Music Review: Duets: The Final Chapter
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Notorious B.I.G. actually died
more than 10 years ago (in other words, don't embarrass
yourself by offering to buy concert tickets). Also, the
cleverly edited duets include a lot of strong language. The
unedited version has lots of sex, drugs, violence, etc.
Families can talk about the phenomenon of deceased artists
coming out with new albums. Is this a tribute or just a way to
make more money for the label?
Notorious B.I.G. died in 1997. Thanks to the loyalty of his fans and modern mastering techniques, however, this fact has not prevented the release of two posthumous albums. The latest, DUETS: THE FINAL CHAPTER, incorporates cameos and duet vocals performed by a Who's Who of hip-hop and pop artists along with some cleverly remixed tracks produced by Bad Boy's entrepreneurial mastermind, P. Diddy. The guest rappers and crooners include Biggie's widow Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige, Nas, Lil' Wayne, Missy Elliot, R. Kelly, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, The Game, and even some other eloquently posthumous artists, including 2Pac and Bob Marley.
There is nothing astoundingly brilliant, but nothing embarrassing either. Highlights include "House of Pain," in which Biggie and 2Pac's until-now unreleased verses are set off by a poignant Mary J. Blige chorus, and "Hold Your Head," combining Notorious B.I.G.'s hip-hop with Jamaican legend Bob Marley. Content is visceral, with a predictable amount of strong language, sexism, and violent imagery. The edited version, with key words removed, sounds just plain dumb. This is for die-hard fans of the artist only, and definitely not for kids.
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