Reviews (page 5 of 7)
3 because 2 seemed too low and this didn’t make me mad like other wnglish rap options on the list could i write poetry to this? n
Virtually indistinguishable from so many other female-driven Hip-Hop/R&B acts that were popular in the late-90's/early 00's. This could easily be a Destiny's Child, SWV, Mary J. Blige or Ashanti record and I wouldn't know the difference. I would have liked this spot to go to a more unique artist like Janelle Monae or Santigold.
This was better than I expected it to be. Seemed to drag a bit.
A surprisingly diverse range of sounds and styles, the album kept me engaged the whole hour and three minutes. Sadly, the themes and lyrics did not speak to me. Solid album, just not for me.
This was a fun rap album. Definitely could tell it was 2000s, just had a vibe to it. Some of the songs were bops and some were just pretty mid which I think is an effect of just having such a big album. They could have cut a few tracks I think, but there’s still a full albums worth of good content. I enjoyed a lot of it.
I was kinda expecting a mid af early 00s rap album but instead what I got was an UBER MEGA BUS early 00s rap album. I loved this record. There are some moments of course on this record where the songwriting or lyricism or beat feels a bit uninspired and the album could be a lot shorter. But I think cutting out those parts you could have a really good album here. I gotta give credit where credit is due though, those remaining tracks on such a shortened version of this album are GOOD. I struggled picking just 3 songs to add to my playlist, in fact I still haven’t narrowed it down haha. Also I really love that this list had at least one female rap artist album inclusion and not just a bunch of old male boomer crap. Alright okay I just listened to it a second time through. And I think what we may have here is a hidden gem. I’m honestly shocked this album wasn’t more popular. I still don’t think it’s perfect but holy cow is it close so I may just round up to a 5 if I’m feeling generous. Nahhh I’m not feeling generous but know this album was honestly way good.
Early 2000's hip hip. All songs sound pretty much the same. I did not like this album
I very much enjoyed this British rap album by Ms. Dynamite! I actually added multiple songs to my Spotify playlist so I can listen to them again on rotation. I would highly recommend this album to others!
This is okay and chill, but don't know why it is special/included on the list...??
Not for me
Another flash in the pan UK artist from the early 2000s. Nothing special here. Maybe I would enjoy it more if I had nostalgia on my side.
Lauren Hill-eque
Rating: 5.5/10 Decent but overall not memorable.
7.5/10 Favorite Tracks: *Put Him Out*, Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Brother, It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix) Least Favorite: Krazy Krush, All I Ever
Not bad, pretty nostalgic
6/10
So boring.
Not bad, not great. I enjoyed listening to it. This artist was definitely really far off my radar. It's tough because they sound a lot like other music I've heard, and I have no grasp of how original this album was when it dropped.
I've never heard of Ms Dynamite but I feel like I've heard this same album hundreds of times. There's nothing exactly groundbreaking or notable about this album imo.
Bit bland.
Not bad, but this album didn't really grab my attention.
4/5
Instead of paraphrasing, I'm going to directly quote a review from the cranky but sharp witted music critic Robert Christgau of The Village Voice. Dated October 21st 2003: "If all beats are created equal, then Niomi Daley's [Ms. Dynamite] spare garage is as strong as Kimberley Jones's [Li'l Kim] thick hip-hop. If flow is as flow does, then her earned plasticity is as fresh as Lauryn Hill's easy liquidity. If singing is basically a matter of sincerity, then her straitened cadences express as complexly as Erykah Badu's high-flying scats. If conscious is enough, then "Tell me how many Africans died for the baguettes on your Rolex" will educate as deep as "Black like the perception of who on welfare." But good music isn't the same thing as a catchy feature story, and this Mercury Prize winner has less flavor than a plate of mashed. She's biracial and the eldest of 10 children and manifestly good-hearted, and when she goes ragga on the way out I wish she hadn't been groomed for something bigger and blander. But she made her choice. C+" Ouch. Going in only hearing Dy-Na-Mi-Tee on the radio in 2002, I thought "the rest of the album could be a promising British twist on the hip hop lyrics we know from elsewhere with a touch of soul". My hopes were too high. Overall: 2/10
Beautiful voice
She was clearly influenced by Lauren Hill - which comes through without it feeling like a parody or imitation. It's a solid hip hop album.
Day 94 - March 15th, 2025 Good? Yes. But why is it on here? It's nothing special. 2/5
Great album! Not something I'd listen to regularly but I added a few tracks to some playlists of mine.
Never heard of Ms. Dynamite until today, so I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. Excellent lyrics, varied musical arrangements, and I like her delivery. Will listen to this again.
Ok, some good songs, some ok songs. I probably won't listen again but I didn't hate. And man, people hating on UK rap. What are you even here for? Just stick to Spotify. Sorry rant over. Three stars.
A really solid listen. Beautiful singing voice and nice flow make this a really enjoyable hip hop hidden gem. I especially personally love the rhythm selection on the songs, I'm a sucker for off-beat/swung percussion parts. Second half starts to get samey but still good overall. Top tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Anyway U Want It, It Takes More
- ..... well crafted but sort-of generic. -
Final Album! I'm not minding that this project of 3 years ends with above-average R&B from a random UK rapper who's mostly unremembered 20+ years later. Feels in the intended spirit of the project, while also demonstrating the biases about which lesser-known acts got included (and which ones got removed in later editions lol)
R&B kann auch solide sein, wenn Stimme und Musik sich in einem sinnvollen und abgestimmten Gesamtwerk wiederfinden, wie hier die Engländerin 2002 gezeigt hat.
This was not a bad album, but just not for me, I zoned out about halfway through lol nothing that I have to listen to again 🤷
People do not care for this record online, which is fucked up because I loved it. Great beats and excellent vocals.
I absolutely loved the first half of this album, but it really dropped off. Easy five stars if it were half as long
Tyk 00’er rnb/hiphop, lækkert nok, men ikke noget vildt
Quite listenable/catchy for a R&B/HipHop- album. 2,5
I enjoyed it.
Listened Before? N Meh. Yeah, you can rap even though you're British. You pulled it off - congrats. I don't care. Production is good and the lyrics are okay but it's a dime a dozen. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
No.
I thoroughly enjoyed this way more than I thought I would! I could totally listen to this again.
I think we all had that feeling, seeing a female rap artist pop up for your daily album, only to be crushed by the news that shes british. As if females didnt have enough trouble producing palatable hip hop, the brits have some how come up flatter. This however is a revelation. Missy Elliot and Lauren Hill had competition no one knew about
6.5/10. I honestly struggle to say much was wrong with this album tbh, that doesn't mean it is up there with the best because I think maybe it was missing the album defining hooks and melodies that stay with you afterwards, but there's really a lot to like. It has solid classic hip hop beats and some of the 'smoother' tracks towards the end has some lovely chords. Lyrically I was a big fan with very to the point lyrics but often with reasonably personal or poignant messaging at times. Very solid indeed but maybe not bringing anything new to the table.
2.5 I think.
Not my kind of music but it had some substance to it and there were a few bits that had me bopping
Another one of those albums that aren't my style but I'm glad I heard
🎧Pretty good stuff. Nice R&B that mixes in a couple other genres—ragga, soul. Favorite tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Brother
Hooky, fun, and smart!
Fun, neat
I remember the stupidly annoying Dy-Na-Mi-Tee being played to death on the radio when it came out before disappearing, never to be heard again (thankfully). Because of that I really wasn't looking forward to listening to this album. Luckily it's better than I feared. This one's a bit of a strange beast, swinging wildly between socially conscious lyrics and pedestrian blather. The backing tracks are generally good and engaging. Ms. Dynamite is basically the Temu version of Lauryn Hill. Looks the goods at a glance but doesn't hold up to close scrutiny.
A principios de siglo Ms Dymanite estaba en todas las listas de Next Big Thing. Su álbum de debut tuvo un merecido éxito de crítica y ventas. Sus dos sencillos It takes more y Dy-na-mi-tee eran estupendos. Parecía que sería la sucesora de la perdida Lauryn, pero apenas publicó un segundo disco varios años después y hasta hoy. Desapareció voluntariamente (como Neneh Cherry), y colaboró con algunos artistas pero dejó este A little deeper, donde Compone practicamente todos los temas, como mejor recuerdo. Queen Latifah recondujo su carrera hacia el cine, Missy Elliott quedó como reina indiscutible hasta que Rihanna, Beyoncé, Minaj etc tomaron el relevo hasta hoy con Azelia Banks, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, etc. ¿Forma parte de la cadena que parte de MC Lyte, Monie Love, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve, TLC, Erykah Badu y muchas otras? Sin duda
Extremely forgettable
I remember a few tunes off this one. My early adulthood years. Dy-Na-My-Tee was huge. I don't really care for the most of the songs though.
Pretty good and very nostalgic but not a lot of stand outs musically. Good lyrics. Love and remember Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, and Put Him Out and Seed Will Grow are good. Love the backing of Afraid 2 Fly - reminds me of Show Me The Money by Petey Pablo.
While the lyrics are about as boilerplate as you can get for early-aughts hip hop, the beats and melodic-side of the songwriting really delivers through most of the album. Unfortunately that does little to tamp down the surface-level emotional depth of the bars. 3.1/5
Meh, It’s not awful. Not my taste, so it’s hard for me to really judge, but I don’t see why it’s on this list. It doesn’t have anything about it that particularly stands out, so I would think something a little more well known and of greater significance to music as a whole would have been put on instead. Again, not my genre, but I’ve never even heard of this artist and it doesn’t appear it was a very big selling album relatively. I suppose 3/5: it’s not bad, won’t listen to it again but didn’t hate it, wish I had the option for 2.5
New album/artist. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is great, but the rest of it didn’t stick with me.
Man, a British rap album from the early 2000s is a recipe for disaster if I've ever seen one. The dude who made this list has decent taste in American rappers, but has a real deaf ear for his side of the pond. A broken clock is right twice a day, though, and this dude occasionally stumbles upon a gem. This album sounds great the whole way through. She's really versatile as an artist because she can rap and sing without sounding stilted doing either 4/5 Nice work, England
Meh. I do find all this early 00's RnB/hip-hop quite dull.
Ehh... I don't know. I mean it's passable, but it's also way too long and it feels like she thinks this album is a lot deeper than it actually is. Some of the lyrics give off I'm 14 and this is deep vibes. I'm also not a huge fan of her voice. High 2.
Silly
Boy oh boy this has not aged well. Limp R and B stylings, and it joins that sad list of Mercury music prize (non-UK readers go google) winners such as Speech Debelle, Gomez and Klaxons for whom winning the Mercury would be the alpha and omega of their career.
I'd like to see this replaced with any album by little simz.
Such a smooth flow throughout, it brought me into a positive head space. It is an expression from a self-respecting woman, though the recurring theme was along the lines of 'men... ugh... men...'
Didn't expect to like this album but I do like most of it.
how was this electronica?
⭐️⭐️ couldn't get through this one in full this artist is yet another case of "who tf is this and why tf are they on this list?" the author of the 1001 albums book has a horribly bias towards obscure UK artists that've barely gained any notoriety within the UK, much less anywhere else in the world the music's not bad, a few of the tracks toward the beginning were even okay. but this shallow Lauryn Hill wannabe album being on a list of must-listens is laughable. there are far more noteworthy female artists that could've made it onto this list (Little Simz is from the UK! hello??) giving this a 2 simply because i know worse albums will be on this list. maybe i'll come back to this when i have more patience but this is how i feel about it currently
Just not for me. I am not a fan of this type of music. I listened to things a couple of time, but couldn't get into it.
It could be the rebound after recent Leonard Cohenization, but I didn't hate this like I expected. Some of the songs were catchy and her voice had a hint of Amy Winehouse.
OK, I guess, but not that interesting to me. Listened to the whole thing.. despite recurring urges to find something better.
Not something I would typically listen to, but enjoyed it. Solid 3.
I liked this a lot - it had a good sound and a lot to say. :) Maybe a bit long, but a good album!
This is some good Y2K nostalgia right here
Not for me
I think this started off very strong, had a real pow to it and such a mix of genres. It then descended into samey sameness that I couldn't distinguish from one another. It was just a blur by the end of it and I got bored. Shame as I did genuinely love the beginning few tracks
That surprised me. I only knew the single which I thought was fun but quite simple. But the rest of it was really good, great lyrics. I'm amazed she's only had two albums. She won the mercury prize, two brits and three MOBOs! Then just stopped.
Remember buying this album back when it came out. Not the sort of music that I normally buy but I really liked it. Still holds up 20 years later
I assume this is just probably what good R&B sounds like from this time period. I wouldn't know. This was fine for sure.
Not the strongest vocally but has great rhythm, flow, and beat
pure evil
graindlkikeyourbaeve goounmaansandtoomuchjsdruugman.... Emme voi päästä ulos: emme voi päästä ulos. he ovat valloittaneet sillan ja toisen salin, joista emme pääse ulos: loppu tulee pian, kuulemme rumpujen rumpuja syvässä. He ovat tulossa. this album goes a litttle deeper, heh, than your typical... woman... album.... tänään ei huoarailla, sanoi neiti dynamiitti.. hassu fakta: tämä labumi julkaistu kymmenes kesäkuuta 2002. aika hassu päivä nimittäin... totanoin.. ööööööööh.. äääääääh.... 5/5 albumi, uskomaton päivä maailmanhistoriassa. juust another perfect day... feeding birds at the park.... and then go home.. watch over them
first listen such a snapshot of the times
I had time to listen to all but the last two songs, and I won't be going back for the last ones. Like, this wasn't objectionable or anything, but why should I hear this "nothing special" album before I die? The only thing the Wikipedia article had to say about this album is it's on this list. That's not much notoriety... 2.5?
I have two major issues with this album. Firstly, I derived absolutely no pleasure from listening to all 61 minutes of this album. It didn’t upset me or make me angry, it was just rubbish and filled my ears with sounds that I have no desire to ever come across again. And, secondly, I don’t see it as deserving of a place on this list at all. I don’t think it was groundbreaking, and I don’t think it was hugely influential, and as an artist Ms Dynamite was very short-lived as high profile, even in the UK. I can promise anyone who cares that if I had died yesterday my last thoughts would not have been “oh cock, I didn’t get around to hearing ‘A Little Deeper’ by Ms Dynamite! I’d best hang around a bit longer.”
Better than I thought it might beee-heeee.
fuse went out
This is pretty good but wtf does it do on this list
This is a great varied album, from toaster/rap stuff to smooth jazz, dance music, very entertaining, sometimes she sounds like Amy Winehouse, sometimes like Sade, sometimes MIA. Good stuff well produced.
👎🏻
I enjoyed this.
3/5 Wouldn't listen to it in my own free time, but it is a pretty good album.
Absolutely adore this album and the second song is like an intro to the artist
pretty grape :D
Hmmmm do I know Ms Dynamite? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I her jamaican sound. Oh yeah I've heard Dy-Na-Mi-Tee. This was pretty good. 4 stars.
More rap?? No thanks - I do NOT need to hear any more rap before I die. It isn't musically important.
pretty nice but I won't be raving about it from any rooftops
It's inclusion on this list is a little wild given that this sound was already prevalent in the states years earlier and this isn't bringing anything new to the table. It's a well done album, but it's very derivative and hardly original for it's time. Not bad but certainly not special by any means
Pretty good. Really interesting.
Wanted to like it, but past the singles it’s pretty average
It won the Mercury prize in the UK? Better add it to the list! Another album that was popular here for a few months and then dropped off the face of the earth that we're forced to listen to. It's not the worst thing ever, but it is incredibly plain and boring.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
I enjoyed it even though it's not the kind of music I typically listen to
What a unique, mature, and healthy voice. The type of album that makes you wish you were the right age to appreciate it upon release.
Whilst not a huge fan of hip hop or rap I actually quite liked this album. The streetwise lyrics and quality vocals are good along with most of the music. Not sure why it's included in albums you just listen to. The track that stood out the most was DY NA MI TEE , brilliant track. Not think she was an artist with any longevity but a good album nonetheless
Are there worse albums on this list? Definitely. Should this be on the list? No. It's so middle of the road it sounds like she is bored halfway through this album. So repetitive and and dull jumping around genres because it feels like she can't get anything to stick. Is there a 35 minute good album in this? Maybe but I'll never listen through 80+ minute snooze fest again to find it.
Don’t like rap, seems the booming drum takes precedent over everything else.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions…actually, no. Amy Winehouse’s ‘Frank’ owes a fair bit to this proving ground.
This was fine enough, pleasantly listenable but won’t be revisiting.
1.7 1x not horrible just not something i would listen to again. makes me think this list is british based, as I have never heard of this artist.
So far this is good. I like the groove. It’s a good album. I don’t know if I would seek it out to listen again.
Not in my edition of the book! 2002. 3 stars. Surprisingly good Brit R&B - decent voice, quality production and some decent songs. Lyrically sharp and a slap in the face for the sexist, misogynistic male rappers on the list. Points deducted for filler. And to be honest, it's not essential listening.
Honestly not bad; surprised I've never heard of her. Thought the vocals were really sharp despite this sounding like standard R&B. Honestly pretty respectable work here, shame she never got big though I kind of do understand as none of the songs really jumped out at me. I will say that the album is just a tad too long. 7/10.
Standard Lauren Hill-inspired socially conscious hip-hop / R&B. Nothing super special.
Miten tää tuntu välillä melkein kömpelöltä mutta kuitenkin smoothilta? Se on sinänsä sympaattista. En nyt erityisesti silti lämmennyt, kunhan hymähtelin että ihan kiva.
Menevä r'n'b-molli. Sanoitukset eivät kestä kovin tarkkaa kuuntelua. Mukana sympaattisen vaatimaton hitti.
A very assured debut that sadly hasn’t left much of a lasting impact despite deservedly winning the 2002 Mercury Prize, as evidenced by the sparse Wikipedia entry on the album. It’s a hip-hop record at its core but has a large pop and soul influence, sounding far more like The Fugees, Erykah Badu and even Destiny’s Child than the harsher grime wave that was building with Dynamite’s fellow British rappers around this time. Stunning production, great flows and sung vocals, and just a very impressive album
Super solid, I love this era and hadn’t heard of this one before. Not necessarily a stand out but glad to have discovered it
Never felt fully engaged with this but a couple outstanding tracks make me want to revisit soon.
this was like perfectly fine but sorta scratching my head at its inclusion on this list
Ok album, very nice example of this style
Fairly forgettable outside of the singles. definitely of it's time.
Had good grooves and nice flow.
Started strong, tapered off quick. Not terrible, but probably not essential either.
Finally some good fucking food
Meh. 2.5 stars
Yikes. Getting annoyed just saying the same stuff but this really did nothing for me. The back made me not be able to tell when one song begins and another ends and that bothers me. There was nothing GOOD.
Pleasant surprise - didn't know what to expect but the description kind of threw me off the mark in the wrong way. At the risk of simplifying.... Ms Dynamite is like a way better Amy Winehouse? In both songs and (definitely) in voice. Reminds me a lot of Res which is a high compliment. Soulful and catchy but not really over the top in ways that often irritates - she keeps it reserved. Negative is a common one with 21st century albums: it's too long. I'm good after about 10 songs - c'mon, keep 'em wanting more. Overall this is a different direction I usually take but something about it hit me right - adding this one to the library. 7/10 4 stars
Pretty good. Missed this first time around.
Who tells singers that singing through one's nose is tge way to go? I liked the music on one or two songs, but I fail to see this a differentiated from most other pop. Dull.
Топ ревью здесь - вот именно так. В чем этот альбом превосходит Мис-эдукейшн, который точно есть в списке? Лучшая песня - Put Him Out.
Sounds very British and, yes, it is very British! As someone else wrote, for the time of the release this must've been a good addition to this list. Ms. Dynamite wanders through styles of rap and RnB. But later artists who did similar (like Janelle Monae) also did it better. I'd even say that Ms. Dynamite doesn't embrace the uniqueness of British hip hop enough like Roots Manuva for example did so much better. The album sounds more and more American over time. That's makes it subpar compared to other entries here.
Unremarkable arrangements and nasal quality of her voice made it hard to get through this album.
Not bad for a debut. Couldn't help but hear hints of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu with the vocals and overall neo-soul-like and hip-hop sound. Nothing really wowed me outside of that, though. This album doesn't really stack up to the works of those aforementioned R&B/soul artists from this era. Doesn't have quite the depth and it feels a tad bloated too. Wouldn't have guessed that this originated from the UK. Wasn't aware that there was much of a neo-soul (or British Soul as Wikipedia labels this) movement across the pond at this time either. Although thinking about it now, I'm realizing that soul acts such as Amy Winehouse and Adele would later emerge. That's a different tier of acts however. Getting back on topic, I'd say somewhere between a 2-3 for this album.
(hello everyone :) thx for having me) Ohhh Ms Dy-na-mi-tee This was so fun and easy for me to listen to (unlike the last two albums that I couldn’t make work at 8am). Had me consistently head bopping 👍 Big fan of predictable boom bap splat sounds so what else can I give it than a 4.
Heyy maya, nice to have you on board! For Basil, happy translating: Mmmmmmh, bizli sexy, bizli aktivistisch, bizli smooth, bizli rhythm und bizli blues. Grandiosi feel-good musig mitere wichtige priise nahdänkete und dwelt-hinterfrögete, dezue lisst mer "Ms. dynamite" und "a little deeper" und bechund scho chli teenie-nervösi hüenerhuut vo dem sex appeal. Da kulleret mer 4 dicki, nervösi Schweissperle de Rugge abe biz zum fudiritz
Und da hemmer ein zwänzgistel vu de albums erreicht. Alles gueti boyz, congrats zum jubiläum und dem meilestei. Nummero 51 gid eus au de ratschlag für die zukünftige albe: a little deeper. Artistname brilliant, she fire. Susch d musik, ja easy gsi aber ich wird au nöd mega oft wieder drilose. Drüü explosione für die ms dy dy dynamite
Das isch ezt schweri entscheidig gsi wasi bi dem album anechlöpfe söll. Grossi euphorie hett gherrscht wonis gseh han am morge - endlich wider mal was aktuellers und kei köntri metal rock situation hett au sehr spass gmacht zum lose aber so richtig explodiert isches denn doch nöd au bimene zweite lose da wünschti dasmer doch chönt halbi pünkt geh wellsmer scho leid tuet dasis bi de restliche 3 stern albe dritue mues wo au scho eher schrott liit ich glaube dasi übers wuchenend namal mini grading kriterie überdenke werd drum gits vo mir 3 sekunde zündschnuur bises eus umd ohre flügt adje
da isch de noah also mit eme chöpfler vom 5 meter sprungbrett ines gmischts gfühlsbad ineghöpslet paar sekunde alt isch's album gsi wo mir die vertraute kläng vo "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" d'ohre massiert hend und ich mir gad churz unsicher gsi bin öb early 2000s R&B ez doch ufzmal mis lieblingsmusiggenre isch... 2 lieder spöter bini denn aber wieder am bode vo de realität acho wo d'ms. dynamite mir hed welle as herz legge, dass ich min unvertrauenswürdige stächer söll verlah will jede maa en vater sii chan trotz solide intermezzos bini während de ganze albumsreis nie annöchernd ade peak vom start anecho und ich han wiedermal gmerkt, dass R&B bi mir entweder hit oder miss (dynamite) isch doch trotz villne misses (dynamites) hauets d‘hits für mich dasmal use 4 mit fake swarovski gschmückti verrisseni jeansoverall ufs vinyl
Not my style at all, but I actually really enjoyed this album
Favorite Track: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
Some good
Sian's score... Fantastic album that I have loved since first hearing it
Giving her the benefit of the doubt with a two. But the off-key singing and sub-par rap just wasn't impressive. 2/5
Not a bad album, but also not anything special that anyone needs to hear before they die. This is another one of those albums that makes me question whether the people editing this list are the same people that make the "Now Thats What I Call Music" CDs in the UK. 3/5
generic pop hip-hop pick: dy na mi tee
это классический середняк - вдохновленно образцами пизже (мисс Лорин Хилл и старушка Мисси Сисси Элиот), но не их уровень
Better than I expected.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album, but I ended up enjoying it. It’s very much a product of its time, but she does a good job of balancing underground vibes with mainstream appeal. She switches between rapping, R&B, and Neo-Soul, and the beats land somewhere between hip-hop and UK garage, which works well for the overall sound.
A mostly forgettable R&B album from a time where this type of R&B was taking over radio. And while a few tracks really stand out here with innovative beats and solid vocals, they get lost in the middle of a pretty bloated album.
If you really want to investigate this time period’s UK garage and subsequent grime scene, I would suggest digging a little deeper, but you could do worse for an entry point.
Meaningful beautiful reggae inspired hiphop, what's not to love?
I was hoping for a new R'n'B gem that I didn't know of yet, especially given my affinity for early 2000s R'n'B. Unfortunately though, it sounds very early 00s in a wrong way. The production with overpowering bass drums, weird chopping, and overproduced strings reminded me more of the likes of Blu Cantrell, Jazmine Sullivan, or Eve. I liked Dynamite's flow, falsetto, and her lyrics were at times really cut-throat and direct, getting straight to the issue and painting a clear emotion. I wished there were more of these abrasive and political lyrics on this record. The second half was repetitive and felt just like small variations of anything previously done in the first few tracks. Standout Tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, It Takes More
Not for me. 2/5
Not a fan.
Crap then, crap now
First time I'd ever heard of this and, while I'll probably never listen to it again, I liked it.
Not one I’ll be coming back to but not as bad as I feared it could’ve been. Some decent moments.
Not my style at all, but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are a few decent tracks in there, but it sounds more like she's copying American R&B than making her own sound.
Perfectly run-of-the-mill early-2000's hip hop. Not bad, just not that interesting either
Cooles Hip-Hop Album. Die behalt ich im Auge
Puh, das war gar nix. Kurz davor einen Stern zugeben, aber man will ja nicht so sein. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine
standard, inoffensive, unmemorable. bookstore-cafe esque album
It was good, but not memorable.
Not bad just... Not my thing.
Hard to classify this.... Not urban rap, not hip-hop.... My daughter called it emo rap... close enough. Talented singer... Could be successful in many genres
A solid record, it's honestly so hard to go bad on these old school hip hop records we should go back to that. 7/10
Solid album. Good vocals. If you put Ms. Dynamite on and can't get any action it's not Ms. Dynamite's fault.
Wait, what??? This is a fantastic album!!! How haven't I heard of it! Son nice to have found it here! Too bad I can't listen to most songs on Spotify... but for that there's always YouTube!
This early 2000s R'n'B/hip-hop album started off quite well but then it got boring rather quickly. It is better than many R'n'B albums from that era, and it is not a bad debut but overall it isn't for me - a tad too overproduced and not that interesting after listening a few songs.
# Playlist track - It Takes More - Bloodshy Main Mix # Notes - A couple of good tracks, but mostly an uninspired, boring album. - I was kinda listening to the whole thing in the background but when "Watch Over Them" played, I needed to stop doing whatever I was doing to wrap up this review. One of the worst, flattest, poorest interludes I've ever heard. - By this time this album was gunning for 3 stars, but this track alone should take one off. - A 10 minute ending track? C'mon, just end already. - 1/5 not recommend.
Remembering that a 20 year old me found this quite refreshing at the time.
Starts brilliantly but fades by halfway through.
First half is brilliant, but then goes very lazy generic run in the second unfortunately
Enjoy-he-heed this
I added it to the 1001 albums playlist. I dug some of it.
Was interested to see I'd got this one today. I saw a performance of one of the songs a while back, didn't expect to see it on here. Some cool melodies and instruments mixed in. Not very often am I a fan of this genre but I really enjoyed that. Some powerful messages in there. Highlights: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Put Him Out
I had not heard this before, and I enjoyed it.
É um hip-hop bem bom. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee me viciou.
A vibes tv união, jovem de cara e de coração. gostei!!
Nope.
It was nice, really like natural high and ramp.
I had never heard of Ms. Dynamite before but I honestly didn't hate this album. I enjoyed most of the songs. For being 22 years old at this point, this still sounds fresh to me.
I've never heard of this lady but so far so groovy for early 2000s hiphop Wait she's British?!?!?!?! nutty Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Put Him Out?!?!?!?!?! Brother Its Takes More This is pretty sick honestly, some weird duds but not bad at all
Very good
brother track, felt. Packed valuable messages and stories in each song. decent R&B, just not my speed? Okay... literally two minutes of silence to separate the last track?
Surprised I have never heard of here before. Good beets. Great lyricism and content. Enjoyable.
Not bad by any means, but certainly not my style.
pretty cool, nothing special
Representative of hip hop sound around this time
Pretty good.Reminded me of Lauren Hill. I had never heard of her and it appears she really never made it in the U.S. she sounded really good and the songs were written pretty well. Maybe not unique enough to stand out in the U.S. market though.
I think I’ve figured out what the bias is here. And why there are so many totally middle of the road and super uninteresting albums from the UK all over this list. First of all, British people don’t always make the best music. More like 6 times out of ten. Secondly, the author and curator of this list is from the UK himself. So there is definitely a big bias. Many of these records might seem rudimentary in hindsight to us when compared to other works we are more familiar with. But those same albums could have been huge hits and massive achievements during that time period in the country. This album in particular actually works really well for this idea. I have never in my life heard of Ms Dynamite. Doesn’t seem like her career ever really took off outside of the UK. And she hasn’t released anything in almost 20 years. I don’t think there was any single person of note who contributed to the creation of this. Except for maybe Ky-Mani Marley, but there are so many Marley children that they all sound the same to me. I don’t think this is a bad thing either. A record doesn’t have to contain a stacked list of personnel to make it good. But when you are trying to sound like Lauryn Hill, and don’t have some of the greatest musicians ever backing you up, it just isn’t going to work. That’s what this whole album sounds like to me. A poor impression of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It’s the definition of strictly decent at best. When these songs aren’t boring, there just generally isn’t a lot going on. The instrumentals themselves are not amazing, but they are consistently okay on almost every song. In terms of positives, Niomi herself has a very good voice, I won’t take that away from her. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is a solid hit, and All I Ever is genuinely an amazing R&B song. But man that length is killer. Over an hour of this is not ideal. Either way, somewhere out there, this is someone’s magnum opus neo-soul record. And that’s great for them, but I am not one of those people. Rating: 5/10
Rubbish. I'd heard Dy-Na-Mi-Tee before. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now.
I’ve never heard of Ms. Dynamite before, and I haven’t been terribly impressed with the other hip-hop albums from the UK that I’ve listened to so far, so I don’t have high hopes for this album. I’m a little turned off by the runtime as well, but I’m willing to give this album a fair shake. This album was fine, which was a little better than I’d hoped for. Most of the songs were fine, but a few of them were really good. Ms. Dynamite’s flow and vocals were good, and the songwriting was pretty good too. Musically, this album sounded like pretty standard fare for hip-hop from this era, and while it was well done, I didn’t think it was anything new or novel. “Put Him Out” was probably my favorite song on the album. The lyrics were great, and provided an interesting perspective on female empowerment. The beats and backing music were great too, and they gave the song a punchy, but fun sound. “Brother” was great too, and was probably the best written song on the album. The overall story was incredibly sad, and the talk of suicidal ideation gave the song a lot of emotional weight too. However, right after “Brother,” “It Takes More” was a drastic shift in tone that felt really out of place, and that was a microcosm for how I felt about the overall tone of the album. One last positive note: I did like “Krazy Krush”; the beats were great, and I loved Ms. Dynamite’s flow quite a bit on this song. I didn’t hate this album, but I’d be hard pressed to find a reason to listen to it again.
2 out of 5. She has a lovely voice, but this just wasn't doing it for me.
Zeroes r&b blijft goud
Sounded like what i'd expect it to. Nothing remarkable about it. Nothing offensive.
Not my jam - but give it an extra point for being more musical than what I hear from this genre
It's alright. Sounds very of it's time
Mwah mwah
I was fully expecting this to be cringey and non-essential, but it still holds up, and you can feel the way it helped UK hip-hop move on from its slightly cheesy 2-step phase.
This album is fine, it feels a bit long for sure. I don’t see really why it would be on the list but it’s good. This one seems like a more clear sign of one of the authors being based in the UK. I had never heard of her from the US.
I like this album because it’s a great demonstration of her clear talent. I enjoyed it way more than i thought i was going to. It was far more soulful than i expected. I (miss dyna) might (tee-ee) listen to it again, but im not sure. 3.4
Don't be fooled: at its' core, A Little Deeper is just another turn-of-the-century overproduced pop record. This is social commentary for people who don't understand subtext and want ALL TEXT.
The authors must have predicted an entirely different course for Ms. Dynamite when they opted to include this totally unnecessary record on the list. The best thing about it is Kymani Marley who appears for a minute or so - the rest is irrelevant beyond belief.
Generic early 2000s pop. Enjoyable to listen to for a short while, but gets boring quickly.
I did not use a private session for Spotify. Too many uses of the N word to make me fell comfortable. I think this is a good representation of this type of music, I don't like this type of music.
ok
Not sure how this is different from other female hip hop albums from that era, but I enjoyed it. 3*
Strong vocals and some catchy songs
Always thought this album was a bit SH-II-TEEE. Listening back now it’s not as bad as I remember, apart from her big hit which just does my head in. Still not an album I’d be recommending to anyone.
Some of it's pretty great, coming on like an English Lauryn Hill. Some of it feels a bit dated now.
ganz cool, aber not too memorable
Bland early noughties one hit wonder R&B masquerading as hip-hop. Another album I have no idea why this album is in here. The one hit she did have was a banger though. Best Tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee; It Takes More; Seed Willl Grow
I dont do r n B and rap. Peeps seem confused as to how this made it to the list. THere is too much shite on the list
Ok
This album is a real vibe. Cool flow and playful production make for an easy but interesting listen. That said, it's a bloated document that could stand to shed at least three tracks for the sake of brevity (probably more like five, to be honest). Full star deduction for that. That said, there is plenty to like here. I still don't know what to make of Danger; in many ways its a standout track that breaks up the monotony of an overlong album, yet it also feels like it belongs to a different artist. Either way, it did inspire me to check out more of the Ms. Dynamite catalogue. Solid 3/5
Well.. it is 2000's rap album
Didn’t vibe with it a ton, but overall it’s pretty solid.
Ровный альбом, мелодичное r&b мяуканье для фона, но ни один трек особо не зацепил. Хорошее мягкое единообразное
"Is it pretty unremarkable despite its Mercury Prize win? Is it overlong? Sign me up!" - Robert Dimery
Overall, more listenable than most hip hop, but I still don’t care for it
Woman empowered but good bars
Generic R&B.
1001 (British) albums to hear before you die Jeg kan godt lide Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, og lyden er 100% repræsentativ for hvordan radiovenligt hiphop lød i 2002, men fuldstændig uessentiel ud over det
Lyder ret repræsentativt for stilen, men for lang og bliver sgu lidt kedelig
Well this was very very boring. Not a single song stood out. I have no clue why this is on the list or why I should care.
Gives similar vibes to Lauryn Hill, just not as grandiose. Good album though (3.5/5)
Generic '00s hip hop/R&B. Nothing to write home about, but not terrible. I enjoyed the hip hop tracks much more than the shitty 00's Mariah Carey-esque R&B. Favourite songs: Get Up Stand Up, Krazy Krush, Put Him Out, It Takes More, Sick 'n' Tired Least favourite songs: A Lil Deeper, All I Ever, Gotta Let U Know, Brother 3/5
Meh
4-
I've never heard of Ms. Dynamite but this was pretty good.
Going into this listen with low expectations, I was blown away. What a powerful, take-no-bullshit approach to musical protest and empowerment. Why have I never heard this? Why haven’t we progressed much at all, keeping her women-forward message still oh so relevant, 20+ years later? What do I do every day to help evolve our society to make it unneeded? Do I like reggaeton? Tune in next week for more existential angst brought on by powerful music…
generic r&b
very Early 2000s pop/r and b. Had never heard this one it was a decent listen.
I couldn't finish this album. There is something about her voice that really hits my ear in the absolute worst way. I don't actually know how to describe it. I'm a fan of the sound of early 2000's hip hop so it's not the style of music that's doing... just something about her voice. Sorry Ms. Dynamite!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's ok I guess.
I'd be OK with not hearing this again, but I didn't hate it.
Not bad considering it’s not my favourite genre of music. First half better than the second half, but still listened all the way through and enjoyed it for the most part
A fun and eclectic mix of music, better than a lot of stuff but this is a generous 4. Nothing here drew me in to think it was a level of craft and artistry that would place it on a list like this.
Ms. Dynamite follows Frank Ocean, yesterday's suggestion being *Channel Orange*. And that won't work in the favor of the British rapper / singer for sure! Fortunately, I've always loved the hit-single "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" that opens this debut album. It's a song that's got a killer main hook, and Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley gives a vocal performance on it that's both powerful and endearing--quite a prefect way to introduce herself to the audience here. Sadly the second track is a *huge* letdown. Much has been said about the phrase "meat and potatoes" to mock classic rock, but let's be honest, you have the exact r'nb equivalent of that in "Anyway You Want It", a song so bland and predictable it will be an automatic skip from now on. Plus whoever that Kevin Bryce is, he's not a great singer. Why was this stupid filler placed in such a prominent position in the record? Bouncy "Put Him Out" fares far better, fortunately, and so does cutesy "Brother" -- Niomi's tender tribute to her little bro Akasha (also a rapper now) and the occasion to reminisce on the hardships they both experienced as children. The gentle acoustic guitar on that song is a nice touch, just like the cut-and-pasted accordion is on "It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix)", where Ms. Dynamite sounds so close to Amy Winehouse it's almost eerie (*Back To Black* would only be released a few years later, and if one of its producers Salaam Remi also worked on *A Little Deeper*, it looks like he didn't work on that particular song, oddly enough -- you could swear his paws were all over it, though!). After that awesome streak, two very good tracks also follow: "Sick 'n' Tired" and "Afraid 2 Fly", with their winks to P-Funk / West Coast rap, segue into one another seamlessly. If you take out "Anyway You Want Its", the whole tracklist of the first side feels pretty solid overall. And quite predictably, the second half of the album is at least decent, but it's not as great as the best moments of the first. It starts with "Watch Over Them", a -- pretty underwhelming -- acapella cut, which flies by without ever leaving an imprint in your mind (listened to the song three times to make sure I didn't miss something!). Jamaican Ragga-tinged "Seed Will Grow" then ensues (featuring one son of Bob Marley? I was too bored to check...), and it's too bad that it only remembers to use interesting musical arrangements during the *very last seconds*. "Krazy Krush" is a little more memorable, thanks to its "arcade games" sound palette and background vocals, even if it does not exactly reach the heights reached before either. And if reggae-based "Now You Want My Love" has interesting off-kilter harmonies to offer, and Niomi has a commanding presence at its helm, the song still feels a little too long and linear to be considered as stellar or merely pretty good... Worse, "Gotta Let You Know" is, to put it mildly, a boring filler. Interesting guitar lines on "All I Ever", though (almost atonal at times during the verses). Finally, the title-track concludes the proceedings, with more acoustic guitar and a quick build-up to Niomi's last "thoughts" that actually fall a little flat on their faces. Oh, there's a hidden track too. But this review is already too long as it is. The main takeaway is that the record ends with a whimper, not a bang. It's a choice that could have made sense on paper... But are the actual contents of that last leg compelling enough to make it stick the landing? The jury's still out on this one. So, to put it in a nutshell, there are four or five duds, an equal number of bangers, some of them absolutely stellar (basically the singles), and in-between, some pretty cool stuff that may or may not be filed under the word "essential"... In other words, what you got here is your usual, run-of-the-mill album (probably an overrated one), as it is often churned out by this app (and the book it is based upon)... So *Channel Orange*, this is not indeed. But maybe it's unfair to compare apples and... oranges. 😁 I'll see myself out -------------> 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 59 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 406 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 234 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 302
Solid, track two a banger
Dynamites typically have some sizzle and pop, this album had none of that. Ms. Down Comforter would be a more apt name as this was a snooze. 2 stars
I enjoyed this album a lot. The beats were sick and her flow was really really good. I just thought a few of the songs went on a bit too long and the album could have dropped a track or two. Overall though, enjoyable
Too long, too mid, no bars.
Between the length and the outdated style mixed in, this one was hard to get through. I didn’t dislike it, but being over listening to it and finding out you still have eight songs left is pretty disheartening. It also sucked that Anyway U Want It was the song I liked the most and it was the third track. I was misled. I feel bad giving it this rating with some songs having a great message and meaningful lyrics, but it’s just not something I’ll come back to.
I liked this more than I was expecting. It felt like the dirtiest clean rapping you can do. Fuck drugs, I have a shit ton of self confidence, if you think you can get me you must be out of your fucking mind. I'm glad I listened to it, but I would still put this around a 2.5. We'll see where I fall
Started off good, but then ran out of steam. Sort of generic and not worth a spot on this list 2
Enjoyed it. Was fun exploring her other songs too.
Another great album from the list. I've heard Ms. Dynamite from a song in 2020. That was when I knew she was good. The first 6 songs were fantastic and others were quite good as well. All these good albums this week are a blessing. 4 stars for "A Little Deeper".
A Little Deeper is the debut studio album by Ms. Dynamite, originally released in 2002. Never heard of Ms. Dynamite prior to listening to this record. I gotta say, that name is a bit corny. Thankfully, the music isn't as corny as I thought. I actually enjoy most of the instrumentals. They're firmly 2000s but sonically interesting. Some of the tracks reminded me of a Walmart brand Ms. Lauryn Hill. I really liked how some of the tracks blended in some reggae influence, which is what I love so much about Ms. Lauryn Hill. Overall, not bad.
R&B, with some rap
Her voice reminds me of Amy Winehouse. But she doesn't have the spark. It's just some tracks on some album. Well produced, I'll give it that, but also I think they've mixed too much genres. The further you go into the album, the more chaotic it becomes. It's nothing extraordinary or breakthrough. Very doubtful position on the list.
Meh
She’s good. If she had kept releasing albums I think I would have heard of her. Either way, this album still hits the right buttons. She’s got a great voice and solid beats. Wish there were more memorable tracks. 4/5
“All you gotta do is dig a little deeper” The irony The inclusion of this album really felt like British homerism. Tell me how this is a better album from a musical standpoint than the bigger names in hip hop and rap were producing at the time. Please, seriously, tell me. Because this came off as incredibly generic and bland. Nothing about this was deep, nothing was overtly original or new, and nothing struck me as profound or interesting. The production was great. Very clean sound for a debut album from 2002. Oh yeah, it’s a debut album again. So this was her best work, right? Because there’s no way she gets another entry here. Seriously please don’t. Also, how do you say her name? It felt like she was telling me that it’s Dyna-mighty, but it’s spelled like dynamite…if you’re gonna do that at least go all the way with the gimmick and spell it “Dynamighty” or just throw a Y at the end of dynamite. Nothing about this, from the way she pronounces her name, to the lyrics, is nearly as clever as anyone involved thought it was. It’s so clearly, painfully a debut album and it didn’t deserve to be here. It isn’t profound to say over and over again that you’re thankful for your brother. It isn’t profound to talk about heartbreak in the most generic way possible. It isn’t profound to complain about a man who isn’t around for his kid. It feels like she looked at what had been done before and just did that without putting any unique stamp on it. Two very definite stars here. Please do better. Please dig deeper. Standout Tracks: Put Him Out, It Takes More
Great singer, decent rapping, fantastic early 2000's beat production. Loving the heart applied to the rangev on these tracks and it's a shame she didn't do more than 1 album after this one. Really fun record though, glad to experience this one. Everything from US boom bap, west coast, east coast, reggae, R&B songstress, even got some hardhitting UK grime garage soding beats going on. Maybe that was why this didn't work? Is it too unfocused? Not sure that'd be an issue if it had the right label backing. I can't imagine this lady having trouble if she was pushed in front of the right audiences.
Good for its genre perhaps but not for me
Forgot how legitimately great this is.
Nothing stood out for me on this album
I never heard of her before, and I honestly don't regret it. It's just another hip-hop act that doesn't stand out. It's not really bad, but nothing I would like to listen to again.
I didn't hate it but it's definitely not my thing. I would never choose to listen to this.
This is decent, but is not a stand-out. Looks like this was removed from the list in later editions, but I'm confused how it got on there in the first place. Sounds like early solo Justin Timberlake and I'm not sure if that says more about him or her.
Favorite Track: Anyways U Want It
I have never heard of Ms. Dynamite in my life prior to this. Honestly just like Destiny’s Child to me in some ways. This was…ok I guess? Most of it is just standard early 2000’s r&b-hip-hop and for a hour-long album, it sort of drags. I liked a few of the songs, but otherwise it’s an album that seem to have had its glory days. This is only here because it won a Mercury Prize, which I have no idea how meaningful that is because I’m not British. Favorite Track: It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix) Other Hits: Afraid 2 Fly, Krazy Krush, Gotta Let U Know (also the usages of 2 and U is annoying, stop it)
Fav: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Least Fav: Watch Over Them The first few tracks were great, and then it just started to decline from there. It was ok but I don’t see myself ever coming back to this album
Was an OK listen but nothing much of sustance.
Whilst this wasn't offensive and i remember the singles well being of radio listening age when this was prominent, i didn't enjoy this much. Im sure the problem is as much mine as the albums in that im not a fan of this genre of music, but i found nothing to catch my ear.
Hip-Hop, bane of my existence. 1/5
This music is never really going to be my thing, but I had to admit that this was pretty good overall.
I rather enjoyed this one. I was not familiar with this artist, but happy to know a little something now.
I'd never heard of her and this isn't a genre I gravitate to but it held my attention and made me want to listen again.
Although I feel like this sounds like several other things I’ve already heard before I die, this is a very good album and did make for a nice afternoon of listening. Maybe it would have seemed fresher in 2002. The only note I have is this ran a little longer than I needed it to.
Fairly non-descript R&B. Not terrible but nothing really drew me in.
Never heard of her before. Nothing groundbreaking but not terrible. Must admit I don’t listen to the whole album but what I heard is about a 2.
i had forgotten about this one - great!
Meh - waste of my time. I could have easily lived without this. And it’s not like I can hear newer music out there that’s been inspired by specifically this album rather than other albums from either before or the same time as this. Could it be that Dy-Na-Mi-Tee was a single. I think I heard it before. It’s okay
3.5
Another new to me artist, love the album and will re-listen.
Standard R&B fair to me. Nothing special
good album, like the hip-hop, never heard of he before so was sick to learn a new artist
So two female hip hop musicians I was unaware of before this list back to back. The first blew me away. This one left me cold. I think part of it is that I don’t know the more modern genre very well so it’s not always evident to me what makes a record stand out.
Phenomenal. Quality production, sharp lyricism, multiple genres - fantastic debut that clearly draws a lot of inspiration from Lauryn Hill, while remaining true to her British and Caribbean roots.
Beautiful voice
never heard of this lady but pretty good album.
Never heard of her, fits right in with eve and missy
Album doesn't exist
I hadn't heard of this before but it's pretty fun. Not sure it's really an album you MUST hear before you die, but it's enjoyable hip-hop. She's got good flow. The beats and lyrics are solid but not remarkable either really in my opinion.
UK Hip Hop always stood in the shadow of its US origins and it mostly does not get close to it. Of course there are exceptions like Little Simz who is one of the best modern Rap artists. Ms. Dynamite in the eyes of some does recieve a similar credit especially with this album that blends Neo-Soul, R&B & Hip Hop into a diverse and interesting album although it is really inconsistent and sometimes all over the place with the ideas and influences. It starts with the short but actually really good 'Natural High (Interlude)' that works as a intro and I really like the low-paced, mainly Synth & Bass background beat that makes you interested with what else the album is going to feature. 'Dy-Na-Mi-Tee' seems to be loved by many but I just think it's annoying. The "e-hee" part in the chorus makes my ears bleed. Just let MJ do a "Hee-Hee" part because this just destroys a theoretically solid song with that god awful chorus. It is even more embarrassing considering this is HER song with it pretty much being an introduction into her persona. Much better is 'Anyway U Want It' that features a typical 90's R&B chorus by a featured singer and a Hip Hop Soul beat. It's pretty solid but nothing crazily interesting. The arguably one of the best songs on here is 'Put Him Out'. It's a fast and slightly angry song that has a great rhythm and a pretty diverse beat. It isn't a perfect song but gets close with a couple of parts including the Jazz piano that starts shortly before the chorus. The more sentimental 'Brother' features a nice melody and great vocal harmonies. It is a nice blend between R&B beat, Soul singing and a few Rap bars. Ulimately a decent song that doesn't really get the edge it should maybe have. The sample heavy 'It Takes More' follows with another great song and definitely a top-tier song compared to most the album offers. It's a more hard-hitting beat that strangely works really well with the more laid-back and singing provided rapping. The greatness of before is a bit lost with 'Sick 'n' Tired' that just isn't as interesting as a lot of that we already heard. It's mainly boring especially with the lackluster performance and the bars that just don't really have a lot of lyrical or emotional depth to it. Just a very "meh" song; It's "ok". 'Afraid 2 Fly' has a really interesting beat that isn't really your average track because it features a lot of different samples that range from bells over water or rain to some really weird synths. That beat gives a great base to work on but she sadly didn't do that. The performance is way to basic for such a crazy beat. It feels contradictory and that in a bad way. The albums second half starts with 'Watch Over Them' a short and acapella intro to that half that only features her rapping without a beat. She's just not good enough of an MC for that to work but nice try. 'Seed Will Grow' has some influence from Reggae, mainly with the featured vocals that are pretty much just Reggae but the beat also takes a couple of elements but in the end stay true to the Hip Hop Soul sound. It's alright but isn't really interesting outside of being pretty nice background music. The more electronic based 'Krazy Krush' makes a slightly glitchy appearence but it does not really get to a point in which I like the sound that is created as the duality of beat and vocals don't fit. Like with many tracks: great idea and concept but she just isn't the right person to perform that. She would be a better artist as an album/song conceptualist for other artists than performing herself. 'Now U Want My Love' is another average R&B song that might have worked back in 2002 or as background music but in an active listen it's pretty boring. The song 'Too Experienced' isn't available on streaming but was a part of the original album. I am not interested enough to check it out but I want to mention it for the albums wholeness. 'Gotta Let U Know' is another song that I am going to same thing about I said already a couple of times: average R&B song that didn't age well and is really uninteresting but still ok for the most. An let's do it again for 'All I Ever' which is a, can you guess?, pretty average R&B song that has a couple of neat ideas but in the end comes of as, ..., just ok and mostly boring. The albums title track and final song 'Little Deeper' had a little secret on the original CD. Because it if you did not stop the album after finishing it and just waited a hidden track called 'Get Up Stand Up' would play. And while that might have worked as a cool easter egg on CDs, it does not work with streaming and it's therefore really stupid to add just 4 minutes of silence in between the two songs... Anyway, the actual song is really boring but the hidden song is actually really good and I am surprised it isn't on the actual track list. It has a solid beat and great featured rapping. This is what the whole album should've been like. This is great!!! One of the best moments on the album and it isn't even an "offical" song. WHY??? WHY??? favourites: It Takes More, Get Up Stand Up, Put Him Out, Anyway U Want It least favourites: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Krazy Krush, Watch Over Them, Afraid 2 Fly, Gotta Let U Know, Little Deeper Rating decent to strong 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
Doesn't stand out to me among many others of a similar ilk. 2.5 for the personality at the start, but too much insipid, generic R&B
It’s ok, not one of my favorites but it wasn’t that bad. It’s alright.
Poptastic and easy listen
Nice groove - contagious vibes… for the first 10 songs… after that, a little repetitive. Anyways, I’m grabbing a couple of songs for my soul/r&b playlist.
There were times she had an Amy Winehouse sound.
Ah. Haha. My reaction upon seeing this cover of a 2002 "Ms. Dynamite"(?) was along the lines of What the shit? but I actually know this! And it seems like I know the whole album?, godknows how - this is not my music!? (I'm baffled, seriously). But you know what? It's neat. It has little business being in a list of AYMHBYD but it does the thing it's doing perfectly well and is a good slice of that music of its time. I'm in a pop mood today: 4 stars, Pfff!!
3 amazing singles on here but the rest of the album can’t maintain that high standard.
Pleasantly surprised, sounded modern
Pretty decent, positive, hip-hop and R&B.
Couldn't decide if this gave me Missy vibes or someone else but damn the flow was *on point*!
Yep, fine by me. Didn't really stand out from the crowd.