Â
“Bulletproof Wallets” Ghostface Killah
(featuring Raekwon)Â Sony/Epic
In the last three years, the Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface
Killah has kept a top spot in the rap game with a critically
acclaimed solo LP and two recent Wu Tang albums. Showing no signs
of fatigue, Ghostface is set to drop the long-anticipated album
reunion with fellow Clan member Raekwon titled “Bulletproof
Wallets.” This album is a pleasure to listen to. It is full
of wit and humor, but there’s one condition: leave your
political correctness at home. “Bulletproof Wallets” is
loaded with rhymes about the sunny side of life: pushers, pimps and
ghetto girls. There’s even a medley, set to the tune of Louis
Armstrong’s “It’s A Wonderful World” but
with lyrics such as, “I see buds that are green / red roses
too / I see the blunts for me and you / And I say to myself / What
a wonderful world.” In short, Ghostface’s genius
doesn’t lie in his unique choice of topics. Rap songs have
been filled with one-night stands and marijuana for years, but
Ghostface knows how to make the grimy gleam. When he challenges Mr.
T to a jewelry competition, the listener can’t help but
chuckle. Ghostface is genuine in his passion for everything he
flows about and that makes him believable and entertaining. Add
that passion to Raekwon’s sporadic cameos, a single with Carl
Thomas, four tracks produced by The RZA, and even better tracks
from Wu affiliates. The end result is a head-snapping album.
Â
Ruvin Spivak Â
“Don’t Give Up” Jean-Paul Booschwa
Shack Music
Â
Attention all music lovers: this album is for chilling out to.
The new album by world famous Haitian painter/musician Jean-Paul is
all about positivity, and it’s appropriately titled,
“Don’t Give Up.” This album isn’t just
another reggae rant about justice, equality or peace. No, no, no!
“Don’t Give Up” is a labor of universal love,
spread throughout 12 relaxing songs that cradle and then lull
listeners to palm tree paradise. As soon as the CD starts playing,
the listener’s eyelids will undoubtedly sink with mouth set
in perma-grin mode. Jean-Paul’s tunes are there to thank for
the natural high. Don’t be surprised if this makes Spring
Break in Jamaica sound nicer than Spring Break in Tijuana though.
See, it’s just that the world seems a bit softer when
Jean-Paul’s rhythms start to draw the ear to his side of the
Caribbean. Jean-Paul’s slice of Caribbean music is where
traditional Marley reggae and midnight sonata jazz meet. The songs
are easygoing but not simple. Every track seems to be knocking on
the door of calypso or R & B. With an added bit of vocal
raspiness, “Don’t Give Up” equals one of the
closest ways there is to get to margaritas, hammocks and warm
summer breezes in the big city. Basically, Jean-Paul’s music
is much like his painting ““ the essence is in the imagination
he evokes.Â
Ruvin Spivak Â
“Nine Inch Nails: Live, And All That Could Have
Been” Nine Inch Nails Nothing Records
Probably the hardest test a rock band must pass to prove itself
in the Rock Pantheon is the production of a top-notch live album.
“Nine Inch Nails: Live, And All That Could Have Been,”
based on NIN’s “fragility v2.0″ tour back in
2000, raises this standard by capturing the band in its best form.
The album is a mix of the best numbers from the North American leg
of the tour and covers the 15-year career of Trent Reznor’s
brainchild thus far. It begins with NIN’s standard opener,
“Terrible Lie,” from 1989’s “Pretty Hate
Machine,” and the noise doesn’t relent until
1999’s album “The Fragile” gets play with
“The Frail.” The show is interspersed with other sedate
numbers, but their introverted and melodic quality serves to
contrast the ensuing chaos, giving the group as well as the live
audience a break in the storm. Reznor, who is nearing 40, can still
rock harder than most half his age, but the audible strain on his
voice, which should be seen as a frontman’s badge of honor,
actually serves to hinder the performance. The album’s peak
relies on such popular heavies as “Closer” and
“Head Like a Hole,” and rounds out with the usual crowd
pleaser “Hurt.” In all, the album is great for its
versatility and production quality, unlike the shoddy recording of
the band’s 1994 Woodstock performance, “When the Whip
Comes Down.” Still make sure to buy the double disk set,
which features alternate and stripped down versions of favorites on
top of unused material from “The Fragile,” enhancing
the total listening experience.
Christopher Cobb