
I haven’t bought a retail CD in quite a while. I just bought Cuban Linx II, and right now I’m giving it a couple more days to settle in before I can give an accurate assessment of how I feel about it. My initial feelings right now are mixed at best.
Through the magical powers of the internets, I had a copy of B3 a several weeks before it came out so I’ve had plenty of time to absorb what it has to offer and let the tracks/vocals roll around in my brains. I only buy hard copies of albums if I’ve heard them before and I like them. I’m picky with my funds like that. Never mind the ’support the artist’ BS, it’s more about bitrates and sound quality for me. MP3s sound like garbage, even on good speakers. Anyways, for some reason it’s always a nostalgic feeling sitting in my car getting pissed at the plastic wrapping that’s being absurdly difficult. B3 was no different.
Overall the disc was surprisingly good, and certainly a refreshing dose to help me get Kingdom Come completely out of my memory. Out of 15 tracks, 6 are excellent. That’s a 40% Banger Rate with isn’t too shabby. I tried to clear my mind of unrealistic expectations (cough..Reasonable Doubt II…cough)
Wins (6): = Bangers that get heavy rotation
1) What We Talkin’ About:
First off, track one of any disc is the most important. It has to set the tone for the album, yet no album should be front heavy and then taper off. This one accomplishes a solid premise for the album, the tone is pure Jay. In the first couple of bars dismisses the Game ‘beef’, much in the way a fly is unconsciously shooed away without even looking in it’s direction. Usually In case you didn’t know, Game has been riding EXTRA hard on Jay and Beyonce (?) recently, essentially trying to goad him into a battle so that his name is mentioned in hiphop circles again. It didn’t work, but you can hear some possible references to him in other songs. Anyways, the beat instantly reminded me off that Mobb Deep track ft NaS ‘ Its Mine‘ (which coincidentally is still dope). I liked it then and I like it here. Plenty of quoteables.
3) DOA
Everyone’s heard this track. I liked it on it’s first spin, and I still like it. This is one of No ID’s best works to date. I love the electric guitar and how skeletal and unpolished the beat feels. Its extremely appropriate for the flow, plus the lyrical content is highly amusing to me.
4) Run This Town
Probably the song of the year. I’m not sure what it is about Rhianna’s voice, but the way she’s being utilized on choruses seems to fit her vocals perfectly. Its an ethereal, monotonous heavy note. Not sure who to credit the lion’s share of the production to, but Ye and No ID once again created a monster with this one. This has to be the 4th or 5th time that I can remember Ye’s verse usurping Jay (who had two mediocre verses on a flagship song…come on Jay).
7) On To the Next One
Club beat that actually works here, I’d damn near forgotten about Swizz Beats and his easily recognizable production. The flow is excellent, although the material leaves quite a bit to be desired. That being said, it fits for the feel of this one. There are some classic lines here, and it bangs hard. Truck music.
10) Venus vs. Mars
What an odd, odd track. I expect it’s the oddities of the production that makes me like this one, also I love when bars are overlaid/crossfaded into each other–creating the audial illusion of Jay featuring Jay. I might end up hating this track in a month, but right now I’m feeling it.
12) Hate
I love every single beat and bar of this shit. Drunken beat matched with comically drunken flows from both Ye and Jay. Another absolute truck banger.
Meh (4): Don’t have much to write about these, sometimes I’ll skip them, sometimes I wont.
5) Empire State of Mind
It took me a couple of times to get under this track, there’s nothing overtly wrong with it–just more of the anthemy style that some love. Me, not so much.
9) A Star is Born
There’s nothing overly lame about this one, although there’s nothing overly dope either.
11) Already Home
Again, uninspired flow. The collabo seems forced for whatever reason….
14) So Ambitious
Definitely a Neptunes track, which I approve of, but the track was still flat in general.
Fails (5): These are definite skips that detract from the overall expected lyrical/production quality of B3.
2) Thank You
This was a miss for me, it sounds like it was intended for release on Kingdom Come. There are some good bars here, but overall it sounds like filler that’s slightly out of place with the overall tone of the album. Had this been the intro track I would have been worried off top. Most of the flow sounds phoned in and there isn’t anything creative in the production by Ye and No ID. Bleh.
6) As Real As it Gets (Ft Jeezy)
Uninspired flow, redundant anthemy production. I never understood the draw of Jeezy on certain tracks, and his lackuster flow pulls down an already unappealing song.
7) Off That
Club beat that DOESN’T work. Uninspired flow, and I expect for from Timbaland.
13) Reminder
Skip. Ugh.
15) Young Forever
No, Nien, Nope. We’ve seen Jay’s ability to follow just about any cadence by altering his flow (on this album and most of his others), but this one just seems forced and awkward. I like Mr Hudson’s chorus, but everyone knows choruses only have the ability to enhance already good songs–nothing more. Don’t expect it to carry a bad concept, which is what this song was.
Wait, the albums over on that one?
F muzik