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QUEEN LATIFAH "PERSONA"


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I had no idea it was dropping yesterday until yesterday. I'm gonna write my review soon. I was wondering if anyone else has gotten the album. It's not the Hip-Hop album we all wanted, but it's got 4 or so Hip-Hop joints on it. The rest of it is a mix of R-N-B and Mainstream Urban. I wish it was straight Hip-Hop but i'm still liking this alot.

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So overall, this album isn't what i wanted. I didn't expect her to come with another Black Reign. I expected some singing but the truth is there is only 4 straight Hip-Hop joints on the record. It's still a good album and it does reflect where she is in her career properly. This is definitely a grown Queen Latifah. If u ignore the last Flavor Unit album, her greatest hits album, and her 2 Jazz/Soul/Pop albums, this is her 1st urban studio album in 11 years. Much of the album is what i guess u would call mainstream Urban music. It's not straight R-N-B but it's not pop music.

"The Light" has Latifah hungry and spitting over a polished Hip-Hop record with a simple/sung chorus. I think this is a good opening record.

"Fast Car" has a progressive urban mainstream vibe. Latifah is singing with vocoder background vocals buried in the mix. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot has rap on the track. From 1996-2001 i LOVED Missy. Ever since then she's gotten more annoying, lyrically predictable, and artificially southern. I used to hold Missy as an up-and-comer to the ranks of Hip-Hop's female legends. It hasn't turned out that way...so why is she rapping on a Latifah joint when Latifah could do it better herself?

"Cue The Rain" is another urban mainstream track with dance-style synths and rock guitars. Latifah sings with a bunch of swagga on this track. It's not what i want from the Queen but the song has got some energy. It'll make u move.

"My Couch" is still keeping the record in the urban mainstream area with a rhythmic R-N-B feel.

"Take Me Away (With You)" is keeping the feel of the previous songs in tact. She still singing on a danceable rhythmic R-N-B track. This one features Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry. Latifah does manage to spit a short verse towards the end tho.'

"With You" evolves from the previous song and gets dancier with vocoder vocals.

"Hard To Love Ya" is a good record. It's got a modern radio-ready Hip-Hop beat. Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men is on the chorus. This is the perfect track for Latifah to spit on but she's singing. Busta Rhymes shows up for a love-based verse. This is one of my favorites on the record.

"What's The Plain" is a bland urban mainstream song. U can groove to it, but that's about it.

"Long @$$ Week" is Latifah getting back on track (finally). The modern polished Hip-Hop beat has Latifah spitting and not missing a beat. The song is about letting go and having fun after a long and stressful week. It's a feel good record. This is Hip-Hop growing up...i know it speaks 2 me.

"Runnin'" has the confusing mixture of dance-synths and and rock guitars. Latifah sounds really good singing on this with moments of her rap-singing as well. Not my flava, but i like this. The song is about a relationship where the loyalty to each other is ?uestioned.

"People" may be the best track on the record. The soulful R-N-B meets Hip-Hop track has Latifah spitting alongside Mary J. Blige on the hook. I love this song. Give us a video 2 this!! More grown-up Hip-Hop for the real heads. This is just dope.

"If He Wanna" is a reggae-tingled R-N-B joint. Latifah is singing sweetly with Serani on the hook. Simple, relaxing, and good...but not as good as "Weekend Love" off Black Reign.

"Over The Mountain" has the Queen explaining how this album was about her "spreading her wings" but that she's not a changed person other than growing. It's a essentially a gospel-message wrapped in a slow haunting Hip-Hop meets Soul track features guitars in the mix. I really like this one. Oh, and she is rapping on this one 2.

"The World" has her sing-rapping over a laid back grown Hip-Hop/R-N-B beat.

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The concept of the album was 2 mix all these 2gether....hence the title "Persona." U can also get that impression by looking at the album cover which features 5 Latifahs on different vibes. The fierce ghetto Latifah, the "I'm about to receive my Grammy Latifah, the strictly business Latifah, the housewife Latifah, and the rock chick Latifah. I haven't had time to really get in2 the lyrics. The truth is, alot of those urban mainstream tracks just don't keep my attention enough to even grab what they are about. In my opinion the best songs are the Hip-Hop joints and those are the songs where she sounds most at home (after all she didn't need to stretch for them) and the subject matter is the most clear and the lyrics the most creative. Those open to an experimental Latifah need to get the album. I also think that this album will really speak to females. When i make a copy of this for the car, it'll probably only have about half of the songs off of this album mixed with some of her most recent songs i liked from the past. Latifah really should do an official mixtape for those of us really wanting all Hip-Hop.

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This is a great review, I was starting to miss the albums reviews in this forum, great done. Ive been checking the songs out in the internet but Im still not sure to buy this album..

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Thanks for that review AJ, Queen Latifah's one of the last real artists left in hip hop

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I'm dying to get this album but it hasn't been released in Australia yet!:hissyfit: Hip-Hop really needed a hard hitting latifah on the mic to shine the light on the garbage thats out there right now and take real hip hop back.. I really think the only thing that can save hip-hop is a strong female emcee.. I'm disappointed this isn't the latifah album we needed, it sounds like theres not enough latifah in it.. Anyway still can't to wait to hear something new even if its more rnb than rap

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I really think the only thing that can save hip-hop is a strong female emcee..

There is no need to safe Hip Hop caus there are a lot of great albums coming out. Just caus they dont go Gold doesnt mean they are not good. And dude.. a female mc is the only hope? lol

Edited by Turntable
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