Here's my hip hop album reviews, looking at albums which I have bought in
the past few months. Some of these albums are ten days old, some ten
years old. They are in no order except the order in which I buy
them! I am not a buyer of chart music, I tend to buy albums whenever
they take my fancy. I buy old albums as often as I buy new
ones. This page will be updated when I buy albums! Enjoy...
My Ratings:
*****
= Amazing. A
Hip Hop classic. BUY NOW! ***** =
Very good, well worth the money. ***** =
Average. Buy if you have spare cash lying
around ***** =
Poor. Save yourself money and download it! ***** =
Awful. Don't buy if you have any respect
for rap.
Justin
Timberlake - Justified - (2002)
A
very interesting RnB/Hip Hop feeling crossover
record from NSync star Justin. I was very cynical at the thought
of JT releasing an RnB album, but cynicism never pays unless you check
it out...The result was surprising, a blend of 'street pop', perfect
harmony and idealistic love tales, all brought together by Timbaland
and Neptunes beats. Not necessarily the 'best' album of the
year, as some of the songs sound a little repetitive and sickly-sweet,
but it certainly is interesting, and a good buy for fans of more
commercial RnB.
*****
Jay-Z - The
Blueprint II - (2002)
I've
owned this album for a month now and I still don't know where it
stands with me. My relationship with Jay-Z's music is admittedly
half-hearted. If he drops something obviously hot, I'll listen
to it, but I won't go out of my way to find a good joint. I was
extremely sceptical about this album after hearing his awful tune
'Bonnie & Clyde'. However, most of the album is not as
commercial, although not necessarily good. The beats are the
'same old Jay-Z' and he seems to have little ability when it comes to
varying styles of rapping. One track which is ok is 'A Dream'
featuring Biggie's 'Juicy' lyrics (which have unfortunately been censored
due to the 2001 Twin Towers disaster. On the whole, don't
have much to say about this album. It's a worthy buy, as it has
two discs for the usual price of one, with some decent bonus tracks,
but it is far from classic status and can't even come close to
touching Nas' new album 'God's Son'.
*****
Jaheim -
Still Ghetto - (2002)
Jaheim's
debut joint hit multi-platinum status, so it's no surprise that the
23-year-old superstar has not changed his style much for Still Ghetto,
its follow up, retaining the neat balance of soul and rap. Keeping in
place the crew that made Ghetto Love so strong--producers such as
Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature), Eddie F (Angie Stone, Heavy D), Eddie
Berkeley (Next, Luther Vandross), and Eric Williams (Blackstreet)--Jaheim
has built another mixture of romantic tenderness and thugged-out machismo,
as exemplified on his recent smash "Fabulous", the first track
to be taken from the album. The rest of the album comes off in the same
casually bumping manner, with a range of tight grooves and slick beats
topped off with the singers chocolate-smooth warbling. Less seductive and
slightly more formulaic than D'Angelo, Jaheim nonetheless does a solid job
of continuing the spirit of soulful pioneers such as Stevie Wonder, Teddy
Pendergrass and Curtis Mayfield
*****
Nas - God's
Son - (2002)
I
was amongst the large group of hip hop fans who seriously lost faith
in Nas, based upon his awful albums which followed the rap classic
Illmatic. However, this offering sees a complete revolution of
Nas' persona from circa 1998-2001. The beats are heavy and the
rhymes are tight and complex. After losing his mother, Nasir
Jones seems to have adopted a new outlook on life, and even recorded a
successful duo with 2Pac. The highlight of the track is the
opening joint, 'Get Down'. His flow is absolutely amazing and
remains constant throughout the entire album. Is good to see Nas
back on form with a less commercial album which wipes the floor with
Jay-Z without as much as one diss. It seems that Nas has more
serious issues to talk about nowadays, reaching out and connecting
with society like on Illmatic.
*****
Wu Tang Clan
- Enter The Wu Tang: 36 Chambers - (1993)
Outstanding!
Every single track on this album is a classic in its own right.
If you listen to the lyrics carefully you get a proper insight into
the minds of the members of the Wu-Tang & the way the samples are
mixed into the tunes is just stunning. It is still one of my most
listened to albums even though its years old. In my eyes the best
tracks are Wu Tang Clan Ain't nothing to F*** with & Tearz, but
you'll probably disagree as there are so many cool tracks to choose
from. If you like this sort of music and don't own this album yet,
then what are you waiting for?!?
*****
Rawkus
Records Presents: Lyricists Lounge 2 - (2000)
Biggie
is back again--freestyling like only a dead man can on the intro to
this second volume culled from the archives of NYC's Lyricist Lounge.
You have to wonder why hip-hop can't let the man rest in peace. Must
be something to do with the papers. Same could be said of this
record's transparent attempt to keep a franchise alive and help push
Rawkus further into mainstream consciousness. Aside from the
aforementioned intro and Q-Tip's "live" outro, there is
precious little evidence that the Lyricist Lounge is, in actuality, a
freestyle forum with a monthly live event in New York City. The
pairings of established and lesser MCs are suitably uninspired: Big
Noyd and Prodigy's "The Grimy Way" and Royce Da 5'9's
"Let's Grow" even sound as if they are retreading 1980s
retro-synth soundtracks. And, predictably, Mos Def (Rawkus's would-be
prophet and biggest seller) is all over the record. He pairs up first
with Ghostface Killah (on the previously released "Ms Fat
Booty" remix), then with Pharoah Monch and Nate Dogg (on "Oh
No"), and cameos on the Gang Starr remix of Macy Gray's
"I've Committed Murder"). It seems that the only people that
really get it are Last Emperor and RZA, whose resurrected creature
feature "He Lives" performs radical psychic surgery on this
comp's rotting corpse.
*****
Talib Kweli -
Quality - (2002)
Perfect...Kweli's
first solo release is the perfect blend of moods all encompassed in 1 CD.
From the more upbeat tracks such as Beat and Put It In The Air, to the
typical Kweli deepness on tracks such as Won't You Stay, Where Do We Go,
Talk To You and The Proud you can't fault this album. Everything he has
ever touched I have loved. He's up there with the very best lyricists,
with the likes of Common and Nas. Everyone should own this album, if only
take some knowledge from his rhymes.
*****
Slum Village
- Trinity - (2002)
2002
has been a great year for non-commercial hip hop. The offerings
from Talib Kweli, Common, Nas and Blackalicious have blew me
away...and restored my faith in hip hop. This collection from
Slum Village, is no exception. Surprising collaborations with
the Neptunes make for some interesting sounds, with minimal beats and
lazy drawls. This is definitely NOT for those who like something
a little intelligent, laid-back and jazzilly smooth. It is
perfect for me, however, as I am delving into a completely different
side of hip hop, where Slum Village are kings. Check out the hot
joints 'Tainted' and 'Insane'. Hot, hot, hot.
*****
DMX
- It's Dark And Hell Is Hot - (1998)
This
album is probably DMX's best offering. DMX uses his voice as an
instrument and the sheer power of his vocal strength gets to you. his
lyrics maybe blunt and crude but they are real and very powerful, he gets
to you in a way that is almost scary. In a time when rap is full of
people talking about nothing but cars and cash, you need someone like DMX
to show you what its really all about, and he does it in this gem of an
album. you can actually tell he is hungry in his lyrics and the name 'dark
man' suits him perfectly. best song is 'let me fly', it has got the best
lyrics of the lot and is raw as hell. get this album if no matter what,
rap needs people like DMX, Cannibus and Mos Def to keep it real. this
album won't make you dance but it will get at you and play games with you
mind, so don't just jump on the bandwagon. brilliant!
*****
Big
L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous - (1995)
What
an album! I only recently bought this album, despite hearing rave
reviews about Big L. Pardon me for thinking that he was just another
dead MC. Quite the contrary...This debut proves that Big L had
excellent lyrical ability, a hard, thuggish edge and crazy beats. It
is probably the best debut I have ever heard, without a doubt. It
surpasses Illmatic by not claiming to be the greatest. Yes, Big L
cites himself as Hip Hop's MVP...but quite rightly. Any hip hop fan
should have this album!
*****
Styles
- A Gangster And A Gentleman (2002)
Well
when I first heard that Styles P was releasing an album I thought it would
be a poor attempt to emulate the success that Jadakiss built for himself.
Then I began to here a few cuts from the album. After "The Life"
with Pharoahe Monch I had to go out and get the album! And so here
it is...all 24 tracks of it! Now Jadakiss' album was 22 tracks long and
still managed to hold it up so I didn't worry about it. But unlike Jada's
effort this album loses strength towards the end. It's as if in an attempt
to match Kiss for length that SP went for one too many album fillers! But
donn't get this twisted, the album is still hot! there are enough hot
tunes to almost absolve the weaker ones. Good Times, A Gangster And A
Gentlemen & Yall Don't Wanna F*** with MOP are just some of the
blazing tracks on the album. The production is so top notch that it almost
rivals Jada for quality of music even though some of the subject matter
are a bit generic or just plain weird (see Nobody Believes Me). But on the
whole the album is worthy of a place in your collection!
*****
Various
Artists - Music from and inspired by the movie 8 Mile (2002)
This
is a brand new release to accompany the up-coming film which is loosely
based uopn Eminem's life. The soundtrack features Eminem, D-12, Rakim,
Young Zee and Rakim, as well as others. All in all, it's a solid
soundtrack with some great songs including Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' which
is based on a young white kid trying to make it in the world of battle
rapping. However, the songs seem a little disjointed and have little
consistent flow from one song to another. This is common in soundtracks
though, and I am confident that this album will produce several hit
singles, with the massive tracks 'Lose Yourself' and 'Wanksta' from Eminem
and 50 Cent.
*****
LLCoolJ
-Ten (2002)
The
tenth album from ageing sex-God LLCoolJ. This album is only one of
three LL albums I own, and all of them show an amazing diversity. LL
switches from sentimental, to battle, to lyrical king with such ease and
fluency throughout 'Ten'. An interesting track is 'After Skool' which
samples Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' effectively without parodying
the original like so many others have. 'Luv U Better' is simply the
love song of 2002. the sentiments are real and the love story is flawed an
non fairytale-like. Nelly should pick up a few pointers from the G.O.A.T
on how to write a love song...
All
in all, this album is great and easy to listen to. It is not quite the
huge milestone I was expecting for a tenth album, but LL shows that he is
the daddy of modern hip hop by flowing easily without so much as one
curse. A sure-fire huge hit.
*****
DMX
- The Great Depression (2001)
Ok,
so I know this one is a year old by now, but I was in two minds about
buying it. I do love DMX, but I was strongly advised against
this album, as it was supposedly too commercial to be considered a worthy
DMX offering. I saw it for a very reasonable price so I decided to
pick it up, and I was not disappointed. True, this song is much more
commercial than his first three albums, but it's the same DMX. I
feel that it is the RnB tinge to the tracks which have made a more
commercial sound, DMX is simply trying to get the message of the streets
into mainstream, rather than selling his efforts to those who already
'know'. 'Who We Be' and 'We Right Here' are the highlights of this
album, but a truly moving track comes in the form of 'I Miss You', an
emotional dedication to Dark's late grandmother. Maybe this track
(which also features Faith Evans) does soften his image, but I can't fault
a man who holds his grandma down. If you have been put off this
album by bad reviews, get it and form your own opinions about
it.
*****
Various
Artists - Back In The Day...Rappers' Delight (2002)
I
saw this album for around £5 and I needed a few old skool beats for my
new portable CD device. I am not a lover of old skool hip-hop.
I love Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, etc,
but I tend not to buy their albums in volumes. Anyway, I found this
CD which covers more commercial releases from hip hop artists from 1979
right through to 1990, with timeless classics such as 'White Lines', 'The
Magic Number', 'Planet Rock' and 'Mama Said Knock You Out'. It
gives a good listen for fans like myself who revel in the 90s hip hop
sound, but enjoy a blast from the past.
*****
Cam'ron
- Come Home With Me (2002)
This
is by no means Cam'ron's best work. It is a mediocre album which has
a couple of *good* tracks such as 'Oh Boy' and 'Welcome To NYC'.
Apart from those two tracks (which are worth the £2 I paid for my copy)
there is nothing that particularly stands out. There is even a
hopeless revival by Dillinger of Tupac's 'Ambitionz Az A Ridah', which
sounds *ok* until Cam'ron starts quoting 'Pac's 'Thug niggas be on point
and game tight'. Then I start to think that Dat Nigga Daz has run
out of ideas by recycling his old beats and passing them to the hottest
new "talent", to use the terms 'new' and 'talent' loosely.
If you want to check out this album, burn a copy, it is not worth £12.
*****
Cypress
Hill - Black Sunday (1993)
I
actually owned this album waayyy back in the day, but I unfortunately lost
it and forgot what I was missing! B-Real and the gang follow up
their debut LP with this black-comedy-on-wax masterpiece, featuring stoned
lyrics and loud, fuzzy beats. This is a must have for all hip hop
fans, new, long-term, old and young. You don't know where it's at
until you've checked out this marajuana driven piece of sheer craziness.
*****
Nelly
- Nellyville (2002)
Two
words about this album - Just Don't. I can't even begin to
describe the poorness of this album without cursing. I bought this
album purely based upon the strength of 'Country Grammar', which was hot
and fresh in its day. However, I open this album cover to see
Nelly's ugly, cocky, band-aid ridden face staring at me and I almost threw
up. Not one to be put off by an artist's looks, I put the CD in the
tray and played...The results? Very, very poor. Too much emphasis on his St. Louis roots (which he seems to have abandoned anyway),
interluded by ludicrously corny 'love songs' featuring the latest R'n'B
bitch on the block. If you have any respect for hip hop whatsoever,
steer clear of this album, it is absurd.
*****
TLC
- 3D (2002)
Personally
I am not impressed by this album...I was actually expecting worse (weepy
tributes to Left Eye), but in fact there is only one track dedicated to
the deceased rapper; 'Turntable', a heartfelt, genuine and non-tacky
tribute. Well done on this track, girls. However, the rest of
the album does not live up to this standard, with songs which would have
been good 5 years ago, due to their played-out Neptunes and Rodney Jerkins
production. It's difficult to explain, but it's just not my
style. When I look for R'n'B I look for deep, meaningful songs, not
party tracks.
*****
Roots Manuva - Badmeaninggood (2002)
I
was actually surprised when I saw this album, I was expecting a new album
from the UK Hip Hop king. However, it is a compilaton of some of the
best hip hop tracks that have ever graced wax. Mixed by Roots Manuva
himself, he has included artists such as Lucy Pearl, Eric B & Rakim,
ODB and Freeez. This album is amazing with some perfect re-mastering
of already masterpieces.
*****
Ice T Presents Westside (2002)
I've
only just bought this CD and haven't had a *real* listen yet, but in a
nutshell it is exactly what it says on the tin...Ice T has compiled some
of the greatest songs from west-coast Hip Hop artists. Ranging from
2Pac, Young MC, Too Short, DJ Quik, Above The Law and, of course, Ice T,
the tracks on this album are HOT. Unfortunately, there is nothing
*new* on this album, but it draws on a diverse selection of West Coast
'classics'. A sure-fire hit.
*****
Blackalicious
- Blazing Arrow (2002)
I'm
not sure I could praise this CD highly enough. This is an absolute
cracker, far and away above the usual quality of hip hop these days.
Inventive lyrical word play backed by very catchy tunes: witness the
insistent "Nine To Five" sound-a-like start of 'Release', the
base line on 'Aural Pleasure' or Jill Scott Heron's deep voice on 'First
Fn Flight', to pick a few highlights. It's worth buying this for 'Chemical
Calisthenics' alone.
*****
Run DMC - Greatest Hits (2002)
With
the tragic loss of Jam Master Jay and w/ the rest of the group disbanding,
it seems a part of hip-hop has died as well. The part of what hip-hop is
supposed to be, non-violent raps, positive messages (Down w/ the King),
etc. seems to have died as well. Run-DMC never needed what today's artists
have, huge entourages, plenty of ice, cars, girls, etc. and the use of the
"n" word over and over again. If only today's artists can learn
something from Run-DMC instead of just giving them props, things may be
different today and Jay may still live. God Bless Jam Master Jay and the
rest of Run-DMC. RIP Jay, you will be missed.
*****
Jurassic
5 - Power In Numbers (2002)
Yet
again, the best of the West Coast (probably) have come up with the goods.
Having caught the imagination with their first release, the J5 EP (in
parts genius, in parts average), the follow up Quality Control was an
underrated classic. Power in Numbers is more than a good follow up - it's
brilliant. This album, just like the first and the EP, needs about 5
listens to even start to appreciate it, then loads more to begin to really
enjoy. It's only been out a week and a day and it's not been off my car
stereo. As with other albums there are a couple of stand-out belting
tracks (No 6 immediately springs to mind) on initial investigation, before
the more subtle ones begin to emerge after a few sittings. Just like the
Nextmen, J5 DON'T make bad tunes, just very good ones, interspersed with
brilliant ones. My only complaint is getting the nasal pop-pest Nelly
Furtado to whine on one of the tracks, which is otherwise good. If you're
spending money on CDs today, buy it.
A
very interesting RnB/Hip Hop feeling crossover
record from NSync star Justin. I was very cynical at the thought
of JT releasing an RnB album, but cynicism never pays unless you check
it out...The result was surprising, a blend of 'street pop', perfect
harmony and idealistic love tales, all brought together by Timbaland
and Neptunes beats. Not necessarily the 'best' album of the
year, as some of the songs sound a little repetitive and sickly-sweet,
but it certainly is interesting, and a good buy for fans of more
commercial RnB.
I've
owned this album for a month now and I still don't know where it
stands with me. My relationship with Jay-Z's music is admittedly
half-hearted. If he drops something obviously hot, I'll listen
to it, but I won't go out of my way to find a good joint. I was
extremely sceptical about this album after hearing his awful tune
'Bonnie & Clyde'. However, most of the album is not as
commercial, although not necessarily good. The beats are the
'same old Jay-Z' and he seems to have little ability when it comes to
varying styles of rapping. One track which is ok is 'A Dream'
featuring Biggie's 'Juicy' lyrics (which have unfortunately been censored
due to the 2001 Twin Towers disaster. On the whole, don't
have much to say about this album. It's a worthy buy, as it has
two discs for the usual price of one, with some decent bonus tracks,
but it is far from classic status and can't even come close to
touching Nas' new album 'God's Son'.
Jaheim's
debut joint hit multi-platinum status, so it's no surprise that the
23-year-old superstar has not changed his style much for Still Ghetto,
its follow up, retaining the neat balance of soul and rap. Keeping in
place the crew that made Ghetto Love so strong--producers such as
Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature), Eddie F (Angie Stone, Heavy D), Eddie
Berkeley (Next, Luther Vandross), and Eric Williams (Blackstreet)--Jaheim
has built another mixture of romantic tenderness and thugged-out machismo,
as exemplified on his recent smash "Fabulous", the first track
to be taken from the album. The rest of the album comes off in the same
casually bumping manner, with a range of tight grooves and slick beats
topped off with the singers chocolate-smooth warbling. Less seductive and
slightly more formulaic than D'Angelo, Jaheim nonetheless does a solid job
of continuing the spirit of soulful pioneers such as Stevie Wonder, Teddy
Pendergrass and Curtis Mayfield
I
was amongst the large group of hip hop fans who seriously lost faith
in Nas, based upon his awful albums which followed the rap classic
Illmatic. However, this offering sees a complete revolution of
Nas' persona from circa 1998-2001. The beats are heavy and the
rhymes are tight and complex. After losing his mother, Nasir
Jones seems to have adopted a new outlook on life, and even recorded a
successful duo with 2Pac. The highlight of the track is the
opening joint, 'Get Down'. His flow is absolutely amazing and
remains constant throughout the entire album. Is good to see Nas
back on form with a less commercial album which wipes the floor with
Jay-Z without as much as one diss. It seems that Nas has more
serious issues to talk about nowadays, reaching out and connecting
with society like on Illmatic.
Biggie
is back again--freestyling like only a dead man can on the intro to
this second volume culled from the archives of NYC's Lyricist Lounge.
You have to wonder why hip-hop can't let the man rest in peace. Must
be something to do with the papers. Same could be said of this
record's transparent attempt to keep a franchise alive and help push
Rawkus further into mainstream consciousness. Aside from the
aforementioned intro and Q-Tip's "live" outro, there is
precious little evidence that the Lyricist Lounge is, in actuality, a
freestyle forum with a monthly live event in New York City. The
pairings of established and lesser MCs are suitably uninspired: Big
Noyd and Prodigy's "The Grimy Way" and Royce Da 5'9's
"Let's Grow" even sound as if they are retreading 1980s
retro-synth soundtracks. And, predictably, Mos Def (Rawkus's would-be
prophet and biggest seller) is all over the record. He pairs up first
with Ghostface Killah (on the previously released "Ms Fat
Booty" remix), then with Pharoah Monch and Nate Dogg (on "Oh
No"), and cameos on the Gang Starr remix of Macy Gray's
"I've Committed Murder"). It seems that the only people that
really get it are Last Emperor and RZA, whose resurrected creature
feature "He Lives" performs radical psychic surgery on this
comp's rotting corpse.
Perfect...Kweli's
first solo release is the perfect blend of moods all encompassed in 1 CD.
From the more upbeat tracks such as Beat and Put It In The Air, to the
typical Kweli deepness on tracks such as Won't You Stay, Where Do We Go,
Talk To You and The Proud you can't fault this album. Everything he has
ever touched I have loved. He's up there with the very best lyricists,
with the likes of Common and Nas. Everyone should own this album, if only
take some knowledge from his rhymes.
2002
has been a great year for non-commercial hip hop. The offerings
from Talib Kweli, Common, Nas and Blackalicious have blew me
away...and restored my faith in hip hop. This collection from
Slum Village, is no exception. Surprising collaborations with
the Neptunes make for some interesting sounds, with minimal beats and
lazy drawls. This is definitely NOT for those who like something
a little intelligent, laid-back and jazzilly smooth. It is
perfect for me, however, as I am delving into a completely different
side of hip hop, where Slum Village are kings. Check out the hot
joints 'Tainted' and 'Insane'. Hot, hot, hot.
This
album is probably DMX's best offering. DMX uses his voice as an
instrument and the sheer power of his vocal strength gets to you. his
lyrics maybe blunt and crude but they are real and very powerful, he gets
to you in a way that is almost scary. In a time when rap is full of
people talking about nothing but cars and cash, you need someone like DMX
to show you what its really all about, and he does it in this gem of an
album. you can actually tell he is hungry in his lyrics and the name 'dark
man' suits him perfectly. best song is 'let me fly', it has got the best
lyrics of the lot and is raw as hell. get this album if no matter what,
rap needs people like DMX, Cannibus and Mos Def to keep it real. this
album won't make you dance but it will get at you and play games with you
mind, so don't just jump on the bandwagon. brilliant!
What
an album! I only recently bought this album, despite hearing rave
reviews about Big L. Pardon me for thinking that he was just another
dead MC. Quite the contrary...This debut proves that Big L had
excellent lyrical ability, a hard, thuggish edge and crazy beats. It
is probably the best debut I have ever heard, without a doubt. It
surpasses Illmatic by not claiming to be the greatest. Yes, Big L
cites himself as Hip Hop's MVP...but quite rightly. Any hip hop fan
should have this album!
This
is a brand new release to accompany the up-coming film which is loosely
based uopn Eminem's life. The soundtrack features Eminem, D-12, Rakim,
Young Zee and Rakim, as well as others. All in all, it's a solid
soundtrack with some great songs including Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' which
is based on a young white kid trying to make it in the world of battle
rapping. However, the songs seem a little disjointed and have little
consistent flow from one song to another. This is common in soundtracks
though, and I am confident that this album will produce several hit
singles, with the massive tracks 'Lose Yourself' and 'Wanksta' from Eminem
and 50 Cent.
The
tenth album from ageing sex-God LLCoolJ. This album is only one of
three LL albums I own, and all of them show an amazing diversity. LL
switches from sentimental, to battle, to lyrical king with such ease and
fluency throughout 'Ten'. An interesting track is 'After Skool' which
samples Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' effectively without parodying
the original like so many others have. 'Luv U Better' is simply the
love song of 2002. the sentiments are real and the love story is flawed an
non fairytale-like. Nelly should pick up a few pointers from the G.O.A.T
on how to write a love song...
Ok,
so I know this one is a year old by now, but I was in two minds about
buying it. I do love DMX, but I was strongly advised against
this album, as it was supposedly too commercial to be considered a worthy
DMX offering. I saw it for a very reasonable price so I decided to
pick it up, and I was not disappointed. True, this song is much more
commercial than his first three albums, but it's the same DMX. I
feel that it is the RnB tinge to the tracks which have made a more
commercial sound, DMX is simply trying to get the message of the streets
into mainstream, rather than selling his efforts to those who already
'know'. 'Who We Be' and 'We Right Here' are the highlights of this
album, but a truly moving track comes in the form of 'I Miss You', an
emotional dedication to Dark's late grandmother. Maybe this track
(which also features Faith Evans) does soften his image, but I can't fault
a man who holds his grandma down. If you have been put off this
album by bad reviews, get it and form your own opinions about
it. 
I
saw this album for around £5 and I needed a few old skool beats for my
new portable CD device. I am not a lover of old skool hip-hop.
I love Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, etc,
but I tend not to buy their albums in volumes. Anyway, I found this
CD which covers more commercial releases from hip hop artists from 1979
right through to 1990, with timeless classics such as 'White Lines', 'The
Magic Number', 'Planet Rock' and 'Mama Said Knock You Out'. It
gives a good listen for fans like myself who revel in the 90s hip hop
sound, but enjoy a blast from the past.
This
is by no means Cam'ron's best work. It is a mediocre album which has
a couple of *good* tracks such as 'Oh Boy' and 'Welcome To NYC'.
Apart from those two tracks (which are worth the £2 I paid for my copy)
there is nothing that particularly stands out. There is even a
hopeless revival by Dillinger of Tupac's 'Ambitionz Az A Ridah', which
sounds *ok* until Cam'ron starts quoting 'Pac's 'Thug niggas be on point
and game tight'. Then I start to think that Dat Nigga Daz has run
out of ideas by recycling his old beats and passing them to the hottest
new "talent", to use the terms 'new' and 'talent' loosely.
If you want to check out this album, burn a copy, it is not worth £12.
I
actually owned this album waayyy back in the day, but I unfortunately lost
it and forgot what I was missing! B-Real and the gang follow up
their debut LP with this black-comedy-on-wax masterpiece, featuring stoned
lyrics and loud, fuzzy beats. This is a must have for all hip hop
fans, new, long-term, old and young. You don't know where it's at
until you've checked out this marajuana driven piece of sheer craziness.
Two
words about this album - Just Don't. I can't even begin to
describe the poorness of this album without cursing. I bought this
album purely based upon the strength of 'Country Grammar', which was hot
and fresh in its day. However, I open this album cover to see
Nelly's ugly, cocky, band-aid ridden face staring at me and I almost threw
up. Not one to be put off by an artist's looks, I put the CD in the
tray and played...The results? Very, very poor. Too much emphasis on his St. Louis roots (which he seems to have abandoned anyway),
interluded by ludicrously corny 'love songs' featuring the latest R'n'B
bitch on the block. If you have any respect for hip hop whatsoever,
steer clear of this album, it is absurd.
I'm
not sure I could praise this CD highly enough. This is an absolute
cracker, far and away above the usual quality of hip hop these days.
Inventive lyrical word play backed by very catchy tunes: witness the
insistent "Nine To Five" sound-a-like start of 'Release', the
base line on 'Aural Pleasure' or Jill Scott Heron's deep voice on 'First
Fn Flight', to pick a few highlights. It's worth buying this for 'Chemical
Calisthenics' alone.
With
the tragic loss of Jam Master Jay and w/ the rest of the group disbanding,
it seems a part of hip-hop has died as well. The part of what hip-hop is
supposed to be, non-violent raps, positive messages (Down w/ the King),
etc. seems to have died as well. Run-DMC never needed what today's artists
have, huge entourages, plenty of ice, cars, girls, etc. and the use of the
"n" word over and over again. If only today's artists can learn
something from Run-DMC instead of just giving them props, things may be
different today and Jay may still live. God Bless Jam Master Jay and the
rest of Run-DMC. RIP Jay, you will be missed.
Yet
again, the best of the West Coast (probably) have come up with the goods.
Having caught the imagination with their first release, the J5 EP (in
parts genius, in parts average), the follow up Quality Control was an
underrated classic. Power in Numbers is more than a good follow up - it's
brilliant. This album, just like the first and the EP, needs about 5
listens to even start to appreciate it, then loads more to begin to really
enjoy. It's only been out a week and a day and it's not been off my car
stereo. As with other albums there are a couple of stand-out belting
tracks (No 6 immediately springs to mind) on initial investigation, before
the more subtle ones begin to emerge after a few sittings. Just like the
Nextmen, J5 DON'T make bad tunes, just very good ones, interspersed with
brilliant ones. My only complaint is getting the nasal pop-pest Nelly
Furtado to whine on one of the tracks, which is otherwise good. If you're
spending money on CDs today, buy it.