Code Red

by

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

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I was hella lucky to find this, and got it at a hella nice used price. Needless to say, I got more than I paid for. This was Jazzy Jeff and FP's last full-length together. I'm assuming that this album was also a little different than their previous four.

Like many of the reviewers here have stated, you haven't lived until you've heard "I'm Looking For The One (To Be With Me)," which is undoubtedly the best cut from the cd. It's one of the smoothest songs I've ever heard, and invokes much nostalgia of similar early-90s music. In fact, JJ & FP freak a whole mess of smooth cuts throughout the album. The other ones are old-school homages. Pete Rock even produces a couple joints on here, so that should make your decision right there to check this out.

My other favorite song here is "Scream," which is precisely old-school and way too fun. Shouting along with that song in the car helped liven my mood a day after a rough breakup! Songs like this remind you that music doesn't have to be so complex to be memorable. A lot of timeless oldies are so because they were easy to sing along with or understand. A lot of these artists today seem to overlook this fact. "Shadow Dreams" is another great smooth cut, where the Prince details one of his personal philosophies on life without being preachy. "Something Like Dis" is a zany kickoff, while "I Wanna Rock" takes you to the very earliest days of Hip Hop.

Fresh Prince humbles himself on the standout, "Twinkle Twinkle (I'm Not A Star)," and I liked how Jazzy contributed to the chorus. "I Can't Wait To Be With You" is a solid romantic cut, and a rare collaboration between Rap and a deep-voiced R&B singer (Christopher Williams). "Boom (Shake The Room)" can get a little corny, but it's still fun and I like the newfound style that the Prince utilizes. "Code Red" is a claustrophobic bug-out moment, where Prince tells a story over a crazy beat. This story is much more mature than his past ones, and I like it. "Just Kickin' It" is smooth as I remember, but the one I can least recall, while the following "Ain't No Place Like Home" is a potential favorite. It gets a little sappy at the end, but overall it's message is 'to not take time with your family for granted'...not to often you get these messages in Hip Hop.

Overall, not a bonafide 5 star album, but possibly a dark-horse candidate for their best album together? "Code Red" definitely shows how they've evolved. Fresh Prince shows how you can kick the basics without having to be insulting or degrading. And his rapping represents the basics, not simplistic though, there's a big difference. At times, he flows at warp speed just for the fun of it, and shows how skilled of an MC he really is (contrary to uninformed opinions). The whole album is an exercise in old-school Hip Hop and smoothness, to say the least. Take this one, along with Will's newest "Lost and Found," and you have hours-on-end entertainment.