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| | Piece of Mind | | | Music Artist : | | Tela | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Relativity | | Release Date : | | 1996-11-05 | | Store Price : | | $15.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $15.98 | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Intro
2. Twisted
3. Tired of Ballin
4. Strange - Crime Boss, Mr. Mike, Tela
5. Success
6. Let It Rain
7. Sho Nuff - 8Ball & MJG, Tela
8. Time
9. Blackhaven
10. Suave House
11. Cell Call (Interlude)
12. U Can't Tell
13. All About That Money
14. Survival
15. Piece of Mind
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Inconsistently enjoyable
Submitted on: 2008-03-12 |
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Houston rapper Tela signed with Memphis label Suave House to release his debut "Piece of Mind" in 1996. Never reaching the national acclaim of 8Ball & MJG, Tela attracted a regional fanbase, especially after he moved to Rap-A-Lot for his sophomore LP. Tela embraces the southern baller persona of his labelmates on "Piece of Mind," rapping about street life and urban struggle. I like his delivery, and he has some cool style. The production on "Piece of Mind" is interesting. The best songs have a cool southern funk, and many have a mysterious, uneasy feel. There is an element of spacey soul that imbues much of the tracklist as well. The album's flaws lie in a steady amount of filler and some forgettable tracks that mostly fall flat. Tela's debut does not stand among the best of Suave House's mid-90s catalog, but for those who already enjoy 8Ball & MJG and South Circle's discographies, it is worth a listen. Other listeners will instead be satisfied with the standouts "Let It Rain," "Twisted," and "Sho Nuff."
After the intro, the LP opens with "Twisted," which interpolates a bassline from Run-D.M.C.'s classic "Rock Box" for a good opener. "Tired of Ballin," "Strange," and "Success" each have a weird vibe but are followed by the album's highlights. By far my favorite song is "Let It Rain," which has a rich, soulful funk and the best production. Tela also lends a nice performance, with thoughtful and emotional lyrics. The 8Ball & MJG-aided single "Sho Nuff" is a space-age club track, with a great beat produced, surprisingly, by Jazze Pha prior to his rise to fame. The weak "Time" and R&B interlude "Blackhaven" prelude the worst song "Suave House," a bad posse cut. "U Can't Tell" would have been better if it were three minutes instead of six and a half, and the forgettable "Survival" closes out the album with the decent title track.
The highlights of this album are songs that should be heard, but there is some filler and uninspiring material. Tela had the tools to make a great album, but the execution wasn't right. If a bloated running time and filler aren't deterrants, then "Piece of Mind" will appeal to you, otherwise, just spring for the singles. |
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 Gave you a Piece Of his Mind on this one
Submitted on: 2007-08-06 |
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| Most people only paid attention to Eightball & MJG when you talk about Suave House Records. I was one of the few that gave everybody on Suave House a chance especially Tela and I wasnt dissapointed. The album starter Twisted is great and it leads off to his second single Tired Of Ballin. His first single Sho Nuff with Eightball and MJG was a classic and both Tired Of Ballin and Sho Nuff were produced by Jazze Pha(whose beats sounded a lot better back then and not as candy sounding as they sound now). Crime Boss and Mr Mike team up with Tela on Strange and Tela holds his own well on Let It Rain and Success. The only track I wasnt feeling was U Cant Tell. The rest of the album was cool. Bottom Line: Tela's Piece Of Mind is one of the most underrated releases of Suave House Records and is definetely a highlight album of 1996. Tela has a unique flow and the production as usual, was superb. Its a shame Suave House screwed him over. When it comes down to it they lost one of the best things that has ever happened to them. Standout Tracks: TWISTED, TIRED OF BALLIN, STRANGE, LET IT RAIN, TIME, SUCCESS, BLACKHAVEN, SHO NUFF, SUAVE HOUSE, SURVIVAL and PIECE OF MIND. |
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 POWERFUL DEBUT FROM UNDERRATED EMCEE
Submitted on: 2005-01-27 |
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| This album is a southern classic, hands down. Tela's debut album really catapulted him into the arena as being one of the south's best lyricists, no question. On top of that, this album has a nice splash of HIP HOP, which isn't found in most southern rap (e.g. the first song "Twisted," which lifts Run DMC's classic beat from "Rock Box"). Tela's lyrics here are thought provoking, introspective, pimped out, playalistic, and everything in between. He has faltered verbally over time (which is partially to blame on the lackluster and bandwagon production that's plagued his later albums), but you'll be utterly amazed at the kid with his first time at bat! I really give this album 4 1/2 stars, taking off 1/2 a star for the flawed trappings that usually occur in rap albums (e.g. the featured artist Nola's uninspiring verbal garbage - luckily she's not on many tracks). These shortcomings don't affect the superb quality of the album, however. Unless you use the "buy used CDs" feature on Amazon.com, you're going to be hard pressed to find this rare gem - it's out of print! If you're a fan of southern rap, the mid-late '90s SuaveHouse sound, or an overall hip hop fan, Tela's "PIECE OF MIND" will blow you away! A GREAT PURCHASE! PEACE! |
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Best Tela Album
Submitted on: 2003-05-11 |
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| To me, This is by far Tela's best effort. My favorite cut on the album is Twisted. I can put this cd in and let it ride out until the last song with out skipping any tracks. If you don't got this one, go get it now. |
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One of the best in the South!!!
Submitted on: 2002-06-03 |
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| This album is too hard. This one of Tela's best. You can't get enough of this album. With songs like "Tired of Balling" and "Sho'nuff" featuring Eightball & MJG, you won't regret getting this album. |
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