GOOD musicians fall short of greatness in West's Cruel Summer

The wait was cruel indeed. Originally slated for a spring 2012 release, "Cruel Summer" was delayed again and again as GOOD Music ringleader and executive producer Kanye West pursued fashion, film and Kim Kardashian. This past Tuesday, "Cruel Summer" finally saw the light of day, but was the wait worth it? 

For those expecting a masterful West album a la "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," prepare to hang your heads in disappointment. However, for the few who realized the purpose of this album was to showcase the talent on the GOOD music roster and associated GOOD affiliates, then an eclectic albeit discontinuous album awaits. 

"Cruel Summer" is not a cohesive album. That is the inevitable flaw when it comes to compilation records. Every artist has a different style to contribute and the sequencing and flow of the album often feel awkward. Look at "Cruel Summer" for what it is: a collection of mostly excellent hip-hop tracks.

The GOOD Music crew consists of West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Common, Cyhi the Prynce, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Pusha T and Teyana Taylor. On "Cruel Summer," only West and Kid Cudi have solo tracks: West's boastful banger "Cold" and Kid Cudi's "Man on the Moon II" throwaway "Creepers." The rest of the artists are paired on tracks in rather exciting ways with other acts affiliated with GOODMusic. These affiliated artists provide a spark of energy to some of the tracks. "To The World," the first track, is a perfect example, as R. Kelly starts with a triumphant hook over a rolling electronic beat. This "Ignition"-era R. Kelly, sounding much better than he has in recent years, sings about flipping the middle and makes it sound positively epic. West shows up for a brief appearance, most notably rhyming the aggressive Rick Ross hook from "Hold Me Back" with "Mitt Romney don't pay no tax" and delivering the worst closing bar of his career thus far. But do not worry: West redeems himself with his performance on the next track, "Clique." 

Another track in which the guest performer shines is on the best track of the album, the revamped second single "New God Flow." The problem with the track is that when it was released back in July the final closing lines sounded like an obnoxious military chant. Well, West listened to the critics and chopped off the chant. The replacement is a snarling, ferocious Ghostface Killah who spits the best 16 bars on the album. 

There are also features that are not so great. "Higher" features a repetitive The-Dream and the elusive Ma$E, who mumbles his verse, sucking all the energy out of the song. The following track, "Sin City," features Travi$ Scott as both the producer and a featured rapper. From the production standpoint, the beat is a fantastic electro-gospel bass thump. Travi$ Scott's bumbling rhymes and Malik Yusef's cheese-filled spoken words ruin what could have been a fantastic track. Even Cyhi the Prynce, considered by many to be the weakest rapper in GOOD, shines in "Sin City." It is a shame that his supporting cast weakened his uncharacteristically strong performance. 

What is even more of a shame is the mysterious absence of GOOD Music rappers Mos Def and Q-Tip, both legends of the '90s. Both could have easily replaced the weak performers and strengthened the album as 

a whole.

For the most part, the GOOD Music crew performs admirably. There are cringe-worthy hiccups such as 2 Chainz's "serious" appearance on "The One" and the aforementioned "Creepers." When the crew comes together for songs like "Clique," "Mercy" and "The Morning," though, it is unstoppable. The musicians feed on each others' energy, each rapper trying to outdo the member rapping before. In "Clique," after ace verses by Big Sean and Jay-Z, West comes in and steals the show, utterly confessional about a variety of topics, from his obsession with Kim ("... superstar all from a home movie") to his suicidal thoughts when his mother passed away. The ubiquitous single "Mercy" is still a joy to listen to, even after repeated radio play over the summer. "The Morning," featuring the bulk of GOOD musicians, offers their mission statement: Do not mess with this collective.