Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

This album really takes me back…to 2002-2003. This is a reggae album but its has a hip-hop sound to it on some songs. Lyrics are the album’s biggest problem. Sometimes its hard to understand SP’s accent or he just draws on…but other times his choruses hit the ball out the park. The beats are really good. Especially the first few songs. The album loses steam in the middle but it picks up a little bit later. Overall it’s a good album, but after hearing his other albums, I’m not sure if Sean Paul can top this effort. I give this album a 7.75/10. Theres room for improvement, but its not a bad album.

Killer Mike’s 2012 album is a great one. Lyrically he’s on fire. Every punch line, every chorus seems to hit hard when needed. There aren’t that many guest spots, but they are all pretty well used. The El-P production is very southern and effective to keep the mood the way KM wants it.I really need to hear some of his other albums cause this one is incredible. Overall i give this album a 9.5/10. Thats right! Give it a listen if you havent already.

Iron Man 3 Iron Man 3 was without a doubt one of the better movies of this year. I was worried that it wouldn’t be that good, but this is actually almost as good as the Avengers which is pretty impressive.   It’s easy to like this movie if u liked Robert Downey jr. as Iron man in the first place. Unlike Iron Man 2, he has better dialogue this time around. In fact there are some down-points in the movie which you would think would drag the movie down but clever dialogue keeps things rolling.             Of course the special effects are terrific. Iron Man has some new tricks of the trade so to speak, such as automated Iron Man suits(lots of them). He can also summon pieces of the suit to his body with clever hand guestures. This adds a new dynamic to the action. The villain is revealed in the first few minutes of the film. I think things get a little too biological for me as the villains have insane regenerat...

Ja’s latest offering has a very different feel than Pain is Love One. This is a really easy review. The album is pretty good, good enough for multiple listens. Ja enlists a lot of singers to help him with this comeback effort. Spun a Web and Parachute are definitely the best songs. The album has a lot of cohesiveness. Ja has never been a great lyricst…but I was a litte surprised that Ja handles so few of the hooks on this album. Ja Rule's latest album is pretty damn good. I would give it an 8.25, but i feel its closer to 8.5/10. So yea 8.5/10

Nicki has realeased 2 albums in 1 year in 2012. This one however is short, and is clearly better than Pink Friday Roman Reloaded. Lyrically she’s about as good as she was on her debut album(Pink Friday). Nicki sounds very focused on these songs. The guest spots are generally well used, but no one steals the spotlight from Nicki. Ciara, Cassie, and Lil Wayne (yes even Weezy) help Nicki out a lot on this album. Overall its proof that Nicki can still make good music, whether it be Pop Rap, or just Rap itself. Overall Rating 84 Grade B Lyrics 19 Beats 21 Depth 22 Tilt 22

Talib’s 2007 album is a great one. The album has a lot of good songs. Stay Around is where he discusses those who have criticized him in the past. The album has general topics for Talib, but the execution is really well done. There’s nothing here as good as Get By, but the album has quantity over quality. The album has a very laid back feel to it, which works to Talib’s advantage. The album has a lot of quality songs, and Talib is in his zone. Talib is one of the elite Mcs, and this album is further proof. I give this album a 9.25/10....it's one of the best from his catalogue.

This is an album, that is just plain inferior to rival album Graduation. However it’s a good album, but a difficult review.   I’ll start with the production, which isn’t bad, but not as good as 50 is used to. There are some gems though, the best beat easily going to AT, with JT and Timbo. The song is really hot, but 50 is rapping like Chamillionaire on it... Some of the guest features aren’t that good, Eminem does a C job, Young Buck is only on a chorus, Mary J feels forced to sing, And Tony Yayo, is well Tony Yayo!. Overall its 50’s worst album out of 4. Its constructed well, but it just feels forced and he doesn’t sound as hungry or as creative as on GroDT or the Massacre. Follow My lead With Robin Thicke is a nice song, and a welcome surprise. Overall i give this a 7.5/10. Its not bad by any means, but its his worst album so far....or is Before I Self Destruct his worst??

DMX’s comeback album is a good one. Some of the songs sound dated, but overall the album has varied songs. There are straight hood bangers, songs about love, and songs about spirituality. X spits really well on the tracks, the beats aren’t bad either. I just had the feeling that there was nothing new really from X. Frankenstein is the best song….its really dope. I Don’t Dance with MGK is also really good. Y’all don’t really know is classic DMX I give DMX's comeback album an 8.5/10. Its great, but not quite near some of his earlier albums

Beyonce’s 4 th album…oddly titled just 4, is a decent album. Its hard to say if its better than I Am…Sasha Fierce, but it’s a good enough album to keep Beyonce relevant. The album’s 1 st three singles are excellent, even though Kanye has a minimal presence on Party. The album’s lyrics are bit unoriginal, but the beats are good. Some of the songs sound uninspired almost .So I hope this isn’t a sign that Beyonce has lost her touch. She’ll might not make another classic like B’Day, but I think she has a 90+ album up her sleeve. Despite being an average album for B, its still a solid 8/10. YEaaaa B!

Amerie’s In Love & War Review             Amerie’s 4 th album came out in 2009 originally. It is, in my opinion one of the best sounding R&B albums in Contemporary R&B. I really like Amerie’s style and she really diversifies her sound here.   The album’s first half is very high tempo with songs like Heard Em All, Higher, and Dangerous. The middle part is where things slow down a bit. She is joined by Trey Songz on Pretty Brown which is a remake of an old song. Fabolous joins her on the next song, More Than Love. The album slows down into very emotionally charged songs like Different People, The Flowers, and Dear John. The latter song, being one of the more bitter songs against a former lover.             Overall I feel this album just showcases Amerie. She does songs that sound like they could be on a rock album early on in the album. She is ...

Suit is the more sophisticated, introspective album by Nelly. It’s a good album with some real good and emotional songs. He consults the ladies frequently, but there’s 2 really good songs Over and Over and My Place. Other songs are also pretty good. Guests include Snoop Dogg, T.I. Jazze Pha, and Mase. I really feel Nelly should have just made Sweat/Suit album from the beginning and not made 2 separate albums. In any case this album is a win. I give Suit an 8.5/10. Its typical Nelly with an introspective twist. The party/club-thug Nelly album is Sweat which came out with Suit in 2004. There’s a ton of guest spots here, which can make Nelly feel like a guest on his own album. Some include Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot, Jazze Pha, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and of course the St. Lunatics. Lyrically the album is great, but the beats are just as good. The album has lots of depth and just fun to listen to. I really feel Nelly should have just made Sweat/Suit album from the begi...

Adele’s 2 nd album is very very good. She has great vocal ability, and she showcases that on just about every song. The only real knock on this abum is the beats, which aren’t bad, but not perfect. Adele sings mostly of heartbreak and problems in relationships. The future is bright for this talented artist. Set Fire to the Rain is my favorite song here. It’s so emotional and it sets the tone for the album. Shoot it got me to give her a chance. 9.75/10 is the score!    

Raekwon’s third album is a really good one. The album is lyrically great as Raekwon is joined by a plethora of guests such as Redman, Capone, Fat Joe, and of course Ghostface Killah. The beats are pretty good as well. I don’t really think I came across one song that I just had to skip…but most of the songs aren’t 5 star…but despite that this is a very deep album with high replay value. It was mentioned in an interview was Rae tryin to top OB4CL 1..his first classic album. I think he was trying to match it here….but there’s not quite enough storytelling nor is it excuted as well as on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx I or II. Ultimately though this is a dope album. ALbum score: 8.75/10

Well let me just say, before this game, I did not think that highly of Laura's adventures. I had played a few of them, and wasnt impressed. But that was the old, this is the new. I am incredibly impressed with this game for a quite a few reasons. The first is Laura herself. You can really connect to her and her struggles. The game features excellent acting, to the point that you think you're playing a movie. The graphics are amazing as well. Its like they really put a lot of work into the details of this game. Everything looks and feels great. Of course I cant help but compare this game to the Uncharted games. Its right up there with them, well maybe not the 2nd Uncharted. The game has excellent pace and because of this it's very addicting. I really have no desire to play the multiplayer at this time, but hey that's not why i bought the game. I really recommend you buy this game if you like Uncharted or are just looking for a fresh gaming adventure. This game seems...

Rihanna has dropped yet another amazing album. This one is just as good as the past 2 and its different than those. The album is hard to dissect as it has many varying styles. The album has some serious depth to it. Diamonds is one of the best songs, and it’s up here along with 2 good remixes. Its nice to see Rihanna continue to make hits. Lyrically the album is good but not as creative as some of her previous albums. On the plus side the beats are really varied and help for an addictive listen. Guests include Chris Brown, Future, and David Guetta. I really enjoy songs like Stay and Jump. It shows Rihanna’s vocal dexterity. She is willing to take on some new sounds (At the time). This album solidified Rihanna as my top R&B singer.  Overall Rating 92 Grade A- Lyrics 23 Beats 23 Depth 24 Tilt 22

I am writing this blog to talk about, what i think, is the funnest thing on Youtube.  Epic Rap Battles of History is incredible. The first one I saw was Mitt Romney vs. Pres. Barack Obama. That was cool...but it wasnt until i saw some others that my interest in the series really picked up. There has been so many funny match ups that most noone would think of. Of course there's Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley....but then there's Batman vs. Sherlock Holmes for example. Batman spits first with a line, "Nice hat, dork. U look like a duck. I had Alfred read your books; he told me they suck. Then Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson strike back. Then Robin joins the rap battle. Its just really well excuted. Then there's Cleopatra vs. M. Monroe.....a great match up, and Sarah Palin and Lady Gaga. All of the videos are well excuted and very funny. Lyrically and visually there's a lot there too. The beats are pretty hot as well. If you havent checked out Epic Rap Battl...

I gave this album the exact same score as the 1 st IANAHB so   theres no progression. However I feel this album has more quality songs than the 1 st one. Lyrically Weezy has gotten worse. Now all he raps about is sex, drugs, and occasionally skateboarding. I found most of the guest spots to be well used, and well needed. The production is good, and very different from the first album. Sure this album has more good songs than average ones, but I can’t help but feel like he could do better…..I’m just sayin he could do…better(Drake reference hahah). This album still gets an 8.0/10. Tunechi needs to come harder on the Carter V!

Slim shady returns after a 5 year hiatus. Relapse is good, but it deserves most of the criticism it got. I’ll start with the bad. He raps like a serial killer too much. And it feels forced and out of place. The weak songs are kind of boring and there are similar,better songs on this album. This album has mostly good songs on it, like Insane, which is a good description, and BfB has some nasty disses towards Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon. Hello is a fun up-tempo song. We Made You is a great song, full of fun metaphors. Underground is a maddening masterpiece. Déjà vu is great, but Beautiful is the best song, and kind of sets the bar for his next album. Overall I felt he was trying too hard to recreate the Slimshady LP, he partly succeeded but this album isn’t as creative as that one. Ima give this album a 8.75/10. Its very good with minimal faults.

Rapper-T.I. Breakdown Date: Mid 2013 “The King of the South” Rapper albums I’m Serious 2001 Top 3-5 Songs: Still Aint Forgave Myself, Dope Boyz, I’m Serious Album Score: Beats-2.8 , Lyrics-3.7= 3.25   Rapper Stats: Flow-80, Versatility-72, Relevancy-71, Critical Acclaim-N/A Rapper Rating: 74.3 Comments- T.I’s first album isn’t great but its decent, especially for a debut album. He really went under the radar with this album. The rapper would get better on his next album.     2002-Non Album Year No change in rapper rating   Trap Muzik 2003 Top Songs: Be Easy, Rubber Band man, 24s Album Score: Beats-3.1, Lyrics-3.8=   3.45 Rapper Stats: Flow-82 , Versatility-79, Relevancy-83 R. Rating: 81.3 Comments-T.I’s 2 nd album was his breakout album. Most of the success was due to the David Banner produced Rubber Band Man. However this is a solid album with lots of good songs on it. T.I.’s flow didn’t impr...