I'm not hip hop enough to understand...
581836
I'll admit that I'm not a hip hop head so anything that is an outlier in this genre has more of a chance of attracting me.  There are bits of this album that are beautiful ("The Unraveling", "When the People Cheer", and "Tomorrow") but they seem to be for Raheem DeVaughn and not The Roots.  Other songs like "Understand" and "Never" were average.

Are The Roots trying to tell us something?  I feel that there is some larger message that is being conveyed that I'm not hip hop enough to get.
4004746
I've been down with the Kottonmouth Kings since day 1, but I think they may be regressing in the quality of their music.  Daddy X seems to be more concerned with rhyming "cat" with "fat" and "man" with "ran" than just spitting pure knowledge and letting the music flow.  D Loc and Richter are two of the baddest mcs out there, but Daddy X and Big B (who has potential) can't get past the fact that raps don't have to rhyme (and shouldn't every time) to be dope...or they need to come up with different ways to rhyme (a la Rakim).  Big Kottonmouth fan, but from what I've heard of this cd they continue to put nursery rhymes to big beats.
1137664
I purchased this cd today along with a Dwele cd. I love his CD her's not so much. I don't think I liked one track. I'm normally not hard on artists and PLUS I wanted to try someone new. I love mostly Jazz and Old School R&B.

I also like Neo-Soul. I have no idea WHAT this cd falls under but it has to go back to Best Buy. Sorry Ledisi...
2417444
FOR ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BUCKSHOT AND 9TH WONDER FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A CLASSIC PIECE LIKE THIS ONE.  THE HIP-HOP GAME IS SO SOUR NOW AND THERE IS ONLY A FEW HIP HOP EMCEES.  BUCKSHOT IS ONE OF THEM.. HE HAS BEEN IN THE GAME SINCE "93" AND I KNOW HE HAS SEEN "HIP HOP" GO TO "HIP POP".  JAMES HOLMAN, THE PERSON WHO WROTE A BAD REVIEW ON 9TH WONDER WHY DON'T YOU SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO CHINGY OR SOMETHING.  PLEASE STOP HATIN.  THE ALBUM IS BANGING AND I AM GOING TO PURCHASE THE ALBUM.  ONE LOVE 9TH WONDER AND THANKS FOR BEING THE PRODUCER YOU ARE.  COP THE ABLUM TRUE HIP-HOP HEADZ.
463843
... I have found that I react differently than MOST people to GREAT tunes. It doesn't matter which genre the tunes come from, either! What is bad, IS BAD. I suspect there are a LOT of music fans out there that understands. I know your out there, right? Here's what happens: When I hear an extraordinarily bad a$$ song, I break out in goose bumps. And this...indescribable... I guess you'd say, numbing WAVE of chills climbs my spine and I'm totally frozen for about a half a minute or so; kinda depends on just how Bad To The Bone the song IS. It varies greatly. I don't understand it...but, once I unfreeze, I run over stuff to get to Amazon and buy the song! I pay for songs, so that I can listen to them ANYTIME. I buy devices with GINORMOUS STORAGE JUST FOR THAT PURPOSE. Having a bad day? I put in my buds... pick a selection, just like this song by SIN SHAKE SIN! When things get rough, the rough CRANKS IT UP!!
4354505
I listen to all kinds of music and im not at all a scene person . so this cd is a bit weak , yes. they have potential but if they get any worse then start adding pop loop lyrics , they will become limp bizket . they need to get heavier . the rapper in this group doesnt sound so bad but he needs to write from the soul . not your typical rap song of how tough you are etc. ...these kinds of bands are not for people who only listen to rock cause most of them hate rap from the start but more for us variety people who don't own to a scene . i grew up on all kinds of music and had an open mind , so if you're looking for a rocker tastefull rap/rock cd i would say go with ''reveille'' . if you want a heavier hip hop sound ''primer 55'' .. a bit toned down you say :) ''faction of the fox'' or ''E-town concrete''
3461019
A weird thing about this album is how hard it is to catch the nuances. There's a lot of extra stuff. This album isn't concise or minimal the way much of the Warp roster tends to be. The whole hip hop cut-up is really incredible though.
There's a few minor disappointments, more to do with my own sensibility. For instance, I wish that sad ponce from the Sea & Cake weren't on it; he's got about as much flavour as a Triscuit.
This album is detailed. It's serious abstract hip hop that will appeal to people who are afraid to listen to mainstream rap because they don't like people talking about how rich they're getting because you keep buying their albums.
There's something a bit sad about how easily electronic music lovers embrace this kind of hiphop (safely renamed clickhop) but don't listen to any other hiphop. Sure, some people pick up old Magnetic MC vinyl and Slick Rick and whoever, but that's more for show, really, isn't it? The vintage rap makes it okay, because Autechre sampls it.
But what about Mos Def? What about the Ol' Dirty Bastard? Or Kardinall Offishall? or Cannibal Ox, even, to get indie. There's a lot of great hiphop out there, experimental or not.
Prefuse 73 is a collage of great rap noises more than it is a new step in rap music. It's a strong work, but let's not pretend it's a proper hiphop record.
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.
2031827
I usually hate modern hip hop... People sing/rap or whatever like they are dumb, high, sluring words, ignorant and just plain silly... So why do I like this song?  I like the lyrics... Not that I agree with them or have any experience with anything he is talking about... But like a good movie, I like the story.  It is comical and sounds good.  I do not listen to the radio or watch music videos as I am a blues fan first... I hear this song on GTA V and was upset with how dumb it sounded... I great to like it... then I bought it.  It is in my rotation with  my blues.

He said that is how it was, so I take it that is how it was.
610568
I looked forward to hearing this album when it first came out.

I was excited to hear some of these beats produced by the roc himself, but I felt I couldn't get into it I didn't like the beats or the samples he chose.

I also felt he had too many features and I am tired of action bronsons voice.

The thing is I really love roc marcis earlier work like Marcberg and 80% of reloaded but this is no way on those levels

There are no stand out tracks like snow or death parade with those grimy ass samples, the only tune I felt was decent on here was the track ruff town with cormega but cormegas verse seems too short...

I know he said this album was about his production skills but I think he should stick to just doing what he has been doing as this album was below average.

That's just my opinion he is on his own level right now I don't understand what he is doing....

Basically I think I want to hear a Marcberg pt 2

I will give it 3 stars for now and try and listen to it again with fresh ears in a few weeks and if I change my opinion I will let you know..

I hope I haven't upset anyone with my review its just my opinion
4603840
I'm usually pretty skeptical of books written about hip-hop by authors with PhD's.  Most of the time, they don't get it.  They aren't hip hop heads, although they might own a few Cd's.  Mike Dyson, Tricia Rose, et cetera.

I think this book gets it right.

But the title of this book is misleading. It's not a how-to book on making hip hop beats.

It's an ethnographic study on hip hop producers, most of which are underground/college radio hip hop makers.

So chances are most Amazon customers won't know the names of the producers, or even be able to recognize any of their songs.

But if you know names like Paul C, Diamond D, Showbiz, Pete Rock, Premier, Dilla, Marley Marl, Supreme, Soulman, Dj Muro - this book is really good.

There are a lot of insider issues that producers talk about between themselves, but never really get into the main hip hop discussion, and so it has no chance of getting into the mainstream.

Joe decided to look at producers and ask these questions. He interviewed folks like Dj Kool Akiem (of the Micranauts), Vitamin D, Domino of Hieroglyphics,  and he asks questions like

- Why do you need to sample, why not just replay the sample?

- What's the big deal with reissues?

- Producers who didn't start out as Dj's

- Will you sample from a rap record?

If you're just a hip hop head, the quotes from producers are probably the most interesting part of the book.  You really get to look into 1 school of thought on how to make beats.

If you're an academic, it's got plenty of footnotes, and lots of support for his ideas.

For me, I think the best part of the book was the literature review.  He looks at a lot of the bigger books on the subject of hip hop and breaks them down as to why they don't make sense.

The only problem I really see with the book, is that it focuses on a certain type of producer. Sample based, means sampled from vinyl.  You won't find a "keyboard" producer.  You won't find producers that make g-rap type beats. (Mannie Fresh type of producer).  It's very biased towards an underground, old east coast sound 89-93 era, aesthetic.  Which is all the more interesting since he's based on the West Coast.
2066806
This song has a French speaking rapper instead of Big Boi.  I was miffed at first, but then it grew on me.  It's called the European version.  Something I should have been informed about so I can make my own decision if I wanted it or not.
2414705
I went to a Kendrick Lamar concert and J Cole came out then I fell in love..So I am not a native Cole fan and Ill be honest about that so this is from not a Groupie view.

I must admit I always listen to music for the first time in my car ..Thats where I get the best sounds...This album had to grow on me the first time I was like Eh there are some really good tracks and his Lrics are Beast! But the beats were just not my stlye.  I like Cole and his message but I need more and expect more at this point I am from the south and beats are inportant to me..I fi want lyrics write a book and Ill but it but for my music ....Let the track play I like to say...Just not my  cup of tea but I support the art
50617
I've tried, honestly I really did give this album a chance, but 95% of the sounds on it are just not music. Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but to me (seemingly) random sounds are not music. I like albums that take a few listens before the magic starts to shine through, but I can really see no merit in this. Ever heard the story of the Emporer's New Clothes? Stop pretending to like this to appear knowledgable and hip.
(...)
3917863
Theres no entertainment in his Lyrics, I don't recomment it to anyone who is mature for there age. ya'll need to grow up and listen to real muzik not that fake s*** this ni*ga come out with.

Instead buy or sample Cassidy's "I'm a Hustla" album in stores now.
4734231
I'm not gonna say who, but a certain punk godfather mentioned this guy so much on social media that I thought, well, he's a punk godfather...it must be good since his music is near and dear to my heart.

Wrongo.

I mean, if you like industrial dance or are on drugs that make industrial dance sound good, this might tickle your fancy. But I don't even see why that would help you like this. The song titles lead you to believe that the samples are going to be funny, but they're not- you can barely make them out over the fuzzed out beats. I really don't like this kind of music to begin with. So if I want to hear clever samples over a beat, I'll try some Skinny Puppy or Negativland or even The Revolting Cocks but this is a total waste of time.
1608187
It's a bunch of rap music with numbers and equations. Fun to listen, but it's not what I expected. No educational purpose. I'm disappointed.