"Ocean's Away!" -Frank Ocean Get Ultra Nostalgic

Now wait before you start thinking "Dude you're JUST now hearing about him?" Pause. I waited purposely to post about my latest musical obsession Frank Ocean's "Nostalgia/Ultra" because I didn't wanna appear like I was jumping bandwagons due to his Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them ALL (or Odd Future or better yet OFWGKTA) association. But after a GOOD solid week of soaking in each and every track...cat daddy is the TRUTH! Why? Not only are is choices of cover/samples outside the box, the LYRICS are oceanic deep. Not your usual R&B (Rap & Bulls**t) fare about ass chasing, and couch surfing in the clubs wasted off of X amount of bottles you and your team popped! Ocean actually takes the time to poetically paint abstract pictures with words to tell stories that are relate able. "American Wedding", "There Will Be Tears", & "Strawberry Swing" are the finest examples of this. Though the music is not original his TAKE approach to them are. On first listen to those that have "musical deficiency" you'd think the track we're customized like the BMW on the "virtual" cover of this mixtape. Nah! Coldplay, MGMT, and Mr. Hudson all lend tunes to Frank's intro into "the Machine" aka the industry. Gotta say, it's the BEST mixtape I've experience I had in a while since Drake's "So Far Gone" release a ways back. And speaking Drake (BTW Kanye too) don't be shocked if you hear one of this guys donating a verse or two to his stuff in the future. Beyonce's ALREADY working with dude! Get up! Listen, if you plan to jump into Ocean's music you better know how to "Swim Good!" Download it HERE!

"Knock 'Em Out The Box Rick" -Teflon Don Review

So the Summer of 2010 is here and we're in one of the WORST droughts we've seen in a minute! And no, I'm NOT talking about the water reserve folks it's the music scene that's been dry lately. How is that it's the last few weeks in July and we have not ONE Summer Jam (not the Hot 97 concert dummy). You know that dance floor banger that even the bathroom attendant in the club start singing along with! Well that may all change today, cause Rick Ross's "magnum opus" Teflon Don is finally hitting the streets (not meaning bootleg). Right at the moment of writing this post, "B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)" seems to be our ONLY savior from musical boredom. and it's not even a quote unquote DANCE record! Crazy right? But it tis what it tis...which is DOPE! But let me slow down a bit and get back on course. Ro$$ is "Rick the Ruler" right now. Why? He gets what it means to be an ARTIST these days not just a RAPPER! Hip-Hop...sorry, Hip-POP is the TOP selling form of music right at this moment. In a time when album DON'T sell so with that being said, you as an artist NEEDS to be BIGGER than the genre. And this may be his "come up pence" with his latest release. Allow me explain further track for track...

"I'm Not A Star" -Hype track however, the hook is pretty lazy. But I'll give him a pass on this one.

"Free Mason" feat. Jay-Z -the return of "gangster message rap" ala 2Pac style! I actually like Ricky's verse on here BETTER than Jay's! But the killer line of the whole song is "I said I was AMAZING, not A MASON..." Simple and and to the point.

"Tears Of Joy" feat. Cee-Lo Green -YO! This is my favorite track on the whole album (do we even say album any more?)! A great blend of message and music. Cee-lo was the perfect match-up from this soulful No ID track. The intro's kinda long winded, but most good movies are 2hrs plus right? Think B.I.G. on a Blueprint (the first one) track and THIS is it!

"Maybach Music III" feat. T.I., Erykah Badu, and Jadakiss -Now I don't smoke but the vibe on this one makes you wanna roll SOMETHING up! Each featured artist (key word) does the track justice. Ross plays the background like a true fan, then raps like he BELONGS among them. NICE!

"Live Fast Die Young" feat. Kanye West -Eh?! This is basically a 'Ye track with more Ross verses than his to me. The track grew on me but so does warts. LOL! I was a bit disappointed in Mr. West's verse as well! Here you have one of the few lyrical rapper still around (meaning not dead or in jail) and you come w/this "Mickey Mouse" style of rap AFTER Rick spits fire? "Wake up Mr. West" indeed!

"Super High" feat. Ne-Yo -When I first heard this single the beat reminded me of a Jay-Z first album track. And no wonder, none other than DJ Clark Kent produced the song, but that's not to say it's a BAD thing. I not a "single" man but I'm not mad at this one...at all!

"No. 1" feat. Diddy & Trey Songz -This is another (annoying) hook I'll pass on! The song is listenable till freakin' Diddy decides to get on the track for NO good apparent reason! This must have been in Rick Ross's contract to have him on at LEAST one track! Diddy...Oh no he didn't!

"M.C. Hammer" feat. Gucci Mane -Ear wax melter! Piping hot fresh out the brick oven heat! Another club riot starter right here! My ONLY beef with this song? What in the is Moms MableyGucci Mane (!) rapping on this? Or why is he even rapping PERIOD! He ruins a perfect good song, a good day, a good night...whatever's GOOD! Except a good BYE! Gucci's the new Master P w/ worse flow, if that's even possible! "Hammer" that nail in the coffin dawg!

"B.M.F." feat. Styles P - GREATNESS! Straight up. But Styles P? Really? Jada put you up to this? PLEASE send me the link w/ the same track w/out him on it! I'm DEAD SERIOUS too.

"Aston Martin Music" feat. Drake and Chrisette Michelle -Another classy laid back joint which sounds like a recycled Drake track but I still dig it none the lesser. Watch some one release a song called "Honda Civic Music" with some bump bass s#@t on it! LOL! Which by the way doesn't sound too too bad (hmmm, as I rub chin).

"All The Money In The World" feat. Raphael Saadiq -Now WHO would of thought this one? I guess they did huh? Unexpectedly great finishing touch to a mostly well rounded (ummm) album. Kudos to Ro$$, he lets Saadiq do the shining on this one, and shine he does!

Overall Rick Ro$$ has a CLASSIC on his hands! It may not be a all-time classic, but I think classic Hip-Hop is fine enough for him. Who know it would be "Fat Man" not Batman to be a Summer block buster hit? Knock 'em out Rick!

ALBUM IN STORES NOW!

"Folks Couldn't Wait For "Later!" -Drake's "Thank Me Later" Review

Ya know, I was actually was gonna wait till (June 15th) for the album to come out to write a really deep & extensive review. But by now, the WHOLE U.S. of A has the damn album so I'm like f**k it! I may as well put my two cents in now, cause as quick as he's putting out tracks this leaked album will be old in a week! LOL! Okay with that being said, let's move on to breaking the album down track for track in no particular order. Shall we? First up let's cover the first two singles that you've probably heard more times already than you've gone for a physical exam...in your LIFE! I'm referring to reflective hooked "Over" & the hopefully promising "Find Your Love" both EXCELLENT choices in my option to put out as back to back singles. "Over" with it's inviting and introductory horn accompanied with high strings is different from the very start. Why? Simply because it starts with the the hook! Which sounds as if it was originally a verse that in the editing process, he was wise enough to make those opening lines the focus of the song. GENIUS! You automatically feel from the song that he's STILL a small fish in a bigger pond, if only in his mind. I get chills just imagining how this record sounds LIVE! On a large stage and in a small room this song WORKS! Now on the other hand "Find Your Love" though good as well, It comes off to me as a left over track from Kanye's "808 & Heartbreak" joint that he felt would work better sung. Don't get it twisted, I dig the tune but "Hey, Hey, Hey!" is on some Fat Albert s#@t...let's be honest here! Now that that's out of the way let's go in.

"Karaoke" -Huh? Don't know why he titled the WHOLE song off of one line, but I WON'T be singing this one at a "karaoke" party any time in the near (or very far) future! LOL! Next!

"The Resistance" -NICE! This track is a definite return to the signature songs we've become all too familiar with from our long nights listening to "So Far Gone" mixtape getting high. Reflective lyrics, airy track, yeah I can get with this one.

"Show Me A Good Time" -Not ANYWHERE what I expected to hear with this "Kid Cudi-ish" sounding track! If you CAN'T dance to it or even bob your head to it, HOW is THAT a good time? Please someone explain this to me! Kanye produced this one so that helps explain the Cudi sound I was complaining about earlier...Ummm NEXT!

"Fireworks" (w/Alicia Keys) -YES! This is a Grammy nomination worthy tune! Still rap no doubt but it's the future not the past yet still respectful to Hip-Hop. I can see this growing and getting big, maybe as a late single perhaps. BIG tune! July 4th HEAT!

"Light Up" (w/Jay-Z) -Eh! This one had to grow on me, for real. I appreciate the verses, but I mean, your first (commercial) release and you get Hov on a track to do THIS? That's like getting to ask God one question and you blow it asking some silly s@*t like "Why only one question?" Hahahahaha! Wild right? God look at you like "Huh? This ni**a ain't getting up in HERE! HELL no!"

"Up All Night!" (w/Nicki Minaj) -WTF! Yet ANOTHER ball dropper! You have the hottest female MC rapper one right now...on YOUR team...and this is your best? Come on man! The title reads "Up All Night" dawg! Exploit her sexuality on this one (like she does on everybody else's s#@t) and go in on just WHY you guys are "up all night!" Now another "cut & paste" verse that she & you could have kicked on ANY other track...Fo' real though?

"Fancy" (w/T.I. & Swizz Beats) -YEAH man! I'm digging this joint right here fam! Especially T.I.'s verse. I definitely dig it when the song's vibe changes up (at 2:45 mins. into the song, I forget the musical term for it but) I can see this one getting banged out in the clubs, around say like 2:30-3:00 am, on your third round of bottles, random champagne vultures circling the table, falling off the couch you standing on or slipping from the drinks being spilled, feeling NOT so fancy! Classic Swizz track, yet so refreshingly new! I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it's Mary J. singing the uncredited background vocals on the chorus.

"Miss Me" (w/Lil Wayne)-Yessir! Great follow up banger to "Over", You feel the energy and hunger in his voice through out the whole song. Even when he starts singing his verse. I'm into it! However Wanye's part...wouldn't "miss" it. Love the dude (pause, no homo) but this verse coulda been on ANY track! SERIOUSLY! Don't write s#*t on the spot, go into the booth, and tell the engineer "Yo just put me on track 12 and punch me in!" Nah bra, work TOGETHER on the songs concept. You and the world will appreciate you more. Trust me on this one.

"Unforgettable" (w/Young Jeezy) -Yo! Is it me or does Jeezy steal this one from Drake! I'd love to hear Young Jeez more on this vibe (production wise) with a lil' of the rowdy stuff he's better known for, mixing in. The Aaliyah sample works too, on so many levels that it's too deep to get into now. But you get it.

"9am To Dallas" (Bonus Track) -Originally a freestyle he recorded, It's one is straight FIRE! If you ask me this should've been a featured track on the album. You can hear the honest hunger in Drake's voice and lyrics from start to finish. Yet it's still playful.

"Cece’s Interlude", "Shut It Down" (w/ The Dream), and the Timbaland produced/Jay-Z sounding track "Thank Me Now" -Are all worth of mention, but Momma always says "If you don't have nothing nice to say..." you know the rest folks.

All and all the game NEEDS Drake right about now! However this album the game could have waited for.

But on another note, my review on Janelle Monae's latest release is a short one. BUY IT!
It's downright inspiring to hear GREAT music being made still. Even if doesn't get the Drake type hype! WORD to me!

"I Am...Not Impressed!"-Beyonce's (& Sasha's) Latest Album Reviewed

Hey, trust me, I have no fear admitting I'm a fan of Mrs. Knowles
-Carter. And why should I be, I've come to enjoy her work as a solo artist from the very first single released two years ago. So with that being said, I had no qualms about purchasing her latest double disc body of work that hit the shelves this past Tues. with no regrets, or even preview listens. Vocally Bey always delivers, if not give even more than expected of her. No problemo. However after listening (in a weeks time) to her "I Am...Sasha Fierce!" joint I'm comfortable saying I like her better when her was single. Yeah I said it! Not to blame Jay but this album here...a yawner. Maybe she's looking to get off her label, or she's gotten too too comfortable with her status, but I know know man. I'm fishing for answers here, help me out folks. On the first disc ("I AM") "If I Were A Boy" is a concept we've heard before (remember Ciara? Well do you?) so nothing new there. Maybe R.Kelly's remix will be more interesting perhaps? But by a show of hands, who wants to picture either one of them as the opposite sex? None huh? Thought so. "Halo" (the next single) I dig. Yet it sounds "Umbrella"-ish on the hook. Like a Rihanna out-take. Not hating, I CAN vibe to this one. "Disappear" is the anthem to all the missing members of Destiny's Child peep these lines; "I missed all the signs, One at a time you were ready. What did I know starting our lives. No my love, I'm ready to shine!" Deep ish huh?! Okay now on to disc two ("Sasha Fierce"). "Single Ladies" is a can't miss joint that is sure to appear on her "Greatest Hits: Beyon(ce') Expectations!" (just jokes) CD. She shines when she's on those girly anthems she sings. But that "Diva" crap? Oh Nooo! Leave it for the mix-tapes Bey! That "A Milli" like beat is kinda ol' now sistah, fo' reals. With better, tighter produced I could maybe see it working, part-time, but still working doing it's job. For me, I just personally wanna see her take more musical risks and step out and away from the (radio) box.
Do a say retro album (70's Soul or Funk) w/a full orchestra backing! Or straight up, give folks "the Best of Both Worlds 3" w/ her and Jay-Z folks are dying to hear finally! Those are just my thoughts about the whole thing man. Comments?

"Minority Hears A Gnarls" -Barkley Spoiler Review

God loves me, this I know. I got the word that their highly anticipated follow-up CD "the Odd Couple" will be released not on April 8th any longer, but better than that...TODAY! Yes today, they latest audio journal of experimental sound will be available for download ONLY. Due to leaks, due to early Easter sales? Who cares? It's out, is all that matters to me. I'm still excited even though I've damn near hear ever single track. So I'll break it down for you track for track, on what you should keep an open ear for.

"Going On"-opens with an angelic choir then jumps start into a up tempo head-nodder. Think of a happier version of the last CD's title track "St. Elsewhere." the breaks in the song are killer.

"A Little Better" -A favorite of mine, is an inspirational song about "try and try again"and looking back at past obstacles that seemed so BIG, but once you're over them, seem so small. Music has a new genre "Nu-Gospel" and this song is it's origin.

"Charity Chase" -Helping others sometimes ends up helping you. Love, time, attention, those are all thing charities are based on "Give it away now!"

"Who's Gonna Save My Soul Now?" -Depression never sounded so good! Personal reflection on going too far past the edge. It almost sounds like a suicide note sung to music. This is a question, one might ask once they feel their soul is in jeopardy. "Who but me?"

"Would Be Killer"- "Hurt people, hurt people..." One of the realest lines on the whole CD "Notes of a Confessed Murderer" should have be the real title. Sung from a (would be) killer's perspective with chilling vocals. Psychotic!

"Blind Mary"- Very Beatles-ques sounding melody. Distorted vocals, Farris wheel tunes and all. Blind Mary "sees" more with her heart than most see with their eyes. That's the only way that their love can exist. "...She my friend she doesn't judge me. She has no idea I'm ugly"

"Whatever" - The song is "the voice of the angry teenager". It sums up all the anti-social sentiment felt from a youthful perspective, sung in a very convincing whiny voice. I see the video for this one already.

"No Time Soon", "Run", "Open Book", "She Knows", and "Neighbor" I'll let you discover those on your own. Besides I'm short on time so I can't review 'em all (sorry). Cop it and enjoy.

"Deja Badu"-New AmErykah Review

Wow! I'm just realizing that this is the very first album review that I've done since the conception of the M Report has been on-line...
sad face ;( Has the state of music been that bad?
When I think of artist today trying to keep the art form alive, It reminds me of the plot for "Revenge of the Sith" (lol) where the "evil dark side" of music is killing off the last of an almost abandon skill
(like the Jedi) who's escaped death (by label, sales, etc.) are barely heard from or seen. However there is a "New Hope."
If D'Angelo is the "Yoda of Neo-Soul", then Erykah is surely "Leia". "New AmErykah" sounds less organic in it's instrumentation then her previous releases, but my no means is it less courageous in it's attempts to take all the built up ear wax you have, and turn it into one of those calming candles she known to burn on stage. Heavily on rotation is the hypnotic, Wu-Tang-ish song "the Healer / Hip Hop"
which will be the new mix tape circuits "must freestyle over" beat.
Then following that would be, the jazzy blues cut "Me". Which has personal revelations that artist tend to stay away from in their lyrics ,
but once again Badu is willing to "Take one for the team". "Solider"
is the next candidate for single release being that it's the 2nd most "commercial"(for lack of a better term...sorry) it's beat lends itself enough breathing space for a future rapped over remix by MC
"Who's the hottest at the moment" (please no Lil' Wayne).
The sometimes hard to follow, yet funkilious production of
Sa-Ra comes across as refreshing under Erykah direction on
"Master Teacher" helps me "stay woke" while I await a connecting train on my morning commute. It's chopped up, bouncy rhythm tries to educate through repetition then SWITCH...the style changes but the message remains the same. In the words of Laurence Fishburne (Spike Lee's film) School Daze "Wake UP!" Your new conscience has been downloaded. I hope America gets AmErykah. Badu I salute thee.