Mann's World

ヒップホップ・シーンの今年の夏男はこいつで決まり!80'Sダンス・クラシックを大胆にネタ使いした(4)や、ジェイソン・デルーロとの美メロ(10)が話題だったカリフォルニアの20才、マンがついにデビュー!プロデュースはデルーロやアイヤズやショーン・キングストンを送り出したあのJ.R.ロテムだから間違いなし!90'sR&B大ネタ使いの(3)もヤバい!

ヒップホップ・シーンのダークホースか!? ヒップホップの古き良き時代を感じさせるサウンドをフィーチャーした、Mannのメジャー・デビュー・アルバム。本名はDijon Thames Shariff、1991年7月17日生まれ、カリフォルニア州ウェストLA出身のラッパー。本作のゲストにSnoop Dogg、lyaz、50 Cent、T-Pain、Jason Derulo、プロデューサーにJ.R. Rotemを迎え制作された、注目のデビュー･アルバム。
ユニバーサル

Born too late to fully appreciate the golden era of the West Coast hip-hop genre, 20-year-old Los Angeles MC Dijon Thames Shariff, aka Mann, now seems on a mission to bring the dominant urban sound of the early 90s back to life, with his unashamedly retro debut album, Mann's World. The protégé of producer J.R. Rotem, (who provides his annoying signature siren to several of its ten tracks), may have cited the likes of The Chronic and Doggystyle as its major influences, but despite the presence of Snoop Dogg on the Mark Morrison-sampling G-Funk of "The Mack," and a high-pitched synth-riff pinched from "Nuthin' But A G Thang" on the biographical tale, "Gold Herringbone," it has very little in common with the tough-talking gangster stoner rap of his idols. Instead, it's a carefree pure party record which evokes the self-deprecating hip-hop of Skee-Lo, the more cartoonish output of Coolio and at times the sample-heavy pop-rap of Will Smith. Indeed, Mann certainly isn't afraid to plunder the similar jukebox of sounds as the latter, even if he does appear to be slightly tentative about doing anything remotely inventive with it. "Buzzin," the recent UK Top 10 single which borrows the echoed melody from Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait," and the soulful slow-jam "Reminisce," which features the slick sax hook from Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You," are both infectious glossily produced affairs but would undoubtedly lose most of their impact without their rather obvious samples, while "Get It Girl," an unsurprisingly heavily AutoTuned collaboration with T-Pain, makes the Crazy Frog's cover of Jan Hammer's Beverley Hills Theme Tune appear subtle. However, Mann is capable of producing equally feel-good results without resorting to lifting such hefty chunks of classic material. "Wanna Go Back" is a slightly melancholic chilled-out ode to his 90s youth featuring some impressively soulful vocals from emerging artist Lydia Caesar, "Shaded Up Chillin'" is a convincing stab at replicating LL Cool J's renowned ‘loverman' shtick, while the Chris Brown-esque "Dance The Night Away" is made palatable by the fact it's the only attempt at the ubiquitous electro R&B sound currently flooding the charts. Mann's first offering is occasionally as uninspiring as his name, but ironically, for a record which is firmly stuck in the 90s, it's still a breath of fresh air in a commercial hip-hop scene which of late appears to have abandoned its roots. ~ Jon O'Brien|

ショーン・キングストンらをブレイクに導いたヒットメイカー、JR・ロテムの仕掛けるLA出身のヤング・ラッパーがいよいよアルバム・デビュー。80sクラシック“I Can'tWait"を丸使いした50セントとの“Buzzin'(Remix)"を筆頭に、＜これぞJR!＞な反則スレスレの大ネタ使いが爆発し、ウェッサイ特有のノリも注入されたパーティー・ラップが全開になっている。マーク・モリソン“Return OfThe Mack"のリメイクともいえる“The Mack"ではスヌープ・ドッグ&アイヤズとレイドバックし、ドクター・ドレー“Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"の弾き直し曲や、「ビバリーヒルズ・コップ」のテーマを使ったT・ペインとの合体曲などもアリ。ヴァラエティーに富んだお気楽ラップが炸裂するキャッチーな一枚!
bounce (C)池田貴洋