Album

Latyrx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quannum Projects
• ASIN: B00006FI9Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,843 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #60 in Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > West Coast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Album Is the Best Hip Hop Album I've Heard, March 12, 2003

By 

Nick Heller (Tarzana, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Album (Audio CD)

What happens when you take two prolific poets/lyricists, and combine their talent with underground's golden boy DJ Shadow? You get Latyrx The Album. This album came out in 1998, and it is SO unappreciated. It does things that no other rap album I have ever heard has done. The first track, for instance, is a futuristic space ride in which starts out with silence and then out of the silence comes the name Latyrx, then DJ Shadow busts a space age beat that makes you think Space Mountain, and then both rappers take a channel, left and right, and rap different verses in different styles, but play off of each other, play catch with rhymes, and their emotions swell one peaking as the other reaches the low point and then they switch again. That is only the first track. This album has freestyles, battles, some of the sickest beats ever made. This album changed my life, changed my view on hip hop, and I hope that everyone picks this up because its is the greatest hip hop album, and the most prolific hip hop album ive ever heard.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unprecedented masterpiece, August 2, 2005

By 

Alan Pounds "Minnesota Hip-Hop Fiend" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Album (Audio CD)

This has got to be one of the most overlooked underground hip-hop classics to ever be released. Which is quite a shame, since "The Album" is as sonically original as Company Flow's "Funcrusher Plus", which was also released in 1997. Both of these albums were amongst the most abstract hip-hop albums to hit the scene, which brought avant-garde experimentalism to hip-hop (i.e. Definitive Jux, Anticon). Lets start with the extraordinary cast. Lyrics Born (a.k.a. Asia Born, Tom Shimura), originally born in Tokyo, then moved to Berkeley, California; was the founder of the Quannum/SoleSides Records collective in 1992. DJ Shadow, also co-founder of SoleSides Records, was fresh off of his critically acclaimed 1996 debut, "Endtroducing...", and ready to turn hip-hop heads on their sides. Lateef the Truth Speaker, a new remarkable talent, made his debut on "The Album".

Contrary to popular belief, this album is not completely produced by DJ Shadow. In fact, Shadow only produces 4 tracks on the album. Label mate Chief Excel (Blackalicious) produces 2 tracks. Lyrics Born takes on the bulk of the production; coming to the table with 7 tracks. The highlight of the album is up for debate. The production brought forth is unbelievable, which sounds extremely fresh, even by today's standards. But one thing that Big Juss and El-P (from Company Flow) did not possess, are lyrical flows on the unique level of Lyrics Born and Lateef. Lyrics Born gives a whole new meaning to the idea of breath control. His perfectly annunciated flow is so fluid, it's almost baffling. Lateef, on the other hand, is quite a bit different. His flow is more menacing and outspoken, although very unique and coherent. The idea of your average hip-hop formula is completely pulverized here, making way for some truly adventurous material.

Moving on to the originality claims...The first cut "Latyrx" presents the most riveting production on the record. Lyrics Born and Lateef each recorded their verses separately. Each rap was split into their own audio channels (left/right). Since they are not interacting with each other lyrically, their raps are nearly impossible to comprehend, which doesn't really matter. Their flows mixed with the music creates a sonic texture of sounds that is utterly captivating. That's the most experimental track on the album, which turns out to be a nice choice since the album is filled with tons of variety. The album drives along through earthy trip-hop beats, ambient synth textures, as well as some jazz, funk and dancehall cuts. There wasn't anyone in hip-hop progressively using electronics the way these guys were. "Say That" is a welcomed change from the first cut, blending trip-hop and electronics well once again. "The Quickening (The Wreckoning, Part II)" by Lateef, is one killer track. His flow is captivatingly sweet, and since he raps alone here, it's easy to focus on him. Also similar to the previous cut, "Balcony Beach" features Lyrics Born, which is my favorite track as of now. The beat/rhythm is actually quite minimal, featuring soulful singing by Joyo Velarde. Lyrics Born's flow is real lazy and intoxicating; I love it. "Live at 90.3 '94" featuring John Tchicai and Free Association boasts some killer freestyle verses (which is more than I can say for the sound quality). "The Muzapper's Mix: Aim for the Flickering Flame/Rankin' No. 1" pushes the envelope nicely with another solid jam. Track 8, "Bad News", kicks off a funky set. It features a soothing funky piano loop and drum beat that backs Lateef's story rhymes quite nicely. The next cut, "Off (With) Their Heads (Be Prompt)" featuring Lyrics Born is also pretty funky, boasting a funked up guitar loop. "Burnt Pride" is a pretty sweet cut (and the longest). It features some pretty dirty and complex production (by Lyrics Born).

This is Lyrics Born and Lateef at their absolute best. And despite the big name backup (DJ Shadow), Lyrics Born produces most of the album, and provides the musical vision, as well as being the more distinguished emcee of the two. Nevertheless, this is a phenomenal debut for both of these mad talented cats. It is sad that only 14 other fans have reviewed this album besides myself. It will probably never receive the recognition it deserves. It also didn't help that the album was virtually non-existent for the first 5 years of it's release. I'm doing my part to change this, and I implore you to do the same. Because there's only one way to find out about great music like this, besides doing your homework on the internet. And that's word of mouth. Everyone I know is getting a taste of Latyrx, and they're loving it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Sleep on This, March 4, 2005

By 

Open Mike (Montreal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Album (Audio CD)

Now if you know my background you know that I am a huge fan of the label these cats are signed to, Quannum; Blackalicious are among my favorite hip hop acts of all time and Gift of Gab is perhaps the greatest MC you've never heard of. Enter Latyrx. Comprised of Cali MCs Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born (aka Asia Born) this album is a slept-on classic.

This album was released back when Blackalicious were blowing up off of their rookie LP Nia, an album that would consequentially take the torch from the then-disintergrating Pharcyde and maintain Cali hip hop's prominent status on the undeground map. While this album is far too obscure to make such a splash as Nia had, it is priceless nonetheless. The greatest thing about this album is its accessability. This album can be accessed by virtually anyone - that is, you don't have to be an obscure underground hip hop head to dig it. I have come across a great deal of alternative rockers who have genuinely enjoyed this album. My girlfriend, who's more pop than Madonna, adores this album. There's something truly universal about the composition and chemistry that this album brings to the table.

My theory is this: first of all you cannot deny the stellar production. Lyrics Born, a self-proclaimed crate rat, produced virtually every beat on this album. He remains faithful to the Quannum signature sound in that it's soul-heavy and, for the most part, can get the party started. Tracks like "Lady Don't Tek No" is a testament to those sexy pre-closing club bangers when phone numbers are being passed around and a drunken two become a drunken one. The MCs' best possible Barry White impersonation over a bowel-obscucting bass groove makes "Lady" a definite album highlight.

That caters to the mainstream heads. That being said, a lot of material on this album is quite obscure, which is probably why it is both so slept-on and so appealing to more alternative heads. Tracks like "Latyrx", where the two MCs are rapping OVER one another; or "Balcony Beach", where a comotose Lyrics Born mumbles and self-humbles over guest singer Joyo Velarde's angelic crooning demonstrate Latyrx's ability to push the envelope and go against the hip hop grain.

What's beautiful about Quannum is that they're family. The resident MCs, Gift, Lyrics and Lateef, always feature on one another's respective work. The line between solo and collaborative work is completely blurred with these guys. You probably won't ever see another Latyrx album, but that's because there's a little bit of Latyrx in everything and anything these guys will ever touch. Both LB and Lateef will always bring something fresh to the table. Both MCs can rap, sing, and lay down the grooves... And the beauty is that it's never redundant and always listenable. If this isn't multi-tasking then I don't know what is.