Game – The R.E.D. Album (2011) – Review

Game – The R.E.D. Album

Much like LAX, Game’s The R.E.D. Album has really good tracks (about eight) and a lot of filler. This album would be better if he just cut out the tracks that are not quite album quality (getting it down to about twelve songs). That said, iTunes allows us to uncheck songs, so I guess it does not really matter (and maybe the more music we get the merrier?). Game has really good flow and his lyrics fit his persona and style well. He has a lot of features on the album, mixing hip hop’s big stars like Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross with LA legends like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. I also like that he features LA’s upcoming great artists Tyler, The Creator (there is a lot of hype around their track Martians vs Goblins, but personally I prefer Tyler’s track with Pusha T: Trouble on My Mind) and Kendrick Lamar. Game works again with Cool & Dre who make beats that fit Game’s flow well, but he also branches out working with DJ Khalil (who is making really good stuff right now) and up-and-comers Hit-Boy and Boi-1da. This is not quite a classic West Coast album like his first two albums (The Documentary and Doctor’s Advocate); it has much more of a mainstream hip hop sound (in terms of what is popular right now and not specifically geared to a certain region or style). However, there is enough good music to keep Game in the conversation for the best artists in hip hop (though, with all the great newcomers lately competition is getting very strong). Game fans are going to like The R.E.D. Album; others should probably just cherry pick the best songs. 3/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      The City – Featuring Kendrick Lamar, produced by Cool & Dre

2)      Ricky – Produced by DJ Khalil

3)      Good Girls Gone Bad – Featuring Drake, produced by Cool & Dre

Available on CD and Digital Download

Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel (2011) – Review

Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel

Eminem and Royce da 5’9” appeared together on Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP on the song Bad Meets Evil promising a sequel; twelve years later we get Hell: The Sequel. Eminem and Royce da 5’9” complement each other very well on the album. It is at its best when they go back and forth trading rhymes. The production is also very good with Supa Dups, Eminem, Bangladesh, DJ Khalil, The Smeezingtons, and Mr. Porter (who handles most of the production work), giving the album a fluid sound. The song Lighters produced by The Smeezingtons, Eminem and Battle Roy is a little out of place, as it has the sound of something that belongs on the radio top of the pops (but they have to sell albums to the masses somehow), especially with the chorus sung by Bruno Mars. Along with Mars, the album features Mike Epps (as Mr. Porter turned a sample of a stand-up performance into a beat) and the recently signed to Shady Records Slaughterhouse (a group in which Royce da 5’9” is a member). Overall the album will appeal to fans of Eminem’s stuff and I think Royce da 5’9” brings a lot to the album as well. Every song on the album is solid and it should be among the best hip hop albums of the year. 4/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      Fast Lane – Produced by Supa Dups

2)      Echo – Produced by DJ Khalil

3)      Welcome 2 Hell – Produced by Havoc

Available on CD and Digital Download

Raekwon – Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (2011) – Review

Raekwon – Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang

Raekwon’s fifth album has a good mix of Wu-Tang Clan members (Ghostface Killah, GZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck) respected hip hop artists (Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, NaS) and more mainstream artists (Rick Ross, Lloyd Banks, Jim Jones). On the music side, the beats are mostly classic hip hop in style, but there is a more mainstream sound that creeps into a few tracks. The album’s single Rock ’N Roll, however, is completely mainstream in its musical composition, produced by DJ Khalil (who is making some of the best stuff in hip hop right now) and features an auto-tuned Kobe singing the hook (as well as verses from Jim Jones and Ghostface Killah). The album seems to have more of a mainstream appeal than Raekwon’s last effort, which some of his fans will not like but it will help him get his voice out there to the huge newer hip hop generation that is listening to Kanye West, Wale, Drake, J.Cole, Kid Cudi, and similar artists. This album does a nice job of blending styles and acting a bit like a bridge from the underground more old-school sound to the popular soul beats and pop beats of today. At its best, this album is very good (particularly thinking of the track Rich & Black featuring NaS). Fans of Raekwon should not be disappointed and new listeners certainly need to check this album out, as Raekwon’s flow and lyrical art is not to be denied. 3/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      Rich & Black – Featuring NaS, produced by Sean C & LV

2)      Ferry Boat Killaz – Produced by The Alchemist

3)      Masters of Our Fate – Featuring Black Thought, produced by Tommy Nova

Available on CD and Digital Download