On Fabolous’ sophomore album Street
Dreams, listeners will discover that there isn’t much
difference between this album and his platinum-selling debut,
Ghetto Fabolous. The F-a-b-o-l-o-u-s brings poignant, introspective
work into tracks whether he is talking about his success
(“Change You or Change Me”) or talking to “wifey”
about his ways (“It’s Alright”), just
like he did on Ghetto’s “One Day” and
“Trade It All” (Pre-Puffy). Even the ghetto
love ballad, “Into You,” featuring Ashanti,
could pass as another installment of the aforementioned
summer anthem, while R&B singer Tamia’s ’98
single “So Into You” is heavily sampled for
the track.
As for the street side of things, brotherly
love connects as Fab and half-brother Paul Cain flow on
“Why Wouldn’t I,” while “Wild Wild
West” brings together a coast to coast connection
with the Doggfather, Snoop Dogg, that’s sure to blast
from the Escalades to the ’64 Impalas. Still, Fab
continues with the club bangers. “Not Give a Fuck”
and “Call Me” will keep people on the dance
floor, while the lead single, “This Is My Party”
speaks for itself: “We gon’ party, ‘til
we laid in graves / Sweat out our doobie, braids and waves
/ Then scream ‘hey-hey-hey yo’ / That groupie
made a wave / ‘Cause when she seen the whips and chains
/ She started talking ‘bout she ready to be made a
slave, c’mon.” Though there’s not much
difference in his formula, Fab avoids a sophomore slump.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
—Sean A. Malcolm
FREEWAY – PHILADELPHIA
FREEWAY (ROC-A-FELLA/DEF JAM)
The former drug dealer-turned-MC makes no
apologies for his past: He simply makes a thoroughly confident
debut that is only weighed down by its cutthroat subject
matter. Just Blaze, Kanye West and Miles supply standout
beats while Freeway supplies a unique vocal style—which
at times resembles a grizzly bear scratching a blackboard.
—Keith Murphy
CHERRYWINE – BRIGHT
BLACK (DCIDE)
When rappers become “serious musicians,”
we can talk all we want about how laudable it is that they’re
following their artistic muse, but the records they make
usually suck. Digable Planet’s Ishmael “Butterfly”
Butler with his new band, Cherrywine, tries to come off
like some post-hip-hop Sly Stone, but mostly he just sounds
stoned.
