well.  

Tracks that deserve repeat:

American Boy

More Than Friends

Come Over

So Much Out The Way

In the Rain

You Are

Pretty Please (Love Me) - nice video

Conya Doss - Still...

Conya Doss' cd didn't immediately grab my attention but definitely gets better the longer you listen.  Listen to this cd for the first time chillin wit yo lady/man or just sittin back with a glass of wine and your head will start to nod to the tracks as you start to really feel Conya.  Her songs are written with a lot of meaning and she sings them with a lot of feeling.  Her voice lays over the tracks like a warm blanket on you in the middle of winter.  You can understand how she's been able to make it as an independent artist.  I don't know what else to say...its worth purchasing....especially if you are a fan of Neo-soul.

Songs To Repeat

Can't Stop

What I'd Do

Its Over

How About Us

Come Over

Let Me Love You