Remy Ma:
There’s Something About Remy

Release Date: 07 February 2006

Reviewed By: Kelly Louise

1. Pun’s Words

2. She’s Gone

3. Lights, Camera, Action

4. Tight (featuring Fat Joe)

5. Whuteva

6. Conceited Messages (Skit)

7. Conceited (There’s Something About Remy)

8. Feels So Good (featuring Ne-Yo)

9. I’m

10. Thug Love (featuring Big Pun)

11. Secret Location

12. In-Da-Street (Skit)

13. Bilingual (featuring Ivy Queen)

14. Conscience (Skit)

15. Guilty

16. Crazy

17. What’s Going On (featuring Keyshia Cole)

18. Still

Ne-Yo - In My Own Words
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Female rappers have long travelled a battle weary path in the quest for hip hop super stardom, performing a precarious balancing act between sex appeal and skill. Many have fallen by the way, trapped in a stereotypical image of over the top sexuality, recounting endless tales of balling, bling and Bentleys. On this, her debut release, Bronx-born Remy Martin is determined to stand out from the crowd.

Surviving a difficult upbringing in the projects of the Bronx, Remy has developed a steely resolve to not only become your favorite female MC, but one of the greatest emcees, period. A tall order, but a challenge Remy relishes.

The Bronx bombshell’s ‘hard as nails’ flow has become familiar to hip hop heads over the past few years thanks to her scene-stealing appearances on underground mixtapes and club anthems such as ‘Lean Back’ with her crew, Terror Squad.

Holding her own with the boys comes naturally to Remy as the lone female in the rowdy Terror Squad, but after years in the shadows of her chart-topping TS companions Fat Joe and the late Big Pun, is Remy ready to shine on her own? Confident to the point of cockiness, Remy’s sassy delivery convinces you to believe she was born to hold a mic. Surprisingly, Remy skillfully treads the line between thugged out bad girl and fly party chick; ‘There’s Something About Remy…’ is unexpectedly versatile.

Employing some of hip hop’s hottest beat makers to create a suitably sassy soundtrack, the balance between mainstream and hardcore is maintained throughout. This is best exhibited on the record’s first single ‘Conceited (There’s Something About Remy)’, a Scott Storch (of ‘Lean Back’ fame) produced banger which could almost pass as hip hop’s answer to Kelis’ girly anthem, ‘Milkshake’.

Meanwhile, ‘Feels So Good’ is a blatant and somewhat lazy attempt at R&B crossover, featuring man of the moment, Ne-Yo. Not afraid to get down and dirty, Remy embraces her inner thug successfully throughout the album. On the almost gothic-flavoured ‘Bilingual’, Remy trades verses with reggaeton star Queen Ivy, but don’t expect any happy-go-lucky reggaeton on this gritty track. Remy goes straight for the jugular, spitting rhymes so vivid the violence is tangible. Remy sounds frighteningly comfortable on this track, so much so it makes it obvious this is one lady you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of!

This hardcore streak continues on several tracks throughout the release, including the short but powerful ‘Guilty’, a cinematic tale of a heist gone wrong, and ‘Thug Love’, a Bonnie and Clyde-ish collaboration between Remy and her mentor, the late Big Punisher. The Alchemist-produced joint bears the distinction of being the only track to feature an unreleased Big Pun verse and sounds as fresh as it did when it was recorded in early 2000.

Remy’s versatility is again showcased on my personal favourite, ‘Lights, Camera, Action’. A tribute to all things 80’s, Remy’s nasal flow fits seamlessly with Scram Jones’ high energy beat, ideal for busting some old school moves to!

What makes Remy different from her counterparts, both male and female, is her willingness to show her vulnerable side. The autobiographical ‘Still’ is an open letter addressing family and friends who feel slighted since Remy’s success, and ‘What’s Going On’ featuring Keyshia Cole, is a heartfelt dedication to the child the young Remy aborted.

Like me, you may be skeptical about this album; I have to admit I wasn’t expecting from this CD, but after a few spins, Remy’s brash flow became strangely addictive and I found myself going back to the album, listen after listen, each time finding something fresh. Forget all comparisons, there really is something about Remy.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Top tracks:
3. Lights, Camera, Action
7. Conceited
19. What’s Going On

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