Friday, December 19, 2008

Review #162: Lil' Cali "Warning Shots"

Reviewed on 12.19.2008 (Review No. 162)


Wat up, it's FrankieThaLuckyDog here. Before I get into tha review I'm about to do for Lil' Cali, I wanna announce that today marks a year where tha Louisiana connection started to pop off for me! I had my first long conversation wit Jimmy The DJ, talkin' about a bunch of Louisiana shit. Since then, I went from having just his number to havin' 5 New Orleans numbers (including his), 19 Baton Rouge numbers, and 3 "985" area code numbers!! And havin' tha luck to talk to Max Minelli, along wit a bunch others online, makes me feel that my luck wit Louisiana peeps iz here to stay, as well as my connection growin' consistantly, day by day! Now then, here goes my review for Lil' Cali "Warning Shots"! Also, I'm gonna say this on every review I do for a while: FOR ANYONE READIN' THIS: Go check out my brand new music video, "Change Tha World," featuring Tha Wennipearl (my cousin Jen)!! It's a great song (written and produced by me) and a REAL GREAT music video (directed and 100% edited by me)! | Start Time: 5:52 PM | Video Game Playing: The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past (for Super Nintendo)


Disclaimer: I rate each song from 1.0 – 5.0; each rating iz my own opinion! I only please myself wit my ratings! I don’t care how lyrical you are, as long as it’s jammin’ enough for me to like it! I look for beats, then vocals, and then lyrics. To determine my favorites, I will differ tha 4.0 ratings. If a song gets at least a 4.0 rating from me, I love it already. If at least a 4.6 rating, I pretty much really love it, as it’s considered mindblowin’ when I hear it! Any song can earn up to a maximum of a 5.0 rating. Anything I type before “ >>> ” iz what I’m sayin’ before I listen to tha song; anything after I type “ >>> ” iz what I think of tha song while I’m listening to it. If you sound like anything too mainstream for me or have auto-tune in your vocals, I’m not buyin’ it!



© 2008 CD Review (Review #162) reviewed on 12.19.2008 by FrankieThaLuckyDog.


01. "Hey Hey"
Tha 1st track off this CD. Let's see how he does… >>> Odd start for tha beginning… Not really into it at first. We'll see if it picks up… I like that, "I got pounds of that *hey hey*," part. I like how you rapped, and it was like tha sample responded. Tha 1st verse was good, but this izn't tha type of song I wanna hear wit repetitive sample parts, and that beat iz not that good for me. Tha 2nd verse was on some pretty good shit too. Tha 3rd verse was aight to me. This sounds like it could be a mainstream song, but tha beat itself iz not even Louisianaish. My Rating: 3.6


02. "Real D-Boy" Feat. Sean Kingston
I saw tha Sean Kingston feature, and was about to just puke. Then again, I made sure I looked at tha title before I could judge it. It better be good wit that kinda title! *Eats pizza at 5:58 PM and comes back at 6:13 PM* >>> Tha beat sounds not bad, but again, non-Louisianaish, and a lil' like tha vibe of "There's Nothin'" from Sean Kingston, along wit his hook havin' tha same subject as tha joint he did wit Gorilla Zoe. Not bad on tha 1st verse from you. He could've picked a better feature person than that big teddy bear, lol? Sounds like tha 2nd verse soundin' better… "Neva goin' commercial," huh? I hope so. Please get some Louisiana beats! Great 2nd verse, and okay 3rd verse. I'm still pretty disappointed of how this sounded… My Rating: 3.4


03. "Ugh" Feat. Mz Smurff
Wow, a female? Now we're goin' DOWN tha drain!!! >>> "Ugh," what's wit all tha "ughs"? Catchy, but not that good for me. Pretty nice 1st verse. LOL @ tha "I'm tha shit, even though I ain't farted" line. "Ugh," I'm losin' in tha video game I'm playin'! Maybe I finna get pissed off! Tha girl had a pretty nice verse; I wasn't disappointed by her, but I neva really have anticipation for female rappers when I hear 'em on jointz. My Rating: 3.5


04. "So Sharp" Feat. Jazze Pha
Now, I think I finna give up here… WHY NO Nu$$ie, Young Ready, Kevin Gates, etc. etc.? Why all these fuckin' mainstream people that are just average/boring to me??? >>> Cool beat, neat hook, decent so far… This izn't what I was expecting when listenin' to this CD. Catchy lil' part from Jazze, and you're on tha 1st verse… You sound like T.I. here…; decent. 2nd verse startin' off wit tha typical/boring, "I keep tha baddest bitches," part. Everyone pretty much has a bitch; why do I have to hear it on every CD? I mean, at least describe exactly what she like. Quality iz better than quantity! My Rating: 3.7


05. "I Will Never Tell"
No feature, lol? >>> Iz that T.I. on tha sample, or boring Jay-Z? Nothin' groundbreaking wit that sample/hook. Okay 1st verse. 2nd verse was a lil' better… Decent 3rd verse, but that "caught wit bricks" part at tha end of tha last verse caught onto me. My Rating: 3.6


06. "I'm All That" Feat. Lil' Boosie
Oh, finally, a Louisiana feature? Yeah! Not anticipated though, 'cause I wanna see if it's worth it, especially since my boy B-Raw (from Baton Rouge) just hit me up on tha phone… >>> Okay, that phone call looks like it changed tha pace of this CD! This sounds A LOT BETTER! Great hook, and startin' off tha 1st verse wit you rockin' dem "'bauds;" that's watz good. I hear some Project Pat "Chickenhead" samples in this (wit tha "alright, alright, alright"). Catchy 1st verse on this. Boosie had a pretty good verse as well on his part. Hearin' your 3rd verse… Of course, I like it. That's all I have to say. My Rating: 4.4


07. "Do It" Feat. Young Sleep & Da Kidd AJC
Now, even though I don't know who those featured people are, I have anticipation for this 'cause that Young Sleep dude looks like he iz a Louisiana person. We'll see how good this iz… >>> That's a much better length, 4:42! Looks like a great sounding beat in tha beginning! Great lil' attitude in tha hook! Great, catchy hook, as tha title izn't a "do it [that dance]" type of description! I hear you on tha 1st verse… I like tha, "we smokin' purp right off tha pound," part, but tha, "like Yung Joc, it's goin' down," part iz a lil' played out. That, "I fall off in tha club like, 'what's happnin' mannnnnne?'," part iz hella catchy! Tha dude on tha 2nd verse iz not bad on his part. He did a decent job wit tha shit he just spit. Let's hear tha 3rd verse… It's you… Too much of tha words, "in da club," in this shit. It's kinda obvious… Minus that typical saying, your 3rd verse was not bad. My Rating: 4.3


08. "Let Me Die" Feat. Trey Songz & Smoke DZA
I have a feelin' I'm gonna pass on this… >>> Not really into tha style of tha beat, even though it's pretty good. Great lil' hook from Trey Songz. Me losing in my video game just makes me wanna have a lower rating for this… Aight 1st verse, 2nd verse iz on now, and soundin' better. Tha beat sounded real nice in tha 3rd verse. Pretty nice 3rd verse also. How'd you get Trey Songz on a song? I thought you were an underground artist on tha come-up. Well, that beat iz just too good now, and I think I like this joint more! My Rating: 4.0


09. "Like Me"
Almost looks like tha previous title (wit tha 1st 2 words). >>> Unknown featured singer? Pretty cool beat, and cool hook. Nice lil' part about your "coke" and tha "kitchen." I like how at tha end of your 1st verse that when you said tha word, "blink," you said, "blink," again. That kinda added tha effect to make someone flinch outta nowhere, lol. You're also on tha 2nd verse… (oh yeah, I thought there was gonna be a featured rapper for a second; my bad). I like those "kush" ad-libs. Anyway, there's no 3rd verse. Pretty catchy song right here. My Rating: 3.9


½time: Off to an odd/mixed up start… Not really too happy about tha beginning jointz, but then it picked up towards tha near-end. That joint wit Boosie, tha "Do It" joint, and tha Trey Songz feature song were real nice. I wonder what kinda mix iz left…


10. Skit
What a way to start off tha 2nd ½, lol. >>> 22 seconds… Nothin' to say. My Rating: N/A


11. "On Da Grind" Feat. Ms. Peaches
What do we got here? Looks like it gon be a weird mix… >>> I thought that was gonna be Ms. Peachez (who sang "In The Tub" and "Fry That Chicken"). Not too crazy about how this sounds… Tha way she sounds ain't really interesting for me… I mean, it's just her vocals; tha lyrics are pretty cool. Listenable/not bad 1st verse… Okay 2nd verse. Not really for me, but I guess it could be good for others. Nothin' really to say about Ms. Peaches bein' on tha bridge… 3rd verse iz also decent for me. Tha way this was produced and made wasn't really tha way I would feel it too much. My Rating: 3.5


12. "Big Money" Feat. Lil' Boosie & Lake Boyz
A much better collaboration, and lookin' forward!! >>> Hearin' Savage intro in tha beginning… Looks like you're better at choosin' tha producers again! Kick-ass beat (as most of tha time when it comes to Savage, especially wit tha intro revealed). Looks like this'll be tha best joint on here! Great hook, and hearin' Boosie already on tha 1st verse… Pretty nice verse from Boosie right here. Gotta luv that hook, as it kicks ass! Let's hear how these Lake Boyz gon do on tha 2nd verse… Soundin' good so far. Definitely a cool verse right there; jammin'. Let's hear you on tha 3rd verse… Of course, you sound better on these TIGHT beats! My Rating: 4.5


13. "Tote Guns" Feat. Rico
Not sure of tha featured artist. Hope it's not a Jamaican sounding… >>> It's long (4:48). Beat iz pretty cool in tha beginning wit that organ. Good thing it's just a Biggie sample for tha hook/title! A nice 1st verse from you; likin' tha, "I'm strapped up like girbauds," line! 2nd verse might've been right behind tha 1st verse, but still went nice. Now, that 3rd verse was pretty good for me; cool joint. My Rating: 4.1


14. "Stressin' Me" Feat. Plies
Have I heard this before? Wait a sec, Ace Hood had tha same joint. What's this then? >>> Why are you stealin' this joint from Ace? Unless this a mixtape… This sounds more like an album tha way it's not mixed together. BOOM! You just came outta nowhere wit that Ace Hood flow on tha 1st verse! Great attitude on your 1st verse! Really feelin' Plies's hook, especially wit tha "fuck around and got a hoe pregnant" part; too catchy when he says that. You have that same attitude on tha 2nd verse, which helps. I think I liked Ace Hood's original version better, but, you did pretty nice stressin' out on this shit. Since that version I rated 4.0, I'm gonna rate this one a tiny bit lower. My Rating: 3.9


15. "You Don't Know" Feat. G-Ryde & Cham
I "don't know" what to expect… >>> Sounds like an East Coast sound wit tha hook mixed wit tha beat… I like tha "O's and tha dro" part. Not bad 1st verse. This slow and smooth wit tha sounding. I almost thought that was Obie Trice on tha 2nd verse… Good "Death Row grind" part. Tha 3rd verse iz soundin' interesting! I like tha "tha fiends ask, 'will you feed my pipe?'" part a whole lot! Cham on tha 3rd verse definitely brought attention wit what he was spittin'! This I'm only rating a 3.9, but this was tha best outta tha 3.9 rated jointz. My Rating: 3.9


16. "We Ride" Feat. Cupid, Young Sleep & A.N.T.
My cousin Ant iz visiting right now, lol. Again, I don't know what to expect… Could be good… >>> Tha long lengths continue (4:35 on tha length), as they could be good luck. What's wit this Cupid shit? I feel that after "Cupid Shuffle," that felt like it. How come all these Louisiana cats hookin' up wit him? Sounds odd, even though that hook was pretty nice/catchy that he made on this. Good job, Cupid. A pretty nice 1st verse from you right here. I like how Cupid adds that emotion to tha hook; yeah! Pretty nice 2nd verse, but that "killa/push me" quote from Pac iz played out for me. Tha A.N.T. dude on tha 3rd verse iz soundin' good. Great job right there. This another 3.9 rated joint… They just too close to be loved on a 1st listen. My Rating: 3.9


17. "24's" Feat. Rico & B-Real
Yes, "B-Real…on tha track, now that's a hit!" This should be good!! >>> Sounds like I might've heard it b4, but no, it's just that good Baton Rouge sound. Great sounding on tha hook!! Looks like you kept it real on tha 1st verse to prevent them haterz; nice 1st verse. Tha 2nd verse sounded pretty nice too. Can't front on that hook as it's just tight. Tha 3rd verse was equal to what I'm used to hearin' from you. My Rating: 4.2


18. "Sometimes I Cry"
Sorry, but seein' tha word "cry" in a title EASILY gets me nervous, and I can EASILY tell it's not gonna be for me! Low anticipation level… >>> Only 3 minutes, so I can't be too worried. Startin' off wit tha beat intro… Not as bad as I expected. Nice 1st verse, even though it seems like it's just draggin'… Tha hook iz just okay, but it ain't as bad as I thought it was gonna be for me. Pretty good 2nd verse too, but please, don't make any references to Jay-Z, especially since this was like at least two already. He doesn't need special recognition. Don't mind tha rating; tha lyrics were pretty nice to hear on this shit. My Rating: 3.3


Overall: End Time: 7:52 PM. Well, I expected A LOT more from this CD… It was mixed too much of songs that weren't my style, along wit tha style I expected: that Louisiana sound, especially Baton Rouge! Of course, my favorite jointz on this CD were tha Baton Rouge sounded songs. I didn't get where all tha mainstream artists came from. How did all this happen? Curious… But Cali, keep doin' ya thang, and keep collaborating wit tha Baton Rouge people, and anybody else from Louisiana 'cause *imiates that Vegas saying* "what goes on in Louisiana, STAYS in Louisiana!"


Rankings (according to my ratings):

17. "Sometimes I Cry" 3.3
16. "Real D-Boy" Feat. Sean Kingston 3.4
15. "On Da Grind" Feat. Ms. Peaches 3.5
14. "Ugh" Feat. Mz Smurff 3.5
13. "Hey Hey" 3.6
12. "I Will Never Tell" 3.6
11. "So Sharp" Feat. Jazze Pha 3.7
10. "We Ride" Feat. Cupid, Young Sleep & A.N.T. 3.9
09. "Like Me" 3.9
08. "Stressin' Me" Feat. Plies 3.9
07. "You Don't Know" Feat. G-Ryde & Cham 3.9
06. "Let Me Die" Feat. Trey Songz & Smoke DZA 4.0
05. "Tote Guns" Feat. Rico 4.1
04. "24's" Feat. Rico & B-Real 4.2
03. "Do It" Feat. Young Sleep & Da Kidd AJC 4.3
02. "I'm All That" Feat. Lil' Boosie 4.4
01. "Big Money" Feat. Lil' Boosie & Lake Boyz 4.5

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