1. Intro (Poppa)
2. Truth, The
3. Find A Way
4. Twuneanunda
5. A.N.G.E.L. - (interlude)
6. Day At A Time
7. Subject
8. Sho' Ya Right
9. Money Don't Mean A Thing
10. Hold On
11. Kick Outta U
12. Without U
13. Whoomp - (interlude)
14. Lady Of Mahogany
15. A.N.G.E.L. - (reprise, featuring Slum Village)
16. Let Your Hair Down Download HereEasy-Share MirrorMeet the nu-soul--same as the old soul? Well, Dwele's debut certainly contains similarities to old-school artists such as Donny Hathaway and of course Stevie Wonder--all the evidence you need to connect the dots is here in the shimmering Fender Rhodes piano that predominates on SUBJECT.
But Dwele is made of more contemporary stuff. He's a rapper who's found his singing voice, though the only time his hip-hop roots really show is in the tumbling lyrics to the coming-of-age song "Twuneanunda" and the title track. Mostly he's a smoothly sophisticated singer with a canny sense of what works in an arrangement, and while he obviously has deep ties to what is now ancient R&B history, his sound is undeniably modern, and irresistibly seductive. Most of the cuts on SUBJECT are down-tempo, though the incidence of satin sheet-oriented boudoir ballads is kept to a surprising minimum. He's a more thoughtful lyricist than that, as evidenced by the nuanced, humorous "Lady at Mahogany," about a tryst gone awry, in which he shows he's not averse to telling tales on himself. SUBJECT is both light enough in feel and accomplished enough in execution to leave you hungry for more.http://www.myspace.com/dwelehttp://www.dwele.net/
1. Intro
2. Conant Gardens
3. I Don't Know
4. Jealousy
5. Climax (Girl Shit)
6. Hold Tight - (featuring Q-Tip)
7. Tell Me - (featuring D'Angelo)
8. What It's All About - (featuring Busta Rhymes)
9. Forth And Back - (featuring Kurupt)
10. Untitled / Fantastic
11. Fall-N-Love
12. Get Dis Money
13. Raise It Up
14. CB4
15. Once Upon A Time - (featuring Pete Rock)
16. Players
17. Eyes Up
18. 2 U 4 U
19. Go LadiesDownload HereThis is one of the more musical hip hop albums out there; production by the legendary Jay Dee makes this an awesome aural experience. Throughout almost every song, there is a tasty groove, making this something you'll want to listen to all the way through. But the rhymes failed to inspire me. First off, there is nothing new here content wise, the same old egotistical BS, money, objectifying women, the whole standard regiment of material. Being a hip hop fan, I can look past this and consider other things, like rhythm, flow, all that stuff. Slum Village failed me on this as well. None of the members are particularly standout rappers, which really hurts the album. Still, the beats are SO good that Fantastic Vol. II is still worth picking up despite this rather major shortcoming. I mean, these beats are extremely good, some of the best I've ever heard in hip hop. To hear the combination of ultra sweet beats and quality rapping, make sure to get Common - "Like Water For Chocolate." Best rap album ever, no question. http://www.myspace.com/slumvillage
1. Continued / Holla
2. Pimp's Dream, A
3. Know Your Name
4. My Lova / Movement
5. Flapjacks - (Interlude)
6. Caught Up - (Interlude)
7. Weekend Love
8. Lay It Down
9. I Think I Love U
10. Continuation
11. Keep On - (with Slum Village)
12. Some Kinda Prelude - (Interlude, with Poppa Yo/Mr. Weary)
13. Some Kinda... - (with Antwan Gardner)
14. Wake The Baby - (with Boney James)
15. Old Lovas Download HereThere seems to be a little bit of overcrowding in the R&B realm lately. With all these artists and more coming on the scene, everybody is trying to fight for that consumer dollar that ultimately determines the longevity of their musical careers. Whether you are a long-time veteran or the newest discovery, the bottom line is album sales for the most part. Nobody wishes this was the case, but that's the harsh reality of living in a capitalist society. Whether it's movies, music, sitcoms, or novelists, there is a certain level of success that you must maintain to keep the higher-ups happy. Dwele must have mustered enough buzz and sales from his first major release Subject in 2003 that Virgin gave him another go with his latest album Some Kinda.
You'll find a perfect blend of soul, jazz, funk, and blues on Some Kinda, a change that probably comes with most follow-up albums by artists trying to find their sound. Dwele dives right into the melting pot of genres with the song "Holla," a cut that's smooth enough to be played in those ultra swank lounges that us 'Grown And Sexy' people like to frequent. "A Pimp's Dream" is rich in jazz, with horns resonating ever so eloquently and Dwele lacing some of his own bravado in the lyrics. "Know Your Name" and "Lay It Down" are probably two songs that most would say sound a lot like music from his Subject disc, but they're certified bangers regardless of what album they're on. "My Lova/Movement," "Weekend Love," and the title track "Some Kinda" are all good examples of standard Dwele songs.
The first single "I Think I Love You" is probably the only song that would somewhat fit with today's urban radio market, sounding a lot like something Musiq Soulchild would do. The melodic yet humorous "Flapjacks" and the heartfelt "Old Lovas" are both decent album tracks, but nothing you'd probably ever hear on the airwaves. Besides a few guest appearances by Slum Village on the mid-tempo groove "Keep On" and jazz musician Boney James on the intimate song "Wake The Baby," Dwele makes the rounds by himself on this album. Most artists would probably solicit the help of anyone and everyone for some kind of mainstream buzz to make sure their album is a commercial success. Dwele goes against the norm prevalently found in the music industry, basically relying on his words, his vision, and his talents. This is very admirable considering that a lot of artists don't have those qualities or just simply push them to the side when it comes to trying to climb the charts. Hopefully everyone will have Some Kinda love for Dwele and pick up yet another one of his exceptional ensembles. http://www.myspace.com/dwele
1. Introspective
2. Any Given Time
3. Look Into My Eyes
4. Just Me
5. Kom Igen (Feat. U$O, ADL & Salah Edin)
6. Nothing Left To Do
7. Beyond Words
8. In Good Hands
9. Reggada (Feat. Taibi & Dany Rai)
10. Callin' U
11. Sakeena
12. I've Seen
13. Una Palabra
14. I Only Ask Of God
15. Appreciatin'
16. Redemption Song Download HereThey may not be household names in the UK, but in Europe thousands have heard of Danish Hip Hop group Outlandish. Making award-winning music since 1997, the handsome posse is made up of Waqas Ali Qadri, Isam Bachiri and Lenny Martinez. Having already produced two genre-defining albums in Outland's Official and Bread and Barrels Of Water, the trio continue on their journey of 'life music' with their third. An inspirational collection of 15 songs, it's a prime example of how music can be both entertaining and meaningful.
Born in Denmark but hailing from Moroccan, Pakistani and Honduran backgrounds (Isam and Waqas are Muslims and Lenny is Catholic), religion and politics have an important influence on Outlandish. Themes about Islam and contemporary issues facing young Muslims in the west are often included in their music. Take for example, Look Into My Eyes, which is based on a poem by a teenage Palestinian that expresses the plight of those suffering from America's foreign policy. The song flows without sounding preachy. Similarly, tracks such as Just Me and Una Palabra give a rare insight into life in today's Europe as seen through the eyes of a second generation immigrant. Nothing Left To Do boldly tackles the taboo issue of a young Muslim man catching HIV.
Another key theme is love and respect between men and women, highlighted on Any Given Time and Calling U. Both modern love songs, their seductive lyrics and melodies are enhanced by Isam's velvet vocals. Soft and sensously sung, it's easy to see why Outlandish's lead singer is so popular.
While most American hip hop outfits may rap about gangs, guns and girls, these brothers prefer to be morally-minded with their lyrics. Flitting comfortably between English, Danish, Spanish, Urdu and Punjabi, songs like Komigen also allow Waqas and Lenny to show off their multilingual skills. I've Seen, featuring popular British Muslim musician Sami Yusuf deomonstrates another feather in Outlandish's bow – their interest in collaborating with other Islamic artists.
Proving that music can be open-minded and overtly religious, with Closer Than Veins Outlandish have created a cross-cultural gem. http://www.myspace.com/outlandsofficial
