Album Review: Maino- If Tomorrow Comes

After flooding airwaves and the few music video channels left with high-powered singles like ‘Hi Hater’ and ‘All Of The Above’ (feat. T-Pain), the time has finally come for Jermaine “Maino” Coleman [Click for video interview] to show and prove with his first official album—and he delivers it in the form of If Tomorrow Comes.

With upper-echelon producers like Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, J.R. Rotem, Scott Storch, and The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League on board, the rapper who calls Brooklyn home fills up his debut with pain, triumph, despair, celebrations, and perseverance.

Using a formula that all new artists should adapt—Maino handles 95 percent of the album himself, by not inviting a gang of guest performers to his party.

Starting with feel-good sounds of ‘Million Bucks,’ (feat. Swizz Beatz), Maino talks about making the transition from a “have-not” to actually having something.

On ‘Back To Life,’ (feat. Pusha! Montana), Maino goes back in time, retraces his steps beginning from his prison release right up to starting his Hustle Hard imprint.

The ‘hood side of him comes out on ‘Gangsta’ (feat. B.G.). Over one of the best-produced tracks on the album, Maino assures listeners that he’s still capable of going back to his old ways:

“I got real n*ggas that love me/fake n*ggas that’s hatin’/bad b*tches that want me/snitch n*ggas is waitin’/OG’s say I remind them of how they used to be/if you never heard of me yet/better get used to me/the mo money for guns, the mo homicide/the mo p*ssy’s that run/the mo I’m a ride.”

He then turns his attention towards the ladies on the sex-themed ‘Lets Make A Movie,’ as he breaks down camera angles, role-playing, and multiple sexual positions in HD.

After that, he takes a page out of Eminem’s [Click for Relapse review] book, and discusses how he wants to murder his baby’s mother on ‘Kill You.’ Using material that all men in his shoes can relate to, Maino takes time out to vent his frustrations:

“I tried to play my part, but you be stressin’ me/you pushin’ me/talk to me greasy, look how you testin’ me/you bugged out/look what you did/you made us enemies/my blood pressure risin’/I’m ridin’, drinkin’ Hennessy/thinkin’ of multiple ways to put a hurtin’ on you/I need you outta my life, pull the curtains on you.”

Maino wraps up his life through song with more tangible content like ‘Solider’ (prod. by Scott Storch), ‘Floating,’ (which doubles as one of the strongest record on the album), ‘Runaway Slave,’ and ‘Hood Love’ (feat. Trey Songz).

If Tomorrow Comes is nothing more than a look into the eyes of man who survived being incarcerated for ten years, just to be released, and see all of his dreams comes to fruition.

Maino incorporates both the good and the bad, to let listeners know that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Whereas most artists choose to talk about unlimited cash stacks, the Brooklynite keeps that talk down to a very low minimum, and opts to touch on topics that can be connected to his fellow man—and having that bond is always key when you’re trying be in this business for the long hall…

Rating: 4.0