contakt's Full Review: Ghetto Pop Life by D.M. & Jemini
After being initially put off by the title (it just seemed, well, somewhat mainstreamy and therefore crap?) I got this album.. and my preconceived misconceptions were proved to be entirely WRONG. It bridges the gap between mainstream hip hop and the "underground" scene. Well, DJ Danger Mouse did an absolutely fantastic job on mixing Jay-Z's "Black Album" with The Beatles "White Album" to make The Grey Album. And his production shines as much on this album. I have to admit, I had never really heard of Jemini before, but I definitely became a fan from the opening track. His voice is very distinctive, slightly high pitched at times; with a very energetic delivery. His lyrics aren't generally very complicated, but they're funny. The artwork on the cover is really cool too.
Track listing:
1. Born-A-MC
2. Ghetto Pop Life Intro
3. Ghetto Pop Life
4. Omega Supreme
5. What U Sittin' On? feat. Tha Liks
6. The Only One
7. Take Care of Business feat. J-Zone
8. That Brooklyn Sh!t
9. Yoo-Hoo!
10. Copy Cats feat. Prince Po from Organized Konfusion
11. Don't Do Drugs
12. Medieval feat. The Pharcyde
13. Bush Boys
14. Here We Go Again
15. I'ma DooMee
16. Knuckle Sandwich
I'm not sure which song I would state is my favourite. It's between 'Born-A-MC' and 'Take Care Of Business'. The former I love because D.M provides such brilliant soundtrack for Jemini's smooth rhymes. The whirlwinds of violin's make this an epic opening track. The latter song is a favourite of mine because it's just so much fun to listen to. From the quirky quotes at the beginning ("because even Britney can't get it for free") to the atmospheric beat and dope verses from J-Zone and Jem, it just sounds so good. A quotable from this song would be "I've reversed the game, so call me 'emag'". Great stuff.
Although I listed 'Born-A-MC' and 'Take Care Of Business' as my favourite songs, 'Copy Cats' is probably the one that stands out the most in terms of production and lyrics. It's just that 'Take Care of Business' is so much more fun :). Anyhoo, 'Copy Cats' features a great, dancehall sounding chorus which immediately had me humming along. The beat marches along with a neck snapping baseline, and Jemini and Prince Paul lace it with clever, cutting lyrics.
The title track, 'Ghetto Pop Life' is another superior effort. And I always listen to the intro track (which consists of a choir singing the chorus to the song over and over) because it amuses me to hear a seemingly angelic choir singing "I got bullets in the clip, so what you want?" and so on. It all sounds gorgeous as the melodies build up, and then the intro flows flawlessly in to the song. (Well at least it would be flawless if my iPod didn't insist on putting a one second gap between songs. *Shakes fist*) Anyway.. back to the topic at hand. Despite the fact that the actual lyrical content isn't too interesting, Jemini still flows smoothly enough to give this song a really nice vibe.
'Don't Do Drugs' is a great song. The tongue in cheek lyrics, playful beat and laid back sound make this an excellent party song. There are too many funny lyrics to quote, but the opening strains of "they call me.. Mr Hustler, see me around the way, everyday, the smoke juggler, the coke bubbler. You know, I'll get ya high if you gimme ya dough, I'm only trying to get ya to put your nose 3 feet deep in the snow" really do catch your attention. And then the quirky hook which tells us of all the drugs "Mr. Hustler" has, and then says "if you take my advice you will try one." Another great bit is the reference to Bill Clinton.
The song I was most looking forward to hearing was 'Bush Boys' but I was slightly disappointed. It's not that it's a bad song, but it just didn't match up to the other anti Bush songs from Sage Francis, Immortal Technique etc. And perhaps the whole "lets insult Bush" thing got a bit stagnant. The track is still a strong assault on the Bush administration, complete with the obligatory quote of Dubya mangling his speech. The bit with bombs being dropped on Iraq was a nice touch too. (well yeah it's not a nice touch in that way, but it improved the song...)
My least favourite song, which will only get a brief mention, is 'What U Sittin On.' The misogynistic lyrics didn't interest me, nor did the talk of "dubs." Never really liked Tha Liks either. Still, not an all out bad song because it has a good beat.
Now for the songs which fall into the category of "good, but not my favourites." 'Yoo Hoo' is a nice offering, which sounds welcomingly laid back after the aggression of 'Bush Boys.' The toned down sound works rather well. And then there's 'Medieval', which, despite it's masterful, opera style production, didn't appeal to me that much. 'The Only One' has an excellent beat with speeded up vocals and retro style guitar riffs. Very easy on the ear. I wouldn't say the Jemini is exactly at his best on on this song though.
'Omega Supreme' consists of some bragging from Jemini, which is sometimes witty, sometimes tired. Danger Mouse doesn't let us down though, the production still shines. The quotes of "conceited bastard" at the chorus and the fading out of "I'm a bad n-gga..I'm a bad, bad n-gga" at the end of Jem's acapella sound great. 'That Brooklyn Sh!t' is the gritty, street sounding song on this album. The beat is glorious, with an intense violin loop. The song sounds a lot more bleak than the others, and Jemini's street tales match that. 'Here We Go Again' is a good, socially conscious song. The opening is sublime, with "here we go" sung languidly over a relaxing, tinkling beat. 'I'ma Doomee (Love Letter)' continues in the same vein, the production is just glorious. I just adore the pattering xylophone and the vocal melody echoes the last words of Jemini's lines. The actual lyrics are about Jemini missing his girlfriend while on tour. It all sounds very sorrowful. The last track, 'Knuckle Sandwich' is a nice song, with a saxophone ostinato and crashing drums. Good way to end the album.
Overall, a very strong album. The production is so good that I think even non hip hop fans would enjoy listening to this. The choice of samples is certainly very eclectic. Jemini rides the beats well, and though he may not be a lyrical mastermind, he still gives each song a nice, charismatic vibe.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
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