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A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

2002
A Little Deeper
Album Summary

A Little Deeper is the debut studio album by English singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite. It was released on 10 June 2002 by Polydor Records. The album won the Mercury Prize in 2002. As of September 2011, it had sold 495,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.81

Votes

6776
Genres
Hip Hop
Electronica

Reviews

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Mon Jul 24 2023
3

It's hard to get a grasp on an album that you've never heard by an artist you don't know. Listening to A Little Deeper by Ms. Dynamite in 2023 you're not hearing too much originality or something that merits inclusion on a list of 'Albums you must hear'. When a record that barely had any traction when it was released and who's global stats only show a bump in the UK compared to a flat reception outside, you get a good look at the biases the author(s) of this book have for subpar UK performers regurgitating more popular artists who's only crime appear to not be based in the UK. 3/5.

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Sat Jul 15 2023
3

But not too deep. Ms. Dynamite raps consistently over a variety of textures, and the album has the topographic variation of a good painting. That is, moving micro-shadows are thrown on the thinnest areas, vulnerable to the scrape of lyrical mining. While small for the length, I maintain my reaction to "message" albums.

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Sat Jul 29 2023
1

I guarantee this is some English rapper no one has heard of outside the UK, and that it's unironically shallow as fuck. There's a song called "afraid 2 fly" ahahaha oh fuck off you hack. Update: was exactly as expected. Zero depth, lyrics hilariously cheap. Only actual content on its wiki entry is "included in this shitty book". Not quite as bad as MIA, but still a whopping 1/5.

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Thu Nov 16 2023
4

I was surprised at how much I liked this. I was preparing for a reasonably generic early 2000s RnB and/or hip hop album (and there are, admittedly, a few tracks like that on the back half of the album). But it was more meldoic and catchy than I was expecting. A review I read described Ms Dynamite as a cross between Lauryn Hill and Nelly Furtado, and well hey, I'm down with that. I liked her voice (which is indeed reminiscent of Lauryn Hill and Nelly Furtado), with a pleasant reggae-tinged inflection, from her UK background, I'm assuming. There were a bunch of songs on the front half of the album that I found compelling and memorable (Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Put Him Out, It Takes More, Sick'n'tired, Afraid to Fly). The production, mostly by Salaam Remi, is funky and warm, with great deployment of samples and acoustic instruments. It made sense when I read that he had worked on The Score by the Fugees and Amy Winehouse's Back in Black. This was a really pleasant surprise, and album I would totally listen to again. I reckon if this was trimmed to a punchy 45 minutes, it would be 4 stars, but there is a little bit of filler on the back end of the record. So, 3.5 stars, rounding up.

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Mon Jul 31 2023
3

Not sure why this has so much hate on this site. It’s standard R&B and probably shouldn’t be on the list but it has a pretty pleasant sound. 6/10

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Wed Jul 26 2023
1

Die Einbeziehung dieses und ähnlicher, bestenfalls generischer Machwerke in diese Liste macht mich physisch aggressiv. „Das hat man ja so noch NIE von einer Frau gerappt gehört.“ /s

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Tue Jul 18 2023
5

Instant 5 a real sleeper hit. The funny thing was when this came out I knew her as a presenter on a stupid "street" late night garage show on channel 4. Then this album came out and it was so far ahead of the childish bands she was presenting on. Later found out that she's celebrated poet Akala's sister and it shows as the deepness and reality is so far above the usual stuff which is put out. Loved this album for 20 years.

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Thu Nov 16 2023
5

Lifted my mood. so fun, great , great , great and a surprise. voice, style, grooves and a perfect antidote to the grim R&B out there... and some nice blood diamond references to keep it real.

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Wed Jul 19 2023
4

I liked this album, the last few (except the last) songs were not as good as the first few, but overall its a good vibe and she has a good voice. i liked "natural high" and "dy-na-mi-tee" and "put him out" the most

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Fri Aug 11 2023
4

good hip-hop album! Curse words in the lyrics.

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Sat Aug 12 2023
4

Really cool and solid but feels a little stylistically late

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Sun Aug 13 2023
4

I remember loving the main singles from this at the time, and happily, I still do. The rest of the album is a showcase for the breadth of Ms Dynamites talents, from R and B crooning to toasting to full bore MC she is great across the board. Perhaps a little over full, 12 rather than 15 tracks and this would be a perfect album.

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Fri Aug 18 2023
4

Modern soul. I like the vibe. I enjoyed the pop numbers, too. It's quite cheesy overall, but I like it. I wonder why she stopped releasing music.

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Fri Aug 18 2023
4

Loved this at the time and still has sone right gems in there.

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Sun Aug 20 2023
4

Pretty good! A few songs here I knew, and a few more I discovered and enjoyed. Some of the songs were a bit forgettable, and generally this album feels dated - it could only be early 00s. I like the beats and flows of a lot of these tracks though, it's definitely one of the better 00s R&B albums I've heard. Couldn't help but vibe to this. Favourite: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee

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Fri Aug 25 2023
4

All this UK hip hop is new to me. Thos was very good, both the lyrics and delivery.

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Fri Sep 15 2023
4

Awesome album that shows not every one of the UK artist/albums on this list is boring or stale. Some...are Dynamite. Also would be curious what made the powers that be add this one to the list. The little entry doesn't really show that it was popular beyond winning a prize. I'm happy it's on here but would be interested in some backstory. Maybe she paved the way for rappers like Lil Simz. Either way, this made up for the last week and a half.

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Sun Oct 01 2023
4

R&B, british soul. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

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Sun Oct 01 2023
4

Ms Dynamite emerged from the UK Garage scene, but she didn’t have the same global success as Craig David. It’s a decent British R&B album. I really liked it.

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Tue Oct 03 2023
4

It's rather good - you could even say it paved the way for some similar artists but it's 10 minutes too long.

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Sat Oct 07 2023
4

Solid stuff, first few tracks are great. I heard a ukelele band cover of the ms dynamite track before, this was my first time listening to the real track..

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Thu Oct 12 2023
4

It’s hard for me to rate R&B, since I’m not a fan, but in this case the hit is definitely catchy as is ‘It takes more”, with its clever lyrics, plus there’s just the right amount of rap (from Miss D and guests) to keep it interesting. 7 out of 10 for me.

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Fri Oct 13 2023
4

Quality debut album by a clear talent. A little different take with a female rapper with a different sensibility and sound. Multiple tracks with quality grooves and beats, combined with clever arrangements that include instrumental fills with more traditional pop piano and guitar sounds.

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Fri Nov 03 2023
4

I enjoyed this more than I expected. It’s not terribly transformative, but the beats work and the context of the music is solid.

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Mon Nov 20 2023
4

Ms Dynamite is underrated. I'm not planning on listening to this album again any time soon, but if I do, it won't be a problem.

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Wed Nov 29 2023
4

"A Little Deeper" is the debut studio album by English singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite (Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley). Reggae, R&B and British soul are the musical genres. Multiple producers employed including Bloodshy & Avant, Keon Bryce, "Lose J" Dyer, Punch and Salaam "The Chameleon" Remi. This album won the 2002 UK Mercury Prize and commercially hit #10 in the UK. Weird noises and a deep bass open the album in "Natural High (Interlude)." Ms. Dynamite rapping an anti-drug message and music is what gets her high. Bells and a slow hip hop beat start "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee." R&B and a soulful vibe. It's about her growing up and she's going to blow-up up your stereo. A Santana-esque guitar begins "Put Him Out." Catchy hip hop beats, female backing vocals and weird synth sounds. Dynamite telling her girlfriend to push out her boyfriend who doesn't treat her right. Ominous keys and a melody taken from the 1934 Italian song "Chitarra Romana" drive "It Takes More." She continues the badgering men theme as she's telling off a braggert and bullying man. A song with a great synth melody is "Afraid 2 Fly." Harp sounds. Uplifting as she's not afraid to fly. Ky-Mani Marley joins Dynamite in the duet of sorts "Seed Will Grow." A deep bass, sparse synth keys and slow beats. Horns added. The girl is trapped in poverty and a drug-addled world. The albums closes with "Get Up Stand Up." A hip hop-R&B-reggae fusion? I couldn't tell if this was a cover of the Sly song or not; it's quite a bit different. Ending in a positive way that you need to get up, stand up and make a change. This album was pretty chill. Hip hop beats and soulful/R&B melodies. Dynamite raps and sings in a very soulful way. She reminded me a lot of Lauryn Hill. There's an overarching theme that's she's going to succeed no matter what obstacles are in front of her (men, family, drug culture). Nice production. This is a very decent album. It's a little long at 61 minutes (CD era); the album could have been trimmed a bit but most people will find something to like here.

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Mon Dec 04 2023
4

Wonderfully evocative of a 90s London I never experienced, and a 00s uk I did - plus features both a song about and a guest vocal from Akala - one of my favourite artists. And she's 1/2 scottish!

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Fri Jul 14 2023
3

не люблю рнб + не люблю когда занижают, но есть лёгкая ностальгия по нулевым = слушать всё равно больше не буду

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Mon Jul 17 2023
3

Already feels a little dated. Dynamite Te Hee is a top tune though

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Wed Jul 26 2023
3

Not as good as Little Miss Dynamite, a 70 year old woman who tweaks around the pubs of the Isle of Man every weekend.

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Wed Jul 26 2023
3

where the hell did she disappear to? she was the biggest thing since SHACKs birth when she was around. I was going to give credit for winning the mercury music prize but then i saw that the fucking Klaxxons won it so it's clearly a piss take prize if those spastics won it. anyway, this album was way better than i expected from an early 2000s urban artist. you expect some sort of 'Boots with the fuuurrrrrr' bullshit but there was more to this.

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Thu Jul 27 2023
3

It’s alright. But it could have been better.

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Mon Jul 31 2023
3

6/10. Had some high points, always fun to hear albums that are critical of their genre, and the lows in between the high points didn't drag

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Fri Aug 04 2023
3

Upon first glance, one could sense a little bit of a hip-hop/R&B hybrid from a Brit that could either hit or miss and it is largely a hit-laden affair, made up of empowerment anthems, humblebrag posturing, reprimands of those who want to promote sex and violence as opposed to safety from and acknowledgement of illnesses and so on. All in all, it's not hard to see why this made an impact in Ms. Dynamite's home country (winning the Mercury Prize) whilst barely making a dent in the States (themes that hardly relate to the marketplace) yet it doesn't diminish the album's quality over twenty years on. Favorites: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Anyway U Want It, Put Him Out, Brother, It Takes More, Sick 'n' Tired, Krazy Krush, Gotta Let U Know, A Little Deeper, Danger.

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Fri Aug 04 2023
3

File under : The good hip hop

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Sun Aug 06 2023
3

Actually I liked it! Event though rap is not my favorite style

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Mon Aug 07 2023
3

Overall has a nice early 2000s vibe, but some songs are a bit forgettable (especially around the middle of the album) Favourite tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Anyway U Want It, All I Ever

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Tue Aug 15 2023
3

I always kind of dread R&B albums from the 90s through late 00s, it seems like every single one is padded out and stretched to over an hour. Just a personal complaint. Overall this album is fine, it's not really my cup of tea and I didn't feel like there were any significant standouts. It makes sense to include it on this list since it won the Mercury Prize, but now that I can say I've heard this before I die, I don't think I'll return to listen again.

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Tue Aug 15 2023
3

Decent album and a nice throw back with that one hit of hers but other than that, not sure why this is on here

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Tue Aug 15 2023
3

Decent but too many of these bland RnB albums.

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Thu Aug 17 2023
3

Standaard zeroes zangeres-pop. Nauwelijks uitschieters, maar het luistert aardig weg. Een uur is wel meer dan genoeg.

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Thu Aug 17 2023
3

Ach ja, deze dame luistert wel aardig weg. Beatje eronder, hier en daar een krachtterm, maar we hebben wel erger gehoord.

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Thu Aug 17 2023
3

Its fine, there are better artist out there and this album is a bit bi-polar in places where she goes gangster and then tries to be soulful, it's not bad, but its very British and I can see it not appealing to a wider audience, its a 3 because if I ever wanted to listen to this style but more rap then lil simz exists but if I want more mellow then Alicia Keys exists

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Sat Aug 19 2023
3

Never heard of this before. She is new to me. Standouts: It Takes More, Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Put Him Out. Good. 3/5

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Sun Aug 20 2023
3

I was not familiar with this artist or any of the songs. The album was good overall. I would listen to it again.

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Tue Aug 22 2023
3

21st August 2023 Listened during the day! Whoop! Went in to Stroud mat and saw Tess, then home and chill. Had Dusty for a crying hour. Liked this more than I thought, there’s the one classic then she adds weight by discussing women’s sexual rights and racism in history.

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Wed Aug 23 2023
3

Didn’t really blow me away but found it farely pleasant she’s a great singer and good rapper

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Thu Aug 24 2023
3

This album wasn't what I expected. I thought it was going to be more hip hop forward but it was much more rooted in R&B and soul with a healthy amount of Reggae/dancehall Afro-Carribean influences. What struck me the most about this album was its strong feminist messages, especially telling women that they have worth outside of a relationship. It was refreshing to hear especially during the early 2000s. The lyrics were also socially conscious focusing on race and poverty. The album was ultimately too long though it was really good in parts.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
3

Album 145 of 1001 Ms. Dynamite - A Little Deeper Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Sick 'n' Tired I need to stop with these snap judgements I make immediately after seeing what my album of the day is. I mean...UK Hip Hop. Was fully prepared to be disappointed but was so wrong. While this still isn't a preferred genre, this was a fine listen.

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Mon Sep 04 2023
3

I had not heard of the artist or heard any of her music, and I think this is a solid album. She blends together very nicely a few styles and approaches, and her vocals are fantastic. Her songs have a richness and complexity to them that draws me in. Very good stuff here.

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Fri Sep 15 2023
3

Never heard of this artist. I love hip hop, and usually love British rap, but this one didn't do much for me. Granted, it's musically sound (pardon the pun), but it just lacked punch. Not all of it lacked punch though, as there were a few standouts. But unfortunately it just made me wish for albums from other rappers. Not sure what is so noteworthy about this project. I can't say it's bad but yeah, just alright. Favorite tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, A Lil Deeper. Album art: For the original British cover, she's sitting like a tough guy on a chair on some industrial trash island. The US release has a different cover, with her squatting in a little thing on a wall, a dumbwaiter? I don't know. I think I prefer the US version for the framing, but neither is all that great. 3/5

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Fri Sep 15 2023
3

90s accessible-ish R&B. Not a whole lot of interest for me, it's fine for what it is.

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Fri Sep 15 2023
3

Strikes me as perfectly fine 90's / early 00's R&B. I really liked "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" but nothing else really stuck out.

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Tue Sep 19 2023
3

I didn’t like this at the time but I was wrong, it’s good

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Tue Sep 19 2023
3

Hmmmm - can't help but compare "A Little Deeper" unfavorably to "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill", but then most of my affection for the latter is based off pure nostalgia for the time period so I don't know that that's really fair. Fave tracks - well, "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" and "It Takes More" I heard a bunch on the radio, so they remind me of some of my first nondescript office jobs, I guess. Not really the same thing as being taken back to your first love! 😆

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Tue Sep 19 2023
3

Dy-Na-My-Tee is a good fun track but seems different to the rest of the tracks. Seed Will Grow caught my attention as well. Still enjoyable enough but not quite to my taste.

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Mon Sep 25 2023
3

Pretty down the line R&Besque music. Didn't hate it but didn't love it. Like always, too long and would have been better by cutting 15-20 minutes.

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Thu Sep 28 2023
3

Buena voz de estilo soul, bastante desconocida. Música para escuchar relajadamente. No destaca en particular por nada.

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Mon Oct 02 2023
3

This may have been a landmark album somewhere outside the US. It sounds like something of its era. Lot of interesting positive perspectives. I'll call it serviceable.

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Fri Oct 06 2023
3

its like the other hip hop song i got a couple days ago, i can see why people like it and i enjoy it a decent amount of its not that much for me

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Fri Oct 13 2023
3

3.6 - This one reads like a lesser version of "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Still good, though. Standouts: "Brother", "Krazy Krush"

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Fri Oct 13 2023
3

Krazy Krush has such a dope retro arcade game type beat

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Sun Oct 15 2023
3

Ég finn hvergi leið til að hlusta á alla plötuna online. En það sem ég hef fundið er ágætt.

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Wed Oct 18 2023
3

not my thing but I can appreciate it

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Wed Oct 18 2023
3

Immediately struck me as sounding a lot like P!nk in the Mizundastood era. Unfortunately there's nothing nearly as catchy as those from the P!nk album. Still the songs are pretty smooth pop R&B with a bit of reggae thrown in on occasion. Interesting to listen to.

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Wed Oct 18 2023
3

never heard of this before, but it's good. didn't blow my mind, but I'm a fan.

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Wed Oct 18 2023
3

Middle of the road, the bloat probably does it in a bit.

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Wed Oct 18 2023
3

Some bops, and lots of bloat. Overall decent but not memorable.

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Sun Oct 22 2023
3

A good eclectic album of R&B and hip-hop.

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Wed Oct 25 2023
3

Early 00s female r&b/rap album, it was fine

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Tue Oct 31 2023
3

Another artist I hadn't heard of or listened, so I didn't know what to expect. Sort of a hip hop/rap, modern R & B , soul sound that was pleasant enough and easy to digest. Normally, this is a genre I tend to avoid, but I liked most of it and didn't annoy me like a lot of hip hop does. Nothing special, can't say this is essential enough to hear before you die, but I'm glad I did.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
3

Better than the average r’n’b / digital soul of the era. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee was a minor hit in Sweden at the time and it still holds up. A mix between digital and analogue makes the production still sound ok. Nothing overwhelmingly interesting though.

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Sat Nov 11 2023
3

Some smooth, some not so much.

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Wed Nov 15 2023
3

Singles: ----------------------------- It Takes More, #7 UK Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, #5 UK Put Him Out, #19 UK Not something I'd listen too often, but it is good. 3/5

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Thu Nov 16 2023
3

I enjoyed this. Never heard of her before. Some of her vocals reminded me a lot of Amy Winehouse, & this album preceded Amy’s debut release by a year.

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Thu Nov 16 2023
3

Another decent album. Nostalgic in a certain way, very 2000s.

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Thu Nov 23 2023
3

This album may have officially proven that this list has a UK bias. To have this album make the list when there have been significantly greater rap albums made in the 90s and 00s is kind of silly. I feel like someone should’ve cross checked this guys list to see if it was legitimate. All in all this album is fine. It’s a female British rapper who does a decent job sounding like lauryn hill with some deeper songs and some catchier ones. It’s nothing amazing but it’s fine for what it is. 6.0/10

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Wed Nov 29 2023
3

Groovy y con los 2000s metido adentro del corazón

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Sun Jul 23 2023
2

Är det inte hårdrock så är det en jävla massa rap och hip-hop. Den här plattan är det sistnämnda. Lite musik kan man dock skönja.

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Wed Jul 26 2023
2

I'd like to get a little deeper into Ms Dynamite. She looks like a right goer. Really deep. Right through her.

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Thu Jul 27 2023
2

Occasionally I found myself moving a little with the rhythms but this was mostly quite flat.

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Fri Jul 28 2023
2

This album is mostly just boring. Basic beats. Flow is mid at best. The themes are nice, but there has to be songs with similar themes that are better to listen to.

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Fri Aug 11 2023
2

Nobody has listened to this album outside the context of this book since like 2006. Snoozefest. I have nothing meaningful to say about this. Next album.

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Tue Aug 15 2023
2

Early 2000s neo-soul very typical of the era that followed in the footsteps of Lauryn Hill, but with an emphasis on trip-hop beats and reggae sections. Some decent songs, but most of it is forgettable and generic, and it's way too long at an hour length. A third of it is good, a third of it is ok, and a third of it is lame. Favorites: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Put Him Out, It Takes More, Now U Want My Love, All I Ever

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