See the issue: February 2007

Tyrese a.k.a. Black-Ty Alter Ego [J Records]

So his role as Cole—the hard-hitting brute in Annapolis—was far from Oscar-worthy. That venture is history, and now Tyrese is here to impress us with his latest endeavor: Alter Ego, a double-disc album that features collaborations with Lil Jon, Method Man, The Game and Snoop.

The first part of the album is full of suave, R-Kelly-style sounds—all good for mellowing out before a big game. In the second half, listeners experience Tyrese’s complete transformation into Black-Ty. Though the hip-hop style is a 180 for the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, the newly named rapper throws down some solid beats that are great for getting pumped. Overall, his split personality produces some creative rhymes that warrant some serious attention.

Top Tracks: “Get It In,” “What It Is” and “Roll The Dice.”

The Cinematics A Strange Education [TVT Records]

This Scottish group’s debut album, A Strange Education, drops on Feb. 27. Don’t expect to hear any bagpipes, though; instead, vocalists Scott Rinning and Ramsay Miller jam on guitars, while Adam Goemans strums the bass and Ross Bonney slams it down on drums. It’s an upbeat pop-rock sound they’ve been refining since their team-bonding days as lads in a garage full of cheap amps and guitars. From The Smashing Pumpkins to The Cure, look for a wide array of musical influences infiltrating their tunes.

Top Tracks: “Race to the City,” “Break” and “Alright”

Rate this article:   1  5