Songs:
1) Lil Boogie Intro
2) Memories
3) Celebrate
4) Break of Dawn
5) Can't Let Go
6) Live Your Life
7) Miles Away
8) Live On Stage
9) All the Way
10) Weekdays
11) Baby
12) Sweet Melodies
13) Move
14) Shine
15) Daddy's Little Girl
16) Feel Good Music
17) Pay Dues

I'm ambivalent about this album; when it was over I wasn't dying to hear more, but I admit the band is talented. I'll give it to them for shying away from the "booty, gold, diamonds, and look-at-me" hip-hop that infects the airwaves.

The music is professional, but it's standard hip-hop: mix a five-second cut from an old record to lay down the beat, add in a dash of keyboard and two male rappers up front with a female backup singer. Voil#224! Repeat for every song.

Lead MCs Johaz and Mr. Brady have deep voices and can keep up fast-paced raps. The background music has the clear, crisp melodies of soulful New York-style hip-hop of the early '90s. Singer Brea has a lilting voice that harmonizes well with the music and is a good counterpoint to the gruff rappers.

It was groundbreaking stuff when a Tribe Called Quest did it in the '90s. A decade later, it only seems like stunted growth. Instead of saying, "This is what hip-hop should've been without Puffy's commercialism," they're saying, "This is what hip-hop was." And that's fine, if you're nostalgic for Mos Def and Nas.

--- Hometown CD Review 2-8-07