SONY URBAN & HIP HOP
There may be a bit of a divergence from
our main theme as we delve into the Urban and Hip Hop releases from Sony.
So-Urban Click here for So-Urban's own site - So-Urban
So Urban Home page
Scroll down for reviews of
the following:-
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Omarion – O Michael Jackson –
The Ultimate Collection Lemar – Time to grow 411 – Between the
sheets Reminisce – R&B
Classics Jill Scott
Beautifully Human Jamie Scott DJ Kayslay – the
Streetsweeper Vol 2: Pain from the game Michelle
Williams - Do you know Sweetback - Stage 2 - Epic Lemar - Dedicated Bow Wow - Unleashed - Columbia Kindred the family
soul - Surrender to Love B2K- Pandemonium -
Epic Introducing Vivian
Green - Love Story (Full Album) Nasir Jones - God's Son - Columbia |
Hitch Jennifer Lopez - rebirth Xzibit – Weapons of
Mass destruction Nas – Street’s
Disciple Destiny’s Child –
Destiny Fulfilled Raymond & Co –
Playing Games John Legend – Get
Lifted Nas 10 year
Anniversary Illmatic Platinum Series Lil’ Flip – U gotta feel me B2K- You got served
- OST - Epic Jagged Edge - Hard - Columbia DJ Kay Slay - The
Streetsweeper Vol 1 Macy Gray - The Trouble with being myself - Epic Kelly Rowland - Simply Deep - Columbia (Full
Album) Kelly Rowland - Simply Deep - Columbia (Sampler) Bone Thugs N Harmony
- Thug World Order Barber Shop - Music from the Motion Picture-
Epic |
Isley Brothers – Taken to the next phase X-Ecutioners - Revolutions Dead Prez – RBG:Revolutionary But Gangsta Bravehearts - Bravehearted -Columbia Wyclef Jean - Greatest Hits - Columbia Beyonce -
Dangerously in love Ginuwine - The
Senior Urban Essentials - Volume 2 Will Smith - Greatest Hits - Columbia Big Brovaz - Nu Flow
(Album) Epic - Xzibit - Man vs
Machine Jennifer Lopez - This is me ...then - Epic Introducing Vivian Green - Love Story - Columbia (Sampler) |
Omarion – O http://www.omariononline.com/
Now due out on July 11 -
I first heard this a while ago when in the US and spent
quite a long time on the listening booth feeling this but I din’t feel
compelled to buy it, and then I wished I had, and now with its UK release it is
availbale readily. Comparisons aboun I guess Usher, mario and so on but I feel
that former B2K’s Omarion has something to offer that is different, and this is
a really good album, consistent all the way through.
I wish is pretty instant, pretty formulaic but devoid of too
much fronting and is quite good. Touch is catchy. So the first two tracks build into the signature O which
extends more vocally, slow beats, great track. I’m Tryna though is probably the
hit, more radio potential as it will compete with the main contenders out
there. Drop the heater goes into
mainstream clubland and by comparison is poor. Of that ilk Take it Off is
better. Never gonna let you go I like, it picks up old school EWF harmonies and
some heavier funk backbeats.
The album can be lyrically strong and growing pains is
such an example on a questioning ballad.
I know is a midtempo thing but the album closes in real downbeat mood
with O excelling on these slow jams, 4 tracks of mellow and then some. I’m
gonna change is the best.
A very good album indeed.
Tracks:- 1. I Wish
,
2. Touch,
3. O,
4. I'm Tryna,
5. Drop That Heater,
6. Growing Pains,
7. Take It Off,
8. Never Gonna Let You Go (She's a Keepa) - Big Boi,
9. I Know,
10. I'm Gon' Change,
11. In the Dark,
12. Slow Dancin',
13. Fiening You
Hitch
www.hitch.com
Not a bad
soundtrack at all, a mix of old and new and one or two exclusive cuts. For Example, Amerie’s 1 Thing which is
not getting a release till later this year- Interesting but not particularly
brilliant. Next up is the great
John Legend with an excellent version of Stevies Don’t you worry bout
athing.. Also ex B2K Omarion
features on the fine Never gonna let you go. Next interesting feature is EWF with Kelly Rowland and
Sleepy Brown, which is a killer cut a mix of old skool harmonies and new R’n’B.
The rest
is a mix of old and new, a remix of Turn me on. All good stuff.
1.
Amerie “1 Thing” Listen
Listen
2. John Legend "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" Listen
Listen
3. Earth, Wind & Fire featuring Kelly Rowland and Sleepy Brown "This
Is How I Feel" Listen
Listen
4. Mark Ronson featuring Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife Da God and Saigon
"Ooh Wee" Listen
Listen
5. Heavy D & The Boyz "Now That We Found Love" Listen
Listen
6. Meleni Smith "Happy" Listen
Listen
7. The O'Jays "Love Train" Listen
Listen
8. The Temptations "I Can't Get Next To You" Listen
Listen
9. Jimmy Cliff “You Can Get It If You Really Want” Listen
Listen
10. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas "It's Easy To Fall In Love *(With A
Guy Like You)" Listen
Listen
11. Earth, Wind & Fire "Reasons" Listen
Listen
12. Omarion "Never Gonna Let You Go (She's A Keepa) Listen
Listen
13. Kevin Lyttle "Turn Me On (Low Tide Remix)" Listen
Listen
Jennifer
Lopez – Rebirth http://www.sonymusic.co.uk/jenniferlopez/rebirth/
J-Lo’s
4th studio album produced by Cory Rooney. A mix of some popular
R’n’B and lusg ballads. The
singles are obvious get Right and Hold you down.
J-Lo
gets funky on Whatever You wana do
and the Prince-esque Cherry Pie and it’s OK too. Still around is a
midtempo soul ballad which is probably my pick of the album, bit on th epop
side though. Ryde or die is a bit
more intense. I love is a fine ballad to.
Doesn’t
set the world on fire, but nothing bad on it, starting to find her own niche I
feel rather than following trends.
In the words or Randy it’s a’ight.
REBIRTH:
1. Get Right
2. Step Into My World
3. Hold You Down feat. Fat Joe
4. Whatever You Wanna Do
5. Cherry Pie
6. I Got U
7. Still Around
8. Ryde Or Die
9. I, Love
10. He'll Be Back
11. (Can't Believe) This Is Me
12. Get Right feat. Fabolous
Xzibit
– Weapons of Mass destruction http://www.mtvbase.co.uk/mtvbase.co.uk/xzibit.jhtml http://www.sonymusic.co.uk/xzibit/womd/
The
blurb replicated below pretty much says it all (for a change!). This is a deep
and strong album, but most of all it’s pretty darn good. Laden with soulful beats it hangs
together musically as well as lyrically. Setting the scene with the intro and
Lax before hitting a great track in Cold World, lazy mellow, soulful hip hop
with strong messages, one of the top tunes of the year.
The
hit and hard tunes are hear to in Mutha***** and hey Now, these will probably
sell the album but for me aren’t anywhere near the best tracks. The best ‘pumpin’ track is Criminal
set.
The
collaborations go well especially Strong Arm Steady featured on two tracks.
Next
excellent track is Judgement day complete with gospel organ.
Conceptually
provoking and concluding with the parallel in the world of hip hop. Top stuff.
“There are moments in an artist's
career when it's obvious that his time has come. That the planets and the
forces of the universe have aligned to unleash an energy and creative
determination that's impossible to deny.
For Xzibit, that time is now and he has ushered it in with
Weapons of Mass Destruction, the hip-hop artist's fifth full-length album.
Pre-loaded with the high impact, bass-blessed, aggressive, street-hardened,
West Coast hip-hop that his fans have come to expect, Weapons of Mass
Destruction finds Xzibit digging deeper into his soul to create scorching
salvos that get the party started while setting fire to your intellect. As
Xzibit himself puts it, "I want people to hear this album and enjoy it.
Laugh with me, cry with me, dance with me and think. This is one strong
record."
Xzibit gets that strength from joining forces with some
notable producers and artists. On board for the ride are Ric Rok, Rockwilder,
Thayod, Hi Tek, Khalil, Denaun Porter, Sir Jinx, Battlecat, Jellyroll and
Timbaland as well as MC Lyte, Busta Rhymes and the members Xzibit's other
project, Strong Arm Steady. The end result is an album that takes no prisoners,
pulls no punches and delivers a pure jolt of funkdafied, rugged wisdom. Ask
Xzibit what he hopes fans will hear this time around and he answers,
"Growth. This album is where I am as a man and a father and somebody who's
got some experience under their belt. I've got a lot to say for being such a
young man and since my first album came out when I was 19, I've had the luxury
of growing with my audience. "
2004 has seen Xzibit expand that audience as the host of
the top rated MTV show "Pimp My Ride." His participation came about
because of his long time patronage of West Coast Custom and when the owners of
that renowned Cali body shop were approached about being the subjects of a MTV
series, Xzibit's name came up as a potential host. A pilot was shot and the
rest is, if not history, then certainly one of MTV's most entertaining and
popular programs. "Pimp My Ride," which kicks off its second season
this fall, gives viewers an opportunity to see into Xzibit's personality. His
skills as a host have garnered him an entirely new fan base, which he loves.
"I was at Target and this woman who must have been over 50 comes up to me,
says, 'Oh! I love "Pimp My Ride!"' That's the best thing. That's
positive to me or like when little kids recognize me? That's fun!"
It's not just on the small screen that Xzibit has been
honing his thespian chops. Following his cameo in the box office smash "8
Mile," look for Xzibit to appear, alongside Ice Cube, in the forthcoming
sequel to “XXX” entitled “XXX State of the Union.” When asked if his interest
in acting means that he will be studying Shakespeare, Xzibit shakes his head,
saying, "Nah, music is my backbone but acting is something I'm really
getting into.”
“Tough Guy” on Weapons of Mass Destruction, is notably a
stand-out track. Produced by Hi Tek, "Tough Guy" features Busta
Rhymes on a cut that Xzibit describes as "…me and Busta in the studio
dropping orangutan slang and just beating up the mic." Boasting verses
such as "I rock 2 glocks/I call them Barney and Fred," "Tough
Guy" is as raucous as it is relentless.
Back on board is Ric Rok, who handed Xzibit the monster
"Motherfucker." Laced with a steady, clapping backbeat and anchored
by a terse, descending chorus, "Motherfucker" is just what the title
suggests and allows Xzibit to unleash his vocal power. "I like to make
aggressive music, I like to express myself," he confesses. "That's
the way I like to perform because then you can give out a certain energy."
Xzibit keeps that energy level sky high on the compelling
"Cold World." Produced by Jellyroll, "Cold World" breaks
down three real life scenarios ranging from a young woman dealing with her
sexuality to a child living in Iraq. Driven by its insistent hook, "You
got 2 choices, you can just give it up or just die with it," "Cold
World" is close to Xzibit's heart because its content allows him a chance
to give something back. "I can't really tell someone what they should be
rapping about but let's just say that I am aware of my surroundings and because
of that there's a lot of things on this album that are going to be
topical," he explains. "'Cold World' deals with circumstances that
are beyond your control and that are heavy to deal with, but you've got to be
able to relate to the music and that's what I'm trying to do: give some example
of where I believe we should go with hip-hop."
Xzibit has been blazing his own path since he first stepped
to the mic and in 1996, he secured his own deal and released his solo debut At
The Speed Of Life. The album instantly became an underground sensation as did
his 1998 follow-up, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz. Both albums helped secure Xzibit's
position as one of the West Coast's most promising and fiery young talents.
Xzibit made the leap from underground to center stage when,
in 1999, he joined Snoop Dogg on the Dre-produced hit, "Bitch
Please." Xzibit's next move was the posse cut, "Some L.A.
Niggaz," on Dre's The Chronic 2000. Impressed with his flow, Dre brought
Xzibit on board for 2000's heavyweight "Up In Smoke" tour, which also
featured Snoop, Eminem and Ice Cube. That winter Xzibit made his move courtesy
of Restless. Executive-produced by Dre, Restless spawned the chart-topping
single, "X," and was certified platinum. After a two-year break,
Xzibit went for it full-on once again with his high-profile Man Vs Machine.
That album struck RIAA gold and Xzibit increased his visibility by hitting the
road on Eminem's hugely successful "Anger Management" Tour. Always
keeping one foot in the underground, Xzibit balanced his mass appeal by also
working with West Coast heroes Tha Liks and Ras Kass.
Now with a new attitude and focus, Xzibit returns to the
ring, ready to duke it out with anyone who dares to hold him back or stand in
his way. Ask Xzibit how'd he categorize himself and he'll tell you, "My
music is always evolving, always changing. If you're a good artist that's what
you're gonna do and I feel I did that on “Weapons of Mass Destruction”."
Nas
– Street’s Disciple
Yes Nas never cease to
come up with the goods, something innovative and fresh. Here we get the Blues connection with
father Olu Dara. Altogether a much
more reflective and mellow, grown up Nas, but it ain’t the worse for that. Less threatening from the last album
but still intense and provoking in places.
Some great
collaborations, kelis the best for me – American Way is standout, but great to
see Maxwell (when does his album hit the streets!), also Scarlett, Quan, Emily,
Busta, Ludacris, Doug E Fresh, Keon Brice. Big up’s To These are our heroes, as
CD1 reflects on the world and the position in the world, as Cd gets on to more
personal things. There are a
number of tracks that do it for me including Live now featuring Scarlett,
Bridging the gap because it is different and it work, the aforementioned Kelis
track, you know my Style, UBR and Virgo with props to the e arly days of Hip
Hop, and the balladic War.
Nas - Street Disciple
Released 29th November - Pre-order here!
Everyone who pre-orders this album will automatically be entered into a free
competition to win an exclusive, one-off, framed presentation disk to celebrate
the release of Nas' Street's Disciple album.
1. Get Up
2. Nazareth Savage
3. Play On Playa
4. Just A Moment
5. Serious
6. Rest Of My Life
7. You Know My Style
8. Titalating
9. Reason
10. American Way
11. Sekou Story
12. Suicide Bounce
13. Street's Disciple PT.1
14. Rakim Bio
15. Remember The Times
16. Perfect Bitch
17. Getting Married
18. Bridging The Gap
19. War
20. Me & You
21. No One Else In The Room
22. Live Now
Bonus Tracks:
23. Disciple
24. Thief's Theme
25. *Thief's Theme UK Remix feat. Rising Son*
Destiny’s Child
– Destiny Fulfilled
Hugely disappointing for me.
I happen to feel that there is a huge amout of talent in here, but it is
all wasted on a formulaic, contrived offering. Ok it will probably seell by the bucketload but I do not
think it will have any lasting effect whatsoever. The press rlease states that lessoms have been learned from
there solo excursions. I would
argue exactly the contrary – in terms of artistic development the solo projects
were far and above this. In
marketability however I guess I would have to concede. I don’t think that tere
is one track that I feel at all, maybe Girl
1.
Lose My Breath
2. Soldier
3. Cater 2 U
4. T - Shirt
5. Is She The Reason
6. Girl
7. Bad Habit
8. If
9. Free
10. Through With Love
11. Love
12. International Bonus Track: Game Over
Michael Jackson
– The Ultimate Collection
57 Audio tracks including 36 major chart hits, 13 previously umissued,
UK and US Archive rarities. Pemiere DVD of 1992 Bucharest Dangerous Tour –
Deluxe Box set 64 page booklet, rare photography, personal memorabilia,
chronological timeline, complete discography, linner noteds by Nelson George
say no more- just get your letters to Santa written.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
|
1. I Want
You Back - The Jackson 5 |
11. Shake
Your Body (Down To The Ground) |
Disc: 2
|
1. Wanna Be
Startin' Somethin' |
7. Someone
In The Dark |
Disc: 3
|
1. Bad |
8. Dangerous
(Early Version) |
Disc: 4
|
1. You Are
Not Alone |
8.
Unbreakable |
Disc: 5
|
1. Jam |
9. Thriller |
Lemar – Time to grow,
released November 29 www.lemar-online.com
I’ve got a lot of time
for Lemar, who probably doesn’t get through to the purists because of the way
he was catapulted into the scene. However
most of his output is or contains a good element of quality Soul Music. None more so than the plea o be a
Soulman, greta driving soul dance track.
But even downtempo on Better than this the soulful quality comes
through.
Complicated Cupid is
another track that could get the soul rooms pumping. All I ever do is also quality. Again only a sampler to go by
but it sounds pretty good to me.
The rest is here as
below, and not disappointed. Beter
than this is a great track in my view but the quality doesn’t let up. Great stuff, and all written by Lemar.
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1. Soulman |
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2. It Don't
Get Better Than This |
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3. I Don't
Mind That |
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4. What If |
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5. Call Me
Daddy |
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