Tough Luv - Young Gunz 'Tough Luv' album

Proteges are always a gamble and even Jay-Z did not always win when it came to the ones he found. Sure, he made tons of money with Cam'ron but him and his Dip Set already had deals with Lance "Un" Rivera.

Jay-Z gave once in a lifetime chances to Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Memphis Bleek. While Beanie Sigel and Freeway made solid LPs, Memphis Bleek was more of a typical rapper that did not stand out from the crowd. Remember Amil? Well, some might. She was dropped from the label after her album bombed. Young Gunz is the next new group that Roc-A-Fella Records are giving to the world. The Philadelphia duo was truly discovered by Beanie Sigel. Like all Roc-A-Fella Records, the production is generally solid. There are a couple of R&B hooks and many guest appearances. Young Gunz are a duo consisting of Young Chris and Neef. In the last couple of years, they made solid guest appearances on many other Roc-A-Fella LPs. Young Chris made an unforgettable appearance on Jay-Z's "N*gga Please". As a group, Young Gunz weren't truly known until their minor hit "Can't Stop Won't Stop" from the "State Property II" compilation. Unfortunately, a major flaw with Young Gunz is that the talent is unbalanced. Young Chris has charming flow and a charismatic style while Neef is somewhat forgettable. Unfortunately, they practically have equal mic time. If Young Chris dominated the songs, the LP would have been much better. Still, their debut album, "Tough Luv" is solid enough to enjoy but does not break any new ground.

Like most of non-Jay-Z Roc-A-Fella albums, there are a couple of truly hot tracks and some filler. Produced by Scott Storch, "Never Take Me Alive" featuring Jay-Z is one of the best tracks on the album. The sinister piano and the cinematic beat complement the theme of survival very well. The song could be in a film. Each emcee does their verse and their own chorus. "Friday Night" is a Just Blaze produced old-school inspired track that uses interpolations from "Peter Piper" and "Flash To The Beat". Like "Can't Stop Won't Stop", Young Chris rides the beat especially well. "Tough Luv" (produced by Just Blaze) features a very hungry sounding newcomer named Denim. The vocal sample works very well with the pounding rhythm. ".Let's do whatever it takes to find our way." They all sound hungry on this excellent track. "Look In Your Eyes" featuring Cam'Ron (and produced by Ruggedness) is another intelligent use of a vocal sample. Cam'Ron steals track with his funny verse. "Grown Man", produced by Chad Hamilton (who produces most of the LP) more of a party cut. It works well because of Young Chris. Other good songs include "Roc U" featuring Beanie Sigel and "Parade" featuring Freeway. Both are produced by Chad Hamilton.

Many group albums have solo cuts to display how the emcees can stand on their own. "North Of Death" (produced by Chad Hamilton) is an eerie and sinister solo cut for Young Chris. Although the cut does work due to his flow and emotion, Chris flows better on more upbeat tracks. "That's Right" (produced by Boola) is Neef's solo track but it is simply not as good as "North Of Death". When you compare these tracks, it is blatantly obvious that Young Chris is simply more charismatic.

"Tough Luv" does have its share of filler cuts. While none of the songs are poor or even corny, the filler tracks just do not offer anything new or inspire. The remix of "Can't Stop Won't Stop" is a perfect example. Produced by Digga, the original was very energetic and cool. The ego was amazing. The remix on this album features Chingy and the chorus is changed so at the end he singh "Right thurrrr" over and over again. It is simply annoying. The hit single "No Better Love" featuring Rell on the chorus also is a filler track. It is just so formulaic that the listener knows it was made specifically to be a hit single. "$$$ Girl" is not as bad as the concept sounds. Produced Chad Hamilton and featuring Juelz Santana, "$$$ Girl" uses a vocal sample from the song "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates. The beat is done well but Juelz brings nothing to the song.

Overall, "Tough Luv" by Young Gunz is solid enough due to the production, the guest spots, and Young Chris. While Neef does have talent, Young Chris soars over him with his cocky delivery, slick voice, and his magnetic charisma. One sad factor of this LP is that Young Chris did not rock to his full potential. Still, hot songs like "Never Take Me Alive", "Tough Luv", "Friday Night", and "Look In Your Eyes" make this LP interesting. Overall, there are more good songs than filler tracks. Can you blame the duo for making hardcore songs and an R&B track (like "No Better Love") right next to each other? Chad Hamilton dominates most of the production on the album, making most of the LP sound the same. Like Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz are doing well because of their collaborations and their production. Although Just Blaze, Digga, Ez Elpee, and Bink do contribute tracks, only a couple of the songs truly stand out strong on the first listen. Only after a couple of solid rotations does each track begin to stand alone. Still, even though Chad Hamilton did make some good songs here, too much of the LP is produced by him. Young Chris could go far. If he goes solo and stays with Roc-A-Fella Records the sky is the limit. While Neef is hungry and not bad, Young Chris has the voice, the flow, and the attitude. As a group, this duo is hungry and it is evident in most of their songs. Maybe as they mature, they will become more unique and more "themselves". Still, fans of Roc-A-Fella Records and State Property will not be disappointed in "Tough Luv'.

Review by Todd E. Jones aka The New Jeru Poet

7.5 out of 10

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Tough Luv - Young Gunz - Tough Luv