The problem with many up-and-coming artists is the risk of sounding too “familiar.”
Foundation’s album, “On the Ladder,” has too many tracks that sound like something that’s been done before, but despite a few fillers, “On the Ladder” delivers enough tracks to keep your ear to the speakers.
Foundation is made up of three 19-year-olds: Archie “Young Siah” Morgan, a freshman marketing student from Racine, Wis.; Gary “G-Dirty” Watson, a freshman undeclared student from Tampa; and Mario “Young Capp” Otkins, a freshman business student from Tampa.
“On the Ladder” came strong with 20 tracks including an introduction and a skit.
The album gives you over an hour of music. Unfortunately this attempt at quantity brings down the album’s quality.
Literally the first half of this twenty-track album is filled with too many “familiar” tracks.
The beats are mediocre and the flows to each song do not draw you in any more than the beats. Tracks like “We Got H–“and “Do Yo’ Dance,” a song that references every popular club dance, brings down the quality of the album.
But every now and then the first half of the CD will keep you listening. The third track, “F-L-Y,” has such a catchy hook that you can’t help but sing-a-long to it the second time around. “Dreamin’ ’bout Money,” has the same hook appeal as “F-L-Y.”
“Getting’ Sky,” a smoking song, lacks any type of appeal to experiment, but it works as a heads up. Foundation hits the ground running after that track. “Eviction Notice” is the first track in which the group starts to really display their potential. The first verse gives the competition the group’s stance on things. “I give no leeway, my style is not negotiable…give me fifty feet, my style is not approachable.”
The group then introduces their club song, “Take it to the Head,” which instructs everyone in the club, especially the females, to take their drinks…well, to the head.
The group flows to amped beats with witty comments like “she was ugly before but now she looking iffy.” “Fever” the following track has the feel of a club hit as well. It is parallel to Nelly’s “Hot in Herre.” The hook states, “oh gir,l I’m acting like I need ya. Oh boy, I’m hotter than a fever,” using a sexy female voice to recite the female portion of the hook.
After “Fever” the group begins to really display their lyrical talents. They began to really take the reins of each beat towards the conclusion on the album. “I’m Dat Fiya,” produced by the group’s Young Siah, is G-Dirty’s solo song. G-dirty flows flawlessly over this beat that mandates you to bob your head, rock or do whatever you must in order to vibe to the song.
One of the group’s final tracks, “Changes,” is very unique in its sound. The song is about how things sometimes don’t, but must, change. It is a track that goes outside the box and strays from the very popular topics of money and promiscuous women.
The title track concludes the album with a bang. Unfortunately, besides the solo track, this is the only time you can distinguish between each member of the group. It is mostly in part because they introduce themselves before each verse.
Despite the numerous tracks that lacked lyrical appeal, Foundation had enough tracks for you to see that they do have talent. If only they could hone their individual niches and put that collective individuality on each track.
Foundation is scheduled to open for the Boy of Poison’s “World Premiere” show which will be held in Lee Hall April 13.
Grade: B
Contact Anthony Anamelachi at famuanlifestyles@hotmail.com