ALBUM REVIEW: "THA CARTER IV" - LIL WAYNE

Lil Wayne created his fourth addition to "Tha Carter" series. After "Tha Carter III" he did a rock-influenced album: "Rebirth" and the "I'm Not A Human" EP. Now Lil Tunechi return to his element with a complete work. "Tha Carter IV" had a strong first day in the market and based on this fact, calculations say that it is going to be easily No1 with 850.000-900.000 copies. But let's take things from the start:

ALBUM REVIEW: "WATCH THE THRONE" - JAY-Z & KANYE WEST

November 2010: Kanye West releases “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” album and immediately announces that he is preparing an album together with Jay-Z!!!

January 2011: 2 songs leaked: “That’s My Bitch” and “H.A.M.”, which would later be the first single!

July 2011: “Otis” is released as a second single, but no further details released about the album… “Otis” takes a sample from an Otis Redding song and his voice and Ye with Jay rap about diamonds, cars and champagnes… Is this what we all waited all year long? Certainly not…

August 2011: “Watch The Throne” album released!!! Finally we get the chance to listen to one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

ALBUM REVIEW: "FINALLY FAMOUS" - BIG SEAN

After years of waiting and 3 mixtapes ("Finally Famous: The Mixtape", "UNKNOWNBIGSEAN" and "Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG") G.O.O.D. Music's rapper Big Sean is "Finally Famous". According to G.O.O.D. Music's boss Kanye West: "Big Sean's story is one of the most amazing ever because he literally got signed off of a freestyle. I fell that he could be like what is Beyonce to RnB, that he could be that to rap music." So apparently Kanye has high hopes and expectations for Big Sean. Let's see if he meets them!!!

Let's start from the cover: it is all red with white letters for the album title "Finally Famous" and the G.O.O.D Music logo. Behind the letters we see a photo of Big Sean.

I hit "play" on my iPod:

First track is the "Intro" and Big Sean tells the "story of a kid who followed his heart". Next track is "I Do It" where he introduces us to his very special style of rapping and the result is quite innovative. Track No3 is the Chris Brown assisted "My Last" (the 1st single) which wasn't going to make it but after producer No I.D. insisted the track made it and got a great audience response. "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" is Sean's song about his relationship up and downs: "What's a perfect girls if it's mot the perfect time?". Track 5 features Lupe Fiasco: "Wait For Me" is the song's title. A nice easy-listening song about time passing by! As I hit "next" I find myself to the track I waited to listen from the beggining: "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" which features Kanye West and Roscoe Dash! A party themed song which talks about music of Marvin Gaye and a glass of Chardonay!!! With Kanye's name and its rythm I believe it is a granded club-hit. Track No7: "Dance (A$$)" talks about getting your ass to the dance floor. It is a very good upbeat song with Big Sean's rapping fitting nicelly. One of my Favorites!!! Next song features Pharrell and it is produced by the Neptunes. It is called "Get It (DT)" and DT stands for Donald Tramp which was its original name and it is about trying to get to a very high level of success and how do you star. "Memories (part II)" features John Legend and Big Sean's dreams over piano. Next song is "High" featuring Wiz Khalifa and Chiddy Bang. As expected with Wiz on the song it is about smoking... No 11 is "Live This Life" with The-Dream. Big Sean really seems to enjoy his life with this song and gives you the same feeling! "So Much More" is what Big is taking with a hip-hop career rather than any other on track No12. "What Goes Around" is a comparison between the Detroid rapper and other rappers. "Celebrity" featuring Dwele and "My House" are about Big Sean finally living the good life, actually being... Famous. Last track on the album is "100 Keys" which features Rick Ross and Pusha T and it is a good end to a very good album.

I think that Kanye has really found something special in Big Sean and brought it out. I don't know if he is to hip-hop what Beyonce is to RnB, but i believe that he is on his way there!!! "Finally Famous" took years but it is on a high level both on rapping and productions (most of the production are No I.D.'s). The album was heard very easy and without loosing interest all the way from  "Intro" to "100 Keys". I definatelly recomend it to you whether you are a Big Sean - G.O.O.D. Music fan or not!!!

ALBUM REVIEW: "BAD MEETS EVIL: HELL, THE SEQUEL" EP - EMINEM & ROYCE DA 5'9"

Eminem and Royce Da 5'9'' join forces after over 10 years since their first track together: "Bad meets Evil", which was featured on Eminem's "The Slim Shady LP".

To start with lets go to to the cover: Royce and Eminem are sitting on 2 speakers in front of a deserted scenery, with broken lps under their feet, while "Bad Meets Evil: Hell, the Sequel" is written on the center top of it.

To the tracks:

The EP starts with an intro song: "Welcome to Hell" where in the end Eminem welcomes you at the cd. I hit next on my iPod and i find "Fastlane". Maybe the best song on the EP and the first single, with a videoclip. Next is "The Reunion" with a nice dark tune and Eminem taking the singing parts from Royce on "Fastlane". I find myself in the middle of the EP with "Above the Law" which starts with a female voice and music that remindes me Eminem's "Finally Famous" from the "Recovery" album. 5th track is the one called "I'm On Everything" and it's refrain is quite original! By hitting next  I come across the track "A Kiss" produced by Bangladesh and as always Bangladesh leaves his mark on the song. The next track brings me at the first collaboration of the EP. Eminem and Royce Da 5'9'' bring Bruno Mars to sing the refrain of "Lighters" and it suprisingly sounds very good! Track number 8: "Take From Me" is another mid-west rap song which means that it is great! "Loud Noises" is the only song that I might wouldn't put on the EP although it features a very fast flow from Eminem and Slaughterhouse. And that's the end  of the EP!!!

In general it left me with a great taste and desire to hear it again and again. The level of the production and rapping is very high and I think that there might should be more tracks in there. But more isn't always better! Throughout the cd you get the chance to hear 2 of Detroit's best MCs' flows become one. It is amazing how these 2 combine their rap! As for the music I have to say "Bravo" to the producers. High quality mid-West sound just it was supposed to be! A great EP after all. I totally recomend it to you, especially if you are an Eminem, Royce or mid-West rap fan. Enjoy!!

ALBUM REVIEW: "LOVE?" - JENNIFER LOPEZ

So how 's J Lo's new album? "LOVE?" is her 7th album and the first with DefJam records.
The  cover is beautiful with a J Lo glowing in front of a bright backround and the title is easy to read, playing with the words JLO and LOVE (title is given as JLOVE?).
When you start listening to the album you'll come across the hit single "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull. The song is allready known as it is the 1st single out of the album. Is a very easy listening song that makes you feel good, featuring a sample from "Lambada" song. Next track is "Good Hit", an upbeat track with nothing special, so let's skip to "I'm Into You" featuring Lil Wayne which is the 3rd track of the album. The song starts with the voice of Lil Tunechi who's  present all over the song and combined with the voice of Jennifer Lopez it gives a great result. Another easy-listening song! Track no 4 is the one that represents the album tilte: "(what is) LOVE?" where Lopez actually asks "what is love?" to herself and the whole world. The song fits very good with the album up to now which means that it has an easy, soft, relaxing sound and Jennifer's singing in a new, calmer and, why not, better way from the expected. Next track: "Run The World": another good produced song with a playful JLo on the couples and a catchy refrain. "Papi" brings us on the middle of the cd, with a more dancy mood and latin influences. Quick change for "Until It Beats No More" which is a more orchestric song and leads us to another chilling song: "One Love" rather boring! So let's skip on track 11: "Invading My Mind": another dance song, intiferrent... Track 10 "Villain": a song produced by "The-Dream" so it has a great production put i find Lopez's part not fitting as it should. "Starting Over" brings us back on the begging of the album aesthetically and the cd comes to an end  with the bonus song "Hypnotico", a rather good song.
So is it "LOVE?" After hearing Jennifer Lopez's latest creation i would say yes. The album starts strong and around after the middle it starts to get tired but in the end it leaves a good taste!!!
TRACKLIST
1. On the Floor (Ft. Pitbull)
2. Good Hit
3. I’m Into You (Ft. Lil Wayne)
4. (What Is) LOVE?
5. Run the World
6. Papi
7. Until It Beats No More
8. One Love
9. Invading My Mind
10. Villain
11. Starting Over
12. Hypnotico - Bonus
Total lenght: 46:58