Nov 14, 2018

RATING 1: 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin
Release Date: 6 February 2003
Label: Aftermath/Shady/Interscope



Tracklist
01. Intro (Skit)
02. What Up Gangsta
03. Patiently Waiting ft. Eminem
04. Many Men (Wish Death)
05. In da Club
06. High All The Time
07. Heat
08. If I Can’t
09. Blood Hound ft. Young Buck
10. Back Down
11. P.I.M.P.
12. Like My Style ft. Tony Yayo
13. Poor Lil Rich
14. 21 Questions ft. Nate Dogg
15. Don’t Push Me ft. Lloyd Banks & Eminem
16. Gotta Make It To Heaven
17. U Not Like Me (Bonus)
18. Life’s on the Line (Bonus)

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GRODT wasn’t just a rap album, it was a moment in global pop culture history. I’m pretty sure my grandmother knows who 50 Cent is. Even though his (rap) career’s been in a downward spiral ever since, GRODT still stands as a timeless classic, one of the last great albums of the classic NY era. I give it a solid 10/10.

 

Jan 18, 2020

excellent choice @Michael Myers . And like Winter already said, one of - if not the greatest greatest comeback in history. Listening to this takes me directly back to The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders all the while sounding just as fresh as those albums when they dropped. Everything and more that I could have expected from a return of such a legendary group (and without a question was the best album of 2016). 10/10 from me.

 

Jan 5, 2020

Watch The Throne: 9/10

The most exciting rap event of this decade without a doubt. I've reiterated this before, but the fact that the two biggest forces of the genre (not named Em or Wayne of course), combined for a full-length LP, is something we should be holding sacred to our hearts, we mere mortals were lucky to see this happen in our lifetimes. It more than met those atmospheric expectations, there was a healthy competitive streak that runs through WTT with Jay's bulletproof confidence carefully tempering Kanye's indomitable brashness. As a result, we got classics like Otis, NIP, Murder To Excellence, full proof examples of the heights hip-hop can reach when every creative cylinder is firing with these two monuments of hip-hop. The tour, the album rollout, #thatshitcray--we'll never get another hip-hop album like this.

 

Jan 5, 2020

I like this one. This is my review (not being lazy i swear)
10/10

 

Dec 29, 2019

What is most striking about this album is how incredibly well it’s aged. From the moment you switch on IYKYK, you’re immediately taken back into the summer of 2018 in the absolute best way, wanting to be there again. Push might be the best example of how age doesn’t give you an excuse to be out of touch, and you can stay in your “pocket” while developing your sound at the same time.

 

Apr 21, 2019

can we please steer the conversation away from hopsin lol

 

Apr 2, 2019

10/10

 

Apr 2, 2019

Oxnard get a 6.4/10 from 11 ratings

Next up…

RATING 29: Dr. Dre - Compton
Release Date: 7 August 2015
Label: Aftermath



Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Talk About It ft. King Mez, Justus
03. Genocide ft. Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius, Candice Pillay
04. It’s All on Me ft. Justus, BJ The Chicago Kid
05. All In A Day’s Work ft. Anderson .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius
06. Darkside / Gone ft. King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius, Kendrick Lamar
07. Loose Cannons ft. Xzibit, Cold 187um, Sly Pyper
08. Issues ft. Ice Cube, Anderson .Paak, Dec Jointz
09. Deep Water ft. Kendrick Lamar, Justus, Anderson .Paak
10. One Shot One k--- ft. Snoop Dogg, Jon Connor
11. Just Another Day ft. The Game, Asia Bryant
12. For the Love of Money ft. Jill Scott, Jon Connor, Anderon .Paak
13. Satisfiction ft. Snoop Dogg, Marsha Ambrosius, King Mez
14. Animals ft. Anderson .Paak
15. Medicine Man ft. Eminem, Candice Pillay, Anderson .Paak
16. Talkin To My Diary

Listening to Compton, you can almost understand why Dre never released Detox. The expectations were simply just too high. Billed as a soundtrack, Compton does a pretty good job of tempering expectations. It comes across more as a wide-spanning snapshot, rather than the genre-defining monument that Detox was supposed to be. I find it strange that Dre didn’t produce a single song on this album though. For such a lauded producer Dre’s been suspiciously quiet behind the boards. Nevertheless, the production on this album is good; a solid blend of Chronic-era funk, the futurism of 2001 and the banging pianos and bass of the 00s. Its even been updated with those skitterish trap hi-hats so prevalent throughout the 10’s. Dre’s flows also been updated to reflect his current crop of protoges (who are obviously ghost-writing for him). Just like the Chronic saw Dre adopt Snoop’s laid-back flow and 2001 saw him adopting the Shady tongue-twisters, Compton see’s the good Doc taking on the varying pitch and inflections of his latest protoge - Kendrick. If anything, Compton sounds a LOT like a Kendrick album.

But a Dre album wouldn’t be a Dre album without the features. I love how Dre drew from different eras for the features - from Cube to Snoop to Em to Game to Kendrick and beyond (50 Cent lost. Also , where’s Kurupt Young Gotti?). A TPAB-era Kendrick is in particularly good form, while features from long-time collaborators Snoop, Game, Cube and Em all range from good to great (disclaimer: I actually kinda like that Em verse). Anderson .Paak is also all over this album and his voice adds a nice touch, especially in the obvious absence of Nate Dogg. While there are some incredible standouts and all-time Dre essentials (Darkside/Gone and Animals), the album as a whole feels… inconsequential? Maybe its just the expectations, the Detox hype and the 16 year wait. Maybe its the fact that Dre didn’t produce a single one of these beats or that after being THE innovator for so long, Dre just sounds… safe. I guess I can appreciate and understand taking the safe route, but I would have loved to see something a little different. Still a good album. I give it a 7/10.

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Mar 24, 2019

I've literally had Meat Grinder on repeat for the last ten years.
The unpolished, yet absurdly original tone of the album, the rawness and beauty of it all, absolutely blew my mind when I was 15. "So hip-hop can sound like that? Music can sound like that?" ... I'm 24 now, and the universe DOOM and Madlib displayed on that masterpiece is still a huge part of my artistic imaginary. Revolutionary album, and I feel like it hasn't finished inspiring groundbreaking artists.
10/10 with no hesitation.

 

Jan 26, 2019

10/10

Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def will forever be my favourite rapper, I love him THAT much for the achievements he's delivered with his recognisable flow that's smooth as butter, and for his content that was ever-so-captivating. Unfortunately, his discography is an unsatisfying mixture of immeasurable talent with a whole lot of the downright underwhelming added to the equation, full of broken promises (where the f--- are your last two albums and Black Star 2!?) from someone who could've conquered the hip-hop world now even. A hip-hop artist that's a double threat with his rapping and melodious singing? He was THAT man, he paved the way. He was undeniable and could've had a bigger impact on this genre. He still has that impact, but there's too many what if's on how much bigger he could've been!

But I digress, coz we're here to talk about this sensational debut from the Mighty Mos Def! Ms Fat Booty and Mathematics are hip-hop classics. Umi Says is the perfect contemplative music and great for giving me existential crisis attacks inadvertently. Hip-Hop is rambunctious and infectious. Brooklyn is an amazing ode and full of amazing beat switches. The album is just playful, calming and amazingly crafted. It's a shame Mos was only able to capture this magic for a select few of his albums. But when he did capture the magic, boy did he deliver.

 

Jan 21, 2019

Who Is Mike Jones? gets a 7.9/10 from 4 ratings

next up...

Rating 20: Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II
Release Date: 6 December 2005
Label: Cash Money / Universal



Tracklist

01. Tha Mobb
02. Fly In
03. Money on My Mind
04. Fireman
05. Mo Fire
06. On tha Block #1 (Skit)
07. Best Rapper Alive
08. Lock and Load ft. Kurupt
09. Oh No
10. Grown Man ft. Curren$y
11. On tha Block #2 (Skit)
12. Hit ‘Em Up
13. Carter II
14. Hustler Musik
15. Receipt
16. Shooter ft. Robin Thicke
17. Weezy Baby ft. Nikki Jean
18. On tha Block #3 (Skit)
19. I’m a D-Boy ft. Birdman
20. Feel Me
21. Get Over ft. Nikki Jean
22. Fly Out

This is the best Lil Wayne album. Its the most well-rounded, the best produced and features Wayne at the peak of his powers (yes, he was probably at even higher level on Drought 3 and arguably on the first 2 Dedications, but in terms of albums nothing else is coming close). The previous years’ Tha Carter introduced us to the weird and innovative raspy voiced genius that emerged from the Cash Money camp and a handful of big features (remember Soldier with Destiny’s Child and T.I.?) cemented Weezy F. as a force to be reckoned with. Just a few years prior Masta Ace was using his name as a punchline, but in 2005, Wayne was undoubtedly the Best Rapper Alive; a title he would hold for a stretch longer than almost any other rapper alive. Weezy has a way with words that has yet to be rivalled. You can hear the glee in his voice as twists words to suit his purpose in strange croak. There’s an epic feel to this album as you listen through it, as if you’re watching something great unfold, something you would never have imagined was possible (something I think he tried to recreate on C3 but didn't quite manage). Wayne doesn’t have a conventional classic in his (albums) discography but this is closest he came, in my opinion. I think the main reason why this isn’t a 10/10 classic is the length - a little trimming could have made a big difference. Other than that, its d--- near perfect. I give it a 9.5/10.

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Jan 7, 2019

its over

 

Dec 17, 2018

why you lying tho

@Fire Squad and @Buddha get in here, we need to save real hip hop

 

Dec 17, 2018

well this is going well so far

 

Dec 15, 2018

Boring a--- album, Same old songs his been making since views. Album was just made to break stream records with out any regard for much quality

2/10

 

Dec 7, 2018

Revival gets a 2.8/10 from 29 ratings.

Next up…

RATING 9: Kendrick Lamar - d---.
Release Date: 14 April 2017
Label: Aftermath / Interscope / Top Dawg



Tracklist

01. Blood
02. DNA
03. Yah
04. Element
05. Feel
06. Loyalty ft. Rihanna
07. Pride
08. Humble
09. Lust
10. Love ft. Zacari
11. --- ft. U2
12. Fear
13. God
14. Duckworth

Somewhere halfway between GKMC’s narrative structure and TPAB’s incredibly dense and heady content, d--- sees Kung Fu Kenny embarking on a near-perfectly executed legacy build, drawing on his own experiences to weave tales about the life and times of the black man in America. But its not only that of course; he draws on themes of humanity, from his own and others’ perspectives and embellishes it with a surprisingly varied yet contemporary collection of instrumentals that range from the trap-imbued thump of Humble, to the droning, murky waters of Feel, where Kendrick raps as though he’s swimming desperately against the current, trying not drown. Its an extremely well constructed album (so much so that you can literally play it back to front lol) and yet another essential in Kendrick’s catalog. I give it a 9/10

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