Producers: Swizz Beatz, J.R. Rotem, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Just Blaze, Dangerous LLC, GQ Beats, Scott Storch, Nard & B, Mista Raja , Chris Styles & Maino.
New York City will always be associated with producing Hip Hop greats - after all, they are the originators of this music. Go back to the late 70's, throughout the 80's and all of the way through the 90's, NYC was the heart of Hip Hop. To just name some of the greatest from the boroughs, is like naming a who's who of Hip Hop. Jay-Z, Nas, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Wu-Tang Clan, Diddy, Dipset, Jadakiss, DMX, Fabolous, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Fat Joe, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep.... In fact, I will stop there because I could go on and on.
But lately, NYC has been critisised for not producing the quality of music it did. In a new era of Hip Hop of dance routines, catchy hooks, auto-tune and ringtone sales, some are starting to question NYC's stance as the heart of Hip Hop, and perhaps give that title to the South, which has come up so fast in the past decade. Many fans are waiting for someone to take NY back to the forefront of Hip Hop.
Then along came Maino. Those in the know, will know that to make it big on the NY scene, you will need to be big on the mixtape circuit, and that was exactly what Maino has been doing in the last couple of years, following in the style of 50 Cent - and we all know how big he became.
If Tomorrow Comes refers to Maino's time in prison. He served a 10 year prison sentance for his involvement in a drug related kidnapping, and upon his 2003 release, he turned his attention to a music career. It would not be long before the rapper, better known as Jermaine Coleman, would feature at the 2008 Summer Jam Festival, onstage with Alicia Keys, with whom he was introduced to by ex husband, and music producer Swizz Beatz.
The album has an autobiographical feel to it. By kicking off with the lead track, Million Bucks, featuring the familiar upbeat production of Swizzy himself, as well as his trademark hooks to go with it, the song deals with money, material objects, and emotions of getting out of the hood. This is then followed by one of the many interludes on the album, Scene 1: If Tomorrow Comes. The interlude takes you back in time, before the money, success of music, and while he was still locked down. The album then follows a story from here on, with the next song Back To Life dealing with adapting back into his original life, after a long sentance.
Overall, there are 5 interludes, rather reminiscent of an Eminem CD. But to many, Maino's story will be something many people who have experienced the ups and downs of living in the NY ghettos will be able to relate to.
The production from some of Hip Hops big name producers, Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and J.R. Rotem, and a feature track from T-Pain, along with an all-star remix of another single, is something even established artists in the game would be flattered by, never mind for your debut studio album. However, without any big singles, you can forget putting Maino in the same league as Jay-Z or 50. Hi Hater and All The Above have had moderate success on the Billboard chart, but nothing that will catapult him to the forefront on mainstream rap. The remix of Hi Hater featured Fabolous, Plies, T.I., Jadakiss, & Swizz Beatz, and this gained a lot of radio airplay, especially in NY.
The album has a quality feel to it. It is not just something which circulates around a couple of hype singles, and it is not often I can say that in 2009. Notable album tracks which stand out, are Here Comes Trouble, and the sexually explicit Lets Make A Movie, which talks about doing the same thing that made Paris not just a city. This album is a must for Hip Hop fans. Maino will be a a rap great, perhaps to the size of moderate artists such as Jadakiss, Jim Jones or Joe Budden, but that push for a massive mainsream breakthrough wont come from this CD.
8/10
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