Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Lil' Romeo (rap vocals); Lil-D, Master P, Tata, Intyana, Rich Boyz, Hercy (rap vocals). | | Photographers: Tim Alexander ; Ken Hollis. | | While New No Limit seems unable to recapture the excitement of the old days with their more gangsta releases, Master P and his label hit pay dirt every time they release something (CD, single, television show) by Lil' Romeo. As executive producer, Master P seems to be giving Lil' Romeo (his son if you aren't hip) the most attention and care out of any the New No Limit artists, and Romeoland is nothing if not well crafted. It's an inoffensive kids album for sure, but at 14 tracks it's not overstuffed and the bright beats are definitely fresh. You can thank producers Myke Diesel and Nick Cannon for that. They are two of New No Limit's brightest talents and the men behind all of Romeoland's highlights. Cannon's high point is the bubbly single "My Cinderella," which coolly interpolates Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love." Diesel's "My Girlfriend" is the catchiest number on the album with a hooky call-and-response chorus that won't be leaving your head anytime soon. Lil' Romeo is a confident rapper with just enough bravado and just enough charisma. No hardcore thug is waiting for his next innocent album, but there's a good chance his or her kids are. It's rare that the eight-year-old set and their parents can agree on an album, but Romeoland ends up being not only tolerable for parents, but actually enjoyable. That's rare in any genre, let alone the thuggish world of rap. Chalk it up to the talents of Master P, Diesel, and Cannon, but mostly Romeo, just about the flyest guy under five feet. ~ David Jeffries | | Lil' Romeo occupies one of the most peculiar spots in the world of hip-hop. Surrounded by some of the hardest of hardcore rappers on his father Master P's legendary No Limit label, the precocious MC emerged in 2001 at the age of 11 with an innocent self-titled album. With ROMEOLAND three years later, Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. enters into his teens, and, as with any teenager, struggles with his identity. | | The album is covered with Disneyland-esque imagery and opens without a hint of self-consciousness, as a gathering of fairyland creatures playfully discuss the return of Romeo. Suddenly, the scene shifts to Romeo showing off a tougher edge on the rugged "Whoodihoop." Lil' Romeo swiftly switches back to a sweet, familiar sound on "My Cinderella," which reverently refers to both Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" and LL Cool J's "I Need Love." Throughout the record, guided, of course, by the steady hand of Master P, Romeo continues to exhibit bits of an incipient hardcore style, but he wisely retains the youthful tenderness that endeared him to parents and children everywhere. Lil' Romeo is growing up, but not too fast, making for an entertaining album and a fascinating time capsule in ROMEOLAND. |
Producer: Myke Diesel; Nick Cannon; Master P; TheBeatMakers.Com; Myke Diesel; Nick Cannon; Master P |
Musical Guests | | Master P | | Intyana | | Rich Boyz | | Hercy | | Tata | | Vercy |
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