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| Jermaine Dupri Presents... Young, Fly & Flashy Vol.1 CD [SoSo Def / Virgin] |
"'Young, Fly & Flashy' is the definition of myself and the lifestyle of So So Def," says Dupri. "This collection is an introduction of the new, up-and-coming So So Def artists: T Waters, Young Capone and The Kid Slim, among others." "So So Def has had a lot of success with compilations over the years when Lil Jon was my A&R guy," says Dupri. "He created the compilation series, but really focused more on bass music. 'Young, Fly & Flashy' is more about today's hip-hop sound. It's heavy on the So So Def branding so people will know and recognise that So So Def is still a strong presence in the streets - we'll be here another 20 years." So as we have heard from the man, this is the compilation LP to promote the talent on Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label which is now distributed by Virgin. Jermaine himself is close to the project, being the executive producer and featuring on a couple of tracks as well. The LP gets going with Young Capone's I'm Hot which quickly sets the tone for what is in store. Gotta Getcha is Jermaine's first offering and is a bit of a bubbly club track, but Jermaine's lyrics, although they can ride the riddim on occasion are a bit simplistic and the minimal flow sometimes feels forced. Kavious, Bun B and Pastor Troy team up for the slow bumper that is Kodak Moment which for this release gets a remix to keep it sounding fresh. Dem Franchise Boys follow with I Think They Like Me which is a more compelling track and probably could be said to benefit from this remix treatment which delivers a stripped down beat and synthy horn riff. JD, Da Brat, Bow Wow and The Slim Kid all grab the mic for this massive posse cut. New act to me Kato shows a higher level of lyrical abilities on his So What track which would stand out and be catchy if it wasn't for the disappointing and almost annoying chorus. The tracks are more designed for club play and T. Waters' Throw'd Off could do some damage with its Asian sitar loop and minimal percussive beat. Of of the labels bigger names Pastor Troy comes with his Just To Fight track which opens with powerful synths, but drops into a bit of a disappointingly really slowly delivered half speed rap with lots of shouting in the background. Pastor may have been trying to create an aggy vibe, but for me this just doesn't work. Miss B and Torica let us know about their feelings for grown men and what they want to get from their ideal partner, even going so far as to say how they would change their men!!! This is soppy in the extreme with a light musix box type beat which doesn't really have any bump. This may well appeal to the ladies out there, but I can't really see this track doing anything for the fellas out there and this one will be getting the FF treatment on the regs. 10 Toes sees another collaboration between Jermaine Dupri, Slim, Daz, J-Kwon and Stat Quo. The tracks gets going with a heavy keyboard riff and a bumping beat and seems promising, but as soon as the MCs kick in the tone is lowered as the MCs get busy telling us how they would get hold of all the girls they want. Why any women would find this type of talk appealing is beyond me, but it seems to work for these guys. Guess if you are a gold digger who just wants a man as a cash cow they this could be your anthem. The penultimate track Put Cha Hands Up by KP & Envyi just about killed any desire I had to continue listening to the LP. The beat had elements that could be worked on, but when these vocals were added it just became cheesy. Added to that I couldn't discern any noticeable talent or skills from the weak vocalists and quickly pushed on to the final track. Young Capone manages to capture the essence of this whole compilation with his Young, Fly & Flashy track which is all about having money and being flashier with his Cristal bubbly than anyone else. A thoroughly depressing offering which offers nothing of substance. Generally it seems the main themes of this LP are pretty shallow and superficial and cover such well trodden topics as clubs, girls and general blinging. As such this doesn't really cover any new ground and seems a bit lacking in any excitement. The LP is a touch short by modern standards, running in at only 11 tracks. Unless this is your type of music I would steer clear of this as I only found a few redeeming features. |
![Jermaine Dupri Presents... Young, Fly & Flashy Vol.1 CD [SoSo Def / Virgin]](../images/jermaine_dupri-young_fly_flashy.jpg)
| Intro |
Early Doors: 1979-1985 |
False Dawn: 1985-1990 |
Underground Years: 1990-1995 |
The Renaissance: 1995- 2000 |
The Future: 2000 & Beyond |
Artists & Discographies |
