Malix Cox's first album Coming Of Age, recorded under the alias Memphis Bleek, inexplicably sold enough copies to earn the man a golden plaque to lean against his front door, keeping it open so as to let cool air in when the A/C breaks down (again). As the album itself was devoid of anything remotely resembling either a "good song" or a "radio hit" (at least, a "radio hit" that would earn spins anywhere outside the greater New York area), my theory is that everybody who bought the album naturally assumed that Roc-A-Fella bossman Shawn Carter (or Jay-Z, which is how his name is embroidered in his Underoos) ghost-wrote the entire album (not unlike his past work with Foxy Brown and Bugs Bunny), making Coming Of Age a brand new album from Hova.
Regardless of how the album managed to sell any copies, the fact remains that Bleek released his second disc, The Understanding, in 2000, one year after his debut. In predictable fashion, Memphis Bleek chose to give his audience more of the same, meaning that Malik recorded his interpretation (and, ultimately, his misunderstanding) of a Jay-Z solo album, with a mixture of street tales and club bangers (often employing similar producers and guest artists), with varied results.
The Understanding also sold enough copies to keep Bleek from having to accept that overnight position at Wal-Mart just to keep his lights on. Whether or not it actually deserved those sales remains to be seen.
Let's take a look, shall we?
1. INTRO - U KNOW BLEEK
"The album is here/Now who the fuck want it?" I realize that Bleek isn't actually asking who the fuck wants the album, but since that's what it sounds like in context, the answer is pretty simple, no?
2. DO MY... (FEAT JAY-Z)
Calm down, you two. Shawn only appears on the hook. The beat's attempt to become the next big club banger is thwarted by Bleek's rhyming: I've heard better line deliveries at high school play auditions.
3. I GET HIGH
Try to avoid the roads whenever Bleek is driving, if you can: he readily admits that he likes to light up while behind the wheel. Look past that, and you'll find a song that doesn't completely suck. T.T.'s instrumental was an added bonus.
4. WE GET LOW
The title may be the polar opposite of "I Get High", but Just Blaze's beat reminds me of "Do My...", and since that song only happened two fucking tracks ago, it's too soon to reminisce. And I would never like to see Memphis Bleek "get low" in either my own or your lifetime, thanks.
5. CHANGE UP (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL & JAY-Z)
I do appreciate the beat switches for each artist. Sigel tears his verse to shreds, and Bleek manages to sound like he knows how to rap. My favorite part of the track, predictably, is Shawn's false start, when he tricks everybody into thinking he's about to spit a verse, but then starts talking shit about the beat, which somehow immediately leads into...
6. MY MIND RIGHT (REMIX) (FEAT JAY-Z, BEANIE SIGEL, & H. MONEY BAGS)
Apparently the original version of this track was so popular (in New York, I'd bet: you would never hear this shit in Omaha or Ontario) that Bleek commissioned an all-star (relatively speaking) remix, and forgot that he had never actually released the original song commercially. However, I can understand Bleek's reasoning: if I had Jay-Z on one of my remixes, I wouldn't want to let loose the Carter-free version either. (Of course, including the remix on The Understanding means that Bleek's Nas potshots from the original never see the light of day. Hmmm...) Sadly, Hova's contribution lacks bite: dissing members of Ma$e's crew Harlem World, a group of folks that nobody every took seriously anyway, tends to do that to a person.
7. HUSTLERS (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL)
Bleek sounds like he's forcing each and every word out through clenched teeth while Sigel holds a gun to his head, advising him not to fuck up on the third song in a row with a Sigel feature (I know, that fact isn't lost on me, either). Sorry, Beanie, but your threat didn't seem to take.
8. ALL TYPES OF SHIT
The gimmick of this song starts to run on empty with the third fucking bar. And then Bleek continues to dig his own lyrical grave.
9. PYT (FEAT AMIL & JAY-Z)
Hey, kids, Amil is on here! Remember her? The first lady of Roc-A-Fella that was dropped quickly (and even subtly dissed by Jay-Z himself on his "The Ruler's Back")? Yeah, I had forgotten who she was, too. I would have preferred to hear Bleek cover fucking Michael Jackson than what we actually end up with, which is the mandatory ode to the "down ass bitch", a species that isn't that rare, but is prized like no other. Even Jay's hook sounds awful.
10. BOUNCE BITCH
Oh Lord, what have I done to deserve this shit? Is it because I recommended only a burn of Daily Operation?
11. THEY'LL NEVER PLAY ME
...on the radio? You're absolutely right, Bleek.
12. EVERYDAY (FEAT CARL THOMAS)
I can't remember anything about this song, not even Carl Thomas. I can't even confirm that Carl Thomas even appeared, that's how memorable this track is.
13. IS THAT YOUR CHICK (THE LOST VERSES) (FEAT MISSY ELLIOTT, JAY-Z, & TWISTA)
This is weird. International copies of Jay-Z's Vol. 3...The Life and Times Of S. Carter feature a Timbaland-produced track called "Is That Yo Bitch?", featuring Missy Elliott and Twista, that is almost exactly this song, albeit with a dirtier hook and no Bleek. For some unknown business reason (since anybody that really wanted to hear it could have found it online), Jigga decided to add it to Bleek's album, since the track was never released in the United States, and coerced Bleek to jump on for a couple of verses. The part that remains questionable is that Hova retained all three of his verses, so this still comes off as a Jay-Z track with special guests. For what it's worth, it's alright. It's not great Timbo production by any means, but it sounds more polished than "Is That Yo Bitch?", which helps. It is kind of fucked up that Bleek could brag about having a Timbaland track on his second album due to a technicality, though.
14. IN MY LIFE
Just Blaze samples fucking Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is". That, in itself, is ballsy for a rap song, and also incredibly fucking lame. Bleek's serious rhymes aren't that bad, actually: I would prefer to listen to this guy rap, versus the dude that appeared on the thirteen previous tracks. But the sample selection is far too hilarious for this song to make an impact.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The Understanding is more of the same, indeed. In his attempt to recreate a Jay-Z album (with Shawn's assistance on a few tracks), he proves that he doesn't have the spark to appeal to Hova's audience. (I just referred to the same guy with three different names in a single sentence: impressive, right?) I'm not entirely convinced that Bleek ever truly "earned" his record deal: Malik probably has incriminating photos of Shawn tangled up with some unknown, embarrassing rapper, locked away in a safe deposit box at First National Bank. The Understanding, as it stands, is a disjointed collection of songs that ultimately sound too similar to appeal to, well, anybody.
BUY OR BURN? It's okay, you shouldn't feel guilty about not giving this disc a second glance while you're shopping. It's not very good anyway: purchasing it would only bring shame upon your family.
BEST TRACKS: "Change Up"; "Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses)"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Memphis Bleek - Coming Of Age
Regardless of how the album managed to sell any copies, the fact remains that Bleek released his second disc, The Understanding, in 2000, one year after his debut. In predictable fashion, Memphis Bleek chose to give his audience more of the same, meaning that Malik recorded his interpretation (and, ultimately, his misunderstanding) of a Jay-Z solo album, with a mixture of street tales and club bangers (often employing similar producers and guest artists), with varied results.
The Understanding also sold enough copies to keep Bleek from having to accept that overnight position at Wal-Mart just to keep his lights on. Whether or not it actually deserved those sales remains to be seen.
Let's take a look, shall we?
1. INTRO - U KNOW BLEEK
"The album is here/Now who the fuck want it?" I realize that Bleek isn't actually asking who the fuck wants the album, but since that's what it sounds like in context, the answer is pretty simple, no?
2. DO MY... (FEAT JAY-Z)
Calm down, you two. Shawn only appears on the hook. The beat's attempt to become the next big club banger is thwarted by Bleek's rhyming: I've heard better line deliveries at high school play auditions.
3. I GET HIGH
Try to avoid the roads whenever Bleek is driving, if you can: he readily admits that he likes to light up while behind the wheel. Look past that, and you'll find a song that doesn't completely suck. T.T.'s instrumental was an added bonus.
4. WE GET LOW
The title may be the polar opposite of "I Get High", but Just Blaze's beat reminds me of "Do My...", and since that song only happened two fucking tracks ago, it's too soon to reminisce. And I would never like to see Memphis Bleek "get low" in either my own or your lifetime, thanks.
5. CHANGE UP (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL & JAY-Z)
I do appreciate the beat switches for each artist. Sigel tears his verse to shreds, and Bleek manages to sound like he knows how to rap. My favorite part of the track, predictably, is Shawn's false start, when he tricks everybody into thinking he's about to spit a verse, but then starts talking shit about the beat, which somehow immediately leads into...
6. MY MIND RIGHT (REMIX) (FEAT JAY-Z, BEANIE SIGEL, & H. MONEY BAGS)
Apparently the original version of this track was so popular (in New York, I'd bet: you would never hear this shit in Omaha or Ontario) that Bleek commissioned an all-star (relatively speaking) remix, and forgot that he had never actually released the original song commercially. However, I can understand Bleek's reasoning: if I had Jay-Z on one of my remixes, I wouldn't want to let loose the Carter-free version either. (Of course, including the remix on The Understanding means that Bleek's Nas potshots from the original never see the light of day. Hmmm...) Sadly, Hova's contribution lacks bite: dissing members of Ma$e's crew Harlem World, a group of folks that nobody every took seriously anyway, tends to do that to a person.
7. HUSTLERS (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL)
Bleek sounds like he's forcing each and every word out through clenched teeth while Sigel holds a gun to his head, advising him not to fuck up on the third song in a row with a Sigel feature (I know, that fact isn't lost on me, either). Sorry, Beanie, but your threat didn't seem to take.
8. ALL TYPES OF SHIT
The gimmick of this song starts to run on empty with the third fucking bar. And then Bleek continues to dig his own lyrical grave.
9. PYT (FEAT AMIL & JAY-Z)
Hey, kids, Amil is on here! Remember her? The first lady of Roc-A-Fella that was dropped quickly (and even subtly dissed by Jay-Z himself on his "The Ruler's Back")? Yeah, I had forgotten who she was, too. I would have preferred to hear Bleek cover fucking Michael Jackson than what we actually end up with, which is the mandatory ode to the "down ass bitch", a species that isn't that rare, but is prized like no other. Even Jay's hook sounds awful.
10. BOUNCE BITCH
Oh Lord, what have I done to deserve this shit? Is it because I recommended only a burn of Daily Operation?
11. THEY'LL NEVER PLAY ME
...on the radio? You're absolutely right, Bleek.
12. EVERYDAY (FEAT CARL THOMAS)
I can't remember anything about this song, not even Carl Thomas. I can't even confirm that Carl Thomas even appeared, that's how memorable this track is.
13. IS THAT YOUR CHICK (THE LOST VERSES) (FEAT MISSY ELLIOTT, JAY-Z, & TWISTA)
This is weird. International copies of Jay-Z's Vol. 3...The Life and Times Of S. Carter feature a Timbaland-produced track called "Is That Yo Bitch?", featuring Missy Elliott and Twista, that is almost exactly this song, albeit with a dirtier hook and no Bleek. For some unknown business reason (since anybody that really wanted to hear it could have found it online), Jigga decided to add it to Bleek's album, since the track was never released in the United States, and coerced Bleek to jump on for a couple of verses. The part that remains questionable is that Hova retained all three of his verses, so this still comes off as a Jay-Z track with special guests. For what it's worth, it's alright. It's not great Timbo production by any means, but it sounds more polished than "Is That Yo Bitch?", which helps. It is kind of fucked up that Bleek could brag about having a Timbaland track on his second album due to a technicality, though.
14. IN MY LIFE
Just Blaze samples fucking Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is". That, in itself, is ballsy for a rap song, and also incredibly fucking lame. Bleek's serious rhymes aren't that bad, actually: I would prefer to listen to this guy rap, versus the dude that appeared on the thirteen previous tracks. But the sample selection is far too hilarious for this song to make an impact.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The Understanding is more of the same, indeed. In his attempt to recreate a Jay-Z album (with Shawn's assistance on a few tracks), he proves that he doesn't have the spark to appeal to Hova's audience. (I just referred to the same guy with three different names in a single sentence: impressive, right?) I'm not entirely convinced that Bleek ever truly "earned" his record deal: Malik probably has incriminating photos of Shawn tangled up with some unknown, embarrassing rapper, locked away in a safe deposit box at First National Bank. The Understanding, as it stands, is a disjointed collection of songs that ultimately sound too similar to appeal to, well, anybody.
BUY OR BURN? It's okay, you shouldn't feel guilty about not giving this disc a second glance while you're shopping. It's not very good anyway: purchasing it would only bring shame upon your family.
BEST TRACKS: "Change Up"; "Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses)"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Memphis Bleek - Coming Of Age
too funny
ReplyDeleteand sounds like you heared your impressive Beanie verse