Fredro Starr :
Don't Get Mad Get Money

Release Date: 20 May 2003

Reviewed By: Lewis Garland

1. Man Up (feat. Dirty, Get-Inz, X-1)

2. Dangerous

3. California Girls (feat. Dirty, Get-Inz)

4. Rambo

5. Finer Things

6. Just Like That

7. Yo Mike (skit)

8. Fun Time

9. All Out (feat. Sticky Fingaz, Begetz, X-1)

10. Timberlands

11. Where's The Love

12. Don't Get Mad Get money (feat. X-1)

13. Reaper's Anthem

14. California Girls (remix)

Mo Thugs - The Movement
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As a founding member of the groundbreaking Rap Group Onyx, Fredro Starr has a Hip-hop pedigree to rival the best of them. However, despite this formidable hip-hop CV, for younger audiences Starr will be more readily recognisable for his acting roles in the Hollywood blockbuster Save The Last Dance and the critically acclaimed Sunset Park.

Overall, Don’t Get Mad Get Money, Starr’s second Solo outing, seems to be firmly targeted at his growing Hollywood fan-base rather than the old Onyx Stalwarts. Much of this album bounces through the "fast cars, Beautiful Women" treadmill without causing too much of a stir. California Girls, a three and a half minute slice of Summer Pop-hop has that irritating ability to leech to your lips, making it an obvious choice for the albums lead single. Meanwhile the title track, Don’t get mad get money, featuring X-1, cements Starr’s rare knack of spotting that all important infectious hook.

Money and Glitz is clearly the dish of the day but the acute social awareness of Where’s the love suggests that Starr has not been completely absorbed into the Hollywood bubble just yet. Whether his concern for the projects will ever stretch beyond the occasional lyrical ode is debatable but either way Where’s the Love, with its spine-tingling Isaac Hayes sample proves to be the run-away highlight of the album. This is an Anthem in the making and, without accounting for a bout of insanity at CNR records, it is almost certain to be the next single.

Since heading for the bright lights of Hollywood, Fredro Starr has been widely branded as a sell out amongst more ardent hip-hop fans. In the meantime Starr’s fellow ex-Onyx member Sticky Fingaz has gained the critics plaudits but commercial success has not been as forthcoming.

In an obviously contrived ‘coincidence’ to boost first week sales, the ex-Onyx duo are releasing their new solo albums simultaneously on the 21st July. A lack of animosity between the two ( Sticky Fingaz appears as both performer and producer on Don’t Get Mad Get Money) means that this competition was never going to be a headline grabbing affair but even so it does act as an interesting subplot to this weeks releases.

If you were looking for Fredro Starr to recapture the controversy of the early Onyx years then Don't Get Mad Get Money will not be for you. Where’s the Love aside, this album is essentially aimed at building Starr's profile and more importantly his bank balance. -The clues in the title!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Favourite tracks:

1. Man up
3. California girls
11. Where's the Love

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