M.D. Wright
1.14.10
***EDITOR'S NOTE: Part II of the Review for Boss Of All Bosses, as promised.
I'll get right to it, since I've spun it about 3 times since it dropped on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. The cheap/ridiculous PhotoShop effort by the 6th grader on this cover is laughable, but hey, it's Cam being cheap again, what else is new?
1. "Intro".
As always, Cam's Intros are straight piffery. With virtually no lead-in, Vado comes in rapid fire with that WHITE. Cam'ron follows suit with the same Brooke Shields flow. Perfect set-up for the album. If the (two) U.N. albums are anything like these mixtapes have been lately, Dipset is BACK -- just minus the two traitors. This music almost sounded like some vintage Oakland Raiders theme song music, with Cam ending the intro with a facetious:
"Ta-da!"
ha. You gotta love it.
Rating: 5/5.
2. "We Back".
Somewhat of an extended intro. Cam talking trash, his usual talk.
Cam: "Todd Bizzy... congrats on the new position, no homo... you the illest n---a in math since 'Rain Man'... might gotta call you Dustin Hoffman... nah you probably got more money than Dustin" HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Rating: 5/5.
3. "Always Made It".
Typical Araab Muzik beat. Almost kills the track in this case, though. I don't like the vocal lift nor that stupid fake synth drum loop going in the background. It reeks of "cheap". I know Cam likes to skimp on beats, but come on now. Beats are supposed to augment the song, not take away the lyrics.
I love how Cam works lyrics about sports into songs. Too bad these cats nowadays have no idea what he's talking about. You have to be 25 and above to catch a lot of these references (he mentions the Showtime Lakers and the vintage UNLV squads that featured Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, etc.)
I like Vado's hook and as you know YOU WIN (U.N.)
Rating: 5/5.
4. "Point The Finger".
I was starting to like this mixtape more than the first one after the second listen. The beat is nothing spectacular, but it doesn't impede the song itself. Cam is on a different wave now and it's a good thing.
Vado continues to shine, proving that he isn't one-dimensional and can ride any beat. When you can do that, talk about things that listeners care about, you have mounds of potential. Can't wait until the U.N. albums drop. He needs to chill with the "HAAAAAAAAAAA" unless he's going to give me publishing, pay me royalties and that's with 7 POINTS! Yeah, I want POINTS anytime uses my material ha.
Low blow metaphor that may go over youngins' heads, is on point but also made me stop and go "oh." in a bad way:
Vado: "This is why I'm hot like Mims, I been fire... expensive threads, yes I spend the highest... blowin' bread, fallin' over to death like Len Bias". OUCH. Len Bias was at the University of Maryland and was going to be with the Boston Celtics what LeBron James STILL ISN'T (YET). That was my dude. I remember the news breaking and it being all the talk amongst my dad and uncles back in '86 that Len Bias had passed away shortly after the 1986 NBA Draft after "blowing bread" as Vado says here.
Otherwise, GREAT track.
Rating: 4.5/5.
5. "Nuthin' Like Araab Muzik".
This song is okay, the beat is trash though, and it's tough for me to take a track seriously, regardless of the lyrical prowess (of which both Cam'ron and Vado bring on every track of this album). I believe this is the main reason it took a while for "Killa Season" to grow on me fully (no homo).
Rating: 2.5/5.
6. "U Right - Skit".
Cam is a go-to man when it comes to funny skits. This chick, who is usually on Cam's skits goes in once again. Cam just deadpans "you right" while she moans and groans the entire time ha. Good for a bunch of laughs.
Rating: 5/5.
7. "Stop It Slime".
STOP IT SLIIIIIIIIIIIIME!!! I usually hate when local slang gets put into a title of a song, because outta town cats will be saying it OD much. But for those of you who have heard me say "stop it 5" or "what up slime", well, it isn't code or anything profound like some people think. Just another way to say "what's goodie" and that's it. Ain't got nothing to do with the cops and while B's in Harlem started it, it's not exclusive to them. An old head in midtown accosted me and tried to sell me some of his bum music recently, for instance.
This is just "Stop It 5" with a different title and a couple of mixing edits, since it did not make the cut for Boss Of All Bosses, Pt. I.
Vado: "You peel onions? Let's go pie for pie... I hit him like Dolph Lundgren, 'if he dies, he dies'...HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA".
Vado: "Ain't hard to find... but I'm probably now... got more hooks and punches than a Rocky round... get them pounds from Houston of that Bobby Brown... copy my style, I'm Mayweather, you Pacquiao..."
Cam: "You got gay friends? Me? I got some lesbians... man you ain't just a actor.. you a THESPIAN..."
Rating: 5/5*.
*(TIE) Favorite Track.
8. "They Feelin' Us".
Araab Muzik and his engineers need to do better, but I like the guy as a producer. I don't want to make anyone think otherwise. Part of the blame for some of these beats goes to Cam'ron for beat SELECTION. This is like a lite version of "Get 'em Girls" in a way.
Love the Kanye reference by Cam, BTW ha.
Rating: 3.5/5.
9. "Bezel Up".
I like this one. The mini intro lead-in was poppin'. Vado with the Royal Rumble references... "Royal Rumble, EVERYBODY in the ring!" Decent beat and top shelf flow by both Vado and Cam.
Rating: 4/5.
10. "A-Mafia" (Featuring A-Mafia).
WELCOME HOME A-MAFIA!
I love the beat. I love the references to Mars Blackmon, Chick Fil-A ha, etc.
Cam: "Seen Martha Stewart (where?)... at Martha's Vineyard"
Cam: "The chick house... her son pesterin' (what he want???)... he keep knockin' at the door... damn, let him in (s---)" ha.
Vado: "My presence big, I'm like the rap Shaq O'Neal... --- ... where I'm from, everybody look like they got a rapper's deal" ha.
I'm just glad to hear A-Mafia again, honestly. JUST LISTEN TO THESE DUDES SPIT!
Rating: 5/5.
11. "They Holla Ayo".
Cheap beats. Sounds like something off... uhh, nevermind. He is still my dude, so I won't rip JR Writer, but this sounds like one of his beats. If this weren't a mixtape, I'd be concerned. But then again, you don't have to get samples cleared if you're not distributing the music for sale. That's what baffles me about Part II of Boss of All Bosses, this is not a Cam'ron beat. Vado, on the other hand, can ride any beat.
And the hook is annoying.
Rating: 2/5.
12. "U Right (Skit II)".
More of the previous skit ha. "Arrite u right" ha.
Rating: 5/5.
13. "Ooh Baby".
This is my favorite track off this album. It is a typical, vintage, classic Dipset chipmunk beat. Perfect song ("Dedicated To The One I Love" by The Shirelles) chosen for the sample. Cam's narration at the beginning takes you back to when you could still hop the turnstiles on the subway and hop on the bus through the back door (if you caught a packed bus ha) and we still used TOKENS to get on the subway. I personally think he's lying about having not been on the subway since tokens were in, but hey, I remember those days and when the MetroCards first got introduced (they were optional back then). I saved my last 3 tokens for years until I lost them in all the moving I've done since.
This song just causes you to think of good times and you can easily lose sight of these double metaphors and the local slang they are using here if you start becoming wistful about the halcyon days of the 80s and 90s that the beat elicits from you.
Cam'ron: "I'm from the Graffiti/Raymo (from Beat Street) era" ha.
Vado: "Alexander Wang... or maybe Helmut Lang... Givenchy, Philip Lim, that's just to name some names..."
Vado: "I love rugby to death, made that my baby's name... cancel a chick over champagne like Flava Flav... HAAAAAAAAAAA".
YOU WIN (U.N.)
Rating: 5/5*.
*(TIE) Favorite Song.
14. "Get Away".
Vado is my son. You already know that. The Mobb Deep sample from the song of the same name is enough to make you love this song.
Rating: 4/5.
15. "Nothing Personal".
So everyone seems to like this song. It's decent. Doesn't stand out to me, but you know the sound that I favor over all the others that appear on Dipset albums, but overall, this song does hit hard. Some subtle metaphors here too, by the way.
Rating: 4.5/5.
16. "Movin' Raw".
Young Nico loves this one. I love the beat. I love the slow flow. Man you know a song/album is good when it makes me want to start back writing and doing random 16s to go into the booth with if dudes were trying to get on a song. Love the hook, hilarious as it is ha.
Rating: 4.5/5.
17. "Do Wrong".
I LOVE THIS SAMPLE. The vocal is hilarious. I know this song, but again, the title slips my mind. Feel free to interject. She goes "I got the devil in me, I'm gonna do wrong tonight" ha. It goes perfectly with the subject matter here. Vado is gonna blow if they use this buildup and hype properly throughout 2010. You already know Cam still got fans (even the ones who go out of their way to comment on YouTube videos ha).
JUST LISTEN TO THOSE DOUBLE PHORS BY VADO IN THE FIRST VERSE.
Cam mentions "Johnny Sack (Sacrimone)" from The Sopranos. CLASSIC.
Rating: 4.75/5.
18. "Lonely".
Another great sample. "Baby... baby... baby... baby... pleaseeeee... don't you leave me lonely!"
Vado sounds like Juelz sometimes, I swear. He carries this entire track himself, no Cam. No Clips. No cameos.
Vado: "Leave you? WHERE THEY DO THAT AT??? GW Cross Bridgin', Fort Lee-livin', Edgewater, River Road, GT ignition... MTV Cribs Felipe in the kitchen..."
LOVE IT.
19. "U Right (Skit III)"
LMAO. JUST LISTEN TO IT. If you don't laugh, I'll do your taxes for free this year ha. She's FRIED because he got her tight by saying "U RIGHT" over and over ha.
Rating: 5/5.
20. "Whistle"
WHO DOESN'T LOVE THE "TETRIS" SAMPLE???
Man these beats were so much better than Part I at times, but they got me with the samples on this one.
Vado: "I move with property buyers, I own like how the powder did buyers... my Shammgod jersey, Providence Friars..."
Vado: "Broke can't happen, like seein' Iverson 6th man... haaaaaaaaaaaaaa".
Just let this joint play a few times. It will grow on you (nh).
Rating: 4.5/5.
OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5.
DISCUSS>>>
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