Customer Reviews

Accept Your Own & Be Yourself

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

NO I.D. til this day remains one hip hop's most clever as well as underated producers. He initially gained recognition with his monumental work setting the foundation for a majority of the the production backdrops for Common's first 3 albums. So in 97 NO I.D. along with partner in crime Dug Infinite teamed up and delivered "Accept Your Own & Be Yourself". This album should satisfy even the most critical of hip hop heads. True indeed NO I.D.'s rhymes and punchlines will not make you go and slap your moms, but his rhymes have plenty of strong messages and tons of substance. But you should cop this album for the beats more so than anything. This album should have gained a tad bit more publicity but the now defunct label Relativity wasn't too keen on marketing most of their acts throughout most of the 90's. Standout Tracks include "State to State" w/ Common Sense, "Sky's The Limit", "The Real Weight", and "Fate or Destiny". Amazingly a lot of hip hop purists out there don't even know who NO I.D. is. Don't sleep like so many others did.

NO I.D, the man responsible for the incredible production on Common's classics, "Resurrection" ('94) & "One Day..." ('97) - forges his own path on the criminally slept-on "Accept Your Own & Be Yourself."

First of all THESE BEATS ARE PRIME-CUT, AAA serloin type s**t. NO I.D, definitely kept some of his best material for himself, you couldn't ask for more.

The problem within this album lies in the MC's, NO I.D & his unknown buddy Dug Infinite (who appears on every track).
The first time the world heard NO I.D rhyme was on "Resurrection" on the classic track "In My Own World (Check the Method)." Verdict, he was pretty bland but along side Common he came off dope. That's the problem with this album, Common only appears on the track "State to State," leaving NO I.D to fill the void left by Com with the boring but bearable Dug Infinite. He gets the job done, but NO I.D really should have found a pro.
So what we have here is two medicore (at best) MC's trading rhymes over AMAZING BEATS. To be fair, they try their best - you can hear it in their rhymes, alot of the tracks have socially conscious (a la Common) themes and there's alot smart s**t being said by these two. They have brains and heart, just not much talent.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a really good album. The beats are really dope and the MC's get the job done. I recommend it and I'm glad I bought it. 4 stars, Peace.

No I.D. has already proven his production skills by being Common's DJ, and can credit songs like "i used to love h.e.r." and "resurrection" to his resume. On his debut album, he along with partner Dug Infinite both take the listener on a 15 track odyssey, offering diverse beats with intellectual uplifting rhymes by seasoning tracks with 5% nation of Islam ideologies. My fave tracks on the album are "state to state" (with Common, "the real weight", "pray for the sinners", and dug infinite's mix of "sky's the limit". These tracks are a unique blend of jazz i have not heard on other like hiphop albums. I strongly recommend heads with open minds to scope out this album, cuz i know it is being severely slept on.

I want to say this album is closer to an 6 than a 7. Maybe a 6 1/2 out of 10 would have been more accurate for this album. First off, No ID (or Immenslope) is one of the dopest producers who never received the credit that was due. He produced the majority of Common's first three albums while they were both on the same record label (Relativity Records). Every song on here is well produced to make you sit back and chill while listening to the album. Lyrically, this album is a whole different story. No ID really isn't a great lyricist. He did a good job rhyming on songs like "Two Scoops Of Raisins" and "In My Own World (Check The Method)" from Can I Borrow a Dollar? and Resurrection respectively. But when you hear his rhymes, they won't impress you. I guess he felt that he knew he wasn't that great on the mic either, so he enlisted Doug Infinate (also a dope producer, check out One Day It'll All Make Sense) on every song he rhymes on, which doesn't make the situation any better, because he falls in the same boat too (great producer, average emcee). In fact No ID may be a level higher than Doug when it comes to the lyrics. This album would fall into the category of the production being so great that it is going to overshadow the lyrics (think Group Home or Slum Village). When it comes to rhymes, expect every outside contributions to outshine both No ID and Doug Infinate.

Some of the songs that stood out was the song with Common "State To State". The production is great, and Common makes a great contibution on the song. "Fate Or Destiny" has somemore of the signature production featuring a lady named Syndicate. She also appears on "Two Steps Behind" and "Mega Live" and drops real dope verses over somemore hot production. Like I said before No I.D. brings his A game behind the boards on this album. Even Doug Infinate brings some of his style behind the boards like the remix to "Sky's The Limit" and on "Origonal Man".

I can credit both guys for some of their lyrical abilities though (even though there are a few tracks that their voices sound almost identical to eachother). "Fate Or Destiny" you can sense some lyrical ability between the two. And they do a good job on "State To State" as well (even though Common has a much better verse). "Pray For The Sinners" and "Sky's The Limit" are some lyrical chemestry there too. Thats about it though.

Overall, this album has it's ups and downs. The beats on this album are worth the money alone. No I.D. (with the help of Doug Infinate) can make some astounding beats. Lyrically, both should have headed back the drawing board. This album is long out of print as well, and my price for how much you should pay for it is about 25 bucks. As I said, look for the production here to play a huge factor in the enjoyment of this album. Peace.

Lyrics: C- (since Doug rhymes just as much as No I.D. I'll count him as part of the lyrics as well)
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A-
Musical Vibes: B+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. State To State (featuring Common)
2. Two Steps Behind (featuring Syndicate)
3. Fate Or Destiny (featuring Syndicate)
4. Mega Live (featuring Syndicate)
5. Pray For The Sinners

Honorable Mention:
1. Sky's The Limit (origonal and INF Mix)
2. Jump On It

One of my favorite records in my collection. Not the most lyrical however the beats alone are enough to get the job done. I've beatjuggled the single Jump On It/Sky's the Limit for like 2 years now. It never gets old to chop this up and play with the ill drum patterns. Hedz go out and cop this when you can. A+ material from one of hip hops finest producers!!!

Renowned for his production work with Common and others, No I.D. released his solo album "Accept Your Own & Be Yourself (The Black Album)" in 1997. "Solo" is actually a misnomer--fellow Chicago producer/rapper Dug Infinite raps on every song and produces a few more. So far as I can tell, it's as much a collaborative effort as any duo. Which is funny, because Dug and No I.D. are as similar rappers as you'll find--their voices, deliveries, flows, and styles are nearly identical. In any event, I like them both. Their verses are artistic and substantial with thoughtful musings that match the cool mood of the LP.

"Accept Your Own & Be Yourself (The Black Album)" has a good feel. As the title indicates, it has somewhat of a mysterious, somber late-night vibe. The best tracks are brilliant showcases for No I.D.'s overlooked musical talent. The thundering "We Rock Like So" and smooth "Fate or Destiny" are strong productions that the rappers sound good over. Common lends a nice verse to the excellent "State to State," which boasts a tremendous beat, nice verses from Dug and No I.D., and a hook sampling Run-D.M.C. Lyrics shine on "The Real Weight," and another nice beat is to be found on the short interlude "Gem," with a female rapper Syndicate who appears extensively throughout the album. "Pray for the Sinners" is my favorite song, with a great twangy guitar instrumental, wonderful lyrics, and cool hook. "Sky's the Limit" features another of No I.D.'s finest productions, and the rappers do it justice.

Others, however, even while technically impressive, with clever rhythms and instrumentals, are so sparse sonically that they are bland overall. "Mega Live (That's the Joint)," "Jump On It," "Original Man," and "Two Steps Behind" don't have enough going for them to make them stick.

I tend to hold "Accept Your Own & Be Yourself (The Black Album)" in higher esteem than is warranted, but I suppose that's a sign of quality: the standouts are good enough to make the filler easier to overlook. No I.D.'s debut is a good effort all-around, and while not on the level of Common's classics, it should appeal to listeners of that distinction.

If you claim that you're hip-hop. You should own this album. Nuff said!

If you liked the beats on Ressurection, you'd like this album. The lyrics are average, but the beats are above average.

this is by far the greatest bit of production ever get this exceptional album now.

this album is simply amazing- if you can find it at your local record shop or 2nd hand cd store buy it right away.

Beats are perfect
Rhymes are dope

Its an album your hip hop collection needs