Diddy-Dirty Money, “Last Train to Paris”(Interscope) Where would modern hip-hop be without P. Diddy’s outrageous bravado? Yes, hip-hop is all about inflated hubris. But Diddy has always taken that to the extreme especially given his spotty track record.
Diddy’s fans will be psyched to know that the mogul still talks a big game. His new group, Diddy-Dirty Money, starts its record with this disclaimer: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that this is a brand new sound, that this will change your life.” And while that track, “Yeah Yeah You Would,” is a good time with hot production and a fresh rhyme, this record is hardly a life-changing effort.
Diddy’s latest incarnation has him sharing the spotlight with two ladies, Kalenna and Dawn Richard, the latter of whom was in the TV-made “Making the Band 3” pop group Danity Kane. The group enjoyed a high-profile debut on “Saturday Night Live” a few weeks ago — a sign of Diddy’s sway, still — and now this inconsistent debut is out spreading its R&B that owes as much to pop as it does hip-hop.
The record is best when it’s honest, as in the revealing radio-ready ballad “Coming Home,” which has Diddy pontificating, “What am I supposed to do when the club lights come on/It’s easy to be Puff, but it’s harder to be Shawn/What if my twins ask me why I didn’t marry their mom/Damn, how do I respond?”
The Swizz Beatz jam “On the Floor” is a decent, if obvious, single. And some of the other big-name guests (Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Drake, Chris Brown, Usher, T.I., Trey Songz and, oddly, the late Notorious B.I.G.) add some sparkle to the record. “Shades” has a weak, too-long intro from Wayne and a dark, almost dubstep beat under its straightforward R&B that benefits from Timberlake’s upper register. T.I. gives some new energy to the record with his free-flowing contributions to “Hello Good Morning.”
But given the CD’s prominent guests and Diddy’s omnipresent ego, it seems like Diddy-Dirty Money is just another Diddy vehicle — regardless of Kalenna’s insistence in the press materials that “Dawn and I aren’t background singers simply standing next to Diddy.” Say what you will, but it’s pretty clear that Diddy’s standing out front here — and everybody else is backing him up. Ricardo Baca
Various artists, “Live at Ebbets Field Vol. 4”(ListenUp)
Longtime Colorado music fans remember Ebbets Field, one of Denver’s legendary rock clubs of the ’70s. With this fourth release of live material recorded at the club, we’re familiar with the excellent “Live at Ebbets Field” series. Local audiophiles ListenUp recorded many of the shows promoted by club owner Chuck Morris, now the head at AEG Live here.
The series involves countless local players, from fanboy/engineer Bob Ferbrache to author/music historian/executive producer G. Brown, and this fourth edition is a diverse, colorful window into rock, comedy, blues, Latin rock and bluegrass in the mid-’70s.
Standout tracks from El Chicano (“Mas Zacate”) and Howlin’ Wolf (“Killing Floor”) have those artists in their prime, and the crisp recordings capture the bands’ vibrant performances. The Marshall Tucker Band’s “24 Hours at a Time” is potent snapshot of life on the interstate. Also featured on the release: Muddy Waters, Cheech & Chong (who introduce a lovely Beau Brummels tune), Joan Armatrading, Dan Fogelberg and Doc & Merle Watson. The disc is available at Twist & Shout and ListenUp. Ricardo Baca
