** out of 5 stars
NAAM Brigade seeks the good life, and has suffered the bad. While this may be true, does anyone really want to hear the same story again?
It is not uncommon to hear a rapper tell the tale of his rising from a meager existence to a respectable position and lavish lifestyle. Though everyone strives for comfort and happiness, the increasingly popular theme of making oneself seem richer, more powerful, and sexier than the previous era of musicians has already grown tired.
Very predictable and depersonalized lyrics laid over major-label hip-hop beats cause the audience to lose interest quickly. The ongoing cry of "we have money and hoes" contrasted deeply with the "starving artist" image the group so eagerly and somewhat dishonestly tries to lead the audience to believe they were going to explore in the beginning.
An attempt at a superficial "dance" hit spawned "What You Doin' Wit Dat," featuring Juvenile.
NAAM Brigade fails to reach expectations of a thoughtful and inspiring release, but rather struck a chord of disappointment. It seems as if they were given a checklist of topics to explore, but were given instructions to only discuss these topics on the surface.
