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About two weeks ago, Mick Boogie released a mixtape with former Young Gunna Chris, The Newprint. With the name of the tape and the artwork for it both referencing Jay-Z's classic album The Blueprint, and with every song featuring a beat that Jay already put his own stamp on, The Newprint seemed to suggest that Chris intended to become a one man cover band for his former mentor. Having not been impressed by the concept of hearing rehashed versions of Jay's hit songs, I let this one sit on my desk for awhile before finally giving it a chance. Though it's unlikely to change your opinion of Young Chris, it ended up being a far better mixtape than I expected.
What I found surprising about this tape was the fact that Mick chose to largely forego most of the club-friendly instrumentals, like Ain't No or Give It To Me, instead using a decidedly moodier selection, featuring some of the more introspective songs from Jay-Z's catalog, including Never Change. I've always thought Chris' style lended itself better to bouncier tracks, but, for the most part, Chris held his own on these beats.
None of the new versions will make you forget the original Jay-Z tracks but they're a nice enough diversion, at least for a few listens. The only track that really fails to deliver is the one song that Mick leaves Jay-Z's vocals intact, a Roc Boys remix. After listening to Young Chris' vocals matched up directly against S.Carter, it's clear that, while Chris may be doing his best to follow Jay's Blueprint for success, he's just not in the same league. Which isn't to say that he's a bad emcee, just that he's unlikely to ever reach the superstar status that he seems to be striving for.
Two of the best tracks off of the mixtape:
Young Chris - The C-lude
Young Chris - Never Change
To find a link to download the full tape for free, stop by mickboogie.com.
12/16/2007 05:00:01 PM posted by Fresh