(All songs produced by K Mac Beats unless noted)
1. Intro | 0:40 | 3
2. What They Want | 3:12 | 3 - 3.5
Chris Brown goes on to repeat the poland spring / wet metaphor several times more.
3. Drop Top Girl | 2:37 | 3 - 3.25
4. Dueces (Featuring Kevin Mccall) | 4:23 | 3.5 - 3.75
Now that this is an official single, I’m interested to see how this will do, for all of the artists, including K Mac. In terms of breakup songs, it’s better than the general standard.
5. No Bullshit | 4:06 | 3 (Produced by Tha Bizness)
Should’ve replaced that Tank track on the album, since this seems less forced
6. 48 Bar Rap | 2:33 | 3.5 - 3.75 (Produced by Jahlil Beats)
“Two girls at the same time, what the fuck?”
7. Ballin’ (Featuring Kevin Mccall) | 3:33 | 2.5 - 2.75
“I’m ballin like a bitch,” a la Lil’ B style.
8. Middle Talking | 0:20 | 3
9. Ain’t Thinking About You (Featuring Bow Wow) | 3:55 | 2.5 - 3
10. Like A Virgin Again | 3:35 | 2.75 - 3
Real original rap Tyga. Or is it Chris Brown? I really couldn’t tell the difference here.
11. Have It (Featuring Kevin Mccall) | 4:02 | 3 - 3.5
12. Number One | 3:44 | 3
Is it me, or does the piano sounds exactly like the one used on Ain’t Thinking About You?
13. Make Love | 3:43 | 3 - 3.25
This track grows a little bit over time, since the cartoonish production was offsetting at first.
14. I’m So Raw | 1:57 | 4
“I’m so raw, turn the oven on / Chef Papa John, I get the parmesan / She want a yellow nigga, corn on the cob / Indian giver, slob on my knob.” It sounds better when Tyga pronounces the words. The production is a rendition of I’m So Appalled, so whoever re-engineered & mastered it, I’m very impressed.
15. I’m On It (Featuring Lil’ Wayne) | 2:54 | 3.25 - 3.75 (Produced by Calvo da Gr8t)
16. Movin 2 Fast | 3:29 | 3 - 3.75 (Produced by K.E On Tha Track)
Reflective Tyga is a success.
17. Regular Girl | 3:31 | 3 - 3.75
18. Outro Talking | 0:45 | 3.5
“Auegh!”
Bonus Tracks
19. G Shit | 4:04 | 4 - 4.5 (Produced by Jahlil Beats)
Blissful ignorance during the summer. These are the kind of tracks that should’ve been on the album.
20. Holla At Me | 3:15 | 4 (Produced by Jahlil Beats)
“I bag bad bitches, motherfucker Kat Stacks.” What?
Overall Rating: 63.75 - 66 | 64 - 66% | 3.3 / 5 | Good; detracting problems; TRY IT
I was relatively interested in this project; due to the relatively growing buzz of this collaboration mixtape, and the fact that Tyga was slowly growing buzz from me. With his “One Verse, one hearse,” series, and his constant stream of freestyles, I was willing to let my original impression slide away. It really helped that the standout tracks G Shit & Holla At Me came out before the project.
There are many typical R&B Chris Brown tracks dominating throughout the album, but that’s to be expected. Unfortunately, most of the tracks tend to be quite average, with the post-middle section (Ain’t Talking About You to Make Love, excluding Have It) to be the generic tracks that the general critic populations seems to despise excessively. It’s more because of not the production fronts by K Mac, it’s just that the topic of what’s being sung is frankly, quite typical. Chris Brown has definitely been doing this for some time, so I definitely don’t expect him to change his ways.
However, there are some nice Chris Brown singing highlights, which are mostly on the rap-themed tracks and also the beginning section, primarily. Drop Top Girl, the first of many Chris Brown singing ventures to come talks about the simple girl who drops her top. It’s a cute, summery song, and retains that Chris Brown innocence factor. No Bullshit, a supposed leftover from the album, has Chris Brown talking about how he’ll do a girl without any bullshit, exenuating the solitary feeling with a couple of hard hitting congas and pianoes. Not to say these tracks are really different, but it’s a little better than most of the tracks on the album.
Chris Brown also has these times where he just wants to go straight fly / stunna mode on the crowd, and to say the least, they do work. What They Want & Have It are generally acceptable tracks, with Chris Brown rapping over and over on minimalist tracks, with a delievery & beat preference inspired from his fellow contemporary, Tyga (Who also happens to rap on Have It) 48 Bar Rap is a more interesting turn from the singer, mostly because the superior Jahlil Beats produces upon it, and gives a wobbly-synth dominating track for Chris Brown to rap about stuff. Chris Browns raps however, do seem forced, and excessively tries to go the battle / pretty boy rapper lane.
Tyga, as the other contributor to this mixtape easily surpasses Chris Brown, whether it be on the tracks they rap on together, or with Kevin Mccall. Tyga’s three main songs in the end of the album, mainly I’m So Raw are defintely indicators of what is really to come for the young rapper. I’m So Raw, with the interpolation of the Kanye West produced, I’m So Appalled, allows the young rapper to stay in his niche of combining the youthful swagger and the punchline-laden raps that he’s been secretly developing. I’m On It provides a askew production front from Calvo and Movin 2 Fast provides something a little extra compared to the typical Tyga tracks.
Of course, now it’s when they work together is more interesting. While the synth-roller Ballin, obnoxious-drum influenced Number One, and the jazzy-organ rumbling Regular Girl are all nice pictures into their collaborative skill, it’s mainly the Deuces track, and the two promotion / bonus tracks that truly stand out. G Shit isn’t revolutionary in any single way, but the Jahlil Beats inspired production allows the breeziness (no pun intended) and summer feel to cascade all over the typical fly pretty boy lyrics from both Tyga & Chris Brown, with neither person dominating the track. Holla At Me is another Jahlil Beats jerking-style production that allows both rappers to do the typical and succeed at it again. Dueces is an interesting trio combination that allows all of the rappers to talk about “chucking up the deuces.” Nothing overtly dominates the other, and it’s another success.
If we’re on the topic of producers, simply Jahlil Beats is a far superior producer to K Mac Beats. K Mac Beats, while certainly not average, he just panders to Chris Brown & Tyga with his productions, and that’s not really something that I can criticize. Jahlil Beats has made his start on this mixtape, so I expect more from him to come.
Essentially this is more of a Chris Brown mixtape featuring Tyga, but that’s to be expected; considering Chris Brown is hastily trying to get back into the industry from his controversial situations. Of course, being a Chris Brown & Tyga mixtape, you’re going to get the usual teenager-pandering subjects, which is of course, girls, more girls & themselves being fly and better than everyone else. That, while many would tend to discriminate against it, shouldn’t be given a double standard because it’s what Tyga & Chris Brown just tend to do. Both have to appeal to their crowd, and both of them do it in a successful, cohesive way, with this album not lagging or becoming excessively boring. A definite project to listen to in the summertimes ahead.
Sidenote: I understand that this review was excessively long (pause), but we’re discussing about my generation here, and while it’s not the highly sophisticated of subjects, it’s sitll relevant to some extent.
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