Customer Reviews

Cheers 2 U

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Man, sometimes Def Jam really fumbles the ball, as they did with Playa. This is an amazing album on all levels. The guys can sing, plus the passion and ease with which they sing makes it obvious that they actually wrote their own songs. Timbaland's beats are absolutely ridiculous-- so laid back and chill. The guest appearances make sense. You got Missy dropping silliness on "Miss Parker", a quite young Foxy Brown runnin' her mouth on "I Gotta Know" and to top it off, "One Man Woman" gives you another beautiful performance by Aaliyah (R.I.P.). Even the goofy opening interlude featuring Timbo and Magoo and the later "Gospel Interlude" are tight.

Playa come across as genuine- not some dudes that a cheezy producer put together in the studio. D**n, Def Jam-- how do you keep messing up on the good ones?

I hope Playa come back out. Until they do, I'll have to keep rocking this joint. 4 years down the road and it still sounds fresh.

This album did not receive half of the attention that it should have. Simply put, this album is phenominal, fresh, creative and excellent. It's not one that sticks to any sort of pattern or any guidelines: At the same time it's jazz, it's retro, it's modern, ... basically, nothing that I say can give this album justice.

All I'll say is Playa and Timbaland came correct and it's projects and artists like these that deserve respect and love. Every time I listen to this album, I feel that I learn sumthin new - YES I SAID LEARN.

I eagerly await their next album and hope that it doesnt take as long as the first - having said that, if that's the time it takes to create a masterpiece, then I'll gladly wait.

Top tracks are "Cheers 2 U", "Ms Parker" "I'll B 2 C U" "Everybody wanna ..." "Together"... arrgghh the whole thing is off the hook.

What more can I say that has not already been said by my fellow reviewers. If you haven't gotten the point already, this is an excellent album. For those who haven't as yet, go cop it, it will be the best $ you've spent in your life if you love real R&B artists who can actually sing. For those of you who have played this album out as much as I have, check out Playa's other songs on Timbaland compilations and soundtracks.

"Joy" Tim and Mag - Welcome to Our World
"Smoke in da Air" - Welcome to Our World
"Birthday" Tim and Mag - Da Bassment
"Your Dress" Dr. Doolittle Soundtrack
"Woozy" Romeo Must Die Soundtrack
"Playboy Like Me" Blue Streak Soundtrack
"Incense Burning" Exit Wounds Soundtrack
"I'm Available" DJ Envy Trade it All Part 3 Mixtape

Enjoy!

Static, Smokey & Black are one of the most hottest R&B groups out there. I'm so glad that Timbaland chose such talented individuals like them. Their album, "Cheers 2 U", is bangin'. They got appearances by Timbaland & his Family: Magoo, Missy & Aaliyah. They've also got a special appearance by Foxy Brown on the joint, "I Gotta Know", but I don't like that song. I really wanted to see an appearance by Ginuwine b/c he rolls with Timbo & his fam. I like the following jointz: "Don't Stop The Music" "All The Way" "Together" "I-65" "Cheers 2 U" "Ms. Parker" (featuring Missy) "One Man Woman" (featuring Aaliyah)

I especially like that "Derby City Interlude" w/ Maggo. So, in conclusion, Playa's album is da fly ish & u need to go buy it.

Playa brings to the black music industry what has been lacking...raw talent! The threesome writes and produces their songs, and they do it well. And their Southern flava is unresistable. Before the album's debut, Static co-wrote Ginuwine's hit single "Pony" with producer Timbaland. Playa's Smokey produced all but one track on "Cheers 2 U", and all members coordinate vocal arrangements for themselves as well as artists Aaliyah and Ginuwine. They have definitely made their mark in this business. Everybody's heard their work in songs by Aaliyah and Ginuwine, and now they're making some hits for themselves. The album is incredible. They harmonize like no other group. Check it out!

Posted February 26, 2008 -- Producer Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, creator of many of the hottest R&B songs of the last decade, has died. The 32-year-old producer/artist from Louisville, Kentucky, best known for his work with Timbaland as well as his own career with the group Playa, has apparently died of a brain aneurysm, reports say.

The prolific producer, songwriter and artist got his start with Jodeci's Devante Swing in the Swing Mob production group. That group would include future superstars Ginuwine, Missy and Timbaland, who Static went on to collaborate with most notably on Ginuwine and Aaliyah's projects.

Garrett was also a member of the group Playa, a R&B group who hit with "Cheers to You" in 1998. At the time of his death, Garrett was working on another album to be entitled Suppertime. The first single "I Got My" features Lil' Wayne.

Among the major hits Static wrote lyrics for are Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody" and "Try Again" Ginuwine's "So Anxious" and "Pony" Nas and Ginuwine's "You Owe Me" Pretty Ricky's "On the Hotline" and Truth Hurts' "Addictive."

Fans and friends have poured out condolences via Garrett's MySpace page. One says: "There is no doubt in my mind that this would have been the year that you took over the whole game." Take a look at Garrett's complete discography here.

Garrett was particularly close to Pretty Ricky's Pleasure P. The two were working on Pleasure's solo CD. Rex Zamor, Pleasure P.'s manager, says they called each other "brothers from another mother."

"Static's manager contacted Pleasure and told him what happened," Zamor said. "I still don't know [exactly what happened]. Pleasure's taking it hard, really hard. He spoke to Static the day before he died. They were texting each other and apparently Static wasn't feeling too good and his wife was about to take him to the hospital. "

Zamor says behind the hits was an exceptional person.

"His songs speak for itself. He has like ten number one hits. It's just hard to see that he's gone now. I just spoke to him two weeks ago. He was excited. He was on Lil Wayne's single "Lollipop" and he just got his first big break as a solo artist. This dude was a good dude. He wasn't selfish, he wasn't greedy, he was a good dude. He took care of his niece. His sister died early too and he was taking care of the niece, taking care of her college tuition and her car note. I remember him telling me that. He loved his wife. In this business there is a lot of infidelity, but this man loved his wife and family. His family lost a whole lot there. "

In his bio, Garrett said "I actually come from the streets and I hang in the streets. That's where I draw my inspiration. If it can't be played in the hood, then it just doesn't work for me. And nobody can hold me on harmony. My whole aura is not your typical R&B aura."

Playa burst onto the scene with the huge single Cheers 2 U back in my sophomore year of high school. I was always a fan over the soundtrack songs & compilations songs so I decided to pick up their CD a few years ago. Other than the last three New Edition albums I hadn't heard an album from an R&B group that I could let play from beginning to end without hitting the skip button. The group stands out the most vocally on the ballads like All The Way, Push, Everybody Wanna Love Somebody, Together and Top Of The World. The album isn't all ballads there's also a few party jams like Ms. Parker and Don't Stop The Music. The group's three part harmony mixed with Timberland's unique production skills made an album debut full of enormous potential. Sadly the group was under shadowed in favor of Dru Hill and never got the mainstream success they deserved. If you get a chance pick this one up along with Smokey's two solo CD's and Digital Blacks. Some of the group's best work can be found on soundtrack and other people's CD you'll find the list below.

"Joy", from Welcome to Our World by Timbaland & Magoo
"Birthday", from Tim's Bio: From The Motion Picture: Life from Da Basement by Timbaland
"Your Dress", from the Dr. Doolittle Soundtrack
"Playboy Like Me", from the Blue Streak Soundtrack
"Woozy" from the Romeo Must Die Soundtrack
"Incense Burning" from the Exit Wounds Soundtrack

I am highly upset that Playa never got their just dues for Cheers 2 U. The entire album is great and worth the going price plus some. The group has been around it seems foreva and no one seems to know of them which is really ashame. But everything works itself out in due time and I'm pretty sure they will get their rewards in the future, I mean look at Kanye West!

This is one of those rare albums nowadays - one you can play all the way through without skipping tracks. I bought this after hearing the first single, and recommended it to a friend who also loved it. These brothers can sing and this album was well-produced. Too bad they didn't get the publicity they deserved.

This is one of the best R&B albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Now days it is hard to find real R&B, most artist have crossed over to pop but consider themselves R&B just because they are black. Cheers 2 U is not a mixture of anything is 100% pure R&B and the best of it's time. I hope they come out with another album soon.