Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 07/19/2005
Named the president of
Virgin's urban division in early 2005,
Jermaine Dupri -- formerly a VP at
Arista -- has a lot of work cut out for himself. As of late,
Virgin hasn't been known as the hottest spot for
R&B and
rap (or anything else, for that matter, apart from superstars like
Lenny and
Janet), but he has brought his
So So Def roster with him and hopes to turn the situation around.
Young, Fly & Flashy, titled just like a marketing campaign, is a way for him to show off his artists, whether they're developing (
T. Waters,
Young Capone,
Dem Franchize Boyz), established (
Bow Wow,
Dupri himself), or past their peak of popularity (
Da Brat,
Daz Dillinger). These labelmates make a motley bunch, and this compilation is similarly scattered and uneven. Host
Dupri makes a handful of contributions, including first single
"Gotta Getcha," a rote
club track co-written by
Missy Elliott, but he leaves most of the room for his artists. Predominantly a hardcore
Southern rap disc, highlighted by
Pastor Troy's
"Just to Fight" and the
Young Capone-fronted
"I'm Hot," it shouldn't have much trouble being trumped by the single-artist releases
Dupri has on the boil. The biggest surprise is a
Ciara-flavored appearance from
KP & Envyi (!), a duo last heard from in 1997 (
"Swing My Way").
~Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
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