Then What Happened?

J-Live (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 27, 2008)
• Original Release Date: May 27, 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Bbe
• ASIN: B000ANVPHO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,088 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Over the course of his 12+ year career, J-Live has come to be synonymous with the best of what thought provoking hip-hop has to offer. As a life-long hip-hop devotee and former junior high school teacher, J-Live`s dedication to the power of the spoken word is apparent in every multi-layered line. As a consummate DJ and producer in his own right, it is clear that he cares as much for the overall sound of his music as for the lyrical content. With J-Live the listener gets the full package; a definition of what it means to be fresh.

Product Description

Three years after his last full length album, J-Live shows the depth of his range on Then What Happened. Adhering to the standard of quality he is known for, J delivers 13 tracks of timeless hip-hop, featuring contributions from many of the biggest names in underground hip-hop. Over neck snapping beats, J-Live twists words at his whim, demonstrating what skill, knowledge, and a true love for one`s craft can accomplish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars J-Live "Then What Happened?"- 4.25 Stars, June 1, 2008

By	Shaun Borowski (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

J-Live's "Then What Happened?", is his long awaited fourth studio album. J-Live sounds a little different on this album, compared to his previous work. A J-Live album usually includes stellar lyrics backed by lackluster production. This one is slightly different. Although he still has hard-hitting, lyrical material, J-Live seems a little less inspired on this outing. Don't get me wrong, his lyrics and wordplay still excel many other artists, but he seems sort of lazy. Oh well, on to the production. As I previously stated, J-Live's albums usually have lackluster production. Well this attacks that theory and shows that an album by this man CAN include decent, if not great, production. If you don't believe me, listen to samples of "The Upgrade" and "The Last Third". The producers of the album include DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinna, Evil Dee, Nicolay, Marco Polo, and a few others. The guest appearances are limited to Oddisee and Posdanous (on "The Upgrade"), Oddy Gato, and Chali 2na. They all drop good verses. Nothing great, but definitely not forgettable. I've listened to the album twice so far, and it has great replay value. If you're looking to spend some money on a good album, this should be on your list!

Lyrics- 8.5/10
Production- 8.5/10
Guest Appearances- 8/10
Overall Sound- 8/10

4.13

-Shaun B.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars J-Live Takes A Lickin' And Keeps On Tickin' {4 ½ Stars}, September 26, 2008

By	Norfeest "Yes Yes Y'all" (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

When J-Live drops an album, you can expect a certain level of dopeness and consistency. He hasn't failed to meet that expectation, if you ask me -- well, one could argue that Reveal the Secret didn't meet those expectations, but I liked it. On Then What Happened, J-Live delivers another banger from the perspective of a man that has been battered and beaten by the record industry but still stands tall and delivers the goods. I don't know if this is the best production he's ever rhymed over -- mostly because All of the Above is one of my favorite rap albums ever -- but it's some of the best production on a J-Live album in quite some time. The highlight of the album, in my opinion, is "The Upgrade" which features Oddisee and De La's Posdnuos over some inspiring production. There are other highlights as well, but the entire album is solid from top to bottom.

As far as flaws, there's nothing on this album that one could call wack. For me, it's all tight from to bottom. That being said, there are one or two tracks that I skip every now and then because I have to be in the mood for them -- "Be No Slave", "What You Holdin", and "The Last Third", for example.

Then What Happened is one of the best rap releases of 2008, in my opinion. Sure, the production is nothing out of this world or groundbreaking, but all around output is nothing short of excellent. I recommend adding this album to your music collection.

Standout Tracks: It Don't Stop, We Are!, One to 31, The Upgrade feat. Oddisee & Posdnuos (My Favorite), The Zone feat. Chali 2na, and The Understanding

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything you'd expect from J-Live, June 21, 2008

By	J. T. Schulz "disenchanted hip hop head" (Tha Lou) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with the other reviewer about many points except that J-Live's earlier albums lacked good production. "All of the Above" is roughly equal to his latest effort, and includes production by DJ Spinna, J-Live himself, and others. If you're going to buy one J-Live album, get "All of the Above." If you're going to buy two, get "Then What Happened?" Really, you'd be doing yourself a favor to get all of them. J-Live is one of the most consistent, hard-working emcees in the game, and the proof is in the pudding.