Tanya Morgan - Brooklynatti: Album Review
Tanya Morgan, Brooklynatti (Interdependent Media, 2009)
Tanya Morgan is another one of these post-Native Tongues groups in the vein of a Little Brother. I reviewed their first album, Whatever It Was Called, here a few years ago.
ON OUR WAY
A little grown and sexy for my liking, with the singing. The vintage synth, or whatever that is, during the chorus reminds me of some of the stuff Kanye did on Common's Be. I wonder if that's the sound they're going for here. Lest we forget, that album damn near went platinum.
ALLEYE NEED
These guys rap about trying to appeal to today's youth as if they're dead serious. Roffle. Based on a perusal of the tracklisting and the first one and a half songs, I'm gonna guess there's a lot of typical, underground rap-style complaining about the state of hip-hop. Which I generally enjoy as if it was a milkshake. If only either of these guys was an interesting rapper. They're like a couple of Big Poohs in search of a Phonte.
SO DAMN DOWN
Gayer than eight guys blowing nine guys, with one cock left over in case someone wants to take a break. I'd compare it to some of the stuff on the second Foreign Exchange album, but this is a lot more reliant on wanton sampling. In fact, I'm surprised this is album is so thick with what I'm assuming is umpteen bar loops from old jazz records. Maybe this crap is all public domain. It doesn't sound like anything anyone else would have bothered with.
BANG N BOOGIE
This really is a song about banging broads. Based on the title, I figured it might have been a woefullly ill conceived attempt at a dance record. Which is not to say that this isn't ill conceived.
DON'T U HOLLA
The most avant garde production so far. It sounds like it was made using Fisher Price toy instruments, including a recorder, and one of those plastic xylophones. The concept is the same as Tribe's "Rap Promoter," and whatever that Immortal Technique song about people asking him to play shows for free was - though in their case you wonder if the reason no one's offering them money to play show is because there just plain isn't a business case to do so.
HARDCORE GENTLEMEN
A song/skit mocking current gangsta rap acts like, um, Onyx. It's like that skit from A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, except not in the least bit relevant or amusing. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that's where they got the idea.
PLAN B
A song about having the wherewithal to continue a career in hip-hop as you near 40, when it's obvious you should have just gone to grad school or some shit.
INTERMISSION
Some talk about how Cincinatti is like Brooklyn, except more affordable. One of them claims he saw the most beautiful woman in the world walking down the street one day. We don't believe you, you need more people.
WITHOUT U
Please tell me this isn't the umpteenth variation on Common's "I Used to Love H.E.R." Maybe it's a song about a real woman designed to sound as if it was the umpteenth variation on Common's "I Used to Love H.E.R." That would be kinda creative.
NEVER SECONDARY
Kinda like that song from side two of People's Instinctive Travels where it's just an eight bar loop of a disco record. It makes for a nice break from some of the jazzier sounds. But then so would just about anything.
JUST NOT TRUE
This one isn't half bad either, in a low expectations sort of way.
MORGAN BLU
Blu kicks guest raps which suggest the production on this album might be a bit more workable than I realized. He also claims he gets $40,000 a show. But if he really did, I doubt he would have bothered kicking this verse in the first place.
NEVER ENOUGH
Best song yet! The production kinda cranks. I wonder if it's by someone else, or if it's a matter of the same guy stumbling upon a cool sample. I could do without the raps about their kids, but what are you gonna do?
WE'RE FLY
Is this supposed to be a Tanya Morgan take on southern rap? Yikes! I'm surprised Bun B doesn't kick a verse. His fee must $100 higher than Blu.
JUST ARRIVED
Hey, it's the same sample from that Louis Logic song about banging your best friend's girl. They probably thought there wouldn't be anyone sorry enough to notice. Clearly, they thought wrong.
FORGOT 2 SAY
A bonus track, in case those first 15 weren't enough.
COMMENTS: So um, yeah. I didn't get a whole lot out of this. I figured I might, because I'm an old hater - I spent like a year back in the mid '90s listening to Midnight Marauders on repeat. To these guys' credit, I'm sure they would have made an album that good, if they could. You can tell their hearts were really in the right place. Roffle.
BEST TRACKS: "Just Not True" "Morgan Blu" Never Enough"
BONUS VIDEO
RH TV: Tanya Morgan ft. Blu "Morgan Blu" from Ruby Hornet on Vimeo.
