Most Anticipated Albums of 09 (Part 1)

On the Hip-Hop side lets take a look at some of the albums that are due to drop this year by some of the top talent in the game.

Jadakiss-The Last Kiss

The NY rapper with the raspy flow is returning after a 5 year absence from the game. Will he be rusty? I guess the jury was silenced after his first two singles dropped. "By Your Side" feat Ne-Yo and the street single "Cant Stop Me" have both received constant rotation on the radio and Kiss looks to be in rare form. This time he returns with a major deal courtesy of Def Jam, so the bar is set high for him to produce a platinum album.

The guest appearances are already set with Ne-Yo, The LOX, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Jazmine Sullivan, Barrington Levy, Pharell, Avery Storm, Ghostface, and Raekwon. Will all this collection of talent finally bring the respect to D-Block? Only time will tell, look for this album to drop April 7th.

Jim Jones-Prey IV Reign

The Dipset General is back with his 4th solo album and he looks to pick up where P.O.M.E left off. This LP sheds light on the rappers upbringing in Harlem and how he was able to make it out of the drug infested streets. The lead single is tittled "Na-Na Na-Na" and is quickly picking up steam in the clubs and on the radios rotation.

Although Jim Jones became a household name with his last single "Ballin" most people still don't know his story. This album looks to bring him full circle as he plans on opening up to his fans. The track list has yet to be released, but the buzz is in the air regarding who may make a guest appearance. Will Juelz Santana get the invite; or better has the hatchet been buried between "Capo" and Camron? The release date is set for March 24th, go get it.

Rick Ross-Deeper Than Rap

The Biggest Boss that you've seen thus far has burst back on the scene with his new album titled Deeper Than Rap. Not only is Rick Ross the self proclaimed Boss of Miami, he now has his sights on taking over the crown of Hip-Hop. At the top of the year his street single "Mafia Music" dropped and sparked the return of Ross. One of the lines in the song was personally addressed to 50 Cent, in which Ross took shots at the G-Unit General. Since then a war of words has ensued between the two and who knows how this will affect his sales. "Cigar Music" and and "Magnificent" are the other singles that are receiving steady rotation. Nobody can take away the fact that Rick Ross has carved his lane in the game and is putting Miami on the map again. Will Deeper than Rap outsell "Trilla"? We will find out March 24th when the album hits stores.


Peace,
Agent 34

A "Notorious "Review

Today I took my friend Michelle's advice (her blog) and took advantage of the $5 movie special at the Fork & Spoon (Formally Buckhead Backlot). I didn't even look at the other movies that were playing, I was there for only 1 reason and that was to see the adaptation of the Greatest Rapper of All-Time..The Notorious B.I.G.

The movie in my opinion was very well researched and this is coming from a Hip-Hop head who followed the rise of Biggie Smalls as a young kid. Notorious showed a young Christopher Wallace struggling between the 2 worlds of drug dealing and rapping while being pursued by an ambitious Uptown intern Sean "Diddy" Combs (played by Derick Luke).



Here are some of the Highs and Lows of the Move..

Highs:
-Lil Kim and B.I.G (How they Met)
-Angella Basset as Voletta Wallace
-Tupac and Bigs friendship
-The actress who played Faith (You will understand after you watch..LoL)
-Derrick Luke as Diddy (He definitely went to Diddy's dance school)
-Lil Cease who was played by the actor from Losing Isaiah (He was hilarious)

Lows:
-Lil Kim (She kinda got the played in the movie)
-Death of B.I.G
-East Coast-vs-West Coast Beef

Overall this was an excellent movie that portrayed a legend that I grew up listening too at a young age. Even though it was years overdue it was right on time, hopefully people will be able to take away the positive messages that were on display throughout the story. The rise of a man who chased a dream and in the process helped launch a billion dollar industry.
R.I.P CHRISTOPHER WALLACE
'Peace
Agent 34

What's In Your Deck?

Over the last week several albums have hit the shelves; some with high acclaim while others have floated under the radar.  Here is a list of LP's that stood out from the rest...

Q-Tip:The Renaissance-This is the sophomore LP from the legendary member of The Tribe Called Quest.  After his first solo joint Abstract  was welcomed with lukewarm reviews, The Renaissance shows what a Hip Hop album is all about.  Tight beats, Real lyrics, and soulful samples makes this cd one of the best of 08.  The album has a highly touted guest list with vocals from Corrine Bailey Rae, Raphaell Sadiqq, D'Angelo and production from Kanye West.  Once you get past the fact that he hasn't been overly relevant lately, you will understand why Hip Hop can never die with pioneers like Tip still refusing to hang up the mic. 
Hot Tracks: Getting Up, Wont Trade. You, Life is Better
Rating: *****

Kanye West:808 and Heartbreak-Kanyeeezeee totally went to the left with this one.  If you listen to Kanye for soulful samples and clever word play then this is not the album for you.  Heartbreak showcases the annoying usage of auto tunes(t-pain effect) but with a twist.  It took me 3 listens to this cd to actually come to grips that this is a Pop album and not  a Rap album; which helps to understand the brilliance that comes with it.  The beats on this album are up to par with his other cd's, but Kanye is a featured "singer" this time around.  Most of the production is kept in house and the only guest spots are from Young Jeezy who shines on "Amazing", and a lackluster Lil Wayne on "See You in my Nightmares"  Overall, the album is solid; and can not be truly appreciated for years to come. 
Hot Tracks: Amazing, Heartless, Love Lockdown, Street Lights, Coldest Winter
Rating: ****

Peace,
Agent 34