It wasn’t so long ago that Chris Brown dropped his most anticipated album, X. Before we’d barely had a chance to fully appreciate that offering comes the news that he has dropped another album this week.
Fan of a Fan is a collaboration with rapper Tyga and follows on from the pair’s Fan of a Fan 2010 mixtape, which gave us the hit Deuces. Now the besties have made a “part two” project – this time as a commercial album. Published through RCA Records and Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records, the project is set to follow on from where the pair left off five years ago.
The first song to come off the album is Ayo, which has been so successful it has already been streamed a million times since its release. It is in the Top 20 on the South African Airplay chart and appears to be on the rise to the top spot. This comes as no surprise since Tyga and Brown have made many hits including the Lil’ Wayne collaboration Loyal, which is on Brown’s latest album.
What those who do not follow the mixtape culture will be impressed by, is the fact that C.Breezy switches between singing and rapping with such ease, it could almost be said he didn’t need Tyga’s rapping skills on this album. It’s almost like a challenge to Drake, who also sings and raps, and given the beef between the two over their respective relationships with Rihanna, perhaps this is Breezy “throwing it down” to Drake.
Given that Tyga hasn’t really been doing much under the Young Money stable (reports are he’s not happy at how his career is faring under Lil’ Wayne), this album will undoubtedly place him higher up on the map, thanks to the inclusion of his superstar friend.
The music scouts are listening!
CHRIS BROWN & TYGA
Fan of a Fan: The Album
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Chris Brown and Tyga return after dropping the successful Fan Of A Fan mixtape that had Dueces as a hit. The one thing that impressed many people back then was that Brown could actually rap. He made it playful, but as it turns out he was preparing for bigger things.
The best thing about Fan Of A Fan: The Album is that it has the most versatile hip hop beats we have heard in a while, perhaps since Jay-Z’s Magna Carta.
After Rick Ross’s Hood Billionaire and Lil’ Wayne’s Sorry For The Wait 2 fell flat, it feels somewhat surreal to place Brown and Tyga in the position as “saviours” of hip hop. But that’s the way its looking, at least until some-one more serious rides to the rescue.
Ayo has already done wonders for the project but that is not all there is on this album. If you know your music, you will catch the jab at Drake on It’s Yo S**t, featuring Wale, which has samples of Hold On, We’re Going Home.
B****es N Marijuana features Schoolboy Q and is almost a continuation of the hit Loyal, but with a tinge of rave. There aren’t any deep songs with social commentary or anything that serious on the album. This is just two men having a good time in the studio.
The Kriss Kross artwork on the CD cover gives away the kind of energy this twosome where aiming for. Of course they make it 2015 compliant, with beats so good they will definitely make you “jump, jump”.
– Munya Vomo