Review Summary: Cmon homie we major, We major?, cmon homie we Major, We Major?
I had this album for about 3 months, just collecting E-dust in my Window’s library. I had been listening to single songs randomly at certain times and not liking it until my cousin visited the joint with her 360 and Condemned 2. So she and I were basically taking turns playing because we were getting pretty scared until I decided to put on some type of music to keep the spooky ambiance down. I just logged on the computer and put this on low. While I still had nightmares of very dark alleys and man eating hobos I noticed We Major wasn’t half bad. Mike Shinoda isn’t in this alone, he is backed up by Styles of the Beyond duo. Numerous guests appear on this also, such as; Apathy, Juelz Satana, Ghostface, Lupe Fiasco, and Celph Titled.
The thing about this mix-tape is that it takes it time to get you in the mood. Each beat is reminiscent of classic rock and various other samples. Tracks like S.C.O.M derived from Guns and Roses “Sweet O Child of Mine” and Bloc Party derived from Bloc Party’s “Banquet”. The samples don’t sound forced at all and the flow Mike and his many guests that appear on this are exceptional. When in it comes to album flow, this album perfectly exceeds. As I stated earlier, it really gets you in the mood within the first three tracks. For example, a track I otherwise wouldn’t listen to at all “Petrified” (the remix), is pulled off enjoyable with being sampled from The Door’s “Strange Days”.
I am going to say this now; Mike Shinoda most certainly can’t hold his own, most of the time he gets out done by his guests. This is most evident on the track “Petrified”, the lyrics are downright laughable.
“Yeah
How you doin’, y’all?
My name is Mike.
I’m fooling with the new ***
I'm doing it all night
I like what i do
I do what i like
I could quit and get it back like i’m riding a bike”
That is just the opening verse, it goes on for about 3 minutes. Mike does have a nack for making some sick beats alongside Green Lantern. He does redeem himself on “There They Go” where he dominates most of the song through 2 separate low key bass beats. The highlight track on this album is “Spray Paint and Ink Pens” which samples from the cult hip hop film “Wild Style”. Ghostface, Mike, and Lupe tells different stories within this song where it ends with the protagonist dying (Lupe raps about gundams).
“Two weeks went by
Got a box in the mail
In the box was a bullet made of gold
Melted down from the ring,
Recast with two rings and a band
And he stared at it sittin' the palm of his hand
And sat down next to a picture that sat on the nightstand
It was his wife in the picture on his side
With the ring on the finger on the week that she died
As he looked in the reflection, at those eyes so red
He put the bullet in a gun
And put it right in his head
Like that”
Other strong tracks are “Respect 4 Grandma” which is sampled from The Miracle’s “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry” and “Bloc Party” that has a guitar note that will get stuck inside your head. The album has some songs that totally disrupt the flow on the album. Tracks like “Get It”, which is a Styles Of the Beyond exclusive song” breaks the Old School feel of the album. The remix to “Nobody’s Listening” is close to unbearable and directionless.
While this mixtape does otherwise flow extremely well and has enjoyable verses, it could have been much better if it wasn’t for Mike’s subpar-average rapping. The songs themselves don’t particular hold strong by themselves but as a whole you will get a lot of enjoyment from this album since it mostly derives from energetic old school samples. A couple of tracks that don’t particular belong on this album brings it down. This album is a very strong 3.5, a couple of faults is keeping it from a 4.
