In 2006 this was one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums and I didn't get my hands on it until right now, so here goes:
We got it for cheap intro- This song really does set the tone for the album with the focus on drugs and punchlines like "its heartbreaking like falling in love with a whore." Classy it may not be, but I got a giggle out of that line the first 4 or 5 time, which I believe is the point. The Neptunes utilize some vocal samples, which is rare for them, but it works here. It sounds like good things are to come from this album, right? 4/5
momma I'm sorry- The Neptunes use a beat that sounds very much like The Rza could have done this for a Ghostface album in the late 90's, which gives the Neptunes two different sounding beats right off the bat. It is obvious The Clipse feel perfectly at home with these beats, but this one might be just a bit too funky for them, although the hook is probably the strongest of the album. More simile heavy drug raps but they certainly have a charisma for it and it doesn't bother me much to hear it two songs in a row. 3.5/5
Mr. Me too- One of the hottest songs of 2006, really. The beat is crazy minimalist and puts the brunt of the pressure square on the shoulders of those rapping over it. Pharrell drops a verse where he backs off his usual shrill voice and it suits him. It is your typical brag heavy, "I'm super duper rich and you aren't" type song, but they do throw a few shots on their label, "And I'm sorry to the fans but the crackers weren't playing fair Jive." Ok so it gets tiring listening to rappers call white people crackers and blame them for album issues, but here it actually makes sense because the group turned in a few different versions of this album and kept getting pushed back. 5/5
Wamp Wamp (what it do)- Another banger by the Neptunes. Foxy Brown had this beat, but passed on it. The Clipse grabbed it and when Foxy heard what they did to it, she wanted it back. How anyone passes on this joint is beyond me. The beat is incredibly percussion heavy, actually it might just be a Brazilian percussion section on the beat, until the hook drops a few synthesized sounds. The hook is boring and Slim Thug should stop rapping but the simile "These hoes holla back like they are parrots" makes me laugh. Also, how they got "Lamp ya" to rhyme with "santa" is impressive.5/5
Ride around shining- So far it looks as if this is a classic album, but here is where the album starts to fall apart. The Neptunes have managed to drop 5 different sounding beats, which is good, but here the rappers finally lose out to the beat. Nothing in this song is as interesting as the beat. I drive big cars, I got enough ice to freeze people and I sell drugs very well. Blah, Blah, Blah. Oh they also mention guns and use the word "faggot" just to complete the "I'm completely ignorant" trifecta. 2/5 but the beat gets a 5/5
dirty money- The second most annoying hook on this album. I do not need someone whispering "dirty money" over and over again. The guitar sounds are interesting but even this meat feels lazy. This song is talking about all the things you can do with all the money they made from all the drugs they sold. I guess the point is "money is money" no matter how you got it, but I just don't need another song that name drops clothing labels while talking about reaping the benefits of the drug game. It is not a moral issue for me, I just want diversity on my albums. 1/5
Hello new world- Pharrell is finally singing on a hook. I was surprised it took like 7 or 8 songs for this, but here he is. "I listen to the beat and the rhyme is wrote" is a dope line to begin the verse with but the verse kind of goes into that typical place. I mean I get it, poor youth get money and want the world to know they can buy a boat and live near rich white people who hate them. However, in the second verse the group starts to make sense when they tell the youth to make money without selling drugs with the line "If hustling is a must be Sosa, not Tony." But it rings hollow because they spend a whole lot of time bragging about drugs. Where Jay-Z or Biggie never bragged about how good they were at selling drugs, these guy flaunt it around like crazy. 3/5
Keys open doors- One of the most obnoxious hooks I have ever heard in a song. It makes me wish it was just a boring nothing hook, but it insists on being incredibly annoying. The beat is fire, with some haunting chanting sounding things going on in the background. More I sell drugs so I get cars B.S. I am basically over the album at this point, but there are still a few songs left. 1/5 but the beat gets a 4/5
Ain't cha- The lyrics of this song can be summed up by the very first line "Rugers spare I drapes, baking pies, baking cake" Yes pies and cake are slang for drugs. Shocking, I know. Yet, they actually have a sick flow on this track until I realized this was a posse cut and I would have to sit through even worse drug style rappers. A repetitive beat seems to fit with a repetitive hook and repetitive lyrics. ugh! 1/5
Trill- This sounds very futuristic on the beat, like Timbaland could have done the beat, but the beat is so busy it is nearly impossible to focus on anything else that is going on in the song. It i a rare uptempo track for The Clipse and they manage to speed up their very distinct slower flow alright on the song. I still can't get into their hooks and an 8 bar section sums up this whole album: So many different things make me trill/ Start with that 'B' with wings over the grill/ Maybe how my way with words make me mills/ Or maybe it's my way with birds digital scales/ Young, restless, talk so reckless/ Two hundred thousand up in my necklace/ Four of ya Hummers wrapped round my neck bitch/ I ain't mention the Rolly red-neck like Texas. Not sure how "neck bitch" and "Texas" rhyme but I admire the effort but seriously could this album get anymore annoying? 1/5
Chinese new year- Finally the gun song is here! The beat sound very video game like which doesn't work for me here. However, there is some rhyming that impresses me here like this line "Ernie and Bert, I bet them bullet holes burning and hurt". Ok I lied that is the only rhyme that impresses me here. Yes, they sold drugs so they probably did actually have gun, but what a breath of fresh air it would be it these people talked about how dangerous the whole thing was instead of how much money they made from it. People wonder why hip-hop has a very bad name, well calling this album a "classic" is part of that problem, ok maybe it is a moral issue. 1/5
nightmares- The Neptunes finally produce a song that sounds like that classic R&B sounding Neptunes beat. Pharrell finally uses his weak falsetto that he thinks is so incredible but even though it is weak I have always enjoyed it. Wait I just checked, this isn't Pharrell, it is Bilal doing his best Pharrell impression. Why didn't Pharrell just do it himself? I thought this was going to be a song that talks about the ills of drugs, but it just talks about the ills of keeping bad people around you. However, maybe if they weren't flaunting their money around like ignorant children, people wouldn't want it. Boring, Boring, Boring!!
It is rare that an album starts off so strong and completely falls apart like this one does, but when you have such a limited scope of things to talk about, that is what happens. I think there is talent there, but until they branch out and talk about anything else, I can't imagine listening much to them especially because they are overshadowed by the beats through most of the album.
No comments:
Post a Comment