| Rollingstones |
 Over the past couple of years, The–Dream has become, as he repeatedly boasts on Love vs. Money, a "radio killa . . . R&B gorilla." The Atlanta recording studio that the singer — songwriter shares with beat magician Tricky Stewart became a virtual hit factory, churning out tuneful and inventive smashes for the likes of Rihanna ("Umbrella") and Beyoncé ("Single Ladies").
But with his second CD, the man born Terius Nash leaps into another league. These 14 songs draw on pro forma R&B subject matter: sex, sex in VIP rooms, breakup sex, makeup sex. But the combination of classicist songcraft, wild sound collage and a muse that partakes equally of the sensual and the silly makes Love vs. Money far more than just an accomplished genre piece. The most obvious model is R. Kelly, whom Dream name–checks in the swirling slow-jam "Kelly's 12 Play," a tale of a musically enhanced sexcapade. "Sweat It Out" is a hilarious conceit about sex and grooming that begins with Dream cautioning, "Girl, call up Tisha, your beautician/'Cause your hair is gon' need fixin'."...full text |
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| Tinymixtapes |
The-Dream exists among his peers in an oddly singular liminal state, betwixt and between obscurity, celebritydom, and apotheosis. During the past few years, he has written some of our biggest pop hits (Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Mariah Carey’s “Tough My Body”), released a very highly acclaimed R&B album (Love Hate), and been christened as one of our generation’s greatest pop artists, yet the next time you see him on TMZ or the cover of Rolling Stone will be the first. So, what is it? Is The-Dream a “radio killa” (read: pop star), an “R&B guerilla” (read: someone less ubiquitous), or a tortured genius (read: an unappreciated artist during his time)? On second full-length Love vs. Money, he wants it all: to have love and money, respect and popularity — that is, to be timeless and timely.
At the heart of The-Dream’s sweaty and galactic jams is a cornucopia of the 21st-century’s distinguishing pop templates. There are a myriad of chopped and screwed and auto-tuned vocals, hints of Timbo-styled soft percussion clicks and hiccups, and the increasingly prevalent gang chant (listen: Pollow Da Don’s discography). But, even more vital to the general pop flavorings are the countless repeated vocals. For instance, the ad nauseam “yeahs” on “Mr. Yeah,” which certainly have a thematic meaning (Mr. Yeah is a “yes-man” to a comical degree), are extremely catchy, not unlike Rihanna’s “ella, ella, eh, eh, eh”s on “Umbrella.” Here, we hear a crack in the sonic text, The-Dream’s pop formula exposed....full text |
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| Allmusic |
| Between the December 2007 release of Love/Hate and March 2009 release of Love vs Money, the-Dream's dominance as a songwriter, producer, and solo artist had not faded. When the latter album was released, Mr. Nash's output was all over the radio, just as it was when the former came out. Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" had been to the top of the Hot 100 amidst a string of smaller successes that included Jamie Foxx's "Just Like Me," merely a Top Ten R&B hit, and Usher's "Trading Places," which was too thematically and structurally off-center to be massive. The number one R&B single at the time, Foxx's "Blame It," was neither written nor produced by Nash, but it quoted him. "Rockin' That Sh**," this album's lead single, had just become his fourth consecutive solo Top Ten R&B single, and a duet with Mariah Carey, "My Love," was well on its way to becoming number five. He was in his own orbit....full text |
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