that other thread was being trolled by that lame shredder alias typin up mad fake lines and baphomet has also trolled us in the past but as a stan
this is an unbiased review. I gave the album one spin on the train today so this was my first impression.
1) intro - its OK, actually could've been better but its just an intro. basically some snippets of MLK and obama and maybe some others speaking on the economy and the american dream
2) motion picture- starts with a small convo between him and kayslay in front a store. overall a good song, I'm sure he could've had a stronger opening but its actually pretty dope its a story telling record about people trying to kill kim.
it reminds me of Big Ls heist in a way. the beat sounds like an older dame grease beat, a little outdated but not dusty. he has a small 3 bar section where he does the "corny" lines thing he's known for "turn the living room to the dying room, turn the bathroom to the blast room"
its early on in the first verse so he makes up for it later on. essentially its a shoot em up record but just done well. it ends to be continued. also song had nice use of SFX. I say 3 mics
3) mother ghetto- the title sounds like a conscious record but its the exact opposite. this should have been the opener to me though its not as fast paced as the beginning.
song is just him reppin brooklyn and naming all his hoods and speaking on the city. dope NYC record and I havent heard a record like this repping BK in a minute. the hook is biggies "where brooklyn at". 3.5 mics
4) aim shoot- now this is what I would deem the first "wack" song on the album. I don't like it in any capacity as a mobb deep fan or hiphophead period. the beat is very weak. the hook is a smart idea but it is underutilized and is not backed up by any good rhymes.
the hook is lloyd banks saying "spit rhymes like papoose" or something along those lines. paps verse is the only time on the album he spits a 100% wack verse. its 10 bars of his "I'm like _____" which live up to the internet jokes.
"I'm off the wall like a 2011 calendar.."
havocs verse is weak and prodigy had the best verse but that wasn't saying much.song sounds a complete copy and paste job and it is the opposite of papoose other song he has with mobb deep from years back.
5) skit- this skit sets up the next song feat erykah badu but is a little on the long side. its two kids, a boy and a girl in a classroom reading letters they wrote to aids and cancer that there parents have respectively. the skit feels a little contrived due to its length, its 3 minutes and change. that could've been better spent on another song in my opinion.
6) the cure- this a concept record in a nutshell, its a somber song that is little slow paced compared to the rest of the tracks but its a dope record and definitely one of the best. nice use of that sample and honestly erykah does not impact the hook much, its papooses verses which bind this. papoose is speaking from the perspctive as if he is AiDS and cancer. very dope sh!t and I give this song 4 mics.
7) nacirema dream- I would think since this is a title track it would stand out but its the opposite. the song is not wack but it is not good either. this beat sounds very outdated and reminds me of a "bad boys" era knockoff beat from 98/99. honestly this record did not resonate with me and I couldn't even tell you the hook or lyrics. bad impression. 2 mics.
8) pimpin won't die- now I thought I knew what this record was about but was I in for a surprise. another concept record but this time about pimping and prostitution. the beat is very dope and the lyrics are insane. he is speaking from the perspective of what happened to brendas baby from the pac record and what happened to the kid from children story by slick rick. excellent record I give this 4.5 mics. almost perfectly executed.
9) 6am- this record is another song with an underutilized sample. this time its ice Ts "6 in the mornin police at my door". record was ZZzzZZZ. I know that's not a word but it accurately described my feelings. song is wack and though the beat is OK it can't save the record.
song had a tie for weak verses and though kiss and jim stuck to the subject matter and mentioned the hook it just sounded like a throwaway track and was nothing in comparison to his other records featuring jadakiss from the past. record is worth a listen to laugh at jim jones last few non rhyming bars where he's trying to do a papoose impression on some lyrical speed sh!t. 2 mics.
10) skit- this skit was actually funny and was a threeway argument amongst prison mates. its basically an older head telling two young heads complaining about there girl not writing letter and nobody sending them commissary to shutup and go to the law library.
11) law library 8- this was another concept record. im sure everyone is familiar with these "law library" records by now and this one is in line with the rest. i wouldnt say its his best one but possibly the second or third best in the series but nonetheless it really dope.
the beat is ill, a piano loop with a little kick to it and he speaks on NYC's stop and frisk policy and its relationship to firearms. 4 mics
12) whats my name- this record does not belong on the album and i wont review it because it can be youtubed. wack song with him speaking about his love for remy over the "for the love of money" sample. he obviously had this remy martin verse in the stash but it doesnt matter. 1.5 mics
13) on top of my game- this was the albums first single and is another wack record that doesnt belong. mavado does not save this song, the beat is wack, lyrics are weak and obviously many people might judge the albums content based on this song. you can youtube this trash if you please. 1.5 mics
14) faith- thinking this was another concept record i was in for a surprise hearing this was just papoose spitting rhymes. heads up, not one lame punchline in here. the beat is a dope soul sample that sounds familiar but i cant put my name on it. papoose rips this but raps a little slow paced and not his usually g-rap impression. 4 mics.
15) turn it up- this was the only record from the original nacirema dream tracklist that made it to this album. though its obvious papoose updated the lyrics and you can tell this from the "new york nets" mention early on. premier actually goes a little left with the beat sample in the beginning but then goes traditional. its still dope and papoose does this nicely. as far as dj premier and his boom bap beats go you should know what to expect. 3.5 mics
16) die like a g- this was a record i had heard before. im assuming it was from an older mixtape but its still a good song. the beat is OK but papoose supports the trumpet and "soul clap" with some decent lyrics about "being real" and the hook is nice with "i dont live in the sky, the sky lives in me.." honestly there are a lot of older songs he couldve reused to take this slot (fruits of labor comes to mind) but regardless its decent and the horns give it a nice feeling. 3 mics.
17) get at me- i was expecting pure wackness but i was surprised by a dope record with one of ron browz best beats i heard since ebonics. hook is some usual autotune by ron saying something about "repping my gang and flagging" but papoose rips this beat speaking on regular street sh!t. i enjoyed this and wouldve recommended it over the mavado record as a single. again, plesantly surprised and this beat is knocking. 3.5 mics
18) where i come from- this track is a posse cut featuring papoose team "thug-a-cation". nobody does a bad job and its a track reminiscent of those 90s posse tracks we used to always hear. the beat is actually a south type of inspired beat with the usual synth and trap drums but even though the record isnt bad im sure he couldve came up with something better and original to showcase his team. record lacks originality though i appreciated the iphone/text message references. 2.5 mics
19) r.i.p.- theres not much i can say about this record except it is fire. papoose speaks on his dead homies over the chi-lites "have you seen her" sample and this record is pure poetry. 5 mics.
20)-alphabetical slaughter 2 (z to a)- basically another concept song but this theme im sure everyone is familiar with. papoose kills it and unlike blackalicious papoose only uses the letters and doesnt add any other word to support the rhyme. the beat is a reversed version of the beat from part 1 alphabetical slaughter with kayslay. i appreciate how he focused more on the end of the alphabet and kept the D,C,B,A rhymes to a minimum. 4 mics. song is excellently executed lol.
overall i enjoyed the album but it is not stitched together properly and gives the feel its another one of his mixtapes. hopefully his next album will have no weak links and be sequenced much better. good effort though, overall i give it 3.5 mics. it wouldve been a 4 mic'er if it was an EP with just the great joints. i still recommend it to anyone who was a papoose fan years ago when him and saigon were NY street kings.
the real strong records stand out. if it costs under $10 i would purchase it online to show your appreciation for his lyricism and concepts.
. . fukkk this. If you wanna be a critic, we need this. Hit me up and I'll send you some music from my artists and you can actually critique some underground artists and tell me who's worth my investment
in that nikka ever since, I always had it in the back of my mind that dude would get it together. I wasn't expectin a radio-friendly single, or an improved mic presence...but....but......I thought this nikka would at least learn some new flows...dumb certain songs down a LITTLE...or think of more witty punchlines.
) just "punched it in" with no attention paid to the overall volume of the track. Same with certain songs. Songs that are supposed to blend together don't blend well, and this has no cohesive quality. At all.
