Originally appearing on a German mixtape, this Alkies cut will be on the album, have no fear. It's a dope song...packing more power than the bouncy beat on "Hip Hop Junkies" and the Alkie's lyrics pack more burn than bourbon. My fav. line? "I'm in the zone, like the Bulls at home." Delivery's half of it and J Ro, E Swift and Tash spit more fire than the fighter plane.
As Sade's back-up band continues to sell out shows on their own, their pairing with Philly's Bahamadia gets the single treatment here, including a smooooooth remix by Bahama's city-mates, The Roots. The "Midnight" remix is, perhaps, a touch too smooth, sounding more like mellowed out dinner jazz than a silky beat, but it works ok. Bahamadia's delivery is tighter on the original, but then again, her laid back style on the remix fits with the song better. Regardless, both sides come slicker this year. Get wid it.
Now that she finally looks to be coming with her solo effort...do we really care? She might have a boriqua attitude tough enough to melt enamel, but I get a little tired of hearing her flow after a while, no matter what language. One song? Maybe but I shudder to think of what a Hurricane G album would sound like. At least he beat on "Underground Lockdown" gets points for its sinister-carnivalistic sound.
This Bronx group's new single is ok, but not terribly remarkable put against the field of dozens of other labels and what not. With production slightly Mobb Deep-ish, everything moves all right, but I'm having a hard time being more praiseworthy than that for now.
Two decent Redman cuts, but yo: how about some remixes or some sh*t? "Muddy Waters" is about five months old now and I'm not really down for listening to album cuts that I had back then. C'mon now...kick us some new flavor.
Brass Hop? Someone's really bad marketing idea to try to fuse brass jazz with hip hop. GURU's presence should either be seen as an improvement or an indictment (based on how lackluster his own sh*t has been of late). Wack lyrics, decent remix track, but don't expect "Brass Hop" to sweep the nation.
Dah's EP is decent but also sounds like other MCs trying to come with that next sh*t: Co Flow and the Rebel Alliance come to mind when I listen to this cat. His main single, "Running Off With Your Cognitive Patterns" and "Coining Phrases" seem like the same theme with small changes, but neither grabbed me as outstanding. "Trapped in the Middle State" was the better cut, flipping a "On Earth As It Is" type song f---in' with Biblical references and general blasphemous. Smooth production and a sharp snare make for head nodding beats. "The Day I Raped Hip Hop" was what I thought was most clever and likeable, but that title needs a serious edit. Some might accuse me of anthromorphalizing too much, but rape's a loaded word in any context and seems wildly inappropiate here. It also has the best cut, a nice jazzy mix of vibes and keys that's much more likeable than all the dark and rather dull cuts on the first two songs. Worth checking.
Grand, one half of Homeliss Derelicts, steps onto a British label to come with this new single. You'd figure his pairing with PB Wolf couldn't fail, but honestly, I wasn't really feeling "The Visitor". Neither beats nor rhymes really got me jazzed. The B-side "Bring It Live" is a little better...more uptempo and aggressive and lets Grand do what he does best: wicked braggadocio.
An interesting 12" feat. two different artists...in this case, A-side wins. Lord Sear's ill "Alcoholic Vibes" clearly deserves to be down with Fondle 'Em. Dope track, dope verses. Unfortunately, Stak Chedda needs a name change before anything else can happen, and then needs to go back to the shop and rework this song. His flow was either mixed low, or else he needs to enunciate a little better. Plus..."My Hindu Love"? YO, I don't appreciate this Orientalizing bullsh*t either. Stick with Lord Sear and get drunk off the vibe.
Whoa..what happened in the last year? The Arsonists, who threw down a playful single in 1996 now sounds like they're coming with extra clips, prompting surprised listeners to play like KRS and "duck down". "Venom" seems appropiatedly titled since it left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not picking on the lyricism, but maybe I was just given a misconception of what the Arsonists are all about with "The Session". I really don't care for this harder-than-hard stylee. "Seed" isn't much better...it's darkly toned but not very outstanding.
You could do worse than invite Sadat X to cameo on your debut single. Throwing on a smooth track with a KRS hook doesn't hurt either. Unfortunately, I'm not quite as happy with R.A...whose voice sounds like he's got a bad head cold. Moreover, his lyrics didn't stand out at all as being exceptional in content or flow. "Smithhaven" had a more uptempo beat, but was less interesting than the A-side. The verbals are a little better here, but it sounded like another dime-a-dozen rhyme to me.
Sure Shot really should rename itself as "Sure Not" since they have yet to produce a single 12" of notability. This new one with Craig G doesn't crack the surface either, miring itself in fairly mundane conventional hip hop. It's not wack, but it's run-of-the-mill. "Welcome 2 the Game" had more promise, with its old jazz loop, but by the third set of verses, I was hunting for the fast forward button.
This cut is probably the best cut I've heard from these Wu Tang bench warmers, but I'm still tiring of their yell-heavy, stutter-step, Gravediggaz-like delivery and rhymes. There's only one Wu Tang and their increasing satellite entourage needs to lose some of the fat and stick lean and mean. This track barely makes the cut and I'm not optimistic on future developments.
Cappadonna: '97 Mentality (RAZOR SHARP)
As the Wu juggernaut rolls closer and closer, Cappadonna jumps out a bit to drop this solo joint. I'm Wu-ed out (still), but I still have to admit, RZA's the man. Sure, this two bar loop isn't that co mplicated, but it works...it works. Cappadonna is ok...but compared to the more senior Wu members, he's not all that hot.
You know...I'm finding it hard not to like Cru. They might have a fairly commercial sound, but at least they know how to serve it up tasty. This new single uses a lot of Slick Rick-isms (he's supposed to be on the single but I couldn't pick him out) so it's a little on the old school tip. Worth a listen.
Shaolin's original UMCs are back...sort of... Kool Kim on the rhyme, Has Gee on the production boards, but the Kool One gets label credit. I guess after their dismal sophomore alb um, the UMCs thought the indie route might hold more promise. Regardless, this is a good single. The UMCs were never supa emcees, but Kool Kim comes pretty nice on this one, and the addition of Natural Element's female MC, Essence, is the added bonus th at makes this single a keeper. The B-side is Kim on his own, and while it's still decent, it's production comes a little stronger than the rhymes.
The end is nigh! Or so people are screaming. It's like the Seventh Seal from the apocalypse...that when the Teacher and Puff shall meet, the final hour is upon us. Well, for all the hist oronics on both sides (newly minted KRS-haters and the equally zealous KRS-apologists), could I just suggest that Puff actually put together a rather dope beat? Sure, it's just a splicing of "Soul Clap" with "Nobody Beats the Biz" but the two work togeth er well in a way that I really have to give credit to Puff for making a slammin beat by doing almost nothing (and no, that's not really meant as a back-handed slap).
Of course, the song itself is wack and may go down in history as KRS' worst moment th ough he's got a long career ahead of him still to do something even more nefarious. But so much for not running for the mill eh? Put another way, KRS and Mase now have something in common. That should be scary enough already.
Is anyone really checking for Mad Lion? I'll give him (and KRS) credit for "Take It EZ", one of the dopest dance hits ever invented, but all things considered, the "King of Hip Hop Reggae" is about as me aningful (less so actually) than "Queen of Hip Hop Soul". What the majority of his work has been are bouncy KRS jams with reggae lyrics over them...fancy instrumentals if you will. Maybe I'm beign a little harsh, but this new single doesn't really have that much going for it besides...a bouncy KRS jam.
My nominee for the most cliched name and song titles...could we get a little more banal? I just had to laugh.
Having been thrown a wild pitch, O.C. has now made a new home with Pay Day and his first single with them features the beats of Premier. "TImes Up" part 2? Not even close. It's actually one of the more mediocore O.C. offerings I'veheard of late (and he's been on a lot of cameos) and I wasn't that moved by Primo's beat either. Blasphemy? I dunno...I actually didn't like "Time's Up" that much when I first heard it...had to grow on me. Maybe it's the same thing here.
Someone please notify the hip hop world that biting a pop hook to make your own hook is not that cool? Who really felt Nas' appropriation of Eurythmics on "Street Dreams"? Who actually wanted to he ar Blondie again on "Step Into a World"? And who wants to hear Forte and Pras bite, "I'm leaving...on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again"? That being said, Forte actually does a decent job with the beginning of the song and he had my head nodding for a bit, but the track loses steam mid-way through. Partially, the production itself isn't very remarkable, but moreover, Pras comes in and dulls the track down to a stub, doing a damn close imitation of Puff Daddy's flow style. Scary.
Following up their strong debut single, Shadez decide to resurrect the beat from "I'm Still #1" which doesn't win points for originality, but the beat still rocks which is a te stament to how long it's stayed effective over the years. Unfortunately, the liabilities in rhyme flow that I was able to forgive on "Changes" became too much for me to overlook. Much of "Calm Unda Pressure" is over-rhymed. However, the B-side commits the worse sin of just being fairly typical. It sounded more like an A-side...more use of R&B and what not, but regardless, it wasn't a very interesting song.
So it's taken me a while to get around to this 12", and in all candidness, the hype was done just a little much. However, the A-side, "Vowel Movement" is a very strong lyrical display...a concept single, sure, but effective and enjoyable. My money's on the original mix...a simple guitar loop which doesn't overproduce the track unlike the remix which competes with the lyrics for attention. The Danja Mowf cut gets points for attempt, but I wasn't feeling that hook, which is prominent in the song. Plus, his "keeping hip hop real" attitude comes off way too didactic after a while.
Wish I could say something more than...typical. Ordinary. Average. You want more? Not on this 12". Just one last question..."Escape from Belize"... how many folks can find Belize on a map, let alone write a rhyme about it?
A peer of mine says he'd never want to hear Jay Z and OC on the same track...I won't go as far to say that (I actually like Jay Z...so hold it against me) but admittedly, this cut sounds abo ut two-thirds too full. OC starts and when his verses end, there's not much else to really check for, including the label artist (not a good sign). It's on Profile promo right now so I'm guessing they're testing the waters. My read: luke warm 'cept for the OC cameo.
Everyone ready for this? Hope so, because Wu Tang's first single from the new album is loooong...clocking over five minutes and featuring every Wu member, plus their fifth cousins (or so it sounds). Ok, so I'm e xaggereating a bit, but this cut has no hook or chorus...it just flips from Wu to Wu. I don't remember the full roll call but...I can say this much: Rza's beat is good (you expected anything different?), Dek comes OFF as the first rhymer, U God does NOT, and Genius adds an afterthought that is otherwise forgettable.
Is there no stopping the Fugees juggernaut? If I see the words "Refugee Camp All-Stars" one more time, I'm due to start going into convulsions. Ah, but don't get me wrong...I ain't hatin' on Fugees (I just think their crew name is pretentious). This new cut from Wyclef has the musically interesting/lyrically disinteresting combo that I've kind of come to expect from most R.C.A.S. projects of late. Wyclef is an underrated producer, I chal lenge anyone to disagree, but this cut is fairly novelty in my opinion. Enjoyable, but I'm not sure where to go after that.