Tag: music

Stevie Wonder or Prince : Who has better songs?

Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince have always been the top artists that come to mind when I think of (pop/soul) music icons. Determining who has the best songs between the three is for me a no-brainer. Michael Jackson is number one. He’s my favorite singer and songer. A vote between Stevie Wonder and Prince isn’t quite as easy.

Still it’s not hard. Both have some great songs, a lot of good songs, plenty of mediocre ones and barely any bad ones, but Stevie wins out. All songs considered, he simply has more great/good ones; mostly due to his Wonderful vocal melodies. The verses on I Just Called To Say I Love You, for example, rank among the best I’ve ever heard.

That his verses sometimes outshine his choruses; Queen In The Black is another example; when it should be the other way around puts Prince closer behind him than he otherwise would’ve been. Prince’s best songs are from the 1980s; Purple Rain being his obvious magnum opus. His more recent highlights include Sticky Like Glue and 1000 Xs And Os.

my vote : Stevie Wonder

audio review : Taste Of Chocolate ( album ) … Big Daddy Kane

audio review : Taste Of Chocolate ( album ) ... Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy starts the new (1990) decade with a Taste Of Chocolate; his third album in as many years. It’s Hard Being The Kane, he claims, as if having “girls in more areas than a Sky Pager” is a lifestyle most guys can sympathize with. Mr Pitiful is his response to Biz Markie’s Vapors.

The raps are smooth, often clever and occasionally brilliant. At one point he speaks of a kid who “smelled like he washed in Oil Of Oh Shit.” The beats are funky. The songs falter mainly at the breaks where, for some unknown reason, guest Barry White never actually sings.

my rating : 3 of 5

1990

audio review : Looks Like A Job For ( album ) … Big Daddy Kane

audio review : Looks Like A Job For ( album ) ... Big Daddy Kane

The Prince Of Darkness seduced the ladies on his previous album. This one is for waxing the ass of competitive rappers. “I’m making the nonbelievers believe what I’m dishing up,” he proclaims, sometimes straddling the line between clever and corny, “and people that’s still fans will be air conditioners.”

The best songs are the first two and last two, or last two before the Nuff Respect bonus Remix, along with the sole romancer; a Very Special duet with Salt N Pepa’s DJ Spinderella. Stop Shammin, the beat of which is produced by Easy Mo Bee, is another highlight, though the breaks get clamored with noisy samples.

my rating : 3 of 5

1993

audio review : TP3 [ Reloaded ] … R Kelly

audio review : TP3 [ Reloaded ] ... R Kelly

TP doesn’t really stand for 12 Play anymore. The charm of the original album is that there are only 12 songs. This one has 19, or 15 if you don’t count the Trapped In The Closet sequels. The inclusion of five Chapters instead of limiting it to one song, or perhaps hiding the set as bonus tracks, makes for an incredibly awkward playlist.

After being Saved by Jesus and doing a club dance called the backslide, R Kelly is nonetheless Reloaded. He’s Kickin It With Your Girlfriend, Touchin on her body, about to Hit It Til The Mornin. This is the worst TP in the trilogy, thanks in part to that messy Closet, but at least it sticks to raunchy romance, which fits the theme.

my rating : 3 of 5

2005