I’m going to be honest, like most people, Chris Brown isn’t top of my list of people to share a pint with but ever since smashing on the scene with ‘Run It’, his musical talent has been obvious and has evolved through every album. This single has been taken from the album ‘F.A.M.E’ which stands for ‘For All My Enemies’ and is strangely endearing and I shall tell you why.
First of all, it sees Chris Brown continue what seems to be a new talent adopted and that is of Chris Brown the MC. Don’t get me wrong, he is no Biggie or Dre but he definitely can hold his own within a verse. We saw it provisionally on his single with Chipmunk, ‘Champion’, and very briefly on his track ‘Yeah 3X’. This new technique that he has adopted within his new tracks run parallel to his new ‘bad boy’ image which was created after Rihanna-gate, which almost put him rock bottom of the social ladder in many of the public’s opinion. However, as many people would have just accepted this, Chris Brown tended to embrace it and created a new persona.
A second reason to love this song is the strange but excellent production provided by super producer Diplo. It may seem like he has just recorded an episode of Clangers but this new urban vibe that he brings is much more interesting than anything I have heard in a while. It definitely places you in an underground bunker with the whining loop that is played through the bridge but as annoying as it is the first time round, the better it is the second, third and fourth time you listen to it. It just seems to be right and works perfectly for no other reason than it sounds cool and there seems to be a serious lack of cool music around the hip-hop/urban scene.
A third reason to love this song is the surprisingly good features from Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne. I was sceptical when I first saw that they were on the track thinking that it is just another label ploy to try and bolster the track but in this case, it has some musical value. The verse from Busta Rhymes is superb, even if it is a little tricky to understand but it shows how brilliant he can be at times. This track also sees Lil Wayne featuring with some very respectable verses of his own. If you get past all the ego and persona that he seems to carry round with him, he is a decent rapper. Not as good as he seems to think but shows that he can hold a very good verse.
The rest of the album provides a good portrayal of the direction that Chris Brown seems to be heading in. He has gone away from the big ballad, R & B clique tracks that saw him hit many teenage girls’ bedroom walls but with his latest fracas, this has become near impossible. The new ‘bad boy’ Brown seems to bring him into a whole new genre and I like it. I think this track is the perfect single to release him into the more urban wilderness and I hope that people see past the controversy and look into the music with an open-mind. It is unlikely but would be a shame for a mistake to make a mockery of his music career.
Single Rating: 8/10
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A second reason to love this song is the strange but excellent production provided by super producer Diplo. It may seem like he has just recorded an episode of Clangers but this new urban vibe that he brings is much more interesting than anything I have heard in a while. It definitely places you in an underground bunker with the whining loop that is played through the bridge but as annoying as it is the first time round, the better it is the second, third and fourth time you listen to it. It just seems to be right and works perfectly for no other reason than it sounds cool and there seems to be a serious lack of cool music around the hip-hop/urban scene.
