Ja Rule: Pain Is Love 2

The original Pain Is Love was released in 2001, debuting at number one on the Billboard Chart. In addition, the album had two number one singles, and was eventually certified 3 times platinum in the US. Over ten years later, an incarcerated Ja Rule releases the sequel, Pain Is Love 2 to minimal fanfare. Having not had a charting album since 2004, it is fair to say that Rule has fallen so far off of the hip hop landscape that he is now practically invisible. Gone are the days where Muder Inc. ruled the charts, singles such as 'Always On Time', 'Between Me And You' and 'Livin' It Up' dominated airwaves both at home and abroad.


Reassessing former glories forms a central theme of the album. On 'Real Life Fantasy', Ja reminisces about his former label mates, lamenting the fact they never kept in touch and exploring his darker moods: 'None of that matters/ When the mirror shatters/ All I see are pieces of me/ Scattered'. Anita Louise provides a radio-friendly hook, representing just one of several singers on the album. 
The track listing features no additional rappers, but several unfamiliar R&B names appear. This can be taken as an indication of how far the stock of Ja Rule has fallen in the hip hop world, but it is not necessarily to the detriment of the album. The lack of rhyming support allows the listener to focus on what Rule has to offer, the relatively short 12 tracks providing a cohesive feel to the LP. The vocal talents assisting the album are admittedly not top quality, but there are some bright spots to be unearthed from the rough. Amina particularly shines on the haunting 'Spun A Web', while Leah Siegal is well suited to the rock stylings of 'Parachute' and 'Pray 4 The Day'.


The aforementioned rock influence works well throughout the album. It is clear that Ja Rule regards himself as akin to a fallen rock idol, alternating between bitterness and quiet acceptance that the musical landscape has changed. The electric guitars driving 'Parachute' suit Rule's signature gravelly voice, while 'Pray 4 The Day' finds the rapper in a reflective mood over softer strings.


For the main part it is clear that Rule understands his former glory has all but dispelled, and with that the nature of his music must adjust is he is to continue recording. A recourse to the old formula is evident, however, on 'Black Vodka'. The sultry track is sure to appease those nostalgic for the smooth R&B hooks that initially propelled the rapper to the forefront of early 2000 era hip hop. The track is a timely reminder that when he is on form, there are few who can produce the rap/R&B hybrid better. The harder edge to his music, reminiscent of the rambunctious Murder Inc. swagger can be found on 'Believe', Ja growling his way menacingly over the fast paced beat.


There are a few notable flaws that bring the quality of the album down, however. If there is an archetypal example of a rapper who shouldn't use auto tune, then it is surely Ja Rule. Unfortunately, he employs this technique liberally on 'Strange Days', the song a struggle from start to finish. A promising instrumental on 'Superstar' is ruined by a lethargic chorus, while 'Drown' has difficulty getting off the ground with a slow, ponderous beat that Ja cannot lift alone. The sagging middle section of the album brings down the quality markedly.


Track By Track

1) Intro “Fuck Fame” ( feat Leah Siegal)
2) Real Life Fantasy ( feat Anita Louise) 8/10
3) Parachute ( feat Leah Siegal) 8/10
4) Super Star 6/10
5) Black Vodka 7/10
6) Drown (feat Somong and Kenny Dark) 6/10
7) Never Had Time (feat John Doe) 6/10
8) Strange days 5/10
9) To The Top ( feat Kalina of Dirty Money) 7/10
10) Pray 4 The Day (feat Leah Siegal) 7/10
11) Believe (bonus) 8/10
12) Spun A Web ( fear Amina) 8/10

The Verdict


This album was never going to be a classic. The composition and recording process were fragmented and subject to various pressures, which shows in the final quality of the finished product. Pain Is Love 2, however, is a refreshingly authentic Ja Rule release, the listener under the impression that only he could have recorded an album such as this. Fans looking for a nostalgia trip will be somewhat satisfied, but may also find something to surprise them.


7/10

Tyga - Careless World: Rise Of The Last King

Perhaps taking advantage of the dearth of big name hip hop releases thus far in 2012, Tyga delivers Careless World as the latest member of YMCMB to go it alone. The album had suffered numerous delays, before the popularity of single 'Rack City' undoubtedly pushed the release date forward. Does Tyga forge his own identity at the helm of a full length album, or does he conform to the increasingly low standards the YMCMB camp has become synonymous with?

The listener may be forgiven for expecting the rest of Careless World to feature the simple lyricism present on 'Rack City'. The track is certainly catchy, a perfect club anthem, but the misogynistic content delivered in a repetitive drone is obviously open to various criticisms. It is surprising, however, to note that Tyga has more in his arsenal. It becomes obvious as the album progresses that Lil Wayne hasn't unearthed the new Nas, but the young rapper proves he can hold his own against more accomplished rhymers such as J Cole, Wale and even Wayne himself.

After uneven opener 'Careless World', things pick up markedly with the Pharrell assisted 'Lil Homie'. The track is a laid back affair, with the Neptunes producer crooning his way through a highly listenable hook. The standard is maintained on 'Muthafucka Up', a dark and dirty beat accentuated by a scene stealing Nicki Minaj. Inevitably, this cannot last. 'Do It All' becomes the album's first misstep, a dull trawl through Tyga's teenage heartbreak. At over 5 minutes long, the track soon becomes stale, outstaying its welcome quickly.

'For The Fame' is an obvious choice for a second single. The song is a perfect example of the pitch perfect pop the Young Money group specialise in , complete with the sticky feeling one receives when they catch themselves enjoying a Chris Brown track. In a similar vein, 'Far Away' has the syrupy chorus required to be a hit, Chris Richardson doing all the legwork to allow Tyga to drawl through his bars. 'Faded' appropriately follows 'Rack City' in the listing as another infectious, sexy track. Unfortunately, Lil Wayne continues his recent trend of spectacularly ruining songs with more lazy, uninspired rhymes.
On a more positive note, 'King and Queens' and 'Let It Show' represent an increasingly grown up approach. The former is an opportunity for Tyga to test himself against MMG flavour of the month Wale and veteran rhymer Nas. Though it seems an odd teaming on paper, the track just about comes off. The latter addresses keeping composure in the face of increasing fame, J Cole providing an accomplished verse.

At 21 tracks, the project unsurprisingly has its fair share of filler. 'Black Crowns' has lavish production, yet never seems to get off the ground. 'Potty Mouth' does not come off as the sum of its parts, Busta Rhymes deploying his rapid fire party trick to subdued effect. A strange dubstep interlude breaks into the 7 minute 'Love Game'. While the experimentation is commendable, the effort really doesn't work in the context of the rest of the album. T Pain is featured in the irrelevant 'Celebration', YMCMB inexplicably keeping the singer in work despite his lamentable recent output.

Track By Track:

1. Careless World (5/10)
2. Lil Homie Feat. Pharrell (7/10)
3. Mutha*****Up Feat. Nicki Minaj (7/10)
4. Echoes Interlude
5. Do it All (5/10)
6. I'm Gone Feat Big Sean (6/10)
7. For The Fame Feat. Chris Brown and Wynter Gordon (7/10)
8. Birdman Interlude
9. Potty Mouth Feat Busta Rhymes (6/10)
10. Faded Feat. Lil' Wayne (7/10)
11. Rack City (7/10)
12. Black Crowns (4/10)
13. Celebrations Feat. T-Pain (5/10)
14. Far Away Feat. Chris Richardson (7/10)
15. Mystic AKA Modo Kara
16. This is like Feat Robin Thicke (6/10)
17. King & Queens Feat. Wale and Nas (7/10)
18. Let it Show Feat. J. Cole (7/10)
19. Love Game (6/10)
20. Lay You Down Feat. Lil' Wayne (6/10)
21. Light Dreams Feat. Marsha Ambrosias (5/10)

The Verdict:

It is fair to say that Careless World is part of the recent movement towards bland, pop oriented hip hop. It is not wholly terrible, however, with some unexpected quality running through selected tracks. Cutting the track list down would have been beneficial, making the album sharper and more cohesive. Tyga isn't going to make a lasting stamp on the hip hop world with this LP, but with YMCMB behind him, is sure to remain popular.


6/10

Rap In Performance

Los Angeles Rapper/Producer Blu was recently confronted by a fan onstage, criticising him for not 'ripping' it right. According to onlookers, Blu seemed dazed and confused, forgetting his lines and slurring his words. Though this can probably be ascribed to alcohol/weed consumption, it is a true fact about hip hop generally that live performances can leave a lot to be desired. Having thought about the reasons for this, I have compiled a list of why rap performances in particular often suffer in comparison to other genres of music.

1. Drug consumption
Though it is true that many other genres of music are strongly intertwined with a culture of alcohol/drugs, hip hop has a particular love affair with marijuana. This has the unfortunate effect of making many rappers relax to the point of a glazed non-performance. When I saw Snoop Dogg at the O2 Academy, the man could hardly move, never mind provide a coherent performance.

2. Arrogance
Returning to the Snoop Dogg debacle, part of the reason for his debilitating drug induced state could be the fact that some rappers have too many unquestioning, adoring fans. Even if he had stood perfectly still and simply hummed some bars from Doggystyle before leaving the stage, I truly believe that 99% of the people in the room would have gone home beside themselves with joy. Adoration seems to have bred laziness in some of the genre's biggest stars.

3. Sound Quality
When a band plays live, each individual instrument contributes to the overall sound quality. A hip hop artist usually has only a DJ to provide the backing track to his rhymes. The various components making up the beat cannot be heard separately, becoming distorted when played at high volume. This means that only the best quality systems are equipped to deal with this problem, often resulting in sub standard sound quality at gigs where the best is unaffordable.

4. Performance
When a band finally reaches a stage, it will usually be the result of hours and hours spent practicing as a unit. This is not true of new MC's. Theoretically, a rapper can record a new song in a studio, have it playing on the radio and be booked to perform within a month. If this is a newcomer, they will have very little experience in terms of performance. Often the MC is onstage alone, with no instrument or prop as a recourse, meaning that even the most seasoned pros struggle to maintain the interest of an audience for the hour or so they perform. This can result in shaky, nervous early performances, leading to criticism in terms of a lack of charisma.

5. Song Length
The vast majority of hip hop tracks contain 3 verses of around 40 seconds in length, and often include a hook to link them together. The problem is that one of the three verses is often taken by a guest rapper (or sometimes more than one of the verses). This means that a rapper can have an incredibly popular record that the audience is expecting to hear, but if it features someone else the length of the song can be seriously curtailed. This was particularly notable when I watched Raekwon at the Liquid Room. Being a member of Wu-Tang, he naturally included their most popular tracks in his set. As Wu-Tang has/had 9 members, it meant the crowd was treated to what amounted to 5 minutes of Raekwon snippets.

Of course, this is not to say that every hip hop performance will be terrible or substandard. KRS One provided me with a wonderful introduction to the world of live hip hop, sustaining a ferocious intensity throughout. Similarly, Public Enemy performed for over 2 hours, the veterans showing how a love for the art can prolong a career for over 20 years. It isn't just the old timers setting the example, however. Wiz Khalifa set down the blueprint for youthful enthusiasm when I saw him in November, restoring hope that the new generation of MC's will eventually be able to perform to the maximum of their potential.

New Favourite Rapper: 2 Chainz

To call 2 Chainz a newcomer would be incorrect. Formerly known as Tity Boi, a member of moderately successful Disturbing Tha Peace group Playaz Circle, 2 Chainz has begun carving out a promising solo career. Visually striking with his 6'5 frame, long braids and large glasses dominating his face, the Atlanta MC made a memorable appearance on the Uncut BET Cypher.

The dropping of his ridiculous previous alias along with a stream of popular mixtapes has worked miracles on his status in the rap industry. Chainz delivered a somewhat confusing explanation of his decision in a radio interview covered by HipHopDX:

“I’ve been doing a lot of media runs up in New York lately promoting my CD T.R.U. Realigion and every single interview I do they like, ‘What’s up with the name change?’ So this is the universal answer... I go by Tity Boi, let me run this to ya’ll, I’m one half of Playaz Circle. I did a song called ‘Duffle Bag Boyz’ in ’07 with Lil Weezy. I was signed to DTP/Def Jam and all that. And so people ask me where the 2 Chainz came from I tell them I always talk about jewelry and I always been saying 2 Chainz in a lot of my songs. But lately like the last year or so I’ve been saying it in introducing my records like ‘2 Chainz!’ and kinda making it family friendly. However you wanna say it.”


Extracting some sense out of this leads us to conclude that the rapper is still contractually obliged to DTP under his Tity Boi moniker, therefore cannot fully renounce the name until he has fulfilled his obligations. He is not contracted to Def Jam as a solo artist, however, so currently remains independent under his 2 Chainz alias.


After a series of mildly popular mixtapes established Chainz as a rejuvenated voice, the rapper found his first major success with the release of T.R.U REALigion. The tape features newcomers and old faces alike, Big Sean, Meek Mill and Kreayshawn being joined by veterans such as Raekwon, T.I. and Young Jeezy. The free project has amassed over 100,000 downloads on Datpiff.com. 


As a rapper, Chainz relies on effective bass rattling Southern beat selection, similar in mould to fellow ATLiens Jeezy and Yo Gotti. Also shared with them is a penchant for the repetitive hook and simple lyricism, focused on providing something to destroy the sound system rather than deep, meaningful material. This, however, doesn't seem important when listened to in the right context. As he explains himself:


"I'm the new kid at school... The new kid come to the school, know how to dress a little bit, know how to talk a little game... I done been around, but I transferred."


Currently promoting the T.R.U mixtape, 2 Chainz knows there is a lot of work to do before he achieves mainstream success (for example, he does not yet even have his own Wikipedia page). A continued focus, however, will almost certainly guarantee him a fruitful 2012. In an industry that is currently crying out for more substance, 2 Chainz is notable for going against the grain. When the music is this fun, however, it doesn't really seem to matter.


2 Chainz feat. Kreayshawn - Murder
2 Chainz - Undastatement
2 Chainz - Kesha

2 Chainz - Spend it:

2 Chainz - T.R.U. REALigion (mixtape)

My 10 Best Hip Hop Tracks Of 2011

I know this is a bit late but it's still relevant. In no particular order, here is my list of my favourite ten tracks last year:

1. Kendrick Lamar - Ronald Reagan Era 
The standout track of a tough field on Section. 80. Compelling production from RZA is married with razor sharp socio-political rhymes from Lamar.

2. Raekwon feat. Nas - Rich & Black
A scene stealing turn from a rejuvenated Nas places this track above the others on Shaolin vs Wu Tang. The collaboration proved false the notion that the two MC's careers are in terminal decline.

3. Common feat. John Legend - The Believer
A late entry as the album was only released at the end of December. The first track from The Dreamer, The Believer contains a stirring hook from Legend, while Common reminds listeners of the uplifting power of his music.

4. Game feat. Kendrick Lamar - The City
A reminder that when Game is on form, very few can match his intensity or honesty. The R.E.D Album cut also features a memorable cameo from Lamar, subduing the beat into silence as the crown is metaphorically passed on to the West Coast newcomer.

5. J Cole - Lost Ones
Despite Cole World: The Sideline Story being generally disappointing, the project did show glimpses of what made the LP so highly anticipated. Such evidence is found on 'Lost Ones', as Cole explores the ramifications of an unplanned pregnancy from the perspective of both partners.

6. Reks - Wonder Years
Over a haunting beat from Hi-Tek, Reks explores his adolescence and alcoholism, the title of the track becoming ironic as the ferocious rhymes batter it into submission. Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme was criminally ignored upon it's March release.

7. Mellowhype feat. Tyler, the Creator - F666 The Police
Odd Future members Hodgy Beats and Left Brain re-released their side project BlackenedWhite in 2011. The track features the raucous, dark themes the collective is known for, with a memorable appearance from the characteristically schizophrenic Tyler.

8. Jay Rock - Code Red 
Underrated project Follow Me Home was introduced by the unmistakably West Coast 'Code Red'. Over mournful piano keys, Jay Rock provides rhymes heavily reminiscent of a young Game.

9. Jay Z & Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean - Made in America
Though Watch The Throne was highly disappointing, it did feature standout track 'Made in America'. The Frank Ocean hook complements the deep, introspective subject matter that should have pervaded the whole album.

10. Mobb Deep feat. Nas - Get It Forever
After Prodigy was released from prison, the Queensbridge duo released The Black Cocaine EP to satisfy impatient fans. Undeniable gutter chemistry was achieved on 'Get It Forever', Nas in particular rounding out the year in style.

Young Jeezy - TM:103 - Hustlerz Ambition

After a ludicrous amount of album delays, rivalling that of even The R.E.D Album, Young Jeezy finally released TM:103 on December 20th. Anticipation went into overdrive with the multitude of leaks, official and unofficial, but is the finished project up to standard?

The album begins with 'Waiting'. Anyone familiar with the Atlanta rapper's previous work will find themselves in standard territory as Jeezy rhymes about his come up from the struggle while also finding time to brag about his success. The project really kicks into gear, however, with second track 'What I Do (Just Like That)'. Drumma Boy produces a bass rattling comfort zone in which the rapper is able to provide the type of club banger that he is known for. Similar in tone are the catchy 'Supafreak', featuring a charismatic 2 Chainz verse, and 'Lose My Mind', in which a surprisingly listenable Plies cameo blows Jeezy out of the water. The best beat on the album, however, is reserved for the speaker-destroying 'Ballin'. It is virtually impossible to listen to the track at low volume as Jeezy spazzes out over the dark, incessant instrumental. Unfortunately, some of the good work is ruined by a depressingly average appearance from Lil Wayne, who even pauses the beat before launching into one of the most forgettable verses of his career.

Unlike previous albums, however, Jeezy does not restrict himself solely to his own brand of 'trap music'. On the silky 'Leave You Alone', the rapper links up with Neyo to rhyme about the pitfalls of a relationship with a hustler. 'F.A.M.E' with T.I is a welcome change of pace into deeper subject matter, as the two Atlanta natives describe the drawbacks of their fame: "Tell me, for running my big mouth/ That I can chill here in this big penthouse?/ All elevatored up, black hardwood floors/ Just to sit around and feel it aint yours...". The track heralds a more mature approach for an artist not noted for his deep introspection. Equally successful is the star studded 'I Do', in which Jeezy, Jay Z and Andre 3000 wax lyrical about their perfect women and how they imagine they would marry them. Jill Scott drops by unexpectedly for 'Trapped', providing a spoken word hook for Jeezy to to recount his grim childhood.

Unfortunately, not all of TM:103 is quite as compelling. 'Higher Learning' is dull weed rap that the world has heard a thousand times. Snoop Dogg continues his descent into mediocrity on the type of song in which he used to shine, while bringing Devin the Dude into the fray underlines his irrelevance. 'All We Do' is one of only 5 cuts in which Jeezy is unaided by another artist, but the rapper wastes his opportunity with a long, repetitive track about how he does nothing but smoke weed and fuck his girlfriend. It is just as interesting as it sounds. Having both Jadakiss and Fabolous on 'OJ' means Jeezy compares unfavourably in the lyricism department. The beat, however, is uninspiring, resulting in none of the artists finding the space to really shine.

Track by Track:

1. Waiting - 7/10

2. What I Do (Just Like That) - 8/10

3. OJ - 6/10

4. Nothing - 7/10

5. Way Too Gone - 6/10

6. SupaFreak - 8/10

7. All We Do - 4/10

8. Leave You Alone - 7/10

9. Everythang - 7/10

10. Trapped - 7/10

11. F.A.M.E. - 8/10

12. I Do - 8/10

13. Higher Learning - 5/10

14. This One's For You -  6/10 15. .38 - 7/10 16. Ballin' - 8/10 (one point off for the dreadful Lil Wayne verse) 17. Lose My Mind - 8/10 18. Never Be The Same - 7/10 The Verdict: Young Jeezy has put together a slick selection of thugged out trap music in the way only he can. Despite some low points, TM: 103 represents the highlight of the Jeezy catalogue, and is sure to satisfy the legion of fans who have waited so patiently for the release of the album 8/10.

Vado and A$AP Rocky: Putting New York Back On The Map?

It has long been lamented that New York has fallen from the position of dominance that it once held over the rap industry. Gone are the days where the city spawned multi-platinum singles and albums by the bucketload as other regions have begun to assert their dominance. If we look at some of the top selling rappers in the game (excluding Jay Z), there is a distinct lack of New York artistry:

Eminem - Detroit

Lil Wayne - New Orleans

Drake - Toronto 

Rick Ross - Miami
Kanye West - Chicago

Similarly, New York is conspicuously absent in the birthplaces of new artists breaking through:

Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller - Pittsburgh

Wale - Washington

J Cole - North Carolina

Yelawolf - Alabama

Though it is an obvious cause for celebration that hip hop now has a range of diverse talent, it is an alarming state of affairs that the self proclaimed birthplace of rap has no obvious standard bearers to carry forward the new generation. 

In 2009 Harlem rapper Vado released his debut mixtape Boss Of All Bosses alongside mentor Cam'ron. Slime Flu followed as his first release as a solo artist, the project being well received in rap circles. Closely associated with the Dipset movement, Vado is similar in style to group leader Cam'ron. Though not quite blessed with the same charisma on the mic, the rapper is more lyrical than the majority of his Dipset brethren, comparisons can be made with New York stalwart Fabolous. Retail album Gunz n' Butta was released in April 2011, again with Cam'ron. The project was both a commercial and critical failure, attracting very little attention in terms of acclaim or sales. Perhaps with this is mind, Vado brought out sequel mixtape Slime Flu 2 without a single verse from his frequent collaborator. As he explained in an interview with HipHopDX: “Shout out to Cam but a lot of people always say ‘Yo, all your songs is with Cam. You do everything with Cam.’ So I’m branching off doing my thing. So he letting me fly. It was something we both said ‘Yo, it’s time to do.’ Once I got signed it was time to start showing I’m my own man.”

The new mixtape has received a largely positive response, the rapper branching out into non-Dipset features with Fabolous on 'Ok Y'all' and Raekwon on 'Bed Piss'. The journey to success is by no means over for the Harlem born MC, but his progress is being watched closely in New York rap circles.

Hailing from the same area of New York, overnight success A$AP Rocky was recently the subject of a rumoured $3 million deal with Sony/RCA. As he explained to Billboard Magazine: "I don't have a $3 million dollar balance in my account but the record deal was $3 million though. I got a deal with RCA/Polo Grounds for A$AP Worldwide and I got a deal with them for my solo project, my solo deal; if you combine both deals it amounts to a three million dollar deal." The A$AP Worldwide group referred to concerns the ASAP (Always Strive And Prosper) crew the rapper is currently a member of. Comprising of rappers, producers and designers such as ASAP Dee Ferg, ASAP Ty, ASAP Nast, and ASAP Twelvyy. The movement is similar to Odd Future in that the charismatic front man opens doors for the rest of the team. 

Youtube hits 'Peso' and 'Purple Swag' showcase why the rapper has garnered so much attention for his mixtape Live.Love.ASAP. Contrary to the traditional New York hip hop, the collection of tracks is much more Southern oriented in terms of sound. The beats are dripping, promethazine laced and bass heavy while the lyrics use simple, spaced out rhyme schemes much closer to the Dirty South template. In addition to success with his new label, the rapper has been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll, demonstrating how he is also receiving attention from across the pond.

It remains to be seen if Vado and A$AP have the staying power to become fixtures in the legendary New York rap lexicon. 2012 is a huge year for both.

Vado - Slime Flu 2

A$AP Rocky - Live.Love.A$AP