Plies, The Real Testament: Early Album Review

On his debut album "The Real Testament", Fort Myers, Florida based rapper Plies attempts to show the world who he is. Plies almost had his chance back in 2006 when he was featured on Akon's hit single "I Wanna Love You." Plies was originally featured on the track but after an arrest his vocals were replaced by superstar rapper Snoop Dogg. Will Plies be just another one hit southern artist or does "The Real Testament" have staying power?

The first single off of "The Real Testament" is the commercial success "Shawty" featuring R&B star T-Pain. The song features T-Pain's trademark vocoded vocals along with a beat by Drumma Boy and Ensayne. The song is very catchy and is a hit at urban radio.

The second single off of "The Real Testament" is Hypnotized produced and featuring Akon. The song features Akon's trademark crooning. But the subject matter leaves a lot to be desired. The beat is an extremely minimalist beat from Akon which sounds as if it was a throw away track that other artists passed over before it was given to Plies.

The most successful tracks on the album team Plies with established producers like Jonathan "J.R." Rotem. On "1 Mo Time" produced by Rotem, Plies raps about having a relationship based on sex and making love one more time before his female leaves him. The beat is catchy as are most by Rotem by Plies over energetic style, should have been toned down for the mellow beat.

Songs like "Friday" produced by Rotem, "Money Straight" and "Murkin Season" produced by Hen & Ro are able to match Plies is energetic delivery with a beat that fits properly.

"You" featuring R&B singer Tank and produced by Jayson "Jay-E" Epperson is one of the major disappointments. The subject matter is completely played out as how many sex songs can be created. The beat is similar to a more layered version of the Ying Yang Twins "Wait", which might have been a good thing back in 2005 but not in the current climate of music.