Memphis Bleek:
534

Release Date: 16 May 2005

Reviewed By: Melisa Tang

1. 534

2. Interlude

3. Dear Summer

4. Like That

5. Unfatuated

6. The One

7. First, The Last, The only

8. Get Low

9. Oh Baby

10. Smoke The Pain Away

11. Hater Free

12. Alright

13. All About Me

14. Straight Path

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Since 1996, when his mentor and friend Jay-Z first brought him into the rap game, Memphis Bleek has had to go out of his way to prove himself over and over again. He was hailed as Jay-Z’s protégé and retirement plan from day one, and he’ll be the first to admit that that was a tall order to live up to. However, with this being his fourth album in nearly 10 years, the young’un looks on course to step out of the Roc-A-Fella shadows and make a real name for himself in the rap game.

The album has been hyped by the leak of the Jay-Z track ‘Dear Summer’, where Jay provides a hot track for Bleek, as a return favour for Bleek’s contribution to ‘Reasonable Doubt’. The beat is a simple Just Blaze production, and Jay laces the cut nicely with his laid-back flow and straight delivery. The first single release from ‘534’ is the club banger ‘Like That’, which sees Memph team up with Ruff Ryders’ master producer Swizz Beatz. The bassline is signature Swizzy material, and Bleek rhymes over the fast-paced beat with ease, showing his flexibility with words.

Contributions from other Roc-A-Fella family members, (or ex-members as is now the case with some), come in the form of ‘First, Last and Only’ featuring M.O.P., and ‘Oh Baby’ with the Young Gunz. The Mashed Out Posse track is one of the illest on Bleek’s album, with the Marcyville rapper rippin’ up the mic with fast and furious verses alongside the M.O.P. duo. This is definitely gonna be a radio favourite!

The Young Gunz brothers go for a slightly softer approach on ‘Oh Baby’, but it’s not another a sappy rap love song as the title may lead you to believe. Instead, it’s a rather upbeat ‘ROC for life’ track, which sees all rappers pledge their allegiance to the house that Dame and Jay built.

One of the best cuts comes a little later on this album. ‘Alright’ is undoubtedly one of Bleek’s best songs on ‘534’, and production comes from Little Brother’s 9th Wonder, who uses those drum patterns and vocal samples to Bleek’s advantage. Just Blaze does the same on ‘Straight Path’, the final track on the album, which shows a more sensitive side to Memphis Bleek, who raps about the problems a hustler faces when he chooses to go straight and get a ‘9 to 5’ instead.

Although Bleek shows continual growth with each album release, there have always been songs which shouldn’t have made the final tracklisting, and unfortunately, this album is no different. One of the worst cuts has to be the first track for the ladies, ‘Infatuated’ (which, for some reason, is slated to be the second single release). Whilst Bleek’s verses aren’t too bad, the production is reminiscent of the songs we’re used to hearing the likes of Ashanti on, and it comes as no surprise then, to find that head honcho at The Inc. Records, Irv Gotti, is behind the decks. Boxie, the singer featured on this track, sounds a lot like Lloyd, but has a very “whiny” tone to his vocals, making this pretty unpleasant to listen to. ‘Smoke The Pain Away’ is also a below par effort from Bleek, who tries to make his own ‘La La La’, akin to Jay-Z.

Despite these lapses, the album is a step up from ‘M.A.D.E.’, and improvement is heard in Bleek’s raps and the beats that he chooses to rhyme over. Although it’s no classic, ‘534’ is a good album, and with more work on broadening his subject matter, who knows? He could indeed be “next in line for the king of new yiddy…”

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Top Tracks:
7) First, Last and Only
12) Alright
4) Like That

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