Grade: B-

For years, Hip Hop fans have maintained a cautious admiration for Fabolous. He has proven himself time and time again as a more than competent mixtape maestro and a reliable “featured” artist. However, much like fellow mixtape heroes Cassidy, Joe Budden and Canibus, Fab has never quite been able to answer the age old question: “Who is this guy as an artist?” Well, ladies and gentleman, after 5 full length albums, Loso’s Way finally delivers the answer..for better AND for worse.

The album really hits its stride when Fabolous is throwing out cleaver punchlines and playing up the lavish pretty thug lifestyle made famous by artists like Fab himself and Mase in the late 90’s.  His flow on “Fabolous Life,” “My Time” and “Throw It In The Bag” are top notch. The bar is raised even higher when he takes on real subjects and manages to maintain his clever wit. This is exemplified on the album’s stand out tracks “Stay” and the friend-turned-enemy opus “Pachanga,” where he delivers: “When you lose a friend, it’s hard to handle the loss… End up watching friends like Joey, Chandler and Ross.”

Unfortunately, this genuine sense of reality is shattered when Fab’s street dreams get too ambitious. Aspirations of finally taking his place among NY giants Jay-Z, Biggie and Nas lead to some embarrassingly awful moments (like the track “I Miss My Love”). “…Love” attempts to have the suspenseful storytelling of Biggie’s “Somebody Gotta Die,” but instead sounds forced, phony and even a bit corny.

It should be noted that Loso’s Way is overall a nice listen. Once it’s gimmicky intro ends and we look past the (very) loose “Carlito’s Way” concept that birthed the album, we are treated to a diverse and well rounded body of work. Despite some major misses, the album recovers nicely and does it’s job of solidifying that Fabolous is a true talent.

Tracks to check for: “Pachanga,” “My Time,” & “Stay” 

Grade: B+

The filmmakers behind “Notorious” had a very unique and unenviable task before them: make a good film that will also appease the demands of fans of one of the biggest cultural icons in recent memory. The life and music of Christopher “Biggie” Wallace is almost like folklore in the Hip Hop community. Fans would be ready to tear the cast limb from limb if the film stinks, in turn, non-Hip Hop fans will walk into the theater ready to hate it. Surprisingly, both will walk out shocked by the fact that “Notorious” is actually a damn good movie.

The film is really a character-driven morality tale, so its strength is heavily based on a strong cast. Anthony Mackie steals every scene he is in with his take on the erratic genius of Tupac Shakur, while Naturi Naughton’s version of Lil Kim is almost as impressive. Angela Bassett is pitch perfect as Biggie’s mother, Violetta Wallace and Antonique Smith is a stunning and powerful Faith Evans, but it is newcomer Jamal Woolard’s tour de force as the slain B.I.G. that makes the whole film work. His mannerisms, voice, facial expressions and laugh are almost eerily similar to the real deal. The way he manages to capture the character without it coming off as an impression is nothing short of brilliant.

With such strong cast performances, it is a shame that the film is still so tragically flawed. The filmmakers’ attempts to appease fans by including every noteworthy moment in BIG’s life felt hamhanded and forced at times.  A conscious (and often obvious) attempt was made to over-emphasize BIG’s transition into self-awareness and maturity in these contexts. Also, Derek Luke falls just short of his mark as music mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs. Though his acting performance was solid, his “swagger” felt forced and not as effortless as the Puffy that we have come to know.

All in all, “Notorious” is solid, well acted, authentic film that should satisfy even the most cynical viewer.

Grade: A-

Nas’  9th album has been shrouded in controversy from day one. The album’s controversial title and lyrics started causing problems almost a year before a single copy hit stores. Everyone from Rev. Jesse Jackson to LA Reid to Bill O’Reilly to Newsweek Magazine and even members of the US Congress made their opinions (for better or worse) known. Now, with the actual album completed (minus its original title), the finished product deserves just as much praise as it has controversy.

Untitled is loosely a concept album. It has a very cohesive and organized feel that few modern Hip Hop albums embrace. The album’s lyrics read like an expose’ on the oppression of modern American blacks (complete with an entire song devoted to the practices of Fox News and references to Noble Dru Ali and Ivan Van Sertima). Over some of the slickest production of his career, Nas seamlessly meanders between the pretty thug swagger that made him famous and the revolutionary political leanings that made him an icon.

In many ways, Untitled has done what few Nas albums have been able to do: be strong in both content and quality.  It is one of the few rap albums in recent years that appeases the appetites of Hip Hop connoisseurs while still being accessible to those curious, out of the loop listeners who just want to know what all the fuss is about.

Tracks to check for: “Fried Chicken,” “Ya’ll My Niggas,” & “Black President”