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".