The opener, 'Entourage', is a dope danceable tune. 'Ice Box' is one of my favourite R&B songs. Timbaland and co did their thing when they put that one together. When I first listened to this album I didn't realise how good it was until I came across it again many years later. It's 13th on my most played songs on Last.FM. From there, while Omarion proves he can create upbeat and slow R&B very successfully, you just know, unless he is a musical genius like Michael Jackson, Prince, R. Kelly, etc, that the rest of the album isn't going to live up to that opening, and it doesn't. I enjoy the multi-layered chorus of 'Obsession' ("My heart goes boom, boom, tap") but the verses aren't as engaging. Pretty much everything here is okay with 'Just That Sexy' and 'Been With a Star' being the two next level standouts behind the true standouts that are the opening two songs. Somewhere between a 3-3.5/5.
Best Songs: Entourage, Ice Box, Just That Sexy, Been With a Star
The single, S.E.X., aside, this is a fairly boring album. Many of the songs go absolutely nowhere with the production not doing enough. There are warning signs from the jump with the Young Buck featured hip hop themed 'Slow Down' being quite a lackluster way to begin the album. 'Still Here' with Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat is a better rap featured song later on. 'The River' borrows from one of the greatest songs ever, 'A Change Is Gonna Come', so that's more than decent as well and 'Keep Ya Head Up' is a take on Pac's version but doesn't do it for me.
Best Tracks: S.E.X., The River, I'll Always Love You
Despite being up with Ja Rule and early '00s hip hop, I only found out this album existed recently. After a number of songs on the first listen I was wishing I never came across it but it does improve and has grown on me with a second and third spin. 'We Getting High Tonight' that samples The O'Jays 'Help (Somebody Please)' was the first song to grab me during the first playthrough (although less so on repeated listen) and then you have DMX on the engaging horrorcore 'Tales from the Darkside' that shows how much of a difference there is between an original rapper like him and who came before. From there the production feels better. There are some poor moments amongst the 17 tracks (minus the skits), such as 'Vita, Vita, Vita' and 'Dem Niggaz' but there are enough enjoyable moments of gangsta rap to give 'Irv Gotti Presents: The Murderers' a decent rating.
Beats: ★★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★
Hooks: ★★★☆
Best Tracks: We Getting High Tonight, Tales from the Darkside, Get It Right, Rebels Symphony, Crime Scene
'Serious' is great. That aside though, there is nothing to revisit here. It's an okay 30 minutes of R&B/alternative R&B, but it loses some steam in the second half with most of the best moments being within the first six songs.
Best Tracks: Serious
This is consistently pleasant R&B from front to back but there is nothing amazing here. There are lots of 7-8/10 tracks but none at 9-10/10 that means I can't have this at a 4/5 overall. There is a little too much of the same sound from track to track as well meaning it takes more time to grow on the listener.
Best Tracks: Promises, Sweet Lady, Give Love a Try, I Can't Go On, Stay in Touch
