Inept production drowns potential

An album that features many hip-hop and rhythm and blues superstars, DJ Drama's "Third Power" is not a bad collection of music, though it does not match the quality of which the participating artists are capable.

With collaborations from artists Young Jeezy, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Gucci Mane, to name a few, the potential of this album is overshadowed by the lack of depth in lyrics, the small number of songs and the similarities in sound between a couple of tracks.

To only have 14 tracks and 12 actual songs, one of them being a remix of another, the vibe of this album fits its mixtape classification.

"Third Power" begins with an upbeat track called "Oh My," featuring Roscoe Dash, Fabolous and Wiz Khalifa. This song had staying power until track 12, the "Oh My" remix, begins to play. A lesser version of the original, "Third Power" could have done without this sloppy track.

The chorus is almost the same as the original, but Dash's sound better fits the energy of the song, and his singing of the hook is better than Trey Songz' on the remix.

Some songs on the album are good, some are bad, and then there are a couple, including "Never See You Again," that just do not fit. This R&B track features female artist Talia Coles and rapper Wale.

Although the song has a decent sound and provides a change of flavor, it does not connect with the rest of the CD.

All of the other tracks feature male artists rapping or singing from a masculine point of view and this track's femininity clashes with the rest of the album.

"Me and My Money," featuring Gucci Mane, is one track that stands out from the rest. The concept that Gucci uses his money as if it were a lady friend of his, invokes thought into an otherwise overblown rap concept.

The track's drum pattern is mellow and simple, yet the piano riffs, combined with dreary sound effects, create a sound reminiscent of a horror movie, which fit well with Gucci's lazy and stuffy voice.

Truly a party song, "Undercover" features Chris Brown and J. Cole and is the best collaboration on the album. The song's concept about having a lover on the low is properly expressed by both artists and Brown sings the hook superbly.

DJ Drama's "Third Power" is a decent album that has several tracks that fans of its genre will appreciate, but it is nothing to get overly excited about.