ALBUM REVIEW: USHER: RAYMOND VS. RAYMOND

Usher is no stranger to revealing his inner-most feelings, and deepest secrets (whether it be his or someone else's). On his 2004's diamond-certified Confessions, he talked about infidelity and all the drama it could bring. Then, Usher took the world by surprise when he married his stylist Tameka Foster. The new Usher returned to music after a brief hiatus. The result was Here I Stand, an album which was supposed to be his coming of age tale, but the project flew over fans heads, leaving people confused. Also more confusing was in June 2009, when Usher filed for divorce, ending a marriage that ended as fast as it started. Now on his sixth album, entitled Raymond Vs. Raymond, Usher prepares to battle his demons again and sets the record straight. The 31 year old father of two sons, begins the album on the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-assisted "Monster", an uptempo record, which sets the tone for the album. Aside from the singles "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) " and "Lil' Freak" that feature rappers Plies and Nicki Minaj--respectively, Raymond Vs. Raymond has a mixture of different sounds unlike anything heard on an Usher album before. The reggae-inspired "Pro Lover" finds Mr. Raymond confessing that loving him is a "No-No" and that he's only trying to "add girls to his Hall of Fame". Usher finds his inner Tupac on "Foolin' Around", which could have been called "Confessions Pt. 3" Standout tracks like the smooth, laid back "Okay", and the soaring Jim Jonsin "There Goes My Baby" are classic Usher. The disappointment comes from areas that should be considered undeniable hits. Cameos from fellow ATL counterparts T.I. and Ludacris give forgettable performances. The latter features a reunion of Usher and Ludacris as they try to recreate the magic of "Yeah!" (the song that sent Confessions to the top of the charts), but they fail horribly. The will.i.am track "OMG" is something that sounds like a leftover from a Black Eyed Peas' album. While the album has it's bright spots, it's still has its downside. Better than Here I Stand, but not in the same league as Confessions, Usher still manages to give fans a moment of his truth, while still serving up just enough uptempo flavor to keep our ears glued to the radio. What more can you ask for? I rate this 3.5/5

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ALBUM SEQUELS: GOOD OR BAD IDEA?

Hip hop is built on trends,and the current trend today seems to be album sequels. Over the past few years, we've seen an increasing number of sequels. Last year, Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 completed the trilogy of the popular series, and Raekwon finally gave die-hard Wu fans the second chapter to his mafia-influenced, game-changing opus Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Part 2. Also who can forget Lil' Wayne's multi-platinum Tha Carter III? While some sequels go on to reach success, they still fail in comparison to its predecessor. Sure, Weezy's CIII was the biggest album of his career, but judging from rap critics and fans alike, the original Carter was still his best body of work. Rappers these days seem compelled to recreate the magic of their most praised album, but some things are better left untouched. When a trend becomes a gimmick (autotune anyone?) the ending result is a brick (Fat Joe's JOSE 2). This year promises to be no exception as more rappers promise to release sequels, i.e. Eminem's Relapse 2, Jeezy's TM103, Fabolous' Loso's Way 2, Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter IV, and Lloyd Bank$ just annouced the sequel to his debut with The Hunger For More 2. Rappers are better off taking the Kanye West route, when keeping the central theme, but changing the album titles. That way an artist would not be judged if the new album does not meet the expectations of the first installment (or second installment). Each album should be given the right to stand on its own, and not an expansion of another disc, especially if that disc is a classic. Kanye continues his "college theme" with Good Ass Job later this year. I'm just waiting for Jay-Z to appear at the next Summer Jam concert and debuts his new song "D.O.A. 2 (Death Of Album sequels)"--well maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I promise this is the first and only story I'll make concerning this topic. No sequels here folks.

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T.I. RELEASED FROM PRISON!!!

The King is back! T.I. is a free man---well sort of. The King of the South will be under 23 days of "supervised release", in other words: he still has a curfew. On the bright side of things the formally incarcerated MC has begun work on the follow up to his platinum-selling album Paper Trail, and has recorded a new song called "I'm Back". There is no word on an official single or the album's title, but Tip is pushing for an August release date. The rapper still has to do 400 hours of community service, and 3 years probation.

MIXTAPE REVIEW: CHIP THA RIPPER: THE CLEVELAND SHOW

The glory days of Bone Thugs 'N Harmony may be behind us, and the only noise that's making news out of Cleveland is LeBron James, but fear not hip hop heads, the music scene in Cleveland is slowly coming back into the rap atmosphere. It started, with dat KiD called CuDi, who I might add, had a very impressive rookie year (by hip hop standards of course) Now, it seems since KiD CuDi has put the city of Cleveland on his back, he's made it possible for rap fans to actually take notice at what's happening with the rap scene there. One of those things to take notice (and a listen) to is rapper, Chip Tha Ripper. The 23 year old, has been making a name for himself, and has showcased his skills along side some of the newest rap kids on the block like, Big Sean (Kanye's protege frm Detroit), Curren$y (who isn't new, but his buzz is getting more attention than ever, and of course, KiD CuDi. For those who were lucky enough to hear this kid spit (just recently on Big Sean's "Okay") can now get to witness the whole story as DJ's Mick Boogie and Terry Urban present to you Chip Tha Ripper's mixtape, The Cleveland Show (inspired by the Family Guy spinoff of the same name). The mixtape takes off with the Boi 1da produced "Movie" The laidback, jazzy track sums up Chip's persona as he paints a vivid portrait : "Dawg my life is like a movie, all of the cars, and places we are, all my girls look like them girls from off in the movies/ Jammed packed with action, I swear my niggaz be packin' them choppers you be seeing in the movies/ We don't pretend to be industries, this is documentary..." Also adding "If you niggaz is hot/ Then call me 'Mc Extinguish'..." What Chip brings to the table is a variaty of things, his cooler-than-the-other-side-of-the-pillow demeanor flows nicely into every track. He's witty, insightful, and honest, and sometimes you can get all three of those qualities in one verse! Whether he's spitting over classic beats ( "Like That"), putting haters in their place ("Owe You"), paying homage to the artform ("Dear Hip Hop") or putting on for his city ("Back To Cleveland") you get a sense that this guy has been around for years, because he raps from a perspective most young, up and coming rappers don't. Chip entertains throughout the 27-tracks, with just a little filler here and there. Above all else, there's no denying that Chip Tha Ripper is exactly what the rap game needs right now. Being humble and just staying true to yourself is something that most rappers lack, and it's about time someone stepped up and showed a diffenent side of the spectrum. "Baby why me? I'm probably gon' be an asshole/ She don't care, she just wanna pose when the flash go..." Honesty at it's finest. Now that's a show worth tuning in to. I rate this: 4/5

TRINA'S NEW ALBUM COVER

Trina is looking good. Here is the album cover for her new album, Amazin'