Customer Reviews

Almost Famous

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eightball's second solo album "Almost Famous" (2001) is a good release. For years Eightball and MJG have being dropping slept on albums, so it does not surprise me that this is yet another one. Running in at fifteen tracks, appearances come from MJG, Carl Thomas, Koncrete Kite, Dorasel, Ludacris and P.Diddy. Eightball lays down a story of day by survival on the powerful opening track "Thorn", does a Rap/R & B collabo for the ladies with singer Carl Thomas on "Holla Back", talks about heaven and hell on "Live This" and addresses how business can effect his family situations on "Daddy". 8Ball goes deep when talking about the game, losing friends and delivering the message that things can get better on "4U". Eightball reps himself on the laidback "Slab Rider", and MJG drops in for "Do You Really". My favourite track on this one is the fastpaced "Stripes" a track which Eightball lyrically rips up, backed by a memorable beat. Thugged out "Don't 4get" closes things off. While I dont feel every track on this release, I liked a number and recommend "Almost Famous" for people who new to Eightball and longtime fans. 3.5.

Man If you know whatI know about 8-Ball & MJG this cd is hard it got p-diddy Mr. MJG concrete and many more this cd is hot it's one of those cd that you go to add to your collection and that's real any way much love from the other side of the planet Tulsa Oklahoma stay up and keep grinding $$$$$.

Eightball is back with his 2nd solo 3 years after his almost classic double disc "Lost". Not his best solo album, I hav eit at barely a 4 star album. You get what you excpect and have known 8ball to deliver for the past 10 years, nothing new but still solid. Packed with 15 songs, 1 is a classic, 2 I skip, 6 are ok, and the other 5 are good. Guests are rapping on about half the songs. Prodcuction is decent as well. Nitti does 7 songs, Corey Woodard does 5, Corline 6000 & DeWayne Martin do 2 and OOmp Camp does 1. A good album for his fans to pick up but still not his best work to date.

#1 - 10 (CLASSIC - great beat)
#2 - 7.5
#3 - 8 (f/ Koncrete)
#4 - 8.5 (f/ Carl Thomas)
#5 - 9 (nice beat)
#6 - 7.5 (f/ MJG -- deeper song about their kids and being away alot)
#7 - 7 (f/ Cliche)
#8 - 5
#9 - 6 (f/ Puff Daddy)
#10 - 8 (f/ MJG)
#11 - 7.5 (f/ Koncrete)
#12 - 8.5 (f/ Ludacris -- nice beat)
#13 - 8.5
#14 - 7
#15 - 7 (f/ Dorasel & Thorough)

Primro Smith -- b. around 1971 -- Memphis, TN
check all my reviews

Is being Almost Famous better than being Famous? Well maybe. For Eightball ( and his partner MJG) they have always been known with the underground southern heads and have gotten critically acclaimed albums such as On Top Of The World and Coming Out Hard. They have the respect of everyone in the industry but for some reason they haven't quite blown up. On one end I want them to blow up and get money and live lavish and get the respect they deserve but on the other hand while they are still underground their head won't get too big and they will continually pump out the quality music. Eightball walks the thin line between Famous and Not famous carefully and making sure not to slip and fall off into the abyss of mediocrity.

He perfectly displays his status on the song "No Sellout' which should be self explanatory. Keeping It real is this man's philosophy and once he hits stride he never stops. The production if I must say is EXCELLENT. This surprised me a little because most of the producers are basically no names. ( not for long though ) The guest rappers such as Ludacris and P. Diddy and Carl Thomas mostly just do the hooks making this a true solo venture. Eightball has a variety of topics to explain to the listener and he is a pretty good storyteller. Songs like Daddy, Slab Rider and Holla Back show these qualities. Stop Playin Games is the club banger and down south classic and Witcha Lookin Ass is a elbow throwing club song and is also tight.

Most people were blind to the fact that this album dropped last year and didn't sell well because of lack of promotion. It's all good though. I'm happy with Eightball being Almost Famous. This album will not disappoint his fans and people new to Eightball should checc it out for real though and witness why the South is on top.

After a slew of disappointing releases from Eightball and MJG ("In Our Lifetime", "Space Age 4eva", "The Slab", and "Lost"), the Fatmack has returned in a major way. Not since "On Top of Da World" has Eightball flowed so smoothly and had the right beats/ production to back him up. I thought Ball and MJG would really miss the beats T-Mix used to do for them on Suave House, but I was wrong. "Almost Famous" is a dope CD with tons of bass-heavy, funky beats. Though Eightball sometimes falls into the sorrowful lamenting and self-pitty that made "Lost" unbearable, the CD has many good songs. Guest appearances by Ludacris, Puff Daddy (don't worry, he doesn't rap), and MJG add a lot of flavor to this CD. Until Eightball and MJG finally hook up with Juicy J and DJ Paul, this is as good as it gets. Go buy it.

I always saw the potential for greatness in 8-ball since his double album magnum opus Lost. With that album he proved that he was as nice as the best of them. He continues the effort with this one. Standout Tracks:THORN, SPIT, NO SELLOUT, HOLLA BACK, LIVE THIS, 4U, STOP PLAYING GAMES(good track but did it really need Puffy?), DO YOU REALLY(Vintage 8-ball & MJG track), 2NITE, WITCHA LOOKIN A**, STRIPES and DONT 4 GET(Good track but Eightball getting floored by Dorasel and Thorough is a cause of concern). Filler: Daddy(awful, tries to hard to be a tearjerker) Slad Rider(cheap knockoff of Jay-z Hard Knock Life. It even has kids singing on the hook. For shame!) and Like Dat(its never a good sign when a chick record bores you to tears). Bottom Line: Almost Famous is Eightball's best album next to Lost. Tight Production(some of the dopest beats were produced by Nitti. Go figure), Eightball flows smoothly from track to track and the guest appearances were just as grand as 8-ball. Cd collection material for any Eightball fan.

I gotta say my man 8 is holdin' it down for real, he bring's big name artist's like Puffy, Luda etc... and they set it off for real in Stop Playin' Games... and in Witcha Lookin', I thought without MJG the cuts would be a little weak, but Ball comes through and represents! The South has been on hit for awhile now, I think it's time for some people to pay attention. If you don't own it, Get it, burn it, whatever, just have a copy.

Peace - D

He ain't playin games, that's for (...) sure. 8-Ball brings a much more complete package than I expected.
On many tracks he conveys a message, often talkin on real (...) mixed in with the clubbin and ridin. Being himself, stayin true to his kids, life in tha big picture.
He's got flow, really got nothin bad to say bout the album. He holds it down on the usual rap tactics as well, clubbin, ridin, thuggin it.
The beats are straight heat. Anytime he ain't keepin up with his vocals and lyrics, the beats will make up for it.
Main reason it ain't 5 stars is Eightball's flow complexity. But that's Eightball's style so this is a very solid LP.

Mayne Eightball is the illest MC. The east and the west better take notes because the south is blazin. Almost Famous is a great cd. All the songs are off the hook. This cd has great guest appearences, dudes like Ludacris, P. Diddly D or P. Diddy ( dont worry he only talks in the cd) and of course MJG which he brings some color into the cd. Mayne this cd is a very good one. The best song is "Stop playing games" feat. P. Diddy and "Witcha Lookin," feat. Ludacris is a great song. If you dont have this Cd, go scoop it up.