Avg Rating: 
4.0 ( 8 total votes )
Hip-hop has always been about stories, and Maino has a hell of a story to tell. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the birthplace of a long line of gangsters/rappers, Maino’s spent ten years behind bars for his part in a drug-related kidnapping. After his release in 2003, Maino decided to start hustling music as hard as he had hustled the streets, eventually triumphing and landing a deal with Universal. Hollywood would end the story there, but Maino’s real life struggles were far from over. After splitting with Universal he landed with Atlantic Records, only to … ...Read the full album review
DJBooth Album Review
Hip-hop has always been about stories, and Maino has a hell of a story to tell. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the birthplace of a long line of gangsters/rappers, Maino’s spent ten years behind bars for his part in a drug-related kidnapping. After his release in 2003, Maino decided to start hustling music as hard as he had hustled the streets, eventually triumphing and landing a deal with Universal. Hollywood would end the story there, but Maino’s real life struggles were far from over. After splitting with Universal he landed with Atlantic Records, only to have to continue to fight to see his debut album, If Tomorrow Comes, released. Every artist has to struggle before they see their first album drop (except for maybe Bow Wow) but Maino had to struggle more than most, which makes If Tomorrow Comes more than an album, it makes it a minor miracle. Oh, and he also slapped Yung Berg.
The good news is that Maino is much more than a feel good story. On If Tomorrow Comes Maino proves himself to be a legitimate rapper, albeit one who relies more on personality and history than rhymes to carry his music. In some ways he’s following the blueprint laid down by Plies, whose own “criminal gone legit, but not too legit” story echoes Maino’s. But if anything proves Maino is much more than just a Plies follower it’s the album’s structure: each song is a cinematic affair that tells another chapter in his struggle to find rap stardom after prison. Kind of like Jay’s American Gangster…very kind of.
Unsurprisingly, Maino is at his best when he’s at his realest, when we feel like we’re getting an unfiltered look into the concrete hard life that made him. The best example is the Back to Life, a track that lays out Maino’s first post-prison days, days in which he formulated the plan to become a rapper. (He also reveals that he’s confident he can hustle people into buying his music, even though he can’t rap. Why he chooses to reveal this information is beyond me - do with it what you will.) Even better is the introspective Runaway Slave, a track that has Maino contemplating dying “before I start living out my plans, die before I see my son grow into a man.” It’s a bravely honest song, and also one of the album’s best. Unfortunately, that honesty doesn’t always work so well, particularly on Kill You, a track detailing Maino’s fantasies about killing the nagging mother of his child. It takes an extraordinary amount of lyrical skill and emotional delivery to pull of a song like this – just ask Eminem – and Maino’s not remotely up to the task, leaving Kill You sounding like the angry ramblings of a domestic abuser. Fortunately If Tomorrow Comes is too strong to be dragged down by the weak Kill You, though I have to believe Maino will someday regret making that track.
If Tomorrow Comes is as much a story of celebration as it is of hardship, and Maino deservedly chooses to frequently revel in his success. Just take All of the Above, a Just Blaze and T-Pain backed joint currently burning up the airwaves. All of the Above is Maino at his most inspirational, a rapper with enough credibility to say “if I can do this you can do anything,” and sounds damn good while he does it. By contrast the strictly party focused Million Bucks feels disappointingly flat. Swizz Beatz repetitive production style veers dangerously close to annoying, and picturing Maino doing the The Money Dance is like picturing Trina rapping about abstinence. Both tracks illustrate that when Maino strays from his strength, describing his life, he can be very hit or miss, hitting hard with the bouncing Celebrate but striking out with the formulaic and forced Let’s Make a Movie (though he does manage to impressively rhyme “difficult” and “nipples”).
On his next album Maino will have to rely less on the story of his past and more on his future as an evolving rapper to succeed, but in the interest of not having a middle finger and a Hi Hater directed my way, let’s end on a high note. Hip-hop can be many things, but to Maino it was and is a path to a better life, and he should be applauded for walking down that path, no matter the obstacles. You can begin clapping now.
Listen to More: Maino Written by Nathan S.
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Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 8
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 4267 |
Rating:
Frankly though, I underrated Maino as a rapper. His debut album, at 19 tracks long, is one of the more consistent and thorough albums I've heard so far this year. None of the tracks really nosedive, and a lot of them impress me quite a lot than what i expected.
I like how this plays out like a book... Every song/skit is relevant. This LP sounds more like an album that you can play from front to back a couple of times before picking out your favorite tracks. Maino contributes to that by adding interludes in between most of the songs, which contributes to a flow that this listener didn't want to disrupt until it was all over. Good to see a Rapper to treat his material/album as total unit, and nothing less .... This album is Solid, in terms of production and some cohesive (not spectacular, but flowy) lyrics. Maino shows that he has many of the tools necessary to become a mainstay in the hip-hop game: catchy hook writing, emotion, strong lyricism and experiences to work with. But it’s brought down by a handful of lesser songs where Maino succumbs to the clichés of his story ... Tracks such as "Hood Love" and "Soldier" are not necessarily good on a track by track basis but when looking at the disc when taking everything in consideration, the pieces does fit. The pretty self-explanatory tracks such as "Million Bucks" -- "Gangsta" -- "Here Comes Trouble" -- "Celebrate" are above average at very best BUT they actually represents a lot more when put into the context of the album’s concept. Maino aint a bad rapper nor did he produced a bad album. His lyrics and flow is simple and mundane at times but he does offers substance at times as well. Solid production throughout makes up for Maino's 'lack of lyricism' and every once in a while he'll think of a few witty punchlines and a chorus that'll keep u glued for couple more listens, but an injection of lyrical style can help him go a long way. Maino is a generic street rapper but just slightly realer with his sh*t. This will most likely be one of the most overlooked albums of 09 (along with Mims “Guilty”). I encourage everyone to get to know Maino before passing this one off, Play it all the way through at LEAST once. It's worth it ... Maino told us his story, and while we might have heard this story before, he did make it interesting. Far from wack, but not about to change anything, "If Tomorrow" is a solid effort, straight four stars. |
| Posted on Jul 23, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
i agree with above post this album is a lot better than a lot of albums ive heard lately and a few tracks are definitely high quality work. Celebrate was one of my fav tracks on the album
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| Posted on Jul 25, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
Rating:
I think many people will overlook this album because they dont think Maino has that much lyrical skill. Although that is true he proves on this album you can make solid songs with just his story and his passion for the game. A few dissapointments such as Kill You but every song was pretty good. 3 stars...give this album a listen
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| Posted on Jul 25, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
This album is by far the best thing to hit the markets in years. Anyone who has been thru any struggles in their life can easily relate to it.
Nathan S - Your comment on Kill you being a terrible track and bringing the CD down is just weak. You obviously have not had many girlfriends? no babies momma's for sure. This song ANY guy who has been in relationships can EASILY relate to... Your opinions and reviews mean shit.... go find a new job. |
| Posted on Jul 27, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Feelin this album, Maino is the mayn!!
Bt does Runaway slave have the exact same beat as Joe buddens prat for me? Anyways albums hot 4 fasho.. |
| Posted on Jul 28, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
*Pray for me
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| Posted on Jul 28, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
MAINO is C'mon MANE.. NOOOOO !
I AM NO EVEN HAtIN, Let's not get it twisted, I liek this dude. Swagg and everything and I was expecting some good things from this LP but...to me, it was just BAD. Production, lyricas, especially FLOW. Hi hater is the only good record, it really is a hit, takes me back to the 90's and reminds me of the bad boy era. And The skits are good, but dem skits dont count. TOP 5 IN ORDER 1. Hi Hater 2. ? 3. ? 4. ? 5. ? |
| Posted on Jul 29, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Mainooo No Waaaay ..!!
One Of The Best Albums In 2009. |
| Posted on Jul 29, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 14 |
Rating:
I thought Maino was another 1 hit wonder but after listenin 2 his album I gots 2 give him props
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| Posted on Jul 30, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
the album is really beautiful! you confirm
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| Posted on Aug 05, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
best albums of the year im a big fan of maino man its good
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| Posted on Oct 07, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 188 |
Rating:
Surprisingly good. Maino proves he isn't just one of those commercial rappers. Solid album.
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| Posted on Apr 12, 2010 |
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