Hip Hop/Rap Fanatics Unite!

[noiseredux]

I know we are both huge Wu-Tang fans. With that being said, have you heard "A Better Tomorrow" yet?

haven't yet. Been on vacation w/ my wife so I haven't really been listening to much this week. But I will soon.

[Luke]

Hip Hop Holiday

I thought this was great.

[Hobie-wan]

On Like Donkey Kong: Super Nintendo
vs Hip-Hop

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The D.O.C.
No One Can Do It Better
1989, Ruthless
The early releases in Ruthless Records catalog are often fascinating. Considering the label would soon be most known for the output of N.W.A. and Eazy-E, it's interesting how many releases strayed pretty far from gangsta rap. It's also fascinating to watch the progression that Dr. Dre made as producer of many of these early releases. Take No One Can Do It Better, the debut (and only pre-accident) record from The D.O.C. for example. D.O.C. was actually a founding member of N.W.A. (along with Arabian Prince, though both left the group before it cemented its lineup and blew up beyond belief as the group we all know), yet this sounds nothing like the anger and violence found a year earlier on N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton. Instead the beats here are all upbeat and mostly danceable. The vocal delivery is hyper - having a closer connection to East Coast lyricists at the time (Rakim comes to mind). And the lyrics are mostly bragging about lyrical prowess. But even if it's not what you might be expecting, it is indeed a good album. The production is fitting throughout. Opener "It's Funky Enough" is a definite classic. And thanks to D.O.C.'s tendency to stick to a similar cadence from track to track, often Dre carries to show with his interesting sampling. Even though much of it relies heavily on typical breaks of the time, much of the sounds he chooses - be it the bass on "Let The Bass Go," the guitars on "The D.O.C. & The Doctor" or the furious scratching on "Whirlwind Pyramid" - all create an impressive pallet. The tracklist is padded by a couple skits that are a bit aimless, but certainly at least fans of N.W.A. will want to hear the closing posse cut "The Grand Finale." This isn't totally an enduring classic, but it's far better than just a footnote in the Ruthless and Dr. Dre legacies.



The Fear: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1994, Warlock Records, Inc
The Fear was apparently a horror movie from 1994 that had something to do with people going into a cabin in the woods and being stalked by a mannequin that would feed off their fears. Or something. But strangely the soundtrack decided to capitalize off the underground phenomenon of horrorcore, the sub-genre that found hip hop embracing its macabre side. This could have been really interesting, and should have become sort of a survey of the scene. Had the compiler of the soundtrack done a bit more research it really could be the go-to introduction to horrorcore, but instead it comes off as half a good introduction and half "who are these guys?" For instance it was smart to include three Esham tracks (two solo and one with Natas). The opener "Morty's Theme" which was actually written for this movie is perhaps the strongest track here. The obvious inclusions - The Gravediggaz, Flatlinerz and Insane Clown Posse are all present, but unfortunately contribute previously released material. All three are good tracks, but not excellent. The rest of the soundtrack is comprised of artists that as far as I can tell only appeared here, so I'm unsure if they were upcoming acts or just put together by the studio to record generic horrorcore for the soundtrack. Even if it were the latter that would be fine if it weren't for the jarring inclusion of several dancehall reggae tracks. It kind of makes no sense here. Though neither does the last track, a smooth jazz piece by saxophonist Kim Waters. This is ultimately a cool concept for a compilation album that got really confused by the time of execution.

[TSTR]

I had no idea The Fear soundtrack was so weird. Dancehall? In a movie about being in the woods with a creepy fear-eating mandoll? I don't even remember those sounds popping up in the film, but of course, it's been over a decade since I've seen it. Probably time to give it another go with an eye toward the tunes.

[noiseredux]

I had no idea The Fear soundtrack was so weird. Dancehall? In a movie about being in the woods with a creepy fear-eating mandoll? I don't even remember those sounds popping up in the film, but of course, it's been over a decade since I've seen it. Probably time to give it another go with an eye toward the tunes.

I've never seen the movie. I'm not sure if 'dancehall' was the correct word but there's 2 or 3 tracks that are dudes rapping in quasi-reggae deliveries (like Snow... or Mad Lion) so whatever you'd call that? Either way, yeah, it made no sense to me. The smooth jazz score is even more out of place, though.

[TSTR]

I think I remember the smooth jazz parts. Basically, the dummy is like a therapy tool that consumes patients' fears (and of course it comes alive with predictable results). I'm pretty sure the therapy sessions were backed with that music.

[noiseredux]

so the new Ghostface Killah album that dropped yesterday, 36 Seasons... it's really really good. It's sort of a sequel or prequel or something to last year's (also awesome) 12 Reasons To Die. This is also a concept album, this time telling the story of Tony's transformation into Ironman. (So maybe it's actually meant as a prequel to his debut album?) It also features a live band, The Revelations. And lots of good guest shots.

[oxymoron]

Anyone else want one of these?

[stickem]

Anyone else want one of these?

Sorry but that's god awful. I did used to wear wu wear back in the day though.