Avg Rating: 
3.9 ( 10 total votes )
First, a little Music Trivia: After Bob Marley, who’s the highest selling Jamaican artist of all time? Go ahead. Think it over. I’ll give you a sec. If you guessed Collie Buddz, you’re unbelievably, stupendously wrong. But if you guessed Sean Paul, congratulations, you’re right; though I wouldn’t get too excited (this is a Sean Paul review after all). The point is, although his name never comes up in conversations about this generation’s most influential artists, Mr. Paul has done more to bridge the gap between American and Jamaican musical culture than anyone in modern … ...Read the full album review
DJBooth Album Review
First, a little Music Trivia: After Bob Marley, who’s the highest selling Jamaican artist of all time? Go ahead. Think it over. I’ll give you a sec. If you guessed Collie Buddz, you’re unbelievably, stupendously wrong. But if you guessed Sean Paul, congratulations, you’re right; though I wouldn’t get too excited (this is a Sean Paul review after all). The point is, although his name never comes up in conversations about this generation’s most influential artists, Mr. Paul has done more to bridge the gap between American and Jamaican musical culture than anyone in modern music. Paul’s lack of respect is likely because his music has always inspired more dry humping than political activism, but make no mistake, the man has made an enormous impact.
To call Sean Paul’s new album Imperial Blaze delayed would be to radically expand the definition of the word “delayed”. Originally set for a summer…of 2007 release, the island-fueled burner Imperial Blaze is his first album in almost four years. Sean-a Paul-a, as he apparently likes to call himself, said the “delay” was due in part to his desire to make more socially conscious music. Well, on that criteria alone Imperial Blaze is a massive failure, unless there’s something about the genocide in Sudan I’m missing in I Know You Like It. But in the ways by which we’ve always measured Paul, by the way his music seems to hypnotically make girl’s hips move, by how many parties he’s kick started, Imperial Blaze is welcome relief from a dutty rock drought that lasted far too long.
You know what Sean Paul does better than anyone else? He does So Fine better than anyone else. So Fine has the same bouncing percussive foundation he rode to fame, expertly overlaid with his trademark melodic flow. Personally, I can barely understand half of what he’s saying, for all I know he’s rhyming about tax returns, but he sounds so damn good the lyrics hardly matter. Similarly guaranteed to pack dance floors is the more slowly winding Press It Up. While Paul is no stranger to getting a little dirty, he never gets nasty, always keeping his lyrics flirty and fun. “I can’t wait to caress it” is about as x-rated as we get, a line so tame Pitbull would be embarrassed to even think it, which is exactly the point. Sean Paul makes fun music. It’s not complicated, it’s not erotic, it’s fun, and Imperial Blaze is a sure fire promise to spark a party.
Despite Paul’s previous promise of increased social relevance, there’s nothing even remotely approaching politics on Imperial Blaze, although he does switch up his style a couple times on the album, almost always for the worse. Hold My Hand is Paul’s attempt to embrace his reggae roots, a smoothly guitar driven cut that has Paul slowly singing, which wouldn’t be a problem, if he could sing. There might be some teenage girls out there who shed a tear at Hold My Hand, but those girls also probably own the High School Musical soundtrack. Pepperpot is a similar, but even worse, acoustically oriented track, and while it may be a compliment in Jamaica, calling a girl “my pepperpot” might get you slapped in America.
Luckily, Sean Paul’s wannabe-Wyclef moments are few and far between on Imperial Blaze. Instead he wisely spends the vast majority of the album concentrated on what he does best, make booties clap. Speaking of which, Wine Baby Wine might be my favorite track on the album. I can’t even imagine how crazy things get when the booming Wine Baby Wine comes on (note to self: book vacation to Jamaica). Wine Baby might be the best of the bunch, but Imperial Blaze houses no shortage of booty-friendly joints, from the slinky Evening Ride to the synth-heavy She Wanna Be Down. If anything Imperial Blaze could have been about five songs shorter (he reportedly recorded more than 60 tracks for the album), but ultimately it’s just too much of a good thing. Sean Paul won’t make you think. He won’t make you cry, or lust, or dream, but he will move a party, and that’s no small thing. So appreciate Sean Paul while he’s here. You never know, he might just disappear for four years.
Listen to More: Sean Paul Written by Nathan S.
More From Sean Paul
Submit a Review and/or Rating
Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 10
|
Tastemaker |
Rating:
Sean Paul is a love him or hate him artist. He always gets the parties going (like Nathan said) but I know some people who just think he's garbage because his lyrics are nothing special. I love him though (no homo), and I thought this CD was pretty tight. I liked how he switched up his style at times and I actually dug that "Hold My Hand" cut. I didn't think he sounded bad switchin up his style like that. For the most part though, Sean comes with energy and his usual style on this album, which when I'm in the right mood, I love it. 3.5
|
| Posted on Aug 18, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 8293 |
Rating:
I agree with both of you! The album is pretty good but he isn't saying much. But the songs sure does make you get up and dance! If you want some reggae to dance to, then you should definitely pick up this album! GREAT REVIEW NATE! I Agree 100%!
|
| Posted on Aug 19, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
this is gud
|
| Posted on Aug 19, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Crew |
WANTED: TRANSLATOR
|
| Posted on Aug 20, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Very good album top to bottom. Been away for too long and bad promotion = desapointing sales.
|
| Posted on Aug 29, 2009 |
|
Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 4267 |
Rating:
For those who know, Sean Paul was kicking it around for a while, gradually climbing in recognition, before his second LP "Dutty Rock" even hit the store shelves. But then what turned the flame into a forest fire? Hit singles. I mean he had one massive single for every two month whenever he was about to drop a CD. How could he NOT have sold massive numbers?
But "Imperial Blaze" is a Sean Paul album with practically no big singles – that makes it an inflatable dartboard, one hit and it's gone. His lead single failed to hit in the way it wanted to, given its his worst radio release yet, with an average melody/beat/verse/chorus/video. The non-singles virtually mesh into one another, production all sounds like it was from the same template or nothing you haven’t heard before. Don't get me wrong, Sean Paul on an average day is still better than most party-starters in the market, and there are some decent singles/joints on here. But there is a reason that this album failed to replicate the incredible success of his previous effort. And here it is .... 'Most Requested Songs' on the only Radio-Station (HOT 95 FM) in the Capital of India that plays International Music .... 1. Pitbull - "Hotel Room Service" 2. BEP - "I Gotta Feeling" 3. Eminem - "We Made It" 4. Sean Paul - "Get Busy" His new stuff = Nothing notable, just a bunch of delays and apparent "first singles" that never materialized. His greatest hits eulogy will contain barely anything from this lackluster wet blanket. I have enjoyed his music in the past but the tracks on this album don’t live up to his past track record. Its all average by his standards. The album is fine but I don't think most listeners are happy with just fine, nowadays. |
| Posted on Sep 01, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
it cool mean
|
| Posted on Sep 04, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Sean Paul is now on my fav 5 for muzik.
|
| Posted on Oct 13, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
I love all his songs!!!! especially- temperature!!=
|
| Posted on Dec 07, 2009 |
|
|
Rating:
|
| Posted on May 06, 2010 |
|
|
Rating:
|
| Posted on May 06, 2010 |
|
|
Rating:
|
| Posted on May 06, 2010 |
FEATURED ARTIST
FEATURED ALBUM
TOP 20 MUSIC CHARTS
The top rated new Hip Hop & R&B songs on DJBooth, updated every Sunday.
