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What happens when a group of producers, singers, and,
rappers become "fed up with the current state of
popular music?" They make their own. And that's
exactly what Collabo decided to do. Collabo, a.k.a.
Collaborative Music Group, is a new independent record
label offering original and innovative sounds to Hip
Hop, R&B, and neo-soul lovers. Collabo's newly released
and first compilation album, entitled Round 1,
contains 13 tracks produced by Collabo's producers B.
Dubb, Montkeyz, DoDatstick, and V.I.C. Some tracks feature
the label's five artists: singers Traci Ray, Tamara
Hudson, and Jarrett Riley, and rappers MC Cliffy D and
Precize.
Featured on Round 1 are mellow party songs like
It's On 2nite and Shake It, Move It
(they're no Luke booty shakin' joints but you can definitely
move to them) along with smooth, easy listening R&B
tracks including Jarrett Riley's Crazy and Tamara
Hudson's You're The 1. MC Cliffy D delivers tight
lyrics on Change Da Game, a song guaranteed to
have heads nodding to the electric guitar-laced (and
very original) beat. Rapper Precize does his thing as
well on Jump Off. "It's the jump off
with Cize makin' it hot, Aggravating you pipe riders
hatin' a lot, You mad at us cause there's no way you
stoppin' us, Rip the track and just lock down the populous,
Don't get it wrong, get it right, Like Samuel L. I'm
giving 'em a very long kiss goodnight, Wanna get it
started? You know Precize will, cause the flow is hot
enough to melt all your ice grills..." This
Might Be The Day, sung by Traci Ray, is another
winner with its catchy hook and "boy-you-know-you-want-me"
theme.
The weak parts of the album come when the producers
attempt to rap such as on songs like Y U Hatin' Us,
What U Lookin' At, and Doin' It Yell.
It would be nice to hear more of the three singers as
well.
Collaborative Music Group successfully kept Round
1 far from the pop or gangsta' rap genres that are
so popular right now. In other words don't expect any
50 Cents or Ashantis.
Check out Collaborative Music Group at collabomusic.com
Are you feelin' "Round I: The Compilation"
or not?
Vote
in our online poll right here
Review by Chana Twiggs
Contributing Writer- PhillyHipHop.com
April, 2003
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