Big week here for urban releases. On the shelves this week comes a new one from Chris Brown who’s attempting to make a comeback with Graffiti following his incident earlier this year with Rihanna. Meanwhile, veteran Snoop Dogg drops off his new joint Malice n Wonderland, while Gucci Mane, despite being behind bars, is releasing his new one The State vs. Radric Davis. Over on the coke rap side, Clipse are putting out their third album Til the Casket Drops on Columbia, with Timbaland coming with the sequel to his hit album Shock Value. Hit the jump to get a closer look at this week’s releases.
Chris Brown - Graffiti (Jive)
You would think that Chris Brown would take a vacay following this year’s Domestic Disturbia, yet here he is a few weeks after Rihanna dropped Rated R with his new album Graffiti. And surprisingly, it’s much better than Rated R was. Packed with upbeat fare and more introspective, soul-searching ballads, Graffiti might be Chris Brown’s most mature album to date – even if he still has a way to go on the maturity tip.
Snoop Dogg - Malice n Wonderland (Doggystyle/Priority)
The Doggfather is back with his latest offering Malice n Wonderland, which, despite having a few cuts that cater to modern tastes (he kicks off the album with a Jerkin’ song and features Soulja Boy on a track), this one is pretty slick and laidback. With guest appearances from Jazmine Sullivan, The-Dream, Brandy, Pharrell and more, Snoop has still got it after all these years. Check for the joint “Special” featuring Pharrell and Brandy – one of the best ones he’s done in years.
Clipse - Til the Casket Drops (Columbia)
Pusha T and Malice go in on their newest offering Til the Casket Drops, which sees the pair switching labels from Jive to Columbia after Jive dicked them over. This time, they reach outside of The Neptunes pool for beats, and while Chad and Pharrell contribute a handful, there’s some standouts from DJ Khalil and Sean C & LV. On the lyrical tip, these two are as sharp as ever, with enough coke rhymes to make your head spin. Don’t sleep on this one.
Gucci Mane - The State vs. Radric Davis (So Icey Entertainment/Atlantic)
Gucci Mane might be locked up, but this is probably the most anticipated release of his career – and will most likely be the biggest. Though the lyrics really ain’t all that (not to mention Gucci doesn’t have much of a personality), the beats and guest stars are what are important on this disc. Guest features include verses and hooks from Nicki Minaj, Keyshia Cole, OJ da Juiceman, Lil Wayne, Cam’Ron, Rick Ross and a whole lot more, while producers Drumma Boy, Polow da Don, Scott Storch, Bangladesh and more drop off a few beats. Good luck making it through these 20 tracks in one sitting.
Timbaland - Shock Value 2 (Mosley Music Group/Blackground/Universal)
Timbo is back with the sequel to his smash album Shock Value, this time using the same formula for a sleeker collection of tracks. This one sees Tim on the same tracks as Justin Timberlake, Jet, Miley Cyrus, OneRepublic, Bran’Nu (aka Brandy), Chad Kroeger, Drake, The Fray, Jet and a whole host of others. Not necessarily for hip-hop heads, but a good one to bump if you’re looking for empty pop.
