The Heat
Music Review
Signature Ratings
0- What the hell
1- Borrow don't buy
2- Well...a couple of joints
3- Worth a listen
4- Off the hook
5- Buy it or die
Little Brother - Get Back
By: The MFn Rapture
From the first staggering track “Sirens” on the new LB LP, “GetBack”, you know you’re in for something special. With the former second-fiddle, Rapper Big Pooh, showing more growth than some icons do in their entire catalogs with his first verse on the album, you may think it can only go downhill from there. Fans of the NC-based duo (once trio, before the lead MCs split with longtime producer 9th Wonder) will definitely hear the difference here sonically, but as wordsmith Phonte reminds us an in intro, “that’s the point”. Their one collab with 9th is
the playful-sounding cut “Breaking’ My Heart” which finds Tay and Poobie matching verses with none other than Lil’ Wayne, where the three spit about cheating hearts, theirs and those of the opposite sex. Speaking of which, the fells were not afraid to switch gears to address the fairer sex and joints like “Step It Up” where Te’ exposes one of single guys’ weakest weapons (the tendency to ask females over and offer their therapeutic services: “Baby, do ya want a massage?”) With their feel good first single “Good Clothes” and incredible tracks like the aforementioned opener, and the heavy “Dreams” where the guys express their frustrations at their status in the industry, the perseverance, integrity, vulnerability, and all out honesty of Little Brother is only one of the things that make Getback worth your purchase.
4½ Signatures
M.A.D.E - Scarface
By: The MF'n Rapture
Where do I begin with this one? Scarface, legendary since Houston gangsta rap pioneers The Geto Boys first dropped, simply gets better and better with each release. Iin true gangsta fashion, after putting in incredible, undeniable work in the game, he has finally become MADE. Departing thematically from his 5th classic, 2002's The Fix, Face gets back to his Texas hardcore roots on this one, with stand-up G anthem "Never" setting off this 12 track epic brilliantly, and never looks back. He touches on the fairer sex, with hard-hitting and sometime hilarious results on tracks like "Girl You Know" feat. Trey Songz, and "Go", expounding on topics like why men tend to stray in long term relationships, and why guys stick to single status instead of settling down. The instrumentation featured is top-notch with producers Mike Dean, Nottz, and N.O. Joe handling a bulk of the tracks.
Of course, this wouldn't be a complete FaceMob experience without the icon delving into the darker side of his psyche, wondering aloud "Who Do You Believe In" and the incredibly eerie and powerful "The Suicide Note", depicting the scene of a departed friend taking his own life. Though not as progressive conceptually as The Fix, Made is a near classic that will boost the status of any hip-hop lover's collection.
4 Signatures
Nathalie Nahai - Nathalie Nahai
By: Carolina Jones
Nathalie Nahai’s debut album is a jumble of good folk melodies. It’s very impressive for a debut effort. Nathalie’s voice is warm and rich as it caresses lyrics of love and loss. If I hadn’t read her bio, I would have sworn that this is a country album. Guitar and woman form an formidable duo. Stand out tracks are ‘Walking Wounded’, ‘Somebody’ and ‘Harder to Break’. Thankfully she breaks the sad pace with a couple upbeat songs like ‘Here Tonight’ and ‘Prophecy’. All-together nicely done.
3 Signatures
TOP
My Life on Paper - T-Wrex
By: The MF'n Rapture 
As one of the legendary Arlington based 3 Alarm crew, T-Wrex has been making noise on the DFW hip-hop for scene, for a long time. With “My Life on Paper”, Wrex keeps the tradition alive with fresh production and a caliber of lyricism that’s been rare in the mainstream. With a nimble flow, and topics that span from rocking the mic to his own relevance and struggles in the rap game, T-Wrex has made a joint that deserves knocking.
Lyrically, T-Wrex is able to rip with the above-average MC easily. The general content is Swall Will’s clever punch lines themed to create one large, detailed picture. His vocal tone, though not monotone, is somewhat flat, but not at all detracting from his mic control, giving us a mean delivery, despite sounding a little detached from the content. Conceptually is where Wrex excels, with songs covering the trials and tribulations of chasing your dreams, while still chained to an Everyman’s existence. One of the LP’s themes is Wrex’s transformation to SmallWill, which lends the album cohesiveness while the tracks, mostly produced by DJ Spinn and N-Hance are a little dated, but give the album a more wide-ranging, well-rounded feel. Tracks like Pristine” featuring 3 Alarm cohort Devine is a certified crowd pleaser with the two ripping over a party-vibed Spinn track, while Food for Thought is a more mellowed-out meditation. The album’s high point is without a doubt “Tasha’s Way Out” where over a sweeping track, Will paints a vivid picture of the complex struggle facing single Black women living in the slums of African American communities. Overall, SmallWill or T-Wrex, whichever he may be is definitely an artist to be reckoned with, and My Life On paper is a solid release worth your paper.
4 Signatures
TOP
Rande Johnson presents...Pestalance - Pestalance
(Yeah, I Know it’s Spelled Wrong)
By: The MF’n Rapture
Rande’ Johnson A.K.A Pestalance has an agenda. He wants to be known as one of the elites. This album won’t exactly prove his case, but he’s definitely a long way down the right path. Pest’s refreshingly non-cliched approach to his material is easily the high point of this body of work. There is undoubtedly an exuberance to his lyricism and production that is lacking in today’s “swagger”- fueled scene. The spirit of the album is pure hip-hop, which Johnson delivers in abundance. Pestalance handles the bulk of the production, with a few guest tracks featuring Original Soul and Yung Rey on the boards. The standout here is the posse cut “Music Is’ where over a brisk Soul track, Pest, Soul, Loaded, and Joulz Il go in and gives their individual perspectives on what music means to them.
The spirit of the album is pure hip-hop, which Pestalance delivers in abundance. “Two Loves” describes the love he has for hip-hop and the love he has for his wife in a truly touching tribute. “Toe Tags” is Pest portraying a lost soul telling the story of his untimely demise. Unfortunately, despite his energy, he’s often hindered by a tendancy to rush his tightly wound rhymes, often resulting a somewhat disjointed flow. The quality of the production while a bit dated at times is actually impressive, but it would be a bit difficult to tell, as the beats seem to be muffled beneath Pest’s vocals, which at times are a bit cloudy themselves. This is definitely not an album for today’s microwave “rap” fan, but if you’re hungry for a throwback to the glory days, when MCs actually spit like they had something to prove, then Rande’s poor spelling shouldn’t deter you from picking up his well-crafted debut.
3½ Signatures
TOP
Graduation - Kanye West
By: Breeze Jackson
The opening track is called Good Morning and the moment you hear it you know you are about to witness a classic. This album simply makes a statement and that statement is “Hello world I am here to give you a break from the endless nightmare of garbage being called music.” The introduction is amazing and from there you can hear a polished and lyrically focused Kanye spitting over each track. Listening to the songs it seems as if they were first concepts that he developed and from there constructed music to express those ideas. He isn’t just making a beat and trying to write words that rhyme, this in itself shows growth as an artist. This is an art that is almost lost in Hip Hop. There is also a global appeal to the album that is not only limited to the songs but the album cover as well. Takashi Murakami designed the cover is an artist from Japan who is known as the modern day Andy Warhol. He is better known here in the states for designing the most copied Louis Vuitton handbag of all time.
Mr. West also does something that Hip Hop normally only saves for fallen soldiers, he gives credit to the person he feels shaped his career and gave him a start. The song Big Brother gives you insight into the personal friendship of West and “The Soprano of the Roc” Jay-Z. The only dull spot in the album for me was Flashlight but that was not because it was a bad song, it just didn’t appeal to me. This is Mr. West most focused and inspirational offering thus far, he shows growth and the ability to draw from personal experiences to make something special for us all. The only bad thing about Graduation is the wait until he gives us Grad School.
5 Signatures
TOP
Curtis - 50 Cent
By: Breeze Jackson 
I am one of the few cats that really enjoy 50 Cent. He has an incredible ability to make something out of nothing. But if he can make something out of Curtis he is not a rapper he is a God. The best thing to say simply is there is absolutely no growth on Curtis at all. This could have been one of the many mix tapes he used to become popular. The one thing he has always been known as is a hustler. That may be his downfall, 50 no longer makes his bread and butter from rap music. He has branched out so much there is a good chance that theses may be the songs that got left on the cutting room floor of Get Rich or Die Trying. Again I am a fan of 50 Cent, he has made some classic songs that will always be part of the hip hop landscape. From the well known In the Club or 21 Questions to the lesser known How to Rob or Get Down. Now one thing that does not disappoint on Curtis is the production, he has an ear for finding the sickest beats. But as an offering I feel that he is a better MC than this. I regret to say this but if you do buy Curtis do yourself a favor and get it from the dude at the car wash.
2 Signatures
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