7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Memphis Bleek - 543, May 17, 2005
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!
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Memphis Bleek- 534, May 21, 2005
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.
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