The Listening

Little Brother | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 18, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Abb Records
• ASIN: B000089CGF
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,472 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #74 in Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately Overlooked, May 26, 2004

By 

Andrew Jacob (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Listening (Audio CD)

I must admit: Until about a month ago, I had no idea who "Little Brother" was. Yes, I was fond with 9th Wonder's past production, but for one reason or another, "The Listening" never came across my radar. About a year later, I finally got around in buying the album making truth to the phrase "it's better late than never". The lyrics are genuine, most of them falling into the category of "storytelling" while others are more of a "in your face-this is the truth" depiction. But what makes the album likeable is the appealing production in each track, which all have a "old-school hip hop" vibe to it. Although most of it is a tad bit on the simplistic side, it showcases the fact that all you need is a simple beat to flow. This is most notably shown in tracks like "Away From Me", "Love Joint Revisited", the title track "The Listening", and instantly addictive "For You". Other highlights include the opening song "Groupie Pt. 2", the intriguing hook of "Speed", and the best song on the album "Whatever You Say". One of the main problems affecting the album is the repetitiveness of some of the production; I'm not saying it doesn't sound nice, but many of the drum arrangements seem to sound the same: they share the same beat and they have the same snare. If they made some distinctive modifications and some further polishing, it would've really went a long way; during the initial listen, it was difficult to distinguish when a song begun and when the song ended. And it seems to be a consensus when it comes to the skits. Not specifically the interludes, but rather the radio-type interruptions ("WJLR...Bam! The Future of Hip Hop") that can be heard throughout the album maybe six or seven times; they are rather annoying. Although this is extremely minor, I'm going to mention it anyway: another thing that I find annoying is the name-dropping of themselves. I always felt that artists who insist on including their names in songs are a little obnoxious, as if they were saying "Hey! You Know Me! Its me rapping/singing!". Although with some bumps, "The Listening" is the most underrated rap album of 2003. It is an exceptional underground rap album, and with some tweaking, it might be capable in paving the road to Phonte's, Pooh's, and 9th Wonder's aspirations on being "The Future of Hip Hop".

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Album of 2003 ! ! !, December 6, 2003

By 

Peter C. Carpio "akademics101" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Listening (Audio CD)

For a minute, I slept on this. But until I got Nas - God's stepson ( 9th Wonder remixes ), I had to hear this. And this is way better. From beginning to end, Little Brother just holds it down. And they from North Carolina. The last place I would think real hip hop would come from. 9th Wonder's beats are amazing. Similar to Pete Rock but with his own twist. Mc's Phonte and Big Pooh are good as well. They definately deserve to rap over beats like these. I would name the good songs on this great album but I would be mentioning basically the whole tracklist, my favs are WHATEVER YOU SAY, SHORTY ON THE LOOKOUT, AWAY FROM ME, NIGHTTIME MANEUVERS, THE LISTENING, and my fav FOR YOU ( which I nominate to be beat of the year ). This album is almost too good. And no, they are not like A Tribe Called Quest. They are just Little Brother. For those seeking great production and good lyrics, get this album. You won't be sorry. Just wait for the sophomore album. That will be bangin' too.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Future Of Hip-Hop, March 25, 2003

By 

S. Santore "iPod User" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Listening (Audio CD)

Wow. This is an amzing CD. It's what I have been waiting for. With the state of hip hop lately being in the gutter, this is a breath of fresh air. Little Brother is the future. The whole album is great from beginning to end. Their style reminds me of a throwback to the early 90's, similar to A Tribe Called Quest, but definitely different in their own right. MC's Big Pooh and Phonte have great lyrical talent. They rip the mic on every track, and actually have something worthwhile to say. And the production from 9th Wonder is on point. He knows how to sample records. Some of my favorite tracks are "For You," "Whatever You Say," "The Get Up," "Speed," and the title track, "The Listening," where they sample the classic "They Reminisce Over You" by Pete Rock and CL Smooth. But there isn't a bad track. This is one of the best albums to come out in a while, and is a definite classic in my book. Get this album and support this outstanding new group from North Carolina. NOW.