Yonkers rapper closes his trilogy with "The Last Kiss"
Shomari Smith
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Lifestyle
Yonkers rapper Jadakiss has been in the music business for over a decade. He is a member of the group The LOX, which got its start on P. Diddy's Bad Boy Entertainment. Since then, he has done records with hip hop greats such as The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and DMX as well as many others. He has two major label releases and currently is signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. His third offering, "The Last Kiss," is a closing to the trilogy of albums with the word "kiss" in the title.
Jadakiss is known for making hits that speak to true hip hop heads. So far, he has released singles "By My Side" featuring Ne-Yo, a club track and "Letter to B.I.G.," which was also the lead single for the "Notorious" movie soundtrack. His current single, "Can't Stop Me," is gaining a lot of radio play and peaked at number 78 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks.
The album opens with the triumphant sounds of "Pain and Torture," where he speaks about how he is better than the majority of the rappers in the business and aims to bring back the need for lyrical skill, boasting that he is "the author of slick talk, pain and torture." Another song that has the makings of a strong club single is "Who's Real," featuring Swizz Beats and O.J. Da Juiceman. They talk about having no love for the fake people in the world. The production by Swizz Beats makes this track very easy to listen to. For the song "Grind Hard," Jadakiss enlisted the help of fellow Yonkers native and R&B legend, Mary J. Blige. This song pushes the message of motivation as Kiss is stating that no one grinds like he does.
No Jadakiss album would be complete without the kind of tracks that make the listener think. The song "What If," featuring Nas, is made up of a bunch of "what if" questions about things that have happened and ponders what if something about those situations was different. Another song is "Smoking Gun" featuring Jazmine Sullivan, which is inspired by a woman who was disrespected and violated by men in her life. In the song, Jadakiss offers to come with a gun to take out all who've hurt her.
This album was well put together, but the only problem is the production. In some songs the lyrics are great, but the production is hit or miss depending on what the listener likes. The album sounds a bit amateur at times because some of the producers chosen are up and coming. Otherwise, this album is nothing short of great. Jadakiss never disappoints with his lyrical ability and is looking to set the bar higher for other rappers. True New York hip hop is back with "The Last Kiss."
Jadakiss is known for making hits that speak to true hip hop heads. So far, he has released singles "By My Side" featuring Ne-Yo, a club track and "Letter to B.I.G.," which was also the lead single for the "Notorious" movie soundtrack. His current single, "Can't Stop Me," is gaining a lot of radio play and peaked at number 78 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks.
The album opens with the triumphant sounds of "Pain and Torture," where he speaks about how he is better than the majority of the rappers in the business and aims to bring back the need for lyrical skill, boasting that he is "the author of slick talk, pain and torture." Another song that has the makings of a strong club single is "Who's Real," featuring Swizz Beats and O.J. Da Juiceman. They talk about having no love for the fake people in the world. The production by Swizz Beats makes this track very easy to listen to. For the song "Grind Hard," Jadakiss enlisted the help of fellow Yonkers native and R&B legend, Mary J. Blige. This song pushes the message of motivation as Kiss is stating that no one grinds like he does.
No Jadakiss album would be complete without the kind of tracks that make the listener think. The song "What If," featuring Nas, is made up of a bunch of "what if" questions about things that have happened and ponders what if something about those situations was different. Another song is "Smoking Gun" featuring Jazmine Sullivan, which is inspired by a woman who was disrespected and violated by men in her life. In the song, Jadakiss offers to come with a gun to take out all who've hurt her.
This album was well put together, but the only problem is the production. In some songs the lyrics are great, but the production is hit or miss depending on what the listener likes. The album sounds a bit amateur at times because some of the producers chosen are up and coming. Otherwise, this album is nothing short of great. Jadakiss never disappoints with his lyrical ability and is looking to set the bar higher for other rappers. True New York hip hop is back with "The Last Kiss."