Customer Reviews

Point of No Return [Vinyl]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before any of you even THINK of labelling R&B/Soul singer Keyshia Cole as the undisputed heiress to Mary J Blige's "Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul", take a listen to "Point Of No Return", the debut album by singer/songwriter/DTP 1st lady Shareefa. Like the aforementioned singers, Shareefa has a powerful, raw, soulful voice that rings with a resounding realness uncommon in today's Contemporary R&B female landscape.

However, unlike Keyshia Cole, Shareefa has a lot more issues to sing about, which expand beyond the ups and downs of everyday relationships. "Phony", a classic ballad that delivers on everything from the true-to-life lyrics to Adida & Q's killer production to Shareefa's powerful vocals, is a merciless ode to an old friend who shamelessly betrayed her trust and friendship; "Assumptions", once again covering all areas (lyrics, production, etc.) to perfection, is another ballad where Shareefa addresses her displeasure with those who are judgmental, assuming or hateful towards her; "No One Said" slows down the tempo for Shareefa as she sings about her hardships and her determination; the guitar/synthesizer-laden "Eye Wonder" find Shareefa giving up on a secret love affair for the sake of her real man's love; and on the smooth ballad "Trippin'", Shareefa coyly admits to "having a problem", right before delving into the story about falling back in love with an ex-boyfriend whose current girlfriend continually complains about Shareefa.

Even when she's not digging deep into her subject matter like she was with all the aforementioned tracks, her gritty vocals still ride over incredible production (Rodney Jerkins, Chuck Thompson, Teddy Riley and Stevie J, amongst others). Lead single "I Need A Boss", where Shareefa adopts her natural "gangstress" persona as she declares her desires for a leader-like hustler over Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkin's explosive bass and dashes of violin with ambitious flair, is a perfect example of this fact. Ludacris' humorous 16 bars and witty punch-lines ("Now to infinity / Grown women be feelin' me/ And they ain't got nothing to lose but their virginity"), along with Shareefa's slight vocal stutter in the chorus which will obvious remind you of Three Six Mafia's "Stay Fly" or Christina Milian's "Who's Gonna Ride", make an already-killer club banger even better.

Second single "Cry No More" (once again produced by Rodney Jerkins) and "Butterfly" are two soulful ballads about attaining freedom from memories of a sour relationship, and "How Good Luv Feels" wraps Shareefa's toned-down, smooth vocals with a lush old-school groove, courtesy of Rich Harrison. "Fevah (He Don't Know)", one of the most original tracks I've heard this year thematically, conjures more laid-back old-school vibes with its electric guitar/horn production while Shareefa smoothly sings about falling in love with one anonymous individual, but giving the wrong idea to another man nearby. Speaking of electric guitars, they are put to much use on the emotionally tumultuous "U Told Me", where Shareefa vulnerably expresses her regrets and longing desires for her imprisoned lover. Not only that, but lines like "Somehow, all the money wasn't enough" are given an entirely different meaning.

Altogether, this album is perfect if you can get past "Hey Babe", a sensuous duet between Shareefa & R&B crooner/label-mate Bobby Valentino, an individual who sounds nothing like the thugs Shareefa proves to have a weakness for. The album, as a while, is soulful, uncompromisingly real, and insightful and the production is downright flawless, even though it lacks the diversity of Shareefa's subject matter. 5 stars without question!

5 Best Tracks:
"Phony"
"Cry No More"
"I Need A Boss (feat. Ludacris)"
"Assumptions"
"Fevah (He Don't Know)"

It was only a few years ago when Jersey native, Shareefa Cooper, was in the court room in front of a judge who told her she was on her way to prison. After becoming involved with the wrong crowd at a very young age, Shareefa found herself at the "point of no return" and decided that after her release, she would wrap herself in a cocoon of ingenuity and be birthed a whole new woman...Which brings us to the present where we find the debut album from the DTP songstress herself, Shareefa, a breath of fresh air and just a little bit of hood all in one, is a fine piece of work.

Point of No Return is a standout album from what we hear these days. Unlike the sugarcoated, watered-down commercial R&B we've been accustomed to for the past few years in the new millenium, Shareefa is a new breed of woman and offers something new to the table. A great voice, her own look, and very, very, very personal tracks that mirrors instances of her own life. Shareefa is a gritty vicalist who rides the music live waves with her awesome range, melodic hums, and hair-raising notes.

On "U Told Me," Shareefa gives us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about men who lie and deceit to get what they want out of their woman. Shareefa is apparently p*ssed off to the highest point and lets us know just how she's feeling. "Phony" is very self-explanatory, any woman can relate to that song. It deals with scandalous, vindictive females and reflects the same shadiness we saw in "U Told Me."

Then on tracks like "Fevah," Shareefa gives a whole new sexual, sleek vibe that lets her listener's know that she's not all about anger. "Need A Boss," the lead-single, is a foot-stomping bonafide club hit that will be ringing in our heads for a while. "I may be young but I know what I want..Unpredictable yea that's me, I can't help it that's so sexy.." she sings on the track then accompanied by her labelmate/boss/mentor/good friend Ludacris who rhymes "I'm your favorite rapper's idol, I been had the title, call me hot sixteen wit more verses than the bible!"

This definitely worth the money if you're looking for an album that you can relate to, relax to, or just blare in your speakers when feeling like one of those days..Shareefa will be around for a while so make room for the soul of disturbing the peace or be trampled over. Standout tracks: Butterfly, I Need A Boss, Cry No More, U Told Me, Phony, Assumptions, and The End.

Listening to Shareefa's album was certainly an eye-opening experience. From the opening tracks of Point of No Return, you get a sense that Shareefa has had her fair share of bad times. The introduction has her behind bars, swearing that she's gonna right the wrong that has happened. To the casual R&B listener, this is a little bit jarring but certainly doesn't demonstrate her ability as a singer.

So leading right into the first track "Cry No More," you immediately feel compelled to compare her to the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. The raw, gritty voice of Shareefa will appeal mostly to those who haven't grown up with old school R&B. She hits most of the notes but misses others completely. This continues on "Need A Boss" featuring Ludacris, a song that also suffers from production is entirely too experimental. Again on "No One Said," her voice struggles to stay in a comfort zone and finds its way into the dangerous territory of "cringing." "Butterfly" is a wonderfully written song that could have been better if Faith Evans or Syleena Johnson were singing it. This same problem occurs on "How Good Luv Feels," a song that has the potential but lacks the polished feel that it certainly needs. There are other songs where the background singers carry the song, namely "Trippin" and "Eye Wonder." But some tracks like the ill-fated "Phony" and "Fevah" shouldn't have seen the light of day. The duet with Bobby Valentino for "Hey Babe" is only okay and does little for the album in general.

Some have argued that Mary J. Blige was raw and street when she first hit the music world. And I would agree 100% with those people. But Mary has since improved drastically from her humble beginnings and amassed a worldwide listening audience that loves and respects everything she puts out. So to totally dismiss Shareefa after one album would be unfair and biased. But one thing is for sure....she's got a lot of work ahead of her if she wants to be the next MJB. And after listening to Point of No Return, that's clearly the person Shareefa's trying to be like. But so is Keyshia Cole, Lil Mo, and others...so you can't really knock her for trying.

i don't know about her, was my first thoughts when i saw her video for "i need a boss", but this ablum is very good,the downside is there's too much on here that i can say i heard before(mary j), and if your going to copy, do it right

I am not a kid but anyway this is a very good cd,it was put together really well.It up sets me that artist like Shareefa do get the recognition they deserve.She Has a very lovely voice.This cd speaks about struggles everyday women go through.If you dont got the cd I suggest you pick it up my favorites are need a boss,Phony(everyone goes through it),No one said(gives me motivation),Fevah,Eye Wonder,Trippin,Assumptions,and cry no more. But the rest of the cd is still banging

I bought this cd b/c I heard "Cry No More" a while ago and it was on sale....I was super skeptical but the album really is good. I hope this isn't the last we hear of her since it seems like the women of R&B have been struggling lately...its just missing some meaning or something. Almost like people can't sing and are stars (Ashanti) or can sing and don't take time to make a quality product (B). I digress...its a good cd, give it a listen.

fav tracks:
Butterfly
How Good Luv Feels (reminds me of throw-back Mary)
Hey Babe
Eye Wonder
Trippin

Artist: Shareefa

Label: DTP/ Def Jam

Title: Point of No Return

[..]




Shareefa's long awaited debut album from Disturbing The Peace record label solidifies her as the labels core of R & B and Soul. Her album, entitled "Point of No Return" highlights the ups and down of an unpredictable life full of hope, desired love, and self-sacrifice. She opens up with an upbeat anthem about moving on from a bad relationship and tragic experiences within "Cry No More" produced by the king of musical masterpieces, Mr. Darkchild. Then "U Told Me" takes you on an escapade that shows the struggle of loving someone so much that you are blinded completely and ignore their unrighteous actions. "Phony" tells a story about a friendship gone wrong that ended with Shareefa serving time in jail. The betrayal left her bitter and overly cautious about people she interacts with, but the song "Assumptions" eases that pain as she talks about the usual battle with self and being accepted by others. Overall this CD is worthy of listening to due to being reminiscent of Mary J. Blige's first album. Shareefa is highly open and expresses a lot of things about life situations that many people would keep to themselves. If you're ready to be shocked by spicy, but respectful lyrics, a soulful voice, and an abyss of truth and realness then welcome to "The Point Of No Return" with Shareefa as your tour guide

Shareefa seems to be one of those R&B singers that comes out of nowhere and gets lost in the mix of all the "noticed" new R&B singers and the "vets" in the business. It is unfortunate because Shareefa has some pipes on her that trumps a number of other new R&B singers, though she doesn't receive the recognition (commercial success) that the other singers do. Her fellow DTP labelmate Bobby Valentino managed to get a top ten single with "Slow Down" (I believed it peaked at #8) as well as a top five album (DTP PRESENTS BOBBY VALENTINO debuted at #3 with 180,000 copies) that went on to be gold certified. It is arguable that POINT OF NO RETURN is stronger than Bobby's album, but its subtle #25 bow doesn't exactly speak volumes and it's lone charting single "Need A Boss?" featuring Ludacris wasn't exactly a success. Despite that, the statement "quality over quantity" or in this case "quality over commercial success" still holds to some extent, but for a first album, one only wishes that Shareefa's efforts were truly appreciated and embraced by fans.

The first comparison people make about Shareefa is that she is trying to pattern herself after Mary J. Blige. While this is true, she isn't quite at that level or quite as convincing as the great MJB, but she does show promise, just like Keyshia Cole did two years ago when her platinum certified THE WAY IT IS paved the way for her. "Cry No More" is a more characteristic performance of this MJB influence. It is a great choice for a second single, better than the somewhat clunky, odd "Need A Boss", which features Ludacris. I understand exactly why "Need A Boss" was chosen as a single; it features big name Ludacris (multiplatinum selling rapper) there to "endorse" new and upcoming singer Shareefa. It isn't bad, but it isn't incredibly catchy or memorable, which perhaps hindered sales of POINT OF NO RETURN. So "Need A Boss?" isn't the best track on POINT OF NO RETURN, but there are a number of highlights.

"U Told Me" doesn't eclipse the great "CRY NO MORE", but it isn't bad by any means. "No One Said" features exceptional neo-soul production work using a killer sample with Shareefa's alto vocals riding on top of the production. A catchy chorus highly benefits this number. "Butterfly" isn't a bad track either, and is pretty well written. Again, I think the aim to make Shareefa a "soul revivalist" as opposed to a merely contemporary R&B singer is the right notion. The emotion of such songs such as "Butterfly" make this notion correct. The Bobby V./Shareefa duet "Hey Babe (Give Me Ya' Lovin')" is perhaps one of the very strongest tracks on the album, yet it will probably be incredibly underrated, which is sad. Other standouts include the great "How Good Love Feels", "Phony", and "Assumptions".

There is nothing truly bad on POINT OF NO RETURN, but there is sometimes a lack of truly memorable material, which does hold Shareefa from bringing up her talent to the next level. Overall though, Shareefa has great promise that shouldn't be overlooked by any means. 3 ½ Stars.

The only reason I picked up this Cd is because it was 9.99 and I liked that song with her and Ludacris. But after listening to it I absolutely love this CD. My favorites are Cry No More, Need A Boss, No One Said (my fav), How Good Luv Feels, Phony,you know what I love everything about this release. I can't wait for her second CD.

This CD is definately a hot one. If I could give it more stars I would. Everything that I thought about the CD last few people have said in their reviews. She kind of reminds you of MJB when she came out with a lil hood twist. This CD is DEFINATELY worth the money! Shareefa is gonna go far if she keeps givin us what she did on this CD! Good Luck Shareefa and god bless!