producer: roe beardie

guests: brixx, brooke, j-live, , kc da rookee, akanni, black thought

It's a strange phenomenon, that one hates things that others do, but if friends do the same, then it's okay. This album would be considered a commercial album by the backpack fraction in Germany, if it would be from the USA. But since it's German too, it's okay. The album is ready made for the masses. But with that I don't want to say, that it's a bad album, but it screams for success.

This album does not really have any hard beats, maybe one could consider "The Jam" (feat. KC Da Rookee & Akanni), "Get With This" and "Ego Trip" as hard. The rest has vibe-to-appeal. One of the singles "Boy Meets Girl" should be cursed out by many as R'n'B, just like the lame "Come Rain Or Shine" (feat. Brooke) or "The Rise" (also featuring Brooke). The beats are relaxed and jazzy, and sometimes because of that dope. And if this album does not go on your nerves already, it's a nice soundtrack for warm nights, that one could spend with a barbecue at the pool.

Ono can rhyme. The times he teams up with Americans, like J-Live ("Interaction") or Black Thought of The Roots ("Listen To This"), he does not have to hide from these 'über'-talents. The topics he covers, spread from typical braggin' and boastin' to poetic body of thought. The times he opens his heart to us, on tracks like "Come Rain Or Shine" or "So Beautiful", then he paints his thought so picturesque, that we can grasp his own feelings.

Even though this all sounds very critical, "Self" is a decent, if not nice album, that will be enjoyed extensively, if played at the right time, to the right mood.