IV Play

The-Dream – also known as Terius Nash – has seemingly been producing hits since he was in the womb.  Known for his chart-toppers including Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’, ‘Umbrella’ by the ever-elusive Rihanna and – yes, this is genuine – Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’, Terius has cemented himself as one of the most prolific producers of RnB and pop music this side of the century.  The same, however, cannot be said of his latest solo effort.

The title track reeks of a solid harmony and plethoric production, yet the arrogance of Nash (and his supposedly “missed” work) makes the song a weak opener, as well as ominously echoing the similar superficiality found in the rest of the album.  Tracks such as ‘Pussy’ and ‘New Orleans’ paint Nash as a lady magnet, although they certainly don’t do much attracting when it comes to the ears.

Lyrically, it seems that there was no thesaurus to be found in the studio Nash worked in, as there is a wretched overuse of expletives and derogatory slang throughout the album.  There does not seem to be any time for interesting or thought-provoking commentary and his ideas of love and intimacy are rendered immature by his unsophisticated approach to them.

In terms of collaborations, many of his choices seem to be overused by the music industry, including rent-a-rappers galore Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz.  Former bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, however, make refreshing contributions to the album which are certainly valued.

It is disappointing that his interesting production is littered with luridly licentious lyrics and vocals which have digested so much vocoder, they are intoxicatingly grating.  IV Play is hardly a revolutionary effort from The-Dream, but its production does offer a glimpse at the kind of striking sonics he can conjure for others.

Similar To: will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri

MP3: ‘Turnt’, ‘Where Have You Been’