Review of Joe Budden's Mood Muzik 4

Did this review for istandardproducers.com, every month I review a new album or project for their track by track feature .. all track by track reviews for istandard focus mainly on production. Thought I would share it with my awesome supporters!

 Full Review after the jump! Click Read More

Seems that you either love Joe Budden or hate him, but this release has certainly been highly anticipated by loyal mouse fans since the last installment of the Mood Muzik series.....








Intro (Pray For Me)
Simple beat over Van Halen's "Right Now." Why he chose a beat with the same sample as Invisible Man (on the last Mood Muzik) is beyond me. Simple, but effective and fitting as an intro for a spitter like Budden.

Aftermath
As if the beat wasn't epic enough, the Rocky sample just adds to it while Budden talks his shit. "Be competitive, coke heads, go line for line." Enough said.

Role Reversal
This real soulful beat is perfect for this personal story of taking care of of someone else's son and how he can relate. Production is great and the lyrics fit the beat and Mood Muzik theme, but the beat doesn't seem to.

Come Along
Even with the hard guitar and stuttering snares, this track seems too simple and boring. Verses are on point but the hook is weak, i feel this one could have been left off the project. Filler.

Mop salad(skip)
LOL….. that is all. Seems like a skit that would have been on an old school album.

Sober Up
Good programming, great lyrics, and a crooked I feature make this one of the best tracks on the project. Not a typical beat for Joe Budden, but keeps with the current sound. J Cardim is absolutely a beast for this one.

Dessert For Thought
Not a bad production for a tired sample. Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" has been used by numerous producers/artists and AGAIN, even Budden has used it before. With Styles P, Pusha T, and Budden though, they could have just flowed over the bass line.

1000 faces
A Cohesive fit with the songs typical of the mood muzik albums. Up and coming producer Beewirks definitely used this Creed sample effectively, but I could do without the voice sample on the hook. Drum programming is on point, the drums have that knock that's needed in deep tracks like this one.

Inseparable
Exactly what i expected from the mood muzik series. Another perfect production from Beewirks, Budden should have followed the same formula for the previous track. Great hook and vocal melody by Mela Machinko. Instrumentation is soft and dark and the hard drums again drive the track.

The Shoes (skit)
I don't really see the place for skits on newer albums. These skits specifically seem to interrupt the mood of the project while Budden is giving the listeners the opposite feeling and getting deep lyrically.

Remember The Titans
Great beat, reminds me of an old Desert Storm beat with a current spin on it. This is easily the hardest song on the project and every artist featured (Fabolous, Lloyd Banks, & Royce Da 5'9) does it justice.

Welcome To Real Life
Dope but simplistic production, then again if your listening for lyrics on this one, the production doesn't have to be big. Heartfelt hook by Emanny, on point and cohesive.

No Idea
Another J Cardim beat, reminiscent of something 40 would make for drake. The beat has that mellow vibe that seems a constant on this project. Sounds good with Budden over it, but after hearing the hook, I was wishing it was drake.

Black Cloud
The lead single off MM4 and definitely what fans expect from Budden. Good song with a movie score type of production. Something about this beat seems awkward with Budden's flow, I wouldn't have chose this one as a single.

Follow Your Lead
This is the standout track on the album to me. Follow Your Lead gives you that feeling that you expect in the type of tracks typical of Joe Budden and his story telling. The beat fits perfectly with the emotion being conveyed in this track about his faith.

Stuck In the Moment
Joe Budden plus Just Blaze production equals greatness, now only if we could have got this track officially finished. I would have liked to hear it earlier in the album, or as the album closer. This track had me waiting for the beat to drop. Great instrumentation and use of the crowd, but the drums.. or Kick drum… could have been crisper.

If All else Fails
Great beat, but out of place as the previous song seemed to be fitting to end the Tape. Bonus Track?

Overall this album is definitely listenable, but not without skipping through. The point of the Mood Muzik series is to make the listener feel the music and lyrics, and he was successful in that in most of these tracks.

The mood of this one however was depressing and the project as a whole.. definitely has an Emo feel. I give this 3 out of 5.. slits to the wrist.


You can Stream and download the full Mood Muzik 4 Mixtape From the homies @ HipHopDX.com here:

http://bit.ly/bKfEiM