Customer Reviews

Vol. 2-Dream Merchant

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

9th Wonder is one of those producers that's hit or miss for me. Well, this time, he hits and he hits hard. People, me being one of them, have made complaints over the years that 9th's beats start to sound the same after you hear enough of them. I don't know if 9th was listening, but he brought some heat this time around. The production, of course, is handled by 9th wonder (even though I thought I heard Phonte shout out Khrysis for the beat on "No Time To Chill"). Since he doesn't make wack beats, the only question mark was the rappers and they fill their lanes and do their thing for the most part. I think "Saved", "Brooklyn In My Mind", and "The Milky Lowa" are unquestionably dope. "Backlash" showcases an improved Sean Boog and Buckshot getting nice over a mellow creation. In my mind, "No Time To Chill" is the obvious standout on the entire album -- Little Brother do their thing and remind me of why I liked them to begin with. The Dream Merchant rarely disappoints with the roster picks and the end result is an album that will be in rotation for months.

The only drawback I can think of is the occasional boring rapper, but there really aren't any wack tracks to be found here. Not that I'm calling them wack, but "Merchant Of Dreams" (despite a great Chaundon verse), "Reminisce (Take Time)", "It Ain't Over", and "Shots" didn't do anything for the ears of this listener, but fans of 9th Wonder should dig them just fine.

The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 is an album that surprised me in a good way. 9th Wonder crafted some real winners on this release and gathered a solid roster to compliment them. It's an album that I recommend grabbing when you get a chance.

Standout Tracks: The Milky Lowa feat. Camp Lo, Brooklyn In My Mind feat. Mos Def, Jean Grae, & Memphis Bleek, Special [Remix] feat. Strange Fruit Project & Median, No Time To Chill feat. Little Brother (My Favorite), Sunday feat. Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon, Backlash feat. Sean Boog & Buckshot, and Saved feat. Saigon & Joe Scudda

9th Wonder came to my attention relatively recently, via Little Brother and two of their albums. 2002's The Listening and 2005's The Minstrel Show are among my top ten purchases of the last year or so and are already among my favourite albums of all time.

9th pulls the rabbit out of the hat again on this release but it is not as solid overall as his LB stuff (other reviewers have done a much better job with the specifics than I could ever do) and, judging from Getback, LB's new product which does not feature 9th Wonder's input, all I can conclude is that these three dudes are much better together than they are apart. I really hope they eventually put their differences aside and get back (no pun intended) to giving us the quality hip-hop we all know they are capable of.

In the meantime, I recommend this one. The lyrics do their best to earn the CD's Parental Advisory Warning sticker and I question the intelligence of some of the themes explored here (by the featured MCs) but this is, in my opinion, still head and shoulders above the vast majority of the stuff I see and hear on the Billboard charts, on MTV and on commercial urban radio. Well worth checking out. If only more people made this kind of quality hip-hop. This man obviously knows his classic music. I don't get the sense that he's one of those producers who only turns to the vinyl vaults looking for cool grooves whenever he needs to lay down some beats; I could be wrong but I truly believe this man loves his soul & funk intimately.

All the better for me. Personal fave tracks include: "Shots" featuring Big Dho & Sean Price; "Sunday!" featuring Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon; "No Time To Chill" featuring Little Brother; "It Ain't Over" featuring Jozeemo & Tyler Woods; "The Last Time" featuring Royce The 5'9, Vandalyzm & Naledge of the Midwest Wrecking Crew - The Chim The Lou & The D; "Saved" featuring Saigon & Joe Scudda; "Thank You" featuring D.O.X. & O-Dash and "You Wanna" featuring NBS. I got my money's worth, for sure.

Producer/former Little Brother member 9th Wonder does an album that is entertaining from beginning to end. The standout tracks are Shots,Reminisce,Baking Soda and It Ain't Over. This is one of the best hip hop albums of 2007.

Great album. I am a huge fan of 9th Wonder even though sometimes his beats can become repetitive. This is by far his best solo release. 9th usually collaborates with an MC and produces their whole album (i.e. MURS, Jean Grae, Buckshot). This time around it's all 9th's production with a huge list of talented MC's. Sean Price, Skyzoo and a host of others really make this a great album. Definitely worthy of picking up.

9th Comes with a Harder Edge this time. 9th Wonder Beat bring the Best out of Great Mcs to Average Mc. On Dream Merchant 2, They all Sound Good. This May be the greatest Soul Producer of our Generation who is on his way to becoming a Hip Hop Legend. Ive Played this Cd 10 times already and still love it. All the Beats KNock!!!

Not all that happy at first listen, then I just listened to the album & relized its great!!! ... The LB joint is dope & 'Backlash' is super HOT! , 'Scars' is def. a banger - but Joe S. is one of my fav's ... overall more than worth the money.

Love the accurate selection of beats and the way they follow on the album.
I wish him and the LB's would have stayed a three man crew but people do change like the weather and sometimes change is good. I wish both sides the best of luck on they ventures. I'm still gonna support you all till the end from the 919 to the 252. Hold it down!!!!

I've been a big fan of Little Brother for a while and all of 9th Wonder's remix albums. You never know how these albums are going to be with all the different guests, but needless to say, it all works here because the production is that good. 9th's beats are solid throughout and do not fall victim to the monotony that some people felt his production had on the LB albums. I highly recommend the album if you want to listen to a fresh sound. The Saigon and Tyler Woods tracks are my two personal favorites.

I've been listening to 9th since he did "threats" on Jay-Z's Black Album. About 75% of the stuff he does is solid as he is one of the few producers out there that has the gift to produce an entire album by himself (see Little Brother- The Listening/Minstrel Show, Buckshot-Chemistry) but sometimes his beats do get monotonous.

However, this album doesn't do that. Beats are still horn heavy and his usual fruit loops but over 18 tracks he manages to change the mood to all different types which give it a pretty cohesive feel considering that its practically a compilation style album. Overall, I like the album and its worth checking out if you are an avid 9th Wonder fan.

Standout Tracks:
1. Merchant of Dreams
2. Brooklyn In My Mind
3. Reminisce
4. Saved
5. The Milky Lowa

Following the sudden split from Little Brother, 9th doesn't seem to have lost a step. Known for his boom bap drum beats and soulful chopped samples, 9th adds further versatility to his already impressive resume. Compared to much of his previous work, 9th has improved his sound splicing techniques and exuded smoother results. Other personel include an array of rappers from Mos Def, Camp Lo, and Jean Grae to the usual arsenal from the Justus League. While most compliment 9th's heavy, head-bobbing beats, some don't seem to deliver (ie. "Baking Soda"). The songs I find in heavy rotation include "Let It Bang", "You Wanna", and "Brooklyn In My Mind". In addition to several songs I enjoy on the album, I'll note the great remix of "Special" by Strange Fruit Project ft. Median and the beautiful pipes of Keisha Shontelle on the feel-good track "Sunday". One other issue I had is 9th's habit to use repetitive samples for long stretches. Most of the time it works ("Backlash", "No Time To Chill"), but sometimes it hurts the track ("The Last Time")
Regardless, this CD is proof 9th Wonder is a threat to be reckoned with in the rap game. His expanding fanbase and distinct production skills could put him in the same breath as a DJ Premier, Pete Rock, or J Dilla. It will be exciting to see what follows.