Coup de Theatre

Haiku d'Etat

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 26, 2004)
• Original Release Date: October 19, 2004
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decon Inc
• ASIN: B0006212MM
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Track Listings

1. Intro

2. Mike, Aaron & Eddie

3. Kats

4. Triumvirate

5. Stoic Response

6. All Good Things

7. Dogs

8. Poetry Takeover

9. Transitions & Eras f/ Busdriver

10. Coup De Theatre

11. Top Qualified f/ Blackalicious, Lyrics Born & Lateef

12. Built To Last

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Haiku D'Etat brings together three of the L.A. underground's most notable talents: Aceyalone and Mikah 9 (of the Freestyle Fellowship) and Abstract Rude (of Abstract Tribe Unique). They last collaborated on their 1999 debut, but the intervening five years haven't diminished their chemistry. Throughout their careers, these lyricists have drawn frequent comparisons to jazz artists as their wordplay and rhyme flows resemble a kind of verbal bebop. This sophomore effort finds them innovating further still. On "Mike, Aaron and Eddie" they stutter out words and phrases with a mechanical proficiency that's both organically effortless yet unnaturally precise. "Transitions and Eras" takes the jazz motif to its most literal as the three spin out a tangle of rhymes while Fat Jack keeps the beat in the pocket through his bass lines, rim taps, and tinkling piano. Less heady, but no less enjoyable, are the post-relationship analysis "All Good Things" and braggadocio fest "Top Qualified," featuring Quannum's Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab, and Lateef. Inspiringly creative and impressively virtuoso, Coup De Theatre is easily as strong, if not better, than anything Acey, Ab, or Mikah have done individually since they last worked together, and hopefully it won't be another half-decade until they collaborate again. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Fans of Ace, Ab and Mikah, December 10, 2004

By	M. A. Rodriguez (USA) - See all my reviews

Looking at this album in relation to the former is unfair. The first album, a must have too, was and is a monument to hiphop. The first album is a woven sonic experience.

Coup De Theatre feels tight, focused, high quality. Haiku is definitely back and on point. The pure lyrical talent in this record is astounding but for my taste, the beats/rhythms were a little "synth and sampled sounding." I really would of liked to of seen Haiku with Roots-esque live instrumentation. It really would of made this record outshine the former.

Nevertheless, the songs taken by themselves are amazing and bumping. Especially: Coup De Theatre, 575 and Top Qualified. It also was good to hear Busdriver, a definate and appropriate addition to Haiku.

All in all, if you have never heard Haiku, pick up this one and the original release. If you pick up the re-issue, you miss key tracks from the original like Westside Slip-n-Slide, an Untitled improv track and the original Kaya.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haiku d'Etat Is Lyrical Genius, November 24, 2004

By	Steven Hoefgen "I'm Steven!" (Issaquah, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ok so this group is three extremely talented Mc's. You've got Abstract Rude, Aceyalone, and Mikah 9. All these guys have great talent and combined into one group their just amazing. Just saw these guys live at the Showbox in Seattle and they had the crowd going wild! If you haven't heard of Aceyalone or Abstract Rude I suggest looking into some of their solo stuff, All Balls Don't Bounce is a great CD by Aceyalone. Abstract has a good CD with tribe unique as well called PAINT. Either Way get Haiku!!!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mike, Aaron & Eddie, November 7, 2004

By	taogoat (the mothership) - See all my reviews

This is a dope album, get it. If you don't have the first Haiku album, get that first, it just got re-released with extra tracks.

This album has some smokin' styles & slick production by Fat Jack. It doesn't quite have that jazzy style of the first album, unfortunately. I wish they could've gotten Adrian Burley to produce again. Busdriver cameos on 2 tracks (for some reason he's not listed on "Coup de Theatre") & Quannum fans have to hear "Top Qualified" with Gift of Gab, Lyrics Born & Lateef going head to head with Mike, Aaron & Eddie. For my money, I think Mikah 9 & Gift of Gab came out on top.

Some of their flows -- especially Mikah 9 on "Kats" and "Top Qualified" -- are reminiscent of the golden era of the early 90s. "Mike Aaron & Eddie" is just sick; "Transitions & Eras" is cool; "All Good Things" is a sweet sad song about how "All good things never last." There's also a "hidden" 13th track where they're all rapping in haikus, 5-7-5 syllable count... pretty slick.

But what makes this CD really worth buying is the DVD... with concert footage of "Mike Aaron & Eddie" & "Innercity Boundaries"... Aceyalone doing "Rapper Rappers Rappers" a capella in '98... candid footage of Haiku smokin' & drinkin'... videos for Acey's "Moonlit Skies," "The Hunter and the Hunted," a new Haiku song that's not on the album (dope!)... and Haiku hanging out smoking by the beach at sunrise giving informal a capellas of "Dogs" and "Mike Aaron & Eddie"... I actually think Mikah's a cappella of "Mike Aaron & Eddie" is better than the album version cause he flows more melodically...

This is a great album, better than Acey's last 2 albums, and almost as good as the first Haiku. Keep an eye out for Mikah 9's next release "Gramophone."