Back To Reviews Archive The Hip-Hop Headrush

Artist: Da Brat
Album: Unrestricted
Label: Sony/Columbia
Production: Jermaine Dupri
Guests: Ja Rule, Mystikal, others
Stats: 2000; 11 tracks
Reviewed by: Mass Dosage

In a bid to cash in on Hip-Hop's current fascination with overly sexed female MC's, Da Brat has changed her image from that of the tomboy next door to the sexually appealing woman across the road. In doing so she has unfortunately lost the down-to-earth rawness that made her so appealing in the first place and she comes off looking and sounding like way too many other MC's of the moment. Undoubtedly homegirl has got rhyme skills and she spits game with no lack of confidence, but this doesn't make up for the overall lack of lyricism and meaning on this release. Jermaine Dupri's production is generally tight, but he achieves nothing groundbreaking and a number of the tracks come off sounding repetitive. The album's low points come when touches of R&B are added, surmisedly to add a bit of diversity, but this tactic just makes Da Brat sound even more off point. From someone who has been in the game this long one would have expected a lot more. [4/10]


[An edited version of this review was also published in SL magazine]

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