Jun 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM

310. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996) [June 25th, 2025]

Today marks the 29th anniversary of Jay-Z's debut record, Reasonable Doubt, My decision to listen to it today was purely coincidental, as I didn't know about the anniversary until I saw @rap on Instagram post about it while I was listening to "Dead Presidents".

I think I've made it clear that having Scarface homages automatically gives an album points right? Well Reasonable Doubt starts with a literal homage to that classic flick, and in a lot of ways, the record kind of reflects the film, even if it wasn't intentional. Just like how Tony Montana goes from a fresh off the boat, low ranking crime boss, to a drug kingpin who lives in a mansion, Jay's story in Reasonable Doubt shows the greatest rapper of all time at the beginning of his prime (Let's just ignore "Hawaiian Sophie" for now)

"Can't Knock the Hustle" is one of the most iconic intro songs in Hip-Hop. That knocking beat (get it), that Mary J. Blige hook, and Jay's coolness make for a stellar track. "Politics as Usual" is a great track as well, and it introduces one of the factors that makes RD so great: Ski. While Jay would go on to go with legendary producers later on like Kanye and Just Blaze, something about Ski's production just sounds dope as h--- man. Then we have "Brooklyn's Finest" which pairs up Hov with the legendary B.I.G., and they both absolutely k--- it.

"Dead Presidents II" and the original non-album track "Dead Presidents " are simply incredible. Something about the beat has always felt a bit sad for me for some reason. "D'Evils' pairs Hov with a legendary Premier beat, and it's GREAT. I could go on an on about the rest of the album, but I wanna focus on the closer, "Regrets". After a full album showcasing Jay's swagger and his undeniable coolness, we close the record with a song where he acknowledges that he has lots of regrets, and he also recognizes that he needs to accept them in order to succeed, It's a very honest closer for the record, and it wraps this masterpiece incredibly. I love Reasonable Doubt, and in case someone here hasn't checked it out (doubt it though), it's a must listen.

 

Jun 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM

311. Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits (2005) [June 25th, 2025]

Talking about a greatest hits record is very strange, so I'm gonna focus on the new tracks mainly.

The intro is pretty funny, and "FACK" is....good? This kinda reflects the take I had back in the Encore review, but I've grown to enjoy Em's troll tracks, so having a greatest hit album with this, is right up my alley. Also,

Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube
Shove a gerbil in your a--- through a tube


"Shake That" is a great club track that will forever be tied to the 2016 Leafy intro for me (yes, i was one of THOSE kids). "When I'm Gone" is a great closer for this era of the Slim Shady character, and closing the compilation with the Elton John version of "Stan" was a very cool choice. The songs are all hits of course, but I think some of the sequencing is pretty weird. Like, why the h--- is the last "hit" song before the closer, "Just Lose It"? Still, it's an album made up of Em's biggest hits from his prime, so it was basically asking to get a good review. The same can't be said for the piece of s--- that is Curtain Call 2 though...

 

Jun 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM

312. g--- Starr - Step in the Arena (1991) [June 26th, 2025]

Remember when I said that GTA IV was the basis for a lot of the music I listen to? Well I wasn't kidding. "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" is on the Classics radio station, and I've been bumping Moment of Truth a lot throughout the summer, so I decided to check out their first "big" record, Step in the Arena.

Part of what makes g--- Starr such a great duo, is their chemistry. Premier has made tons of legendary beats over the years, but I don't think there's anybody that matches them as well as Guru did. Songs like "Step in the Arena", the aforementioned "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?", "Check the Technique", and so on, show both Guru and Premier's coolness in spades. Most of the rap albums that I log on here were listened to at the gym, and something about 90's East Coast Hip-Hop makes me go even harder. Seriously, Premier's beats are the perfect soundtrack for shoulder presses. Also, this was me when I recognized the line on "Just to Get a Rep" that got samples on Biggie's "Gimme the Loot":

But yeah, Step in the Arena is a great album. As much as I love Moment of Truth, I feel like I probably should've started with this record. It would've been cool to listen to the progression from album to album up until that one, but still. Hoping to check out Daily Operation soon!!!

 

Jun 26, 2025 at 10:18 PM

313. Mad Season - Above (1995) [June 26th, 2025]

Like 2 years back, I was BIG into Alice in Chains. Seriously, 2023 was mostly made up of me listening to Dirt and the self titled record on repeat. Eventually I did branch out into other AiC-adjacent albums, and Above was one of them. Despite the fact that Layne Staley's presence is the only shared element between AiC and Mad Season, Above is an essential record in the AiC chronology for me, and thankfully, it's great.

"Wake Up" shows the record's highlights straight off the bat. Layne's vocals shift from being calm and melodic, to booming in milliseconds. This is also of note because by the time that 1996's AiC self titled dropped, Layne's voice had deteriorated considerably, so this is really the last time that we see hear the "classic" Layne voice. On the flipside, "X-Ray Mind" showcases Mike McCready's incredible guitar skills right off the bat. "River of Deceit" is a heartbreaking track that sadly foreshadows what ended up happening with Layne. There are also some great rockers on this record like "I Don't Know Anything" and the epic "November Hotel".

So yeah, Above is great. And honestly, this might be the push I need to relisten to AiC's stuff after nearly 2 years. Hope to log those soon