H-Eugene Vol. 2 - H-Eugene And The Family

H-Eugene (H-유진) – Vol. 2 "H-Eugene And The Family"

01 Welcome Back
02 He’s a Stranger feat. Shinji of Koyote
03 Kiss Me feat. Bae Seul Gi
04 As Many as There Are Tears feat. Young Ji
05 Shorty feat. Teddy of 1TYM, Master Wu, Park Jang Geun
06 I’m Waiting feat. Oh Jong Hyuk, Hoo Ni Hoon
07 My L.U.V
08 I Don’t Know feat. Miryo of Brown Eyed Girls
09 H-Eugene VS MC Mong feat. MC Mong
10 Maverick Part 2 feat. Yoo Seung Joon, Han Esther
11 Kiss Me (Instrumental)
12 He’s a Stranger (Instrumental)

Purchase this album

H-Eugene
has gone through a lot during his time in the music industry.
Discovered at the age of 17, he became a rapper/dancer for the popular
Yoo Seung Jun until the latter was exiled from Korea. From there, he
turned to MC Mong until 2006, when he finally had a chance to release
his debut album. Even with all the controversy of having Yoo Seung Jun
as a guest artiste, he was able to release his sophomore album,
H-Eugene & The Family. H-Eugene & The Family is a light-hearted
rap album that offers a variety of styles. The album also includes
several well-known artistes such as Bae Seul Gi, Yoo Seung Jun, MC Mong
and H-Eugene’s well-known friend, Teddy from 1TYM.

Kiss Me
(feat. Bae Seul Gi) is definitely not a song someone would expect to be
on a rap album. It’s a cheerful and upbeat pop song with a gentle and
light arrangement. The song has little trace of hip-hop and the
majority of the song is made up of contemporary instruments like the
piano and guitar, with a few synths every once in a while. A brass
section is also heard in the background, providing a interesting twist.
Vocally, the song isn’t very heavy in the sense that the background
vocals are quite subtle. Bae Seul Gi doesn’t have an amazing voice, but
she seems to fit perfectly with this song. H-Eugene’s rapping blends in
surprisingly well and doesn’t clash that much with Bae Seul Gi’s
vocals. Overall, a very enjoyable pop track that works well with Kpop
lovers.

Though the title track is a happy pop song, those who
are trying to find pounding beats should not turn away. The album
includes quite a few heavier-sounding hip-hop songs. Shorty (track 5)
is an example of this and features some of the best rappers in the
Korean music industry today. Each voice complements each other nicely,
though they all retain their individuality. The song is a strikingly
catchy hip-hop track that incorporates a powerful beat. The majority of
the song also has a very computerized feel to it, which adds a modern
twist. Similar songs include track 9 and 10. For those who enjoyed Kiss
Me, there are still quite a few pop sounding tracks in the album.
Namirago (track 2) is a beautiful ballad that seems to have similar
qualities to other Kpop ballads that have been popular in recent years.
The song has a sadness about it that works well with Shin Ji’s vocals,
while still retaining a certain uplifting feel. H-Eugene sounds out of
place a few times, but much like Kiss Me, he seems to have found a way
to work with the song. The song itself has a gorgeous arrangement that
includes a haunting acoustic guitar.

Overall, this is quite an
album. One might find the album bland at first, but if given the time,
it has its rewards. Each song is unique and each artiste that was
brought into this album gave a different edge to it. The only problem,
however, is the fact that the album sounds more like a collaboration
than H-Eugene’s second album. H-Eugene definitely gets to show off his
style, but each song feels as though it could be taken from the albums
that the featured artistes released. However, it’s a good album
altogether and should not be missed if you enjoy the mix of styles.

4/5

5/5 – Even if you’re not a fan of this artist/group this album is a must buy.
4/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you must buy this album.
3/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you might want to add this one to your collection.
2/5 – I don’t think a fan would even buy this.
1/5 – You might as well just flush your money down the toilet.