Customer Reviews

Full Clip: Decade of Gang Starr

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For a truly amazing "Greatest Hits" album that actually justifies the name you need 3 solid qualities:
1) A solid collection from all of the artist's albums
2) Rare Tracks released as singles or other compilations
3) A couple of high quality new songs or remixes

This should be standard for any music genre, making a true "best of" album rewarding for newcomers and long time fans. Needless to say 90% of these type of albums fall short, and certainly even more so for rap music.

Leave to it one of the greatest groups ever to step up to the plate and fulfill everything with "Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr". This greatest hits actually lives up to the hype and represents the group to perfection. First they took a solid approach by offering two discs worth of material, ensuring a solid offering of material from ALL their albums:

No More Mr. Nice Guy: "Word's I Manifest"
Step In the Arena: "Who's Gonna Take the Weight", "Just To Get A Rep", "Step In The Arena"
Daily Operation: "Ex To Next Girl", "I'm The Man", "Soliloquy of Chaos", "Take It Personal", "B.Y.S."
Hard To Earn: "Mass Appeal", "Tons O Guns", "DWYCK", "Speak Ya Clout", "Code Of The Streets", "Now You're Mine"
Moment of Truth: "The Militia" "Royalty", "You Know My Steez", "Above The Clouds", "Work", "Betrayal"

Sure in some cases personal favorites might be on your `greatest hits' collection from Gang Starr, but there's certainly nothing here that anyone would complain about. And certainly the Gang Starr nut is going to love adding those rare tracks to their collection. "Jazz Thing (Remix)", "Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)", "1/2 & 1/2", "The ? Remainz", "So Wassup?!", "Credit is Due", "Milita Pt. II", "You Know My Steez (Remix)" are all from soundtracks, vinyl, or B-Sides that were previously pretty hard to find and rough on your pockets. Not only is that a lot of material, but it's also some of the groups best tracks as well. In particular "Gotta Get Over" is an older classic, "So Wassup?!" has a hard thumping piano sample, "1/2 & 1/2" is a new classic feat. M.O.P., "Milita Pt. II" features a vicious verse by Rakim, and "Steez (Remix)" is absolutely sick as Primo flips the original beat backwards. Basically, not only does this album offer that hard to find material, but they give us the best.

Primo & Guru don't stop there, they give their fans 3 absolutely new tracks to chew on. You might mistake "All 4 Tha Ca$h" as a track off Daily Operation, "Disipline" is a great track that sounds like it belonged on Moment of Truth, and "Full Clip" let's fans know straight up that they're gonna be around for 10 more years.

What else is there left to say about this collection? You really couldn't ask for anything else but another 2 more discs of material. If anyone needs to be convinced of how great Gang Starr is, this is definitely the place to start. Let me attest that my copy is worn out, scratched and banged up from all the repeat listens and borrowing that it's been subject to. There shouldn't be a single Gang Starr fan that doesn't own this album, or in fact any rap fan period. Quite simply this is one of the best "Greatest Hits" albums out there, and its no more appropriate that it's another offering from none other than Gang Starr.
(10/10)

If you don't own a Gang Starr Album, Pick this one up!! The true Gang Starr fan knows that the gems on any given album are NOT the ones that get released as singles. This greatest hits compilation is no exception. Of the new tracks, "All 4 Tha Ca$h" is the cream of the crop. "Full Clip" is, after all, the best possible lead-in to the double album, But "Ca$h" quenches all of Guru's fan's thirst for bigger and better story-telling.

As for the rest, the music speaks for itself. All of the "hits" are here, but the thing that sets this compilation apart from the rest is the inclusion of lesser known selections. "B.Y.S." in particular makes this a "greatest hits" to be proud to own. Strictly an underground favorite, "B.Y.S." was one of about five tracks that made "Daily Operation" more than just your average follow-up. Thanks to this album, it will get a second life.

Another perk to this collection is the many collaborations. The best examples are the two songs featuring Lil Dap and Jeru The Damaja. These were standouts on their respective albums and are standouts here as well.

To wrap up, this is the best possible 33 track example of what Gang Starr is all about: The best rap music you've never heard.

What more can be said about Gang Starr that hasn't already been said? The group consist of one of the illest lyricist walking the face of the earth as well as a pioneer in the deejay circuit as well as the producing world. Guru and DJ Premier have established themselves as "one of the best yet," and all that has been proven time and time again. Dropping classic material from albums like No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step Into The Arena, Daily Operation, Hard To Earn, and Moment of Truth made everybody turn around and pay attention. Countless rappers and deejays can point to the dynamic duo and say that they idolized Gang Starr and their work. Now everybody can relive those moments with a comprehensive double disc titled Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr.

This collection encompasses the group's entire career from 1989 to 1999. With over 30 cuts to lick your chops at, Full Clip provides true hip-hop heads an avenue of reflection while giving new school cats a history lesson of sorts on what a real rap career consists of. All the standards like "Take It Personal," "Words I Manifest," "Ex Girl To The Next Girl," and "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" are on here. And even though most of their songs weren't legendary, they were still better than most of the stuff coming out around the times of their release. "Dwyck" featuring Nice N Smooth is hands down one of their best crew cuts, followed by "The Militia" with Big Shug and Freddie Foxxx and "I'm The Man" featuring Jeru The Damaja and Group Home's Lil Dap. New cuts like "Full Clip" and "Discipline" as well as a few sprinkling of remixes round out the album nicely. If you consider yourself a legitimate hip-hop follower, then you should already have a copy of this masterful work in your collection (or at least the albums that all the songs come from in the first place.)

I could never understand why quality is not recognised by the masses. I've reached a conclusion that the masses do not think for themselves and will follow whatever gets air play. Gangstarr are longevity personified.

I was first exposed to them in 92 on Step in the arena. I have never looked back. Primo is King, Guru is the teacher. The only other rap duos in this class are Erick B & Rakim; EPMD; Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

This is the full clip, the full Gangstarr story. Get it now and you will not be sorry, unless if you're into bling bling gabbage, ice this ice that gabbage. I love the sounds that came out of D&D studios.

We Hip-Hop heads in South Africa dream of seeing the insides of D&D Studios, where classics were put together and brought to existence. I can't wait for the ownerz, I have already heard Skillz and it's banging.

"Full Clip, do you wanna mess with this? Gangstarr, one of the best yet"

I bought this album without listening to it, expecting good, but cliche rap. I'll admit I didn't like it at first, but now it is among my 5 favorite albums. Gang Starr consists of Guru, the Master of the Monotone, the MC of the group. Next is DJ Premier, who supplies the great beats and skilled record scratching. Although I didn't really like the monotone at first, it grows on you. Gang Starr is a great duo with a good message and a good sound, and that is becoming rare these days. If you don't have this album, buy it. It is money well spent.

This cd is the illist and it's a killa representation of Gang Starr's 10+ year career. The only complaints i have is that the cd isn't put together chronologically. There is no real flow to the track order. Personally, i think it would be better if they had old stuff on the first disc, and newer stuff on the second. That would show the growth of the group much better. Besides that, the songs are all good and warrant an easy 5 stars. The other thing i don't like about this disc is the packaging. The case is really cheap lookin, it's one of those old school bulky 2 disc cases (the ones that don't fit in your cd rack) and the artwork is real budget. It looks like someone photocopied the cover, and you can hardly read the track names on the back. I was hoping they'd spend a little more time on the artwork. I know it may sound cheap to some of you, but i'm taking away one star for lack of creativity on the packaging. C'mon guys, this is a 10 year celebration, let's put some thought into it! Besides the lackluster cover art, and the thoughtless track order, i recommend this cd to anyone who doesn't already own all Gang Starrs stuff.

Gangstarr has been around 10+ years and have stayed true to the game the whole time. Based on their longevity alone you should buy this album. If this is your first Gangstarr album then hook it up, but this might not be for you if you have all the other albums(could it be worth it simply for "Full Clip"? ). Even though Guru can get old, Primo's beats can keep it movin even when the king of monotone gets monotonous! I missed "No Shame In My Game" but overall this is a perfect buy for anyone who likes real hip hop.

This is easily the best hip-hop greatest hits collection put together by any group! Usually, you'll get 2 or 3 classics, and about 12 throwaways nobody liked in the first place. Here, out of 34 tracks, at least 25 of them are tracks that, at one time or another, I was either bobbin' my head to in my car, or bouncin' to at a party! The other 9 cuts are tracks that make me appreciated Gangstarr even more than I did before. It's not fair because people will say "this is one of the best CD's of '99." This should NOT be put up against "new" CD's like Puffy (YUCK). 10 years of hard work can't be compared to a CD of new tracks. Having said that, BUY THIS CD! You'll be a better person for it.

Lets be honest. A compilation of Gang Starr's greateats hits of the past ten years?? Please. How could it be anything other than amazing. Every track is off the heez especially classics like "dwyck", "all for the cash", "jfk to lax" and "just to get a rep". If you love hip hop, you'll love this album. Big Ups to the Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal and DJ Waxmaster C. If you know Gang Starr you'll know who I mean ;)

All hail the King of Monotone. Oh, and and that other guy in the group isn't too shabby either.

I used the word 'perfect', but I take it back, because they left out my favorite Gang Starr track of all time: "Next Time." Other than that minor blemish, this double-disc compilation album of pure bliss is absolute wonderful from start to finish, never once faltering.

For those of you living under the sheltered canopy of mainstream rap and hip-hop, Gang Starr is not only one of the most influential duos in the history of the genre, but probably its most consistent. I can't think of one group that has put out so many delightful pieces of work; there isn't one Gang Starr album or song that I dislike. Other than possibly De La Soul, I can't personally make that claim for any other hip-hop artist(s). The efficiency of these guys is just amazing.

I urge you to buy this anthology if you have any type of decent musical taste whatsoever. Even if you're not a fan of hip-hop, which is most likely because ridiculous rappers like Petey Pablo, Lil' Flip and Nelly are the ambassadors of rap to the general public, just trust me and check it out. This isn't "booty rap." There aren't any lame rhymes about "ice" or "hoes, rims, and dolla bills, yo." And best of all, the word "thurr" is nary to be seen. This is conscious music for the mature, and it's incredible stuff. I guarantee it's unlike anything you've ever heard.