Miami-bred Flo Rida, aka Tramar Dillard, released his highly anticipated debut album, Mail on Sunday this week to much fanfare. Flo Rida is best known for his amazingly popular smash single “Low,” featuring crooner T-Pain.
Flo Rida delivers the ‘Mail on Sunday’
While “Low” may be the biggest song of the last calendar year, selling over three million digital downloads, the smash song is followed up with a quality album from Flo Rida. On the album’s opening track, “American Superstar,” Flo Rida teams with Lil’ Wayne to provide yet another hit marked by Weezy’s noticeable wordplay.
On the next track, “Ack Like You Know,” Flo sends the listener a street anthem while paying homage to his home, Dade County. On the albums second single, the Timbaland-featured “Elevator,” Flo incessantly, and eventually boringly, raps about various sexy women stuck on his elevator.
Mail on Sunday is a legitimately solid album throughout, with 14 tracks and artist and producer features including Sean Kingston, JR Writer, Baby, the aforementioned T-Pain and Lil’ Wayne, and Flo’s Miami mates Rick Ross and Brisco.
With his debut, he proves he’s not just another Johnny-come-lately in the music industry.
Snoop Dogg shouldn’t be ‘Ego Trippin’
Snoop Dogg has been a music industry mainstay since he first collaborated with Dr. Dre in 1993. He’s released 10 albums to date, teaming with the hottest producers, rappers and singers in the music biz.
With his latest album, Ego Trippin’, which comes just a year after his last effort, is definitely a different sound from what Snoop fans are accustomed to. With 21 tracks on the album, and only one rapper being featured throughout, it’s pretty easy to get tired of Snoop by the time you sit through all of his experimental antics.
On “Sensual Seduction,” the album’s monster-hit single, Snoop plays the role of a ’60s soul singer who is aching and ready to take a gal home.
On “Press Play,” Snoop cools down over a jazzy beat and takes you to the West Coast with his cool slang and storytelling. On “Sets Up,” definitely the album’s strongest track, Snoop’s longtime collaborator Pharrell brings his noticeable sound and lends a catchy hook to his desperate friend.
Kudos to Snoop for trying a few different sounds on the album, which was likely to happen after working with DJ Quik and Teddy Riley on the entire album. However, his quick jumps from wealthy gangster rapper to 60’s near-porn star are lacking in solid transitions.
Dan Buyanovsky may be contacted at d.buyanovsky@umiami.edu.