This is an alright mixtape, but the main problem for me is that he is rapping over Eminem joints who in most areas is a better rapper than Free, so you're left comparing it to the originals. Worth a listen though if you're a Freeway fan.
Best Tracks: Freeway's Beard, Syco, Freezer's Back, No Brains, For the Moment.
This is touching 4.5/5 and is Lloyd's best album so far. There are many upper-tier songs that I still play constantly a decade later. Lloyd doesn't need features either. My favs are when it's just him singing his ass off. The production, handled by a host of people, but predominantly Polow da Don (aka Awesome Jones!!!!), is great and varied. There are ballads and some high tempo club R&B tunes. Very much recommended.
Best Tracks: Cupid, Naked, Jigsaw, Be the One, Lay It Down, This Is 4 My Baby, You II
The ballads/slow jamz work much better on this than his previous album with some amazing ones. Wayne is back and again combines with Lloyd for a good club R&B tune that heavily uses 'Paid in Full', sampling it and Lil Wayne lyrically reusing some of the lyrics. Some great standouts, with a bit of filler still from Lloyd, but this album isn't too inconsistent.
Best Tracks: Year of the Lover, I Can Change Your Life, Touched By An Angel, Heart Attack
As with Akon's previous two albums, this isn't a start to finish venture but it's his best effort. The consistency is greater and the number of songs to keep in a playlist is higher. It begins with some contagious high tempo dance-pop tunes, gets a touch more hip-hoppy in the middle and finishes with some more straight-up uplifting R&B. I go back to a number of songs on this often and never tire of them.
*Written in 2K19
Best Tracks: Right Now (Na Na), Right Now (Na Na), Right Now (Na Na), Troublemaker, Over the Edge, Freedom
A long album with long song titles.
This is another that I can understand why people like it. The instrumentation is deep, varied and there are nice melodies. BUT, too much of it is too...ahh...happy sounding, for want of a better description. It's a similar problem I have with some of Jon Bellion's music. It sounds like some Disney BS. I feel too, being used to R&B, where the singing is often amazing, that the vocals aren't great. It's one I'm torn on. I don't think it's crap, like some other highly rated music on this site, but it isn't for me. 'The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!' is my pick.