Reviews (page 6 of 7)
one interesting track (dynamite) all the other tracks sounded like generic RnB to me...
Not really my thing but enjoyed it more than I expected to
while she is clearly talented and the production level is top notch, this really isn’t for me.
I actually kind of like this, which is weird. Like Lauryn Hill singing over Beyoncé beats. I dunno, weird.
A couple of big tunes up front in Dy-Na-Mi-Tee and Put Him Out but ultimately way too much filler that succumbs to the tried and true over 45mins is way too long rule.
Mercury Prize winners actually have a pretty decent artistic pedigree, to be fair, but this isn't for me.
July 23, 2024 HL: "Now U Want My Love", "All I Ever" (yes, the Kenny G-ass track), "It Takes More", "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee", maybe "Afraid 2 Fly" Contains some filler in the middle, but overall an enjoyable discovery in 2000s pop. Ms. Dynamite's name, and the bop opener "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee", contradicted the solemnity of the later part of the album. 3.5
Not bad but nothing I would return to and nothing I would say is particularly interesting. Mid 2.
A little Lauryn Hill, a little old school Beyoncé, a little Amy Winehouse. Not a ton of tracks stood out to me but consistently good overall. The beat on “Krazy Krush” is awesome. “Danger” and “Ramp” (which I guess are bonus tracks) had a nice tough reggae flow which was a fun change of pace.
What a cringey intro song. "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" is the big seller here. It feels like whoever put this list together just happened to like this song so much that they added the whole album because of it. The beat/music is cool but that's more a compliment to whoever made the sample? I do like the vocals and the biggest compliment I can give is that she sounds very slightly like Amy Winehouse in the verses here. The lyrics are so straightforward and bland. It also really hits on a frustratingly simple lyrical idea that is so overdone in rap/hiphop; the cliche "I'm great, I'm the best", "I'm Ms. Dy-na-mi-tee I stay blowin' up you're stereo everybody gotta hear me though I'm just Ms. Dy-na-mi-tee Hear me bussin' on da radio Now feel my flow you get me though I'm Ms. Dy-na-mi-tee" Boring, substance-less chorus. "At 13 I thought I was in love with this guy Anytime I caught his eye I thought that I'd just die Remember playin' class clown I was just a disruptive fool And the beatin' I got first time suspended from school Remember Sunday School and after go to granmas for lunch Macaroni, rice and peas, chicken and pineapple punch Never had much my mum brother sister and me But love was enough to succeed To grow" It's like some teenager writing a poem for English class and being told "write what's around you.". There's times where I want to sit back and bop to this album but each time my brain turns off for a second, I remind myself that this is 1001 albums to hear in your lifetime. The standards are higher than that. If an album is on here and the lyrics aren't great, well maybe the performances should be evocative and full of emotion? If they don't hit that mark, maybe the production should be doing something new and inventive? If it doesn't then.. does it deserve to be on this list?
Lauren Hill an influence much?
Wasn’t my genre growing up but this is peak teenage years for me, so maybe the familiarity of it feels comforting but I actually enjoyed this a lot! It was much better that the singles released from it would have you believe.
Damn long record, not bad but def wont come back to it
I feel like this is really when UK Hip Hop was growing into its own. I can hear all the growing pains. These all sounds like impersonations of early 90s R&B songs or Hip Hop/Dancehall mashups.
2/5. I think I must not be getting the vibe but songs felt experimental and not in a good way. This is rap and R&B but the soul or passion seems to be missing. This very much sounds like a debut album, without beginner's luck. Most of the songs were skippable and just uninteresting. To be fair, there are some strong lyrics about growing up with poverty and speaking on family and relationships, as well as racial injustice. Just not an album I would not really recommend mostly for the music, which I am rating the album on. Best Song: Put Him Out, Afraid 2 Fly, Danger
Generic Brit R&B
I can see why someone would be into this as it's slick and well made but the genre just isn't for me.
20 de Junio. 1. Just intro, nada más 2. OMAIGÁAA. Thanks to Lennie Hibbert for that beautiful song "Rose Len" que dio vida a este tema que amo hace años. PERO TAMBIÉN A MOLASSES DE EARL, recuerdo hacer esa conexión hace muchos años in my early twenties. 3. Hey that's pretty nice! 4. Yo, this girl got nice rythm, Liking it a lot. 5. Cute, miss my brother. Lala debería dedicárnosla. 6. Nice one, like! 7. Sick n Tired. Nah, nice try. 8. Didn't like the beat, skipped middle. 9. Interlú cantaíto, good but no. 10. Cool con Marley, liked. 11. Good one! 12. Liked it, good one! 13. Nada memorable pero good I guess. 14. Loving the beat, super chill, liked! 15. Loved it. 5! Porque it deserves it
This was alright. Better than I was anticipating, but nothing on here that surpasses a 3/5 rating.
It was better than expected, but not something that I would ever listen to again.
I've listened to the album twice, and it's not for me. It's very generic to me, I feel no connection to the music, the singing, or the lyrics. TLC did this better a decade earlier with similar sounds and higher energy. 2/5
A good album, I really enjoyed it. I liked Natural High, Brother and It Takes More.
Great flow and mix of Jamaican musical influences
I feel a bit bad about giving this just 1 star, but it's a big step down from the 2 star albums for me. Honestly, though, this was uninspired and uninspiring, dull, flat, tuneless, a wait for it to be over. Others have commented that its inclusion on this list is baffling and I agree. Both bad and unimpactful.
I have no reason why this album made the list. I do not feel more musically educated or that my life has been enhanced by listening to it. There are many soul singers in the world. This one is average. The song production isn’t lush, this album doesn’t have much soul. Not only isn’t it a great album overall, it’s not a great album for its genre. Wasted spot on this list which should go to somebody more deserving. She probably deserves more than one star. I would give her 1.5 if possible. But I have given 2 stars to artists whom I feel are more deserving but I just don’t enjoy their music. I don’t feel she is on the level of some of my 2 star picks. Rating is hard y’all!
2.5/5. Meh. Not bad, but also a little boring. Seeing how the artist is from England, I was surprised how this did not sound like other brit rap I've heard.
Not a bad listen, decent vibe.
Pretty good
Sort of a perfect 3. It doesn't really do anything insane, and it's definitely too long, but none of the songs are explicitly bad. Each one is a vibe in it's own way. If the Red Hot Chili Peppers can make the same song 15 times on an album, Ms. Dynamite can do the same thing (though admittedly to a much smaller effect, becasue the Chili Peppers are awesome).
She literally did the “lyrical spiritual miracle” line on Danger. Beyond that this was the most paint by numbers early 2000s R&B album. Nothing interesting enough for me to want to revisit this and absolutely not earning its long runtime, but nothing bad enough for me to be opposed to hearing some of these songs again.
This album gives me such a wash of nostalgia to my childhood. I've never heard it before, but this is exactly what kid-me would be bopping to in my room. Beautiful vocals, and the instrumentals are just perfect. 4/5
Like many of the other post-2000 albums on this list, I was left wondering what makes this a must-hear album. It was fine, just not my thing.
Enjoyable all the way through but nothing super stood out to me.
I was surprised that she is British, but apart from that this seemed par for the course.
I dont love r&b but I think this is good. few bops in there
Super awesome, funky, what a banger… she’s like the funk version of Etta James 9/10
4/10 - it was an alright album. I am not a huge fan or the soul/r&b stuff but there were some ok songs.
This was rather enjoyable
Fun! Matches the era vibe
Extremely unremarkable early 2000s music.
Supongo que lo que busco también es perdurabilidad, que el disco haya dejado una marca. Si este disco dejó una, nunca llegó donde estoy yo
This is cool. Put Him Out really hit it out of the park for me. The guitar licks are just so tasty. It Takes More has some GRIT! The back half I wasn't as keen on.
It’s interesting because I see the influence of future artists. Like I can see Amy Whinehouse being inspired by this sound especially on It Takes More. That’s the song that jumped out at me most in general. Not much gripped me beyond that.
Interesting. In particularly like her voice. But something is missing from this album as whole to make it really work.
Quite good
Very 2000s. Kinda nice.
Probably about as good as 2002 R and B gets.
This is a genre mashup of rap, R&B, hip-hop and a little jazz - given these are my least favorite genres, this is very well done but no more than a three for me!
How did I miss this album in highschool? It's got layers of R and B, hip hop, and reggae all with that powerful voice spitting out meaningful lyrics the whole way. It's like all the sizzle of the popular artists of the time but with a big meaty steak to bite into underneath the surface.
I quite liked this - more British in influence and feel (I like the Reggae vibe). Quite listenable...
It was pretty solid
A Little Deeper Me and Dave once saw Ms Dynamite outside Streatham Megabowl. First off Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is great, a super bit of r’n’/soul pop. Catchy hook, and a very nice bit of bass and guitar. I do like the sound of the percussion, the snare has a nice r’n’b dryness to it. And there is some quite unusual for the genre instrumentation, the accordion on It Takes More for example, and there is also, again slightly unusually, a lot of guitar throughout. Lyrically there are some good lines and moments, she certainly has a bit of edge to her, with some socially conscious lyrics, more than other British r’n’b singers at the time, but there are still a few too many standard cliches and platitudes, it feels like intentional smoothing out of any roughness and it definitely loses something because of that. Maybe if she was around now the musical landscape and attitude to this type of music would suit her better. Beyond that there’s not many songs that are particularly memorable, especially in the back half. The 2nd bit of the last track, Get Up Stand Up is verging on really good, almost Erykah Badu/Lauryn Hill territory, but it makes you wish there was more like it with some slightly better rapping. A lot of the rest is pretty formulaic r’n’b melodies and singing/oohing etc with a fair few dollops of cheese, eg the Santana-lite icky guitar on Put Him Out. Her voice also has a slight nasal quality that becomes more evident the more you hear it. Despite Dy-Na-Mi-Tee and some interesting and slightly unusual moments and instrumentation, it is an inconsistent listen - there just aren’t enough decent songs to sustain much interest over the course of an hour. I liked it more on the 2nd listen, but was a bit bored on the 3rd listen. I’m very unlikely to listen to it again which would put it around a 2, but because of Dy-Na-Mi-Tee and that among all the standard stuff there is that element of stepping outside the normal parameters of this sort of album, which might tip it over to 3. Very much stuck between those scores, but I think I’ll settle on 2. ⭐⭐
Decent. Not my thing.
Here’s an artist I’d never heard of. Decent enough, but underwhelming. Solid r and b but nothing that blew me away.
I liked this quite a bit. It had some fun R&B and some interesting arrangements.
Would be good if it was exactly half as long as it is, 8 tracks and done, but it just goes on and on and on.
It’s good, but pretty homogenous. By track four or five I was bored. Sounds a lot like the fugees, which isn’t always a good thing
Ms Dynamite-ee-eeee.... And some other songs
Nope
I didn’t think it was gonna be to my taste, but I quite liked some of it, especially her takedown of gangster, rap culture on the song a little more.
Unremarkable.
Sounds like Mary J. Blige sometimes. Some random sounds in this album. No idea what she was saying but it wasn’t awful sounding.
First part of the album was surprisingly catchy, but the latter half was quite forgettable
Longer than necessary
2/5
Ganz cool, aber zu soulig und wenig eigener Charakter für mehr Sterne.
An r n b album in an era when songs were meant something. Great album.
This was fanTASTIC!!! The only downside of this album is that I love the song Booo!!! so much that I wish this album was her vocals over garage beats :( the instrumentation is still awesome though and this just drips in all of the things that were good and great about early 2000s RnB, all while leaning into the benefits of the english accent in a way that only benefits the sound
Not for me 1/5
3.25
Competently done, here and there intriguing, but never quite achieving full breakthrough status or exit velocity. What no doubt sounded fresh some time ago has gotten a bit stale.
Whatever, c’est correct, j’ai pas envie d’écrire un roman à chaque review
Pleasant but seems but superficial and irrelevant now. Landfill soul funk pop whatever.
It was okay
Again it had good songs but as an album it wasn’t that original. Songs were still cool.
I was immediately drawn into this album with the unique voice and composition. And from there I just kept vibing. I love her voice, I loved the featured artists, the range. What a great find! 5/5
Anyway U Want It is the only song I liked.
Better than expected. Soft 3
Great album. Really enjoyed a few of the tracks
Good beats, not really my type of music but I still found it catchy
Pues me ha gustado mucho!!!
feels like a lot of fake deep lyrics and there's only like 2 good songs the rest just feel like they drone on and are very boring 2.75
Natural High - 3 Dy-Na-Mi-Tee - 4 Anyway You Want It - 3 Put Him Out - 4 Brother - 3 It Takes More - 3.5 Sick'n'Tired - 3 Afraid 2 Fly - 3 Watch Over Them - 3.5 Seed Will Grow - 3.5 Krazy Krush - 3.5 Now U Want My Love - 3 Gotta Let U Know - 2.5 All I Ever - 2.5 A Lil Deeper - 3/4 A 3.5, if I could.
06/18/24 S Tier—————————5 Put Him Out A Tier—————————4 Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Brother B Tier—————————3 It Takes More Anyway U Want It Kraft Krush Now You Want My Love All I Ever C Tier—————————2 Sick n Tired Seed Will Grow A Lil Deeper Afraid 2 Fly Gotta Let U Know Natural High D Tier—————————1 Watch Over Them
A Little Deeper by Ms. Dynamite Tuesday 6/18/24 10:13 A Tier————————— It Takes More Put Him Out B Tier————————— Dy-na-mi-tee Krazy Krush Sick’n’tired Now You Want My Love A lil Deeper Natural High Gotta Let You Know C Tier————————— Brother All I Ever Afraid 2 fly Seed Will Grow D Tier————————— Anyway U Want It Watch Over Him
nope
Really fucking good. 4 stars.
some good beats but overall bland 2000s Hip Pop ?
Okay
I really liked it a t first. Sounded like if Amy Winehouse was a rapper. But then the later songs got really nasal, not like her clear voice at the start.
The horn-like synth on Krazy Krush is good beyond belief, but oh my God this album is so early 2000s it hurts
Is this an interesting album that puts a lens on a certain time period and its musical styles? Yes. Did it accomplish what it set out to do? Yes (I think). Did I enjoy it? Sometimes. Did I need to listen to this album before I died? No.
I honestly tried. But I couldn't get through more than half of this album. The content of it was just so completely irrelevant to my life or experiences and it didn't do anything for me
2001 British female rap reggae. Interesting
Liked it more than I expected. Some catchy tunes, inflections, musical portions.
Some pretty good, some just okay.
3.5
Nothing here blew me away, but I was never annoyed while listening — a feat that seems to get harder to achieve as the days go by. I liked the early-2000s R&B feel, but I probably won’t seek out more of Ms. Dynamite’s music.
Definitely not bad, and VERY 2000s, but I think I kinda heard it all about 20 minutes in Those two minutes of silence on the final track were also definitely not needed, though that second half was probably my favorite part of the album 2/5
I can hear there's talent here, but the album devolves quickly into a 13-in-a-dozen pop-by-numbers exercise
Very pleasant discovery. I am not normally into Rap but I like her voice and lyrics. Music melodic too. A few songs especially seed will grow, a little deeper, it takes more
I've never heard her before but I really enjoyed this album. She reminds me a little of Lauryn Hill a bit in some spots, but overall her lyrics and themes are all her own. A little more serious topics than you usually find but it works here. Anyway U Want It is probably my favorite track off this one.
Dy-na-mi-tee was my long boarding JAM back in the day. I’ve never heard the rest of the album so it was a treat. She’s got a Lauryn Hill delivery at times and I really enjoyed the reggae influences. Solid album I wish she had done more than just 2.
Simpatico, ma non c'è ancora nulla che mi colpisca particolarmente
I thought I was decently well-versed in the world of 90s hip hop, but, I'll admit, I'd never HEARD of Ms. Dynamite at all and .... this is really really good?
I was at the Mercury Award ceremony when this won album of the year. I was surprised then and I’m still surprised. It’s nice enough but nothing that engaging. Nice lead track and not a lot else to hook onto
Best song: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Vibes: dark, inspiring, confident, Lauryn Hill Themes: Racial issues, poverty and violence
RnB hip hop
More than a Dy-Na-Mi-Tee novelty hit, this record is a mix of UK hip hop, soul, and dancehall with socially conscious lyrics. Like a lot of late 90s/early 00s albums this is 15 to 20 minutes too long, but it exceeded my expectations. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee Date listened: 05/05/24
Boring.
Not what I expected. I really enjoyed this one
Wow, no words
I was quite surprised to receive this album on the generator. I'd somehow never heard of Ms Dynamite before and I'm from London, England where she came up. Even though hip hop/rnb really aren't my genres at all, I actually found this quite a pleasant listen. Not mind blowingly good and not something I'm likely to revisit often but still pleasant. But I'm still surprised to see it here as one of 1001 essential albums you have to hear before you die. It wasn't a lasting success and Ms Dynamite herself only released one other album before fading into obscurity and the biggest single on the album only went #2 on the UK hip hop charts at the time. After doing some further researching apparently this album was only in the 2005 version of the book and was removed from all subsequent versions. I guess the author tried to get some at-the-time new acts in hoping they'd go on to bigger and better things, and while that worked out for some ("Kings of Leon", "The Killers", etc.), unfortunately she's just Ms. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee.
Generic early 2000s chavala que se flipa salidita del barrio pero te bon ritmito R&B. Ta bien 3,6
Creative production on many songs. I appreciate the messaging, but it didn't need to be the first in-your-face track. Couldn't help feeling tired at points.
British R&B/ Rap. I usually don’t listen to rap but this isn’t too foul, I actually like some of it.
Dece
Ms. Dynamite is a wet squib.
A little deeper? If I knew what I was getting into, I would've stayed on the surface.
To be fair, there's a few good songs here and there, but like... for an EP. Here, we are trapped in a very samey/bland 1 hour album and it's very hard to bond with the music and overall product.
Not so impressed. From what I read, she had her moment in 2002, but went nowhere. Rap/Reggae/Hip=-Hop. Ok, but not memorable
It's fine, though some tracks have a noticeable dip in quality when Ms. Dynamite focuses on lyrics (particularly her "I'm a badass independent black woman who's been through some shit" lyrics, which are fine in isolation but brutally unrelatable) rather than focusing on sounds and memorable hooks. The tracks Watch Over Them, Seed Will Grow, Now U Want My Love, and Gotta Let U Know, to name a few, suffer from this issue. Other songs, like the pop-track Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, lean so heavily on their hooks (dynamite-hee~!) that they become pretty annoying. It's safe to say this album is pretty hit-or-miss (most of the tracks I haven't mentioned are passable or better). The interlude at the beginning could definitely be cut out. The run of songs from Anyway U Want It to It Takes More is pretty strong, with some really great modern synth-pop textures and basslines. Percussion is rarely, if ever, acoustic, which is generally a big criticism of mine unless it's seriously justified by creativity or something groundbreaking. (In this case, it isn't.) The lyrical themes are, like nearly all hip-hop/rap, not relatable. I find myself subconsciously tuning out the lyrics in most tracks. In general, lyrics that reflect every human's experience (such as those on The Dark Side of the Moon, The Stranger, Aja, Blackstar...) make for much stronger music. Close to being 3 stars. But there are a lot of places to improve. 2/5 Key tracks: Anyway U Want It, Put Him Out, Brother, A Lil Deeper / Get Up Stand Up
So I remember Ms Dynamite coming out in the early 2000s. I could not remember any of her songs. This album sucked. I hate to be that guy but when the lead single is a named introduction to your stage-name, you’re already starting from 0 for me. Fascinating artifact of the book originally being published in 2003 though.
i dont know why but early 2000s pop RnB makes me feel uncomfortable in a way i cant explain, maybe i got trapped in a cell phone in 2004 and never recovered. perfectly fine album but as other reviews pointed out I'm not sure the cultural impact of this to land it a spot in the 1001 albums list.
I enjoyed the straight edge hip-hop first track which was a pleasant turn for this genre, particularly in 2002, but after hearing the entire album I'm a little puzzled why this is on the list. It is just another hip hop whine about poor life which this many decades into the format is getting a bit tiresome. I understand that it won a Mercury, and it is a competently produced album, but that doesn't mean it merits a spot. Aafter all, in the United States you can throw a dime in any direction and hit a dozen female hip hop acts that were doing this 2002 at this quality or better. What makes this one stand out? Beats me. The rhymes are passable, but Ms. Dynamite isn't presenting them in a new way. Hip hop as a genre is less appealing to me because while I love rhythm, I also prefer the music to focus less on lyricism and more on sonic exploration, and I find messaging to be a real turn off, which is not the strengths of hip hop. A notable debut record, but not something that belongs on this list. Passable tracks for me were "Natural High" and "Watch Over Them" but the rest of the themes were the typical trite of the genre.
Almost a 1
Ms. Dynamite has a decent voice but the album never really goes anywhere. Not a fan of hip hop to begin with, so take that for what it's worth.
I don't care about this at all. I couldn't make it through two songs.
Ms. Dynamite has a great voice and a smooth flow. The reggae beats sound really cool on all of the songs. I just wish this went a little bit harder: bigger beats, more powerful emotions in the lyrics, stronger feature artists.
slow bumpin' ragga hop. the instrumentals are pretty great and niomi's flow is marvelous, but there's a lot of emotional subject matter that makes these songs feel like they're dragging you down a bit. not at all downplaying the probably meaningful material, it's just i'm a positive guy and i like hearing positive stuff, you know?
Just once, I wish you would at least try to see things from my perspective. Or maybe that's just too much to ask for.
My first point of comparison here is Lauryn Hill, mostly through the attempt to blend various genres. I think it's a little less successful here. There's some G-funk influence ("Sick N Tired"), some bling-era production, and the latter parts of the album seem to turn to ragga? It also seems to come from my least favorite era of rap, when they tried to throw every single song they recorded onto a CD. This thing could use some serious fat trimming, because I wasn't minding it at the beginning, but 17 songs is a lot to just be not minding it. Call it a 2.5, I guess. Favorite track: "It Takes More"
Never heard of her. Seems like she was a bit of a flash in the pan. Kind of a Lauryn Hill vibe. Would love if more tracks had the slight reggae sound that some of them had. A strong 3+
Not my preferred style but this is well executed with a smoothness as well as a bite where called for. 3 stars
some fun songs but a bit all over the place for me.
quite frankly, one of the most run-of-the-mill r&b/ rap albums I've ever heard. there's not anything here that is terrible, but there's also not anything here that is worth spending your time listening to it. it sounds like r&b music from a Disney channel movie. if you told me that this was music made by the Cheetah girls, I'd believe you. except somehow, the Cheetah girls have more interesting music than this.
This is why I am following. 1001 albums. To find something new. I didn’t love nor hate it. Just reminded me of a lot of other artists I like.
5/10 At its worst, it's ordinary background R&B, and at its best, it made me nod my head a bit. Again, 1001 albums is way more albums than I thought. 4-3-2024
annoyingly quite good
Eh
halfway through asked myself "why am i still listening to this?" NNN
More authenticity and merit than you'll find on any Beyonce or Taylor Swift album. While this isn't my preferred genre for listening, I can respect the strong messages and badass rebellious spirit projected through these songs. She's breaking the mold and railing against the trauma of her past to show other women of colour how much strength and perseverance they have within. I respect the hell out of that.
Whatever. I guess it’s competent enough.
British rap- I enjoyed your vocals, but the overall composition didn't hit it for me.
Reminds me of early high school r and b. Some cool beats in here but nothing stand out that warrants a place on this list tbh.
unremarkable.
Första låten var ganska bra resten var inte riktigt min grej
Some cool songs, I suppose, especially the more political songs. Dragged on way too long, though.
This was fine. I liked the Caribbean/reggae sort of influence on some of the tracks. I think it was solid, not boring, just not my thing.
Decent album, first artist I hadn't heard of at all from the generator. When I heard "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" I thought I might be in for a banger of an album. But it turned out to be the best song on the album. Very of it's era, both in it's production/performance and lyrical themes. There are occasionally pretty original arrangements and Ms.Dynamite is a very good singer, I can understand why it resonated at the time it was released but can also understand why it isn't viewed as a classic album all these years.
I had never heard of Ms. Dynamite (-Tee) prior to listening to this album. This is some early 2000's neo-soul that now doesn't sound dated, but does have the sort of "been there" type of sound. Still, I don't know if I should knock her for other artists doing it better. If that were true, then most of the early rock albums I have heard on this project should not be in the book. I have no idea of the historical significance of this album, as I only know I am a sucker for some neo-soul and this sounds like a grungier version of Ashanti, which I can appreciate. I would never have been exposed to this album had I not taken part in this project, though of course I probably won't listen to this album again. Tough to figure out how to review an album from an artist I had never heard of before, though while I enjoyed it, I would not listen to it again. Maybe this is the album you should hear before you die, then you should die immediately after listening to it.
I dont feel qualified to speak on exactly what this album is trying to do or how its trying to situate itself in the culture. 2002 was about a decade away from me ever listening to hip hop on purpose or with a critical ear. The bling era i believe it was called, i quite frankly despised. Predictably I really only have a few touchstones into hip hop, the first being Wu Tang and its spinoffs, and the second being Kendrick 2012 onward. So again, I almost feel bad passing judgement since I was not a part of this world. That being said: excellent production. Maybe even too clean. But cant fault it because it never lacked energy or bite because of it. I think the standout attribute of this artist and project is the 'jack of all trades' aspect. The rhymes, the flow... but also the r&b vocals. What drew me in ultimately was the latter, though the former was not weak, I just found myself more sucked into the world created in the more r&b styled tracks. My one gripe that may again be unwarranted is exemplifoed by the albums title. Im not saying one way or the other that 'ignorant' rap or 'conscious rap' is superior. What I will say is that if an artist is really willing to show their whole selves, there will be some of both. I know that is a double edged comment 1, because the ignorant or at best party minded stuff does not get the scrutiny that overtly ambitious rap does, and 2, because that is doubly true for women artists in hip hop. That notwithstanding, there are a few too many 'preachy' song concepts on the first half of the record. I found those parts to feel a bit too posturing, whereas the vulnerability regarding giving up on a relationship when it isnt working in the songs Gotta Let You Know and All I Ever spoke more to me. If thw point of the albums concept was for Ms. Dynamite to prove to someone, critics, the culture...that they are above the industries regressiveness, or bragadocio...I personally am not convinced spending half your album scolding everyone else is the right way to prove your point. It is just a little too direct. I guess what I really mean is that there is a kind of talking down to the audience that I feel in these lyrics. Often she owns her feelings and thoughts, but a ot of it is "you fix you" which one one hand, good advice to avoid toxic relationships, on the other hand "who asked you?" sort of a sentiment. Anyhow, they seem young on here, I think much of that tone will wear off with more maturity. There is a phase in a persons life where this kind of strictness of being is essential. So I wont knock it too hard, because I thought there was plenty of great moments of groove and energy here.
Blind album and artist. I wanted to skip songs many tracks and rip my earbuds out cause this sounds so dumb and annoying.
8/10 pretty great rap album! lots to love
It's not bad, but, I don't really see the cultural impact this album has had....
Strong and smooth, hip-hop inflected R&B , with a couple way winning cuts – "Sick and Tired" and "Seed to Grow" chief among them. Whole lotta Lauryn vibes, entirely in a good way.
Perhaps the single most unremarkable album in the entire book
The sound reminds me of Lauryn Hill. Looks like this album was released about 4 years after Miseducation.
Feels like another "Oh, the person who made this list is British" entry. Nothing bad, bit also an album that I'd never seen heard of. Solid, but unexceptional.
Remembered this fondly but besides the big hits, not sure this stood the test of time in terms of being groundbreaking or world rocking in any way.
A very generic album, that feels like it was made to be a massive hit in its era, but that's just caused it to age like milk two decades later. It just reeks of the early 2000s, the vocal delivery, the beats, the song titles, they're all so cheesy, and while there are decent moments in here, the CD era still seems to think anyone wants to hear an hour long album with no reason to be that long. Its fine technically, and inoffensive for most of its runtime, but I was pretty tired by the ending song, and I can not pinpoint a moment that was worth listening to the album for. There are plenty of records to cover this style of hip-hop, and this one isn't one of them.
Nice voice and some songs are OK but naggingly familiar. She copies someone like Pink and sounds alright. Then she does that neo-soul (polite way of saying "dull and boring.")
It's not very good, but not too bad. It just sounds like a lot of the genre from that time period. Nothing to hate but nothing that stands out.
Rating: 5/10
Just what I didn't need 1
This seemed like pretty standard 2000s R&B. Fine, but not sure why it made this list
Classy, catchy, tasty. This is everything I wish hip hop was today. A positive message that isn’t about money, drugs, and sex. Throughly enjoyed this album. 9/10
Smooth, nice beats. Mix of r&b, reggae and hip hop. There were a few songs I enjoyed and a bunch that kind of just played. The album is a bit long and there is some variety but the majority are pretty similar which makes a front to back listen less than ideal. 6/10
This gave off some Santigold vibes the first song or so in. I enjoyed the personal and political commentary on overcoming personal circumstances while simultaneously tackling oppression.
Good production but not for me
sounded good, but I don't remember much of anything about it.
It's pleasant enough but it's very dated and derviative and honestly sounds like a more hip-hop leaning version of something from an early 2000s girl group. This is like a Girls Aloud/Sugababes solo record, why is it on this list
Not bad.
Second track borrows a choral melody from Pass the Dutchie. It’s cute, if a little long. There’s some good stuff on this record. Definitely a touch of TLC/Destiny’s Child. Can’t say there is anything innovative or particularly unique here. It’s cute. It’s fine. It’s nice for what it is. Don’t dislike it, but probably won’t ever hear much of this again.
Musically, this is fine, with some decent arrangements and solid vocals from Ms. Dynamite. Very much of its time. I question its inclusion on this list, as there are better albums from better artists working in a similar vein. Fave Songs: Afraid 2 Fly, Sick 'n' Tired, Now U Want My Love, Seed Will Grow
Estou apaixonado pela voz dela
What a banger
Ok
natural high- its ok. i mean i fundamentally disagree with the lyrics but thats me. dynamitee- boring. 5 anyway u want it- boring. type shit that would play in a disney channel movie to be h put him out- dont care. 3 or 4 brother- whatever. 4 it takes more- ok. 5 sick n tired- dont care. 4 afraid 2 fly- dont care. 3 watch over them- ok bro i made it half way through the album im too tired
This one was an uphill battle all the way through, not because it's a terrible album in any sense, but simply because it is so plain and unremarkable as to be boring. The beats sound like default Ableton presets, what little melody there is barely changes track to track, and Ms. Dynamite sounds like she can't be half-assed to show an ounce of excitement on her own LP. This is the album that inspires me to force my way onto the 1001 editorial board and see what madness is going on there, because nobody needs to hear this one before they die.
this was pretty good, very well made, catchy, nice mix of genres. didn't need to be so long though
This album didn't rock my world but I enjoyed it enough to listen to it again back to back.
Not really my vibe, but catchy nonetheless
C'était vraiment du bon hip-hop, les choix de productions étaient vraiment intéressants et rafraichissant, surtout pour l'époque. C'est un peu surprenant que ça n'a pas plus passé l'épreuve du temps. Ma principale critique est que je trouve que ça ressemblait vraiment beaucoup à Miss Lauryn Hill (comme plusieurs personnes ici on dirait). À réécouter. 7.5/10
Nah.
“A Little Deeper” won the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland, and most Mercury Prize winners (at least until 2010) are on the 1001. While the list might have general British bias, the Mercury Prize-winners are at least some of the more worthy. And since some of those prizewinners didn’t make much impact in the States, it's a good glimpse of what was popular in England in the 90s and 00s. Ms. Dynamite is talented, and her work is refreshing, but it seems its acclaim may have been more due to its novelty than its brilliance. She won in the award’s 11th year, and was the first hip hop act recognized. Her writing and rapping have great flow and are great at defying genre norms, especially when it comes to subject matter. And the beats are approachable and include lots of vibrant instrumentation. But it's all more good than great. The first half of the album was stronger, and it would have benefitted from a trimmer 40 minutes instead of pushing past an hour. Maybe it was just a weak year for British music though. Other nominees included The Coral and Doves, both of which I was underwhelmed by. I actually would have picked The Streets “Original Pirate Material,” though at least instead we’re still to get their follow up “A Grand Don’t Come For Free.”
This album feels like the hip hop version of some 90s R&B. I like it a lot. Krazy Krush is great. Almost a 5.
It's alright, solid music. I probably won't come back to the full album, but I may.
Perfectly fine R&B, although nothing mind-blowing.
Another that I am glad to have heard, but I doubt I'd revisit it.
What a throwback today’s album is! I’ve not heard Ms Dynamite’s name for a very long time. I wasn’t exactly a fan of her at the time, but I had family and friends that liked her music so I’m a bit familiar via osmosis. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, It Takes More Favourites: It Takes More I don’t think I picked this up at the time, but I like how odd some of this instrumentation is. It Takes More uses a sample from Chitarra Romana - a song from the 50s - but modernises things so well. Overall, I’ve said this many time before but third genre tends to not click much for me (aside from some anomalies). I felt that this album was decent, but I can appreciate how a lot of people would love this.
Not bad!
Definitely sounds like hip hop from the early 2000s. Dated, but charming. Overall an ok album.
It's alright, seems kind of generic and forgettable. I probably won't listen to this again. There are better choices for this genre.
Never heard of this artist or album. Not really my taste. 2/5
Never heard of Ms. Dynamite. Opens with a hip-hop/reggae fusion interlude on which she denounces all hard drugs. Despite being less than a minute is a pretty solid track. Hand over into the apparent album single based on listens: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee. More traditional, soulful vocals over a dusty hip-hop beat with slight dub influences from the guitar. Production is very nice. Really dig this track for a mood setter. Laid back, yet confident. Anyway U Want It is kind of a throwaway in my eyes. Pretty unremarkable R&B with some of Ms. Dynamites thinnest vocals thus far. Put Him Out is okay. Beat feels appropriate for the era in pop music with the Santana like guitar underlining the vocal chorus in an otherwise hip-hop song. Reminds me in tone of Amy Winehouse, though this came first. I like the beat and message on It Takes More. I could imagine MF DOOM rapping over this. Solid track. Watch Over Them is a really powerful a capella track. Backed up to Seed Will Grow - a groovy hip-reggae fusion that brings in the familiar crust of a Marley vocal. Now U Want My Love is a late album standout for me. Confident vocal strut with some soulful organ backing the hip-hop drum and bass. Very splashy. I also really like All I Ever. Instrumental vacillates between moody guitar plucking and languid beachy sections. Might be my favorite song on here tbh. This was a pleasant surprise of an album. Really nice production, beat selection, and varied throughout. I will say that this ran a bit long for my taste, but I enjoyed more than I didn't. Solid 3.5 in my book. Rounding down because there wasn't enough to separate it for me.
Nice flow, solid beats. Loved the guitar in the beginning. As extensive as my knowledge of female British rappers goes, this is squarely my second favorite album by that demographic. Danger is a bit of a switch to a bit more speed, flow, and the rappers switch to a more pronounced African accent which sounds pretty cool. Definitely a standout song for me. This has been a pretty solid album, not exactly blowing me away, but I'm bopping along. I'd say this is close to the 3.5 range, but I am going to round down because I think it is a clear step down from Little Simz's GREY Area.
Obligitory British rappers always sound funny to me. Her singing voice changed completely after that interlude though. But whoever that guy was on the last song brought back my claim. I liked this album it had some cool unique beats and she is a very good singer. I liked the reggae/rap combo. The first half was much better than the second half, it was starting to get a bit old.
Not really my kinda music but had some bright spots. Wont come back to anything on here though. Going with a high 2.
2.5/5
Someone in here was extremely inspired by Lauryn Hill. That said, this is highly listenable. I'd go 3.5 on this if I could.
Ms Dynamite is one of the stranger cases in UK music history - came out of the traps at a gallop, showered with awards, yet effectively out of the game as a productive musician within three years. A pity, on this evidence. This is emphatically not the kind of music I enjoy but this album has some genuine highlights - 'Krazy Krush' and female empowerment banger 'Push Him Out' amongst them. There's also a smattering of social conscience on display too - the line about how many Africans died for the diamonds studding a wristwatch cut through. Awarding it three stars feels unfair, because so much that is good in this genre fails to land because of my personal taste. A potential five, if you like this kind of thing.
Interesante descubrimiento. Muy buena oz y unas canciones bien producidas y grabadas.
3.75
Beautiful voice, beautiful attitude. Did tail off in the second half, but it gets a nostalgia star.
Not someone I have ever heard referenced before, but I quite liked the sound. The lyrics were fine and the message is good, even if it is handled un-subtly. Favorite track would probably be "Seed Will Grow."
Not bad but got pretty repetitive the second half. Interesting how little it seems the US and UK have diverged in this genre.
I liked the positive female empowerment message of this album. The music itself was just ok.
Way better than I expected our third British hip hop album to be. I liked the blend of R&B included here and it reminded me of Alicia Keys/Jazmine Sullivan in that sense. This album was far too long in my opinion though and I was really ready for it to end.
Good call!
Basic, early 2000s British RnB. It's not a bad album, but it certainly doesn't belong on 1001 albums you must hear.
2/5 didn't quite make it.
J’ai trouvé cet album correct, sans plus. Ne m’a pas semblé si innovateur
This didn't do much for me
This R&B/hip hop album with a bit of reggae flavor is ok, but not really my thing. Some nice beat variety throughout, though beats within songs are pretty repetitive and don’t move much. Some thoughtful lyrics, while many are just ok. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is a pretty rad and catchy song, but that’s the only one that’s sticking me from this album. I don’t actively dislike it, but it’s not leaving a memorable impact and I’m unlikely to go back to it.
Dope rb
I really like how she uses so much of the album to talk about what's going on in her life. Some songs are catchier than others, I ended up adding a couple of them to my main playlist, which means it's a 4!
This was a fascinating listen but sounded a bit dated
This was a delightful surprise. Somehow reggae and hip hop at the same time. Lyrically personal, like reading someone's diary. Nice listen.
Started off ok but soon became very monotonous. Nothing you haven’t heard before
There were some good samples and beats on this LP. I felt that the lyrics could've done with some more sustenance but at the end of the day this felt very much like London's answer to a Lauryn Hill. Probably not the right take to have made but it gave the same vibe. Nothing much and probably not worth going out of your way to listen to.
not for me
I found this to be kind of pedestrian and of its time, but it wasn’t a bad record.
Album #8 A bit overlong and production feels dated and comparable to any number of albums from this time period. Not totally sure what got this album to the list, but it’s competent and good enough at what it does. 2/5 not because it’s a bad album, but because contextually it does not reach the heights culturally or musically of music that should be on this list.
Great album!
J'ai bien aimé, merci Robert. J'espère qu'on pourra rester en bons termes après la fin du générateur.
Festivale des dévergondées aujourd'hui, et on en redemande.
She’s just a bootleg Lauryn Hill. But it’s pretty good!
B- Natural High (Interlude) 3 Dy-Na-Mi-Tee 4 Anyway U Want It 3 Put Him Out 3 Brother 3 It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix) 3 Sick 'N' Tired 3 Afraid 2 Fly 3 Watch Over Them 3 Seed Will Grow 3 Krazy Krush 3 Now U Want My Love 3 Gotta Let U Know 3 All I Ever 3 A Little Deeper / Get Up, Stand Up 3 This was way better than I expected.
ça me fait penser à une version moins bien et en anglais de Diam's, en tout cas, je n'ai pas trop aimé. Il y en a eu des ok, mais j'ai pas tout écouté non plus !
Thanks, but no thanks. It has some nice beats, and it's not loud in-your-face, but it's just not for me.
Solid album! Again, surprised she wasn't on my radar back in 02.
I’m a sucker for a good R&B album, but this feels like a bit of a flash in the pan. Not a UK native: I’m grateful to have listened to this as I would’ve never heard it otherwise. It sounds like Beyoncé if she was British and never was in a girl group. Interesting that Beyoncé was beginning to blow up at the same time as Ms Dynamit-ee.
I think of all the 90s/00s female hip hop I’ve gotten this and Lauryn hill stand as the only two that really grabbed me. This was like a mix of missy elliott and Amy winehouse with a dash of destiny’s child and it made for quite a few banging tracks with a lot of great lyrics. The second half isn’t as great except for the last song but dynamitee and any way u want it were the standouts of the first half
The influence of Lauryn Hill is clear but it's an influence, not an imitation and the distinction is important. Dynamite is still doing her own thing here and I, for one, am here for it. The lyrics are smart, the delivery is crisp, and the attitude is sharp. I mean, "Sick 'n' Tired" is just fire from start to finish. So strong. I enjoyed the hell out of the album as a whole but there were a few dull spots that kept it from being a solid 5. Real strong 4-star album, though.
Very solidly enjoyable album. Went in only knowing her self titled track which was still the highlight but enjoyed the rest and would listen again.
Hmmm, bits were good. But a lot of it wasn't for me.
Weird inclusion on this list. Oh, it's from the UK? Well, that explains it. Ms. Dynamite has an annoyingly nasal voice and a foul mouth, but she did manage to pull together one really good song, which is Krazy Krush.
For a name like "Ms. Dynamite" and "A Little Deeper." I'd expect some TNT through a mountain, not firecrackers on playdoh. That's too harsh. It's all fine but nothing about it stands out to me for an R&B record really.
Die kann ja nicht mal ordentlich singen
This is top 1000 of the world?
Normally this would not be my kind of music, however I was pleasantly surprised. The explicit parts weren't to explicit and the beat was rhythmic and easy to listen to. I only saved 3 songs for listening to later, but that was more than planned. Definitely worth listening to.
Not for me, but not bad.
Admittedly a lot better than I expected. Just not really my thing!
I was quite excited to listen to this album as I really liked Ms Dynamite-ee-ee, but the rest of the album didn’t make a dent.
It Takes More and Danger really stand out for me. Sober straight look at things with nice beats and slight off expectations lyrics and musical accompaniments
Starts strong, but inevitably runs out of steam due to it's CD-era album record length - it's almost an hour long, and just over mid-way, it gets quite tedious. Still, for the time, it's a powerful alternative to the gung-ho misogyny and violence of contemporary male fronted hip hop acts. But it doesn't make it an excellent record I'd like to get frequently back to.
I have no access in Germany to the album on apple
Not for me
R&B, british soul. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Great album
Musikalisch nichts besonderes, aber sehr wichtige und gute Lyrics. Das Album hat definitiv seine Daseinsberechtigung!
Pretty catchy tunes. Great voice.
Enjoyable modern hip hop soul and pop (reminiscent of Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot, but nowhere near as strong or sweet a voice) with more singing than rapping, however I'm not actually sure her voice is all that good. It seems a bit monotone and slightly nasally to my ears by the time the hour of music was up. I'll listen a second time to see if it grates on me as per the first listen.
Correct dans le genre r&b, rap c’est comme si ca cherchait tellment son style quelle setait perdu en chemin, 3
Hip hop. Soul.
The album is fine. But there’s so many early 2000s r&b albums that sound exactly the same or better. Not sure why this is on the list.
It's alright
When I seen the title, my eyes rolled, I said, "no".... Ok, I should have given it a chance. When It started I though, "hey, this isn't half bad." By the third time through the album I was liking it. Still not my go-to genre, but it was very good. Standouts: Dy-na-mi-tee, Put Him Out, It Takes More, Brother,
Pretty nice little album, cool blast from the past with the Dynamite song. The rest of the record was quite harmless, nice to listen to in the background. Not something I would look into again.
Enjoyable tunes from this artist I hadn't heard of. Solid R&B style from English singer/rapper
The list maker seems to enjoy forgettable U.K. rap. Nothing offensive here, but this didn't make my life more complete either.
Some interesting lyrics from a female socially conscious perspective (like Put Him Out or Brother), but also a lot of filler. And production is entirely generic from a 2023 pov.
Not bad, not great. Seems like Amy Winehouse with hip hop production.
This is alright, not good, not bad, just happily existing in a bit of a time capsule, as it's very clearly turn-of-the-century female-fronted RnB with empowerment and societal issues pushed forward. Some of the beats are done well, Put Him Out is the standout track, it just could be better, and probably doesn't need to be on this list.
This was a bit cringe really. The single that everyone knows (in the UK at least), is decent, catchy, and there's the odd flash of something, but never really gets particularly deep. Tackles a lot of grown up themes, but none of them in a particularly grown up or thoughtful way. Akala does most of the hidden track at the end of the album, and it really highlights the gulf in class 2/5.
It was interesting to listen to this album. It's slightly different from the standard R&B and hip-hop from the 2000s, even being forgettable.
Totally unremarkable.
- Also not my thing, but a little better - Put Him Out goes hard - 2.5
- I like her flow and lyricism - didn’t love all the beats
The lyrics strike a balance between self-assertiveness and a positive message promoting community. The sound is also good, I think.
Dynamitee-hee is alright, to be fair. Not heard that in donkeys. Why's this here? Oh, it won the Mercury. The record executive prize. Not an essential listen by any stretch of the imagination, but I didn't hate it. Beyond that single though I don't think I actively liked much. I remember It Takes More being on the radio lots but that didn't standout like the other one did. Krazy Krush was alright too but I'd opened a beer by that point so I can't exclude that variable from our experimental conclusion. Some absolutely dreadful shite UK garage came on after it finished on Spotify, I couldn't scream stop fast enough.
Scrolling through the Mercury Prize winners I see that 1) I've heard an awful lot of them thanks to this list -- 3 just this week! And 2) I do not appear to have the same taste as the award pickers. There are a couple exceptions to that, but this is not one of them. I don't think I needed to hear this album, not on its own merit, not on influence. It's fine it just isn't special.
Ms Dynamite flashed so brightly and then disappeared without a trace. Well meaning, socially conscious, sometimes engaging but the album not consistent enough and for every track with inspiring lyrical content such as It Takes More there’s a routine track like Anyway U Want It.
No interest in finger-in-the-air / rap / hip-hop / mass market stuff. A definite 1 star
Surprising number of good tracks beyond the one everyone knows
1st 2.5
kind of okay. i rather listen to lauren hill tbh. 6.3/10
Didn’t feel super special to me for an early 2000’s hip hop album. Never heard of Ms. Dynamite before. Fav song: Brother
Mwa, nee, dit gaat 'm niet worden voor mij vandaag.
Niet zoveel over te zeggen. Best ok.
Nice
a bit too 90s shitty women rap music to my liking...
2002. Sounds about 10 years before that. Ok, but not really my thing.
Sama kelloääni on puolissa kappaleista. 2000 luvun RnB poppia, semmosta Destiny Child jne tyyppistä. Ei oikeen mun juttu. Vika piilokappale oli ok
nope
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!
De hit van het album, en voor zover ik weet haar enige hit ooit, is een guilty pleasure van me en ik geef meteen eerlijk en open toe dat ik die in één van m'n Spotify-playlists heb staan. Ondanks dat ze als een vals-zingende Amy Winehouse klinkt. Verder is het een aanfluiting dat dit album in deze lijst staat. Ik gok dat er een tekort aan Britse R&B in deze lijst zat dat blijkbaar opgevuld moest worden. Het is geen kutmuziek en ik denk dat iedereen met een beetje goede wil dit wel uit kan zitten, maar er is geen enkele reden om dit in een lijst als deze toe te voegen. Als ik die boosheid loslaat kan ik dit prima hebben, al is een uur wel wat lang. "Put Him Out" is ook wel een leuk nummer. Veel meer is het niet. Een paar leuke nummers op een album dat in 2002 achter had moeten blijven. Een huismerk Destiny's Child, waarbij voor mij zelfs het A-merk niet eens in deze lijst hoeft. Ik hoop nu maar dat Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces ook nog een keer voorbij komt in deze lijst, anders vind ik het oneerlijk voor de Babes.
Groovy y con los 2000s metido adentro del corazón
Natural High (Interlude)- 3.8/5 Dy-Na-Mi-Tee-4/5 Anyway U Want It- 3.9/5 Put Him Out- 4.2/5 Brother- 4.3/5 It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix)- 4.5/5 Sick 'n' Tired- 4.4/5 Afraid 2 Fly- 4.2/5 Watch Over Them- 4.5/5 Seed Will Grow- 4.5/5 Krazy Krush- 4.7/5 Now U Want My Love- 4.7/5 Gotta Let U Know- 4.6/5 All I Ever- 4.4/5 Little Deeper- 3.9/5 Total- 4.3/5
"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.
I'm sorry, Ms. Dynamite, I see you won the Mercury Music Prize for this album, but alas, this style of music is simply not compatible with my eardrums
album full of bangers, that left me wanting more
First impression: Who? This is not a genre of music I like. I've never even heard of this artist or album as a stand-out example of that genre. This has a massive uphill battle to even get me to say it should be on this list. Based on my own criteria - Will I listen to this again? No. Does it deserve to be on this list? No. Is it possible to actually listen to? Yes. That's a 2/5 then.
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
Surprised at the style diversity and how much I enjoyed this album
oh god, deadly except 'It takes more'
6/10
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.
Not bad but also sort of predictable in Form and content.