Customer Reviews

534

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After releasing three gold status albums, Memphis Bleek returns on the scene with his 4th solo album, "543." This is the first album released from the new Roc-A-Fella Records and with Jay-Z as the President of Def Jam.

1.534 - Good beat, Bleek rips it, hook is alright - 4/5

2. Interlude - More like an intro to the next track - no rating

3. Dear Summer (Featuring Jay-Z) - Bleek had a solo track on Jay's "Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life" and now Bleek returns the favor...Jay-Z's first solo track since his retirement, Pretty good beat, Jay basically spits one long verse with a voice shouting "for the summer" throughout the track - 4/5

4. Like That - Great beat, Bleek spits viciously, hook is good - 4.5/5

5. Infatuated (Featuring Boxie) - Good beat, Bleek spits good, Boxie's hook is good - 4.5/5

6. The One (Featuring Rihanna) - Good beat, Bleek spits good, Rihanna's hook is good - 4.5/5

7. First, Last, and Only (Featuring M.O.P.) - Good beat, everyone spits pretty good, no hook - 3.5/5

8. Get Low (Featuring Livin' Proof) - Good beat, Bleek and Proof both spit good, hook is lame - 4/5

9. Oh Baby (Featuring Young Gunz) - Good beat, Bleek spits two verses and Chris and Neef spit one verse going back and forth, hook is pretty good - 4.5/5

10. Smoke the Pain Away (Featuring Denim) - Great beat, Bleek spits hard, Denim's hook is good - 5/5

11. Hater Free - Good beat, Bleek spits good, hook is good - 4.5/5

12. Alright - Great beat, Bleek completely murders this track, hook is great - 5/5

13. All About Me - Great beat, Bleek spits good, hook is alright - 4/5

14. Straight Path - Pretty good beat, Bleek spits some deep lyrics about his brother, hook is ok...then the last minute and 30 seconds is just talking then the hook plays again and repeats a couple times...pointless - 3/5


Overall: 55/65

4 Stars

Bleek really stepped up his game with this album. He brings back the energy that he had when he dropped "Coming of Age." Almost all of the production is solid and Bleek's voice and flow is crazy. THE NEW ROC IS TAKING OVER!

Memphis Bleek's fourth album "534" (2005) is a solid release. Bleek to me has always been an average MC who provides a few hot joints per album, and he has always played his position as Hov's sidekick. So its no surprise to see Jay-Z leading the way on the albums first standout track "Dear Summer", an exceptional cut which grooves well. Laidback feel good cuts like "Infatuated", "One", are dedicated to love and the ladies. "Smoke The Pain Away" is one of those tracks I skipped over on first glance, and came back to appreciate more, Bleek rhymes about his way to relax and deal with lifes stresses. Bleek elevates his game on two of the albums closing tracks, on "Alright" Bleek shows he is still hungry, then shines on my personal favourite cut the outstanding "Straight Path". I recommend this release to Bleek and Rocafella fans.

Memphis Bleek was supposed to carry the torch for the Roc when Jay retired but i think the torch is in Kanye's hands now.This LP is a solid LP and for my first listen to Memphis Bleek with the exception of his couple of verses on Tha Dynasty LP and his couple songs on The Roc Files Vol.1 i was quite pleased.While he is no Jay-Z on the mic he is and average to slightly above average lyricist and he put a solid LP together here.This is another Rocafella album that starts off strong and then fall off a bit in the later stages of the album(Like most Rocafella albums IMO).the opening track "534" has a strong beat and Memph spits some good lines.The Dear Summer track with Jay-z is a good track and even though a lot of people say this has no beat it does(except for the first 5-10 seconds or so)although it isn't the most exciting beat it fits the song well. The lead single "Like That" is a good track but the public wasn't feeling it i guess, just like most of Bleek's singles. The Infastrated song is a good song and is one of the stronger cuts on the album.The song with Rhianna is good as well as the one with the Young Gunz.The Young Gunz and Bleek work very well on the track and all spit some good lines.This album is a good album and it will keep Rocafella heads pleased and occupied until the supposed Nas and Jay-z LP which will be OFF THE CHAIN if it really does come out although it will be interesting to see how well they can work together on an album.

This was the first release from Rocafella/Def Jam under the Carter administration and they came out with all guns blazing. The first track from the album reinstates Bleek as the young gun under Hova's wing and assures all doubters that he hasn't lost his agressive flow over quality Rocafella beats. Later on in the album Bleek supplies us with introspective tracks combing over the events of the last couple of years of his life including "Straight Path" and "All About Me". Other stand out cuts include Jay-Z's "Dear Summer" Hova's love letter breaking it off with his beloved and starting his new relationship with corprate america; "Like That" provides a scorching beat from Swizz Beats with an addictive hook from Memphis but it just seems to fall short of that one hit that Bleek needs to crossover. It is a quality album though that ensures him he is one step closer to really Coming of Age

Memphis Bleek makes his fourth album one of his last attempts to take over. After having mediocre success with his other albums this album is actually really good. I never thought memph was that good i always considered him as Jay-z's sidekick. But this album really puts him out of the footsteps of Hov. The album begins with the gritty 534 anthem. Then it heads to a great track with Jay-z spittin it. The one , and Like that are bangers. And Mop is good on that song. But my favorite song is Alright . This is one of my favorite songs ever . I love the beat. And Bleek Really expresses himself. Well People still won't get this cd anyways, but maybe someday since he can have all the chances he wants at making a great album because he best friedns with Hova , He will make a classic .

I never really liked anyone from Rocafella Records besides Jay-Z. But after hearing some decent reviews I decided to give 534 a shot and I really liked. Bleek has some decent lyrics and some good R&B type songs.

1. 534 - 5/5
2.Interlude -
3.Dear Summer 3/5
4.Like That 5/5 My personal favorite
5.Infatuated 5/5
6. The One 4/5
7. First, Last and Only 3/5
8. Get Low 3/5
9. Oh Baby 3/5
10. Smoke Away The Pain 3/5
11. Hater Free 4/5
12. Alright 4/5
13. All About Me 3/5
14. Straight Path 3/5

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like this is the kind of stuff Bleek should've been dropping in the first place? I mean, he's never been all that amazing as far as lyrical skills are concerned, but this album is easily his most well rounded. Beats, rhymes, and flow -- it's all there this time around. The production is on point. Joints like "Get Low", "Like That", and "Oh Baby" are all sure to keep heads nodding. "Dear Summer" is a pretty good joint which features some decent work from Jay Z. Jay has slipped lyrically, but he still manages to do a decent job here. Also, 9th Wonder laces Bleek with a killer beat on "Alright" (hurry up with that new Little Brother album, dammit!). In my mind, this is the best song on the album because Bleek is actually saying something and the beat is dope (his verse on Dear Summer is suspect). Also, "Straight Path" is pretty tight and Bleek comes through on the lyrical side again.

There are a few cuts on the album that should've been sent straight to the trash bin. "Infatuated" and "The One" are sort of generic and they have a "been there done that" feel to them. "Smoke The Pain Away" is the obligatory "weed" song. It's decent, but it suffers from a suspect hook. "All About Me" is pretty boring and "Hater Free" is straight up wack.

With all things considered, this is a solid release from Bleek. It's not neccesarily out of this world, but you won't be disappointed that you bought it either. It's worth checking out. I'd also reccomend picking up Beanie's new joint. And look out for the Young Gunz too.

Standout Tracks: Alright (My Favorite), Oh Baby feat. Young Gunz, Like That, Get Low, Dear Summer, First Last & Only feat. M.O.P., Straight Path, and 534

Bleek stepped up alot this album. I read a few of your reviews! This is by far one of his best albums, right next to "Coming of Age". Can't say much about his sophmore lp. But this one WILL be a "true classic"!!! He shows alot of growth, and finally got some damn beats..Stand-up BK!

First off, I want to say that I am not a MemphisBleek fan, And not so much a Roc-A-Fella fan, which is why I can credibly say, This is a very solid album. Memphis Bleek has always found himself in the shadow of Jay-Z, Yet with this album I felt he had broken that shadow, And Sheded some light.

- Dear Summer - (4.5/5) Great Melody, Nice Sample
- Like That - (4/5) Great Single, Nice Beat (People thing there only getting club songs like these, which is totally false)
- Infactuated - (3/5) One of the weaker songs, Not a skip, A nice listen
- The One - (4/5) Nice Beat, Kinda Brings you up, The Female singing is real nice
- First, Last and Only - (3.5/5) Raw Beat, The Drums and Bass is Nice
- Get Low - (3.5/5) Semi-Club, Still nice tho
- Oh Baby - (3.5/5) Catchy song, One of the weaker tracks
- Smoke The Pain Away - (4.5/5) Great Song, Enough Said
- Hater Free - (3.5/5) Nice head bober,
- Alright - (4/5) 9th Wonder with the beat, Nice as Usual
- All About Me - (4/5) Nice Bober,
- Straight Path - (4/5) Nice and Mellow, classic sample
- 534 - (4.5/5) He Brings it nice

Overall The amazing production plus Memphis' nice punches and flow makes this a very solid album, Coming from a tru hiphop head i reccomend a listen, All the beats have a nice 9th Wonder feel if that helps,
~1

I can't possibly be the only person to say that for the last few years, rap records have pretty much sucked. In order to turn ourselves away from no-talents like Chingy and Webbie, we looked to our favorite rap stars of old and their comeback albums. But between this year and last year, there have been some disappointing comebacks from the likes of LL Cool J and 50 Cent, to even Guru and Eminem. Thankfully, though, there is solace to be found in the new album from...Memphis Bleek???

Yes, you heard right. Looking at all the negative reviews for this album, 534, I think it's because it feels like most people (myself included) are sort of TRAINED to automatically dislike a Bleek album because all of them were sub-par (especially his last one). I mean, I was starting to call him Memphis Weak. But when I say that this album is good, I don't mean good as in it's nice to finally get a decent album from him; I actually mean "one of the best albums of the year so far" good.

Standouts include the title track and "The One" with Rihanna (damn, she's only 17? When's her birthday???). And 9th Wonder comes aboard to lace the backdrops for "Alright" and "Smoke the Pain Away", making them highlights as well. The song with Young Gunz, "Oh Baby", is surprisingly catchy; and Bleek is even able to hold his own against the guys in M.O.P. on "First, Last and Only".

"Straight Path" is your necessary end-of-album I-miss-my-homies track, but Bleek carries it out in a unique way, thus making ITself a standout. The only really skippable track on here is "Hater Free". Also, "Dear Summer" isn't FEATURING Jay-Z; it IS Jay-Z! Bleek isn't even in it! Anyway, if you want to hear the greatest surprise of the year thus far, then pick up 534.

Anthony Rupert