Jadakiss
The Last Kiss
Release Date: Apr 7, 2009
Genre(s): Rap
Record label: Ruff Ryders/ Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
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Album Review: The Last Kiss by Jadakiss
Satisfactory, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating B
On his latest CD, The Last Kiss, Jadakiss says he’s ”trying to get my s— together and do it one more time.” Give him points for honesty: It’s been five years since his last release, and longer since his hardboiled lyricism was in style. When he caters to changed times, the results are forgettable. But when he stays in his lane, there’s no one who can snarl a couplet quite like him.
Based on rating 5.2/10
Rapping is easy; releasing records is hard. This is the melancholy truth that emerges from Jadakiss' third tepid and unfocused solo record in eight years. As a rapper, Jada's bona fides are firmly in place-- both Eminem and Q-Tip have named him to their top 10 of all time-- but when it comes to releasing albums, his batting average is only slightly higher than Saigon's.
Based on rating 5/10
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. This problematic arrival shows too in the final product, but the problem may not be the much maligned rapper's ability or inspiration but the constant mishandling of his material. So many prime street cuts have been given away to comps, mixtapes, and soundtracks in the five years since Kiss of Death was released that only the slick, polished numbers remain, save the misleading kickoff "Pain & Torture.