Real Musik Reviews

So last night I went to sleep pretty disappointed with the new Fabolous album (make sure to read the post below), but I’m feeling a little better about it now that I heard it a few times.

1: Intro

I’m not sure if “The Slump is over, we winnin’ again,” but this track is pretty cool. Interesting production, Fab spits like he is from the south, sounds almost like Weezy mumbling away. I liked the Intro from his other 3 albums more.

2: Yep, I’m Back

My favorite song on the album, the only real solo track. Like I said before, sick beat, sick rhymes. 4 minutes of nothing but bragging. Awesome. “Now everybody put your hands up” for this track.

3: Change Up Ft. Akon

Some ill rhymes on this track, the Konvict joins Fab for the hook only. I do actually like this track, but just the thought of how much R&B there is to follow is killing me. “No, things ain’t the same” as 3 years ago.

4: Make Me Better ft. Ne-Yo

Timbo, Ne-Yo, and Loso deliver this Single pretty nicely. Ne-Yo’s voice is much more soothing than that of Akon on track #3, while Timbaland provides another great beat. This is something that I would expect from Fabolous, I like it. Ne-Yo put it best: these three are each a “Movement by myself, But a force when we’re together”

5: Baby Don’t Go ft. T-Pain

Come on, who constructed this album? Why are these three guys in a row? That doesn’t make any sense at all, unless of course Fab is looking to have this CD in stores under the Pop shelves. No matter how decent these Fabolous verses are, I can’t say that its good. I just do not want to hear this right now. Throw it at the end of the album or something.

6: Return Of The Hustle ft. Swizz Beatz

Yea, its a cool song, but it dropped on the mixtape scene in February (2/10 according to my iTunes). This track is way too old to have made the final cut.

“Cash Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M. it’s a new year, dolla dolla bill y’all”

But I guess its still cool if you haven’t been listening to it since the winter. The rhymes are slick and probably among the best on the CD. Oh yea, anyone who is down with the Wu is cool with me.

7: Gangsta Don’t Play ft. Junior Reid

I like this kinda shit, so I’m gonna say this is an ill track. I don’t really understand what JR is saying, but thats OK. Fabolous is spitting clean enough for me to figure it out.
By the way, if you’ve never seen SHOTTAS, I suggest you go pick up a copy at your nearest bodega or bootlegger soon.

8: Real Playa Like ft. Lloyd

Since when is Murd…. excuse me, The Inc. cool? I don’t want to hear this shit. Lloyd sounds like a little kid, Fab should have kicked his lollipop lickin’ ass out of the studio.

9: First Time ft. Rihanna

I can’t remember if this is a single or not, but its a pretty ill track from Fabolous to the ladies. Rihanna has a great voice, but I don’t know if its appropriate for this track (not hating). This is definitely consistent with what I expected after hearing Real Talk.

10: Diamonds ft. Young Jeezy

I really hate repetetive samples a la Young Jeezy: “Diamonds in my damned chain.”
But, the beat is hot, Fab keeps it hot on this track about diamonds and guns. Jeezy’s verse is exactly what you would expect from him… Definitely can hear why the girls say Fab still “do the damned thang”

11: Brooklyn ft. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda

Like I said last night, great to have Jay-Z on the album, but they could have done it without looping the Notorious B.I.G.’s Voice. Other than that, Jay and Uncle Murda have some pretty diesel verses.

12: I’m The Man ft. Red Cafe

Fire. Red Cafe and Loso both keep it hot on this track. Fab is “so fly, no tellin when I’mma land.” In case you don’t know Red Cafe is an up and coming rapper from Brooknam. Its a little dissapointing that he is only on the chrous– I would have liked to hear him spit it for a while.

13: Jokes On You ft. Pusha T

“Ha ha ha ha ha, check out this Bizarre” [beat]
I love the Clipse, so I was definitely excited to hear that Pusha was on a track.
But, I soon came to find out that this track is decent at best. Fab doesn’t show us anything special, nor does the Virginia MC, or the producer. The chrous is an annoying laugh from Fab imitating the King of New York from What Beef.

14: What Should I Do? ft. Lil’ Mo

I’ve liked these two together since Ghetto Fab, and I still do. This track is great. Its starts a letter from a fan to Fabolous. She has a baby daddy who doesn’t care, and got herself locked up trying to drown his new girl. Sad story. Each verse is a different story. Lil’ Mo is only on the Hook, she doesn’t have a nice verse on this track.

15: This Is Family ft. Ransom, Freck Billionaire, Red Cafe, Joe Buden & Paul Cain

Not the best track, but pretty good considering the talent is on it. Some ill punchlines and it isn’t too over-produced.

“I’m the best hands down like 6:30″

Final Take:

Overall, I guess I can’t hate on the album. Its a good attempt to sell a million and stay high. Fabolous definitely has a bunch of cool raps, and some of the guests are appreciated.

I enjoyed listening to the album, but I don’t think that it will become a staple in my car like Ghetto Fab or Street Dreams. In fact, I’ll probably forget about in two weeks

Whats Wrong With It:

I’m going to say it again: Why are there so many R&B artists on this CD? Isn’t there more to Rap then featuring stupid artists and sampling old music?
Do I live in the same world as the people who produce these records?

Does Every Track Need To Be On The Billboard Singles Chart?

AND, if there are going to be three handfuls of featured guests why can’t any of them get a decent verse? Theres no reason that all of these guests should have stayed on the hook. Sure, Jeezy had his own verse, and so did Jay, but RED CAFE should have had his own verse on I’m The Man. I even think that Lil’ Mo should have had a little bit more than a hook.

Who Should Listen:

If you like Fabolous… Give it a good listen through… maybe two or three before you stop hating Fab for putting out a garbage tape.

If you are the kind of person that listens to Akon, Ne-Yo, or T-Pain, you probably also will enjoy this album.

Hardcore Rap fans probably won’t like this album, and you will probably trash it. I almost did, but I like Fab too much to diss him like that.

Bottom line is this album is not what was expected of Fabolous’ Fourth Studio LP. Its not hard enough, and there is way too much singing. I hope the Fifth resurrects Fab’s reputation.

I’m giving it a 2.5/5

I’m out, Happy? Listening.

Vercetti

Brooklyn Native J Jackson has been laying low for almost 3 years now since his last album Real Talk.
I have been waiting for this day to come for a long time now, and after the promising Advance dropped two weeks ago I couldn’t wait to hear what Fa-bo-lo-us had to say.

Tracklist:

1. From Nothin’ To Somethin’ Intro
2. Yep, I’m Back
3. Change Up ft. Akon
4. Make Me better ft. Ne-Yo
5. Baby Don’t Go ft. T-Pain
6. Return Of The Hustle ft. Swizz Beatz
7. Gangsta Don’t Play ft. Junior Reid
8. Real Playa Like ft. Lloyd
9. First Time ft. Rihanna
10. Diamonds ft. Young Jeezy
11. Brooklyn ft. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda
12. I’m The Man ft. Red Cafe
13. Jokes On You ft. Pusha T
14. What Should I Do ft. Lil’ Mo
15. Bonus: This Is Family ft. Ransom, Freck Billionaire, Red Cafe, Joe Budden & Paul Cain

I don’t have time to really dig deep into this album tonight, but heres a little something.

First Take:

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

If I could ask Fabolous any one thing it would be “Why do you have featured guests on 13/15 tracks?”

The album opens up strong with track #2, “Yep, I’m back,” the ONLY solo track on the album ignoring the intro. The rhymes hit hard and the beat is kicking. This track is everything that I expected from Loso’s 4th LP. He’ll tell you about his Maybach 62’s back-to-back, and how he is still Frontin’ and Stuntin’.
I liked this:

“When it come to makin O’s, we like dunkin with ‘em,
nah, I ain’t talkin Donuts, I’m talkin whites ones like the Nike low-cuts”

I didn’t think that Fabolous watched Seinfield… I guess I was wrong

“Still let it slide through the door like Kramer”

After track #4 (maybe during it?) the entire album falls off. Take a look at the tracklist if you don’t have the CD yet. It goes from Akon into Ne-Yo into T-Pain. Is getting airplay on 106.1 BLI the cool new thing in Brooklyn? I can’t hate on Fab for trying to make money, sell a million copies, but this is out of control. One of these guys (Akon preferably, who by the way is the new Nate Dogg) would have been great on the album, but this Z-100 lineup is too whack for me to say that it is good, no matter how hot the Fabolous verses may be.

Oh yea, I forgot to tell you about how Lloyd busted all over track #8. Sick.

Return of the Hustle ft. Swizz Beatz – Um…. Fab… Didn’t this track drop in like February? Get outta here with this old shit… If this made the cut, then why couldn’t I get “Really Wanna Know ft. Jagged Edge?”

Brooklyn ft. Jigga & Uncle Murda - Awesome that Jay is on the CD… but couldn’t we have heard him without the annoying sample of Frank White? Hasn’t the Rap world raped his voice enough? Other than that – Hot. To be honest I didn’t want this to be on the CD when I heard the advance. I was looking for Big Things Poppin’ ft. Swizz Beatz & Cassidy (check it out if you can) to make the cut instead.

That’s all I can do right now… I’ll write up the rest of the album tomorrow

Peace out

Vercetti