So I finally gave in to my curiosity and picked up Tha Carter III the other day, and…
Ummm…
Hey, it’s not too bad. In fact, it’s actually pretty good.
No, it’s not going to share discussion time with Nas’ Illmatic and Biggie’s Ready to Die beyond the aping of their respective album covers. But it’s far from an absolute waste of polycarbonate plastic, either. So as far as my opinion is concerned, I lay smack dab in the middle of Weezy’s plaudits and dissenters.
I really think proclaiming this guy as “Best Rapper Alive” is a big misnomer. In fact, I never understood why people use that title for him because, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t make much sense.
Last week’s releases brought some form of salvation to an ailing record industry as it looks like Li’l Wayne is going to be able to do what Usher’s latest album couldn’t and shift in the neighborhood of a million units in it’s first week. There’s a chance that this can happen in consecutive weeks with the release that kicks of this new music roundup:
Coldplay-Viva La Vida or Death & His Other Friends: I like Coldplay enough that I’d be willing to forgive the uber-pretentious title. Now, will the music be the equal of the band’s three other well-received (and quite good) albums? The title track bodes well for the qualitative value of this album (I’ll admit that I haven’t heard “Violet Hill” yet), and it’ll be interesting to hear exactly how much like U2 Brian Eno makes the band sound. Plus, you’ve gotta give Chris Martin props for resisting possible temptation and not allowing Jay-Z or Kanye West (or Gwyneth, for that matter) to make cameo appearances on the album.
Hey, what do ya know? A pretty decent-sized week for releases!! Sorry for missing out on last week, when Alan Jackson, The Black Crowes and Michael McDonald all released highly anticipated albums. But moving on…
Remember when Snoop Dogg was just a young pup? Well, Long Beach’s #1 gangsta is releasing his 10th album today. “Ego Trippin’” is preceded by the smash hit “Sensual Seduction”, which finds the D-O-Double G singing T-Pain style over an Eighties-tastic groove (if you haven’t seen the video yet, hit YouTube now)! “Trippin’” features no involvement from Snoop’s longtime mentor Dr. Dre, but is executive produced by New Jack Swing founder Teddy Riley, so there’s a good chance that the results will be more interesting than 2006’s underwhelming “Blue Carpet Treatment”.
Hip-hop fans will also delight (maybe) in new releases by NYC hardcore stalwart Fat Joe (the album’s called “The Elephant In The Room” and I refuse to make the obvious joke here) and similarly rotund Miami rapper Rick Ross (“Trilla”). Neither is my cup of tea, but hey, both guys sell records, so what do I know?
With “American Idol” mania in full swing, it was only a matter of time before one of the judges released an album, and today brings the release of “Randy Jackson’s Music Club Vol. 1”. This compilation contains a who’s-who of pop music, from the long-awaited (I’m being sarcastic in case you couldn’t tell) return of Paula Abdul to “Idol” finalists Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin to pop royalty like Mariah Carey. Should be an interesting listen.
“Now That’s What I Call Music” has become a musical institution in the past 10 years or so, and the 27th installment in the series arrives today. It features the latest hits by Rihanna, Chris Brown, Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift and many more. A wise choice if current Top 40 radio is your thing. As a companion piece, “Now That’s What I Call Music-80’s” also arrives today, bringing you classic smashes ranging from “Billie Jean” to “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”.
Also hitting stores today, singer/songwriter Kaki King, 2-disc greatest hits compilations from Barry White and The Cranberries, and the return of mid-Nineties two hit wonders The Presidents of the United States of America!! I’m in if they remake that “Peaches” song!!
A full list of this week’s new releases can be found here:
So I finally gave in to my curiosity and picked up Tha Carter III the other day, and…
Last week’s releases brought some form of salvation to an ailing record industry as it looks like Li’l Wayne is going to be able to do what Usher’s latest album couldn’t and shift in the neighborhood of a million units in it’s first week. There’s a chance that this can happen in consecutive weeks with the release that kicks of this new music roundup:
