Customer Reviews

The Awakening

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

16 tracks and only 9 actual songs. I was a bit disappointed by this album. There are mad guest appearances, which at least I find kinda annoying. Don't get me wrong, the guests are good, but Finesse should have made more solo-songs. The (few) solo-joints on the album are kinda weak (for being Lord Finesse).

However, The Awakening has it's moments. The ill duet with KRS-One ("No Gimmicks") and the DITC-cut "Speak Ya Peace" are blazing. The bonus track with Large Professor, Sadat X and Grand Puba is also great. "Brainstorm/PSK" with KRS and O.C. is also fine.

Still, the large amount of skits and the lack of nice solo-material from Finesse make the album kinda disappointing. The Awakening could've have been much better.

I heard Lord Finesse is currently in the studio recording a new album. I can't wait!

I like Lord Finesse, but I have come to find that he's much better in a setting where he's part of a group, or rapping with others.

Given that I've said this, it's not surprising that my favorite tracks on this CD include guest spots by KRS-one and an O.C. track.(The CD is more realisitically an Ep, it's got 16 tracks and 8 interludes in those 16 tracks {sort of 7, the O.C. Interlude is a rap).

Finesse DOES have a good sense of humor, which does make the album a bit better, but also almost deteriorates from the rhymes too... Every line is a punchline, so it almost makes the songs all be a bit choppy.

If I were paying Out Of Print and Rare prices on a hip hop CD, I'd definitely be looking to the DITC, I just think I'd probably be leaning more towards O.C.'s "Word... Life," Show And A.G.'S "Good Fellas" or Show and A.G.'s "Runaway Slave" before this (maybe even the DITC group album too)... "The Awakening" is good, DAMN good, but... Probably not worth it as much to me as the other albums mentioned...

Just to clarify to the reviewers and anyone who heard this album and claims that it sounds like an EP, that it is an EP. Not only it was advertised as an EP (Amazon should state that in it's product discription), but it is mentioned as an EP on the second track of the album. A lot of reviewers say that there are as many interludes as there are songs, which I personally don't have a problem with. The point is that they are there listed as individual tracks, so in case you do not want to hear them, skip over them, rather than them being placed at the beginning of the song, causing the listener to loose interest in the track before the actual song begins. The interludes average about a minute and a half. Also they have some dope beats that are played in the back, like "Taking It (MC) Lyte". "O' Lord" has O.C. spitting a few short rhymes on his interlude. So they are all great to listen to, with the exception of Akinyele screaming all over one them ("Words From Da Ak"). Personally, I see the interludes as like a preperation for a track, while giving the listener the option to hear them if they want to.

Now that been said, the EP itself is excellent from Lord Finesse. Finesse is known for bringing you punchlines in your face, and he does them perfectly here. I disagree with one reviewer who claims that every other line is a punchline, although they are quite a few that flow all throughout this album. I find that the best tracks that Lord Finesse are on by himself are "True And Livin'" and "Hip 2 Da Game", because he flows more confortably on those tracks.

Some of the best tracks are when there are guests on as well. "Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmicks Remix)" featuring KRS-One and O.C. is a good one and it sound better than the origonal version of "No Gimmicks" that is towards the end of the album. The one that has my attention the most and had me hitting the replay button was "Speak Ya Peace" with Marquee, Diamond D, and A.G. Dope lyrics comming from all four members as well as as a dope beat from Myke Loe. There is a bonus track at the very end called "Actual Facts" and it features Grand Puba, Sadat X, and Large Professor. All four of them on one track alone makes it worth listening to as well.

So there you have it, Lord Finesse's EP "The Awakening". This EP is dope from beginning to the end and will gurantee satisfaction who is a fan of hip hop, especially in the early-mid 90's. This album was just reissued last year on Traffic Entertainment Group which was a very good idea to do. As for the price, I believe that anyone shouldn't pay no more than 20 bucks for this, seeing that the actual price is around 15 (and the fact that it is an EP, and the majority of them sell for around 10). But if you can find this EP at a reasonable price, go ahead and add it to your collection.

One more thing before I finish (and this really isn't that important to some people). The reissue that is here on Amazon, has the product discription, and it shows quotes from The Rap Pages and The Source. Just to let you know, The Source gave this 3 Mics, and the Rap Pages gave this a 6 (out of 10). I was just wondering if they actually listened to the same EP that the reviewers here were listening to.

Lyrics: A-
Production: B+
Guest Appearance (not including interludes): B+
Musical Vibes: B+
Overall B+

Favorite Tracks: True And Livin', Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmics Remix), Speak Ya Peace, Hip 2 Da Game, and Actual Facts (Bonus Track)

Peace Everyone!!!

Lord Finesse HAS GOT TO BE one of the most under-rated mc's of all time. His flow is flawless and his metaphorical laced rhymes have obviously influenced so many other mc's that its scary. This is the man that is credited with discovering BIG L after he freestyled for Finesse one day outside a store. As a leading member of D.I.T.C. he established himself as an outstanding producer who worked with countless mc's such as A.G., Diamond, Big L, Fat Joe, B.I.G. and Artifacts to name afew. But its his rhymes that are the real blessing on this EP (there's 9 tracks on the re-issue plus interludes). Each of the 9 tracks are brilliant and nothing short of it. "True And Livin'" is a joint that allows Finesse to flex his lyrical muscles on the solo tip over a melodic rolling beat and its the perfect 1st track to showcase this EP. "Brainstorm" feat.O.C.+KRS1 is amazing where all 3 mc's tear the beat to shreads. "Gameplan" is an excellent story telling track about women were Finesse sounds confident and precise. Both "Flip Da Style" and "Speak Ya Peace" feat.Diamond, A.G. and Marquee are top notch with amazing production and verses from all mc's involved. "Food For Thought" is another story telling joint where Finesse shows his vast vocabulary in entertaining fashion. "Hip 2 Da Game" and "No Gimmicks" feat.KRS1 are like classes for lyrical lessons as these legends show exactly what makes an mc original and why they are so popular with fans. Finally is the bonus track that only gor added to the re-issued version and calling it the BEST posse cut in the last 10years in hiphop wouldnt be an understatement. "Actual Facts" feat.Sadat X, Grand Puba and Large Professor is simply put...a hiphop fans dream lineup. The beat that accompanies this is perfect and all mc's rise to it. The only things that took from this being a 5 star to me were there was skits all over the place which i HATE on albums plus when you hear the beats on some of these you wish that Finesse recorded more rhymes over them and turned this into an album rather than an EP. Other than that you wont find any other faults. Brilliant release from an under-appreciated lyricist.

Hands down one of the best produced albums of all time. The beats are remarkable. Every single song will blow you away. Finesse drops some of his careers illest punchlines over bangin production. This is a record that any Hip Hop fan should not be without. Peace!

Throughout his career, Lord Finesse has been one of hip hop's strongest artists, producing great tracks for countless great artists and more than holding it down on the mic. "The Awakening" is the true gem of his career though. This album, originally released in 1995 and long out of print, showcases just how great he really was. This is an archetypical Diggin' in the Crates release, with guest appearances from many DITC members and the signature DITC sound that Finesse pioneered. The beats are full of deep funky bass, jazz sampling, great vocals, and a certain vibesy sound that no one else could ever manage to duplicate. Finesse's lyricism here is quite entertaining, he establishes himself as a master of punchlines. I could sit for a long time laughing at all the funny punchlines on "The Awakening", he does a great job. I like the length of this release too, it has 16 tracks but half are short skits with MCs giving props to Finesse. Even the skits are quite enjoyable though, because they always have such dope beats. "The Awakening" is a forgotten gem and a truly great hip hop album.

After the intro, the first track is "Time to Bounce". It has an awesome beat, there's great bass, awesome vibes and drums, it always makes my head bob. "True and Livin'" is a slow rollin', chilled out song, great verses from the Lord and excellent production. O.C. drops a verse on his "O Lord" skit, which is followed by the excellent collaboration "Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmicks Remix)". My favorite song is the MC Lyte collaboration "Gameplan". Finesse tries to land Lyte's female character in this song, but the production is beautiful, such great instrumentals there and I really like the chorus. Akinyele shows his crazy style once again on his appearance in "Flip da Style", and Showbiz produces "Speak Ya Peace" in his guest spot. "Hip 2 Da Game" is one of the best here, great beat and punchlines from Finesse ("I see more skins than the average dermatologist!"). "No Gimmicks" is an awesome posse cut, and the bonus track is also great.

"The Awakening" is an amazingly consistent, expertly produced and impeccably executed album. Finesse does an awesome job, and the guest spots are perfectly selected, it's like a who's who of the 1995 New York scene. While $50+ is a very steep price for any album, I'm sure it is available for sale and download for much less. I recommend this one to all hip hop fans.

First things First
The Awakening is one of the overall best Lp's ive ever listened to!!! the production is Finesse at his apex and the LYRICS well come on where talkin about the LORD FINESSE i cant get enough of Finesse's flow not only is he a rapper who rips it with battle enforced raps he drops true Knowledge about being an artist and the GIMMICKS that are used in the HipHop scene.
There is one Problem for me on this album that is almost the same as the other reviewer's the lack of tracks and before i knew about the Game Plan/Actual Facts 12" original i could still be extremely happy with the tracks that were on the album!
since im a giant DITC fan i coped the 12" and it has 2 unreleased tracks that im guessing were supose to be on The Awakening "SOUL PLAN and Underworld Operations" these track's I must say are well dammmmbbb I was happy to get that 12" with these 2 tracks on the album along with the critically aclaimed Down 4 the Underground would of made LP album in my opinion in the top 5 hiphop Lps of all time!!!
without the knowledge of the 12" i woulda had a 5 star rating but after knowing about it and knowing how much more heat could have been on the Album knocks the Lp down to 4 but still a Rap Classic IF YOU DONT HAVE THIS ALBUM YOU DONT KNOW THE ESSENCE OF REAL HIPHOP
OH YA AND Look Out for the ALL NEW FINESSE LP "THE UNDERBOSS" its been 8 Years since THE AWAKENING i can only Imagin what he has cookin up~!!!!!!!!

Of Lord Finesse's three official releases this to me is truly his best, and the 1 that has undoubtedly stood the test of time. While all 3 albums were great, his first two albums have aged well lyrically but unfortunately between 1990 & about 92 there was huge change in hiphop, and the simple James Brown loops that had been the backing of his first 2 albums quickly began to sound dated. Also in this time Finesse also started to produce stuff for himself & other artists, and by 1995 he had become one of the best and most underated New York producers period. The Awakening is both the culmination of his Production & Emceeing talents.

First off while this album was officially labelled as an EP, it is effectively a full album, there are 9 tracks and it has a longer running time than Illmatic so it is an LP as far as in concerned. There are several interludes during the album (7 in total i think) and while this would detract from most albums, the beats on these interludes are nice, and work well as an introduction to the next track, several also include shout outs to Finesse from many other well known emcees. What you're left with are 9 amazing tracks, not a single 1 is weak in any way, beat wise I love True & Livin, the opening track & also Flip Da Style, with its off key piano loop and very heavy bassline. In fact the basslines on this album in general are speaker shattering, and should appeal to all NYC heads who are into that 90's sound. Elsewhere Finesse kicks game on the brillaint Gameplan, warns of the pitfalls of criminal life on Food For Thought, and generally there's a bit more diversity than on his other albums, though he still kicks some amazing punchlines & battle raps.

All guest emcees are top notch, including the likes of KRS-One (twice), OC, AG, Diamond D and on Actual Facts the hidden track, there is one of the greatest posse cuts ever with Sadat X, Grand Puba & Large Pro. All bar 1 track is produced by Finesse and as already stated they are all superb.

All in all I believe this album deserves to be mentioned amongst the top albums of 96, and the decade in general for that matter. One of the best albums to come out of the DITC camp also, if you dont already have it and your looking for something with that mid 90's NY sound you should check this out now, 5 stars.

I love how people who have just heard this within the last 5 years try to give it less than 5 stars. I've had this since it came out, and you can't front on it. It's a classic. Even the interludes are dope. Lord Finesse has always been one of the most underated mc's, and he continues to be. But not by this reviewer, i know the deal...

Just to clarify to the reviewers and anyone who heard this album and claims that it sounds like an EP, that it is an EP. Not only it was advertised as an EP (Amazon should state that in it's product discription), but it is mentioned as an EP on the second track of the album. A lot of reviewers say that there are as many interludes as there are songs, which I personally don't have a problem with. The point is that they are there listed as individual tracks, so in case you do not want to hear them, skip over them, rather than them being placed at the beginning of the song, causing the listener to loose interest in the track before the actual song begins. The interludes average about a minute and a half. Also they have some dope beats that are played in the back, like "Taking It (MC) Lyte". "O' Lord" has O.C. spitting a few short rhymes on his interlude. So they are all great to listen to, with the exception of Akinyele screaming all over one them ("Words From Da Ak"). Personally, I see the interludes as like a preperation for a track, while giving the listener the option to hear them if they want to.

Now that been said, the EP itself is excellent from Lord Finesse. Finesse is known for bringing you punchlines in your face, and he does them perfectly here. I disagree with one reviewer who claims that every other line is a punchline, although they are quite a few that flow all throughout this album. I find that the best tracks that Lord Finesse are on by himself are "True And Livin'" and "Hip 2 Da Game", because he flows more confortably on those tracks.

Some of the best tracks are when there are guests on as well. "Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmicks Remix)" featuring KRS-One and O.C. is a good one and it sound better than the origonal version of "No Gimmicks" that is towards the end of the album. The one that has my attention the most and had me hitting the replay button was "Speak Ya Peace" with Marquee, Diamond D, and A.G. Dope lyrics comming from all four members as well as as a dope beat from Myke Loe. There is a bonus track at the very end called "Actual Facts" and it features Grand Puba, Sadat X, and Large Professor. All four of them on one track alone makes it worth listening to as well.

So there you have it, Lord Finesse's EP "The Awakening". This EP is dope from beginning to the end and will gurantee satisfaction who is a fan of hip hop, especially in the early-mid 90's. This album was just reissued last year on Traffic Entertainment Group which was a very good idea to do. As for the price, I believe that anyone shouldn't pay no more than 20 bucks for this, seeing that the actual price is around 15 (and the fact that it is an EP, and the majority of them sell for around 10). But if you can find this EP at a reasonable price, go ahead and add it to your collection.

One more thing before I finish (and this really isn't that important to some people). The reissue that is here on Amazon, has the product discription, and it shows quotes from The Rap Pages and The Source. Just to let you know, The Source gave this 3 Mics, and the Rap Pages gave this a 6 (out of 10). I was just wondering if they actually listened to the same EP that the reviewers here were listening to.

Lyrics: A-
Production: B+
Guest Appearance (not including interludes): B+
Musical Vibes: B+
Overall B+

Favorite Tracks: True And Livin', Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmics Remix), Speak Ya Peace, Hip 2 Da Game, and Actual Facts (Bonus Track)

Peace Everyone!!!