Thursday, April 16, 2009
It’s been nearly a decade since Jadakiss became one of the leading voices in hip-hop culture. Since coming into the hip-hip world, Jadakiss has held a steady fan base as a member of the group D-Block and again as a solo artist. His socially conscious lyrics and head-bopping beats have earned him bragging rights among rap artists. Since releasing two solo albums, he failed to deliver the solid album that would take him all the way in the music world. In his recent album, The Last Kiss, Jadakiss offers the variety of sounds, beats and vocals that fans have come to expect.
In the violin-heavy track “Pain and Torture,” Jadakiss delivers a rhyme loaded with confidence, reminding fans why he is still on top with lyrics like, “I flip words around kind of like birds and pounds / rub shoulders in the industry with nerds and clowns.”
He reinforces his right to brag in the soulful sounding song “Can’t Stop Me” featuring Ayanna Irish, by stating “I’m a call it confidence because I ain’t cocky / I just know one thing, they can’t stop me,” and again in “Grind Hard,” which features Mary J. Blige.
Some tracks delivers the bounce beats and heavy chanting that attracts a more mainstream fan base like in “Who’s Real” and “Something Else.” Others captured the more introspective lyricist and bass-heavy sound in “Things I’ve Been Through” and “Cartel Gathering.”
This album is stuck between Jadakiss’ willingness to capture the mainstream audience and a more lyrically inclined Jadakiss. Either way, he offers a solid album that fans will enjoy.
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