Monday, February 28, 2011

The Best Rap Album of February 2011-The Greatest Story Never Told by Saigon


2011 started off great with the release of Talib Kweli's album Gutter Rain which received my best album of January pick and it was tough because Mistah F.A.B. From the west coast came in at a very close second.

This month's choice was more difficult but not because of the quality of Hip-Hop albums released but the quantity. A lot of straight bullshit was dropped in February. I guess the record companies were doing their spring cleaning. It was painful having to listen to all that garbage but I dig in the crates so that you wouldn't have to.

Clear the award of The Best Hip-Hop Album of February 2011goes to Saigon and his released titled The Greatest Story Never Told.

Only time will tell if its a classic but it is clearly the best album of February 2011.

Joined by an all-star cast including Jay-Z, Marsha Ambrosius, Raheem Devaughn, Faith Evans, Bun B, Fatman Scoop and Q-Tip, amongst others. The Greatest Story Never Told succeeds in not sounding like so many albums that are nothing but duets. These artists add their talents respectively to elevate Saigon's craft and enhance each song rather than dominating them and that in itself is a feat worth praising.

Is this a perfect album? By all means no. The songs Better Way with Layzie Bone and It's Alright fell kind of flat to me but hey, they might be perfect for you. Several others fell just short because I heard potential not realized either musically or lyrically but they may be perfectly acceptable to you.

Back to the point of it all, there are enough songs that are winners that provide more than an hour worth of head nods guaranteed to produce a stiff neck if you aren't careful.

The Greatest Story Never Told

Station Identification: 3 Stars
The Invitation: 5 Stars
Come On Baby: 4 Stars
War: 3 Stars
Bring Me Down Pt.2: 3Stars
Enemies: 4 Stars
Friends: 4 Stars
The Greatest Story Never Told: 4 Stars
Clap: 4 Stars
Preacher: 4 Stars
It's Alright: 3 Stars
Believe It: 3 Stars
Give It to Me: 5 Stars
What Lovers Do: 4 Stars
Better Way: 3 Stars
Oh Yeah: 3 Stars
And the Winner Is: 3 Stars
Too Long: 4 Stars

And there you have it The Best Hip-Hop Album of February 2011 is The Greatest Story Never Told by Saigon, get it.