Reviews (page 6 of 7)
When it’s good, it’s cheeky. UK garage with a pop edge. When it’s bad, it’s coffee shop soul you’d rather forget. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Dy-Na-Mi-Tee - Anyway U Want It
It's very 2000's for sure but it's just not for me.
Not a big fan of the genre but this was an okay alum for me.
Don't know if it caught me wrong but didn't like it
Next time I have an urge to hear this, I'll just turn on Lauryn Hill or Erykah Badu instead.
I want to rate this 1 star because I don’t believe it’s influential or remarkable in any way. But I rated Bowie’s The Next Day 2 stars and I’d rather listen to Ms. Dynamite
sevi hetmer scho gschriebe er seg kein fan. die erste 3 songs sind etz würkli nöd sooo geil. aso afoch null musig woni öpis demit chan afange halt. sehr afang 2000er RnB. noni öpis gsi woni mega fühl. so de put hin out beat isch easy cool aber isch hert nöd öpis woni mega will ghöre die art vo production. und au so de reggae ischlag null miis. okay etz e rechti pause gmacht mit schribe aber es isch für mich sehr s gliche. es isch no cool aber null null miis. u d hidden track isch bullshit. machtmer nöd. zwei.
haha jaa ungefähr so hanimer denkt wirds töne find ihri stimm recht cool! aber vode "herte" drumbass und snare/claps bini nöd megaa fan it takes more isch en spannende beat aber wieder, die drumbass sick'n'tired und afraid 2 fly nervtmi leider recht hahah HAN NO DRNKT ICH KENN DIE STIMM DE KY-MANI HAHAHA omg logisch no en 10 min closer👍 aha nei wieder hidden track hahahaha jaa sorry nöd mega min fall, plus hets nöd mega guet galteret und verstahn nöd, wiso das uf dere liste isch. schlecht ischs nöd, eifach hüfig echli nüt sorry ms. dynamite :(
Quite a nice album at first. Het voice sounds a bit more aggressive than Lauren Hills voice and she has a bit more bite than other similar artists of the time. There’s a few fun instruments here like the accordeon as well. It falls off hard in the second half though, the songs turn kind of mopey and the energy is all gone. I like inclusions in the list that I’ve never heard of and was glad to hear this, but I don’t see myself listening to it in the future.
She wasn’t too bad. I liked her sound
I almost gave it a 3 because it’s 2000’s R&B, but the last few songs were so bad I had to drop it.
Extremely unimaginative and boring. Some of the most uninteresting hip hop I’ve ever heard. Very basic and not particularly catchy production, no fun hooks or writing. Not offensively bad, but I got absolutely nothing out of this album.
The main word that comes to mind while listening to this is "safe." When Ms. Dynamite gets more assertive, like on "Put Him Out" or "Now U Want My Love," her songs have a lot of personality. But on other tracks, that personality doesn't shine through, resulting in songs that feel anonymous. On those songs, the lyrics feel more played out and the laid back singing can make for forgettable songs. The beats don't change much during the course of a song, which can make them tiring, especially when the drums sound a bit thin. When the songs get funkier or try new things, like the reggae influence on "Now U Want My Love," they're much more engaging. Unfortunately that's just not always the case.
Probably a good record when it released in ‘02 but really doesn’t hold up over time. It’s a fairly basic forgettable record that has some decent tracks but those are blatantly obvious mimics of better artists. Not sure why it’s even on this list?
Started of OK and deteriorated into nothing special at all.
Started alright (just alright, not great or anything) but soon run out of steam and by track 8 or so started to annoy.
Sounds like a 90s Timbaland production, but it's newer and Timbaland wasn't involved. Very derivative. If this was American, it wouldn't have been in the book. That being said, it's not awful. I remembered 2 of the songs from back in the day. Favorite song: afraid to fly
Meh. Doesnt hurt, doesnt excite.
Mis años y mi casi viejo cuerpo me dicen que ya pasaste esa estación, y no.
Seemed like rap mixed with like reggae. Not my favorite. But I don’t love rap.
Good, but she a-little-too-obviously owes her career to Lauryn Hill.
Forgettable.
Never been a fan, I cans see how people enjoy but not my cup of tea
Out of all the 2000's RnB albums, this is without a doubt one of them.
Not sure why I'd listen to this over American R&B/Rap. Not terrible, but it's radio music not Spotify music.
It's easy listening but isn't grabbing my ear.
Very pedestrian, generic R&B hip hop sound. Nothing offensive, but special about this at all.
Not my taste in music, felt it was too long as well
I found this pretty middle-of-the-road and unremarkable. Not bad but not my style. Just sounds like late-90s RnB.
Not bad, but not my bag either. Middling song writing.
Not a hip hop fan at the best of times. This one at least isn't offensively bad, it's just really not good and I found myself wishing it'll be over soon from the very first track. Similarly, the lyrics aren't absolutely horrible, but I could do without a 20-year old preaching to me about her life insights. This album does have variety going for it. But if none of it is any good, that doesn't matter much either.
Mostly dire, but confused by there being a couple of half decent tunes 😐
Ultrageneric early 2000s pop.
2.5
Good album. I thought that Amy Winehouse took a lot of elements from this record.
Pretty average and quite hit and miss, Dy-Na-Mi-Tee and seed will grow were high points
Refracting American r&b and hip hop back through foreign countries is always a weird listening experience. Hardly a new concept - the British Invasion would’ve been sued out of releasing music if a Marvin Gaye-type estate had been around. And at a more intra-country level, Elvis: a “foreigner” takes and makes a style their own. So, hearing an English singer doing an imitation of Lauryn Hill’s whole deal, well, it feels a bit fake. Which is silly. There’s also En Vogue. This is fine, but feels like another provincial entry (and sure enough, she became something of a c list Brit celeb, hosting, appearing on competition shows, etc). The beats and artificial synths are tilted enough in the direction of 2-step to remove it from the more live band/acoustic aesthetic Hill embraced. But the lyrical concerns are not dissimilar: what’s going on in my life, how I grew up, etc. There’s a bit of a curveball at the end with the garage/2-step (curiously US only?) tracks Danger and Ramp that have nothing to do with the Lauryn Hill vibe. Those sound confident and unique in a way that is far more compelling, revealing a Minaj-range talent.
Was not into this at all. I could see why some people would like it, but it sounds like every other pop/hip-hop album produced at the time. Positive lyrics with f-bombs and a parental advisory label make me happy though.
Ms. Dynamite’s 2002 moment occupies a funny place in my memory. She’s sort of right on the cusp of a crucial moment in my listening life – when music went from the received wisdom of the top 40 and whatever was in my mum’s car (invariably Texas, Dido) to something I could have a stake in all of my own; something to explore, to guard (I was a kid!) and to make for myself. It’s for that reason that I greet this record so warmly. Certainly, it’s aged well: the “dy-na-mi-tee-hee” is still just as iconic, “It takes more” still just as resonant (women certainly haven’t stopped being underestimated in the past 23 years). It’s fun to hear “Brother” too and think that it’s about Akala – between a Mercury prize winning daughter and a discourse defining son, mum and dad must be very proud. “A little deeper” isn’t an album with deep cuts I’ll soon return to, but I was glad to be given an opportunity to reflect on just how big a breakthrough Ms. Dynamite’s was. A seismic moment in British music history (one I was too busy listening to Finch’s “What it is to Burn” for the 300th time that day to appreciate at the time).
Smooth vocals but didn't really do anything for me.
Couldn't get through the while album but what I heard was fine for its genre and time. Generic and boring.
Big meh. Not much here is noteworthy, it's perfectly listenable, very 2002, overproduced. Some decent songs, some snoozers, nothing that's outright bad, all pretty forgettable. Overall just an aggressively dull listening experience
This is way too long
Creo que me suena el tema que se llama como ella, pero no estoy seguro. Después de escucharlo veo que mi memoria no me falló. Veo que aparte de ese tema no tuvo mucho más recorrido, otro disco más y silencio. No está mal, pero prometía más de lo que al final ha sido. Espero que el contrato de £1m (un millón de libras) le haya cundido, menuda lotería. Le voy a poner 2 estrellas aunque me guardo "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee".
Another one from the early 2000s who was anointed the future of British music and promptly disappeared just as quickly as they arrived, one good song ("Dy-Na-Mi-Tee"), one ok-ish album (this one), one long break in between albums and then discovered music had passed her by and basically retired.... yet somehow she got an MBE some 16 years later for services to music.
This was a decent album, clearly a product of its time. While it was listenable, I struggle to understand how it rates as essential listening. Standout track: It Takes More
Don't see the use of this. Nothing felt particulary original. Expected a littlf more bounce considering the cover gives a bit of that vibe.
• 2/5 • Meh. Liked Dy-No-My-Tee but the rest didn’t stand out and quality of tracks and production was uneven.
Just couldn't get into it. Appreciate it's not my style though.
A not very interesting early aughts UK hip-hop/R&B record. Perhaps the thing it has going for it is that it is different from what was dominant style of hip-hop at the time of its release?
Pretty forgettable Britrap. track 2 was familiar, the rest went in one ear and out the other.
Va egentlig veldig fornøyd når 2000-tallet va over, musikkmessig
Respectfully, I enjoyed parts of this album. Disrespectfully, it feels like a page-three Wish version of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Released during a creatively exhausted era of hip-hop, pop, and R&B, A Little Deeper struggled to stand out. Around this time, the spotlight had shifted—genres like indie rock and nu-metal were pulling focus (The Strokes, Linkin Park), and hip-hop was entering a new chapter with artists like Kanye and Eminem reshaping the landscape. The album isn’t bad—it’s nostalgic in its production, and I enjoy listening to this style—but the concept feels recycled, underdeveloped, and at times, pandering. There’s clear talent here, but the execution doesn’t hold up. It’s an unfortunate product of its moment: caught between what had already been done and what was about to change.
Never heard this before (outside of the singles) and have to say it is both more poppy and more retro-sounding than I would have imagined, seeing as it came out in the days of garage and grime. I found it a bit bland to be honest.
Jazzy R&Bish rap - probably sounded fresh in 2002 but definitely didn't have to listen to it before I died. 2 seems harsh because it's fine and smooth and not unpleasant (if a bit early 2000s), but I just can't get behind it. I've given equally forgettable albums higher scores, so this is really just because I found it tough to get through. An hour? c'mon.
A truly bizarre inclusion on the list. It's not bad I just have to imagine there are 100 other albums from 2002 that could be on this list instead. The British bias continues to run strong. Made it halfway and I don't need to listen to any more. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)
Not very deep
Well I didn't not like this album, I'll probably never listen to it again. It's just not really my thing.
I’d probably say 2.5
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.
Early 2000's hip hip. All songs sound pretty much the same. I did not like this album
Not bad, pretty nostalgic
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.
Day 94 - March 15th, 2025 Good? Yes. But why is it on here? It's nothing special. 2/5
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 🤷
Quite listenable/catchy for a R&B/HipHop- album. 2,5
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.
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.
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.
I'd like to see this replaced with any album by little simz.
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
OK, I guess, but not that interesting to me. Listened to the whole thing.. despite recurring urges to find something better.
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.”
More rap?? No thanks - I do NOT need to hear any more rap before I die. It isn't musically important.
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
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.
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.
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.
Menevä r'n'b-molli. Sanoitukset eivät kestä kovin tarkkaa kuuntelua. Mukana sympaattisen vaatimaton hitti.
Started strong, tapered off quick. Not terrible, but probably not essential either.
Meh. 2.5 stars
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.
Favorite Track: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
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
generic pop hip-hop pick: dy na mi tee
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.
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.
Not one I’ll be coming back to but not as bad as I feared it could’ve been. Some decent moments.
Perfectly run-of-the-mill early-2000's hip hop. Not bad, just not that interesting either
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
Not bad just... Not my thing.
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.
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?
2 out of 5. She has a lovely voice, but this just wasn't doing it for me.
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
Mwah mwah
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.
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.
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
"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
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
Meh
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's ok I guess.
I'd be OK with not hearing this again, but I didn't hate it.
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
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
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.
“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
Good for its genre perhaps but not for me
Nothing stood out for me on this album
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.
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.
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.
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
Standard R&B fair to me. Nothing special
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.
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.
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.
Not bad but nothing I would return to and nothing I would say is particularly interesting. Mid 2.
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
I can see why someone would be into this as it's slick and well made but the genre just isn't for me.
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
Pretty good
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.
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.
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
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.
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. ⭐⭐
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.
Unremarkable.
2/5
Pleasant but seems but superficial and irrelevant now. Landfill soul funk pop whatever.
It was okay
Anyway U Want It is the only song I liked.
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
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.
2001 British female rap reggae. Interesting
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
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
Boring.
Ms. Dynamite is a wet squib.
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 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.
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.
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.
halfway through asked myself "why am i still listening to this?" NNN
unremarkable.
Första låten var ganska bra resten var inte riktigt min grej
It's not bad, but, I don't really see the cultural impact this album has had....
Perhaps the single most unremarkable album in the entire book
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
This seemed like pretty standard 2000s R&B. Fine, but not sure why it made this list
Good production but not for me
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 really my vibe, but catchy nonetheless
Never heard of this artist or album. Not really my taste. 2/5
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 didn't quite make it.
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.
Started off ok but soon became very monotonous. Nothing you haven’t heard before
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.
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 !
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.
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.
Not for me
Enjoyable tunes from this artist I hadn't heard of. Solid R&B style from English singer/rapper
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.
Totally unremarkable.
- Also not my thing, but a little better - Put Him Out goes hard - 2.5
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.
Mwa, nee, dit gaat 'm niet worden voor mij vandaag.
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
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.
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.
oh god, deadly except 'It takes more'
Not bad but also sort of predictable in Form and content.
Is this supposed to be interesting? Even in 2002 this felt dated and more ‘clever’ than good. Maybe I’m being too harsh. But nothing grabbed me.
Not a genre I really enjoy. This was alright, but not something I'd listen to again. 2 stars.
Bah..
Cet album ne ressort pas vraiment du lot de la scène hip hop du début 2000. Un mélange assez prévisible de R&B et hip hop, sans grande audace au niveau musical. It Takes More est la pièce la plus intéressante à mon avis, avec un rythme et un refrain assez prenant. Mais tout le reste s'inscrit dans un grand flou générique.
I wish this went a little deeper into being good. No bangers. All mash.
Not bad just not my jam
Meh, kyllähän tuon kuunteli läpi muttei tullut vähääkään tunne, että haluisi lisää.
Alkupuoli oli aika hyvä, mutta loppua kohden tylsistyi
Meh. Generic R&B. Not sure why it made the cut. 2/5
Sounds very much like a product of its time.
Very message-y in an early 2000s way, which gets a little old, hut generally good!
Mediocre.
Meh
2.5
hip-hop rap. Un poco rollo.
Vocal com potencial para render melhores sequencias de músicas mais envolventes.
I liked the songs I knew, nice slice of nostalgia rest was just okay
Starts with a Interlude??? Downhill from there
Sounds like she's trying to emulate Lauryn Hill but she's constantly flat, bending the notes, or both. Best track: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
Sounds like it came from the mid 90s (and not in a good way).
Sounds like generic 00s R&B. I see this somehow beat The Streets to the mercury prize (not that anyone cares about that award) and the artist herself had an MBE, for this one hit wonder album. The songs that weren’t derivative of Lauryn hill and Erykah Badu were pretty dated sounding. This and Finlay Quaye might be the final nail for even doing this 1001album challenge. Too much cack on the list.
Bien parti. Ca s’essouffle. Meilleures chansons sont la première et 2-3 dernières. 4.5/10
This is lame. Generic rap that no one cares about. Why is it on the list? I don’t know. There are probably at least 100 rap albums that I would have been happier with inclusion. If you’re going to include a generic one, at least let it be a generic one people like. Just boring.
Very dated. Music for 14 year old girls.
This was not a bad album. But it simply doesn't belong on this list.
Not my kind of music. Next!
This was okay. Not really my genre but it wasn't obnoxious or anything.
dom lite "råare" låtarna är rätt goa men dom smöriga är hemska.
Soulvolle RnB met een hip beatje eronder. Het fijne is dat er meer gezongen wordt, dan slecht gerapt, dat geeft wat meer afwisseling dan de standaard hiphop. Soms heeft het een hoog Destiny's Child gehalte en wreekt het zich dat ze juist niet zo goed kan zingen als een Beyonce. Het zal ongetwijfeld wel weer gaan om de teksten, waarin ze haar onvrede uit over familie en vrienden. Leuk om kennis van te nemen, maar ik heb niet zoveel met dit soort muziek.
Early 2000s neo-soul very typical of the era that followed in the footsteps of Lauryn Hill, but with an emphasis on trip-hop beats and reggae sections. Some decent songs, but most of it is forgettable and generic, and it's way too long at an hour length. A third of it is good, a third of it is ok, and a third of it is lame. Favorites: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Put Him Out, It Takes More, Now U Want My Love, All I Ever
Nobody has listened to this album outside the context of this book since like 2006. Snoozefest. I have nothing meaningful to say about this. Next album.
hip-hop rap. Un poco rollo.
This album is mostly just boring. Basic beats. Flow is mid at best. The themes are nice, but there has to be songs with similar themes that are better to listen to.
Occasionally I found myself moving a little with the rhythms but this was mostly quite flat.
I'd like to get a little deeper into Ms Dynamite. She looks like a right goer. Really deep. Right through her.
Meh
Är det inte hårdrock så är det en jävla massa rap och hip-hop. Den här plattan är det sistnämnda. Lite musik kan man dock skönja.
British hip-hop is cosplay
Never heard of this album or artist, and to be honest this will probably completely leave my mind in a few days anyway. Totally and utterly boring and generic, this offers absolutely nothing that so many other hip hop albums of the time don't do a hundred times better. And to top it all off, that's right, it just had to be a whole hour long, doesn't it? What is it with artists who have absolutely nothing original to say or do and still deciding that this justifies being as long as it is. This is completely pointless and you would have to be insane to call this "essential listening" while ignoring hundreds of other brilliant albums that didn't make the cut.
Possibly the dullest album I've ever listened to. I hate this genre of music and her voice is very annoying. I'd give it 0 if I could
Insignificant fluff. In one ear and out the other. Instantly forgettable.
mehRnB
Don’t really have anything to say about rap albums anymore
Not for me
Well I listened right through until the hidden track. Just a shame the rest weren't hidden too and I might have been forgiven for missing them all. Actually the Dy-Na-Mi-Tee track was familiar and an actual song so a star for that at least. Also interesting to see Keon Bryce featuring on track 3. So that's what he's up to after leaving his Radio 2 show!!😂
Ce n'est pas de la dynamite, kramasla ne termine pas avec une tite finale gansta
Meh
Yeah this is pretty tepid. What's with the author bias toward mediocre UK contemporary material? It's hard to hear much originality here, nevermind find much genuine interest.
not my speed
Not for me
Well-produced but extremely generic early-00s R'n'B that has absolutely zero reasons to be on this list.
Quite boring to me and probs should not be on the list.
499/1089 - This is for sure early 2000s British RnB.
En ymmärrä miten päätynyt tälle listaukselle. Todella geneeristä, en jaksanut kuunnella loppuun. 1,25/5.
It felt very awkward
Can someone explain to me why I needed to hear this album before I died? It just feels like generic, modern soul/R&B/hip-hop, which honestly just does nothing for me.
Boring hiphop
Boring
Phew! This album is boring. It might not be even truly bad, but it's really really dull. It's exactly the kind of monotonous rap with R&B samples from Ableton's default presets that you've heard in countless other productions. I really have no idea what’s so special about it, or why it made the 1001 Albums list. Surely there must be plenty of other rap and R&B recordings out there that sound less streamlined and generic?
Dy-Na-Mi-Tee fikk skiva til å høres lovende ut. Deretter følger en kavalkade av 2000-talls pop som poserer som kul musikk. Hva separerer egentlig Ms. Dynamite fra et Destiny's Child eller Pussycat Dolls? At det er litt mer oomph i bassen? At hun bruker posisjonen sin til å gi anti drug statements? Keiserens nye klær i full effekt.
Ms. Dynamite's debut is chock-full of dull, garden-variety lyrics that lack any kind of unique perspective or insight. Her flow is unremarkable, and her singing emphasizes vocal flourishes over fundamentals - it's all frosting and no cake.
No worth the vinyl.
Nah
Dy-Na-Mi-Tee It Takes More
Unlistenable trash. Maybe you might like this record if you prefer women who sound as if they've been ruffied. Ctrl Alt Delete
1. high - 0 2. dynamite - 1 3. uuant - 1 4. out - 0 5. brother - 1 6. more - 0 7. zick - 0 8. fly - 0 9. uuatch - 1 10.grow - 1 11. Crazy - 0 12. Love - 0 13.know - 1 14. Ever - 1 15. Deeper - 1
What is this and why am I getting it. I am not interested in this. This album has a song on it called “krazy krush.” What the fuck. I’m going to London today in other news. Uhh I’m not finishing this. This is insanely boring. Just like I cannot even stand how boring this project is. I’m not finishing this, no. Disappointed in this site. 3.4/10
Why in gods green earth is in the top 1001 albums of all time. Fake ass Lauryn Hill wanna be. Lame.
A pale imitation of actual music.
Yeah, this does nothing for me. Pretty shallow gibberish. Not sure it was groundbreaking when it came out, certainly not in 2026.
bad
Cool when it's not so poppy. The record starts with series of single-friendly poppy tracks. These feet annoying to me. It's a distinctive 00s pop R&B sound that I can't seem to enjoy. Later tracks feel much more real and honest to me and I like them a lot more
Lyrics were a little lame
Outside of some of the "conscious" lyrics, there is nothing really noteworthy at all. Getting a "Why is this on the list?" score of 1
ik kan uit het blote hoofd 1001 platen opnoemen die belangrijker en/of beter zijn dat dit
Not for me
Great lead single, but not much more to enjoy. Reminds me of Lauryn Hill at times, but not coming close
😴😴😴