Naledge - Chicago Picasso

[Poetic Wun]

01- Intro/some Shit I Wrote Feat DJ Timbuck2 [02:44]
02- In My Own World Feat Fooch and Mick Luter [02:56]
03- Standing on Sofas Feat Chip the Ripper [03:37]
04- Focus Feat Rhymefest [03:43]
05- Southside Shit Feat Fooch and GLC [05:08]
06- Cleveland Freestyle [03:23]
07- Lovin Ya Life [03:04]
08- Cool Relax Feat Jay Electronica [03:56]
09- Viva El Fantastico Feat Mickey Factz [03:11]
10- Round and Round [03:05]
11- It is What it is Part 1 [03:41]
12- The Beat Goes on Feat Carlita Durand [03:21]
13- Blessed by God Feat A Pinks [03:20]
14- I Dont Even Know You Freestyle [02:10]
15- Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous [02:48]
16- Star Struck Feat Russoul [04:03]
17- Crazy [03:30]
18- Brothers Keeper Feat Vic Spencer [02:40]
19- Futuristic Shit Feat Vandylism [03:53]
20- Look at Them Hips (Remix) Feat Bun B and Currensy [07:06]

[claaa7]

never heard before but props for doing it the correct way! +rep

[Durag]

Is this the guy from Kids In The Hall? I got their last album "The In Crowd" and dont think ill be picking anything else up from him.

[Poetic Wun]

peace claaa

Personally i think this album is gunna be focused more on the beats than rhymes.
He's from Chicago so we're guna get that Chicago feel. If your a fan of that style you might like this tape, otherwise... he has his fans i'm sure.
When i heard of Kidz in the Hall i was hype to hear what they were about and anticipating what they were guna bring to the table but when i finally got the tape i thought maybe something went wrong... then i got their second tape and thought about passing them off all together from then on out. So then i hear Naledge is rollin dolo for a record/ retail mixtape and thought that maybe no Double O production might be a good thing...
these are my thoughts:

01- Intro/some Shit I Wrote
4/5 - i can vibe with the beat. Persoanlly i dig the laid back Chi funk. it's very "poetry-slam"esque and i think Naledge delivers pretty well on this track.

02- In My Own World
3/5 - Sounds as if he's reaching for some sorta poor mans Lupe-anthemic but comes off Nick Cannon-drumline. Lyrically this track is oxmoronic: He boasts about his lyrical excellence with mediocre rhymes. His first feature (Fooch im assuming), brings a better aspect of the title. How he is amazing in alot of aspects but at the end of the day he realizes it's all in his head... and how! Luter... abismal. this track basically says I'M GREAT & CHI IS TAKIN OVER!... with that exact amount of eloquence :-/

03- Standing on Sofas
2/5 - Only for the production...ish. where Naledge "succeeds", his features fail him. although this comes of as a crunky/screwed n chopped version of a chi-town beat it's still "get-downable" if you can make it past the features & hook. I suggest someone loop the beat & re-do it for them.

04- Focus
3.5/5 - lol Naledge rhymes: "Barack Obama, Langston Hughes & KRS in one man"... yeah, lets get to Rhymefest. He is the entire rating, he saves the beat & shames Naledge. I'm surprised, as cocky as Naledge comes off (intentionally), that after he heard Fest's verse he didn't get humbled & rewrite his shit. Although Fest ain't amazing- he's sure as hell the best thing i've heard so far.

05- Southside Shit
2/5 - Seems like the beat catered to GLC's style. Very skipable... i almost fell asleep.

06- Cleveland Freestyle [03:23]
4/5 - I think i realized who it actually was in Kidz In The Hall that deviated me from being a fan. Double O comin back for this track is a breath of fresh air.

07- Lovin Ya Life [03:04]
2/5 - He wasn't able to get the effect from the beat he was looking for. It sounds a lil soulful but he just couldn't get it right.

08- Cool Relax
4/5 - Oh My God! now i'm just wishin Double O cut his own damn record... i'm starting to get the feel that everyone featured on this record was set out to try & humble Naledge's stank ass. Sounds very Lupe inspired & Jay Electronica is pretty nice. this is the biggest amount of substance i've found so far. I'm thinkin of Uppin this track here cause it's prolly the only song with re-play value & i'll save y'all the trouble of muckin thru the mud.

09- Viva El Fantastico
3/5 - Some sort of electronic freak to the beat. His feature was ok at best but thats saying something in accordace with the rest of the track.

10- Round and Round
3/5 - Very average. No energy given to the listener. He has some lines where he trying to get funky with it but it comes off lazy.

11- It is What it is Part 1
4/5 - Some replay value, he rides the beat well. I might save this along with the Double O tracks. It has a smooth Jazzy feel & Naledge makes that a very good thing especially if you just illin or vibin with your girl or something.

12- The Beat Goes
3/5 - Another chilly beat. pianos sound ok but i've definitely heard better. Gets a lil boring as does Naledge with "it's all about me" rhymes again.

13- Blessed by God
3/5 - we've pased the climax of the album. We've now ventured into the "i forgot this album was still playing" portion. the beat is too dull for Naledge here cause he is actually comin off a lil better here.

14- I Dont Even Know You Freestyle
2/5 - "Y'all so tired/ y'all look Michelin..."... really? boring once more. no energy, no nada.

15- Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
2/5 - Sounds like this beat gunna jump off. He bursts out with the hook over a some demanding trumpets... and then it just keeps going... it doesnt get better than the intro. If anything it just gets annoying. Naledge has some decent rhymes but i cant make it through.

16- Star Struck
3/5 - the beat is smooth & the Russoul (lame name) has a D'angelo feel. its aight i guess.

17- Crazy
3/5 - again with the smoothy soul esque, a nice sample but just another relationship story.

18- Brothers Keeper
1.5/5 - jazzy trumpets with southern hight hats, ya know, the repetative type that southern producers use as if they all intentionally jammed that button in cause they utilize it like its gods gift to music... nothing more to the beat.

19- Futuristic Shit
2/5 - some wierd piano effect is where i'm assuming their "creative minds" came up with the idea of this title. nothing says future about it. a little bouncy but the hook is garbage and they bring nothing verbally.

20- Look at Them Hips
another southern sounding slow beat... i'm not guna sit thru a min of this anymore much less 7.


Like my reviews for each track, this album loses substance over playing time so In closing this tape comes off somewhere between Lifesavas and garbage... it tries to get the right features & tries to get up and looks for the soul feel towards the end but comes off very uninspired. i cant classify this album with average cause he too stuck on himself to even give it a general basic goodism. i'm takin the jewels & leaving the rest behind me. Unless Double O comes out with a solo joint i'm hagin up my hat on this group. If school was Naledge's hustle, it musta been home school cause he dont venture outta much besides himself for the most part & someone need to open his eyes.

i stand corrected... this didnt have much of a Chi sound and too far from anything Picasso would claim.