Album Review: "Rising Down"- The Roots

This new Roots album is one that I've been anticipating for some time now and it just leaked onto the nets. Will this be the next great Roots album or just another lackluster post-2000 release?


1. The Pow Wow


An argument over the phone that I can't understand



2. Rising Down (Feat. Mos Def & Styles P)


The best song I've heard this year hands down. The beat is great and the rhymes are generally on point, especially Black Thought's. And what's more is that Mos Def actually raps on this and doesn't just do R&B crooning on the hook or whatever.



3. Get Busy (Feat. Dice Raw & DJ Jazzy Jeff)


This one's kind of experimental because it's got that kind of live, Root's sound with the drums but also a synth bassline thing. Can't argue with the results though because the track is definitely hard. Dice Raw comes through with the hip hop quoteable "I'm kinda like W.E.B. DuBoise/Meets Heavy D. & The Boys." Jazzy Jeff on the cuts...just another great track.



4. @15


A freestyle



5. 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)


The obligatory Roots song where Black Thought raps straight through the track with distorted sounding vocals except with the same sound as "Get Busy". A pretty good track but Black could probably tone down on the N word there.



6. Becoming Unwritten


Like the interludes on [insert Roots album here].



7. Criminal (Feat. Saigon & Truck North)


The weakest beat so far and the singing on the hook is a little annoying. Being the Saigon stan that I am I was happy to see him on this album I just wish there was a more exciting track for him to be on.



8. I Will Not Apologize (Feat. P.O.R.N & Dice Raw)


This is just alright like the last one. It sounds like Talib Kweli is on the chorus but doesn't rap on this which is sort of strange.



9. I Can't Help It (Feat. Malik B. & P.O.R.N.)


This one is more synthy sounding and thus more interesting. Maybe this is the natural progression of the Roots sound or something.



10. Singing Man (Feat. Truck North & P.O.R.N.)


This is just weird. The first really skippable track though.



11. Unwritten (Feat. Mercedez Martinez)


Another interlude, this one with rapping.



12. Lost Desire (Feat. Talib Kweli & Malik B.)


Maybe the worst of the synth beats but still a good track. The singing on the hook here is better than on the other songs and the guest spots are nice too.



13. The Show (Feat. Common)


Think of this as a blend between the new, electronic Roots and, say the Phrenology Roots. Still one of the best tracks since the beginning of the album.



14. Rising Up (Feat. Chrisett Michelle & Wale)


This song is kind of weird but I think I could get used to it. It's a nice switch up all the hard, synth beats and stuff. Def Jam is really pushing this Chrisett Michelle, huh?



15. Hidden Track


An old freestyle or something.



Overall:

This is a no brainer when you look at the lack of quality albums to drop this year. For a reference point, I like this to the Roots last two albums, at least on first listen.


Best Tracks: "Rising Down", "Get Busy", "75 Bars"

New Heat From Nas

War Is Necessary

I'm back people, sorry for the layoff, I hope some people still visit this blog. Anyway Nas has had some stuff leak to the nets this week including "Be A N- too" which I think is gonna make the new album. This one, which is more to my liking, will be on the new GTA.

Back With More Dream Albums...

Since my last series of photoshopped dream albms got such a positive response, I went back to the lab and made some more. Without further ado:

Crooked I- The Boss

Crooked I is the nicest lyricist on the West Coast, maybe ever (Ras Kass was probably better). Anyway, he signed with Death Row but never put out an official album there. He continues to drop mixtapes and those weekly freestyles but still no album. Hopefully one is in the near future. You know what this is based off of but here it is anyway:

The Fab Five- Fab Five Forever

This isn't technically a dream album since it was a shelved project years ago and could still happen. For those who don't know or can't tell by the pictures, the Fab Five was Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. as one group. Here is Wu-Tang Forever for comparison:

Fabolous & Just Blaze- Optimus Rhyme

Fabolous deserves some hate for the R&B duets and Young Jeezy collabs and whatnot but he has undeniable talent. Based off of 2004's "Breath" produced by Just, the two are more than capable of making a classic street album together. The original album is Lord Finesse's Funky Technician:

Auditions For The Biggie Biopic

For those who don't know, the part of Biggie was given to another fat rapper from Brooklyn called Gravy. I guess Anthony Anderson was busy. Anyhow, here are some clowns auditioning for the part:

Photoshop Dream Albums

At first I was just gonna make a post about the rumored Nas and Jay-Z project, The Kings of Hip Hop, which would be monumental. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of that album? Anyway, I thought it would be cool if they went with that "nod to the old school" album cover theme like these:

So I made this:

For Comparison:

Phenomenal Right? Anyway, after making this, I thought about utilizing my incredible photoshop skills to make other dream albums of mine. Here are the rest:

50 Cent & Kanye West: He's The Dbag, I'm The Rapper

You backpackers may whine about this one but this album would have some serious shit plus it would sell at least one billion copies. Again for comparison:

Cormega, AZ, & DJ Premier are De La Street- The Rotten Apple

I don't think they've done a track all together before but in 2006 there was Cormega's "Dirty Game" and AZ's "The Format", two ridiculous tracks both produced by Premo. Plus their collab on the Statik Selektah album was great too. I'm sure they could come up with something better than De La Street but I tried to fuck up as little text as possible there. Based off De La Souls last release (not old school but a legendary crew anyway):

Bishop Lamont & Dr. Dre: California Minded

Unlike that last one, this one has a legit shot happening just as soon as Dre gets in the studio and gets to work. Never. Here's a snippet of a track called "I Dominate" which sounds like a monster. And of course, Criminal Minded:

Nas- "What It Is" Snippet Pt. II

A while back I posted an awful new song by Nas called "What It Is." Well, it's resurfaced months later and, well, its good! DJ Khalil lays down the real beat for the track and plays it here at some kind of computer beatmaking convention.

Nas What it is first listen Dj Khalil
by Bounce2dis

Info On The New Roots Album

It looks like I have something new to look foward to. Two days ago, Entertainment Weekly reviewed what they had heard of the new Roots, Rising Down. The album is set to drop April 29 with rumored guest appearences from Lupe Fiasco, Common, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Styles P, Wale, and more. Here is the first leaked track off the album, "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)"

Album Review: "NY's Finest"- Pete Rock

Almost two months have come and go this year without a single worthwhile release, which will make this, set to drop next tuesday, the first. I have been anticipating this album because I'm big into the whole producer album thing and Pete Rock beats at least garauntee musical quality, though Soul Survivor II showed us all that they don't garauntee entertainment value. This suspense is too much!



1. Pete Intro


Just some clips of people saying shit


2. We Roll (Feat. Jim Jones & Max B.)

I posted this song on the blog four months ago and have bumped it ever since. In regards to Jim Jones, anyone could rhyme over this and I'd still enjoy to some degree. Other, newer producers just don't make them like this.


3. 'Till I Retire

This came out on the 12" with "We Roll" but I never checked it. It's eerie and spacey for a Pete Rock beat but still good. You could assume the subject based on the title, but its basically saying that he's still nice and will be until he retires. To be honest, all I was thinking about during his verses was who his new ghost writers are.


4. 914 (Feat. Styles P & Sheek Louch)

iTunes says that I added this 12/27/06. While I still really like the song, I have to believe that Pete has made enough tracks in the last year plus to fill an album with fresh material. Anyhow, Pete flips the "Ain't No Half Steppin'" horns, naturally in a more tasteful fashion than the other million producers who have done this in the past. Styles and Sheek do their thing reppin NY and whatnot.


5. Questions (Feat. Royal Flush)

Royal Flush (serious!) fields questions and answers in rap form (I'm sure this has been done before, right?). Anyhow, I expected this to be shit considering he probably hasn't made anything worth listening to in eleven years but it was hot. Another darker kind of beat, maybe Pete Rock's new style?


6. Best Believe (Feat. Redman)

Fuckin banger. I'm not even a big Redman fan but he jumps on the crazy horn beat and murders it. The only negative here is LD who handles the second verse. They couldn't get Redman to do two?


7. Ready Fe War (Feat. Chip Fu & Renee Neufville)

After a minute and a half intro about the word "bomboclot", my worst fears were confirmed, a Raggae track. Chip Fu, who used to rap, just does some Jamaican wailing shit like one of those Marley kids or something. Even Pete Rock raps in a Jamaican accent.


8. Don't Be Mad

The point of these albums is to have Pete Rock beats and good rappers over them, no? Well this is a Green Lantern beat with a Pete Rock solo. Not that its awful, but I'm sure the beat would have been better had the Soul Brotha himself handled it, and his rhymes are more difficult to digest in mass.


9. Bring Y'all Back (Feat. Little Brother)

The loop is like a tuba or something but it sounds pretty decent especially when the strongs kick in. Joe Scudda raps on this in addition to LB but they all fail to say anything of interest.


10. The Best Secret (Feat. The Lords of the Underground)

It's almost funny at this point when the guest rapper pops up. I don't think I've heard a post-'94 Lords track and I must say, they are really fucking bad nowadays. The secret is out I guess.


11. That's What I'm Talking About (Feat. Rell)

The less than amusing piano loop with the shaker hi-hat things isn't doing it for me. This Rell guy ruins it with all his fucking singing anyway.


12. The PJ's (Feat. Masta Killa & Raekwon)

Pete takes his recycling to a new level. I got this on that Nature Sounds compilation May, 2006. This track is still as great as it was then. It's like smooth, soulful, and grimey all at once. Can't go wrong with Rae and Masta Killa either.


13. Made Men (Feat. Tarrey Torae)

Not much to write about this. Just boring. Is Torrey Torae just Torae or somebody else completely?


14. Let's Go (Feat. Doo Wop)

A short, messy track. More interesting than the last couple at least.


15. Comprehend (Feat. Papoose)

I'm not sure what to even make of Papoose at this point but I can't say that I'm impressed with anything here. The serious piano beat doesn't suite Papoose very well. Or maybe Papoose just can't ride the beat one or the other.


Overall:

This one was all over the map. The first six songs were great but then the rest was mostly skippable. I want to say that I was dissapointed, but I'm taking for granted the songs that I've already heard which I like alot. Oh, and where was C.L. Smooth for this? They had to rustle up the fucking Lords of the Underground instead? Come on.


Best Tracks: "We Roll", "The PJ's", "Best Believe"

DITC Making a Comeback?

The legendary Diggin' In The Crates crew has some big things planned for 2008. Among the rumored projects are a new Show & AG album, an AG and OC album, a Grand Puba (Of Brand Nubian) solo produced by Lord Finesse, and a DITC album. Here is a new track from AG and OC produced by Showbiz: 2 For the Money.

Underrated Producers

While some producers are known worldwide for changing the game (Dre, RZA, etc.) and others praised by hip hop heads for banging out classics (Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor etc.), there are a few great 90's producers who still get no love. These guys lack the track record of the guys I mentioned, but were still crazy behind the boards.

Jaz-O

Best known for putting Jay-Z on to the game, The Jaz was not only a rapper but a telented beat maker. While DJ Premier gets the credit (as he should) for what is regarded as one of the best produced albums of all time, Group Home's Living Proof, Jaz-O produced "4 Give My Sins" which stacks up fairly well against some of Premo's best work. Premier also had Big Jaz contribute to M.O.P.'s Firing Squad, where it is arguable that he even outshined Premier (not
my opinion) by making the album's most recognizable beat, "World Famous," which was later used for Scarface's hit "My Block." Among his other accomplishments (and basically rounding off his catalaugue) was his work with Jay-Z, including "Ain't No Nigga" and the classic "In My Lifetime (Big Jaz Mix)".

The Vinyl Reanimators

The Vinyl Reanimators are a beat making trio of DJ Shame (pictured), Joe Mansfield, and Rhythm Nigga Joe. While their production credits are limited to a handful of songs, the one's I've heard are all great. "Too Complex" (one of the best beats evar) and "It's Your Life" are two standouts from L Da Headtoucha's Destined For Greatness, and Ed O.G.'s Acting, which will be re-released this year, is a gem produced entirely by the Reanimators. That being said, what they do best is remix classics. Some that I've heard are Kool G. Rap's "Fast Life," De La Soul's "The Bizness," and two (1 & 2) great remixes of Rakim's "Guess Who's Back?"