I think every one of you have heard of the Neptunes. They’ve done production for a lot of the mainstream artists and produced popular songs like “Beautiful” from Snoop Dogg and “Excuse me miss” by Jay-Z. This time they’ve done a compilation and put a lot of well known names together with their own protégés.
1. Roscoe P Coldchain – Intro
Why is Roscoe P Coldchain credited for this? There’s a beat and someone saying “1, 2, 3, 4, 5”… Unless he produced it that’s just weird.
2. Busta Rhymes – Light your ass on fire
According to XXL, this song is in the Guiness book of world records since no other track has the word “ass” in it as much as this one. The beat is ok but Busta’s wack. Pharell’s on the hook with his porno-voice. It’s a pretty weak track overall… Honestly, they can stick it up their ***.
3. Pharell feat. Clipse & Ab Liva – Blaze of glory
Neptunes are trying to sound like some old school New York stuff with some new Cloneisch stuff. It turns out pretty well but Pharell should just stick to producing and leave the rest for the professionals. Good thing the guests are taking up most of the track.
4. I-20 & Ludacris – It wasn’t us
On “It wasn’t us”, the Neptunes are trying to do some new age shit. I’m feeling it a lil, but they’re overdoing it in my opinion. Ludacris is coming out tight as usual, and I-20 is doing a good job too. I’ve got to mention that he sound a lot like Scarface, so there, I mentioned it.
5. Pharell feat. Jay-Z – Frontin
Frontin was the first single off the album, and if you got MTV or any other music channel you’ve probably heard it. The beat’s real tight and makes you bump your head, but if you ask me Pharell should stay off the tracks and let someone else do that part. To quote Ice Cube: Pharell, “Stick to producing!”. I mean seriously… is Pharell even singing or is he making a squeaky voice makin sounds? If not sticking to producing he could atleast stick to hooks. The hook’s coming out tight on this one but the verses are just wack. If it wasn’t for Pharell singing on it, this track would have been real tight. Jay-Z and the production is saving the track.
6. Vanessa Marquez – Good girl
“Good girl” by Vanessa Marquez is an RnB track. It has a real cool beat and Vanessa’s doing her thang to it. Since I’m not a big RnB fan it’s not one of my favourite tracks of the album, but I admit it’s real cool.
7. Nelly – If
Nelly’s got his own style, no doubt about that. It’s questionable if it’s RnB or Rap, but I’m not gonna hate on Nelly. He’s doing his thing and he’s doing it good. This track has real cool production and Nelly’s doing his thing. It’s a real cool track.
8. Roscoe P Coldchain feat. Pusha T & Boo Bonic – Hot
“Hot” has a beat, nothing more, and the rappers are flowing over it. It’s a cool track but nothing more than that. The lyrics are sounding like freestyle lyrics but it’d definitely not a freestyle. It’s just that the track has no message whatsoever.
9. Snoop Dogg – It blows my mind
I really recognize this beat, but I’m not sure where I heard it before. It’s a real cool beat with some bells over a beat. Pharell’s on the hook as usual and west coast superstar Snoop Dogg is doing the rapping. Snoop’s flowing better than he has the past years but it’s not helping – Snoop fell off.
10. Spymob – Half steering
The Neptunes throwed a rock song up In this. It’s a real cool track but it doesn’t fit in at all with the previous tracks. I’m not sure but I don’t think rock and rap goes hand in hand when talking about fanbase and target audience.
11. High speed scene – *****in spend
An other rock track. This one’s just 1:30 but it still counts. Again, I don’t understand why they put rock tracks on a rap compilation, or the other way around. The track’s ok.
12. N.E.R.D feat. Clipse – Loser
N.E.R.D is Neptunes rock group. I have their album (the second and way better edition) and they’re a tight rock group, but why are they on this compilation? I guess The Neptunes are trying to take over both genres. In the middle of the track Clipse’s taking over and flowing over this rock beat. It’s weird but they’re doing it pretty well. It’s a good song.
13. FamLay – Rock and Roll
Is this rock or rap? Nowadays you can’t tell sometimes. Someone talking or rapping over a rock beat. The track’s called “Rock and Roll” so maybe that’s a hint… I’d say this track is weak tho.
14. Jadakiss feat. Supercat – Don of the Dons (Put de ting pon dem)
Okay, I like Jadakiss, but this track’s just too wack. The beat’s wack as ***** and Supercat is *****ing it up even more. Jada’s doing the last verse and he’s trying to do the best of it. He’s actually holding it up there for a while but not even Jada can hold this track up completely. It’s wack.
15. Clipse feat. Ab-Life & Roscoe P Coldchain – Hot damn
“Hot damn” is the second single from this album. I just saw the video on the other day. It’s a neat track with a real cool production so it’s a good choise. Even tho the rappers on this aren’t exactly the most tallanted rappers ever, it’s a real good track. Pharell’s rapping on it too, haha. I guess he’s got 3 different voices now.
16. N.O.R.E feat. Pharell – Put em up
N.O.R.E over a tight beat, that’s cool. This is one of the best track from the album but why the ***** does Pharell insist on being on every god damn track? Get the ***** off the tracks! He’s doing his rapping thing again on this one. Pharell, don’t rap, don’t sing with your porno voice, don’t do squeaky voices, stick to producing!
17. Dirt McGirt feat. Pharell – Pop shit
Dirt McGirt aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard is out of jail and ready to make his entrance again. He’s coming out tight on this track but the beat’s too weak. I don’t even know if Pharell is on this track. If he is he’s using a 4th voice.
18. Kelis feat. Nas – Popular thug
The Neptunes finish off their compilation with a track from Kelis and Nas. Excellent choise! This track’s got real tight production and Nas is coming out real tight on the verses as well as Kelis on the hook. Putting this as the last track will probably make me nicer when grading it.
This album received an XL in the XXL. That’s bullshit. The album’s an orgie of recycled sounds and Pharells attempts to be in the limelight. The album’s been heavily advertised and heavily overrated. I can see how Neptunes fans like the album – if you liked their past works you’ll most likely like this compilation too. That, and a bunch of popular rappers are the plus side of the album. Now… if you’re tired of Pharell and Neptunes beats in general, you will not like this album. I’m one of those people. I’ll probably never bump this album again and if I see Pharell next time I turn on the TV I’ll throw it out the window. And what’s up with putting 3 rock tracks in the middle of the album? The album’s advertised as a rap compilation so keep the rock out of it. I’ll be nice when grading this tho, since I know there’s a lot of Neptunes fans out there.
I grade this album 2 out of 5. Enough said.