Customer Reviews

Return of the Magnificent

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Believe me when I say, this CD is off the chain from beginning to end! Look, I'm a person that has become a little dissappointed with hip-hop over the last couple of years. With the likes of T-Pain, Nelly, MIMS, Ying Yang etc. getting regular rotation on the airways every 5 mins, I just could'nt take it anymore. Was hip-hop dead like Nas said? A friend of mine called me and told me about this CD. When he said it was D.J. Jazzy Jeff I laughed it off and told him I'll pass. A couple days later while we were ridin' he put a CD in and and I heard something that I thought was a lost art...hip-hop! The 1rst track dope!, 2nd track dope! 3rd track dope!... I asked him who was this? He then proceeded to tell me it was Jazzy Jeff. I said No! I could'nt believe it. I could go on and on about this record, but bottom line go get it. I did that same day. I guess hip-hop still lives, you just have to know where to look.

With the abundance of garbage that's strewn across the charts, all over commercial radio and on music television these days, and with our most respected MCs now reduced to bouncing up and down in videos with pop tarts, it's become so easy to forget what a gratifying art form hip-hop can be. Lucky then, that we have people like DJ Jazzy Jeff who, every once in a while gets together his 'family' of gifted MCs (people like Pos from De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane & Method Man) and soul singers (like China Blac and the fantastic Raheem DeVaughn) to give us a collection as solid as this. I'm still on a high from his 2002 set The Magnificent.

With pure hip-hop beats, soulful and jazzy grooves and lyrics that I for one find both informative and inspirational, this album is solid gold from start to finish, interspaced with some very entertaining skits for good measure. (The running one about Will Smith really cracked me up). I'm no hip-hop specialist but I know the good stuff when I hear it. Or, to be more precise, I know the stuff I like when I hear it. The language is colourful (though I understand there's a clean version) but in an age where presidents at G8 summit meetings can't be quoted in most family newspapers, I guess it's just the way things are these days.

It's still positive stuff though and if there are any lyrics glamorising crime or denigrating women on this album, I didn't hear them. We need more of this kind of music, we really do. There's even one song ("Go See The Doctor 2k7" feat. Twone Gabz) that grapples with the thorny issue of male sexual health! It's not all serious stuff though. There's silly fun to be had on here too as typified by "She Was So Flyy" feat. Kardinal Offishall, for example. If you like the commercial radio-friendly stuff, I'm truly happy for you but this is the real deal right here. If you're a true hip-hop head, you simply cannot afford to miss this one.

I did wonder one thing though: how come no sample credits? I heard music from people like Donald Byrd, Bob James, Bobby Caldwell, Ashford & Simpson and Peter Brown on here (there were a few others but I couldn't put my finger on who or what they were) and that's all well and good but aren't they supposed to be credited, whether as co-writers or whatever? What if we want to go look for the original songs that were sampled? I'm not complaining; I was just wondering.

Take this from someone who tags, and hopes to one day DJ/Produce for some great MC's:

-BE WARNED: This is pure Hip-Hop. One of those albums that makes commercial & radio-hiphop lovers frown and condescendingly say," WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?"

-The lyricists on this outing define Jazzy's impeccable taste for HipHop as musical/emotional expression. It's just good music.
Expect nothing but 'Raw & Beautiful' from this one (and definitely listen to the above samples).

-How's the production? This can be answered with some word association:
Pete Rock, DJ Muggs, DJ Premier, J Dilla, Madlib, Buck Shot, 9th Wonder, Magnif, ?uestlove - starting to get the picture?
If not, take a listen to their work too (if you haven't already - hahaha).

Don't file this under CRUNK, SWISHA, CLUB, POP, UNDERGROUND, ART-HOP, TRIP-HOP (or whatever else the many "expert-opinion" music mags are buzzin'these days).

Keep reppin' the "four-elements" (DJing, MCing, Tagging & Breaking).

Peace,
TRINO

Hip-Hop has transformed into so many things that it's amazing that originals like Dj Jazzy Jeff are even still in the game. True enough, he was one half of the infamous rap duo that also featured The Fresh Prince (now Will Smith). But Jeff Townes has been doing production work the entire time, eventually forming A Touch of Jazz production company and then releasing his own material. His latest project The Return of the Magnificent is a follow-up to his original 2002 BBE offering The Magnificent and features a slew of new emcees, old Hip-Hop heads, and equally talented soul singers. Twone Dabz gives the metaphor-heavy "Hip-Hop" as well as "Go See The Doctor 2K7" where he gives a near comical account of getting 'burned' by a woman. Kel Spencer does a good job with "The Definition" while Eshon Burgundy and Black Ice ride over the smoothed-out cut "Run That Back." Chinah Blac serenades over "Touch Me With Your Handz," a track that masterfully reworks the beat for the Floetry hit "Say Yes." J Live does an okay job with "Practice" even though it sounds a bit amateurish in its delivery. Blacksmith Records' own Jean Grae takes another stab at establishing her name in the Hip-Hop arena with "Supa Jean." Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall pops up out of nowhere for the album standout "She Was So Flyy." Underrated R&B singer Raheem Devaughn says it all with the aptly-titled jam "My Soul Ain't For Sale." The Hip-Hop pioneers break out full throttle on the album as well. Posdnuos of De La Soul fame represents for the old school on "Let Me Hear U Clap," Method Man gives his lyrical assault for the groove "Hold It Down," Big Daddy Kane shows off his rawness on "The Garden," and CL Smooth showcases his signature flow for "All I Know." And newcomers like Dave Ghetto ("Come On"), Peedi Peedi of State Property fame ("Brand New Funk 2K7") and Rhymefest ("Jeff N Fess") all show and prove on the respective tracks too. The Return of the Magnificent is prime real estate for anybody looking for a well-rounded mix of old and new Hip-Hop, a sprinkling of good R&B, and a touch of Jazz.

With all the cookie cutter hip hop out now it is good to hear some real hip hop.As a producer Jeff is definitely one of the most underated in the game(the Allen Iverson sample on Practice is pure genius),his ability to chose the right emcee or singer for each track is a gift.Definitely the best producer album to come out in a long time(Timbaland Shock Value included). If you want to hear good music this is it.

Just the other day, I made a trip to my favorite mom-n-pop music shop (my buddy behind the counter gets me some new releases a few days early) with the intent to buy the new Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album Strength and Loyalty and the new Bone Brothers 2. When I was checking out, my buddy showed me a copy of a new DJ Jazzy Jeff album, which I had no idea was coming out. The combination of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Rapster's Barely Breakin' Even label was enough to make me buy the album. I've always had a fondness for Jeff since his days with the Fresh Prince, and I've loved every BBE release since Pete Rock's Petestrumentals and Jay Dee's Welcome 2 Detroit. I feel the UK-based label has put out some great music. As soon as I put "The Return of the Magnificent" into the player, I saw that this one was no different. I was addicted after only a few listens. This album is a perfect mix of gorgeous production, talented performance, and a guest list of rappers that could make any hip hop purist drool. I feel that even though he's pretty well known, DJ Jazzy Jeff is more respected as a DJ (as in the guy on the turntables) than as a producer (as in the guy on the keyboards making the beats). This album is enough to change anybody's mind, because the beats are incredible from start to finish. Like on this album's predecessor, 2001's The Magnificent, there's a heavy influence of soul on this album, and most of the tracks are based around a deep piano cadence. The instrumentals are a mix of jazzy and soulful instrumentation, often utilizing horns, synths, and sampling. The music is upbeat yet laidback, the type of music that makes me envision a sunny weekend morning, and I could envision this playing at the barber shop or during breakfast. As you would expect, he's hard at work scratching the 1s and 2s on most of the songs too. But this album wouldn't be what it is without the guest MCs either. A list including such well-established vets as Big Daddy Kane, Method Man, C.L. Smooth, and Posdnous, as well as young guns like Rhymefest, Kel Spencer, and Dave Ghetto make their guest shots worthwhile, dropping rhymes that do the beats perfect justice in a community-chest type of groove. The skits follow Jeff as he makes a trip from Philly to Atlanta to pick up his young son, and the thought process and problems he encounters. This album is not flashy or tough, but it's true to hip hop in its purest form and is the finest new album I've heard in quite some time.

The first song is "Hip Hop," which centers around a subtle piano line and some nice scratches, and Twone Gabz is introduced as "your host for the night," dropping some memorable lines about his love of the music. De La Soul's Posdnous appears on "Let Me Hear U Clap," a slightly more upbeat track full of punchlines and great verses. "Run That Back" features Eshon Burgundy and Black Ice, who deliver some clever rhymes in between a great chorus. The track is jazzy and soulful, very laidback and enjoyable. The next song is the Kel Spencer collaboration "The Definition," a simple piano-based song that will have great replay value. Chinah Blac makes "Touch Me Wit Ur Hands" into a sultry soul track, the first song without any rapping on the album. The sunny neo-soul is a great addition. Rhymefest shows up for "Jeff N Fess," a highlight, which is followed by my favorite song, "Practice." This song shows the true genius of Jazzy Jeff. I give him so much credit for coming up with the vocal sample, which comes from Allen Iverson's infamous "We talkin' about PRACTICE?" interview. This becomes the chorus, and over a breezy, rich beat, J-Live delivers some of the best rhymes on the album, in between some nice sax kicks. Jean Grae, aka the best female MC you've never heard, makes her first guest on "Supa Jean," followed by another of my favorites, "The Garden." Here, the incredibly soulful beat is graced by the east coast legend Big Daddy Kane, making a true song to remember that brings back nostalgia of the early 90s, with beautiful lyrical imagery and even better production. Kardinall Offishall entertains as always on the spinning "She Was So Flyy," which has an appealing R&B hook, followed by the predictably enjoyable Method Man collabo "Hold It Down." C.L. Smooth continues his historic comeback with "All I Know," which would fit in easily on an early 90s Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth release. Twone Gabz returns to help Jeff update a classic hip hop track on "Go See the Doctor 2K7," a hilarious episode about STDs. Raheem DeVaughn makes the wonderful "My Soul Ain't for Sale" an exercise in neo-soul perfection, and Jeff utilizes some well known samples, giving them new life, on "Come On." The album closes with a funky Peedi Peedi collabo, the updated "Brand New Funk 2K7."

I was totally blown away by "The Return of the Magnificent," which is the type of album that will satisfy purists and certainly win Jazzy Jeff some new fans. It's the perfect album to just chill to. Between excellent beats and dope rhymes, there's some truly incredible hip hop among the album's sixteen tracks, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I'm sure no one has forgotten whom Jeff Townes is, but few people other than those in the underground probably know that he's still been doing his thing, as his partner Will Smith has been getting much more publicity. This, of course, led to many jokes at Jeff's expense (the best one would have to be back in the 2002 Britney Spears episode of Saturday Night Live during Weekend Update when Jimmy Fallon talks about Will purchasing a multi-thousand dollar apartment; then he says, "In a related story, DJ Jazzy Jeff wants to know if you're going to eat the rest of that."). But now Jeff comes back with his official sequel to 2002's The Magnificent, naturally titled The Return of the Magnificent.

Jeff brings a lot of talent to the table on this release, and the guests hold their own over his backdrops. Jean Grae sounds as dope as ever on "Supa Jean", Rhymefest shines on "Jeff N' Fess", and Kel Spencer shows how it's done on "The Definition". And although Method Man doesn't sound THE best on "Hold It Down", it's the best he's sounded in a while. There's also "Run That Back", which will make you do just that.

Singers also shine on here...well, sometimes they do. Raheem DeVaughn's "My Soul Ain't for Sale" is great, but the sensual "Touch Me Wit Ur Handz" (by Chinah Blac) doesn't quite turn you on the way it should (and not to read too much into this, but...what else WOULD we touch her with?). Another thing is that when rapper Twone Gabz comes aboard, he hits ("Hip Hop") and misses ("Go See the Doctor").

Recurring skits on a rap album are usually a waste of time, but the skits on here are actually interesting, as they mostly detail how more people ask about Will than Jeff himself (there's even a skit with Will in it saying that). But one thing I cannot believe is that a person like DJ Jazzy Jeff would stoop to a stupid fake-white-cop-pulling-a-black-guy-over-for-no-reason skit. Oh, well; The Return of the Magnificent proves that Jeff's still got the skills, so cop it.

Anthony Rupert

Sometimes, I wonder if Hip-Hop is dead. Then a CD like this comes along. Great CD by the greatet DJ of all time.

hip hop is dead!?!?!?! this dude just revived it. this cd IS hip hop. from the beats to the selection of artists, this cd is pure hiphop. this is the best cd since game theory for the 00's. from gettin thrown out the bel-air house to makin a dope cd like this, jazzy jeff is the man right now lol.

MAN I STILL CANT BELIEVE THE GOOFY DUDE DOWN WITH FRESH PRINCE, DJ JAZZY JEFF IS PUTTING OUT SUCH DOPE HIPHOP CDS. HE'S COME ALONG WAY FROM PARENTS JUST DONT UNDERSTAND. THE MAGNIFICENT AMAZED ME, AND THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT FOLLOWS THE SAME FORMULA...NICE JOBBBBBBBBBB JEFF.