Customer Reviews

Part of the Nation

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

 

 

Chan is no gimmick.
His debut album, "Part of the Nation" is a classic.
Chan's been pounding the underground for some time now, hailing from Boston and nominated for 'Best New Rap/Hip-Hop Act,' in the 15th annual Boston Music Awards in 2001.

He's shared the stage with some of hip hops finest (Talib Kweli, Gza, Guru of Gangstarr, Jeru tha Damaja, Cormega, Afu-ra, Jedi Mind Tricks, Krumbsnatcha, Akrobatik, Mr.Lif, C-Rayz Walz, Black Moon, Boot Camp Clique, and many, many more)

Chan is Asian-American, and raps about his view on Asian-America with the album's title track that's an anthem for any Asian American. But as with the best nonAfrican-American rappers, his album transcends race. His LP walks the thin line between underground and mainstream, but on the real, that's where the dopest rappers reside. Guests on the album include fellow beantown emcees Akrobatik, Ripshop, Singapore, Shuman, Catsy of Yellow Rage, and Japanese super-group M-flo!! Songs like "Radio Wars" show a highly polished production with a message, "Give radio back to hip hop". (For those of you who don't know that radio stations and stores work with the Philly Mayor Street's tactic of "Pay to Play") Others like "Ode to Chickens" and "No Regrets" are songs built for the radio and the masses. But the entire album has an underground vibe with every track produced by DJ Supreme One, who you'll be hearing lots from, and every song is distinct and replayable. The best thing about this album is that there's no filler.
Every song has it's purpose, whether to give you a message or simply just to rock to, this belongs in your stereo. Find out why XXL magazine went so far as to say that "...Chan is the rugged-est, most skilled Asian-American MC I've heard yet - actually, he's pretty dope on any scale..."

His album comes on the heels of another more publicized Asian-American MC, Jin, (who's also made a collbo with Chan) best known for tearing up the competition on BET's Freestyle Fridays. Check out his album too, but for the real underground truth, make sure you cop this. The floodgates are wide open in hip hop and regardless of race, White, Latin and Asians are getting in the game.

This was a good debut LP from Boston/New Jersey representative, Chan. The beats are handled by Supreme One who does a great job in carrying an entire album production wise without sounding repetitive. Lyrically speaking, Chan hits the listener with topics that range from Asian pride ("Part of the Nation") to the stagnation of commercial rap radio ("Radio Wars"). Chan doesn't rely on punches as much as fellow Asian emcee, Jin, but as stated before he kicks a good story with laid back delivery. He's a sort of kickback to the mid '90s East Coast rap scene.

If you like this album, you should also try to get a hold of Chan's The Official Bootlegs EP and The Killa Tape: Official Bootlegs Part II.

Flat out, this album impressed me. Didn't expect much. Figured the production would be whack as it is with most underground stuff. Supreme One pulls through though on all these tracks. The title track, "Part of the Nation" and "Radio Wars" are two of the standout tracks that feature great production.

Chan himself sounds a little like old LL Cool J. DO NOT COMPARE CHAN TO JIN. Jin is known for his freestyle battles and his energy that comes across in his music. Chan has a much more laid back style. Lyrically, both artists are good. Jin's got more punchlines and Chan can tell a better story.

Chan's been around for a while. He has a following in Boston and has collabed with a bunch of people from there (Ak and Singapore included). The production on the cd sounds like a "Boston" cd, if that makes sense. If you like Mr. Lif, Akrobatik and all them, you'll probably like this. I've been getting tired of commercial rap cause it's all starting to sound the same. This is a good break from it.

I'm disappointed to see there aren't more reviews written for "Part of the Nation." This album is hot! Snacks is a tight lyricist with important things to say. Unfortunately, I think Chan's album has been overshadowed by Jin's new album. True, they're both Asian American rappers, but other than that, they should not be compared. They have complete different rap flows, subject matter, etc...

Best tracks: Part of the Nation, Clap Ya Handz, Radio Wars.

Not being a hip-hop fan at all, I don't follow the scene and didn't know much of the rise of Jin on BET or any of the Asian-American rappers. As luck with have it, Chan was featured on a website I look at frequently. Chan's website had his anthem "Part of the Nation" and I was hooked.

"Part of the Nation" is a great song and should gather a nice following among Asian Americans. The rest of the album is a little harder to judge. I don't listen to much of the newer hip-hop, so determining what's good and what's not is a little difficult.

However, I wasn't completely turned off by the album, which is usually a good sign. I am giving the album 3.5 stars because Part of the Nation is great. The other songs have yet to grow on me completely. However, some of the ones that I liked were: "What It Is?" and "Hung Tu Lo" (which is a story cut regarding Chan duking it out with Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat)

Jin's going to get a ton of attention but Chan deserves a look as well. Check it out!