Top 10 of 2014 - #6- #1

06. BIGREC & Diamond D - "DoomsDay"

When I first heard that one of my all time favorites was producing a full album for a Southern emcee by the name of BIGREC that I never had heard of before I was both very intrigued and a bit skeptic. After all I had heard Diam ditching samples and doing a bounce record on his last album to horrible effect. However, once the video preview and the first single, "Bullseye", hit every bit of skepticism quickly disappeared. Not only was Diamond bringing his classic boom bap production with smacking drums, cuts, and agressive rock guitar, BIGREC proved to be an absolute monster on the microphone - it's no wonder why a legend like Diamond picked 'REC to do an entire album with. REC's got a grimey voice and cadence that demands you to hang on to his every word, and his rhyme schemes and flow is straight up hardcore. Right from the bass and vibraphone heavy introduction of the emcee and album concept on "The Dawning" (Diamond really loves his vibes!), to the epic closing anthem "Nowhere 2 Run 2" where REC adresses how he got to where he got to, shuts up his haters and shines a light on his struggles "DoomsDay" is truly a coherrent album. "At the end of the day I got four basic needs - live, love, learn and leave a legacy for my seeds and it's real...", boasts 'REC on the aforementioned song. Even if "DoomsDay" would prove to be his final album he would leave a damn fine legacy behind.

I know BIGREC has been an active emcee for years but "DoomsDay" kind of feels like a debut album. Throughout we get to know who BIGREC truly is, speaking both of personal problems and victories, as well as touching on social ills in his community, while finding time to introduce his crew TH5PENTAGON on the incredibly hard "New Order". With Diamond D's dark and rugged production the posse cut is almost like a Southern version of a joint like "5 Fingaz Of Death", and the entire crew can definitely rhyme (Jawz Of Life was also featured on Diamond's last album "The Huge Hefner Chronicles"). Throughout the short but sonically and lyrically satisfying album, 'REC and Diamond D is supplying fans with true quality hip-hop. Produced by one of the best producers and written and performed by a Southern emcee with a delivery that is simply unbelivable. You can find traces of inspiration from the great classic masters like Scarface, Kool G Rap, Big Punisher, Rakim, and KRS-One in BIGREC's writing and performance - not in any negative way as in biting, but rather as an influenced emcee on a way to being an equal to his influences. Just check how he has no problem holding his own against R.A. The Rugged Man on the unbelivably funky bonus cut "The Dumb Out". As for Diamond D, he isn't trying to be something he's not here either - he's basically rocking his tried and tested production style, a few tracks are maybe a little more Southern oriented than he would put on his own album, but you could never accuse him of not representing boom bap and real hip-hop to the fullest. Some of the joints like "Abomination", "DoomsDay" and "The Dumb Out" wouldn't even sound out of place on a D.I.T.C. album. "DoomsDay" is without a doubt the most underrated album of 2014, and a great sister album to "The Diam Piece".

05. Freddie Gibbs - "Pinata"

Years ago, 2007-2008 say, some of my friends really were going crazy over this new emcee Freddie Gibb's mixtapes to date such as "Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs" and "Str8 Killa". Now people on this blog now that I'm an East Coast head to the fullest; it's just something about those dirty NY beats and overall style that speaks to my soul. So while I could clearly appreciate that Freddie Gibbs was someone who was a great artist and an ill emce - spitting real raw, thugged out shit but always with a twist (in other words he wasn't some boring run-of-the-mill thug rapper), I had a hard time listening to much of his music due to his choice of beats. The wordplay, while often quite simple compred to some of the more legendary rappers before him, was never dumbed down, his gravely voice was commanding and you definitely wanted to hear what he had to said. He also had a down south flow that put the vast majority of newer Southern rappers to shame. There was no question, that this guy was making true hip-hop straight from the soul and whenever he jumepd on a beat I fucked with he always ripped it - Shit like "Till The Angels Come" or "Freddie Soprano" or the EP he put out with Statik Selektah back in 2007 called "Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away".

So when Madlib and Freddie Gibbs revealed that they were gonna release a full-length album, with Gibbs exclusively on lyrics and Madlib exclusively on the beats I damn near creamed my pants. Madlib's been one of my favorites for a long time, though some of his more recent projects have felt way too thrown together or simply weak (e.g. parts of "Madlib Medicine Show" or having more than the otherwise excellent LP he did for Guilty Simpson feature more interludes than actual music). But "Cocaine Pinnata" is Gibbs AND Madlib at their finest, and though much of it wasn't recorded together there actually is a chemistry or a bond between these guys that is very evident throughout. The sonical approach of the album can be divided into two type of tracks - the raw, hardcore type of tracks where Madlib often takes a minimalist approach, relying on synthesizers and fat bass as well as the more classic LA type of Madlib beats that focuses heavily on soul samples. Gibbs sounds great over both type of styles - matter of fact Gibbs simply sounds great over Madlib shit. These type of sonics switches back and forth throughout the 60 minutes running time, making the LP a joy to listen to.

To be honest it took me a while to fully appreciate this project, though there were some tracks that really stood out that I couldn't stop revisiting. However after some time I came to the realization that "Pinata" is actually a real front-to-back banger. Among the harder more stripped down tracks, that often uses slamming drums, heavy bass and cocaine flavored synth melodies we find the opener "Supplier" and the old school flavored "Scarface" that together form a hard hitting introduction to Gangsta Gibbs and what's about to come. This makes way for "Deeper", which might very well be my favorite song on the entire album. The combination of Madlib and Freddie Gibbs here is simply incredible; providing addictive strings, beautifully chopped vocal sample, low-key bass which brings out one of Gibb's best written songs on the entire album, filled with quoables that I know a lot of us men can relate to. Another important track is "Real", the hard ass dis joint to Gibbs' former labelmate Young Jeezy that is not only one of the LP:s illest cuts, but stands as one of the rawest diss tracks heard in years. Using two equally fat beats (one agressive and percussion heavy, the other more mellow and soul sounding) Gangsta Gibbs is spraying quotables making sure no stone is left unturned when it comes to his relationship with Yeezy. "Ross said you scared to drop a diss record/ No nuts, now you get the whole crew looking weak/ That's why they ran up on you at the BET/ LA Red Carpet, yeah I was geeked, you couldn't take security so we couldn't take a seat ... Don't make me expose you to those that don't know you". Indeed!

17 tracks deep, many of these were released on limited 12" pressings beforehand which caused some upset fans but personally I really couldn't care less. It would've been a shame to leave out gems like "Terrorist", "Shame" and "Harolds" from the album. We must remember that great music and art is timeless! I could definitely see Freddie Gibbs carry the entire LP by himself but the guests are mostly on point. At least it's crazy to hear Raekwon and Gibbs together on "Bomb", and even better to hear him join forces with Scarface on another one of the LP:s finest moments  "Broken". AB-Soul jumps in on another one of my favorites - the LA anthem "Lakers'", and BJ The Chiago Kid always does a good job at crooning on songs like the almost already classic "Shame". I'm not going to front and pretend that there is not some wack ass guests on "Pinata" as well, most noticely on the final song which is an 8 minutes long rap showcase over a menacing Madlib beat that could make for a great posse cut. Unfortunataly, save for Gibbs himself the six other emcees (which includes Mac Miller and Domo Genesis) are straight trash and mess up the end of the album. However, the vast majority of the LP is fat as hell and IS the album I've been waiting for from Freddie Gibbs since the day I first heard him!

04. Diamond D - "The Diam Piece"

Diamond D's first major single was called "Best Kept Secret" and still to this day I think he's kind of underrated, as I would still place him among the five best producers in the world. However I've been more than mildly disappointed in Diam's latest few solo releases, such as "The Huge Hefner Chronicles" and "Grown Man Talk", but his outside production has for the most part remained top notch. Thus it seems to be a logic step for the BX legend to release a production compilation featuring some of the finest legendary emcees of the '90s. The result is "The Diam Piece", a 19 track offering that takes it back to the Bronx with Diamond working absolute magic with a sampler and endless crates of Jazz, Funk and Soul. There's a lot of smooth sounding shit on this disc, Diamond is a master at finding the perfect loops and blending in slick horns and keys in the same key to put over them, always with madly powerful drum programming. What I really love about "The Diam Piece" is that it really does come together like a one hour program of records Diamond D would produce on other cat's albums while still being cohessive enough to work as an album.

Real hip-hop heads will no doubt get hyped looking at the tracklist which includes guests such as The Pharcyde, Pete Rock, Masta Ace, Guilty Simpson, Chino XL, Grand Daddy IU, Chino XL, AG, Nottz, Hi-Tek, Bumpy Knuckles, Fat Joe, Chi Ali and many more. Usually when producers does albums of this type they just try to get 26 ill 16s, not caring whether the artists on the posse cut will sound at all good together or not. In the end you get 18 boom bap beats with 26 verses on how ill that particular emcee is on the microphone, something that never fails to get monotone. Diamond, like the true veteran he is, knows exactly how to put together an album, coaching the artists on their verses to fit the concepts while specifically tailor making beats for certain artists and making sure the guests sound right together. Like I said before Diamond is a top 5 producer for me, and though he had a rough patch during the early 2000s, he's back full throttle with his best album since 1997.

03. Pharoahe Monch - "P.T.S.D."

Ever since 1990 music fans have always been able to count on a few things - dope Pete Rock remixes; brilliant Ghostface and Nas verses and, of course, outsanding albums from Pharaoahe Monch. "P.T.S.D." is something of an Orwell's "1984" of hip-hop albums, and is a direct follow up to his previous outing "W.A.R." where the last line of defense have lost and the world is now run by machines and human tools. It's a bleak vision and one that Pharoahe does with conviction, and it's also very inspired by Monch recent dealings with depression, paranoia and mental illness; another team that ties the album together. Who the hell said you need a lot of skits and interludes to make a great concept album?

As I mentioned on several occassions during this list, the best albums have taken me a few spins before they truly sink in and make me realize their true brilliance. This was also the case with "P.T.S.D.". Don't get me wrong, I always liked many of the songs on the album but it didn't blow me away until I truly focused on it 100% and started breaking it down. From the first to last song, with impeccable and important skits, Monch has created another album that's close to a masterpiece, making him one of the most important artists hip hop has today. Every single song here are filled to the limits with quote - and quotes with important messages at that. Just take the album opener "Time2" and one of my favorite quotes from that ("Last year they hired me, and last week they fired me/ And I got all these bills to pay, so what the fuck am I supposed to say to my wife/ She's pregnant, and if our kid does not go to college he is irrelevant/ And my melanin makes me a felon/ And I just want to take this crack and sell it to the planet/ I'm a mechanic depressant mechanic who manages to frantically do damage to my brain with Xanax/ And it's like the word anxiety is branded to the back of my eyelids in a variety of fonts...."). I bet a lot of people that's gone through some real troubles in their lifes can relate to this album, and quotes/songs like this, which makes us relate to the music and perhaps even drop our masks a little bit. The song concepts and soncial backdrops keep switching up enough to make it interesting; take the two back-to-back tracks "Damage", which happens to be the third installment in Monch's celebrated bullet trilogy where the verses are written from the perspective of a bullet and describes how it is affecting people in it's way. It's another brilliant take on a classic Monch concept that still feels as fresh as it did on "Stray Bullet", not only thanks to the brilliance of the emcee ("I will ring your bell like Avon, before displaying some of my favorious tatoos (Trayvon)/ The Oscar award winning Ayiana Jones (hey Sean!)/ Swore to be cannon fodder for your father/ slaughter daughters, armor piercing more deadlier than Napalm...") but also the extreme chemistry he has with long time producer Lee Stone who truly does the concept justice

"Broken Again" was what set the proces off, using the classic theme of how when that true love gone wrong and it feels your world is crumbling around you, can be compared to heroine addiction. It's nothing mindblowing or truly original, but it's a good jam. Overall Pharoahe Mocnh has here created his most lyrically aware album yet, which is one hell of a statement, considering his catalouge. There's a wide range of different topics that all form together losely but close enough to make it a coherrent listen both lyrically, and with production from Marco Polo, Lee Stone, Jesse West, and The Stepkids, it's simply an amazing, well written, sonically pleasing concept album. Pharoahe is a true emcee's emcee, not only is he an amazing writer and composer with a flow others can only dream of, he also puts on some of the best live shows I have ever witnessed (I've seen him three times so far). "PTSD" is a great example of why that is so please don't sleep!

03. Cormega - "Mega Philosophy"

It's an amazing feeling when one of your most anticipated albums of the year turns out to be just as good as your highest hopes for it. After hearing "Journey", "The True Meaning", "MARS" and "Stay Focused Up" (plus seeing 'Mega and Large Pro performing together in Copenhagen in 2013) every hip-hop head worthy of such a title were in the know that these these two legendary Queens musicians could create a miracle that could stand the test of time. And deliver they certainly did... Although perhaps not in the fashion that some people had expected.

The album, clocking in at only 33 minutes, is extremely focused and cohessive and as That Guy With The Glasses stated in their excellent album promo interview for XXL, he had never before collaborated so closely with an artist on an album he had produced for. Meaning that the credits which read produced by Large Professor and Cormega means a whole lot more than on many other LP:s which similiar credits. 'Mega was very instrumental in the sound he wanted, helped Extra-P pick out samples, and overall had a lot of input on the production. This explains why "Mega Philosophy" both sounds a little different from the classic Large Pro beats, and also help explains the overall somberness of the album. A somberness that has grown out of Corey McKay's maturity as a man and an emcee. I can't think of many other rappers, except for maybe Nas (who's excellent "Life is Good" feels like the natural full-circle from "Illmatic" if you ask me) and GURU, that have gone through a life transformation that he's not ashamed to put on wax. Following Cormega's career has no doubt been a very interesting ride. From the agressive young, prison used, drug dealer repping QB hard heard on "The Realness" he has became both wiser and more skilled as a writer with each album. As any real man should, Cormega has evolved through life experience and he is glad to share his knowledge on "Mega Philosophy". Two tracks in particular was influenced by a trip that Cormega took to Africa in prepartion for the album - and they are definitely thematically stand-outs - "Rise" and "More". The way Large Pro incorporates African percussion during Mega's final verse, which touches on topics that obviously hit close to home on his trip.

This is overall such a well written and lyrically soulful album that I might dare to say that it 'Mega's finest outing as a writer/lyricist yet which not necessarily makes it his best album overall. Every song really let the listener into 'Mega's world and soul, touching on differnet themes that are important, pertaining to topics such as the industry, a couple of straight up welcome boast raps, jail life, honorability, family issues, and more. The somber tone that dominates much of the album really works well with the songs thematical structures, and together it forms what is close to a masterpiece in my opinion. If there is one thing that I can complain about after hearing about the album for such a long time, is it's short length. I know that the "Journey Remix" was originally slated for the LP, and so was "MARS", and I think they would both have made fine inclusions. Either way, this is a real gem of an LP, and I love how both 'Mega and Large Pro keeps growing as artists. I can't wait to see what the future holds!

02. MF GRIMM & Drasar Monumental - "GMV III - The Phoenix Program"

Actually the top spot is pretty much shared between "GMV III" and the album below, but I still might give a slight nod to the latter. Some might believe that because I have somewhat of a personal relationship with the artists behind the "Good Morning Vietnam" series to be a warning signal of bias. Trust me when I say that that couldn't be further from the truth; in fact it was when I first reviewed the original first volume of the album and put it as the #1 album of 2012 (I think it was) that we really started building. And in my honest opinion with each succesful installment they have only became better and more refined. After placing "GMV II - The Golden Triangle" as the best album of its year I was a bit afraid, to be totally honest, that I wouldn't like the third volume as much and have to give it a much weaker review. Because trust me, that's exactly what I would have done if that's what I felt - I'm a blogger, but I take this as serious as cancer. Besdie that I felt that the two volumes that already existed formed such an extremely dope album together (clocking in at around 60 minutes together) that was about as close to perfection you will ever get these days in hip-hop (hence the rare 5/5 rating). I was simply worried, despite knowing what Drasar and MF Grimm was capable of to say the least, that a weaker volume would mean they be started to repeating themeselves. I mean 100+ minutes by one MC, one Producer, and with one concept could get pretty repetitive in the wrong hands. But these were minor concerns, more than anything I was just HYPED!

And worry I sure as hell shouldn't have done. In fact "GMV III - The Phoenix Program" is even better than its two predecessesors while it's clearly also a continuation. To me it feels that what begun on "Good Morning Vietnam" (the track and the EP) has truly come full circle on "The Phoenix Program". Everything is more refined, Drasar has transformed into one of the deadliest secret weapons around armed with an MPC and a record collection, and MF Grimm's verses are now so truly focused on the Vietnam theme and playing around it in a meaningful way that it's just unbeliveable. It's like "Good Morning Vietnam" on steroids. Once again digital and CD buyers gets the 45 minutes long album as two 22 minutes long files - split exactly like the vinyl sides. That right there is a statement of taking it back to forcing the listener to listen to an entire album front to back, and it also puts as much pressure on the artists to be sure to be interesting for that entire time.

Drasar and Grimm does just that - MF Grimm's wordplay and thematic structures are some of his best yet, and he touches on it all; from the political angle (big up for the diss to Henry "snake in the grass" Kissinger), the soldiers in the trenches, the conspiracy "theories", and some really deep stuff like the Icex program (you can learn a lot from this record - look up words you don't know on Google, because they truly did their research on this) on the magnificent "Glaciers of Icex". Then you got Drasar, who according to Grimm is the best collaborator he has ever worked with, and it's easy to see why. Drasar has a totally unique way of producing music, forget about four minutes loops, no matter how dope - he truly produces like a DJ, it's almost like he's having MF Grimm rhyme over a super well thought out beat tape. Whatever you think of the album, one thing's for damn sure - you will not be bored for a second. New ideas and samples are constantly introduced, beats are switching up and then returning to its original form, bombs are dropping while turntable excellence by Drasar and Vendetta Vinyl artist DJ Fooderz takes form behind Grimm's calm but deadly delivery and well written verses takes us back to a time when hip-hop was played in the parks and wack MC's and wack DJ's would get booed of stage. An excellent closing to the "Good Morning Vietnam" saga, and I'm eager to see what these gentlemen wil be cooking up next when dealing with a new, fresh concept.

01. Souls Of Mischief + Adrian Younge - "There is Only Now"

Picking between Souls Of Mischief and Adrian Younge's "There is Only Now" and MF Grmm & Drasar's "The Phoenix Program" for the #1 spot was a tough ass choice, as they are two very different albums. But ultimately I think the Souls LP might have the slightest edge for me here. Souls Of Mischief's debut album "'93 Til' Infinity" will always be remembered as one of the best hip-hop projects of all tme, and the LP that set off the Hieroglyphics movement. Unfortunately, if you ask me, the quartet (consisting of A-Plus, Phesto, Opio, and Tajai) have never managed to reach that high height again (despite a lot of ill tracks and sick Hiero albums. In 2009 they hooked up with Prince Paul for "Montezuma's Revenge", which in fact is a very underrated album - still it was far from an album of the year in 2009.

Then you got the young music composer, multi-instramentalist and proudcer Adrian Younge, a lover of Soul Music and Hip Hop who first rose to prominence through the soundtrack to the hilarious Blaxplotation parody flick "Black Dynamite" (if you haven't seen that gem yet, do so ASAP). This was followed by a brilliant album inspired by Italian Soul / R&B soundtracks created by Younge with his live band Venice Dawn, "Something About April". This was released on Wax Poetics, and led to the two albums that really cemented Younge's name on the urban map. First and foremost, he single handledy brought back William Hart and The Delphonics for one of the greatest Soul albums of the 21st century, which was then followed by a concept album with Ghostface Killah called "12 Reasons to Die". Come to think about it, "12 Reasons..." actually made the top spot on last years list. And both albums definitely have a lot of things in common, but if I was gonna make a choice between the best of the two I would actually give the nod to the Souls LP. I feel that Younge has now truly mastered his craft, and while I love the storytelling of Ghost's album, the concept of "There is Only Now" is even more well rounded.

If the album was created in the same way as the Ghost album, Adrian Younge came up with a basic story for the emcees to work around and develop. On it's most basic level it's a kidnap story but there's more than first meet the ears, and this is definitely an album that you'll have to listen to several times in a focused mindstate before you get the full grasp of it. Once the album kicks off with the smooth jazzy funk of "Time Stopped", the four Souls are out cruising the town together when they suddenly find themeselves in the middle of a shootout. On the other side of the barrell is Womack, brilliantly portrayed by Busta Rhymes, who reminds us why he once used to be considered a truly great emcee on an interpretation of the "Scenario" beat ("Womack's Lament"). In the "Panic" that ensues A-Plus, Opio, and Phesto reflects in a panic state about the situation while also confirming that they are OK. However they now realize that Tajai has been kidnapped. All this is taking place over an absolutely brilliant Younge composition filled with flutes, Rhodes, tight drums and a heavy bassline that truly brings back memories of classic '90s albums like "Midnight Mauraders" and "'93 Til' Infinity". In fact the story takes place in 1994, something I didn't even realize for the first several listens, which is the reason for making the album sound like a lost classic hip-hop album from that year - something it actually succeeds in. Before the albums release Younge said that this project is made for people who love and miss the classic music of artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Hiero crew. Suprisingly Younge and Souls succeeds without coming off as pretentious, nostalgic or simply repeating past glories.

"There Is Only Now" manages to both sound like the classic '90s East Coast boom bap and come of as fresh and innovative. There is several reasons for this - the music on here is extremely well crafted and gorgeously played. Younge and his band is of course playing all instruments live here, but running it through samplers, chopping it up and producing it in a vintage hip-hop fashion that truly gives it a unique sound. Not knowing that this was all live instruments, one might even quite easily be under the impression that the album is produced using a sampler and a library of dusty 12" vinyl of rare jazz and funk. Electric bass, thick drums, various horns and the beloved Fender Rhodes piano are main staples in the production of the 19 cuts found here. The CD comes packaged as a double disc that also includes all instrumentals, and the instrumentals has also been released on wax and tape. This is a great thing as the album actually works really well as a front-to-back listen in both its vocal and instrumental version (of course the vocal version is superior). A reason that Younge has managed to capture a form of that classic Native Tongues sound is the contribution of Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest. While he's not directly credited as co-producer or instrumentalist for more than a couple, three songs the legendary DJ and producer influence and presence can be felt throughout (musically speaking, although he is also playing a fictionalized role of himself narrating the album through radio intermissions). In fact Linear Labs Records also made a 5 track EP of selected stand out tracks from the album that's been remixed and revamped by Muhammad. It's an interesting take on the material that I also strongly recommend my readers to seek out.

Another important reason to Souls Of Mischief's fifth studio album being their greatest since their debut is the freshness of the lyrics and their driving home of the concept. It's like the combination of Younge's music with the clever storyline really bringing the best out of A-Plus, Opio, Phesto and Tajai. Seriously, I've always known these dudes were good on the mic, but throughout this LP I was constantly blown away by their wordplay, cleverly written rhymes and their chemistry together. This also includes the guests Busta Rhymes, Scarub, Snoop Dogg, The Delphonics / William Hart and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who all help make Souls and Younge in creating one of the most cinematic albums you can imagine and the best project released in 2014. 

Top 12 LPs of 2014: #12 - #07

The Lost Tapes is probably the only blog to give you the 10 best albums of 2014 in March 2015, but as I often say better late than never. It actually has a few pros doing it this way - for albums released in December that you want to include because they are so slamming on first listen, 10 spins later they might no be all that hot anymore. Prime example - Ghostface's "36 Seasons", had i done this list on December 20 say, that could possibly have been number #10. Today I've realized it has zero replay value, and while it has it's moments it's probably Ghost's weakest album at 2.5/5.

Anyway, long overdue, and some of these albums have been reviewed more in depth before but I was really on a roll when writing these first five yesterday (DAMN, it all disapppeared so I had to start over)! I'm gonna try to give you the remaining five tomorrow, and perhaps i'm also gonna give you the best Soul/R&B albums, jazz LP:s and the most dissapointing. We'll see, but fuck it, here goes.. Better late than never! Some of these will be more in depth, som will be just a few paragraphs. But I hope you enjoy this my trusted reader!

12. D.I.T.C. - "The Remix Project"

Well, "The Remix Project" is something completely different than all those "Rare & Unreleased" compilarion sthat have been floating around. Hooking up with the well-respected Su´kuce-Of-Spice to create something truly unique tat everybody in the crew as on board with, almost seems as close we're gonna get to a new D.I.T.C. album at this point. And as long as it is this dope,I aint fucing omplaining! Like I said it's a new Crates album but there's not many unreleased verses on here but The Crates was always just as much as the beats as they were about  their rhymes. And it shows great promises for a future official Crates full-lngth. And if you like me you know every single word on this album by heart by now, so it's a pretty fat feeling haring these vocals over equally fat beats as the original. If there one thing I hate is these amateour producers who remixes the true hip-hop masterpieces and  add their little tinker-toy Casio. Here we have the best of the best, Diamond D, Showbiz, Buckwild, Lord Finesse, DJ Premier, Marco Polo, DJ O.Gee, my man Bink! who still to this day is underrated for some reason, and Apollo Brown. The latter is thhe albums only sliip-up in my honet opion. Don't get me wrong, I dig Brown,but he sure as hell ain't on the level of these BX veterans who's been doing it for 25+ years by now. The warm, fake vinyl pops and female vocals doesn't add anything to the striped original so if you ask me it should either be left all altogether, preferarbly by a Amed remix, or given away as a flexi disc when you purchased the 2xLP or something. Ok, it's not horrible, but it's easily the worst track on the LP. Nuff said.

I was also lying a bit when I said thatw already had heard all the vocals on this, which isn't entirely true. "We All", the Alchmiest remix, i actually did hear in 2009 in its original Showbz incarnaton but for most I guess this is a brand new OC and AG track, at least it's its first original rellease. What's damn more interesting though is the Lord Finesse remix of "Thick", i've tried posting this on various forums before but people don't seem too interested. To me, this  is mindblowing shit, the first time I heard it I always chocked on mt coffe once Big L started kicking - and it's well-known that Finesse has vaults of unreleased L and DITC verses. In fact I'm not sure if the "Thick Remix" on The Remix Proect is aremix of "Thick" or an earlier demo/alternative ersion version of the song. It sounds gilly mastered, AG spits his first verse, but you can tell it's not the exact same take as on the album, and the Big L and OC come on. "Got cheddar to blow, chicken swaet me whenever go/ Me and AG be in then you got OC, who for me was pretty much the shining star of "Worldwide". And he sure as hell doesn't disapoint either, but i could possibly be this verse that made the record label have them re-record it (Tommy ain't my fucking boy) - "We're coming dumbing out, for sure, setting the recipe for Fugees when they created The Score/ We all bessed,soon the kidnapp's a success/ tie her up and torture her then force her to suck me, Finesse and Big L. Just to make sure shit's secure, we're holding the broad for ransom/ Make all the grands we can plus Showbiz.  Fat Joe, Diamond D can have some". I mean wow, I could hear that from Big L but this is by far one of the most rugged verses I've heard, and from OC, often somewhat of the voice of reason within the gruoup). I have strong feeling that this is the orginal version of the song, and the Finesse beat sound like his late '90s sound all the way. I could see the record label getting cold feet with this being the first single at all and probablt even OC thought it was too much.. Oh well, I'm just glad I'm finally getting to hear it now, MASTERPIECE!

There's plenty of incredible trackks i could dwell on, but what's the point, just listen ot the tfucking abum. But "DJ Premier's remix of "Diggin' in the Crates", Buckwild's remixes of "Drop it Heavy" and "Casualties of a Dice Game" are sand outs, and so is Marco Polo's remix of "Wau Of Life" that uses vocal parts of both previous remixes o create a real boom bsp treat. It's almost a year since this first dropped and it's still getting regular spins. BUT A WARNING - YOU NEED THE VINYL VERSION OF THS all the way...I don't know what they weree thinking then they made the CD. The 2xLP gets everything right as far as sequencing goes, , it's obvious the LP should start with the fabolous DJ Premier remix of the song that set it all off - "Diggin' in the Crates' - rather than "We All" which is a weak opener but sounds good once you got to wam up to the album a bit..But most important of all is the choice for bonus cuts. The CD version features a second Showbiz remix of "Best Behavior" as well as a 9th Wonder remix of "Casualties of a Dice Game", two songs we have aöready been aquainted with previously on the disc, thus diminishing their lyrical value. The wax version on the other hand features that real Diggin' shit that rounds out on of the best remix albums of our time. First out is the Showbiz remix of "Da Enemy" that was previousy only available on the "All Love" CD. wromgy credted to DJ Premier due to the extreme likeness of the original mix. Closing the album is another Showbiz remix from '97 that has never appeared on an official CD. Slice-Of-Spice keeps on winning; I bought this and Lord Finesse's excellent "Sp1200 Project" 2xCD when they dropped and they sare still in rotation - especially the DITC tape. In fact this only lands at number 10 because it would feel a little foul putting it in a high spot considering it a remix album, but it most def belongs on such a list. Can we get an official DITC album now please?

11. Fashawn & Alchemist - "FASH-ionably Late"
When I first became aware of Fashawn during the promotional campaign for 2009:s debut "Boy Meets World", produced by Exile, and it's Alchemist produced prequel tape "The Antidote" I was absolutely convinced that Fashawn and the equally hard promoted Skyzoo was the next big hope for young, authentic hip-hop. Sure "Boy Meets World" and "The Salvation" are fucking unbelivable albums, but since then, and especially in Fashawn's case something happened. The great young hope started releasing mediocre mixtapes and features and kind of lost all my interest, But then he signed to Nas Mass Appeal Records, started recording "The Ecology" and things really started to look bright again.

The formula is quite the same from 2009, the Exile laced album features more serious and personal topics over a mixture of smoother underground West Coast flavor styles and a few tracks of more typicical East Coast boom bap. However with the prequel tapes that Alchemist handles, it's the other way around and Fash and ALC has one hell of a chemistry together. From the slow-moving but powerful, bass heavy opening "Po For President" it's clear that the one MC/one DJ formula is being used as an homage to the classic hip-hop that ALC and Fash grew up on. The music is 100% sample based - and there's no question these guys had a lot of fun recording this which is evident to hear,The loops, chops and filtered bsaslines, and powerhouse breakbeats is as strong as one could hope for. "Dreams" with Evidence might even be one of the years best songs, with its concept of how dreams can become reality if you truly strive for them to be so. break or make you, all accentuated by a beautiful, dreamt vocal sample being looped throughout. Faashawn is letting loose on here in a way that he doesn't quite do on "The Ecology" - just take "Professor F" as an example, where Fash goes haywire with lines like "Ashes to ashes/ you're as(s)h is finnished, you never crlash with a master of massive writtens/ matter of fact, are you bad since you asked permission for operat' in the classic shields ad tradition// Staff gets toe tagged when we enter the building/ I'm bad like Mike Jackson's dad, Joe Jackson nigga..." All delivered with a flow that is simply out of this world. It just keeps going like this, with both artists puttng in their best work in quite some time. That this isn't pressed up on vinyl is a good damn shame, they could at least give away a limited run to the first 500 peple wgo pre-ordered "The Ecology" directly from Mass Appeal. Last but not least, I gotta give a big shout out my homie Antoine Peltier as I only listened to this onece and forgot about (theere's so much music out there right now), but he really made made me revisit it again and GOD DAMN you were right A! Thanks bro!

10. Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild - "Silk Pyramids"
This was by far one of my most anticipated albums of '14, and the first time I heard it I was simply flabbergasted by its dopeness! Had it been released December 14 and I did this list on January 14 this would probablty be in the top three. The good folks over at Chopped Herring know what the hell we want to hear, and although they are releasing pricey rare, limited releases, at least they was nice enough to release a full arrtwork CD for us regular workers.

Meyhem Lauren and Buckwild is undoubtedly an excellent combination; I always thought post-2000 Buck beats sounded at their best with some thugged out emcee with a ruff, rugged and raw voice and gangster lyrics. What better emcee then than Meyhem Lauren to get to spin his gritty NYC stories over an LP produce by D.I.T.C. most commercially viable producer. And the result is a straight hardcore affair all the way through with Lorenovich doing what he does best and Buckwild providing banger after banger. "Q.U. Cartilage", "Salmon Crocquettes", "Street Hop", "100 MPH" ("I'ma put a gerbil in your mom - haha, only Bronson would come up with that line), "Been Official" is the real street shit and also when the album works best. But it's also a good thing that not the entire album is on some gangster shit (how fucking boring was Kool G Rap's Necro collaboration?). "Can't Fuck 'Em All" is a hilarious song for all the players in the world, and as an old drug addict the darkness of both the beat and vocals on "Narcotics Anonymous" really speaks to me on my personal level. "Aztec Blues" is a beautiful track, where Buck's haunting vocal sample and percussion becomes the perfect backdrop for Meyhem and Aztec to go motivational. And the list goes on...

What I do find iteresting is the many versions that's floating around of this baby. The LP version has some different titltes, like "Love & Loyalty" is called "Friendship is Rare", and a few others. But it also includes two sngs not found on the CD that I still haven't gotten my hands on (so plesae if anyone is sitting on these, please hook me up, as much music I have given y'all over the years) - they are "French 75" and "Rep The Streets". I'm not sure whether or not like this or the Celph Titlted album Buck did better - I absolutely love Buck's 90 beats, and the guests were ridiciolous, but on the other hand this is completely new beats and Meyhem is such a better emcee than Celph Titled. Either way they are both quality LP:s.

09. Audessey & A Kat Called Fritz - "Beats Per Minute"

This list is really the 11 best albums of 2014 because when I sketched up the top 10 I totally forgot to include Soundsci/Mass Influence members Audessey's first solo endevaour. Oh wait, it's not quite a solo album in the senese that its one MC/One DJ getting busy for ten unbelivably smooth tracks. The proucer is is a Dutch beat maestro that goes by the name of A Cat Called Fritz. Released on Slice-Of-Spice records, who like to take chances on records like this, hit the jackpot on this one. Audessey's chill voice and soothing cadence is a perfect match for Fritz jazz-fusion dynamics. There's no question that Fritz #1 love in this world is his extensive jazz collection and he uses it like a real pro, taking the energy and turntablisim of hip-hop and augmentation it with the relaxing sounds of the bop. A sounds like a true pro rhyming over low-key Fender Rhodes, melodic stand up basses,

Or how about the combination of sax and acoustic piano that crates a feeling of longing on one of the album's true stand outs "Impressions", as A waxes knowledge about learning lfe lessons through new impressionns. Grown man rap gets thrown around a lot these days but this is definitely a term that fits this project like hand in glove.  Once you reaches the somber, yet throughly beutiful "Travelling Thoughts" where Audessey, Fritz and the uncredited guest singer all bring their A+ game you know you have wittnessed something really special. A heed of warning though, bcause I believe you need to have a true in-depth appreciation for true jazz music to be able to truly grasp and enjoy his album to the fullestt. But if you already do you are not likely to put it down any time soon. 

08. OC & Ray West - "Ray's Café"

This is a brilliant project right here. OC is one of my all time favorite emcees who can hold it down with the best of them at any given topic. Ray West, I was a bit skeptical about at first, my first acquiantance was the album he did together with AG called "Got Berries?" that I viewed as quite the dissapointment after A's work with Showbiz, Lord Finesse, J Dilla, Madlib, Jake One, and so on. But for each release  since I've grown to release what an amazing, truly original producer West is, truly tailor suiting his records for the emcees he's working with and the thematic concepts they are working on for the particular project.

Friends and The Lost Tapes followers know very well that OC is in my top 5 emcees and the Brooklyn emcee is just as interesting today as he was in 1994 when he dropped "Word... Life". Of course he's a grown man, which makes me appreciate his thoughts even more as I can relate on another level. The loose concept of the album is a small jazz club with O and Ray on  the scene, and the backdrops all have a loose jazz vibe to them with typical instrumentals, like stand-up bass accoustic piano or Fenders, female backing vocals (on the wonderful "Soul Kitchen"). OC leaves the mic to AG and Milano on "Go Back" over an addictive electric piano sample and a hush-hush vocal sample that really works. The only question is why OC didn't kick a verse as well considering it's not even 2:30 in length - it's not a big deal though, it's DITC all the way. Next up is one of my favorite joints "Lovers"; OC tells the story that I think any guy can relate too, seeing that wonderful girl on the subway/train that you just got to have. OC's flow on this is just ridicilous, and if you want something in life you need to get it which is why he strikes up a conversation and gives her her number.

Damn, maybe this EP should have been higher, because I feel I want to talk about every single song on here, especially the second half of it are absolutely bonkers. "Breaking Rules", the single "YMI" (man what an uplifting song), and the official CD/cassette closer, the somber "Gotta Luv It" are all masterpieces that brings out the best in both the MC and his producer; the latter also reminisces over Roc Raida and Party Arty. It's a great closer to an terrific record, but it bugs me that only iTunes afficionandos and digital purchasers went without the bonus track "Just Cause". An almost perfet tack that almost has O rhyming in a double time flow, and especially as it closes on the attendans in Ray's Café clapping at the performance. Now that was a mistake... Of coure there's now the expanded CD which features all 10 tracks plus 4 more, including the brilliant "After Hours" and "My Heart in the Streets" (let's forget about "Learn Lessons").

07. PRhyme - DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9" & A. Younge are PRhyme

This is an interesting album to say the least, not only on the musical level but also its whole execcution. Royce is releasing albums and mixtapes left and right, while DJ Premier have promised album and EP after another for years (NYGz where ya at?!) only to nothing more happening than pissing fans off. Maybe that was the collest thing about "PRhyme"; I mean there's been talks about a Royce/Preem album for years, but from the official announcement to the first singles was like a week. Inititally it was just a five track EP that was expanded into a nine track album due  to the chemistry and I'm very thank ful for that.

I'm not the biggest Royce fan, I mean he's obviously the most interesting member of Slaughterhouse if that really is saying anything, but ever since "Boom" in 12" ever since he worked in D&D with Preem he turns in a top 10 rapper. "PRhyme" is a classic hip-hop album, filled with beauifully chopped soul samples, just the right loops, mad turntable action,  and plenty of hilarious lines from Royce clowning on sucker emcees and every  one else in his ways. It's a vintage hip-hop album to say  the least. And as big fan I am of Adrian Younge's catalouge I can't actually make out too many of the samples, which is a huge testament of how ill Premier is at chopping and manipulating samples. The one I especially recognize is the one he fucked with the least, and is also one of my favorites, "You Should Know", a super soulful thing of beauty fittingly featuring the sugar coated voice of Dwele over a sample of The Delphonics.

Another thing that makes "PRhyme" such a slamming album is how the duo is never letting things get boring - one of the best songs on the album ("U Looz") is not even two minutes long, "Wishin'" keeps switching back and forth betweenn two equually ill beats, and the guest emcees are kept to a minimum. But those rhyme cameos are all KILLING shit, Jay Electronica on "To Me, To You" should get a quotable of the month for his second verse if The Source was still a respectable mag; Killer Mike and Schoolboy Q helps out 5'9" over a powerhouse DJ Premier banger that's sure to have head s nodding, and then the final track is a Slauthgerhouse reunion - the first Preemo prodiuced such and it sure as hell sounds good, Premier can basically make anyone sound good but when your crew include lyrical machine guns like 5'9", Crooked I and Joell Ortiz all he got to do is add some thick drums, a stripped down beat these lyrical machine guns to go off. A short but very sweet album. Don't sleep!


TO BE CONTINUED

[Review] A look back @ CORMEGA's "MEGA PHILOSOPHY"

Since I started this blog about five years ago I always featured an in-depth article/review for the five to ten of my favorite albums of that respective year. I'm a big reviewhead, but writing these takes some time, and I've been quite busy as of late (which is why The Lost Tapes has kind of lacked in updates recently). There was however some absolutely tremendous projects released last year by some of the most esteemed emcees and producers doing it, so I say better late than never to give some of these albums a more thorough spotlight. Since his official debut "The Realness" in 2001, a hardcore QB album filled with rugged beats and equally rugged street stories, metaphorical songs, and agressive diss tracks the album became an instant classic. "The True Meaning" was much in the same vein, though sporting some higher profile producers like Buckwild, Large Pro, Emile and The Alchemist. It also featured more reflective tracks that still stands as some of 'Mega's finest ("Love in Love Out", "Ain't Gona Change", "Live Ya Life", etc.). Although dropping several mixtapes and the street album "Legal Hustle Volume One" it wasn't until 2009 that one of QBs finest dropped his third official LP - an album ("Born and Raised") that showed a much more mature sound of Cormega. With titles like "Love Your Family", "Live and Learn", "Define Yourself", "One Purpose" and "The Other Side" it was clear that Cory wasn't very interested in being stuck on rapping about crack and smack but rather grow as a person while inviting listeners to hear his own personal growth. With backdrops by Large Pro, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Havoc, Easy Mo Bee, Ayatollah, Buckwild and Fizzy Womack it was more a laid back effort, yet an extremely well crafted front-to-back listen.

Which leaves us in 2014 when the long awaited joint collaboration between Cormega and producer The Large Professor, that had been discussed for years, finally saw the light of day. As mentioned earlier, each of his albums up to this point has enabled listeners to follow his growth not only as a talented wordsmith, but also as a man - which gives listeners the feeling of actually knowing the man, much in the same way that Nas has done throughout his career. Listening to "Mega Philosophy" there is no question that this is 'Mega's most personal album to date, venting about the industry and how especially treat black artists, the negativity of being incarcerated, personal issues both about his baby mother and close family members, the marginalization of Africa as a country of old wisdom and knowledge, and much more. Pretty much every song has something to say; even in the opening posse cut "MARS II" there are bars touching on the police brutality and loss of young black life that we see today. It's a short album but from the first to last song the lyrics is incredibly well written, representing Cormega's finest hour as an emcee's emcee (not to say it's his best album overall). A few times listeners will find him rhyme slightly out of pocket, as he sometimes trying to squeeze to many words within a couple of bars, but this is a minor complaint as for the vast majority of the LP he is really on his grind. Guest spots on the album are thankfully limited, but the few emcees who help Cory out, is Raekwon, Nature, and Black Rob as well as the second installment of the posse cut "MARS" which features Mega, AZ, Redman, and Styles P. 

A Cormega album entirely produced by Large Professor has been on mine, and a load of true hip-hop heads, wishlist for years. With previous tracks like "Journey", "The Come Up" and the original "MARS" has proved what an incredible chemistry these two Queens representatives can bring  out in their best moments. In fact both Cormega and Large Professor are two of those rare type of artists which I rarely have heard a wack track from. Add the fact that "Mega Philosophy" was first conceived some two or three years ago and this tells you a lot about the thought and quality time put into this project. At first listen some listeners only knowing this duo's more hardcore material might be a bit suprised as the sound here is, although filled with pounding drums and booming basslines, more laid back, filled with melodic samples that often feel like analog live instruments. Though there are a few harder joints on here, "Honorable", "D.U.", "Rap Basquiat", these are also the songs that find 'Mega in a harder B-Boy stance, showing off his immense skills on the mic. On the other hand of the spectrum are songs like the beautiful "Rise", "More", and the incredible album closer "Valuable Lessons". These are also some of the most reflective and thematically important records on the LP, which Extra-P's prodution really grounds and amplifies with his melodic sample-centered use of keys, guitars and african rhythms (on "More"). The eleven songs found here really showcases how good an album can turn out with just one emcee and one producer if the two have the extreme type of chemistry that these two definitely does. It should also be noted that Cormega himself was heavily involved in the production, picking out samples and working hand-to-hand with Large Pro at times as told in the excellent interview article that XXL published shortly before the albums release.

Clocking in at only thirty three minutes, and as it definitely follows a theme, I'm torn between whether or not I would like to have more songs on here or not. When I listen to the digital version of the album I often add the first version of "MARS", the remixes of "Industry", and the remix to "Joruney" with OC and Sadat X (which in fact was created especially for inclusion on the LP but was scrapped somewhere in the process, perhaps due to the fact that it had been out for too long - I'm still waiting on a CDQ version of that though, such a slamming joint). With or without bonus tracks "Mega Philosophy"  is one of Cormega's finest works yet, and it's amazing how he just keeps on growing as a lyricist. You can tell he means every word, straight from the heart, and he's never been one to shy away from any topic. If you don't already own this, then HURRY UP AND BUY!

[2014 in Review] O.C. - "Ray's Café"

The Diggin' in the Crates crew has really been going strong this year, with exceptional albums and EP:s from Diamond D, OC, AG, Buckwild (w. Meyhem Lauren), Lord Finesse (instrumental double album), and even a D.I.T.C. remix project of classics. Several of this are among my favorites of the year and one of them is without a doubt OC's mini album with Ray West, called "Ray's Café". It's somewhat of a concept album in the sense that it metaphorically takes place within a fictional jazz club called "Ray's Café" where OC is the headliner for the evening, playing the smoky night club with his mix of jazz and hip-hop. It's quite different from OC's earlier projects, considering how laid back Ray West's production is, yet the chemistry between the seasoned veteran emcee and the relatively new beat maestro is extraordinary. 

Since I heard his debut with "Word... Life" OC has been very close to the top of my list of my favorite emcees and aside from some sidesteps he has managed to stay there with incredible projects like "Jewelz" (1997), "Starchild" (2005), "Oasis" w. AG (2009) and more recently "Trophies" with Apollo Brown (2012). "Ray's Café" is another real gem from the D.I.T.C. emcee, and Ray West's sophisticated jazz sampling production brings out the best in OC in the creation of the grown man rap displayed here. This is music for grown men made by grown men - over accoustic bass lines, accoustic piano lines and keyboard melodies, and ocassional guitars and heavy drum programming, OC invites listeners into his everyday life. With that unmistakable cadence, and top flow OC speaks on having barbecues and parties with his close friend, seeing a hot chick on the subway and dividing with himself about tyring to get that number, how thanful he is he made it this far, and so on. If you've followed OC's career like I've had, you'll definitely feel like you know him and the way his mind works at this point and "Ray's Café" is another crown achievement that is a must for any fan of O, Ray West and the D.I.T.C. crew. Speaking of Ray West, I think this is his finest production yet, considering that every song is exceptionally ill and extremely coherrent.

Originally released on CD, cassette and digital, the record was released on CD a few month later now including five additional songs from the same sessions, making it feature a total of 14 songs and a running time of about 35 minutes. While most of the bonus tracks doesn't necessarily live up to the high standards set by the original tracks, there are some absolutely fantastic joints here that add to the concept in a great way. "Just Cause" is actually one of my favorite songs on the entire CD, with a addictive one-bar guitar loop and a double time flow by OC that's stops between each verse to make room for a beautful sampled female hook. Why this wasn't on the original release is beyond me. "After House" is a smooth, laid back joint where OC reflects on the "After Hours" after a long night, and is built around a deep guitar sample; I'd say this is worthy of the original version as well. "Learn Lessons" is produced by NYC-based electronic musicna Phil Moffa rather than West and it sticks out like a sore thumb as it has more of a club sound to it - throwing this on in a jazz club would definitely turn the crowd off. OC rhymes good as well but the track itself is plain weak, luckily it clocks in in least than two minutes. The final cut on the so calld "After Hours" version is the smoothest, most laid back cut on the entire record. "My Hearts in the Street" is a beautiful closing to a great album that plays great from front-to-back with the exception of the aforementioned "Learn Lessons". Just like OC did on "Trophies", working exclusively Apollo Brown (an album that also made my top LP:s of 2014), it's evident that O works best when recording an entire album worth of music with one producer exclusively. Omar Credle truly hasn't lost a step and Ray West is getting better with every new release he drops. Last but not least, if you don¨t mind purchasing a CD I strongly recommend copping the deluxe edition which I personally count as OC¨s new album, rather than the EP it¨s advertized as. TURN IT UP!

[2014 in review] #5 - FLYING LOTUS - "You're Dead"

I can't understand those people who basically only listen to strictly hip-hop music. Music as a whole is my number one love, and though hip-hop is by far my favorite genre but how someone can be musically satisfied by only listening to rap music is for me absolutely mind boggling when there's so much great music from a wide range of genres out there - jazz in all it's incarnations, blues, rock, heavy metal and industrial, and even some classical music. As a true music lover I am mad happy that we got artists like Flying Lotus and the artists on his Brainfeeder label pushing the boundaries of modern electronic music by taking a page from the past and moving forward into new terrority. As for FlyLo I've had my eyes on him since his "Cosmogramma" album in 2010, but it was when  the grandson of legendary jazz pianist Alice Coltrane dropped his tripped out "Until the Quiet Comes" in 2012 that I truly fell in love with his music. After letting the 2xLP set live on my turntables and on my Android phone for a long time, I was soon after starting to fiending for new music by the DMT fanatic. For me the release of the follow-up to "Quiet", beautifully titled "You're Dead". FlyLo has more than repated that same feat of greatness  again, without repeating himself. "Until the Quiet Comes" is pretty close to a perfect album, and i strongly feel that this new LP is it's sister album as it shares many similarities yet it's evolved and features a lot of new tracks. 

Now in 2014, Steven Ellison, also known a Flying Lotus, returns with his sixth album, tenth if we're counting Extended Plays, "You're Dead" on October 7, via Warp Records. While "Until The Quiet Comes" was a laid back, psychadelic journey into the mind with high free jazz, jazz fusion and electronic hip-hop overtones, "You're Dead" pretty much continues where its predecessesor left off. The 20 track collection plays out more like a suite than the type of albums we are used to hear these days, be they instrumental or not. Many of the songs are only one or two minutes and throughout the whole 40 minutes LP almost every feeling is represented in the most beautiful way - whether it be straight up disonant hardcore shit (the powerful "Tesla"), laid-back  music of extreme longing like one of my personal favorites "Coronus, The Terminator", heavy free jazz bangers ("Cold Dead"), the percussion and Rhodes brilliance of "Moment of Hesitation". Pointing out each song is definitely pointless as the entire album revels in front-to-back brilliance and personally I would say that this is FlyLo's finest full-length album to date. One of the main reasons for this, is that FlyLo is here taking his production to the next level - while previous albums has mainly been mainly sample based, "You're Dead" is a mixture of Lotus' sample wizardry and a host of live musicians that he has invited to the sessions. The 19/20 tracks suite (depending on which version you have) clearly has a sonic thread running throuhgout them, wihtout ever coming off as monotone. The jazz elements are way more pronounced here than on the previous FlyLo albums - so much that in fact this is the first album of his that I would feel comfortable putting in my jazz album collection. He has here gathered the usual suspects like bassist/vocalist Thundercat, sweet voiced Nikki Randa, string conductor Miguel Atwood-Fergusson, but there's also a host of legendary jazz artists adding color to the album. All these artists appeared on the previous LP as well, though not to the same extent, but on "You're Dead", Ellison takes the jazz and hip-hop approach a step further. One of my all time-favorite artists of all time, pianist/keyboardist Herbie Hancock adds his magical Rhodes touch on the hauntingly beautiful "Tesla" and "Madness Of Hesitation". while jazz guiartist/bassist and keyboardist Jeff Lynn add some color to "Stirring" to great effect. These legendary artists appears simultaneously in FlyLo's world with rising stars like superb sax player Kamsai Washington who really add a lot of jazz texture to standouts such as "Moment Of Hesitation", "Cold World", "Turkey Dog Come", and "Moment of Hesitation". 

Production is absolutely flawless throughout, the way Flying Lotus uses samples and live instruments of abstract melodies, disonant studio trickery, distorted vocals, melodic basslines, Rhodes, agressive saxophones and of course the slamming drums. As I stated before this abum really defies labeling, but might be closest to free jazz, jazz fusion or experimental electronic music. But hip-hop heads will definitely not be dissapointed either, as FlyLo creates some abstract but very dope hip-hop joints. The  first single "Never Catch Me" featuring an outstanding verse from Kendrick Lamar, while Lotus' Quasimoto like alter-ego Captain Murphy gets busy on a couple of tracks and even Snoop Dogg makes an apperance on the absolutely brilliant "Dead Man's Tetris". Whatever you do don't sleep on this album!

[2014 Review] HAVOC - "Thirteen" / MOBB DEEP - "The Infamous Mobb Deep"

As much as I loved Mobb Deep back in the mid-to-late '90s, especially Havoc's production work and their gritty street rhymes. But then "Infamy" hit, and I was pretty much appaled, something that continued with much of their work on the following Mobb albums; generic rhymes, delivered in a lazy fashion over subpar beats. And their solo albums and guest apperances/productions had the occassional glimpse of greatness. Havoc's solo debut album "The Kush" in 2007 was a rushed affair that really didn't make anything for anyone, while Prodigy's "H.N.I.C. 3" stands as one of the worst albums ever released by a great artist if you ask me. Hav's 2013 album "13" was actually a pretty solid effort though, but I can't say I really have played it too much. However, it turns out the Mobb wasn't ready to be counted out just yet.

Earlier in 2014, Mobb Deep reunited for "The Infamous Mobb Deep" a thirteen track album that by far is the best Mobb album for years. Havoc produced or co-produced about half the joints on it, including stand-outs like "Taking You Off Here", "Murderer" and "Legendary" why peeps like !llmind, Alchemist, Karyanda, and Beat Butcha does a great job on capturing an updated version of that vintage Mobb Deep sound. P and Hav still hasn't recovered fully as the immense lyricists they were one but there's plenty of ill one lines and derpressing QB thug rhymes. It's definitely the duo's illest album since "Murda Muzik" and a pleasant suprise to all of us 41:st side heads that had lost faith in the Mobb as a group. Especially the first half of the first disc is absolutely blazing; the aforementioned "Taking You Off Here" sets the album off lovely with a nice drum and bass combo by Hav underlined by a hypnotic organ grinder provided by !llmind that makes the QB legends murder rhhymes sounds fantastic. "Get Down" features that classic Mobb sound with progressive rhythm and a dusty, sample provided by Havoc that will definitely be a treat to heads who's been following the group for a long time. "Dirt" and "Timeless", produced by !llmind and Beat Butcher, continues the dusty sound slightly reminiscent of "Murda Muzik", and especiallly on the former Havoc comes through with a strong verse. Shame the version with Ghostface wasn't made in time for the album though, because that's on some other shit. Following some more low-key, almost R&B-flavored cuts the hardcore shit returns with "Murdera", "Check The Credits", "Gimme All That" (which with it's hypnotic keyboard sample and pounding drums might be the ultimate standout on the album), and The Alchemist produced "Legendary" which reeds listeners in with the magnificent dark strings and overall grimey sounds, almost reminiscent of a lost "Hell On Earth" cut. All in all Mobb Deep proved in 2014 that they can still put out a pretty damn great album, and for a long time fan that's been dissapointed in most of their recent releases this was nothing short of a revelation. That it cames packed with a bonus CD featuring fourteen tracks from the original "The Infamous..." '94/'95 sessions, before Q-Tip became involved with the album. This is the real treat of the LP, especially the impeccable prevously unreleased version of "Eye For An Eye". While I haven't copped this one yet, it's definitely will find its way into my collection sooner or later.

As a sister album, Havoc's "Thirteen: Reloaded" was perhaps an even more pleasant suprise to me, probably because Havoc's beats between 1994 and 2000 was some of the illest shit I've ever heard. I didn't have much hope for this album, and it even took some time for me to check it out after it was leaked... but man I was blown away by this album! Hav's rhymes on here are not his best, and not anything mindblowing, but he always had a good voice and with beats like this his lyrics doesn't take away from the overall context of the music. While lyrically it's standard thugged out Hav rhymes, the production on "Thirteen Reloaded" is absolutely amazing hardcore QB shit straight through and truly carries the album. I was impressed by the first two singles released "Dirt Calls" and "What I Rep" which showcased a hard hitting yet very simple approach, old school style, that really worked well and had my head nodding like crazy. Turns out that these two joints were far from the strongest joints on the album, as Havoc constantly proves that he's still one of the best producers around and has entered his second coming. Take joints like the hardhitting "Not Yours", and the Mobb Deep collaboration "Uncut Raw", the soulful exercises in "Don't Take it Personal" and "Listen to the Man", the breakbeat funk of "What's Your Problem", and the laid back beauty that is the Cormega collaboration "Fallen Soldiers" which by far is one of the strongest songs on an album filled with strong songs. There's also some tight bonus songs such as "Tear Shit Up" with Mysonne and the majestic yet dark "Champion Winner". In other words Havoc has for the first time in about 15 years released an album that is truly a great front-to-back listen - at least from a production standpoint.

[2014 Review] WU-TANG CLAN - "A Better Tomorrow"

Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. are my absolute favorite crews, or even artists,so a new group album from either is big news for me. While the Wu's seventh and probably final album has been the object of a lot of harsh critiscm from plenty of hip-hop fans, the press has been a lot kinder to it (jsut like with the shighly underrated "8 Diagrams"). Hip hop fans main complaint about the new project seems to be as simple as they don't think it sounds like a Wu album, mainly focusing on positivity in the lyrics, while complaining about RZA's production sounding "too soft" compared to earlier work. On a personal level I don't find that either of those complaints applies at all to the album for me. In fact, compared to "8 Diagrams" much of this sounds a whole lot more like vintage Wu-Tang music, yet it's also something totally different. A new chamber if you will... One thing that I really dig is that the majority of the Clan sound really on the same page here, unlike on their previous release where I got the impression that RZA had recorded lyrics, changed around beats and used their voices as another instrument without their "consent" if you will. The production is a lot more soulful, incorporating a lot of live instrumentation, but as always RZA refuses to repeat himself as every Clan album so far has sounded very different from one another.

Now don't get me wrong, this sure as hell ain't the perfection found on the first six Wu-Tang Clan solos, Ghost's "Supreme Clientele" and "The W" (not to mention "Wu Forever" and "36 Chambers"). But those are like some of the best albums ever recorded, so i don't know how you could expect them represing that feat again. But for me who grew up on The Wu, there words through the years almost working as a home education, I think it's nothing short of a blessing to hear a new Wu-Tang Clan album featuring (mostly) energized performances and certain displays of that classic chemistry over new RZA beats  21 years after their debut. Most of our beloved emcees does not sound as hungry here, but they bring a certain energy to the table and some well written verses that's right up there with some of their best in recent years. Especially GZA, who appears on six of the LP:s fifteen tracks stands out as absolutely captivating whenever he drops; check his verse on "Necklace" for something really astounding. Reminding us why he's considered The Genius, he often takes the approach of his announced "Dark Matters" projects where he writes from a perspective of hard science, and it's often very impressive. What's so great about The Wu is that nine talented rhymers with different styles and different approaches to writing come together like voltron which always makes for a fascinating listen. There's however a bunch of questionable, or straight up corny lyrics here and there ("Might not have nailed here/ but I can tell you how spooing felt" by Meth on the otherwise excellent 'Felt' might be the most mindblowing example). There's plenty of great verses from other generals as well, Raekwon who only appears on a handful of tracks straight up kills it, Inspectah Deck and Ghostface's performances on "Miracle" is unbelivable and Masta Killa and U-God rips whatever track they are put on. Another thing that's very welcome is the amount of members appearing on the majority of the songs, a step up from the many duo and trio tracks on the previous group effort.

As with any Wu album, the lyrical beastery is of course only half the story though. I'm a big fan of the group's three first albums as well as "8 Diagrams" so the majority of RZA's production steez for his Wu brethren has always been superb to me, yet always also different. It's like with the chambers they like to talk about - this is by far a very different approach from The RZA than what he utilized on "8D". Gone are the slow moving, dark psychadelically creeping atmosphere, in turn of an album that takes it back to a time in hip-hop when beats would have you amped without being too hardcore. Masta Killa compared the production to a New Birth record, and in a way "A Better Tomorrow" sees the group coming full circle. While on "Enter The Wu-Tang" RZA went hard with the Stax catalouge, creating some extremely memorable tracks from the classic Soul label. For "A Better Tomorrow" he actually invited some of the original artists to play and/or put their input on tracks, and much of it definitely has a murky '70s and '60s blaxploatation vibe to them. It's obvious that RZA's been heavily influenced by the "Chamber Music" and "Legendary Weapons" albums put out a couple of years back that was filled with live instrumentation played in such a way that it sounded like sampled records. One of RZA's strongest feats as an album producer (to me the best that ever was no matter how many wack albums he would end turning in) has always been his ear for sequencing and making sure you get a full listening experience. This one could works well both at an afterparty or experienced in a good set of headphones at home. And he isn't above letting other people contribute as long as it's dope. On "Iron Flag" they had outside producers like Nick Fury Loftin and The Trackmasters, both decent songs, but they didn't have anything to do on a Wu-Tang Clan album. The other producers invited to work on this are more in the line of what the Wu is about. The greatest suprise is the return of 4th Disciple, perhaps one of the most underrated producers of all time, who hasn't worked with the Wu since '99. His input here results in two of the albums best records, the heartfelt "Miracle" (one of my personal favorites along with "Never Let Go", two tracks which both seems to be real love it or hate it record) and the vintage grime of "Necklace". Let's hope this means 4th will be working on future solo projects from the Clan.

In conclusion, I need to stress that this is an album that has its fair share of flaws, yet at the time it is also my most played LP, and I pretty much always give it the front-to-back spin. When talking flaws there's some song concepts that just don't work for me; the most obvious example being "Preacher's Daughter", which despite great storytelling comes off as clichéd and uninteresting. The same can be said about "Wu-Tang Reunion" which is a decent song, but should be left as a B-side or promotional single - not to mention it's been out for over years, literally unchanged. Also while most of the beats are right up my alley I can't stand a large amounts of the R&B hooks. RZA's misconception seems to be that if you're a "real musician" you need to have a hook and a singer on there (read the "Wu-Manual" if you don't know what that "real musician" quote are about). Still I stongly recommend this album - I think it's one that will be a lot more apperciated once the smoke has settled. You can order your copy from juno.co.uk and many other sites.