MIMS
' return begins with a cliched opener, the "I ain't in the same place" track, which in itself begins with the cliched sound of a needle dropping. Like everything on the album, the opening title track does have its heart in the right place, and
' obvious desire to become more than a ringtone rapper is admirable, but the highlights are still empty-headed club tracks, the best of the bunch being the hyphy-esque
"Move (If You Wanna)."
Problem is, there just aren't as many this time out, and sometimes what looks like fun, say, a track called
"Love Rollercoaster,"
ends up a shallow rap-ballad that doesn't sample its funky namesake but does steal the tune's metaphor. Maybe the track is designed for kids who don't know any better, which would also explain why
' spiritual return to Jamaica,
"One Day"
with
Ky-Mani Marley
, addresses the island's strife with the inadequate, and maybe even awful, "We will come together/All it takes is two." At least
'
Kanye West-esque
rap-talk style has matured and is now easier on the ears, plus the two embarrassing leaked singles --
"Donkey Booty"
and the even worse
"BaRock Star"
-- missed the final cut. While
Guilt
may be a bad title for a pop-rap album so slick and shallow, the completely ludicrous I Am Hip Hop's Savior was the original plan, suggesting that this project was misguided since early development. ~ David Jeffries