ALBUM REVIEW: TREY SONGZ/ PASSION, PAIN & PLEASURE/ ATLANTIC

For Tremaine Neverson, known to most as Trey Songz, the strategy has always remained the same: continue to build. After a debut album (Gotta Make It) that went unnoticed by the masses, the young talent from Virginia continued to build on his brand until listener's ears were finally glued to their radios. Last years triumph, Ready, reintroduced a more confident, Trey (sans braids) to the rest of the world. The result was nothing short of a homerun for a kid who only a few years ago, had only a year to turn his dream of singing in to a legit shot at making it big. The process of continuing to build remains a year later, as Trey Songz opting out of the taking a break route, returns with the quick follow-up to Ready, with Passion, Pain & Pleasure. Songz continues to use the same formula that help catapult Ready to platinum sales. The main agenda here is sex. The album opens up with "Love Faces", which tries to go beyond the groundwork built by "Neighbors Know My Name" ( a sensual cut from Ready). Other highlights can be found on "Massage" an ode to doing just that. "Tonight, I got your neck, shoulders, back/ Baby, I'ma touch on all that...lose the panties and the bra/ I'ma start with a massage", Trey tells the lady of his affection. Trey invokes the likes of R. Kelly, circa, 1993 or even Jodeci in their hay-day. Where Trey stumbles is when he tries too hard to recapture the magic from his last outing. The Nicki Minaj-assisted-first single, "Bottoms Up" is a cheesy copycat of his song "Say Ahh", which is the most successful single of his career. Plus Trey gets bodied on his own song by Nicki Minaj's song-stealing verse. "Unusual" features Drake, but it fails in comparison to Trigga and Drizzy's previous efforts. Mr. Steal Your Girl makes up for his shortcomings with cuts like the ballad "Please Return My Call" or the second single "Can't Be Friends". While this album will continue to build onto the much deserving- success Trey has experienced in the past year, this album seems rushed at times, probably due to the fact that Trey and co. wanted to strike while the irons still hot. You can't get mad at Trey for trying to continue his winning streak, we just wish he didn't swing so early while at bat. I rate this 3.5/5

MIXTAPE REVIEW: BIG SEAN/ FINALLY FAMOUS VOL. 3

While Big Sean has been finally been waiting to become famous, the rest of the world is starting to finally take notice of the G.O.O.D. Music signee. Already considered ahead of the young crop of MCs of his generation, Big Sean has been single-handedly been changing the face of hip-hop right under our noses. An example can be found in the new simile- rhyme- flow that many MCs have been using (i.e. Drake) to rocket to success and superstardom. Big Sean's second mixtape, UKNOWBIGSEAN, the song "Supa Dupa" is where some critics and fans say is where the new rhyme style originated from. The best examples are the lines: "When they see me on my high horse, Polo, See what I'm wearing I know those hoes will want the same thing, homo, Elton, Jojo". The world is ready to see if this young upstart, who Kanye West signed out of Detroit is really that nice on the mic or just pure hype. Big Sean sets out to make nonbelievers in to believers on his third outing on the mixtape circut, with the highly anticipated Finally Famous Vol. 3. Hosted by DJ Don Cannon, and featuring production from the likes of The Olympicks, B.I.G. comes out with guns blazing from start to finish. On the triumphant opener "The Final Hour", Sean sets the tone with clever lines like: Catch me running to the money/Until my feet lose feelin'/ Stacking wall to wall/ 'til it's leakin through the ceiling...working graveyard shifts/ Cause we trying to make a killin'". On the Don Cannon-produced "High Rise", Big Sean expresses his desire for the finer things in life, but also the downside of what being on top of the world can do to one's psyche. "Isn't it ironic that I'm in a big-body/ Paranoid because every rapper named "Big" got bodied?" What makes Big Sean so unique is not what he says, but how he says it. Yes, the theme of Money, Cash, and Hoes is prominent through out the mixtape, but the dopeness in Sean's delivery can make old, tired, and overused lines seem fresh and new. As far as features go, Chip The Ripper and Curren$y pop up on "Five Bucks (I Got 5 on It)" an ode to smoking that good kush. Borrowing the Luniz' classic beat, the young trio tell tales of the high life. The song "Made" guest starring Drake, is a punchline lover's wetdream. Big Sean handles his own while rapping along side hip-hop's newest go-to-guy spitting: "See broads over niggaz/But business over broads/ See business equals money/ And money is over all" Fans will enjoy mixtape favorites "Supa Dupa (Lemonade freestyle)" and "What U Doin? (Bullshittin')", which have been out for months, due to the routine delays the mixtape has had since it's been annouced. Above all else, this mixtape promises to be a constant repeat on many die-hard's playlist. The dope beats, and witty-wordplay make this mixtape a must have. Big Sean reps his city to the fullest, while at the same time making Kanye West look like he know what he's doing. With only a few skip-worthy tracks (very few), FF3 is what hip-hop heads need...finally! I rate this 4/5

JAY-Z AND EMINEM MAKE HISTORY IN DETROIT!!!

In what may go down as one of hip-hop's greatest crowning achievements, rap Icons Jay-Z and Eminem rocked Comerica Park, home to the Detroit Tigers, in front of 42,000 fans (September 2nd). The Historic night was one of four shows scheduled for the rap titan's Home and Home tour, which will also make a couple of stops in Jay-Z's backyard, New York's Yankee's Stadium later this month. Whatever doubts that were discussed in the early months leading up to this event were quickly forgotten, because Jay and Em put on a show that will be ranked among other great stadium concerts in music history. In doing so, the rap duo brought hip-hop to the forefront and showed that they can also sellout huge venues like Rock 'n' roll legends, Rolling Stones, U2, and Springsteen. Jay-Z displayed why he's a seasoned perfromer as he went through his monster catalog of undeniable hits, such as: "Big Pimpin", "On To The Next One", "Hard Knock Life" and "Empire State Of Mind". The Detroit crowd treated Hov as if he was one of their own, but the night clearly belonged to Detroit's native son, Eminem. The stadium almost fell off its foundation as Slim Shady emerged from the stage surrounded in smoke, screaming "Deeeeeeeeetroit!" as he went right in to his song "Won't Back Down" (a gem from his latest opus, Recovery). This night not only meant so much for hip-hop, but also, it was significant for Eminem, who has seen his comeback take him to new heights after being out of the spotlight for so long. "Got dammit, Detroit, I'm back," Em said to packed house. "Did you miss me?" Other highlights include surprises from rap's elite: Young Jeezy, Drake, 50 Cent and G-Unit, and last but not least, Dr. Dre. Who also told fans his long-delayed Detox will be coming soon. "I'm Coming", Dre said to the chants of "Detox! Detox!" from the Motor City crowd. Jay and Em left everything they had on stage--on music's biggest stage. Score another win for hip-hop.