Love can be a wonderful and beautiful thing but it can also leave you sad and lonely, wondering why you are a victim to someone else as they play with your emotions and affections like a child playing with a Tonka toy. In Ms. Fiona's case, having your love taken for granted seems to be the recurring theme throughout her heart-wrenching and deep ballads. Following her debut but weak selling album The Bridge, Fiona continues to pick up where she left off with her sophomore release titled The MF Life. Although the theme of heartbreak still remains, this album gives more of a mature and empowering message while showing off her amazing vocal ability.
Opening with the uptempo No I.D. track "This Time" featuring J.Cole, Fiona gives the listener some attitude and a Hip-Hop feel that still provides a balance in sound between her previous retro-soul fans have become accustomed to and new positive outlook on future relationships.
Following this opener is the Rico Love produced track "4am". As one of the lead singles, it invokes the strong lyrics and raw emotion that made Fiona's other hit "It Kills Me" such a success. Keeping with this same theme of heart break and blues that Fiona has seemed to signature are the tracks "Wrong Side of the Love Song", lost love ballad"Gone and Never Coming Back" (lead but not well received single), and "Running" featuring Hip-Hop legend Nas.
Taking a slight recovery from a relapse of self-pity, she takes on a type of big sister/mentor role on the track "I Been That Girl". Ironically penned by the "sensitive thug" Drake, this cautionary and storytelling track again is another solid work that blends perfectly well with the T-Minus produced string beat.
Moving through the album, I was surprised at the range and the eclectic sound of the other songs to follow. Fiona offered some female empowering songs with the pop/R&B friendly song "Change the Record" featuring B.o.B., then slows it down to a sexier tone in "Bones", and continuing this empowering message of expression in the funky rock track "Watch Me Work". She even experiments with the reggae sound and nonchalant idgaf attitude on "Can't Say I Never loved you" and continues with a uplifting ballad titled "L.O.V.E." featuring John Legend that an effort from the Canadian song bird to show that she is more than just a one note of heart break or attitude.
What MF Life succeeds in doing is giving fans, new and old, an eclectic mix of Hip-Hop, soul, reggae, pop, R&B, funk, jazz, and rock while still keeping the soulful and powerful voice of the small songstress crooning throughout the 19 track deluxe version. What sets Fiona apart from other acts and makes her unique is not just her beauty but also her willingness to show vulnerability over emotionally strong lyrics and great production. From features varying from John Legend to T-Pain and Snoop Dogg, Fiona tries her hand at other genres and succeeds. With the passing of two legends in music, Whitney Houston and Amy Whinehouse, music lovers can find some influence in this album but will not find her copying either of the two. Although the 19 tracks on the deluxe can be a little tiring for a sit-down, full listen and some songs are not for the recently broken-hearted or those in a questionable relationship, MF Life is Fiona's masterpiece to date.
"This Time"
"4 AM"
"6 AM"
These are the makings of you...
From stepping onto the music scene in the early 90's with her debut single "One of those days", Monica was more than a beautiful face but a strong voice that stood apart from many of the overflow of female R&B singers. Through the highs and lows of her life and career, she was always able to remain afloat with such raw talent and strong, heart-wrenching ballads that sustained her longevity in the music industry. Even after a brief hiatus and some minor unsuccessful experiments in sounds, Monica made a comeback with her critically acclaimed Still Standing LP and lead Missy Elliot produced ballad "Everything to Me". After leaking a few tracks and creating a buzz with the reunion track "It All Belongs to Me", she is back with a new album titled New Life. With this new latest album, Monica tries her hand again at a slightly different and more mature sound but fails in innovation or creativity.
Opening with some words from the proclaimed Queen of R&B/soul Mary J. Blige, the following track is the overly hyped and publicized Rico Love produced "It All Belongs to Me" featuring Brandy ( I have already reviewed this track and video in previous posts and was underwhelmed with both). The following stand-out track is titled "Daddy's G.O.O.D. Girl", which is a break away from previous ballads and Monica's try at being a little bit sexier with lines like "As long as I know you got that love for me, i'll be g.o.o.d". Not exactly a complex innuendo or lyric but an effort from the GA songstress. The few tracks that followed, also produced by Rico Love, were on the same tone and sound until you reach "Take a Chance" featuring Wale. This is one of my favorite tracks, not just because of Wale's 16, but the passion and emotion throughout the song.
The rest of the album follows a more R&B heavy sound with tracks produced from Monica ( "Without You") to Missy Elliot and features from Jazmine Sullivan and Rick Ross. Although Monica's singing is on point, New Life fails to have that solid pop/ R&B blend to make it stand out more on mainstream radio and many of the production seems a little lackluster. The passion is missing from this album that was present in her other works and the solution may be digging deeper into her emotional and dramatic life experiences or finding a new type of sound/production that would set it apart from her previous works.
"Take a Chance" ft. Wale
"Anything to Find You" ft Rick Ross
A beautiful mind vs A beautiful Sound: Roman Reloaded Review
I really do not know where to begin with this 22 track mix of pop, rap, yodeling, yelling, and R&B in Nicki Minaj's sophomore LP Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. After listening to the couple leaked tracks ("Stupid Hoe" and "Roman in Moscow"), I tried my best to force myself to listen to this album without passing a bias judgement. One thing that came through my mind was that I don't remember the day when artists felt the need to dabble in the schizophrenic and adopt an alternate persona but like Garth Brooks with Chris Gaines, Janet Jackson with Damita Jo, and now Nicki Minaj with Roman Polanski (one of many personas) the alter-ego does not necessarily mean a better sound or performance.
From the opening track "Roman Holiday", Minaj puts her former acting skills to work by adding in different sounds and voices to paint a picture of a crazy demonic being that needs meds. The following tracks are a little bit more toned down, in comparison, and explore more Minaj's lyrical skills but actually having her trying to throw together some conscious lines and other lines that sound like she needed something that just rhymed. With some features from Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Cam' Ron, 2 Chainz, Nas, Drake, Jeezy, Chris Brown, and Bobby V., Roman/Nicki offers some subpar rhymes and actually raps over some well produced beats until she decides to go back to the pop sound that has made her one of the top selling female acts in the music industry.
Beginning with "Starships", Minaj returns to the lyrics that still dont make any real sense and lackluster rhyming skills over a great pop/radio beat. The rest of the album follows suit and borrows pop-heavy sounds that remind me of a reductive Madonna, Lady Gaga, or Jennifer Lopez. The one redeeming hit I find on this pop second half is the David Guetta produced and Ester Dean written "Turn Me On". The only thing that bothers me about the second half is the lack of variety in club, pop-heavy tracks.
Although Nicki has sold millions with her debut album Pink Friday, her sophomore album is very reflective of the cover-childish and random. It seems as though this is two very different albums jammed into one with a huge emphasis on commercial appeal that satisfying her core fan base who remembers her before she was wearing the technicolored wigs and dressing like the mascot for Skittles candy.
Aside from the fact that the album is very pop with some rap verses throw in to satisfy some hip-hop heads, the sound comes across very rushed and forced. What I have noticed from Minaj over the few years that she has been in the mainstream spotlight is her ever evolving/swackin' style that seems to become more and more attention seeking. I applaud her for trying a new sound and experimenting with her performing arts past but with lines like "You a Stupid Hoe.." and "Starships were meant to fly...", I fail to see the depth in her artistry. Either she over thought this concept or she just only listened to the hype aka "yes" men and really thought that she could put out whatever and the fans would still love it. Never had I missed the old Lil Kim more than after making 2/3rds through this album.
"Roman Holiday"
"Beez in the trap"
"Masquerade"
Let's Hear it for the EP's:
Natnaiel-Pizza
Partnering with Dj Booth, Earmilk, Good Music All Day, PNC radio, and Tape Masters Inc, the Jersey native Natnaiel drops his debut FREE digital download mixtape titled "Pizza". Featuring production from Bravestarr and Nicky Nicks, "Pizza" features some solid first effort from the emcee. His standouts on the tape are "The Scenario", "Do What You Wanna Do", and Ready To Get it". He is more than just a intricately dressed rapper with a standout haircut but he is actually hungry for making in the rap world. Although his flow is not the greatest compared to other new artists, he still can hold his own and flows well over a mix of different beats ranging from rock, bass heavy hip-hop, and a little pop. Worth a listen and even a free download.
"The Scenario"
"Ready to Get it"
Slander, Privacy, and Secret make up the new buzz-worthy girl group The Yes Ma'Ams. This highly attractive and sexy trio has been making some noise on the underground with their two previously leaked tracks "Only if I Say So" and "Light up the night". With a little sexual tone and highly stylized look, this group is very reminiscent of a Vanity 6 for the modern day. Taking advantage of their recent buzz, the girl group recently dropped a little sample of what they have to offer for their upcoming debut album. Their EP, titled "Taste Test" starts off with some samples from R&B classics of the past with a modern synthesized twist. This album is definitely something for the club and bedroom but falls short of showing off the girl group's versatility or really shows off their vocal range. Like too much sugar before a meal, the Taste Test spoils the listener with artificial sound and synthesized, club heavy, over sexual beats that just don't leave you wanting to hear more.
"Light Up the Night"
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