Trip the Light Fantastic

Artist: Ladybug Mecca
Label: Nu Paradigm
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 097037719524
EAN: 0097037719524
ASIN: B0009IRKZG

Release Date: 2005-06-28

Trip the Light Fantastic

Related Categories:

General

| R&B | Styles | Music

General

| Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Dark Matter
Don't Disturb the Peace
Children Say
Ladybug Come Outside
Show the World
Mr. Mayor
Dogg Starr
Leaving It All Behind
Sexual Alchemy
Centre of Nowhere
Please Don't
Last Train (featuring Martin Luther)
Sweet & Polite
Suicidethol
You Never Get Over It
Remember When?
Oh Poor You
Step Up Wise

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Album Description

Ladybug Mecca returns with a body of work that she considers a combination of her life experiences. She is back and stronger than ever with her highly anticipated solo release "Trip the Light Fantastic".

Customer Reviews:

Proof most good music is outside the mainstream.......2006-07-05

This is a great album! If I had to compare her to someone, I'd say Mystic, but their flows are very different. What they do have in common is an effortless shift from rapping to singing and a refreshingly fresh sound. And unlike many "solo" efforts by female rappers, the album is not dominated by featured vocalists; she actually performs almost all of the vocals on the album.
The solo debut of the female Digable Planets member is very eclectic. It goes from Hip Hop to R&B to Pop to Rock to... some stuff I'd hesitate to categorize. This may explain the lack of radio play, but that usually means an artist's music is not trite or cliché.
The 18 tracks consist of an intro (track 1), a skit (track 14), and 16 songs. Lyrics are not included in the booklet. The CD is not in a jewel case - it is in a two-panel unlatched flip-open cardboard jacket with a plastic CD holder.

Takin it to the next.......2006-02-26

I've followed Dig Ps since back in the day and have never stopped listening to their UNBEATABLE beats, rhymes and lyrical content. Sometimes the whole is greater than the parts (ie, Tribe Called Quest). Well apparently this part is as great as the whole. Ladybug lays down some crazy phat tracks in a great mix of genres. If you want pure hip hop you'll only get a few tracks of that here, but if you have an open mind or at least enjoy music from various genres then you will LOVE this cd. As original as you can get without loosing your audience, as accessible as the latest radio pop and with lyrical content to keep the philosopher and the thug happy.

She's Back On Time/Broadcast Where We See/Run & Tell A Friend.......2006-02-10

Our Sista of Conciousness Ladybug Mecca has been through a lot since the days of Blowout Comb, and now reappears with an evolved and deeply thoughtful pastiche of new gems. Many of the tracks have a real airiness about them, though we do hear the more familiar Ladybug/Mecca of yesteryear on at least a couple of tracks. Musical arrangements: impeccable. Creativity: way outside the box. Singing: ethereal. This album is a steal at fourteen bucks for 18 great tracks.

I wrote this review while listening to the album beginning to end. Lyrics in parentheses are ones I guessed at. Though not an easy task, I would rank the tracks in order from most superb to least superb but still good as follows: 15, 4, 9, 13, 12, 5, 11, 14, 18, 16, 3, 17, 8, 7, 2, 1, 10, 6

1. Dark Matter. A very nice instrumental intro. Wind chimes. Makes you think because of the title. If you listen with headphones, you can hear some conversation in the background. Not sure what it's about.

2. Don't Disturb the Peace. This one's an alt-rock style track. Very short and to the point. "...she didn't know the consequence of being an unconditional punching bag breathing"... "Oh, what a mental game--so irrational--Have you ever had a conversation with a head case?" This was the first song that caught my attention, not only because it's the first song on the album, but because of that hook. I think this is going to turn out to be a very revealing album. "What is up with you when you just talk that shi+ and don't live up to that? Sucka-free, now sucka, get back." Damn those abusive relationships.

3. Children Say. "I used to hang out in my room, just sit around watching TV. I'd watch the stories on the news. I'd swear it all was deceiving `mysterious weather patterns sweep the nation'... I close my eyes, a child... *dag, am I going to live to see my 15th birthday???* I ask my mommy why... the situation has come as far to this." Interesting trip back in time. Children know when things ain't right. Young Ladybug was no exception.

4. Ladybug Come Outside. A funky, bouncy track that re-introduces the hip hop Ladybug to those who have been waiting for so long. I love it! "Raise your right fist, in Goddess we trust. Mama Earth where we dwell (is adverse to us).....[She's flows on this one] It's the beginning of the end, the beginning of the end, of the paradigm shift, so...run `n' tell a friend. " "Walk the walk with those like-minded. Talk the talk... to the ones that are blinded." "Ladybug, Ladybug, spit one rhyme. Miss Ladybug Mecca, do you still have time?" "Ladybug, Ladybug, my oh my, I'm glad you left the game, `cause you back on time."

5. Show the World. Another airy, mellow track with a Latin feel that showcases the beauty of Ladybug's singing voice. "You're 9-to-5'ing, your bills are piling, but there's no dollar still"... "The streets is violent, your daughter's wyling, you've done all you can do"... "Smile with your eyes...speak with your heart...and show the world some soul...show the world...it ain't easy...show the world...this is you." "A bad decision...the wrong religion...we all are on our path..." "Sometimes we may fall, it's all good, we will make it ..." "Smile with your eyes..."

6. Mr. Mayor. A rock'n'rollish track that hasn't quite grown on me yet, but has a lot of interesting experimentation, including a little scratching here and there and some guitar riffs. "Parade around like you've got something to do; if you're livin' for the people, why do I see right through?" "You are (a fraud), you are (not large), you are (not in charge)." I hope I got those lyrics right-kind of difficult to decipher.

7. Dogg Starr. Wow. A track called Sirius B/Dog Star. She's rapping on this track and "All the way live, everyday life, live from Earth-yo, I hit you from the Dog Star... broadcast where we see-Sirius B." "Now you see the complexity it takes to compete--simple minds and simple rhymes play the back seat. Regu-lar shi+ lo-ses, don't get abused, kid." A lot of interesting sound/music effects going on here as well.

8. Leaving It All Behind. A little vignette of a conversation/debate between Mecca and a homegirl during which Mecca floats away into dreams of leaving the projects for the beach. Segues into another very light, airy, flute-enhanced, Latin-flavoured ditty that, to my mind, recalls 1970's feel-good songs that became TV show soundtracks. "Sheeeeeee walks alone, but she says she'll never cry... Sheeeeeeee says that the game's an illusion, living in twisted confusion.....and she's leaving them all behiiiiind." "Sheeeeee loves to play with ladybugs in trees...sheeeeeees gone bon voyage on a journey, giving into all the yearning, and relieving her slave-made mind..." Ends with her heading off to catch her bus and bidding farewell to her homegirl.

9. Sexual Alchemy. Keep up with the pace, now. Do I hear a Fela Kuti horns intro??? Oh my GOSH, this is TOO funky!!! Oh, this is off the hook. "To the break of May, or to Auset, catch me in a fre-quen-cy--unh. In your wildest dreams, ever knew this thing? Sexual Al-che-my--unh." "Let us come two-gether like mag-netic. Imagine there's no pain, `magine there's no shame, no longer each other to blame. Dabble in a little bit... if you don't like it, split." Now see, this here is artistry. What a complete and total reinvention of the squeaky, rusty wheel. There's much more, but you've gotta buy the cow to get the milk, darlings.

10. Centre of Nowhere. There's some more Latin flavour here, and a lot of harmonizing. Another throwback to the `70s. I can tell there's some EWF influence here. More flutes. I just love it. "Living at the center of nowhere, puncturing your wings, knowing change will come." "All you've got to do is tell yourself to leave the burden behind you." Definitely sounds like Esthero on this one.

11. Please Don't. More Latin flavour! I LOVE the drum intro! Some spoken word, too 4 ya! Mellow. "So... please don't, unless you like the rejection of my tone..." "He thinks he's really that slick cat. He thinks he's intelligent, all that. [Wow, reminds me of Jill Scott!] Well, Supafly, check out the headlines. Chicks like me, we see you from miles & miles." "It's cool and all, that now you can talk that junk--got the noni, then you ran like a punk. But we know the truth though, you really in a smokeless funk--took a tad, now you think you a hunk. You're just imaginin', fathomin' havin' it like that. When you abuse your sexuality, it makes you feminine, Jack. Who wants a man like that? And that's a fact. So please keep it movin', `cause there ain't no turnin' back." H!Hwellll.

12. Last Train. Oh, a really nice jazzy one. Martin Luther: "Last train for Mary will be leaving (choo-choooo), better get your ticket. Headed for freedom, it's time to shiiiiiine." This is a fun one. I feel like doing the Lindy Hop. Listen to that piano! Ladybug: "It was 7:45 in the a.m.--I am... taking time off for Mec, and you know how... I keep it going, `cause things are what I make it, and who I am is mine for sure." Martin Luther: "You got me huffin' and puffin', I'm chuggin' like a choo-choo train (Choo! Choo!)... the state of the world might make you want to go insane... so keep on pushin' `til you reach a better day." Ladybug: "Embrace the spirits around you. Be one with the sun, devour your power." "The intentions of your soul is pure. Your mind is deeper than the ocean floor." "It's like shimmy shimmy cocoa puff, shimmy shimmy sham. I'm gonna buy myself some gold, and buy myself some land." *snapping to the melody*

13. Sweet & Polite. Oh, I like this one. "I'm always on my job, straight creepin' through the fog..." I LOVE this song! "...up top, cop it--bet. You know it's...LadyBug Mecc..... Fall-in...to my velocity, and do a couple ohms and open up to something clear." "She's so sweet and polite, petite and (on the blithe). A rebel on the outskirts, cute, clever, make it hurt. She's so sweet and polite, petite and (on the blithe). Tricky like I'm doin' dirt, cute, clever, make it hurt." Sprinkle a lil' Portuguese lingo about here and there. "Cops hide behind the gun, kid shot the same night, oh shi+, that's what's up, be prepared to head it up."

14. Suicidethol. Time for a little commercial break.

Ladybug: "Walking through the park used to be such a drag. My runny nose would always let me know that Spring was on the way. But since I've started taking Suicidathol, I have no secretions at all." Gentleman: "Suicidathol killufast tablets help control natural body fluids by drying them up permanently, over a short period of time-in most cases. It can help you feel confident that your nose won't run ever again. Common side effects include kidney failure, liver damage.......muscle pain, fast heartbeat, sore throat and urinating every two minutes." This is a hilarious parody! I've only given bits & pieces of it.

15. You Never Get Over It. My very favorite song on the whole entire album. Starts slow, then is upbeat but melancholy. "What do you think of first thing when you wake up? What do you think of when the one you love is suf-fer-ing the most? What do you do when some-one tells you they're going away for a long, long time and the echoes from the pit of your heart keeps go-ing and they don't stop, no, no, they just don't stop." "Standing on the top of the roof just look-ing up. A sprinkle of cotton and turquoise blow as re-ality stings when the (*?*) rings. What do you do when someone tells you they're going away, and you must be brave, and there's gonna be some time and a little re-action, but it's the way and it's not going to change and.." "...loneliness and visions of you got me react-in a language a girl can't even imagine... loneliness and visions of you got me re-act-in a language a girl can't articulate when it... comes to love I have for you, for you. Comes to love I have for you, for you, for you." "What good does it do when your definitions can't de-fine the emotion through your religion?" This song is incredibly deep and touching once you find out Sista Mecca lost both parents within a short time of one another following the recording of the Blowout Comb album.

16. Remember When? You guessed it. Some more Latin flava. Trance makes an appearance. Drumming, Spanish guitar, background chant-like vocalizing. "Remember when I touched your soul? I know that I was outta control. Are you Dogon? Where are you from? You're not from here. Wanna make you mine, protect you. This is divine, I respect you." Some more Portuguese crooning. Something really out of this world tends to occur whenever Spanish guitar & percussion are overlayed. Outstanding.

17. Oh Poor You. This one has a "rock" feel to it. "My life has been nothing but a blessing to date. Even through the unknown confessions of hate." "And for the so-called profit...dude, you need to stop it." "My trust lies in the Truth between the lines. And everyday's a test of the soul, I know. It took a while to sift through the weeds in the garden. Deeply rooted demons (in deceit) for my stardom. Yeah, she's back and with the synergy. Retrograde couldn't even stop my energy. Or the gravity pull a woman has on a man when the moon is full and in demand, yeah." "Oh poor you. So sad and so con-fused. You want mercy. Just thirst the attention, and you thrill in your neglection." Oops. Somebody wasn't worthy, mature or understanding enough to wear the King's crown.

18. Step Up Wise. Oh! Snap to this! Here comes the Rebirth of Slick bass groove. No mistaking this one. "No, it's no joke, no game, it's live. You want the Truth, *slick*, step up wise." "...Unh like it is, yeah, cold, green light. Queens, don't stress, don't fuss, don't fight." "Again, it's the *slick*, I kissed it and blessed it. Never have to ask, is there born another classic? Go'n switch your car, it don't matter, that's chatter. But we joke: How I zone? (Yeah... you know how it goes.)"

nickle slick rebirth..........2005-07-17

uhhh...

i caint lie... i was expeckin the rebirth of the rebirth of slick or sumphn.

i dint quite get it... instead... i got pleasantly surprised...

lilsista seriously comes thru soundin more like res or esthero than her ol' old way, and that's not a bad thang.
(unless'n you jus some ol' hard-rock/stubborn as hell and dont wanna give in to the progressiveness of an artist... that aint you is it?)

but,
i caint lie #2... ladybug remains one of our top two female hip hop artists (lauryn hill's the other) and I WAS A HOPIN AND A WISHIN for her to kick it like she useta... if she dont carry the weight, then who?

'trip the light' is more enjoyable to me than aya or m.i.a.'s cd... (my opinion)

so get this
and slip into a whole nother kinda cool...

This album will definately get me thru till the DP's 3rd album drops.......2005-07-08

I saw the show in philly 7/5/2005 and it felt like it was history in the making. It was like the Beatles reuniting. The show was amazing, they performed practically every song off of both albums, they did their new stuff, Mecca did her solo stuff, Butterfly did his solo stuff and they performed for 2 HOURS straight and came back for an encore for ANOTHER half hour for about 8 songs. I got plenty of pictures and Ladybug signed her album for me and gave me a hug. This was the greatest show I have ever been to, and one of the greatest nights I ever had. My only regret is that I didn't save any flim for pictures with Ladybug.

And the album is hot to def.

Forget 5 stars, IM GIVING THIS A DOGSTAR!!!

Music:

Music

Music CD

Recuerdos De Ti ~ Allegres De Teran

Pa la Raza ~ Various Artists

Vuelve a Mi ~ Alto Voltaje

Chris Tyle's Silver Leaf Jazz Band ~ Chris Tyle's Silver Leaf Jazz Band

Lo Iq Hi Power ~ Lucha Libre

Incredible Jazz Guitar

Serie De Oro: Grandes Exitos ~ Pericos

Quien Dime Quien ~ Escalofrio

Fiel Prisionera ~ Hermanas Barajas

Fechoria ~ Anibal Troilo