Duck Season Vol. 3 (Parental Advisory) Review

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(More customer reviews)Duck Season vol.3 is the latest installment in the DJ Babu mixed series. Beginning with the all too famous 'Duck Quack', the intro sets off with the flow of crew partners, Evidence and Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples.
Here's a random select of some of the tracks found on Duck Season,Vol.3:
*MOP(returning to Duck Season after appearing on the 1st) drops the official first track with a laid back, west coast vibe beat to their known, aggressive, NYC-laced delivery.
*My favorite track on this joint is the MF DOOM,Sean Price duo performing 'The Unexpected'. Dope track with both MC's dropping super-dope raps.
*A.G from 'Diggin' In The Crates' brings the album back up with this track titled 'East West Connection', showing his love for both coasts, ill track, nuff said.
*Bishop Lamont is complimented by an almost Dr.Dre-esque piano beat in 'My Opinion', a smoked out,definite head nodder.
*'Black & Brown Army' is exactly what it sounds like with Chace Infinite and Sick Jacken tearin' up this joint.
*Mr.Slow Flow, Evidence, retains his smooth delivery and lyricism on 'For Whatever It's Worth', a real proper track and will dismiss any claims of his falling off.
*The Strong Arm Steady crew come through with the certified gangster raps on 'O.G';Krondon's nasal flows lay the hook down, with Mitchy Slick(takes the cake on this one) and Phil the Agony to follow.
*Termanology livens up the place with a youthful,bouncy 'Guns Gon' Blow'. Dude can rap,for real.
*Defari calls out the wanksta's on 'That ain't Gangsta'; something to put a content smirk on those that shake their head at what's going on in Hip-Hop today.
***Although i did not review each track on this album, the momentum of Vol.3 is pretty consistent, chill for the most part with a few tracks to get the head nodding; a worthy addition to the Duck Season series, so go out and cop one for yourself.peace, and i'm out~!

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Babu's influence in hip-hop started in the 1990s, as he played an essential role in the evolution of the "DJ" with the Los Angeles collective, The World Famous Beat Junkies.Taking his talents to a higher level, in 1997, he stormed the dj battle scene and was the first to win all 3 categories (Scratching, Beat Juggling, and Teams) at the International Turntablist Federation. While continuing to be a dominant force in the battle scene, Babu released a number of ground breaking mixtape albums combining intricate mixing and turntablism. Of these, the most notable included Comprehension, Duck Season Vol. 1 & 2, and his 1999 Collaboration effort Sound Bombing 2 (Rawkus Records) with fellow Beat Junkie, Dj J Rocc. As an official member of the West Coast group Dilated Peoples he stands at the forefront, as the group's DJ, he preserves the art of turntablism and lets all fans know that the "DJ" is the backbone of hip-hop. One of the most documented DJs in the world, Babu continues to appear in both national and international media outlets, including live television showcases on MTV's "Sucker Free" and BET's "Rap City", as well as feature stories in high profiled music publications such as VIBE, Source, XXL, and Rolling Stone.

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Rising Tied (W/Dvd) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the years, I would not have been able to name any one CD as my favorite. I could provide a list of "favorites", but no one CD would jump to the top of the list. From the first time I listened to this CD, that changed. This is bar none, hands down, without a doubt, my favorite CD (crossing all music genres).
The music software I use on my computer allows for the ranking of each track using stars on a scale of 1 to 5. One of my typical CDs (even those that made my "favorites" list) would probably have 1 or 2 five star tracks, 3 or 4 four stars, 5 or 6 three stars, 3 or 4 two stars, and perhaps, 1 or 2 one stars.
A look at my computer shows I have given 8 of the 21 tracks from The Rising Tied 5 stars. The other 13 tracks have earned 4 stars! Even the intro and a battle interlude received 4 stars. I usually give interludes and intros 1 or 2 stars.
Mike Shinoda has given this CD all the elements I look for in my Rap music. First of all, there is actual music behind the rap. Music with layers and depth, melody and strong rythm. Secondly, The lyrics are clear and understandable. And, thirdly, there is meaning and value behind the lyrics. There is nothing I can't stand more than listening to a rap track that is nothing more than some monotonous beat with someone mumbling something over it and when you do figure out what they are mumbling, it is nothing more than some tired rhetoric glorifying some anti-social behavior. This CD meets every criteria I have to be labeled as "intelligent" rap.
I am not your typical rap music lover. I am a nearly (not there yet!)middle-age, professional white woman. So, I am not as inclined to accept whatever the industry wants to shove down my throat as "good" music. But, I think anyone, regardless of age, race, or social standing who has any appreciation for modern and contemporary music would be able to find some level of enjoyment from this CD. Buy it! You will not be disappointed. I do recommend you invest the few extra dollars to purchase the extended version. The extra tracks and bonus DVD are worth it.
I hope we hear more from Mike Shinoda and the rest of the Fort Minor crew soon. I eagerly await their next release.


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All Good Things Review

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All Good Things is an awesome album that has been long overdue as far as I'm concerned. This album has something for everyone, and if you like eclectic music this is the first truly cross cultural hip hop album since The Fugees dropped The Score. While the fugees are clearly a more rap-centric group at that point, Pacha Massive's ecclectic mix definitely deserves comparison to them. It's that good.
Pacha Massive was on my mind long before they had an official album on the market. I run in a lot of different musical circles, especially in NY city. And this duo definitely has had a reputation for bringing originality to their own brand of Latin fusion. Normally I don't even like the word "Latin" but in this case this applies. This is a great blend between European, South American, African and American music styles.
Pacha Massive easily switch between singing and rapping in English and Spanish. They do that while mixing beats and music including trip-hop, Latin, hip-hop and techno beats as well as every musical influence you can name. Yet the combination of all these things is so smooth that I believe some may mistake it for "pop." If they get the attention they deserve it may become "pop."
"Don't Let Go" is a laid back track, but a great introduction to a fantastic album,. The rhythm and beat are well laid down and the chorus is very catchy. The Spanish rap on this track is also good and lends to an overall chill atmosphere. This is not the kind of mind-blowing rap that some are producing these days. But to repeat, I think this rap is intentionally laid back to not overpower the chill vibe of the song.
"Oye Mira," "All Good Things," and "Pachangueando" are probably most representative of this album as a whole and feature Maia on lead vocals, just like the title track. The whole album has a very chill vibe to it, but there is still a nice mix of styles in these songs. Some songs like "De pies a la cabeza," "Only You" and "Take it easy" showcase the male vocal half of this group. But still, it's the overall vibe that matters most on this album. And the vibe is great.

The songs on this album only get better as you listen to them more. Each one is a self contained piece that will make you wonder why more music like this doesn't get made.
This is music for those who are into latin fusion and have eclectic tastes. Speaking Spanish is by no means a prerequisite to enjoying this, but it will definitely aid your enjoyment. :)
I hope you give this album a try.
Enjoy!


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God Loves Ugly Review

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(More customer reviews)Since the late 90's, mainstream hip hop has taken an unusual and very unpleasant turn with the main focus being money, cars, women and the other materialistic things that have been the sole motivation for getting a record deal and releasing an album full of pure garbage. Thus, with the release of God Loves Ugly, Atmosphere's Slug and Ant once again give the correct dose of hip hop that true fans would respect and appreciate. Dubbed as emo-hop(emotional hip hop) by critics and mainstream artists alike, God Loves Ugly breathes life into a genre that has seemingly lost it's way. Slug's lyrical ability is once again on display with tracks like "Lovelife", "Vampires" and the title track, "God Loves Ugly" with Slug's spitting lyrics like "I wear my scars like the rings on a pimp, I live my life like the captain of a sinking ship". My favorite cut would have to be "Blamegame", hands down features some of Ant's best work displaying an old school vibe with Slug expressing his dislike for mainstream hip hop with lyrics like "Raise your hands if you remember the Juice Crew/they don't make em like they used to/this is supposed to be the new school/your songs are nameless/guns are aimless/how long you been famous". Once again complimented by extraordinary production by Ant, this album solidifies Atmosphere's already legendary status.

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2009 two disc (CD + DVD) reissue. Repackaged, re-mastered, and uglier than ever, the critically acclaimed third official studio release from Atmosphere is back and now includes a bonus DVD, originally released as Sad Clown Bad Dub 4 (The godloves ugly Release Parties. The DVD features two hours of live performance footage, backstage shenanigans, several guest appearances, and music videos for "Godlovesugly", "Summersong", and "Say Shh".--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Awesome, I Shot That (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, let me start by saying this: if you're not already a fan of the Beastie Boys, this DVD is not going to convert you. Usually, that kind of statement is a cop-out reserved for defending a poor live performance, but in this case, it simply is what it is. If you're one of those people who either A) doesn't like hip-hop, or B) doesn't like "doo-doo rhymes" (elaborately constructed rhymes consisting of ridiculous non-sequiturs, Dada surrealism, and absurdist goofiness delivered for the sole purpose of putting a big, stupid grin on your face), you are never going to like the Beastie Boys...ever. And when you see the manic energy of both the crowd and the boys themselves, as well as the reciprocal love, you're simply going to wonder what all of the fuss is about. I'm not about to give you any of that "You have to see them live" business that die-hards will often trot out to defend lackluster albums. Seeing them live won't change anything. You either like the Beasties or you don't. Period. End of discussion.
That said, on to the DVD itself. Quite simply, this is what Beastie Boys fans have been waiting on for a long time: a full-length concert. Why it has taken so long is anybody's guess, but that may actually be a good thing - now that they have so many great songs (many of which are bona-fide hits) to chose from, the set list is a lot fuller than it might have been at an earlier point in their career. Oddly, their biggest hits are MIA; they're obviously so sick to death of "Fight For Your Right to Party" and "No Sleep `Til Brooklyn" that they're apparently refusing to play them anymore. For some people, this will be a deal-breaker; but that's too bad, because they honestly aren't missed. And the rest of the playlist is superb. Now on to the specifics:
Audio: This is a soundboard recording with a full, well-defined 5.1 mix. This is live hip-hop, so don't go in expecting chamber music, but it sounds good to me, and I consider myself an audiophile.
Video: This is where there is going to be the most controversy. In one corner you have the older generation of performance footage fans who grew up watching "videos" of `50's, `60's, and `70's artists playing live. At that time, there were typically three cameras: one at stage right, one at center stage, and one at stage left. The center stage camera did most of the work, and the pans were long, the cuts infrequent, and the fades slow. If you grew up in this generation, chances are you're not into the Beastie Boys, but if you're one of those rare exceptions of boomers who listen to hip-hop, chances are even greater that you're still going to hate watching this DVD. In fact, there are going to be children of the `80's who can't watch this performance. This kind of video style (literally more cuts and pans per second than most older footage has per minute) is geared for a generation that possesses, in the words of Dennis Miller, "the attention-span of a ferret on a double-espresso." And if you have any adverse reactions (epilepsy, etc.) to strobe lights, this DVD is out of the question. But I personally think they made the right choice. As my girlfriend and I were watching this show, we were amazed at how the DVD captured the energy of the live performance itself better than most DVDs we've seen, and I honestly don't think that could have been achieved with a more traditional style. I also like the fact that they mixed in hand-held Super-8 camcorder footage (a la Blair Witch) with professional filming equipment; again, it added to the rough, live feel of the show. Finally, some people may not like the fact that the concert cuts away to follow people getting beer, going to the restroom, etc., but it really puts you there, and the way it's edited, you don't really miss any of the show. They even follow the Beastie Boys around between the final song of the regular set and the encore. In case you've ever wondered what bands do during those minutes, at least with the Beastie Boys, now you know (mainly a lot of running).
I've seen the Beastie Boys twice, and this is as close as you can get to what it's like actually being there. Overall, if you're a fan, this DVD is not merely recommended; it is essential.


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