Shareefa and Don Cannon - The Misunderstanding Of Shareefa (Mixtape Review)

Who? That's the usual response when asked an opinion about Shareefa's music. Nobody really knows her, or if they do its only for her 2005 hit, "Need A Boss" featuring Ludacris. After dropping her debut album in 2006, Shareefa damn near dropped off the face of the R&B scene. Now she's returned with a brand new mixtape to reintroduce herself to the masses. She's not your average singer, she goes harder, such is the statement made on "My Life".

The thirteen song collection opens with random men and women questioning her whereabouts and kicking different rumors around. The best rumor is she was on 'For The Love Of Ray J' after having a terrible performance at R&B Live. With the comedy out of the way, 'Reefa comes out of the gate with strong vocals that are the love child of Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige. But what brings Shareefa out of the two powerhouses' robust shadow is her attitude. She is a chick straight off the blocks of East Orange, New Jersey. And that New Jersey brashness is stamped all over the composition. She sings about wrapping hands around a girl's neck for trying to steal her man. Not too lady-like, but entertaining nonetheless.

'The Misunderstanding' is a winner because this is early nineties hip hop soul music-- strong and raspy vocals that have the chameleon ability to be sweet meshing with harder edged hip hop beats. Chucky Thompson, Justice League, and Teddy Bishop create sounds where Shareefa can flex her golden pipes and remain cool while doing so. "Warrior" features her sounding cool and sexy over reggae inspired production.

Shareefa has undeniable talent. She has what it takes to be a star. Her voice and lyrics are reminiscent of the greats, but with Jazmine Sullivan steadily jocking for position at the forefront of the new crop of hip hop soul chanteuses, is there room for Shareefa to grab a piece of the spotlight? That remains to be seen, but 'The Misunderstanding' is sending an astounding warning shot to those atop the heap that she's on her way to stake her claim.