Mr. Cheeks
John P. Kelly
Universal
When rap stars invoke reggae legends, it can only be good. Mr. Cheeks brings Stephen Marley (who sounds freakishly like his father) in on “Mama Said” (“I guess I spoke you up, I swear if you were trees I’d roll, light and smoke you up”) and “Till We Meet Again.” As if that weren’t enough of a reason to buy this CD, he also collaborates with Horace Brown on “Friday Night” and Big Gipp on “Bump Heads.” The remaining tracks don’t lose their substance without accompaniment. Mr. Cheeks, despite his flaunt name, is a talented artist with a lot of versatile experience and a deep appreciation for many flavors of music. A few of the other promising tracks, without guest stars are “Here We Come,” “Worldwide Bouncin’” and the Latin/jazz-tinged “Let’s Go.” A playful, intelligent collection of the first light of a big star. Don’t miss this one.
Mr. Cheeks: http://www.mrcheeks.net
