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July 31st, 2009Uncategorized
Tracklisting:
1. Joe Gibbs and the Professionals - Power Pack
2. Masekela - Ashiko
3. Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra - Love Has Come My Way
4. Disco Warriors - Cumbaya Disco
5. Kalyan - Disco Reggae
6. Sam Most - Jungle Fantasy
7. George Benson - The World is a Ghetto
8. Cymande - Brothers on the Slide (Ruffy and Tuffy Edit)
9. Donald Byrd - Change(Makes You Want to Hustle)
10. John Ozila - Kandika
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July 30th, 2009Uncategorized
Cr2 Records first launched there LIVE & DIRECT compilation series at the tail end of 2007. The series started with a bang, featuring a head-to-head electro house battle between Dirty South & Kurd Maverick. Having said that, the series reached new heights with the Miami 2008 Compilation, which was extremely well received and leaped straight to the top of the charts. This was no mean feat considering the competition, which included the mainstay brands such as Azuli, Ministry of Sound and Defected.
Cr2 Miami 2009 follows on exactly where the 2008 edition left us…hanging on for one more tune! The compilation again offers 3 CD’s, with the theme across the CD’s spanning CD1-Day / CD2-Night and CD3-Classics. This combination seems to really work enabling the label to cover the broad spectrum of music they release.
The compilation features a massive 47 tracks, of which 20 are exclusive to Cr2! Featuring upfront cuts from DJ Sneak vs Herve, Mark Brown, Harry Choo Choo Romero & Jose Nunez… plus ‘Love Emergency’ the huge new single from Kurd Maverick Feat. Sam Obernik.
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July 29th, 2009Uncategorized
Intro - Magnificent Ruffians
Times Up - OC (whats up now refix)
Come Clean - Jeru The Damaja
Wrong Side of the Tracks - Artifacts
Undisputed Champs - Del, Q-tip, and Peplove
Remember We - Da Bush Babees (wanna chill refix)
Synopsis - Erule
Represent - Nas
The Real Weight - No I.D
Father Time - Saukrates
3 the Hard Way - Bahamadia
ALONGWAYTOGO - Gangstarr
Paparazzi - Xzibit
Shimmy Shimmy - Ol Dirty Bastard (award refix)
Steve Biko(stir it up) - A Tribe Called Quest
Return of the Boom Bap - KRS-ONE
Likwit - Tha Alkaholics -
Drop -The Pharcyde
Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nothing Ta F-wit - Wu Tang (Dulok Shaman intro)
Who Got the Props - Black Moon
Real Paper - Pheo & Speak Outro
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July 28th, 2009Uncategorized
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Guitar
(New York, NY, USA)
Kurt has taken the evolution of jazz guitar improvisation and composition to the next level.
Web Side:
http://www.kurtrosenwinkel.com/ -
July 27th, 2009Uncategorized
1. INTRO
This is a pretty good intro, on the level of some of Shawn Carter's album prefaces, but any and all references to Avril Lavigne in a rap song should be verboten.
2. #1
I honestly can't remember anything about this song, and I just heard it.
3. PUMP IT UP
As I wrote in the past, producer Just Blaze first gave this beat to Jay-Z for The Black Album, and Shawn declined, so it ended up going to the first runner-up. Joey tries his best to turn this track into a radio-friendly jam, but it just never took off around my way (although it was a minor hit elsewhere), even though he deliberately dumbed his lyrics down for mass appeal. However, because of that dumbing-down, I didn't really like this song, either. I suppose there is no winning here.
4. PUSHA MAN
The contrived hook almost ruins a perfectly serviceable song, even though the White Boy instrumental is very dull to listen to. Sigh...
5. U AIN'T GOTTA GO HOME (FEAT DJ CLUE)
This song sounds like a fucking mess, and the fact that DJ Clue appears makes it that much worse. Pass.
6. WALK WITH ME
I first heard this song after beating Def Jam: Fight For NY, and I remember thinking that it sounded good over the closing credits. Taken out of that context, this shit is still really good. Joey describes his paranoia in a pretty effective manner, and the instrumental is perfect for walking with your thoughts in a downpour. You may want to take an umbrella, though. Hey, it's your health.
7. SHE WANNA KNOW (FEAT LIL' MO)
The fuck is this shit?
8. SURVIVOR
My God, I was fucking bored to death. I suppose it doesn't really help that I was also bitten by the undead mailman while listening to Joe Budden. Hopefully my zombie self can finish the write-up before my mind deterioracsfcnsdklcfnkcvneneivn
9. FIRE (FEAT BUSTA RHYMES)
A Just Blaze-created pseudo-club banger that, to my knowledge, never banged in any clubs around my way, but is still way better than “Pump It Up”. I was pretty surprised to hear this song pop up in a house party scene in Lindsay Lohan's Mean Girls, but I'm sure Def Jam payed a pretty penny for that product placement. There's a remix that features fellow Jersey resident Redman spitting a lark of a hook: the re-do is completely useless, since apparently Reggie couldn't find the time to actually write a verse. Stick with this version instead. Oh, and Busta Rhymes is on here, too.
10. MA MA MA (FEAT 112)
Meh.
11. CALM DOWN
I hated the hook, but lyrically, this song is fascinating. The beat sounds a tad bit too energetic for anyone to actually calm down, though.
12. FOCUS
Over an unorthodox White Boy beat, Joey spits random shit, but sounds good doing so. Everything about this track screams “album track”; it's one of those gems that you tend to find only after letting the disc play from the beginning. (And yes, I'm aware that a small part of this song appeared at the end of the “Pump It Up” video and made its debut appearance on mixtapes. I still stand by my statement.)
13. GIVE ME REASON
This Just Blaze beat is godawful for Joey, since it forces him to spit in an insipid fashion in order to match it. Groan...
14.STAND UP N---A
Although Joey didn't actually spell out the word “n---a” in the traditional manner, that is still clearly the word he wanted to associate with, so that's why I edited the title. The one long verse is really good, and the beat accompanies it pretty well, since it reminds me of a 1980s cop buddy flick, but the coda at the end is fucking terrible.
15. 10 MINS
Usually I believe that there is no reason for a song ten minutes in length to ever appear on any rapper's proper album (mixtape remixes, no matter how boring and unnecessary, are exempt from this rule): the Wu-Tang Clan has nine members, and they never made a song that was ten minutes long. “10 Mins” does not change my mind. Joey's rhymes are actually decent (and the fact that he wastes the first minute of the song by chatting and otherwise not rapping is a plus for my attention span), but the beat is not engaging enough to captivate any audience for any length of time, although to producer Lofey's credit, the instrumental at least tries to engage, switching itself up frequently.
The following are considered to be Joe Budden bonus tracks.
16. REAL LIFE IN RAP
Joey takes the popular route of calling out studio gangsters (rappers who in no way have ever come close to living the life they rhyme about) and spins it in a pretty funny way. The beat straddles the fine line between decent and corny, but with the topic at hand, it works regardless. The hook is predictably awful, but this is still a hip hop album we're talking about.
17. PORNO STAR
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this vapid track was forced onto Joey by the label, in an effort to reach as wide of an audience as possible. This is a terrible way to end an album. Even a pretentious outro shouting out God (for making this all possible!), your mother, your weed carrying crew, and random rappers who you may admire but still had nothing to do with the creation of the album, would have been more appealing than this shit.
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July 26th, 2009Uncategorized
1. FREE
I appreciate the fact that Freeway avoided including a rap album intro, opting to start Philadelphia Freeway off with an actual song. Sadly, I was pretty bored with this option. Not that an intro would have ever been preferable, mind you.
2. WHAT WE DO (FEAT JAY-Z & BEANIE SIGEL)
Beardy completely dominates this Roc-A-Fella posse cut, outshining both his boss and his contemporary, as it should be, since it is a Freeway song, after all. Shawn's reference to Freeway's beard also made me laugh out loud. This is actually the best Roc-A-Fella posse cut to come out of the camp, and its accompanying The Wire-inspired clip (with a few of the actual actors from the show) only adds to the proceedings. I'd bet that Memphis Bleek cries himself to sleep every night, wondering why Shawn didn't let him jump on (read: ruin) this track.
3. ALL MY LIFE (FEAT NATE DOGG)
Overall, I liked this track, but some of Beardy's lines are funny for all of the wrong reasons. Otherwise, not bad.
4. FLIPSIDE (FEAT PEEDI CRAKK)
I first heard this Just Blaze banger while playing Def Jam: Fight For NY. The beat pretty much rocks, and it also proves that Justin creates better beats for everyone who isn't named Jay-Z. That said, the clean edit is the one which appears in the game, and this song is decidedly not clean. Then again, most of the songs I review are decidedly not clean, so there you go.
5. ON MY OWN (FEAT NELLY)
I'm not a fan of Nelly as a rapper. He has a couple of okay songs (both of which are produced by The Neptunes), and his videos contain some decent imagery much of the time (I can think of one scene in particular in the clip for some recent Nelly track featuring Ciara and Jermaine Dupri), but for the most part, I couldn't care less. Thankfully, he only appears on the hook, doing his sing-songy shimmy-shimmy-cocoa-puff thing, and the song itself is not ruined because of it. This actually isn't bad.
6. WE GET AROUND (FEAT SNOOP DOGG)
This isn't bad, either, although a collaboration between Free and Snoop doesn't exactly feel like the natural order of things. The hook is all sorts of awful, though: I suppose some of you may consider that a small price to pay to hear Calvin Broadus sound entirely comfortable over a Just Blaze beat, but that's on you two.
7. DON'T CROSS THE LINE (FEAT FAITH EVANS)
Meh.
8. LIFE (FEAT BEANIE SIGEL)
I just listened to this track, and I can't remember a thing about it, save for the fact that Sigel does, in fact, make an appearance.
9. FULL EFFECT (FEAT YOUNG GUNZ)
I really liked this track. Justin's beat goes a long way toward making the Roc-A-Fella seat fillers sound good, and Beardy comes across as a thoroughly engaging emcee. Which is all you can ask for, really.
10. TURN OUT THE LIGHT (FREEWEST) (FEAT KANYE WEST)
Kanye West's beat sounds similar to the stuff that he gave to every other Roc-A-Fella artist that wasn't named Jay-Z. Which is to say, it's alright, but it's not real.
11. VICTIM OF THE GHETTO (FEAT RELL)
Decent, but nothing special.
12. YOU DON'T KNOW (IN THE GHETTO) (FEAT OMILLIO SPARKS)
Two songs in a row with the word “ghetto” in the title? That's usually not a good sign, and Beardy doesn't say or do anything to persuade me otherwise.
13. ALRIGHT (FEAT ALLEN ANTHONY)
Justin Blaze creates a beat that sounds like one of those 1980s songs I tried to avoid (because I'm a New Wave guy, through and through), but, honestly, I liked this shit a lot. Its sound brings back a pleasant form of nostalgia, and both Free's lyrics and Allen Anthony's singing mesh well with the music. Good show.
14. HEAR THE SONG
There wasn't anything objectionable about this song, but the only comment that I can make without re-listening and re-forgetting the song itself is this: what is with Freeway's obsession with selecting Kanye West instrumentals that sound like leftovers from The Blueprint? Free sounds great over the harder stuff, so filling Philadelphia Freeway with mostly soulful beats has officially mystified me.
The following tracks are considered Philadelphia Freeway's bonus songs.
15. YOU GOT ME (FEAT MARIAH CAREY & JAY-Z)
Raise your hand if you feel thatMariah CareyMrs. Nick Cannon has been irrelevant since that “Heartbreaker” song she did with Hova. Okay, put them down: you're wrong, anyway. Mariah had a pretty good minor comeback with both versions of “We Belong Together”. Oh, this song? It sucks balls. Why do you ask?
16. LINE 'EM UP (FEAT YOUNG CHRIS)
Wasn't bad at all, until Young Inexperienced Chris spit his guest verse, which brought my IQ down by a couple hundred points. Now I'm not even sure I can dress myself, let alone finish a rev
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July 25th, 2009Uncategorized
Here's a new Disco edit by David Shaw of the MTL Loose Joints DJ's - really smooth production and a sexy molasses groove. -
July 24th, 2009Uncategorized
Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa is an important record not just because it has a most dancable african jazz groove but because it is the first record that club DJs truly made into a hit record.
Originally from Cameroon, Manu Dibango was interested in music at an early age and eventually moved to France to study at Jules Ferry College in St. Calais and ended up in Paris later on. It is in Paris that he frequented Jazz clubs and built a reputation as an excellent musician.
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July 23rd, 2009Uncategorized
1. INTRO
I wasn't impressed with this mostly instrumental intro.
2. YA DON'T STOP
Although the “hook” (really just a few vocal samples) sounds incomplete, this song is still pretty fun. The lyrics don't really go much father than “I like to fuck, drink beer, and smoke some shit, and if you get in my way, I'll kill you, or at least throw my crumpled-up Taco Bell wrapper at you” (except a tad bit more charming than that), so consider yourself forewarned.
3. PROPS OVER HERE
The first in a two-part series stressing the importance of “getting props” for your hard work and dedication. The instrumental is simple, and it engages the listener to such a degree that you won't actually mind that Fashion is the only rapper on here that sounds like me may actually have a future in the craft.
4. HELLRAISER
Somehow the energy level manages to rise to even higher, um, heights (until the end of this track, in which a smooth instrumental abruptly appears and plays out until the next song starts). The hook is grade school horseshit, and it even gets repeated as part of a verse at one point (I guess the Beatnuts needed to fill some dead air), but the song as a whole isn't that bad.
5. ARE YOU READY (FEAT GRAND PUBA & DJ SINISTER)
I liked this track, but nothing really stood out to me. Which is odd, considering the guests involved.
6. SUPERBAD (FEAT DJ SINISTER)
Not a terrible song (far from it), but the title alone made me want to watch the Michael Cera – Jonah Hill Superbad. You know, the intentionally funny use of that title.
7. STRAIGHT JACKET
I found this to be boring as shit. Folks don't usually look to the Beatnuts for subdued production. The Ol' Dirty Bastard vocal sample was a decent touch, but it doesn't tip the scales one way or another.
8. LET OFF A COUPLE
Short and sweet, although Juju's verse ends abruptly, right when you're getting into it.
9. RIK'S JOINT (FEAT MISS JONES)
I thought the female vocals were a nice touch. However, I still didn't like this crap, so the crew's love for their many fans is rendered moot by a pointless track.
10. FRIED CHICKEN (FEAT V.I.C.)
At first, the blunted beat recalls some early DJ Muggs-type shit, and the three rappers rhyme about a bunch of nothing, albeit commendably (Fashion and Juju especially). Then you realize that the beat remains stagnant for the full length of the song, and it drives you fucking nuts. Although if I were stoned right now, I probably would crave some actual fried chicken, so that's cool.
11. YEAH YOU GET PROPS
Part 2 of a two-part series describing the historical significance of “getting props” and retaining said props. You'll probably want to skip this and, instead, watch that months-old last season finale of Entourage that you've been putting off because all of last season was entirely underwhelming. Or maybe that's just me.
12. GET FUNKY
Welcome back to the world of entertainment, fellas. The Beatnuts give up on there needless quest to “get props” and decide to create a song that is wholly satisfying, which, coincidentally, earns them props anyway. Who knew that was how that worked?
13. HIT ME WITH THAT
Of the two members of the crew that remain, I've always regarded Juju as the more talented (okay, that may be pushing it...let's just say, consistent) behind the mic, and this song may be one of the reasons why. This track would rock even without the Method Man sample in the hook: this is just pure, unadulterated hip hop especially for fans of our chosen genre.
14. 2-3 BREAK (FEAT GAB)
The idea of this song is pretty fucking awesome. The individual members of the crew all rhyme to their own beat. However, Gab jumps onto Juju's verse, and Psycho Les threatens to crash this car into an oncoming train with his terrible lyrics. Well, at least the thought was admirable. (And yes, I realize that nobody buys Beatnuts albums for the lyricism, but do you remember my comments about Ras Kass and his hot lyrics but poor production, and how that combination does not make for a good product? It works both ways.)
15. LICK THE PUSSY
For a sex rap, this is about as boring as how Paris Hilton looked in her sex tape. Do people really find the idea of banging a blond chick who shows no interest whatsoever in the events transpiring in or around her mouth even remotely sexy? Clearly they do, because her praying mantis-looking ass is still making money. Sigh.
16. SANDWICHES
A really good beat punctuates this corny (but good) one-verse wonder from Psycho Les. I knew he had it in him.
17. PSYCHO DWARF
Ending your album with one of the better tracks from your debut EP is pretty cool, if you even have a debut EP to draw from. Even if it does end with a loud burp.
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July 22nd, 2009Uncategorized
1. INTRO
This is the kind of rap album intro that critics hail as “organic” and “innovative”, thus validating the artistry attempted, but people who listen to music for entertainment purposes hate this pretentious shit. Max falls into the latter category.
2. GASOLINE DREAMS (FEAT KHUJO)
A high-energy, and, yet, incredibly weak, way to start off Stankonia. I always thought the song was decent and forgettable in the past, but I realize today that this is a master class in misdirection: it's all loud noises and shouting, diverting audiences from the fact that all three rappers sound off.
3. I'M COOL (INTERLUDE)
…
4. SO FRESH, SO CLEAN (FEAT SLEEPY BROWN & RICO WADE)
At least Stankonia seems to pick up steam early on. Single number three was an interesting choice, as there was nothing like it on the radio at that point in time. This track remains cooler than sipping a milkshake in a snowstorm. There's a remix for this song featuring Snoop Dogg (featured on the soundtrack to Calvin's horror flick Bones) readily available on the Interweb: that version is hardly worth the price of admission. (While writing this part of the review, I also discovered that there's a Fatboy Slim remix of this song that was commercially released. Has anybody ever heard that version? Let me know if it's worth my time.)
5. MS. JACKSON
This second single also sounded absolutely nothing like anything else on the radio at the time. Hell, it didn't even sound remotely related to Stankonia's first single. It's altogether pleasant, and the inclusion of the wedding march hidden behind Big Boi's final verse was a nice touch. However, while it is a good song, it's not essential Outkast. Yeah, I said it.
6. SNAPPIN' & TRAPPIN' (FEAT KILLER MIKE & J-SWEET)
The outro is entirely unnecessary, but this collaboration between Big Boi and Killer Mike (who would later win a Grammy alongside Outkast for “The Whole World”, a track which only appears on the duo's greatest hits compilation) is infectious otherwise. Andre 3000 is nowhere to be found, though: I assume he drew the short straw.
7. D.F. (INTERLUDE)
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8. SPAGHETTI JUNCTION
The beat only barely evokes the feeling of starring in a Sergio Leone classic spaghetti western, but it's still pretty dope. The back and forth between Dre and Big Boi reminds me of how they sounded on their debut album, the one with the long title that I don't feel like spellchecking right now. Anyway, this song is pretty good.
9. KIM & COOKIE (INTERLUDE)
Already there are too many fucking interludes on Stankonia.
10. I'LL CALL BEFORE I COME (FEAT GANGSTA BOO & ECO)
This song is silly, but ultimately unnecessary. This track was recorded before Gangsta Boo (formerly of the Academy Award-winning group Three Six Mafia (I love the fact that the crew will always be known for that now)) found Christ and stopped rapping about fucking and fighting, at least until she realizes that she won't make any money rhyming about the Lord.
11. B.O.B. (FEAT THE MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE GOSPEL CHOIR)
The first single, which was originally given the unfortunate title “Bombs Over Baghdad” before it was amended (by the label? by the United States government?). I seem to remember reading about a twelve-minute version of this track: whatever happened to that song? This is still really good, and incredibly musically ambitious for a rap song, but you can easily get sick of it if you heard it every single day.
12. XPLOSION (FEAT B-REAL)
I loved this song upon Stankonia's original release, thanks to the unadulterated hip hop and the left-of-center guest spot it provided. Today, it's still really good, and B-Real (from Cypress Hill) actually sounds fantastic, but the song is overshadowed by the classics that Stankonia produced. The hook is pretty weak, though. A marked improvement over the last time Outkast and B-Real worked together, on Tash's “Smokefest 1999” from his Rap Life.
13. GOOD HAIR (INTERLUDE)
That's also the name of a documentary Chris Rock directed (that should be released to theaters later this year) that supposed to be pretty good. Also, Chris Rock used "B.O.B." in his directorial debut, Head Of State, in which his psychic powers predicted the first African-American president of the United States. I include that tidbit just so you don't think I went off on a tangent while completely ignoring this boring-ass skit.
14. WE LUV DEEZ HOEZ (FEAT BACKBONE & BIG GIPP)
This sounds as if it were recorded as a joke. If you look past the corny musical backdrop and the hook, Big Boi's rhymes, at least, are decent, Backbone sounds terrible, and Big Gipp (from Goodie Mob) stumbles through admirably.
15. HUMBLE MUMBLE (FEAT ERYKAH BADU)
This track, which I'm sure is beloved by Outkast stans the world over, is run into the ground by Erykah's singing, which makes this song sound as if it's reaching for too much. The message in the hook is a good one, though, and the beat switch when Andre starts rapping is an unexpected plus.
16. DRINKIN' AGAIN (INTERLUDE)
…
17. ?
This is really more of an interlude than a song, but it's appealing in the same way that A Tribe Called Quest's “What?”, an obvious influence, was. “What could make a n---a figure he ought to be a pimp 'cuz he don't like love?”, indeed. It's a valid question.
18. RED VELVET
Can't say that I remember anything about this one. Oh well.
19. CRUISIN' IN THE ATL (INTERLUDE)
…
20. GANGSTA SHIT (FEAT SLIMM CALHOUN, T-MO, & C-BONE)
This is actually my favorite song on Stankonia. The slow groove literally drives your car for you while you cruise around the ATL (or wherever you happen to live). A lot has been said about Andre's verse (which begins “'Outkast' with a 'k'/Yeah, them n----z are hard”), but everybody involved with this posse cut pulls it off. The chorus is repeated at least three times too many, though. I believe there may be a remix of this song on someone's compilation album, but I don't have any more information than that.
21. TOILET TISHA (FEAT ROSALYN HEARD & SLEEPY BROWN)
Meh.
22. SLUM BEAUTIFUL (FEAT CEE-LO)
A pretty sweet ode to the female half of the population. Cee-Lo's contribution is especially touching. It leaves you wishing that the musical backdrop were a bit more appealing, though.
23. PRE-NUMP (INTERLUDE)
…
24. STANKONIA (STANKLOVE)(FEAT BIG RUBE & SLEEPY BROWN)
Big Boi must be an awfully good sport to allow Stankonia to end with this bizarre and polarizing final track. I can't imagine that anybody has ever heard this song more than the once, and I'm including the artists themselves in that sentiment.
