Manafest is back with a new cd entitled "Citizens Activ", a disc that presents his most commercial effort thus far. Citizens Activ has a plethora of musical styles ranging from pop, rock, and rap. I would think that this will be as successful as his critically acclaimed "Glory" disc, commercially. But after listening to it, I can't really find myself attracted to this new manifestation of Manafest's manifesto.
Now hear me out, Manafest is a talented artist, with great lyrics, flow, and artistry. I dig the dudes presence on his records and his ability to engage the listener, even on sub par tracks. And maybe it's just me, but I think the cd produces too much variety for the average hip hop listener. This is hip hop, right? Ok, that's what I thought... but the musical approach on "Citizens Activ" is just too pop.
Now this may be appealing to the average summer youth festival attendee (especially tracks like Break Up, Steppin' Out, and the Justin Timberland' influenced 4321), but I found myself lacking an attachment to much of the cd. There are a few stand out tracks that catch the attention of my eardrums (Free, Kick It, and So Beautiful) and those are heavily rock influenced. But nothing gives me a chill down my spine (but, sad to say, a lot of music is that way these days). Check out Manafest's "Citizens Activ" if you're a fan. But if you are new to Manafest, I would encourage starting with an earlier release like "My Own Thing" and “Epiphany” before you venture off into his latest effort.
Release Date: June 24, 2008 Record Label: BEC Recordings Track Listing
- 4-3-2-1
- So Beautiful
- Steppin' Out
- Good Day
- Free
- Break Up
- Top Of The World
- Kick It
- Lean On Me
- Turn It Up
- Live On
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