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37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Merely Average with a few stellar cuts...3 stars, July 18, 2005
Children stars really have a hard time being accepted as truly credible artists in the music industry. Bow Wow, who was a child star rapper, is now in transition to becoming an adult rapper and so naturally, he must shed his young image and try to appeal as harder and edgier. Yet still, he can't just completely change his pop-rap style (which sometimes tends to be corny as a rap-style), which he is known for. It is a difficult situation.
On WANTED, Bow Wow tries to act older by cursing and using terminology such as "n****". His constant use of the "n" word just goes to show you that Bow Wow tries a little too much to act grown up. But, just like his R&B contemporaries Mario (18) and Omarion (20), they all try just a little too hard by adding adult references and "mainstreamed" CDs as I like to call them that don't feature the infamous PARENTAL ADVISORY label (Mario was the most successful in pulling off his CD). The production for the most part is fine, yet sometimes it sounds too much like the song before it, flawing the particular song. For the most part, Bow Wows raps tend to focus too much on his age, being grown up, and on cockiness. Here's how I evaluate each song:
1. "Do You": Bow Wow tries too hard to be older here, the production is ok with a nice choral effect in it. 3/5
2. "Big Dreams": A Much better track than the opening tack that features nice drum programming, a nice serious and believable rap from Bow Wow with a nice hook. It catches your attention, yet compared to The Game's "Dreams" for example, it still doesn't capture a certain emotion or dramaticism that such a performance as "Dreams" by the Game or say "Why" by Jadakiss does. The Album's 3rd best track. 4/5
3. "Let Me Hold You" feat. Omarion: The flagship song for the album. This was smart of Bow Wow to choose this as the first single. The production is simple, but very nice featuring a haunting synth line and nice booming bass. Omarion sings the hook/chorus beautifully and Bow Wow has a nice rap. The very best track on the Album. 5/5
4. "Fresh Azimiz" feat. J-Kwon: Corny, corny track. The production here I don't find to be very stellar and it makes the already corny, cocky rap by Bowo sound even cornier. What makes it worse is the fact that it isn't anything other rappers haven't done better than Bow Wow before. Uninspired, one of the worst of the album. 2+/5
5. "Cavier" feat. Snoop Dogg: The worst album on the track. There is too much hook and not enough substance to hold this track up. This is probably of Snoop's many collaborations his worst and most uninspired by a mile. This is very, very corny. 2/5.
6. "Like You" feat. Ciara: The second best track on the album, good production along with a very nice collab. with Bow Wow's girlfriend Ciara makes this track good. The production of this track overall has a nice timbre to it, especially when Ciara sings the hook in unison with Bow Wow rapping it. 4.5/5.
7. "B.O.W.": The fourth best performance on this album. Basically, this arrangement features only a background drum programmed beat with Bow Wow's rap as the center piece. Believe it or not, Bow Wow pulls off this very well. It is too hooky, but it is still a notch above "Caviar", "Fresh Azimiz", and "Do You". 3.5/5.
8. "Go" feat. Jermaine Dupri: This is an average track, but not bad like "Caviar" and "Fresh Azimiz". It is listenable with a nice vocal harmonies as well as a repetitive hook. The major problem with the hook is that it is too repetitive and grates after the 4:24 track is over. Another flaw is that this track sounds too much like Jermaine Dupri's earlier songwriting and production work on Kris Kross's "Jump". He practically aludes to it when he raps about his first recordings in his basement. Not a bad track though. 3/5.
9. "Do What It Do": This is yet another "floptastic" track, yet not as "floptastic" as earlier ones. Jermaine Durpi once again appears, making too many appearances by the same guy in one album. The positive thing is that he doesn't have his own verse in this song. Again, you get tired of references to Bow Wow's age and his cockiness showing once again how hard he is trying. Other flaws include the hook isn't as catchy as the other tracks and the production is too similar to the other tracks. 2.5/5
10. "Is That You (P.Y.T.)" : More of the same basically. It is corny and nothing that we haven't heard in the rap world before. The production again sounds too similar to everything else as well as the beat. Is that James Ingram singing the hook? I'm not sure, but whoever is providing the vocals there, it is a nice refreshment to a boring track. 2.5/5.
11. "Mo Money" feat. T. Waters: Despite an overabundance once again to dirty references/profanity in an unlabeled album, the production is among some of the best production work on the whole of the album. The hook is catchy and overall the rap/song are ok, not stunning, but average. 3/5
"When I Turn 18" is the second half of the track after "Mo Money" has faded out. It isn't worth your time. We've sailed the boat of Bow Wow's age the whole album and by this time it is just ridiculous. 2/5.
Overall, the scores that I gave each song average out to be about 3 stars. That is the most I would give this album. Bow Wow still has a lot to prove to become an adult rapper and WANTED just doesn't do it. Again, 3 stars.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
I Normally Don't Do This..., December 3, 2005
I normally would not waste my time even talking about an album like this, especially since I do not listen to "Lil Bow Wow" or "Bow Wow" as he is called now. It was cool when Bounce Wit Me came out, and even "Puppy Love" was mildly entertaining. However, the truth needs to be exposed and the truth is this: BOW WOW CAN NOT RAP! I don't care about him making his money, its all good with that, but this little boy has gotten in over his head. I am referring to the recent article when Bow Wow proceeds to trash one of the greatest actors of our time, and who is also a decent rapper. I am referring to Will Smith, who BW calls just a "gimmick." Huh? I was scratching my head on this one. Seems funny to me how this little boy can say that when he has contributed NOTHING to hip hop, has nothing meaningful to say in his lyrics, and has the fanbase of nothing but 10 year olds! It will take Bow Wow THREE LIFETIMES to do what Will has done, let alone all the money he made. His movies are weak (Like Mike) and he even has a girl that looks more like a dude than he does (Ciara)
That being said, the little boy also goes so far to say that his album is on the "Illmatic" tip. WTF! Illmatic is a classic that will be talked about another 30 years from now, do you really think people are going to put "Wanted" and "Illmatic" in the same boat? Lets put it this way: How many people do you hear playing Nas and how many people do you hear playing BW? The answer is Nas...DUH!
Then the little boy also says the "n" word a lot on this one. Whats going on here? Its hilarious cause he trys to sound hard and doesn't come off convincing at all. Remember when Kris Kross tried to cuss? Not a good idea. Rule number one in music: image is everything. You can't pretend to be hard on one album when all of your others were nothing but watered down pop sounds! Too bad for you. Now all of a sudden you're hardcore?!? NEGRO PLEASE.
Ciara must have him gassed up or something (who by the way is weak too, all she can do is dance) Somebody needs to teach this boy some manners. Record sales don't make you, neither do your connections to a famous rapper (ie Jermaine Dupri and Snoop Dogg)your talent does! Somehow I just can't buy the fact that someone who rocks a "iced out mickey mouse chain" can be hardcore. Then he also has the other fake little boy on here, J-Kwon, who is also a disgrace to the rap game. When these two get together, it really is ugly, they both sound like chipmunks.
MAYBE the little boy is jealous of Will Smith because what Will makes in one movie is more than he will make in the next 20 years?...its sickening when youngsters don't respect their elders. Someone needs to slap this little boy and put him in time out. The only thing he's "wanted" for are those garbage ryhmes he spits! I can't believe he has a record deal, if you like BW, then you are brainwashed by the media, and you obviously like artists like G-Unit, D4L, Lil Scrappy, J-Kwon, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, and a whole host of other teenie boppers who HAVE NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO MUSIC AND ARE GIVING THE RAP GAME A BLACK EYE! Youngsters need to take their history lessons before they start running their mouth.
Much love Will Smith, he's probably laughing at the little boy right now while depositing another Royalty check from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air episode, which is still on TV. How about BW's movie? I rest my case.
Weak ryhmes+no talent+ugly girlfriend+trying to discredit a more talented individual when you have none yourself: priceless.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!, October 1, 2005
This cd is off the chain! why is everone saying that it's not! every song on this is great! everone is used to lil' bow wow. IT'S 2005 EVERYONE! BOW WOW IS 18! HE'S GROWN UP!(well almost. he still can't do certain things)What do you think he's supposed 2 do? U expect him 2 make songs like "bounce wit me",and "take ya home"? He has 2 make a whole new image 4 himself... an adult rapper.(well, almost). But anyway, this cd is great! I'm not even gonna make a list of rated songs on this album. Everthing song is a 5!
(I'll make a review Anyway)
1. Do You- 5/5: This song is great. It has a nice beat, refrain, and a nice rap. The main objective to this song is to let all of the rappers who are trying to follow in Bow's footsteps to stop and do their own thing.
2. Big Dreams- 5/5: This song is awesome! It's telling everone who has "big dreams" to keep going and achieve your goal. This song has a nice beat, and rap.
3.Let Me Hold You- 5/5: This song is beatiful.I would tell you about it but possibly you already know. Let Me Hold You has a beatiful beat,rap, and Omarion does an excellent job on the chorus.
4. Fresh Azimiz(As-I'm-Is-)- 5/5: This song is awesome! It has a great beat, rap, and refrain. The main objective to this song is telling you how Bow Wow loves to make other people jealous by flashing all of his material things.
5. Caviar- 4/5: This song is the only one that I don't really enjoy. It has a very nice beat, and refrain. But the part that I don't really like is when Snoop raps.(I'm a big fan of Snoop)But other than that It's cool.
6.Like You-5/5 This song is perfect. It has a nice beat, refrain, and rap. Bow Wow does an excellent job on this. Ciara is awesome to. She puts a nice melody and flow to the song.
7.B.O.W.- 5/5: Bow Wow wrote this one. It's excellent. Bow Wow raps with a melodic beat in the background. Of coarse, He's of the chain. It has a nice beat, and refrain.
8.Go-5/5: This song is so good! It has a nice beat, melody, rap, and refrain. It's kind of like a a song that you would dance to in a "Crunk & B" dance competition. Jermaine Dupri also does an excellent rap on this.
9. Do What It Do- 5/5: Nice beat and everthing! It has a nice beat, rap, and egyption melody to it.
10. Is That You (P.Y.T.)- 5/5: This song also has a good egyption melody to it. It has a nice rap and refrain. In the song, it has a remix of Michael Jackson's " P.Y.T." (Pretty Young Thing) song.
11. Mo Money- 5/5: This song is one of my favorites. It has an excellent beat, refrain, and rap. This song is so good!
After the song "Mo Money" fades, It has the song "Eighteen" from Bow Wow's album "Unleashed". To me, I can understand why they put Eighteen in the song. On this album, Bow Wow's 18!
Conclusion: This album is above excellent. The order of the songs are perect! So buy the album!
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