Hi-Teknology

Hi Tek | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Priority Records
• ASIN: B00005CF74
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,067 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Scratch Rappin

2. The Sun God

3. Get Back Pt.II

4. Breakin' Bread

5. All I Need Is You

6. Where I'm From

7. Tony Guitar Watson

8. Round & Round

9. Get Ta Steppin'

10. There From Hi-Tek

11. L.T.A.H.

12. Suddenly

13. The Illest It Gets

14. Hi-Teknology

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On his debut solo album, Hi-Teknology, Cincinnati producer Hi-Tek brings together some of hip-hop's most innovative lyricists to complete his multilayered musical collages. Hi-Tek made his name producing for Black Star and Reflection Eternal, creating impressive tracks that were always as complex as the rhymes that Mos Def and Talib Kweli rhymed over them. On Hi-Teknology, however, he's not limited to the range of just two MCs, and each track is fashioned to custom fit the artists featured. "The Sun God," featuring Common and Vinia Mojica, is a musical composition that is nothing short of perfect. Common is at his poetic best, telling a moving story over Hi-Tek's soulful production, which blends unidentifiable sounds to create an atmosphere that has a mysterious story of its own. "Breakin' Bread" is an archetypal hip-hop track with a hazy flute sample that gives the song a jazzy feel. And the funky production on the risqué "L.T.A.H.," featuring Slum Village, will transport listeners to the '70s. With Hi-Teknology, Hi-Tek secures his place among the great producers by bringing serious musicianship to hip-hop production and creating a truly satisfying album. --Felicia A. Wilks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Flexi with the Tek, May 15, 2001

By 

"dusty-beats-insomniac" (your Mom's house) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hi-Teknology (Audio CD)

"Hi-Teknology" is solid. It doesn't necessarily blow my hair back but it has more good moments than bad. Sonically, it doesn't sound like Hi-Tek was looking to blow the doors open with this project. I would argue that he put some tracks together that he was feeling at the time and brought in the obligatory contributions from his partner Talib Kweli and Black Star associate Mos Def to fill in the blanks. Lyrical performances here aren't very memorable apart from Common's verbal assault on "The Sun God", the strongest cut on the album in my opinion. Talib Kweli offers his usual lyrical wit to ponder on too. But overall, I think the album really suffers from Hi-expectations considering the man is just coming off the heels of the critically acclaimed Reflection Eternal project. I just don't think Hi-Tek has reached the level of consistency as say, DJ Premier or Pete Rock. Don't be mistaken, when Hi-Tek is at his best he can drop some classic cuts and does have potential to be an upper echelon beatsmith. Just check his track record. But "Hi-Teknology" is just adequate at best, not revelatory. Notable cuts: "The Sun God", "Breakin Bread" and "The Illest It Gets". "Get Ta Steppin" gets honorable mention only because I AM NOT feeling Mos Def as a vocalist. I'm a fan of Vinia Mojica but Mos Def hittin notes? No...All in all, the album is worth a listen. Just don't set your expectations too Hi.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tek mixes it up with mixed results..., November 19, 2004

By 

Zeb91 "Hip Hop Head 4 Life" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hi-Teknology (Audio CD)

Hi-Tek...not much can be said. He has produced beats for everyone from Talib and Mos to Snoop and the Eastsidaz. His beats are perfect for Talib but on this album they fit everyone well. He even tries his hand at some R&B with a track from Jonell "Round & Round" which is one of the better songs on this album. Hi-Tek delivers a mixture of his typical raw organic production and some more commercial styled beats. The first song, featuring Common, is a very dope cut as are the Cormega, Talib, and Mos tracks. This album is a good album, better than a lot of the crap out there but it really feels like a compilation more than one artists album. The beats are hot and most of the rappers are on point. It is also nice to see the boot camp click comin back, Tek brings buckshot back for "Illest It Gets". This is a good album but I think Tek should have saved these beats and made another Reflection Eternal album instead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tight Album From The Man Behind the Boards of Talib Kweli, August 21, 2002

By 

"rzabladez" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hi-Teknology (Audio CD)

After thoroughly enjoying "Train of Thought" by Reflection Eternal aka Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek, I decided it would be in my best interests to pick up Tek's solo album and see what he could do "his own". Of course, being mainly a producer, it was a short period of time before I realized that "Hi-Teknology" was really a collarborative effort by Hi-Tek and his many MC compadres. Nonetheless, this album is still a cut above the watered-down hip-hop so common today. Standouts are "The Sun God", a perfect combination of beats and rhymes (supplied effortlessly by Common), "Breakin' Bread" features great production by our man (gotta love that fuzzy flute sample), "Round and Round", "Get Ta Steppin'", as well as many others. In all, this is a solid album from one of today's top hip-hop producers and is not to be missed.