Jadakiss THE LAST KISS (EX)

Personnel: Tony Aliperti (guitar); Michael Leonhart (trumpet); Tyrone Johnson (horns); Venor Yard (piano); Joe Harley (keyboards); Ed Goldson (bass guitar); Nick Movshon (drums); Toshi Takemasa (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Dragan "Chach" Cacinovic.
Recording information: Allure Sound Studios, Oak Park, MI; D-BLOCK Studios, Yonkers, NY; Dirty South Studios, Atlanta, GA; Hot Beats Studios, Atlanta, GA; Integrated Studios, New York, NY; Legacy Studios, New York, NY; Lucid Appeal, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; South Beach Studios, Miami, FL; the Record Plant, Hollywood, CA; The Superfrank Compound, NY.
Photographer: Christian Lantry.
On his third official studio LP (and first for Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), Jadakiss branches out from the traditional East Coast boom-bap he's been known for since putting it down with the Lox. With contributions from a lengthy list of guest artists and producers, THE LAST KISS sees Jada flirting with Dirty South crunk, ATL trap rap, and synthesizer-driven radio-friendly hip-hop. On the lyrical side, the D-Block representative remains as combative as ever, spitting aggressive one-liners and clever boast-fueled rhymes. From the outset, Jada proclaims that he's come to bring listeners "slick talk, pain, and torture." The Yonkers lyricist lays down a list of head-scratching hypotheticals alongside Nas on the impressive "What If" and composes a heartfelt message to his deceased friend on "Letter to B.I.G." The eclectic production comes courtesy of Swizz Beatz, Ne-Yo, the Neptunes, Mr. Porter, Eric Hudson, Buckwild, and Sean C & LV, among others.

• Format: CD