ALBUM REVIEW: ‘LLNP’ – Timaya and Dem Mama Souljas

Timaya is a creature of habit; some things (most things, as a matter of fact) don’t change with him. Having risen to the pinnacle of the pop charts from 2008 with a simple formulaic style, he has unabashedly stuck  with that style since then. Purists despise his style of music as crass and unreformed; the streets love him just for that.

With three albums under his kitty, this time around he lets his posse Dem Mama Souljas have a bite of fame on Long Life N Prosperity (L.L.N.P), the collaborative album between him and his band of brothers.

As I said earlier, Timaya is a one-trick pony and so are his soldiers. The LP starts with songs predictably talking about ‘bad belle people’, rising from rags to riches, Jehovah and even boasts about knowing the governor. Predictability is not a bad thing, but unfortunately, these songs lack the kick. Some of them are feeble rehashes of Timaya’s past tunes. For those who are patient enough, the LP starts at track 8 with a song titled Born Throwaway.  Performed by Timaya and TJ 2 Solo, the song has enough knock factor, simple rhymes and rhythm to get you off your feet.

The CD comes alive after this. As the leader of the clan, Timaya takes the reins and drops another hot track on Hustle Everyday produced by Jay Stuntz. The boss man shows what made him on All The Way , an instant crowd pleaser. When Timaya is in his element it’s hard to hate him even though you know the songs are not properly constructed. With All The Way, Timaya has ensured that he is in heavy rotation for another year.

Meanwhile, Timaya’s soldiers show flashes of being able to be deliver when called upon. Replay by Wrecoba feels like something that will work well in clubs. My Model by Allenian continues the party trend the LP is focused on, and TJ 2 Solo plays his own part with Sololi.

L.L.N.P however feels like the work of individuals and not of a collective. All four members throughout the album are not on one song. It feels like a compilation and at the end of the day, the parts of the whole are greater than the whole itself.

From the look of things, Timaya isn’t ready to drop his brand of music. He now has apostles who are willing to push his style further. If that’s your kind of thing, well I guess wishing them long life and prosperity is in order.