![Rip It [ Sugar Free ] : Tribute](https://marcellee.com/posts/125759.jpg)
The flavor here is a blend of “active” mandarin (orange) and “live wild” lime; one of the best fruits and one of the worst. An energy drink based on just the former could be a welcomed addition to the Rip It collection, though the taste would nonetheless be dampered by the overwhelming sting of carbonation. The concept is a Tribute to “our troops”. The brand is apparently a favorite in the US Army.
my rating : 3 of 5
The Strawberry topping, called “filling” on the ingredients list, contains only bits of the fruit. It’s basically strawberry jam, but it does its job. The best part is the French Style Cheesecake itself; the actual cream cheese; as is often the case. The Mousse label seems superfluous though; this is cheesecake in a cup; and there should be a hyphen between French Style.
my rating : 4 of 5
![Rip It [ Sugar Free ] : Power](https://marcellee.com/posts/125746.jpg)
The name suggests this Rip It would be appropriate to consume before a boxing match or weightlifting competition; any physical activity that relies on Power. According to the promo, it “packs the unique flavor of what we imagine a sonic boom tastes like”. In fact it tastes like a standard Energy drink.
my rating : 3 of 5
This is the Pure Zero; sugar free thus theoretically healthier; version of Rockstar Punched Fruit Punch. If there’s a difference in taste, it’s negligible if not undetectable. This too tastes like Hawaiian Punch or Tropical Punch Kool-Aid with carbonation.
my rating : 3 of 5
Is this “great new JT album” Everything I Thought It Was going to be? Basically yes. A decent; nowhere near great; soul croon set with perhaps a few good songs is what I’ve come to expect from Justin Timberlake and that’s exactly what this is. He’s still romancing the girls with declarations of Love; the conceptual crutch for his genre of choice; and calling up Timbaland to make beats. Listen for the producer’s inept vocal ad-libs.
The reason Justin Timberlake never reached; again nowhere near; the level of Michael Jackson; his most obvious comparison in regard to career trajectory; to my ears is that his songs just don’t pop. Never mind his lack of stylistic flair. All it would take to make this album good, maybe even “great”, are better melodies, specifically at the choruses where it matters. The best here in that regard include Conditions, No Angels and Selfish.
my rating : 3 of 5
2024
Even as a kid, I’ve always preferred my ice cream in a cup rather than a cone; despite the fact that you can’t eat the cup, at least not without getting what I assume would be a major bellyache. These Blue Bunny Twist Cones are no exception. The actual sugar cones taste okay enough, but they don’t mesh with the “frozen dairy dessert”, which, though I wish it were more Cheesecake than Strawberry, is pretty good.
my rating : 3 of 5
As far as main card schedules go, UFC 299 is better than 300. Both are exceptional, but the Zhang Weili title bout is a weak link and I looked forward to every fight on 299. They mostly deliver. Petr Yan starts it off on the good foot and ends his partly undeserved losing streak; he beat O’Malley; by defeating Song Yadong.
Jack Della Maddalena, though less dominant, comes off even more impressively with a Hail Mary knockout victory over Gilbert Burns. Kevin Holland versus Michael Page; the fight I anticipated the most beside the main event; ends up being a bit of a letdown as Holland loses handily not via knockout but decision.
The biggest winner of the night, aside from Donald Trump; the most popular attendee judging by crowd reaction; is Dustin Poirier. He knocks out tough guy Benoît Saint Denis in a hard-fought battle, proving he’s “still got it”. The biggest loser is Marlon Vera who’s simply outclassed by champion Sean O’Malley.
my rating : 4 of 5
2024
“It ain’t the kind of Movie where the leading man gets the girl,” George Clinton announces at the four-minute mark. It’s presented as a single ad-lib, but it should’ve been looped as the base of the chorus. The beat is funky, but the one thing missing from the song is a catchy hook. The “broadway” bit sounds nice, but it serves as more of a refrain.
my rating : 3 of 5
2002
Listen to Da Bumble. It’s one long verse and it showcases just how unique E-40 is when it comes to rapping. It’s not really a matter of substance. His ghetto gab isn’t particularly clever or witty. It’s how he says what he says; his flamboyant flow and slangy style; that makes it both funny and addictive.
E-40 is the dope boy, after all, providing street drugs to the masses. This album offers back-to-back fixes until about halfway when the quality suddenly drops, mostly due to weak hooks. That’s when you start to realize that, though better than his Federal debut, it would’ve been better as another EP.
my rating : 4 of 5
1995
Joe Cocker is no Friend of The Beatles. He took their song, revamped it and outclassed them to the point where they may as well stop performing it and pretend it was for him all along. Cocker’s version is both a melodic and sonic improvement thanks to the musically liberties taken not only by him but producer Denny Cordell. The two transform what was once a simple ditty into a soulful rock anthem.
my rating : 5 of 5
1968
There seems to be a conceptual conflict with this being both a “dance” anthem and music to blast in your car at “high speed”; it would be hard to do both at once; but the main issue is the deepening effect on the lead vocals. It’s an artistic decision that, on an official Michael Jackson song, borders blasphemy.
The cut; literally the missing title song cut from Tyrese’s newest album, oddly enough; starts in the middle (mediocre) lane but soon reaches “the next level” as Michael Jackson puts you in the groove. It’s his ad-libs during the peak that boost it. The beat, whether you’re driving or dancing to it, is also a banger.
my rating : 4 of 5
2001
This isn’t only better than the original Blueprint, it’s also Jay-Z’s best album. That’s not really saying much. The rapper is vastly overrated. There are nonetheless a surprising amount of good songs here; enough to fill a single album, which is what this should’ve been. Instead it’s 2 in one; The Gift And The Curse.
I prefer The Gift. That’s where most of the best songs are, including a sequel to Dr Dre’s Watcher that’s even better than the original. It starts with perhaps Jay-Z’s best verse as he outshines even “the great Rakim himself”. Poppin Tags and Excuse Me Miss; a club serenade “for the grown and sexy”; also shine.
The other set is a bit more Cursed with mediocrity; Some People Hate, he says of critics like me; but there is a U Don’t Know Remix that, like the aforementioned Watcher, improves on the original. The Blueprint 2 title song, on which Jay-Z takes more shots at rival Nas, and Meet The Parents are also worth a listen.
my rating : 4 of 5
2002