Customer Reviews

Mind

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

 

 

I am one of the people trapped in old school where lyrical skills and rap music was still without an orchestra. This CD has such a taste of old school and rap at it's best. 'Don't sleep', 'Party right' and 'Beef' is my favorite tunes. If you are new to Hip Hop then this cd is not for you but if you are a old school luver then this is for you.

Have you have heard of Chubb Rock before? Everyone should at least know "Treat 'Em Right"! Anyway, this was his comeback album after 5 years and to put a long story short, it's not bad.

Chubb's played it smart. He knows being on a small label like Select (original home of Kid N Play!) he can't afford big producers like DJ Premier or The Neptunes, so he's chosen a crafty band of producers with old-skool skills like Easy Moe Bee (Notorious BIG, Craig Mack and yet still so under-rated today...) and Nick Wiz.

His lyrics aren't excellent, he can sound like he's bragging at times, which was ridiculous since he was gone for so long (5 years is a long time in the Rap/Hip Hop scene!) and the collaborations don't quite work. But who cares... It's all about TRACK 11!

"Clear The Decks" has the MOST MAGNIFICENT BASS Extension I have EVER heard! It DEMANDS to be played as LOUDLY as possible!! From the initial bass notes to the sticks to the kick-drums, the FAT bassline kicks in, I swear there's nothing like it. Chubb Rock's vocals are lower down in the mix, but you won't care what he's saying anyway...

The nearest heavy bass like this I have heard was "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Shameless" by the Lost Boyz (strangely, produced by Easy Mo Bee...). "Clear The Decks" was produced by Drew Boogie, who I have NEVER heard of. But if I was an upcoming rapper, I'd get him to produce HALF of my album!

Another track "I Will Survive" is great. Ignore the lyrics (more bragging) and enjoy the beat. It's very well produced by Mr Blue (never heard of him either).

I would say: Buy it cheap from Amazon Marketplace or Second-hand stores PURELY for Track 11, so you can test your hi-fi/car stereo! And for Track 8 because it's nice.

Five stars are reserved for the Illmatics; the Sun Rises in the Easts; the 36 Chambers...This album is about two more solid tracks (and two less mediocre cuts) away from "classic." It is a passionate effort to sustain the old school sound and mentality; and although it did not enjoy much mainstream success, it is a worthy addition to any collection. This album does not achieve classic status, but does show that the creativity that produced early great records was still alive and well in '97. That said, at least four tracks off of this record belong in the hip hop pantheon. Particularly, "Beef" and "Games We Play" bring to the table creative lyricism, beats to get your head knockin, while featuring notable artists like PMD and Das FX. Ignore Chubb's attempt to appeal to the mainstream crowd, as the latter few songs verge on unlistenable (although the lyricist still shows through). There is a dance track...nuff said. This is a slept-on album..especially when one considers the direction that hip hop was going when it was made.