Rapping Didn't Match Production
358087
This could have been a better album had the main rapper's skills went with the quality production Quik came with. Too often Playa Hamm wasn't rapping on beat. Plus I felt that lyrically he and Tweed Caddilac got too focused on using the bitch,hoe and nigga lyrics that too many gangsta/playa rappers do. This made the lyrics feel too repetative in my opinion. I have heard Playa Hamm rap since this album on Quik's Safe & Sound and I think he's a better rapper now than he was back then with this album.

So musically I was feeling it,but lyrically I felt it was too repetative for the reasons I mentioned.
1280281
The recording was not done well.  It is difficult to hear.
4247680
There are definetly phat songs on this Album but there are some song that sound too much like RB, lots of skits that are unrelated to the album and too many guests (he dose have to promote his artists) don't get me wrong  though.  try not to bob you head on "Still Dre" difference and  bang bang are other gems on this album
1397451
I'm sorry, but with the exception of 4 songs, and the bonus songs, this CD is "Wack".  I ain't no Jay-Z lover these days either cuz his Blueprint 2 was even worse.  And it was a double cd.  Then Jay-Z releases another cd Bluprint 2.0 or something like that.  What the heck is that, some X-men 1.5 stuff.  Anyway, getting back to NAS, lyrically, no one can question this man's skills on a mic.  He is as gifted on a mic in the 90's to present, as Rakim, KRS-ONE, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G. Rap was to the mic in the 80's.  However, his lyrical skills we don't question.  It's the production of these last few albums.  Whoever he's allowing to produce some these sorry tracks should be fired.  The first track on the lp "Get Down" gets your head nodding to start off with.  Then the Eminem produced track, then Made You Look, and then the Last Real Nigga Alive (unquestionably the best track on the LP).  From that point on it goes south in a hurry.  The Dance, the tribute to his mom is okay but everything else falls way short.  Nas, like Jay-Z and so many other high profile artists are only concerned more by record sales, than creating actual street hop beats.  More concerned about radio airplay, than street airplay.  And both of their respective albums show it.  Until he decides to put radio and sales last, and street "cred" first, we'll be seeing the same ole Hey NAS.  And to add insult to injury, to do that to "Thugz Mansion, NY" was deplorable.  I blame Afeni Shakur more so than anybody for letting someone do that to PAC's material.  If he wanted to give tribute to PAC, he should have left the song the way it was.  But hey, JA Rule started all this PAC stealing, and it's become an epidemic (see Hail Mary 2003, Eminmen, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes).
2944941
Pusha T's first solo effort and I am mildly disappointed, I believe this is mainly because of the crowd he rolls with nowadays. It is not a bad album though, don't get it wrong. The production is the disappointing part, as the beats sound like the generic stuff that is filtering through the airwaves nowadays. Oddly, the tracks I enjoyed the most was produced by The Neptunes. Overall, the album encompasses a darker atmosphere. Pusha T performs well, delivering his typical topics: drugs, the streets and lavishness subsequently. The lyrics are scripted well and witty, complemented by excellent direction but the content just does not grip me. The content, accompanied by the production, pushed this one into the uninteresting zone but it is fundamentally sound. A decent listen, more enjoyable for someone who indulges that style.
4928451
I had high hopes for Ruben's CD.  I thought that Ruben's CD would mirror more of what we loved from his American Idol run.  This CD didn't provide the songs that he is capable of singing.  Outkast provided a top notch hiphop cd that makes Ruben look like a wannabe.  If Ruben would have stayed with the Luther type songs and created ORIGIONAL music, I would have been more impressed.  I only hope that his next attempt isn't as bland and repetious as this attempt.
3001623
Somewhat clunky, but a good vibe for the first several tracks (Harlem Hopscotch is great). Then things get bad - like it was rushed and they tried to make the words fit the music rather than making music to fit the words. With heavy "autotune" and sped-up speech (to the point of unrecognizable vocals as Maya Angelou and indecipherable words) - the second half of the CD is what I would call "amateur" mixing which sounds like it was made by kids playing with an app rather than a professional studio production.
1755705
I find it difficult to give this album a three. Almost all of the instrumentation for each song sounded almost the same. The first disc was tolerable, but the second disc was horrible. Johnny's attempts at sounding black was a flop. Why was it necessary to sound black when he couldn't and had ample talent to do otherwise. At first no one would have known the Righteous Brothers were white until they were seen in person. Please, if one is going to do something, do it correctly. Growing up in the near east side of Houston, TX I listened primarily to all black radio stations KCOH and. KYOK. I know what black music sounds like, but Johnny was no where close. Better luck next time.
4724248
The description said it was by Eminem. When it arrived it had no tags and I was surprised to see that it was NOT made by eminem. Other than their typographical errors the shirt is nice and fit as expected. BUMMER.
1357440
Roc Marciano Beaucop has great lyrics some of the features weren't necessary roc can handle a album on his own.,I like the first track the two after that had terrible loops and samples. He sampled them similar he should of changed the tracklisting on the album. Cause both 2 andr 3 and 4 had the same vibe. Lyrics were great on the album. Guilty simpson was a good features,ag was good. Evidence was the best feature on the album they have good chemistry. And where was the 70's movie skits that started the first two albums I missed that. It set the vibe for the whole abum. I loved the production his first two albums. This just sounded like another mixtape. If you like roc buy the first two albums. I would wait for his and alchemist album. And checkout the mixtape. Album would of been better with better beats less features.
4140194
I give Phrenolgy 4 Stars because compared to Jay-Z, Eminem, Nelly, P.Diddy, Busta, or you name the commercialized hip hop artists out there, this CD is far and away superior to anything they could produce.  But if I had to rate this against previous Roots albums I would give it 2 stars.  I was disappointed b/c I was expecting "Do you want more", Illadelph, & Things Fall Apart but improved.  To me it seems that they took the smooth jazzy element out of this CD and focused on being a little more raw.  They are still the most original, true to the art group out there.  Black Thoughts lyrical abilities are second to none but this CD just fell short of what I was anticipating.  I still like the album but I expected a bit more.
3322492
Music is great, but the way the album was produced dilutes the vocals. I believe perhaps Gene overthought this one. I bet the songs sound great live.
3969181
This one is more of a mixtape, which disappoints me and makes me feel blind-sided. Blastah Beatz is a Portuguese producer, dropping a full length album featuring several hip hop veterans. The production did not really attract me, it seems a little unpolished. The samples are nice and the beats have some kick but it just did not come together for me. The lyrics on the album is strong as it features strong lyricists such as Joe Budden, Papoose and Pumpkinhead. Surprisingly, the album has some decent content and relevance as compilations tend to be just a collection of tracks. It was a decent listen but the mixtape format and unpolished beats/mastering turned me off. On a side note, the highlight of the album will have to be Joe Budden's track, "Who Killed Hip Hop".
4033359
the thing must have belonged to a gangster rap DJ cause its sc-sc-scratched like a record how about a true image representation next time
4866054
4th Disciple and RZA (to no suprise) laid it down with the instrumentals at a level that warrants overhwelming praise. As dope as the beats were, I'm extremley hesitant to label this work as a classic album. The main reason being, the lyrical perfomance was absolutlley gastly. Every memeber, with the exception of Killa Sin, exzhibited sloppy flow and weak delivery throughout the entire album...I mean every song! Killa Sin is the only emcee out of Killarmy that I can tolerate and appreciate. I want to call the rhymes themselves sub-par, but the flows were so off that I could never even focus on what they're saying. It's as if they deliberatly flowed off beat. To put it simply, every beat was sick and all of the verses (once again, except Killa Sin's) were terrible. It's really a shame because I often find myself wanting to listen to one of the beats that 4th and RZA, for reasons I'll never understand, so generously bestwoed upon the Killarmy emcees in 1997, but I can't bring myself to press play on my ipod because the flows, to put it bluntly, ruin the song. As irritated and dissapointed as I am by Dom Pachino, Shogun and the rest of the emcees (except you know who) I still recommend peeping this album. It's still dope and I would call it a must buy, but the instrumentals were trashed. That's the only reason I haven't bought it. The best way to gauge the quality of this album is to go listen to it. So do that and pass your own judgement.
4339874
Metallica's latest creation should get a better rating, but the production quality does a disservice to the music by sacrificing clarity and range for a wall of noise. Imagine trying to read a book if it were all in caps. No peaks and valleys, no nuances - that's what it's like listening to this album.
2325719
Don't get me wrong Biggie was a great rapper. But had the wrong guidence(P.Diddy) and went to the wrong label(bad boy). There is a lack of originality and too many samples. Biggie was better off at Interscope or Def Jam. Biggie:great lyricist, but wrong guidence and production.
The inteludes are also too Pornographic. There's one interlude were he's having sex with Lil Kim and another Interlude were Lil Kim is giving Biggie [felatio] for the first time.
Recomend it if you love Biggie.