Category: reviews

audio review : Take A Look Around ( album ) … Masta Ace

audio review : Take A Look Around ( album ) ... Masta Ace

He’s just talking on the title cut, but Master Ace is a good rapper with a knack for composing clever rhymes and thinking-up interesting concepts. Me And The Biz, for example, is a mock duet with Biz Markie, while The Other Side Of Town has Ace coming from the perspective of a hungry bum. “I’ll never get ahead; my raps have a better chance,” his character laments, “I’m living on Wonder Bread with holes in my leather pants.”

The underlining message here seems to be a socially conscious one. What you’re supposed to Take A Look Around at is the state of affairs happening in the ghettos of New York. But Ace also brags about his skills and chases young ladies; Letter To The Better and Postin High, respectively. The beats are provided by Marley Marl and Mister Cee, who bring with them a crateful of funk/soul records from the 1960s and 1970s.

my rating : 4 of 5

1990

audio review : Don’t Judge Me ( song ) … Janelle Monáe

She means only God should judge her, not the man she “sin” lust with. They’re at a beach somewhere. If it’s not Paradise, it feels like it. This slow jam, easily one of Janelle Monáe’s best grooves, conjures the vibes of 1970s soul music. Listen for sultry strings on the bridge.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018

audio review : Dirty Computer ( album ) … Janelle Monáe

audio review : Destination ( EP ) … Ruck P

audio review : Destination ( EP ) ... Ruck P

Going by the cover photo, the Destination is Silver Lake; a neighborhood in LA. Ruck P is the driver, the windows are down and what a breezy affair it is. This is summer evening groove music, a fusion of Chillhop jazz souled over elements of rhythm and blues.

The glaring flaw is that there’s a vocal song on this EP, which, aside from a few samples mixed in for fun during the second half, is otherwise vocalless. It’s a pleasant song; they all are; but its inclusion, especially at a seemingly random number two, doesn’t sit right with me.

I would’ve limited the playlist to Destination, Le Voyage Du Coeur and 3UO, probably in that order, consequently making the set even more succinct than it already is. But I’m a nitpicker when it comes to reviews. The average passenger should be able to just enjoy the ride.

my rating : 4 of 5

2018

video review : Anderson Silva versus Derek Brunson at UFC 208

video review : Anderson Silva versus Derek Brunson at UFC 208

The winner of this fight could’ve gone either way, but I’m glad Silva gets it. That’s as a fan, though, at 41, “old” age seems to be catching up to him. He scores some solid jabs and kicks; most impressive is his sprawling takedown defense, which seems better than ever; but takes face punches in the clinch and completely misses a flying knee.

Brunson doesn’t do any better, though the commentators seem to think it’s a clear win for him. The knockout artist seems hesitant here as he runs from and idly watches The Spider when he should be trying to squish him. He finally gets a proper takedown in the final round, but by then he’s tired and isn’t able to do anything significant with it.

my rating : 3 of 5

2017

video review : Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen at UFC 148

video review : Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen at UFC 148

Chael Sonnen gives it his all, taking Anderson Silva down just seconds into the first round and keeping him there till the end; a flashback from their first fight. The effort seems to harm him more than his opponent though as Sonnen begins to show signs of fatigue and desperation when he can’t repeat his success in Round 2, which the champion is quick to take advantage of.

Silva isn’t fighting fair here; he rubs Vaseline on his arms/chest before it begins and blatantly holds onto Sonnen’s shorts until the referee tells him to stop; but a knee to Sonnen’s chest, the result of a failed spinning elbow Silva skillfully dodges, only looks illegal at first glance. It’s a classic Silva finish from there, fair and square. No need for miracle triangles this time.

my rating : 4 of 5

2012

video review : Orange Is The New Black [ Season 6 ]

video review : Orange Is The New Black [ Season 6 ]

They say the worst part of serving a lengthy prison sentence is the beginning. The same goes for this sixth season of Orange Is The New Black. The first episode is bad, especially during an annoying hallucination bit that takes place within its first few minutes, but things get better from there. The series is treading toilet water, but it’s a soap opera that’s at least interesting enough to keep watching. If you can tolerate the two worst main characters, Suzanne and Piper still; Lolly is back too but just for cameos; it settles into a decent, albeit hit-and-miss, balance of comedy and drama.

Then there’s the end, which comes as a surprise. Not in the sense that anything particularly surprising happens in relation to the build-up but that it doesn’t. To be clear, this season ends the way the whole series should end. To continue the story further, considering the way it began from Piper’s perspective as a middle-class white woman trying to adjust to a new life in prison, turns it into some kind of extended epilogue, which throws the concept off balance. Forget trying to tie loose ends. The final words here are, “So what are you gonna do now?” The answer should be left to our imaginations.

my rating : 3 of 5

2018

video review : Orange Is The New Black [ Season 7 ]

audio review : We Come Strapped ( album ) … MC Eiht

audio review : We Come Strapped ( album ) ... MC Eiht

MC Eiht and his CMW boys Come Strapped with guns because they’re murderous criminals, but you don’t have to be the local police to figure that out. You need only listen to the album’s introduction; Niggaz That Kill. First victim? Local rival DJ Quik, who finds himself the target of a third Def Wish diss.

The crew isn’t too thuggish for pretty orchestral synths though, which is where the beats come into play. This is ghetto gangsta music, produced mostly by DJ Slip, with a touch of classical elegance. That gives the set a laid-back jazz kind of feel, even as you play it to drive-by shoot people to.

my rating : 4 of 5

1994

audio review : Dazamataz ( album ) … Daz Dillinger

audio review : Dazamataz ( album ) ... Daz Dillinger

This is west coast (California) gangsta music from the opening synth to the final snare. What else do you expect from Dat Nigga Daz? He’s been making music since the 1990s and his style has remained the same ever since. That means the thirty songs presented here; there are no separate interludes or skits; sound like a throwback to a time when double CDs were a thing.

While also nothing new, I appreciate the way outside clips of people talking are interpolated into certain songs; Gang Streetz is a highlight; for artistic effect. Dillinger is a mediocre rapper though; the best verse on the album is probably the Violation feature by partner Kurupt; and the hooks are banal, so you’d have to zone in on the go-hard beats to fully enjoy this album.

my rating : 3 of 5

2018

audio review : Midnight Marauders ( album ) … A Tribe Called Quest

audio review : Midnight Marauders ( album ) ... A Tribe Called Quest

You’re supposed to play these songs at night, as per an interluded “program” the album would be better without, but Midday Marauders would be just as appropriate. That means, while some music sounds fundamentally nocturnal, the rugged beats presented here are comparatively timeless. They’re also the best parts of the set. The worst are the hooks.

The last two songs, which are virtual bonus tracks since the album officially “concludes” before them, serve as prime examples. The chorus on Lyrics To Go is just the title said repeatedly, which is artistically lame. God Lives Through; not to be confused with Oh My God, though that latter phrase can be heard throughout; is just as unimaginative at the breaks.

my rating : 3 of 5

1993

Publix Premium Peanut Butter Pie Ice Cream

Publix Premium Peanut Butter Pie Ice Cream

The problem with this ice cream; a Limited Edition Publix Premium; is that it doesn’t really taste like Peanut Butter. Perhaps the Pie bit should’ve clued me in. The taste is inundated with milk chocolate and an unfamiliar slightly off-putting cookie ribbon flavor that, based on the description on the carton, seems to have originated on Michigan’s Mackinac Island.

my rating : 3 of 5

Hot And Spicy Cinnamon Oreo cookies

Hot And Spicy Cinnamon Oreo cookies

The words “Hot” and “Spicy” are a major turn-off for me when it comes to food, especially snacks, but these Oreos; “real” cocoa cookies filled with “artificial” cinnamon candy flavor creme, taste better than expected. They’re not good; imagine normal Oreos with a mild hint of Hot Tamales; but okay enough to eat more than a few at a time.

my rating : 3 of 5