03-12-2002, 07:55 PM
N.E.R.D. website
So I'm not a huge Hip-hop or R&B fan, but for some reason I've been really looking forward to this album. These guys (Neptunes) have been around for years producing tracks for just about everyone you could think of. N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies) is the name they've adopted as a solo artist, and will I assume, continue to use for their original work.
"In Search Of" is the debut release for this group thats actually been working together since the early 90's. Growing up in Virginia, they played in several groups, and nothing really worked out for them until they started producing. Looking at their credits, it's basically a who's who of modern music. They havent been limited to just R&B/Hip-Hop groups. This album is a mix of a little bit of everything that they've been into for so many years but couldn't really do on other people's tracks.
Giving this a first listen really hasn't blown me away. The album production is amazing, has some great hooks, and spectacular singing. But the songs are somewhat lacking. Don't get me wrong, the album is still superior to alot of things out there (IMHO), but I just felt that the songs just didn't really stand out based on their writing alone. I can't wait to listen to this album a few more times to really get into the songs, and dissect them for each part. A first listen to an album is always very different from when you listen a few more times, so I will do a follow up after a few more listens.
On first listen though, I give this a 4 out of 5, and would reccomend the album if you're into Hip-Hop/R&B. If it's not your cup of tea, go check out their website, and listen a bit first.
Preview the album here.
So I'm not a huge Hip-hop or R&B fan, but for some reason I've been really looking forward to this album. These guys (Neptunes) have been around for years producing tracks for just about everyone you could think of. N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies) is the name they've adopted as a solo artist, and will I assume, continue to use for their original work.
"In Search Of" is the debut release for this group thats actually been working together since the early 90's. Growing up in Virginia, they played in several groups, and nothing really worked out for them until they started producing. Looking at their credits, it's basically a who's who of modern music. They havent been limited to just R&B/Hip-Hop groups. This album is a mix of a little bit of everything that they've been into for so many years but couldn't really do on other people's tracks.
Giving this a first listen really hasn't blown me away. The album production is amazing, has some great hooks, and spectacular singing. But the songs are somewhat lacking. Don't get me wrong, the album is still superior to alot of things out there (IMHO), but I just felt that the songs just didn't really stand out based on their writing alone. I can't wait to listen to this album a few more times to really get into the songs, and dissect them for each part. A first listen to an album is always very different from when you listen a few more times, so I will do a follow up after a few more listens.
On first listen though, I give this a 4 out of 5, and would reccomend the album if you're into Hip-Hop/R&B. If it's not your cup of tea, go check out their website, and listen a bit first.
Preview the album here.