I'm with Terry on this one: I love "Donuts" for many reasons, but to me, it's sounds like a series of ideas in progress vs. a finished work.
That said, if people want to push this to the top of the #1 pile, I have no issues with that whatsoever especially if it leads to more sales --> more money to Dilla's mom.
Snoop's album was very good. I agree with Faux that "R&G" was widely overlooked and surprisingly so but I think "Blue Carpet" deserves the praise it gets. It absolutely could have stood to be a few songs shorter but overall, I was very impressed by the quality.
"King" was solid. Nicely balanced with some killer single songs. From the first half of the year, I also liked "Fishscale" and the first half of E-40's album but otherwise, Jan-Jun feels like a relative dead zone (not that the second half has been a vast improvement but these last few weeks have been more exciting at least).
I still think the Roots album was surprisingly good, especially for them but I don't expect to see a lot of co-signage on this. Anyone know what numbers it did?
The Trae CD was great too, similar for reasons why I like the Jeezy (see below) but with better production. I can't say I liked the Z-Ro as much (much as I dig his 80s steez) but I'd put Trae down as a top 10.
In terms of the late rush of CDs...
Game: whatever.
The Clipse is still just really pleasurable to listen to. I don't want to get back into a fucking debate over its politics - shit is fun, the Neptunes finally make some good beats and while it's not "We Got It 4 Cheap" it's a lot enjoyable to roll with than most other albums I can name.
Yet, I actually think Jeezy made the better album. I don't necessarily enjoy it as much - the production especially gets mad monotonous in the first half (it really breaks away at the Timbaland song and the second half feels more diverse) but Jeezy's presence on record is a thing of marvel. He's not a great rapper, his style is rather one dimensional but he can sell his song and his cult of personality in a way that most other MCs would kill for. I can't explain it much better than that (though I suppose, I'll need to in order to review his CD) but dude is just a force unto himself.
I don't expect it to be great, but yeah, I'm really looking forward to Nas. The songs I've heard have been good on their own ("Black Republicans" was eh but "Hip Hop Is Dead" wasn't bad, "Don't Hate Me Now" was hot, blah blah blah. Whatever, I'm a 70s baby. I burn a candle for Nasir yet always expect to be disappointed. I'm also a Red Sox/Cal Bears fan. It all goes together.
Biggest disappointment? Do we even need to say? (Psss...it's Jay).
Nah the biggest disappointment for me--in that I had higher expectations for it than I did for Jay's album and the end product was much worse than Kingdom Come--has got to be Cam's record.
I can't even believe the way dude fumbled his career.
Biggest disappointment? Do we even need to say? (Psss...it's Jay).
Nah the biggest disappointment for me--in that I had higher expectations for it than I did for Jay's album and the end product was much worse than Kingdom Come--has got to be Cam's record.
I can't even believe the way dude fumbled his career.
Other notable disappointments:
Field Mob Juvenile Daz
Actually, I kind of liked the Cam album even though it was hardly
Speaking of '80s shit, I just realized that Jeezy's "Streets On Lock" interpolates Hall and Oates' "Out of Touch" for its bassline. Now that's
gotta agree with cam being a bigger disappointment than jay. cam could have shit on lock right now if he dropped an album even half as good as purple haze.
that juvie has some really good tracks on it but overall it wasnt that great
Biggest disappointment? Do we even need to say? (Psss...it's Jay).
Nah the biggest disappointment for me--in that I had higher expectations for it than I did for Jay's album and the end product was much worse than Kingdom Come--has got to be Cam's record.
I can't even believe the way dude fumbled his career.
Other notable disappointments:
Field Mob
yes
Juvenile Daz
Daz was good, if you pretend Jermaine Dupri's third of the album doesn't exist. Juvenile's wasn't that bad.
Not like dude has been releasing GREAT A++++ music for a few years now but the last couple Pastor Troy records were ehhhhh
Lil Boosie's album is good but 1) no "Ratchet" and 2) it should have been way better.
I guess Suga Free's album could qualify as disappointing although I liked parts of it.
Haven't heard Z-Ro but I'm guessing thats like this too.
To me the ultimate disappointment is Ghostface and I've expounded on this elsewhere so no need to rehash i suppose.
I still think the Roots album was surprisingly good, especially for them but I don't expect to see a lot of co-signage on this. Anyone know what numbers it did?
Don't get me started on my "Why the hell do people hate on the Roots?" rant, but this one is definately in my top 5, with "In the Music" being my favorite beat of the year. Hate all you want, to me The Roots album is a start to finish dope album, and IMO their best work ever. It got SHIT for promotion and I'm pretty sure it didn't sell very well considering a Def Jam release and that they had a pop hit a few years back with "The Seed".
As for Donuts, it sounds to me like a work in progress, and no, you can't separate it from the context of Dilla making part of it from a hospital bed. His impending death definately influenced the record, because it is so different from anything else I have ever heard, even from Dilla. He reached a next level of sampling that very few have come close to, with DJ Shadow & The Bomb Squad being primary people that have approached that level.
Biggest disappointment? Do we even need to say? (Psss...it's Jay).
Nah the biggest disappointment for me--in that I had higher expectations for it than I did for Jay's album and the end product was much worse than Kingdom Come--has got to be Cam's record.
I can't even believe the way dude fumbled his career.
Other notable disappointments:
Field Mob
yes
Did't you declare this the best album you'd heard all year back when you were a bloggeur?
Juvenile
Juvenile's wasn't that bad.
Juve's record was okay, but after hearing "Get Ya Hustle" on, I had very high expectations--I guess I was hoping that the album was held up until the new year because he was reworking it into a definitive album-length post-Katrina statement.
me too. like cos said SOULFUL....first two three listens didnt kill me, it id seem like just a hodgepodge of loops. but then i saw the whole tapestry of it and i got a real warm feeling under that quilt. (except factory, which is like my alarm clock in the morning) i listen to that start to finish, on repeat and over and over and time flies.
and i probably havent heard three albums that came out in 2006
Well yeah I don't think this one is as good as No Limit Topp Dogg
I agree--
No Limit Top Dogg had some shit on it. I used to bump the song with Suga Free a lot when it came out. Wasn't the song with Xzibit on there too? Snoop has been makin albums with like 4-5 crazy songs and the rest crap. The new one is no exception. "Imagine" might be favorite song right now, but then he does a pee wee football anthem over my hommie Denauns beat which is just comedy.
I think all these albums are letdowns for the most part. Clipse and Jeezy probably made the best albums out of the bunch. "Hypnotize" really had me motivated!! I sent off like 5 emails about gettin paid for various things.
Comments
That said, if people want to push this to the top of the #1 pile, I have no issues with that whatsoever especially if it leads to more sales --> more money to Dilla's mom.
Snoop's album was very good. I agree with Faux that "R&G" was widely overlooked and surprisingly so but I think "Blue Carpet" deserves the praise it gets. It absolutely could have stood to be a few songs shorter but overall, I was very impressed by the quality.
"King" was solid. Nicely balanced with some killer single songs. From the first half of the year, I also liked "Fishscale" and the first half of E-40's album but otherwise, Jan-Jun feels like a relative dead zone (not that the second half has been a vast improvement but these last few weeks have been more exciting at least).
I still think the Roots album was surprisingly good, especially for them but I don't expect to see a lot of co-signage on this. Anyone know what numbers it did?
The Trae CD was great too, similar for reasons why I like the Jeezy (see below) but with better production. I can't say I liked the Z-Ro as much (much as I dig his 80s steez) but I'd put Trae down as a top 10.
In terms of the late rush of CDs...
Game: whatever.
The Clipse is still just really pleasurable to listen to. I don't want to get back into a fucking debate over its politics - shit is fun, the Neptunes finally make some good beats and while it's not "We Got It 4 Cheap" it's a lot enjoyable to roll with than most other albums I can name.
Yet, I actually think Jeezy made the better album. I don't necessarily enjoy it as much - the production especially gets mad monotonous in the first half (it really breaks away at the Timbaland song and the second half feels more diverse) but Jeezy's presence on record is a thing of marvel. He's not a great rapper, his style is rather one dimensional but he can sell his song and his cult of personality in a way that most other MCs would kill for. I can't explain it much better than that (though I suppose, I'll need to in order to review his CD) but dude is just a force unto himself.
I don't expect it to be great, but yeah, I'm really looking forward to Nas. The songs I've heard have been good on their own ("Black Republicans" was eh but "Hip Hop Is Dead" wasn't bad, "Don't Hate Me Now" was hot, blah blah blah. Whatever, I'm a 70s baby. I burn a candle for Nasir yet always expect to be disappointed. I'm also a Red Sox/Cal Bears fan. It all goes together.
Ghostface's "More Fish": Nice mixtape. Oh wait, it's an album? Shawn Wiggz? Really?
Biggest disappointment? Do we even need to say? (Psss...it's Jay).
Album of the year?
Hell if I know.
Nicole Willis! (But that was 2005)
2006 re-released from 1976.
Seriously the best thing since man invented the waffle.
- spidey
Nah the biggest disappointment for me--in that I had higher expectations for it than I did for Jay's album and the end product was much worse than Kingdom Come--has got to be Cam's record.
I can't even believe the way dude fumbled his career.
Other notable disappointments:
Field Mob
Juvenile
Daz
Actually, I kind of liked the Cam album even though it was hardly
Speaking of '80s shit, I just realized that Jeezy's "Streets On Lock" interpolates Hall and Oates' "Out of Touch" for its bassline. Now that's
that juvie has some really good tracks on it but overall it wasnt that great
Daz was good, if you pretend Jermaine Dupri's third of the album doesn't exist.
Juvenile's wasn't that bad.
Not like dude has been releasing GREAT A++++ music for a few years now but the last couple Pastor Troy records were ehhhhh
Lil Boosie's album is good but 1) no "Ratchet" and 2) it should have been way better.
I guess Suga Free's album could qualify as disappointing although I liked parts of it.
Haven't heard Z-Ro but I'm guessing thats like this too.
To me the ultimate disappointment is Ghostface and I've expounded on this elsewhere so no need to rehash i suppose.
Don't get me started on my "Why the hell do people hate on the Roots?" rant, but this one is definately in my top 5, with "In the Music" being my favorite beat of the year. Hate all you want, to me The Roots album is a start to finish dope album, and IMO their best work ever. It got SHIT for promotion and I'm pretty sure it didn't sell very well considering a Def Jam release and that they had a pop hit a few years back with "The Seed".
As for Donuts, it sounds to me like a work in progress, and no, you can't separate it from the context of Dilla making part of it from a hospital bed. His impending death definately influenced the record, because it is so different from anything else I have ever heard, even from Dilla. He reached a next level of sampling that very few have come close to, with DJ Shadow & The Bomb Squad being primary people that have approached that level.
Did't you declare this the best album you'd heard all year back when you were a bloggeur?
Juve's record was okay, but after hearing "Get Ya Hustle" on, I had very high expectations--I guess I was hoping that the album was held up until the new year because he was reworking it into a definitive album-length post-Katrina statement.
Not like anyone was all "Man, I can't wait for that new Ice Cube!" but that was pretty awful too.
[garybull]Please do not speak on California rap[/garybull]
Don't front on the 'Strut!
(its very good, honest)
WAMP WAMP!
Slight edge over "Donuts"...although I think i'll be listening to "Donuts" in 10 years.
the real heads know the mutherfuckin deal.
an opus. best swan song since Unplugged in New York.
- spidey
and for Terry Clubbup, have a read of the stuff here which gets at, you know, some of the deeper stuff within donuts
me too. like cos said SOULFUL....first two three listens didnt kill me, it id seem like just a hodgepodge of loops. but then i saw the whole tapestry of it and i got a real warm feeling under that quilt. (except factory, which is like my alarm clock in the morning) i listen to that start to finish, on repeat and over and over and time flies.
and i probably havent heard three albums that came out in 2006
solid album
^^^ UP IN MY TOP 5
No Limit Top Dogg had some shit on it. I used to bump the song with Suga Free a lot when it came out. Wasn't the song with Xzibit on there too? Snoop has been makin albums with like 4-5 crazy songs and the rest crap. The new one is no exception. "Imagine" might be favorite song right now, but then he does a pee wee football anthem over my hommie Denauns beat which is just comedy.
I think all these albums are letdowns for the most part. Clipse and Jeezy probably made the best albums out of the bunch. "Hypnotize" really had me motivated!! I sent off like 5 emails about gettin paid for various things.
so many more people need to hear this.
also think this is a contender