Customer Reviews

Ownerz

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is sad that we are in a society that promotes mindless [stuff] like 50 cent, nelly, and ja rule. I dont even listen to the radio, or watch mtv anymore because all they do is play the same songs over and over, im sick of that nonsense. I wish more people would understand just how great Gang Starr is. The street-smart, monotone flows of the Guru, and the perfect production by Premier goes overlooked by more commercialized, mainstream releases. After listening to this cd for the first time, my fear of Gang Starr selling out disappeared. Not their best cd, but it is great in it's own way, and outstanding compared to everything else out there today. Im very happy to say that Gang Starr is still my favorite rap group, and that they have not sold out like jay z, snoop dogg, and anyone who gets their beats from the Neptunes. 10/10 -IF YOU ARE A HIP HOP FAN, BUY THIS ALBUM, AND EVERY OTHER GANG STARR RELEASE.

GANGSTARR. Probably the closest Hip-Hop will ever get to it's own Rolling Stones or Santana.

Gangstarr is the last surviving MC/DJ duo. Ever since NO MORE MR. NICE GUY (an album that even THEY consider as a CHEAP DEMO-TAPE), they have consistantly put out banger after banger. With Keith "Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal" Elam, with his trademarked mellowed-out monotone voice, and Chris "DJ Premier/Primo" Martin, with his trademarked 'always-imitated-never-duplicated' beatwork, these two have stood the tests of time, with many of their recording still sounding great after all those years. While most longstanding Hip-Hop artists wind up changing up to keep with the times while losing sight of what made them great, Gangstarr hardly ever changed, except only giving themselves slight updates (Like Primo going from original loops to sample-chopping), and have still remained relevant.

After their last masterpeice, MOMENT OF TRUTH (and the following DECADE OF HITS comp), many of us (myself included) were getting a little worried about these guys. Guru got himself involved in some WACK projects, like the un-jazzy JAZZMATAZZ III: STREETSOUL and the absolutely horrid BALDHEAD SLICK & THE CLIQUE (Ouch...it hurts to even TYPE that title) compilation record. Meanwhile, Primo started spreading himself PAPER-THIN by giving out beats to EVERYBODY, from Jigga to Sauce Money, from LL to Limp Biskit. Now if you're handing out beats to Limp Biskit, YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN!!! These guys, Primo in particular, started to prostitute themselves to BUSTA-RHYMES-levels. It got to the point where the only way I could ever prepare myself for their next album is by AVOIDING as much of their material as possible, until the next album is released. People asked, will they EVER meet the challenge? Will their next album be as strong as their past work?

Yes...and no.

All the things that made them great before are still intact. Guru may not be the greatest MC by todays standards (but then again, WHAT STANDARDS?), he still gets the point across, which is all you can ask for. Whether it's about dissin' punk MC's ("Rite Where U Stand" w/ Jada), telling gritty street stories ("Sabatage"), playing the teacher ("Deadly Habitz"), or just flowin' ("Skillz"), he still has it in him. Meanwhile, Primo's sample-chopping standards still provides some awesome beats, from the Blaxploitation-influenced 'Sabotage', to the smoothed out "Skillz", to the menacing "Capture", Primo won't be relinquishing that GREATEST PRODUCER crown anytime soon.

...BUT (remember, I said 'Yes...AND NO!'), there are times where these guys get a little lax in their duties. It's pretty wierd for them to go from Guru's so-so Ex-Girl-2-Next-Girl attempt in "Nice Girl Wrong Place" (with off-key singing loser Boy Big), to having Primo SCREAM AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS about the hot garbage on the radio! Fat Joe proves that he's the Jealous One Envying everyone's success by recycling Biggie's rhymes in "We Got Gunz". Snoop Dog sounds absolutely BORED with his verse in "This Life", and Krumbsnatcha should've kept his "HINEY" skit to himself. Guru does get lazy in "Peace of Mine" ("That ain't Hip-Hop/that's something else/you're better off back on the ave. doing something else". Okay.) and gets even worse on 'Zonin'. Frankly, I would've replaced those tracks with "Battle" (their contribution to M&M's 8 MILE soundtrack) in a heartbeat.

It's these flaws that keep this record from being on level with their past work. Many may wonder if they would've put out a much better effort if they hadn't have spreaded themselves so thin the past couple of years. In my mind, they could've...easily.

But for now, I'm just happy that he finally have a half decent album this year!

Now, if only we could get Pete Rock & CL Smooth back together, then we'll really be back to business!

For those that grew up on Gang Starr and witnessed their growth, from the amateurish "No More Mr. Nice Guy" to the mind-blowing "Moment of Truth," "The Ownerz" is a disappointment. It could be argued that after creating one of the best hip-hop albums of all time in 1998, Guru and DJ Premier had no where to go but down, and that regression is evident on "The Ownerz." For the most part, the LP tries to rehash the formula used on "MOT" (19 tracks, with a sequel to "Militia" and familiar faces such as Krumbsnatcha and M.O.P.) with minor success. There are moments of brilliance, such as "Riot Akt," "Sabotage," and "Put Up Or Shut Up," and others that make you want to cringe, such as "Eulogy," "Capture," and "Same Team, No Games," with their underwhelming beats and generic formulas. As well, long-time fans will struggle to figure out where Gang Starr stand on social issues, as the uplifting insight of Moment of Truth's "Robbin Hood Theory" flies out the window with "Who Got Gunz." Despite these setbacks, the reality in today's hip-hop genre is that DJ Premier is still one of the greatest producers of all time and Gang Starr continue to be one of the best hip-hop groups around. Like Talib Kweli's "Beautiful Struggle," "The Ownerz" loses points for its lack of creativity but remains superior to much of what the mainstream has to offer. Listen to this album online or borrow it from a friend before purchasing. You may be slightly disappointed or pleasantly surprised. 3.5 Stars.

This may not be Gang Starr's best work, but it sure examplifies true hip hop craftmanship. Premier's beats have again elevated, sounding both crisp and rugged and Guru supplies street commentary at its best. A notch lower than the masterpiece "Moment of Truth" due to multiple guest appearances and two filer tracks (Intro & Hiney). If you are in doubt about the quality of today's hip hop, pick up this album because there is still hope out there for a pure, timeless and well structured sound.

its been 5 years since the Hip-Hop Classic "Moment Of Truth" , Now Gangstarr is back with "The Ownerz" , a very good release... , they been doing this since 1989 , "No More Mr.Nice Guy .." , and still they have it.. i wanna give my rating for this album ( for every song ).. here we go.
1. Intro , a good start for this great album... , i always loved the line " and all i know , lets get back to the program " , good Intro.

2. Put Up Or Shut Up , good song.. nice lyrics , great opening..

, good song.. nice lyrics , great opening..
3. Werdz From The Ghetto Child , a very short song.. , good beat. , 3/5

4. Sabotage , again a short song , but very nicely... done , lyrics , beat , its all there , 5/5

5. Rite Where You Stand feat Jadakiss , the first single of this great album , and it deserves to be because it is one of my favorites on this album.. , a VERY good beat... , lyrics are just amazing.. , and jada's verse is very good... , 6/5

6. Skillz , second single , and again one of my favorites on this album.. , good choice to be a single.. , it has it all , 5/5

7. Deadly Habitz , good song.. , amazing lyrics , just the typical Gangstarr song.. , very good , 4/5

8. Nice Girl , Wrong Place , I didnt really like this song.. , its just not my type of song .. , 3/5

9. Peace Of Mine , good one , 5/5

10. Who Got Gunz feat M.O.P. and Fat Joe , first of all.. , i dont really like "Fat Joe" , and the lyrics are not to good... , talkin about guns... , not really good. 3/5

11. Militia part 3 , very good song.. , good Guests.. , beat was amazing.... , 5/5

12. Playtawin , again not really good... , its just not my type of song.. 2/5

13. Riot AKT , very good , 5/5

14. Hiney , Just a skit , I was wondering if this was a diss to "The Clipse's" , "Grindin'" , it was very funny tho..

15. Same team no games , typical gangstarr song , lyrics , beat , its all there , 5/5

16. In This Life feat Snoop Dogg , a good song.. , i dont like "Snoop Dogg" he's verse is just bad.. , but Guru made up for it.. , 4/5

17. The Ownerz , the title track.. , very good lyrics , once again it has a meaning... , 5/5

18. Zonin , First of all , AMAZING BEAT , very good lyrics.. , my second favorite. 6/5

19. Eulogy , A shout out to all the dead artists , good meaning.. , 5/5

Gangstarr has been one of hip-hop's most underrated duos for well over a decade. Combining Guru's amazing lyrical talents with the production skills of DJ Premier, this group has been dropping some of the most slept-on albums in rap. With their first new studio album in five years, Gangstarr hopes to bring the truth back to the rap game.

With the LP's first dynamic single, "Skillz", and follow-up collaboration with Jadakiss, "Rite Where You Stand", the album starts off nicely. Premier's intro on "Peace Of Mine" is a welcome attack on those "puppet radio station DJ's", followed up by some excellent verses from Guru over a beautiful beat. Tracks like "Riot Akt" and "In This Life", the latter of which features a guest spot from Bigg Snoop Dogg also both help give this album a nice feel.

"Ownerz" does have its faults. Many of the tracks will come off a bit too basic for some. Those looking for anything but the very rawest rap on the market may be turned off. While I applaud the group for not giving in to making the commercial radio-friendly garbage that many of their rap peers are, they could stand to come with some different subject matter. After a minute, you may get tired of Guru's monotone delivery over a number of beats that aren't different enough from one another to stand out on their own.

It is good to see that Gangstarr has not switched up their style to push units but they won't be winning any new fans with this album. If you have always been a fan, you will probably love this one but they won't be crossing over onto the pop charts with it. The format is simple and if that's what you are looking for, you will be pleased but anyone looking for something landmark that will change the rap game may have to look elsewhere.

Guru and Premier. Speak those three words and any true hip hop fan will rattle off their top 10 GangStarr songs, lyrics, beats, you name it without hesitation. Do these guys ever put out a bad record? They may have albums that are more complete from start to finish, but not one album has been bad. I will have to say, however, that it is the second half of this record that is the best. A lot of people may not like "Capture" featuring Fat JOE and MOP because of the beat but I kind of like how Primo takes it back to the simple boom-bap sound of the bass and snare. I will agree that Joe biting Biggie's lyrics is a bit weak. My favorite cut has to be PLAYTAWIN. I love the simple organ intro and then silence and then the same organ with the bass over top of it. Guru has some of his finest lyrics in this song ("I'm still going strong in this game/And you should learn to R-E-S-P-E-C-T, or you'll get f'd up/Be-lieve you me"). Another standout is the first single Skillz. The beat is nice and Guru simply flows over the track. This album is what we've all come to love and expect from Guru and Primo. Not their most complete work as it's hard to beat "Hard to Earn" and "Moment of Truth" both of which are as relevant today as the day I first bought them. But, like any Gang Starr release, you definitely won't get tired of listening to this record.

The Ownerz is definitely is the most remarkable album released this year next to Little Brother's "The Listening". Guru and Primo's chemistry is by far unmatched in hip hop. "The Ownerz" is definitely in my opinion Gang Starr's most hardcore/street album that they've ever dropped. There isn't any skippable tracks here either. The beats are traditional Primo craft assisted with Guru's suave monotone precise delivery once again. "The Ownerz" sort of presents itself as a sequel to the classic "Moment of Truth". However, Moment of Truth has a slight edge over The Ownerz. And the reason for that is that Moment of Truth offers a more down to earth, sensitive, and personal side of Guru, who was experiencing a large number of issues during the recording of that album. Due to that, Moment of Truth just offered more songs with concepts and themes. That's why I couldn't rate it as a 5. Nonetheless, The Ownerz is still a solid and superior album that shines above practically all other co-existing albums. Gangstarr's goal on this mission was to revive the sound of authentic New York Diggin in The Crates Style hip hop, which is almost extinct amongst most New York mc's and producers today. Let's face it NYC's mainstream rap acts today borrow too many styles from other regions and as a result diminish their identity. Gangstarr rectifies real hip hop this time, and for any real hip head out there you just might shed a tear, because this is just too good to be true. From the opening track "Put Up or Shut Up", "Sabotage", "Deadly Habitz", to "Riot Act" we have pure Guru and Priemier in rare form. Another standout is the classic "We Got Gunz" feat. MOP, and Fat Joe, who goes for the jugular, returning to his D.I.T.C. roots. There was only one track that should have been left out the skit "Heimiez" or whatever, was just flat out corny. I think maybe one additional track feat. Nas and Guru rhyming about our youth, future, and war would have been the perfect climax for this album. Nobody's perfect but this album is a must have. Go cop this along with all of the other 6 Gang Starr albums. Pay Homage to Hip-Hop's most consistent group of all time.

Gangstarr, surely one of the most respected crew's hiphop has ever seen. On one side you have the famous & instantly recognizable sound of producer dj premier / primo / preem. On the other, you have Guru, the owner of probably the most silky smooth voice in hiphop. That combined with decent featured artists is criteria enough to make 'the ownerz' a must have.

The original Gangstarr flavour is all over this album. I was scared that they might follow musical fashions and try and make it all trendy and neptuneberlandey, but i'm glad to say that they have kept it real. The beats are typical gangstarr, some hard - check 'militia pt 3' (Bumpy's verse is TIGHT), some more chilled - check 'skills', 'deadly habits' & 'in this life' feat snoop.

This is an exciting album that makes you think . . "wait yeah ! i remember this type of music ! Its HIPHOP !"

It is not surprising that Gang Starr has had longevity in this game, since the late 80's to be exact. This has to be one of the best duos of all time because of the chemistry between Premier's beats, and Guru's nasal monotone delivery and sick flow and battle raps work hand in hand; and this album is no exception. Premier's beats have not lost a step; in fact, his beats keep improving. I have most of Gang Starr's albums (all except No More Mr. Nice Guy from '89), and by far, this has to be my favorite album of 2003. Premier still relies on soul samples, yet he elevates them to a level few producers can do. I love the 70's sample in "Skills;" beats like those remind me of the magic of hip-hop from a decade before. Premier and Guru stay true to hip-hop's artistry. Guru keeps his flow intact throughout. He drops knowledge, and stays true to the streets in jams like "Rite Where U Stand" with Jadakiss trading flows over a dope underground style beat. Some of Premier's beats here are stripped down and have simple beat sequences on joints like Nice Girl, Wrong Place" and "Who Got Gunz," but don't take it a s a negative. In fact, it shows the originality and the ability to think outside the box that Primo has. Those beats are different, and they rock! Other beats are full and sophisticated like the title track and the soul-inflected "Deadly Habitz." Where the heck do you find beats and real rhymes these good in 2003 and onwards? All in all, this album is a real underground classic in a time where classics are few and far between.