December 30, 2014

Happy New Year and I'm taking a nap






You two may not have noticed this, but aside from that annoying break from April to mid-May where I lost the data on my computer (which I'm still pissed about - I hold grudges like a goddamn champion), HHID has been going hard all year long.  Especially after I returned: I've kept its two-posts-a-week schedule pretty admirably, I should say.  So, obviously, it's time for me to take another sanity vacation, and what better time to do it than as we segue into a new year?

As usual, thank you both for continuing to support the blog, which, while not exactly at its peak performance (that happened quite a while ago), I still think is better than ever, at least when it comes to the content in the reviews and the responses they draw.  I crossed the one-thousand-posts threshold this year, which is just crazy for me, since this was all originally intended to be a side project to keep my writing skills up to par while I worked on other things.  Still, my main goal here is to keep at this until I at least finish what I started: I also hope to clarify exactly what it is I plan to "finish" sometime in the new year.

I don't plan on being away for very long, but the state of hip hop in 2014 has made it difficult for me to give that much of a shit about newer albums, and as for all of the older ones I tend to write about, well, I have to go dig them out before I can say anything about them.  I encourage everyone to leave your thoughts and votes for your favorite hip hop moments of the year below: as usual, I will refrain from doing any kind of actual list, since I don't really believe in those things, even though I love reading everyone else's.  What can I say?  It's who I am.

(Run The Jewels 2, by the way.)

See you in the new year,
Max

27 comments:

  1. What a fucking waste

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  2. As I have been saying all year, Isaiah Rashad's Cilvia Demo is my number 1. RTJ 2 is a close second. Those albums have stuff on my all time list, and are still in my rotation.

    Nothing else is even near those two IMO.

    Biggest disappointment: NehruvianDoom, and best "mainstream" album is Oxymoron.

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  3. Albums

    1. Your Old Droog
    2. Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons
    3. Diamond D - The Diam Piece
    4. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia - Abrasions
    5. Skyzoo + Torae - Barrel Brothers

    Singles

    1. BadBadNotGood ft. Ghostface & Elzhi - Gunshowers
    2. Action Bronson - Easy Rider
    3. Your Old Droog - Gunsmoke Cologne
    4. 50 Cent - Hold On
    5. White Crows - Kick Rocks

    Yeah, it's not been a vintage year for hip-hop, after we were kinda spoiled in 2013 (Action Bronson, Ugly Heroes, Czarface, 12 Reasons to Die, Joey Bada$$, Kid Tsunami, Roc Marci, RTJ etc etc).

    But let's face it, there were still some dope beats out there - you just had to look a little harder than usual - and this blog I'm sure has helped many do exactly that, respect, Max!

    My personal faves listed above, peaceful new year y'all...

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  4. I thought it was a pretty good year for Hip Hop, but I guess I'm an outlier there.

    1. Cocaine PiƱata - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
    2. Run the Jewels 2 - Run the Jewels
    3. Good Morning Vietnam 3: The Phoenix Program - MF Grimm & Drasar Monumental

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  5. I've been reading since pretty much the start of this, thanks for all the time put in to writing these reviews - I for one really enjoy them, even if I disagree with a lot of them!

    2014 wasn't great, but I enjoyed the Cormega album particularly which I notice you still (in italics) haven't reviewed....

    Happy New Year!

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  6. Wishing you a great 2015, enjoy the time off, looking forward to reading new reviews afterwards. Peace.

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  7. I love you Max! And I promised you a reader review about 6 months ago, and I've slacked. I'm about halfway through it. One day I will get it to you, and you won't know it was me because I'm anonymous. Can't wait.

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  8. I doubt this comment will receive much support here, but Open Mike Eagle, Hurt Everybody, and Rich Gang had the three best releases this year.

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  9. Sorry for being late!! Max, I fucking loved this year!!! RTJ2, 36 Seasons, Shut Up And Rap, PRhyme, (blasphemy alert!) A Better Tomorrow, #Wakedafucup, Oxymoron, These Days..., Mega Philosophy, Blasphemy. Just to name a few.

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  10. Still surprised you haven't reviewed any KMD stuff ! Nevertheless, sleep well, my son.

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  11. We need a Barrel Brothers review brah.

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  12. Especially after I returned: I've kept its two-posts-a-week schedule pretty admirably, I should say.
    -------

    Man, whatever, we need good thoughts on good albums. Happy New Year and all the best greetings from Sevastopol. kormega.

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  13. I don't care what anyone says, A$AP Rocky is the best rapper in the game. Fuck everyone else right now

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    Replies
    1. Army of the Pharaohs will save your musical taste's life.

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    2. AOTP is so overrated lol get outta here. Army of the Pharoahs is unoriginal, just wannabe lyrical battle raps with random references to shit they probably read in history/religious textbooks from their respective high schools

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    3. That Multiply joint is fire

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    4. I suppose A$AP Rocky's the real smart guy in hip hop huh?

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    5. @Anonymous. Yep. Been saying it, but LiveLoveASAP is the strongest rap project I've heard in probably a decade. It's become one of my all-time favorite albums. The whole aesthetic behind that album is nuts.

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  14. I know this is against protocol Max, but what are your thoughts on the two mixtapes eXquire just dropped?

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  15. dude when you coming back i need something to read on my work break

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  16. Tetsuo &Youth. That is all.

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  17. you should review the wu syndicate cd. it is actually pretty solid and more worthy than some of the c team wu tang shit you have posted about in the past.

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  18. Kinda pissed me off how most people forgot about Barrel Brothers at the end of the year. It was one of the best hip-hop releases in recent memory.

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  19. Not meaning to be pushy or anything, I'm just curious... Are you planning on continuing Ice Cube soon? Would love to hear your thoughts on the War & Peace albums.

    As-salami balony my humble brother.

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