Award Supernova: Loves Best

• Artist: M-Flo
• Rating:
• Release Date: 2008
• Total Time: 75:03
• Type: Compilation (best of), Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rap

Review

One of the most eclectic and perhaps most Westernized hip-hop production crews in Japan, M-flo has garnered a strong following, despite only rarely releasing albums of their own work. They have, however, released three highly popular collaboration albums, the "M-flo Loves..." series. Award Supernova collects the best of those collaborations, including some of the bigger stars of the J-pop and J-urban scenes as well as longtime collaborators such as Lisa, a onetime member of M-flo. Here's M-flo's trick: while much of the J-urban scene's product is relatively derivative of the American R&B scene and can seem a bit second-class as a result, M-flo's work could easily stand on its own on the American market. Their sambas could easily stand on their own on the Brazilian MPB market. Their dance music could stand on its own on the European market. After an intro, the album opens with "Love Comes and Goes," a showcase for a series of rappers and singers which coalesces into a surprisingly coherent whole with an outstanding beat. "Miss You" uses a larger amount of the slinky female vocal element, but continues the energy and style. "Cosmic Night Run" works its way into an outstanding samba, bouncing between English, Portuguese, and Japanese the whole way. "Hey!" uses a James Brown sample to kick off, but then forms a driving electronic dance mix that holds the energy up higher than Brown's initial shouts. The duo has an astounding ear for sound, and utilize the specific talents of their collaborators perfectly, in sync with their own talents and hip-hop history in the creation of a near-perfect beat. ~ Adam Greenberg, Rovi

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