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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Things happen for a reason, they say, but I say there's a reason things happen",
By
This review is from: Bayani (Audio CD)
The Seattle-based Asian-American rap duo Blue Scholars dropped their third release, "Bayani," on the reincarnated Rawkus Records this year, and it is one of the best hip hop albums of 2007. This was my introduction to the group and I must say I was impressed. They reflect my perception of their beloved home city as forward-thinking, peaceful, clean, liberal, artistic, thoughtful, and educated. Geologic and Sabzi have a definite chemistry, and the result is a special album.
The first thing that jumps out is Sabzi's excellent production. Although his beats do possess the slightly mechanical quality commonly seen in today's underground hip hop, his beats are frequently beautiful. His dense, layered beats maintain a consistent tempo and vibe. They're smooth, soulful, and peaceful, and despite their high quality they never really grapple for the listener's ear with the lyrics. This is a sign of great chemistry. The instrumentation is wonderful and it seems like each beat fits each verse so well. Sabzi has a great ear for piano lines, and many of his productions are built around a nice keyboard line. Geologic took a little getting used to for me, but I came to love his performance too. A proud son of Filipino immigrants, he has so much to talk about and makes for a compelling rapper. He grew up in military housing and maintains a political agenda through most of his verses. He often speaks of the struggles of an American immigrant and the problems resulting from racism in our society. He stays relevant throughout the album. Besides this, he has a gift for lyricism, and many of his verses come across as poetic. His rhyme structure and references are artistic and clever. His delivery is a bit slow and monotonous. I sometimes wish he'd very up his flow a little to show some more emotion. Sometimes he sounds a bit awkward on the mic, but he takes himself very seriously and is really effective. A little more swagger could do him good, but for the political and social purposes of this album he accomplishes his task excellently. After the "Baha'i Healing Prayer (Intro)," the album opens with "Second Chapter," a short introductory track where Geologic drops some brief wisdom over a flute-laden beat. "Opening Salvo" assesses a social culture and its ways, with simple, midtempo production. "North By Northwest" has pumping, soulful horn fanfare on an upbeat track, representing their frequently overlooked region and hip hop scene. On the next song, Sabzi lays down some classy and catchy piano chords, and Geologic maintains his status as just an "Ordinary Guy" despite his occupation. Without a doubt my favorite song is "Still Got Love," possibly my favorite song of 2007. Sabzi and Geologic both lend their finest performances on this song. Sabzi's production is incredible: a loopy synthesizer line weaves in and out of a tight horn-laden arrangement, and his percussion and bass instrumentation is perfect. At the end, a gorgeous trombone solo kicks in, just cementing this song's musical perfection. Geologic's verses emit an optimistic philosophy, expressing love towards friends, even those who haven't shown love. The hook is great and so are his rhymes: "Not everybody talks, but everybody lies / Not everybody lives, but everybody dies..." The song is nearly seven minutes long, but you still won't want it to end. "Bayani" again looks at an American lifestyle, but doesn't so much point out its problems as simply observes. "Loyalty" has smooth, soulful production, and "Fire for the People" has thumping beats and relevant lyricism. The creeping beat of the "Xenophobia (Interlude)" gives way to "The Distance," an ode to the struggle, strive, and work ethic of the modern immigrant. The effective anti-war statement of "Back Home" ("So the next time you see recruiters in your school or your crib / Tell 'em thank you for the offer, but you'd rather you lived") nicely complements the subtle appeal of "50 Thousand Deep," a catchy call for a quiet revolution. "Morning of America" is simply powerful, covering many facets of American life from the media to politics and basically everything Geo saw growing up, all in one sweeping and flawless stride. The album closes with perhaps the most beautiful song of all, "Joe Metro." Geologic takes the listener to the inside of a Seattle subway car, and notes the way the different races and classes interact, observing a need for change. "Bayani" is artistic and beautiful hip hop music. I look forward to hearing more from this duo in the future. They are a talented act with something important to say and a message that should be heard. They are unique in their quest and skill, and hopefully the hip hop community at large will embrace them and appreciate them on a large scale.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps the best hip-hop album you'll hear all year,
By
This review is from: Bayani (Audio CD)
At only the seven-month mark of the year, I feel very comfortable hailing "Bayani" as one of the best hip-hop albums of 2007. If you haven't yet discovered the prowess of Geologic (rhymes), and Sabzi (beats), let me be the first to tell you that you are missing out. The bond between the two is inseparable. They create a unity that is often rightly compared to that of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, or DJ Premier & The Guru. That sounds far-fetched, but these two really have all the tools, passion, and soul to live up to these legends.
The Blue Scholars bring their strongest work to the table for their most anticipated album of their still-growing career - "Bayani". Geologic stepped up his rhymes from the last two albums nicely. His lyrics are more focused and concise than before. It's pure poetry filled with some of the most outstanding political and socially consciousness in hip-hop today. He is arguably the most intelligent protest rapper to come along in the past 5 years. But on the other hand, as track 5 exemplifies, they are just "Ordinary Guys". The statements made aren't overtly political, and can be respected by most anyone besides your right wing extremists. Sabzi has also really grown over the course of the last 2 albums. His production is jammed packed with ideas just as fresh as Geologic's rhymes. I have always loved Sabzi's production, as it's always been very soulful and unique from the norm, even in underground circles. He's nearly today's equivalent of DJ Premier. His timing is ridiculously on-point, and it seems his soundscapes have their very own stream of consciousness. He brings a lot of emotion to the table with only the beats, it makes the album feel that much more personal. All the production is kept in-house, and handled by Sabzi, which is nearly unheard of nowadays. The Blue Scholars have been one of my favorite groups since I saw them perform live with Zion I in Minneapolis right after the "Long March EP" was released (also essential material!). Their live show still stands as one of my favorite hip-hop shows I have ever seen (and I've seen close to 60). The duo was so tight together; Sabzi would even do the back-up vocals to all their songs. Their unity was, and still is just incredible. Overall, The Blue Scholars have created an album that will stand the test of time. It's also incredible that after only two underground releases under their belt, that "Bayani" was picked up by Rawkus Records. The quality of the record can only heighten their respect as they are finally getting a shot at some major distribution. The Blue Scholars have been blowing up from day one, and they will continue to do so. Be sure to peep out what may be the best hip-hop album of 2007.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TALK ABOUT REFRESHING,
By
This review is from: Bayani (Audio CD)
During this time of watered down hip hop and ring tone albums, Blue Scholars "Bayani" is definitely a breath of fresh air. People, this is what hip hop is supposed to sound like. Tight production, strong lyrics, and great beats make this my favorite album in the last couple of years. If you love hip hop then you need to cop this. If you don't love this then your either 15 years old or you aren't a true hip hop head. Just pop this cd in and let it ride, you don't need to hit the skip button. GREAT EFFORT!
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