Album Review: 2face – The Unstoppable (International Edition)

August 25, 2010 in Album Review,Music Temi with 1 Comment

Since we were first introduced to him in 1996 as one-third of hit making group Plantashun Boiz, he’s gone on to achieve solo success from having a song appear on the soundtrack of the movie “Phat Girlz” to receiving various international accolades, on “The Unstoppable (International Edition)” Innocent Idibia shows us why he is still a musical force in the industry.

Starting off the album with “Rain Drops” 2Face expresses conscious lyrics over soft reggae instrumentals and it is apparent the 2Face we have come to love over the years is back and better. Looking forward to what the rest of the album holds, “Be There” performed strictly in English sees 2Face move away from his usual African sounds to a more alternative beat on what is the shortest track on the album. Producer Jay Sleek rendered flawlessly composed melodies to “Take It Back” and Mr. Idibia and Cartier delivered perfect vocals to match. On “I Sing” 2Face himself mentions what he was going for, as this poses to be a modern day Afro-beat song. This track definitely has a head-bopping-sing-a-long capability and could easily be released as a single. “Free” is a strong track on the album offering the classic 2Face sound we’re used to.

“Enter the Place” featuring Sound Sultan is the first up-tempo song on the album. Even though it does have a similar groove appeal to “Keep on Rocking” on his Face2Face album, it has already been proven to be a popular track in the clubs. It is almost impossible to hear the next track “Implication” and not move wherever you are. Most likely, your favorite DJ is somewhere spinning these tracks. Making a complete 360, “Emotion” sees 2Face take on an alternative rock sound that could take a while getting used to and almost break the album. He does show why he’s one of the best to come out of Africa though making his vocals & message work in the end. “Only Me” is arguably the best and most conscious track on the album as 2Face does an impressive job fusing everyday issues into an enjoyable track, truly a pure work of art!

Hypnotizing instrumentals on “Outside” sees this ballad stand on its own on the album as we hear another beautifully composed and brilliant delivery from 2Face. The re-constructed “Be There (Remix)” featuring one of the rap industry’s heavy hitters M.I even makes the original better than it already was. “Fly” and “Appreciate It” encompass reggae rhythm patterns with meaningful lyrics, which we have come to appreciate from him. The skip button might as well be non-existent as this proposes to be Mr. Idibia’s most versatile album to date. The clarity in his music is obvious and from teaming up with music greats like Mary J Blige, a Grammy can’t be too far away.

Rating: 4/5