RR’s ’09 Disappointing Albums: #4 Jadakiss “The Last Kiss”
January 7, 2010 @ 12:25 PM EST
News
The stakes are high for Jadakiss. As one of the game’s premiere spitters, the Yonkers native’s forced to meet towering expectation with profitable return. The release of The Last Kiss proved no different in pumping out impressive first week numbers. There’s no denying Jada’s skill set (“Pain & Torture”) or songwriting ability (“Rockin’ With The Best”, “Can’t Stop Me”). His Achilles heel however is song selection. Tracks like “Who’s Real”, “Something Else” and “I Tried” should’ve been left on the cutting room floor. Same goes for “What If” and “Stress Ya”. With time, Mr. Top 5 Dead or Alive will have an album worthy of the same praise.
Before: RR’s ’09 Disappointing Albums: #5 Busta Rhymes Back On My B.S.
You’re buggin….gotta disagree
Yeah the album wasn’t great. “What If” with Nas was tight though, as was “Death Wish” “Letter to B.I.G.” and “Smoking Gun.” I think he tried to make some club records and some down south records that didn’t work. The problem with Kiss is he’s not great at making full songs. He always comes with the verses, but his beat selection and hooks for most of the album is off. He just needs a better exec producer.
One of the main things that seperates a great (but a lil overrated) lyricist such as Jada from Tupac is songwriting quality and consistency. Even to a lesser degree 50…Jada is superior lyrically, but is nowhere near them in songwriting ability..He is better in a group situation also..This is no disrepect as he has shown that he is one of the best cameo rappers of alltime…
Btw, anyone who thinks Lil’ Wayne is wack should listen to his verse on “Death Wish.” It might have been his best verse of the year.
been dead on so far son… only built for cuban linx 2 should be up here. i know people liked it, but all those already used samples and not even flippin them any differently was wack as fuck. and there are some bangers on there dont get me wrong, but this is not “only built for cuban linx” status at all. street hop should be up here too. once again, bangers but how many songs on that shit were already released you know what im sayin? and as far as jada is concerned i like some tracks off the album but shit wasn’t poppin like that. deff a disappointment
feelin’ what you said frontrunner.
Post this shit in a better format. There’s like fifteen different categories that you guys are postin up, and ten albums per categories.
You what the fuck are you niggas smoking up in Rap Radar HQ? This was one of the better rap albums out this year. When it came out, everyone loved it. SMFH…..You niggas have no credibility.
disagree and your opinion is null and void right after you said “what if” was wack
^
“Everyone” or just u dan?
@Dan
It was a good album, but still a disappointment for someone as nice on the mic as Jada. For Jada to really be considered a top 5 rapper dead or alive he’s got to make a great album. And when Jada’s album isn’t as good as Rick Ross’ that’s a problem.
Nah, everyone. Check all the Nah Rights, 2dopeboyz, etc. Next thing you gonna tell me was Gorilla Zo had the #1 Underrated Album of 2009. SMH.
It is amazing how bloggers feel they are the authority on music.
^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^
Gotta agree fully with Mike…In rap right now, we’re just so laxe with wack shit that when someone great gives us mediocre work, we consider it to be great, just to settle for it because we’re hungry for real hip hop until that shows up…
No way in hell I can condone picking Wale’s album over Jada’s album.
BTW, If “Who’s Real” had Gucci on there instead of OJ he would have been considered a genius.
@PSP King: You are named after a video game system. Please sit you ho ass down.
@ PSP King says
It is amazing how bloggers feel they are the authority on music
^
Bloggers? don’t disrespect the resume. YN’s former EIC of XXL, former Music editor at the Source
Me: Former staff writer at XXL.
I’ve critiqued more albums than u got blog comments, fag
@R.E.D. Inc.
These RR guys are nobodies. It’s a fun blog but don’t take their opinions serious at all. They’re just sucking up the big players to get $$$ out of the budgets. I knew they weren’t real when they put Gucci Mane’s album in the best albums list. YN has been getting paid to write favorable reviews since he was XXL and since BDot is his son (minion, flunky, etc) he will do the same thing.
lmao wtf? id put more trust in an MTV list at this point.
@ ac@pella
Makes sense.
@ big business
disagree and your opinion is null and void right after you said “what if” was wack
^
do u read reviews or skim thru em? i never said it was wack. i said it should be left on the cutting room floor. that concept has been done before: 50, Sticky Fingaz, etc.
@Bdot… EIC of XXL? So!
@ PSP
let me ask u, what thee fuck have YOU done for the game all the from Woodstock, Illionis? What makes YOU an authority. I’ve earned my stripes. Ur just a mere fan that gets his rocks off in a comment section. Thanks for the visit, tho
Bottom line is Kiss needs to come better. His talent is way above this album. Plus his production is too all over the place. IMO he should get with 1 or 2 producers and just make a cohesive album. Styles P’s last joint was much better, and that’s because P has a musical direction he wants to go with. Kiss has none. You can’t try to please every single genre at once. He needs to establish his own sound. This pick was dead on.
@Bdot… don’t get your panties up in a bunch young’n. i’m just stating my opinion, son. yes… i am a “mere fan” and what are you? a pawn in the game. what is your contribution to hip-hop? and don’t mention this blog because it really poppin’ like that. the rosenberg connection is all you guys got. there is no original content or thought here at all.
i’m also impressed at how you’re able to search IP addresses. Peace from the mid-west.
Glad to find out I wasn’t the only person who thought this was a disappointment
@R.E.D. INC
Bottom line is that Jada should be held to a higher standard than Wale since he’s been in the game as long as he has and has put out as much material as he has. So it IS a disappointment when he makes a decent album. Wale gets compared to other up and coming artists. Jada gets compared to his previous material and the standard that he created for himself (Top 5 Dead or Alive). Once he says that he opens himself up to comparisons against Jay, Nas, 50, Biggie, Pac and he hasn’t made a classic album yet and the rest have. I’m still waiting for it.
yeah this isn’t the worst albums list, this is simply the most disappointing, which this album absolutely was.
@pspking
^
Don’t even know why I’m even explaining myself to u, but fuck it, I’m bored. I’m a fan… and music journalist. With in the last 5 years, I’ve interviewed, critiqued, and provided the world with insight from some of the game’s most prominent figures. My work’s been featured in media outlets throughout the world.
As for this site, ur visiting right? so I MUST be doing something right. If you want to talk original content, check out the Q&A tab. If u want, search my break through or hip-hop confession series found in “True Stories”. I’m most proud of my video sitdown with Young Guru last Sept.
I hope this is sufficent. Your turn.
@Bdot… 5 whole years, huh? You say you provided “insight” from rappers? C’mon son. You interviewed these dudes like every other “media outlet”. Lol.
you’re apparently still young and insecure but I believe you’ll grow to be a strong and confident journalist. but right now you’re just a blogger and part time music reporter.
I cant front, this album was in fact disappointing but I have to disagree with leaving “What If?” on the cutting room foor. I mean, I understand that the concept of the song has been done before by 50 and whoever else but like Nas said before “No idea’s original, there’s nothing new under the sun, its never what you do, but how its done”. Hell, how many songs about haters, money, and bitches have we heard over the years done over and over and over again by everyone and they’re mothers? Kiss and Nas came correct on that joint, but to continue on with me being disappointed in this album and pretty much all of Kiss’s solo albums “What If” is probably the only song that I can listen to regularly off that album. Kiss is a sick MC without a doubt and all the greats respect him but he just can’t seem to nail down a solid album. I hate to do this to Kiss cuz I love his shit so much but when it comes to albums, it begs the question, can Kiss really be considered Top 5 Dead or Alive in the ranks of Nas, Jay, Big, and Pac without a single classic album? I’d like to know what y’all think about that idea. ESPECIALLY you B.DOT.
@PSP King
^
Ok, commenter. u win. Thanks for the unique visit.
@ Queenz
I dont think “What If” is a bad song, but I just got tired of that concept. If it werent on the album, i wouldnt miss it.
But to answer ur original question, lyrically he’s dope. but so are alot of rappers. I think if kiss really wants to prove his self worth, he has to drop an undisputable classic. The folks mention got at least one under their belt
Dumb arguments aside… I sort of agree that Jadakiss’s album was underwhelming, but not for the reasons listed. How can you say some of the strongest records on the album should have been left on the cutting room floor? I think Jada’s only fault with this album was trying to be too many things at once to appeal to the most fans possible. When he sticks to his usual formula, he sound great. But when he goes outside of it on this album he comes off as out of his depth.
As for Rick Ross’s album being better than this one? Craziness.
@B.Dot: And how can Jada drop a classic if fans like you don’t appreciate his skillset and constantly compare him to his peers? He’s in the same boat as Fab.
^
As i said in the review, “There’s no denying his skill set” I think Jada is dope, but he just has’nt transitioned that into a certified classic album yet. I think he’s capable tho.
@B.Dot
Good call on ending the pointless argument with PSP king “A wise man told me don’t argue with fools cause people from a distance can’t tell who is who.”
@T.Scott
Fab knows his lane and always comes out with albums chock full of radio hits for the ladies and some street anthems. The Last Kiss though was all over the place. As for his skillset, so far it hasn’t made for a classic album yet. The comparisons to his peers are comparisons Jada set up. If he didn’t want that he shouldn’t call himself “The Champ” and “Top 5 Dead or Alive.” At a certain point you gotta live up to your own hype. As for the comparison to Ross’ album, that’s personal preference but the production is waay tighter on Deeper Than Rap and the hooks are hotter. If it was Jada rapping on that ther’s no doubt it would have been better.
@B.Dot – gtfo, because you must be the dumbest motherfucker on this planet.
“Do not speak to fools, they scorn the wisdom of your words” -Nas, Ghetto Prisoners
@T.Scott
Kiss put himself in the company of the 4 horsemen (Nas, Jay, Big, Pac) so its only right we compare and question whether he rightfully belongs the same category. The fact of the matter is Kiss himself can say that he has 1 undisputed classic album under his belt. Nas, Jay, Big, Pac have several each and each of them changed the game as a whole in their own way. Kiss is by far one of the nicest rappers but those albums come up short everytime and its so frustrating cuz I really wanna see him win big.
This album was fire man.. how can RR say ‘What if’ was wack? shiiit Jada and Nas killed that shiiiit !!! Jada Jada!!
^
read carefully, i never said it was wack
and now maino’s album was underrated???????
smh
I’m done here
I can’t lie when this album first came out i loved it. Then after a while it was aight. It is all over the place but Jada came with his flow and lyrics good. The main thing somebody said it above me is the songs. Jada is not that creative with coming up with songs.
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[…] Before: RR’s ‘09 Disappointing Albums: #4 Jadakiss The Last Kiss […]
I have to strongly disagree with this review.
Jadakiss put out a dope album.
1.Can’t Stop Me
2.Who’s Real” (feat. Swizz Beatz & OJ da Juiceman) is a banger, club banger you can bump this driving down the streets and look at the approval of hip-hop heads lookin at you like yeah that’s the shit right there. Remix felt like RR the original was coming back.
3.Grind Hard is a great record, should have been a single.
The only dissapointing record for me was “One More Step” feat Styles P, Stress Ya & Come & Get Me, these felt like they were missing something.
Compare this album with Crime Pays by Cam’ron
http://whatuknowaboudat.blogspot.com/2010/01/editorial-mr-arenas-and-so-forth.html
Great Editorial read it!!!!
*shrug* I just don’t see how Jada ever live up to that hype if he’s always getting compared to other rappers. I get that by saying he’s top five cones with certain expectations, sure. And he should definitely live up to them, I just don’t think he can’t do him.
The Last Kiss tried to satisfy too many people at once, and fell short because of it. I’m not saying Jada has made that classic yet, I just think he needs the room and the open mind from fans to expect a certain type of material when you’re listening to a Kiss album than just wanting other him to do what’s working for another artist. If he can do that, we’ll get that classic album we all want.
With that said, my main beef with this article was that it labeled The Last Kiss as a disappointing album. Was it everything we expected? Not at all. But it was still a solid album, and one of the best releases of early 2009. It just got overshadowed by the releases that came after it. I just feel that when you’re putting one of these type of lists together, you have to take that into account. Personally, I feel like it was firmly rooted in the middle quality wise. Good, but not great.
You’re wildin. The Last Kiss is a classic
I liked this album. And for the nigga thaat said weezys deathwish verse was his best this year. Wtf are uuuuuu smoking. And bloggers piss me off with there opinons.
this wasn’t that bad, and “What If” is actually pretty dope – I know the concept has been done before, but this was executed well.
” What if Hiliary and them
Were reptilian?
And 2012 was the end of men
And all world civilians? ”
come on B. Dot….those thoughts never crossed your mind?
Yo! Jada had a faggot as his a&r and another one as his publicist. Both of which did nothing to support his album. So Jada had to work the project by his damn self!
Yo! Jada had a faggot as his a&r and another one as his publicist. Both of which did nothing to support his album. So Jada had to work the project by his damn self! Yo! Thank God that Mary’s repping Yonkers, her album is straight up bananas!
I disagree! I liked this album, and it showed how versatile he can be! What If was a dope song, fuck what you say, Jada went hard and Nas went harder..World Tour was on point, and so was Stress Ya…fuck outta here
Think YM is only person who didn’t like Album. was in my top 3 this year. Fuck YM
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yo i just got put on to this site just want yall to know i aint nvr coming back. how u say jigga got the best album of the year but put jada as a disappointment. Who ever writes this shyt is the disappointment. this why wack rap sells cuz of sell out as niggas yall probably white.