New Ghostface Album Art & Tracklisting

The new album is due out December 4, a week before the Wu album. The single, "Celebrate" is produced by The Hitmen (of Puffy weed-carrying fame) and uses the same sample from the Camp Lo song and the intro to the Little Brother song. Maybe the next single will include the loud horn noises from "Ain't No Half Steppin'"??

1. Intro (Ghostface Theme)
2. Pass The Mic (Feat. Raekwon)
3. One 2 The Head
4. Shakin' (Feat. Ras Kass, Trife Da God & Shawn Wigs)
5. How The F*?#! Would You Know
6. Carhoppers (Feat. Trife Da God)
7. Nightshift
8. Intro (Back the F*?#! Up)
9. Celebrate (Feat. Kid Capri)
10. Ain't No Crime
11. The Shout Out (Feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard)
12. Friends (Feat. RZA, La The Darkman, U-God & Method Man)
13. Minnie The Moocher (Feat. MF DOOM & RZA)
14. Nightshift [Remix]
15. A Flower Grows In Staten (Feat. Cappadonna)
16. It's All Over

Album Review: "American Gangster"- Jay-Z

Of course everyone's heard about this new Jay record which is kinda sorta based of the new Denzel movie of the same title. The whole thing about Jay-Z making a gangster oriented album is cool because basically all of his best songs have that sort of theme. Then again, Jay-Z is more than able to put out a flop then a classic in succession, so which one will it be?

1. Intro

Some clips from the movie and a guy talking about gangsters. Kind of dissapointing only because Jay-Z has come with some great intros in the past.

2. Pray

Puffy comes with a dope, over-the-top beat as Jay-Z, who I think is rhyming in character as Frank Lucas aka Denzel in the movie, raps about his roots in the crack game. Definitely a good opening track.

3. American Dreamin'

This one is about dreams of becoming a rich drug dealer. The beat, and the song in general, sounds like a throwaway from The Blueprint, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

4. Hello Brooklyn 2.0 (feat. Lil' Wayne)

So the story here is that Lil' Wayne made a terrible song with a stupid concept and then Jay-Z added to it and put it on his album as opposed to, I dunno, DEAD FUCKING PRESIDENTS 3 . Jay-Z actually comes with some wordplay at the end but Weezy's verse and singing on the hook is unbearable.

5. No Hook

A pretty dope track about hustlin' and shit but here he references Frank Lucas so this concept thing is sort of lost on me at this point. I have to say that I'm impressed so far with Diddy and his weed carriers.

6. Roc Boys

The song which I guess marks the pinnacle of Jay-Z's drug dealing. I've heard this track a few times now and still can't warm up to this beat. The trumpets just don't sound great in a rap song, not a good one at least. Jay doesn't bring much lyrically either.

7. Sweet

This is another decent beat but Jay-Z's delivery is so irritating it's not easy to enjoy this one.

8. I Know

The requisite female track with a pretty smooth Pharell beat. Jay-Z's flow is questionable at times on this track and has been a weakness so far this album. This is aight overall.

9. Party Life

Another smooth beat but Jay's flow is embarassingly bad.

10. Ignorant Shit (feat. Beanie Sigel)

The title pretty much sums up the content; and the beat, much to my liking, sounds like something you'd hear in Rocky. Apparently this is old but I'd never heard it so that didn't spoil it for me.

11. Say Hello

The beat by Toomp just sounds like a Kanye beat with southern drums and Jay-Z's rapping is so pathetic on this track I sort of question if he's even trying anymore.

12. Success (feat. Nas)

I can't say I expected a messy organ beat from the guy who did much of Resurrection, but the content (for a change) actually kinda makes up for it. Jigga and Nas, who at one point didn't like eachother very much, rap about how getting rich isn't all that it's cracked up to be. (Pun intended).

13. Fallin'

A great track about the fall from the top. Jermaine Dupri (who knew?) drops a gem and Jay-Z actually flows over it too.

14. American Gangster

Now that the story has ended, I guess this is just a normal song and its not very good. I'm usually a Just Blaze fan but this is a complete mess and Hov just raps about himself.

15. Blue Magic

Well I don't have to review this because everyone's heard it but this track is really growing on me. Not that I love it now but its not nearly as offensive as it was the first time I heard it.

Overall:

The production on this album was very solid which alone makes it better than 90% of rap albums today, but it's increasingly clear that Jay-Z just isn't the MC he was in '96 or even 2003 for that matter. I kind of liked how he weaved the rise and fall story in there without forcing it too much but that doesn't make up for alot of bad rapping. Fortunately for Jigga, beats do.

Best Tracks:

"Pray", "Ignorant Shit", "Fallin'"

New Wu-Tang Clan- "Take It Back"

Download (Right click > Save Target As)

I'm not gonna lie, a recycled beat and then a Beatles sample didn't fulfill my expectations for a new Wu album. This grimey track just restored some hope.

Lord Finesse B-Sides

Download: "Soul Plan" & "Underworld Operations" (feat. Marquee)

Here are two nice unreleased tracks (on CD at least) from The Awakening sessions. They were not easy to find and are definitely worth checking for any Finesse/ D.I.T.C. fans.

New G-Unit- "Wanna Lick"

Download

This is the new single off Shoot To Kill. To be honest, this track is pretty weak and I was expecting better since their last album was nails. Yeah I said it.

Pete Rock Feat. Jim Jones & Max B.- "We Roll"

Download

Off Pete's upcoming album "NY's Finest." I could do without Jim Jones, Max B., and the stupid adlibing but this track is smooth a fuck even by Pete Rock standards.

Album Review: "Dream Merchant 2"- 9th Wonder

9th Wonder was a big reason for some of Little Brother's haters as such elitists don't see making beats with stupid snare drums on a computer as being "hip-hop". However, 9th has done alot of quality shit over the years outside of LB including work with Jay, Murs, Boot Camp Clik, and many more. This album is a "producer album" which for me, being a beats>rhymes guy, are usually to my liking (i.e Marco Polo and Jazzy Jeff's '07 releases). How would this album stack up?

1. Mr. Dream Merchant Intro

A collage of rappers saying "dream" then a 70's soul type song about a dream merchant.


2. Shots (Feat. Big Dho & Sean Price)

A good opning track about being real and shooting people. The beat is nice and Sean P kinda kills it. Not sure whats up with the female freestyler at the end though.

3. Merchant of Dreams (Feat. The Embassy, Skyzoo, & Torae)

This beat is pretty typical soul-sampling 9th and the song is about nothing in particular. Skyzoo, a pretty dope BK MC who made a lack-luster album with 9th last year, comes with the best flow.

4. Brooklyn On My Mind (Feat. Mos Def, Jean Grae, & Memphis Bleek)

This came out like a year ago as "Crooklyn Dodgers 3" which I guessed those involved realized was sort of a joke. The beat is good but none of the verses were stellar. It is good to hear Mos Def rap anyway.

5. Sunday (Feat. Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon)

Just sort of a feel good track with some high pitched R&B girl. Chaundon raps for a little but nothing special here.

6. Baking Soda (Feat. Big Treal)

This is a pretty hard 9th Wonder beat but its ruined by an almost comically generic Southern rapper.

7. Reminisce (Take Time) (Feat. Big Remo & The Great Novej)

An okay track about losing homies and pouring out liquor and stuff like that. If I hadn't heard this sample used multiple times before I might've felt this one.

8. No Time To Chill (Feat. Little Brother)

9th brings back the old crew for the shittiest song yet. Actaully, Phonte, in one of his two bad verses, says "Khrysis on the boards" so I assume 9th didn't even do this. However, Khrysis (or whoever's) beat is terrible, and the rapping, especially Pooh's, may be even worse.

9. It Ain't Over (Feat. Jozeemo & Tyler Woods)

Jozeemo (who sounds less like Sha on this one) and Tyler Woods (?) rhyme about defying odds I guess. The beat is ok but if I'm not mistaken this sample was flipped on a One Be Lo track (by Majestik Legend if my iTunes is right). 9th gettin' lazy on us?

10. The Last Time (The D, The Chi, The Lou) (Feat. Royce Da 5'9", Naledge, & Vandalyzm)

I had heard this a while ago and while it's still a bit of a mess, its much less so than I remember it being. Royce Da 5'9"'s verse is very mediocre but Naledge (of Kidz In The Hall) killed it. Not a bad track at all.

11. Saved (Feat. Saigon & Joe Scudda)

Saigon, my favorite rapper in 2007, and Joe Scudda rap about how they have to be saved because life sucks. The beat on this is so boring its almost impossible to really get into this.

12. Milky Lowa (Camp Lo)

9th brings some heat on this as Suede and Cheeba rhyme about cereal and chincillas without losing any swagger.

13. Backlash (Feat. Sean Boog & Buckshot)

Basically a song about coming up in the game. Sean Boog and Buckshot don't come with anything special and the beat is ok.

14. Thank You (Feat. D.O.X. & O-Dash)

Yet another 'look at me now' type song although I guess this one is supposed to be thanking all the people that helped D.O.X. and O-Dash (easily the worst of the two) become nobody mixtape rappers.

15. Let It Bang (Feat. Ness & Skyzoo)

I would normally say that a song called "Let It Bang" should have a better beat but then there was that Papoose song and this might be better than that Scorch beat. Anyway, Skyzoo is less impressive on this than that other track and Ness brought some personality and one-liners but his flow is pretty elementary. A decent song overall.

16. What Makes a Man (Feat. Big Pohh & Buddy Klein)

I'm not sure what exactly makes a man, but Big Pooh and a poor man's Young Buck sure do make a lousy rap song.

17. Special (Remix) (Feat. Strange Fruit Project & Median)

A remix to a track on the SFP album, "The Healing". This is worse than the original though the addition of Median, an acclimed lyricist (but otherwise boring rapper) is good.

18. You Wanna (feat. NBS)

I'm sure a better instrumental would've matched the energy of this song better but its a solid track regardless. NBS, who I've never heard of, sound like they've got some potential.

Overall:

This was right about what I expected from the tracklisting: some soulful beats for a mix of good and bad MCs. It started off strong but for the most part sounded like a bad, Justus League, weed-carrier mixtape.

Best Tracks:

"Shots", "The Milky Lowa"

Album Review: "Getback"- Little Brother

There is a love/hate relationship between the Carolina duo Little Brother and the backpacking, underground hip-hop elitists. For all the people who praised "The Listening" as a rebirth of the Native Tongues, there are plenty of others who insist that they are way more boring and lyrically inferior to, say, A Tribe Called Quest (whom Lupe Fiasco does not like btw). This album is their first without producer 9th Wonder. WILL THAT MATTER???

1. Sirens (ft. Carlitta Durand)

This starts like that song from the new Camp Lo album and I thought it'd be cool if they tried the same beat (even though LB probably isn't fuckin with Lo) but then it keeps changing until the actual beat kicks in. My first impression was that it's not very Little Brother-ish with the synth bass and guitars but its pretty tight anyway. Phonte and Pooh spit some 'fuck you' shit about the industry and stuff.

2. Can't Win For Losing

This beat by Illmind (who did the first one and a few others) has that sort of clunky, southern piano quality which is ok if your into that sort of thing (which I'm not). Phonte raps about who he should "do it"(no homo) for and Pooh raps about Atlantic for the second time in two verses.

3. Breakin' My Heart (feat. Lil' Wayne)

I used to think that people that complained about 9th Wonder's drums were just being anal but the pattern and snare on this beat is awful. Lil' Wayne adds a really dumb verse on a song about hoes.

4. Good Clothes

Speaking of Camp Lo, this beat sounds like one of those big horn loops Ski did for them. Think "Luchini" meets "Black Hollywood," in a good way of course. Little Brother rhymes about, well, good clothes. Also, both rappers start their verses with the rhyme pattern of LL's "I Need Love." Why?

5. After The Party

This is apparently a sequel to a track that 3 people on the internets heard. The beat by Khrysis sounds like some of the beats on "The Minstrel Show" which makes sense since Khrysis is down with 9th (nh). Pooh rhymes about trying to pickup a girl and then the beat stops for Phonte's first couple bars and he doesn't even rap fast or anything!

6. ExtraHard

This song needed a no homo before it started (title) but then Pooh starts talking about cucumbers and turtle necks. Seriously. The beat by Mr. Porter, who I think also did some terrible shit on Pharoahe's album, is crowded and the rhymes do little to make up for it.

7. Step It Up (feat. Dion)

Hi-Tek provides a boring, soulful track over which Little Brother raps about how they have to be classier for the ladies.

8. Two Step Blues (feat. Darien Brockington)

A very average song about getting fired and then partying or something like that.

9. That Ain't Love (feat. Jozeemo)

A definite standout track about phony friends. Jozeemo, who reminds me of Sha (True from the "Prince Amongst Thieves" album) adds a third verse. A nice Illmind beat rounds out an overall good song.

10. Dreams

A song about making it in music with a very solid verse from Phonte about going back to his old block and such. Beat by a budget Just Blaze.

11. When Everything is New

A 6+ minute grand finale if you will. Both rappers, especially Phonte, come correct, but the beat is kind of shitty and the listener is subject to it for six minutes. Not only that, but there's some R&B guy all over this too.

Overall:

If I had to guess, the aforementioned elitists will opt to hate this album. While it was good in spots and bareable in others, there was a good amount of garbage on this.

Best Tracks:

"Good Clothes," "After The Party," "That Ain't Love".