On To The Next One...

I plan on being occupied tonight for New Year's Eve, but I should have something published tomorrow to keep you two busy.

With 2009 coming to a close, I'm left thinking that this year was actually a halfway decent one for hip hop fanatics. The music on the radio steadily becomes worse with each passing year, but the artists that actually care about their output continue to release worthy albums that kept our chosen genre alive.

Although I've mentioned in the past that I traffic in lists, I'm not going to do an official Best Of 2009 post, mainly because, due to the nature of my blog, I've only listened to a handful of 2009 releases, a mere fraction of the projects that my blogging brethren have tackled. And besides, I mostly listen to older shit anyway. But I invite the readers to list their favorite 2009 releases in the comments below.

For the record, my favorite album released in 2009 was Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II, mainly because I looked forward to it for so many years that, once I finally had it in my grubby hands, I couldn't stop playing it, even though I truly believe that it pales in comparison to the original and only a handful of the tracks will stand up to the test of time. ("House Of Flying Daggers" is easily one of the best songs of this or any year, though.) However, the album I loved the most in 2009 was actually a 2008 release: Q-Tip's The Renaissance. I also dug Diamond District's In The Ruff, 7 Rings Of Saturn by The Vultures, "Intermission" (DJ Muggs featuring The Rza, Rev. William Burke, Planet Asia, and B-Real - for some reason, Prince Rakeem's line about "flying cars" does it for me), and most of the Slaughterhouse record (even some of the Joe Budden parts). There is other stuff that I liked, but I'll be damned if I can come up with album titles or song names at the moment.

For those of you who are intrigued,the album review that pissed me off the most was the one for Asher Roth's Asleep In The Bread Aisle: from the dumbass title all the way down to the weak-as-fuck songs, that project was the epitome of squandered potential.

There are a number of fourth-quarter 2009 releases that I haven't even gotten to yet, so expect a good number of My Gut Reaction posts in 2010, as I attempt to play catch-up.

Stay tuned, and be sure to leave your comments/suggestions/complaints below.

Happy New Year!

-Max

My Gut Reaction: Eminem - Relapse: Refill (December 21, 2009)

For the last write-up of 2009, I've elected to go with Interscope's most recent cash grab, Eminem's Relapse: Refill, mainly because it's fucking short.

Released a few days before Christmas, Marshall Mathers provided the few fans he has left with seven tracks which were allegedly earmarked for the Relapse 2 album that he hinted at during one of the skits on the original 2009 release.

According to a press release, Eminem decided to go in an entirely different direction with his 2010 album, but as he didn't want these songs to go to waste, he included them on a bonus disc. In reality, Relapse: Refill was probably in the cards all along; with the prevalent theme of pills overshadowing the entire project, that addendum to the title was too fucking convenient to just be something clever that someone in the marketing department came up with in November.

I wasn't a big fan of Relapse, but it was one of my most popular posts in all of 2009, at least if you're counting all of the comments left by readers. So why the hell shouldn't I look into the bonus material that constitutes the only real draw of Relapse: Refill?

Here's why.

1. FOREVER (DRAKE FEAT KANYE WEST, LIL' WAYNE, & EMINEM)
Well, the obvious complaint regarding the inclusion of “Forever”, the 2009 “Swagga Like Us”, is that this is Drake's song, not Marshall's, which is a similar complaint I would have had if the aforementioned T.I. song also appeared on Hova's The Blueprint 3 as it was originally intended to. It's only on Relapse: Refill because it's currently blowing up radio airwaves, and it's the only Eminem song that hit in 2009 that didn't include an awful accent and/or sucked. (And yes, I'm including the boring “Beautiful” in that list. Some say that is the man's finest showing since “Stan”. Some are completely wrong.) After hearing this shit over and over again while driving, here are my observations: (1) Boi-1da's beat isn't awful; (2) Kanye West punches the clock much earlier than his peers, as if he's trying to scam some overtime from his employer, and still turns in the worst verse; (3) Drake doesn't impress on here, either; (4) Eminem technically has the most lyrically flexible contribution (because if he didn't, would this song even make an appearance?), but, surprisingly, Weezy's verse is more proficient. I know, I'm weirded out by my own statement, too. Probably the best aspect of this track is its video, where the members of Slaughterhouse stood behind Em and ignited rumors that flooded the Interweb almost immediately.

2. HELL BREAKS LOOSE (FEAT DR. DRE)
Doesn't Em have a lost song from his The Slim Shady LP days with the same title? Even if he does, this is clearly a more recent effort, proven by Marshall's stupid fucking accent that he really needs to lose. The Dre prescription sounds like something he originally crafted for Busta Rhymes; it isn't bad, but both Em and Andre sound awkward over it, especially when Dre decides to speed-rap. Marshall says nothing of consequence on here, leaving me to wonder why this wasn't on Relapse, an album that also consisted of the man not saying much.

3. BUFFALO BILL
This homage to The Silence Of The Lambs is sadistic as shit, and Marshall's accent grows increasingly worrisome, but if you look at this with the mindset that Eminem is a bullshit artist who rhymes about shit such as this because he's an antisocial nut job, than this is actually pretty good. Dre's beat certainly helps, as simple as it is. Em's horrorcore tactics wouldn't have fit on Relapse, as that album already contained “3 a.m.” and its own shout-out to Jame Gumb, but Em's flow is as creative as he can be on his best days. Anyone else think that the second voice he trots out during the third verse sounds like his impression of Seth Rogen as a Muppet?

4. ELEVATOR
The hook on this non-Flo Rida sampling, self-produced effort is overly wordy but still interesting: it's a shame that the rest of the song doesn't hold itself up to the same standards. There used to be a time when the media would go apeshit over the lyrical content of Marshall's music: nowadays, it's a given that the man will say something fucked up, just like his old running buddy Marilyn Manson, who hasn't done anything remotely controversial in years (besides fuck his girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood, in a music video). His mean-spirited potshot at Adam Lambert only shows that Em pays attention to popular culture: the fact that it's immediately followed by some barbs thrown in the direction of Lance Bass, an artist nobody has given a fuck about since the first Dubya administration, proves that Marshall Mathers is completely out of touch with reality. This song was pretty terrible.

5. TAKING MY BALL
If you shelled out hundreds of dollars for the special edition version of DJ Hero, you were treated to a double-disc set which consisted of songs handpicked by Jay-Z and Eminem from their respective catalogs; this was one of Marshall's choices. I'm convinced that Em uses his ridiculous accent because he has nothing to say, and he believes that masking this lyrical deficiency with an annoying voice will help him sell records. Sadly, it has already: Relapse is one of the top-selling albums of the year, but that album (and Refill by proxy) will never stand up to the test of time like Marshall's first three major label efforts. Yeah, I said it. This should have stayed locked up in the fucking vault.

6. MUSIC BOX
This musical exercise is all about the Slim Shady persona turning into a murderous pedophile, a natural progression if I've ever heard one. While the subject matter is halfway clever (the song morphs into a psychological mindfuck midway through), it's still pretty fucking boring. Some song ideas should remain in the head of our host.

7. DROP THE BOMB ON 'EM
I already reviewed and disliked this song, but for those of you who refuse to click on the link, here's the gist: Dre's beat is pedestrian, as if he made it in his sleep and then decided to charge full price for it anyway, and Marshall's hook is fucking horrible. Lyrically, he comes across as okay, but my problem with both Relapse and this bonus disc isn't Em's flow: it's his lack of anything interesting to say.

THE LAST WORD: Relapse: Refill is an unnecessary addendum to one of the most disappointing comeback albums of 2009. It consists of six songs that, for the most part, will only interest hardcore collectors, as they have no place on any album project, and one additional song that wasn't even Eminem's to begin with, included only to trick people into buying this shit. Dr. Dre, who produced most of these songs, provides such a plodding atmosphere that I'm almost certain that Detox will suck whenever the fuck it actually drops. While the original Relapse contained a handful of moments that were worthy of the Eminem canon, this seven-track bonus disc is something I cannot rationalize: Interscope just wanted to make more money. And I don't want to hear any bullshit arguments that this isn't a cash grab: if Eminem and the label really gave a fuck about the fans, Refill would also be available as a separate EP, not unlike Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, but since they clearly don't, Interscope actually expects people to pay for these throwaway tracks. I didn't care for most of these (“Buffalo Bill” was alright, though), but if you're an Em stan, I recommend that you seek alternative means for finding these tracks. Everybody else can forget all about Relapse: Refill, as it is of no use to hip hop whatsoever.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Catch up on Eminem's album reviews by clicking here.

Reader Review: Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II (September 8, 2009)

(Today, Banksta, who has written Wu-related Reader Reviews in the past, brings us (surprise!) another Wu-related review, this time for Raekwon's recent magnum opus, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II. You may have already left a comment on my original post, but be sure to show Banksta some love.)

Raekwon the Chef, alias Corey Woods, officially dropped his fourth solo offering on 8th September.

As you may have figured out from the title, said album is a sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., his solo debut from 1995. It didn’t start the 'mafioso rap’ movement, but it certainly popularized it on a mass scale in hip hop. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... introduced the world to Chef Raekwon, a Wu-Tang Clan member that wasn’t the most charismatic, nor was he the best lyricist, but he meticulously crafted crime stories on par with the novels sitting on your bookstore's shelves. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was also the only Wu-Tang album which was produced in full by The Rza, featuring some of his greatest work ever. It's generally considered to be one of the classic hip hop albums of our time.

I’m still surprised Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II actually made it onto store shelves. It has arrived in a completely different form than what Rae originally promised, though: what was supposed to be fully produced by both Dr. Dre (as Raekwon was briefly signed to Aftermath, which was supposed to be the distributor of this project) and The Rza became an album with multiple producers claiming credit. It was pushed back and reworked so many times that most people gave up on the concept, which made it a shock when people were actually able to hold it in their hands. Raekwon elected not to promote the album on a wider scale: “Catalina”, one of two Dr. Dre productions that made the cut, could have received some airplay on MTV, and “New Wu” (or “Wu Ooh”) was only really accessible on YouTube by diehard fans that were actively searching for it.

But it's here, so let's see if it was worth the wait.

1. RETURN TO THE NORTH STAR (FEAT POPA WU)
Brought a tear to my eye. Judging simply from Popa Wu's speech, I consider Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II an instant classic. Let's see if I'm right.

2. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK, GHOSTFACE KILAH, METHOD MAN, & GZA/GENIUS)
The Gza's vocals sound unnatural (his performance for the video of this track comes off as amateurish in comparison). (I still don't buy that Gza actually appears on the album, especially since he isn't credited on this track but is credited later on a different song, but album liner notes have been wrong before.) That being said, this song is fucking napalm, with everyone equally slaughtering J. Dilla's production. I would have to compare this track to “Guillotine (Swordz)”. “House Of Flying Daggers” is one of those Wu songs that I would give an 11/10 rating without a second thought: the only other example I can think of right now is the Gza's “4th Chamber”. This shit is fucking awesome.

3. SONNY'S MISSING
Vintage Raekwon crime rap, with producer Pete Rock providing a pretty good musical backdrop. This could probably be considered an unofficial sequel to the original album's “Knowledge God”. But maybe I like to think that because I like both tracks.

4. PYREX VISION
Corey, I don't understand: you brought one of the best hip hop producers of all time in for a song that only lasts fifty-five seconds? What the fuck?! Rae's performances on “Gun Will Go” (off of 8 Diagrams) and “Ill Figures” (from Wu-Tang Chamber Music) sounded like they were done while under the influence of speed and ADHD medication when compared to this. (And yes, I realize that was done on purpose.) Marley Marl's beat is really hot, though.

5. COLD OUTSIDE (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH & SUGA BANG BANG)
Can also be referred to as “Rainy Dayz Pt. II”. This is, by far, the most theatrical song ever featured on a Wu-Tang solo album (I disagree: see the original "Rainy Dayz"), and it's fucking fantastic. I like Suga Bang Bang's singing,as he has a nice voice (he redeems himself for messing up many a song in the Wu's back catalog), and Raekwon spits well, but Tony Starks steals the entire show, passionately touching on topics ranging from a two-year-old strangled to death, not having enough money for bills, menthols and Christmas gifts, and finally ending with the troops in Iraq.

6. BLACK MOZART (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK, THE RZA, & TASH MAHOGANY)
Bobby Steels doesn't bother with spitting a verse; instead, he provides a musical backdrop that comes across as what The Psycho Realm's “Street Platoons” was aspiring to be. But it is nice to see that all Clansmen are present on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II (except for U-God, whose Golden Arms character (also called Lucky Hands at some intervals) died on “Knuckleheadz” from the original project, and, obviously, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, although his presence is still felt on here). I wish the beat sounded a bit better, though.

7. GIHAD (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Raekwon and Ghostface pair up again for this track. I remember reading a potential tracklisting for this album a few months ago, and this song was labeled as “G-Hide” for some reason. (The song's producer, Necro, also had his named misspelled, twisted into what could be considered as a racial slur. Has nobody ever heard of a fact-checker?) I was excited to see that a track entitled “Rockstars & Smoking Barrels”, featuring Gza/Genius and Inspectah Deck, was also slated to appear. While that obviously never happened, I still hope Raekwon will unleash the track eventually. As for this song itself, it sounds good, but Rae is outshined once again by his partner in rhyme.

8. NEW WU (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH & METHOD MAN)
The first single, over a Rza beat from 1997, accompanied by a pretty shitty video, although watching the ridiculously amateurish acting from Bobby Digital was amusing enough. The song itself reminds me of “Ice Cream” and is really fucking good, but seriously, did all of Rza's production contributions have to be based on looping shit? We're all aware that the man is capable of much more creativity than this.

9. PENITENTIARY (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Not bad, even though the track is produced by someone who is known only by Raekwon and his own parents. Lou Diamonds does a back-and-forth with Pretty Toney, with the pendulum swinging his way far more often, and manages to keep listeners entertained.

10. BAGGIN' CRACK
I'm not a big fan of Erick Sermon's sound, but this song is alright, thanks to the Raekwon narrative. Thankfully,the song is shorter than two minutes in length.

11. SURGICAL GLOVES
Raekwon is straight-up sleepy on this one, but it's really fucking good. It reminds me of “Glaciers Of Ice”, although that song was really the shiznit, so maybe that's an unfair comparison. Regardless, don't mean to take anything away from The Alchemist's beat.

12. BROKEN SAFETY (FEAT JADAKISS & STYLES P)
I loved this joint when I first listened to it, and ain't a damn thing changed. The Scram Jones beat is impressive, with Lex Diamonds, Jadakiss, and Styles Pinero (no comment) ripping shit.

13. CANAL STREET
Sounds good, I suppose, but this song did nothing for me.

14. ASON JONES
A tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard, my favorite Clansman. R.I.P. As his biggest fan, I appreciated the sound bites from the man himself, and J. Dilla's beat is decent, but the track as a whole doesn't hit me as hard as “Life Changes” or “Wasted Time”. Due to the subject matter, I will not categorize this song as good or bad, as I don't consider it to be right.

15. HAVE MERCY (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL & BLUE RASPBERRY)
Beanie Sigel neither adds nor detracts from this song, but the smooth instrumental (jacked from “Have Mercy On Me” by The East St. Louis Gospelletes) compliments the lyrics nicely. Kudos to Rae for luring former Wu-Tang go-to singer Blue Raspberry back into the studio, as she sounds really fucking good.

16. 10 BRICKS (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH & CAPPADONNA)
Nice to see the prodigal son coming home. Ghostface, unsurprisingly, is the tits again, but Raekwon somehow coerced Cappadonna into actually sounding good, which was pleasant. The J. Dilla beat, while recycled from a previous project of his, also suits the proceedings. Nice!

17. FAT LADY SINGS
The title reminds me of the crappy Gza track from the second Soul Assassins album, but this song, the third and final of Rza's production efforts, isn't that bad. It makes for a decent interlude, at least.

18. CATALINA (FEAT LYFE JENNINGS)
I heard this Dr. Dre-produced track back when it originally leaked, and I wasn't impressed one bit. It sounds too tropical (it was even recorded in a studio called Avex Honolulu), as if Rae was chilling with Fidel Castro on a Cuban beach (which would be nowhere near Honolulu). Listening to it again, I'll concede that it's merely okay, even though it had 'radio-friendly' written all over it.

19. WE WILL ROB YOU (FEAT GZA/GENIUS, MASTA KILLA, & SLICK RICK)
The beat is so simplistic that I believe an average orangutan (albeit one with the knowledge of how to record a beat) would have no problem creating this loop. Kareem, Gza's son, somehow managed to do even less than an average orangutan would: he jacked this loop from “Hard Times” by Baby Huey (which also featured the loop The Rza stole for Ghostface Killah's “Buck 50”) and added a little of his own flavor. Still, this shit sounds damn good. Gza told Raekwon to pump the brakes, so he could rhyme circles around this song, and Slick Rick stays put in the land of the hook, but as for the other collaborator, it appears he wasn't aware of the concept of this track: I don't truly believe that Masta Killa would intentionally ruin a Wu-Tang Clan song. Which he doesn't, but he isn't that far off.

20. ABOUT ME (FEAT BUSTA RHYMES)
I liked this one from the very first first listen, and after digesting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II, I have to say that “About Me” is much better than “Catalina”. The interesting thing here is Busta Rhymes, who (1) isn't credited on the back cover, (2) gives a really fucking good performance, and (3) sounds like he's taking a shit. I'm fully aware that a lot of people hate Dr. Dre's production on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II, but I still thought this was really good.

21. MEAN STREETS (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK, GHOSTFACE KILLAH, & SUGA BANG BANG)
This one is really fucking good, as Rae, Deck, and Masta Killa set the beat on fire. “Mean Streets” reminds me not of anything from the original project, but of “Nightshift” instead, a leftover from Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance, which crushed 90 percent of songs that actually made that album. Now, with U-God's decent Dopium, Inspectah Deck officially has the least successful solo career of all of the Wu-Tang Clan. Oh well.

22. KISS THE RING (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK & MASTA KILLA)
Scram Jones samples Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, but everyone already knows that. A perfect ending to the Cuban Linx saga. Except that it isn't, if you live in Europe.

Overseas, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II contains the following two bonus tracks.

23. WALK WIT ME
I don't actually own the Eurpoean version of this album, but I'll run through the bonus songs anyway. On here, Scram Jones proves why Rae considered him worthy for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II, and the video is also really fucking good.

24. THE BADLANDS (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
BT brings a beat which makes Ghostface go mad (just like he did on “Criminology”), and Raekwon is also fully awake. A really nice way to end things.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Since I consider Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... as more of a Rza effort than Corey's, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II is, hands down, Raekwon's best solo album. I love this shit as much as the first one, too. Congratulations, Raekwon. Everyone should salute, and toast to the best who's done it. Now I only need to hear Detox, The Cure and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. III, and my life will be complete.

BUY OR BURN: I think you should get your hands on this as soon as fucking possible. Really. If you consider yourself a fan of hip hop music, this is a must-buy, if only because we should all help promote the good shit instead of the more popular, crappy stuff.

BEST TRACKS: “House of Flying Daggers”; “Cold Outside”; “Black Mozart”; “Kiss The Ring”; “10 Bricks”; “Pyrex Vision”; “Broken Safety”; “Surgical Gloves”; “We Will Rob You”; “About Me”; “Penitentiary”

-Banksta

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your comments below, and be sure to check out my original review when you get a chance.)

My Gut Reaction: K.I.N. - Knowledge Is Now (2010)

The San Antonio underground hip hop crew The Vultures consider themselves to be their own version of the Wu-Tang Clan: many affiliated artists and groups that combine to form the Alamo City Voltron. When I listened to the collective's second album, 7 Rings Of Saturn, earlier this year, I was amazed at the lyrical dexterity of the crew, as well as the dank, dusty beats that primary producer Ruler Why was able to conjure up from the ether.

So when given the opportunity to listen to the first album from Vultures offshoot K.I.N., I predictably jumped at the chance.

Ruler Why has likened the duo of K.I.N., made up of rappers Ruin and 7ish, to the relationship between the Wu and North Star, the West Coast affiliate crew that nobody gives a fuck about, up to and including the actual members of the Wu. Although I can see where he was going with that, I disagree: I have my own comparison, which I created while listening to their debut project Knowledge Is Now, that I will reveal somewhere within the review itself. Ruler Why takes the reigns for the majority of the album's production, with assists from Reiner Hass and KOOLaction behind the boards, while Ruin and 7ish are accompanied by various other members of the Vultures clique.

In short, if you're a fan of Jedi Mind Tricks or early Wu, this may be your shit. But for those of you who like your reviews to be long winded, please continue reading.

1. INTRO
Still not a fan of rap album intros, but the drums on here are fucking hard.

2. THIS IS K.I.N. (FEAT JAMAR EQUALITY)
Even though it sounds nothing like it, the Reiner Hass beat reminded me of John the Baptist's work on Killah Priest's “The Professional”, although this is much darker. Ruin takes to the mic and simply destroys the scenery with his opening verse, leaving his guest to pick up the pieces. This was a pretty dope track, even if the “hook” was entirely unnecessary.

3. ARMAGEDDON
7ish spits a one-verse wonder over an instrumental that sounds nothing like the previous track. Truth be told, the beat from “This Is K.I.N.” sounds more like Armageddon than this one did: this song sounds more like the peace that could only come after the end of the world. 7ish sounds pretty damn good, though.

4. CAVEWALLZ (FEAT SUN ELO)
Ruler Why's subdued beat is a good contrast for the aggressive rhymes from everybody involved. Even the hook doesn't stick around long enough to become annoying. Ruin rips shit, but Sun Elo steals the show with his “amorphous” flow: bonus points for using the word amorphous within a rap song's context. This wasn't bad.

5. CONTAMINATION (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER)
Over an organ-driven loop (one which hides in the background, so as not to trip over any of the artists), Ruin provides a commendable first verse, but all he really does is set up the dominoes for his guest, Jus the Destroyer,to fucking demolish. The instrumental treads the fine line between repetitive and interesting, but I still would have liked this to have been a bit longer. But then again, why does every rapper think that a rap song needs to be at least four minutes long?

6. FACE THE FACTS (FEAT JAMAR EQUALITY)
This shit is pretty awesome. Ruin spits like one of the lost members of Sunz of Man, back when they were still relevant. (Maybe that statement was mean, but I'm fucking serious.) KOOLaction's dark beat is begging for a posse cut featuring the rest of the Vultures: maybe if I write it down, it'll actually happen. Still hard to believe that these guys are based out of the same city that considers the Alamo to be something to remember, but it's called creativity.

7. GIANTS & TITANS (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER)
So far, I'm appreciating how none of these songs overstay their welcome. There wasn't anything bad about this track, but, unfortunately, it was a bit forgettable.

8. INTERLUDE
You can't swing a dead cat around without hitting a rap album interlude these days, but unless it's produced by Prince Paul, they're typically unnecessary. And what the hell are you doing swinging a dead animal around, anyway? The fuck is wrong with you?

9. MANSLAUGHTER
Ruin and 7ish, performing without any guests for the first time on Knowledge Is Now, both kick a single verse over a sweeping Ruler Why production that sounds as if it was lifted from an epic Ben Hur-esque flick. In truth, the beat may be a bit much for the artists involved: I walked away from this humming the instrumental, but I can't remember any of the lyrics, aside from 7ish kind of losing me when the word “tabernacle” is fumbled. Also, how funny and apropos would this be if it were actually entitled “Man's Laughter”?

10. MOVIN IN UNISON (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER)
Reiner Hass provides a simple beat, but it fires on all cylinders. The Wu-Tang-like way that each artist tries to outdo the previous one is pretty fucking infectious: the only other time this year that I heard something similar was on the Slaughterhouse album. The hook is a bit goofy, though. The Destroyer takes home the prize, but everyone deserves a lovely parting gift.

11. PROTECT THE UNIVERSE (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER)
While the imagery of “keep[ing] Saturn City (the group's handle for their home city) safe” while “protecting the universe” is hilarious to me, Ruin and Jus tear through this dark beat like a pit bull chomping on a Zhu Zhu Pet. The hook is a bit wordy, but this is independent hip hop we're discussing.

12. RAW GROOVES (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER & JAMAR EQUALITY)
The Psycho Les vocal sample was unexpected. The beat contains the kind of hard drums that are missing from hip hop today, and the piano keys looped around them provide a haunting environment for all four rappers to spit within while searching through the haunted house for signs of paranormal activity. Jamar Equailty, one of my favorites from 7 Rings Of Saturn, takes over the track in such a forceful manner that it's a wonder it wasn't just his song to begin with: he demands your full attention. This shit was just fucking good.

13. RHYTHMATIC STATIC (FEAT JUS THE DESTROYER)
I didn't really care for this one. The beat was dramatic enough, and the fact that Jus directly references Inspectah Deck only furthers the comparison between The Vultures and the Wu, but the hook turned me off completely, most likely by sounding like something Inspectah Deck would come up with today. It wasn't as bad as some of Kool Keith's choruses, but still.

14. THE ONSLAUGHT (FEAT SUN ELO)
Ruin and 7ish's vocal styles and chemistry reminds me of Killarmy's 9th Prince and Dom Pachino (or PR Terrorist, depending on what day of the week you catch him), and I don't mean that as a bad thing. It's probably unfair for me to continue using the Wu as a reference point when discussing K.I.N., especially if you hate the Wu, but their influence cannot be denied.

15. HELLO (FEAT BRAZY)
The creepy vocal sample at the halfway point will replace the whale in my nightmares.

16. THE WRATH
While this isn't technically an outro, “The Wrath” concludes the K.I.N. saga with one hot verse from each member. It leaves you wanting for more, which makes Knowledge Is Now pretty goddamn successful.

THE LAST WORD: If you liked 7 Rings Of Saturn, then you'll like Knowledge Is Now just as much. And if you have never heard of The Vultures, but still claim to be a hip hop fan, you owe it to yourselves to give them a shot. Ruin and 7ish, with their opposing styles, mesh well with the music, which is provided mostly by Ruler Why, whose production isn't as epic in scope as it was on 7 Rings Of Saturn: instead, it appears to be ever evolving, providing a perfect counterbalance to the rhymes. Simply put, if I was a producer, these are the kind of beats I would wish I could make: Ruler Why, along with Reiner Hass and KOOLaction, use the Wu Elements and Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind as a jumping-off point to create their own cohesive sound, and K.I.N., along with their extended Vultures family, step up their lyrics to prove that they deserve to be on Knowledge Is Now. I would have preferred that Ruin and 7ish shared more tracks together (the two men only seem to share the stage on six tracks out of sixteen), but whenever one of the criticisms of an album is that you want to hear more of it, that can only be a good thing.

There are no freebies this time around, but you should visit The Vultures here and pick this album up. It's Christmas, people! You may as well spend it with some music you're bound to enjoy. Oh, and your family and friends and shit.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
The Vultures – 7 Rings Of Saturn

Merry Christmas!

Be sure to check back later on today, after you open your presents. There just might be an actual review to read.

-Max

My Gut Reaction: Mr. Nogatco (a/k/a Kool Keith) - Nogatco Rd. (April 25, 2006)

Being a Kool Keith fan has always been a relatively weak return on your investment. If his career track had ended with his time as a part of the Ultramagnetic MC's, Keith Thornton may have been known as a hyper-aggressive intellectual rap artist with a penchant toward the multisyllabic, but that's where it would stop, because he was a part of a group, and the other guys (okay, mainly Ced Gee) contributed their fair share as well.

But since Kool Keith dreamed of solo success, he's cemented his place in the hip hop history books as a fucking psychopathic rap artist with ridiculous fetishes, multiple personalities, an amazing work ethic, and the occasional clever song. Unfortunately, rapping under different monikers seems to be more of a business decision than an artistically creative one: perhaps if he refers to himself as Dr. Octagon or Dr. Dooom, he is able to sign contracts with many other record labels without nullifying the terms of what Kool Keith Thornton originally set up for himself.

That's just my theory, anyway.

While Keith makes a tremendous effort to come up with backstories for his many aliases, his rhymes typically devolve into the same old bullshit, regardless of who he's supposed to be rhyming as. I'm fairly certain that Kool Keith has lost a shitload of fans by sticking to his lyrical guns: on one hand, I admire his stubbornness and his need to stay true to himself, but how many different ways can one man talk about sci-fi porn fantasies set to a beat?

Because being a fan of Kool Keith's is disconcerting for another valid reason (due to his work ethic, the motherfucker releases at least eight albums a year, most of which are not available in most parts of the United States due to the poor distribution deals of the many labels he works with), I never got to Nogatco Rd. when it was released in 2006. This new character, Mr. Nogatco, was considered to be a throwback to 1950's sci-fi alien creatures, and the project's primary producer, Iz-Real (whose other major bullet point on his resume was some work on an album for Victor Vaughn, an alter-ego for MF Doom, another rapper who suffers from a Sybil-esque complex), was tasked with creating suitable instrumentals that could serve as the soundtrack to an alien autopsy. The album itself is an enhanced CD that comes with a short film and other goodies that fans will eat up.

The title Nogatco Rd. also has a self-serving purpose for Keith: when spelled in reverse (and when the period is put in a different place, for those of you who are particular to stuff like that), you get Dr. Octagon, Keith's most successful alias, who, naturally, he's been trying to kill off for years.

So is Nogatco Rd. any good?

1. NO HEAD AT ALL
Some old film dialogue is repurposed in an obvious attempt at appealing to the fans of Dr. Octagonecologyst, even though the underlying beat is more raw hip hop than Dan the Automator. At least this rap album intro sounds appropriately unnerving.

2. BIONIC FUSE
Keith's voice sounds slightly altered: it's almost as if he decided that the Mr. Nogatco character should actually sound different than the eight hundred other personalities he inhabits, although Keith may have just been suffering from a cold that day. The beat is too passive to care about, and the rhymes are non-sequiturs, especially the goofy “hook”. Keith has done much better work elsewhere.

3. NIGHT FLYER (FORCE FIELD)
This is the second track in a row to reference the state of Florida, which is strange, considering that Kool Keith is a West Coast transplant from New York. Keith sounds much more focused in his verses, which center around his status as a space traveler with “green fans”. Even though I've been a fan of his for quite a while, I've always hated Keith's choruses, which typically consist of four unrelated phrases chanted ad nauseum, and this track is no exception. The instrumental wasn't that bad, though.

4. DARK SPACE
I'm sure that Mr. Nogatco was originally intended to be an alien (probably “from the future”, as that's usually how Keith Thornton operates) visiting Earth briefly before searching for intergalactic tail in other dimensions, but he ends up sounding like an insane astronaut trapped in space on a vessel that is turning on him, not unlike Event Horizon or Solaris (or possibly Pandorum: I'll admit, I've only seen the trailer for that particular flick). The beat fails to offset the claustrophobic flow Keith exhibits. However, Even though Keith takes some roundabout shots at Dr. Octagon, this was an odd misfire.

5. HELLO SPACE MAN (INTERLUDE)
At least it sets the tone properly.

6. CELESTIAL
I have to give Keith credit for sticking to the script, at least thus far: I haven't heard a single reference to the mating habits of insects of the wonderful world of taxidermy. (I may have just missed them, though: sometimes the best response to Keith's lyrics is to gloss over them, even though that occasionally leads to missing something important.) Let's just assume that, unless I say otherwise, the hooks on all of Keith's songs suck balls, okay? But besides that, this wasn't bad, and the track shakes you alert in a creepy fashion right before he begins his final verse, which was an unexpected touch that was appreciated.

7. ALPHA OMEGA (THE BEGINNING)
Iz-Real is no Automator or Kutmasta Kurt, so it's no surprise that Keith dominates the beat: it sounds as if it were originally crafted for someone less eccentric anyway. The lyrics on here range wildly from fictional autobiography to Keith calling out an eight hundred pound woman for hiding behind her computer. Yep, you guessed it, this is typical Kool Keith.

8. BIG ADVENTURE
The music on here has no elements that signify any sort of “Big Adventure”: all it inspires me to do is to hit the 'skip' button. Keith has sounded pretty good over distorted guitars before, but this is neither the time nor the place. To my disappointment, Keith mostly drops the concept of Nogatco Rd. entirely and goes completely off topic, which isn't too surprising to anybody who has followed his career thus far.

9. BLACK 37
Kudos on maintaining the creepy vibe all throughout Nogatco Rd.; Kool Keith comes across as an intergalactic sexual deviant, stalking women in five-star hotels while planning his next meal. (It wouldn't be Kool Keith without the random sexual deviancy, would it?) The hook is beyond repugnant, but at least he sounds more comfortable over these particular guitars.

10. CAPTURE (BACK TO ME)
Apropos to nothing, the hook consists of Keith repeating the phrase “Back to me” for no discernible reason. The rhymes are typical Keith gibberish: he isn't saying anything, but his use of technical terms will trick critics into thinking that their minds have just been blown six ways from Sunday. The beat is pretty good, though: it certainly deserved better.

11. DIFFERENT
Wait, Mr. Nogatco is supposed to be a fucking superhero? I apparently missed all of the contextual clues: I thought he was just a pervert. The beat is both good and aggravating at the same time: the old school drums are overshadowed by the bizarre sound effects that are, I suppose, intended to sound spacey, but end up grounding the track in an alternate reality consisting of bullshit. I couldn't be bothered to listen to Keith's claptrap on this piffle. The beat takes an interesting turn down drum-and-bass lane midway through, though.

12. LIVE DISSECTION (FEAT XAUL ZAN A/K/A SAGE FRANCIS & SOLE)
This is the only song on Nogatco Rd. that showcases Kool Keith as actively spitting: for the most part, the album featured a lackadaisical I'm-a-weirdo-so-fuck-you flow. My theory is that Keith's shift in focus has to do with the presence of two other rappers on this track: guests can bring out the best in Keith on occasion, especially if their name begins with the word 'Motion'. I'm not sure where the title comes from (it seems to have been inspired by the album cover), but Keith's nonsensical rhymes are trumped by the pseudo-horrorcore images from Sole, who walks away with the track after robbing Keith Thornton in broad daylight. After a slight delay, the track ends with Keith's recorded findings after an alien autopsy that, knowing him, he probably thinks actually happened. I like to look at Kool Keith as hip hop's answer to Gary Busey.

THE LAST WORD: Obviously, Nogatco Rd. is not intended for the general hip hop audience: if you're still reading this review, I have to assume that you're at least somewhat familiar with Kool Keith's creative output. If this is the sort of thing you're into, though, this was surprisingly not crappy. Keith's Mr. Nogatco persona may simply be just an excuse to record an album without the trappings that the name 'Kool Keith' can bring, but Nogatco Rd., confusingly, ends up sounding more grounded than most of the man's other side projects: apparently, picturing Keith as some sort of alien superhero makes perfect fucking sense in my head. This is due to the man's valiant attempt to stay on topic throughout most of the album (key word: “most”). Iz-Real also creates instrumentals which are frequently interesting, if not always the best fit for someone as goofy as Keith. The hooks uniformly suck, which proves that Kool Keith still hasn't mastered the art of actual songwriting (if you look back through his catalog, you'll find that this is a consistent trait). Since all Keith had to worry about was the lyrics, though, and not the production, his focused (albeit nonsensical) rhymes shine through, making Nogatco Rd. a success of sorts. Kool Keith's fans will find themselves pleasantly surprised by this diversion, and everyone else will...oh, who am I kidding? If you're not a Kool Keith fan, you're not reading this anyway. Therefore, bliawahddfa waijliw “dkahduw” aiwhiw gdoo.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Catch up on the other Kool Keith write-ups by clicking here.

Reader Review: Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 (September 8, 2009)

(Today's Reader Review comes from Red Magic, who provides another take on my write-up for Jay-Z's Roc Nation debut, The Blueprint 3. And I know I'm in the minority, but I still feel that “On To The Next One”, while ignorant as fuck, is still entertaining. Be sure to leave your thoughts on Red Magic's review below.)

What a brilliant businessman Shawn Carter has proven to be. Every time he declares his retirement, Jay-Z (which is his birth name) announces another album, earning more millions. Personally, I have never been a fan, as I already own most of Christopher Wallace’s lyrics, and I thought that The Blueprint, the first entry in what is now a trilogy, proved both Jay-Z’s heavy reliance on powerful beats and Eminem's superiority over the old warhorse. Having Kanye West in your arsenal also boosts anybody's chance of gaining worldwide critical acclaim: naturally, this fact cemented Shawn’s decision to have West produce the majority of The Blueprint 3. As I am a huge Kanye fan, and because I also appreciated MGMT’s production on their Oracular Spectacular, I was interested to see how The Blueprint 3 would pan out. My curiosity was further enhanced by the leakage of two songs attacking Auto-Tune and featuring Rihanna, respectively. Yet the idea of having Drake on a track, in addition to Mr. Hudson singing a chorus, did not exactly tickle my desire to buy the album. Nevertheless, Kanye rarely disappoints, so let's see if he can help Shaun re-mobilise a soupcon of spark.

1. WHAT WE TALKIIN' ABOUT (FEAT LUKE STEELE OF EMPIRE OF THE SUN)
I have only heard one Empire of the Sun track and Luke Skywalker Steele did not seem to be a great singer in his own camp; as such, he fails to impress yet again. On the other hand, Kanye sticks to what he does best (producing) and Jay-Z seems hungry to impress. It's a shame about the hook, though.

2. THANK YOU
No, thank you for the skip button, iTunes.

3. D.O.A. (DEATH OF AUTO-TUNE)
The first single, and to be honest, it is not exactly magical. Jay-Z starts off strong, but then falls back into his let's-use-a-Biggie-verse mentality (guess which one!). Royce da 5’9 also released a freestyle over this beat which sounded much better. On the other hand, this song inspired Jayceon Taylor’s amusing line “No one on the corner got a swagger like you / 'cause no one on the fuckin’ corner is 42.” Nevertheless, this should have been better.

4. RUN THIS TOWN (FEAT RIHANNA & KANYE WEST)
Hova copies T.I.’s brilliant idea of featuring Rihanna on a single, thereby ballooning his own radio airplay. Lyrically, this is bullshit, especially Kanye’s verse, which is beyond belief. Rihanna steals the show by singing the chorus beautifully (especially her part at the end), and Kanye’s beat fits like a glove. I would not recommend this to anyone who only listens to old school rap, though.

5. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND (FEAT ALICIA KEYS)
Apparently this is Carter’s favourite song of the album, and I can see why. Some guy called Al Shux produces a beast of an instrumental, and Alicia Keys sounds quite harmonious. Furthermore, Jay’s line “I can trip a referee” is quite amusing. It's a shame that the actual words “Empire State Of Mind” are never mentioned.

6. REAL AS IT GETS (FEAT YOUNG JEEZY)
The Inkredibles have been on both Flo Rida’s R.O.O.T.S. and DJ Khaled’s We Global, so,it was only a matter of time before Jay requested their assistance (insert sarcasm here). Young Jeezy gets the honour of starting the song off, which he does by reminding us that that he totally sucks. To add insult to injury, he croaks the hook, and Carter rounds this heap of shit off by saying “Raaaar.”

7. ON TO THE NEXT ONE (FEAT SWIZZ BEATZ)
Swizz Beatz is a hit or miss producer, and he brings his F-game to the table on this track. Carter attacks auto-tune yet again (did he not realize he honoured his hatred for the instrument on an entire song already?) over the sort of track that does not seem to ever end.

8. OFF THAT (FEAT DRAKE)
The new wonder boy gets a guest spot here and strengthens my belief that he is nothing special. There really is nothing memorable to say about this track.

9. A STAR IS BORN (FEAT J. COLE)
Another pristine lad is introduced, but this one receives the honour of being allowed to spit a verse, one in which he sounds better than average. Yet Kanye’s beat is pretty lacklustre, and like “Off That”, it does not exactly spark anything mentionable.

10. VENUS VS. MARS
Apparently MGMT had a hand in helping Timbaland produce this track, and the instrumental is impressive. The song is good until the hook kicks in, which makes me feel uncomfortable and sick (“Daddy go hard”? What the fuck?). After this gruesome image, I can no longer concentrate on the rest of the song.

11. ALREADY HOME (FEAT KID CUDI)
Yet another gentleman who had critics looking at him as the second coming in hip hop is granted chorus duty. Kanye’s bouncy beat is not terrible, and I do like the brief change in the instrumental close to the end. And yet Jay-Z’s lyrics are not exactly hypnotizing, and Cudi sounds lazy on the hook.

12. HATE (FEAT KANYE WEST)
Jay-Z lets us know that his haters are still praying for his downfall, just like he did on”Heart Of The City”. This song reminds me off Kanye’s own “Drunk And Hot Girls” (yet another goofy song I like but nobody else seems to) as both Kanye and Jay-Z just bitch about random people. Thankfully, this song is not that long.

13. REMINDER
I actually like this bizarre instrumental by Timbaland, on which Jay-Z actually sounds hungry again. His boasting of being better than anyone but The Beatles is flabbergasting, and the odd chorus helps seal a song which was quite enjoyable.

14. SO AMBITIOUS (FEAT PHARRELL)
The only instrumental I have ever enjoyed by The Neptunes was Lupe Fiasco’s “I Gotcha”, and this does not change my mind. The chorus just does not fit and totally wrecks Jay’s attempted storytelling, which was, admittedly, quite good.

15. YOUNG FOREVER (FEAT MR. HUDSON)
Mr. Hudson’s “Supernova” is being played night and day on the British radio, which does not exactly thrill me with delight. However, Mr. Hudson sings a quite soothing chorus on here, which is aided by Kanye’s soulful instrumental. Shawn keeps it simple by telling us how wonderful his life is and how people will remember him when he is gone. All in all, a pretty good way to end the album.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Blueprint 3 falls in line with the previous entry in the series, as it has nothing spellbinding to offer. Maybe I am being too harsh too soon, but according to other brief comments on the web it seems I am not the only one disappointed with Shawn: he seems to push no-names into the spotlight without exceptionally shining himself. Furthermore, there is no Nas or Biggie presence forcing him to step his game up lyrically. Don't get me wrong, there are some crumbs of comfort which suggest Jay-Z is still noteworthy, but like Eminem’s Relapse, Hova does not boast an album worthy of the rap throne. He doesn't seem to rhyme about anything interesting, continuing the run-off-the-mill albums thread which has snaked its way into the rap game.

BUY OR BURN?: I am going to recommend a burn. As I mentioned above, some of these songs are worth the listen, but most of the tracks are built over skeleton beats with boring lyrics. Therefore, if you choose to journey back and listen to The Black Album and Reasonable Doubt instead, I would not condemn you.

BEST TRACKS: “Reminder”; “Empire State Of Mind”; “Run This Town”

-Red Magic

(Be sure to leave your comments below. Make your opinions known!)

Cappadonna - The Struggle (October 7, 2003)

I have to say, I was pretty excited about the free sticker promised on the album cover of Cappadonna's third full-length effort, The Struggle. The bar code printed on the front is also pretty classy. You would never see shit like that on an album released by a major label. Then again, at this point in his career Darryl Hill was no longer with a major label: hell, his status within the realm of Wu-Tang Clan affiliates was debatable.

After the dismal failure of the shitstorm that was The Yin & The Yang, Cappadonna and Wu-Tang leader The Rza had a falling out: Cappa felt that he was shorted some money, and Prince Rakeem thought that Darryl took left turns too dangerously in his gypsy cab. After bouncing from underneath the Wu umbrella, Cappadonna found himself signed to Code Red Entertainment, the vanity label for Wu-Tang affiliate-slash-enemy of Cilvaringz Remedy, who, rumor has it, only became a part of the Wu because his dad was The Rza's lawyer. No, really, that's the rumor. I didn't make that up.

Cappadonna's third album, The Struggle, was the result of all of this turmoil. Unsurprisingly, there is no work from The Rza behind the boards: it seems that the only Wu-Element that showed any sort of compassion was 4th Disciple, who handed over one of his castoffs in a quiet manner. Inspectah Deck and Raekwon, who also had their own issues with their boss at that time, also made brief appearances in the studio, but the majority of the project features cameos from lower-level weed carriers, some of whom with names that you may actually recognize. Otherwise, The Struggle is essentially as far from a Wu-Tang solo record that anybody can get.

I think it's safe to say that I have extremely low expectations for this shit.

1. INTRO
Nope, Cappadonna isn't full of himself at all.

2. CAP IS BACK
I highly doubt that the “bitches in the club” and “the thugs over there” (over where? Be more specific, dammit!) gave a flying fuck about the whereabouts of the best-dressed gypsy cab driver in New York. (Well, maybe the “bitches” cared, because that would be one of the safest ways for them to get home after a drunken night out.) Calogero (who?) provides a beat which attempts a celebratory Cappa-as-professional-wrestler-entering-the-arena vibe, but it doesn't gel, and our host sounds as if this was his very first time in the booth. You know, if you're going to continue to capitalize off of the Wu-Tang brand, you may as well actually use some of their trademark sounds and styles. That's advice for all of the Wu-Tang b-teamers out there.

3. ROLE OF A LIFETIME (FEAT SOLOMON CHILDS)
This one works a bit better. Calogero's instrumental actually sounds slightly Wu-esque, and Cappadonna sounds so bad that he rounds the bend back into “decent” territory. (My theory is that Cappa used up all of his good ideas in a single verse on Ghostface Killah's “Winter Warz” and, to a much lesser extent, on his own debut The Pillage: how else can one explain The Yin & The Yang?) I'm not saying this shit is actually good, mind you: it's merely passable. Sometimes you take whatever you can get.

4. BLOOD BROTHERS (FEAT LOUNGE MODE)
On which Cappadonna transforms the spelling of his rap nickname into a description of pissing into somebody's mouth. I don't even need to tell you about Lounge Mode's guest verse for you to understand that this song is awful, but I will anyway: I wasn't impressed, and I now understand why Rza (allegedly) shorted our host in his paychecks; with this rhyme style, Cappadonna clearly wasn't writing his own lyrics back in the day. (Yeah, I'm starting that rumor.)

5. MAMMA (SKIT)
...

6. MAMMA
Cappa's ode to his mother should be a sweet break amidst the wave of misogynistic and violent tales that The Struggle consists of, but I get the feeling that the man didn't have much to say. He repeats the first few bars as a makeshift chorus without any warning, falsely stretching out the track, which still ranks among the shortest on the album. His mother must be so angry that her son felt she only warranted a half-assed tribute.

7. DO IT - PUSH
An odd commercial attempt (which reminds me of U-God's “Bizarre”) that doesn't entirely fail, thanks to the Soulfingaz beat, which is better than Cappadonna deserves (save for the randomly placed air horn). For his part, Donna rhymes about absolutely nothing, and he actually left me wishing that U-God would make a surprise cameo. Yeah, that's how bad Cappa's lyrics were. Also, the title sucks.

8. GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK)
I used to rank Inspectah Deck as one of the best spitters in the Clan. He was right up there with Gza/Genius and Ghostface Killah (I love Raekwon and Method Man, too, but their actual rhymes couldn't compare to this holy trinity in my book back then). I even liked Uncontrolled Substance when it dropped, probably a lot more than I should have. So to hear him reduced to hook duties with an overly wordy conundrum that makes no sense, while Cappadonna handles all the verses by his damn self, is the sound of a tree falling in the woods when nobody is around to hear it.

9. MONEY, CASH, FLOWS (FEAT CRUNCH LO, LOUNGE MODE, & REMEDY)
Given the actual hook, I can only assume that this song wasn't called “Money, Cash, Flows, & Bitches” in the hopes that some unsuspecting parent would, inexplicably, purchase a Cappadonna album for their kid. The shots fired at Roc-A-Fella Records (which I guess is unsurprising, given the title's relative closeness to Jay-Z's “Money, Cash, Hoes”) were an interesting touch, but given the fact that absolutely nobody responded, it's safe to say that Shawn Carter doesn't listen to Cappa and his cronies. Wouldn't it be kind of funny if Hova responded to Cappadonna after reading on a blog that he dissed him back in 2003? I know, right?

10. I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU
Cappadonna asking the audience if they remember him from Raekwon's classic song about sucking on the breasts of promiscuous women from many races (also known as “Ice Cream”) was a bad move: you may as well ask them to directly compare The Struggle's Cappa to the days when he actually turned in quality work. Obviously, this song is pretty bad, or else I would have written something else. Cappadonna, I don't even know you anymore.

11. MAKE MONEY MONEY (SKIT)
...

12. SEASON OF DA 'VICK (FEAT LOUNGE MODE)
I can think of many reasons of why you two should skip this track, if anybody ever chose to listen to The Struggle after reading this review, but, unfortunately for me, this song isn't actually all that bad. It's certainly not good, but Cappa's second verse was actually kind of clever, and special guest star Lounge Mode wasn't bad, either.

13. KILLA KILLA HILL (FEAT RAEKWON)
Cappadonna takes our collective memory of the Wu-Tang Clan classic “C.R.E.A.M.” and takes a huge sloppy shit all over it. Although Raekwon, the sleeping giant (and one of the stars of “C.R.E.A.M.”) spits a verse, you shouldn't be fooled into thinking that this kind of blasphemy is okay. Some things are best left alone, Cappa: rappers should be more creative than this, but we all know how well that's been going as of late.

14. BROKEN GLASS
I believe Cappadee (as he refers to himself on here) was trying to record a serious song over this Quasi beat, something informing listeners of the irony of living life when everything and everybody is working against you, but he fails miserably. And then he yells at you for a good ten seconds at the end. Because that's entertaining.

15. POWER TO THE PESO (FEAT LOUNGE MODE, SOLOMON CHILDS, & WIGS)
Mizza's instrumental wasn't that bad, and Lounge's verse was actually really good on this posse cut. But someone forgot to inform Oh Donna that he shouldn't surround himself with artists that can all outdo him behind the mic, especially when he's the star of the show.

16. LIFE OF A LESBO
This rant is ridiculous and unfocused. First, Cappa seems to be talking shit about lesbiand in general, but then, in the second verse, he brags about fucking them anyway. I'm not sure what he was aiming for here, but if there was a single lesbian who gave a damn about what this jackass had to say, GLAAD would have a fucking field day. Since The Struggle sold less than zero copies, I suppose same-sex pairings are still safe, but listeners should still be made aware of Cappa's ancient views.

17. PAIN IS LOVE (FEAT LOUNGE MODE & SOLOMON CHILDS)
It's sad to think that all of these guys believed themselves to be comparable to the Wu-Tang Clan when they spit their verses on this posse cut. Lightning rarely strikes twice in the same spot, unless it's deliberately aiming for Cappa's hat.

18. SHOW (SKIT)
...

19. MY KINDA BITCH
I was really hoping for a reimagining of Heather B. and M.O.P.'s “My Kinda N---a”, and, surprisingly, that's kind of what this is. It isn't nearly as good, though. Cappadee runs out of lyrics toward the middle, and starts to repeat himself over this interesting D.A. beat, until he tells us that his kinda bitch is the type of girl who holds his dick for hil when he pisses. Is this something that guys actually want? Because I consider that to be my time. And besides, what kind of girl is going to want to be with a guy who is too lazy to hold his own dick when he pisses? If he can't even be bothered to do that properly, how do you think he's going to treat you?

20. WE GOT THIS (FEAT LOUNGE MODE, PIKE, & REMEDY)
No, they most certainly do not, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that they gave it their all. Better luck next time, fellas.

21. STRUGGLE WITH THIS (FEAT KING JUST)
For what is ostensibly the centerpiece of The Struggle (albeit one that is inexplicably placed at the end of the album), Cappadonna fails to again with his halted bars that refuse to acknowledge the presence of a rhythm. However, his guest, King Just, completely rips shit, so this isn't a total waste of your time. Still, I expected better. I mean, he essentially named the album after this very song!

“Stuggle With This” leads into the following bonus tracks after a brief moment of silence.

BONUS TRACK 1
After a wack freestyle, Cappadee brings us a song about ending a relationship, one which was, apparently, not good enough to appear within the tracklisting. Strangely, I actually bought the emotion in his voice on here, versus anywhere else on The Struggle. Cappa isn't Ghostface when it comes to emoting on wax (why Ghostface Killah isn't considered an emo rapper these days is a mystery to me, unless it's a race thing, in which case a whole other can of worms has been opened), and the minimalist beat on here is boring as shit, but he gives it his best shot.

BONUS TRACK 2
The final song on The Struggle features Cappadonna actually singing on the hook. While this has happened before (on Remedy's “Girlfriend”, most notably), that's all you really need to know about this track. And, just like that, he was gone.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you thought that The Yin & The Yang was a piss-poor effort from Cappadonna, then you'll be much more appalled with The Struggle, which makes its predecessor sound like fucking Liquid Swords. Cappadonna doesn't even try on this album, relying on (mostly) predictably bad beats and his guests to carry his performance for him, and that shit just doesn't fly. This is a bloated, self-important, and terrible piece of work, and yes, I realize that very description can be used for most any crappy rap album, but it absolutely fits here. If I were The Rza, I would demand that Cappa stick with driving cabs and stop using the Wu-Tang's name in vain. But that's just me. I can't believe this jackass is actually considered to be the tenth member of the Wu: that shit just blows my mind.

BUY OR BURN? If you've read this far, you don't need to ever listen to this album. Your life is somehow more complete without it. But since most of the HHID readers don't really care about the WU-Tang Clan b-teamers anyway, you probably haven't read this far, so I'll end on a completely unrelated tangent: Has anybody else read how convicted domestic abuser Chris Brown is pissed that some major retailers won't carry his album? And has anybody else noticed that the song he wrote about Rihanna is all about how he can't believe that she broke his heart? Last time I checked, you tried to break her face. You tried to transform her, but it didn't take. Chris Brown can go fuck himself. That is all.

BEST TRACKS: “Season Of Da 'Vick”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Cappadonna – The Pillage
Cappadonna – The Yin & The Yang

Reader Review: KRS-One - I Got Next (May 20, 1997)

(For today's Reader Review, Dag Diligent takes the time to write about KRS-One's I Got Next. I used to own this album, but I sold it several years ago, presumably because I didn't care for it, but I can only speak for myself. For those of you two who have been wondering why there's only one KRS-One write-up on HHID (as of this writing), today is your lucky day. Be sure to leave your comments below.)

KRS-One is an emcee that should require no introduction, at least on a hip hop blog. But I'll provide a short one anyway.

As of 2009, KRS-One is 44 years old. He was introduced on the 1987 Boogie Down Productions album Criminal Minded. The same year also saw debuts from other heavyweights in the industry, such as Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice T, and N.W.A. Ten years later, while many of his peers from 1987 were struggling, had disbanded, or both, KRS experienced his greatest commercial success with his album I Got Next.

Many view I Got Next as the beginning of the end for Kris, because after this album, he wasn’t able to pull off another hit single, and he also was unable to engage the listener with anything as intense as his previous work. In fact, this is probably the last KRS-One album that you bumped for more than a few days. Although KRS is a founder of the gangsta rap movement, he has truly moved on by this point and spits a mostly conscious album.

To this day, Kris Parker's status as an emcee is legendary, but during his conversion from Blastmaster to Teacher, and again to Religious Leader, he seems to have lost some of his hunger. He has always applied MC wizardry over nice boom-bap beats, and although sometimes his rhymes border on the structurally simple, he usually brings the fire regardless. I Got Next is best when Kris is accompanied by Redman, who appears on two tracks: KRS lays down his trademark conscious rhymes while Reggie maintains the energy on the song, providing a chemistry between the two is near perfect and makes me hope for more collaborations in the future. KRS almost needs a hypeman to break up his long verses. Also, the album can be overly preachy, and completely loses its way for most of the second half, thanks to some substandard production from KRS himself, some poor musical choices, and some boring rhyming.

KRS has always produced most of his work, but for I Got Next, he also called on the talents of DJ Premier, Kid Capri, Diamond D, and Showbiz (who is featured prominently). He also called in some surprise help for this album, which I’ll get to later on.

1. 1ST QUARTER: THE COMMENTARY
This short skit introduces listeners to both the album and the entire concept of hip-hop. KRS clearly takes the title of Teacher quite seriously, but he, curiously, brings in a newscaster to start things off. Skip.

2. 2ND QUARTER: FREE THROWS
Continues with the basketball theme (in title only). It starts out with some energy at a live show, but descends into spoken word poetry. Typical KRS: Yes. Ill: No, but could have been better with an actual beat. Inspirational: No, but Kris tries. Skip: Definitely.

3. THE MC
Kicks off by continuing the energy of the live show from the previous track, and proceeds to kill everyone with a slamming old-school beat. I wouldn’t say that KRS tears the track up; instead, he dominates the beat and lays down a few amazing verses that teach us what emcees are supposed to be all about. Listen up young MCs (and, also, Young MC): if you are recording a hip hop album, this is the way to do a hook. Produced by Domingo (sounding a lot like DJ Premier here), who delivers a great track.

4. I GOT NEXT - NEVA HADDA GUN
This is exactly what you should expect from KRS. It’s actually two songs that fit so well together that Kris decided to just combine them. KRS both produces and holds it down for most of both songs, with a lot of nice change-ups, scratching, and simple but effective beats. On “I Got Next”, he comes out of the gate strong and absolutely kills it, but his flow on “Neva Hadda Gun” is a little boring, even though the lyrics are skillful. The hook is a scratched sample from the ultra-hard “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy, but KRS kind of screws it up by rapping over it in a non-hard way (like a Teacher instead of a Blastmaster). But that is a minor complaint for a great pair of songs.

5. HEARTBEAT (FEAT REDMAN & ANGIE MARTINEZ)
Redman stops by to handle the hype-man duties for Kris and Angie Martinez, and also manages to drop a pretty good verse at the end of the song, but he sounds a little off of his game. Angie Martinez has a grating voice and unleashes a verse she recorded during amateur night. Kris definitely has the best verse, but Reggie puts up a good fight. The beat is hard, decidedly old school, and has a live show vibe, making this my favorite track on the album (despite Angie Martinez). Four good tracks in a row! Well done, Kris.

6. STEP INTO A WORLD (RAPTURE'S DELIGHT) (FEAT KEVA)
KRS-One’s biggest hit ever, and the second single off I Got Next. The hook is borrowed from the song “Rapture” by the pioneering new wave group Blondie. The beat dropped so hard that I wanted to kick out my windshield. Everything works, but the song feels a little long, probably because the rough beat is a little too relentless; some change ups would have been nice. However, the beat is slamming, the production is there, and the lyrics are on point. KRS is at 5 for 5.

7. A FRIEND
A lot of people list this song as one of Kris’ best, I disagree. In their defense, Kris does drop some respectable verses, but the hook is ridiculously soft for KRS as either the Blastmaster or the Teacher. He comes across like a lonely seventh grader talking about how nice it is to have a friend. Maybe if the hook was a little tougher, the song wouldn’t be so embarrassing. Or maybe Kris actually was lonely and wanted to have someone to be silly with (one of his actual lyrics). The Showbiz-produced beat is good, if a little tame, but it works with KRS-One's flow. Typically, I would tell you to skip this song, but Kris drops some solid lines, and so many people like this track that I’ll give it to the majority. Another winner.

8. H.I.P.H.O.P. (FEAT THOR-EL)
Everyone take your seats, it’s time for the teacher to go over spelling. Warren G (and K-Solo, plus every other rapper ever), please pay attention. It starts off with a decent beat, but this is really just a Thor-El song that features KRS-One (Kris was bringing Thor-El onto his label around this time). Unsurprisingly, Thor-El is dominated by Kris, who rhymes about boring live shows. Skip.

9. HALFTIME
More teaching! Skip.

10. 3RD QUARTER: THE COMMENTARY
“…register with the Temple of Hip Hop by filling out the attached registration form and questionnaire located on the album's pull out panel.”

11. KLASSICKS
Three skits in a row. This one is here just to remind you of the song “Sound of Da Police”.

12. BLOWE (FEAT REDMAN)
Redman returns, but this time only as a hypeman. After a slow start with Kris acting like a television, Showbiz throws out a pretty weak beat, one which helps Kris wind down to get ready for bed. Redman delivers a solid hook and not much else. But the chemistry between the two remains.

13. REAL HIP-HOP, PT. II (FEAT LAMONT FIELDZ & THE MIC VANDALS)
Another boring beat mixed with a lame hook. KRS and the Mic Vandalz fail to deliver anything worth listening to. Skip.

14. COME TO DA PARTY (FEAT ANTHONY WILLIAMS)
Kris obviously wasn’t inspired by his own production as he spits a cookie-cutter verse over an empty beat with a lame R&B hook. Thankfully, the track is short. Kris has really lost it in this second half.

15. CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP
DJ Muggs shows up for a little production work, and he must have heard the last six tracks because he definitely tries to make things better. He delivers a good beat for the first single off the album, and KRS spits a smart story-rap. Kris keeps the song moving with good energy and Teacher-level lyrics. Muggs kills it by adding sound effects to the story. Good job.

16. OVER YA HEAD
Commissioner Gordon and KRS really slow it down with a jazzy slow beat. The song stinks, and the rhymes are terrible. I think Kris was trying to push the envelope lyrically, but I’m too busy trying not to skip to the next track to actually check.

17. JUST TO PROVE A POINT (FEAT G. SIMMONE)
The point Kris proves with this song is that hip-hop and rock rarely sound good together. I have had this album for eleven years, and I have never listened to this song all the way through until today…and I regret it. The guitar is horrible, the chorus is terrible, and while KRS may actually have a voice for this type of music, he needs some better writing and production…and an audience that isn't me.

18. 4TH QUARTER: FREE THROWS
Preaching at a live show…at least there is a beat (barely).

The following is considered to be a bonus track on I Got Next.

19. STEP INTO A WORLD (RAPTURE'S DELIGHT) (REMIX) (FEAT PUFF DADDY)
Oh no! The Hitmen produce one of their typical slick beats and include Sean Combs, and it sounds exactly how you would expect. Actually, the beat is okay, but The Hitmen (who know who signs their paychecks) basically loop Puffy’s voice on any part of the song where Kris isn’t rapping, which is really irritating. KRS dominates with a verse not heard on the original version, but his work is utterly lost in this sugary mess. Sigh.

Also, some promotional copies of I Got Next allegedly list a song entitled “Stop Skeemin'”, which features Joe, but I haven't been able to find any proof of that whatsoever.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This album sounded old-school in 1997 (in a good way), and it has stood the test of time. I Got Next marks the complete transition of KRS-One from Blastmaster to Teacher. For this album at least, KRS-One continues to be a hip hop legend. The first half of the project is classic material, but the second half is full of boring songs, sub-par lyrics (for KRS, anyway), and some very questionable choices. Although it never reaches the heights or intensity of KRS-One’s previous work, the Teacher manages to deliver. Overall, I would have liked to see a little more of the Blastmaster persona, and Redman could have easily stepped in and added the energy that this album was lacking on the second half. But in the end, I Got Next is still a good album.

BUY OR BURN? Buy this one. The first half is KRS-One at his best, with five amazing tracks in a row featuring raw hip hop, ill lyrics, slamming beats, and Redman. What could be better? Just be prepared to skip most of the second half, and eject at the first sign of rock music or Puff Daddy.

BEST TRACKS: “The MC”; "I Got Next - Neva Hadda Gun"; "Heartbeat"; "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)”; "Can't Stop, Won't Stop"

- Dag Diligent

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Do you agree with Dag Diligent, or do you think he's completely off base? Leave your thoughts below.)

Reader Review: T.I. - Paper Trail (September 26, 2008)

(Today, The Ginger Kid gives his insights on T.I.'s Paper Trail. Yes, you two, T.I. technically counts as hip hop, and he shouldn't be ignored just because most purists don't care for him. (Soulja Boy, on the other hand, you can dismiss entirely if you wish.) His post is from the point of view of a fan who got into hip hop through an avenue which most folks travel these days: with the songs that are pervasive on the radio, which seep into your daily lives, acting as a gateway drug. Be sure to leave your comments for The Ginger Kid below.)

I wasn’t really sure how to start this review, so I decided to just get all nostalgic and tell a nice story.

I’ve been a huge fan of rap music since I first heard “Without Me,” the radio-friendly first single from Eminem's The Eminem Show. Upon hearing that song, I immediately decided I loved rap music and bought my first rap album, Curtis Jackson’s debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, shortly after. I continued to listen to the bullshit on the radio for almost six years; I listened to all the popular rap songs on the radio and loved every minute of them. I’ll even admit that, at one point in time, The Carter III was on my iPod (I didn’t actually waste any of my money on it, though).

This past year was my junior year in high school. Throughout the year, the only really good rap music I listened to was all by my favorite rapper, Marshall Mathers. While looking for more of Eminem’s music, I came across a song with him and The Notorious B.I.G. titled “Dead Wrong”. When I listened to it, I realized two things: (1) Marshall’s verse sounded very similar to the first verse Royce Da 5’9” had on the unreleased version of “Renagade”, and (2) I really liked Biggie Smalls. So ,I went on iTunes and started to search and, holy shit, the closest I had come to music this good was The Marshall Mathers LP. I was blown away by the storytelling and I wanted more. I purchased both Ready to Die and Life After Death, and upon hearing those albums, I decided to stop listening to bullshit pop-rap. I I picked up Illmatic and Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) as well as The Infamous and Reasonable Doubt (I got the majority of these albums from a friend of mine who introduced me to Max’s blog, which he was a huge fan of, hence all the east-coast favoritism).

Before this shift in my musical tastes, my second favorite rapper was Atlanta native Clifford Harris, also known as T.I. I first heard him on his King album, and then went on to purchase T.I. vs. T.I.P. When I heard he had been arrested for federal weapons charges, I was devastated at the thought that I might not hear a new T.I. song for 30-plus years. So, naturally, when I heard about Paper Trail I was pumped up to hear it. The title was inspired by the fact that, for the first time in his career, Clifford wrote his lyrics down on paper, instead of simply memorizing all of his lines. The album was written and recorded while T.I. was on house arrest in his Atlanta home. I bought it the day it came out, and I listened to it so many times that, even to this day, ten of the top twenty-five most listened to songs on my iPod are from Paper Trail. I memorized every single song on this album.

When I moved away from the pop-rap bullshit on the radio, I stopped listening to Paper Trail. So today, I’m going to write a review of the album while listening to it for the first time since I discovered “New York State of Mind” and “Shook Ones Pt. II”, and we’ll see if I still love this album.

Plus, I figured I’d send my review to Max since I thought he would probably never review this album anyway.

1. 56 BARS (INTRO)
Well, yeah, it’s an intro, but at least it isn't a skit: T.I. spits a three-minute verse. I thought I remembered this song, which only consists of cocky bullshit, being really good, but it isn't anything too special. However, I already understand what he's saying more than before: I knew who he was talking about when he compared himself to Andre 3000, Jay-Z, and Lupe Fiasco, but I never knew he compared himself to 2Pac, because he calls him Makaveli. Now that I have 2Pac’s whole discography, I finally understand.

2. I'M ILLY
Seeing as how T.I. was incarcerated when Lil’ Wayne’s “A Milli” came out, he never got to appear on one of the hundreds of remixes that came out. So he made his own version with a beat that was nowhere near as annoying as Lil’ Wayne’s was. This is the most listened to song on my iPod (I’ve listened to it about eighty-five times now). Needless to say, I fucking loved this song since when I first heard it on the radio the day before Paper Trail came out. Upon hearing it again, I found that it was pretty good for T.I., but overall this is just more pop-rap bullshit. T.I. compares himself to 2Pac again, which is a recurring theme throughout the album.

3. READY FOR WHATEVER
This shit is actually pretty good. In reference to his legal troubles, T.I. comes out and says that he knows he was wrong, but at the time, he didn’t think he had a choice. Considering that T.I. normally sticks with songs such as the previous two tracks, this track carries an unexpected emotional weight.

4. ON TOP OF THE WORLD (FEAT LUDACRIS & B.O.B.)
The overall concept was a good one: T.I. and Luda go back and forth between reminiscing about harder times and being two of the biggest rappers in the game. The only problem I had was that there was too much time spent bragging and not enough time reminiscing. But as Paper Trail be about how he’s turning his life around, I guess it still fits the overall theme. B.o.B.’s chorus was nothing special, but wasn’t exactly horrible, either. Overall, T.I. and Luda still have yet to make a track together where they reach their full potential.

5. LIVE YOUR LIFE (FEAT RIHANNA)
It’s extremely radio-friendly, but at least T.I. has a positive message, and he’s pretty solid lyrically. Rihanna’s chorus is fucking awesome, too. That shit pumps me up, as does Just Blaze’s beat. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this song is actually better than I remembered it to be.

6. WHATEVER YOU LIKE
Technically the second single, but the first one (which happens to be the next track) was released to keep the diehard fans happy. This was the first single released with the intention of trying to sell Paper Trail and, well, it wouldn’t be a T.I. album unless he had at least one song for the ladies. He sings (yes, sings) it with the help of the Auto-Tune. This was never supposed to be a super lyrical song: it’s supposed to get girls to go crazy so that they’ll buy the album, and it’s supposed to get guys to buy the album because if they play this song, girls will go crazy. So with that purpose in mind, T.I. succeeds.

7. NO MATTER WHAT
First of all, I forgot how much I loved Danja’s beat. That shit is fucking crazy, especially during the chorus. Once again, an emotional T.I. song is not something we’re really used to hearing, but I think it suits the beat perfectly. He also takes a few shots at fellow Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo of D4L, for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing.

8. MY LIFE YOUR ENTERTAINMENT (FEAT USHER)
I love Usher’s chorus more than Rihanna’s chorus from “Live Your Life.” In this song he talks about, well, the title really says it all. Basically, he's comparing himself to 2Pac again.

9. PORN STAR
Another track for the ladies. This one is definitely a filler track, though. T.I. convinces a girl that he just met to go home with him, have sex with him, and give him head. For the guys who want to use this song to pick up girls, I would suggest you shut it off after the second verse.

10. SWING YA RAG (FEAT SWIZZ BEATZ)
This song never did much for me, and it still doesn’t.

11. WHAT UP, WHAT'S HAAPNIN'
Another T.I. dis track to Shawty Lo. I know it’s stupid, and a lot of people probably find it annoying, but I always liked the chorus. It reminds me that the best way to get revenge is by living a happy life. That’s kind of what T.I. does in the chorus. Then in the verses he fucking destroys Shawty Lo. T.I. has always said that he wouldn’t say Shawty Lo’s name because that will make him popular, which is why T.I. thinks he started the beef in the first place, so I love it when he says “I ain’t mention yo name / That’s what all this ‘bout?” Lyrically T.I.’s solid, but Drumma Boy’s beat makes this a great song to play in your car, especially when there’s another car nearby that you can taunt.

12. EVERY CHANCE I GET
Seeing as how T.I. doesn’t say anything really worth listening to on this song, I’m going to borrow one of Max’s favorite words to describe it: Meh.

13. SWAGGA LIKE US (T.I. & JAY-Z FEAT KANYE WEST & LIL' WAYNE)
Dammit! I thought I finally emptied my iPod of Lil’ Wayne and his bullshit. He just keeps popping up. This is credited to both T.I. and Jay-Z because, originally, this was also going to appear on The Blueprint 3. I'm sure everyone’s heard this by now, but if you haven’t, it’s all about how these guys are the four biggest rappers in the game, and it samples a line fromM.I.A.'s “Paper Planes” for the title. Anyway, I didn’t care for anyone’s verse but T.I.’s. Overall, though, none of them really talk about anything.

14. SLIDE SHOW (FEAT JOHN LEGEND)
I fucking love this song. This song is what “On Top Of The World” should have been. T.I. reminisces about the past and, at the same time, gives advice to up and coming artists and people in general (specifically, kids with dope boy ambitions) that if you just be patient and don’t always do dumb shit, you can get somewhere in life. John Legend’s chorus is awesome, and the beat by Elvis “Blac Elvis” Williams goes perfectly with the overall feel of the song. The only thing I felt it was missing was a third verse from T.I, but this shit is still pretty good.

15. YOU AIN'T MISSIN' NOTHING
T.I.’s tribute to all his friends in prison. Not the kind of beat you would really expect from Drumma Boy, but I liked it. T.I.’s lyrics are once again solid, and he continues to send positive messages to people, telling everyone who’s locked up to have a plan for how they can turn their life around once released. Then he starts to rhyme about real friends of his who are in prison and the conversations he had with them,and the song ends with shout-outs to, like, forty-five people in prison (I might have exaggerated that number a little bit).

16. DEAD AND GONE (FEAT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE)
This song got quite a lot of deserved radio play, in my opinion. T.I.’s lyrics on this song are great, and Justin Timberlake comes through with a great chorus. This is like “Slide Show” in that T.I. reminisces about mistakes he’s made. However, T.I. states that T.I.P. (his drug dealing alter-ego; T.I.P. was also his rap name, before he was forced to drop the “P” since that handle was too similar too Q-Tip’s) is officially dead and from this point on, he won’t be doing all the dumb shit he used to do.

The deluxe edition of Paper Trail (available on iTunes) included two bonus tracks.

17. COLLECT CALL
All I can say is that the lyrics on here were solid.

18. I KNOW YOU MISS ME
This one wasn't as good lyrically, as it was more of a radio-friendly song. It doesn't qualify as speed rap, but T.I. does spit faster than he usually does.

FINAL THOUGHTS: T.I.'s Paper Trail was a pretty good album from a guy who is not an amazing lyricist, but a decent rapper who will probably never make anything that can really be considered classic. There are some filler tracks, but if you ignore those, T.I. actually has something to say on the remainder. He’s not a phenomenal lyricist, but he brings his A-game on this album. Although there are a number of tracks on here where T.I. brags his ass off, he has grown as an artist and as a person. In the past, he was called the Jay-Z of the south, and he wore a T-shirt with the album cover for Reasonable Doubt in a music video because he was rapping about selling drugs and the shit he used to do, just like Jay-Z tends to do, but on Paper Trail he keeps comparing himself to 2Pac, and his many emotional tracks do manage to make him come across as more similar to Pac than Hova. Another consistent trait was the fact that when T.I. had an R&B artist sing the chorus, they all did excellent work. Rihanna, Usher, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake all had great hooks on the tracks they appeared on. Now while T.I. could be considered a pop-rap artist, I have always thought of him as the best pop-rap artist. You look at Young Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne, & 50 Cent, and all they rap about is drugs, sex, and money. While T.I. isn’t necessarily a higher caliber of rapper than those three examples, I always saw him as one of the better ones because he can rap about other shit, too.

BUY OR BURN?: I’m going to recommend a buy, but only because of T.I.’s growth as an artist. If you can’t appreciate the fact that he is an alright rapper and this is his best work, than look away now. However, if you can recognize that the guy is working harder than he ever has on these songs and it is paying off in the musical quality, than this might be for you.

BEST TRACKS: “Slide Show”; “Dead And Gone”; “No Matter What”; “Ready For Whatever”; “Live Your Life”

-The Ginger Kid

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Be sure to leave your comments below. If you have something to say about T.I.'s Paper Trail, now's the time to speak your mind, because who knows when this will pop up again.)