Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly FIRE!..give it a listen, October 27, 2004
First of all I am an African american who has been listening to hip hop all my life. Underground to mainstream. My girlfriend bought jins cd and i had a chance to listen to it. Do not sleep on this cd just because Jin is asian and a "nobody" in the rap game. He has just started and has alot of potential. I know alot of my friends would not give this cd a listen just because of jins race, and that is just sad, rappers should not be judged solely on their race. If you watch freestyle fridays on BET then you seen his work, this cat has skills. My favorite songs are hands off, i gotta love and thank you.
|
|
|
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jin is a nice addition to the growing number of d, October 19, 2004
After hearing about a Chinese cat winning 7 consecutive freestyle battles on 106 & Park, I got curious and checked him out online. I downloaded a few of his freestyles and instantly became a fan. This is Jin's debut album (which has been pushed back numerous times) but is now finally released.
1) Intro/Signing
Great introduction. Jin establishes the image he wants to portray right up front with this clever mockery of the Ruff Ryders image.
2) Here Now [4/5]
Jin comes hard on this track. The beat goes well with the flow and might I add, the lyrics are fire.
3) Get Your Handz Off (feat. Swizz Beatz) [3/5]
A good song, but something about it is lacking. Another one of Jin's hard tracks.
4) Club Song [2/5]
This is definitely the wackest joint on the album. However, the concept is unique to the obligatory club singles submitted by every mainstream emcee. Jin raps about needing a club song on an album to sell. The beat was wack and the hook was annoying.
5) The Come Thru (feat. Twista) [4/5]
Definitely moving in the positive direction after the previous track which was a disaster. Twista complements Jin very well on this song.
6) So Afraid [4/5]
This was actually supposed to be Jin's single until it got changed to Senorita. The beat is banging and the flow is hard. Jin once again conveys a message about throwing the ice and rims away and bringing a positive change.
7) I Got a Love (feat. Kanye West) [5/5]
This song is smooth. Kanye West delivers with the beat and also adds a nice complimentary hook.
8) Chinese Beats (Skit)
Hilarious skit and a nice addition to the album as a whole. This skit basically summarizes the message of the album.
9) Learn Chinese (feat. Wyclef Jean) [3/5]
I didn't enjoy this track too much at first but it grew on me.
10) The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly [4/5]
Jin once again conveys his image as an atypical rapper. Track is hot.
11) Senorita [4/5]
This is Jin's single off the album. I didn't enjoy this track too much at first but it also grew on me, like "Learn Chinese". The song is smooth and reminds you of driving down the Miami strip in a convertible, or drivin down the 101 (for you Cali folks).
12) Love Story (feat. Aja Smith) [5/5]
Jin explains the story of how he met his first love. The track is smooth.
13) Cold Outside (feat. Lyfe) [5/5]
Another smooth song. Lyfe adds a nice hook to the song too.
14) Cmon [4/5]
Solid track explaining the general message of the album: Jin is not a gimmick and he is here for real and here to stay.
15) Karaoke Night (feat. Styles) [2/5]
I thought this track was wack, even with Styles on it. The lyrics were on point but the beat killed it.
16) Same Cry (feat. LT) [5/5]
One of the best songs on the album. Jin goes back to his roots and talks about child labor, conspiracies in his homeland, and the Asian American struggle.
17) Thank You [5/5]
Another dope track! Jin mentions a ton of heads who helped him throughout his career and life.
All in all, this album is a solid debut. Jin has great potential as a rapper if he keeps his head straight and doesn't steer too far into the land of commercial crap. Jin is one of a few among the mainstream rappers who have paid his dues in the underground and have risen up to succeed in the mainstream.
|
|
|
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid, flawed debut, October 29, 2004
With a strong start, a weak middle, and a decent finish, Jin's long delayed album gives us something more introspective than we would've expected, but perhaps less challenging than it should've been. He doesn't know whether to take the high or low road so he goes for the middle, and as some reviews said, sometimes it can be bland.
But he does have potential, and songs like "Here Now," "Cold Outside," and "Thank You" show an insightful lyrical prowess that is lacking from a lot rappers these days (though it does get tiring to hear new rappers say "I'm not a gangsta"). "Get Your Handz Off" and "I Got a Love", though not perfect, show what he can do with some well-produced beats. It should be said though that his flow is noticeably flawed and sometimes jarring, and I hope someone has the guts to tell him that.
Many had doubts if he could actually carry a song when he wasn't battling someone, and though he can be insightful, he still goes for the whole "I'm better than you because I sold this much" schtick, and there's not much to back up that attitude. He doesn't exploit his Chinese heritage like most of those Def Jam poetry Asians, but "Learn Chinese" is easily the worst and most irritating song on the album. It was badly received and rightly so. He alienates most of the listeners by telling them what he's not and what they need to do (learn chinese?). I couldn't relate to this song at all, and I'm Korean-American.
Besides the identity crisis between rapping from the heart and rapping to talk big, he does talk of real issues like interracial dating, oppressed Asians, racial equality, and the consequences of the street. These aren't new issues but they have a different *slant* because he's a minority in a minority's genre, and for a world that's not ready for an Asian rapper, you can tell he's giving his all.
Bottom line = Despite flawed flow, a self-destructive single ("Learn Chinese"), and confusion about being pop or being real, Jin still manages a solid debut that probably won't get the respect it deserves, but at least paves the way for future efforts. No one can deny that he's got a spark.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Jin 
