[Travel Light] by Jaafar/Album Review

So, it's me, Constantine the Emcee and S. Fly heading back from the studio in Atlanta with Vic the Truth. S. Fly asked, "ya'll heard Jaafar's CD yet?" We popped it in and...

First of all, let me apologize to Jaafar. I was "surprised" at how good it was. I must admit, I'm a product of my environment and in my environment, we've been conditioned to think that "if it's from here (i.e. B'ham, Alabama), it can only be [so] good...it can't be great." This project is one of the best I've ever listened to...period. From the over-all production quality, to the musical prowess, to the lyrical content & concepts, to the vocal performances...[Travel Light] is a testament of what is possible... and that is great music from your backyard.

Even though you can just put this one in and let it play, I do have some favorites. Can You Make Time/track 2 is a classic song about the working man making time for his lady. The melody will have you singing along with the hook by the end of the first time you hear it. At times it has the same feel of New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain" to me...but it's in no way a knock off. How I Feel/track 3 really shows off Jaafar's vocal range as an artists. How do you get up so high dude? Definite classic groove. Now on to my personal favorite, Hard to Say Goodbye/track 7. It starts off as an unassuming groove, "...it's so easy to say hello, it's just as easy to spend some time but it's so hard to say goodbye, it's so hard to say goodbye." Then @ 2:20 in the song, it transforms into an entirely different song for like a minute, "it's better to have loved and lost than to never love at all." Then, in true autobot fashion, he gets back to your regularly scheduled program...classic. Now, if there's a joint that surprised me even more than the initial over-all sound is Ms. Mary Mac/track 9. Great song, cool concept, and is that Jaafar beatboxing in the background? Well, who ever it is, they're holding it in the road on this one. And it's SO refreshing to hear a brother get his "Prince" on in 2009! Struggle/track 11 shows that Jaafar can "scream and scat" with the best of 'em.

[Travel Light] by Jaafar is a classic musical entry that I think is ushering in a new era of music for musicians and fans from not only Birmingham but the south in general.

I give it 7 out of 7 Head Nods*.

I'm Thed Weller and I approve this review.

*Head Nod Scale
1=Don't waste your time like I did mine.
2=Waste your time like I did mine but I dare you to disagree.
3=Well, there was the single.
4=If it were a hand in spades there's "two and a possible".
5=It's a "good" album. Meaning at least 3 or 4 solid songs.
6=Really Good Project. Has the "Rewind Factor" more than once.
7=The number of completion. Great Album. Instant Classic.