| 1. Hip Hop (Real Version) |
| 2. It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop (Real Version) |
| 3. Sellin' DOPE (Drugs Oppress People Everyday) |
| 4. Hip Hop (Multimedia) |
Editorial Reviews
1998 English language film directed by Gregory C. Haynes starring Julian McMahon. Full screen/94 minutes/NTSC/all code. Universe.
Hip Hop,Dead Prez,Sony Int'l,Drama,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop
Hip Hop [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
Average customer rating:
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The Mix-Up
Beastie Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PY32CE Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- B For My Name
- 14th St. Break
- Suco De Tangerina
- The Gala Event
- Electric Worm
- Freaky Hijiki
- Off The Grid
- The Rat Cage
- The Melee
- Dramastically Different
- The Cousin Of Death
- The Kangaroo Rat
Amazon.com
Having long since shed their image as hip-hop's clown princes, the Beastie Boys now bring what feels like their emeritus recording, a celebratory instrumental memoir of all of the influences (except punk) that brought them to their secure place among hip-hop's fickle elite. The party opens with the aptly titled "B for My Name," its plodding bounce staking claim to the mid-tempo path the album treads almost throughout. "14th St. Break" picks up the pace, especially in the auxiliary percussion breakdown, complete with rally whistle. Then, beginning with "Suco de Tangerina," the album drops into a deep groove cut from dub- and dancehall-tinged ostinati that carry through a full third of its tracks. Among these, "The Gala Event" suffers from a lack of developmental motion that characterizes many of these tracks, but highlights still abound. "Off the Grid," for example, departs from the otherwise unbreakable chill and rips the proceedings wide open, blooming again and again in a series of pulsing riffs that celebrate the very institution of the instrumental groove. More than 20 years since Licensed to Ill took a long, irreverent piss into the mainstream, it seems you can still fight for your right to party. --Jason KirkAmazon.com
The Mix-Up is Beastie Boys' first-ever full album of all-new instrumental material. The follow-up to 2004's To The 5 Boroughs, The Mix-Up features Diamond, Horovitz and Yauch back on drums, guitar and bass, with able assistance from Keyboard Money Mark and percussionist Alfredo Ortiz, on 12 brand new wordless, sample-less, scratchless originals. Sure to please fans of the instrumental cuts from Check Your Head and Ill Communication and the cult hit compilation album made up largely of those tracks, The In Sound From Way Out!, The Mix-Up finds NYC's favorite sons drawing on one of their arsenal's primary strengths and pushing it into bold new directions.
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More from Beastie Boys
Paul's Boutique |
Check Your Head |
Ill Communication |
Licensed to Ill |
Awesome, I Shot That |
DVD Video Anthology - Criterion Collection |
Customer Reviews:
we reviewed this...........2007-07-26
Dreck.......2007-07-26
This isn't their first instrumental album.......2007-07-25
Pure Garbage.......2007-07-24
No fresh sounds, nothing upbeat and very monotone. I guess when you have a reputation like Beastie Boys you can assume something good is going to be relesed. After 2 clunkers in a row that's no longer the case.
The name of the album should be called "Fill My Bank Account" since all they are doing is taking your money and retiring on it. These boys are a very long way from "Paul's Boutique" and "Check Your Head"...two masterpieces.
Zero stars!!!!!!!!!!
Wierd.......2007-07-22
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T.I. vs T.I.P.
T.I. Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000Q3646A Release Date: 2007-07-03 |
Tracks:
- Act I: T.I.P.
- Big S**t Poppin' (Do It)
- Raw
- You Know What It Is
- Da Dopeman
- Watch What You Say To Me
- Hurt
- Act II: T.I.
- Help Is Coming
- My Swag
- We Do This
- Show It To Me
- Don't You Wanna Be High
- Touchdown
- Act III: T.I. Vs. The Confrontation
- Tell 'Em I Said That
- Respect This Hustle
- My Type
Amazon.com
T.I. may take alter-egotism to new heights on T.I. vs. T.I.P., an album that's essentially a spinoff of a song (Trap Muzik's psychologically charged "T.I. vs. T.I.P."), but few artists have been known to spin something so compelling out of a concept so silly. T.I.P. is the hoodie-wearing hustler we get to know in the first part of this exceptionally long disc--he curses and boasts behind the beats with a lazy bravado that manages to be both slouchy and sharp (check out "Da Dopeman," "Watch What You Say" featuring a fired-up Jay-Z, and "You Know What It is," with Wyclef), and T.I. is the right-minded tycoon-type who takes over for a while in act two. As smooth an operator as T.I. is--"Show It to Me," featuring Nelly, finds its groove and never lets up--he's more compelling in the grittier parts of the disc, including a four-song final act in which the two halves of his deeply divided personality square off. "Respect This Hustle," the M.C. commands on the next-to-last track; detractors will try not to, citing the slightness of his concept. T.I. is at the top of his game, though, and he makes it heard. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
we rated this...........2007-07-26
T.I. Review.......2007-07-26
Big Thing's Poppin.......2007-07-26
KING!!.......2007-07-24
I BELIEVE IT WAS BRILLANT OF HIM TO BRING OUT BOTH PERSONAILITES AND PLACE THEM ON ONE CD!!
I LOVE IT...HE IS TRULY THE KING OF THE SOUTH!!
NOT THE KING.......2007-07-22
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Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Timbaland Manufacturer: Interscope Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NA26ZE Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Tracks:
- Oh Timbaland
- Give It To Me
- Release
- The Way I Are
- Bounce
- Come & Get Me
- Kill Yourself
- Boardmeeting
- Fantasy
- Scream
- Miscommunication
- Bombay
- Throw It On Me
- Time
- One & Only
- Apologize
- 2 Man Show
Amazon.com
When the most exciting producer in pop music himself puts out a CD, the thrill is in the discovery: The world may have already suspected that Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and a small army of other singers owed 75% of their fame to the stockpile of skittering beats Timbaland built and then graciously set them upon, but here's a chance to prove it. Or it might have been in less welcoming hands. Shock Value is a far-reaching and ambitious disc; a masterpiece, even, in its own way. But it's not at all self-centered. If there's a point being put across here, it's that Timbaland came by your vote as behind-the-scenes musical man of the hour honestly: pair him with Fall Out Boy or the Strokes, and he will not only provide tracks that surprise you by maintaining their rock 'n' roll integrity, he will also convince you that shimmer's role in rock music has, to now, been tragically misguided and miniscule. Re-team him with Timberlake and Furtado (for the near-flawless track "Give It to Me") and he will again trade vocal bites, but they will still be nibbly, not voracious. In a CD full of experiments and puzzles (why is Elton John just piano-playing, not singing? And how did the L.A. band One Republic end up on this disc?) a single truth emerges: Timbaland's taste is impeccable, but his judgment is even better. Shock Value, by virtue of its swirly beats and mesmerizing rhythms, will bring him a smidge closer to the spotlight. But because it's a disc of collaborations, he'll retain the shadowy-genius reputation that precedes him, and that he so richly deserves. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
we reviewed this...........2007-07-26
Tasty beats however.......2007-07-23
As genius as he is in creating beats, he is no lyricist or at least a keen observer of lyrics. Take the first four lines into the song "Miscommunication" which incidentally was not written by him as Timbaland could have suggested better rhymes instead of the ones there.
My favorite among his collaborators in this album is Keri Hilson. Her smooth singing voice provided counterbalance to Timbaland's throaty effort, as evidenced in the track "The Way I Are". Unfortunately I don't feel any chemistry between Timbaland and Hilson as the lyrics would have suggested. Timbaland, as charismatic he can be, just don't have the persona for flirting with a 'co-star'.
Another collaborator worth mentioning is Amar, the British/Indian singer on the track "Bombay". Here I'm particularly fond of Timbaland's accentuation of the upbeats, slight syncopation of the downbeats, added with the otherworldly qualities of Amar's Indian singing style.
The rest of the tracks I'm not really fond of. "2 Man Show" with Elton John for example, feels a bit dry and uninspiring. The tracks with fellow hip-hop collaborators I can't really decide as this is, after all, my first hip-hop album.
One problem.......2007-07-21
There are a lot of good, fun, danceable songs on this CD, it's just that the bad songs really weigh down the good ones. Tracks 6-10 could've been left out quite easily. Since the cd is 17 tracks long, I'm constantly skipping over those songs to get to the good ones. It's just inconvenient.
Other than that, this is pretty good. Like I said before, it's just annoying to have to skip over a bunch of songs.
Favorites: The Way I Are, Bombay, Throw It On Me, Time, One & Only, Apologize
Shocked at shock value.......2007-07-13
I think he is a wild stallion, but it just felt like something was pulling back on the reins, something was MISSING.
I can't put my finger on it, but felt this album was...Too controlled to offer an SHOCK to me.
I wanted a cut loose RAW BEAT album.
I was satisfied, but being satisfied means the content was just satisfactory. I want to be satiated. I hope another album is to follow this, I really do. I'm addicted to the beats, Timbaland is EXCELLENT for those. I can't get enough. BUT, please next time don't just shock me.
I want shock waves, electricty to the veins. Maybe next time.
Can't stop Tim.......2007-07-09
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Finding Forever
Common Manufacturer: Universal Music Group ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000RN86BK Release Date: 2007-07-31 |
Album Description
Multi-faceted Hip-Hop superstar Common is prepping his highly anticipated seventh album, Finding Forever, for a July 31st release on G.O.O.D Music/Geffen Records. The album is the follow up to the four times Grammy nominated, critically heralded and Kanye West produced Be, which spawned hits including The Corner, Go, and Testify. Finding Forever, finds Kanye again taking the bulk of production work with help from Will.I.Am on the sultry I Want You, the late great J. Dilla on So Far To Go, featuring a surprise guest appearance by D'Angelo and G.O.O.D Music producer Devo Springsteen on Misunderstood. On Finding Forever, Common, rips the mic like a hungry newcomer. The street single The Game produced by Kanye with scratches by the legendary DJ Premier is a horn drenched, vintage NY rap boom-bap banger from the Chi-town emcee, no less. The resounding lead single The People finds Common lyrically asserting why and who he creates his music for over regal strings, delectable keys and hard to get vocals by Gil Scott Heron. This is the explicit version.
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Because Of You
Ne-Yo Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NVL4EW Release Date: 2007-05-01 |
Tracks:
- Because Of You
- Crazy (feat. JAY-Z)
- Can We Chill
- Do You
- Addicted
- Leaving Tonight (feat. Jennifer Hudson)
- Ain't Thinking About You
- Sex With My Ex
- Angel
- Make It Work
- Say It
- Go On Girl
Amazon.com
Kelly Clarkson, kindly step aside: the title "Because of You" now belongs to Ne-Yo, who has done things with it no one with a pair of hands to clap will soon forget. And not just on the phenomenally appealing first single. Throughout Because of You, the sophomore disc by the songwriter responsible for such monster hits as Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful," a flutter-voiced fluidity--the kind seldom heard since Michael Jackson's Off the Wall days--reigns. Jay-Z makes room to let it rip on "Crazy," and Jennifer Hudson wraps herself around it with restraint on "Leaving Tonight," a lovers' quarrel that could hold its own against anything Marilyn McCoo & Billy David Jr. cared to toss off in their heyday. If it's MJ who's lingered in Ne-Yo's ear longest, Prince hasn't gone silent, either: echoes poke up on the far-out "Sex with My Ex." Elsewhere, shades of contemporaries such as Nelly and Diddy show through. Overall, though, Ne-Yo's flammable hooks, flirty vibe, and flawless vocals reveal an R&B genius in the making. If the talent bar for up-and-comers is set impossibly high in the coming years, chances are it will be all because of him. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Quite Impressive!.......2007-07-12
This sophomore release by Neo shows maturity, growth and solidifies his presence in the R & B genre. Because of You, Crazy minus J-Z intro., Do You, Leaving Tonight, Aint Thinking About You, Make it Work, Tell Me, are most noteable. Which is quite a number of tracks, practically the whole CD. Each track flows into the next, you can really just press play and relax, let the music work it's magic.
BET Awards Show said it "Best R&B Male" enough said.
Love This CD.......2007-07-12
2. Crazy f/ Jay-Z
4. Do You
6. Leaving Tonight
11. Say It
I recommend this CD to listeners who prefer a CD that isn't filled with featured rappers!
"say it".......2007-07-10
Great Sophomore Album!.......2007-07-07
My favorite songs on the album: "Crazy" (featuring Jay-Z, it's well written and a really smooth entry on the CD); "Can We Chill" (smooth dance track about being in a club, which I usually hate, but this one is pretty well written as well and I love the beat and melody), "Addicted" (the premise is funny, and if you can laugh good-naturedly at Ne-Yo's grandstanding in the CD -- it's a great song), "Leaving Tonight" (I love Jennifer Hudson, she sounds like a goddess on this CD, American Idol shouldn't have cut her and I hope she comes out with a CD ASAP!) and "Sex With My Ex" (Prince fans should flock to this one, it sounds like something The Artist would've sung.)
Best.......2007-07-06
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Epiphany
T-Pain Manufacturer: Jive ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P0JQ9Q Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Tracks:
- Tallahassee Love
- Church featuring Teddy Verseti
- Tipsy
- Show U How featuring Teddy Pain & Teddy Penderazdoun
- I Got It
- Suicide
- Bartender featuring Akon
- Backseat Action featuring Shawnna
- Put It Down featuring Ray, Teddy Penderazdoun & Teddy Verseti
- Time Machine
- Yo Stomach featuring Tay Dizm
- Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')Featuring Yung Joc
- 69 featuring J Lyriq
- Reggae Night
- Shottas featuring Kardinal Offishall & Cham
- Right Hand
- Sounds Bad
Amazon.com
T-Pain opens the liner notes to his hotly anticipated second disc with a couple of helpful definitions: An epiphany is "the manifestation of a supernatural being" (definition No. 1) or "a sudden moment of insight or revelation" (No. 2), the opening page puts forth. Because most of the R&B record-buying world knows that T-Pain is not a supernatural being, but a stylish and inventive singer from Tallahassee, it would seem the second definition inspired the title--T-Pain probably felt flashes of inspiration when laying out the lyrics. A single spin ought to convince listeners a little of both factored in, though: Songs like "Bartender" and "Buy U a Drank" send out a southern hip-hop vibe silky enough to be considered a revelation (thanks partially to Akon, who pitches in on "Bartender"). And because the entire album leans hard on the vocoder, tracks such as opener "Tallahassee Love," a nod to Tupac's "California Love," sound otherworldly, a la definition one. Throughout, T-Pain hands out hooks like there's been a two-for-one sale. Maybe they came to him in a series of epiphanies. Or maybe a benevolent R&B being--some supernatural force who knows how to make a hit record--whispered them in his ear. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
MANY REALLY GOOD songs on this CD .......2007-07-23
ALSO Church comes HARD (the second song on the CD)!
If a person gave this CD a rating lower than 3 they are not really into Hip-Hop/R&B so I would not suggest anyone who is into Hip-Hop/R&B take their advise!!!
Pretty Good.......2007-07-03
Not impressed; More substance and hits would've been nice..........2007-07-01
The album begins with the introductory track, "Tallahassee Love" in which T-Pain not only defines "epiphany" but also gives love back to his hometown, Tallahassee. It is completely unnecessary, as with most intro tracks, but it is actually better than some of the full length tracks on EPIPHANY. "Church" has the most undeniably catchy groove of EPIPHANY with an incredibly soulful guitar riff, tropical sounding drum-programming, and random interspersed "rah!" during the verse. Vocally, T-Pain sounds top notch, even if he is halfway between singing and rapping. T-Pain sounds among the hardest ever when he sings: "***damn, you think you cool, you think I'm not, you think you're tough, ***damn, you think you're hard, you think I'm soft, you think you're rough... I'm gonna have to take you're a** to church..." Sure the song's ridiculous, but it is worthy of spins in the CD player. "Tipsy" features overall repetitive, but sound production work, with an undeniably catchy sounding synth-line. Sure the track lacks substance, but it is the same man who took "I'm N Luv Wit A Stripper" to #6 on the pop charts. "Show U How" is plain annoying and odd, though the hook is well performed. "Suicide" is perhaps T-Pain's first attempt at being serious (it is a song about AIDS), but he falls short, particularly when he uses clumsy lines as "cause I f***** her/ and didn't have a rubber on me." Sure, it is a worthy enough track, but again, it comes over cornier than it ultimately should.
Second single "Bartender" tries to bank on the success of the great "Buy You a Drank", but it also falls short. It isn't bad, but the repetitive piano loop doesn't quite sell as well as the great "Buy You A Drank". Sure, T-Pain jacks his discoverer Akon, but it still doesn't make "Bartender" as top-notch as the inescapable first single. "Backseat Action" features mammoth drums supporting T-Pains heavily produced vocals (that stupid vocal effect again) and proves to be one of this albums few stronger tracks. "Put It Down" is solid as well, making it look like EPIPHANY might have a stab at redeeming itself after a number of misses via "Show U How" or even the utter unconvincing nature of "Suicide". "Put It Down" actually has some very nice moments, even moreso than "Backseat Action". "Time Machine" is a miss, while "Yo Stomach" is OK. "Buy You a Drink" almost comes too late, and is followed by misses that continue all the way to the end of the album ("69", "Shottas", "Right Hand", and finally "Sounds Bad").
It's unfortunate for T-Pain because had he bottled the best of EPIPHANY and perhaps written songs with more substance not so focused on sex or the strip-club, he may have truly had his FIRST epiphany. Sure at times, EPIPHANY is on the edge of at least being average, but with so many misses and with numerous unconvincing moments and a title such as EPIPHANY, a listener can't help but rip on T-Pain. More substance in the future please - you are a talented rapper and vocalist. 2 stars.
I'll take a drink over this album anyday!.......2007-06-28
Not Impressed.......2007-06-23
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Version
Mark Ronson Manufacturer: Red Int / Red Ink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PGTF4G Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (featuring The Daptone Horns)
- Oh My God (featuring Lily Allen)
- Stop Me (featuring Daniel Merriweather)
- Toxic (featuring Tiggers)
- Valerie (featuring Amy Winehouse)
- Apply Some Pressure (featuring Paul Smith)
- Inversion
- Pretty Green (featuring Santo Gold)
- . Just (featuring (Phantom Planet)
- Amy (featuring Kenna)
- The Only One I Know (featuring Robbie Williams
- Diversion
- L.S.F. (featuring Kasabian)
- Outversion
Amazon.com
Following up his success in helping produce Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, Mark Ronson's second solo project covers a series of mostly British indie-rock songs but with a funky soul remake. The meeting of two styles you ordinarily wouldn't associate with one another makes for some interesting hybrids. The cover of Radiohead's "Just," done with Phantom Planet is unexpectedly excellent but hearing Tiggers and Ol' Dirty Bastard remaking "Toxic" by Britney Spears will probably leave more folks scratching their heads than nodding them. Overall, the balance is positive and should hopefully open up both indie rock and funk fans to both respective genres. In a class by itself is Winehouse's cover of the Zutons' "Valerie," --the best song Paul Weller and Martha Reeves never made. --Oliver WangProduct Description
A lot has been said about Mark Ronson. Some have called him "a 21st century Quincy Jones," while others know him as one of the worlds finest DJ's with International renown, favored by the decadent fashion cognoscenti, the Hip-Hop elite and anyone in general who likes to party... Now add to that list THE PRODUCER DU JOUR! From his stellar production on Christina Aguilera's multi-platinum "Back To Basics" to his cutting edge contributions on the much buzzed about Lilly Allen album "Alright, Still Back To Black" and the genre bending Amy Winehouse release that's taking fans and critics by storm, Mr Mark Ronson is strutting his stuff, and strutting it well.With all the production credits for other artists under his belt, he's now turned his attention to his own project, Version, the album the UK critics are calling a Major winner. Version is a beautiful collection of cover songs, re-imagined by Mark. His philosophy on Version was to work with songs he's long loved- while not trying to make them better, he just wanted to make them bounce... From the feel good "Valerie" cover (The Zutons) featuring Amy Winehouse, to the quirky and fun "Oh My God" (Kaiser Chiefs) featurung Lily Allen, to the piece de resistance: "Stop Me" (The Smiths), featuring the soul stirring vocals of newcomer Daniel Merriweather, Version is poised to be the must-have album this summer
Customer Reviews:
So entertaining!.......2007-07-25
Up a notch.............2007-07-20
Ronson kills it.
amazing version.......2007-07-17
Mark's Version of other hits!!.......2007-07-11
Lead off single, and #2 UK hit "Stop me" is a lovely remake of The Smiths' "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before" which segues into The Supremes' hit "You keep me hanging on" over Hip hop beats. It features the lovely vocals of Australian Daniel Merriweather
Amy Winehouse (whose brilliant "Back to black" album he produced parts of) guests on the sunny Motown-like "Valerie", which was originally done by The Zutons.
Lily Allen (whose lovely album "Alright, Still" he also produced parts of) guests on the retro funk sounding "Oh my God", a remake of the Kaiser Chiefs song. It is currently in the UK top 20.
Britney Spears' hit "Toxic" is slowed down and almost unrecognizable, featuring vocals by Tiggers and a rap by ODB.
The Maximo Park song "Apply some pressure" is given a slight ska feel, set to an almost marching beat. Vocals by Paul Smith.
Kasabian show up on a funky remake of their "L.S.F", while Coldplay's "God put a smile on your face" gets the big horn section treatment.
Robbie Williams (his "Rudebox" album was also part produced by Mark) shows up on the Shaft-like remake of The Charlatans "The only one".
I like it!!!
It delivers the goods in style........2007-06-18
Comprised of new versions of old classics, it's a very entertaining listen from back to front, featuring the likes of Amy Winehouse, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Daniel Merriweather and Kasabian, all helping Ronson put his considerably fresh and funky twist on familiar tunes.
Highlights include the late ODB rapping to the Britney Spears refix of Toxic, Winehouse making vast improvements on the original with 'Valerie' and Phantom Planet singing an uber cool version of Radiohead's 'Just'.
Impressively suited for a party play through, this is definitely one to pick up for the nearing summer months.
With "Version", super-producer Mark Ronson has set out to prove that pop voyeurism and experimentalism don't have to be bad things using his own unique re-interpretive style.
Hence, he has assembled an album of spectacular cover versions that deliver very alternative versions of modern classics from Coldplay, The Charlatans, Radiohead and The Smiths.
Some listeners will undoubtedly write it off almost instantly as disastrous. Others may take some convincing.
But for many, "Version" is a brave, bold, blast of an album that almost always gets things right.
Ronson, for his part, emerges as a musical artist of the highest calibre -a music innovator whose funk-strewn re-interpretations effortlessly place themselves on the right side of cool.
On the whole, "Version" is a cut above most cover version compilations, as well as a darn fine party album for the approaching summer season. It probably won't impress the die-hard cynics - but for those willing to open their minds, or anyone in search of some expert funk, it delivers the goods in style.
My picks: "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", "Oh My God", "Valerie", "Pretty Green", "Amy", "Just" and "Toxic".
Average customer rating:
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From Nothin' to Somethin'
Fabolous Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000MCID4Q Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- From Nothin' To Somethin' Intro
- Yep, I'm Back
- Change Up feat. Akon
- Make Me Better feat. Ne-Yo
- Baby Don't Go feat. T- Pain
- Return Of The Hustle feat. Swizz Beatz
- Gangsta Don't Play feat. Junior Reid
- Real Playa Like feat. Lloyd
- First Time feat. Rihanna
- Diamonds feat. Young Jeezy
- Brooklyn feat. JAY-Z & Uncle Murda
- I'm The Man feat. Red Café
- Jokes On You feat. Pusha T
- What Should I Do feat. Lil' Mo
Amazon.com
It's hard to catch a break when you're Fabolous. Though his skills as a manufacturer of blazing-hot street bangers and pop-crossover hits have not gone unnoticed by the hip-hop hype machine, the Brooklyn rapper hasn't come close to matching 50-Cent and similarly gifted superstars in the sales department. Which accounts for his decision, with album No. 4, to do somethin' about it. From Nothin' to Somethin' rounds up a massive herd of talent--Akon is here, and so are Swiss Beatz, Rihanna, Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Lloyd, Junior Reid, Ne-Yo, and T-Pain. It's a little hard to locate Fabo on "Change Up," the Akon track, but otherwise he goes about spreading his Fabolousness throughout: "Diamonds," a bling-centric track with Jeezy, benefits from a borrowed take-it-easy Southern drawl, "Brooklyn" brings it home for New York with a spirit seldom seen since the East Coast/West Coast war was at its nastiest, and "Return of the Hustle" solidifies a career built on street cred with an asphalt-hot beat. Start to finish, but especially on the Timbaland-helmed "Make Me Better," production is top-notch. If there's a disc that can restore the fabulousness to being Fabolous, Somethin' is it. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Best Cd Yet.......2007-07-19
LOSO DOES IT AGAIN.......2007-07-19
Fab's has another hit.......2007-07-12
Decent.......2007-07-11
"From Nothin To Somethin" is a 15 track release with collaborations on all but 2 songs.
The album gets off to a pretty good start with "From Nothin To Somethin Intro", a decent opener that kind of sounds like a freestyle. the beat is crazy. And if the song was a little bit longer instead of just being an intro it would probably be one of the better songs on here. This album is basically the typical rap album these days. You got the songs where he constatly brags about himself ("Yep, I'm Back", "I'm The Man" feat. Red Cafe & "Jokes On You" feat. Pusha-T of The Clipse). As well as the songs for the ladies ("Baby Don't Go" feat. T-Pain, "Make Me Better" feat. NE-YO, "First Time" feat. Rihanna & "Real Playa Like" feat. Lloyd). You got the club bangers ("Diamonds" feat. Young Jeezy & "Return Of The Hustle" feat. Swizz Beatz). "Brooklyn" feat. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda has a great beat. But the hook is very dissapointing. It reminds me of "New York S**t" from Busta Rhymes's cd The Big Bang. The standout track for me is "Gangsta Don't Play" feat. Junior Reid. The beat is tight and Fab and J Reid deliver a solid street track. The only two songs that Fabolous really shows any hunger on are "Change Up" feat. Akon and the deep track "What Should I Do" feat. Lil Mo. And the bonus track "This Is Family" feat. Ransom, Freck Billionaire, Red Cafe, Joe Budden & Paul Cain is a solid posse cut. This album will go platinum but it isn't album of the year material.
My Top 5
1. "Real Playa Like" feat. Lloyd
2. "Diamonds" feat. Young Jeezy
3. "Change Up" feat. Akon
4. "Return Of The Hustle" feat. Swizz Beatz
5. "Make Me Better" feat. NE-YO
Honorable mention tracks
- "Gangsta Don't Play" feat. Junior Reid
- "Brooklyn" feat. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda
- "What Should I Do" feat. Lil Mo
From Nothin' To Somethin'.......2007-07-10
Average customer rating: |
Graduation
Kanye West Manufacturer: Roc-A-Fella Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000RG1FMO Release Date: 2007-08-21 |
Album Description
This is the official label release of Kanye West's new CD. Features the singles "Stronger" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing."
Average customer rating:
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Desire
Pharoahe Monch Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000JJRIOI Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Intro
- Free
- Desire
- Push
- Welcome To the Terrordome
- What It Is
- When the Gun Draws
- Let's Go
- Body Baby
- Bar Tap
- Hold On
- So Good
- Trilogy
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good, but you gotta get the Best Buy version.......2007-07-25
The big problem with this disk is the production. I believe a great beat can save a bad MC, but a so-so beat cannot save a great MC, and that's the case here on 'What it is,' 'Gun Draws,' 'Hold On,' and 'Trilogy.' I haven't heard much from Mr. Porter before (Only 'Around the World' on Game's Doctor's Advocate album, which also wasn't that great), but after learning he learned under J Dilla and Dr. Dre, his work's really disappointing here.
Enough with that negative ish, you gotta love the intro to the album, a slave song that compliments many of the issues PM talks about on this CD. This naturally leads into 'Free,' which is as hard as any song released this year. Then The Alchemist produces 'Desire,' an incredibly soulful song that's probably the best on the album. A great beat compliments 'Push,' but as another reviewer commented it's not long enough. 'Welcome to the Terrodome' is a cover of the Public Enemy classic with a political introduction by Chuck D himself. It's as good as always, and Pharoah adds a bit of his own flavor here. 'Let's Go' is pretty good, a more laid back track compared to some of the other songs here. 'Body Baby' has the best beat and hook on the record, further proving that blues and hip hop mix rather nicely. 'Bar Tap' has a decent beat from one of my favorite producers at the moment, Black Milk (go cop his CD too, while you're at it), and it's also pretty funny. I love Erykah Badu, but she can only do so much for the boring 'Hold On,' but it's immediately redeemed by 'So Good,' one of the best pre-sex hip hop tracks of all time. Try playing this during a romantic night and see if clothes DON'T come off. Finally, 'Trilogy' does get better as the track progresses, so skipping ahead makes this an ok track.
But you gotta get the Best Buy version, which has the excellent 'Book of Judges.' This is what 'Gun Draws' should have been, it's angrier, more controversial and fresher. With this version, PM has just released the hip hop album of the year so far, though it could be replaced shortly by Common, Kanye West and Chamillionaire.
Not up to Monch standards.......2007-07-23
Pharoahe's skills on the mic are always going to be at the top of the game, the production and lack of subject matter needs to catch up. Mediocre and redundant.
8 years later, Pharoahe Monch does it again.......2007-07-20
I figured that Pharoahe would wait a couple of years and then release another CD but I never figured that there would be 8 years inbetween releases. He attempted to hold us over with tracks like "The Life" w/Styles P., "Guerilla Monsoon Rap" w/Black Thought and Talib Kweli from Talib's "Quality" CD and "Oh No" which featured Mos Def & Nate Dogg from the Lyricist Lounge Volume 2 CD.
One of my boys from high school called me and told me that Pharoahe Monch was releasing another CD and I honestly didn't believe him. Finally, I realized that "Desire" would be droppin' soon. The "Intro" sets the tone for the first part of the CD. Once you hear the beat for "Free" start blaring out of the stereo, you almost forget that it was 8 years between releases. Pharoahe drops some knowledge for people who haven't heard a CD displaying an actual message since Common's "Be" CD. Pharoahe mixes in his actual MC skills while spreading knowledge at the same time and that's actually a good thing. The Alchemist stops by to produce my favorite track on this CD and that is the title track. "Desire" has a nice beat to it but Pharoahe's lyrics are what you will want to focus on this time around. They will make you forget about the beat altogether, as well as, Showtyme sounding like K-Ci, during his sober days, on the track. Once you hear the beat to "Push" you'll wish the track was alot longer. Pharoahe starts the track trying to harmonize but he does his best when he raps his verse at the end of the track. Showtyme, Mela Machinko & the horns from Tower Of Power all add a nice flavor to the track. This is definitely one of the best beats on the CD. "Welcome To The Terrordome" is a remake of the Public Enemy track that was featured on "Fear Of A Black Planet". Chuck D even starts the track with a spoken word intro and Pharoahe Monch adds his own flavor to the track with some new lines to the song on Verse 2 of the song. "What It Is" has Pharoahe Monch simply displaying his MC skills. The track actually sounds like a freestyle and T. Jamerson gives Pharoahe a nice beat as well. Just like the track "Push", you'll have yourself wishing that the track was alot longer that it ends up being. "When The Gun Draws" is produced by Denaun Porter from D12 and from what I understand it is a sequel to the Organized Konfusion track "Stray Bullet". Some people may see the track as being controversial but all I see is a MC who is simply telling it like it is. People have been at the candy shop for so long buying a "drank", that anytime someone makes a song that you actually have to think about, then some people act like a crime has been commited. That's a shame. "Let's Go" is a pretty good track especially because of Pharoahe Monch's lyrics. My only disappointment is that the beat sounds just like "Safe To Say (The Incredible)" from Fat Joe's "All Or Nothing" CD. "Body Baby" is clearly a track made to be a single for "Desire". It might not catch you the first time you listen to it, but the more you listen to the track, the more it will grow on you. Most people will find the track a nice change of pace to the serious tone that is on the majority of the CD. "Bar Tap" might be the worst track on this CD. However, 1 bad track on a 13 track CD is definitely not a problem compared to some of these rap CDs that have been coming out lately. "Hold On" features Erykah Badu and the track has Pharoahe spreading positive messages throughout the song. "So Good" is Pharoahe's dedication to the ladies as he attempts to get grown and sexy over a nice midtempo track. "Trilogy" ends up being a 3 part track where Pharoahe describes a situation where a man has found that his wife has cheated with his best friend and he finds the 2 of them together. The 3 part track ends up being over 9 minutes and adds different perspectives of what the man in question would be thinking after seeing the 2 of them together and the actions that follow afterwards. Dwele adds some smooth vocals and horns to the 2nd part of the Trilogy and this track should definitely end up being one of your favorites on "Desire".
Overall, once you listen to "Desire" a couple of times, you'll scratch your head wondering why Pharoahe Monch waited 8 years before he dropped another CD. With the way hip hop is going nowadays we need more CDs that you can actually listen to and learn something from. If you're a fan of any of Pharoahe Monch's past work with Organized Konfusion or "Internal Affairs", then you should also pick up "Desire".
James' Top 6
1) Desire
2) Free
3) Push
4) Gun Draws
5) What It Is
6) Trilogy
Honorable Mention:
Welcome To The Terrordome
Hold On w/Erykah Badu
So Good
Body Baby
Makes you think........2007-07-19
P Monch is back.......2007-07-18
Rap Music:
- Hot Ones [Explicit Lyrics]
- Hungry
- King of the South [Explicit Lyrics]
- Lights Out [Clean]
- Like It Should Be
- Like It Should Be
- Live at the Fillmore [Clean] [Live]
- Loaded [Explicit Lyrics]
- Louder Than Ever, Vol. 1 [Explicit Lyrics]
- Lowrider Boulevard Tour 2000 [Explicit Lyrics] [Live]
Recommended Music:
Music: Piano Works by Lennox and Michael Berkeley
Divertimento #15 in B Flat K.287