MUSIC REVIEWS
Twista - The Day After
David Allun Jones
Remember when rapping really fast meant something? When being able to rhyme at a ridiculous speed could instantly put you on a higher level of emceeing? Das Efx sculpting their own kind of pig latin slang by adding ”-iggity” to every word; Da Brat rhyming circles around her male counterparts; the insanely hyperactive Mystikal; the mellifluous harmonies of Bone Thugs: these acts spit with a nimble, uzi-like delivery that assured them respect even when the actual lyrical content was mediocre at best, but non mastered the technique as awesome as Twista. The Windy City rapper was so quick with the flow he got his name in the Guinness Book of Records for a period of time. Such an accomplishment allowed him to stand out from the pack and become the perfect guest star, effortlessly seasoning any track with just a small tinge of his unique skills. He remained an under-the-radar success until 2003’s Kamikaze made him a mainstream fixture thanks to a slew of high profile collaborations (Kanye West, R. Kelly) and catchy singles that paired his delivery with fitting R&B-dominant productions. But on The Day After, the follow-up to Kamikaze, the pressure is on to see if the increasingly blas gimmick he relies on will remain invigorating and if he’ll give in to the need to sustain a level of accessibility so as not to alienate his newfound pop fans.
With the new album, it becomes clear that Twista really digs being a multi-platinum superstar. Accepting the fact that he’s a better singles artist, colorful productions and mega-named guests sprinkled throughout the album give Twista several potential radio hits to choose from. They also provide alternative points of interest given the fact that Twista is favored more of as a side dish than the actual main entre. Too much focus on the rapper and his weaknesses painfully emerge: beyond the sex raps and vicious threats, there’s little else he seems capable of rapping about. So the outside assistance is needed to give each track it’s own characteristics and also provide some sort of guide for Twista to follow.
Focused mainly on the ladies, Twista indulges in his own late night freak tendencies, so we get a plethora of dalliances with groupies and more-than-enough references to his favorite sexual positions. When intertwined with another rapper or R&B singer, some songs can really sparkle. Trey Songz’ is the perfect fit for the effeminate moaning on the polished Ready For The World remake “Girl Tonite” while Mariah’s breathy coo offers the right amount of sensual desperation to “So Lonely” and the criminally under-acknowledged Pitbull kills the electro-hop delirium of “Hit The Floor”, a Cubano-crunk club banger that offers visions of a million asses shaking violently to the sonically charged beat.
What would’ve been the album’s true saving grace, Kamikaze’s greatest contributor Kanye West, is missing here and his absence keeps the album from realizing it’s full potential. Even with only a small appearance, Kanye has the presence to somehow make an entire album feel way more pronounced than it should, if only because he’ll allow an artist to be more personal and creative. Twista enlists the next best thing, the Neptunes, who’re as forward thinking and ambitious as Kanye is nostalgic and intelligent. The way Pharrell flips the lightly textured “Lavish”, a follow-ones -dreams mantra no where near as sappy as it sounds gives the album something deeper for balance (and Pharrell’s own double time flow is truly incredible) over a delectably weightless shuffle. Unfortunately, Skateboard P blows it with his second contribution, the limp, Jamie Foxx-featured “When I Get You Home”, a weak filler track that should’ve never left the cutting room floor
Destined to reach the same platinum heights as it’s predecessor, The Day After is a well-made hit-filled set, though it lacks the boldness of Kamikaze. Here, he just follows the formula that he realized worked the last time around, resulting in music that’s more calculated and watered down. It’s a disappointing step backward that disrupts the ascension pattern his career had been taking thus far, but at the same time it doesn’t really matter. We look to Twista for nothing more than cheap entertainment and he’s provided it once again.
