SOUND CHECK : HIP-HOP.Erykah Badu/``Baduizm'' Sultry, airy and relaxed, the honeyed hon·eyed v. A past tense and a past participle of honey. adj. also hon·ied 1. Containing, full of, or sweetened with honey. 2. Ingratiating; sugary: honeyed words. old-school voice of soulful hip-hop chanteuse chan·teuse n. A woman singer, especially a nightclub singer. [French, feminine of chanteur, singer, from chanter, to sing; see chant.] Erykah Badu hits a mellow groove on her best-selling debut. Brooklyn resident Badu, who has studied Billie Holiday's vocal delivery, glides through several genres here, including r&b, classic soul and the more organic side of hip-hop. Her hit single, ``On & On,'' is a perfectly seductive example of Badu's powers. The mesmerizing mes·mer·ize tr.v. mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing, mes·mer·iz·es 1. To spellbind; enthrall: "He could mesmerize an audience by the sheer force of his presence" ``Baduizm'' (Universal), among the year's most interesting debuts, also features standouts such as the funky, piano-driven ``4 Leaf Clover'' and the freestyle workout ``Afro,'' delivered head-to-head with jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Badu could sing the Tax Code and hold your attention. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster The Notorious B.I.G./``Life After Death'' The posthumous second album by the Notorious B.I.G., a k a Biggie big·gie n. Slang 1. A very important person: "hassles between executive biggies" New York. 2. Smalls, would have topped the charts even if the rapper hadn't been killed in a still-unsolved shooting March 9. The word among rap fans was that ``Life After Death'' (Bad Boy/Arista), the follow-up to Small's million-selling 1995 effort, ``Ready to Die,'' was some kind of masterpiece, a collection of two dozen largely autobiographical tracks describing the career trajectory of a crack dealer turned rap superstar. For the most part, the just-released double-disc set lives up to the hype. Smalls wasn't small time as a rapper or lyricist lyr·i·cist n. A writer of song lyrics. Also called lyrist. Noun 1. lyricist - a person who writes the words for songs lyrist . and the elegant production, usually the bane BANE. This word was formerly used to signify a malefactor. Bract. 1. 2, t. 8, c. 1. of this moronic mo·ron n. 1. A stupid person; a dolt. 2. Psychology A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and generally having communication and social skills enabling some degree of academic or genre, shines with energy. But while positively gripping for your average 14-year-old gangsta rap gang·sta rap also gangster rap n. A style of rap music associated with urban street gangs and characterized by violent, tough-talking, often misogynistic lyrics. loon loon, common name for migratory aquatic birds found in fresh- and saltwater in the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Its strange, laughing call carries for great distances. Like the grebes, loons float low in the water and their legs are placed far back. , anyone who has been exposed to these kinds of rap albums for the past five years will find ``Life After Death'' simply banal, brimming with all the usual cliches - gunshots, threats, violence, misogyny misogyny /mi·sog·y·ny/ (mi-soj´i-ne) hatred of women. mi·sog·y·ny n. Hatred of women. mi·sog , dirty talk, etc. - while adding little perspective and nothing new to the same old same old. Two Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Spearhead/``Chocolate Supa Highway'' Like a harder-edged, more original Fugees, Michael Franti's Spearhead underscores tales of urban grit with fresh melodies. On the disc's most biting track, ``The Payroll (Stay Strong),'' a string section jolts the listener, but takes nothing away from the acidic story of workers seen by their bosses as property. ``Chocolate Supa Highway'' (Capitol), the Bay Area hip-hop collective's sophomore album, is full of similar touches. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Scarface/``The Untouchable'' Houston's Scarface is another tough-talking rapper who often uses his own gritty experience on the streets as the basis of his rhymes. He, too, has a top-notch production team making sure even the most offensive vignette goes down smoothly. Although this ex-Geto Boy's previous big seller, ``The Diary,'' boasted only a couple of memorable tracks, ``The Untouchable'' (Rap-A-Lot) is more consistent. Part of the credit goes to the cameos from Daz, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Lisa Crawford and Ice Cube, who each lend sparkle to otherwise one-dimensional fare such as ``Money Makes the World Go Round'' and ``Game Over.'' Two Stars ?13- Fred Shuster dance Various/``Nuyorican Soul'' The rightfully named Masters at Work Masters At Work is the house music production and remix team of Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales and Little Louie Vega. They first worked together using the name (which had originally been loaned to a mutual friend Todd Terry) in 1990. production team of ``Little'' Louie Vega and Kenny ``Dope'' Gonzalez blend salsa, jazz, r&b, disco and hip-hop for what must be the tastiest party album of the year. ``Nuyorican Soul'' (Giant Step/Blue Thumb), currently near the top of the contemporary jazz chart, has its roots in Latin music and the latest dance grooves. It's an ambitious concept the producers pull off seamlessly. The array of talent here includes Roy Ayers, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz, Eddie Palmieri, George Benson, and the Salsoul Orchestra, topped by the striking vocals of salsa diva India and disco chanteuse Jocelyn Brown on genre-busting remakes of Rotary Connection's ``I Am the Black Gold of the Sun,'' Salsoul's own ``Runaway'' and other winners. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster The Chemical Brothers/``Dig edYour Own Hole'' Britain's Chemical Brothers deliver hard-hitting electro, techno or whatever you want to call this squealing squeal v. squealed, squeal·ing, squeals v.intr. 1. To give forth a loud shrill cry or sound. 2. Slang To turn informer; betray an accomplice or secret. v.tr. metallic noise designed to blow your speakers and make your head hurt. Among the best and most audacious of the rave bands, the Chemicals (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) have the potential to generate sturdy sales of ``Dig Your Own Hole'' (Astralwerks/Caroline). Especially since the accent here is on relentless beats and imaginative radio-friendly soundscapes rather than ambient dub. It doesn't hurt that Noel Gallagher from Oasis, space-rockers Mercury Rev and hot British singer Beth Orton drop by for cameos. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster international Serge Gainsbourg/``Comic Strip'' One of three wonderful new CD compilations featuring the collected works of French singer and notorious libertine lib·er·tine n. 1. One who acts without moral restraint; a dissolute person. 2. One who defies established religious precepts; a freethinker. adj. Morally unrestrained; dissolute. Serge Gainsbourg, ``Comic Strip'' (Mercury) brings together the composer's late '60s attempts at Kinks-inspired pop - with more than a few French twists. The late Gainsbourg, perhaps best known in this country for his suggestive duet with debutante Jane Birkin, ``Je t'aime ... moi non plus'' (``I love you ... neither do I''), included here, was subversive even as a composer of two-minute throwaways. When he wasn't slipping double-entendres into songs, he was praising killers (``Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie and Clyde in full Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (born March 24, 1909, Telico, Texas, U.S.—died May 23, 1934, near Gibsland, La.) (born Oct. 1, 1910, Rowena, Texas, U.S.—died May 23, 1934, near Gibsland, La.) U.S. criminals. ,'' a duet with Brigitte Bardot), worrying about oil spills (``Torrey Canyon'') and singing about suicide (``Chatterton''). This is the Camembert of pop music. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 7 Photos Photo: (1) The Notorius B.I.G.'s ``Life After Death'' almost lives up to its hype. (2--7) no caption (CD covers) |
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