"The guy that stays in the game the longest is the guy who brings CHANGE." After the success of his first two albums, 268-192 and The Phoenix, Lyfe Jennings is back with his third opus, Lyfe Change. Known for his sensual raspy voice, Lyfe recruits just three guest artists on this output -- T.I., Wyclef Jean and Snoop Dogg -- to send a message to all his fans that change can be good.
On the album's first song, "Keep Dreaming," audiences are treated to a beautifully played background piano and wonderful lyrics. When melded together, it creates a heart-warming story about learning to follow your own dreams and just being yourself. "Maybe you should stop listening to your friends / And listen to your heart / It's nice to be famous / It's nice to be a star / But it's also nice to be just who you are," Lyre preaches on the benign ballad.
As we get deeper into the album, Lyfe taps into the very complicated topic of true love. Lyfe seems as if he is trapped in a place called "Never Never Land," but he understands that what he is feeling is far from a fairytale. "It feels like something's moving inside of me / my heart is doing backflips inspite of me / and there's no place that I would rather be than with you and my kids / My family, I think about u constantly / you gonna be my wife eventually / It don't matter what my friends say to me / there's no changing my mind, so ya'll just pray for me," Lyfe croons.
"Brand New" continues this common theme. The mid-tempo offering samples Nas' "If I Ruled the World" and makes the song even more enjoyable to listen to. Mr. Jennings accentuates the soulful sample with luminous lines like, "I remember livin' in the projects / I remember spendin' welfare checks / That's something you never never forget / How could I abandon you now? / You'll always be a superstar." But Lyfe isn't done teaching just yet. It seems that love constantly pervades his psyche. Taking us through the powerful ballad "Will I Ever" Lyfe ponders, "Tell me will I ever fall in love, or will I be alone forever?" This, like many songs on the album, is a pensive production that someone at some point can relate to or can say, "I've been there before."
Lyfe Change is a very personal and inspirational album, and with few guest appearances, listeners will able to welcome Lyfe's voice into their hearts without having to filter out any fillers . His touching, while powerful lyrics enable us to get on that "Midnight Train" he speaks about and get lost in our thoughts. Whether it be about love or how to better yourself as a person, Lyfe Change is a life changing tool that everyone should listen to.
Features Slim (of 112): Hi Haters What else do you want from Slim? His prolific group 112 has sold over 20 million records worldwide, and with a bevy ... full story
Editorials & Columns Scouting Report: Bambu You can refer to Bambu with various terms: rebel, revolutionist, Filipino, thug, artist. From the outside looking in, ... full story
Beyond Hip-Hop Game Review: Far Cry 2 Gone are Jack Carver, his Hawaiian shirt, and the trigens from the first installment of "Far Cry," but in comes spine ... full story
Video Bambu: Like Us (Music Video) We recently featured Filipino rapper, Bambu, in our Scouting Report column, and now, he's just dropped a new video. ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
