MIMS: Guilt Review

After seeing the video for Move (if you wanna)," the first single off of MIMS sophomore album Guilt, my interest grew a litte bit. Before hearing that song and seeing the video, all I really knew of MIMS were his hit song "This is why I'm Hot" and another song that got less attention, "Like This." Both songs were two huge examples of why mainstream hiphop has been going downhill and the main reason why MIMS got so many people calling him a ringtone rapper. I was one of those people and thought nothing of the East Coast rapper. In fact, if it weren't for that video, I probably never would have even gave the album a chance. However since "Move" had gotten my attnetion I figured I would check it out.

Before really listening to the album, I decided I would check to see the buzz around the album and see what people were saying. What I found was pretty interesting. At HipHopDX.com, a site I visit pretty much everyday, I read a review absolutely destroying the album, saying that it showed no growth and was just another flop of an album. Read the review here: (http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.1151/title.mims-guilt) However, on the other hand, I looked at itunes to read the reviews that listeners had posted and what do I find? A cumulative rating of 4/5 stars out of about 170 total people. I sit at my laptop and write this review to give you the deciding vote and tell you this: In my opinion, hiphopdx's review is very wrong in many many ways. I believe that this album was actually a pretty solid step forward for MIMS and with the occastional bad song, find it to be a good album with energy and variety. Let me tell you why.

The first track takes on the same title as the album itself: Guilt. The reason MIMS chose this as his title is because guilt is exactly what he is feeling. He explains in this song his view about what happened and why his first album rightfully got so much criticism. He discusses through witty comparisons how he really got caught up in the whole "rap game" and the success that came with it. The song talks about how he is guilty of lovin' the cars, clothes and money that his rap success brought and as a result, he ended up making pretty terrible music. These material possessions blinded him and caused him and his large ego to make songs like "This is Why I'm Hot," which had absolutely nothing new or innovative to offer to the already slumping rap industry. He also adds he is still extremely thankful for the things that he has and the gifts he has been given. Overall, it is a good intro to set the mood and explain the basic concept of the album.

Moving onto two of the more hyped songs off the album, "Move(If you wanna)" and "Rock 'N Rollin'." "Move" is the first single that was realeased a while ago. MIMS brings a solid lyrical performance through a short winded methodical flow. With the deep bass banging in the background the entire song, MIMS raps over a more low key beat one minute, and explodes into a louder high energy drum break the next. This combination along with lines like
"I don't undrestand how can I have so many ha-ters Knowin I'm there father like my name is Darth Va-der I can get you hemmed up while I'm bein tay-lored Then I slide off to the side like a fa-der"
make for a sick song. The song "Rock 'N Rollin" got a lot of hype because of the appearance of KC native Tech N9ne. On itunes I literally saw multiple comments saying they bought the CD purely for the appearance of Tech N9ne. The duo don't disappoint bringing a concept similar to GZA's "Labels" in which they string dozens of rock 'n roll band names through clever lines over a dark beat with a demonic like chorus. Tech N9ne does overshadow MIMS a little bit purely because his uptempo verse sounds better than MIMS who raps pretty slowly(almost like he's talking) the whole song.

Contrary to what DX, writes in their review, I was very impressed by the song, "One Last Kiss." I thought the song was a breath of fresh air with the mixture of an alternative style song combined with a synthesizer to set up a heart felt song from MIMS discussing how much he misses his mother and how he just wants to spend more time with her. I dont really see how DX could say that this was a "straight pop record that falls flat," unless they didn't actually listen to the lyrics.

Some more songs that I enjoyed off the album were "On and On," "Chasing Sunshine," "Love Rollercoaster" and "I Do." "Chasing Sunshine" gets the point accross that he was distracted from his girl by his success, and that he has realized he can have all of the cars money and material things, but without her, he can't be happy. "On and On" has a tight beat to express some more of his feelings about his guilt and how he has changed. Saying "talking bread every verse he gets/talking about head every verse he spits/But that ain’t him man, that ain’t MIMS man," Mims tries to show that he realized his faults and knows he needs to fix them. "Love Rollercoaster" featuring LeToya Luckett will probably be the next single off the album, as it is a typical song about strife between him and his girl over a simple beat and melody. "I Do" is a song made for specifically for couples. Over this catchy piano based beat, MIMS uses the marriage term "I Do" to convey the message that relationships can be difficult, but they can work out if they are meant to.

Of the remaining songs, "One Day," "Makin Money," "Be My Hustla," "In My Life," and "Heal Me," I really wasn't feelin' "Be My Hustla (its the same mainstream bs)," "One Day(didn't really enjoy the flow or the appearance by Ky-Mani Marley)" and "In My Life(just wasn't feelin it)." "Makin Money" I really like the beat and he has some tight metaphors, but the chorus is kind of annoying and it is the opposite of his album concept. "Heal me" is kinda slow, but is very solid lyrically.

Overall I believe the album is a very big step up for MIMS and I applaude him for realizing his flaws and making an effort to fix them. He has shown me growth and maturity in this album (with the exception of a few songs), and I largely disagree with HipHopDX's review. He stepped his game up lyrically and put them on a lot of catchy beats to make for an overall great listening experience that will bang in your headphones. I'll give him somewhere around a 7 or 8/10 stars. If he makes this much of an improvement for his next album, it should be a great one. Keep it up Shawn Mims Jr.

History Lesson

A brief description of what hip-hop is and how it came to be given by Chuck D of Public Enemy. It's worth a listen.

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Pre-Order CunninLynguists

I was searchin through some hiphop blogs and came across one that mentioned there were only a few days left to pre-order the CunninLynguists Strange Journey Volume One, the first of two upcoming albums for the southern rap group. Since I had not done this yet, I clicked on it and pre-ordered my copy. There have been two singles let off the album: "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)" and "Don't Leave" and they have both been tight tracks, so I look forward to the album very much. If you order the album up until the 23rd of March, you can get the album way before it is released in stores (ships on March 24th when the album is set to come out in stores on May 26th). Also, the copy will be signed + instrumentals + a sticker. This is all for about 12 bucks, which already includes the shipping. I think that is pretty damn resonable. Go to the site and get it, that way you can have it before all your friends. By the way, Strange Journey Volume Two is set to be realeased on 9.08.09 and will include artists such as Sean Price, Poison Pen, J-Zone, Blue Sky Black Death, Bronze Nazareth.

http://qn5.com/cl/strange_journey/

The Jason White of Hip-Hop

I retire. I quit. I can't do it anymore. It is the right thing for my family. We have heard these lines and similar ones from so many celebrities over the years, just to watch them come back months later, that I think any talk of retiring should be outlawed in the U.S. From MJ to Jay-Z to Brett Favre, the definition of retirement has been stomped on and reshaped to mean "I'll be back when I can't take not doing what I love anymore." Our latest culprit is the young Kid Cudi, who has yet to even drop his debut album. This morning, on his blog, Cudi boldly stated that his last studio session ever will occur when he hits the mic to do a collabo album with fellow Clevelander Chip That Ripper, whenever that might be.
Now, Kid Cudi is no Jay-Z. When all you have to represent your body of work is a single mixtape, you are pretty much the Jason White of hip-hop. Jason White was the Hesiman winning quarterback for the University of Oklahoma from 2003-2004. White was not selected in the 2005 NFL draft. He was signed as free agent by the Tennessee Titans, but was soon cut. He then "retired" from football, citing bad knees. Kid Cudi's mixtape, "A Kid Named Cudi" is like his Heisman trophy. He has now become the Jason White of hip-hop.
Cudi was not specific when discussing why he was leaving the game after releasing only one studio album. He references there being to much drama and negative energy around him and that he has already been given critical acclaim by people he respects in the game, which is all he needs. Really? No hip-hop artist has gotten to where he or she is in this game without garnering some kind of hate. If this is how Cudi is going to react to it, by running and hiding and working on some mystery show on HBO, then perhaps he isn't ready to be an artist in the first place. I was very disappointed by this news and so was his steadily increasing fan base. Cudi was a breath of fresh air in hip-hop, not so much an MC in the sense of the word but more of a real "artist." Now he is going to stop doing what he loves because of people hating on him? Cudi, you were discovered by Kanye West, one of the most respected artists in hip-hop, a giant in the game. Why would you let anyone tell you your music is wack if Kanye is feeling it? It baffles me, especially when Cudi hasn't even put out an album yet. How can you decide you are going to quit? If you stop now, no is going to remember you as an artist Cudi, no matter how strongly you feel they will.
I personally do not believe that Cudi is going to follow through on this, especially after his album hits stores and he realizes how many people enjoy his music. His desire to continue to make good music will push him back into the studio. I have heard him talk so passionately about how hard he worked on "Sky Might Fall" and how proud he is of that song. So as Jay-Z once said, "When I come back like Jordan, wearing the 45," Cudi is going to once again stomp on the definition of retirement. Unless he truly is done making music, and in that case, I don't want him to come back at all.

Top Upcoming Hip-Hop Artists

Here are a list of a few upcoming artists that have the potential to become the next big things on the hip-hop scene.
1. Wale
This DC kid has got the most ridiculous wordplay and lyrical talent I have ever seen. He puts things into songs that nobody but him would ever think of. His only current single out is Nike Boots but he has much more music out there than that. He has 4 mixtapes....2 which are lesser recognized. His first was "Paint a Picture," then "Hate is the New Love," then "100 Miles and Running," and his latest "Mixtape About Nothing," which was brilliant. He is currently working on his 5th mixtape "Back to the Feature" and his new album. How could you not love this dude with lines like...
"young Ben Gordon, I play through all the bullshit"
"and you all mike Phelps, I can take you out the game and that medal won't help."
"I'll make a youngin' see like beta carotene"
or "Some good rappers ain't eatin' they olsen twinin'"

It just doenst get better than that! Here are some links to check him out..
http://10deep.com/WALEMIXTAPE/
http://www.getrightmusic.com/2008/01/11/wale-100-miles-running/

Btw..his album is supposedly droppin' this summer

2. Kid Cudi
This cleveland native caught my eye, not because of his lyrics, but of his fresh style. His sound is somethin you haven't really heard in Hip-Hop and it's good to hear somethin new. In his songs he often sings instead of really rapping, but definitely makes it work. His single Day N' Nite, which is about everyday things people can relate to, hit the charts and became a huge hit. His upcoming single "The Sky Might Fall" is off his upcoming album "Man on the Moon" and has nice chill flow. He currently has a mixtape "A kid named Cudi" out right now. Here's the link to get that:

http://10deep.com/KIDCUDIMIXTAPE/

3. B.O.B.
I haven't heard much from him lately but the content that he has put out so far has been solid. I like his style and he has a fun flow on his songs. I heard the song "Don't Break My Heart" from his new album, on which he samples "build me up buttercup" and loved it. However, its hard to find because they locked it back up after they leaked it. He also has a single out "Autotune" makeing fun of the device and it is hilarious. Check out his mixtapes and see what you think...

http://www.bobatl.com/category/mixtapes/
http://2dopeboyz.com/2008/11/16/bob-dj-scream-who-the-fk-is-bob-mixtape/

4. Jay Electronica
Pretty much the only reason I got introduced to this dude was because he was the opener for a NAS and Talib Kweli show. Let me tell you though...I was blown away by his 10-15 minute slot. His emphasis wasn't on the music behind him, but it didn't need to be. His lyrics are sick and he has a ton of talent. Look for him in the future. Here is his myspace and an article about him...there really isnt that much content on him on the web.
http://www.myspace.com/jayelect
http://www.urb.com/features/858/JayElectronicaASpotlessMind.php

5. Drake
My fellow blogger recently turned me onto this guy. He saw him open for a show for Lil' Wayne. Apparently he is one of weezy's proteges or somethin. Either way hes got some talent. Sort of like Cudi, this guy has a lot of songs where he sings as well as raps, but he has a great voice. When he does rip it though, its worth waiting for.... mixtape link:

http://2dopeboyz.com/2009/02/13/drake-so-far-gone-mixtape/

6. Saigon
To Be honest I really haven't heard a ton of stuff from this guy, that's why he's lower on the list, but what I have heard I have absolutely Loved. I have heard a few songs on hiphopdx and they have been pretty tight. He is featured in the song "Criminal" off of The Roots' latest album Rising Down. A lot of people also know him from Entourage, on which he was the unkonwn talent that Turtle signed. Here are some of his songs and a mixtape

http://www.getrightmusic.com/2007/06/17/saigon-belly-of-the-beast-the-scram-jones-files/
This song is sick:
www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6500/title.saigon-trans-atlantic-slave-deal

and this ones good too:
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6743/title.saigon-the-rules


7. Asher Rother
Jordan has already written about this dude on the blog, and it wasn't exactly a good post. Like Jordan said, he has put out some shit lately, however we see some potential in the guy. The single "I love college" is purely a track made for becoming top 10 on Itunes, which it did. Even is mixtape is has a pretty goofy and joking tone, but it definitely has some lyrical content. some lines he has:

"Spittin' Lincecum Hell yea I got a CANNON"
rapping bout doing cartoons: "Do Beauty with Beast: Eiffel Tower"
"does her bra size have to be a D at least, or can it be decreased if she real up on the beat"
"you would think that there was 2 of me, or like 10 of me, i have a tendency, as edison inventive with a pen and a sentence"

http://www.thedailykush.com/

Some of my favorite tracks on the tape are "The Lounge" "Cannon" "Cartoon Chick" and "The Sun God Free" ....give those a listen let us know what you think

Jordan's Hot Verse Of The Day

This comes from my man Drake, also known as Drizzy, representing Canada, off of "I'm Goin In" with Lil' Wayne and Truth, posted here http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6954/title.dj-capcom-f-lil-wayne-drake-truth-im-goin-in
on HipHopDx.com

"First off, you know what it is if you heard Drake
Making hoes wobble like a bridge in an Earthquake
Never see me out cause I live in my workplace
I give you the business so button up your shirt straight
Look at where I landed, you would think I planned it
I'm just doin' me and you could never understand it
Chicks get hammered, big dick bandit
Money flowing like a slit wrist no bandage
Blowin' purple clouds man, I'm so sky high
I ain't cutting anybodies slices out of my pie
Out of this world though, I'm so sci fi
And I don't sit still I keep it moving like a drive by
I just tell the truth and so I'm cool in every hood spot
21 years and I ain't never met a good cop
Me and Wayne lean like Kareem doing hook shots
Cover me I'm going in and fuckin' when the hook drops"


Wow...Drake leave some for the other rappers! Straight Fire!

Asher Roth....what are you doing?

Unfortunately, the only thing I feel many hip hop fans have heard of Asher Roth is his "hit" song "I Love College" which has recently made its way into the top ten on ITunes. While the frat boy anthem is quite catchy, sampling Weezer's hit "Say It Ain't So," it lyrically is not what you would expect from a kid being hailed as the next Eminem and who has made the cover of XXL magazine with the likes of Wale and B.o.B. Asher Roth is a gifted artist and has much more material than that song. But his mixtape, The Greenhouse Effect, has gone largely unnoticed by the casual hip hop fan. It may be their fault that they aren't looking deeper, but Asher has not helped himself recently. On HipHopDX.com last week, and website frequented by any person calling themselves a hip hop head, Asher dropped a few "freestyles," if you can call them that. Using classic beats, such as Jay-Z's "The Takeover" and "Song Cry," Asher proceeded to rap like any regular kid would when asked to freestlye and ruined two beats that should never ever be ruined. It was truly awful. Some of the simplest rhymes I have ever heard were flying out of the mouth of a rapper who I think is going to be the next big thing. Granted, he did actually freestyle (if that shit was written then Asher should put down the mic right now) which I give him credit for doing. I can't tell you how many rappers go on TV and "freestyle" aka spit something they wrote down and have been practicing for months now. But Asher sounded like Soulja Boi on the mic, rhyming words like "fun" and "done" and any other three or four letter words you can think of. I don't get it because the kid has talent. The Greenhouse Effect is a great mixtape, with Asher firing lyrical bullets left and right. Download that and you will see what I mean, the kid is going to be a beast in the rap game. But, Asher, put away those freestyles because they are doing nothing to get people excited about that album dropping in April.

Is He For Real?

If you are reading this blog, then I'm sure you know who T.I. is. You probably also know that he is currently is a bunch of legal trouble and has been in the past as well. In recent interviews, stories, and also portrayed in his latest album Paper Trail, T.I. has said that he has learned from his mistakes, understands what he has done wrong and will be a better person because of it. My question to everyone is: Do you believe him?

T.I.'s legal problems began in 1998 when he was convicted for problems dealing with a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. This was when he was put on probation. From then till 2006 T.I. was charged with numerous crimes for things such as possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. In 2007, T.I. was hit with his biggest arrest just hours before the BET Hip-Hop awards (a show he was supposed to perform at). He was charged with two felonies: possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. T.I. was hit with a $3 million bond and was required to be confined to his home until sentencing. In early 2008 T.I. pleaded guilty to the court for federal weapons charges. He will begin his year sentence in jail in March 2009 after completing the sentenced 1,000 hours of community service.

During the past year or so, T.I. has made some public efforts in attempt to show that he has become a better person because of his past and this will all be a changing experience for him. One of these includes his 6th and most recent solo album, Paper Trail. There are a couple particular songs I'd like to discuss. 1st is "Ready for Whatever." In this song, Clifford tries to explain why he had the firearms in the first place. In addition to having a pretty smooth beat, the song offers some insight into his thought process and why he had the guns in the first place. According to TIP, he feels all sorts of pressure mentally worrying about his life and his security. After seeing his partner and best friend Philant Johnson, he felt like it was absolutely necessary to be "ready for whatever" and to protect himself in a manner he thought necessary: with guns. He adds that he spends about $500,000 on security to insure that nothing happens to him. While he says, "But I'm wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant," the rest of the song gives you the vibe that he is doing exactly that: giving excuses. He says that he didn't break the law maliciously (aka along the lines of robbing or killing somebody), which may be true, but does it really matter? He still committed felonies, and while he may be in more danger than the average person, does this make it right? He also adds the lines about "father to my son, asset to my community" which is there to sympathize more with him. What all of this sounds like to me is that he knows he is doing something wrong and flat out doesn't give a shit. He knows he was wrong but did it anyway in his own self interest. Is that $500k on security still not enough?

The second song I'd like to discuss is "Dead and Gone," which has recently shot up the charts after a great performance with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy's. In the first verse of the song Harris discusses some ordinary occurances in the hood. He talks about people gettin' shot becasue of nothing more than their Pride. He says it happens becasue of gangs, money and drugs, and talks about how you could get shot and die anyday. He ends all of the verses with these lines: "No more stress, now I'm straight, now i get it now I take, Time to think, before I make mistakes just for my family's sake, that part of me left yesterday the heart of me is strong today, no regrets I'm blessed to say the old me dead and gone away." And this is exactly what I'm writing about. These lines seem pretty sincere. He is getting older and is possibly realizing that it's time to put away the more rough side of himself (T.I.P) for good and get used to the life of T.I. as a business man and family man.

He certainly is starting to put out that image. He currently has a show on MTV called T.I.'s Road to Redemption, where he is helping younger gangbangers and kids in the hood. He is trying to get them out of that lifestyle at a younger age and steer them in a direction that will better their future. While the couple of episodes I have seen do seem a little fake, that could just be becasue it is on MTV and its a TV show. Above all, he is doing something good to help kids who could use a rolemodel like him to show them that there is a better way of living and doing things.

Though it seems that he has turned the corner and made a decision to live a better life, I just don't see his attitude changing that much. He felt that he needed the guns to live before, so how is that going to change from being in jail for a year. I would like to believe that he won't have anymore problems after he gets out of the cell, but I just don't see it happening. To be honest, if it keeps him making more albums like Paper Trail, and he isn't causing anybody real harm, let him do it. Cause no matter what, he's gonna do whatever he likes.