The Original Dom Kennedy (MIXTAPE Review & Download)

01 INTRO

02 PLAYAS PUNCH

03 GOODBYE

04 THE HOMIES

05 TURN ME OUT

06 BET YOU WANT ME (NOW)

07 DESIGNER SH_T

08 CAN'T LET GO

09 CDC feat. Casey Veggies & cARTer

10 N_GGA 4 LIFE

11 ON THE WAY HOME

12 [BONUS] WHEN YOU SEE LOVE

Intro - The intro is a just some talking. A story.

Playas Punch - This is the definition of west coast production. Smooth with a funky bassline and some smooth synths. This was a short track. Just a verse but it was pretty dope.

Goodbye - On here he's spitting some real shit. Talking about the grind and how you have to start from nothing to get to where you want to be. I don't really care for the hook but it's not bad. Overall a solid song.

The Homies - The production on here is definitely west coast. I like the shot at Funk Flex because him taking a shot at Pac after his death was a bitch move. He's talking about his homies. This is a cool track but would be better with a real hook.

Turn Me Out - This is a cut for the females. It has a cool vibe and I like the beat. I like the verses but, again, I don't really care for the hook. By the end of the song the hook grew on me. Dope track.

Bet You Want Me (Now) - This reminds me of some Drake shit for some reason (not a bad thing). It's the beat and tempo of the flow. I really like this one. This is dope as hell. My favorite track so far.

Designer Shit - This beat is too dope. I like this a lot too. This just took over as my favorite track. I don't even have much to say. It's just a dope ass song.

Can't Let Go - OK Dom. No singing for you. This is wack. You sound like Diddy, bro.

CDC feat. Casey Veggies & cARTer - I think this is supposed to be some "A Milli" shit. It's cool. This guy Casey Veggies sucks. cARTer sucks too. I don't even know which is which but everybody except Dom was pretty wack on this one.

Nigga 4 Life - This is dope. He's spitting some real shit on here. Pac talking on the hook. I like this track too. Kind of inspirational.

On The Way Home - This sounds like Kid Cudi if it was his first time behind the mic. I'm not feeling this at all. He's rapping too old school or something. I don't know what the hell this is supposed to be.

When You See Love - This is cool. Smooth track. I like it. The hook is dope.

Conclusion

Dom is nice on the mic and he proves that on this tape. It's not Lupe level lyricism but it's good. He's just spitting everyday shit that people can feel. My main gripe is the lack of hooks but I can't be too mad because he mentioned it himself in one of the verses, stating that his focus was on "rhymes". It's definitely a nice project. It doesn't seem incomplete or anything. I just hope he has a full fledged album in the works because I want to hear him on some different shit. You can tell he didn't really have a particular aim for this tape as the subject matter stays the same on most tracks but it is good for what it is. Worth a spin so check it out at www.DopeItsDom.com

Currensy - Pilot Talk 2 (Album Review & Download)

Download and listen with me.

Airborne Aquarium - I like this from the moment it comes on. The beat is crazy and Currensy comes off with a lot of energy which is rare for him. It's the same old Currensy subject matter of marijuana, bitches, old school cars, kicks, and, of course, JETS fool but you already know that before you listen. He raps straight through with no hook on this. This is a dope intro.

Micheal Knight - This was the first single from the album. The beat has an old school feel to it but it's very smooth. Again Currensy comes off with a nice high energy flow. When I first heard this song I didn't care for the hook and I feel like Currensy's hooks are his main flaw but listening again I like this hook and it fits the song well. He kicks some player shit for a couple verses on this one and the beat rides out. Perfect fit for the perfect late night driving song. The video fits the vibe of the song perfectly.

Montreux - This beat is nasty (that's slang for "very good"). Once again the flow is on point. I am pleasantly surprised. This is a short track with no hook but it works. This album is sounding good so far.

Famous - This beat grabs you from the moment that it starts. The sample is super smooth (I'm thinking Sade). I guess I can say it now. Currensy has progressed a lot since Pilot Talk. He switches his flow up on this riding the beat effortlessly. This track has two verses and a very smooth hook (YES!).

Flight Briefing (Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark) - This track starts off real smooth. Currensy starts rapping to just the sample. When the drums dropped in it threw me off for a second but I caught back on quick. The "hook" is a "flight attendant" talkin about smoking on the plane and what not. I'm not feeling Young Roddy. Don't really have much else to say about him. He wasn't OJ status but his style isn't polished. Trademark is OK. He's better than Roddy but I still don't care for him. This track would've been better with different features or none at all. They kind of ruin it.

A Gee - I got halfway through this song before I remembered I was supposed to be reviewing it. This track is real hypnotic. I was visualizing the picture Currensy was painting on the first verse. The hook isn't the greatest but it doesn't ruin the song or anything. He goes in the second verse as well. I'm feeling this joint a lot. I don't have the production credits but whoever produced it did their thing on this. They bring some piano in right before the last hook and have it playing throughout the rest of the song.

Real Estates (Featuring Dom Kennedy) - Damn, the production on this album is top notch. It sounds very industry but the blend of old and new school makes it stand out a lot. Currensy goes in on this as well. The hook is on point. Very smooth. Next up is #NT's own Dom Kennedy. This is the perfect type of track for him. He goes in as well. I like this song a lot. This album is shaping up to be a sleeper.

Silence (Featuring McKenzie Eddy) - I wasn't expecting this at all. Its a smooth piano and bass track with a very smooth singing hook. It only has one verse but the singing at the beginning and end give it sort of an interlude feel. That's not a bad thing at all. It changes up the feel of the album for a bit.

Hold On (Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark) - I don't really care for this beat. It's not bad but that guitar gets annoying pretty fast. I like the hook and how the beat changes up on that part. And here's Young Roddy to remind me why I didn't mind the song having a bad beat. Because I'm never going to listen to it again. The only reason it's still playing is so I can be fair to Trademark. His verse is cool he just has a really simple flow and lyrics. In my opinion he keeps the same rhyme scheme for too long.

Fashionably Late - I don't care for this beat or hook either. It sounds like a poor attempt at copying The Neptunes. The entire beat isn't bad now that the verse comes on. It's the horns. Fuck this song. Skipped.

Highed Up - I like the beat on this even though it is kind of weird. Currensy falls off with the flow a few times on here but it's not that bad (RZA/Silkk LMFAO). This is a cool little track. I like the hook at the end.

O.G. (The Jam) (Featuring Fiend) - I don't really care for this beat. It sounds like some old No Limit shit that would've been given to Big Ed. This song sucks but I'm listening to hear how Fiend (of No Limit fame who I think produced the song) comes off. This nigga is still stuck in the 90s. His verse is terrible. Wow. I understand that him and Currensy are probably friends but damn.

Michael Knight (Remix) (Featuring Raekwon) - Currensy keeps his original verses from the song and adds Wu-Tang Legend Raekwon to the mix for a third verse. Why does Raekwon's verse sound like he recorded it on a cell phone? I don't really care for his verse at all. He went off on a tangent talking some gangster shit that had nothing to do with the song.

Overall the album is pretty solid especially since I wasn't expecting much. It starts off very strong and kind of falls off towards the end. It is definitely a good look for Currensy, in my opinion, as this is his best album to date. He just has to keep growing as an artist and he'll be fine. This album could've been much better with only a few slight changes. Young Roddy and Trademark should not be heard on here. Fiend's verse was VERY forgettable as was Raekwon's. Dom Kennedy did his thing as well as ol' girl McKenzie Eddy. I'll definitely be putting most of these tracks on my MP3 player. Check out the album and review. Comment and let me know what you think.