Jadakiss: The Last Kiss
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A post by "Blake the Megalomaniac" To see more posts click here |
As I’ve stated before, I enjoy music but would not consider myself qualified to write a technical review of any artist’s musicianship. So simply put, this isn’t a music review.
The artist is Jadakiss and the album is, “The Last Kiss.” I own Jada’s last offering, “Kiss of Death” which was released in 2004 and I thought highly of it and the artist, so I purchased this album even though I didn’t have to. It’s been a long time coming from a five year hiatus, switching labels, and gaining publishing rights from his time with the Lox under BadBoy Records.
The now Def jam/Roc-a-fella artist is still feeling slighted and still feeling like he hasn’t achieved the numbers or success as other rappers with less talent and frankly, whether you love him or hate him, he has a major point.
The album’s tone is more soulful than gangsta. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Anthony Hamilton record, but the beats are less overwhelming and less in-your-face than what one who is new to Jada might expect. There are some old school D-Block style tracks but overall it’s not the hardcore wannabe gangsta ish you’ve gotten used to. In What I’ve Been Through, the late/great Luther Vandross utters in the chorus, “I can only speak for the things that I’ve been through,” and with that sentence the tone of music as Jada’s life narrative is set.
I’ve read one review hammering J’s CD for being boring. To that I say, if you think this album is boring than you haven’t done your homework and you’re not paying attention. Yes the beats are mellow and sometimes subtle but it’s the lyrics stupid. And lyrically, very few writers can eff with Jadakiss. In all honesty, I am a chorus guy but when the words and the music fit together seamlessly then I think that’s called G.O.O.D. music. For those looking for the over manufactured sound, Pharrell does have a track with Kiss on there.
I will say that D-Block’s finest is no sexist. He has 5 tracks featuring females. Before you go and try to rekindle a beef between Jada and 50 over JaRule-isque song making tactics, just know that Jada could never be compared to Ja. The songs, while in the same mold of Rule in Ashanti, are carried through by the substance of (this word again) lyrics…stupid. No not many “pedestrian bars for the civilians” here fore Jadakiss has never been a bubble gum rapper, one would now have to turn to 50 Cent for that distinction. I will say that his teaming up with a guest on all but a few of the 19 tracks is troubling. But we’ll say DefJam is responsible for that and hey when you have a guest list that includes Young Jeezy, Nas, Styles P, Ghostface, Raekwon, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, and the martian Lil Wayne – one can’t argue.
Take a listen to What If, which is Jada’s equivalent to Why from 2004.
udothedishes…
i’m glad you did this review b/c i’ve always felt that jada’s been slept on and to me, it is about the lyrics. of course you need nice beats, but with all this ringtone rap garbarge that’s out now, its refreshing to see some lyricism returning to the scene
I kind of disagree. If it were all about the lyrics then everyone would by spoken word albums. it’s about how someone can combine tones and words to convey a feeling that is important. And Jada has always been able to do that in my opinion.
Love me some LOX. Styles P never got the credit he deserved either.
Speaking of lack of credit… how bout checking out some Ghostface Killa from the Wu-Tang Clan. Now that is some real ish.
From the article, “In all honesty, I am a chorus guy but when the words and the music fit together seamlessly then I think that’s called G.O.O.D. music.”
of course you have to have both. i’ve just been posed the (lyrics v. beats) question hundreds of times and all i’m saying is that in that hypothetical, i fall on the lyrics side
If you have to chose I see arguments for either side. I also think that depending on Genre the option may bounce one way or the other. Hip Hop is def. influenced more by a quality MC. Anyone can make a nice beat. The real proof is in the pudding. And by pudding, I mean lyrics.
I’ve always been a beat person myself, but there are cases that some “rapper’s” lyrics and chorus drown out a tight ass beat. Outside of Wayne, T.I. and Outkast, there aren’t too many ppl i’ll listen too outside of NY (except anyone off of StoneThrow Records from the Left Coast) that have good lyrics. But ain’t no one flyer than me….. CUZ I GOT I GOT 12′ BEATS IN MY CORSICA, IN MY CORSICA, IN MY IN MY CORSICA!!