Review: Last Train To Paris

Last Train To Paris by Diddy Dirty Money proves that this hip-hop powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with.

BY MATT LIBANOFF

The newest venture of Hip-Hop mogul Diddy cannot be described in one word. It cannot even be described in 10,000 words. No, Diddy’s newest album, Last Train to Paris, can never be fully analyzed because it is one the most complex, creative, and advanced concepts to have graced the music industry in recent years. However, LTTP is not credited to Diddy. It is credited to the Hip-Hop collaborative known as Diddy-Dirty Money.

Conceived in 2005, Diddy-Dirty Money is the name of the 3-person group consisting of Diddy, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richards, and singer-songwriter Kalenna Harper. The triumvirate’s first album is primarily Hip-Hop based, but incorporates funk, soul, pop, R&B, eurodance, and techno sounds into it. However, it is the guest vocals of 16 other artists that truly make this album into a true musical experience.

Diddy-Dirty Money’s 19-track first album revolves around a love story consisting of Diddy losing the girl of his dreams, finding her again, losing her yet another time, and then getting her back for the final time. The album begins upbeat, with the Swizz Beats-produced hit, “Ass On the Floor,” getting listeners in the mood to experience a tumultuous ride.

Last Train to Paris’s next destination reminds listeners of the powerhouse that Diddy-Dirty Money can be. “Angels,” which includes a performance by The Notorious B.I.G., has a Kanye West-like beat, that when combined with the singing and rapping of the two musical entities, creates the album’s next best song.

The album hits another high note on the Danja-produced electro-pop track, “Hello Good Morning.” Featuring T.I., the song serves as a much-needed pick up from the more slow-tempo songs on the album. Though there is not much story behind the lyrics, “Hello Good Morning” is the perfect example of a successful Diddy track that incorporates lots of opposing elements. Staying true to Diddy’s vision, the song is one of the most unique songs to be found on the album.

To complete the story, “Love the Way You Lie” writer and producer Alex da Kid is the man responsible for the hit single, “Coming Home.” Like Eminem’s hit, the song begins with a performance by Dirty Money before going into a full out Hip-Hop extravaganza, with Diddy having his best performance on the album.

Last Train to Paris will have listeners enjoying a Hip-Hop-laden trip, journeying through the world of R&B and eurodance beats. The 81 minutes and two seconds of LTTP contain the vocals of high profile artists like Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown, and Justin Timberlake. They, along with fresh and unheard background beats, bring the heart of this album to life, and create one of the most interesting, intricate, and stellar sounds of the early 21^st century.