Red Cafe "Above The Cloudz" Review

Shakedown! 

For over a decade, Red Cafe has been one of the most consistent rappers from NYC, and he continues his success with his new street album “Above The Cloudz.” The prequel to his long awaited debut album, “Above The Cloudz” is filled with witty punch-lines and clever metaphors showing Red Cafe at his finest. 

The album opens up like a movie and even has various best of the Joker skits from the Dark Knight throughout. The skits fit in nicely and help transition from song to song, even though they offer nothing to the record. The beats are on point featuring the classic New York City sound and Red Cafe spits over them like a man possessed and hungry to release his first mainstream album. 

Punch lines have always been Red Cafe's strongpoint and he does not disappoint on “Above The Cloudz.” Red spits such gems as “Flow sharper than Steve Harvey's hairline, And I smoke good either kush or the dro, getting high 'til I feel a fucking cloud on my toe. Yea. Perfect view of the world, I'm looking down at much more than a nigga's girl” on the Curren$y assisted “Everyday's A Weekend.” Red Cafe always stands out on the album and does not get overshadowed by any guests, even though he has an all star assemble such as Lloyd Banks, Fabolous, Talib Kweli and Rick Ross. On the chilled out Rick Ross featured track “Faded”, Ross and Red team up and deliver lines such as, “In the presence of a Don, be cautious but calm, Can't be faded, two pills a charm.” “Above The Cloudz” even samples the late Nate Dogg on the song “Put It In The Air” featuring Nate Dogg's infamous “Smoke Weed Everyday” line as Red Cafe makes an ode to the sweet leaf. “Coup got no top like Dr. Phil head. Pop champagne, the most celebrated. Blow purple biatch the most elevated.” Red even claims that he's higher than Smokey from Friday during the song.  

“Above The Cloudz” is the typical strong showing from Red Cafe. For years the man has been putting out hot joints, even getting airplay on mainstream radio with songs such as “Bling Blaow”, “Diddy Bop”, “Paper Touchin”, “Hottest In The Hood” and most recently “I'm Ill. ” Hopefully, 2011 will be the year his debut album finally gets released because Red Cafe is a good rapper and someone who deserves the exposure. Shakedown!

Based on the Beavis and Butt-Head scale: 

3 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads

Recommended Songs:

Above the Cloudz, Put It In The Air, Faded, The Realest