How about not worrying about what he looks like and just enjoying this great album for what it is?
word dooky, michael26.
what the fuck is going on around here?! "a white guy put hip hop legends faces on the cover of his album in wigs! i'm soooo offended!" boo motherfucking hoo.
knee jerk much?
i think you guys are taking it too far, seems to me like that dude was joking? i laughed atleast!
I think the album is awesome, sucking you into his "golden era rap" universe populated by psychedelic beats and weird logic and spitting you out after a short but intense ride.
(cosigning to the lameness of all those 70+ mins hiphop albums)
i had a promo of this which was dope but the constant "anti bootlegging drops" throughout got too annoying to listen to.
Haha
Day, yeah I actually did listen to as much as I could find, based on the recommendations in this thread. I can say that the stuff from the new album sounded much better than the other stuff I found.
Cosign anti-bootlegging drop annoyance
But honestly, this is just not my style. It's very competent, musically; kind of missing soul or at least je ne sais quois. Can someone explain what's brilliant about it? I'm interested to hear it from a fan's perspective.
But honestly, this is just not my style. It's very competent, musically; kind of missing soul or at least je ne sais quois. Can someone explain what's brilliant about it? I'm interested to hear it from a fan's perspective.
do you mean its missing actual soul influences, or missing soul as in lacking that little extra? i dont know why i like it i just do, i've always been a sucker for upbeat hiphop, i grew up with the prodigy.. and britcore hiphop, like gunshot and hijack, that kinda stuff.
But honestly, this is just not my style. It's very competent, musically; kind of missing soul or at least je ne sais quois. Can someone explain what's brilliant about it? I'm interested to hear it from a fan's perspective.
do you mean its missing actual soul influences, or missing soul as in lacking that little extra? i dont know why i like it i just do, i've always been a sucker for upbeat hiphop, i grew up with the prodigy.. and britcore hiphop, like gunshot and hijack, that kinda stuff.
No no, I mean I can't say I've listened enough to call out influences!
Personally, I really, really, really liked this album...because:
1) It's an actual album. Like "B.Coming" is an album. Unlike "The Massacre" (and I'm not singling out 50, just using this as a recent example). 2) It's short. Like "Illmatic" short. Shorter even. But it never FEELS short as in "shortchanged." It's as long as it needs to be and nothing more. 3) Its sound is cohesive and coherent and is one of the few hip-hop albums that I've seen really dip into psych rock and mine that for its sonic potential. I think Edan does a great job in this regard. 4) It's fun. It's not deep. And times, it's incredibly nerdy (which I like, though I can understand how others would not). But Edan is an acquired flavor - he has a cult following and always will. 5) His whiteness - for a change - doesn't bother me, especially since Edan's not a goddamn fucking emo-rapper. I don't think the cover of his album is an attempt to mask his whiteness - it's an homage to all the dudes he worships. Now, if you want to get into the racial dynamics of a white kid from Baltimore (now Boston) who kneels at the altar of Percee P, Lord Finesse, Kane and Rakim, so much so that he makes MC Serch sound like Aesop Rock, well, that's another story. In Edan's case, there's a thin line between nostalgia and minstrelsy (if you really want to go there. I don't think Edan is deserving of that challenge but I don't think it's a non-topic).
I also hate to say this, but it's a far, far better homage to 1988 than Blueprint's recent CD, "1988." Actually, I don't hate to say that. It's just plain true.
I reviewed Edan's album for the Minneapolis City Pages and said that Edan will likely never be much more than a niche artist but I do think his potential for finding a bigger fan base is there. NOt because he's the next dude for hipster bloggers to jock (move over Paul Wall!) but because his album is REALLY FUCKING GOOD.
(Oh and Johnny - he's not brilliant. But he's fun).
I sat down and listened to the album in it's entirety last night. I can honestly say that while I don't think it's a bad album, but I don't think I'll will buy this album, or even listen to it again. To me, I lump it with those new funks bands that I really don't care about either. If I want to listen to late 80's style rap, I'll pull out my Stezo album. (just a random example)
I also hate to say this, but it's a far, far better homage to 1988 than Blueprint's recent CD, "1988." Actually, I don't hate to say that. It's just plain true.
True.
On Edan's album, which he wouldn't really call a "tribute album," his influences and admired artists are so obvious that it just seeps into his muci (while at the same time he creates a whole new sound of his own). On the Blueprint album, which he calls "a tribute to 1988," I seriously had to flip from song to song waiting for something that sounded remotely like 1988. It didn't even sound like 1998 to me.
Yeah, I was also really happy to hear a new hip hop album that sounds like one cohesive album, rather than just a collection of 25 songs, 3 of which you'll dump into different folders of your ipod. He meshed the psych rock and the classic rap in a way that sounds so intuitive.
(Oh and Johnny - he's not brilliant. But he's fun).
Yeeeeaaaah... fortunately, there is a sufficient amount of brilliance in the world that one doesn't have to settle for the merely "fun".
I run into this quite a bit. But everything you listen to and like is brilliant? and can we only like things that are brilliant?
This new edan is dope. It is how an album should be. Not to long, Not to short. Nice and raw sounding. I remember that sound USED to be considered dope.
Some of these "brilliant" dudes have such long winded albums with a good amount of throw-away tracks that it kind of shows that they are not so brilliant.
So in rap, who is brilliant that we should pay attention to rather than edan?
Personally, I really, really, really liked this album...because:
1) It's an actual album. Like "B.Coming" is an album. Unlike "The Massacre" (and I'm not singling out 50, just using this as a recent example). 2) It's short. Like "Illmatic" short. Shorter even. But it never FEELS short as in "shortchanged." It's as long as it needs to be and nothing more. 3) Its sound is cohesive and coherent and is one of the few hip-hop albums that I've seen really dip into psych rock and mine that for its sonic potential. I think Edan does a great job in this regard. 4) It's fun. It's not deep. And times, it's incredibly nerdy (which I like, though I can understand how others would not). But Edan is an acquired flavor - he has a cult following and always will. 5) His whiteness - for a change - doesn't bother me, especially since Edan's not a goddamn fucking emo-rapper. I don't think the cover of his album is an attempt to mask his whiteness - it's an homage to all the dudes he worships. Now, if you want to get into the racial dynamics of a white kid from Baltimore (now Boston) who kneels at the altar of Percee P, Lord Finesse, Kane and Rakim, so much so that he makes MC Serch sound like Aesop Rock, well, that's another story. In Edan's case, there's a thin line between nostalgia and minstrelsy (if you really want to go there. I don't think Edan is deserving of that challenge but I don't think it's a non-topic).
I also hate to say this, but it's a far, far better homage to 1988 than Blueprint's recent CD, "1988." Actually, I don't hate to say that. It's just plain true.
I reviewed Edan's album for the Minneapolis City Pages and said that Edan will likely never be much more than a niche artist but I do think his potential for finding a bigger fan base is there. NOt because he's the next dude for hipster bloggers to jock (move over Paul Wall!) but because his album is REALLY FUCKING GOOD.
(Oh and Johnny - he's not brilliant. But he's fun).
I totally agree with you on all points. it's keepin me fiending for more. i really dig it. pick it up if you haven't already.
Yeah, its almost as if the vocals take away a little bit from some of the beats, simply because they're so lush and full of effects, was this said already or in one of the reviews?
But yeah, that's my only criticism, otherwise front to back a masterpiece.
I'm not sure when the next single off of the album drops (it'll be the third), but it'll have an excelllllllllent remix from Cut Chemist on it. Its what obscure record wet dreams are made of. Just a heads up! I dig the Chemist.
I had a little spliffy spliff in the park last week and revisited Beauty & the beat after a solid 2 months of repeated listens.Personally,I think this shit is a classic.He made the Psychedelic B Boy album that the Jungle brothers should have made with "JB's with the Remedy".My favorite rap record in a long time and guaranteed to clear dance floors....Word to Reverb!
Enh... diggin' the Edan and since it's been mentioned here... diggin' the Blueprint album too. Both albums are presented like I like them... short and sweet with a hint of humble awareness.
5) His whiteness - for a change - doesn't bother me,
worrrrrrrrrrd up. You can tell by his knowlege of obscure hip-hop the man isn't some newjack or a cornball( the guy can kill it on the production, scratching, rhyming and art tip). I think dude is getting a lot of love because his shit is "different" and being white does help a little bit, but at the same time I don't think we'll be seeing a lot of Chads and Britney's at his show, the dude is a little too bugged out and grimey for that to happen.
Comments
i think you guys are taking it too far, seems to me like that dude was joking? i laughed atleast!
OH SHIT!
Do a spin-move and catch it
and the crowd goes crazy.
Herm
Damn, and I didn't even notice it the spot.
OH SHIT NEW GANG NAME ALERT!
i had a promo of this which was dope but the constant "anti bootlegging drops" throughout got too annoying to listen to.
Much much better than Sing It shit face
Man I love those lines.
And he spits them with such style and fineness, I keep this track on rewind.
(cosigning to the lameness of all those 70+ mins hiphop albums)
I
Haha
Day, yeah I actually did listen to as much as I could find, based on the recommendations in this thread. I can say that the stuff from the new album sounded much better than the other stuff I found.
Cosign anti-bootlegging drop annoyance
But honestly, this is just not my style. It's very competent, musically; kind of missing soul or at least je ne sais quois. Can someone explain what's brilliant about it? I'm interested to hear it from a fan's perspective.
do you mean its missing actual soul influences, or missing soul as in lacking that little extra? i dont know why i like it i just do, i've always been a sucker for upbeat hiphop, i grew up with the prodigy.. and britcore hiphop, like gunshot and hijack, that kinda stuff.
No no, I mean I can't say I've listened enough to call out influences!
Word to Reynaldo, it didn't make me feel sh%t...
1) It's an actual album. Like "B.Coming" is an album. Unlike "The Massacre" (and I'm not singling out 50, just using this as a recent example).
2) It's short. Like "Illmatic" short. Shorter even. But it never FEELS short as in "shortchanged." It's as long as it needs to be and nothing more.
3) Its sound is cohesive and coherent and is one of the few hip-hop albums that I've seen really dip into psych rock and mine that for its sonic potential. I think Edan does a great job in this regard.
4) It's fun. It's not deep. And times, it's incredibly nerdy (which I like, though I can understand how others would not). But Edan is an acquired flavor - he has a cult following and always will.
5) His whiteness - for a change - doesn't bother me, especially since Edan's not a goddamn fucking emo-rapper. I don't think the cover of his album is an attempt to mask his whiteness - it's an homage to all the dudes he worships. Now, if you want to get into the racial dynamics of a white kid from Baltimore (now Boston) who kneels at the altar of Percee P, Lord Finesse, Kane and Rakim, so much so that he makes MC Serch sound like Aesop Rock, well, that's another story. In Edan's case, there's a thin line between nostalgia and minstrelsy (if you really want to go there. I don't think Edan is deserving of that challenge but I don't think it's a non-topic).
I also hate to say this, but it's a far, far better homage to 1988 than Blueprint's recent CD, "1988." Actually, I don't hate to say that. It's just plain true.
I reviewed Edan's album for the Minneapolis City Pages and said that Edan will likely never be much more than a niche artist but I do think his potential for finding a bigger fan base is there. NOt because he's the next dude for hipster bloggers to jock (move over Paul Wall!) but because his album is REALLY FUCKING GOOD.
(Oh and Johnny - he's not brilliant. But he's fun).
Yeeeeaaaah... fortunately, there is a sufficient amount of brilliance in the world that one doesn't have to settle for the merely "fun".
True.
On Edan's album, which he wouldn't really call a "tribute album," his influences and admired artists are so obvious that it just seeps into his muci (while at the same time he creates a whole new sound of his own). On the Blueprint album, which he calls "a tribute to 1988," I seriously had to flip from song to song waiting for something that sounded remotely like 1988. It didn't even sound like 1998 to me.
Yeah, I was also really happy to hear a new hip hop album that sounds like one cohesive album, rather than just a collection of 25 songs, 3 of which you'll dump into different folders of your ipod. He meshed the psych rock and the classic rap in a way that sounds so intuitive.
Let em get a glance at the
two-headed tarantula
I run into this quite a bit. But everything you listen to and like is brilliant? and can we only like things that are brilliant?
This new edan is dope. It is how an album should be. Not to long, Not to short. Nice and raw sounding. I remember that sound USED to be considered dope.
Some of these "brilliant" dudes have such long winded albums with a good amount of throw-away tracks that it kind of shows that they are not so brilliant.
So in rap, who is brilliant that we should pay attention to rather than edan?
I totally agree with you on all points. it's keepin me fiending for more. i really dig it. pick it up if you haven't already.
I need your tapes then. I feel like the quotient for brilliance is maaaaaad short. "Fun" is high honors. Always has been.
Faux, have you actually listened to the album yet?
Oh, you really don't want to go there.
But yeah, that's my only criticism, otherwise front to back a masterpiece.
worrrrrrrrrrd up. You can tell by his knowlege of obscure hip-hop the man isn't some newjack or a cornball( the guy can kill it on the production, scratching, rhyming and art tip). I think dude is getting a lot of love because his shit is "different" and being white does help a little bit, but at the same time I don't think we'll be seeing a lot of Chads and Britney's at his show, the dude is a little too bugged out and grimey for that to happen.