Let me paint you a picture: the year is 2004; I’m a junior in high school, and it’s spring time. The weather is beautiful outside, and the country roads welcome my friends and I with open arms; more impressively, Lil’ Wayne could rap… and well. More often than not, Tha Carter was the soundtrack to those beautiful afternoons. On “This is the Carter”, Lil’ Wayne boastfully says “I’m finally perfect”; that statement couldn’t be more true about Wayne’s fourth solo outing. Mannie Fresh’s production on Tha Carter is near legendary, and Lil’ Wayne’s vivid imagery and raw lyricism were the best they’ve ever been. Continue reading
Archive for the Music Reviews Category
Slept on Saturdays: Lil’ Wayne, Tha Carter
Posted in Music Reviews, Slept on Saturdays with tags Cash Money Records, Lil' Wayne, Mannie Fresh, Tha Carter on Sunday, February 5, 2012 by Tim AlthausAlbum Review: Gangrene, Vodka & Ayahuasca
Posted in Music Reviews with tags Alchemist, Champion Sound, Evidence, Gutter Water, Jaylib, Kool G Rap, Oh No, Prodigy, Roc C, Roc Marciano, Vodka & Ayahuasca on Thursday, February 2, 2012 by Tim Althaus
Before Alchemist and Oh No released Gutter Water, I wasn’t sure what to think; any time that two producing emcees collaborate on a project, I’m almost certainly going to compare their effort to Champion Sound by Jaylib. I still remember picking up my copy of Gutter Water the day that it came out, and I also remember being completely blown away. There was one immediate thought that came to my mind: Should I pour bleach into my ears to clean out the filth that I had just been subject to? Listening to Gutter Water is the equivalent of bathing in raw sewage without putting in ear plugs. On Vodka & Ayahuasca, Oh No and Alchemist casually continue the trend of mind marauding with pavement pounding beats and raised rhyming skills. Continue reading
Slept on Saturdays: The Left, Gas Mask
Posted in Music Reviews, Slept on Saturdays with tags Apollo Brown, Detroit Hip-Hop, DJ Soko, Gas Mask, Journalist 103, The Left on Saturday, January 28, 2012 by Tim Althaus
When Hip-Hop fanatics talk about modern day underground classics (the last 10 years), they generally always mention a few albums: Blu & Exile, Below the Heavens; Little Brother, The Minstrel Show and Madvillain, Madvillainy. For some odd reason, I don’t hear anyone talk about The Left, Gas Mask; Journalist 103, Apollo Brown & DJ Soko crafted the perfect record with no filler and no throw-away tracks. I’ve been well aware of Apollo Brown’s skills on the boards for some time, but for unknown circumstances I managed to neglect Gas Mask when it came out back in 2010. This album has everything synonymous with a classic album: pristine production, raw lyricism and perfectly placed guest appearances. Continue reading
Album Review: SOJA Strength to Survive
Posted in Music Reviews with tags album review, Don't Worry, Everything Changes, Gone Today, January 31 2012, John Alagia, Let You Go, Mentality, Not Done Yet, reggae, SOJA, Strength to Survive on Friday, January 27, 2012 by Eric Gilardi
Strength to Survive is the new album by the DC-based band SOJA. This album is produced by John Alagia who has worked with the likes of Dave Mathews, John Mayer and O.A.R. to name a few. By the time you are a couple of tracks into the new album you can tell that the 7-piece band has progressed their sound beyond the spectrum of reggae. They definitely are perfecting a blend of reggae sound with meaningful melodic lyrics and a rhythm that puts a smile on your face as you reflect on your own life.
Strength to Survive is balanced so well from the start with the more funky in-your-face track “Mentality” to their powerful ballad “Don’t Worry.” If you listen to the lyrics in “Don’t Worry” it has such a positive message in such a somber sounding song. Truly a gift to anyone who is a having a bad day. Almost everyone in the world will be able to relate to this song that does not have the authentic reggae sound but has the positive message associated with the genre.
Strength to Survive is an album you will find yourself singing along to in no time, trust me. It will make you reflect a lot on one’s life, as well. The track “Gone Today” makes you think of how precious your life really is, “Let You Go” brings you back to question past relationships, and “Everything Changes” makes you think we are blind to changes that need to be made because of how good we have it. In my mind, this song also represents what the band wants its music to represent; a calling to the world to make a difference, help one another and live in peace.
Strength to Survive kept on surprising when my favorite track “Not Done Yet” hit my ears. The electronic feel following the chorus is what really made me perk up. Again, this song made you reflect on your life. Then it speaks to you in such a way that it puts you in a direction to live out your dreams and bless the world with your presence. This message is a very consistent one throughout the albums entirety.
Strength to Survive is one book you can judge by the cover because it will give you exactly what it says; strength to survive. You get more meaning and direction from this album at a much better price than going to see a therapist. If getting their message out to their fans was their goal with this new album then mission accomplished.
You can check out my review with Jacob Hemphill here.
Album Release Date: January 31, 2012
Album Review: Freeway & Jake One, The Stimulus Package
Posted in Music Reviews, Video with tags album review, Freeway, Jake One, Raekwon, Rhymesayers Entertainment, the stimulus package, White Van Music on Monday, February 22, 2010 by Tim Althaus
If this album doesn’t prove that Rhymesayers Entertainment is one of the most dominant forces in Hip-Hop, I truly don’t know what will. I remember hearing about this album at Soundset last year, and even then, I knew that this pairing was going to be something special. After hearing these two collaborate on White Van Music, it was quite evident that Freeway & Jake One needed to do more work together. I still have quite a few albums I am highly anticipating, but I can assure you that this album is going to remain in my top 10 for the year; it’s just that good. Continue reading
Album Review: Brother Ali, Us
Posted in Music Reviews with tags Ant, Brother Ali, Chuck D, Freeway, Joell Ortiz, Rhymesayers Entertainment, US on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 by Tim Althaus
It seems as though everything that Brother Ali touches turns to gold. Everything that this Twin Cities native has put out has been well above par. Earlier this year he dropped The Truth is Here EP, which was 9 straight tracks of sheer brilliance, and now he drops Us into the hands of the people. Much like everyone else is saying, I will agree that this is one of the best albums of this year. It has everything you’ve come to expect from a Brother Ali album: powerful production from Ant and legendary lyrics from Brother Ali. Ali is quickly on his way to becoming a legendary emcee, and Us is yet another nail in the pivotal coffin of truth. Brother Ali’s story telling abilities come alive like a beast in hibernation, and the outcome is simply stunning. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Blue Scholars, Bayani
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Bayani, Geologic, Sabzi, seattle, West Coast on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 by Tim Althaus
I think the first time I heard about Blue Scholars was in Spin Magazine or a similar publication. I recall the memory because I was reading a review of their album Bayani. The review that I read was highly favorable, and naturally I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Prior to buying the album, I had never really listened to any artists from Seattle. I mean I knew West Coast Hip-Hop was dope, just not this dope. Bayani is one of my favorite albums I’ve picked up over the last couple years. I’ve been listening to this album a great deal since I found out about it, and to be put quite simply, it never gets old. Continue reading
Album Review: Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2
Posted in Music Reviews with tags Alchemist, Dr. Dre, Ghostface, GZA, Inspectah Deck, J Dilla, Masta Killa, Method Man, ODB, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2, Poppa Wu, Raekwon, RZA, Slick Rick on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Tim Althaus
Wu-Tang has been one of the greatest dynasties that Hip-Hop has ever seen. Just about every group album has been stellar, not to mention that every solo album is top notch quality. Raekwon comes into Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 fourteen years after the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, which, to this day is a classic. The aforementioned information may pose the question: Is Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 as good as the original? The answer, in my opinion, is a definite yes. I took one run through this album in my car, and I knew immediately I was listening to a classic . Raekwon brings along an all-star cast of producers and emcees to “cook up”, without a doubt, one of the best albums of 2009. Creating a magnificent masterpiece that is just as good as it’s predecessor is no easy task, but as OB4CL2 shows, for The Chef it comes naturally. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: GZA, Liquid Swords
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Ghostface, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Killah Priest, Liquid Swords, Masta Killa, Method Man, RZA, Shogun Assassin, Wu-Tang on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 by Tim Althaus
Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most influential groups in the history of Hip-Hop music. GZA (in my opinion) is the best emcee (although they are all incredible) in the group, so it would make sense to say that he is one of the most influential emcees of all-time. The album Liquid Swords is nothing short of a lauded lyrical masterpiece, and every single track on this album is sonically sound. Not only is this one of the greatest Wu-Tang related albums ever released, it is one of the greatest albums in Hip-Hop history. RZA’s production on this album is ridiculous, not to mention the samples on this album fit the tracks tighter than a hipster’s t-shirt, and GZA’s rhymes are legendary in every aspect of the word. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: El-P, Fantastic Damage
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Cage, Camu Tao, Def Jux, El-P, Fantastic Damage, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, Star Wars, Vast Aire on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by Tim Althaus
It’s very easy for me to say that El-P has re-invented the wheel twice in the Hip-Hop game. The first time he did it was with Fantastic Damage (One of the best debuts ever?), and without a question he did it again on I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead. Don’t get me wrong, I love both albums as much as you possibly could, I just think Fantastic Damage has a slight edge on ISWYD. The dark, hard hitting, brain hemorrhaging beats on this album are some of the most crazy concoctions my ear drums have ever had the pleasure of discovering. To me it’s no wonder that people were waiting for I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead with such anticipation… they new it was going to be a classic because of Fantastic Damage. Continue reading
MIND INVERSION 