Jadakiss Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
In a genre where albums frequently miss their street date, Jadakiss' The Last Kiss is an especially late hip-hop release, having been pushed back, retitled, and retooled numerous times. With prime street cuts given away to comps, mixtapes, and soundtracks in the five years since Kiss of Death was released, the numbers that remain are slick and polished, although kickoff "Pain & Torture" breaks the mold. Elsewhere, he sings "If you're real and you know it/Clap your hands" over a Swizz Beats production on "Who's Real," and Mary J. Blige offers standard support on the following "Grind Hard." "What If" uses the same structure as Kiss of Death's Nas collaboration "Why," and although "Letter to B.I.G." already appeared on the Notorious soundtrack, it is one of the more interesting cuts on The Last Kiss. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The most startling thing about Kiss of Death is that Jadakiss dumped a bunch of Neptunes productions and kept only "Hot Sauce to Go," one of the record's poorest tracks. This, along with a particularly ill-suited "soft and smooth track for the ladies" featuring a carted-in Mariah Carey as well as a too-familiar-sounding Scott Storch production, is thankfully the only outright blights on an otherwise satisfactory showing. These issues aside, Jadakiss makes good on his promise to become a rounded lyricist and receives some valuable help in the form of tight production work from a handful of pros -- surprisingly enough, Swizz Beatz's work on "Real Hip Hop" tops anything that producer did for Cassidy's debut, and the Red Spyda-manned title track (bizarrely tucked near the end) is Jadakiss' most vicious track yet. No matter the number of bright moments, you can't help but feel that Jadakiss has his best days ahead of him. For further proof, listeners looking to go deeper are strongly advised to seek out The Champ Is Here, a teaser mix presented by Big Mike and Green Lantern. Provided you can stomach the Will Smith version of Cassius Clay proclaiming "The champ is here!" about every 30 seconds (Jada's cackle could've been kept in check a little more, too), you should find that it's actually superior to this fine record. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'Kiss tha Game Goodbye'
Release Date 3/27/2001
Tracks 21
Label Interscope
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In terms of sheer anticipation, Jadakiss' buzz was at an apex at the time of this album's release. While fellow LOX members Sheek and Styles flashed improved flows and lyrics on their group's sophomore strike, We Are the Streets, Jadakiss remained the group's undisputed frontman. And with the streets virtually foaming at the mouth, Jadakiss returned from the lab to birth his solo debut, Kiss tha Game Goodbye. There are some bangers here: the celebratory, Alchemist-produced "We Gonna Make It" (featuring Styles) bubbles; there's the DJ Premier-blessed "None of Y'all Betta," featuring Styles and Sheek; and the gully "Un-Hunh," featuring DMX. With self-explanatory titles like "Nasty Girl," featuring Carl Thomas; "I'm a Gangsta," featuring Parlé; and "Cruisin," featuring Snoop Dogg, it becomes abundantly clear that Jadakiss is trying hard to please everyone. The production is supplied by Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and a host of others. ~ Matt Conaway, All Music Guide
