Urban Music Reviews

GRADE: B+

As the “pop” world reaches out its arms to Cee Lo Green and Danger Mouse, they instinctively pull back. If St. Elsewhere was their Frankenstein’s monster, then The Odd Couple is it’s terrifying killing spree.

St. Elsewhere was an album of twisted paranoia and doom disguised in the Trojan horse of an experimental party album. The Odd Couple, on the other hand, is dark, gloomy and intentionally against the grain. Green sums it up best when he professes “It’s probably plain to see/ I got a whole lot of pain in me” on the the somber closing track “A Little Better.”

As always, Danger’s production is layered, dense, outside the box and downright brilliant. Meanwhile, Green’s infectious falsetto is stellar (and just a little bit scary). “Would Be Killer” and “Neighbors” are perfect examples of the eerie soundscapes that have made these guys the most talked about genre busters since Run DMC.

Unfortunately, Gnarls Barkley’s greatest attribute is also their biggest detriment. That anti-pop, this-ain’t-for-everyone, free flying style is a double edged sword. Sometimes triumphant and sometimes confusing, The Odd Couple will likely go down in history as a classic for die hard fans and as a memorable experiment to everyone else.

GRADE: A

“If I Were King” is a no-holds-barred, gritty and intense behind the scenes look at Sean John’s return to NYC Fashion Week after a 5 year hiatus. In terms of made-for-TV documentaries, it doesn’t get much better than this.

5 years ago, Sean “Diddy” Combs won CFDA’s Menswear Designer of the Year Award for his Sean John line. That honor (which is the fashion equivalent of an Oscar or a Grammy) had never gone to an “urban designer” or more shockingly, a black designer. After this landmark, Combs opted to not show at Fashion Week for 5 consecutive years. But now, on the cusp of Sean John’s 10 year anniversary, Combs’ hopes to compete with the other “bad boys” of high fashion like Roberto Cavalli and Zac Posen.

“King” is a visually stunning and interesting watch, but clocking in at an hour and a half, it could probably have done its job in less time. Regardless, the documentary balances the business, logistical, planning and creative process (YES, Diddy actually DESIGNS…who knew) in an intriguing and genuine manner. Critical fashion fans could most closely compare it to Issac Mizrahi’s classic “Unzipped.” Aside from the harried and intense designing and manufacturing (which saw members of the design team traveling across 3 continents), the film also touches heavily on the issues that blacks have had to face in the world of high fashion. This subplot eventually lead to a casting decision by Combs to feature an all black cast of models.

“If I Were King” doesn’t reinvent the wheel and if you are not already a fashion enthusiast, business student, Diddy fan or at least someone with an interest in the creative process, then there probably isn’t much here for you. Still, the film has a rich, artistic style, a genuine vibe and an entertaining value that makes it a worthwhile and fulfilling watch.

GRADE: C

Ray J, Ray J, Ray J… By all logic, there is no reasonable explanation for why this guy has been able to stay relevant for the better part of 11 years. He is far from a great singer, a D list actor (his last major film was the Shaq star vehicle Steel) and he has only had one album reach the top 10, ever. Yet, every couple of years we find ourselves talking about this guy. Maybe he knows something that we don’t.

After the infamous Kim Kardashian sex tape, Brandy’s brother managed to raise his stock even higher this year with the certified banger “Sexy Can I.” The track is the shining jewel of his new disc of predictably mediocre material. The rest of the album is mostly pseudo-gangsta fronting (”Real Nigga,” “Where You At?”) and raunchy sex talk (”Boyfriend”) over run-of-the-mill beats. There are definitely some high points like the strip club anthem “Gift” and the album’s title track, “All I Need.” But, these bright spots are scarce.

Apparently Ray also figured out how to use T-Pain’s auto pitch module. Unfortunately, he is not able to copy it as well as Lil Wayne. This is most obvious on the catchy, but painfully misguided “It’s Up To You;” it actually sounds like Ray J is singing badly on purpose. What’s most unfortunate about this song (and the album as a whole) is that if Ray J would just stop reaching so hard for the credibility that he will never have, he could probably put out some tolerable music.