Teflon Don Album Review

The latest studio album of Dade County rapper William D. Roberts, better known as Rick Ross and fast becoming known also as Ricky Rozay, is one very expensive piece of music that sees him collaborate quite a number of artistes as well as sample the exclusive-sounding works of producers as J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Kanye West, No. ID, Lex Luger and the Runners on the iTunes bonus track.

Teflon Don album cover - the catch is in the scenery captured in the shades

Teflon Don has Rick Ross rap for most parts about the usual we’d expect from him; life on the fast lane, title tracks of a couple of his favourite automobiles apparently but in tracks as “Free Mason”, “Tears of Joy” and “Maybach Music III”, the self proclaimed boss somewhat put to rest any doubts of his, pulling off cheeky lines like “We’re the lost symbols speakin’ cryptic code/ancient wisdom valuable like gifts of gold” and “My top back like JFK/they wanna push my top back like JFK!/so…so I JFK, Join Forces with the Kings and we ate our day” from “Free Mason”, “Everybody know I’m alotta people threat/biggie smalls in the flesh, I’m living my life after death” from “Tears of Joy” and “I came alive like a morph in summertime/Japanese wheels, blades all samurai” from “Maybach Music III”.

It is on “Free Mason”, featuring RocNation mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and John Legend, that Rozay in my view pulls off one of his better verses ever; a necessary thing to do when you’re rapping alongside a proven wordsmith as Hova who, on the track, explicitly debunked claims of him being a part of the church of Satan, “Rumours of Lucifer, I don’t know who to trust… he without sin cast the first stone, so y’all should look in the mirror and double check with your parents… b***h I’m red hot/I’m on my third six but a devil I’m not”.

On the No. ID and Kanye West produced “Tears of Joy”; both of whom I feel should produce more beats together more often, Rick Ross raps over the old school vibe from the genius duo about rising out of the ghetto to living the life only black American Express cards can afford, such as a “quarter million for the…” track’s production apparently.

Such is the theme that runs through the album with self proclaimed king of the south T.I. and Erykah Badu featured on “Maybach Music III” along with Jadakiss, Diddy on “No. 1” following the success of their collaboration on Diddy’s “Hello, Good Morning”. Other artistes featured on Teflon Don include Raekwon on the bonus track “Audio Meth”, Gucci Mane on MC Hammer, Styles P on B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) and Chrisette Michelle on “Aston Martin Music” alongside Drake whose debut album “Thank Me Later” came at a very wrong time with Eminem and Ross coming strong and T.I. to follow suit come September.

All that collaboration left Ross not doing much of spitting bars on his album, something that leaves much to desire and affirms my view of the rapper as a second grade one only capable of just about getting it wrapped up in the studio; the only glaring downside on the album of an otherwise well produced album that makes for good listening overall and my top picks from it are Free Mason, I’m Not A Star, Audio Meth, Tears of Joy and Maybach Music III.

The album was released under the Def Jam Records and Maybach Music labels on July 20 and debuted at second place with just under two hundred thousand copies sold in its first week, right behind Eminem’s platinum certified Recovery album by sales of just a thousand copies less and the latter has held the number one spot for four weeks.

N.B.:
Super High has a remix that features Ace Hood.

Rating: 6.5/10
If the album was made only of Free Mason and Audio Meth, it’d probably score a 7.5 on here but… it is what it is!

Track listing
1. “I’m Not a Star”
2. “Free Mason” (feat. Jay-Z & John Legend)
3. “Tears of Joy” (feat. Cee-Lo)
4. “Maybach Music III” (feat. T.I., Jadakiss & Erykah Badu)
5. “Live Fast, Die Young” (feat. Kanye West)
6. “Super High” (feat. Ne-Yo)
7. “No. 1” (feat. Trey Songz & Diddy)
8. “MC Hammer” (feat. Gucci Mane)
9. “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” (feat. Styles P)
10. “Aston Martin Music” (feat. Drake & Chrisette Michele)
11. “All the Money in the World” (feat. Raphael Saadiq)

iTunes Bonus Track
12. “Audio Meth” (feat. Raekwon)

Contact:
deleke.afolayan@yahoo.co.uk
©δ.õÁ 26/07/2010 ™

Top Ten Players of 2009/10

This would normally have come at the end of May but being a World Cup year, I held it till the Mundial was over before coming up with players I feel deserve to be so recognised. Obviously, performances at the World Cup in South Africa has a lot to do with the players that have made this list; a lot, not all to do with who makes this list.

10.
It’s a three-way tie here made of Luis Suarez of Ajax, Englishmen Jermaine Defoe and Bobby Zamora of Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham respectively.

Africa may not like him no thanks to his hand in Ghana’s quarter final exit, but Suarez is a fine player nonetheless as shown in the three goals he scored at the World Cup on the back of 47 goals in 46 starts last season for Ajax, putting him in good stead to replace Diego Forlán as Uruguay’s main man. Besides, if not for his handiwork, Forlán most probably wouldn’t have got the Golden Ball award because Uruguay would definitely have crashed out.

Defoe appears on this list thanks to his goals that helped Spurs reach the League Cup final, FA Cup semi final, finish 4th in the Premier League and qualify for a first ever UEFA Champions League. Redknapp’s continuous faith in him (from West Ham to present) has consistently being repaid in kind. Admittedly his World Cup was average but he did score a goal (more than Wayne Rooney).

And Zamora, whose crucial goals helped Fulham finish respectably in the league and imperatively in their amazing run to the final of the maiden Europa League, shushed his critics all in a season plagued by injury which ultimately cost him a place with England’s party to South Africa.

9. Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos

It’s difficult to place a defender among the best of them all but Ramos in my view is an excellent defender and with an average of one goal in three games for underachieving Real Madrid last season coupled with a solid performance for newly crowned world champions Spain at the World Cup, fully deserves his place here.

8. Maiçon
It’s a pity Brazil met the Netherlands in that quarter final match either side could have won and had Brazil won, Maiçon would have come in higher on this list. He had a good World Cup, scoring quite a goal but it is his season with treble winning Inter Milan that catches the eye. Maiçon was consistent for the Nerazurri and was one of the stars that helped Inter to that treble.

7. Thomas Müller

Thomas Muller

The 20 year old has had a season to remember having broken into the German national team with top rate performances for Bayern Munich on the Bavarians way to winning the league and cup double as well as losing in the Champions League final. Müller capped his season with five goals and three assists at the World Cup to win the Golden Boot award ahead of David Villa and Forlán.

6. Lionel Messi
In my initial shortlist of players, Messi actually did not make the top ten…something definitely wrong there and this is the best I could do for the Argentine hope following a World Cup below expectations for country and a season parallel to our expectations. Messi remained true to his pace, menace and sheer will to disgrace opposition – until Mourinho came with his tactics and the Germans with their machines. Messi remains a fan favourite and his four goals against Arsenal (for me) in the quarter final of last season’s Champions League sums just why.

5. David Villa

David Villa

Fernando Torres is regarded as the golden boy of la Roja but a month at South Africa surely must have changed perspectives with Villa running the show up front and from the flanks too, scoring five clinical goals and simply justifying the £30m or so Barcelona paid Valencia for his services. Asides scoring, Villa was a team player (sometimes) and had more shots on target at the Cup than anyone else – the move from modest, cash-strapped Valencia was only a matter of time and his form for Spain with his new club mates leaves the world to wonder, who will stop Blaugrana 2010/11?

4. Arjen Robben
He’s one of those Dutchmen that fall prey to injury season after season and he’s had his little fair share this season which gives his accomplishment this season even more credence in my books, helping Bayern Munich to a German double and the Champions League final as well as playing his part in the Netherlands run to the World Cup final despite missing the group stages (safe for the substitute appearance in the third match). He however will rue for a long time his missed chance one-on-one with Iker Cassilas (who by the way, finished at no. 11 on my shortlist or having more players at the number 10 spot would just have made this lose some cred) that most probably would have won the World Cup for Oranje…bygones I guess.

3. Xavi Hernandez
Xavi’s only flaw is the lack of goals in his games, safe for the occasional free kick and poachers effort otherwise it would be his name; and not Messi or CR9 (with all due respect), that would be on every football lovers’ lips. That said, he again was at the heart of affairs for Barcelona as Blaugrana won a Spanish double and fell short of retaining the Champions League against eventual champions Inter Milan with his ever pinpoint assists and overall vision and intelligence.

2. Diego Forlan

I’ve only heard Sir Alex Ferguson state his respect for players he sold twice – Jaap Stam and Forlan. Forlan without question was the spine behind Uruguay’s run to a fourth place finish at the World Cup, finishing with five goals and capping his campaign at South Africa with a goal that had class glossed all over it against the Germans. That, plus a season with Atletico Madrid that saw him lead the Spanish side to the Europa League trophy caps a terrific season for the late bloomer.

1. Wesley Sneijder
Not saying he’s going to be named World Footballer of the year but then again, he won the Italian league and cup and the Champions League being the playmaker of the Nerazzuri before coming so close to lifting a first World Cup for the Netherlands…enough ingredients in my opinion to be named the best footballer for the year #nodisrespect. And to think he is a Real Madrid reject, along with Robben! Sneijder has come a good long way from his torrid time at the Bernabeu where ironically he won the Champions League.

…having a Recovery: A Review of the Recovery Album

There are very few musicians, and even fewer rappers capable of reviving a dwindling career up to or very close to the point of their peak and I feel Detroit rapper Marshall Bruce Mathers III, much better known as Eminem, just added himself to that category having listened to his latest (6th) studio album aptly titled Recovery.

Official cover for Recovery

Recovery is being a commercial success, selling 741,000 copies in its first week to claim the best opening week for an album in 2010 (so far) and currently topping most notable country charts (about 20 countries); such is the album’s success so far its least position on a country chart is 8th.

Recovery’s success makes me wonder, if “that last album…in the trash” was able to pick up Best Rap Album at the last Grammy Awards; ahead of overwhelming favourite The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z, it has to be a matter of how many awards Recovery will pick up when the awards season arrive.

Relapse cover

Yes, Eminem still is (unrepentantly) as verbally vulgar as ever but his use of metaphor, sarcasm and phenomenal vocal strenght (most evident in No Love featuring Lil Wayne) sets the album to be Eminem’s best effort since The Marshall Mathers LP of a decade ago, if not slightly better.

What I particularly like about Recovery, strangely enough, is the sparse use of long time collaborator Dr. Dre on it. The ace producer, unlike in last year’s Relapse, produced only two of the 16+1 tracks in the album (which by the way has no skits) and in my view, Eminem produces better than the normal best when working outside the good doctor and the proof is in songs as Beautiful (Relapse), Marshall Mathers (The Marshall Mathers LP), Not Afraid and No Love (Recovery), Lose Yourself (8 Mile OST), When I’m Gone (Curtain Call: The Hits), Cleanin’ Out My Closet and ‘Till I Collapse (The Eminem Show), Like Toy Soldiers, Spend Some Time and Mockingbird (Encore Disc 1), 97’ Bonny & Clyde (The Slim Shady LP), Infinite and Tonite (Infinite) and oh, Stan with the magnificent Dido Armstrong.

Infinite cover. Only a few hundred copies of the album were sold and in vinyl by the artiste himself.

So what else makes Recovery tick? Eminem avoided, as much as he could, using an accent while at it. He also had some out-of-the-box collaborations with Lil Wayne (a collabo I bet we’ll see much more of), P¡nk (which isn’t much of a surprise since she and him kinda have a character fit) and most surprisingly, Rihanna on a song aimed at Kim (Love the Way You Lie). And, he made use of unorthodox productions – the sound for most parts wasn’t what I’d become used to from Eminem.

The tracks that propel the album? No Love (featuring Lil Wayne) for me is the best track on the album with Wayne at his metaphorical best – “…my gun’s semiCartermatic” (sic). Eminem then comes in with 40bars of pure genius (the standard rap verse is 16bars, equivalent to 40seconds) and the hook was cool.

Not Afraid comes a very close second as firstly, you’d hear Eminem’s true voice on it as with in No Love. Secondly, he mentioned a few truths – “…in fact let’s be honest, the last relapse CD was ehhhh/perhaps I ran ’em accents into the ground” and “it was my decision to get clean/I did it for me/admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you…” and finally, the song was aimed at the fans.

Other songs that have me clicking the repeat symbol are You’re Never Over (dedicated to Proof), Untitled (the +1 track you could also call it Here We Go), Almost Famous (which has an ill hook), Seduction (where he murders the second verse with genius, mimicking Jay-Z’s ‘ahw’ from BP3), W.T.P. (White Trash Party), Cold Wind Blows (where, in the second verse, he does a quite hilarious thing with lightning) and Won’t Back Down (featuring P¡nk).

In all, I’ll rate Recovery 4.5/5 from a bias view and 3.8/5 from a critique view. Indeed, Recovery will make you throw that Relapse CD into the trash, I guarantee it!

The Irony of the Crossbar

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup ending today in South Africa, you’ve got to give it to the exponents of vuvuzela blowing because they pulled it off in spite of the heavy uncertainty that clouded preparations and at several points threatened to take a first ever World Cup from football-passionate Africans.

Focus though is on two matches – Ghana 1 (2) – (4) 1 Uruguay and Germany 3 – 2 Uruguay – in the latter stages of the competition. Now Luis Suarez (a terrific player; my opinion) did well for his country to twice block goal-bound efforts in the final minute of extra-time against Ghana; the second block earning him a well-cheered red card as he deliberately handled the ball, only to watch his agony become ecstasy as Asamoah Gyan’s penalty crashed off the crossbar with the last kick of that match…Ghana lost and were left to ponder; “had Luis not interfered, we’d be the first African team in the World Cup semi-final” or something in that line.

Without bias, I feel Suarez acted upon the moment and took his chances for his country…chances that paid off eventually and though Africa may hate him unequivocally for life, he’ll be a dressing room hero (at least) and most probably be a national hero back home; not many teams get to the World Cup semis (four for starters; once in four years).

That said, Uruguay had the opportunity to take the third place play-off against Germany to extra-time with a Diego Forlan free-kick following a foul on…your guess is right, Luis Suarez. The free-kick came deep in injury time and no one needed to tell the players it would be the last kick of the match, imagine that pressure on Forlan; who by the way had scored a real contender for goal of the tournament to put his team 2-1 up early in the second half.

The Atletico Madrid forward stepped up for the free kick; with optimum concentration and when he played it, you just knew he’d applied the right execution – enough power to scare the wall, enough speed to ruffle the keeper, just about the right height to carry the ball into the net…just about, not the exact right height for the ball cannoned off the crossbar, much to Forlan’s and Uruguay’s agony, no more so Luis Suarez.

But applause to both sides for an enthralling match, excellent advertisement for the World Cup. Besides, another lesson that I take from this match as well as Suarez’s act against Ghana is, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “…not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” (sic).

Perhaps if four players of the Super Eagles of Nigeria had half the passion, the story would be different but que sera sera.

Onto the showpiece event, Netherlands vs. Spain…who do you reckon will win? Paul, the now famous Octopus that has got all predictions of World Cup matches thrown at it (including Germany’s losses against Serbia and Spain) has now predicted that it will be la Roja lifting the Cup at the expense of their Oranje hombre. I hope the 8-tentacle spectacle is wrong this time though, I’m rooting for the Dutch!