PM ALBUM REVIEW: RAHEEM DEVAUGHN "THE LOVE & WAR MASTERPEACE"

PM RATING: A+


Fresh off the success of his 2008 Grammy nominated release The Love Behind the Melody, Raheem DeVaughn is back with his third release, The Love & War Masterpeace.

PM ALBUM REVIEW: GUCCI MANE "THE STATE VS. RADRIC DAVIS

PM RATING: B+

Since being release from prison on a parole violation earlier this year, Gucci Mane has been hard at work. Releasing numerous mixtapes and countless collaboration with artist such as the Black Eyed Peas and Mariah Carey, Gucci has gained quite the buzz leading up to his sophomore album The State Vs. Radric Davis.

The State Vs. Radric Davis is one of the most well-rounded albums of the year. The production will have you bouncing and his lyrics will have you surprised. I'm not saying his top five dead or alive but, I underestimated his ability and his style. The album features hip hops finalist from Cam'ron, Lil Wayne, Trina, and Bun B just to name a few. The first seven tracks have that Gucci mixtape feel, with tracks like "Classical" and "Stupid Wild" ft. Lil Wayne and Cam'ron. From their, Gucci turns his attention to the ladies, with "Bad Bad Bad" ft. Keyshia Cole and "Sex In Crazy Places" ft. Bobby V, Trina, and Nicki Minaj. Then it's back to the streets "Kush In My Cologne" ft. Bun B, Devin the Dude, and E-40. Since T.I. went away to jail, Gucci is the only rapper to step up out of ATL and the south as a whole. This is a very respectable album that will accelerate his career to new heights, but he as to work on staying out of jail.

CLASSICAL (INTRO)

STUPID WILD FT. LIL WAYNE & CAM'RON

PM ALBUM REVIEW: THE CLIPSE "TIL THE CASKET DROPS"

PM RATING: B
After much anticipation, due to numerous released tracks such as Doorman, Kinda Like A Big Deal ft. Kanye West and Popular Demand (Popeyes) on the internet, fans have been waiting for the release of Malice and Pusha T's third album "Til The Casket Drops" for some time.

If you’re a fan of The Clipse then you will enjoy this album. Although they've been on a hiatus, nothing has change with the Thornton brothers; they keep the content fresh with humorous punchlines over hard hitting beats. It's not just drugs, money, and cars with this album. With tracks like "Change" ft. Pharrell and Kenna, "Freedom" and "I'm Good" are more inspirational tracks that show the brothers growth, but don't get me wrong tracks like the reggae inspired "There Was Murder", "Showin Out" ft. Yo Gotti, and "Never Will It Stop" ft. Ab Liva still delivers that street content that many know The Clipse for. On the production side these are some of the best you'll hear all year. Electric guitars, sharp snares, hollow drum patterns, and loops and synths are provided by well known producers like The Neptunes, Sean C & LV of The Hitman, and even DJ Khalil. Pusha T states "The third time is the charm" on "Kinda Like A Big Deal" and he might be right. With there distinctive voices, free flowing lyrics, and beats by the Neptunes, "Til The Casket Drops" brings back the elements of a duo rap group, something missing in the game right now.

FREEDOM

CHAMPION

PM ALBUM REVIEW: TIMBALAND "SHOCK VALUE II"

PM RATING: D

When you think Timbaland, you think of the tracks he produced for artist such as Jay-Z, Aalyiah, Missy Elliot, and Ginuwine. He took the most unusual sounds, show as a baby’s laugh and a water drop, added them to a hard hitting snare, to create some of the greatest racks hip-hop as ever heard. But, on his latest album, Shock Value II, Timbaland takes that same energy to the pop world.

Shock Value II is pop heavy, rock heavy, and clearly conceived pre Jay-Z’s “Death to Auto-tune”. You’ve could have seen this coming, since Timbo as had much success collaborating with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake in the pass, but for some reason, that same previous sound can not be found on this latest album. Shock Value II starts off OK with “Loose Control” ft. JoJo and “Meet Me in the Middle” ft. Bran’Nu. Two dance orientated tracks that could possible make the cut as the next single. Next is the lead single, and the best track on the album “Say Something:” ft. Drake and the rock inspired “Tomorrow In The Bottle” ft. Chad Kroger and Sebastian. From here the album falls deeper into the genres of pop and rock with features from Miley Cyrus, Jet, and The Fray. Shock Value II sends Timbaland in a different direction musically, but I don’t think it will be a successful travel. The beats do not have that’s same edge Timbo is known for delivering, and Timbaland’s singing mixed with the auto-tune, just a little to late.

THE ONE I LOVE FT. KERI HILSON AND D.O.E.

LOSE CONTROL FT. JOJO

PM ALBUM REVIEW: BIRDMAN "PRICELE$$"

PM ALBUM RATING: C

The driver of the Cash Money Records machine Brian “Birdman” Williams steps back into the booth to release his fourth solo album “Pricele$$”.

Now, Birdman is not known for lyrical talent, but what makes him so intriguing is that he only talks about one thing… money. “Pricele$” is all about money, but what do you expect when some of the tracks are title, “Money Machine,” “Money to Blow,” and “Been About Money.” The album features Cash Money Records number one asset Lil Wayne on the Majority of the album, which is not a bad thing, since the two collaborated well on the Like Father Like Son album. The album also has appearances from Drake, T-Pain, Bun B, Gudda of Young Money, and Kevin Rudolph. The album is very well produced, tracks like “Mo Milly” and “Bring it Back” complements Birdman’s flow which makes the tracks kind of easy to listen to. “Pricele$$,” as whole is an OK album, there are some hot tracks on the album, but how many times can you hear “Flip another hundred/Get another hundred/Spend another hundred/Burn another hundred.” T he redundant content will drain you after the first six tracks. The guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Drake, and the production is what carries this album.

BRING IT BACK FT. LIL WAYNE
SHININ FT. T-PAIN

PM ALBUM REVIEW: RIHANNA "RATED-R"

By: Shydel James

PM RATING: B-

Just in case you didn’t take heed to the title of Rihanna’s fourth studio album Rated R, she offers up one last disclaimer on the lead track:

Ladies and gentlemen: to those among you who are easily frightened, we suggest you turn away now. To those of you who think they can take it, we say, welcome to the mad house.

And Rihanna isn’t just mad. She’s pissed.

This isn’t the same girl who dodged raindrops and frolicked with umbrellas two years ago. Now, she’s a scorned woman who curses, plays with guns and flaunts her sexual prowess. And she wastes no time letting us know she means business.

“I pitch with a grenade/Swing away if you’re feeling brave/There’s so much power in my name,” she boasts on “Wait Your Turn,” which mimics the chorus of the 1987 Boogie Down Productions hit “The Bridge is Over.”

She continues her cocky, I’m-a-bad-bitch tirade on “Hard” featuring Young Jeezy and “G4L” where she utters: “I lick the gun when I’m done ‘cause I know that revenge is sweet.” And she rocks out over heavy, electric guitar riffs with Slash on “Rockstar 101.”

But the pissed off Rihanna is also hurt. And as much fun as it is to hear her spew out brass knuckle lyrics, it’s the soft, subtle piano-driven ballads where she sounds most sincere – and tackles the elephant in the room.

On the Will.I.am produced “Photographs,” a sweet, vulnerable Rihanna sounds like a little girl with a broken heart as she reminisces about a boy she used to kick it with. She confronts her naysayers and admits to being love struck on the track “Stupid in Love.” And on “Cold Case Love,” penned by Justin Timberlake, she compares a disastrous love affair to a crime scene: “Your love was breaking the law but I needed a witness/so wake me up when it’s over it don’t make any difference/will it ever be solved/or am I taking the fall?”

The vocals on Rated R aren’t pristine and Rihanna’s delivery isn’t flawless; a five-octave range has never been her selling point. However, she manages to keep her edge razor sharp and walk away from a tragedy without playing the victim.

If love is a battlefield, Rihanna has dusted herself off nicely.

Rated R for resilient.


ROCK STAR 101 FT. SLASH

COLD CASE LOVE

---

Shydel James is an actor/writer based in the NJ/NYC metro area.

He holds a BA in theatre from SUNY Empire State College and has acted in numerous film and stage productions.

When Shydel isn't busy learning monologues, he's hunched over his beloved MAC, pumping out stories for Upscale magazine where he's been a contributing writer for two years.

You can follow Shydel and all his randomness on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/shy2del

PM ALBUM REVIEW: "BEFORE I SELF DESTRUCT"

PM RATING: A

With one of the hottest sites on the web, a New York Times best seller book with The 50th Law, a new cologne Power by 50, and now 50 Cent is set to release his most anticipated album since his debut"Before I Self Destruct".

If you want beef, then 50 is the butcher. It's not surprising that 50 is in another controversial beef with another artist, but this time, it might be a beef that fans want to see. Before the release of "Before I Self Destruct" 50's new target this time is Jay-Z, and on the track "So Disrespectful" not only does he attack Jay, but Game, Young Buck, and even his baby mama. But in true 50 fashion the album starts off hard (pause). Produced by Ty Fyffe, the lead track "Invitation” kicks things off with a head bobbing piano sample. From there, the album gets darker and grittier, with tracks like "Then the Days Went By" where 50 talks about being seduced by his babysitter and the Dr. Dre produced "Death to My Enemies" where the title speaks for itself. Towards the end of the album 50 switches gears from the streets and focus his attention to the ladies. 50 turns on the charm with the track "Do You Think About Me" and the single "Baby by Me" ft. Neyo. Theirs even a collab with R. Kelly on the track "Could've Been You". Although this album may not be for everyone "Before I Self Destruct" is gangsta rap at it's finest, it brings a good balance to what's on rotation on the radio.

DEATH TO MY ENEMIES

I GOT SWAG

PM ALBUM REVIEW: "ATTENTION DEFICIT"

PM RATING: B

Washington DC’s own Olubowale Folarin, better know as Wale has been everywhere lately. From MTV Jams Fab 5, to performing at the 2009 VMA’s, and the cyphers during the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards, Wale has put his talent on display on some of the most elite stages. Now with his long waited debut album Attention Deficit set to be release, we’ll find out if Wale is bad product, wrapped up in a good package or the real deal.

For a new comer you would expect a debut album to consist of the usual content of money, cars, and women, but the content that’s presented Attention Deficit is well beyond the norm. Wale talks about a female suffering from bulimia and coke addictions on the track “90210”. Also, Wale deals with the issue of being young, African, and dark skin on the track “Shades,” and even contemplates suicide on the track “Contemplate”.


The mixture producers allow Wale to display different types of flows on each track. From rocking to the Go-Go beat on the track “Pretty Girls” ft. Gucci to stuttering with Bun-B to the strumming guitars on the track “Mirror” or even to the heavy percussion and horn on the lead track “Triumph”.

Attention Deficit is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and even though I don’t know if Wale will prove his critic’s wrong, but I’m sure he’ll win some of the over.

CONTEMPLATE

BEATIFUL BLISS FT. MELANIE FIONA & J. COLE

PM ALBUM REVIEW: MR. HUDSON "STRAIGHT NO CHASER"

PM ALBUM RATING: C-

You can hear Mr. Hudson singing background, for big name artist such as Jay-Z and Kanye West. Now ready to release his second studio album Straight No Chaser, Mr. Hudson is bring his talent, stateside.

If David Bowie collided with autotune, and Kanye West, underneath the ruble would be Straight No Chaser. Every man will deal with a bad break up once in their lives, and Mr. Hudson is defiantly dealing with one on Straight No Chaser. On the track "Stiff Upper Lip" is apparently feed up with his current relationship and decides to pack his bags and leave. Its kind of a "To the left, To the left" you know. Although the relationship is over, Mr. Hudson still has to set some ground rules on the track "Anyone But Him" ft. Kanye West. The title of the track speaks for itself. The production is pretty good, it has elements of sythpop, electronica, and hip hop. Mr. Hudson puts together a decent album, but I feel we've are only getting a small dosage of his talent.

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

ANYONE BUT HIM FT. KANYE WEST

PM ALBUM REVIEW: RYAN LESLIE "TRANSITION"

PM RATING: C

Nine months after releasing his long awaited self-titled debut album, R-Les is back to take us on a love journey with Transition.

The album showcases Ryan Leslie's transition from a bad break-up to meeting a new woman. With tracks like "Never Gonna Break Up", "Guardian Angel", and "To The Top", it's clear R-Les is over the old chick, (I wonder who that could be) and on to the next with his next mystery woman. Not only does R-Les writing, sing, and also produce this album, but he taps deeper into his rhyming skills on the track "Something Like That", Where he goes rhyme for rhyme with Pusha T of The Clipse. If your look for Transition to sound anything like his debut album, it well look again. The majority of the album from start to finish pretty much sounds the same, content and production wise. Don't get me wrong the tracks are good, but by the time you get to the fourth or fifth song, you've pretty much heard the whole album. Ryan Leslie is a very talented artist, but Transition nothing like his previous album.

IS IT REAL LOVE

SOMETHING THAT I LIKE FT. PUSHA T

PM ALBUM REVIEW: MARIO "D.N.A"

PM RATING: B

Mario's first single "Break Up" ft. Gucci Mane and Shawn Garrett had major air play on the radio and clubs all over, with a overwhelming response from his fan. So finally after a long delay, lets see if his latest release "D.N.A." will have similar success.

D.N.A. displays emotional and passionate tracks, with a sound that is very different and mature, than what we're use to hearing from Mario. Every track, content wise and production sounds different from one another, and that allows you to see the range of Mario's talent. There are a lot of tracks on this album that have the potential of being released as single such as "Before She Said Hi" ft. Big Sean, "Get Out", and "Stranded." All are prime examples of how every track on the album is different. D.N.A. shows clear signs of growth from Mario. I personally thought D.N.A would have a lot of pop/dance tracks on the album, but to my surprise it doesn’t, which at this point is refreshing. Instead, the album has that smooth R&B feel to it, something similar to what Darnell Jones use to give us.

BEFORE SHE SAID HI FT. BIG SEAN

STRANDED

PM ALBUM REVIEW: KID CUDI "MAN ON THE MOON"

PM RATING: C

Every since the release of his debut single "Day and Night", fans have been wonder who is Kid Cudi. Hopefully his debut album Man On the Moon, will make a proper introduction.

Man On the Moon is very mellow and laid back, which examples the title, because you will zone out by listening to this album. Mixing singing and rapping use to be taboo for a hip-hop artist, but Kid Cudi manages to executes the style with no problem, but their is more singing than rapping, which I'm kind of disappointed at. The beats are very cosmic with a synthesized sound followed with a heavy bass and snare drums. The content is pretty much wild open, from dealing with stress on the track "Sky Might Fall," chancing your dreams on "Pursuit of Happiness," or just feeling good on "Up, Up and Away." I would've like to hear Kid Cudi rap more on the album, and even though you might get lost with some of the tracks, Man On the Moon is a pretty cool album to listen to.

IN MY DREAMS FT. COMMON

ENTER GALACTIC (LOVE CONNECTION) PT. 1

PM ALBUM REVIEW: JAY-Z "THE BLUE PRINT 3"

PM RATING: B-

Hova is back and this time he's adding another chapter to the Blue Print albums with the highly anticipated The Blue Print 3.

BP3 is more less a motivational album that promotes growth, similar to The Life and Time of Shawn Carter Vol. 1 and 2, but with different content. An allstar cast of producers such as Swizz Beatz, NO I.D., Kanye West, and even Timbaland holds down the album this time around. Surprisingly their won't be any beats from Diddy's camp nor Just Blaze, but with tracks like "One To The Next One" and "What We Talkin About" you won't notice their absence. The production has been the main focus since the mention of BP3, with a lot of big names on the production side, you could imagine what some of these tracks would sound like. Jay-Z's strong lyrics may over shadow the production which makes the beats seem weak. With that being said there will be a lot of mix views about BP3, but overall it's a must have album. The tracks are dope, and for those who thinks Jay-Z is getting old, he can still spit with the best of them.

EMPIRE STATE FT. ALICIA KEYS

ALREADY HOME FT. KID CUDI

PM ALBUM REVIEW: TREY SONGZ "READY"

3 1/2 Out of 5

Trey Songz "Anticipation" mixtape set the stage for his new release "Ready" which hits stores today.

"Ready" starts off where Trey Day left off, but from the start, "Ready" feels like an R. Kelly album. With tracks like "Neighbors Know My Name" and "Aah" ft. Fabolous, they kind have that Chocolate Factory sound to them. It's not until mid-way through the album did you get a true feel of Trey Songz voice. Behind eclectic strings and keys Songz shows his range on the serenading track "Ready to Make Love," and also on the ballad "Yo Side of the Bed" the song some men can relate to. "Ready" is a good album to have in your arsenal. Their are a few love making/baby making tracks on the album, but content wise, it's not far off from his previous release.

JUPITER LOVE

NEIGHBORS KNOW MY NAME

PM ALBUM REVIEW: LETOYA LUCKETT "LADY LOVE"

4 Out of 5

Letoya Luckett is leaving it all in the past with her sophomore album Lady Love.

Lady Love can be the soundtrack to all women that’s had enough and needs to move on. Tracks like “Drained,” “Rollercoaster,” and “Over” deal with the emotion break-down of a relationship any woman can relate to. Lady Love is a little more personal and mature than her self-titled debut album. “No More”, the lead single off the album is clearly the theme, and even though the titles of the tracks may be a bit depressing, the tracks themselves are not. The album displays a wild range of production, complimented with emotionally driven lyrics that's topped off by the vocals of Letoya Luckett herself. You can witness all of this on tracks like “Matter,” “After Party,” and “Swagger” which feature H-Town natives Bun-B, Slim Thug and Killa Kyleon. Many artists seem to stumble on their sophomore album, Letoya looks to hold her ground with this release and take another step from under the Destiny’s Child umbrella.

Regret Ft. Ludacris

Tears

PM ALBUM REVIEW: SEAN PAUL "IMPERIAL BLAZE"

3 1/2 out of 5

Grammy Award winning artist Sean Paul is back with his fourth solo release Imperial Blaze

Sean Paul continues to emerge as one premiere Dance Hall artist today, and Imperial Blaze is nothing less of 20 tracks of Dance Hall energy. From love songs to party songs, this is a all around album with tracks like "Private Party", "Hold My Hand" and "Straight From My Heart" theirs something for everyone to relate to. Some other hot tracks off the album are "Birthday Suit", "Running Out of Time" and one my favorite tracks "She Wanna be Down". If you've never introduced yourself to a Sean Paul album Imperial Blaze is a good introduction. Like I said before, 20 track of energy, good content and no features which is always a plus.

Press it Up

Private Party

PM ALBUM REVIEW: SLAUGHTERHOUSE

3 out of 5

It's been a while since hip-hop has seen a group of MC's put their lyrical talents together and forms a super group. What started out as just and idea has lead these for MC's to release a full album.Joel Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden, and Royce Da 5'9 make up SlaughterHouse, and they are ready to take the game by storm with their debut self titled album.


Lyrically this is one of the best albums I've heard in a while. Each MC is on point with their delivery, punch-lines, and content are very strong. What disappointed me are the beats. Don't get me wrong there are some hot producers on this album such as Mr. Porter, DJ Khalid, and The Alchemist and for the most part, the beats are pretty decent, but for the way dudes are spitting on this album, the beats could've been a little harder. A couple of dope tracks off the album are "Microphone", “Pray" (It’s a Shame) and "Cut You Loose". Overall this is a dope album, no auto-tune or happy-go-lucky tracks just pure beats and rhymes from four raw MC's.

Microphone

Onslaught Ft. Fatman Scoop

PM ALBUM REVIEW: FABOLOUS "LOSO'S WAY"

4 Out of 5

After hearing the first single off the album "Throw it In the Bag" ft. The Dream I wasn't sure what to think of Fab's upcoming album, but after listening to "Loso's Way" I must say I'm pleased with the outcome. Loso's Way is a movie on wax, taking on a ride as Fabolous claims his status in the rap game. Kind of similar to Jay-Z's American Gangster. Unlike previous albums from Fab, "Loso's Way" features a lot of artist such as Keri Hilson, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne just to name a few. With tracks like Pachanga and Last Time ft. Trey Songs, there’s something for everyone on this album. Some hot tracks off the album are Money Goes, Honey Stay ft. Jay-Z, The Way, and also Stay ft. Marsha Ambrosius. Overall this may be the best rap album I've heard all summer. Loso's Way has something for both the fellas and the ladies and it appeals to the younger crowd, something that is needed now of days to sell records.

Salute Ft. Lil Wayne

Feel Like I'm Back

PM ALBUM REVIEW: MAXWELL "BLACK SUMMER'S NIGHT"

4 Out of 5

Only a phenomenal artist like Maxwell can go unseen and unheard for eight years, show up at the BET awards in 2008 and steal the show, release a single titled "Pretty Wings" that brings smiles to practically everyone's face, and drop the most anticipated album of the summer "Black Summer's Night" the first installment to the trilogy. Full of energy and passion, Black brings back the groove that R&B has been missing since Maxwell stepped away and even though their are only nine tracks on the album, Maxwell finds a way to deliver a little something for everyone, from fighting temptation on the track "Bad Habits" to saving the world on "Help Somebody". Black Summer's Night embodies the lost art of letting the band play on. On every track you can here stretches baselines, keys, horns, strings, drums and high hats that complements the voice of Maxwell and brings the album all together. If you think Maxwell feel off or can’t compete with some of the newer artist think again, this is just the first installment. So buy the album, listen to it, and imagine what the next two installments will sound like.

Playing Possum

Stop the World

PM ALBUM REVIEW: TREY SONGZ "ANTICIPATION" MIXTAPE

4 Out of 5

I'm kind of against R&B artist doing mixtapes but after listening to this one I might change my mind after hear Anticipation. I never really got into Trey Songz but I'm very impressed with the tracks on this mixtape. It's a good set up for his next album "Ready" which hits stores August 4th. A couple of hot tracks off the mixtape are Scratchin Me Up, More Than That, and It Would Be. If your looking for some smooth R&B similar to what we had in the 90's then download or purchase this mixtape.

Scratchin On Me

More Than That