I've enjoyed spinning this and playing it through a number of times. It's consistently solid enough to do that and has an assortment of sounds throughout the 20 tracks, but there aren't enough great or memorable moments to rate this too highly. The song I've enjoyed the most is 'In My Head', partly due to it being so relatable in a time when I've struggled to get decent slumber.
Beats: ★★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★
Hooks: ★★★
Best Tracks: Okay, In My Head Portrait, Talk Talk, Still Life, Bigger Pictures, Alright (Okay Reprise)
'80s hip hop... It more often than not doesn't do enough for me and this is another example. Latifah is fine as an MC but the subject matter isn't engaging and the album has nothing that has stood out on any high level. The second song, 'Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children', would be the clear standout if not for the high pitched annoying vocals that brings the song down, and some other songs have a similar problem with something minor, such as a less than great hook not allowing the song to elevate to the next level. There are a mix of styles with some funk, hip-house and reggae and it's not a chore to playthrough, but there is nothing I'll be wanting to hear again.
Beats: ★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★☆
Hooks: ★★
Best Tracks: Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children
Before listening to this, all I'd known of Lil Dicky/Dave was hearing a freestyle or two and seeing a couple of episodes of his TV show, 'Dave'. On a site where talentless and generic artists who have nothing to offer apart from their T&A have respectable ratings, this is what we decide to zero-bomb with over 70% of ratings being 0-9/100? I, too, shake my head at some of the content and bars on this (there is of course too much penis stuff), but on the flip side, there is some interesting subject matter and engaging storytelling. The fact that 'Harrison Ave' has a rating of 24/100 says it all. With its classic boom bap beat, that feels like it could've been a Kanye beat in the early-mid '00s, and Dicky just rapping about his first love, it just proves that this was just attacked by the hater bandwagon. Some of the beats are quite generic and there are some skips, but it's not an 8/100. I spun this over five times and enjoyed enough of it to give it a decent rating.
Beats: ★★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★
Best Tracks: Ally's Song, Harrison Ave, Burst, Second Coming, Going Grey, Jail (Part 1), We Good
After revisiting all of J-Lo's albums, this is one of her most inconsistent projects. While there are hits like 'Love Don't Cost a Thing' and 'Ain't It Funny', it's front loaded and just has more lukewarm songs. As an aside, released in the same year, there are some songs that have some elements that remind me of MJ's 'Invincible'.
Best Tracks: Love Don't Cost a Thing, I'm Real, Play, Ain't It Funny
I think one of the problems with this album, unlike her others, is that the sound isn't varied enough. Too many songs have the same kind of vibe and I'm saying this after giving the album about 6 spins. It's all decent-good though. 'Mile in These Shoes' is an underrated one. I had its chorus stuck in my head. The upbeat-dance-pop like 'Hold It Don't Drop It', 'Do it Well' and 'Gotta Be There' all work fairly well. The title track is another highlight. There is nothing I'll be craving to hear from this in the future, but it's another decent collection from Jennifer.
Best Tracks: Hold It Don't Drop It. Do It Well, Mile in These Shoes, Brave, Do It Well (Feat. Ludacris)