Customer Reviews

Deadlivers

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

 

 

I'm really feeling this album. I'm not sure what made me pick it up other than seeing Aes Rock had a guest spot on it. But either way i'm damn glad I bought this. I'm not really familiar with the Oldominion crew, but I'm definitley going to be checking into them a little more after hearing Deadlivers. The flows are fierce and frantic, and the real plus about this album is the amazing production. Someone said something to the effect of the beats being bland or something like that in their review, but I definitley disagree with that. This album is very dope and you'd be wise to peep it out.

I brought this album a few months ago and I have been enjoying it a lot, it's full of dope ass rhymes and beats. But I recently brought Babbletron a few day ago and notice these Grayskul cats sound exactly like them. I'm not saying these guys are biting, I just notice a striking resemblance.

But nuff of that, Deadlivers is a nice CD. I like all the guest appearance on this album. Everyone holds their own while holding Grayskul down. The tracks that stand out to me are Action Figure Of Speech, Voltronic Instructional Espionage with Aesop Rock (a favorite track), Once Upon A Time, Do They Exist (another favorite), Cursive with Mr. Lif, Vixen, and Prom Quiz (the track that introduced me to Grayskul). The only track I was not feeling much was The Skul due to the chorus is some man yelling the hook over and over like a hard rock joint.

If you're into underground cats making a difference in this culture turn Pop, Grayskul is a refreshing CD to pick up. It's full of energy, tight flows, beats and guest appearances.

I can't even express how happy I am that Onry Ozzborn and JFK are on a major label. Now the rest of America (and Canada) will have the opportunity to hear some of the most talented rappers in the last few years. Buy it now, dammit!!!

The Oldominion crew produces another smash album. This is just another example of Hip Hop at it's finest. I highly recommend this album.

I recently went to the Atmosphere concert and got a chance to here POS and Grayskul open up for Slug and Mr. Dibbs. Now I was pretty drunk during the concert, so I didn't move around a whole lot, but man, even in my drunken stupor, I was just amazed. POS definitely opened the show up with a bang, but I just had to cop this album once I heard them rhyming. I mean, damn, it was nice. They were selling Deadlivers and I hoped on the opportunity to get it. They were nice, autographed my cd, talked to me for a bit. Well, now that I've listened to the whole cd, man, I am amazed. I really loved how they ended the cd with a bang, with Secret Wars as the last song clocking in at 7:48. 17 mc's doing there thing, 15 from Old Dominion, then the 2 from Grayskul. One should not have been in there, the dude that was just rambling and not flowing. But it was nice. I loved hearing Canibus, or aka Punisher, flowing. Man, I love how he's been with some great underground groups, JMT, ect. Mr. Lif held his own, and even though I'm not an Aesop Rock fan, he did a good job on here. All I have to say is this is a must have album, great group, great beats, great lyrics. Hopefully they'll get recognized but stay underground like Atmosphere. This is a must have.

Oldominion's Onry Ozzborn and JFK come together as Reason & Recluse respectively to form Grayskul and deliver some dark hip hop that only Seattle could breed. They are also joined by bass player Rob Castro who produces one track and lays bass lines down on other tracks. These two emcees both with Latino heritage create an album that is both bumpin and interesting. Due to their cultural ties they deliver songs that speak on ancient rituals and spirits just as much as they are talking about Seattle and how they are super heroes here to save hip hop. They are here to save hip hop with some real lyrics that are more than just dealing drugs and gang banging. Having been around for awhile now they brought in underground heavy hitters Canibus, Aesop Rock, and Mr.Lif to name a few guests and they hold their own next to these lyrical geniuses. The beats are all dark and have a very special feel especially if you have spent any time in Seattle. They harnessed that dreary feeling that looms over the city more days then I care to count and delivered and very good hip hop album not just for Seattle artists but for hip hop in general.

This album is packed with some of the best guests in underground hip hop (Aesop Rock, Canibus, Abstract Rude, Mr. Lif), and Onry & JFK kill it on their own. Anyone who makes their upcoming tour w/ Atmosphere should check out their tour CDs "Creature" and "Wand & The Gun" produced by Coley Cole.

I'm a big fan of my local hip-hop scene, Rhymesayers. So I decided to pick up "Deadlivers". My first thought was - This is a debut? No way, these guys sound like they've been rapping for 10 years. Needless to say, I wasn't too surprised when I read that they are seasoned veterans. I saw these guys perform with Atmosphere and P.O.S. about a week ago in Minneapolis. It was a phenomenal show. Reason, Recluse and Phantom Ghost El Topo work great together. Their timing is air tight, and their flow is very impressive. You can tell that the 5 years they spent touring before releasing this album really helped in the studio.

They've obviously impressed their peers while touring with Definitive Jux and the Rhymesayers crew. The album features collaborations with Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif and Canibus. The beats are pretty simple for the most part. They have to be in a way. Three emcees rapping with lightning quick speed and precision should be the focus of your attention, so it works pretty well. There are a few points in the album when the formula feels like it's getting a bit repetitive, but something always comes along to save it; like a collaborative effort, or a "brighter" beat. But amazingly, it's very solid through and through. Some of my favorites are "Behold," "Adversarial Theatre Of Justice" featuring Canibus, "Voltronic Instructional Espionage" featuring Aesop Rock, "Once Upon A Time," "Cursive" featuring Mr. Lif, "Vixen," "The Skul" (fast rapping here), "Prom Quiz," and my favorite as of now "Secret Wars" feat. Oldominion.

Overall, there isn't many bad things to say about the album. It truly is amazing, how two emcees can spit rhymes back and forth with such precision. It's not the most revolutionary album of the year, but it's certainly an impressive listen.