Customer Reviews

Prince Among Thieves

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

People have to realize that not all hip-hop CD's are meant to be bumped in the ride or played daily on radio stations. Prince Paul exemplifies this brilliantly with his newest version of the concept album. I will be the first to say that i don't like skits all over albums. They usually stop the flow of the album and lose their thrill after a couple of listens or so. But with Prince Among Thieves, skits are the string that holds this record together. More of a work of art than an actual hip-hop album, Prince Among Thieves lacks the sonic power to compete with other 1999 standouts such as Things Fall Apart and Black on Both Sides. But after a few mind turning listens, you realize that it's originality stands out above even those two albums. But this hip-hopera does have music and some standout tracks to boast. In particular, Kool Keith comes with his usual compex style on Weapon World. Big Daddy Kane is as smooth as he comes on Count Macula. Sha and Breeze, the two leading characters, also make worthy contributions throughout. Prince Paul masters something that he help break in but is rarely seen in hip-hop; expression. With Chris Rock recently purhcasing the rights for the movie, Prince Among Thieves may become a classic sleeper that cements his legendary status.

I put it out there.
This has got to be the great and most complex and complete concept album ever. It is a album that could be made into a movie easily and somewhat is if you ever saw the music video for the album.
The ablum tells the story of Tariq, who is trying to get a record contract and needs to make some money to finish up his tracks and ...well, I don't want to give it away.

This album also has great appearances by: Sadat X, De La Soul, Kool Keith, Xzibit, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock, Everlast, Biz Markie, Chris Rock, and Rza.

And as always Prince Paul put several skits throughout the album.
(Check out Tariq's mom the end of track #3 -- it's hilarious). Chris Rock also does a funny skit as a crack head.
There also is a great remake of the Ice Cube song "Steady Mobbin'" (off the Death Certificate) called "Steady Slobbin'"

This is a true classic hiphop album.

Anyone who knows even a little about hip-hop knows that storytelling has been central to hip hop music almost since its inception. Hip-hop fans will also recognize that concept albums are nothing new to the world of hip-hop (Ice Cube's "Death Certificate" immediately comes to mind, though there are countless others that lay claim to the status of concept album). It should also be noted that the use of skits on hip-hop albums is commonplace, if not ubiquitous. This being said, Prince Paul's "A Prince Among Thieves" is not only a bonafide hip-hop album that fits neatly into the tradition, it also redefined the genre. The thing that sets Prince Paul's masterpiece apart from the rest is its consistency in theme, tone and character. Over the course of this album, we see the main character travel through the flipside of the American Dream - the ghetto. As the album chronicles the main character's struggles to garner enough money to present a demo for a record deal, we see Prince Paul production technique in constant flux, embracing a different genre of hip-hop with every turn. From hardcore gangsta posturing to laid-back player/pimp macking to old school freestyle flava, the music fits the storyline flawlessly. The beats are fresh, the story is compelling and the rhymes are simply second to none. With a little help from several of underground hip-hop's luminaries (both past and present) Prince Paul has produced a hip-hop masterpiece on par with the Who's "Tommy." "Prince Among Thieves" tells the story of youth at a crossroads, of a culture on the brink, of life at its most crucial moment. It's patchwork of genre and subject-matter flows effortlessly together into a narrative so strong that only the most detached listener will not be able to relate to the struggles of the main character. In today's culture of shrinking attention spans, this album may be a challenge to most, but a careful listen reveals some insights that we all can learn from. I'll tell you one thing - after listening to the final, self-titled track, I will never listen to a "Dead Homies" song the same way even again. Never. Buy this one. It's a true classic.

Prince Paul is off in his own hip-hop world, and it's not like the hits of the moment, or of the past, or even like his own earlier work. This album is tough listening, but incredibly rewarding and original and creative; it's the product of 20 years of observing hip-hop from the inside, then leaping outside its systems and formulas and saying something new about its life-changing brilliance and heartrending lies. What an amazing album!

It's hard to explain how I felt when I first listened to this album. I guess if I had to sum it up in one word it would be "genius". Without a doubt Prince Paul is one of the most creative and underated producers in hip hop. This is one of the few albums I actually listen all the way through not just because of the great music, but the engrossong storyline as well. An album that narrates an entire story through music. The skits were not only hilarious but helped the story to progress also. Furthermore, each mc that rhymes manages to stay on topicand play his part. This is truly an album that belongs in the top greatest hip hop albums.

As far as I know, there has never been a hip-hop album like A Prince Among Thieves and i don't know if there ever will be. But to tell you the truth, i really hope there are. The idea of having whole hip-hop albums that tell a single story in a cinematic way could be its own sub-genre and really make for interesting listens.
The story is in a nutshell about the rise and fall of a would be MC named Tariq and his jealous friend True who is a drug dealer. This adventure takes you all over the place including jail and you end up meeting all kinds of interesting characters. The story is mesmerizing and the first time you put it on, you can't turn it off.
This whole thing is the brainchild of the genius producer Prince Paul, who hasn't done anything i haven't enjoyed from De La Soul to MC Paul Barman to Handsome Boy Modeling School. This is probably his definitive statement as an artist as he has masterfully orchestrated an epic hip-hop tale with lots of colorful guest stars (Big Daddy Kane, Kool Keith, De La Soul, Chris Rock) that manages to be powerful, bangin', funny, creative, and just all around enjoyable.
The way that this album is like an opera is that there are the songs (like the arias) and sandwiched in between are little intros with beats (like the recitative).
This album is really good, although the one part i usually skip is the love song by Newkirk (track 24) because after a few listens that track gets old and drags on too long. I think probably the song that works best as part of the story and as a concept is "The Men In Blue" featuring Everlast which has every line making a statement. Songs like "Steady Slobbin'" and the skit with Chris Rock are hilarious. There are some great moments like when True and Tariq are listening to Tariq's beat in the car and they both take turns rhyming over it.
This album is a huge achievement in the world of hip-hop and further cements Prince Paul's genius and should pave the way for more hip-hop concept albums and just more creativity in hip-hop period.

too bad prince paul isn't in the main stream. too bad the hip-hop world has become a mainstream circus filled with corny unoriginal mc's. then comes paul. he's from the old school, back in the day he ran w/ de la soul. his album is the most creative piece of work i've ever seen. if a more notable rapper would have come up w/ his idea, this album would be on billboard. don't worry, soon someone will copy his style and sell a million records. just don't forget who did it 1st. do ya thing dunn, you're a price among thieves!

Yes, that is correct, there is a coherent story with a dope soundtrack and the story makes the songs better, such as "I'm just an MC hustlin" when put in the context of the story and the scene. The back and forth song between Tariq and the girl on the phone is a highlight, the sung song with the hooker is funny and downright good, as is the reverend's (swing styles like Barnum and Bailey!). I couldn't get enough of this album, Kool Kieth's Weapon World takes a couple listens to FULLY appreciate it, but you'll like it from the start. The ironic radio song at the end is amazing in its context, and then DeLa, Big Daddy Kane, Sadat Xand Xzibit, Chubb Rock and the main characters come off excellent as characters or caricatures in some cases, and with just dope lyrics over dope beats. Definitely pick this up, the beats, some are ones you know (Young Gifted and Black by Kane is used in the demo), and some are new, but this is a solid funny cohesive piece of art that looks at hiphop as it creates it.

I'm a young black man who in the next five years wants to start his own label pushing hip hop and R & B, but I've always been a fan of true hip hop which has been separate from "commercial music", industry fodder. I'm happy now to see that true lyricism and creativity is bringing itself back to hip hop with the likes of Black Star, KRS, Canibus, and Will Smith. I'm messin with you. On the real, this album does the unspeakable. It takes you back and than brings it forward. We are taken back not only to true hip hop styles, but back to the likes of Kool Keith (what's the password, nerd) and Big Daddy Kane. (they come a dime a dozen...). He also takes us forward with this Rap HipHopera. No one can listen to this album and not feel enriched by the jems dropped by Breeze, Posdenous, Kool Keith, Kane, and the whole likes of them. If I'm not mistaken, Prince Paul is the Inependent Counsel that impeached Clue...

I was introduced to this album by my friends father in minnesota, and he listens to country. Whether you like rap or not, this story will abduct you and bring you into its world within the first 25 seconds of the first song. the way the beat cuts in is perfect and the opening lyrics are phenomenal. Character descritpion and story is all in music and every interlude is a short tie-in for every melodical chapter. when a DVD just won't do it, and the same old CDs don't cut it, this compilation of artists comes to the rescue.