2008 Woodie Awards
Ghetto Classics: Not Ghetto, But A Solid R&B Album
Juan Bernal
Issue date: 4/21/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Jaheim has always been a great R&B artist trying to find his niche in the hip-hop game. In Ghetto Classics, he doesn't exactly produce a hip hop classic but he does what he does best, produce a solid, mellow rhythm and blues album. The characteristic that makes this album a solid listen is Jaheim's addictive charisma. Jaheim combines a street edge on most of his songs to combine with that charisma. After a three year layoff, many say that this is Jaheim's best album. I wouldn't go as far to say that, but it is every bit as good.
Nothing on Ghetto Classics is spectacular, but most everything is solid. He opens up with the song "Chosen One," which gives you a great feel for the whole album. It provides a solid beat with good, but not great lyrics. One of the best songs is the song "Fiend" in which Jaheim and Styles P combine a pop vibe with some smooth lyrics. He talks about a certain girl who he describes as a "dime" which is a ghetto word for very beautiful girl. "Fiend" is the one song on this album that is immediately addictive. Everytime I think about her has an old school beat, and it features Jadakiss. It is perhaps the only song in the whole album that lives up to the album's intended billing. One of the songs that have touched Jaheim in his real life is a song called "Daddy Thing." "Daddy thing" talks about a woman whom Jaheim cares for, who has a child and whose man is in prison. However, Jaheim admits to his own naiveness when he finally realized that the woman would go back to her husband. He turns out to be right the girl goes back to her husband once he gets out of prison.
Many people are turned off by Jaheim's use of profanity in some of his previous albums. While this album does have the parental advisory sticker, the profanity is not so prevalent. Their might be a cuss word here and there, but it is certainly not enough for anyone to not buy the album. Overall, this is an album with solid lyrics, solid beats and very few, but solid guest performances that include Jadakiss and Styles P. This is an album in which you don't have a big taste for rap or hip-hop in order to enjoy it. I'll give this album a solid B, because with the exception of the song "Fiend" there is nothing exceptional on this album. Ghetto Classics show why Jaheim is one of the chosen few artists who has made a name for himself in the R&B world.
Nothing on Ghetto Classics is spectacular, but most everything is solid. He opens up with the song "Chosen One," which gives you a great feel for the whole album. It provides a solid beat with good, but not great lyrics. One of the best songs is the song "Fiend" in which Jaheim and Styles P combine a pop vibe with some smooth lyrics. He talks about a certain girl who he describes as a "dime" which is a ghetto word for very beautiful girl. "Fiend" is the one song on this album that is immediately addictive. Everytime I think about her has an old school beat, and it features Jadakiss. It is perhaps the only song in the whole album that lives up to the album's intended billing. One of the songs that have touched Jaheim in his real life is a song called "Daddy Thing." "Daddy thing" talks about a woman whom Jaheim cares for, who has a child and whose man is in prison. However, Jaheim admits to his own naiveness when he finally realized that the woman would go back to her husband. He turns out to be right the girl goes back to her husband once he gets out of prison.
Many people are turned off by Jaheim's use of profanity in some of his previous albums. While this album does have the parental advisory sticker, the profanity is not so prevalent. Their might be a cuss word here and there, but it is certainly not enough for anyone to not buy the album. Overall, this is an album with solid lyrics, solid beats and very few, but solid guest performances that include Jadakiss and Styles P. This is an album in which you don't have a big taste for rap or hip-hop in order to enjoy it. I'll give this album a solid B, because with the exception of the song "Fiend" there is nothing exceptional on this album. Ghetto Classics show why Jaheim is one of the chosen few artists who has made a name for himself in the R&B world.
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