Review #396: TNC Boys "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"

Reviewed on 2.10.2010 (Review #396)




Back at cha once again, snowed in!! Keepin’ tha reviewz comin’ along, tha next one I got in tha mail as a hard copy so you KNOW dat’s watz good!! Thanx ta Torcha (I believe of tha TNC Boys?), here goes my review for TNC Boys “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”! Start Time: 8:36 PM | End Time: 10:27 PM


Quick Note: 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) so 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.

© 2010 CD Review (Review #396) reviewed on 2.10.2010 by FrankieThaLuckyDog. Other than tha main artist or affiliated people with tha main artist, this review iz to not be used in anyone else’s words!


Source (Where I Got Tha CD From): Hard copy from Torcha (TNC Boys)


01. “Intro”
The Titans beat. Startin’ it off here for tha N.O.; what do we got? >>> Tha beat start iz okay/a lil’ above average so far. Tha song itself iz okay so far; nice job wit tha 1st verse. Tha hook sounds a lil’ betta… Speakin’ of betta, it sounds like I’m feelin’ tha 2nd verse much betta here; nice flow/voice! I like tha “TLC/TNC” part! Sounds like a good intro track; DEFINITELY some heat was spit on here! I started ta like it betta as it progressed! My Rating: 3.8


02. “Everywhere I Go”
Let’s see this one. >>> I think I like this beat betta for a start; tha speech brought tha 1st verse in good. Pretty good job wit tha 1st verse; sounds pretty good. I like how tha hook sounds; good flow here. Not bad for tha 2nd verse; okay job here. My Rating: 3.7


03. “Microphone Hero”
Mercure beat. Looks like it’ll be tight; let’s check it out. >>> Tha beat sounds okay although a lil’ catchy. I’m likin’ how tha 1st verse sounds; good shit here! I feel like I’m drained into all tha lyrics dat are goin’ on; lots of them are a plus. Tha hook was short; okay hook. Tha 2nd verse sounds pretty good too; wild shit! My Rating: 3.9


04. “Roll All Night”
This iz an interestin’ title so it should be a pretty interestin’ song; let’s see. >>> Are tha people in parenthesis tha producers? I thought they were features at first… So then, this iz a Niyo beat. This iz DEFINITELY more my style!!! I like tha hook, pill-rollin’ style!! TIGHT shit here!! Tha beat iz cool and it sounds like some hot shit iz bein’ spit on tha 1st verse!! I wonder what y’all like when you “roll” and shit? Good start to tha 2nd verse here. I liked tha 1st verse betta wit tha flow, attitude and err-thang but you know this iz tha shit!! Felt like it took a while for tha 3rd verse here. A lil’ short but Hollygrove Mikey gets his attention. What happened to tha ending? It was like a ½ second of a beat and then it ended? My Rating: 4.7


05. “At The Top Now” Feat. Duplessis
Tha 1st feature here… How much will this song catch my attention? >>> A lil’ scary for tha start but tha lyrics in tha hook give it a street feel. Interestin’ “dark” lyrics ova this beat here on tha 1st verse; dark theme! Tha 2nd verse doin’ a good job wit tha lyrics; nice visions here. My Rating: 4.1


06. “Thinkin’ Money” Feat. A Levy
Could be good… You know I like features so let’s see this shit! >>> Sounded like a strong start to tha song/1st verse and tha beat pretty good here. Oh wait, it’s tha hook; good shit. Tha 1st verse only okay; kinda typical but a lil’ betta. Tha hook wit tha “life ain’t sweet like a glass of lemonade” part reminds me of when hooks that caught lots of attention really had a name for themselves. Good job on tha 2nd verse on this… My Rating: 3.8


07. “Slow Mo”
A joint wit 5:03 on tha length; what’ll this one entail? >>> Sounds like this iz gonna be an odd song… Tha beat iz okay but it sounds a lil’ betta than what I thought it was gonna be. Tha hook reminds me of a hot Florida day. Too bad we have inches of snow and it’s in tha 20’s now. Not bad 1st verse here; consistent shit. Speakin’ of consistent, tha 2nd verse was a lil’ betta but tha flow iz just so consistent. Droppin’ a lil’ bit of tha consistency, tha 3rd verse has various shit goin’ on. Thumbs up on droppin’ lots of shit goin’ on. My Rating: 3.6


08. “Dumb It Down”
Not what I think it iz… >>> This iz different for a start from what I was thinkin’. Tha sample sounds weird/good. Usually, I hate samples randomly in songs but this gon be hot. Nice blend of tha sample and tha beat! Tha flow/lyrics on tha 1st verse DEFINITELY iz good on this beat! I got drained into tha song so I don’t know if I’m on tha 2nd verse… I think I am and it’s soundin’ good again. There’s a voice ta be heard here so you know it’s official! My Rating: 4.3


09. “Dance As Soldiers”
Hmm… >>> As what I wrote about tha last song, this iz where samples can go wrong for me. Not dat bad but a lil’ weird for me. How odd dat tha 1st verse iz real tight vs. tha hook! Luv tha FAST-ASS hi-hats @ :47!!! Tha title can be gay but that doesn’t make tha song bad at all! Even tha 2nd verse soundin’ consistent and tight!! My Rating: 4.3


10. “All My Haters” Feat. Konfo
Glad you brought Konfo along! Lookin’ forward ta hearin’ this one, clockin’ in at almost five minutes! >>> Good beat start, okay title part. Sounds like a good hook… “Shine like a safire;” good shit, Konfo! He had a nice verse here; good collab! A good/okay 2nd verse here; nothin’s betta than tha flow on each track. More on tha gangsta tip for tha 3rd verse, which makes me feel dat it’s a real gr8 verse! Even tha ending from Konfo was cool. Why did he say this CD was “comin’ soon?” I have a copy of it… My Rating: 3.9


½time: Pretty good CD so far. DEFINITELY feelin’ tha lyrics and flows! Nothin’ borin’ me so far so y’all got a plus, a 4.0 average CD rating “plus” iz what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!


11. “Grown Man”
Let’s see how we start tha 2nd ½ off… >>> Very horrible start here! Wish I could skip it but I’ll deal wit it! Beat iz way too mellow and tha Auto-Tune (WhyTF am I typin’ that in 2010? ) hurts it. Bad vocals in tha 1st verse; I guess it’s ‘cause of tha AT. Due to dat, it makes tha verse annoying. Talk about annoying, it’s worse on tha 2nd verse; no more feedback for it. When people stereotype tha Backstreet Boys and tha Spice Girls as “no one listens to them,” I hope tha same goes for AT soon!! My Rating: 1.5


12. “Heart Breaker” Feat. E.D. Nix
E.D. Nix’s name iz familiar; let’s see what this about for somethin’ under 2:30… >>> You know I get tired of tha “Real Hip-Hop” sayin’ and all dat; it makes people anti when they make music! Sounds like a Lupe Fiasco song… Tha flow was consistent though so it was meant ta be a good 1st verse. E.D. Nix checked in before tha 2nd verse so I’m now hearin’ him spittin’ pretty good shit here. Speakin’ of “cursed without a cuss word,” there’s a rapper I know that surprisingly iz “cursed without sayin’ a cuss word” for forgettin’ about my boy and I on a CD of theirs that came out last year. I DON’T DO SHIT TA BE CONSIDERED A FANTASY!!! It’s almost like my big review didn’t count or somethin’, smh. My Rating: 3.4


13. “I’m Good Freestyle”
Anotha short joint… It’s a freestyle so let’s see what goes on. >>> Not a good beat whateva it iz. A catchy flow for tha 1st verse here. It was a very consistent verse for a freestyle! It looks like tha 2nd verse gon be real gr8 too from tha first few seconds of it! Good job wit tha 2nd verse too, ya dig! My Rating: 3.5


14. “Shawty Lookin’ Good”
How “good” will y’all make it for only 2:35 on tha length? >>> Shit, anotha REAL HORRIBLE song! Just like tha word “cunt!” Verses don’t even need feedback. Definitely worse than tha last AT song! *Stops at 2:29, wit only six seconds remaining!* My Rating: 1.0


15. “My Job” Feat. Konfo
Konfo to save tha day!! Let’s hear this REMEDY!!! >>> Good start. Tha beat iz okay but when hearin’ Konfo, it’s definitely acceptable! Catchy shit on tha hook here; glad Konfo’s here! DEFINITELY a nice 1st verse here goin’ on; it doesn’t stop here wit Konfo leavin’ blood on tha track!! Nice “planet traveling” on tha 2nd verse here; consistent lyrics bein’ spit! Konfo gives me a K’naan feel in his hook wit tha “for money, we meditatin’;” you KNOW my female Religion class teacher LUVS her Hip-Hop! My Rating: 4.5


16. “See Me Ball”
Un plus (a plus)? >>> I don’t know if you know of Vybe but y’all should holla at him (I don’t know how ta get in touch wit him though) ‘cause he makes some tight beats in Louisiana! Tha beat intro reminded me of him ‘cause it was pretty good. So far, tha start iz pretty good. Sounds like y’all got “haters” wit your hook. Tha 1st verse sounds good; it rolls through nice. A “money race” goin’ on here in tha 2nd verse; catchy hood lyrics here. My Rating: 4.2
EDIT: Speakin’ of Vybe, I believe he produced this! When I was writin’ what I had ta write in tha beginning about him, I invisioned hearin’ tha “Vybe… Vybe” beat tag and I thought it was just my imagination. Then, I listened closely when tha last hook ended and I did hear tha “Vybe… Vybe!”


17. “Bounce With Me”
Under three minutes here; will it be “Bounce,” lol? >>> Thought it was a fast beat in tha beginning but no, it’s some weird sample. Tha sample iz a lil’ weird but I’m gonna try and give into this… Not bad for tha 1st verse; okay for what tha song iz. Nothin’ really catchin’ on wit tha 2nd verse… I don’t know what ta say although tha attitude shifted a lil’ around 2:12 which made me give it a slight plus. My Rating: 3.2


18. “Downfall” Feat. Kara Juelz
I don’t know if I’ll look forward ta this one. I like tha gurl’s name though. >>> LOL, when there’s a low anticipation, there’s some sorta UPRISE!! Like I tell myself, when I do my reviewz for Dance/Techno music, (not to you guys ‘cause you guys are supporters, but…) my quote to haters iz, “Why do you care? You’re prolly just gonna sample it anywayz!” And look at this: A sample of DJ Encore Feat. Engelina “I See Right Through To You” (not just in tha hook but in tha beat); REAL HOT SHIT!!! Tha sample sounds REAL HOT and tha 1st verse sounded good on this; major surprise!! Ooh, tha lady iz a rapper!! She’s spittin’ some pretty interestin’ shit here. This joint went by pretty quick but was DEFINITELY HOT; I felt it!! My Rating: 4.7


19. “Addicted”
I felt like dat for tha last song, slowly! Talk about every digit in tha length goin’ up: From 3:33 to 4:44, let’s see how this joint goes! >>> Sounds like one of those anticipating starts; remindin’ me a lil’ of Vybe! SHIT YEA!! I FELT tha beat tag when it came in!! Talk about a CORRECT GUESS!! Tha hook sounds catchy; this mixtape slowly gettin’ REAL interestin’!! Tha 1st verse sounds outta nowhere wit tha flow; feels like tha lyrics randomly come atcha! It feels like there’s some nice, long parts before each verse comes on (like tha 1st verse was a lil’ after 1:20 and tha 2nd verse was at around 2:43); that’s cool. LOL, tha 2nd verse was short as hell! Nice contribution though. …And there’s only two verses on this song; it prolly would’ve had like 5:55 on tha length if there was three, lol! My Rating: 4.3


20. “I Love Hip-Hop” Feat. Dy & Lyrikill
I thought I saw Lyrikill’s name someone else (like maybe on Konfo’s “The Brainstorm”?)… A Mercure beat this time and tha 5:18 length iz here so let’s hear a long joint! >>> I had a weird feelin’ about this ‘cause I stereotyped tha title. Kinda odd for tha sample but I guess it gives a different feel of “Hip-Hop” here. Tha lyrics are good on tha 1st verse but tha vibe kinda makes me feel in okay mode. Still havin’ a pretty good ear for tha 2nd verse; I like it betta than tha 1st verse. Nice job wit tha flow here; y’all have gr8 deliveries! Looks like y’all really like Dy ‘cause he did his thang on tha 3rd verse! Add him ta tha “gr8 deliveries” group! Let’s hear what we got fa tha 4th verse from Lyrikill… Feelin’ tha street lyrics here wit tha drugs and shit! My Rating: 3.3


21. “Outro”
It was printed a lil’ offset wit each side of tha back cover; a lil’ bit iz missin’ from each side. But, I can read #21: “Outro;” lemme check it out. >>> Kinda tired of people usin’ tha Drumma Boy sound in tha beat. Looks like this iz gonna be a good ending song; tha flow iz here ta stay! Definitely some GR8 street life-type lyrics in tha 1st verse! Tha 2nd verse doin’ a nice job here; kinda remindin’ me of a freestyle here for tha ending. It was nice and consistent! Gr8 job once again, y’all!! My Rating: 3.7


Overall: Turned out ta be a pretty good CD! There were two songs that hurt tha average CD rating by sadly .15 of a point each! You KNOW I’m down fa my undaground Louisiana Rap music! Tha big surprise was #18, which I thought was gonna be a “downfall,” lol! And of course, #4 surprised me in tha beginning wit its Baton Rouge-type style! Keep up tha gr8 work! If you got $50 or $75 bucks, you should spend it on me making you a commercial, ya dig!


Rankings (according to my ratings):

21. “Shawty Lookin’ Good” 1.0
20. “Grown Man” 1.5
19. “Bounce With Me” 3.2
18. “I Love Hip-Hop” Feat. Dy & Lyrikill 3.3
17. “Heart Breaker” Feat. E.D. Nix 3.4
16. “I’m Good Freestyle” 3.5
15. “Slow Mo” 3.6
14. “Everywhere I Go” 3.7
13. “Outro” 3.7
12. “Thinkin’ Money” Feat. A Levy 3.8
11. “Intro” 3.8
10. “Microphone Hero” 3.9
09. “All My Haters” Feat. Konfo 3.9
08. “At The Top Now” Feat. Duplessis 4.1
07. “See Me Ball” 4.2
06. “Dumb It Down” 4.3
05. “Dance As Soldiers” 4.3
04. “Addicted” 4.3
03. “My Job” Feat. Konfo 4.5
02. “Roll All Night” 4.7
01. “Downfall” Feat. Kara Juelz 4.7


Average CD Rating Review:

Total Score: 77.4
Total Songs: / 21
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Average CD Rating: 3.7