Hip Hop/Rap Fanatics Unite!

[noiseredux]

haha, stickem, YOU would hate Joey Bada$$. He's basically inspired by, and sounds just like, almost all the hip hop that you hated back in the 90's. So I'm not surprised.

[noiseredux]

Danger Doom
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid...
2005, Lex Records
About a month after the release of The Mouse And The Mask, Lex Records (who distributed the album in Europe) put together this promo EP that was bundled with an issue of Hip Hop Connection magazine. It features two tracks from the album ("Mince Meat" and "Perfect Hair") and then sprinkles in some rarities that feature either Danger Mouse or MF Doom. Two of these tracks are also from the Lex catalog: Prince Po's "Social Distortion" featuring Doom, and DM & Jemini's "Knuckle Sandwich" in remixed form (the DM standing for Danger Mouse). The remaining two tracks actually come from Sage Francis' Sickly Business mixtape: "Garden Gnomes" (produced by DM) and "Doomage" (produced by Doom). The long and short of this promo is that it makes up a nice solid little intro to the work of both artists. On the flip, the two actual Danger Doom tracks are a couple of the less amazing ones on the album. And really, this could have been better as a companion to the record. Had they left off the two album cuts and instead including some of the various remixes that end up on singles or the Adult Swim website, this would be a gem totally worth hunting down. Instead, it remains a quaint oddity. It's worth hearing, but far from necessary.

[Razzmatazz]

haha, stickem, YOU would hate Joey Bada$$. He's basically inspired by, and sounds just like, almost all the hip hop that you hated back in the 90's. So I'm not surprised.

I never quite "got" Joey, but his new album is great! Or at least, the first half is. It didn't feel like a tribute to 90s New York hip hop but like the music was lifted from twenty years ago and placed in 2015 - something guys such as uMang and Dirt Platoon don't quite nail.

I kinda lost interest in the second half, but I'm going to give it more time.

[IrishNinja]

my belated top 10 of 2014:

Run the Jewels 2
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
Black Milk - If there's a hell below
Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons
Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia
Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary
Starlito - Black Sheep don't grin
Goldlink - The God Complex
Pharoah Monch - P.T.S.D

honorable mentions:
Dialted Peoples - directors of photography
French Montana - Mac & Cheese 4: The Appetizer
Rozeweood
Step Brothers - lord steppington
Apollo Brown & Rass Kas - blashphemy
People Under the stairs - 12 step program
The Doppelgangaz- Peace Kehd

turned out to be a very good year, and BBNG + Ghost is already shaping up too!

[noiseredux]

IRISH! Where ya been man? I miss you dood.

That Shabazz was crazy. Good stuff. Looking at yr list, I think you would like the Vince Staples EP Hell Can Wait, too.

[IrishNinja]

howdy noise! good to see you m'man. and yeah, Staples deserved an honorable mention too, i totally forgot Mega Philosophy as well.

it was a crazy-good year for me hip hop wise, but RTJ2 easily took it. i copped that on vinyl day 1, just wish i'dve gotten that "fuckboys beware" poster too, haha

[noiseredux]

Lil Wayne
Tha Block Is Hot
1999, Cash Money
Lil Wayne's debut solo album is a pretty average Cash Money Records release for the time. Although it's his name and face on the cover, there's not much to separate it from being another Hot Boy$ album, really. Of the seventeen tracks that make up the album, only five of them are solo Wayne outings for example. As is to be expected at the time, all of the production here is kept in-house with Mannie Fresh as executive producer. So if you enjoyed the Hot Boy$' beats heard previous to this, then you'll enjoy these as well. Interestingly - and allegedly because of his age at the time - although there's a big Parental Advisory on the cover, the only track that features much cussing is "F*** The World," a Wayne solo that is actually a bit of a stand-out due to it's more sensitive nature and his decision to open about about personal topics such as the death of his step-father. There's a few other worthwhile moments to check here: the title track is definitely a classic of Wayne's early days and "Drop It Like It's Hot" which was recorded the same year that Wayne popularized the phrase in Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up" being two points of interest. But for the most part this is just an okay record that's carried by most of the Cash Money crew and has too few memorable songs to keep you coming back to it.


50 Cent
No Mercy No Fear
2006, BCD Music Group
Four years after 50 Cent used this mixtape as a promotional item it was released to stores with a "Collector's Edition" subtitle. The origins of the tape seem a bit muddied as some sources claim it was recorded after 50 signed with Aftermath while the re-release itself claims that it was this mixtape that caused Dre to sign 50 at all. If that's the case then presumably all the interludes that talk about 50's one million dollar contract would have had to have been added to the later pressing. I suppose that's possible as the tracklisting on the back cover is completely different than the sequencing found on the actual CD. Whatever the story, it's still a pretty decent collection of early G-Unit material. In fact very little of the material here is 50 solo. Of course "Wanksta" is the highlight as that single track created some major buzz for 50's major label debut. Elsewhere Lloyd Banks delivers an impressive freestyle over Puffy's "Victory" while Tony Yayo spits over LL's "I Shot Ya (Remix)." The major problem with this mixtape is the overwhelming number of interludes and skits. It seems like the album length would be cut nearly in half if you pulled all of them out. Though in fairness the skit parodying Ja Rule is actually laugh-out-loud funny. So there's that. But I can't really recommend this mixtape other than for those interested in checking out the full history that led up to 50's mainstream success. The only really essential track here is "Wanksta," and that was included as a bonus track on Get Rich Or Die Tryin' anyway.


Beastie Boys
Root Down
1995, Capitol
To call this an EP is being humble. Clocking in at ten tracks, Root Down is a nice little fan package that works well as a companion piece to Ill Communication along with the Aglio E Olio EP that would soon follow. The first three tracks here are versions of "Root Down," one of which is the album version. The Prunes' remix which opens the record is a really great version that has a great Golden Age 90's hip hop feel to it. Surprisingly Prince Paul's remix is pretty subdued and doesn't do much to feel necessary in contrast with the original. The rest of the EP is basically a mini live album consisting of tracks recorded live on tour in Europe earlier in 1995. The bulk of the performances here are from Ill Communication and Check Your Head with a single track going back to their debut ("Time To Get Ill"). Highlights include jammy takes on "Something's Got To Give," and "Sabrosa" along with an energized performance of "Flute Loop." Considering we've yet to receive a proper live album, Root Down is pretty essential listening for Beasties fans.


Jay-Z
Creative Control
2010, Team Invasion
Through his long career, Jay-Z has made surprisingly few official mixtapes. This one arrived late in his discography, curated by DJ Green Lantern who had come off a stint touring with Hov. It clocks in at an exhausting 36 tracks, and is actually full of quality exclusives. Basically the mix is the product of a four year creative relationship between the two. As such it's full of Green Lantern's own remixes as well as a bevy of freestyles, live tracks, and rarities that stretch out material from most of Jay's entire career. Although there's plenty of short snippets and interludes sprinkled throughout, there's enough truly strong material here to make this one worth owning. Just some of the many highlights include a remix of "Brooklyn We Go Hard" over Smif N Wessun's "Sound Bwoy Burriel," the brutal diss track "Child Abuse" which samples The Rugrats theme song, a mashup of "Allure" and Kanye's "Flashing Lights," a reimagining of "Can I Live" with Cam'ron and Juelz Santana, and a live version of "Heart Of The City" using U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" as a backdrop. Sure the mixtape is damn long, but considering how rare an official Jay-Z mixtape is, this almost seems like making up for years of them. If you're a fan of any era of the man's work, you definitely should hear this.


Mos Def
True Magic
2006, Geffen
After his "rock album," The New Danger Mos Def's career took another sharp turn. True Magic was released with no promotion and no artwork. In fact there weren't even any production credits, just a sticker pointing you to a website that no longer exists. Perhaps the idea was to just put the material out there and let the listener make of it what they will without being swayed by visuals. Although he's back to a straight up hip hop sound on this one, Mos ventures into far darker territory than on previous albums. Though the self-titled opener comes off as epic, most of the beats here are sparse and minor-keyed. "Undeniable" uses the same creeping guitar sample that MF Doom used for "Anti-Gravity" on his King Geedorah album (and many other rappers would go on to reuse again later). "Crime & Medicine" uses the instrumental from GZA's "Liquid Swords," which is ballsy considering that song's classic status. "Dollar Day," about Hurricane Katrina re-uses the beat from Juvenile's own "Nolla Clap." In some ways these tracks give the album a bit of a mixtape/rush-job feel to it, but it also makes the album feel urgent. It's as if Mos had things he needed to say now, and didn't want to take time to go further than demos. Instead his first takes would be his best takes, and he'd be done. On one hand that might come across as lazy, but on the other it's akin to a punk rock aesthetic. There are some more up numbers throughout, such as "Napoleon Dynamite," "Sun, Moon, Stars" and "U R The One." Though oddly the most grimm track here may just be "Murder Of A Teenage Life," produced by The Neptunes who were far more known for rocking parties than getting overly introspective. Elsewhere Mos gets even more experimental like on "There Is A Way," an uplifting track where he croons over a jazz-funk backdrop, or closer "Lifetime" which is another sung track that could fit in on one of those chillout electronic compilations with its found sounds of babies deep in the background.. Really True Magic is a strange mess of an album that really does work far more than it ever got credit for. As weird as the pieces may be, the whole is actually surprisingly satisfying. Even when it's baffling, it's always intriguing. And in many ways it may be the most representative work in in Mos Def's discography as it's perhaps the only album he's made that has been unfocused enough to explore the many facets of his musical interests at once.

[TSTR]

That Lil Wayne album cover so classic.

Root Down is definitely a true gem for Beastie fans. That live portion rules.

You've got me intrigued about that Mos Def album. I like the idea of punk rock, push it out hard from a production angle.

[stickem]

That Lil Wayne album cover so classic.

Root Down is definitely a true gem for Beastie fans. That live portion rules.

You've got me intrigued about that Mos Def album. I like the idea of punk rock, push it out hard from a production angle.

That it is. Kinda loses the effect of what they were going for cause he is/was a puny motherfucker. Am i supposed to be afraid of this guy lol? I always thought bg or juvy would be the top dogs from that camp, they now disappeared.

[noiseredux]

finally got a chance to format and print the book of 2014 reviews for Tektoro who won the charity auction bid:



and now...


Beastie Boys
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
2011, Capitol
Obviously none of us knew at the time that this would be the last Beastie Boys album. Not even the band. That makes hearing it all the more bittersweet. It seemed that MCA had beaten his health issues, and this album was a victory lap - not just for him, but for the Beasties who sound thrilled to be back in the studio. But even more so it sounds like they're celebrating their entire career with this set. Opener "Make Some Noise" is a beautiful throwback that paraphrases "Fight For Your Right," makes musical nods to Check Your Head-era instrumentals, and also has the affirmation "make some noise if you're living." Here were three guys just glad to be alive. Glad that their bandmate was. It's honestly heavy stuff, even if it is a straight up party jam. What's nice about this record is that it also sounded like the future of the band. There was bits and pieces of everything they've ever dabbled with - old school breaks, guitar riffing, funk, electronics - but it's also a totally lean and focused package. It feels akin to much of their post Hello Nasty work in the sense that there's a lot less noodling with small-scale experiments and they were attempting to get back to their 80's roots of making relatively short and tight records. Though if it feels similar to any other record in their discography it would have to be Check Your Head. Tracks are full of fuzzed out bass and super-reverbed bass. To get straight to the point: it's dope. You've got the hardcore of "Lee Majors Come Again" rubbing elbows with the chugging low end of "Long Burn The Fire." You've got the dub stylings of "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" (featuring Santogold) on the same record as the straight banger "Too Many Rappers" (featuring Nas). Though in all honesty I do kind of wish that the video mix of "Too Many Rappers" had appeared here instead, but still it's amazing to me to hear Nas and the Beastie Boys killing it on the same track. The end result is an album that is absolutely excellent. It's not quite to the height of their best, but it's damn close. And much like every Beasties album, I could see someone making an argument that it is actually their best. And if they did, I'd probably just go back and listen to it some more instead of trying to argue. As devastating as it is that this is their final album, it's an awesome way to end a career of dizzying quality.