Customer Reviews

Lyricist Lounge 1

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to give this CD 5 or 4 stars. But then I remembered. I remembered the incredible and intensely clever wordplay I heard on A.L.'s song 'Lyrics'. I remembered the support that Lyricist Lounge showed hip-hop when everyone thought hip-hop was rap and rap was gangsta. I remembered being blown away by the all-white rap act Cipher Complete on 'Bring Hip-Hop Back' the first time I dropped the needle on this piece of wax. There's just too many memories at Lyricist Lounge and too many dope tracks on this 2-CD set to let it pass you by. If you consider yourself a hip-hop purist, if you freestyle on the corner, if you like dope rhymes that make you think, then this album is a must. And if that's not enough, along with all the dope songs and freestyles, there is one track on this album that you MUST listen to, if it's the last thing you hear: A ten-minute freestyle with Common, Black Thought (from The Roots), A.L. (Whose performance on 'Lyrics' is one of the illest flows ever), and Pharaohe Monch.

For all you who have never heard of Lyricist Lounge before, pick up this CD NOW! This is one of the best underground CD's that one will find to date (Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2 is expected to be dropped this year). This CD contains tracks be some of the most conscious MCs around like Blackstar ( Mos Def and Talib Kweli), Common, Bahamadia, and Black Thought. There are tight freestyles, and songs by many of the best underground MCs you might haver never heard of such as Punchline and Wordsworth. and to top it off, each CD is hosted by well known artist in the hip hop industry, De La Soul, And Kool Keith and Sir Menelik. This Cd is already a classic in the underground hip hop community, and sure to be a classic in the hip hop community in a short time.

Puff-Daddy couldn't show his face in this crowd! This disk shows off the true artistry of hiphop music. I've been listening for three days straight and still can't get enough. The "CIA" track with KRS and "Big Zack" is the best, these brothers are SMOOTH!

In a perfect world, this would by your average hip hop release. However, since reality is far from perfect (especially in the field of hip hop), a compilation like this stands head and shoulders above all the competition. Long live the lounge!

I'm amazed only two other people have written a review of this album. I bought it a few months ago and I remember all the good times. A nice collab with OC and Ras Kass, and some impressive cyphers with a vicious beat from William Tell. 88 Keys, Ge-ology, Shawn J. Period, and Hi-Tek all add some dope beats as well. A classic song in The Manifesto where Kweli breaks down the composition of the culture. 8.6/10 for a good B, solid beats and rhymes.

this is a pretty old compilation as of now, but i still listened to it last week. there are so many fantastic cats on this album. the first disc has body rock, one of my favorite rap songs of all time. tash, q-tip, mos def, its unbeatable. the freestyle track features thirstin howl and j-treds, and is wow, then you got wordsworth, punchline, and a lot of underground burners. the second disc is hosted by keith and menelik which is cool, but fewer strong tracks. cia is a stone cold classic, indelible mcs on track 12 is too good. get this when you get soundbombing 1

When i first listened to this cd i was blown away it has great beats and the lyrics are off the hook! Rawkus did a great job making this cd they bring in a mix of underground and mainstream musicians. With the classic Rawkus crew Mos Def and Talib Kweli and DJ Hi Tek as Reflection Eternal, Skillz and Pharoahe Monch. They also throw in a of the hook freestyle. But by far the song that i enjoyed the most was A.L. Lyrics on the second disc, i have never heard of him before and he just came out with some of the best lyrics i have ever heard he flows to the beat and he makes great ryhmes that blew me away i have been tryin yo find more from him but i cant find a thing he has to come up with something else. Overall i highly recommend this album, its another hit from Rawkus the number one record lable in my mind
TALIB KWELI & DJ HI TEK (REFLECTION ETERNAL)
MOS DEF
PHAROAHE MONCH
SKILLZ
NOVEL

One day about 6 years ago, I was listening to the local hip hop station, KS 107.5. After hearing Country Grammar, It Wasn't Me and Stan 5 times each that day, I stood up in my cubicle and said, to no one in particular, "This sucks!" A friend of mine walked over and asked me what I was talking about. I told him that I couldn't stand listening to the same old rap music over and over anymore. He handed me a two cd set, and told me to listen to it, and see if I didn't think that it was far better than what the radio was playing. That two CD set was this fantastic collection of underground hip hop, which served to introduce me to the artists that would come to be the standards for where I held hip hop to. The set has some great examples of lyricism from such luminaries as Mos Def, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip and Bahamadia, plus others who aren't as well known. The CD takes the form of a "live" open mic night, presided over by De La Soul, and their introductions, which are backed by the piano programming of 88 Keys, add to the feeling of the album. If you're interested in underground hip hop, this is a good place to start.

If your looking for relief from the 100% fake commercial rappers or are an underground head already and just want to hear some lesser known artists... this the the perfect treat for you.

Rawkus really did a good job on this, its one of their landmark CDs along with both Soundbombing CDs. Believe it or not but this is a double CD that's excellent on both discs! I can't decide which side is better!

De La Soul hosts the first disc, and Sir Menelik does the 2nd...highlights on both discs are: Cypher Complete's "Bring Hiphop Back" which is hauntingly exactly what we all need, Mos Def's smooth "Body Rock" , "Bathroom Cypher" lets us hear some no-name hungry mcs, the 10 minute track with Common - Black Thought - Pharoahe Monch - and newcomer Absolute freestyling , "Mayday" from Natural Elements , Talib Kweli's rules of hiphop on "Manifesto" , the dope a$$ flow from A.L. all over "Lyrics" , J5's fun wordplay on "Jayou", and Last Emperor's verse on "CIA"...

but don't think the rest of the tracks don't live up to the mentioned ones, their all excellent too... I'm just stating which one really really impressive...

Another essencial album for your collection...skip over Vol 2 that was a very dissapointing sequel..

When i first listened to this cd i was blown away it has great beats and the lyrics are off the hook! Rawkus did a great job making this cd they bring in a mix of underground and mainstream musicians. With the classic Rawkus crew Mos Def and Talib Kweli and DJ Hi Tek as Reflection Eternal, Skillz and Pharoahe Monch. They also throw in a of the hook freestyle. But by far the song that i enjoyed the most was A.L. Lyrics on the second disc, i have never heard of him before and he just came out with some of the best lyrics i have ever heard he flows to the beat and he makes great ryhmes that blew me away i have been tryin yo find more from him but i cant find a thing he has to come up with something else. Overall i highly recommend this album, its another hit from Rawkus the number one record lable in my mind
TALIB KWELI & DJ HI TEK (REFLECTION ETERNAL)
MOS DEF
PHAROAHE MONCH
SKILLZ
SHABAAM SAHDEEQ