The Razz bit is a snazzy abbreviation for Raspberry and the flavor of this energy drink, which contains a whopping 300 milligrams of caffeine hence the Bang, is indeed akin to the fruit. That isn’t a good thing though as raspberries are one of the worst fruits when it comes to taste.
my rating : 2 of 5
These Mandarins are marketed as “sweet, juicy and easy to peel” and that’s all true. You’d be hard pressed to find a better tasting and more convenient fresh fruit to eat. You’ll need a garbage can or disposal unless you like to literally eat Peelz, which means they’d be even better if they were ready to eat; pre-peeled and cupped.
my rating : 4 of 5
The Ruler’s Back, but is he really? This Slick Rick album, produced entirely by Vance Wright with the exception of an incongruous club coda by Mr Lee, is mostly underwhelming. The constant scratch samples, on every song, give the set a monotonous tone. The highlights; all stories about dating girls; include Runaway, Venus and Mistakes Of A Woman In Love With Other Men.
my rating : 3 of 5
1991
Lucinda Williams may, at almost 70 years old, technically be a deplorable singer; she sounds like a homeless drunkard; but that’s just what a song like this needs. It’s the main theme from Lost Girls; a Netflix movie about the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert. Williams takes on the role of Amy Ryan as Mari Gilbert; Shannon’s mother.
“I’ll look for you on every corner and every street I look down,” she laments, “I will never give up hoping that one day you will be found.” It’s a sad and solemn affair, but, despite her weary disposition and singing voice, the main vocal melody stands strong. The song is especially poignant considering it’s based on a true (crime) story.
my rating : 4 of 5
2020
This is the sequel to Doggystyle; Snoop Dogg’s first and best album. If the titles seem out of order; it’s more appropriate to start with the standard Missionary position before hitting it from the back; perhaps it’s a fitting metaphor. It’s 30 years later, the rapper reminds us; it’s actually 31, so the album comes a year late; and he’s not the pup he used to be. Ain’t No Fun these days without a tab of Viagra. At one point, he’s complaining about his cataracts.
Not that anyone can see thru the clouds of weed and gun Smoke; the latter of which inspires a song with 50 Cent and Eminem; the latter of which once made an inferior sequel of his own. Part of the problem with The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was the absence of Dr Dre. Snoop avoids that mistake by inviting the legendary beatmaker to produce every song here, though the abundance of co-producers suggests he’s become more of a musical figurehead.
Those beats are the best thing here, but that’s not saying much. Long gone are the banger basslines of the G-funk era. The production here is polished and contemporary; routine sex with your wife while longing for those “bitches in the living room getting it on”. The biggest turnoff though is the breaks, where the music too often changes for the worse in order to accommodate a limp chorus. Minor highlights include Pressure and The Negotiator.
my rating : 3 of 5
2024
You wouldn’t know from the title, but this is a sequel to The Shining. Both movies, based on Stephen King horror novels, are stupid, but this one is worse. The underlying concepts of telepathy and ghosts, which allow supernatural “magic” to happen seemingly at random, make for a plot that’s both silly and confusing.
my rating : 1 of 5
2019
Fans expecting a cover of the Elvis Presley song; the only other popular song with the title; are in for a pleasant surprise. Before you can grab the doorknob; it’s actually one of those fancy handles; you’re greeted by a bellboy who offers to carry your luggage.
Michael Jackson’s Heartbreak Hotel is indeed more extravagant and much better than Presley’s, though it’s more like a prison. “Every smile’s trial thought in beguile to hurt me,” the singer laments, “The man next door… he’s been here in tears for fifteen years.”
my rating : 5 of 5
1980
You can hear Scarface doing backing vocals, but, despite being the best song on the Resurrection album, this isn’t really a Geto Boys song. It’s Willie D featuring the Menace Clan and the concept has to do with that old idiom of the Blind Leading The Blind. Where to? This poignant hood anthem never explicitly says, but the implication is poverty and death.
my rating : 4 of 5
1996
Xiaocan Feng is prettier, but the most beautiful moment of this Road To UFC finale comes at the end when Ming Shi; Doctor Sleep; lands a “massive” head kick à la Valentina Shevchenko versus Jessica Eye. It knocks her opponent out cold to the point where Feng is carried out of the Octagon to the hospital on a stretcher. Brutal.
my rating : 3 of 5
2024
I don’t know when this song was made; it wasn’t released until Ice Cube’s Man Down album; but it should’ve been put out in 2021 shortly after, speaking of releases, J-Dee of Da Lench Mob’s 20-something-year prison stint. That’s what it’s all about; Cube sets the scene with his opening monologue; and it’s a (gang) banger.
my rating : 4 of 5
2024
The title could just as well refer to Ice Cube himself. What made the rapper standout in the late 1980s and early 1990s was his brute insolence and racial/political indignations. This album includes hints of both, but the richer calmer Man he’s long since matured into just isn’t as interesting.
The best songs include the J-Dee reunion; Facts about Dee’s 20-something-year prison stint; and 3 Lil Piggies. Rollin At Twilight, at the beginning where it is, with its odd vocal breaks, comes across as a tacked-on demo. Cube should’ve omitted it to start and end the set with Ego trips.
my rating : 3 of 5
2024
It’s awkward to begin your album with a guest verse. It’s also off-putting to start it with trite samples and interpolations. Luckily for Mary J Blige, rather the longtime fans she apparently dedicated this album to in a show of Gratitude, things get more original and less irksome (better) from there. Groovy highlights include Beautiful People, Can’t Wait For You and Don’t Fuck Up.
my rating : 3 of 5
2024