Boston's Boy review.

In March, a cocky, upcoming rapper named Sam Adams released his EP called Boston's Boy on iTunes and it hit the number one slot over recently released albums from mainstream heavyweights DJ Khaled and Lil' Wayne. However, there was a rumor that he allegedly bought his albums to boost sales, but that was denied later.

With the success of the EP - which followed an unofficial mix-tape (Boston's Opening Day) featuring the remix of Asher Roth's first hit called I Hate College (Remix) - Adams re-released the same album, but a hard copy of it. Along with the original eight tracks on the EP, Adams added four more tracks to go along with it, including one with Curren$y. Even though I've had most of the album for quite some time, it still technically counts as a new release, so I decided to review it.

1.) Comin' Up - 2.5/5

One thing you'll notice throughout the album is the beats. They're different than most you would hear on a rap album and I'm a fan of that. Sam comes in with an okay track to begin this, talking about how he's coming up in the rap game. The hook is pretty catchy...you'll hear me say this a lot.

2.) Driving Me Crazy - 4/5

This was the first single from Boston's Boy. Geared more to be a club song (another thing you'll hear throughout the album), it's up-beat and is pretty lady-friendly, but I dig his lyrics on it. Sam's lyrics actually make it guy-friendly as well in a way, with some quotables.

3.) Swang Your Drank - 1.5/5

Don't like this song at all and usually I'm not too hard to please.

4.) Just Love Here - 5/5

After the first three songs, you'd expect another song talking about sex, weed and partying in some nature. However, it's a big surprise when the beat drops and it's more of a chill one than up-tempo. Sam talks about his past and how he's made it to where he's at now. I'm a sucker for emotional, deep songs, and that's exactly what he has here. Best song on the album.

5.) Coast to Coast - 4.5/5

The piano comes in and it seems like it'll be another slower type song, but then the hook drops and it immediately changes everything. It's still slow compared to the other club bangers, but it's another fun, up-tempo track. I really like Sam's flow on the hook and the verses are pretty good as well. I wanted another verse though.

6.) You Girl - 3.5/5

Instead of speaking about multiple women, he focuses on one for this song. The beat features more piano and has a techno feel to it, but it's a very chill song and easy to listen to.

7.) Tab Open - 4/5

One listen to this and I have the hook stuck in my head all day. Fun fact: Sam's actual name is Samuel Adams Wisner and went by Wiz for a stage name. Well he addresses this during the song and explains why he just goes by Sam Adams now.

"I might be outside blowin' kush in the air
I used to be the Wiz til Khalifa said yeah"

Another party-esque song, but fun to listen to.

8.) I'm So High - 4.5/5

Before the hard copy came out, this was my second favorite song on the album behind Just Love Here. The beat is nice and I love the trumpet at the end. Just like Coast to Coast, I feel like it's a little short, and that's what essentially holds it back from a 5/5.

9.) Still I Rise ft. G. Curtis - 4.5/5

First bonus track I heard and I was really feeling it. G. Curtis holds the first guest spot and does a nice job on the hook. Sam's rhymes are pretty nice and I think his second verse is one of the best on the album as he speaks about how he's made his mark in the game, but isn't going anywhere but up.

10.) See Me Now - 4.5/5

Seems like Sam's speaking about an ex-girlfriend in this one, something I'd never expect from him considering the content of his lyrics in most songs. For a second, I thought the soccer player from Trinity near Boston was too good for relationships. He's pretty much saying he's changed and can settle down if he can have this girl back in his life. At least that's how I interpreted it.

11.) Fly Jets Over Boston ft. Curren$y - 3.5/5

I was so hyped for this song coming in, especially with the success of Pilot Talk from Spitta. Sam has a nice first verse and Curren$y rips it up in the second, but the song is too short and I hate the hook. A lot of potential for another 5/5 track, ruined because of a few fixable flaws.

12.) Just Sayin' - 4/5

As cliche as Sam's subject matter is at times, I laughed at the first line and can see that being used a lot.

"Chicks at my table lookin' at me all perplexed
Like, 'if you ain't interested in me, at least give me sex'"

He gives his fans a shoutout at the end of the second verse, as the entire song just consists of Sammy having a good time with it. Another fun - have I used this word too much for his songs yet? - track and a good way to finish the album.

Overall Grade: 3.8/5

Before I get into my final thoughts, let me say that Sam Adams' music is an acquired taste. It's geared more towards college kids and constant club goers, not to your diehard hip-hop heads who compare everything to Illmatic or The Blueprint. Anyways, this is a very enjoyable album if you are a fan of the guy. Maybe it's because I'm doing this review at three in the morning, but the score seems pretty high compared to my estimate (3.2-3.5) before I actually started it.

Sam is still very young and has some big-time potential, but he chooses to focus the subject of his songs on the same material (sex, alcohol, weed). That's why I was pleasantly surprised by Just Love Here and See Me Now; two songs that are out of the ordinary for him. If he could create more tracks like them, then I think he can gain more of an appreciation from the true hip-hop heads.

Overall though, Sam knew who he was focusing to please and did just that with Boston's Boy. The question will be with his 1-2 mixtapes coming out later this year, will he continue to create the tracks you'll hear bumping from dorm parties, or will he start putting more raw emotion into his work?

Pilot Talk review.

Weed, cars, bitches; that's Curren$y's life and he'll brag about it in almost every line he spits. After being dropped from Young Money, him and Dame Dash resurrected Roc-A-Fella records as the rapper from New Orleans continued to drop mixtape after mixtape. This Ain't No Mixtape dropped last year and I still bump some of the tracks daily from it. (He also released another LP called Jet Files, but I've never listened to it yet.) Now that his third album has dropped - one of top five albums I was most excited for coming into the summer - there was no doubt that I was reviewing this.

1.) Example - 4/5

Just like This Ain't No Mixtape, the intro/first track starts with a couple of guitars in the background. Gives off a very chill vibe, just like most of Curren$y's past work. It's not technically an intro, but the length resembles it. Good start to the album.

2.) Audio Dope II - 4/5

Example leads perfectly into the second track Audio Dope II, as the drums in the background give off the laid-back feel that consists throughout the entire album. The beats are already possibly some of my favorites in any project this year, so if Spitta's rhymes won't catch your attention, at least you can enjoy the background music.

3.) King Kong - 5/5

The lead single of this was released to the public months ago and it had me real hyped for the album. Everything's just so dope about this, from the beat to the showboating lyrics. I've been bumping this song in my car every day for at least a month straight.

4.) Seat Change ft. Snoop Dogg - 3.5/5

When the original tracklist came out, this song had Wiz Khalifa for a guest appearance. As a big fan of the rapper from Pittsburgh, this raised my hopes for this track, but a last-minute change lowered my expectations...at least by a rating of enjoyability. I've never been a huge fan of Snoop Dogg, but he doesn't ruin this track. In fact, I think I enjoy his verse more than Curren$y's.

5.) Breakfast - 4.5/5

Short, but so damn good. The horns at the beginning bring you in, then the drums come in as Spitta lets loose on an impressive verse, which includes giving his boy Wiz Khalifa a shoutout. Unfortunately, it's just one verse and it sounds like a freestyle more than an album track, which bumps it down from a 5/5.

“X-Box web browser, downloaded, updated NBA roster
Play an 82-game season
Condo full of snacks, Spitta not leavin’
Off brand muthaf***as, odd number, you are not even
On my level, write that sickness, my ink pen sneezin’
Yancey Thigpen, can’t catch me sleepin'”

6.) Roasted ft. Trademark & Young Roddy - 5/5

Possibly my favorite Curren$y line from this album resides in this song.

"The hearts of women melt when trilla lyrics are felt
Olympic swimmin' in bitches, Michael slash Leon Phelps"

Trademark does a decent job on his first verse, then rips up the hook very nicely...possibly my favorite hook of the album. Young Roddy sounds just like Spiita as he finishes off the song with his third verse and he does a good job himself. Probably my third favorite song of the album.

7.) Skybourne ft. Smoke DZA & Big K.R.I.T. - 4/5

The beat gives an elevator music type feel to it, which continues the chill and relaxing theme of the entire album. For the first time, Spitta gets overshadowed by his one guest artist Big K.R.I.T. Another solid track.

8.) The Hangover ft. Mikey Rocks - 3/5

Can't pull out anything that I like from this. Not a bad track by any means, but it is the worst on the album.

9.) The Day ft. Jay Electronica & Mos Def - 5/5

Top five track of 2010 for me. Curren$y starts off the song with a very nice first verse, then Mos Def adds a great hook that fits the beat and subject matter of the song. Jay Electronica then comes in and overshadows Spitta, but it's all good because both artists came with their A-game.

"I pray this flow is dumb enough
I pray my heart is DMC and Reverend Run enough"

10.) Prioritize (Beeper Bill) ft. Nesby Phips - 4.5/5

From the two tracks I've heard Nesby Phips (including this one), I've started to come a fan of him. He does well on Wiz Khalifa's Supply from Kush and Orange Juice and impresses here as well. Curren$y's hook pays homage to Big Boi during Outkast's album Aquemini...it's pretty dope.

"If you ain't go no rims n***a, don't get no wood grain steering wheel
But you can lay back and let your paper stack
Instead of goin' into overkill, pay your f***in' beeper bill, bitch"

11.) Chilled Coughpee ft. Devin the Dude - 3.5/5

Another really short song, but it's got some humor to it; especially with Devin the Dude's verse. In addition to talking about smoking weed, he throws some funny metaphors in there and even speaks about reusing a condom. The beat fits this perfectly, just like every song on the album.

12.) Address ft. Stalley - 4.5/5

Curren$y goes in with a dope first verse, then Stalley - who the hell is this guy? - responds with a dope verse of his own. I can't even decide who's was better, but this song just screams dope as well.

13.) Life Under the Scope - 5/5

And the album ends on a really high note, as Spitta takes a song from his mixtape Smokee Robinson and tweaks the instrumentals to create an amazing track.

Overall Grade: 4.3/5

Besides maybe The Hangover, there are no weak spots in this album. Everything's just so awesome about this project, from the beats (best production I've heard in a mixtape/album all year) to the lyrics (not the flashiest, but some of the most clever) and even the guest appearances. I can listen to the entire thing multiple times and focus my attention on something different with each listen while still enjoying it. Roc-A-Fella came back with a huge bang with Pilot Talk for sure.

I had pretty high expectations coming into this, considering Spitta's work on This Ain't No Mixtape (estimated 3.7/5 if I were to rate it song by song) but this succeeded them all. Like I mentioned in the last review (Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty), I find that Eminem's Recovery has more standout tracks, but it wasn't as complete as Big Boi's. This surpasses them both in how complete it is and I can't find one major flaw that brings it down. It's the jets, fool.

Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty review.

As I awaited the release - or the leak - of Curren$y's new album Pilot Talk, Big Boi released his debut solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. I've always been a fan of Outkast - moreso of Andre 3K than the Purple Ribbon All-Star leader - but at first didn't really give this a chance, because I was just kind of lazy to listen to it. After hearing two tracks on YouTube (Shutterbugg, Shine Blockas), and I decided to cop the entire album and listen to it. Great decision by yours truly.

1.) Feel Me (Intro) - 3.5/5

Sounds just like an Outkast album to kick off the CD. Very chill with the whistling in the background and it just really starts the album off right. I've seen intros go bad that completely ruins the vibe that the album is giving and vice-versa...well I already got a good vibe going into Daddy Fat Sax.

2.) Daddy Fat Sax - 4.5/5

The only bad thing I can say about this song is the length...I wanted more than two minutes and 37 seconds. The beat is dope, Big Boi flows really well and the hook fits perfectly. This has the most plays on my iTunes and is probably my second favorite off the album.

3.) Turns Me On ft. Sleepy Brown & Joi - 3.5/5

Sleepy Brown does a nice job on the hook and I get the chill vibe from this track again. Nothing really stands out to me, but it's a good song and doesn't get skipped often.

4.) Follow Us ft. Vonnegutt - 2/5

I was really liking this a lot, until the hook. Just like Need You from my last reviewed album Lazarus by Travie McCoy, a good song is ruined by a horrible hook. It's not that I don't like Vonnegutt, but this just doesn't fit at all for me. It reminds me of Magic off of B.o.B's debut album The Adventures of Bobby Ray and I absolutely hated that track.

5.) Shutterbugg ft. Cutty - 3/5

This was actually the first song I heard from this album, after its music video came on MTV2 while I was browsing through channels. I didn't really like it at first, which was one of the reasons why I didn't really jump right into listening to this album, but after listening to it a few more times, I've gained more of an appreciation for it. Not a great song, but it's not bad.

6.) General Patton ft. Big Rube - 4/5

The first few seconds wanted me to switch to the next song, but then everything comes and ties in perfectly, leaving me with a very enjoyable beat. Flow's on point as well.

7.) Tangerine ft. T.I. & Khujo - 5/5

I'm a sucker for beats with some sort of guitar playing in them. Then the drums come in and it really sets it off. This is my favorite song on the album because everything just comes together perfectly for me. Add to that with a nice guest spot by the king of the south, T.I., and you have your first 5/5 track of the album.

8.) You Ain't No DJ ft. Yelawolf - 4/5

Oh look, an Andre 3K appearance! He produces a banging beat here and Big Boi rips it up nicely. So why the 4/5 instead of a 5/5? Yelawolf. He's absolutely horrible and usually I'll fast-forward through his verse just to make the song more enjoyable. Doesn't ruin the song like Vonnegutt does in Follow Us but it does bring it down a bit.

9.) Hustle Blood ft. Jamie Foxx - 4/5

Another very good track. I know a lot of people don't care for his music career, but I like Jamie Foxx on most tracks; at least when he's on the hook. By the way, Lil' Jon really produced this? That's the first time I've heard his name in years. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!

10.) Be Still ft. Janelle Monáe - 4.5/5

I love Janelle Monáe's voice. That is all.

11.) Fo Yo Sorrows ft. George Clinton - 4/5

Another very good song that I can't skip. Everything just mixes well.

12.) Night Night ft. B.o.B & Joi - 4.5/5

Yet another very good song. I always love me some B.o.B and he does his thing on the hook. Big Boi stopping the song before the second verse was pretty cool as well. Besides Yelawolf, his guest appearances have been very solid. That is until...

13.) Shine Blockas ft. Gucci Mane - 4/5

Ugh, Gucci Mane. I love this song and the beat gives me the impression of International Players Anthem by UGK in a way, but I just can't get over Gucci being in this. I treat it just like You Ain't No DJ; whenever Gucci comes up on his verse, I'll fast-forward through his part. Would have been a 4.5 or 5/5 if he wasn't in it, easily.

14.) The Train Part II (Sir Lucious Left Foot Saves the Day) ft. Sam Chris - 3/5

This is another decent song, but compared to the last eight tracks, it's a big drop-off. I can't really explain the reason why I'm not feeling it as much as the others, it's just not as appealing. Maybe it'll change over time like Cinderella Man by Eminem. Also, I feel like B.o.B would do a lot better job on this...just fits him better I think.

15.) Back Up Plan - 4.5/5

And Big Boi ends his album on a high note. I love the line at the beginning:

"Ooh I got a backup plan, to the backup plan, to back up my backup plan"

And then everything comes right together. The cheerleaders (that's what I picture them as at least) do one of their little chant things that ties in nicely, then Big Boi comes in with a vengeance. Probably one of my five favorite songs on here...definitely behind Tangerine and Daddy Fat Sax but maybe as high as third.

Overall Grade: 3.9/5

I'm very glad I decided to give this a listen because it's easily one of my favorite albums of the year. I think the rating might be a little low personally and was expecting it to trump Recovery, but it obviously didn't when the ratings averaged out.

I'll say that Eminem's album (to me) has more memorable tracks (hence why I gave it 5/5 on four tracks and 4.5/5 on five others), but overall, I feel like this is a more complete album, or at least more enjoyable. Both are very good though and highlight a very good year in hip-hop music, so far. There are plenty more albums that are being released this year that want to leap over both Recovery and Sir Lucious Left Foot.