Album Review: Cazwell - Hard 2 Be Fresh [#TheReturn Day Six]

It's been a long time since I've reviewed an album. I knew when I saw this album pop up for pre-order, I knew I had to give it a go. Luckily the timing was perfect for #TheReturn, so we will get to see what I can come up with for this gem. This album has been a long time coming, and it also features one of my favorite lovelies -- Cherie Lily. Hellz yeah! Let's get into this.

Let's Look At Some Tracks


It's kind of crazy how many singles are on this album! We have tracks that date back to 2011 (not that you can really tell because they still sound pretty fresh). If you've been following Cazwell for a while now, some of these tracks may seem a bit tacked on, but honestly they really add to the "I really don't care" vibe of the album. No track really conveys this more than "Hellen Keller". Featuring raps from Manila Luzon and a killer chorus from Roxy.  I am a mega fan of Manila, and to hear her paired up with NYC's premier rapper was like heaven on Earth.

Another older single, "Unzip Me" featuring Peaches got it's own intro track of sorts. "I Blocked Your Number" transitions directly into "Unzip Me" making this a definite section that you want to listen to all the way through. Oddly enough, 'Blocked' sort of outshines the actual single. It is a very fun and funny track that plays on the whole "disconnected number" thing that you probably haven't heard since the 90s. Even Cazwell himself has said that this is his favorite track on the album. It's a close for me too.

Of all of the singles, the strongest was obviously the lead-in to the album. "Dance Like You Got Good Credit" is one of the best single/video combos out there. It is one of the best production wise, and definitely is the catchiest out of him in a long while (although the sexiest would have to go to "No Selfie Control"). The addition of Cherie Lily, wife of Andrew W.K. but also a songstress in her own light, was amazing. I have no idea how these two know each other, but it was definitely a matcch made in heaven. I couldn't imagine anybody else in the world saying the "What's your pin code daddy" line from this one. Combine that with Cazwell's always spot on humor with calling out basic bitches for being late on child support and spending their momma's money and you have the perfect single.

There are actually four songs on the album that feature Cherie. There's the title track, "Hard 2 Be Fresh" that sort of falls into the middle range as far as good and bad goes for this work. They definitely make up for this with "!Spicy!" though. This track was my number one pick for the majority of my first listen through of the album. The little Mexican interludes after the chorus line was a perfect addition to the song as a whole and breaks it up. It's really nice to hear a gay-centric rap track that doesn't use the word "boy pussy".

The best thing about this album is that they saved the best track for the very end. They took clips from my gurl Alyssa Edwards's webshow, featuring quotes such as "Always and Forever" and "I don't get cute, I get drop dead gorgeous." Yaaas! This song brings out the gay in me so bad. Cherie steals the spotlight with this song, and that's totally OK with me. "Hey girl! What's the T? Wanna talk shit? Sit next to me!" We finally get to hear her rap as opposed to being a chorus/hook singer, and it does not disappoint. Also Cazwell feigning ignorance with what the "T" in "What's the T" means was adorable. He's got earl grey, gurl!

A few other tracks that deserve a mention: 
"Don't Get It Twisted" - Nicky Da B is a super star in the making. Im in love with her voice and in your face style.
"No Selfie Control" - We see a different, more vocal side of Caz
"Guess What" - OMG Luciana

Sum It Up Already

I really, really like this album. It is a fun listen from start to finish. It suffers from a few cliches that I'm kind of over. There seems to be this over-the-top thing that a lot of LGBT artists go for when they make music, being a bit of a sexual caricature . It is fun for a few songs, but a lot of the middle of the album is made up of this, making for a bit of same-feeling as the album progresses.

It has a LOT of features (four of them are Cherie!). This isn't exactly a bad thing, though. We got to see more of my girl Cherie, and we got introduced to a lot of great talents that many may not have heard of before like Peaches, Nicky Da B, and Dai Burger. It was a great way to mix things up and create more of a dance vibe which is more popular than rap within our community. It's nice to see that he is using the genre of dance to expand what people may not usually listen to.

Top Picks

What's The T
!Spicy!
I Blocked Your Number
Don't Get It Twisted

Remix This

!Spicy! (please!)

BUY IT

You can grab this album on iTunes. It even comes with a ton of music videos featuring Cazwell being sexy and shit. Support indie artists!