new hip hop releases...
Skip Drinkwater
1,694 Posts
a friend of mine recently sent me a bunch of new stuff. here's my take on them...
little brother - the minstrel show[/b]
kinda sucked. really boring. i was never a big fan of their first album, but i was excited about this one, assuming that since they're on a major now (atlantic), that they'd REALLY bring it. nope. lyrically, the emcees are just aight. sound like any other random generic "underground" emcees, trying not to be "underground". the production is boring too for the most part. that formula of 9th's (random billy paul or diana ross record chopped to death w/ same drum kit) is already tired, and an album full of it is nothing to be exicted about. i liked a few songs, but overall it's nothing i'd play in the future. 2.5/5
smiff-n-wessun - reloaded[/b]
i like this one. the production for the most part is real nice. roc raida LACED them with "the truth", and i hadn't heard a beat from him since oc's first album... that dude khrysis from justus league gave them a couple bangers, further leading me to believe that he's the more talented producer out of his crew, despite 9th wonder getting all the praise and publicity. beatminerz also chime in for a few hot ones. lyrically, they honestly haven't progressed or improved since "dah shinin", although just the fact that it's smiff-n-wessun (always been a big fan) makes it entertaining. a surprisingly solid effort right here. 4/5
az - a.w.o.l.[/b]
i've always been a big fan of az's. this albums pretty good, too. "new york" feat ghostface and raekwon is the jam. there are some real nice songs on here, and some ehhhh one's. his verses are all dope, but one thing i noticed is that he tends to get off beat for like a bar here and there, and then gets back on track. kinda annoying, especially on the more noticable slower songs. still a good album though. i'm somewhere between a 3.5 and 4/5 rating right now. maybe a few more spins'll decide that for me...
ghostface & trife da god - stapleton to somalia[/b]
i guess this is basically ghost's first attempt to put on trife as a solo artist for a whole album. he (ghost) only shows up on a few joints to lend his support (his solo joint "the struggle" is
, and his collaboration with kool g rap on "ghost and giancana" is also fresh). i'm just not a big fan of trife's, and being that it's mainly him on all the tracks, i can't really dig the album as a whole. the production throughout is top-notch. i just wish ghost helped him carry the album more, instead of just a few cameos. if it wasn't for ghost's help, i'd say this is easily a 3/5, mainly due to the production. but i give it a 3.5/5
blackalicious - the craft[/b]
i LOVED "melodica" as well as "nia", but everything they've put out since has been aight to me. the first track "world of vibrations" is a nice start-off point, and there ARE a few more joints i dug ("my pen and pad" is hot!), but songs like "power" are questionable material. ya boy siro does not approve. overall, i think the problem was that most of it is down the middle, just "aight" songs. although something tells me that this particular album needs a few more spins to digest properly, right now i'm feeling like a 3/5. i'm disapointed.
casual - smash rockwell[/b]
definately always been a huge cas' fan. always been my favorite from heiro. i wasn't really expecting much from this album (i haven't checked for any heiro releases in years...), but it's a pretty good album. he's even got a joint with richie rich and too $hort called "oakland", which is GREAT. some of the production doesn't fit cas', but when it does it's hot. a solid 3.5/5, if not a 4
i also recieved some new nas song which i'm really diggin, so i thought i'd share it with y'all. hope you enjoy: http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3FMPLYJ492Z0K0NAE4G2F3W56C
anyone who's heard, and cares to comment on any of this, please g'head.
little brother - the minstrel show[/b]
kinda sucked. really boring. i was never a big fan of their first album, but i was excited about this one, assuming that since they're on a major now (atlantic), that they'd REALLY bring it. nope. lyrically, the emcees are just aight. sound like any other random generic "underground" emcees, trying not to be "underground". the production is boring too for the most part. that formula of 9th's (random billy paul or diana ross record chopped to death w/ same drum kit) is already tired, and an album full of it is nothing to be exicted about. i liked a few songs, but overall it's nothing i'd play in the future. 2.5/5
smiff-n-wessun - reloaded[/b]
i like this one. the production for the most part is real nice. roc raida LACED them with "the truth", and i hadn't heard a beat from him since oc's first album... that dude khrysis from justus league gave them a couple bangers, further leading me to believe that he's the more talented producer out of his crew, despite 9th wonder getting all the praise and publicity. beatminerz also chime in for a few hot ones. lyrically, they honestly haven't progressed or improved since "dah shinin", although just the fact that it's smiff-n-wessun (always been a big fan) makes it entertaining. a surprisingly solid effort right here. 4/5
az - a.w.o.l.[/b]
i've always been a big fan of az's. this albums pretty good, too. "new york" feat ghostface and raekwon is the jam. there are some real nice songs on here, and some ehhhh one's. his verses are all dope, but one thing i noticed is that he tends to get off beat for like a bar here and there, and then gets back on track. kinda annoying, especially on the more noticable slower songs. still a good album though. i'm somewhere between a 3.5 and 4/5 rating right now. maybe a few more spins'll decide that for me...
ghostface & trife da god - stapleton to somalia[/b]
i guess this is basically ghost's first attempt to put on trife as a solo artist for a whole album. he (ghost) only shows up on a few joints to lend his support (his solo joint "the struggle" is
, and his collaboration with kool g rap on "ghost and giancana" is also fresh). i'm just not a big fan of trife's, and being that it's mainly him on all the tracks, i can't really dig the album as a whole. the production throughout is top-notch. i just wish ghost helped him carry the album more, instead of just a few cameos. if it wasn't for ghost's help, i'd say this is easily a 3/5, mainly due to the production. but i give it a 3.5/5blackalicious - the craft[/b]
i LOVED "melodica" as well as "nia", but everything they've put out since has been aight to me. the first track "world of vibrations" is a nice start-off point, and there ARE a few more joints i dug ("my pen and pad" is hot!), but songs like "power" are questionable material. ya boy siro does not approve. overall, i think the problem was that most of it is down the middle, just "aight" songs. although something tells me that this particular album needs a few more spins to digest properly, right now i'm feeling like a 3/5. i'm disapointed.
casual - smash rockwell[/b]
definately always been a huge cas' fan. always been my favorite from heiro. i wasn't really expecting much from this album (i haven't checked for any heiro releases in years...), but it's a pretty good album. he's even got a joint with richie rich and too $hort called "oakland", which is GREAT. some of the production doesn't fit cas', but when it does it's hot. a solid 3.5/5, if not a 4
i also recieved some new nas song which i'm really diggin, so i thought i'd share it with y'all. hope you enjoy: http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3FMPLYJ492Z0K0NAE4G2F3W56C
anyone who's heard, and cares to comment on any of this, please g'head.
Comments
smiff-n-wessun - reloaded[/b]
decent rhymes but the beats are pretty much wizzack. Sorry but the reason their first album made a lasting impression was because of Da Beatminerz. Without a comparable sound, this just doesn't fly.
az - a.w.o.l.[/b]
I haven't heard the whole thing but the tracks I've heard are fucking fire. "Aziatic" = majorly slept on.
ghostface & trife da god - stapleton to somalia[/b]
Decent if you like Trife but Ghost is only on a 1/3rd of the songs. Don't know why they even bother putting his name on here except to sell CDs on the strength of it but it's misleading.
blackalicious - the craft[/b]
I hate to say this but this put me to sleep. I couldn't get into a single song.
I'd also add that J-Live's new "The Hear After" didn't move me that much beyond a few songs.
by the way, did anyone peep that nas link i posted up? is it still working?
Wasn't he responsible for the JB's Native Tongue reunion song "How You Want It"?
Of the above mentioned albums I'd be glad if I can compile a cd full of songs that I actually enjoy. Like the AZ album, "The Come Up" and "New York" are heaters but the rest...
Outer Limitz - Suicide Prevention
These snippets don't do the album justice.
Outerlimitz - Packaged In Plastic (full MP3)
Outerlimitz - Prevention (snippet)
Outerlimitz - Frozen Sky (snippet)
luh this shit
have to agree with o-dub: most of the beats are wack. smif'n wessun was always about the laid back- stoned-but-dangerous-vibe. jazzy but irie. you don't really find this atmo on this album. My fave is the duo with kweli that was out on 122 too. and produced by the beatminerz.
blackalicious - the craft
gave it at least 15 trys because i did a rel cool interview with them and wrote a feature on them. i guess i understand what they are trying to say with this record but it's just not good. it's getting onmy nerves big time.
Bouns check:
Show/D.I.T.C - Street Talk
Only listened to it once. It's not good to release an album like this if you have a rep to loose like DITC.
Big Tone - The Drought
Dude is bragging about this is his Illmatic and Resonable Doubt. Album is nice but Tone is by nowhere close to Nas or Jigga.
Prince Paul - Gold Dust
Didn't liked a Prince Paul production for 10+ years and that's why i dig some of these"raer" and unreleased tracks like the Resident Alien stuff that never came out.
Steve Spacek - Space Shift
Never liked Spacek, too portishead for me. But this SS is real nice and on a Marvin/Leon Ware-tip that I didn't expect from dude.
has anyone heard oc's new album? i'm supposed to be getting it later today. from what i heard it's "aight".
http://rapidshare.de/files/4990987/12-ghostface_killah_and_trife_da_god-struggle_feat._ghostface_killah-fntx.mp3.html
i'm diggin' this. oc's always been of my favorite emcees, and after hearing "evaridae" from his last "starchild" album, and it being one of my favorite songs of the year, i was definately amped to hear this. the album starts off really strong, but has a couple tracks after the mid-way point that are just aight. all in all though, a good effort from o. 4/5
dj muggs vs. gza - grandmasters[/b]
at first i thought this was one of those mixtapes that mix one persons vocals with another producers beats, and always seem to write "vs." like it's some sort of battle or something. so it turns out this is new material by gza produced entirely by muggs. production-wise, i'm a little disappointed in most of it, which sounds to me like he's doing a second rate rza impression. some of the beats are dope, but a lot of them just sound real dated. i'm all for the vintage rza sound, but it not done right (which is the case here at times), it just sounds extremely dated. it's almost like his production has devolved on some tracks, nothing new here. gza's verses range from dope, to kinda boring (sucks to see myself write that...), and overall i think this album is like a decade too late. it's still got some nice joints on there, and maybe it'll grow on me with time, but right now, i'm: 3/5
Slim Thug alblum (4 stars)
Focused production and Slim Thug sounds real hard. But I am afraid the boy Young Jeezy kind of stole Slim Thug's thunder.
Young Jeezy alblum (5 stars)
Unbelievably great from start to finish. Yeahhhhhh! Thatsss Riiighttt!
Tony Yayo alblum (2 stars)
Singles are hot, alblum cuts are hot garbage with the exception of It Is What It Is - that beat is crazy.
Kanye West alblum (4 stars)
Pretty great after you have listened to it a few times and gotten over the softness or poppiness or whatever you want to call it. Just Blaze has the best beat on this record.
Black Eyed Peas alblum (1 stars)
Some of the beats are not as worst as I thought they would be but dude it's the Black Eyed Peas. I'll just give the girl a star for pissing her pants.
Gorillaz alblum (2 stars)
I don't hate this music as much when I hear it as I do when I read about it in magazines.
Jim Jones alblum (3 stars)
I like a lot of this but dude still can't make a whole album.
Mike Jones alblum (2 stars)
This guy is fun on guest verses but he can't rap.
Ying Yang Twins alblum (2 stars)
These dudes pick good beats sometimes but they can't rap either and their adlibs are annoying. The Din Daa Daa shit with Pitbull is insane.
Missy Elliot Alblum (2 stars)
Again, singles are great but I liked her better when she was fat.
and looking forward to this
anyone heard shit about this yet?
dude has a song with Boo Capone, Squeek Roo and MC Eight??? I'm DYING to hear this track.
Sorry I didn't realize shit had to be brand new for me to review it.
saying though, Weeks on Chart:
Tony Yayo 1
Kanye West 1
Jim Jones 3
I like it a lot. Dude is getting all his personal shit off his chest so to me it's a good listen.
Co-sign.
I copped it and wuz like
I do appreciate the DVDPLUS shit.
Co-sign, loving this album, Jazze Pha is
i bought this at the beginning of the summer and still havent played it out...
!!!
Slim Thug & Pharrell - Already Platinum
pharrel is the official beat killer...dude has flows for diizzzaayyyysss
"like my wrist been dipped in diamond fondue"
wow, good look
OHHHHH, that's that heat right there! I was hopin' Ghost would do something for real with that Kay Slay beat. I still think I like the Drama King mixtape version better, though.
You mean the new one? Shit is garbage for all but maybe 2 tracks.
Cosign, that's the harsh reality
3 out of 5, at best. 1/3rd of the tracks are pretty solid but it's absolutely like Muggs channeling Rza. From like...1994.