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And this is why I could not go to NYU…there would be no learning.

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By Keir Bristol

This isn’t just a review of Diddy’s new album with Dirty Money, Last Train To Paris. It is also a comment on Diddy and his evolution over the years…

What you need to know: Diddy has been around since the 90’s. He is associated with the success of the Notorious B.I.G. and the East Coast rap scene. He has been rapping and producing from then up to now. He recently signed Dirty Money, made up of Dawn Richard (previously from Danity Kane) and Kalenna Harper, known mononymously as Kalenna.

Things Diddy did right: Include an all-star guest list, including T.I., Chris Brown, Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Swizz Beatz, Trey Songz, Justin Timberlake, Skylar Grey and Grace Jones.

It’s also a good look having Dirty Money on every track. Fans become more familiar with their voices this way, since they are new.

On Last Train To Paris, Diddy added a touch of European influence to his music. There are notes of house and disco in this album, which certainly makes the beats more interesting. Examples include “Someone To Love Me,” “I Hate That You Love Me,” and “Strobe Lights.”

Other tracks worth mentioning include the single, “Hello, Good Morning” featuring T.I., “Azz On The Floor” featuring Swizz Beatz, and the single “Angels” featuring Rick Ross and the late Biggie Smalls (b.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.).

Last Train To Paris Album Cover

Things Diddy… could have done better: What he didn’t do, was step his rap game up. These days, when you have such theatrical, performance-obsessed entertainers like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj, you need a little something extra, and that’s not what Diddy has done here. In fact, even though the beat production is a nice change, the songs on the album harken to late 90’s hip-hop meets Jagged Edge-esque R&B, with a slight touch of autotune.

Therefore, don’t expect this album to produce any of your favorite songs. It’s an adequate album at best. Nice beats, all-star features and average lyrics do not an amazing album make.

I would also like to say that vocally, Dirty Money sounds a lot like Brandy. Take that as you will.

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• Click here to see the tracklist for Last Train To Paris.
• The album can be listened to in its entirety on Diddy’s Myspace page.
• Click here to watch the video for Diddy / Dirty Money’s video for the non-album single “Love Come Down.”
• Photos of Diddy and Last Train To Paris album cover provided by Wikipedia.com

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Check AndThenKeirSaid on Friday, December 17th to read a blog with a feminist bent about Nicki Minaj and why she sometimes seems to be known more for her ass than her music.

By Keir Bristol

This November is a great month for releases. Nicki Minaj’s extremely anticipated “Pink Friday” releases next Monday, as well as Robyn’s “Body Talk.” And last week on November 12 Rihanna released her fifth studio album, Loud via Def Jam.

Rihanna – "Loud"

Loud is the total opposite of  her last album Rated R, the first work she completed after her highly publicized break-up with her abusive boyfriend, rapper Chris Brown. The first single, “Only Girl (In The World)” could be considered an indicator of what the rest of the album is like only in terms of tempo. For those who have been following Rihanna’s career, you are probably are aware that Rihanna can fit into a variety of genres and she’s not anywhere close to committing to just one. Loud is a perfect example of that.

For those who are a fan of Rihanna’s chilling ballads, “California King Bed,” might be your new favorite. Certain to be one of her best vulnerable slow tracks, Rihanna shows off some improved chops and pays homage to the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming.” For those who are a fan of her token Carribbean nods, check out “Man Down.” Rihanna’s Bajan accent has never been so thick in a song, but she definitely makes it work, complete with West Indian dialect.

The next single from Loud is supposed to be “S&M” and I definitely think it’s a great choice. It’s upbeat, spunky, and in your face. Rihanna never claimed to be a good girl… or at least she hasn’t after Good Girl Gone Bad. With lyrics like “I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it / Sex in the air, I don’t care, I like the smell of it / Sticks and stones may break my bones / But chains and whips excite me,” she’s not reclaiming that “good girl” title anytime soon.

“Cheers (Drink To That)” is as close to filler as you’re going to get. With sampling from Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” it’s one of the chiller party tracks (see: “Push Up On Me” from “Good Girl Gone Bad”). The album ends with “Love The Way You Lie (Part II)” in which Rihanna sings most of the song with a few bars from Eminem towards the end of the song. Anyone who is a fan of the original should definitely take a listen and compare. I personally like the second one better but then again I’m not a huge fan of Eminem, so…

Rihanna and Drake teamed up for the second single off of the album, “What’s My Name?” See the music video for the track here. I for one will be waiting patiently for the songstress to release a music video for “Raining Men” with Nicki Minaj. No, it’s not anything like the original “Raining Men” by The Weather Girls- it’s a fresh, almost cocky take on the song if anything. But with Rihanna’s fiery red hair and Nicki Minaj’s video presence, who wouldn’t want to see the two get crazy together? Could you imagine the outfits?

Rihanna and Nicki Minaj sometimes have similar tastes- here they are both rocking tights by Alexander McQueen.

The album is streaming live now on Rihanna’s Myspace.

Album cover image courtesy of Wikipedia.com, Rihanna / Nicki Minaj picture courtesy of Fashionbombdaily.com.