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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Every rapper in the house shut the funk up!", November 13, 2003
Despite all the criticism, this is yet another solid gem dropped by the most gifted (and underrated) MC the world has ever known. As "mainstream" as people may think this sounds, or as much as some say Acey is "selling out", this is still light years ahead of any of the MTV and radio garbage being strewn about these days. In fact, it outshines most of Acey's underground contemporaries. Part of Acey's magic lies in his ability to hit you with what you're not expecting, and no two albums ever sound the same. So what if this isnt on the same level as "a Book of Human Language." I seriously doubt it was meant to be. What this album brings to the table is exactly what we expect from Aceyalone, and what he comes through with every time: bangin songs, witty insightfulness, some of the coldest wordplay, and of course, unexpected twists throughout...The most noticable twist on this album is Ace One's use of a more contemporary canvas to paint his lyrical brushstrokes over. As far as beats go, he trades in his usual crispy, sampled straight-off-the-SP1200 background for more modern electronic and bass-heavy sounds provided by producers PNG and RJD2, with a guest appearance by Project Blowed veteran Fat Jack (on the silky smooth "The Saga Continues" featuring the forever chill Abstract Rude) and Def Jux's El-P (who also raps on the dark, twisted "City of Sh*t"). Some of the album even brings some RnB flavor to the mix (another unexpected twist) with Goapele crooning through the hook of the haunting "Moonlit Skies", and neo-soul underground rockers The Soul of John Black provide the vocal and musical engine for Acey's mothership on "Ace Cowboy". Bouncy and rhythmic tracks like "Junkman", "Let me Hear Sumn", and "Find Out" could keep all hands in the air at the club, while keeping the intellectual ear strained to decipher Acey's razor-sharp and intelligent flow; and the deep and mysterious title track makes a heavy statement on the most basic yet complex of human emotions. All in all, this album delivers something for just about everybody, and would serve not only as a solid addition to any fan's collection, but also as a perfect introduction to anyone who is unfamiliar with the world's greatest. And to those of you who think Acey has gone mainstream, check out the just-released "Project Blowed presents the Good Brothers", a compilation of some of the most ORIGINAL and talented west coast rappers today, with Aceyalone at the forefront of most of the tracks. Definitely not what I'd call "mainstream"...also, die-hard fans should check out "Hip Hop and the World we Live In", a collection of unreleased Aceyelone gems, all produced by Elusive of the Living Legends crew. Fans can appreciate this more on the same level as "Human Language". It was only released in limited quantities though, so grab a copy while you can. This should be plenty to hold you over until we hear from Ace One again, and who knows what he will bring to the table next time?....
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by Aceyalone 
