ALBUM REVIEW: Montezuma's Revenge

Souls of Mischief
Montezuma's Revenge (2009)
Album Scan
By Josh B.

 In a recent interview they asked the members of the Souls why their new album to be put out in nearly a decade was titled Montezuma's Revenge?  They answered the question twice.  The first one is that they teamed up with producer Prince Paul and rented a house on Montezuma Street in San Fran where they lived and worked until they had the new album.  Their second answer was "When you listen to it, you will shit yourself..."

ALBUM REVIEW: Shock Value 2

Timbaland
Shock Value 2 (2009)
Album Scan
By Arik Cohen

I think the greatest compliment I can give this is that it's not nearly as bad as we were expecting. Nobody was expecting anything from this album, which might be the first time people had lowered their expectations for a Timbaland-produced LP.

MF DOOM "All Outta Ale"

MF DOOM "All Outta Ale"
by Josh B.

The first time DOOM sampled Bukowski.  Sick ass dark production by The Prof.  DOOM kills the track as per usual.  Available as a b-side at first now available on DOOM's new album.  "Unexpected Guests".



From Arik C.:  This really is sick, good looks Josh!

Grammy Nominations Analysis 2009

by Arik C.


The Grammys are notoriously bad with their hip hop/rap nominations.  More than even the oscars, the Grammys tend to vote based on popularity than true talent, but in the rap section it's doubly so.  Going through past years of nominations, it feels like there isn't a single Grammy voter who actually listens to the genre and they just vote for the names they recognize.

This year isn't a whole lot different, but there are a few interesting choices that I'm very happy about.  Namely two of the five nominations for Best Rap Album of the year.  It's only two, and it's not a large step forward, but I'll take any step forward.

CLASSIC STATUS: Welcome To Our World

Timbaland & Magoo
Welcome To Our World (1997)
Classic Status
by Arik C.

When listening to Timbaland doing his grunts, his "uhs" and his "vicka-vicka-vickas" on his older work, it's very difficult to avoid conjuring up the persona of the new Timbaland:  The body-building pop-champion.  It takes a bit to remember what Timbaland once was.  He wasn't just a pop chart-climbing superproducer, but a super talented producer climbing the industry one sick drum loop at a time.

CLASSIC STATUS: Labcabincalifornia

The Pharcyde
Labcabincalifornia (1995)
Classic Status
by Josh B.

 Almost all “alternative” hip-hop heads will agree that the first Pharcyde album, Bizarre Ride 2 the Pharcyde is a classic, which I agree with.  Dropping in 92 there was nothing like it.  Sure there were other groups rocking jazzy beats with positive lyrics but Pharcyde was different.  They were able to put out a party record that was crazy, funny, dirty, carefree, and honest.  They were young guys growing up in South LA and they wanted to talk about their experiences that did not involve gunplay and G-Funk.  You would also be hard pressed to find another group that utilized a Fender Rhodes like them either.  I mean besides The Roots who else was?  Now you might be asking yourself “Why isn’t he doing Bizarre Ride as a classic status?” well it is because most people already know that is a classic.  What a lot of people need to realize is that The Pharcyde has two classic albums not just one, something that a lot of critics seem to not recognize.  Which brings me to the 1995 CLASSIC Labcabincalifornia. 

ALBUM SCAN: Attention Deficit

Wale
Attention Deficit (2009)
Album Scan
By Arik Cohen












The album opens with short, quarter-measure horns announcing his arrival.  He comes on the mic, "Ladies and gentlemen" is all he gets out before going straight into a verse.  Gentlemen, ladies, welcome to the best rap album of the year.

CLASSIC STATUS: Maid of Gold

Villain Accelerate
Maid of Gold (2003)
Classic Status
By Lewis S.

In my darkest times and latest hours, I find refuge in what I imagine to be the greater discontent of my favorite instrumental artists. Others may try to listen to something with sticky “pep” or forcefully uplifting bubbles, but I prefer to stew in brood sauce and wallow in the sad mustard of something bitter, determined, and beautiful.

TRACK SCAN: Rumors

Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Jay-Z
Rumors (2009)
Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2 (Dec 2009)
Track Scan
By Arik C.


I guess I'm a bit late to the new Timbaland track hate fest, but I'd still like to get in on the fun.


"Rumors" has a quality I've noticed a lot of tracks have at this period of hip hop history:  The quality of indiference.  It's a paint-by-the-numbers club track.  I'm sure Timbaland has a checklist for his singles now:

TRACK SCAN: Back By Popular Demand

Clipse (feat. Cam'ron)
Back By Popular Demand
by Arik C.




The strange part of this song isn't that the beat is different, but that it's so orthodox.  This beat really could be for any rapper out there, which isn't what Clipse usually go for.  I mean, it's nice to have Pharrell working on good beats for a change of pace, so I'm not going to complain.  But did Cam'ron demand something normal to work on?  (Speaking of which, what the hell is Cam'ron doing on a Clipse track?  That would be like Tom Cruise guest appearing in a Ben Stiller or Jack Black movie.  Aw damn it.)

NEWS: Madvillain Part 2!!!!

For those who care, which should be everyone, it seems Madlib and MF Doom are back in the studio recording under the name Madvillain again. Slow burn beats under slow burn rhymes? Color me excited. And play the above video for a reminder or intro to Madvillain's first album from 2004, Madvillainy. (I wonder how they came up with that album name...)

Read more about it at Pitchfork.

TRACK SCAN: Too Many Rappers

Beastie Boys [feat. Nas]
Too Many Rappers (2009)
Track Scan
By Josh B.



I hope this track is a good indicator as to how the rest of this album will be. The production was handled by the B-Boys themselves and has a live band sound to it. The drums are outstanding. NaS actually fits in well with the Beastie Boys rhyme style. I personally think everyone shines but I have to say that Mike D kills it. “Rocking stadiums to shitty bars/ Go back in time send a fax from my car!” I love the nod to the fans that have been down since at least the “Check Your Head Era” 1992.

ALBUM SCAN: Tongue N' Cheek

Dizzee Rascal
Tongue N' Cheek (2009)
Album Scan
By Arik C.












For those too lazy to read the rest of the review, you can be assured that Dizzee keeps his streak going.  Four albums deep and he's yet to release a bad one.  Go Dizzee.  Though his latest, Tongue'n'Cheek has dipped the lowest.

ALBUM SCAN: Escape Route

Joe Budden
Escape Route (2009)
Album Scan
By Arik C.

Just a couple years ago, Joe Budden would be #1 on my list of MCs who needed to come out with a studio album already.  He became an instant critic's fav in 2003 by doing something rap is rarely good at: club singles with art.  His self-titled 2003 debut featured the Just Blaze produced hits "Pump It Up" and "Fire (Yes Yes Ya'll)", that latter of which could very well be the definitive night-out-partying jam of the decade.  And "Focus" off the same album is, for my money, one of the most innovative productions this side of Dizzee Rascal.  Even his sex anthem ("Pornostar") was somewhat innovative.  (You have to remember, 2003 was a world before the minor Ying Yang Twins vs David Banner sex war, where the former released the painful "Wait (Whisper Song)" and David Banner hit back with the superior "Play.")

ALBUM SCAN: Carried Away

People Under The Stairs
Carried Away (2009)
Album Scan
By Josh B.

If I was Kool Moe Dee and I was handing out my famous Hip-Hop Report Card, I would have to give People Under the Stairs 7th album “Carried Away” an A for sticking to the themes.  From its beats, rhymes, swagger, and execution, it is one of the most solid hip-hop albums I have heard in a while.  PUTS have been together for over 10 years now and are still going strong. 

An Introduction: Lewis "Nym" Scaife

By Lewis Scaife

My name is Lewis Scaife, but most people know me as Nym.
I am a white-mutt male from reformed hippy heritage. I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, but grew up on a farm in Falmouth, Virginia. My childhood was spent chasing chickens, feeding goats, picking vegetables and writing stories. Now, I live in San Francisco’s Mission District. Currently, I am working as a computer lab teacher at Misson Dolores School as an AmeriCorps volunteer under my second year of national service.

ALBUM SCAN: Hello Nasty [Reissue]

Beastie Boys
Hello Nasty [reissue] (1998/2009)
Album Scan
By Josh B.

First off I have to say that this review is going to be kind of biased. I am a huge fan of The “BEATsie” Boys. I know that this album was very popular when it came out in 1998 thanks to the huge ubiquitous single “Intergalactic” but if there is one thing to say about this album is that it is so much more than just one single.

CLASSIC STATUS: Things Fall Apart

The Roots
Things Fall Apart (1999)
Classic Status
By Lewis Scaife

Hip hop beats are the raspberries of contemporary music. Favorite albums tend to molder on the shelves if they are not actively consumed. If the artist gets washed up, the product quickly disintegrates into mushy globules of something that was once delicious. What was fresh and expensive yesterday quickly turns to compost.

ALBUM SCAN: Corkscrew Gaps EP

Panacea
Corkscrew Gaps EP (2009)
Album Scan
By Josh B.

First off, Panacea is a hip-hop tandem hailing from Washington DC.  They are comprised of soundscape technician K-Murdock, and amazing emcee Raw Poetic.  They have already released 4 full albums and are getting ready to release their 5^th album 12 Step Program.  Their 2^nd and 3^rd albums were released through the famous indy label Rawkus Records. 

ALBUM SCAN: Blueprint 3

Jay-Z
Blueprint 3 (2009)
Album Scan
by Arik Cohen

I always remembered Jay-Z getting the best, groundbreaking beats on his albums. If it was Jay-Z, you were getting ear-shattering beats. But I think I was mistaken. With the exceptions of Kingdom Come and The Dynasty Roc la Familia* he was more likely to get the best of the current set. The soul-sampling of Blueprint wasn’t exactly groundbreaking in its production, nor was the hard-pop of Volume 3, they were just the best collections of the current style. It’s like he didn’t want to change rap, he just waited for rap to change so he can step up and say he’s the best of the new style.

An Introduction: Josh B.

My Name is Josh
By Josh B.

I just want to introduce myself before I start posting reviews and opinions about Hip-Hop Music/Culture/ETC. I am not a journalist. This is the only blog I participate on. I have no credentials as a critic what so ever. But I love Hip-Hop and I consider myself a part of the Hip-Hop Generation.

An Introduction: Arik Cohen

Allow me to (re)introduce myself.
By Arik Cohen

If one were to judge a book by its cover and try to pinpoint the exact genre of music I prefer based completely on my physical appearance, hip hop would probably average out to guess number seven.  If one were to try to pinpoint the exact genre of music I prefer based on my family history and upbringing, hip hop would once again be far down on the list. If one tried to pinpoint the exact genre of music I prefer based on my friendship circles, hip hop would show up a bit higher, but most likely it wouldn’t make the top ten.  Yet here I am today, with an album collection featuring very little guitar.