CD Review: T.I. - Paper Trail

This is clearly one of the best Hip-Hop Cd's to come out this year. TI clearly put time into this album being on house arrest! Guest appearances include Rihanna, Ludacris, Jay-Z, LiL Wayne, Kanye West and more.

There are only a few tracks that you may want to skip but the album is solid!
The production is solid with bass heavy drums that you would expect from the south.

9 out of 10 stars

Kanye West Changes release date of new CD

Kanye decided to change his release date the upcoming titled "808s and Heartbreak" from December to sometime in November. This totally eliminates a huge showdown between him and 50 cent because 50 cent was releasing his next CD in December as well. If you can recall last year the big frenzy of a showdown between who would sell the most records in the first week of both of their last releases. Of course Kanye outsold him then. I am still unsure of how Kanye will fare this CD with alot of fans disappointed at the preview of one of his new songs at the MTV VMA's.

Plus the rumor that he may use the vocoder on his vocals almost the whole disc sounds a little played out if you ask me! We shall see!

CD Review:Joe - Joe Thomas,New Man

I was a little upset when I first gave this CD a listen. Joe seems to have gone way off from his normal "adult contemporary R&B" style to "younger R&B" like Ne-Yo and Chris Brown.

The problem with this is that Joe does not need to do this. He is a great singer and he should stick to what he does best which is the style we fell in love with prior albums before.

The CD is still decent and enjoyable but not JOE!

6 out of 10 stars

Andre 3000 plans to release a new CD

Andre 3000 has plans to release a new album by the end of the year. He did not give too many details but says he has a vision and just needs to figure out how to get there.

He also said not to expect anything really on the collaboration side because he like s to just work by himself.

The album should be pretty unique and probably not for all hardcore Hip-Hop fans.

Irv Gotti returning to VH-1

It looks like Murder Inc. CEO Irv Gotti will be returning to reality TV on VH-1.
We were told season two of Gotti's Way will focus on the breakup of his troubled marriage.

I enjoyed the first season but I was surprised to hear of a second season considering every Hip-Hop artist is trying to get a reality TV deal. I'm thinking soon the people will tire of it!

CD Review - Nelly - Brass Knuckles

If you are a fan of Nelly's older material then this album is for you!
Many of the new school heads may not like this CD as much.
Some of the guest spots on the CD were a surprise such as LL Cool J and Public Enemies Chuck D.
Both are solid songs. Other guests include Rick Ross,T.I.,Snoop and Nate Dogg,R. Kelly and Usher.
Not to mention last summers over played Party People with Fergie.

Its a solid CD with good production but it may not be for true underground Hip-Hop fans!

7 out of 10 stars

Queen Latifah turns to Dr Dre for new album

Wow! Latifah has a seventh solo album coming out this winter and she has enlisted Dr Dre,Swizz Beats and Missy Elliot to help produce it. Should be interesting since she has not put out a serious Hip-Hop album in years. Last year she released the Jazz CD Trav'lin Light.

Gucci Mane Jailed for one year

Gucci Mane has been jailed, after he failed to complete mandatory community service.

Feds say he only served 25 of 600 hours of his community service and violated his probation multiple times by using alcohol, marijuana and ecstasy.

He was also accused of serious offenses, Driving Under the Influence, marijuana possession and possession of a weapon by a felon in July.

DMX Arrested in Phoenix

Rapper DMX was arrested and jailed in Phoenix and being held in custody on a 25,000 bond.
DMX was originally arrested by Miami police outside of a Wal-Mart, after he failed to appear at a mandatory pretrial conference related to drugs charges in Phoenix.

He faces one count of marijuana possession and four counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Yet he still faces felony theft charges related to allegations that he gave a fake name at an Arizona medical clinic, as well as seven counts of animal cruelty.

We hear that he also is working on a reality TV show that will follow him through his home life and legal situations.

How many Hip-Hop artist are going to go the reality TV route?

The only one that has really worked for multiple seasons is Run's House.

Stay tuned!

Album Review: LL Cool J - Exit 13

I have always been an LL Cool J fan. His last CD I hated because of his "softer songs".
This new one tries to keep his hardcore fans happy and his "soft side" fans (The ladies) happy as well.
He has plenty of guest appearences such as Wyclef and Fat Joe but I think the new school cats will not take him seriously. LL even seems to be doubting himself wondering if he is still relevant or not. The man for sure has skills but it may be time to hang up the MIC!

5 out of 10 stars

Album Review-Onyx - Cold Case Files

Onyx is one of my favorite Hip-Hop groups of all time. The grimy and very street mad rap is hardcore and still crazy as ever. On their sixth album "Cold Case Files", they come off as underground as ever.
The beats are simple yet grimy and the lyrics are hardcore.
One of the standout cuts "Evil Streets" features Method Man and is pure old school Onyx!

New school heads may not appreciate this album but if you are an old school Onyx fan then this is decent enough to get.

6 out of 10 stars

MC Breed is on life support

MC Breed, known for his hit single "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin'" collapsed while playing a basketball game in Atlanta yesterday evening.

The problem...............Kidney failure. He is now on life support clinging for his life in hopes of a donor!
Throughout his 17 year career, he has released 15 albums mostly on independent labels!

Album Review: Young Jeezy-The Recession

I have really started to like Young Jeezy. He is pure street! Plus he has solid lyrics with an original flow that is raspy and tight!

The beats are tight and clearly go with his style of flow.
The song "Hustlas Ambition" is really good with the typical Jeezy lyrics.

One of the last tracks called "My President" is a good song over a medium pace track. The song has some reference to the political things going on in the USA at this moment!

7 out of 10 points

Is the T-Pain voice too much?

I have never seen a genre of music that really uses something to death!
Hip-Hop is music famous for not being a "biter" or someone who steals a style or rhyme, but lately that is thrown out of the window.

T-Pain started putting out songs using a vocoder on his vocals which gives it a unique computer type vibe to it made famous by Roger Troutman back in the days.

Now 8 out of ten songs are using it from Lil Wayne on Lollipop (which I liked) to Kanye West and more. Now it has come to a point where I am so sick of hearing. It is dead and in the ground!

We need more original themes in Hip-Hop or it will evolve into something worse than what it has become. Another overly used term in Hip-Hop is "make it rain in the club".

I swear to god if I hear that phrase again I am going to throw my Sirius radio out the car window!

What do you all think---leave a comment!