Customer Reviews

Persona

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Queen Latifah is back on the hip-hop scene, Sort of. Persona combines a great deal of her rap skills with her singing skills. And While it's a great return to rap, There's not as much rap as we all anticipated.

1. The Light - An Excellent rap track on making it in the entertainment business and lot letting discouragement from others stop you with an excellent intro shouting out others who have made it who originate from New Jersey such as Bruce Springsteen, The Jonas Brothers, Whitney Houston, John Travolta, ETC. - 5/5
2. Fast Car FT Missy Elliott - Missy's rap made this song. but Latifah's - She was t-paining too much With the auto tune. - 3/5
3. Cue The rain - The first single, Based from the Classic The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. A Very catchy song about being driven "SO Insane" In a relationship - 5/5
4. My Couch FT Dre of Cool & DRE - While lyrically it's a great song, Dre's over use of Auto-tune can get a tad annoying 3.5/5
5. Take me Away With you Featuring Marsha Ambrosius, of Floetry fame - Marsha and Queen - GREAT COMBINATION. need I say More? 5/5
6. With you - This is a like a dub version of "Take me Away With you" - Unnecessary addition to the album - 2 stars
7. Hard to love ya FT Dre of cool & Dre, Busta Rhymes, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II men - One of my favorites on the album. Title pretty much explains what The song is about - 5/5
8. What's The plan - Another over use of Autotune by I think Dre (Male vocals went uncredited in this) - I'm not feeling this one too much - 1.5/5
9. Long A$$ week - Who hasn't had one of those? -5/5
10. Runnin - Latifah's beeing runnin away from love and herself; great song - 5/5
11. People FT Mary J Blige - A positive mesagge - Seeing people for what they are - Just people - 5/5
12. If he wanna FT Serani - Another love song Like "weekend Love" FT Tony Rebel from Black Reign (1993) with a Reggae singer. Great vocals from Both Serani and QL 4.5/5
13. Over the mountain - A great rap about keeping the faith and overcoming obsticales and what QL is still searching for- 4.5/5
14. The World - The Best Track on The Album- A story about the abuse she faced during her childhood in verse 1 and in verse 2, an abused 14 year old boy. As the lyrics state "Lesson #1 - the world ain't fair. They'll chew you, spit you out, Put you're faith in it if you dare" - 5/5
15. Spotlight (Itunes bonus) - Great track but It didn't really set in well with the rest of the album, So I can see why it didn't make the CD
16. Champion (Itunes bonus, from the 2008 AT&T TEAM USA Soundtrack) - Now, This track would have been a perfect Addition to the cd - 5/5
17/18. Be Yourself & Faith Weather Friend FT Contest Winner Ingrid Woode; Itunes bonus)- These also didn't blend in with the rest of the album, So I can see removing them. but great songs nonetheless 5/5 for both

Normally, I don't agree with Album cuts, But the 4 iTunes bonuses don't really fit the album, so in this case, it's understandable. While it's a great album, I expected a lot more rapping and I definitely did not expect the use of Auto-Tune. She can SANG! She doesn't need auto-tune. But it's still a must have for Latifah fans

So many want to be quick to say they want the old Latifah, instead of realizing how much she has grown. This is a woman who can pull off a dramatic role and turn right around and be silly in an off the wall comedy. I can respect that about her. She wants to be relevant to all audiences. The title of the album explains it all. Personally I didn't want to hear the QL of so long ago and was pleasantly surprised by this album. It is definitely underrated. While I have had the album for a few weeks I have only now pulled it out to give it a listen and it is in repeat play mode now. So sad that the world has slept on this.

I have always loved Queen Latifah even during the jazz era. Its refreshing to see her back in the rap/R&B game and she really came hard on this cd. You wont be dissapointed with this album!

Ok this is officially my favorite album by Queen. It totally bumped all the others that were my favorite. The other albums now have select tracks that are still favorites but the number one album is this one for me. I'm totally feeling just about every song either through the lyric or the music. I've listened to this CD through to the end over 20 times since I've bought it. I love how open minded this album feels, Queen wasn't afraid to go where her passions took her. Personally she's an awesome pioneer raptress but I'm in love with her voice and want her to sing more. I first fell in love with her voice when she did "Simply Beautiful". Eargasm!!!! Truly addictive, I'm so moved by her evolution on this album its hypnotic...........


Ok I thought I was finished expressing my love. But since I'm listening to the CD right now I thought I might name the tracks that are most moving starting with "Runnin" , well maybe "Long ass week" DAMN I mean, "The world", I'm sorry I mean "Cue the rain" and "People" and "Fast Car".......Do you really want me to go through this??? You get the picture the album is hot and all the tracks are amazing!!!!

This album is the perfect blend of r&b,rock,hiphop and pop! The different genres come together to make the PERFECT album! I love this album!

Queen Latifah rocks.

She also raps, riffs, and sings like nobody's business.

The idea behind Latifah's new album Persona - to show off her myriad musical abilities - would come off as contrived and gimmicky for nearly any other performer. For the Queen, however, it simply makes sense. Given her incredible talent and gift for seamlessly switching from one genre to another, this seems to be the most natural way to experience her heart and soul. There's no doubt she could put together a more traditional "focused" album - one need only listen to The Dana Owens Album for proof of that - but something about the variance and diversity of Persona makes it feel more real; more like the woman behind it.

Persona opens with The Light, an inspiring song-and-rap track that includes a shout-out to New Jersey- and the big names who got their start there. (Who knew that John Travolta and Shaquille O'Neal came from the Garden State?) The song has a great summer feel, with uplifting beats and a good message that permeates the album, but it's not the strongest track, largely due to the limited lyrics.

Fast Cars more than makes up or it, setting the tone for the rest of the album by raising the level of upbeat self-confidence without crossing over into cockiness; Queen Latifah is a class act on top of her talent. The only downside to this song is the (over)use of some vocal digitalization, which Latifah clearly doesn't need. Fortunately the Auto-Tune ends here, and can even be overlooked on this track thanks in part to a sassy, humor-filled rap injection from by Missy Elliott.

Cue the Rain - the album's first single - is H-O-T. A deep jam with hooks reminiscent of Rihanna and old-school Brandy, this track could easily become the official end-of-summer song; the combination of Latifah's honey-tinged voice and cool club beat guarantee that it will definitely feature in many a gay bar over the next few months.

The club vibe continues with My Couch, a track that combines Latifah's mad vocal skills with her approachable rap style. Dre (from Cool & Dre) makes an appearance in this track, which could have easily gone the way of a handful of recent, horrid "guest vocalist" singles, where singers and rappers vie for the top spot- resulting in a headache inducing verbal battle. Being that this is Queen Latifah, however, her brilliant use of self-restraint (and requiring that of her colleagues) results in a softer, complimentary soul-filled conversation rather than a shouting match turned duel.

Syntho-beats, funky grooves, and a feeling of fun weave their way through the entire album- as do high-profile appearances. Aside from the aforementioned Elliott and Dre, Marsha Ambrosius, Serani, Busta Rhymes, and Shawn Stockman, stop by to add their own twists- and pay homage to the Queen. The two most powerful collaborations, however, are People - which features Jadakiss and (the other queen of R&B) miss Mary J. Blige - and If You Want To, a Pharrell produced track.

Fans looking for the Queen's signature R&B grooves will be more than satisfied with Long Ass Week, a rant-rap session addressing a common frustration in classic Latifah style- strong but not angry; pissy, but focused on the positive. Similarly, If You Want To (produced by Pharrell Williams, featuring Serani, and alternatively referred to as "If You Wanna" and "If You Want") blends her smooth vocals with a reggae feel that helped it to instantly declare itself the official "chill track" for summer nights.

One of the final songs, Champion should be required listening for young gay kids everywhere, injecting a positive message of self-love (not that kind) and confidence into a catchy lick and strong hook. It's also a perfect segue to the track that closes the album (mine at least); Be Yourself promotes a beautiful message of being proud of who you are and reaching for the stars- because with a strong vision and a lot of hard work, anyone can achieve their dreams.

Queen Latifah would know.

Note: as with most albums released today, there are various versions of Persona available; the number of tracks, their order, and bonus tracks will differ - sometimes greatly - among them. This review was based on the "Bonus Track Version" available through iTunes, which also offers a regular album version, similar to the standard album available in stores and at Amazon.com Persona

I understand the Queen's need to change her style and do something new, but the root of hip hop and R&B begins and ends with the sound. The sound is what makes the album, it's not just about the beat. It's the real raw emotion of the words and the melody. The hurt, pain, and joy. That's why the Motown sound never gets old and is timeless, just ask anyone over 40. I'm a 90's kid, so this sound is a part of me and will always be a part of my life. I have laughed and cried because of this music, it's in my soul.

Will the musicians who brought us the Motown sound the 50's dance and the 90's beats, PLEASE BRING THIS SOUND BACK. Bring back the soul and feeling that made our parents fall in love. Give us substance, raw emotion and creativity that has inspired generations.

This is not a good album at all. I bought this album because the cover looks so intriguing, and it's Queen Latifah, hello?. With an album titled "Persona" anyone would believe that the queen would be tapping into a multitude of genre's and sounds on this release to express different sides of herself. The artwork is just a prop and has nothing to do with what's going on, on this CD. I thought any artist that's an actress that's been in some good films from "set It Off" to stuff to "Chicago", and has had her share of good HipHop and Jazz albums (Which are on two totally different spectrums) would have enough exposure and experience in her life to deliver something incredible. I mean, why not? She's proved what she can do already, and she's capable. So why not go above and beyond. From the looks of the image this looks to be a big album, but it isn't that at all. It's just a photo.

Take a look at the album cover. What do you see? I see festivity, I see life, I see a rainbow. Is the image that we're seeing for this same CD, or was there a mix up? The beats are all artificial and hollow. "Persona" beholds The latest sounds of Pop or RnB music 9The worst of it's kind I might add) with it's NEW synthetic hiphop taps & drums that are featured on most Pop or RnB records today. Keyboard music at it's best. It's a trend, It's what's "in" for "right now". In about 5 years from now you'll play this album and know exactly what year it came out because of the beats.

However "I do" happen to like two songs from the album. Those are "Take Me Away" and "With You". They're the most festive songs of the bunch. "Take Me Away" crossfades into "With You", The rest of this collection is not interesting at all. It's just poor production straight through, From start to finish.

I now understand that "Persona" is not to be taken seriously. I believe Queen Latifah was just having some fun, Perhaps, to take her mind off some things, but this is a review and I just can not get into this CD.

I think QL's next step should've been a dance oriented album that showcases some of her vocal talent. More songs similar to what "With You" sounds like or even an updated House music sound, like what Robin S., Crystal Waters and Cece Peniston did but to the 2nd power. She could've brought that back and even did a rendition of her own song "Come Into My House" as a bonus track. It fits her, She just doesn't cut it singing the conventional HipHop or RnB styled songs. She's at her best when she does the alternative as a singing artist.

With all that technology these producers have in the studio today, there's absolutely NO excuse why we're not getting fabulous music by now. It's 2009, they can make anyone a star with the equipment that's available. There's no reason why the artists that are actually talented can't be made even better than what they are. It's not like she'd even have to work that hard. She's already good, or was.

Well, a star for each great song.

I listen to Queen Latifah new cd last night. I really did enjoy all the songs that are on this cd. She allows us to see all the music style. My favorite songs is number 11. I give this cd a five star.

I haven't purchased a Queen Latifah album since Black Reign over 15 years ago, but have watched her growth as an artist, actress, and business woman since then with much admiration. When I heard her perform 'Cue the Rain' on the American Idol 2009 Season Finale I eagerly awaited the day when 'Persona' would drop, as it left much promise for an album that would again shift expectations and show that she can do just about anything musically. Queen made her mark in the late 80s with rap, crossed over to Jazz in 2004, and now provides a satisfying mix of Rap, Pop, Dance, and R&B on 'Persona.'

The album kicks off with 'The Light' which is an uplifting and fitting track where Queen basically lets all know that she is back lyrically as a femme-c. Her flow is on point and the track is a mix of light and grit. Next is 'Fast Car' which features a guest rap spot by Missy Elliot. This cut has a futuristic feel and is apparently the next single per Queen in interviews during the promo of the album. 'Cue the Rain' the first single, follows in its original 6+ minute form where she sings a portion of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain.' 'The Couch' has Queen exploring her sensual side, which continues with 'Take Me Away (With You)' featuring a Prince-esque sounding Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry on ad-libs and the hook. Queen mixes singing with a nice flow. The track goes on with 'With You' which has a Euro-Dance vibe to it, one of the stand out tracks in my opinion and a total departure for Queen that she executes magnificently.

'Hard to Love Ya' is an urban and truthful song featuring Busta Rhymes while 'What's the Plan' has a throwback early 80s sound with Queen just on the hook singing "What's the plan?" 'Long Ass Week' is a nice, chill rap cut encouraging nothing but relaxation and good times in spite of. 'Runnin' is a relationship song dealing with the theme of the title. 'People' featuring Mary J. Blige is another inspirational track where Queen flows effortlessly over a mid-tempo track; it sounds like she is preaching almost the way she puts it down. 'If He Wanna' produced by the Neptunes is another exceptional stand out track, her voice is the purest you might ever hear on the album, if not ever, and she vocally hits a couple of runs and ad-libs that are exciting to hear. 'Over the Mountain' and 'The World' finish off the album as typical story-teller/inspirational songs.

The album should definitely be commended. This is an album. Even the not-so strong cuts can be appreciated because work was put into this. Although I do loathe the ever played-out auto tune bit she uses here and there on the album, for songs like 'Fast Car' and 'With You' they just wouldn't work without it; Queen doesn't overuse it or try to compete with the younger artist doing it today, which will make songs like these classic a decade from now and not just swept under the rug.

You can tell this wasn't some fly-by-night project. I know that this will probably not be commercially received as it deserves to be given the current state the music industry is in, but I hope there is a break through because this album deserves the ears of many. This album is definitely more Pop, Dance, and R&B than anything, with a dabble of rap here and there, to give all Queen Latifah fans something they can enjoy, hence the title: Persona