ELDEE – IS IT YOUR MONEY? (Vol.

1)
Naija’s Listening E.A.R. (Essential Album Rating)
A strong review of Naija albums
22/05/2010 | Oyebowale ‘oyeakd’ Akideinde http://vocaldrops.blogspot.com/ ; http://www:360nobs.com

GENRE: Hip Hop

LABEL: Trybe Records
Year of release: 2010

1. Intro (Respect Me) ft DJ Dee Money

2. U Blow My Mind
3. Big Boy(Yung Joc remix) ft Yung Joc & Oladele
4. Na You ft Michael World
5. Fly Away ft Sauce Kid & Ikechukwu
6. Do It ft Kel
7. Koleyewon
8. One Day (e go better)
9. Ota Mi ft LKT
10. Feel Good Music ft Dokta Frabz, Jimmz Flames
& Naeto C
11. Bosi Gbangba(Pop remix) ft Proto
12. Best I Ever Had(African remix)
13. Slow Down (Chiddy Bang ft eLDee & Black
Thought of The Roots)
14. U Blow My Mind (Instrumental)
15. Ota Mi (Instrumental)
16. Ogede

Ever since the release of eLDee’s ‘Is It Your Money?’ CD, peeps have been asking me if this is
a Mixtape(Why is it being sold?) or an Album. I have decided to try and explain the difference
between a Mixtape & an Album to the best of my knowledge.

Although both are extremely similar, a mixtape is generally a promotional tool used to generate
‘Hype’ for an artiste, promote an upcoming album or simply try to gain a fan base. Mixtapes
allow you to experiment with your style to see how fans react to it before going in a certain
direction. They allow artists to freestyle over jacked beats, sample other people songs.
Sometimes Mixtapes are sold due to the costly production that may have gone into them; I
bought both Drake’s ‘So Far Gone’ and Chris Brown’s ‘Handwriting on The Walls’ mixtapes
digitally; 50 Cent sold his Hit Mixtapes before he was snapped up by Dr Dre

However, the strength of the album is the greatest weakness of a mixtape - albums have far
higher budgets and feature original or cleared sampled material. There's a thin line these days.
But mostly, mixtapes are just that extra materials not on any album. Hope this little explanation
helped clear the confusion that eLDee has every right to sell this Mixtape like an Album.
Moving on, 9ja Hiphop veteran Lanre Dabiri aka eLDee has come a long way from rapping in
the 90s along with KaBoom & Freestyle as Trybesmen and still, he feels he has something to
prove.

With the success of his last album “Big Boy” thanks to the monster hit single with the same
name, eLDee tries to keep the fire burning with his latest Mixtape.

The “Intro” is a cleverly interwoven tale as eLDee narrates the milestones in his musical life. His
bars on this track are the hottest on the mixtape “…Off to UNILAG, shock of a culture/snakes &
lions, hyenas & vultures/ Wanted me to blend in but I ain’t a dumb one/ A part of me kept sayin I had to
be someone” It shows us a mature eLDee armed with the art of storytelling and heck I think he
even takes a swipe @ his old Trybesmen team-mate “How I’m fight fools that do not show up”.

“U Blow My Mind” shows eLDee versatility, spitting in three languages – Yoruba, Hausa &
English over a sick, energy fueled beat which comes courtesy of Silvastone Beats. Yung Joc
adds no extra dimension on the remix to last year’s monster hit – “Big Boy” and was probably
just added for those who hadn’t heard it last year.

Next up is the bluesy, soul looped track – “Na You” which features Michael World and sees
eLDee professing love to his heartthrob. Song will definite grow on you. Ikechukwu &
Saucekid join eLDee on “Fly Away” as three wax lyrically about how they have strived for
success and have ensured a brighter future.

With “Do It”, eLDee makes it clear he is gunning for the clubs. With assistance from the ever
beautiful Kel, this song stands out both in production and lyrics. The sampling of “Da Finest” is
also blended in so nicely. It is a near perfect track. The next two tracks – “Koleyewon” & “One
Day” puts eLDee in his comfort zone with the latter trying to console 9ja citizens that things will
surely get better. It’s quite similar to his 2006 Hit – “Me I Go Yarn” but isn’t as ‘goose-bumpin’.

The club driven “Ota Mi” is a massive track and is doing quite well even on the 360nobs.com
Rotation Fans’ Choice Top 10 Chart (http://www.360nobs.com/2010/05/360-rotation-ur-top-10-
9ja-chart-2/). LKT christens the track with the right dosage of yoruba vocals. eLDee drops bars
so smoothly over the rich production. My favourite cut off this Mixtape

eLDee experiments with Dokta Frabz to produce the Timbaland-influenced “Feel Good Music”.
The track doesn’t fail to deliver and features tight verses from Naeto C & Jimmy Flames and is
really worth the listen.

“Bosi Gbangba(Pop remix)” comes with a new snazzy beat & Trybe Records artist Proto also
drops some bars on it. Lyrics from eLDee are the same. eLDee then covers Drake’s monster
track “Best I Ever Had” and fails to add anything new to it. Like I said, it’s a mixtape and he was
probably experimenting with the track. It would be hard for any MC really to flow over the track
and make it better than Drake’s.

I really like “Slow Down” a saccharin sweet track by Chiddy Bang which eLDee features on
along with Black Thought of The Roots “…slow down/men I gotta slow down/there’s way too many
friends and gossip that go round/wish I would have knew what I know now/But for now, Life’s feels better
when you slow down”

The heavy beat driven “Ogede” wraps the mixtape with pace as eLDee goes in raw with a
display of slick wordplay. This is definitely heading to the clubs! Ladies start practicing in your
rooms with this track.

For me on this mixtape, eLDee falls into the trap of making tracks based on what’s hot @ the
moment. The problem with that is that trends end daily, but since it is a Mixtape it can’t really be
a problem cos he’s experimenting with his style. The Mixtape is full of cuts that are potential
radio hits and these cuts will add to eLDee’s already illustrious repertoire. Love this Mixtape or
Hate it, the man is a Legend. tha Don has seen cats (even those close to him) come and go in
a difficult profession that gets harsher by the day.

Outstanding Tracks: Ota Mi, Intro, U Blow My Mind, Slow Down, Do It, Feel Good Music
Disappointing Tracks: Best I Ever Had (African remix), Big Boy(Yung Joc remix)

VOCAL DROPS Rating System

VERSATILITY: 8/10
OPINION (Personal): 7/10
CREATIVITY: 7/10
ACCEPTANCE: 7/10
LYRICS: 7/10
DELIVERY: 7/10
RHYTHM: 8/10
ORIGINALITY: 6/10
PRODUCTION: 8/10
SKIP FACTOR: 7/10

THE VERDICT: 7.2/10

Even though this Mixtape does not compare to MI’s ‘Illegal Music’ & Mode 9ine’s ‘09.09.09’, “Is
It Your Money” makes us realize that eLDee still knows how to make “Feel Good Music”.
Ultimately, I think it’s a lot harder to make a great album that it is to make a “great” mixtape and
when his next album drops, we can be sure it will be a visionary album dropped by a visionary
…and yes, it is my money that bought this Mixtape.

This mixtape MAKES THE iPOD.