Customer Reviews

Don't Sweat the Technique

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Don't Sweat The Technique" would be Eric B. and my all-time favorite emcee's last album together. It dropped in '92, two years after "Let The Rhythm Hit'em," and one year after the unofficial end of hiphop's Golden Age. It is not mentioned as often as their other three albums, but it is a classic mainly because they took some new approaches.
The thing that makes this album so endearing is that Rakim offers some heartfelt, sincere social commentary unlike anything he had done up to that point. I mean all you really ask from Ra is the smoothest voice and flow, some mind-blowing battle rhymes, and some Islam references. But once he starts speaking out against drugs, gun violence, and how the projects are treated by the government, it's like trying to give him three thumbs up! It's like a respected mayor who decides to speak up for his people to the state and federal governments. Powerful! The two songs to hear this are "Teach The Children" and "What's Going On," which you will have to listen to over and over again. They both have great beats in their own ways too.
"What's On Your Mind" starts off the album and is a great seductive ballad (even better than "Mahogany"). After "Teach The Children" is the uptempo, energetic "Pass The Hand Grenade"-which I think is a metaphor for the microphone. After this is the classic "Casualties of War," which Ra put his feet in the shoes of a soldier fighting against Hussein, which is still relevent today. It's a song you definitely need to hear, especially with a great beat. The album suffers a slow point, somewhat, tracks 5-8, but even these contain "The Punisher" (the most angry and straight out battle rhymes of Ra's career), the slower-paced "Relaxed With Pep" and "Keep The Beat" (another seductive track that is not necessarily needed). After these is "What's Going On" (need I say more) and the popular juice and clout tale "Know The Ledge." The title track is next and although the rhymes are pretty stale for Ra, but the jazzy chorus will keep your attention. It ends off on a strong point with "Kick Along."
Definitely add this album to your hiphop and Rakim collection. He expanded the limits of his lyrical capacity on the album "Don't Sweat The Technique." Although Public Enemy and KRS-One have spent most of their careers doing social commentary, when Rakim does it on this album you can't help but welcome it and really ponder what he's saying. Their fourth album, their fourth classic. What else can you say about the best and most influential duo that hiphop has ever witnessed?

You really have got to understand what is up with RAKIM before you can benifit from him. It's like studying math -- you've got to practice. You've got to put in the effort, you've got to become active instead of just sitting there expecting to be entertained

Anything that RAKIM rhymes on instantly has the capacity live forever -- that is, no matter how many times you listen to it, you can always catch new things (thoughts, ideas, messages). The density of his lyrical capacity is high on this record.

A very unique thing about RAKIM and his music is that it might not hit you immediately. It's like fine wine -- first you need to understand what you are getting into, and what you are going to get. Then, over time, you will see that what you've got is not your average "fast-food hip-hop."

RAKIM once said about this album:

"I always go left. I wasn't looking for the familiar track sound. I was looking for classic [...] I did some things on there that I knew would never get played on the radio and I didn't care, but I knew that my dogs and my true listeners is gonna throw it in the walkman, in the truck, and zone out on it. That's what I like doing man and maybe that's why I'm still here 'cause people know I go the extra yard to try and get them to listen.

It's my rhymes, sometimes you might not get that @#%$ the first time. Play that [...] the next time you might not get it but after a while you start pickin' up like oh okay I see what he did."

If you can deal with that statement, then you need to get this album immediately and see why RAKIM is called "The God."

I'm out

This is a remarkable CD, Every song is better than average and Rakim's lyrical skills are at his peak -- Perhaps no other album in hip hop history has ever had more commanding and powerful lyrics...Pure Genious...Casualties of War, Teach The Children, What's Going On, Know The Ledge, Don't Sweat The Technique, Pass The Hand Grenade, and What's on Your Mind? are all excellent...Although Paid in Full is untouchable, D.S.T.T. is my second favoite Rakim album, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested...Without a doubt five stars, you won't regret buying this. "My neighborhood don't look so good, Find a way out I would if I could -- But the government is doing a project, so I live in the projects" -- What's Going On?

The word classic gets thrown around a lot in reviews, especially for Rappers and MCs who by no means come close in comparison! Don't Sweat the Technique is a CLASSIC!!! Masta Killas No Said Date is NOT. If you want REAL HIP HOP MUSIC, what better LP is there to give you the blueprint of it. From Lyrics to Beats this was incredible.

Forget anything you know about hip-hop if you haven't heard this or any other album from Rakim.

Like the Beatles white album, there are just some albums that you have to experience to really know what a form of music is about; this is one of those albums. Don't mind the samples of it you may have heard in a target add, this is hip-hop at its truest, no marketing gimmicks on this album. The first thing that may catch your attention is the unique jazz samples Eric B used for the back beats; it's definitely an aspect that peaks the flavor behind the vocal attack of Rakim. You won't find any party hooks in the lyrics here, none of the lingual laziness of 'hizzle' or 'hurr'. Rakim's clean language spells it out in bits and pieces to give you a full picture of what hip-hop is all about. Nothing explains Rakim's style more then

"They never grow old, techniques become antiques
Better then something brand new 'cause it's radiant
And the wild style'll have much more volume
Classical, too intelligent to be radical
Masterful, never irrelevant: mathematical"

This small section explains just how much more of a message there is in his music. Whether it be the popular (and now thanks to target, commercialized) title track Don't Sweat the Technique or the still relevant Casualties of War, or any of the other tracks on this album, you will no doubt realize how important it is to the over all definition of what hip-hop is.

All I have to ask is what ever happened to Eric B? The trumpets/sax samples blow this joint up!!!! The bass lines are phatter than the laces on my pumas! Rakim (as always) is in total control on tracks like knowtheledge,relax with pep,the punisher and the title track. Come to think of it - this is the best album you never heard. All the hype about Paid in Full, besides the fact it was a milestone album - I think this is thier best.

you can't beat the B's beats and the patience of Rakim

werd!

Everyone knows about the legendary group Eric B. and Rakim with their fantastic group of albums from 1986 with Paid in Full. An album that was so basic and simply crafted that it will forever remain one of the many classics of the 80's. Their final album as a group Don't Sweat the Technique is their least named album, given that it fall short of a classic, unlike their previous albums.

The majority of the track are on point. Rakim still spits some dope rhymes, as one would know how he manages to stay on point. The production on here is better than it was on Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em in my opinion. It's more of a jazzy flavor, with a little pop style mixed in mostly done by the guys themselves (it's funny how the linear notes says Large Professor was one of the production coordinators, but you can clearly tell which tracks he produced if you ever heard Breaking Atoms). Tracks like "What's On Your Mind" and "Teach The Children" has some great production. "Casualties of War" is one of the tracks that has the jazzy flavor that will make your head nod. "Relax With Pep" is self explanatory in my opinion, as Rakim flows smoothly on the track. My favorite track from the duo appears on this album as the title track, with it's lively upbeat style. When they switch from jazzy to the boom-bap style, one can adjust to it on with "Know The Ledge" (appeared on Juice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with nice cuts on the hook. The final track "Kick Along" also falls into this category.

The overall album is far superior. I enjoyed it from beginning to the end. They can add this to the faded memories of classic groups in the golden age of rap. It's unfortunate that they broke up after this album, but I guess all good things come to an end. One fan of east coast 90's rap will love this album. This is one I highly recommend. Peace.

Lyrics: A
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: N/A
Musical Vibes: A

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Don't Sweat the Technique {personal favorite}
2. Casualties of War
3. What's On Your Mind
4. Know the Ledge
5. Relax With Pep

Honorable Mention:
1. Rest Assured
2. Kick Along
3. What's Going On

People have been wondering how to combine estranged cousins Jazz and Hip-Hop. Here you have it: a jazz-influenced guru of rap, looped jazzy breaks from one of the best beat makers of the day.

Ra's voice flows through each piece like an expert jazz trumpeter; his timing is immaculate, his vocabulary superb, and his tone smoother Cannonball Adderly. THIS is how rap is done.

Or how some fine hip-hop is done.

This CD spawned two hip-hop classics: Know the Ledge and Don't Sweat the Technique. Listening to Know the Ledge will keep you honest, because Rakim is no lightweight compared to modern legends like Nas and Eminem. You have to respect the flow.

Other points of interest is Teach the Children, What's Going on, and the the opener, What's on Your Mind.

Perhaps clueless jazzers looking to update their medium shouldn't just take a hip-hop beat and noodle aimlessly and call it art. The compositional possibilities shown on this album, along with the amazing lyricism exhibits what jazz and hip-hop could procreate.

Rakim is the greatest rapper of all time and his 4 albums with eric b are classic. buy those albums if u want to know who true heads praise as a god of hip hop or where modern rappers always bite lines from. casualties of war was dope, i just saw the review on allmusic that was wrong. rakim spits about bein a soldier in vietnam and makes it so vivid and realistic, truly mind blowing. buy this.
thats my word

How is it that people have missed the genius of the title track to this disc? "Don't Sweat the Technique" has some of the illest jazz/hip-hop drums you could ever want to hear. The stand-up bass used for the intro to "Know the Ledge" is harder than anything...period. Get this now. And though purests or nostalgia driven collectors say "Let the Rythmn Hit Em" or "Paid in Full" is their best, I say this blows them away. It's mature; it "makes hist with beats!"