Than This
But hey, if you wanna dress up in one of Rihanna's old Dior leotard suit sets and pose with cartoon characters then who are we to stop you. But then again, this is why I like Chris Brown, because in a lot of ways he doesn't give a fuck what anyone has to say about his music, his life, or his persona. All personal shenanigans aside, his latest offering "Graffiti" is not a bad effort for a 12 year old, but upon completing the first spin on the ipod, i had to say to myself "this little kid is really feeling himself." Which is a shame because, including said personal shenanigans again for arguments sake, Chris Brown could have benefited from a heaping tablespoon or two dozen of humility.
Its not that the album doesn't have its spots of sheer genuine musical brilliance, in fact there are several offerings on the album that manage to be a whole lot more clever than I care to give them credit for. Such as the misplaced show opener "I Can Transform Ya" which sounds just as loud and clunky as the movie. I'm not sure who thought recording this song was a good idea, but Lil Wayne shows up wheeling around an IV bag full of that syrup sounding high as a kite while it sounds like Chris Brown and company are jumping around on a trampoline. But the lyrical content manages to be a bit of a play on words as its obviously timely. I wonder if Dreamworks is giving them any kickbacks. "Famous Girl" is probably the most clever song on the album and is the epitome of word play as he proclaims his fame and the fame of the girls he loves as a playful tug of war. The song is so obviously about Rihanna its not even funny as are several others, but this one manages to be far less groan inducing.
The groan inducing numbers are curiously tucked away at the end of the album and should have been left off entirely as the only emotion they illicit is pushing the skip button. "Fall Down" and "I'll go" are not really worth a listen unless you wanna hear Chris Brown paint himself as a martyr. Nobody cares about the pressures that come with being rich and famous (well in his case). Especially when you have one song speaking specifically to just how famous you think you are, "Famous Girl", and another "Lucky Me" where you fawn over yourself and how your "name is in the sky all over the world" for 5 effin minutes.
Of course where the album excels is in what I call its safe set (tracks 2-5). "Sing Like Me," "Crawl," "So Cold," and "What I Do," are all songs that we have come to expect from the 12 year old. Contemporary R&B offerings that maintain their PG rating by being retrofitted for the merry go round.
"Take my Time" is where Chris Brown gets his little grown man on, but lets keep it real, the track sounds like a song R. Kelly has been keeping in the cut since his "12 play" days. As my girlfriend would explain it...listening to it is the audible equivalent of slow grinds and body rolls. But the curious question is, why is Tank on this track. Given the subject matter...the song sounds very odd with Two dudes on it. Like who or how did they write and demo this and then go....you know what this already testosterone heavy track needs....more testosterone...lets call Tank. Well that was a wholly bad mistake as when the second verse kick in, the maturity level is kicked up to the nth degree, as Tank smoothly chimes in, then puts to shame Mr. Brown on his own track. After listening to this, I kept wondering what it would sound like with just Tank on the track, as when his vocals kick it, its like he is saying to Chris Brown "yeah, the song is written like this, but you have to sing it like this." Since Chris Brown is only 12, it sounds like he is about to gizz on himself at any point - as if he is doing body rolls and slow grinds while singing it.
The Daring set (tracks 8 and 9) are really where I have to give the album and Chris Brown a lot of credit. Its unusual for a commercial, male R&B artist to experiment with his music in this way but "I.Y.A." (In Your Arms) manages to turn the Chris Brown formula on its ear and give it a playful 80's inspired twist. I also like the lyrical content as its unusual for any male artist in this decade to create a song where the hooks speaks to waking up in your arms (not hitting it from the back or sexing you til 6 in the morning). Its a very nice message and an excellent song that hearkens back to the Mowtown era where a man told a woman just how much he loved her through song and metaphor. "Pass Out" is similarly in the same vein, with its frantic electro funk beat and techno musings. Although the lyrical content is a little questionable we'll "wait til you pass out"...i mean, it is a dance song so I get it, but its not the best look. Oddly, this track sounds like Chris Brown's version of "Disturbia" which he apologized for writing in "Famous Girl", but its admirable because, again, its so out of the box it becomes infectious.
Addressing the personal crap head on, I don't judge this young cat because although I don't think he is a very good artist and has yet to form his own identity in music (stealing pages out of Rihanna's playbook is not the same thing as having edge)the brotha can sing and he has genuine talent and only God can judge him. I mean he is only 12 so he will get there, but after 3 albums (the first very impressive, the second awful) he is at least getting back to producing what people like about him in the first place. That being feel good, somewhat syrupy pop tunes that make their way into your spirit and get your feet to moving. If I had to get straight to the point with the album, I would say it sounds like it was recorded in a Chuck E Cheese so that Chris could go play skeet ball and jump in the balls between recording tracks. But then again, the album is juvenile, immature, and obnoxious and Chris couldn't care less and that, ladies and gentlemen, is clever in and of itself.
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