Customer Reviews

Hi-Teknology

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"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.

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.

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.

DJ Hi Tek, one of the best hip-hop producers/DJ's out there today, helped make Talib Kweli's "Train Of Thought" one of the best hip-hop albums to date with his stellar production on every track. On his own release Hi-Tek does himself justice beat and production wise, but some of the talent he calls in just doesn't match up to the the MC's on there like Talib Kweli, COmmon, Mos Def and Buckshot. Standout songs "Theme from Hi-Tek" & "The illest it gets", pick it up and support Hi-Tek and all the Rawkus artists.

When I first heard Move Somethin fire up on Train of Thought from Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as the duo Reflection Eternal, I knew I was hearing a Producer and MC that would continue to do big things.

With Talib breaking away and concentrating on solo releases (that have never really lived up to the standard set on Train of Thought) Hi-Tek also furthered himself by doing beats for a myriad of different players within the game such as No Thang On Me from Snoops R & G to It's Going Down from the Blackalicious album Blazing Arrow and also beats for the likes of The Hieroglyphics to name but a few.

It was only a matter of time before Hi-Tek took the opportunity to use the, no doubt, expansive contacts he's created during his time on the production circuit and Hi-Teknology is that in a nut-shell. I always find that it can be very hard for a producer to create an album that will be looked on in years to come as something that represents or expresses a period of time, or an album that gives us an underling story, concept and or feeling that they may in particular wish to portray when they work with a wide gamut of Mc's of varying talent. The album has it's highs and lows it's lowest being jinx da juvy, I'm not even sure that's how you spell it but honestly it's not even worth the effort or research to get it right, that would be giving the man too much. His song seems completely lost in what are generally much more introspective and relaxed rhymes and I would have to ask myself what was Tek thinking, however viewing his movents on the circuit as of late i.e. working on The Game album Documentary and Snoops Pop-Hop R & G I should be surprised there isn't more of this general nonsense. Still the album shines past these brief moments to give us Tracks like Sun God & The Illest It Gets. Teks production is as always unmistakable however in the long run for me it would of been more exciting to see Tek step away from pushing other artists up and let himself take the spotlight. He deserves it.
***1/2

One.
Pj.

Hi-Tek's production on "Reflection Eternal" was excellent, so I was curious to see what his solo debut album "Hi-Teknology" (2001) would be like. Running in at fourteen tracks this one has guest appearances from: Common, Vinia Mojica, Buckshot, Jinx Da Juvy, Talib Kweli, Main Flow, Mos Def Cormega and Slum Village, Donte, Jonell. Common and Vinia Mojica drop a nice collabration over a premium beat on "Sun God" while Talib Kweli drops in for the decent "Get Back, Pt. 2". Love the beat to "Breakin' Bread" a track which Main Flow and Donte kill. Next comes "All I need is You" feat. Queens rapper Cormega and singer Jonell a good Rap/R&B collab. Jonell shines over Hi-Tek's beats on "Round and Round". Another standout has Donte, Main Flow on "Suddenly". Hi-Tek gets on the Mic for the nice closer "Hi-Teknology" feat. Jonell. This album has a number of standout cuts, and a number that fall under skip material for me, Hi-Teks production is for the most part good. Looking forward to more Hi-Tek production and I hope Kweli and him stick toghether as they are a deadly duo. 3.5.

After hearing Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek's "Reflection Eternal", I had to find some more material from Hi-Tek. Hi-Teknology is full of amazing, unique, and original production. The album also has some great underground emcees. The short solo productions of Hi-Tek, without the raps, "Scratch Rappin" and "Tony Guitar Watson" are just amazing! I guarantee satisfaction. All the cuts are unique and individually amazing. GET THIS ALBUM!! DON'T SLEEP ON IT.

Hi-Tek is surely one of the premier producers today. If you haven't bought his two other production masterpieces (Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, and Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - Reflection Eternal), check your pulse because something is wrong with you!! This CD is not as good as those two but definitely worth buying. The two tracks that make this CD are The Sun God ft. Common and the track ft. Cormega. Listening to two of the best lyricists in the game flow over Hi-Tek's air-tight beats gives me goosebumps.

Yeah I would've liked joints such as "Tony Guitar Watson" to be longer. I guess some of ya'll like innerlude laced albums to mess with the flow... But damn, this album is solid! Very nice work Tek, with the already classic in the making "Sun God" to the "Brownskin Lady"-ish, "Git to Steppin" featuring the lovely Vinia Mojica (sigh) and Mos Def to the R&B joint, "Round & Round" you've once again shown your flexibility as a producer! The only reason my rating aint 5 outta 5 is cause there's still room for this cd to grow on me. So to others, give this album some time. If you're feenin' for dope hip hop with the laid back crooning of several R&B vocalists this one is for you. Yeah I'm sure it won't satisfy your local neighborhood elitist backpacker *snicker*. Personally end to end this sh!t is tight. It doesn't turn off underground heads that enjoy the production of Tek yet your radio friendly girlfriend can groove to it. Sadly, I doubt Tek will garner much national attention due to the fact that most of the subject matter covered on Tek's album ain't all about flossin' and the females Tek features on this one ain't all about male-bashin', how they man is a dog and the whole nine. Branford Marsalis even comes through in this one (well, sort of). Just pick this one up and you'll see what I mean. =)

1. Scratch Rappin - 4
2. Sun God - 5
3. Get Back, Pt. 2 - 4.5
4. Breakin' Bread - 5
5. All I Need Is You - 4
6. Where I'm From - 4.5
7. Tony Guitar Watson - 5
8. Round and Round - 4
9. Get Ta Steppin' - 4.5
10. Theme from Hi-Tek - 4.5
11. L.T.A.H. - 4
12. Suddenly - 5
13. Illest It Gets - 4.5
14. Hi-Teknology - 4

Lyric - 4/5
Production - 5/5