Album Results
Album Reviews
After the Notorious B.I.G. was killed, Puffy Combs spent a lot of time trying to fill the big man's shoes. To this end, the Bad Boy label chief has enlisted a slew of substitutes, creating a catalog of dance-friendly, thug-life chronicles of high-life fantasies and gritty realities. Enter Harlem native Black Rob. A competent MC with a guttural delivery that recalls the smooth, reserved style of the late B.I.G., Black Rob constructs explicit tales with hooks you can feel and lyrics that stick. On a disc that includes support from Mase, Jennifer Lopez, Puff Daddy, and the Lox, Black Rob details hard street life replete with pain, death, and stark honesty. With 20 thoroughly bruising cuts, Black Rob's debut may just succeed in helping Puff Daddy regain the street credibility lost when Combs achieved mainstream/crossover status. ~ Roxanne Blanford, All Music Guide
Track Listing
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Never Miss A Beat Kaiser Chiefs |
| The kings of chorus repetition strike again with this good intentioned look at the state of our youth and the failure of the education system. Don't panic! As serious as this may sound, these are neither deep lyrics nor they reflect any worrying shift towards U2-like social analysis. "Never Miss A Beat" does not desperately try to be as popular as "Ruby", which makes it more enjoyable, and although it cannot compare with the Chiefs' best moments (namely, their debut singles) many want to see some sort of getting back to form, fuelled by their collaboration with new Britpop king, Mark Ronson, who was called to produce their forthcoming effort. His Midas touch is expected to rescue the band from the typical disappointing effect of that difficult second album. This new single, though, lacks of the shock and awe effect a different sound direction would have provided; instead Ronson respectfully brings the band back to the familiar sonic frame where Kaiser Chiefs used to feel at home, but a few surprises may be unveiled when "Off With Their Heads" gets a release. | |
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