A-Heh! (Kiss My Ass - Jadakiss)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	Kiss My Ass - Jadakiss
Date:	15/09/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of big tunes

Disadvantages: Nothing specific

"The Last Kiss" (originally going by the title "Kiss My A*s") came out in 2009 as the third solo album from The L.O.X.'s Jadakiss. The New York rapper dropped it five years after his last effort and a good nine since linking up with Sheek Louch and Styles P for a collective record, and so changes were bound to have been made by the artist.

1. "Pain & Torture" (Intro)

2. "Can't Stop Me"

Getting right into the second single off the album, you see that he dips right into some fly beats which have Neo Da Matrix sampling a little Diana Ross throughout in a pretty motivational and inspirational tune which has him talking of just how much he has to offer, and how this can't be altered in any way. It is alright, but nothing that special.

**Three Stars**

3. "Who's Real"

With Swizz Beatz on the production, you know tha there we are going straight to the clubs here, and of course (in spite of the fact the artist is annoying) he is bound to come up with beats you can't help but get down with. I felt that the OJ Da Juiceman appearance was unexpected (based on how much of a lyricist 'Kiss is and how wack a rapper Juiceman is) but it made for a fly tune to get listeners on a hype.

**Four Stars**

4. "Grind Hard"

Sampling "Friends And Strangers", just as was heard in Nas' "Hero", you see that for this one you get Jadakiss doing a track in the same sort a vain with one which has him attempting to bring up some uplifting rap in order to show how well he can put this to some harder raps and beats. It is a rough one and the contrast of the production from the verse and chorus adds to it.

5. "Something Else"

You see how the artist has made changes over the years through this one as it appears that he does one which you have clear influence from he own East Coast, but there is much more of a southern prominence in it all with the buck chanting towards the start and having him work with Young Jeezy in order to show where he is drawing comparisons with similar acts from a more popular region of the US when it comes to Hip Hop of the time.

**Four Stars**

6. "One Step More"

You see him coming to work with L.O.X.'s Styles P here in order to show that at some point there will be more material featuring the trio (possibly as D-Block). The flows are big and it sees them doing it in an excited manner as they pass the rhymes to each other frequently and order to show their great teamwork and ability to come up with a big track to show a developed underground East coast Hip Hop recording.

**Four Stars**

7. "Stress Ya"

The Neptunes are behind the production of this one and just as in typical fashion, you see that Pharrell comes to sing on the chorus for it. It is a a tune I wouldn't have expected to get (due to the fact The Neptunes tend to work with much more mainstream acts) bu here the club joint really came up with something hot to show that Jadakiss is willing to go out of his way to try out something a little risky, but it certainly paid off in this case.

**Four Stars**

8. "What If"

This is a thought-provoking track from the artist, and one on the release which really stands out as he asks many questions to get the Hip Hop listeners' minds buzzing about the possible alterations which would have occurred had something happened (or not) and its subsequent effects upon the world. Nas concentrates upon his own legacy with his verse but is valued just as much in it.

**Five Stars**

9. "Things I've Been Through"

This is the first on the album which I have to say that I didn't really care that much for. I believe that much of this is down to the fact that the material within it uses production which I wasn't that impressed by and the Luther Vandross sample didn't do what I expect it did to other listeners, and so it stands as an unmemorable one.

**Three Stars**

10. "I Tried"

You get Nelly's R&B Derrty Ent. signee collaborating on this one as Avery Storm is the one to lend his own vocals onto this and give it something memorable to bring the life out of it. Here you see that he tries out something which has him performing music which takes on a much more commercial form, and the results are pretty appealing and improve over time.

**Four Stars**

11. "Rockin' With The Best"

You here that Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams are behind the beats in this one too and to accompany Pharrell on the hook you also get Atlanta's Bobby Valentine helping it out for a nice little two-stepping joint which has him just going about things in a relaxed and chilled way to just vibe and let loose.

**Four Stars**

12. "Smoking Gun"

The new Philadelphia talent in Jazmine Sullivan, is the singer responsible for the warming hook in this particular on and it sees that with it the artist comes with one which appears to take on a mainstream kind of sound, but this front by Mr. Porter's production masks the fact that this is a rather dark track from him and has a lot of depth to it to show his great word play and effectiveness at building up lyrically-complex recordings.

**Three Stars**

13. "Cartel Gathering"

You see that on this one the rapper is joined by two of Wu-Tang's finest as Ghostface Killah and Raekwon come to worl with him and show what love these undergrounders have to offer on this album and they really make the most out of it here to come with something which takes you back to a time when they reigned, but still feels fresh.

**Four Stars**

14. "Come And Get Me"

Sheek Louch is one of the collaborators on this one, to show more of The L.O.X.'s presence in this album and it appears to make for a pretty impactful tune here as it means that it makes for a tune which really takes you back to the times when they did the dark underground style East Coast Hip Hop and so those into that late nineties and early '00s work will enjoy it.

**Three Stars**

15. "By My Side"

Ending it off, you get this, the lead single from the album and one which really made big things happen as it was the first of the big club, twos-steppers from the artist as he works with Ne-Yo and gets down to something which you simply cannot complain about. It is a killer tune from him and has the artist working at his full potential in a field he doesn't typically get down to.

**Five Stars**

This is a pretty good album from the artist and I didn't really expect to find it coming across as well. However this was all down to the fact that he made the decision to alter his ways pretty significantly and let up on the hardcore, underground work for this one in order to get a little more appealing work designed for the mainstream.

Summary: Jadakiss' third solo album