Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

Big Sean is back, after what I thought was a solid 2013 outing. This one is a tad bit better. In all honesty only Big Sean’s lyrics have improved. The beats are great but nothing better than you’ve already heard him on. The album has a dark feel to it unlike his first 2. There are some good guest spots which include Drake, Kanye, Jhene AIko, Lil Wayne, and E-40…yes E-40! The bonus tracks are good..good enough that they should have been on the album. The hit IDFWU is a classic….i also really liked the song Paradise. One Man Can Change the world is also good. I like Big Sean’s albums, but I cant help but get the feeling he’s either at his ceiling or he can’t make a classic album…but then again few rappers can. The Verdict... 9.25/10

So Drake, Young Money rapper, has pulled a Beyonce and released an album out of nowhere. Yeah its an album, and a pretty good one too. He doesn’t sing much here, which is actually to his detriment. However on most songs Drake sounds more confident lyrically than he was on Nothing Was the Same. I like every song, except for two god awful songs in the middle which both feature PARTYNEXTDOOR lol. He makes a lot of references to the “6” and I don’t know what he’s talking about lol. Anyway give this a chance. Drake didn’t half ass it like I originally thought. No its not as good as his last album, but its better than Take Care lol. No artwork cause its nothiing special...the final verdict is a 9/10.

Jazmine Sullivan is an artist with an edge. She makes elite music, and this is no different. The first song, Dumb, features Meek Mill. Other than that there are no guest features. They aren’t really needed. The production is nice, but I didn’t really feel it was as good as the lyrics or her sultry vocals.  I may have thought Jaz had fallen off but you can’t fall off when your albums are all so highly regarded. The verdict, 9.5/10...its a hot album.

50’s debut album is pretty good all around, with a lot of cohesiveness. The album does feel a bit long however, but there’s plenty of good songs to keep you entertained.  The album sounds rather dark sometimes, even on songs like Candy Shop. This album reminds me of Eminem’s Encore too, which isn’t a bad thing. Some of the songs like Gunz Come Out and God Gave Me Style aren't that great. It’s constructed somewhat well. It still stands as his 2 nd best album. Guests include Eminem, G-Unit, Olivia, and Jamie Foxx. The verdict is a 8.75/10...THIS IS 50! 

Tetsuo & Youth This very well be Lupe’s best offering. Its varied, complex, and it has great cohesiveness. There are 4 skits that are named after the seasons. Beside from those its incredible.  The 2 songs with Nikki Jean, and Prisoner 1&2 are my favorite tracks here.  The beats on the album are also great.You need at least 2 or 3 listens to fully digest this terrific album. A+ Food & Liquor II:The Great American Rap Album Lupe was desperate to get back on track. This album should have just been called The Great American Rap Album imo. Its not very similar to F&L 1 at all. However it is a good album. The album starts off great, but then kinda gets a little generic and stale.  B*tch Bad is a terrific slow tempo song. B+ Lasers Lasers isn’t a bad album, but it is a disappointment compared to Lupe’s first 2 albums. The production just doesn’t match the lyrics Lupe is spitting half the time. His lyrics are quite a bit dumbed down too. T...

Life Is Good : If u thought Nasty Nas was done, well think again….This album is varied and has very good beats. What I really like is that Nas was VERY PERSONAL on this album. He himself and his experiences were the topic of many of the songs. He raps about his break up with Kelis on Bye Baby. He speaks on growing up on No Introduction, and on Back When he pays homage to those mcs that have come before him. A+ Nas(Untitled): An album that was originally to be titled N***er. It is better than Hip Hop is Dead. The lyrics are amazing here, even exceptional for this elite rapper. There are just so many good songs here, in fact there are no bad ones. Hero is my favorite track. Its flashy and glossy, and the beat is fire. Keri does wonders with the hook as she does on just about every song she’s featured on. Sly Fox is the albums best song….its relevant and Nas spits the truth. Breathe is another awesome song. The lowpoint on the album may be Testify, or We’re Not Alone. They a...

Royce da 5’9 has joined forces with DJ Premier and the result is a pretty dope album. The album is just raw spitting. No themes or concepts. At only 9 songs its over quick and theres some good guest spots. They include Ab-Soul, Mac Miller, Common, Dwele, Schoolboy Q,Slaughethouse and Jay Electronica. Royce seems to spit a lot of rhymes that I’ve heard elsewhere…..but lyrically it’s a dope album. The beats aren’t bad but they sound a whole lot different than Shady Aftermath beats. Final Verdict: 9/10

Ludacris’ Discography Ludacris is one of the best dirty south rappers. Here’s a look at his discography. Battle of the Sexes: Luda’s poorly executed concept album. There are just so many things wrong with this album. There’s a bit too many guests. They include Flo-Rida, Lil Kim, Ne-Yo, Lil Scrappy, Trey Songz, Monica, Nicki Minaj, and Shawna. The only real memorable songs are Can’t Live Without You, My Chick Bad and its remix, and How Low…Sexting is a fun song too. D+ Theater of the Mind: Luda’s 2008 album was a step in the right direction. He’s having fun, but at the same time showing off his lyricism. T.I. joins him as one of the many effective guest spots. He’s joined by Nas and Jay-z on I Do It For Hip Hop….and Luda holds his own. Even Chris Rock stops by on Everybody Hates Chris. This is Luda’ s latest great album…which is not good. He needs to make another hot song. A- Release Therapy: Luda’s 2006 outing isn’t his best, but its not that bad either. It’s a mix ...

Let me just say that if lyrics could go to 30 lupe would have that. Lyrically he’s the best as evident on Go Go Gadget Flow. His flow is incredible. Where he doesn’t come across too great is on some songs like Fighters, which is not a bad song, but isn’t all that exciting. The album’s depth is almost perfect. The song Gold chain really grew on me, I didn’t like it at first. Superstar and Dumb It Down are great, but HHSML is a classic. The album feels a tad bit long, but its better than F&L in every way except for the beats. The beats are good but not amazing. The final score....9.5/10...not quite a masterpiece...but an excellent album nonetheless.

DMX has returned, but can this album redeem him. Well yes and no. The album is good, but it sounds horribly dated. Its almost as if X is recycling lyrics from old albums. However DMX sounds very hype on the album and he brings energy lyrically.  I don’t have a lot to say about the album. Freeway comes in on Where You Been. DMX has a couple of songs that could be called Gospel Rap or Christian Rap lol. I don’t see him releasing another album, since there was some controversy surrounding this one. The verdict is a 7.5/10...keep in mind this on the basic scale....look out for more score changes to albums I've already reviewed from 2014. 

Ne-yo burst on the scene in 2006 and he quickly became one of my favorite R&B artists. He is an excellent songwriter also as is evident on his albums. In My Own Words- Ne-Yo’s debut album is arguably his best. This album has some really great songs on it like So Sick, When You’re Mad, Stay, and the sorrowful Time. Sexy Love is my favorite song here. It has a hot beat and a terrific chorus. Get Down Like That is another interesting song. The album also includes the remix to that song. After hearing this album there was no doubt that Usher had some competition from the “one” of R&B, Ne-Yo. A Because of You- The R&B crooner avoided the sophomore slump even though this album isn’t as good as his debut. You essentially have an album well rounded album here. I don’t like every song but that’s rare for an album anyway. The album has some nice beats, but most impressive is Ne-Yo’s lyrical execution. My favorite songs are Do You, Because of You B+ Year of the Gent...