Diddy has had his shares of hits and misses. He struck gold by discovering the late Christopher Wallace, Mase, and 112, back when hip-hop's heartbeat was still pulsating in the 90s. Then, Diddy drew some eyebrow-raising moves with the signing of the all-girl band Dream, and the memorable debacle of Da Band. It's hard to decide whether Puff is the Danny Ainge of the music biz, or the Isaiah Thomas of the game. Either way, Puff is back to showcase his latest commodity in the form of Donnie Klang.
Mr. White Boy was the winner of Diddy's "Making The Band" contest and earned himself a solo deal back in 2007. After watching his fellow comrades Day 26 catch a brick, Klang is now riding shotgun as Diddy tries to wheel him to success with his debut album, Just A Rolling Stone.
Klang's first single, "Take You There," shows a young man trying to rock to an infectious beat from the Soul Diggaz. Sadly, the mundane lyrics fail to take advantage of poignant production. Even Puff's cogent "take that" chants and a surprisingly exuberant verse from the Bad Boy founder isn't enough to breathe life into the track.
Puff's dream team isn't enough to save the car crash that is "Dr Love." The track proves to be a dangerous head-on collision with stupidity. As Diddy tries to be the Timbo to Donnie's Justin, it's clear to see and acknowledge that there's only one JT in the game. Tracks like "Love In Stereo" and "Which One" should be tagged with a "Listen With Caution" label, simply because of the lack of fluidity, and the insipidness contained in these tracks. Still, there's some hope as Donnie shines on tracks like "Hollywood Girls" and "Hurt That Body."
Some people lost faith in Puff after he began cosigning on acts like B-5, Dream, and Boys In The Hood. It's understandable that the draw-dropping Cassie has made Puff head sprung, but bringing her to "106 & Park" to just get ridiculed on Youtube the next day is no buen. All in all, Donnie Klang isn't a horrible singer. With some self-searching and a few more dance classes from Lauren Ann, we could see a refined Donnie in 2009.
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