R.O.C. scores with minimal success on Soundtrack
A soundtrack, with producer credits given to Shawn Carter (Jay Z), sounds good, and after the single Roc The Mic, I knew the CD should be good, and I was almost right, the CD has a lotta of the Roc crew that we always here about, but rarely hear, unfortunately, it’s hard to distinguish who is who, and I really don’t feel like doing that, I already have Beanie Sigel and Freeway are the most recognizable, and of course Rell who provides nice R&B vocals. I’ll break this CD down by songs.
1) Roc The Mic
Lyrically, this song isn’t the best, but the beat make’s this jump, it has a nice club feel, but it doesn’t feel so commercial, it is really well done, and the premier track on the CD, almost the best track on the album. Freeway introduces himself in a good way, he rips well on the track, he sounds like a cross between Cee Lo, and Fiend from the Ruff Ryder crew, maybe a little Scarface in there too. Overall these songs aren’t lyrical masterpieces, but they really get you jumpin’.
2) Sun Never Shines
This is a nice track the chorus is nicely sung an sets the mood for the song, the lyrics are decent, but some of them are standard, and some you really aren’t feelin’. I think this song would make a great video. The song is a real good song on the CD, it’s one of the one’s you’d expect on the soundtrack. It’s standard but fun for a few times. The beat is real nice.
3) It’s Not Right
Freeway starts getting’ annoying on this track, I think he could be great in doses, and as a solo artist, he might be great, probably all of these guys would be, but to have them all on the CD, I don't know. The sample on this track would be good, but when whoever starts rappin’, it kinda ruins the chorus, they coulda lowered the rap voice. The beat is nice, and the lyrics are ok, you just realize, the rappers seem a little annoying, cause you really ain’t sure who you listening too. Overall this is an annoying track.
4) Do You Want Me
The beat is ok, the voice in the song is annoying, it’s like a little baby’s voice. Lyrically the track is ok, and the chorus was good until the baby comes on, it really ruins it. These songs could be so good, but for some reason the producer has little ways to ruin it. Whoever does the last verse needs to have his contract taken away from him. Rick Rock produced this, and he’s got some problems as to why they would put a baby voice on the track. This is a pretty bad track.
5) Sing My Song
It’s kinda weird, this song seems like it’d be annoying, but it’s actually kinda tight, I think the guy that does the first verse on this song is the guy I said should be fired on the last track does ok on this one. I think Sparks is a real decent rapper, he does good on this track, he seems to have quite a bit of emotion to him. The song is real good on the CD.
6) No Glory
Beanie Sigel, always enjoyable, as long as he don’t rap too long, he’s always the perfect guest star though. The beat has a rock feel to it, and it isn’t very good. Beanie is reduced to annoying on the track, and his way of repeating lyrics is annoying, and the way he says chedda is stupid. I never figured what this song is about, I just knew it was ultimate filler, and to make it worse, midway through the song, they had it switch it up for a second, and the line, “I’m so streets like asphalt” has been said in similar ways before, overall this track is lame, no good, skip it.
7) B---- Niggas’s
Sparks is good, he is probably the next best on Roc A Fella after Jay, Bleek, Cam, and Beanie, he better then Freeway, so he should definitely get some more play. He does good on this track, the beat is so, so, quite redundant. His lyricism is decent. The chorus ain’t that good. Beanie does awesome on this track, he sounds freakin’ mad, you actually believe everything he’s saying. It goes to show, if you actually give a rapper a chance, he can shine, this is probably the best track he’s ever done. This track overall is real good, thanks to the rappers.
8) Why Must I
This beat sounds like the Roc the Mic beat. Beanie is real good on the lyrics, he’s real quotable, some actual good pop culture references about Spike Lee. The chorus, it will probably be sung by everyone, but it is only decent, and a little annoying. Sparks sounds like a scratchy Dr. Dre on this track. It’s funny, it’s almost like a complete reversal, Sparks rips on this track a lot better then Beanie Sigel, and on the last track Sigel tore Sparks up. Lyrically though Beanie Sigel does a lot better on this track. This track is really good, I was surprised, I wasn’t expectin’ much from this.
9) International Hustler
Oh no, I was already getting’ annoyed with Freeway, now he’s all by himself but the good thing, this is like one of the premier beats on the album, the beat is awesome. Freeway is annoying, he really is, I don’t know why I don’t like him, I can’t really place it, he just sounds so whiny, oh well. The song is ok, cause of the beat, and at least Freeway is on beat, although I don’t feel he don’t deserve to rap with the R.O.C. The chorus is not very good lyrically, but it’s not as annoying as some of the other songs. Overall, this song is good, only because of the beat. Freeway needs to fix his lyrics to make up for his flowing, but you get used to him on this track.
10) Hood I Know
When everyone get’s on the track, I don’t recognize who is who, but whoever rap’s after Beanie Sigel on this track is pretty crappy lyricist for this song. After you hear the same song over and over again lyrically, it get’s annoying, that’s why I like Ludacris so much. The beat is nice on this album, Sigel does it good, the other rappers compliment the track, some get some good lyrics in there to go with the beat, but not everyone. You wouldn’t believe how bad Freeway ruins the track, maybe I just don’t like him, but all these smooth rappers, then Free get’s on, and sounds like he’s crying, it’s almost comical. The chorus is good courtesy of Mr. Sigel. The song is good, but it fades out unexplainably, so I don’t know.
11) Got Nowhere
The beat is ok, you almost feel like your in the studio with Beanie, the way he cleanly spits his flow on the track. The chorus is a pissy poor sample. One big problem, I’ve heard this song so many times before, there’s almost nothing different about this and some past song. Once in a while B Mac will get some Pac inspired words in there, but it don’t all iron out well. This seems like it’s tailor made for Freeway, a song with emotion, but he sounds so off beat, he ain’t bad. This song overall isn’t good, it’s annoying, and a filler that just had to get on the soundtrack. Listen to it once, then skip it. You will even without me tellin’ you.
12) Trouble Man
I was waitin’ for the soulful song. I finally recognize Oschino on this song, he ain’t the best rapper, kinda standard, but he get some nice lyrics in there. The mistake on this track is havin’ Beanie Sigel sing the chorus, but it ain’t that bad in the end. Sparks is good, another line about Slick Rick’s chains, I’m sick of hearin’ about Slick Rick’s chains, somebody always talkin’ about them. This song sounds kinda like an Outlawz song without 2Pac, it’s real good. The beat is nice, everyone flows good. I waited for the soulful song, cause I knew it’d be on a soundtrack, and it was worth it, the song is real good.
13) Don’t Realize
When I saw Rell was on the track, I thought this would be one of them emotional I’m Sorry Mama songs, nope, it sure wasn’t.. This song was mmmm, well, it had Beanie Sigel, and the always misused Rell, a decent combination, we get to here Beanie warn us about the game, and about how bad he is, then Rell sounds bad on the chorus, and Beanie makes the chorus worse by talkin’ while Rell is singin’. Lyrically Sigel pulls some gay stuff on here, it ain’t no good, and I didn’t like this song. Very passable, skip it.
The CD is pretty good for a soundtrack, it has it’s moments, unfortunately, nothing it really spectacular on the CD, mainly just average, there are some nice surprises like Sigel awesome flow on track 7, and some decent lyrics, but overall, we just keep treadin’ over the same path lyrically, still this is a good CD to listen to so I give it an 3, go out and buy it, just don’t expect to be mesmerized.
Decent Tracks: 8
Whack Tracks: 5
OVERALL RATING: 3/5
REVIEWED BY: whitestain
ADDED: 2002-05-02
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