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Despite his longtime association with Jay-Z, the best and most popular rapper alive during the early 2000s, Memphis Bleek nonetheless continually struggled to overcome his protégé reputation and break through on his own, and his third album, M.A.D.E., again falls a bit short of that mark. Even so, it's a marked improvement for Bleek, a definite step forward and a sure showcase of his growing maturity. His first two albums, Coming of Age (1999) and Understanding (2000), had their moments, usually on the singles, but for the most part, they weren't lasting statements. If anything, they stated that Bleek was no Jay-Z and had a long way to go if he ever wanted to approach those heights. Then he dropped off for a while. In fact, it took him three years until he returned with M.A.D.E., which is longer than some less fortunate rappers' careers -- in other words, a short lifetime in rap years. But the time off seemingly served Bleek well. Throughout M.A.D.E., his flow is tighter than ever, he gets the best beats of his career, and he performs with ferocity on most songs: the opening run of "Everything's a Go" (with Jay-Z), "Round Here" (with Trick Daddy and T.I.), and "Just Blaze, Bleek & Free" (with Freeway) -- all of which are produced by Just Blaze -- get the album off to an astounding start. There's really nowhere to go but down from here, of course, but the remaining hour of music has its moments, albeit sporadic ones. In particular, Kanye West turns in a surprisingly straight interpolation of Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." (titled "I Wanna Love U"), Scott Storch turns in a moody Dr. Dre-sounding production ("We Ballin'"), and Just Blaze turns in yet another hot track, a laid-back collabo with Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z ("Hypnotic"). In contrast, there are some fumbles, in particular a run-of-the-mill Nate Dogg duet that aims for "21 Questions" territory but misses. Taken as a whole, M.A.D.E. isn't the standup statement of purpose that Bleek needed to drop, especially after he spent three years on the down-low, but it's a noteworthy stride forward for the young rapper. Sure, a lot of the accolades should go out to Just Blaze, who carries the bulk of this album with his endlessly inventive productions, but Bleek deserves his share of props too. A lot of would-be critics wrote him off years prior, yet he soldiered on, held his composure, and returned with a sporadically great album.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo
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Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Curtis Mayfield, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Coptic, Producer - E. Matlock, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, FeaturedArtist - LINDA CREED, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Thomas Bell, ComposerLyricist - Just Blaze, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Clifford Harris, ComposerLyricist - Maurice Young, ComposerLyricist - T.I., FeaturedArtist - Just Blaze, Producer - Trick Daddy, FeaturedArtist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Gimel Keaton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freeway, FeaturedArtist - Just Blaze, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Leslie Pridgen, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Scott Storch, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Young Chris, FeaturedArtist - Chris Ries, ComposerLyricist - O. Guy, ComposerLyricist - Proof, FeaturedArtist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Dwight Grant, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, FeaturedArtist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Just Blaze, Producer - E-Bass, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Beanie Sigel, FeaturedArtist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Denim, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Horton, Flute, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Donell Jones, FeaturedArtist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Brian Stanley, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kanye West, Producer, ComposerLyricist - James Ingram, ComposerLyricist - Quincy Jones, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Just Blaze, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Corey Williams, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric Johnson, ComposerLyricist - E-Bass, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Latif, FeaturedArtist - T. T., Producer - Edwin Delahoz, ComposerLyricist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Nate Dogg, FeaturedArtist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Parnin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - B. Bridgeman, ComposerLyricist - D. Andrews, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Art & Life, Producer
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Dwight Grant, ComposerLyricist - Rick Rubin, ComposerLyricist - Adam Nathaniel Yauch, ComposerLyricist - Scott Storch, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, FeaturedArtist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Beanie Sigel, FeaturedArtist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Adam Keefe Horovitz, ComposerLyricist - Michael Louis Diamond, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Just Blaze, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Darrell Branch, ComposerLyricist - M.O.P., FeaturedArtist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Eric Murray, ComposerLyricist - Jamal Grinnade, ComposerLyricist - Darrell "Digga" Branch, Producer
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Rell, FeaturedArtist - T. T., Producer - Edwin Delahoz, ComposerLyricist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - E Bass, Producer
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Zukhan Bey, ComposerLyricist - Brian Stanley, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Johnny Bristol, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Lil' Cease, FeaturedArtist - Rell, FeaturedArtist - Gerrell Gaddis, ComposerLyricist - Geda K, FeaturedArtist - Zukhan, Producer
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - J. Lloyd, ComposerLyricist - Jay-Z, FeaturedArtist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eric Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Robert "Shim" Kirkland, ComposerLyricist - G. Grainger, ComposerLyricist - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Lil' Cease, FeaturedArtist - Ken "Supa Engineer" Duro, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Renée Scroggins, ComposerLyricist - Geda K, FeaturedArtist - Valerie Scroggins, ComposerLyricist - Shim, Producer - E Bass, Producer
℗ 2002 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Justin Smith, ComposerLyricist - Malik Cox, ComposerLyricist - Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Just Blaze, Producer - Memphis Bleek, MainArtist - Shane "Bermuda" Woodley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2002 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Despite his longtime association with Jay-Z, the best and most popular rapper alive during the early 2000s, Memphis Bleek nonetheless continually struggled to overcome his protégé reputation and break through on his own, and his third album, M.A.D.E., again falls a bit short of that mark. Even so, it's a marked improvement for Bleek, a definite step forward and a sure showcase of his growing maturity. His first two albums, Coming of Age (1999) and Understanding (2000), had their moments, usually on the singles, but for the most part, they weren't lasting statements. If anything, they stated that Bleek was no Jay-Z and had a long way to go if he ever wanted to approach those heights. Then he dropped off for a while. In fact, it took him three years until he returned with M.A.D.E., which is longer than some less fortunate rappers' careers -- in other words, a short lifetime in rap years. But the time off seemingly served Bleek well. Throughout M.A.D.E., his flow is tighter than ever, he gets the best beats of his career, and he performs with ferocity on most songs: the opening run of "Everything's a Go" (with Jay-Z), "Round Here" (with Trick Daddy and T.I.), and "Just Blaze, Bleek & Free" (with Freeway) -- all of which are produced by Just Blaze -- get the album off to an astounding start. There's really nowhere to go but down from here, of course, but the remaining hour of music has its moments, albeit sporadic ones. In particular, Kanye West turns in a surprisingly straight interpolation of Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." (titled "I Wanna Love U"), Scott Storch turns in a moody Dr. Dre-sounding production ("We Ballin'"), and Just Blaze turns in yet another hot track, a laid-back collabo with Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z ("Hypnotic"). In contrast, there are some fumbles, in particular a run-of-the-mill Nate Dogg duet that aims for "21 Questions" territory but misses. Taken as a whole, M.A.D.E. isn't the standup statement of purpose that Bleek needed to drop, especially after he spent three years on the down-low, but it's a noteworthy stride forward for the young rapper. Sure, a lot of the accolades should go out to Just Blaze, who carries the bulk of this album with his endlessly inventive productions, but Bleek deserves his share of props too. A lot of would-be critics wrote him off years prior, yet he soldiered on, held his composure, and returned with a sporadically great album.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:14:20
- Main artists: Memphis Bleek
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Roc-A-Fella
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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