Memphis Bleek
MADE
(Roc-A-Fella)
With Jay-Z stepping down, Roc-A-Fella Records has to elevate an artist to become the label’s new marquee name. Who better than Memphis Bleek, handpicked by Jay-Z as Roc-A-Fella’s first signee? MADE is entertaining, but not overly substantial—more raps about the streets, bling, bitches and blunts. The album soars when Memphis is bringing it hard, but stumbles when the R&B kicks in. Without going soft, MADE might be satisfying, but as it stands, it falls a little short of the mark.
—Trevor Savory
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
