Artist name: Snoop Dogg
Album title: Malice N Wonderland
Release date: 12.08.09


By now, Snoop Dogg needs absolutely no introduction in hip-hop music, as his name is synonymous with the West Coast gangsta rap movement of the early 1990s. In fact, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 years since the brash, young Long Beach emcee debuted on Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” and took the game by storm. On Malice N Wonderland, Snoop’s tenth album, he proves that his laid-back, yet confident lyrical cadence can still shake ground and influence his peers. The person who stands before us now is definitely a mature adult, but not so stuffy that he can’t rhyme about sex, women and clubbing.

Over the years, Snoop has provided a plethora of sounds for our respective soundtracks, some of which are certified classics in hip-hop history. Who can forget the infectious call-and-response of “Gin and Juice,” or the feeling they got after listening to “What’s My Name?” for the first time in 1993. And don’t tell me you forgot about the shock and awe that was Murder Was The Case, an album Snoop released during his fight to stay out of prison. That sound is back on Malice N Wonderland and does not sound like a carbon copy of Snoop’s classic debut, Doggystyle.

On this recording, Snoop has done something that few veteran artists can do. He provides a record that is both fresh and relevant while respecting what brought him to the industry. Malice N Wonderland is modern, but doesn’t stray far away from Snoop’s home. Songs like “I Wanna Rock” and “Secrets” are quintessential Snoop, reminiscent of his early days in which his tracks were heavily punctuated by the deep basslines and snapping drums, which are staples of the West Coast sound. Other songs like “1800,” featuring Lil’ Jon, “Pimpin’ Ain’t EZ,” featuring R. Kelly, and “Pronto,” featuring Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, are ready-made for the club. However, “Different Languages,” featuring Jazmine Sullivan, stands out as Snoop shows affection for his wife Shante Taylor, whom he playfully calls “Ms. Bow Wow” throughout the song. But while that song is about loving his wife, “Gangsta Luv,” featuring The Dream, is more hardcore and details what it’s like to be with a gangsta.

With Malice N Wonderland, Snoop Dogg has created yet another blueprint for West Coast rappers to follow. From beginning to end, Snoop’s album is choked full of singles and club bangers, which are all done with quality in mind. Twenty years is a long time to be in one place, but Snoop proves yet again that he’s right where he belongs — right at the top of the hip-hop game.

— Marcus J. Moore




Sound-Savvy rates Malice N' Wonderland with 4 out of 5 platinum headphones

Artist: Angie Stone
Album: Unexpected
Release Date: 11.24.09

Contrary to it’s unflattering cover, Angie Stone’s fifth studio album is actually a great representation of the soul singer’s vocals and her ability to produce quality (albeit underrated) music. With a nice mix of feel-good jams and tales of love past and present, Stone delivers Unexpected, an album that digs out a perfect fit for Angie mid-way between her neo-soul roots and a more finessed traditional R&B sound.

Artist: Clipse
Album: Til The Casket Drops
Release Date: 12.8.09

The long awaited 3rd album from the Virgina duo known as The Clipse has finally arrived. Arguably one of the best duos to ever pick up a microphone, the Thornton twins have had their share of issues and setbacks prior to this release. Releasing a slew of mixtapes, freestyles and features, not to mention an interesting video blog, they have managed to keep their name in the streets and fans salivating at the mouth while awaiting their commercial release.

Artist name: John Mayer
Album title: Battle Studies
Release date: 11.17.09




It’s probably too easy for me to associate the content of John Mayer’s Battle Studies with his recent split from former Friends actress Jennifer Aniston. Still, after multiple listens to Mayer’s latest recording, it seems as if the New York City musician is using his art to exorcise some very personal demons. Battle Studies is reflective and rooted in love, much like Lenny Kravitz’s classic Mama Said, an album in which the rocker atoned for his soured romance with Lisa Bonet. On Battle Studies, Mayer purges deeply into his soul to decipher how his romance failed, thoughtfully expresses his feelings and moves on.

Mayer has grown considerably from the young 20-something we first met to a full-fledged adult who uses his music to tackle life’s more challenging obstacles. Mayer’s major label debut, Room For Squares, was powered by his Grammy winning single, “Your Body Is A Wonderland.” In 2003, Mayer released Heavier Things, and the single “Daughters” went on to win a Grammy for Song of the Year. On his 2006 studio album, Continuum, Mayer merged pop music with the blues and won a Grammy for Best Pop Album. Until now, Mayer’s albums contained songs with multiple topics. Battle Studies can easily be called a “concept” album, since each song is focused on that ever sensitive matter of the heart — love.

“All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye” stands out because of the content and the sincerity by which Mayer delivers his message. The subtle pluck of the acoustic guitar and the occasional tap of piano keys help this song glide effortlessly across your ear drums. The pace picks up somewhat on the country twang of “Half Of My Heart,” which features vocalist Taylor Swift. Although half of Mayer’s heart has “a grip on the situation,” the other half’s “got a right mind to tell you that I can’t keep loving you.” But just as fast as the energy heightens, it deflates just as quickly on “Who Says,” which is produced using an acoustic guitar and drum brushes.

By the time “Assassin” rolls around, Mayer uses harder drums, deep bass and an electric guitar to deliver a hard shot to his departed love. “I was a killer, was the best they’d ever seen. I’d steal your heart before you ever heard a thing,” Mayer croons on the chorus to this edgy song. “I’m an assassin and I had a job to do. Little did I know that girl was an assassin, too.”

On “Edge of Desire,” Mayer uses more hard rock-n-roll to make one last plea to his lover before calling it off completely. By the album’s last song, the epic “Friends, Lovers Or Nothing,” he delivers an ultimatum and stands his ground. “There’ll never be an in-between,” Mayer sings, “so give it up.” All told, Battle Studies is best digested on a calm day, or during the course of a breakup. But even if you’re solidly in love, John Mayer has delivered an opus through you can relate.

Marcus J. Moore



Sound-Savvy rates Battle Studies with 4 out of 5 platinum headphones.

Artist: Rihanna
Album: Rated R
Release Date: 11.20.09


After a tumultuous year in the public eye, Rihanna emerges from the darkest period of her life with her fourth album Rated R, a journey inside her intimate velvet rope where personal becomes public. Like her previous albums, Rated R is predominantly pop but it folds in other genres including some grungy and soft rock, R&B, and hip hop to create an easily accessible sound. With this project, Rihanna’s growth as both an artist and a woman are quite evident: the production is a lot deeper as is the lyrical content, giving her a sound that is much bigger and a lot bolder.

Artist: Wale
Album: Attention Deficit
Release Date: 11.10.09

Hailing from the nation’s capital where very few music artists have made it into the spotlight, Wale steps forth with his debut album Attention Deficit. Although he was introduced to mainstream with the pop music smash Chillin (featuring Lady Gaga), this album reveals the DMV-spitter as a true student of hip-hop. The project sees quite a bit of versatility: from party songs, to message-bearing anthems, to thought-provoking songs of introspection and reflection.

Exposing his roots in the go-go music style, Wale parties hard on the album’s latest single Pretty Girls, with vocals from Weensey of the Backyard Band. Pharrell lends a beat to keep the party moving on the feel-good Let It Loose and he teams up with Jazmin Sullivan on the high-spirited World Tour. It’s also commendable that Wale uses his debut album to highlight issues of self-esteem in such a bold manner on tracks like 90210 and Shades which features Chrisette Michele. Mark Ronson produced 90210, which speaks on topics of bulimia and drug addictions, while Shades reflects on Wale’s issues with his own image and skin tone: “cheated on light skinned Dominique when we was 17. I figured I’d hurt her, she’d evidently hurt me…” And yet, his words of inspiration are somewhat contradicted in the aforementioned Pretty Girls as he chants “Ugly girls be quiet, pretty girls clap-clap like this…” Still the album is well-put together, with songs like World Tour, Prescription and the feel-good anthem Beautiful Bliss as easy favorites. Marsha Ambrosius lends her vocals to Diary, a more solemn look at a woman’s inability to move through past hurts: “Every problem that you ever had with another man, I gotta face...”

Lyrically Wale pulls off a few sporadic one-liners and metaphors but for the most part his rhymes, though witty at times, aren't impressively complex, if at all. That lack of ferocity stands out most on tracks like Mirrors (feat. Bun B) and Beautiful Bliss (feat J. Cole) where he’s outdone by the guests on his project. It’s also hard to listen to this album and not feel the undertones of resentment. With an almost Kanye-esque arrogance, Wale goes after his hip-hop counterparts on TV In The Radio, hometown detractors on Mama Told Me, and misguided females on Contemplate. These lyrical tirades reveal a man in touch with his emotions – but then again, Wale’s Twitter timeline could tell you that…

Attention Deficit doesn’t present him as the best lyrical rapper, but the content and delivery on this project make it worth the listen. Just from listening to his mixtapes, it’s clear that Wale has come a long way and represents a part of hip-hop that has been replaced as of late with songs that have a surplus of bitches and bling but a deficiency of substantial content. This is a return to reality for the casual hip-hop fan and is music that’s easy to relate to. Attention Deficit may not be a classic but it’s a solid debut and despite its title, I’m certain that it won’t see a shortage of acclaim…

Sound-Savvy rates Attention Deficit with 3.5 out of 5 platinum headphones.

Artist: Amerie
Album: In Love & War
Release Date: 11.03.09

Since she first stepped on the scene with her 2002 debut, a few things have been evident about Amerie: she loves drums, she has a round-the-way-girl approach, and she’s NOT a powerhouse vocalist. Still, her limited range has always served her well in delivering love songs and tales of the heartbreak. With her Def Jam debut however, she reached for a grungier, grittier sound, more raw and revealing. The result is not quite where it should be, a misshapen attempt at mixing alternative rock sounds with R&B. In Love & War suffers from a lack of depth, and with 3 projects already behind her (one overseas release), it's about time she dug a little deeper.

Similar to her previous releases, Amerie’s strength still lies in her percussion-heavy hip shakers like the tribal-inspired single Heard ‘Em All and the opening cut Tell Me You Love Me. The other highlights on the album are the songs that offer some contrast to Amerie’s vocals, including Trey Songz on the Mint-Condition sampled Pretty Brown and Fabolous’ verse on More Than Love. Higher evokes the rocker-side, very Kravitz-type sound and is a decent song, as is the standout ballad Different People.

On many of the offerings here, the production outshines the star. While the melodies and arrangements reach the intended effect, it’s the vocals and even the lyrical flow that fall short. Dear John is everything a ballad should be, but when Amerie’s vocals are added, the track seems to falter a bit. The same holds true on The Flowers – both songs are just missing the crucial element that makes a ballad – the pure emotion. Beyond all that, Amerie is far too deep in her career to still have such surface-level content. There’s no connection with the listener beyond the dance numbers.

The album is very hit-and-miss and even the hits are mediocre at best. Amerie’s new home at Def Jam have brought about a new sound that has great potential for her vocal style, but fall just short of making hit records. From the vivid album art, I expected to hear a more soulful and eclectic style – I was halfway satisfied. Eclectic style is present, soul and depth missed the bus, and Amerie’s In Love & War misses the mark…

Sound-Savvy rates In Love & War with 2.5 out of 5 platinum headphones.

Artist: Mario
Album: D.N.A.
Release Date: 10.12.09

The Good: The lead single was a good move: Break Up is the type of club record most R&B singers only dream of while its follow-up Thinkin’ About You re-introduces the more familiar Mario with a very clean, fresh sound and a thumping bass line. The rest of the music on D.N.A. pushes the listener further into the mind of the man Mario has become. There’s a mesh of emotion-ridden lyrics and soulful vocals in the ballads like Stranded, I Choose You and Soundtrack to My Broken Heart. The lyrics bear a great use of imagery and storytelling on I Miss My Friend and Before She Said Hi, both are very poetic. Starlight bears a very versatile sound, a sort of neo-disco feel as Mario plays the impatient yet reserved lover. On the flipside, Mario is at his wit’s end in an unhappy situation on Get Out which has more stressed undertones and an angry verse from Ludacris to help convey the story. Don’t Walk Away is another favorite, a power ballad delivered beautifully over a screaming guitar. The vocals are very raw and open on the closing track The Hardest Moment, and the emotions run deep in the lyrics.

The Ungood: There’s not much to dislike about this album. There were a few spots where I felt Mario sounded a bit restrained, like on Starlight. Though it’s a great track, I felt he held back a bit. There are moments where Mario's vocals get a bit whiny and nasally which can be annoying, but th

The Bottom Line: D.N.A. is a mature mix of R&B, hip-hop and soft pop records, but most importantly this album is his most honest and vulnerable to date, a true reflection of his inner being. The great thing about this album is that it's not dominated by the often-overpowering production by today's biggest producers. Outside of Break Up, the production here is very simple and gives way for Mario’s piercing vocals to take center stage and he delivers 100%. As it should, and as his other albums do, D.N.A. focuses on Mario’s mature vocals, toggling easily and intelligently between his warm lower tones and his rich falsetto. The content is mature and versatile and you can hear his growth as an artist and a man. The delivery on this album is excellent and the title is most appropriate. After listening to this album, Mario's DNA is pure music and love.

Sound-Savvy rates D.N.A. with 4 out of 5 platinum headphones.

The Good: Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is an album that is reflective of a lot of Mariah’s previous styles and sounds. Betcha Gon’ Know is a strong album starter, vengeful and inspired. Similarly, Standing O bears that confrontational feel to it and both songs remind me of the confidence that emerged on The Emancipation of Mimi. Angels Cry is definitely one of my favorites, with a vulnerability that takes me back to the Rainbow album; same goes for Languishing. The Dream does some really good work on H.A.T.E.U which sounds inspired by Fourth of July, from the Butterfly album. Inseparable is classic new-age Mariah (an oxymoron, I know) – it gives you a great vocal but its simple and not overpowered. For the more sensual side, The Impossible and its reprise are excellent songs (loving the Jodeci interpolation!), sans some of the corny lyrics. Best vocal on the record is undoubtedly the Foreigner cover I Wanna Know What Love Is, and Ms. Carey puts out an excellent rendition.

The Ungood: There are some parts of this album that sound totally uninspired and beneath Mariah’s caliber in terms of quality. Up Out My Face gets my vote for worst track on the album… reprise included. It just sounds rather juvenile, and even in her younger days, Mariah didn’t do any songs that bad lyrically. Ribbon and It’s a Wrap sound like filler tracks, really uninspired and lacking a good push.

The Bottom Line: Even after allowing this album to grow on me it doesn’t do what I expect a Mariah Carey album to do for me. It’s not a FAIL, but it doesn’t blow me away either. This is the first time since her 1993 Music Box album that Mariah’s done an album with no guest appearances, and maybe that's what the project is lacking - versatility. Her return to glory may have begun with Emancipation, but it lost a little more spark with each of the two albums that followed. I won't blame Nick, but Mariah sounded better when she was living through something to sing about...

Sound-Savvy rates Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel with 3 out of 5 platinum headphones.