If no one had told me this song was written by R. Kelly, I’d still already know. Why? Because they sing it exactly like R. Kelly would sing it. In fact, I’d bet my mortgage payment that their version is very close if not identical to Kellz’ reference version of this track (somebody find me the reference!!) Read the rest of this entry »
The fellas of BRUTHA took a break from fighting one another to unite on a common enemy, Terius Nash aka THE DREAM, after some alleged unfavorable comments The Dream made about the group. Although they called him every bitch in the book (which made for a comical albeit LONG diss record), what does this diss track really prove? Brutha failed the first time around because they did nothing memorable, nothing stood out. So instead of taking it to heart, maybe they should take heed to the negative comments and focus on establishing themselves as the R&B group the world remembers.
“We dare anybody to step to us and say they’re better than us”
If you’re wondering what happened with the group BRUTHA after the season finale of their BET reality show Brothers to Brutha, here’s a quick update: In late December, they released their self-titled debut album (check the review here), which effectively flopped in sales (less than 100K) as well as quality. The problem I have is that these guys can REALLY TRULY SING, but listening to their album, you wouldn’t know they had a shred of genuine talent (same problem as Jeremih’s debut).
In this BET On Blast video, Brutha addresses the issues with their first album, acknowledges it’s shortcomings and vows to make amends with their sophomore album, entitled Vacancy, which they claim has “new heat” and is “themed for the ladies”. They also make some pretty big claims against the other (albeit few) R&B groups out there, saying that they’re the best: “We dare anybody to step to us and say they’re better than us.” Really now? After one flopped album and a failed TV show? Their latest Youtube video shows the guys in true form, covering Boyz II Men’s arrangement of the New Edition classic Can You Stand The Rain. If they expect the next album to sell, this is the formula they should follow. This is an awesome cover…
Aight, so here’s the deal. I like Brutha, I really do… And for what it is, they’re album is decent, but it is by no means the best it could be (you can read my review to find out why). They sounded better singing live on the show than they do on the album. But alas, I digress. Let’s get to the point. This really is one of the better songs on the album, very mature in content and it’s one of the better ‘group’ numbers. I like it because unlike many of the album’s other tracks, this showcases they’re ability to sing together. The video is cool too, outside of the un-synchronized synchronized dancing. I’d rather them just keep it simple.
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When it comes to family musical acts, very few are able to hold it together long enough to establish some tenure in the industry. The Harrell brothers (Grady, Jared, Anthony, Papa, and Jacob) chose to weather their storms in the eyes of viewers on their BET reality show Brothers to Brutha, which chronicles their behind-the-scenes work for their debut album entitled Brutha. It’s a less-than-decent album, a few songs I could keep in rotation, but nothing amazing. The downfall is that the guys failed to capitalize on their unique chemistry and potential to produce something new and exciting. The team of producers on this album seems to have forgotten that Brutha is a group of 5, as many of the tracks focus more on individual vocals instead of the soulful group harmonies displayed on the show.
Despite its shortcomings, this self-titled debut delivers some nice offerings. One of my favorite joints on the album is the opening cut Bang Bang (written by Ne-yo), with its clever catchy hook sample and witty lyrics. Also check for some of the more heartfelt numbers like She’s Gone and Afraid of Love, the latter of which is probably the best on the album. Fabolous makes the only guest appearance with his verse on the lead single Can’t Hear the Music, which is really nothing more than recycled R&B lyrics over a hip-hop beat. Ne-yo also penned the steamy Set It Off, which has more intimate content, as does Like This. To further dispel the good guy persona, the fellas break hearts on Just Being Honest, an interesting twist where the guys give in to lust over love.
The problem with this album is the overall lack of inspiration and soul. Despite their immense talent, there’s nothing here to set these guys apart from any other candy-shop R&B groups of today, and I find that quite disappointing. The soulfulness that fans hear in the show’s performance clips failed to transcend to this album, resulting in the group appearing as a mere carbon-copy of other neo-R&B groups. There are no a capella numbers to culminate the “a capella movement” that they began with a series of widely popular YouTube clips, which include renditions of Love Lockdown (Kanye West), Love U 4 Life (Jodeci), and the Bee Gees classic How Deep Is Your Love. So while the individual vocals on this project are nearly flawless, it’s the unique sound of the entire group that gets lost beneath the work of some of the big-name producers like Ne-yo, Tha Cornaboyz and Bryan Michael Cox. I’d much rather hear the production handled by some lesser known producers who can acknowledge that the sound of the group is more important than the “tooting of their own horns”. I had high hopes for this group, they’re the only R&B group in recent years that could deliver chilling vocals, but I wish them better luck on their next effort.
Sound-Savvy officially rates Brutha with 1.5 out of 5 platinum headphones.
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Introducing: BRUTHA!
-Mack-
Nowadays we’re inundated with reality shows about the rise to fame and popularity, the rags to riches themes and the keep-it-a-little-too-real family dramas. Nonetheless, a friend told me about the new show Brothers to Brutha, which will premeire on BET on 11.18. and I felt the need to pass it along to my Sound-Savvy fam. It chronicles the story of 5 actual brothers who have formed the R&B quintet aptly titled “Brutha”. They’ve been signed to Island Def Jam by Jermaine Dupri and are set to release their debut album on December 23. Just hearing these fellas sing a capella gives me chills. I got a feeling they will succeed where other family based groups like B5 have failed because they all have talent – each one can sing quite well, but they realize they’re stronger together than any one of them could be in a solo venture. They’ve started an a capella movement, which I find simply amazing; groups just don’t do a capella anymore, because a lot of them just can’t. Check out their first single, and then watch this video clip of them singing Love Lockdown… they might be the new hotness!
