March 20, 2005 @ 7:00 pm

Clinton Sparks - Maybe You Been Brainwashed (Koch)

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For anyone unacquainted with Boston producer/DJ Clinton Sparks, it's time to get familiar.

For anyone unacquainted with Boston producer/DJ Clinton Sparks, it's time to get familiar. His mixtape album, Maybe You Been Brainwashed, begs an important question: Have you been programmed to settle for less? Featuring exclusive singles and remixes produced entirely by Sparks, the LP suits artists as disparate as P. Diddy, Lil' Flip, and Kardinal Offishall, without sacrificing cohesion. On the driving "Be Easy," Jadakiss and Fat Joe rap alongside their latest antagonist, 50 Cent. Meanwhile, "Let It Go" sets up N.O.R.E. for simple but hilarious zingers like "Fuck a low-carb / 'Cause now I'm like pro-carb / Fuck a diet, nigga, 'cause I'd rather get a blow job." And when Joe Budden emotionally cries out for understanding on "Whatever It Takes," Sparks is right there providing spirit-lifting soul sounds. Intent on raising the bar, Clinton extracts vintage insanity from ODB on "Pop Shots," well-traveled swagger from the Clipse on "Where You Been," and aggressive murda music from Mobb Deep on "Okay Dun." Stick with Sparks to avoid mixtape mind control and you just may get your head right.

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