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2008From TDSBack to the present: Review_space
JuneJean Grae - Jeanius
reviewed by: DJ Radius The Cold Vein will always be one of my favorite albums and I really wish that Can Ox would get back together and make another. In between claims of a break up being supported or refuted we've been held over by various side projects from Vast and Vordul. The latest from Vast is Dueces Wild (you know it's hip-hop cause they spelled it wrong). The record is unmistakably Vast Aire, complete with odd electric beats and strained flow - if you want to call it flow that is. VA has a delivery that you with either hate, or learn to deal with. He really is the opposite of J-live as far as breath control and lyrical flow go. Some would go as far to say that he is just plain sloppy and I wouldn't really have much to say in his defense. VA does make up for his flow with his wit and swagger and his clever punchlines rival those of Del and One.Be.Lo. I think a whole album of Vast Aire would get a little tiring to listen to, so he does enlist quite a bit of help from friends. The guest list includes Camp Lo, Odot, and of course Vordul. The beats carry the same feel as they did in VA's other solo projects, in short like def jux leftovers with a little funk. Although I feel a little uninspired by it, this may be VAs best solo effort so far and if you like his past work there is no reason why this album should alienate you.
MayJ-Live - Then What Happened - 9/10 Reviewed by DJ Radius What happened was that J-live returned with a solid record. We all remember listening to The Hear After and being at least marginally disappointed. His lyrical prowess was still apparent, but there was just something off about the overall product. Then What Happened is J-live at his best, offering up a plate filled with knowledge, honesty, and maturity, with a heavy side helping of lyrical wizardry for consumption. If J-live isn't in your top 10 (should be top 5) list of active rappers then I'm not really sure what hole you've had your head stuck in. His flow is smooth and natural; his breath control is flawless; his ability to put together words is top-notch; and he can beat-juggle and rap at the same time. These days, most popular rappers spend more time on songs reflecting on how dope they think they are instead of actually rapping (Yeah Lil Wayne, I'm talking about you). The album starts off with a kind of intro track "One to 31" and Live proceeds to break down his thoughts on countless relevant topics from his own career path to the state of hip-hop. What follows is a collection of about 5 seriously damn good tracks, headlined by "Be no Slave," then a couple damn good tracks, and some more seriously damn good tracks. Although all the tracks are good, I took a particular liking to "The Upgrade" (with Posdanous and Oddissee) and "The Understanding." Overall, this is one of the best albums I've heard in a while - definitely the best so far of 2008. Much like Y Society's gem from last year, I would struggle to say that the album is really innovative or progressive, but it is simply done really well. Go listen to this now.
AprilThe Grouch – Show You The World – 8/10 Reviewed by: The DJ Reverend Blue Jeans This album is a f**kin’ rollercoaster of art. Never before have I been so amped, so disappointed, and then so relieved. The intro to this album is cute – Grouch’s daughter talks about his “mikephone,” and then it launches into what may possibly be the greatest song the Grouch has ever made. ‘Watch Watch Feat. Mike Marshall’ is truly unbelieveable. The Grouch’s lyrical capabilities have finally been harnessed - he’s altered his cadence so we get more than a monotone, his lyrics are better than ever, and he’s riding an amazing beat filled with deep, mystical instrumentation to match his intellect. The chorus is a perfect fit. This song confirms my belief that Grouch is the sleeper of hip-hop. Well, we aren’t sleeping on this dude anymore. So he follows up with an almost-as-sick jam, incorporating classic scratching and sampling with those new Grouch intonations and pinch of old-school Living Legends sound. Then he hits you with his ‘Artsy’ single, a decent beat with the ‘old Grouch’ rapping. Sorry Immortal Technique, but it’s aiight. Then there is a slew of listenable tracks, including one of those strange ‘old Grouch’ jump-offs, ‘Yardwork.’ Cool concept man, but you really gotta beef up that metaphor. There’s a really cool banging shorter track in there: ‘The Bay to LA Feat. Murs’ which gets you to thinking this album is gonna finish strong! But no, the album dives back into more listenable beats and rhymes. Wait... No – the last two tracks do finish strong! You have to hear it – the ‘old Grouch’ has peaced and been replaced by something new and all-powerful. Recommended listening: ‘Watch Wath Feat. Mike Marshall,’ ‘Clones,’ ‘Artsy,’ ‘The Bay to LA Feat. Murs,’ ‘The Time Feat. Marty J,’ and ‘Breath.’
Living Legends – The Gathering EP – 7/10 Reviewed by: The DJ Reverend Blue Jeans Oh man, do I wish these guys could do what the Grouch has just done. They are all so unbelievably talented solo, but their self-described “creative differences” just keep them from making a dime piece of an album. Not to say this EP isn’t very good. The beats are a whole new kind of Legendary Music – a little more shakin’ then before - and the rhymes are never less than solid. The real highlight, though, is the content. ‘War and Peace’ is one of the best things the Legends could have done with their talent, and ‘She Wants Me’ is a hilarious homage to Legendary women. All in all, the Legends have stepped up their production game, their lyrical game, their effort, and their content. Too bad they can’t amalgamate and really be the cohesive, powerful hip-hop unit they could be. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this album is really, really sick, but it could be so much more. I’m looking forward to their full length ’08 release – it could be the defining release of our generation.
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons... - 9/10 reviewed by: DJ Radius
Slug and Ant have been working together for quite a while. It seems like they have gotten to the point where they can just turn out tracks as evidenced by the various EP releases between their last album and this one. The group has definitely evolved from the battle-hungry crew on Overcast! to a second coming of Slick Rick almost. The tone of the album is set up by the dreary piano of "Like the Rest of Us." Fans of Lucy Ford and God Loves Ugly should feel right at home after the slight departures of the other albums. The single is "Shoulda Known" and it naturally features a strong electro-synth bassline (Thanks Kanye) to go with the typical clean kick-clap that Ant provides. The beats on the album are flawless and really go well with the stories that Slug wants to convey. Speaking of Slug, he really shines on this album. All the tracks feature some kind of story that is at least semi-autobiographical. One of my friends correctly pointed out that this album is great because he humorously laments not just about women, but about life in general because after all, there is more to life than women. So before you write this off as another "emo-rap" album - whatever that label means - give this album a try. You might find a piece of yourself within the lyrics. Its the personability of the music that has made Atmosphere last for so long.
Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English [US Release] – 6/10 Reviewed by: The DJ Reverend Blue Jeans Okay, I’m not English. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t feeling this album? The album’s single, ‘Where Da G’s Feat. UGK’ was pretty phat, and ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Sirens’ are really cool – but otherwise there weren’t really any tracks on this album I’d play again. I understand it was a major hit in England, so maybe I’m an idiot. Americans beware – Dizzee’s rhymes may sound like an eighth-grader’s at times, and the production is so heavy that you may actually be put to sleep. But if you listen carefully, and not for enjoyment, you may be able to hear Dizzee really trying to ride the beat, Thames style. Major minus points for writing a song called ‘Suk My Dick.’ Honestly man, I get what you’re trying to convey, but there has got to be a better way to say it. The verdict - Fix up mate, you ain't lookin' so sharp.
The Roots - Rising Down - 8/10 Reviewed by: DJ Radius
The album seems like a continuation of Game Theory which was suitably dark in its own right. The cover art really sets the tone for the album with its bat-like figure plucking up helpless victims. The darkness is the primary reason why the pop-oriented single isn't even on the album. While I wouldn't say the beats on the album are MF Grimm dark or El-P dark, there is a definite ouminous feeling over the album. "Get Busy" is a dance beat with a dark undertone, while "I Will Not Apologize" has a really funky feel to go with its darkness. As previously mentioned, there is alot of electro-sounds on the album, but not to the point where they overpower ?uestlove or anything like that. The Roots come pretty hard lyrically on the album. As usual, Black Thought provides a thought engaging experience that fails to stand out. Although I know his lyrics are good, I would be hard pressed to duplicate any of them for you. Black Thought does have a lot of help on the album though as the guest list is pretty extensive. Throughout the 15 tracks you'll hear verses from Dice Raw, Styles P., Talib Kweli, Common, and even Mos Def, deciding to rap for once. Overall, The Roots have delivered once again with a solid record that you should give to your friends that you are trying to convert to listening to decent music. If nothing else, they'll at least like the kinda pop-guitar sound on "Criminal" with Saigon and Truck North.
Reviewed by: The DJ Reverend Blue Jeans Instant classic. I would leave it at that, but you have to know why. These dudes are Swedish, rapping in English, and shaming our national hip-hop culture. They are genre-mixing and innovating successfully. Almost every song on here is a jam. Catchy, meaningful, precise, and most importantly, NEW. This album is a huge step from their grimy graffiti origins and ‘Long Arm of the Law.’ And it’s a big step – forward. Looptroop has noticeably incorporated new rapping styles (listen to ‘Marinate,’ you might even think it’s featuring Kanye), and they have turned their beats to electronic bangers with clean instrumentation. On top of that they are touching on important issues, such as immigration in Sweden (“like they came from Norway with the bad intentions/they grew up in this place we made them who they are”). Looptroop Rockers are embarrassing hip-hop heads everywhere. Best tracks: ‘The Building,’ ‘Naïve Feat. Timbuktu,’ ‘Blood & Urine.’ P.S. ‘Livin on a Prayer’ – yes, Looptroop covered Bon Jovi. MarchDel The Funky Homosapien - The 11th Hour - 7.8/10 Reviewed by DJ Radius I really like Hieroglyphics; more than fellow Cali super-group Living Legends and even better than Wu-Tang probably. Thus I desperately want to like everything that anyone from the Hiero (and apparently Def Jux) Imperium decides is fit for consumption. In this case however, it's hard to be completely satisfied with the latest release from brief mainstream spotlighted Del. I wouldn't say that things have changed, just all the things that we expect from Del are there in lesser amounts on this album. That's probably an unfair standard, but hey, artists are only as good as their last album in today's landscape. One of my favorite Del traits is his witty and biting lyricism such as in "I'll tell you" when he jeers "In my book you're worth a listen / then again it's a work of fiction." His subject matter generally doesn't waiver too much from shooting down fake MCs and occasionally hollering at women all while smoking a fair amount of weed. His flow on the album sounds a bit lazy at times and more than a few times verses just kinda fade off instead of ending. It's like he stops rapping and just either throws some cursory words or laughs as if to say "man I'm so tight. Didn't you just hear that?" We've come to expect an adventurous beat selection from Del, but the basic electro-synth beats on this album don't really compare to the Prince Paul, Dan the Automator, etc. we heard on Both Sides of the Brain. Overall, the album is still better than most and is definitely worth a listen even if it wont make it to your top 10 favorite albums list - and that's non-fiction.
FebruaryPete Rock - "NY's Finest" - 7.5/10 Reviewed by DJ Radius Pete Rock's place in hip-hop history is already well-established thanks to his run of classics back in the 90s. NY's Finest is a bit a of ways from Rock's best work but is still a good listen. In fact, the beats themselves are pretty solid. Having erased the debacle that was the "Deceptacons (Remix)" from my long-term memory, I'd say that not much has changed. PR does a great job of sounding like himself while not sounding too dated. You can still expect to hear a nice mix of instruments and slightly tweaked jazz loops. Where you'll probably be upset with the album is in its rapping. The smooth flow of "We Roll" is destroyed by the appearance of Jim Jones. Equally, the ominous flute and piano loops on "Questions" might make me a little happier if Royal Flush wasn't the only one rapping over it. Of course PR himself drops in now and then to offer his own verse or chorus to mixed results. The only complete miss on both fronts is "Ready Fe War," a kinda half-assed attempt at the Reggae sound. I do have to offer some props for digging some of these people up to put on the album though. Where do you find Lords of the Underground at these days? You'll also find appearances from Papoose, Redman, and Little Brother just to name a few. NY's finest album still belongs to Nas probably, but the kid from Mt. Vernon still has alot to offer apparently.
Kelley Polar - "I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling" 7.5/10 Reviewed by: White Boy Pleaze Kelley Polar's second LP continues along the pop-oriented trajectory established with 2005's Love Songs Of The Hanging Gardens, while still remaining fully grounded in his space-disco roots. With virtually all tracks featuring pop vocals and song structures, "Hold On" treads a nostalgic and uneasy line between the dancefloor and the headphones. The end result sounds like a mix of Lindstrom and Fischerspooner, dealing in classy, tonally subdued electric pianos and synth pads, backed by similarly relaxed dance beats and topped off by Kelley's distinctively dramatic vocals, which sound something like Ben Gibbard singing showtunes to himself in the shower. All things considered, the vocals are the most hit-or-miss aspect of the album by far: while certain tracks ("Zeno Of Elea", the overly long "Satellites") meander with their presence, "Entropy Reigns (In The Celestial City)" pulses along with an excellent boy-girl call-and-response, and "A Feeling of the All-Thing" morphs slowly into a disco slow-burner with the help of its vocodered melody. The general tone of "Hold On" is very subdued, and the classic-geek titles ("We Live In An Expanding Universe", "Sea of Sine Waves") match the detached, ambient mood of the tracks. "Chrysanthemum" and "Rosenband", the album's two most straight-up danceable tracks, are available separately as an EP, and DJs looking for dancefloor disco material would be best served by that release. However, the whole of "Hold On" provides another fine glimpse into Kelley Polar's uniquely introspective disco vision, and there is much for dedicated listeners to find within its ambient grooves. All tracks are clean, but this is an album for the middle of the night.
Damu The Fudgemunk - Spare Time 9/10 Reviewed by: DJ Tanner “Had to take hip-hop back to the essence.. you gotta get your fingers dusty... I dug in the crate, now it’s time to get the papes!” ~Diamond D Rolling hard, with his second release in the last six months, Damu the Fudgemunk provides listeners with a textured tour of his skills and his library on his latest mix-tape/b-sides release entitled Spare Time. The album consists largely of beats put together by Damu at various points in the last several years (e.g. Rather Unique - Instro 2005). Many of the beats reflect the tones of a mellow morning, sampling playful guitar strums (Colorful Streams), somber piano (Coffee Table - 2005), and funky horns (Leo the.. Part 2). However, the songs are by no means bland or repetitive. Ego Trooping struts an Atari era riff that provides the funk-influenced beat fresh life. Damu’s recent partner in crime, Insight, appears on two tracks, Colorful Storms and What’s Next?, laying down verses that demonstrate both his roots in the optimistic rhymes of old-school heavy hitters (e.g. the abstract when he was still the abstract), as well as emphasizing the group’s disenfranchisement with the larger pop-culture scene (What’s Next?). Unlike many ‘b-sides’ albums that feature short, thematically disjointed, compositionally weak pieces, Spare Time delivers a stimulating journey through the neural network of one of hip-hop's rising stars, flowing almost seamlessly from relaxing funk to energizing theatrical samples. A must-listen album for anybody interested in freestyling, relaxing, or otherwise just listening to strong hip-hop that harkens back to the sunshine and skill of the pre-Crank-dat era. |
