TYDmusic.com: My Review-103

Nappy Roots ft: Raphael Saadiq - Leave this Morning: (Atlantic)

The roots of the modern rap game shows the occasional rappers whoms talent lay strong in their game. One such group are collectively called the Nappy Roots and they have somewhat drawn a nitch of their own in the arena.

The Nappy Roots are a clan of 6 who hail from Kentucky. Their brand of music is gritty and ambitious and has garnered rave reviews evident on their sophomore set 'Watermolon, Chicken and Grits' back in 2001.

Last year saw the release of the sophomore set 'Wooden Leather' and the latest single from it is 'Leave this Morning'. On a first listen, I actually was caught by surprise to learn that the lads were the main act on the song as I actually thought it was Raphael Saadiq who sang the song but it was close enough as he was the producer.

All the major ingredients that makes a Raphael produced track that it is is on board where the song borders on the lines of funk, jazz and soul and not forgetting the rap element. The Nappy Roots show off their rapping skills with the upmost ease and glides through the lines with professional demoir.

Their album is in stores now and if you are a fan of rap then you might want to check this one out. A TY-D Pick

Listen to Nappy Roots ft: Raphael Saadiq - 'Leave this Morning'

Sir TY

Felicia Adams - No one Else (LadyBoss Ent)

An R&B soul singer/songwriter with ammense talent is one of the labels to best describe the lovely Felicia Adams but there is so much more than that behind her persona. Her quadentials speaks for it self she wrote and performed the hit title track to the John Singleton film 'Baby Boy', she's worked with the likes of Donnell Jones, Changing Faces and Ashanti to name a few and found the time to lauch her own entertainment company LadyBoss Enterprises which has a movie in the works amoung other projects.

With the arrival of her latest CD 'Read My Lips' available now (at your local record shops I might add and on her website - www.feliciaadams.com), she recently took time out of her busy schedule to grant me an interview and answer some questions ranging from her very first live performance to inspirations to her dabbling in acting. I asked her about the title of the album and if there was any special meaning for her choosing it, she said ''The title is subliminal meaning PAY ATTENTION!!! My lyrics tell a story and while working on this project I always had a habit of telling people as they were listening to pay attention and listen to the lyrics. I believe that anyone can relate to any of the songs on the album, so even if you can't hear a word i'm saying you will be forced to "READ MY LIPS" because there is so much passion''

Although theres no collaborations on the album she did work with producer Chris Liggio who has worked with several recording artist such as Jay-Z, Case, and Frankee. On the whole, the album is excellent and shows off her crafty and natural ability to write good tunes. I found myself having a hard time choosing a song to review but I did find one that stood out (to me at least) and that song is 'No One Else'.

Borrowing a sample of the classic 70s hit from the Jones Girls - 'Nights Over Eygpt' as it's backbone throughout the track, 'No One Else' is a catchy mid-tempo dance groove that delivers on all fronts. A pulsating baseline is driven with the soft sounds of synth keys as the song finds Felicia's voice in fine form - a sold performance indeed.

Not much else can be added to this one except that her future looks bright indeed. Lookout for her response to Usher's 'Confessions Pts 1 & 2' with her version being 'Confessions Part 3'. A TY-D Pick indeed and one not to be missed here.

Listen to Felicia Adam's - 'No One Else'

Sir TY