Image courtesy of rickrossdeeperthanrap.com


By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Deeper Than Rap
Rick Ross
Rating 5 out of 5

Amid a swirl of controversy surrounding the legitimacy of his subject matter and street credibility, Miami-based emcee, Rick Ross has slapped every single naysayer in the mouth with one of the best hip-hop albums in recent history.

"Deeper than Rap" is a lyrical tour-de-force, focused in tales of life and living both in the spotlight and outside of it. With Ross’s attention to detail, he has dropped an album of epic proportions.

With solid wordplay and varying levels of inflection, the album is never a bore and will appeal to casual hip-hop fans and diehard hip-hop heads alike.

The fact that the album is so good comes as a genuine surprise. While Ross's last album was ripe with hood sensibilities, his current reputation killer is centered around his not being as legitimate in the streets as his lyrics claim him to be.

While his response has been unusually quiet considering the reputation he had previously been building, this album is a loud response that will undoubtedly silence the haters.

Though this album is falls in line with what is expected in modern-day, money-praising hip hop, Ross used his rhyme skill and a few other tricks to jump outside the box a little.

On the John Legend featured single, "Magnificent," Ross gives an up close and personal glimpse of the good life that being ‘the big man’ provides. The production creates the perfect backdrop to the dazzling commentary and features Legend's gorgeous vocals on top. The beat is made for cruising and the opulent subject matter somehow validates something as passe as cruising around with no clear destination.

For much of the album, the connection between the lyrics and the music is one of the album’s strongest components. For many albums there is no attention paid to the overall concept but Deeper than Rap does this well.

He continues this on the trend on the Robin Thicke featured "Lay Back" as well. On this track, Robin Thicke's rich vocals paint another gorgeous canvas that Ross polishes to perfection.

Here, lush musicianship accompanies solid lyricism and the result is glorious.

This is clearly evident when the world-music theme jumps to the islands on the reggae flavored "Yacht Club." Here assisted by Magazeen on the hook, Ross outlines more of the good life but does it with a tinge of island flavor.

Ross raps with more of the same gritty and grimy street lore he is known for but the production makes this album a cut above his previous releases.

With a bevy of ear-catching beats from The Runners, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and The Inkredibles, this album is a full-on sonic adventure in addition to being a rap fan’s dream. Ross comes across as more real than ever before despite his current run-in with the tabloids.

It's also apparent that his credibility killing run-ins have not hurt his relationship within the industry either. With guest spots from, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke, Nas, Foxy Brown and Trina among others, he is not struggling in the support department.

Bottom Line: "Deeper than Rap" lives up to its name and proves that controversy is not always the killer and being a lyrical gangster is the only kind that counts.

Labels: music, reviews

Image courtesy of ciaraworld.com

Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Fantasy Ride
Ciara
Rating 3.5 out of 5

Ciara's third album, "Fantasy Ride," marks a new and richly different transformation in both style and sound for the newly crowned R&B pop diva.

From beginning to end the album uses tight production and Ciara's airy vocals to vibrate speakers and minister to partygoers everywhere.

It is apparent that Ciara has a goal in mind with the release of this album. There is a void left in mainstream music and Ciara aims to fill it.

Janet Jackson, Madonna and Britney Spears are actually losing power with lovers of dance music so this album is the opportunity for Ciara to step up to the plate.

In effect, Ciara hits it out of the park. Aiming to fill the void left by the aforementioned divas with substance instead of getting it by default, Ciara succeeds for the most part.

With smart production and intelligent songwriting, Ciara brings a fresh voice to the dancefloor and does so with flair.

This flair makes one of its most poignant appearances on the T-Pain assisted lead single, "Go Girl." This track has the young chanteuse musing about her sexual prowess to the man she wishes to put to work. On top of the bouncing track Ciara shines and blends beautifully with T-Pain’s playful and boastful rhymes.

Realistically, this album could have been more aptly titled, "Last Night at the Club," because the album is probably the most club friendly album of the year so far.

In fact, nearly every sector of club life is represented. The dance club, the nightclub, the strip club and in some cases— the gay club, all have representations here and the resulting LP is stronger for it.

The point seems to be people dancing and if the album is played, people will indeed dance.

While dancing is paramount here, there is also an underlying concept that points to a continued evolution of the artist.

The last album was titled "Evolution" and it is apparent that she has not stopped developing.

On the Justin Timberlake assisted "Love, Sex and Magic," Ciara makes a gamble for pop prominence and the track, which glides with a slick, old-school vibe, sings with overly sweet and sassy conviction.

Other tracks on the album show Ciara playing with her range under the cover of some infectious beats.

Ciara jumps wholeheartedly into her sexuality with the stripclub-ready banger "Ciara to the Stage" and the brilliantly seductive, "Surgeon."

Despite the highs of the LP she can get a little too "club."

This is most clearly represented in the Chris Brown featured track, "Turntables." With its hard to decipher lyrics and repetitive thump, it is made for the voguers and runway walkers at the club. Snap for the kids anyone?

Featuring solid production from Danja, Polow Da Don, Tricky Stewart and The Dream, she may not be able to notice potential interruptions anyway.

Bottom Line: Filled with pulse-pounding beats and sexy innuendos, Fantasy Ride may be what dance fans have been waiting for.

Labels: music, reviews

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures


Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Star Trek
Rating 5 out of 5

Writer/director JJ Abrams' re-imagining of the iconic science fiction series, "Star Trek," delivers a movie that is both action-packed and worth the serious attention being given to this re-make of a classic.

In a film full of action, adventure and romance, unaffiliated viewers and serious fanboys alike will enjoy this film.

It manages to do exactly what a major summer blockbuster is supposed to do-entertain.

Featuring a well-placed cast and interesting story, "Star Trek" will undoubtedly bring in new fans and delight the older ones.

The film opens as a crew of intergalactic astronauts is attacked by an enormous spacecraft that has the ability to cause massive destruction.

The captain of the enemy ship clearly showcases a dislike for the members of Starfleet and aims to destroy them.

After a few volleys of fire back and forth, the big ship begins to win the battle and may possibly take over the universe when they finish.

Luckily this frightful attempt is stopped once the captain of the ship sacrifices himself to save everyone else. This sacrifice comes just as his son, James Tiberius Kirk is born.

The film then fast forward to different stages in the lives of the half-alien Spock (Zachary Quinto) growing up on his home world, Vulcan, and James (Chris Pine) as he is bounces between being a rough and wild young body to a rough and wild young man. Though James exhibits a lot of knowledge and skill, he is still lacking in the trademark maturity of a captain.

After a chance meeting with a beautiful young communications officer named Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and a man that knew his now famous father, James grudgingly signs up for service in the universe-wide Star Fleet Academy.

While in the academy James does well and even though he has yet to shake most of his childish immaturity, he begins to reveal that he is not only a brave fighter but a natural tactician and strategist.

From here all of the pieces of the story begin to come together. The viewer gets to meet the half human/ half Vulcan second in command, Spock, communications expert Uhura, Russian co-pilot Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), ship medical doctor Bones (Karl Urban), hotshot pilot Sulu (John Cho) and eventually—ship mechanic and technician Scotty (Simon Pegg).

After all of the key players are put into place, the story uses clever elements to tie action and story together. It is also very interesting how the characters all manage to interact and connect with such a big story being told.

The visuals are every bit as good as the film itself. From the first appearance of the massive ships and external views of the planets themselves, everything looks awesome.

With strong performances from most of the cast the film reads as believeable and real. Pine, Qunito, Urban, Saldana and Pegg are all very good in the respective roles as Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura and Scotty.

Bottom Line: Star Trek is why people go to the movies, it is entertaining and fun but also successfully updates a classic.

Labels: music, reviews

Photo courtesy of Ryanleslie.com

By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Ryan Leslie
Rating 4.5 out of 5

Singer/producer Ryan Leslie has dropped one of this year's smartest and most entertaining albums and most music fans don't even know his name-yet.

Leslie's self-titled album is an eclectic mix of smooth balladry and clever tongue and cheek flirtation that is enough to fill dancefloors and blare out of almost every car's speakers.

An affilitate of Diddy's Bad Boy camp, Ryan Leslie features much of the trademark crisp production and modern songwriting that is associated with the famous label. Leslie himself takes it a step further by making music that sounds very spur-of-the-moment and honest under his own Next Selection imprint.

The works comes off as fun and it is the honesty that makes them appealing.

Having garnered attention for the breakout radio singles, "Diamond Girl"and the Fabolous and Cassie featured, "Addicted," Leslie is already catching the ears and attention of many clubgoers. A deeper look into the album shows that he has a little more to offer as well.

In only 12 tracks, Leslie is able to cover a bevy of topics dealing with living, loving, ladies and getting a little action.

His sound is original, mixing in elements of old school soul and contemporary R&B but the work also ties in elements of hip-hop and pop sensibilities.

The wordplay on the quirky and honest track "You're Fly" and the driving charmer, "Quicksand" are clear examples of Leslie's bubbling talent because they are representative of his stylish delivery and atypical artistic angle.

The album reaches farther than the typical modern R&B record by doing some things that nobody does anymore-take chances. While the album sticks to the genre format, there is also plenty of experimentation on the album as well. This willingness to take a little risk, shine brightly on the clever track "Gibberish."

"Gibberish" gives Leslie an opportunity to show his clever vicoder-laced vocals and musicianship without uttering more than a few real words the entire song.

Though Ryan Leslie comes in with what seems like a short playlist, much is accomplished in the slim 12 tracks.

Bottom Line: Had the artist given a little more to listeners we could have a solid innovative classic on our hands instead of a short EP style glimpse into the mind of an actual artist.

Gregory Brand, Jr.

Labels: music, reviews

Keri Hilson press photo

By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Keri Hilson
In A Perfect World
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Talented songwriter and emerging "it girl" Keri Hilson aims to make a name for her own beautiful voice in her richly entertaining debut, "In A Perfect World."

After months of delays and push-backs, the album finally makes it to the purchasing public and delivers with a spirited collection of dancefloor gems and cleverly weaved wordplay.

Ms. Hilson is first and foremost is a songwriter and her wordplay is the dominating force throughout the work. As a member of the songwriting and music production collective know only as the Clutch, Hilson has penned hit singles for the likes of Ciara, Timbaland and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls. She holds tight to the writing skills that have been a major earner for her by blessing her own debut with catchy hooks and introspective lyrics.

Clever wordplay is one of the first things a listener is likely to pick up with this collection of tracks. On the current chart topper, "Turnin Me On," Hilson delivers a list of do's and don'ts to fellas that have the gall to approach her. Power is added to the track by the ubiquitous emcee Lil Wayne giving "Ms Keri" the types of lines she wants to hear from her ideal man.

Mixed in with the solid lyricism is the use of interesting song concepts with emotional ties. On the lead single, "Energy," Hilson does well with a song dedicated to a lover that is taking more than they are giving. This is also the case on the smooth groove of "Alienated" where she addresses her loneliness after the disappearance of a lover.

The album is backed mainly by production from frequent collaborators Timbaland, his protegee Danja and Polow Da Don and their sonic soundscapes do nothing but add additional power to the already solid effort. Hilson's sweet vocals and songwriting could have easily dominated the album alone but the beats make it a classic-level debut.

Having cut her teeth in the industry as a writer before making an attempt to take the spotlight for herself, Hilson has made a lot of friends in the music industry and those connections support her through out the LP. With tracks laced by the aforementioned Timbaland and Polow Da Don and features from R-Kelly, NeYo, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, it is clear that Hilson means business.

The album's only weakness shows itself with the songs that don't necessarily fit in with the cohesively eclectic sounds.

This is apparent on the Akon assisted moan-fest "Change Me." While the song isn't horrible, it fails to match the futuristic scoring that carries the album.

Overall, the album is amazing and is almost totally flawless. Hilson is a colossal talent and "In A Perfect World" shows her skills well.

Bottom Line: Keri Hilson is the truth and the album is definitely one that should be placed in everyone's personal collection.

Gregory Brand, Jr.

Labels: music, reviews

Image courtesy of asherroth.com

By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Asleep in the Bread Aisle
Asher Roth
Raiting: 4.5 out of 5

Filled with witty wordplay and an uncanny sense of humor, Asher Roth's mainstream debut album, "Asleep in the Bread Aisle," scores by touching base with recent history.

The album features tons of cleverly delivered verses and whimsical wordplay atop a varied collection of beats that run the gamut of emotion and life.

Asher Roth became a sort of underground legend and semi-modern backpacker's dream when he began dropping mixtape gems and leaking tracks over the Internet. The attention grew into a following once the noise he was making on leaked tracks caught the ear of some major players.

In effect, Roth has made the transition from being in the background to the forefront of his genre, based on his connections with the streets, the mixtape game and his lyricism.

While his story reads as the typical rags to riches ride to the top, his story is deepened by the fact that Asher Roth is a white emcee.

Coincidentally, Roth's flow and delivery will immediately draw comparison with his only other white predecessor and soon-to-be contemporary: Eminem.

Realistically, the two would sound almost identical except the fact that they rap about two totally different things. While Eminem is decidedly more angry and street (trailers are parked on streets right?), Roth is more carefree and divides a lot of his time spitting on his concerns with being young and having fun.

Roth's style has even invited the company of a few power players. With help from, Jazze Pha, Beanie Sigel, Rock City, Chester French, Cee Lo Green and others, it is apparent that this album is not pulling punches.

The aforementioned playfulness is show on the comical, "I Love College" and on the smooth retro vibe of "La Di Da." On I Love College, Roth shares a cleverly delivered PSA on why he enjoyed college so much and La Di Da shows the emcee telling a story about life's struggles under the cover of a bouncy old-school beat.

Though Roth is not a gangster in the conventional sense of the word, his skills elevate him higher than the average. On the New Kingdom and Busta Rhymes featured "Lion's Roar," Roth shines with a slightly sped-up flow and hangs with a hip-hop legend.

Production value on this album is competent and suits the original source material. The lyricism is varied but solid and the music supports it well. While there is no definitive track that blows the mind musically, each track is complete and well put together.

The album's only weak point is the fact that that a majority of the album is monotone. There is no clear-cut party starter nor is there a song geared in the opposite direction. While there are some somber tracks, there is not a whole lot of really expressive emotion.

The realest example of displayed emotion is the moody track, "His Dream," where Roth pours himself into a story of what drives the artist to make it.

To some fans the lack of polarized emotional concepts may not even be an issue considering some folks don’t need their artists to be all the way honest.

This is not an album for the diehard street hip-hop fan. It's decidedly more tame in subject matter, if not in language, and is meant to serve as a medium of artistic expression of a different type.

For the average middle-class kid in America, the rigors of streetlife are not as relatable as they used to be and this album may be one of the new avenues toward a further evolving hip-hop.

Much like Gym Class Heroes did just a few years ago, Roth shows that real hip-hop dexterity can indeed live outside the hood and still be viable.

"Asleep in the Bread Aisle" can be seen as a sort of gateway drug for those looking to get addicted to modern hip-hop music.

Bottom Line: "Asleep in the Bread Aisle" is a solid mainstream debut for an artist that has spend the last few years making noise in the background.

Labels: music, reviews

Image courtesy of BadBoy Ent.

By: Jaida McKee
Entertainment Writer
SOTG Magazine

Forever in A Day
DAY 26
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Bad boys Will, Mike, Rob, Brian and Que, better known as DAY26, are back again with their sophomore album "Forever In A Day."

The Making the Band stars were given a month to record an album as the follow-up to their 2008 debut album, which claimed the number one spot on the Billboard 200 a week after its release.

The group's self-titled debut album was filled with top-notch songwriting as well as production by heavyweights Mario Winans, Bryan-Michael Cox and their boss Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Perhaps it is safe to say the boys are well on their way to another platinum plaque, with superb vocals and song production on their latest release.

It has been said that the sophomore album is the most difficult to record due to the fear of the "sophomore slump," but that is not something these men have to worry about.

The hard work and effort put into the album bring their fans another great album and is definitely a must-have for everyone's R&B collection.

"Forever In a Day" features huge acts such as T-Pain and Jermaine Dupri and excellent songwriting by all five members.

The intro track is the boastful, playful track "Just Getting Started." The beat is not too slow or fast and a touch of the vocoder is thrown into the mix to give the track something much different from the first album.

Labelmate Yung Joc joins them on the album's first single and dance track "Imma Put It On Her," which also features added vocals from Diddy.

The album transitions from one party song to another with the T-Pain-featured "Shawty Wat's Up."

Along with T-Pain's unique vocals and production style, the guys croon about popping bottles in hopes of winning a female's attention in the club.

After the club tracks, the boys slow it down with the mellow track "Think of Me," which describes falling in love and reassuring the woman that she can call on them whenever she feels the need.

A rocky relationship between a man and woman is addressed on the midtempo "Bipolar," which describes the woman as indecisive while neither have a clue where the relationship is headed.

The boys strike gold with the catchy summer jam, "Your Heels" as they compliment a woman on her looks and the way she carries herself, telling her she has a "diva swag" by comparing her to a model.

"Truth Is A Lie" discusses the lies and deceit a woman feeds her significant other, giving him false hopes and dreams.

Although the guys were given a month to work on the album, it is evident they used the same formula as they did with their 2008 debut, which earned them the number one spot on Billboard charts.

The group is definitely destined for success covering a number of topics and featuring two major producers along with songwriting from all five members of the group, DAY26 is definitely destined for greatness.

Labels: music, reviews