Saturday, September 08, 2007
Curtis vs. The Graduate
By Austin Walsh, [X]press Online
“I’ll never be as laid back as this beat was/ I never could see why people would reach a fake-ass façade they couldn’t keep up/ you see how I creeped up/ you see how I played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah.”
Much like Kanye himself, his newest album sounds boisterous and bold yet manages to maintain a self-conscious cool, which can be as abrasive as it is introspective.
Graduation marks his progression from a star-struck prodigal fan-boy on College Drop Out, to the lackadaisical playboy philosopher on Late Registration, and it culminates to a grandiose celebration of the progression of a man as an artist. Armed with essential hip-hop instruments and basic rhyme skills he has orchestrated a masterpiece theatre on the beauty of simplicity.
On the other side of the tracks, 50 Cent is making simple-minded music in the name of keeping it real. But the newest album Curtis sounds more like another episode of “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.”
Curtis is a lame attempt to recapture the hunger that 50 Cent had five years ago when he released his classic debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. He has neglected the opportunity to change over the years and as a result he now sounds stale and stagnant. The beats are the highlight of the album, but his lyrics are sound like an uninspired cliché throughout.
“My stomach is growlin they say that I’m wildin/ I’m doin my numbers or I’m getting violent/ they hearin my rappin, they think that I’m playin/ they see the barrel then they see the flame,” Fiddy mumbles on “Fully Loaded Clip.”
50 has the premier single of both albums with “Ayo Technology,” featuring Justin Timberlake on a ridiculous Timbaland’s beat. Meanwhile Kanye houses his raps (and silly ass glasses) over Daft Punk on "Stronger." T-Pain does a fine Roger Troutman impression to Kanye’s Zapp-influenced “Flashlight.” Meanwhile, 50 hosts Akon on “I’ll Still Kill,” which is sandwiched between songs called “My Gun,” and “Man Down.” Some may accuse Kanye of biting other’s styles, but 50 sounds like he’s regurgitating himself.
Both albums are slated to release against one other on Tuesday. Curtis raised the stakes of the competition between the two stating that if Kanye outsells him, he will retire. Judging by how good Graduation feels, its time to say good-bye to the bad guy.
“I’ll never be as laid back as this beat was/ I never could see why people would reach a fake-ass façade they couldn’t keep up/ you see how I creeped up/ you see how I played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah.”
Much like Kanye himself, his newest album sounds boisterous and bold yet manages to maintain a self-conscious cool, which can be as abrasive as it is introspective.
Graduation marks his progression from a star-struck prodigal fan-boy on College Drop Out, to the lackadaisical playboy philosopher on Late Registration, and it culminates to a grandiose celebration of the progression of a man as an artist. Armed with essential hip-hop instruments and basic rhyme skills he has orchestrated a masterpiece theatre on the beauty of simplicity.
On the other side of the tracks, 50 Cent is making simple-minded music in the name of keeping it real. But the newest album Curtis sounds more like another episode of “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.”Curtis is a lame attempt to recapture the hunger that 50 Cent had five years ago when he released his classic debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. He has neglected the opportunity to change over the years and as a result he now sounds stale and stagnant. The beats are the highlight of the album, but his lyrics are sound like an uninspired cliché throughout.
“My stomach is growlin they say that I’m wildin/ I’m doin my numbers or I’m getting violent/ they hearin my rappin, they think that I’m playin/ they see the barrel then they see the flame,” Fiddy mumbles on “Fully Loaded Clip.”
50 has the premier single of both albums with “Ayo Technology,” featuring Justin Timberlake on a ridiculous Timbaland’s beat. Meanwhile Kanye houses his raps (and silly ass glasses) over Daft Punk on "Stronger." T-Pain does a fine Roger Troutman impression to Kanye’s Zapp-influenced “Flashlight.” Meanwhile, 50 hosts Akon on “I’ll Still Kill,” which is sandwiched between songs called “My Gun,” and “Man Down.” Some may accuse Kanye of biting other’s styles, but 50 sounds like he’s regurgitating himself.
Both albums are slated to release against one other on Tuesday. Curtis raised the stakes of the competition between the two stating that if Kanye outsells him, he will retire. Judging by how good Graduation feels, its time to say good-bye to the bad guy.
# posted by [X]press Staff @ 8:02 PM 