Yomo And Maulkie or Bone Thugs-N-Harmony or Jon Connor and Dr Dre : Whose version of For The Love Of Money is the best?

Yomo And Maulkie Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Jon Connor and Dr Dre

The first version of the song was released in 1991 on Are U Xperienced; the sole album of Yomo And Maulkie. The rap duo were protégés of Eazy-E, who brought the concept back three years later for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Their version, stylized as Foe Tha Love Of $, can be heard on their Creepin On Ah Come Up EP. The song wouldn’t be revisited, at least among NWA associates, until Dr Dre’s 2015 Compton album. This one is led by Jon Connor.

I like all three, but the original is the best. Yomo And Maulkie’s raps are rudimentary; a sign of the times; but the music (loop) is melodic and Jewell adds some powerful ad-libs near the end. The Bone one is the worst. The music is basically the same and their raps are better, but I don’t like their hook and Jewell’s parts are limited. The John Connor and Dr Dre version, which takes the most liberties musically, ranks somewhere between the other two.

my vote : Yomo And Maulkie

audio review : Say Thank You ( song ) … Jill Scott

“I used to be stuck,” Jill Scott declares, “inside a lie that ain’t nowhere near the absolute truth.” She’s also stuck in the past. It’s the early 1970s and the genre is psychedelic soul. At least that’s what the music, produced by Andre Harris, suggests. There’s no singing, just a poetic monologue presented as if Scott is standing on stage in a dank after-hours jazz lounge with only a few tipsy people listening.

my rating : 4 of 5

2015

audio review : Woman ( album ) ... Jill Scott

audio review : Prepared ( song ) … Jill Scott

This song, which reads like a series of “I” Tweets, doesn’t disappoint until you find out what Jill Scott is reading her old journals and staying on top of her daily chores in preparation for. It’s a cliché and ultimately anticlimactic affair, but the tune, led by a drum beat suspiciously similar to Elton John’s Bennie And The Jets, represents Jill Scott at her musical best, especially during the background chorus sections.

my rating : 4 of 5

2015

audio review : Woman ( album ) ... Jill Scott

audio review : Woman ( album ) … Jill Scott

audio review : Woman ( album ) ... Jill Scott

You wouldn’t know by looking at the cover picture; a heavily-edited photo of her face in makeup and fake eyelashes; but Jill Scott is, apparently, a woman. I’m not sure why that matters, except for the fact that this album, as most from the soul music genre, is enveloped around the concept of romance. Almost every track touches on those kinds of relationships. Even the first song has the singer getting Prepared for a future beau. The presumption is that she’s heterosexual, or at least bisexual, and I guess that’s where her gender comes into play.

There are more notable songs. Jahraymecofasola is sweet, even if its title isn’t, and Say Thank You sounds like a relic from the 1970s. It’s no coincedence these songs are produced by Andre Harris. He’s a wonderful musician. Jill Scott can be a wonderful singer, but she’s not consistent. It’s not her voice but the melodies they carry that aren’t always up to par, especially during the chorus where it counts. The Lighthouse falsettos are annoying. The Aaron Pearce songs are bombastic. Cruisin, a nice summer breezer, deserves a better hook.

my rating : 3 of 5

2015