Hey People, it’s been virtually a YEAR! since anything was put on this blog. Can anyone say zero-followers? lol.. OK, but really it’s been the lack of time to write, read and edit stuff to put up here so to all you whom I know read the last article and didn’t leave comments, fenk you very much and this is going to be happening weekly now. There’s a lot of crappy stuff in the system now…lol, which gives us more things to strip and analyze. This blog promised to critique everything; movies, games, music, soccer, the works but damn it I’m biased – sue me.
Now due to the huuuge backlog I created, I came up with a table to help me quickly analyze and summarize the album releases within that time. This table was based on:
- Album sales: what I’d read or heard (thus not too accurate)
- The quality and excitement in each track (so, do I skip a track? NO? Good)
- Lyrical Content (you either have to bring the punchlines or make sense at least. Simple)
- CD Totality (all the tracks need to have a certain average and relate to the album title)
In the end, this is what I came out with:
| Artist | Album Title | Sound Scan/1.5mil as @ May 2010 (average) | Do I Skip a track? / 10 | Lyrical Content / 10 | CD Totality / 10 | Score |
| Alicia Keys | The Element of Freedom | 1,200,000 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 90% |
| B.O.B. | The Adventures of Bobby Ray | 150,000 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 65% |
| Chris Brown | Graffiti | 400,000 | 7.75 | 8 | 8 | 66% |
| Fabolous | Loso's Way | 350,000 | 5.5 | 7 | 6 | 52% |
| Justin Bieber | My World 2.0 | 800,000 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 48% |
| K'Naan | Troubadour | 250,000 | 8 | 7.5 | 8 | 63% |
| Lil Wayne | Rebirth | 500,000 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 73% |
| Ludacris | Battle of the Sexes | 500,000 | 6.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 58% |
| Omarion | Ollusion | 200,000 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 41% |
| Rihanna | Rated R | 800,000 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 75% |
| Robin Thicke | Sex Therapy: The Experience | 400,000 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 65% |
| Ryan Leslie | Transition | 400,000 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 62% |
| Sade | Soldier of Love | 1,100,000 | 10 | 9 | 9.5 | 90% |
| Snoop Dogg | Malice N Wonderland | 350,000 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 56% |
| Timbaland | Presents: Shock Value 2 | 700,000 | 8.75 | 8 | 7.5 | 72% |
| Trey Songz | Ready | 450,000 | 9 | 6.5 | 8 | 66% |
| Usher | Raymond vs Raymond | 800,000 | 9.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 83% |
| Young Money | We are Young Money | 400,000 | 7.5 | 9.5 | 8 | 69% |
OK, now these scores reflect perfectly what I want to talk about. Let’s start with miss Keys.
Alicia Keys: Element of Freedom
The soon to be Mrs. Swizz Beatz came out with a huge 90% rating. Wasn’t it obvious? With each of her singles climbing up to number one, she’s becoming “…something that’s impossible to ignore”. With tight productions and lyrics by herself and even Drake, it’s easy to see how she easily hit the 1mil mark. She even did it quicker than Beyonce. That’s an A+ album.
B.O.B.: Adventures of Bobby Ray
BOB’s style well isn’t unique, I mean even he has mentioned it on one the tracks, the similarity to Andre 3 ‘Stacks’ but I LVOE it. It’s hard, at the same time relieving in a kinda soulful way. Honestly, with tracks like Magic, Paper Planes, Ghost in the Machine.. and punchlines like “..we didn’t have neighbours that’s why they called it hood…”; how can you skip a track. He had a star studded features as well including Lupe, Eminem and his boss T.I. the problem though is, you can’t rap and sing at the same time. Well, Drake, please prove me wrong. I guess the score speaks for the performance?...
Chris Brown: Graffiti
Chris Breeezy!! Why y’all gotta do him like that. He said he was sorry. The album is ok you know, Chris Brown standard with hits like Transform Ya and Crawl, and that tight joint Famous Girl. But then he had that stunt and now people are ‘sabotaging’ the guy... lol. It is still a good album though, go get buy that album.
Fabolous: Loso’s Way
Theming the album around the movie Carlito’s Way, it kinda has that mafia don, to losing it all to getting back up. Well, it’s an average album by his standards. Who heard the Real Talk album?? That was tight right, Breathe? This is well, mediocre. With features from Weezy and Keri Hilson, and a Jay-Z co-sign (singing your chorus??), you woulda thought he’d do better. F-A-B-O, we’re giving you one more C-H-A-N-C-E to redeem yourself.
Justin Bieber: My World 2.0
LOL!! Bieber Fever! This guy has it good. He can sing, I’ll give him that (Never Let You Go) but co-signs by Usher, good features (Ludacris) and great lyrics, it’s easy to catch the fever like them little girls have. Dude hit 800K quicker than Usher! and shows the confidence. I still feel he coula hit us harder luke Usher did with My Way, (they were all about 15/16 yrs) but if he keeps it up he may be looking at JT status…
K’Naan: Troubadour
I love this guy man. His style is ‘him’ and he reps Africa to the max. Mr. Waving Flag had me feeling like I was listening to an Outkast track featuring the Black Eyed Peas and Nas. That’s how fun and diverse the album was. 63% is ok, for a good album being promoted from mostly Africa right?
Lil Wayne: Rebirth
Mr. Carter’s “rock” album didn’t receive as much criticism
as imagined because it was tight!! He finally got Eminem to collabo with him and get his approvals for the rock samples. It’s got crazy beats, plus do we have really have to mention the lyrical content? Lemme see…. Nope! Can’t criticize this thing coz at least, it’s certified ~*^GOLD^*~.
Ludacris: Battle of the Sexes
Mr. Bridges has chalked a lot of successes and records under his belt. We know how good he can has been. Heck, one of ma nicknames in school was Luda :D… I fell for his style and lyrics first time I heard Word of Mouf but now, dude has kinda been on the decline with his punchlines. Who remembers the They Shooting (Remix)? Now compare that with My Chick Mad. Get where I’m going?... 58% dawg, talk to the stats.
Omarion: Ollusion
You do know Bedrock was originally by him right? Until he left Young Money and they gave it to Lloyd to ‘hook’ it up. Now he does this sh****ty album on his own?... What the heck is I get it in?? Honestly, the only decent track I got was Speedin’. Mr B2K, get your grown man on.
Rihanna: Rated R
Hmm, took me 5 mins to just to start RiRi’s piece. I’m I the only one who thinks she’s riding off sympathy from the Breezy issue? Or does this album’s success come from the fact that she has a darn good management, readay to buy some of the hottest beats in the system and lyrics from Ne-Yo (Russian Roulette) and The-Dream (Hard) and feature real hot artists and do tight videos. No doubt, it IS a good album, the stats prove it but darn it, isn’t this because of Breezy’s career decline?... well, you decide.
Robin Thicke: Sex Therapy: The Experience
LOL, this man is a very baaaaad man. This is pure grown and sexy music and I LOVE it!! Homies, serenade your girl with sh***, and you know…. Too bad his sales don’t reflect it. Maybe it’s because the only who know what to do with it aern’t too many…lol
Ryan Leslie: Transition 
I love this guy chale. I mean, when I found out he writes and produces his stuff, I had to give him props. Well The Dream also does that but this guy is equally good. He’s also on his grown man ish, and pretty good at it. His style is kind of a new school beat with throwback signing. I guess, other listeners don’t agree though, 62% for him. Well, I might have given this album 70%. Not bad.
Sade: Soldier of Love
The legend is back!! This woman is the marking scheme for all the ‘grown man’ and love making music. It TOUCHES you. You wanna get some?, forget Joe/Jodeci, it’s Sade baby!! There is no one who can do what she does, 90%? This woman deserves 95%.
Snoop Dogg: Malice N Wonderland
Uncle Snoopy is in the hizzle, with this new albizzle, doesn’t look like he’ll be selling a mizzle, maybe he should fall back and just handle his bizzle… LOL. The last album I appreciated was Rhythm and Gangsta: The Masterpiece. That was a classic. Then he starts taking a dive with blue carpet and stuff and this is pretty bad. He has very good production but let’s face it, Uncle is now Grandpa. We appreciate what he’s done for hip-hop, now fall back and let Kid Cudi and co take over. BTW Cudi’s on a track Tree on the re-pack of the album--- More Malice. This is a sign maaaan, 56%? Bow out gracefully….
Timbaland: Presents: Shock Value 2
Hottest producer right now? I think I’ll give his greedy a$$ that till Dre finally releases his Detox or Game’s R.E.D. Greedy because he admitted to NOT giving Jay-Z his hottest beats for the BP3 album and what does he do with? He lets Miley Cyrus and Jojo and them jump on it…lol. It’s really good music though no doubt, but if you’re NOT a VERY good producer-rapper like Kanye, then fall back and let’s see how Jay or Drake will rip it apart. It cuts across a lot of Genres so, 72% Timbo! Good work.
Trey Songz: Ready
Now you have to admit that this is an improvement from Trey Day. I still think the lyrical content coula done better but dare I say he’s the hottest RnB artist out right now? Everyone’s looking for him for features and remixes from Luda to Drake and even Mary J to comebacks like Toni Braxton. I once read somewhere, when Chris Brown had the issue, that the lane was wide open for him now… lol. And he didn’t disappoint, he took advantage of dude’s absence. The album’s ait and I think he’s got pretty good stats. Dude can sing though, y’all should try Black Roses from his album or Pretty Brown from Amerie’s and see what I’m talking ‘bout.
Usher: Raymond vs Raymond
“..I promised to never do this again..” but uhhhh, wtf does he always have some girl problem right around album production?! and we love to hear the rumours sooo much, that we buy into it. But honestly, the album is DOPE… blue magic!! Somebody tell Omarion to take a cue. With like 4 hit singles out and a lot more yet to come including Guilty ft. TI and my favourite There Goes my Baby, this album is going nowhere but UP!
Young Money: We are Young Money
The debut album from the group is a little off expectations, considering they have 3 of the hottest artists in it right now and in case you’re from Mars and don’t know who they are: Lil’ Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj. It could have been a little hotter like G-Unit’s debut Beg for Mercy, maybe because of them tracks by Lil’ Twist and Lil’ Chuckee, most probably meant for 13 yr olds. It’s pretty good though. Let’s just hope they don’t fall like the G-Unit, Dipset, Ruf Ryders, DTP, ROC, (… should I go on?...) have. We wish them all the best and ask that they ‘seed’ out the jokers next time.
OK, people, this sums up the backlog we had, although we left other ones we didn’t have time for like Juvenile’s ‘crappy’ Cocky and Confident, new CMB signing Jay Sean’s All or Nothing, Taio Cruz’s ‘ok’ Rockstarr (if u like techno), Grammy nominated artist Pleasure P’s Intro of Marcus Cooper, Maino, Q Latifa, Sean Paul, Sean Kingston….. too many. We’ll just make sure we do periodically now ait? Apologies. Or you can put in requests to analyze anything I left out.
This is Mr. H-to-the-S, signing out, next time, we analyze Trina’s Amazing and Nas & Damian Marley’s Distant Relatives. 1!
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