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In the school of hard knocks, THIS is the ultimate dissertation. Takes every aspect of hip hop that the golden era enhanced (Tribe's jazzizness, Wu-Tang's grittiness, Rakim's rhyme schemes, Kool G rap's storytelling) and culminates it into a 39 minute masterpiece that exudes timelessness despite its relative brevity.
Recent Reviews
This album is pure storytelling. Bill writes like a man who’s lived every bar. “Harlem” plays like street reporting, not myth making. You can feel the heat trapped in small rooms and the grind of cold mornings. When he talks about his grandmother, it is so vivid you can see the church shoes and hear the quick clap that snaps you back in line. The love songs cut a different way too. He does not lean on flowery language. He tells the truth about missing somebody, about the ache ... read more
This album still moves furniture. Polow’s low end is ridiculous, claps clean, and Rich Boy’s Alabama drawl cuts through like knife thru butter. The sweet spot is obvious: “Role Models,” “Boy Looka Here,” “Throw Some D’s,” “What It Do.” That run is winner’s circle music. Chant hooks, trunk knock, zero strain. “Ghetto Rich” is the glow up, John Legend turns the hook into sunlight. Big Boi slides in and everything ... read more
Trinity feels like peak Detroit with the plug half-in. Without Dilla on the boards most of the time, a lot of joints sound like they’re tracing Fantastic’s silhouette instead of moving like it. You still get sparks: “Tainted” is gorgeous, Dwele butter and Baatin’s voice hitting the heart. “Fall in Love” tells on everything—the second real Dilla shows up, the groove turns human, crooked swing, warm bass, instant float. “Who Are We” gets ... read more
The 3rd installment of the resurgent series finds Nas more comfortable and cozy than ever. He has the delivery of a man who has no more pressure, just passion for rhyming. He still can stack internal rhymes with ease and he can still tell an engaging story. Reminiscing on old times in the industry, squashed beefs and black cultural icons past and present, he comes across as the cool uncle with the old school swagger, chomping on a lit cigar, telling his nephews stories and cautionary tales of ... read more
Juelz Santana’s From Me to U is Dipset energy in its purest form. The Heatmakerz are all over this thing, chopping up samples into something loud and dramatic for the streets. At the time, Kanye was taking soul flips in a more conscious, alternative direction, but Juelz and the crew made sure their version stayed raw and chaotic.
One of the cool parts of revisiting this album is hearing just how much it rubbed off on Lil Wayne. A song like Squalie feels like a blueprint for the flows ... read more
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aka Uncle Oldhead Lopez according to a certain reviewer
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