Artist: In My Mailbox
Album: various
Record label:
Rating:
Reviewer:

Every single day, packages full of music items show up at the SoundSlam compound. Records show up from across the country straight out of million dollar studios and record label offices, as well as your next door neighbor's garage. Each week we will bring you a brief look at some the CD's that randomly show up in our mailbox! Our rating system is:

Signed? = whack

// Sealed. = aight

// Delivered! = word

Cassidy :: B.A.R.S. :: Full Surface/ J Records :: Sealed. :: Knuckles

Cassidy comes out snapping with the confidence and vocal texture of Canibus some ten years ago on the boxing-inspired "Intro"; Unfortunately, once again, B.A.R.S. is filled with all the non-sense you'd expect: 'I still live in the hood', 'I hustled that rock', 'I am the greatest contribution to rap since... ever', 'I would shoot you if I wasn't already on parole', blah blah blah. Cassidy also snapped off at the mouth last month about Jay-Z changing the release date on American Gangster so to avoid a head-to-head loss. Ouch... Hova poured him a drink and made him 2 Step with his tail between his legs after the 350,000+ unit loss. Not all is lost though with B.A.R.S. despite the formulaic approach. He does showcase a vicious flow that fans have come to love and let's Swizzy tap into his anthem music catalogue for the backdrop. Now if only B.A.R.S. were humble enough to tell Barry Adrian Reese's actual Story, I might really begin to listen.

Sean Kingston :: Good Talk Vol. 2 & 3 :: Beluga Heights/ Cinematic Music Group :: Sealed. :: Loop Face

So, the best part about Good Talk Volumes 2 & 3 is that I get to tell you how bad it really is. Now, I don't pull any punches about telling everyone how f***ing wack most mixtapes are... especially when they aren't even mixed seamlessly at all. Anyways, Sean Kingston is sprinkled throughout both releases, showcasing his talents. He actually does have a developed style considering he won't even be eligible to vote on the 2008 Presidential race. He walks a rude bwoy- hip hop line the whole time, changing his style and cadence where need be, such as on "Way We Live." Sean is also apparently a boss now too... or at least he "Paid The Cost." As one might imagine, Vol. 3 is just more of the same with different role-players and little to hold my attention. I think Sean Kingston will be just fine without my vote or financial support. Cheers!

JR Writer :: Writer's Block 5 :: Babygrande Records :: Delivered! :: MetroGnome

Dip! Set! Dip! Set! Dip! Set! JR Writer goes for dolo on Writer's Block 5, a part-mixtape, part-album released just to keep the Diplomats brand on your mind, in your ears, or coming out of your mouth. So, at the beginning of "Beast Mode," Writer says "Y'all can't fuck with me, man! Song for song, line for line, I got albums done, man!"... so this better be a great record or I'ma start calling him JR Filler. So as anticipated, the music is dramatic and tense, capitalizing on the serious (yet played) topics. Likewise, Writer has clearly been a Cam and Juelz understudy for the last five years because his flow is so similar that the only explanation is with family or mimicry (probably a little of both), such as displayed on "Beast Mode" and "They Don't Really Want It." A nice change-up comes with "We Gettin' It Baby," a surprising breakbeat take on LL's "Jingling Baby" mixed with the "Touch It" bassline, as well as the cartoon-inspired "Runner." On the other end is "You Ain't Know," a distorted mess of a track... but there's at least one on EVERY single Diplomat release. JR is a talented cat full of spitfire, seemingly inspired by the far-fetched murder tails of Mobb Deep, the hustler ambition of Raekwon, and overt confidence of Tupac... all brought together on Writer's Block 5.