Large Professional
October 26, 2008
Let’s face it…It’s been a long minute since we heard any new material from Large Pro. While his recent material has been solid for the mosr part, he’s been lacking that spark that made him so dominant in the early 90′s (Breaking Atoms, Illmatic).
His latest contribution to the rap game Main Source, is exactly what we’ve been waiting for all these years. Actually, listening to this record is the equivalent of time traveling back to 1994. Large Professor definitely lives in his own world, which is permanently stuck in this era. This was the same time that SP-1200 and MPC beats were the hotness and size 13 Timbalands were the regular…After listening to the first two tracks and reading through the booklet, you’ll be quickly reminded of all the above.
Continue on for the rest of the review..
White Van Music
October 23, 2008
I was back home in Seattle last weekend, and made a brief stop to the infamous Sonic Boom Records on Capitol Hill. At that moment, I’d already bought four new albums within two weeks, and had no intention of getting anything at all…But being the musical drug-addict that I am, I went to take a look anyway.
At the moment, the top selling albums at Sonic were Madlib’s WLIB, Raphael Saadiq’s The Way I See It (dope), and this new Jake One…
Long story short, the Seattle in me kept it real. While I’ve never had the privilege of meeting Jake yet, I can’t help but get a little proud to see local hip-hop make it globally (I see you Blue Scholars).
Continue on for my thoughts…
Politics As Usual
October 7, 2008
As many of you know, last Tuesday (9/30) was a good day in music. Not only did we get the debut release from Term, but we also saw releases from such hip-hop veterans as Madlib, Murs, and Large Professor. It’s no secret that I’m extra-hyped for Politics As Usual, seeing as he’s a true MC that reminds me of the golden-era. He’s got that ferocious New York sound made famous in the early 90′s, but adds a little modern twist to it.
That being said, I had high expectations for his debut LP, and was able to grab a copy this past weekend. Here are my thoughts…
Untitled
July 16, 2008
Let’s just put it out there…When it comes to new Nas albums (post God’s Son) I’m the first one to feel a little skeptical. He’s arguably the best lyricist in the game, and anyone who has followed his past works more than likely shares a certain level of expectation. Such LP’s as Illmatic, It Was Written, God’s Son, and Stillmatic are all solid entries to his overall catalog, but the remaining albums are somewhat lacking.
That being said, I was a little hesitant about his latest entry Untitled…
Getting Busy
April 28, 2008
The Roots: Rising Down
Rising Down is the groups eighth full-length and is their second effort on Def Jam. This is one album I’ve been anticipating for quite some time now. The tracks that hit the net in recent weeks are very promising (except for “Birthday Girl”), and are reminiscent of The Roots that I grew up listening to.
The title track starts the album off with a blast. Complete with dirty drums, eerie guitar riffs and potent lyrics, this is the vintage Roots I’ve been waiting for. The train doesn’t stop there either…Followed by “Get Busy” and “75 Bars,” the listener gets slapped in the face with two of the best Roots tracks to come out in years:
(Hella)Filthy Simpson
April 22, 2008
Guilty Simpson: Ode to the Ghetto
Stones Throw Records has been near unstoppable for the past several years, and seems to only get better with time. The first thing that comes to mind are such modern hip-hip classics as Donuts, Madvillainy, The Unseen, and Champion Sound. While their lineup may be smaller than most, the amount of concentrated talent is unmatchable. Peanut Butter Wolf oversees this whole operation, while Madlib tends to provide the overall sound. This, combined with a solid foundation of MC’s (Percee P, MED, Guilty Simpson) creates a recipe for success that should never be overlooked by music fans.
The latest entry from Stones Throw is the first album from Detroit MC Guilty Simpson. Before the untimely death of J-Dilla, Guilty had worked on several projects with him (Chrome Children, The Shining) that eventually brought about a significant amount if attention from the hip-hop world. Simpson was given the stamp of approval from Dilla, which was enough for Stones Throw to take notice and sign him to the label.
