Kanye West - "808's and Heartbreakers"

Kanye West's new Album "808's and Heartbreakers" was released on November 24th, and was yet another disappointment in the winter-release line up. It is obviously the evidence of Kanye trying a new style, but one that is not working well for him. The first song on the album is called "Say You Will" and, although none of the other tracks are much better, this was a bad choice to put as the ear-grabber. The song is a repetitive drum line (that sounds like it was made with a garbage can), with an awkward, "Space Odyssey" "bleep" to keep the beat. The lyrics are, to say the least, pathetic. The repeated phrase "hey hey hey" comes far to often in the song, and some of the lyrics that fallow the hook, (it's not even fair to call it a hook how many times he says it in the song), don't even make sense. "Hey hey hey, don't say you will, if you will...", how does that make sense? "I wish this song would barley come true"...??? These lyrics are confusing. "Street Lights" is a sad example of what we know Kanye's beat making capabilities to be, the same can be said for his lyrics, however they are the most complex and harmonic on the entire album. This is the worst part of the album : Kanye distorted every single one of his vocal tracks, on every song. We all know Kanye has a wonderful voice, one that is smooth, and rich. Why he would think that adding this distortion to sound like T-pain or Akon is a good idea is beyond me. Not to mention, it probably sounds OK in a million dollar studio, but most people listen to this on Apple headphones or their computer, and that distorted voice makes for quit the unpleasant listening when you have a) small speakers and b) bad speakers.

Rating : 3 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : Eh, I just wouldn't suggest it.

Video Link - Sorry guys, couldn't find one for Kanye either!

Grandmaster Flash - Album Update

Grandmaster Flash announced recently that he is releasing a new album (after more than 20 years.) This is AMAZING. The main reason that I am excited, is because of all of the people featured on the new album (Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, KRS ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Q Tip, Princess Superstar), DJ Kool Herc is supposed spin on some track. DJ Kool Herc is largley accredited for starging hip-hop, period. In 1962 Dj Kool Herc took a Jazz record and a Reggae record and played them over eachother on two turntables hooked togather. Dj Kool Herc, for the record, has NEVER produced an album. Nor can you find anything recorded of him scratching. This new album will be the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY that Dj Kool Herc's magic will be laced into a replayable format. KEEP AN EYE OUT. This album is schedueled to drop February 23, 2009. PICK IT UP

GUNS N' ROSES - "Chinese Democracy"

YES! GNR fans, we have waited 17 years. It has finally come, Guns n' Roses new album "Chinese Democracy" was finally released on November 23, 2008. May I just say, it was well worth the wait. Maybe it's because I am a raging GNR fan, but I think this album is phenomenol. Not only do they have that classic Guns N' Roses sound, (and it is SO good to hear Axl's voice again), but they have added a new flavor that truly keeps up with the times. Robin Fink provides stellar guitar riffs, not to mention the production is fabulous. It is obvious that this was an Album several years in the making. (Does it justify 17 years though? You'll have to decide that for yourself.) What is unquestionable, is the dedication, time, and effort put into this album. Once again, I'm a long time GNR fan, so perhaps anything with the name on it would have satisfied me. What is sure, I will be listening to this CD until it becomes a classic with the rest of the GNR collection.
Rating: 5 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : Crowded around the speakers with your friends, On long road trips, After a 17 year wait.

Nickelback - "Dark Horse"

What happened to Nickelback? If I remember correctly, Nickelback sounded Indie rock, almost on the verge of Grunge. This is what I liked about Nickelback, they always sounded somewhat different from the rest. They lyrics were slightly more intellegent and emotional than most other crap Rupert Murdock spews onto Clear Channel. I remember in 2001, when Nickelback released their "Silver Side Up" album, the song "Too Bad" had a verse that was so deep, so personal, I was amazed to hear it on the radio at all. The verse goes like this :
"Father's hands are lined with guilt
For tearing us apart
Guess it turned out in the end
Just look at where we are
Made it up, still got clothing on our backs
And now I scream about it
How it's so bad, it's so bad."

On this new "Dark Horse" album, however, I feel cheated. (once again, I didn't buy this album, becuase I felt it wasn't worth it.) Here is the opening verse from the song "Something In Your Mouth" (Great title, eh?) :
"Got to meet the hottie with the million dollar body
They say it's over budget but you'd pay her just to touch it come on
Needs to hit the big screen and shoot a little love scene
If Hollywood hadn't caught her she'd be gunnin for ya holler come on"

Wow, This sounds like everything else! Come on Nickleback! Now I love hip-hop, but people need to stop biting hip-hop's style. Or if they do feel the utter urge to copy Hip-Hop, at least mimick good Hip-Hop, and not the regurgitated lines about sex and masogany.
Rating : 1 (less than Britney because at least britney's been bad forever, these guys dumbed down because they thought thats what the public wanted.)

Suggested Mood for Listening : dude, just dont.

Sorry Nickelback fans, Couldn't find a video off this album.

Bliss N' Eso - "Flying Colors"

Bliss N Eso are a Hip-Hop trio out of Sydney, Australia and are compiled of Emcee Bliss, Emcee Esoterik, and Dj Ism. "Flying Colors" is the groups third full-length release, (4th if you count the "Day of the Dog" remix album) and it is no surprise that these guys get better and better as each album progresses. "Flying Colors" was the first BNE album I bought and it immedietly inspired me to complete my BNE collection. "Flying Colors" is an amazing accumulation of epigrammital lyrics and pounding, heart throbbing beats. DJ Izm never fails to provide the perfect backround music for the point Bliss and Eso need to get across. The theme of the album seems to be self-reliance and inner-strength. Some favorite lines include "The only things that's bullet proof is my self-esteem" "...and if we all can't share then I ain't eatin' mother fucker." These guys have a great sence of community and could bring amazing things to the Hip-Hop culture of the United States. Lets hope they tour here soon!!! (Just another tid-bit. Bliss N Eso's success has been largley accredited to the Hilltop Hoods "taking them under their wing" over at Obese Records. I would just like to say that altough I love Hilltop, I feel that these guys are amazing enough that somebody would have picked up on them eventually. Even if they didn't change their name from "Bliss N Esoterikism".)

Rating : 5 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : Before Battle, During Protest, Training for the Olympics

FUCKING AWESOME VIDEO LINK

POS ALBUM UPDATE

Hey guys, just thought I would update you all on POS's new album, "Never Better". It is schedueled to release February 2, 2009. Keep an eye out, I'll post the review as soon as I get it! It seems we have been waiting forever for this album, (his last one being "Audition", released in 2006.) This album promises to be great, POS having produced more than half the album himself. Rhymesayers.com describes the style as "an urgency that he keeps in careful check, and then unleashes for spring-loaded verses that represent his best work." DAMN I'M EXCITED!

Tracklist:

1.Let It Rattle
2.Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)
3.Savion Glover
4.Purexed
5.Graves (We Wrote the Book)
6.Goodbye
7.Get Smokes
8.Been Afraid
9.Low Light Low Life
10.The Basics (Alright)
11.Out of Category
12.Optimist (We Are Not For Them)
13.Terrorish
14.Never Better
15.The Brave and the Snake

Old Video Link

Britney Spears - "Circus"

Ok, usually you could not pay me money to listen to Britney, but for the purpose of a thorough, up-to-date Album Review Blog, lets go over Britney's new Album, (released yesterday). Britney fans, turn away, I warn you know I am EXTREMELY bias. Here we go. First of all, I will admit to dancing around listening to "Hit me baby" when I was a wee-one, hell, I even bought the album. Now a days, to review her new album, I listened to the samples on Itunes, and looked up the lyrics. That's how much I feel her lyrical content has dumbed down. I have to see it in front of my eyes to believe it, and I refuse to buy it. Her songs starts strong, they do, and they have great music backing her vocals. Briefly, her songs makes sense, and even related to recent media incidents as if she wrote the lyrics herself. (WOW!) but then, in almost every chorus, she seems to skew into a weird "sexually gratifying" tangent. Also, she sings about people paying too much attention to her. Britney, I know that every time I hear your name I listen afterwards to make sure the fallowing statements aren't "has accidentally hurt her child." I'm sorry to say it, and I bet your a great person in some sense, but understand the consequences of your public actions and the music that you make that reaches so many young children.
Rating : 2 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : After a lobotomy, during a coma, or in addition to waterboarding

Just for Fun - Video Link

Kimya Dawson - "Alphabutt"

Kimya Dawson may be best known from the movie Juno, where she contributed to just under half of the soundtrack. What most people may have missed out on was any one of her 5 solo albums prior to the movie, or the 3 albums she did with the Moldy Peaches starting in 1991. Kimya's newest album is for children and is entitled "Alphabutt". This may be her best album yet and is a stroke of genius. It is hard to label this as her best album, because Kimya always finds a way to make me laugh, cry, and somehow even burp, on each and every album she makes. I label it so because I feel I have waited so long for somebody to stand up and be a great role-model for kids. When I hear an opening verse that says "When you grow older, your body will grow hair / On you legs, your armpits, and even down there / Some people shave them off, but I let mine grow / Because I'm an animal!" I want to drop to the ground and thank the skies for bring Kimya at a time in out society when not only girls, but boys too, are almost defined by how they look. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN MASS MEDIA ADVOCATING BODILY CHOICES, AND NOT BODILY STANDARDS. To sum, the albatross fucking LOVES Kimya Dawson (PS This is going under the tree of everybody I know this holiday season, I suggest the same!)
Ratings : 5 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : With Family, Happy, Silly

Video Link

Doomtree - "Doomtree"

Roaring out of Minneapolis in the recent months is Doomtree's first, self-titled album, "Doomtree". This long awaited album has fallowed a series of extended EP's appropriatly titled "False Hopes". Although the Doomtree collective seems to be growing exponentially, the most familiar faces and voices are those of, P.O.S., Mike Mictlan, Sims, Dessa Darling, and Cecil Otter, with Turbo Nemesis, Paper Tiger, and Laser Beak providing beats and cuts. This collaboration of minds combined with the time to perfect their first, official release, leads to "Doomtree" being more than anybody could have hoped for. Each artists puts forth their unique styles while working together to form an amazing crew. It seems that Doomtree has the emotional spectrum covered : Dessa bringing in smooth vocals and empowering poems, POS puts in thoughtful, politically conscious lyrics. Cecil Otter is a refreshing splash of reality, and Mictlan is serious wordplay and lyrical wit and skill. Sims tops it off with a versatile style that packs a punch of metaphors in any song he's in. With 21 tracks, (most new, with a few nice reminders,) it is packed full of dance tracks, mellow tones, and straight crazy-tight hip-hop!
Rating : 5 mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : Hyped Up, Pre-Gaming, Sensual (this one has a range of emotions to it! Good for anytime really.)

Video Link

Sol.illaquists of Sound - "As If We Existed"

Solillaquists of Sound is from Orlando, Florida and is comprised of Swamburger, Alexandrah, Tonya Combs and DiViNCi on the one-and-twos. "As If We Existed" is Solilla's 4th album, being released in 2006. For about two years now, I have been listening to the Solilla Live album, which I feel was a great way to pop my Solilla cherry. Although I was not there at the live show, every time I threw that album on, my heart would race and I would soon find myself screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs in rush hour in downtown Minneapolis. "Market Place" was my favorite song on the Live album and I was more than relieved to hear the studio version on "As If We Existed". Overall the album is full of intuitive lyrics that will undoubtedly make the listener have to rewind the tracks a few times. DiViNVi's skilled hands wreck the tables and he continues to be one of the most talented DJ, (Especially when it comes to that MPC!)
Rating : 4 Mics (only because I am so stuck on the live album)

Suggested Mood for Listening : Passionate, Unfulfilled, Angry.

Video Link

Blue Scholars - "Bayani"

For those of you who are not familiar with Blue Scholars, they are a duo Hip-Hop group from Seattle, Washington. Blue Scholars consists of Emcee Geologic and DJ Sabzi. Bayani is Blue Scholars second official album, fallowing the impeccable self titled "Blue Scholars" album. Bayani is a collaboration of eclectic beats and thoughtful, political lyrics. While one could hear this album and feel that it is about inner-reflection and self progression, others may listen and gather Geo is speaking about unifying people, while maintaining ones individuality. The truth is that throughout Bayani Geo speaks on both themes, and everything in between. Sabzi does an amazing job of keeping the listener interested with a variety of beats that always provide very unique songs. Never while listening to this album did I find myself saying, "Wow, that sounded like the last song!"

Rating : 5 Mics

Suggested Mood for Listening : Thoughtful, Passionate, Angry at the Government.

Music Video Link