ALBUM REVIEW: The-Dream – Love Vs. Money

It’s really getting hard to not like The-Dream…really hard.A glimpse into Terius “The-Dream” Nash’s abilities was provided with his debut album Love/Hate, but now with his sophomore effort Love Vs. Money, The-Dream has made one thing clear: He’s serious, here to stay, and a force to be reckoned with. Love Vs. Money is simply a masterpiece. The-Dream, through his monumental writing skills – penning such hits as J. Holliday’s “Bed,” Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine,” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” plus superb production (with the production of beat guru and master producer Christopher “Tricky” Stewart) – has put together one of the most complete and fun R&B albums in a long time. What makes this effort so special is Dream’s ability to not only capture listeners with dynamic, swirling beats, but also to relate to them with identifiable messages disguised behind playful, witty wordplay. Take “Walking on the Moon,” an up-tempo, futuristic track featuring Kanye West where The-Dream proclaims, “I’ll pull down a cloud for you/I’ll circle the stars and bring you one back.” Anywhere else, this line is almost laughable in its corniness, but with The-Dream, it works. Everything “just works.” Whether it’s the heavy synthesizers on the album’s first single “Rockin’ That Thang,” the pounding 808’s on the sexy “Put It Down,” the raging hi-hat on the title track, or the message of a woman’s desire for the material things in the album’s standout track “Fancy”. Of course a Lil’ Jon beat (“Let Me See The Booty”) and a few cameos (Kanye West, Mariah Carey) don’t hurt either. If there is a low point on the album, it has to be the ballad “Sweat it Out,” as The-Dream, talks about the consequences done on a woman’s mane after a round of hot, steamy sex (“Call up Tischa, your beautician/ cuz your hair is gon’ need fixin’”) just ever so slightly loses the excitement set forth by the rest of the album.The-Dream has worked wonders before. He wrote “Umbrella,” one of the most successful singles in music history, in 12 minutes, and his entire Love/Hate album in nine days. But it is Love Vs. Money, that has produced the largest phenomenon – an album with not one “skip over” track. Get this album. You won’t have any regrets; except for the small problem of not being able to put the CD down.**To get the latest AllHipHop Alternatives Features, follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/AHHalternatives**