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Review: Jack Foley
SUPER-producer Jermaine Dupri delivers his Young, Fly and
Flashy Volume 1 - a hip collection of both new and established
artists from across the Southern US, including Atlanta, Miami
and New Orleans.
"Young, Fly and Flashy is the definition of myself and the
lifestyle of So So Def," explains Dupri. "This collection
is an introduction of the new, up-and-coming So So Def artists:
T Waters, Young Capone and The Kid Slim, among others."
Needless to say, it's distinctly urban in style - featuring rappers
galore, hip-hop aplenty and enough attitude to justify the presumed
arrogance in the album title.
Instantly recognisable will be the first single, Gotta Getcha,
which features Dupri himself.
The track is an upbeat party record inspired by Dupri's fascination
for a stripper at the club he goes to every night to see the same
girl.
It features a grinding bassline that’s perfectly suited
to the subject matter and video – which features plenty
of pole-sliding action and a cameo from Janet Jackson.
And it also rates among the highlights of the album.
Strong, too, is the remix of Kodak Moment, by Kavious,
which contains another top urban beat and plenty of streetwise
attitude.
While T Waters' Eastern-influenced Throw'd Off provokes
immediate comparisons with some of the hip-hop style of 50 Cent,
albeit with a harder vocal style.
Envyi contributes some hip-grinding beats for the sassy, seductive
Put Cha Hands Up, which seems tailor-made for the Kiss
FM brigade, while Young Capone demonstrates an uncanny vocal resemblance
to the hard-hitting style of Eminem and D-12 on both his tracks,
I'm Hot and Young, Fly and Flashy.
Some of the remaining contributions are a little too heavy to
appeal to mainstream tastes, dripping with the hard energy of
the streets that inspired them, but if you want a glimpse of some
upcoming names to look out for then this offers just the ticket.
Dupri certainly knows his stuff having recently leant his production
skills to both the new albums from Mariah Carey and Usher.
With Young, Fly and Flashy, however, he concentrates
on the bass to deliver a compilation that, in his own words, 'is
more about today's hip-hop sound but which is heavy on the So
So Def branding so people will know and recognise that So So Def
is still a strong presence in the streets'.
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Track listing:
1. I'm Hot - Young Capone
2. Gotta Getcha - Jermaine Dupri
3. Kodak Moment [Remix] - Kavious
4. I Think They Like Me [Remix] - Bow Wow
5. So What
6. Throw'd Off - T. Waters
7. Just to Fight - Pastor Troy
8. Grown Man
9. 10 Toes - Jermaine Dupri
10. Put Cha Hands Up - Envyi
11. Young, Fly & Flashy [*] - Young Capone
12. Throw'd Off [CD-ROM Track] - T. Waters
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