RoyalUrbanite Music Reviews

New Skool

Gnarls Barkley:
St. Elswhere

One of the most anticipated albums of this year has finally dropped. Gnarls Barkley has had a number 1 hit with 'Crazy' for 8 weeks running! Gnarls Barkley consist of home-grown talent Brian 'Danger Mouse' Burton who has made his claim to fame by being the brains and boards behind the highly appreciated 'Gorillaz'. 'Danger Mouse' also did the Jay-Z hit 'Grey Album' which was a mix off 'The Beatles' (music) and 'Jay-Z' (lyrics). Thomas 'Cee-lo Green' Callaway is the singer and other half.

Cee-lo has already got a couple albums under his belt, solo projects and albums with 'Goodie Mob' and 'Dungeon Family' ('Andre 3000' and 'Big Boi' from 'Outkast' are members). Together 'Danger Mouse' and 'Cee-lo' have created an outstandingly different sounding album, this is just the kind of album Britain needed since its just been a world wind of repetitive, manufactured... emm... nonsense basically. This album is very hard to give a genre just like the first song on the album 'Go-Go Gadget Gospel' with its heavy handed percussion and piercing horns, the background gospel harmonies are very selectively placed with great effect and potency.

The album has a lot of banging songs like the single 'Crazy', Just A Thought' with its uncompromising beat patterns and a really intrusive set of lyrics "well I tried, everything but suicide, but it's crossed my mind". Also 'Transformer' is a fun song that will remind you of your childhood and things alike, there are a bit of weird things they choose to sing about like the song 'Necromancer' which is quiet visibly about Necrophilia, but this album is really something, amazing when you come to think of it, when someone can talk about a dark and touchy subject like necrophilia and make it sound banging!! You have to take notice.

GO COP THIS PEEPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY RATING: 4/5
BEST SONG: Storm Coming

Written by Makdaddy, RoyalUrbanite

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Busta Rhymes:
Touch It

"Woo Haa, Got You All In Check" Busta is back for 2006 with a new single 'Touch It' and a new album 'The Big Bang' expected out in July. 'Touch It' has been a 'Big Bang' in the club "sorry bad joke". With its infectious and plain beat pattern changing every 8 bars it has become a really big hit. As expected Busta has come back with outstanding flows (as usual) and a range of calm rapping mixed with hyped up bullet time outbursts.

'Swizz Beats' produced the track and gave a pretty plain canvas for Busta to work his magic as we all know he can. Busta said "I wanted to take it back to how it was in the old school, just kick drum and snare". The single was such a big hit the first time round Busta Came back with a few remixes featuring: Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige (RAPPING), Papoose, Lloyd Banks, DMX and Rah Digga. His upcoming album. With Busta singing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records 'The Big Bang' has potential to be one of the albums of the year.

MY RATING: 3/5

Written by Makdaddy, RoyalUrbanite

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