Rap Thread 2: Like Water For Chocolate Revisited
faux_rillz
14,343 Posts
Without having actually listened to this album in 9+ years, I had it in my head that it was a good record. So much so that I included it on my top 50 rap albums of the decade list about a year ago (although if I hadn't limited each artist represented to one entry, I don't think there would have been room for it).
I revisited it earlier today, and guess what? It's really, really not what's good. In fact I felt kind of embarrassed playing it in my wife's presence. As with TLM I like the single--both sides, actually: "Dooinit" and the Primo joint--but can't find much else on the album to like.
The production makes me think of some cheesy early nineties live hip-hop band schitt. And, in hindsight, Common had already fallen off pretty hard as a rapper--not sure why I thought he still had it at the time.
I revisited it earlier today, and guess what? It's really, really not what's good. In fact I felt kind of embarrassed playing it in my wife's presence. As with TLM I like the single--both sides, actually: "Dooinit" and the Primo joint--but can't find much else on the album to like.
The production makes me think of some cheesy early nineties live hip-hop band schitt. And, in hindsight, Common had already fallen off pretty hard as a rapper--not sure why I thought he still had it at the time.
Comments
b/w
"Honey, I'm gonna go shopping w/ Shamika and them.Toodles......"
I really can't hear it
which seven?
"The Light"
"Funky For You"
"Afrodesiac For The World"
"Dooinit"
"Time Traveling"
"Thelonius"
"Ghetto Heaven"
"Heat"
"A Song For Assata"
"Cold Blooded"
"The Sixth Sense"
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be somethin' for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed sealed delivered for us to grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' assault 'em cause I probably did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Some n****z recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matchin' shirts
If relationship is effort I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest, and hurt you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close...
... to the most, high
Regardless of what happen, on him let's rely
WACK
We are talking about a rapper here, Caitlyn.
That beat is hard though, considering how soft that song is. It's mixed really well.
"A Song for Assata"
"A Film Called (Pimp)"
"The Light"
"Ghetto Heaven"
The rest not really working for me. But 5 decent tracks is raer on any album for me, so I ride.
As far as him jumping the shark...
...I AWAIT THE SERENA TRIBUTE.
i love this record. dont give a fuck, this is my favorite dilla-with-rapper record. i always thought 'the light' was a bit overrated relative to the rest of it (esp dooinit) but yeah, 'heat,' 'ghetto heaven,' 'thelonius,' the beat on 'funky for you' is n3xt l3v3l. great album imo
And I think this album is quite typical of Soulquarians and post-Soulquarians stuff (e.g. Voodoo, Phrenology, Electric Circus) in that it's ambitious and looks good on paper, but many of the experiments fail.
It's worth keeping, though, just for Dooinit, 6th Sense, Heat, Thelonius, and The Light (for the Bobby Caldwell sample, rather than the rhymes).
PEACE
G'
Add on: I think this album is better than One Day It'll All Make Sense, which had much worse attempts at "sensitive male rap" and was all over the place in terms of sequencing and styles.
Is there a rapp thread where you don't post something like this?
I noticed it on your list when you recently reposted it - I thought it was a strange addition to be honest.
I am telling you, I can't even think about the word Soulquarians without cringing.
After Some Day, the relationship was over.
I'm on a hating streak.
The "Doinit"/"6th Sense" 12 was solid...this album, though? Not so much.
No, its time was/is much better represented by Cash Money, No Limit, Organized Noize, Wreckshop, and Hypnotized Minds.
Y'all weren't even supposed to be still paying attention to such forced hip-hoppish nonsense.
How so?
Really? Your five includes what I view as the four most cringe-worthy tracks.
I really like that record. There are some cringe-worthy moments on it, too, but the good tracks are really, really good--maybe even better than the best moments on Resurrection.
You could definitely see the direction that he was going to commit to, though- "Retrospect for Life," just came on, and it is definitely a PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS....
Uggh... that track and the one about spirituality with Cee-Lo are probably the lowpoints. I also recall the sequencing being really choppy on that record.