ca_gere Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 What Wu offshoots/solo stuff do you all recommend, barring the three I mentioned?personally...Rza - bobby digital in stereo and Method Man - Tical.on another note. I'm currently all about this 19 yr old french emcee called Biga.check him absolutely piss all over the shoddy freestyles of two American rappers. Freestyle Generation Lokalize 88.2 - MySpaceVideos - Strimoo.comApparently he's spent a lot of time in Jamaica learning the patois and honing his skills. Pretty impressive for a white kid rapping in his second language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Stu Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Bobby Digital was underrated, IMO. Anyone else get what he did there? Robert Diggs. Ha!I've got the first Wu-chronicles CD which is a bit hit and miss, but the hits are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 What Wu offshoots/solo stuff do you all recommend, barring the three I mentioned?Tical. Supremely laid-back album; Meth sounds incredibly relaxed, but you know he'd still rip your throat out. Most of his other stuff is kinda hit and miss, but Blackout w/ Redman is mostly decent.I don't think Ghostface has sounded better, solo-wise, than on Fishscale and Supreme Clientele. His solo work is a little softer than Wu-Tang, but every bit as enjoyable.I haven't checked out ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers yet, but everyone else seems to rate it very highly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 I think thats my problem with Wu solo stuff. Alot of it is a bit more laid back. I guess I'm expecting full on anger. The first yell of "BRING THE MOTHERFUCKIN' RUCKUS!" on 36 Chambers is terrifying. It's like they'd pump you full of bullets just for laughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer_Rosa Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 (MF) Doom - Born like this (first of his stuff i've heard, more to follow very shortly, love it!)Yup, I bought this last week and have been listening to it pretty much constantly. I think I might actually prefer it to Madvillainy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kernel Loaf Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Yup, I bought this last week and have been listening to it pretty much constantly. I think I might actually prefer it to Madvillainy.The major gripe I have with Born Like This is that he seems to have the habit of re-using beats that are years old. Some of the beats on there have been on the Special Herbs volumes on more than one occasion.Still a decent album though, but not his best.Anyone checked out the days of MF in KMD with his brother DJ Subroc before he died? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 What Wu offshoots/solo stuff do you all recommend, barring the three I mentioned?Here is my mini wu tang review in vague order of appreciation:1. Wu Tang - Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers): Groundbreaking and utterly essential2. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx: Fad-inspiring coke raps, amazing3. GZA - Liquid Swords: Another 10/10 classic4. ODB - Return to the 36 Chambers (the Dirty version): When it's good it's amazing, a little too many tracks and a few pointless skits though - as a result it's less consistent than the albums above.5. Ghostface Killah - Ironman: Took a long time for me to get into this but perseverence has paid off, it's pretty good most of the time - I think I was expecting Cuban Linx beats and was put off by the dryer, tamer production.6. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele: Overrated but some decent bangers here and a few good posse cuts, worth having in yer crates.7. Masta Killa - No Said Date: A decade after 36 Chambers, when most of the Wu were churning out shit records, this dude dropped a pretty cool debut that is at times hesitent but has no shortage of impressive tracks & decent clan member appearances. Definitely worth picking up.8. GZA - Pro Tools: 42 year old GZA revisits his Liquid Swords days with some beats that mimic said album in a reasonably convincing manner (but because this is the 21st century, it sounds like you've cranked your high EQ as high as it will go...seriously why are beats produced these days so that every hi-hat count feels like someone's stabbing your ear drum with a pin prick?). From time to time the backing tracks lack a bit of soul, and this combined with poor guest spots (should've had more wu...only rza and masta killa appear, and all but 2 songs have no wu guest spots...gza instead ropes in his son that sounds about 13, and some guy called ka who sounds like a Twin Gambino imposter...and that's not a particularly impressive role model to latch onto) and the fact that the swearing is censored, knock a couple of points off the final product.9. Wu Tang - 8 Diagrams. Big budget Wu, notoriously disliked by half of the clan who appeared, overall it's not too bad with some decent tracks but a few are a little bit corny with some rubbish R&B hooks. As with a lot of rap albums, it's just too long.10. Method Man - Tical: Majorly overrated, production is beyond raw and just sounds like it was mixed by a deaf person. Bring The Pain and a few others are decent enough though.11. Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance: Pretty awful, poor guy undoubtedly shone amonst the brightest of the clan on the 36 Chambers and had some impressive guest spots on the early Wu solo albums. Downfall of this and apparently awful subsequent LPs was a combination of virtually non-existent RZA production, zero promotion, and the fact that it didn't come out until 5 years after 36 Chambers dropped (fucking Cappadonna's first LP came out before this was deemed worthy of being worked on). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted August 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 I think thats my problem with Wu solo stuff. Alot of it is a bit more laid back. I guess I'm expecting full on anger. The first yell of "BRING THE MOTHERFUCKIN' RUCKUS!" on 36 Chambers is terrifying. It's like they'd pump you full of bullets just for laughs.I get that impression with Stright Outta Compton. When I hear Ice-Cube yelling "So when I'm in your neighborhood, you better duck, cause" Ice Cube is crazy as fuck" I think if I ever see Ice Cube coming, I'm just going to run away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 I find the Mobb more convincing in that respect, despite the fact that in real life Prodigy seems to be little more than a punching bag for the many other rappers that he crosses wires with.One-song rapper Des sounds pretty cold on East Flatbush Projects 'Tried By 12' but Cormega's definitely my favourite for making me think 'holy shit, this guy isn't joking'.The nigga musta heard I didnt die' date=' son he hidin'I snatched up his man inside a van and started drivin'his man started dymin'said the nigga drivin' in a 735 and he knows where to find himcool, tell my man to drop the kid offsoon as we hit the next darn block, blew his fuckin' wig offnow that's one down, one nigga to gojust drive slow so we dont have to worry 'bout five-onow it's time to get even,we in, five jeeps deep with the mad heat and steaminoh shit, I see him, he gettin out the sevenmy man started wetting at the nigga with a mac-11I specialize in warnow it's time to blow him, I'ma show him how to use a fuckin' four-fourI said "Yo son, the game's over"I let off, and yo my shit was spittin' fire like a flamethrowerhe started wettin' backI caught him in his fuckin' backwhen he flung, I think his lungs collapsedhe just a dead man walkingayyo, fuck that shit...I'm through talking[/size'] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 Here is my mini wu tang review in vague order of appreciation:1. Wu Tang - Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers): Groundbreaking and utterly essential2. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx: Fad-inspiring coke raps, amazing3. GZA - Liquid Swords: Another 10/10 classic4. ODB - Return to the 36 Chambers (the Dirty version): When it's good it's amazing, a little too many tracks and a few pointless skits though - as a result it's less consistent than the albums above.5. Ghostface Killah - Ironman: Took a long time for me to get into this but perseverence has paid off, it's pretty good most of the time - I think I was expecting Cuban Linx beats and was put off by the dryer, tamer production.6. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele: Overrated but some decent bangers here and a few good posse cuts, worth having in yer crates.7. Masta Killa - No Said Date: A decade after 36 Chambers, when most of the Wu were churning out shit records, this dude dropped a pretty cool debut that is at times hesitent but has no shortage of impressive tracks & decent clan member appearances. Definitely worth picking up.8. GZA - Pro Tools: 42 year old GZA revisits his Liquid Swords days with some beats that mimic said album in a reasonably convincing manner (but because this is the 21st century, it sounds like you've cranked your high EQ as high as it will go...seriously why are beats produced these days so that every hi-hat count feels like someone's stabbing your ear drum with a pin prick?). From time to time the backing tracks lack a bit of soul, and this combined with poor guest spots (should've had more wu...only rza and masta killa appear, and all but 2 songs have no wu guest spots...gza instead ropes in his son that sounds about 13, and some guy called ka who sounds like a Twin Gambino imposter...and that's not a particularly impressive role model to latch onto) and the fact that the swearing is censored, knock a couple of points off the final product.9. Wu Tang - 8 Diagrams. Big budget Wu, notoriously disliked by half of the clan who appeared, overall it's not too bad with some decent tracks but a few are a little bit corny with some rubbish R&B hooks. As with a lot of rap albums, it's just too long.10. Method Man - Tical: Majorly overrated, production is beyond raw and just sounds like it was mixed by a deaf person. Bring The Pain and a few others are decent enough though.11. Inspectah Deck - Uncontrolled Substance: Pretty awful, poor guy undoubtedly shone amonst the brightest of the clan on the 36 Chambers and had some impressive guest spots on the early Wu solo albums. Downfall of this and apparently awful subsequent LPs was a combination of virtually non-existent RZA production, zero promotion, and the fact that it didn't come out until 5 years after 36 Chambers dropped (fucking Cappadonna's first LP came out before this was deemed worthy of being worked on).Hmm... there's a few albums i'm gonna have to revisit based on these reviews. Disagree with Tical though. It's roughness is part of its charm for me. It might be that at the time it was a badly produced album but listening to it now it has the added element of nostalgia and you can hear the wu tang sound still developing. I'm sure that poppy snare in Bring the Pain crops up a lot after. I think perhaps the reason it was so raved about was because Method Man was the identifiable star of the wu tang at the time. He's certainly the one that sticks out on the first album.btw, there's an absolute peach of a biggie track in that mix you posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 Hmm... there's a few albums i'm gonna have to revisit based on these reviews. Disagree with Tical though. It's roughness is part of its charm for me. It might be that at the time it was a badly produced album but listening to it now it has the added element of nostalgia and you can hear the wu tang sound still developing. I'm sure that poppy snare in Bring the Pain crops up a lot after. I think perhaps the reason it was so raved about was because Method Man was the identifiable star of the wu tang at the time. He's certainly the one that sticks out on the first album.btw, there's an absolute peach of a biggie track in that mix you posted!which one?I've only managed to identify some of the tracks in that mix...some of these records are VERY hard to find now (the sadat x / RA the rugged man plate is like 70 quid or something)Side 1Wu Tan Clan - TriumphDITC - Day OneOC - My WorldTracy Lee feat Notorious BIG - Keep Your Hands HighR.A The Rugged Man feat Sadat X - 50,000 heads?Notorious BIG - Kick In The DoorGroup Home - ExpressSauce Money - Action...Beatnuts - Do You BelieveJay-Z - FoundationCappadonna - 97 MentalityHurricane G - Underground LockdownDJ Muggs - It Could Happen To YouAlkaholics feat Ol' Dirty Bastard - Hip Hop DrunkiesSide 2Hurricane G - ??MOP - The RawnessNotorious BIG - Ten Crack CommandmentsTone Hooker feat OC & Jay-Z - Cru LoveBrainsick Mob - Mixmaster?EPMD feat Prodigy - It's The Pee 97Jay-Z - Who You WitMobb Deep - In The Long RunGoodie Mob & DJ Muggs - Decisions Decisions?Cormega - Dead Man Walking?Gauge The Mental Murderah feat Cella Dwellas - CraniumCellas Dwellas - Main AimCraig G - Welcome To The GameIf you're talking about Kick In The Door then I agree completely, my favourite track of his - and it actually was a diss to Jeru and Raekwon.I've tried to revisit Tical a few times, I just don't get much pleasure out of it. I am no stranger to raw production and I favour it completely, I just think that it sounds bad as opposed to raw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 Yep, kick in the door. Tbh, I recognise very few tracks on that mix. Jay-Z and the Beatnuts is about it. Good find.If you're interested, I can point you towards some good rap from the glory days of French hip hop. Around the mid nineties there was some awesome stuff inspired by some of the American artists people have been talking about in this thread. to name but a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 To be honest my love for hip hop seldom even stretches past east coast artists but I'll check them out!MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery serviceAnother PF Cuttin' Mix that i've not burned as hard yet, only downloaded it a few weeks ago - it's of a pretty similar calibre to Da 4 OH...more freestyles & shit. BTW PF is one half of Blahzay Blahzay, and I think by the time this tape came out he was a bigger name as there is more PF remixing going on.Track listing:Side A:01. Blahzay Blahzay - Freestyle02. Gangstarr - You Know My Steez03. Fat Joe - Let Me Find Out04. M.O.P. - Ride05. Jay-Z - Streetz Is Watchin06. Kaotic Style - Top Billin 9707. Brainsick Enterprize & Verbal Hoods - Freestyle08. EZD - Gunz Is 409. EPMD - The Joint10. Alkaholiks - Pass Out11. Illanoyz feat. Heltah Skeltah - Illanoyz12. Rawcotics feat. JuJu - Magic Chef13. Eastern Conference - Captivating14. Mos Def feat. Mr. Man - Fortified Live15. Godfather Don - Seedz Of Hate16. No I.D. - 2 Steps BehindSide B:01. Tony Touch - Freestyle02. Tony Touch feat. Greg Nice - Freakya03. Nice & Smooth - Blazing Hot (P.F. Mix)04. OC feat. Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq - Dangerous Pt. 205. Big L feat. OC - Dangerous06. Busta Rhymes - Rhymes Galore07. Big Pun - Im Not A Player08. Da Firm - Executive Decision09. Phife feat. Diamond D & Pete Rock - Pain & Strife10. Rakim - Its Been A Long Time11. Big L feat. Fat Joe - Da Enemy12. Rampage - Get Da Money & Dip13. Ghostface feat. RZA - Marvel14. Beatnuts - Bless Da Mic15. Ike Dirty - Dirtys Way16. Redman, Keith Murray & EPMD - K.I.M.17. Mobb Deep - Rare Species Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 PS I'd just like to say I fucking hate Nice N Smooth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 PS I'd just like to say I fucking hate Nice N Smoothhow can you not likerappers that rhyme words like bikejust so it fits in to the rapit doesn't matter it its complete crap.on one of their tracks they manage to squeeze the words 'bagonia' and 'ammonia' in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 how can you not likerappers that rhyme words like bikejust so it fits in to the rapit doesn't matter it its complete crap.on one of their tracks they manage to squeeze the words 'bagonia' and 'ammonia' in.it's awful isn't it...how can THEY-THEYrhyme that WAY-WAYI'll tell you, it's be-CAUSE-CAUSEanything rhymes if you PAUSE-PAUSEa word halfway through pronouncing it, and end your line on a fucking syllable. Greg Nice sucks. And Jonny Smooth (or whatever he's called) just sounds like a fucking idiot.I actually saw DWYCK listed as one of the greatest Hip Hop singles of all time...wtf...the entire Nice & Smooth appearance is cringeworthy, they sound like white people taking the piss out of rap music. And Guru also utters his most embarassing line of all time:Lemonade was a popular drink' date=' and it still isI get more stunts and props than Bruce Willis[/quote'] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Strong Posted August 21, 2009 Report Share Posted August 21, 2009 Edan - Beauty and the beat (probably my favourite rap album of the last 10 years since the rest of my taste seems to be stuck in a hole somewhere in the mid 90s)yes yes yes YES! album is so ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 holy fuck, anybody know anything about this dude?!Godfather Doncaught one of his tracks on that PF cuttin mix i posted earlier...it's fucking amazing, the guy is an underground legend who I had never heard of...apparently most others slept on him throughout the 90s as well. i've been searching for his stuff on youtube, it's 100% consistent, the guy is nice on the mic as well as behind the desk. i ordered the only cd of his i could find on amazon marketplace, but just got refunded as it's out of stock completely now. guess i'm gonna be paying out my ass for OPs on discogs now...boo!.: Godfather Don :. interview here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Jay Z's "The Blackout".Best rap album ever?Discuss.just realised that nobody had actually responded to this question. categorically no...and nobody with any serious interest in hip hop would think twice about telling you that. jay's albums almost entirely suck in my experience, puff daddy sounding bullshit, save for the 2-3 underground joints on each of the earlier ones. even reasonable doubt is weak in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kernel Loaf Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 just realised that nobody had actually responded to this question. categorically no...and nobody with any serious interest in hip hop would think twice about telling you that. The reason nobody answered it was because it wasn't worth answering.Checked out any more MF DOOM/Metal Fingers/King Geedorah/DOOM/Viktor Vaughn stuff yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framheim Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 mf doom is undeniably amazing. anyone like company flow? there's been some good recommendations in this thread, will have to spend a bit of time checking some of them out. been ages since i bought any new hip hop stuff.incidentally jay-z was awesome at the exhibition centre. one of the best show's i've ever ever been to, great atmosphere too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 MF Doom is top, but I wish he'd stick to one moniker so I could keep track of his releases. Just when I keep thinking my collection is complete, I find out about something else he's done under a different name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer_Rosa Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 My Dangerdoom mask is the best thing I've ever got from the free stuff box at One Up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Had my Doom shirt on in town some night last week:-Some wee scallywag came up and said "aye min, far'd ye get yer Darth Vader shirt fae?"It looks nothing like Darth Vader... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teabags Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Had my Doom shirt on in town some night last week:-Some wee scallywag came up and said "aye min, far'd ye get yer Darth Vader shirt fae?"It looks nothing like Darth Vader... It does look like the helmet from Gladiator though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.