Rap and Hip-Hop Music

This item, like so many others, was purchased as a gift for someone else, and I can rely only on the recipient's comments for my evaluation. He has said little, except that it arrived in satisfactory condition within the time expected. I cannot underrate this item, and a 4 out of 5 indicates only my lack of first-hand contact with the item received, not any dissatisfaction with the purchase, delivery, or quality of the item purchased.

This was my first time buying a Rick Ross CD and I was very suprised!! This cd is really good!! I didn't think it was gonna be this good.. I like alot of his songs on here and I pre-ordered his new album "Deeper Than Rap" because "Trilla" was so good and I'm hoping his new cd is gonna be just as good!!
Here's my top 5 favorite songs:
1)Luxary Tax
2)The Boss
3)Here I Am
4)Maybach Music
5)We Shinin'

Exceptionally good, barely a weak track on the entire album. Hard to name a stand out track as the quality is high across the board, perhaps Billionaire the strongest.

I love this album its a earfull for you to listen to

My Top 3:
1.Luxury Tax (seems that everyone like that)
2.We Shinin' (most ppl like dat)
3.I'm Only Human (datz my ish)

This cd was excellent. I enjoyed listening to it from the begining to the end.

This album had catchy songs and substance.
Gangster raps and social awareness. It actually gets better over time.
Every song is unique and different.
One of the best parts of this record is that Ice Cube waited till the very end, after he had done his business to drop what is arguably the greatest diss answer track of all time on NWA.

For this 1991 LP, Cube chose to work with the Boogie Men (Sir Jinx, Bobcat, Rashad). The new combo makes for much less-layered rhythm tracks compared to the Bomb Squad, slower tempos, and goes deeper into 70's soul and funk samples. Lyrically, Cube still presents himself as a street-level gang member who is angry at his lot in life but only mildly conflicted about his antisocial behaviors. He'll pointedly remark on the ills of urban drug infestation, and in the next verse he's gunning down neighborhood rivals.
The overall content prompted a public rebuke from Billboard Magazine editor Timothy White, among others.
A brief summary of the non-interlude tracks follows:
The Wrong N**** To F*** Wit- Close in spirit to "The N**** you love to hate", Cube calls then-Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates a "devil" and closet KKK member.
My Summer Vacation- remixing George Clinton's "Atomic Dog", Cube tells of street-level drug dealers taking cross-country plane trips to open shop where the competition is less fierce, but soon things in the neighborhood become all too familiar.
Steady Mobbin'- a `day in the life' narrative, where Cube deemphasizes gangbanging and uplifts the virtues of having a high amp count in your car stereo.
Givin' Up The...- Lifting Booker T & the M.G.'s "Hip hug-her", Cube brazenly tells a dad that his daughter is quite `popular', and not in the good way.
Look Who's Burnin'- At a free clinic, Cube scolds a woman who apparently turned him down but now has to get VD treatment for some other hookup. A close tie with "Givin Up" for being the most blatantly sexist track.
A Bird in the Hand- Cube's melancholy muse on a young man desperate to get ahead who turns to drug sales to make ends meet: "now senators are getting high and your plan against the ghetto backfired."
Man's Best Friend- a pro-gun manifesto, "nowadays, a gat is man's best friend"; though Cube is probably not a fan of the NRA.
Alive on Arrival- Cube imagines what goes through a young man's mind when he's shot and has to go to an urban hospital for help--with tragic results.
I Wanna Kill Sam- Cube attacks the military service as a viable option for black self-advancement, casting Uncle Sam as a slave plantation owner.
Horny Lil' Devil- Cube attacks miscegenation here, offering imagery of predatory white males seeking to victimize black women--the third verse stumbles into a homophobic metaphor, equating economic and political oppression of minorities with same-sex rape.
Black Korea- a reactionary cant directed at Asian-American shopkeepers in urban minority neighborhoods- the shooting death of Latasha Harlins made headlines earlier that year.
True To The Game- Cube reinforces his `no-sellout' bonafides here, taking swipes at black yuppies, crossover rappers, and "token" blacks in corporate America.
Color Blind- Cube and friends (Coolio, WC, Kam) rap about deemphasizing gang tensions in urban neighborhoods.
Doing Dumb S***- a faux-autobiography where Cube tells of youthful misadventure before worrying about `grown-up' issues of the gang & drug epidemic.
Us- Cube- the narrative points at the vices of black communities, including misplaced values "us will always sing the blues, `cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes..." or the violence that sometimes disrupts otherwise fun gatherings- "every time I do a show to kick some facts, us blacks don't know how to act..."
No Vaseline- Beat-jacking Brick's "Dazz", this is Cube's scathing indictment of his former comrades in N.W.A., with Eazy E's manager/partner Jerry Heller getting an equal amount of venom- depending on how one interprets a line like "put a bullet in his temple" it can be seen as a mock-violent play on words or a call for ethnic hostility.
How To Survive In South Central- a limited-edition bonus track lifted from the Boyz N the Hood soundtrack album, Cube warns unhip visitors to South Central that this isn't the Southern California in the tour guides.

It didn't take long for Ice Cube to follow up to AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (and Kill at Will). "Death Certificate" shows some slight changes and actually follows a loose concept on both sides of the album. Ice Cube explains it as: "The Death Side [tracks 1-11]: a mirror image of where we are today; The Life Side [12-20]: a vision of where we need to go." The Death Side takes on the gangster style, focusing on topics such as violence and drugs, while The Life Side laces the gangster style with a conscious style. Nonetheless, Ice Cube's lyrics tell stories about situations that are rampant on both sides. For example, "A Bird in the Hand" deals with the situations of making it on your own by selling drugs, because a criminal record that limits job opportunities makes it impossible to find a job that makes an affordable wage. Another example is "Look Who's Burnin", which tells about the spread of STD's in low income neighborhoods. I'm not going to spoil the whole record, but Ice Cube does prove a point with his lyrical content, despite accusations of racism with the track "Black Korea".

The production is quite different as well. No more East Coast styles of the Bomb Squad here. Instead, Sir Jinx, Boogiemen and Ice Cube produce the album with samples from soul and p-funk groups/artists such as James Brown and Parliament, thus you can safely said that it has the West Coast vibe of the early 90's. G-Funk? Not even close, wait another two years for that.

I believe that it's safe to say that "Death Certificate" is yet another classic for Ice Cube that still sounds pleasant even after over 15 years later. This shows that even a change in production can still make a classic album as long as it's done right, and it's definitely done right.

Before I end this review, the track "No Vaseline" is THE track that brought down N.W.A. Just listen to it and you'll see.

Reading through some of the 1 or 2 star reviews, I can understand some of the sentiments that are expressed. As an Asian American, the track "Black Korea" was initially offensive but then became intriguing in subsequent listens. So with a little research, I learned that the track was presumably inspired by a shooting of a teenage black girl by a Korean store owner. After reading about it, the track seemed more justified, and by that I don't mean it's okay to bash Asians, I only mean I can feel his raw emotion on the matter and see where he's coming from.. Keep in mind, I'm not establishing my position as saying it's either right or wrong. I can only speak for myself in that I've been in that frame of mind where my stream of consciousness goes beyond what is politically correct, and then did or said things out of angst or frustration. I've lashed out at blacks, whites, even other Asians and Asian Americans in the heat of the moment and reflectively regretted those choices later. And for that to be revealed, it is an artistic choice, in my opinion. These days, it seems like there is a thin line between creating and destroying, but it's hard to ignore how tongue-in-cheek Ice Cube is on various tracks on this album. Why is it OK for us to sing along to Eminem songs from the Marshall Mathers LP (which is a terrific album too in my opinion) where every other song uses the word "f_g" and yet chastise someone else for basically doing the same thing? Also, not many have thought about how much social consciousness one is aware of after listening to this album, especially for people who haven't lived through the turbulent lifestyle of someone who's lived either as a black man that is familiar with poverty-stricken areas. For me to have at least a slightly better understanding of that, at the expense of certain caucasians and authoritative figures, is a plus for me. In other words, it's more interesting to think about what MAKES Ice Cube says the things he says to the people he's lashing out at. Many of his tracks seem to make a blanket statement toward whites but who is he really targeting? Saying Ice Cube hates all white people (or even Korean people) is as naive/ignorant as saying Eminem hates gays. We may not all agree in the way that they express themselves through their music (and yes, it's music), but saying those things is definitely jumping to conclusions. When an album has a track as hilarious as "Man's Best Friend", how can you not laugh or how can you take someone so seriously when he is debating about whether a dog is a better tool than a gun? Other laugh out loud moments that Cube has given me is when he ruthlessly makes fun of aspects of hip hop: "I'm sick of that sh** listen to the hit/Cause yo if I look and see another brother/On the video tryin to out-dance each other/I'm a tell T-Bone to pass the bottle" (that was from AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted). In closing, I think Death Certificate is a product of non-sugar-coated visceral angst that is worth a listen if only for a different perspective and nothing else. What makes it powerful is that all of the rhymes seem so "in-the-moment", meaning he says things AS he feels them without censorship, something we'd all like to do sometimes.

Ice Cube straight up out did himself on this one. He was really up on how the world was shaping up to be. This to me was his best work and i own pretty much every cd he's ever done. This album probably ranks in the top 5 hip hop albums of all time.

Bought this cd to prove to my daughter how long this music has been around (not long).

Very Necessary is "very necessary" to own. This CD came out when I was 6 and it was actually my first CD (well actually cassette). This CD is absolutely faboulous. Just the other day me and my best friend were talking about how we use to jam this cassette so much...We use to stand in the mirror and dance when Sexy Noises Turn Me On, Whatta Man,and Groove Me came on, and then turn into miny rappers when we hear None Of Your Business and Shoop. This CD brings back so many memories.
These sistas are truly talented, and I wish we could have more artists these days perform like the girls of Salt and Pepa. They could turn on the sexy and then then bring out the rapper and still be sexy doin it. I miss Salt and Pepa!!! Come back girls and knock us out with some more hits!!!

This CD is a classic. I have been listening to Salt N Pepa since I was about 6 or 7 years old and I remember buying this cassette tape. I have since upgraded to CD and still listen to it to this day. If you are a true fan of hip hop you have to have this in your collection.

It's Salt and Pepa. Soooo good! The only thing I wish was on this CD was 'Push It' but this CD will not disappoint you if you choose to buy it

I like this CD. It can get me uplifted in the mornings so that I may begin my day!

I bought this album ten years ago and it still sounds great. My only complaint is that they should've left "Royalty" off and put one of the better songs from the Moment of Truth CD.
But, this is the closest thing I've ever seen to a perfect "Best of" disc.
These dudes are so underrated. Listening to these songs you will be able to tell that guys like Eminem and 50 Cent were inspired by them.

This is a great compilation of Gang Starr's works. Most greatest hits CD's tend to have a couple of good songs missing- often in the attempt to be able sell a Volume 2. 'Full Clip' does not have that problem even though 'Positivity' was not included. Despite that, this double-disc collection includes all of Gang Starr's hits from 1989-99.

The rap duo of Gang Starr is undoubtedly one of hip-hop's greatest and most underrated groups. Guru provided the vocals in his monotone style while DJ Premier provided the production and the scratching, which no current rapper does anymore. The formula is simple, but it works. While it's easier these days to download songs, this compilation has too many good songs; because of that, I would actually suggest being prehistoric and buying this CD. Everything that is currently being played is so commercial and lacks the substance that groups like Gang Starr provided throughout the 90's. Moreover, Gang Starr is able to cover the gamut from party jams like 'Dwyck, to conscious cuts like 'Who's Gonna Take the Weight,' to hardcore cuts like 'The Militia.'

Anyone who's a fan of hip-hop would agree that this is a great album. For the younger generation that's saturated with nothing but commercial, mindless hip-hop, it's about time they learned what real hip-hop sounds like even if it means that you can't always dance to it.

This collection sums up the total career of this dynamic duo. If you love this collection then you should also get the albums where the greatest hits came from.

When I speak about greatest hits albums, I usually don't go by the quality of the work, but I go by whats on the album. Of course, if the quality of the songs themselves wern't good, then it wouldn't be worth being a hit. But when you get 33 hand songs packed from No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step in the Arena, Daily Operation, Hard to Earn, and Moment of Truth, as well as B-Sides and songs they contributed from soundtracks into two full CD's from Gang Starr between 1989-1999, then you should know what you're going to get, in this case a great amount of Guru and Premier.

Disc 1 covers all the well known hits what this group has made. From "Ex Girl to Next Girl", "DWYCK", and "You Know My Steez". Not to mention some newly recorded songs such as "Discipline" which features Total, and a B-Side song "Who's Gonna Take The Weight". DJ Premier shows what he can do with Jazz music on "Jazz Thing" while Guru gives an ode to the genre.

Disc 2 will feature more B-Sides and newly recorded songs than the previous disc. Most of the songs on here I haven't heard, because they don't appear on their albums, such as "The ? Remains" , and "So Wassup?". Then you receive a few more of their common songs such as "Step In The Arena", and "Work". The only thing I have to knock about "Work" being on here is that there is one that features Big L, and it doesn't appear here. Thats my small gripe. My favorite track here would be "1/2 & 1/2" featuring M.O.P. Towards the end, you have two new remixed tracks: "The Militia II" featuring W.C. and Rakim, and "You Know My Steez (Three Men & a Lady Remix)" featuring Kurupt and Lady Of Rage.

There is no question in the air that if you're a Gang Starr fan to make Full Clip: A Decade Of Gang Starr into your music collection. It's one of the best "greatest hits" albums out there, not to mention a few more goodies. If you're new to this group, and this is the first album of theres you purchased, I recommend getting their albums as well (to include The Ownerz which was recorded after this album was released). As you can, this is one of the greatest groups out there in hip hop, and this album will show you why. Enjoy. Peace!

Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A+
Musical Vibes: A+

Ok before you start swearing at your computer hear me out all the songs here are classic I know that FACT!!!!! but were the HELL is DJ Premier In Deep Concentration, and the best GangStarr song of all time (in my opinoim) Moment Of Truth??????????

This is by far my favorite album. Get it. Love it. Play it 'til you're sick of it and then listen to it again.

This is one of the best hip-hop albums i have ever heard. The beats, the flow, the rhymes, everything about this album is amazing. Different then anything out right now. I'm tired of hearing artists rapping about money, cars, and women. This album has nothing to do with any of that. One of my all time favorites. I recommend this album for anyone that enjoys true hip-hop.

Whenever I want to be taken to another world I listen to this album. The beats, Del's silly, confident, lazy lines will make you laugh. When Del says in the intro "It's our music we must take back!" you want to jump in and say, "Yeah!" There's a sense of this is what our world will one day become, or maybe in a way it is. For all it's darkness, yet funniness, I can never put it away. I can't describe it, I'm not that great with words, just please buy it. You will not be disappointed. Awesome, awesome, awesome..

Wow. Just about perfect in every sense of the word. Beats are awesome, rapping is awesome (as usual for Del!). The music is very eclectic and the whole album has a cyberpunk/sci-fi theme to it. Recommended for any fans of underground hip-hop, sci-fi and anybody who loves good music!

The genius of this album only adds fuel to my outrage.

Where is Deltron Event II?? I feel like I've been played. All of 2008 I've been hearing about the follow-up to 3030. Now it's not 2008 anymore, and Event II still only exists in the realm of speculation. Deltron fans f***ing deserve some answers!

Deltron, your fans are not chumps. We have the good sense and musical taste (rare in these times - hell, in ANY times) to listen to your music, investigate your collaborations, and eagerly anticipate your next work. We were so happy to read that the turntables and beats are finished for Event II, but you must know that at some point, words on paper simply do not measure up to music in ears. As musicians, you are held accountable to that.

Now if the production of this album has been held up by any personal issues (including but not limited to: whirlwind marriages, scandalous divorce, massive weight gain, child custody issues, unfettered drug addiction, serving time, unmanageable acne etc.), as intelligent and respectful fans of your music we don't intend to pry. A brief and broad explanation will satisfy us, but we must be given at least that.

Having said all this, as a devoted listener, I sincerely hope that the next news I hear about your group are either "In stores now", or a frank explanation of why it's NOT "in stores now". The point has long passed for timelines and updates. It's all or nothing now.

Tribe ruled jazz rap, so there was little room for late comers. Digable had some good joints though and great mc chemistry.

Top Joints:
New York
Last of the Spiddyocks
Cool Like Dat (CLassic)
Escapism (Gettin' Free)
Nickel Bags of Funk (CLassic)
Swoon Units

I could not fall asleep tonight without first writing this review.See, there I was just listening to this album for about the billionth time when I decided that this album is indeed my favorite hip hop album and I mean of all time;this album is my all time favorite album out of every single hip hop album i've heard and I mean I had the tribe to contend with but hands down this is the best hip hop album I have ever heard in my life.It is as beautiful as the Mona Lisa,this is my favorite Hip Hop album of all time,Ever!Ever!Ever!Even though it has nothing to do with this album but a side note I also came to the conclusion that my all time favorite Rock and Roll album is: Led Zeppelin-How The West Was Won.My favorite Experimental album:The Soft Machine-BBC Sessions.My favorite book:On The Road-Jack Kerouac.My favorite writer and poet:Jack Kerouac.Color:Green.Favorite Jazz Album:John Coltrane-A Love Supreme.Favorite Movie:The Kid (Charlie Chaplin's)
Favorite Actor:Charlie Chaplin
-The End

this album was a sigh of relief at the time along with MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS. i was tired of the west coast stuff by this time. then i hear this bass solo on this night mix. at first i thought it was some straight ahead jazz thang, and then i heard WE LIKE THE BREEZE FLOW STRAIGHT OUT OF OUR LIDS...............and i was like whahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i was hooked from then on. this album was like coke instead of kool aid at dinner for me. it is a jazzy, breezy, and flowing brand of hip hop that i had not heard before. yes, they were obviously inspired by ATCQ, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT in that they seem to dig deeper...........into the planet. from beginning to end i love it.......though it wanes a bit in the middle. at the end it picks back up where the first couple of songs began. i hated that they broke up when they did. i think that they could've done some groundbreaking things in hip hop. i wonder what they could've done had they started their own label and had all the control that they desired.

just listen.

just listen again.

let it sink in

good positive vibes
mathematics
love peace, freedom

Yes, indeed, the title says it all. Many reviewers may think that that's a bold statement, but yo, it is what it is. Digable Planets IS hip-hop. Listening to this album, and their follow up "Blowout Comb", just gives me a feeling that I just dont get listening to other hip-hop records. DP gives me a feelin that I dont even get from the greats: Biggie, Jay, Nas, Pac, etc. I think the main reason is because their sound is just so different. Not only is this hip-hop, this is MUSIC!! The way DP brings the world of hip-hop with jazz is just genius. I love the beats, the instruments, their lyrics, their flow, and their voices. I just hate that I slept on these cats back in 93-94, but hey, it wasnt entirely my fault. The west coast had the game locked back then. But yo, I'm elated that I finally woke up, albeit 12 years later.
I love the follow up, "Blowout Comb" (the album that actually turned me on to DP; I heard Blowout Comb first) but I would have to say that "Reachin" is slightly better. The two albums are different to me. "Reachin" is just "feel good", jazzy hip hop, and "Blowout Comb" is "chill", jazzy hip hop. I prefer "Reachin" cause, even though I'm a laid back cat, I rather "feel good" than to "chill". "Reachin" is #1 for me as far as hip hop goes, and "Blowout Comb" is 1A.

1) It's Good To Be Here--9.5/10- What a way to get things jumpin off
2) Pacifics--9.5/10- This track is "red hot"
3) Where I'm From--10/10- My favorite joint on the album. It just feels so good.
4) What Cool Breezes Do--10/10- So chill, i love the instruments
5) Time and Space--8/10- didnt feel it initially, now i love it!
6) Rebirth of Slick--10/10- this joint is just classic like that
7) Last of the Spiddyocks--9/10
8) Jimmi Diggin Cats--8.5/10
9) La Femme Fetal--9/10-This isnt a song, it's just like a poem to a cool beat. Butterfly gets deep on this one.
10) Escapism--10/10- i love it. so funky, yet so chill
11) Appointment at the Fat Clinic--7/10
12) Nickel Bags--10/10- you'll be high off DP after this joint
13) Swoon Units--10/10- "Run and tell yo mama bout this"
14) Examination of What--9/10

I originally bought this album about 4 years ago. It's awesome, great and amazing in every way... however it got beat up from continuous play. I just bought the digital download and didn't realize that EVERY single track is the same as the original save one. For whatever reason they slip in some horrible remix of one of my favorite songs on the album. I am pissed.

This CD has grown on me alot. Track 4 is hilarious yet at the same time has a real good beat to it. Real kick back beats and goes well with any type of Hiphop/Rap collection. Both these guys are well known for their talent, when it comes to producing. Pick it up only if your a true head.

Before I came to Handsome Boy Modeling School, I was handsome but without refinements, you know. Knowing which fork is for the salad at dinner, how to select a wine and knowing a napkin goes on one's lap instead of the logical tuck under chin are all points of greater emotional security for me now. I possess the confidence to actually show up for a date when I said I would be there. You too, will feel the liberation of knowing the secrets of Chest and Nathaniel. Don't hesitate, please. Even there, I said, "please" when before I would have just said, "do it bitch!"

Prince Paul and Dan the Automator created the better mouse trap with this particular concept that also entails "White People" and "Lovage." The hip-hopera works well in the framing of this fictitious modeling school. The cast is nothing less than incredible both in content of who they are and in the performances served up. This transcends categorization of strictly hip-hop. It should appeal to a very wide range of musical interests while not betraying it's theme. There is also a duality of self-deprecation for hip-hop and a celebration of hip-hop existing here. This is very much the sensation I feel with "Three Feet High and Rising" and "DeLaSoul is Dead." All artistic outlets should keep it in perspective and not take themselves too seriously. Otherwise you end up like Bobby Brown, Flav, or Dennis Miller.

I don't consider myself a fan of hip-hop, mainly because I am uninitiated. I listen to clawhammer banjo and am a self-professed collector of klezmer music. Nonetheless, I find the Dan Nakamura and Prince Paul collaborations brilliant! Plenty of big kick bass for everyone, so don't panic!

You'll love the Tim Meadows, Don Novell (Father Guido Sarducci), Chris and Bob Elliot, et al. Do what you can to insure you have the Handsome Boy Modeling School iterations in your collection. And screw those people who don't "get it."

Peace.

This energetic album is a pleasure to listen to. Packed full of beats and a completely unafraid attitude. The album could be a bit more consistent, as it's hard (at times) to swallow the plethora of guest MCs that appear on each of the tracks... making the album feel more like a mix tape than a finished vision. Additionally, the interludes are funny but often I wanted them to end so I could hear more music.

However, some albums are worth getting for one track. This is one of them. Once you hear "The Truth" you won't be able to put this album away.

Everything Dan The Automator has worked on is well worth putting into your iPOD or CD Player... over and over again. "So...How's Your Girl?" is a more serious attempt at producing a classic blues variety of hip-hop which is at a tangent to the gasta' hip-hop that has become mainstream. This is the other side of hip-hop that now seems to be the future of where hip-hop is moving and is certainly eons more musical, where ganga' is more interested in producing harder, faster more complex raps (not to say that Dan The Automator & co don't do that, they do, and very well) these sounds and literally just that... sounds, and they sound great. So once you have finally gone through the mainstream stuff you will probably venture down the avenues of MF Doom, Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif and most certainly you will want to start a Dan the Authomator collection. Deltron 3030 will get you into this rapper. Even if you don't like the blues, Dan the Automator just makes it sound so good here on "So...How's Your Girl". Get it.

I really don't do reviews because I feel no news is good news and if you say anything it should be in your disregard or your dissatisfaction of a certain thing. With that said, the Nas CD is great...just what I needed.

I remember this album when I was in the 6th grade. I love this album so much. This album is another creative milestone in the history of hip-hop and the artist himself. Nas receives the kind of respect that true rap wordsmiths continually target for themselves and it all boils down to his lyrics. His insights and observations concerning his generation can be read from his lyrics sheet as pure prose. When backed by the sonic collages of master producers, the signature combustion is his own. this album jibes with the coast-to-coast aestetic that is emerged in the wake of the late rap stars' deaths. This album is the latest chapter in the chronicle of rap's leading visionary (in 1999).

A Dope album by one of the dopest mc's in the rap game awesome lyrics and awesome flow

After Nas's Two Disc I Am... was leaked onto the internet people started disregarding all the material on the two releases. I Am is a lot better than Nastradamus. The guest appearances don't distract from this well crafted CD.

A second NY State of Mind opens this CD. It's as good as the first. The controversial video Hate Me Now follows and is an enjoyable track. The nest four tracks are amazing. From then on the DMX featured track stands out, and Nas Is Like and its succeeding songs are definite masterpieces.

Highly recommended.

i like this album as well for the most part i could listen to all of these records and thats a good album iof you can do that. but it couldve been better. but like any nas album i recommend it

One of their best works. The whole album flows with top notch production, killer rhymes, and creative beats throughout. Throw on the head phones to hear the full expanse and experience a sort of "darkside of the moon" movement from track to track. People will be coming back to this album for years, wondering how they missed this diamond in the ruff. The high point for me picks up on "thought @ work" running all the way thru "water"s charging tempo. The transitions are perfect, which make it really hard to skip songs. Also note worthy is "break you off", with its dramatic radiohead style finish, you gotta respect their talent and composition structures.

with the rest of the album as I was when listening to "The Seed (2.0)" on the radio. It's infectious groove pulled me in, but the rest of the tracks do nothing for me. I realize these guys have lots of talent.....just not for my sensibilities.

It always astonishes me that Phrenology only has a 4/5 rating on Amazon. I'm am going to chalk that up to this album being widely popular and the scores of uninitiated listeners who were introduced to the Roots by this album. I consider this their best album, although I'd accept an argument for Illadelph Halflife as well.

Phrenology is stunningly good. The music, lyrics, narrative, and presentation are beyond anything else available in the genre. "The Seed 2.0" and "Break You Off" are indeed genre benders. The psychadelic half of "Water" is a brainscrew and it can run with anything Pink Floyd and Hendrix could conjure up in the late 60s (that is high praise from me). "Something in the Way of Things" still drags me in neck deep. The Roots (especially Black Thought) have a propensity for dark and thought-provoking music that is often depressing. There is a calm confidence evident in the music that makes Phrenology a less exhausting listen than Halflife or Rising Down.

This is one of the better albums of the past ten years.

I am a liberal and openminded fan of music in general. The Roots and this release by The Roots are not just some of the best hip hop has to offer; they are some the best MUSIC the world over has to offer. These guys have many great albums, and in my opinion, the greatest musical talents grow and evolve with each release; giving a unique listening experience with every album. If you are looking for the same sound as "illadelph" or any of their other previous works, which stand alone with greatness, you are not giving yourself a chance to truly experience this great album as well as many others. I'm not going to tell you what songs to listen to here; just listen to the whole thing. I listen to many genres of music and I've come to pigeonhole artists only as great musicians or not. This is great music, this is a great album...enjoy.

I fully enjoyed Break You Off, The Seed (2.0), Complexity (Their best song EVER), P.U.S.S.Y. Galore and Something In The Way Of Things which is quirky and scary. VERY scary sounding.

For that it gets a 3 star rating.

The production is on point for these songs. I like their lyrics for the most part too. Black Thought seems to be very intelligent. But I can't get past the fact that this CD is just too weird for me to listen to it regularly. Things Fall Apart was the same way, except it wasn't *this* weird!

3.4 stars.

THIS C.D. IS THA BEST C.D. MADE BY ATMOSPHERE BY FAR.
1.THE ARRIVAL-GOOD BASS SONG 4 YOUR CAR
2.PANIC ATTACK-GOOD TO CRANK UP AT PARTYS[GET TOGETHERS}
3.WATCH OUT-AGAIN GOOD DANCE SONG
4.MUSICAL CHAIRS-GOOD SONG TO REMENISE TO
5.SAY HEY THERE-CHILL SONG
6.HOCKEY HAIR- ID RATHER DRINK OUT OF A URANAL POT THAN HERE THIS SONG
7.BAM-THE BEST PARTY SONG
8.POUR ME ANOTHER-REMEMBER YOUR FIRST DRINK. GOOD.
9.SMART WENT CRAY- EH
10.Angel face-slower calm atmosphere in tha car
11.that NIGHT- THA MOST .........................COOLEST SONG EVAER
12.LITTLE MAN-BLAH BLAH BLAH.
P.S. IF YA LIKE PARTY/REMINISING C.D.S. THIS IZ YOURS

Slug and Ant at some of their finest. Phenominal beats and hooks as well as intellectual rhymes and a true to life voice that resonates their passion all throughout the underground hip-hop community. Atmosphere, an unstoppable duo.

I picked up this album when it first came out and soon it made its way to the end of my playlist. I heard the song "Little Man" in a shuffle and it re-sparked my love for this album and I haven't stop listening since. This in my opinion is one of the more creative hip hop albums of the last several years (others include Bayani-Blue Scholars, The Scenic Route-Panacea to name a couple). Atmopshere went out of his "comfort zone" and may have created a lyrical monster by doing so. This shows his versatility and those who can't appreciate an artist growing and broadening his scope of talent don't deserve to be fans. This album is/will be a classic and should be in every hip hop lovers collection.

How many albums of whiny songs about girls can a "rapper" put out?

The beats are not necessarily bad, but only by "backpacker" standards. If you listen to genuine hip-hop and not the suburban version of it, you will likely find the production to be sub-par.

Slug himself sounds like he doesn't even want to be rapping half the time. I don't know if that's part of his "I'm a lonely soul" appeal, but it sure sounds bad. It is clear that this album is meant to appeal to angsty suburban teenagers and no other demographic.

I'm not trying to write a nasty review here, and I must say that "OverCast" was actually a good Hip-Hop album. But Slug and the whole rhymesayers crew are just killing the idea of underground hip-hop by stripping it of it's hip-hop elements. Hip-Hop is not the type of music where whining and complaining to a psuedo-creative beat works.

Amazing songs. Anyone who likes underground music, especially rap should try this out. Atmosphere makes good music. A lot of songs that rap about real things, and not pointless junk.