Baby Boy Da Prince – Across The Water / 2007 Republic / 18 Tracks / http://www.babyboydaprince.com / http://www.universalrepublic.com
Baby Boy Da Prince is one of the few artists that I actually knew about before I received the disc. “The Way I Live†(featuring the up and coming Lil Boosie) has been played on all the local radio stations on high rotation, and “Naw Meen†is another track that has been making waves. However, the biggest question is whether Baby Boy Da Prince is able to string together a cohesive album or if the rest of the album. The one thing that immediately becomes clear to listeners of “Across The Water†is that Baby Boy Da Prince throws too much extra chaff on the disc.
That means, there are three different skits and an introduction on an album that only has eighteen tracks. However, Baby Boy Da Prince is smart in the sense that ey puts two of the disc’s strongest tracks on at the opening slots; the two aforementioned songs are bookended by the introduction and the first skit. From there, Baby Boy Da Prince is in pretty shaky territory; “Slide In Slide Out†Is a nice track, but it really only acts at a step below the level previously achieved by “The Way I Liveâ€. “Lock Me Down†has a pretty straightforqward approach to the backing beats, while Baby Boy Da Prince comes out with a stable flow. There is nothing too impressive with this track, but it has its own purpose and keeps up the momentum to an acceptable level.
The heavier bass beats of the following track, “Marreroâ€, changes things up considerably and is something that will restart and re-energize the track. Baby Boy Da Prince has more than enough ability to craft songs that are seamless and full of bass, but the biggest struggle that ey has on this album is coming up with tracks that could conceivably be placed on rotation. “Rich Boy†is a track that uses a Mike Jones-like vocal style to win listeners, and the follow-up track “They Don’t Know†is a slower jam, perfect for grinding up against your lover. Ihave no doubt that Baby Boy Da Prince could come up with an amazing album in the future, but this marks a very trying time in eir career. This disc will sow the seeds that Baby Boy needs to take it to the next level, a level where tracks like “The Way I Live†are the rule, not the exception.
Top Tracks: The Way I Live, Naw Meen
Rating: 4.8/10
