will.i.am

I traded this cd at a used cd store with no idea what to expect. I had heard the hit I got it from my mama but man the rest of the songs are fantastic. Heartbraker is truly a wonderful song. Get you money makes you want to get up n dance right there n then. Lyrics are smart a la Black eyed peas. Recording, very fine and well balanced, deep base a highe frequency very well balanced not harshed or over worked. This is one cd you don't want to miss. A great cruising album that will make you dance your seat of its rails. Will! you da bomb. Enrique

I love this album because every song pumps me up! I love to listen to it when I am driving, dancing, and working out. Although some of the lyrics are questionable (like the one about the stripper), I just see it as fun, comical, and upbeat. I love the beats; keep 'em coming Will!

As in the BEP albums, Will.I.Am mixes in Jazzy & Soulful beats with good hip-hop & R&B rhythms. He knows how to have fun with music as in "I Got it From My Momma." And he knows how to make a song incredibly sexy as in "The Donque Song" (with clever lyrics too). Unfortunately, sometimes his lyrics have no substance and he insists on looping them endlessly as in "heartbreaker" so I can't give this album more than 4 stars. Overall, though, it's a strong release that I enjoy very much.

The Black Eyed Peas didn't really get a whole lot of mainstream love until Fergie joined the group, a point driven home by the fact that the songs where she was predominantly featured became the biggest hits -- not to mention that almost every single off her solo album The Dutchess became a #1 hit. I guess Wyclef, Jr. -- I mean, will.i.am wanted a little bit of that action for himself, which is why HE went the solo route for Songs About Girls.

This is a concept album: if the title didn't tip you off, the songs are pretty much all about women (maybe he's trying to be the new LL Cool J?). And although it's true that Will is a better rapper than apl.de.ap and Taboo, he still isn't exactly the most exciting rapper in the world. But that's not even what the real problem is; the problem is the lyrical quality. It feels more like an R&B album DISGUISED as a rap album; and the album as a whole is cornier than a can of Del Monte. This is especially evidenced by "I Got It from My Mama", a phrase that has gotten played out (well, not exactly, but no one really SAYS it any more).

Another questionable track is "The Donque Song", which is made even less interesting by Snoop Dogg's third verse, which has him interpolating his own "Gin and Juice" but instead making it about women. "She's a Star" is cheesy, "Make It Funky" and "Impatient" are mindless club tracks (especially the latter, a techno song that Will isn't even in), and "Get Your Money" is an unfocused tribute to strippers.

The only song that isn't about girls is the obligatory end-of-album we-are-the-world song, "S.O.S. (Mother Nature)". The two-in-a-row of "Invisible" and "Fantastic" (which uses a clever sample of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back") are okay, but they're not enough to make the album more exciting. In the end, Songs About Girls is a pretty forgettable album (I don't even remember what the first single was), so you can do without it.

Anthony Rupert

Well when an artist has as much exposure through collaborations, associations and affiliations you sometimes wonder when and if they do a solo album what will be their focus. Well for Will.i.am, I think he stayed true to himself and crafted a well mixed collection of Pop, hip-hop and rock inspired selections that go from warm to hot by the time you reach the end of the journey. I am dubbing him Prince of Hip Pop & Soul because he is the only man on the scene who can rap, sing simultaneously as well as he does, not to mention writing and producing. This is a well orchestrated concept album that states true to form and explore a range of relationship oriented topics. I Got It From My Mama, Donque Song and Get Your Money and probably the least tasteful of the bunch; from my personal perspective. Yet still catchy, nice production and vocals for those who have a tolerance or preferance for those type of songs. But tracks 7 through 15 are simply on fire and the last song simply verified why he is considered to be a musical genious. Honestly, he did not forget about anyone on this project. Love it or hate it but he has lived up to his reputation and still in the vain of the Blackeye Pea's. "I Can't Wait", will definately be a hit in the House & Dance Club scene, as well as, "Make It Funky" in the Club Music & Hip-Hop Scene. Invisible and Fantastic are just incredible lyrically, vocally and musically. As many Fly Girl songs as there have been over the years, he still manages to make it a fresh them, I thought the lyrics and production were clever. She's A Star has that same kind of fresh appeal from a them that no doubt has been out there for a while. And that is the novelty of a top notch producer, he is one who can take the old and make it feel new. SOS is like such a moving reflective piece that it opens the man up and lets you inside of who he really is. BIG UP's to Will. I. Am
Don't Sleep.

I'll just get this out of the way real quick. I'm a fan of the Black Eyed Peas. Sure, I know this admission will get me slammed by purists, backpackers, and other types of elitists, so that's to be expected (just read the tags for this album for further proof). If you approach this album expecting anything more than the shallow, sugary, pop tunes that the Black Eyed Peas front man has recently become famous for, especially after seeing the title of the album then, not only are you a fool, but you're also going to be let down. Despite what some will tell you, there are some good songs to be found on this disc. There are club ready songs like "The Donque Song" that, despite corny rhymes, has a beat that doesn't quit and has "single" written all over it (Snoop's verse wasn't bad either). "One More Chance" is dope while "Make It Funky" also serves the same party starting purpose and ""Ain't It Pretty" " just vibes well. "Impatient" is probably my favorite track on the album because there are no words...it's just a nice, breezy instrumental. Will shoulders the bulk of the production duties with Polow Da Don and Fernando Garibay both doing two tracks and Paper-Boy co-producing one.

There are a few songs on this album that, despite the light content, are just mind numbingly bad. Songs like "Fly Girl", "She's A Star", and "Get Your Money" will have you reaching for the skip button with lightning speed. The biggest turn off to me, actually, would be the first single. I honestly think "I Got It From My Mama" should've never seen the light of day, but I do understand the need for conspicuous use of a pop star (in this case, Nicole Scherzinger) for the first single. Outside of those bumps in the road, I'd say that the rest of the CD is pretty good.

Songs About Girls is an album about just that. It's a light, fun LP that should get a party or two jumpin'. Anyone looking for some good, clean pop rap should at the very least give this album some consideration. It's not the best you've heard from the B.E.P. camp, but it's suitable if you're not looking for an artist to change your world view. Sure, it's cotton candy background music, but at least this background music will make you move.

Standout Tracks: Invisible, S.O.S (Mother Nature), One More Chance, Heartbreaker, Impatient, Ain't It Pretty, and Make It Funky

this album is soooooo good. Every song has a guest appearence. Will I am raps & sings. If you like BEP or any other hip-hop get this NOW!!!!!

I was skeptical to buy this album after buying Lost Change. Not that Lost Change was a bad album, but it seemed to be lacking something. Will's voice is great, but I think he's better as a producer/DJ than a rapper (and I can also agree with the saying oppinions are like @$$holes, everyone's got one). This album stepped it a bit and seems to fill the gaps. Hearing Will rap with other rappers makes it a better album, and he recruited some great help in the way of collaborators, so it was sure to be a hit. It never hurts to throw KRS-One, Phife Dog, Planet Asia, Kron Don, and Phil Da Agony on a record (even though all of them have recorded a sub-par track or two in their lifetime), and this is no exception. Great album with great beats and good lyricists. Pick it up if you'd like some good music you're not likely to hear on the radio.

this cd has some great beats. will.i.am is a genius. i would say 9 of the possible 12 songs are great. definitley worth checking out. the best tracks are 1,2,10,17. it is worthy of being labeled as a hip-hop album. which is hard to come by these days.

When I listened to the first will.i.am cd I really didn't know what to think at first. For steady listeners and followers of the black eyed peas albums it was a change. This album on the other hand recruits many talented artists such as planet asia, phife dawg, supernatural, taboo, mc lyte, krs on the intro, and some many others. This album really stuck to some b-boy roots and the beats were almost flawless and of course with mc's such as these you are going to expect the same thing. This album is much appreciated in my collection.

As with the previously released BE RIGHT, this album takes no prisoners and relies on nothing but the the truth. No fluff in this set of originals!

if you want a cd that uplifts you to a "groove mood", then this one does it. now don't be fooled, it isn't exactly like black eyed peas joints. it has its own presence when playing. you can on some feel the will. i. am of black eyed peas on some of the songs. basically, if you want something to set a great vibe for you yourself or more people this does that.

Man this has to one the best cds ever. I never really listened to the black eyed peas to much but I check this cd out and it takes hip hop to another level.

This CD is something of a mixed bag. I liked Pete Rock's installment in this series, and someday I'm gonna get around to picking up Jazzy Jeff's. I like the musical aspects of this album but the vocals definitely leave something to be desired. Though Will.I.Am tries very hard to be avant-garde and something different than commercial West Coast rap, most of the vocal tracks still have that sound. He'll take a bangin' beat and throw simplistic, over-repetitive vocals on them, and so the results are not satisfying. The track with Madd Dogg is just plain awful. Most of the instrumental tracks are great, but my other main complaint about this CD is that many of the good instrumentals are very short, and end just when you're getting into them. This is a decent CD, but in my opinion it would have been much better if some of the vocal tracks were removed and the short instrumentals were expanded. Too much posturing and not enough creativity do not add up to a great album.

This album only gets 2 stars for track number 2 & 3. Track number 2 "Lay me Down" with Terry Dexter will cause you to break your neck. The rest of the songs on this are filler, lackluster attempts at trying to be avant-garde.

Pretty cool and fun to listen to. Favorite tracts are "Invisible", "Aint It Pretty" and "I Got It From My Momma".

I'll just get this out of the way real quick. I'm a fan of the Black Eyed Peas. Sure, I know this admission will get me slammed by purists, backpackers, and other types of elitists, so that's to be expected (just read the tags for this album for further proof). If you approach this album expecting anything more than the shallow, sugary, pop tunes that the Black Eyed Peas front man has recently become famous for, especially after seeing the title of the album then, not only are you a fool, but you're also going to be let down. Despite what some will tell you, there are some good songs to be found on this disc. There are club ready songs like "The Donque Song" that, despite corny rhymes, has a beat that doesn't quit and has "single" written all over it (Snoop's verse wasn't bad either). "One More Chance" is dope while "Make It Funky" also serves the same party starting purpose and ""Ain't It Pretty" " just vibes well. "Impatient" is probably my favorite track on the album because there are no words...it's just a nice, breezy instrumental. Will shoulders the bulk of the production duties with Polow Da Don and Fernando Garibay both doing two tracks and Paper-Boy co-producing one.

There are a few songs on this album that, despite the light content, are just mind numbingly bad. Songs like "Fly Girl", "She's A Star", and "Get Your Money" will have you reaching for the skip button with lightning speed. The biggest turn off to me, actually, would be the first single. I honestly think "I Got It From My Mama" should've never seen the light of day, but I do understand the need for conspicuous use of a pop star (in this case, Nicole Scherzinger) for the first single. Outside of those bumps in the road, I'd say that the rest of the CD is pretty good.

Songs About Girls is an album about just that. It's a light, fun LP that should get a party or two jumpin'. Anyone looking for some good, clean pop rap should at the very least give this album some consideration. It's not the best you've heard from the B.E.P. camp, but it's suitable if you're not looking for an artist to change your world view. Sure, it's cotton candy background music, but at least this background music will make you move.

Standout Tracks: Invisible, S.O.S (Mother Nature), One More Chance, Heartbreaker, Impatient, Ain't It Pretty, and Make It Funky

Wonderful. That's the only word I can use to describe this single. If you want to know why it's wonderful, BUY IT!!! It's definitely worth the money!!

And one last thing... MICHAEL JACKSON IS 100% INNOCENT!

Once again the King Of Pop is back in the charts and while this single isn't completely new, it is a great new take on an old classic, with a thumping beat and great vocals, it is a must for any Michael Jackson fan!