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.

ALBUM REVIEW: RICK RO$$/ TEFLON DON/ MAYBACH MUSIC/ DEF JAM

For all intents and purposes, the man born William Leonard Roberts II a.k.a. Rick Ross career was supposed to be over on July 21, 2008. That day will remain in hip hop infamy, because on that day thesmokinggun.com released photos of a 19 year old Ross wearing a correctional officer's uniform. The photos contradicted everything that Rick Ross portrayed in his mafia boss persona. That was strike 1. Then the very next year, January 2009 to be exact, he went after Rap's Favorite Bully, 50 Cent. The beef was a back and forth war on wax, and videos. People who follow rap know of 50 Cent's track record when it comes to rap fueds. In other words: Ricky's career was over, for sure. That was strike 2. Entering this year, Ross found himself again at a career road block--this time a lawsuit, as former drug boss, Freeway Ricky Ross sued Rick Ross for 10 million for using his name. The original Rick Ross also tried to block the release of this very album that I'm reviewing. That was strike 3---or was it? Rewind time, and you can see that despite the controversy, Rick Ross' thrid album Deeper Than Rap still debuted at No. 1 (his third consecutive No. 1 album), and throughout the rap beefs and lawsuits, he still is here--ready to drop his forth album, Teflon Don, in hopes it can top the charts like his previous albums. The title Teflon Don is so fitting as it was taken from real crime boss, John Gotti, who got the nickname "Teflon Don" because of his ability to escape imprisonment unscathed during the 1980's. In the rap world, Ricky Rozay is the true "Teflon Don", because all these strikes against anyone else would have been career suicide. Rick Ross' new opus features him alongside the best the music business has to offer. On the somber Cee-lo Green assisted- "Tears Of Joy" Rick Ross' state of mind can be summed up in one line: "Biggie Smalls in the flesh/ Livin life after my death." The thing that makes Rick Ross so amusing is his larger than life persona that makes you listen to him even when you don't want to listen. He grabs your attention as if he was holding your ears hostage. Jay-Z and John Legend reprise their roles from previous Ross' albums, as they appear on the controversial track "Free Mason". Jay-Z uses the song to clear the air on those Devil worshiping rumors. Jay spits: "Niggas couldn't do nothin' with me/ They put the Devil on me/ I'd perferred if niggas squeezed the metal on me/Rumors of Lucifer, I don't know who to trust/ The world want my demise..." Later stating: "Bitch, I said that 'I'm amazing'/ Not that 'I'm a Mason'..." Just like any Rick Ross album, you know that the production is top notch. The best example of this is the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League produced--"Maybach Music III" which uses live orchestra-like intruments that blend so well with featured artist T.I., Jadakiss, and a jazzy hook provided by non-other than Erykah Badu. When the Bawse prepares for the third and final verse--the song's mood changes to a darker tone. The once angelic cords are now replaced with heavy bass and louder drumrolls. Ricky spits agressive bars: "Shine brighter than them bitches on the other side/ Time to make a blind muthafucka recognize/Ammunition got the competition non-existent..." Another standout track is the Kayne West-produced and featured -sure to be club banger "Live Fast Die Young" Ross and 'Ye celebrate the finer things in life, while knowing it could all end in a blink of an eye. Yezzy steals the show as he claims: "I'm back by un-popular demand/ Well at least he still poppin in Japan." Also rapping: "My outfit so disrespectful/ So you can gon' head and sneeze/ Cause my presence blessed you..." The only downers about this album is the bloated guest list and aside a few filler tracks (i.e. "MC Hammer") that make this really feel like a solo project. The album should have been called Teflon Don & Friends. Diddy, Ne-Yo, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz, Drake, Raphel Saadiq, Styles P. and Chrisette Michele all pop up on other tracks on the album. The good thing though is Rick Ross still shines and rarely takes a back seat on his own song or better yet his own album. Still wish Ross would have not been so welcoming to his colleagues and decided to go for self, but above all else you can't deny great music, no matter who's involved, and that's the only thing that matters at the end of the day: the music. I rate this 4/5

"NY-Z" - An ABSOLUT Collaboration with Jay-Z

The-Dream - Love King

RICK RO$$'S TEFLON DON LEAKED TRACK LIST

When Drake's highly anticipated album Thank Me Later track list was leaked, alot of fans and critics talked about the bloated guest features. Ricky Roze's Teflon Don seems to up the ante when it comes to album features. The best of the best can be found on Ro$$'s fourth effort. (sidebar: track 2 will have the blogs going crazy and people talking until the album's July 20th release comes)

1. I'm Not A Star

2. Free Mason (ft. Jay-Z & John Legend)

3. Tears Of Joy (ft. Cee-lo Green)

4. Maybach Music III (ft. T.I., Jadakiss & Erykah Badu)

5. Live Fast, Die Young (ft. Kanye West)

6. Super High (ft. Ne-Yo)

7. No. 1 (ft. Trey Songz & Diddy)

8. MC Hammer (ft. Gucci Mane)

9. B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast) (ft. Styles P.)

10. Aston Martin Music (ft. Drake & Chrisette Michele)

11. All The Money In The World (ft. Raphael Saadiq)