Accepted Eclectic

Aceyalone

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2001)
• Original Release Date: March 6, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ground Control
• ASIN: B000056Q1Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,046 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #38 in	Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Experimental
  #46 in	Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > West Coast

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
If scholars scrutinize the brush stroke of a master painter, Aceyalone deserves the same level of appreciation for his wordplay. Ever since he first emerged with the Freestyle Fellowship, Acey has arguably shown himself to be the premier West Coast lyricist, crafting intricate rhyme schemes loaded with brilliant content. He flexes the creativity of a poet with the heart of a braggart, making him a dangerous opponent in any cipher. That's not to say that Acey's perfect--he's had an uneven track record on LPs. But Accepted Eclectic doesn't try for the lofty (but ill-executed) concept status of Book of Human Language, and features more consistent production than his debut All Balls Don't Bounce. Instead, Acey sticks to the basics: good rhymes, good beats, great songs. He shows unlimited range in topic, from the reflective and philosophical "Never Knew" to the rapid-fire "B-Boy Real McCoy" to a surprising remake of Ed O.G.'s classic "I Got to Have It (Too)"--he doesn't try to improve on the original (a common mistake among rappers) but instead extends it, even bringing in Ed O.G. to preserve the lineage. Concepts aside, it's still Acey's gift of gab that's the draw. His versatility is unparalleled: his words can tap dance their way across a track, as on "Golden Mic," or dig deep into it with verbal cleats, as on "Five Feet." For veteran Acey fans and the uninitiated alike, "Accepted Eclectic" is a stunning example of how far lyricism can go with its ability to amaze and inspire. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where hip hop will go., April 10, 2001

By	Chris Wren "Chris Wren" (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

Aceyalone's releases have always been a breath of fresh air into the stale hip hop market: Gangsta rap, flash money, and pomposity are all devoid on this record.

For those of us who own the earlier Aceyalone releases (A book of the human language, All balls don't bounce), this album feels like a collection of singles. However, to those of you who do not own those records, you're the crowd that's reading this review. So the rating of this record is high because it is a fresh breath of hip hop into the bland market now.

Aceyalone's rhymes have always been among the most interesting: he's a constant philosopher and lyricist, looking at life from the "big picture" and examining the differences in life. Tracks like "Never knew" totally examine life from the alternate point of view under a poignant piano arrangement. Old tracks ("Gimme five feet" and "Golden Mic") are reintroduced with a new luster.

For those of you willing to delve into the underground or indie parts of hip hop, Aceyalone is a step in the right direction. As an introduction into the genre I'd highly suggest this cd if one is willing to experience the opposite of what they expect out of hip hop. Creative rhymes and sterling beats make this album essential for any so-called enthusiast of hip hop.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ace One!, March 22, 2001

By	"kutthroat" (orange county, CA) - See all my reviews

Any blowedian fan that has peeped this record would agree with me that Accepted Eclectic is an archival masterpiece. All true underground hip hop fans should get a copy of this and support the fight for aestheticity. Don't sleep! The homeboy from colorado that did the first review hit the nail right on the head, this is Acey's exhibition of his rip-a-rhyme tactics. when i first got a bootleg copy, I was completely blowed away cause you could relate to every track...and really feel what this legend is pervayin'. Ace One's lyrical mastery in collaboration with the genius production is like bacon and eggs! MONUMENTAL!!! definitely different from "the book of human language", accepted eclectic is a must have. as a matter of fact, get every blowed album, newfound hip hop heads won't be disappointed, i put that on everythin. If you ever get the chance to see ace rock it live, DO IT!... respect yall.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Son of Coltrane, April 15, 2001

By	Duy Q. Tran (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is not really a five star album--Acey has never actually had a truly great solo album--but there's no doubt that this is the work of a 5-star MC. He's gifted with great voice and flow that delivers ideas that are clever and original. That's sadly rare these days. Hip-hop's been like a one-trick pony show these days with so many EP-emcees putting out LP's that are tired after the first 3 tracks. Aceyalone never gets boring because he rhymes about something other than hip-hop itself. He rhymes about his life and so the themes are limitless and his subject matter and style seems free from convention. Hey this personal expression at it's top form. Like acey says, finding something that's real is pretty rare. Well here it is. Check it out. Peace.