Customer Reviews

Almost Famous

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Living Legends in my opinion, are the best hip-hop collective I've heard in several years, and are one of my personal favorites. Coming out of the Bay area, the crew was formed in 1994 by Sunspot Jonz (aka BFAP) & Luckyiam.PSC (aka PSC), otherwise known as the Mystik Journeymen. In 1995 they met The Grouch, which is when the rest of the collective took shape. The other members include Murs, Eligh, Aesop (aka Asop), Bicasso (aka Bizarro), Scarub & the Japanese Living Legend (who raps in his native tongue) Arata, who only appears once. So that's 9 members, and 8 full-time members (are you seeing my Wu-Tang comparison?).

These guys are independent/underground. The difference is that the Living Legends have become successful through self-distribution (famous for slanging handmade tapes back in the 90s) and self-promotion. They have truly made a name for themselves based on skills, and the quality of their music.

"Almost Famous" is the cornerstone of any Living Legends collection. It really is the very best introduction to this collective as a whole. I like so many tracks on this album, I can't begin to pick favorites. I suggest adding this to your collection. You won't be sorry.

Below is a list of each track, the producer that goes with each, and the rappers that appear on each track in order of the timeline. Sometimes listening to a huge collective like this can get confusing if you're trying to figure out who's rapping. Hopefully this will help.

CREDITS (emcees are listed in order of appearance):

1. Gotta Question For Ya (produced by: Eligh)
Luckyiam.PSC (Chorus), Murs, (Chorus), Aesop, Scarub, (Chorus), Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus), The Grouch, Eligh, (Chorus)

2. Night Prowler (feat. Slug) (produced by: The Grouch, cuts by: Bicasso)
Slug (Chorus), The Grouch, Sunspot Jonz, (Chorus), Slug, Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus)

3. That Looks Good (produced by: Eligh)
The Grouch (Chorus), Bicasso, (Chorus), Aesop, (Chorus), Luckyiam.PSC, Murs, (Chorus) X2

4. Black Glass (produced by: The Grouch, cuts by: DJ Drez)
Eligh, Scarub, Sunspot Jonz (Chorus), Eligh, Scarub, Sunspot Jonz (Chorus) X2

5. Rabbit Hole (produced by: Eligh)
Luckyiam.PSC, Eligh, Bicasso, Scarub, The Grouch

6. Common Ground (feat. JC) (produced by: The Grouch)
Bicasso (Chorus), The Grouch, (Chorus), JC, (Chorus) X2, Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus)

7. Flawless (produced by: Eligh)
Sunspot Jonz (Chorus), Eligh, The Grouch, (Chorus), Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus), Scarub, (Chorus)

8. What Would I Be (feat. N8 the GR8 / Krush) (produced by: Eligh)
Eligh, N8 the GR8 & Eligh (Chorus), N8 the GR8, (Chorus), The Grouch, Krush, (Chorus)

9. Anything You Want (produced by: Sunspot Jonz)
Luckyiam.PSC, Sunspot Jonz (Chorus), Sunspot Jonz, Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus)

10. Gift Wrap (produced by: The Grouch)
The Grouch (Chorus), The Grouch, (Chorus), Luckiam.PSC, (Chorus), Aesop, (Chorus), Murs

11. War Games (produced by: Eligh, cuts by: DJ Drez)
Luckyiam.PSC, The Grouch, Eligh, Aesop

12. Forces of Nature (produced by: Eligh)
The Grouch, Sunspot Jonz, Eligh, Murs, Bicasso, Aesop, Sunspot Jonz, Luckyiam.PSC, Eligh, Scarub, Luckiam.PSC, The Grouch, Murs, Aesop, Scarub, Bicasso (Chorus) X3, Luckyiam.PSC, The Grouch, Aesop, Scarub, Eligh, Luckyiam.PSC, (Chorus) X3

13. Osaka Tales (produced by: The Grouch, cuts by: Bicasso)
Arata, The Grouch, Arata, The Grouch, Arata, The Grouch, Arata,

14. Soap Boxn (produced by: The Grouch, cuts by: DJ Drez)
Bicasso, Eligh

15. Not Here (feat. Pep Love / Jo Wilkinson) (produced by: The Grouch)
(Jo Wilkinson - background vocals) The Grouch (Chorus) X2, The Grouch, (Chorus) X2, Bicasso, (Chorus) X2, Pep Love, (Chorus) X2,

16. Nothing Less (feat. Slug) (produced by: The Grouch)
(Chorus), The Grouch, Murs, (Chorus) X3, Slug, (Chorus), Sunspot Jonz, (Chorus), Scarub

A lot of fans would blame the Rawkus label for making this release sound so distant from the 'UHB' style releases. Though the crew now admits it was an uneventful turn in their sales, I don't give credit to Rawkus' schiesty arses fur any influence here!! I think the crew (especially Grouch)saw the 'Major Label' release as an excuse to use higher quality studio filters and mastering techniques. The Legends sound much more comfortable over the channels of a 4-track, but as a fan I can respect the fact that, to the artist, the track will NEVER sound clean enough. And listening to Grouch's latest 'Crusader..', or Sunspot's new one 'Fallen Angelz', I can see they ain't going back to lo-fi any time soon.('I come cleaner'-than ever-)
'Almost Famous' is an aptly titled release considering the Journeymen have been on track since the early 90's, and the L.L. have been well-known in the L.A. to the Bay Area for a good 10 years now, but have received little recognition on the East Coast until the turn of 2-G. It's about time they were 'Famous'.
I'm overall dissappointed by this CD because only ONE track features every member together ('Forces of Nature')and it is hands down the best track on the album. Other than that 'Rabbit Hole' w/G&E, PSC, Bicasso and Scarub is tight, 'Nothing Less' w/Grouch, Murs, Slug, Sunspot and Scarub is a great, smoothed-out outro, and 'Gift Wrap'w/Grouch, Aesop, PSC and Murs is the most 'familliar' sounding Legends track with distorted lyrics and that wobbly bass-line. Plus Grouch rhymes Tribe with Bizzare Ryde and shouts to Hiero (feeldat?!?).
I'd say the coolest parts of this release are that all beats are Grouch/Eligh/Sunspot produced and that Sluggo(Atmosphere/ Anticon) is down for being a Legend, later to release the 'Felt ep' w/Murs. Now where's that Sunspot/Moka Only collab boyzz???

Almost famous...an album the LL crew put together in 2001 is one of the best CD's of the underground rap scene. With funky beats and crazy emcees, this is a rap fans delight. These guys are the defintion of underground and they dont want to be in the limelight they just want to be heard in a legendary sort of way. Represent the Legends.

Top Trax:
#2 Night Prowler Feat. Slug, #8 What would I be, #11 War games, #12 Forces of Nature, and #16 Nothing Less Feat. Slug

This is an amazing album. If you're into the underground hip hop scene, this is a must for your collection. With their amazingly talented, massively poetic lyrics and pulsating, electricfying beats, you can't help but constantly throw this disc on. You don't have to be into the scene to appreciate the art in this music. Your ears and mind will do the judging, concluding Living Legends in fact, as legends. This is one of, if not, the best album from these guys to date.

This is One great great great Album! Hella ill beats, even better lyrics and raps. These guys know how to rap and they do it with more confidence than ive ever heard.

Any head can get down to this awesome number. Buying is a must for any Hip Hop Realest! 5 Stars!

All of the tracks on this album are excellent. The first track is nice because the members spit their battle verses. My favorite tracks on this album are Night Prowler, Black Glass, Osaka Tales, Forces of Nature, and Nothing Less. Not that the other tracks arent good, I just feel that people will still be singing those particular songs for years and years and years and years from now. Easily a hiphop classic album.

I first heard this album when it came out back in '01 and it's still in rotation to this day. I love all the members of LL (especially Grouch, Murs, and Eligh) and their shows are awesome too.

Yo, this disc is on point. Every track is sumthin nice...no fillers on this one. The phat beats keep your head boppin, and the lyrics are RAW as sushi! Check out the tracks..Gotta Question For Ya, Nightprowler f/ Slug, Common Ground, Nothing Less, Soap Boxin. I Gotta Give it up for keepin it Underground..F**k commercial Radio!! Another HIPHOP CLASSIK, What more can I say? They are Living Legends!

The Living Legends are one of the greatest underground hip hop groups around. This album just proves there power even more. If you ever herd of Eligh or Grouch then you will like this cause there in the group, ha ha, but anyway this album has bad ... rhymes and great beats to complment each other. If you are a true Hip hop head then check these cats out. Other groups I recommend are Swollen members, Visionaries, Shapeshifters, Dialated Peoples, The Roots, Styles of beyond, Hieroglyphics, Cali Agents, Eyedea, Unknown Prophets, if you like any of these groups then you will enjoy Living Legends. KEEP UNDERGROUND HIP-HOP ALIVE!! Later.

I used to be into rap, but i matured. And being a musician, you could imagine that i probobly have no respect for rap. I didnt untill i discovered Living Legends. When i started to listen, i noticed the complex chord progressions. The beats are much better than any ive heard. (Beat=drums)
Their lyrics are very good also. I like the way they know they are different, but dont dwell on it like most underground rappers. I was stunned when i heard a metaphor. And i love the sarcasm. I also like the way they are not "x-treem" in any way.
No one in the group has a gimickal voice.
I also like everones voice.

I strongly recomend this album to any unignorant hip hopish music fan.