itztru's Full Review: Drumline by Original Soundtrack
Being a fan of kristinafh's dream husband JC Chasez, I'd heard of the film Drumline quite awhile ago. I was desperate to hear this solo song by JC, because he's been a longtime favorite of mine.
Finally, JC did us all a favor by world premiering an unfinished version of Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love) to Los Angeles' KIIS FM. It became an instant infatuation for me. Needless to say, I was not only interested in getting the Drumline soundtrack, but seeing the movie as well (and I didn't even know what it was about).
I will say one thing...it is quite a task to review a soundtrack before seeing the movie it was made for. So please keep in mind that I have not seen Drumline (duh - it comes out tomorrow). Also, I am quite unfamiliar with writing reviews of soundtracks, as I do not regularly buy such albums.
Tracklisting
01. D&K Cadence - The A&T Drumline (The Senate)
02. Been Away - Q "The Kid" feat. Jermaine Dupri
03. I Want A Girl Like You - Joe feat. Jadakiss
04. Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love) - JC Chasez
05. Club Banger - Petey Pablo
06. Faithful To You - Syleena Johnson
07. Butterflyz (Krucialkeys Remix) - Alicia Keys
08. Uh Oh - Monica
09. My Own Thing - Raheem Devaughn
10. What You Waitin' For - Nivea
11. Peanuts - Nappy Roots
12. I'm Scared Of You - Nick Cannon
13. Shout It Out - Too $hort & Bun B (Of Ugk)
14. Let's Go - Trick Daddy feat. Duece Poppi, Tre 6 & Unda Presha
15. Marching Band Medley
Talk about a club banger
Quite fittingly, the soundtrack opens up with D&K Cadence by The A&T Drumline (The Senate). I suppose in simplest terms you can consider it an intro of sorts, as it ends just shy of 30 seconds in length. It is a disgustingly catchy marching band piece, completely setting the tone for the rest of the album.
The end of the intro jumps smoothly into Been Away by Q "The Kid" featuring Jermaine Dupri. You'll find that the beat is very much the SoSo Def sound. I prefer JD's verses over Q's, and the chorus has an unbelievable hook. I'm going to take a guess here and say that this song's lyrics probably reflect on the main character in the movie (played by actor Nick Cannon).
I Want a Girl Like You (done by Joe and Jadakiss) is nice, but has a problem with keeping a constant pace. It seems to slow down and speed up. The way it opens is great, and because of that you expect the rest of the song to be exactly like that. But almost instantly it slows with a verse by Jadakiss. While I like this track, there are definitely better songs on the soundtrack.
Ahh yes, the reason I ever considered getting the Drumline soundtrack - Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love) by the outstanding Mr. JC Chasez. The album version seems slowed down compared to the unfinished cut that he premiered on KIIS. However, the song is still awesome in every way. JC sounds great with his incredible range, the beat is crazy, and the production is smooth. I particularly like how he adds in elements of a marching band sound in order to represent the film. This makes me hungry for more JC solo material!
What kind of North Carolinian would I be if I didn't love Petey Pablo?! I think his throaty, gritty vocals add a unique flavor to his rap. Not to mention, he has a knack for rapping with a nursery rhyme style (it's hard to explain, but it rocks). Club Banger has an infectious club beat with clever lyrics. Plus, I think I counted at least three times in which he mentions Carolina. That's always a plus, Petey.
Syleena Johnson reminds me of an Angie Stone spawn. Faithful To You is, in my opinion, just ok. It has a very India Arie feel to it (I love India Arie), but there's something missing in this song. It's just lacking. Blah.
Some artists are only capable of releasing good singles, not good albums. Butterflyz (Krucialkeys Remix) is on Alicia Keys' album Songs in A Minor, and just as the other non-singles on that album, Butterflyz is dull. Even as a remix, there is nothing about it that makes it even remotely interesting. As good a voice as she has, her songs suck. But that's just my opinion.
Uh Oh by Monica does little to hold my attention for very long. While it has a nice, catchy beat, her vocals hold too little power here. The song seems overly produced, with the beat being the focus instead of her voice - which is something I always have a problem with. The lyrics seem almost identical to pretty much any Destiny's Child song you can think of. Not very original. Again, blah.
I've never heard of Raheem Devaughn, but you better believe I'm glad I stumbled across him on this soundtrack. My Own Thing is a great song! The beat is simple, but not understated. His voice seems to be the focus here, which is definitely a good thing. There's an unbelievable hook in the chorus, and the bridge is very nice. I'd like to hear more from this guy.
I like Nivea a lot. I remember when Don't Mess With My Man was released (the first time) - I liked her then, and I like her now. What You Waitin' For has its annoying moments, and just like Monica's Uh Oh, seems really overproduced. However, the music does not overpower Nivea's voice here, which makes this song better than Monica's. Of course, the lyrics are nothing new...
Nappy Roots! Another favorite of mine. Peanuts is interesting, though I guess I'd have to see the movie to understand how it has anything to do with the film's plot. While Peanuts is not nearly as good as their singles (Aw Naw and Po' Folks), it is a great addition to the album, allowing for a bit of diversity on this soundtrack.
It's really hard to see a Nickelodeon star as anything but a Nickelodeon star. Oddly, Nick Cannon seems to be changing that. Not only does he play the lead role in Drumline, but he is also found on the soundtrack with I'm Scared of You, a hip-pop track. It has everything to do with the movie, and is an all-around good, catchy song. It's not exactly anything spectacular, but I particularly love the hook that consits of a call-and-return session between girls and guys...Ohhhh, I'm scared of you. Ohhhh, I'm scared of you!
Shout It Out by Too $hort & Bun B (Of Ugk) is pretty damn cool. When you listen to it, you get the feeling of chaos, as if many things are going on at once. The song goes in many different directions, with many different layers of beats interlacing each other. It's a completely danceable song (something I love), which compensates for the horribly typical lyrics.
Could Let's Go feature any more artists? It is done by Trick Daddy, Duece Poppi, Tre 6 & Unda Presha. It sounds like something you'd hear at a Homecoming pep rally or during halftime at a high school/college football game. Clearly that's what they meant for it to be. It fits perfectly on the soundtrack, it makes you want to get up and dance, reminding me very much of Trick Daddy's previous effort, Take It To Da House. It's good, but I don't know if I'll be listening to it too often.
The Marching Band Medley is awesome! They play songs like Bouncin' Back by Mystikal, and Petey Pablo even accompanies them as they play his song I Told Y'all. They play quite a few songs, some of which I can't even name. I will say though...talk about one helluva band. This is a great way to end the album.
In Conclusion
This is the type of soundtrack that you can buy without having seen the movie, with a great mix of artists. I think it's great that they have marching band pieces, as it makes the soundtrack unique to the film itself. However, I must point out that the album does have its lowpoints. Overall, the Drumline soundtrack only encourages me to see the movie.
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