“Don’t Wanna Die” is another Younglord track that walks a tightrope between over and under. The Mario Winans produced “Things You Do” featuring Aaron Hall is everything the song Winans appeared on SHOULD have been – up tempo, slick, catchy and highly-danceable. “Between Us” does get over, but it really has nothing to do with Shaft’s production – it has everything to do with the fact he samples the classic Brothers Johnson song “I Want You.” Claudette Ortiz is wasted on the overly simplstic beat Aliaune Thiam supplies for “Like a Movie.” Thankfully Bink does a little better for Missy on “Hey Woo” and Fredwreck’s “Can’t Talk to Her” sounds like an electric version of Jamaican steel drums. It took seven tracks to get there – that’s not a good sign.
#LOON BAD BOY SONG FULL#
D-Nat’s work on “Story” is the first really dope beat on the album, a brooding and pulsing song full of mad tension. Track Masters “This Ain’t Funny” is eeriely apt. Diddy’s “Down For Me” featuring Mario Winans though sounds eeriely similar, and not that fresh for a track meant to crossover. Younglord’s pseudo-oriental influence on “Relax Your Mind” is almost nice. Loon gets consistantly buried by beats that are not terrible per se but fail to capture your attention or imagination. The latter features Loon doing his impression of Biggie on “What’s Beef?” but has a Yogi beat not even a tenth as interesting as B.I.G.’s joint. The former tries to build on Schoolly D’s “Saturday Night” for some nostalgic appeal, but only makes you jonz for the original. In beats however, both tracks come up short. They got the latter part right on “How You Want That” featuring Kelis and “Do What You Like” featuring Trina, the first two songs on the album. To reach a similar plateau, Loon could use the help of some “Feel So Good” and “Lookin’ at Me” caliber beats, along with a bevy of hot guests. Mase was no Chuck D or Rakim on the mic, but he was far from embarassing and had a savior-faire to his rap that combined with hot beats made him a fan favorite. To be completely fair, Mase often got a bad shake for his sound and the fact he was signed to Bad Boy especially after Biggie died and he was expected to carry the label’s torch. Loon isn’t so lucky – the resemblance is uncanny. but eventually proved he has a sound and style all his own. Bad Boy went down this road before with Shyne, who was accused of being a second generation Notorious B.I.G.
Loon also has a tendency to mush his words when speaking, making his “car” sound like “cahhh” and his “sexual” sound like “sek-shule.” This in itself is not unique for an MC, but when you add his slow flow and mush mouthed speech together with a low vocal tone and the fact he’s signed to Bad Boy, the conclusion one draws is both inescapable and obvious – he’s a second generation Mase. It’s a slow tempo delivery, laid back almost to the point of being off beat. Talent is the issue – does Loon have it? First off, there’s Loon’s flow. Loon has the some of the smartest marketing people in the music industry backing him, so getting his singles on Clear Channel and Viacom owned networks shouldn’t be a problem. With the self-titled “Loon” album, rapper and record label alike are hoping to make him a household name AND a rap/pop celebrity. Diddy in particular) obviously see something in Loon, he hasn’t really made a name for himself with any incredibly dope singles or hip-hop quotables. More to the point, it’s not likely you would seek him out for some dap or an autograph if you could. Either way, the artist known as Loon is in something of a rap purgatory: he’s made enough cameos on Bad Boy Records songs and remixes for his voice to be vaguely recognizable to a hip-hop audience, but he’s not an MC you could pick out of a large crowd by face. Loon? With a generous interpretation, one could assume his rap nom de plume was short for “lunatic.” With a less flattering one, the rapper could be a drug courier for major weight by stuffing condoms full of drugs into places we at RapReviews would rather not describe.
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