Author Topic: Truth Hurts - "Truthfully Speaking" (Read 4925 times)

Dedicato · « **Reply #61 on:** June 10, 2002, 01:39:01 AM »

Just found this Track ... Truth Hurts feat. Rakim - Addictive (Funkymix 60)

bricklayer · « **Reply #62 on:** June 10, 2002, 05:57:34 AM »

well post tha shit up here so we can all peep it.....
peace

Dedicato · « **Reply #63 on:** June 10, 2002, 12:06:41 PM »

i donno why, but I cant upload any MP3 track. Damn!

Dedicato · « **Reply #64 on:** June 16, 2002, 07:47:03 PM »

No, Truthfully Speaking isn't as immediate as its lead single, the contagious, middle-eastern-inflected "Addictive." Instead, Truth Hurts' debut is a slow burner that draws on more traditional hip-hop and R&B sound structures and displays Truth's versatile, often coquettish, vocal (think a less socially-conscious Jill Scott). The brass-filled "Push Play" is an intro fit for a (ghetto) queen, produced by mentor Dr. Dre, whose watchful ear presides over almost every cut on the album. Truth (a.k.a. Shari Watson) demands a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T. on "Grown," dryly calls for, um, truth on "Bullshit" ("Bullshit pours down like rain/But the truth will not change") and mourns for an incarcerated boyfriend on "Jimmy" ("He can't come 'round no more/He's locked up for ten or more"). Speaking of incarceration, R. Kelly wrote, produced and guests on "The Truth" while the less legally-challenged Timbaland mans the boards on the song "Real." Aside from a bevy of hip-hop's finest producers and guest artists (Dre, Big Rube and a recently resurrected Rakim), Truthfully Speaking features a diverse--albeit subtle--array of musical textures (operatic vocals, marimbas, acoustic guitars and classical-style piano). File under: Possible One Hit Wonder with an unfortunate moniker and potential for so much more.
Sal Cinquemani
© slant magazine, 2002.

Dedicato · « **Reply #65 on:** June 22, 2002, 01:42:32 PM »

An early front-runner for Hip-Hop/R&B single of the year....Everything in this cut is outstanding. When I first heard this cut played over the radio I made everyone in my car shut up so I could listen to the whole song uninterrupted. The production, the vocals and the surprise Rakim guest
appearance are all top notch. Every element in “Addictive” is a nice shock to the system for Hip-Hop/R&B fans that have waited too long for something new and creative to be introduced into the game. I haven't been a big fan of
DJ Quik's production, however with “Addictive” he's positioned himself to be mentioned in the same breath as Dre and Timbaland as a Hip-Hop Super-Producer. This track is that good. Its an original and unforgettable combination of Indian singing/chanting and a hardcore baseline that blends
perfectly with Truth Hurts very strong, unique, disturbing, aggresive vocals. If this single is any indication of how she's going to put it down when her album is released, she's going to blow up urban music...flat out. As far as Rakim coming through and dropping a few bars over what is essentially an R&B song? This is how it should be done. And while Rakim's appearance is all too brief, it will be appreciated by all of those eagerly awaiting his Dr. Dre produced upcoming release.

"Addictive": 5 ½ out of Six Shots.

-Sixshot.com

Rated Next: Truth Hurts
By BET.com

Dr. Dre will release this brand new diva on his Aftermath label. She's
already been named a Rated Next artist, so expect great things from this
singer.

Thx to Westcoast Rider

Dedicato · « **Reply #66 on:** June 26, 2002, 09:16:21 PM »

Amazon.com
Truth Hurt's vocals have a frosty chill. The singer, a protégé of hitmaker Dr. Dre, lustily moans and wails about a lover who turns her pages on the sinewy Dre and DJ Quik collaboration "Addictive," but her edgy resolve and steely seductiveness undercut any notion of romance. This makes her inviting moment of passion more like a warning shot. That push and pull between distance and desire is present throughout most of this rugged effort. From the mournful lament "Bullshit" (produced by Organized Noize) to a seething, if somewhat pedantic, duet with R. Kelly ("The Truth") or the loose and limber tale of a lover in prison ("Jimmy"), Truth Hurts creates her R&B in a space where men and life never fail to disappoint. Luckily, that dejected and bitter outlook makes for an often-fierce CD.
(Amy Linden)

Barnes N Nobles
Dr. Dre boasts that if his protégée Truth Hurts (neé Shari Watson) could sing any better, she'd be two people and he isn't lying. Like her strong-willed and vocally gifted peers Mary J. and Jill Scott, Truth Hurts shines brightest on the tracks where her jazz-honed and blues-informed vocals are front-and-center, as on the sparse, handclap-accented "Next to Me"; the bass-driven "Jimmy," about a lover on lockdown; and the rapturous mid-tempo groove "This Feeling," reminiscent of the heart-wrenching, old-school soul of Teena Marie. But her smooth vocals can't mask her painfully honest lyrics, which prompted Dre to coin the stage name Truth Hurts not many R&B divas can make the chorus "Bullshit pours down like rain" sound pretty. Although Truth's vocals are diluted on several of the disc's up-tempo tracks, including the R. Kelly-produced "The Truth," DJ Quik's funky, Bollywood-sampled production on "Addictive" has made it an early dance-floor favorite. Truthfully Speaking, when her vocals aren't overshadowed by the uneven production, this diva breaks free from the conventions of cookie-cutter hip-hop soul.
(Tracy E. Hopkins)

Truth Hurts is not just another contemporary R&B vocalist to compare to Alicia Keys or Ashanti. For one thing, the executive producer on her debut Truthfully Speaking is Dr. Dre, and the album was released on his Aftermath sublabel of Interscope. She also benefits from a laundry list of the best commercial hip-hop trackmasters around: Dre, DJ Quik, Timbaland, even R. Kelly. Despite this star-studded credit list, Truthfully Speaking is a bland record; Truth Hurts' vocals, while evocative and rangy, aren't incredibly strong (especially when she's stretching a note), and she usually needs a backup chorus to keep the songs sounding good. The single "Addictive" is bizarre, with an Indian filmi vocal sample sounding stronger than Truth Hurts herself, and a brief appearance by Rakim strictly phoning it in. A few of the productions make for good tracks, though most of the time Truth Hurts struggles to keep up with the best in the contemporary R&B field.
(John Bush)

E!Online
The latest beneficiary of Dr. Dre's golden touch, Truth Hurts has taken a wild Bollywood loop and turned it into this year's most insane R&B hit with "Addictive." Okay, so both Missy Elliot ("Get Ur Freak On") and Tweet ("Call Me") did it first, but this streetwise St. Louis singer still has quite a bit going on. The Organized Noize-produced "Bullshit" lashes against phonies with admirable venom, while "Tired" echoes Norah Jones' easygoing jazz vibes with a defiant ghetto edge. The truth never hurt so good.
E! Online gave this cd a B+ grade

US Today
Truth Hurts, Truthfully Speaking Truth's first single, Addictive, with its Hindi rhythms and edgy vocals, is so quirky you're not sure what you'll get in a whole album from this Dr. Dre protégée. Turns out St. Louis' Shari Watson is a sultry, soulful singer who as her stage name indicates uses veracity like a blunt object. She spends a great deal of time finding pleasure, but also uses some to deal verbal head-whippings to scheming men and fake women. The thought of biting her tongue about anything never seems to cross her mind.
Truth received a 3 out of 4 star rating from the USATODAY.COM website, a rating which was higher than rapper Nelly who received 2 1/2 out of 4 stars