Revisiting a Classic: Lyfe Jennings 268-192
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RuffDraft
Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
There's a lot of talk of what is real these days, be it the way you carry yourself or the struggles that you go through. One person who discovered real wasn't all that it was cracked up to be was R&B Soul sensation, Lyfe Jennings. At the age of 19, Jennings was sentenced and served ten years for arson. The Ohio-born singer then released his debut album 268-192 to widespread critical acclaim.
The platinum-selling album, named after his identification number in prison, discussed life, relationships and the struggles of a man who at that point seemed to have turned his life around. Since then, Lyfe is serving more time in prison for bursting into a home where his ex-girlfriend and 'baby-mama' supposedly lay. After firing gun shots and leading police on a high speed chase, Lyfe was sentenced to a further 3 and a half year jail sentence.
Whilst Lyfe serves more time behind bars, we look back to his platinum-selling debut album, 268-192. As a guitar, piano and bass player, Lyfe has the tools to compliment his inner soul and vocal talents; this was no more evident than on his skit-driven debut.
Although some concept records rely too-heavily on interludes, the skits on 268-192 set up the songs perfectly and gave the album a structure that is rarely perfected on a record; so much so that recommendations for the album came pouring in on the I.C. with posters discussing the need to 'play the album from start to finish,' a statement that few albums receive these days…
The Stick-up Kid discussed the perfect-partner on 'Must be Nice'; the album's lead-single.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp-ox4mZIfY
Ironically, the police-woman in the video was right.
As one of the album's highlights, 'Must be Nice' was followed by the story of Lyfe discovering a perfect-partner who turned out to have a kid. The story of this relationship pours out over the tracks that follow, with interludes to ensure the listener follows the story clearly.
Until Lyfe describes the other side of a relationship with honesty, soul and struggle on 'Greedy', which perhaps finds Jennings at his finest moment on the album. With a topic that'll find many men finding sympathy for a fellow struggler, 'Greedy' discussed the 'crazy, lazy ladies' who take revenge following a broken-relationship involving a child. Lyfe breaks it down best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt5fsxpXUGgLyfe Jennings - Greedy wrote:Oh, this crazy, lazy lady
Is using this baby for revenge and money
And I don't think it's funny that she plays the innocent mother
When it's the other way around
She ain't needy
She greedy
Discussing his life so far, '26 years, 17 days' continued to show the listener the many facets and features of Lyfe's personality and being. Taking a turn towards spirituality, Lyfe discussed finding the Lord, the many prisons that he's visited - 5 to be exact - and the two babies he had on the way. This theme continued on the laid back, message to the Lord, 'Made Up My Mind', which discussed going to church on Sundays.
Overall, 268-192 was an original, exceptional and welcome record from the perspective of a troubled yet prevailing man/artist. It's an album that's a welcome addition to any R&B & Alternatives collection and one that I hold with high regard.
Lyfe Jennings, R&B and Alternatives salutes you.
Comments
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The user and all related content has been deleted.
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »this is a classic album, one of the last albums i bought.
No doubt, what's your favourite cut on the album? -
i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
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dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL. -
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked. -
The user and all related content has been deleted.
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
yeah, didnt really like the phoenix that much, i did like his third one, but not enough to buy.,
I copped the first two, but then wasn't aware when his following efforts were released… do you know of any outstanding tracks from his third album I could check out?
I'll try to do a revisiting a classic thread every month from here on out. -
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »
sure!
Props :tu I'll edit in my thoughts once I'm done listening :tu
Girl in the first video is unreal… if that's his baby mama I'd go to prison for her too… jus' sayin'.
Despite liking those tracks, they're not really touching 268-192 level, I think he's unfortunate to have missed his best years musically whilst being in prison. -
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »no problem man.
i just found this one...
That's the best one by far… from the ones that you posted… musically and lyrically a lot more solid than Warriors in particular.
*EDITED* -
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »
that one was from his 4th album called I Still Believe....Thulsa Doom wrote: »no problem man.
i just found this one...
That's the best one by far… from his third album… musically and lyrically a lot more solid than Warriors in particular.
http://www.soulculture.co.uk/blogs/music-blog/newmusic/lyfe-jennings-x-anthony-hamilton-mama/
My bad, the video threw me because it showed the third album cover
Great track though, you know of many other Soul and R&B albums that follow a similar concept to 268-192? -
Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
I have both his first album and Phoenix...both are dope as hell...damn shame what happened to the chick who originally sung on Hypothetically -
The user and all related content has been deleted.
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
I have both his first album and Phoenix...both are dope as hell...damn shame what happened to the chick who originally sung on Hypothetically
Same as me, I agree too. But the ones that followed, I missed.
What happened to her??? -
Stick-Up Kid was my favorite. An all around great album from a great artist. I don’t know how much time he got, but hopefully Lyfe will get out and stay out and keep putting out good music.
There is not an artist that I can find to compare him to yet. -
Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
I have both his first album and Phoenix...both are dope as hell...damn shame what happened to the chick who originally sung on Hypothetically
Same as me, I agree too. But the ones that followed, I missed.
What happened to her???
Aye didn't she get shot to death ? Like it was some mistaken identity and I think they shot her and the dude she was with thinking they were someone else
.
Damn, I didn't hear that, I'll look into itStick-Up Kid was my favorite. An all around great album from a great artist. I don’t know how much time he got, but hopefully Lyfe will get out and stay out and keep putting out good music.
There is not an artist that I can find to compare him to yet.
Yeah, great track… there are not many artists who have his kind of record both musically and criminally. He got 3 and a half years… so he's less than a year from coming out I guess if he's well behaved…
I agree, hopefully he'll stay out but he seems to be emotionally led, which means great music but silly actions, which an artist on the right track should not commit. -
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@Tangling, you only need to copy the URL and it comes in automatically :tu I edited out the text after your video drop.
Great drop :tu -
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Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
I have both his first album and Phoenix...both are dope as hell...damn shame what happened to the chick who originally sung on Hypothetically
Same as me, I agree too. But the ones that followed, I missed.
What happened to her???
Her and her boyfriend/producer were killed...don't think the case has ever been solved -
Thulsa Doom wrote: »dalyricalbandit wrote: »i was just listening to that "must be nice" track
Haha, I haven't listened to it in ages before today, great record.
@ThulsaDoom, I like how you tried to narrow it down with a third of the album LOL.
lol i tried, but damn that playlist kept moving forward, and i was like "oh yeah thats a dope one too!"
Lol
Have you checked any of his albums that followed?
I only got The Phoenix, which I really liked.
I have both his first album and Phoenix...both are dope as hell...damn shame what happened to the chick who originally sung on Hypothetically
Same as me, I agree too. But the ones that followed, I missed.
What happened to her???
Her and her boyfriend/producer were killed...don't think the case has ever been solved
Damn, is there any rumours as to why???
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