Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Gang Starr

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 13, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 13, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000I8T5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,533 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A massive double disc packed with 33 tracks--a few new cuts, many old faves, and some rare B-sides--Full Clip presents a decent overview of the group's impressive 10-year sonic canon. Gang Starr standards spanning the likes of "Manifest" (from their 1989 debut, No More Mr. Nice Guy), to the anti stick-up kid rhetoric of "Just to Get a Rep" (off of 1991's Step in the Arena), to "Soliloquy of Chaos," their rapturous criticism of violence at rap shows (culled from 1992's Daily Operation), as well as "Code of the Streets" and "Mass Appeal" (both taken from 1994's Hard to Earn), are all represented in full. Additionally, there are plenty of tasty B-sides like "Credit Is Due" and "The ? Remains," tucked in alongside soundtrack contributions like the pioneering jazz/hip-hop jammie "Jazz Thing" from Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. And the new tracks, such as the lumbering, scratch-filled "Full Clip," prove that Gang Starr are still very capable of concocting relevant, head-bangin' hip-hop madness. If there are any complaints with Full Clip, it's that the compilation tends to lean more heavily toward the group's later efforts (only one joint off Mr. Nice Guy is included while there are at least five represented from each of their '92, '94, and '98 efforts). Plus there are a few noticeable omissions, specifically "Love Sick," Guru's tasty lament from Step in the Arena. But the gist of the Full Clip compendium is to celebrate Gang Starr's noteworthy career by presenting a broad overview of the duo's work, and to that end, it delivers in spades. --Spence Abbott

Product Description
Same As European Version. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Gang Starr: One of the Best Yet", February 10, 2005

By	Scott D. Gribble "scottgrib" (Baltimore MD) - See all my reviews

For a truly amazing "Greatest Hits" album that actually justifies the name you need 3 solid qualities:
1) A solid collection from all of the artist's albums
2) Rare Tracks released as singles or other compilations
3) A couple of high quality new songs or remixes

This should be standard for any music genre, making a true "best of" album rewarding for newcomers and long time fans. Needless to say 90% of these type of albums fall short, and certainly even more so for rap music.

Leave to it one of the greatest groups ever to step up to the plate and fulfill everything with "Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr". This greatest hits actually lives up to the hype and represents the group to perfection. First they took a solid approach by offering two discs worth of material, ensuring a solid offering of material from ALL their albums:

No More Mr. Nice Guy: "Word's I Manifest"
Step In the Arena: "Who's Gonna Take the Weight", "Just To Get A Rep", "Step In The Arena"
Daily Operation: "Ex To Next Girl", "I'm The Man", "Soliloquy of Chaos", "Take It Personal", "B.Y.S."
Hard To Earn: "Mass Appeal", "Tons O Guns", "DWYCK", "Speak Ya Clout", "Code Of The Streets", "Now You're Mine"
Moment of Truth: "The Militia" "Royalty", "You Know My Steez", "Above The Clouds", "Work", "Betrayal"

Sure in some cases personal favorites might be on your `greatest hits' collection from Gang Starr, but there's certainly nothing here that anyone would complain about. And certainly the Gang Starr nut is going to love adding those rare tracks to their collection. "Jazz Thing (Remix)", "Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)", "1/2 & 1/2", "The ? Remainz", "So Wassup?!", "Credit is Due", "Milita Pt. II", "You Know My Steez (Remix)" are all from soundtracks, vinyl, or B-Sides that were previously pretty hard to find and rough on your pockets. Not only is that a lot of material, but it's also some of the groups best tracks as well. In particular "Gotta Get Over" is an older classic, "So Wassup?!" has a hard thumping piano sample, "1/2 & 1/2" is a new classic feat. M.O.P., "Milita Pt. II" features a vicious verse by Rakim, and "Steez (Remix)" is absolutely sick as Primo flips the original beat backwards. Basically, not only does this album offer that hard to find material, but they give us the best.

Primo & Guru don't stop there, they give their fans 3 absolutely new tracks to chew on. You might mistake "All 4 Tha Ca$h" as a track off Daily Operation, "Disipline" is a great track that sounds like it belonged on Moment of Truth, and "Full Clip" let's fans know straight up that they're gonna be around for 10 more years.

What else is there left to say about this collection? You really couldn't ask for anything else but another 2 more discs of material. If anyone needs to be convinced of how great Gang Starr is, this is definitely the place to start. Let me attest that my copy is worn out, scratched and banged up from all the repeat listens and borrowing that it's been subject to. There shouldn't be a single Gang Starr fan that doesn't own this album, or in fact any rap fan period. Quite simply this is one of the best "Greatest Hits" albums out there, and its no more appropriate that it's another offering from none other than Gang Starr.
(10/10)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unsung Heroes, August 7, 2000

By	Sean Daly (Newton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

If you don't own a Gang Starr Album, Pick this one up!! The true Gang Starr fan knows that the gems on any given album are NOT the ones that get released as singles. This greatest hits compilation is no exception. Of the new tracks, "All 4 Tha Ca$h" is the cream of the crop. "Full Clip" is, after all, the best possible lead-in to the double album, But "Ca$h" quenches all of Guru's fan's thirst for bigger and better story-telling.

As for the rest, the music speaks for itself. All of the "hits" are here, but the thing that sets this compilation apart from the rest is the inclusion of lesser known selections. "B.Y.S." in particular makes this a "greatest hits" to be proud to own. Strictly an underground favorite, "B.Y.S." was one of about five tracks that made "Daily Operation" more than just your average follow-up. Thanks to this album, it will get a second life.

Another perk to this collection is the many collaborations. The best examples are the two songs featuring Lil Dap and Jeru The Damaja. These were standouts on their respective albums and are standouts here as well.

To wrap up, this is the best possible 33 track example of what Gang Starr is all about: The best rap music you've never heard.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is One 'Full Clip' That Won't Be Wasted!, November 2, 2005

By	Charles L. Hubbert "of Urban-Reviews.com" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What more can be said about Gang Starr that hasn't already been said? The group consist of one of the illest lyricist walking the face of the earth as well as a pioneer in the deejay circuit as well as the producing world. Guru and DJ Premier have established themselves as "one of the best yet," and all that has been proven time and time again. Dropping classic material from albums like No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step Into The Arena, Daily Operation, Hard To Earn, and Moment of Truth made everybody turn around and pay attention. Countless rappers and deejays can point to the dynamic duo and say that they idolized Gang Starr and their work. Now everybody can relive those moments with a comprehensive double disc titled Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr.

This collection encompasses the group's entire career from 1989 to 1999. With over 30 cuts to lick your chops at, Full Clip provides true hip-hop heads an avenue of reflection while giving new school cats a history lesson of sorts on what a real rap career consists of. All the standards like "Take It Personal," "Words I Manifest," "Ex Girl To The Next Girl," and "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" are on here. And even though most of their songs weren't legendary, they were still better than most of the stuff coming out around the times of their release. "Dwyck" featuring Nice N Smooth is hands down one of their best crew cuts, followed by "The Militia" with Big Shug and Freddie Foxxx and "I'm The Man" featuring Jeru The Damaja and Group Home's Lil Dap. New cuts like "Full Clip" and "Discipline" as well as a few sprinkling of remixes round out the album nicely. If you consider yourself a legitimate hip-hop follower, then you should already have a copy of this masterful work in your collection (or at least the albums that all the songs come from in the first place.)