Customer Reviews

Hip Hop Violinist

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Concept albums are a double-edged sword because new listeners might like the new material while old listeners might accuse the artist of selling out -- which explains some of the negative reviews for Miri Ben-Ari's latest album, The Hip-Hop Violinist (no, people, this is not her first album). While I do understand where the naysayers are coming from, I still think this is a good album.

One thing I'd like to explain, though, is the reason as to why there are so many guest stars on here. Well, look at it like when a producer like Quincy Jones, for example, releases an album. Producers are involved with the music, nothing more, while other artists take care of the rhymes and crooning. This is why Miri is only playing instead of rapping or singing. And I actually thought it was easy to hear her strings over all the other instruments. (I also wonder if those that complained that there aren't enough violin solos on here listened to "Lord of the Strings", "Chillin' In the Key of E" or her retake of the "Star-Spangled Banner".)

Anyway, I agree with everyone else when they say that "Sunshine to the Rain" (with Scarface and Anthony Hamilton) is the best song. Anthony also impresses on another track, "She Was Just a Friend", which also features vocals from songstress Algebra (um...). Another good song is "I've Been Waiting On You", which features a chorus by John Legend and verses by Consequence (why oh why can't he get a deal?).

Miri's violins are even able to make Lil' Mo and Fatman Scoop sound decent on "Hold Your Head Up High" and "Jump & Spread Out", respectively. But sometimes even SHE can't salvage others' missteps. Baby and Lil' Wayne sound fine on "4 Flat Tires", but Six Shot's rapping style just feels strange. And "Fly Away" (with Fabolous, Kanye West and Musiq) contains a weak verse and it's not from Fabolous ("I'll have to make the world bounce like full messages in emails" -- why does Kanye say the corniest things on other people's albums?). And Akon sounds better than he usually does on "Miss Melody" -- till you get to the second verse, that is.

If you like violins but you're not a big fan of hip-hop, then I wouldn't advise you to cop this album. But if you CAN open your mind to both styles, then do what I did and give the hip-hop violinist a try.

Anthony Rupert

This album is a set of pretty good hip hop tracks with Miri's beautiful strings in the background. This is more of a compilation than a Miri Ben-Ari CD and there are only about 7 minutes on the CD where she plays alone. Highlights include "Keep You Head Up High" with Lil' Mo and "Sunshine to the Rain" with Scarface and Anthony Hamilton. But there are a few wack songs like "4 Flat Tires", "Jump & Spread Out" Remix and "Star Spangled Banner." Thank goodness this album doesn't contain "Sick Wit Da Flip" on it. That song is awful.

I would reccomend this album for someone who wants a decent hip hop compilation, not a Mir Ben-Ari album.

If there's a next step in hip-hop's evolution, this has to be it.

I caught Miri's name in a small blurb in Scratch Magazine and right away the idea of a hip-hop album driven and underscored by a violinist stayed with me until the release of this album. Ever since Dr.Dre's "Still Dre" with the signature Ukelele (or however you spell it) and simplified layers of sounds from "Forgot about Dre" I've been waiting for the next generation of producers to step the rap sound up a little.
Until now I've been dissapointed.

The musical complexity of this album almost makes it hard to describe. It really is a few steps beyond any traditional hip-hop and R&B album. Though hip-hop has transcended the color lines in this country, it's still safe to say that it is still considered a "black music form" and often claims to represent the black ghetto experience with grimy, aggressive and sometimes melancholy sounds and lyrics. Ironically, I would say that what Miri has done is more accurate of the inner-city reality, since she spans everything from the soulful to the celebratory. She even reaches back far enough into hip-hop history to bring the legendary beat-box vocalism of Doug E. Fresh. You don't get much more grimy than the Beat Box, since that's all early rappers had for "drum machines." All of this, of course, is threaded together by Miri's violin strings, making the album feel more consistent than today's multi-producer albums.

The standout track on here is "Sunshine to the Rain" featuring Scarface, an underground legend in his own right. This song is good enough to keep writing about. I've followed Scarface's early work with mixed reactions. Not because he's not a good artist, but because you can tell that something deeper and painful was hiding behind his me-too gangster music. Whatever he had hiding, managed to stick its head out in "Mind Playing Tricks on Me". But on this album those emotions are completely exposed as Mr.Scarface talks about the real internal pressures that a person endures when exposed to the streets. He's not rapping about killing somebody else...he's rapping about killing himself! The great arc of this song is that the tempo is upbeat and inspiring. The song feels like you're at the end of the tunnel, and the light is there. I replayed this song several times before I finished the album.

And that's the final thing about this...I can't say that there's one skippable track on here. Obviously, some songs are better than others. That's inevitable. But even the least of these songs will have it's moment in the future where you feel like going directly to it, bypassing all the others.

I hope this is a hallmark of what is to come. Not just from Miri Ben Ari...but maybe hip-hop's current and future producers will look at this masterpiece and agree to bring hip-hop to a next stage that goes beyond sample clearance. Maybe we'll then have some much needed new life and maturity to an art form that is struggling to get past puberty.

This album is different and in a hip-hop world that continues to grow more monotonous that stands out as successful whether different means good or not.

But it is good. Very good. Miri Ben-Ari is an amazing violinist (The Beautiful Temple and Sahara are her two other, less revolutionary studio albums) and her staccato-filled style aligns perfectly with the snare and bass beats and rap vocals that go along with it. Her talent is evident throughout the entire LP.

Which leaves the success of this violin-rap concept album up to those singing and rhyming over the notes. For the whole, the line-up of guests hold up and help deliver a decent listen.

1. Intro
2. We Gonna Win- Styles P is alone with Ari on the first song. I've never thought much of Styles P as a rapper and still don't after this track but Miri holds her own. 8/10.
3. Jump and Spread Out- Fatman Scoop and Vicious come with a hot dancehall/reggaeton sound on this track. Miri is awesome. 7/10.
4. Fly Away- Miri's best on the album. She's accompanied by Fabolous, who drops a better-than-average verse. Kanye drops a disapointing few lines. Musiq covers the chorus. 8/10.
5. Hold Your Head Up High- Lil' Mo whines terrible lyrics over a weak beat. The violin presence is little. 4/10.
6. Sunshine to the Rain- Scarface and Anthony Hamilton (who already have worked-well together) deliver a great song. Hamliton's voice sounds smooth over Ari's music. 9/10.
7. Lord of the Strings- a short poetic song with J.Ivy reciting a poem about Ari accompanied by Ari's violin. 8/10.
8. Chillin' in the Key of E- just Ari in E. No guests. Sounds great. 9/10.
9. Miss Melody- best song on the album. Akon sings over an almost-haunting repetitive piece by Ari. The beat, produced by Akon, is a perfect simple snare n' bass. The song is about 4 minutes long and is followed by a violin solo. 10/10.
10. New World Symphony- Pharoahe Monche guests on this track. The man has got to be the most underrated rapper around. His flow on this track is ridiculous. He raps to the violin rather than to the drum beat and it works. Not to down the beat, Kanye kills it. 9/10.
11. 4 Flat Tires- Cash Money and Miri Ben-Ari. Doesn't work. But Lil' Wayne's verse is good enough reason to go and buy the whole CD. 8/10.
12. She Was Just a Friend- Anthony Hamilton and Algebra combine with well with the string-light Ari on this one. Most R&B-type song on the album. 8/10.
13. I've Been Waiting For You- John Legend has a great voice and Consequence has great rhymes (he shows-up Kanye on this LP). Good song. 8/10.
14. Star-Spangled Banner- Doug E. Fresh beatboxes over Ari's violin. Her violin is amazing. His beatboxing ruins the song. 4/10.
15. Jump and Spread (Reggaeton Remix)- same song but even more Latin. Pitbull brings a very "crunk" sound to the final track on the album. Fatman Scoop is kind of annoying. Zion and Lennox also jump on this track. 9/10.

Overall, this album is worth buying because there is not another album like it. Miri Ben-Ari deserves a hand for her violinist skills and for being courageous enough to try this concept-album. It has some weak spots but the Akon, Anthony Hamilton, Lil' Wayne, Pharoahe Monche, and friends help save the whole.

4 out of 5.

We put too much emphasis on the new face of hip hop. Miri has been in the background of your favorite artists for years. Her new album has some duds and some good songs but it's worth it to hear something different. Sunshine to the Rain it an amazing song and everyone-- I mean everyone-- on the crew deserves credit for that. How often do we actually write that? Also... why not explore. Hip-hop/rap and rock have gotten really dull these last few years. Enter artists such as Miri who are moving forward instead of spewing out the same boring dreck. So what if she isn't the SUPERSTAR of the album? She's a freakin violinist doing hip hop.. but look behind the scenes. Undoubtedly she had the freedom to pick and chose arists, create her own riffs and time the lyrics, etc. It's a great album.

This album is a set of pretty good hip hop tracks with Miri's beautiful strings in the background. This is more of a compilation than a Miri Ben-Ari CD and there are only about 7 minutes on the CD where she plays alone. Highlights include "Keep You Head Up High" with Lil' Mo and "Sunshine to the Rain" with Scarface and Anthony Hamilton. But there are a few wack songs like "4 Flat Tires", "Jump & Spread Out" Remix and "Star Spangled Banner." Thank goodness this album doesn't contain "Sick Wit Da Flip" on it. That song is awful.

I would reccomend this album for someone who wants a decent hip hop compilation, not a Mir Ben-Ari album.

This is by far the most underrated/slept album ever. Most people I know didn't even know it came out. The whole album is incredibly soulful, the composition and arrangement of the songs are never mundane throughout the entire album. I mean I have so many favorite tracks on this album. In addition, the whole album is consistent, at the same time it offers variety by the different artists featured. I think the best track on this album tho, is Sunshine to the Rain, featuring Scarface. (Fly away with Fab & Kanye was crazy too)

I think some people said this song has too many features, or it derails too much from tradition, or that it's a dumbed down version of classical music. It's a break through piece of art in my opinion. Its fusing hip hop and classical music into another form of art work. If anything its should be categorized as modern classica. Sometimes it's more like she's a producer that makes amazing beats for the backbone, and then the artists completes it by putting in the soul and body. At the same time her presence is definitely know throughout as a performer, because her skills is just extraordinary. It's a shame many people have never heard this album.

This CD is great! The only complaint I have is that it does not have enough solo tracks. When you get an album by let's say, Santana, there is a good balance of solo tracks and feature tracks on that album. I defintely would have liked to hear more of Miri by herself on this. I hope they re-release it with more solo tracks.

That is my only complaint. Also, the fact it took me a long time to find this CD. When I did find it there was only one of them buried somewhere in the back. That is not good. It came out not even 2 weeks ago.

I recommned this album.

Miri is very talented and has great potential. But on this album she's showcasing other artists. I've waited for a long time to hear this album. Now don't get me wrong. It's a great album, for a compilation. She isn't even the lead in her own music. Personally I love miri. I would buy this album for the fact that it's a good compilation. If you're doing it to hear the sweet sounds of miri, then don't expect much. She's great but wait till the next album...you know...when she's not a guest on her own album.

I honestly have to say this is one of my favorite albums of 2005. The list of artists that helped put this album together shows that this girl has got game and when you hear her play you will know it as well. The best song on here is undoubtedly Sunshine to the Rain feat. Scarface and Anthony Hamilton. The way Face speaks about real deep emotions and Hamilton blazes thru the chorus with his vocals was simply amazing and very unique. Hamilton is also featured on another song titled She Was Just a Friend along with Algebra. Its just another love song, but the difference that distinguishes from others is the fact that I can listen to it, and I dont like listening to sappy love songs. Another great song on this album is Miss Melody feat. Akon. Akon speaks of his struggle listening to this performer playing his life out in this melody on the violin who is none other than Miri Ben-Ari. Put together very well, and is my second favorite on the album. There is variety on this album for everyone, and if you are looking to expand your hip-hop horizon, then I strongly recommend this album.