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
Archive for the Wildstyle Wednesdays Category
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 AlthausWild 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
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Atmosphere, God Loves Ugly
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Ant, Atmosphere, God Loves Ugly, minneapolis, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Slug on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 by Tim Althaus
To sit here and tell everyone that reads this blog that God Loves Ugly is an album that didn’t influence me, is a total lie. I’m almost certain I was in 10th grade the first time that I heard the song “Godlovesugly”, all I was thinking was “Who in the fuck is this?”. When I heard that the emcee brilliantly blessing the microphone was from Minneapolis, I simply couldn’t believe it. This album introduced me to the whole world of the Rhymesayers Crew, and if it were for that reason alone I would still never forget this album. What God Loves Ugly showed me, more than anything, is that great talent is much closer to home than you may think. Yeah Slug may rap about women a little too much, and yeah his ego might come off a little bigger than it should be… but dude has mad skills on the mic. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Little Brother, The Minstrel Show
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags 9th Wonder, BET, Big Pooh, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Elzhi, Getback, Joe Scudda, Khrysis, Phonte, The Listening, The Minstrel Show on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 by Tim Althaus
Little Brother is probably one of my favorite groups that I’ve ever heard. When 9th Wonder, Big Pooh & Phonte are all together in rare form on an album, they remind me of a force that nothing in this world could possibly stop. I personally am a big fan of The Listening & Getback, but I think these guys are in their top form on The Minstrel Show. Everything about this album is desirable, 9th Wonder’s beats on this album are more soulful than ever, and Te’s & Pooh’s rhymes are most definitely the most on point that they’ve ever been. Another thing that makes this album exceptional is that it’s a concept album that is done the right way. Albums like this make me think that if these guys would have stayed together they could have been one of the greatest trios in Hip-Hop history. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Slum Village, Fantastic, Vol. 2
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Baatin, Busta Rhymes, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Fantastic, J Dilla, Jay Dee, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, T3, Ummah, Vol. 2 on Thursday, August 6, 2009 by Tim Althaus
I had another review planned for this week, but with the recent passing of Baatin this one feels a little more natural. Fantastic, Vol. 2 is another record that came very close to charting on my most influential albums list. Even though it wasn’t on my most influential albums list, this is another album that I can say would probably easily be in my top 20 favorite albums of all-time. The flow of this album is pure like water and yet it’s as melodic as heaven. Jay Dee’s production is so stellar on this album, that I’m fairly sure it will always withstand the test of time. From Jay Dee’s earlier Ummah sound, to the spaced out synth that he implemented later in his career, Fantastic, Vol. 2 has it all. Baatin, T3 & Jay Dee all sculpt to these tracks like clay and even though they aren’t the wittiest emcees in the world, this album is still utterly amazing. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Masta Ace, Disposable Arts
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Apocalypse, Disposable Arts, Domingo, Masta Ace, Nick Heise, Punchline, The Moody Blues, Wordsworth, Xplicit on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 by Tim Althaus
I want to start this review off by saying that this review holds special because Ace is one of my favorite emcees of all-time. He’s been in the game for twenty plus years now, and his albums consistently get better and better. Ace’s flow is aged fine wine, and Disposable Arts is the testament of time. Even though this album wasn’t on my top 10 most influential albums (although A Long Hot Summer was), I can assure you it rests comfortably on my top 10 favorites of all-time. When listening to this album, you go on a journey with Ace to The Institute of Disposable Arts. The storytelling on this album is impeccable, and you feel almost like you are there every single step of the way. I still thank my friend Nick Heise to this day for referring me to Masta Ace, and this one goes out to him. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: The Roots, Things Fall Apart
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Black Thought, Common, Jay Dee, Mos Def, The Roots, Things Fall Apart on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Tim Althaus
The Roots will forever be one of my favorite groups in Hip-Hop because I love their utilization of a live band and their natural sound. Not to mention that Black Thought is also one of my top five emcees, the guy is pretty much a god emcee on the microphone. I like every single album in The Roots catalog, but Things Fall Apart is the album that introduced me to them. I look at this album that came out ten years ago and part of me still feels like even now this album would still be ahead of its time. This album, to this day, is one of the most sound albums I have ever heard and there is no doubt that it will forever be considered a classic. Even though this album didn’t make my top 10 most influential albums, I would still say it ranks among my top 10-20 favorite albums without a doubt.
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Clipse, Lord Willin’
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags Clipse, Copus, Hell Hath No Fury, Lord Willin', Malice, Pusha T, The Neptunes on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Tim Althaus
This album was my first introduction (as well as most other people) to the Brothers Thornton. I remember being in 10th grade riding around in my buddy Copus’s car listening to this album damn near every day. Since the album Lord Willin’, Clipse has been a duo known for their wicked, witty verses and sick ass Neptunes beats. To me it was really funny when they dropped Hell Hath No Fury because it seemed to me that nobody mentioned Lord Willin’. It was almost as if Lord Willin’ never even existed. In my opinion you couldn’t have put out a better label debut than Lord Willin’, this album is stacked with addictive top-notch beats and over the top lyricism filled with more metaphors and allusions about cocaine than you can imagine. Malice & Pusha are so good that they make cocaine sound interesting. Continue reading
Wild Style Wednesday Review: Soul Position, Things Go Better With RJ & Al
Posted in Music Reviews, Wildstyle Wednesdays with tags 8 Million Stories, Blueprint, Rjd2, soul position, Things Go Better With RJ and AL on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 by Tim Althaus
In lieu of my friend and comrade Erik Burg leaving us at Mind Inversion, I wanted to do a review that would hit close to home with him. When you think of dynamic duos, you tend to think of pairings such as Premier & Guru, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth and not to mention Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. This is where Rjd2 and Blueprint come into the equation. From the first time that I heard these guys collaborate on Rjd2’s album Dead Ringer I knew they were going to be preposterous pairing in every aspect. Continue reading
MIND INVERSION 