Music - 2004

Dead Prez featuring Jay-Z - Hell Yeah

"We're together on the same track now baby!"
So you've seen Jay on unplugged with his Che Guevera shirt, and you heard about him doing his tour of New York public schools. You've heard "Ballad for a Fallen Soldier" and "Meet the Parents." But still Jay's political-rap cred has never been trusted - which is to be expected when one of his most popular singles was called "Money Cash Hoes" I suppose. So it has come to this - in a bid to extend the Roc roster Jay performs with a group known almost entirely for their divisive politics.
Dead Prez never have seemed really consistent to me. I really dig "Hip-Hop" and "Drugs Oppress the People Every Day" and that track they did with the Coup, "Get Up," (a subwoofer test of a song if there ever was one) but overall I've felt that they fall victim to their own politics and end up sounding overly didactic or simplistic on the majority of their work.
This song definitely falls in the category of being one of their better tracks, although it's not as good as the aforementioned. The beat is skeletal and not spectacular, but its also sparser and darker than the average Jay-Z track. The result is a similar mood to Reasonable Doubt's more minimalistic tracks - Jay-Z sounds hungry and gritty again, in contrast to the sheen that has sparkled over his more recent singles ("Change Clothes," for instance). This is a promising track that bodes well for the future (word is Dead Prez is looking to sign to the Roc) but I wouldn't call it an unqualified success if only for the corny chorus ("helll yeaaaaah" sung in a boring sub-Nate Dogg way, not a hyped-up Lil Jon way) and the beat which can quickly become tiresome.

Wiley - Problems

Dizzee Rascal associate Wiley is dropping his new album this year, undoubtedly hoping to follow Dizzee's path to success. This song might be the way to do it. Easily more immediately catchier and pop-inspired than anything on Boy in Da Corner, this is a piece of quality grime-goodness. A love song of sorts, Wiley spits over synthy stabs and deep plodding bass. But the song is all tied together by the synth-kettle drums that come in during the chorus and create a reflective, bittersweet mood. Dizzee hadn't quite convinced me that grime was the future. His music was incredible, but it seemed to lack the potential for crossover appeal. Obviously, I was wrong - this song proves that grime can retain form and structure and yet hit me with pop pleasure.

Vast Aire - Look Ma No Hands

OK, yeah, Vast comes nice on this track - "Look ma, no hands, you sucka MCs betta change yo plans." But fer serious, the real star is the fucking ridiculous production, with its driving hornline and swirling, soaring samples. Madlib is dropping nothing but fire, and this definitely gets me lookin' forward to the new Vast Aire album which is supposed to drop soon on Chocolate Industries (same company that put out Diverse's album and the Urban Renewal Project compilation). I have high hopes, high hopes. It'll be Madvillain vs. Vast Aire in the first quarter 2k4. Who brings it better over Madlib's beats?
(I've got my money on DOOM - just remember all caps when you spell the man name.)

Albums of 2004 updated....

1. Kanye West - College Dropout
2. David Banner - Baptized in Dirty Water
3. Jay-Z - The Grey Album
4. Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse
5. GM Grimm - Digital Tears
6. Young Gunz - Tough Love
7. Savath and Savalas - Apropt'a
8. Twista - Kamikaze
9. Air - Talkie Walkie
10. Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground

To summarize, my list is GREAT up until Digital Tears, which is "Good," as are all the albums that follow. I've heard a couple other albums as well - 90 Day Men, Oneida - that didn't really do it for me. Right now I'm looking forward, in particular, to albums from Madvillain, Prince Po, RJD2, Murs, Ghostface Killah....It should be a good year.
Thanks to Slumberlord's inspirational efforts, I hope to make my own singles list sometime soon...expect high finishes for URsher and GM Grimm and Twista, among others.

Young Gunz - No Better Love
I was totally wrong about the Young Gunz. I can't believe I was ever on the fence about this - its absolutely terrific. That is, assuming you love the sorta R&B goodness that this song oozes. The production is terrific, and the video is fabulous - its got Chris and Neef chilling on the slopes and in the lodge with some honeys. Oh and the song is terrifically smooth chill soulful loving. Oh man this song is terrific.
Highly recommended.
(And if what I've heard from the rest of the album is any indication, the ALBUM will be hot too. Thank you Kanye/JBlaze.)

Petey Pablo - Freek-A-Leek
As I continue to embrace mainstream commercial hip hop in the absence of good independent hip-hop (where you at Def Jux!?) the mainstay of the shit I'm listening to is Lil Jon's incredible production. And PETEY PAB MUTHAFUCKAAAA is back thanks to a hot beat from Lil Jon and a great chorus where Petey Pab lists all the chicks in his sewing circle. The unedited version is pretty lewd, so I can't imagine what the radio edit sounds like (perhaps an instrumental?) but yeah, this continues Lil Jon's string of unbelievably solid tracks. And revitalizes who I assumed to be a one hit wonda, PETEY PAB MUTHAFUCKAAAAA!!!!

Dilated Peoples - Poisonous

Man, these guys let me down, strike three. BUT WAIT! When I played this vinyl on my show, I accidently hit the 45 button, speeding up an otherwise mediocre Dilated track and turning it into the dance hit of the season. I'm serious, this track is so much better when sped up. Sure, Rakaa and Evidence sound like chipmunks, but frankly it was an improvement, and rather than listening to the dirge-like normal version, I'd rather rock out to this any day. Seriously, its quite good this way.

I swear the Ying Yang Twinz ripped off this album art for the Salt Shaker video....

Obie Trice featuring Nate Dogg - The Set Up

I think this song is straight. The beat is pretty cool, with the descending wood block melody and a percussive shuffle. Obie Trice is also pretty solid on it. I like how he prounces "in my opinion" as "my 'pin'." Nate Dogg does a great job with the hook, as usual. The video is pretty solid too. Man, they must say the word "bitch" like 30 times in this song.

Not much to say other than Petey Pablo's new single is decent. I'm on the fence about the new NERD and Young Gunz. Neither of them are as good as past accomplishments. But they didn't seem entirely terrible.

Also I swear I can watch BET without coming across a bad video for like an hour and a half. Meanwhile MTV/VH1 seem to feel the need (when they actually play videos) to continue to play pap like Evanescence (best new artist my ass) and Linkin Park...come on white people, get it together.

Dilated Peoples - Marathon

[yawn]

Albums of 2004 updated....

1. Kanye West - College Dropout
2. David Banner - Baptized in Dirty Water
3. Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground
4. Savath and Savalas - Apropt'a
5. Jay-Z - The Grey Album
6. Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse
7. Twista - Kamikaze
8. Air - Talkie Walkie

and....


Ying Yang Twinz feat. Lil Jon - Salt Shaker

I love this song and everyone in my house hates me for it cuz they think its boring and repetitive. I don't understand that sentiment at all. The beat is absolutely wonderful, basslines buzzing and flute lines flying and all these various sound blended and woven into one terrific patchwork of a beat for growling dirrrrty south MCs to scream over. The video also reminds me of an Ohio Players album cover, which adds greatly to my enjoyment of the track. Also, I've been practicing my YEAAAAHHHHHH!'s and my OH KAYYYEEEEEE!!!!'s so I can imitate Lil Jon whenever I hear one of his beats. Tigga did it on BET, but it didn't sound enough like Lil Jon's gutteral yells.
Oh, as far as criticizing this song...uhh, well...the video has lots of shapely women dancing for dudes and dollars, and I'm sure that the Ying Yang Twinz say some pretty mysogynistic stuff...par the course as far as Lil Jon tracks go obviously. Still, that beat...! Also it annoys me when people spell "Yin Yang" as "Ying Yang." I mean, it's stupid, I know, but I'm having a hard time finding anything else to complain about. This song is ill.

Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name

Excellent Kanye production. Although at first listen I assumed it was just a one-track jack, further listening suggests that this song is a lot more well-constructed than I had initially assumed. Alicia Keys is a great singer who tends to make boring music, but with Kanye behind her she can't fail. This song is also awesome because it means Kanye has three charting singles at the same time. Classic soul sound to the whole track.

Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris - Yeah

Speaking of great producers saving mediocre R&B artists, this is the best Usher song I've ever heard. Which I know isn't saying much, but its more like a Lil Jon track anyway. Lil Jon's menacing synths and staccato keyboard stabs and ringing bells give way to a gorgeous flute melody during the chorus, as Lil Jon growls and YEEEEAHHHH's throughout. Ludacris drops a hot verse, as he is prone to do - "SOGIMMEDARHYTHMANDIT'LL BE OFF with their clothes...." It's refreshing to hear such an established artist switchup his flow once in a while. Busta Rhymes take note.

GM Grimm - Dancing b/w Taken (both produced by J-Zone)

Dancing is a hot bouncing track produced by underground Premier acolyte J-Zone. Piano arpeggios triggered at rhythmically unsettling intervals set up Grimm for some solid verses - and that's quite refreshing to hear. "Everyone knows music ain't nothing but a drug." Its good to hear Grimm again, and I'm looking forward to his new album despite its somewhat amateurish cover art. The B-side is not as good; utilizes an overused sample and while Grimm is still solid on the mic it's just not as exciting of a track.

OK so I bought Pitch Black Law by Pitch Black today at Best Buy; I heard the single, which was a strong Premier track with his standard triggered string samples and street-tempered drums, and assumed that this would be another Group Home-style Premier project. Unfortunately, he only produces 2 tracks on the album (by far the best two), and the rest doesn't really stand up. None of the rappers in the oversized Pitch Black crew are particuarly talented either. On some tracks this isn't too much of a problem; they aren't noticeably embarrassing, but their lack of a discernable style wears thin over the course of an already-short 50 minute album. "Shake That," produced by Swizz Beats, is a fairly interesting minimalist percussion-driven track. The best songs on the album by far are the two Premier tracks - "It's All Real," which was released as a single, and "Got It Locked" featuring Foxy Brown, who drops a very memorable verse - rather refreshing on an album that features generally dull MCing.
Yawn.
At least this was only a 6.99$ purchase....

If someone wants this album I'll sell it to you for only a couple bucks. At least I picked up the new Kanye at the same time...if anyone's wondering, it definitely justified the trip to Best Buy. I'll have a review up hopefully within the next week.

T.I. - Rubber Band Man

Hilarious crunk-tastic track from the dirrrrty south. The video's got a "who's who" of hip-hop starring in cameo roles (P Diddy, Jazzy Pha, etc.). David Banner carries his drum machine around with him as he creates one of the catchiest crunk beats this year. The cats in the video shoot rubber bands at the camera. Children's chorus is a little obnoxious, but the rest of the song, from the great bounce-drum track to the anthemic horns....fantastic.


Missy Elliott - I'm Really Hot

What can we say any more? The video is terrific - kids dance, I wish someone taught me the harlem shake when I was 10 - and Missy has lost weight. Uhh...other than that the video is "unremarkable," in the sense that its just like all the other Missy videos - completely unique.
The song? Oh right. Well its incredible. Not much else to say really. It blows my mind.


Dilated Peoples feat. Kanye West - This Way

This song truly sucks. I mean, its hard to get a banger of a Kanye beat and make it suck, but somehow, Dilated Peoples managed. In a sort of "Where is the Love" way, too. Kanye's verse and the non-chorus part of the beat are quite memorable, so its too bad that the two so so average MCs, Evidence and Rakaa, had to lay the cheese on so hard. And even the cheesy verses would have been forgivable, had it not been for the chorus - where a children's choir sings. Seriously, this song is godawful. Kanye, stick to Jay-Z and Twista tracks, please. Or Talib Kweli tracks. Or Scarface tracks. Or whoever the hell you want. Just stay clear of these guys, who will do nothing but embarrass you. Ugh.

I'm not sure if this came out this year, and so far I'm only streaming it, but Pete Rock and CL Smooth's "Appreciate" is just incredible.

"Slow Jamz" by Twista/Kanye is great.

"Overnight Celebrity" by Twista/Kanye is even better. Go Chicago, its yr birthday.

The new DMX track "Get it on the Floor" isn't bad either. Surprisingly decent Swizz Beatz production...