Dr. Dre Chronic 2001
by
Ed Fields
It is definitely a pleasure to have another Dre record to ride to. It
seems on the west coast that riding is back in style. Dre came back for
the 2000 with that gangsta shit, he went back to the real deal. "So if
you aint up on game" Dre is "representin for all the gangstas all across
the world." Not only is Dre ridin' but he brought along 3 time platinum
rookie artist Eminem ridin' Shotgun and other artists like Snoop Dogg,
Xzibit, King Tee, Kurrupt, Nate Dogg, Mc Ren, Six-Two, Tray-Dee, Hittman,
Eddie Griffin and the list goes on. Cats are hanging people by their Soul
Train laminates, slicing thoats, smokin' chronic while claiming that Aftermath
and the entire city of Los Angeles is on the move.
As far as the beats go Dre does it again proving that he is the undisbuted
heavyweight champion of producers. He's Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson all
rolled in one. If you don't have this one go out and buy it today.
Click
here to listen to "
Track # 6".
Click here to listen to " Track # 12 ".
Kurrupt
Tha Streetz iz a Mutha
Antra Records/Artemis Records
by
Ed Fields
Kurrupt is definieltey set tripin' on this CD. Talkin' about, "We all
gang bang". This entire album is about thug life at its fullest from start
to finish. Definitley not radio or MTV friendly, this album is for people
who are out there living that life. I'm sure that there are cats out there
hiding from day to day finding themselves C-walking around the house throwing
up whatever neighborhood they live in. Kurrupt is proud to be a "Dogg-Pound
nigga and he aint ever gonna give it up". This album has appearances by
Xzibit, Daz, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Warren G, T-Moe of the Goodie
Mob, Tray Dee, Roscoe, Soopa Fly, Battle Cat, Fred Wrek, Crooked I and
KRS 1.
Almost everybody that appears on this album is screaming about affiliation,
hustling, murder, or gettin' high. It is good to see that the West Coast
is putting it down together despite all the drama that has occurred in
the past; because its all about the West Side being the Best Side. Xzibit
says, "If it wasn't for the West these rap niggaz wouldn't need a vest
around they chest..." I'm hearing a 100% grade A beef being called out
by name. As a result, I hope this doesn't cost the lives of more impactful
figures in rap music today. Cause like they say you are guilty by affiliation.
If you live in Los Angeles I feel this album is a must have and after
hearing this record I believe you will find that a dogg is a man's best
friend.
Click
here to listen to "
Track # 12".
Click here to listen to " Track # 18 ".
The
Terror Squad
Mystic/Atlantic Records
By:
Owen Taylor
One might ask are Puerto Ricans new to the Hip-Hop game? The answer is
no, they have been in it since the beginning. Not since the Fat Boys and
the Real Roxanne have they had such an impact as the Terror Squad. Hailing
from the 5 burroughs of New York City and Puerto Rico the Terror Squad
is causing havoc. The squad who first collaborated on Priorty Records
NWA classics is delivering hits to the hip-hop listener. After listening
to this album a couple of times my favorite jams are, "My Kinda Girls",
"All Around The World" and "Rude Boy Salute" featuring Buju Banton, Fat
Joe and Big Pun.
The squad which consist of six members, Prospect, Triple Seis, Pun, Fat
Joe, Cuban Link and Armageddon are taking Rap back to the old school.
With their smooth deliveries and good timing, Terror Squad will have you
jamming for hours.
The way they rock the mic reminds me of the old Grand Master Flash days. The days when a different M.C. in the group would rap for 30 seconds, freak the mic and pass it to their boy who would make it hotter until it burned. These boys are heavyweights, Joe and Pun have been topping the charts for a few years with both of their individual hit songs. They formed a group with their boys from the block and actually found cats that can flow.
Terror Squad contains sixteen solid tracks. A variety of different styles are featured on this album. The styles range from East Coast, Gangster, Rhythm and Blues and Reggae. Keep rocking Joe and Pun's shit, you'll always find Grade A hip-hop on their tracks. Boriquas are representing baby!.
PUBLIC
ENEMY
"Theres A Poison Going On"
By: Ed Fields
This record is nice, new and refreshing. It is a good step for this veteran
group.To me sounds like Chuck D feels comfortable and inspired by the
opportunity to own and release his own record instead of just another
record for someone else. They say that the message is in the music and
in this case like all their others before it you can hear it loud and
clear. Once again I find myself tryin' to find out where I can sign up
for the fight. With images of children wearing gas masks and song tiles
like Crayola, LSD, Swindlers Lusts and First The Sheep Next The Shepherd?
Its obvious that Chuck is very upset at the integrity of today's music
industry those in control of it. Who can blame him a lack of loyalty in
any situation can cause discomfort. Understanding the power of influence
is common but utilizing to spread conciousness is a rarity nowadays.
As far as beats, Terminator X definitely brings the noise once again.
Everytime I hear "41:19" I find myself reaching for the phone if not to
answer than to make that call I've been putting off all day, and "Kevorkian"
is kinda slammin'. I definitely can say i feel old and new fans of Public
Enemy should order this disc zip disk that is. Its amazing now you no
longer have to go out and buy the record you can order it and download
it in the comfort of your own home or office. On top of that its a hell
of al ot less expensive. To order this record click here for public
enemy.com.
Click
here to listen to Do
You Wanna Go Are Way.
If you do not have Real Audio Player, please feel free to downoad it:
"Feel
Up" Spook Altered States Part 2 Disorient Records
This track was originally written by the legendary Grace Jones, and once
again it has been remixed. Back in 1994 Danny Tenaglia remixed this track
for "The Project" which was a compilation put out by Great Jones/Island
records as an AIDS benefit.
The new remixes of "Feel Up" were done by Spook and Salt City Orchestra.
The first time I heard this track Thomas of Wicked was playing it as I
was entering a party called "Wax" (Thomas and Harvey). I instantly recognized
that it was a remix of a Grace Jones track, and I decided that my first
order of business would be to see who put this record out. It turns out
that Thomas was playing a white label promo of the Salt City Orchestra
remix. I was able to catch up with this release a couple of weeks later
at one of our cities finer record stores (Wax records).
The Salt City Orchestra remix is dark and deep and carries a solid underground
feel. Vocalist Roisin Murphy does a great job mocking Grace Jones(at first
I thought it was Grace). The first three minutes or so, the vocal "Feel
Up" is looped; at the break more of the vocal is programmed (this part
is real nice). The Grope mix on the other side is a little more laid back
and not as thick. More of the lyrics from the original "Feel Up" are incorporated
into this mix. I would definitely recommend this release to any Grace
Jones vinyl collector as well as any house music Dj.
Click
here to listen to the Salt City Orchestra Mix.
Click
here to listen to the Spook Mix.
If you do not have Real Audio Player, please feel free to downoad it:
"The
Poem" 12' (remix) Delicious Inc.
Purple Music England When I first heard this track I thought it was a
Mood II Swing remix because the beat and bassline sound very similar to
"When the Dub Hits the Fan" (remix of Sylk 130's When the Funk Hits the
Fan). So for a couple of months I was searching for a non-existent record
until the boys at Wax records knew what I was talking about when I referred
to Mood II Swing, and of course the poem sample. For the Dj, this track
is definitley suitable for either a nightclub or an underground setting.
For the vinyl or music collector this release is great to listen to in
your car or bedroom. A must buy.
"Canned
Heat": Jamiroquai Work (MAW remixes)
Although I'm not the biggest Jamiroquai fan, Masters at Work do a great
job with this track. What's funny is thay you won't find these mixes on
the actual 12' inch single release. These mixes are on a white label promo
only.
The first side I listened to was classic MAW style which had a "breaky"
feel to it. The vocal programming is really nice and the track carries
a consistent beat with no breakdowns. The second side has a really nice
long intro with intelligent vocal programming. The intro sounds like a
Dj stabbing in the beat of another record over an accapella. The intro
teases you for a couple of minutes and the MAW drops a steady beat on
you. Hats off to Kenny "Dope" and LiL' Louie for a job well done. Better
find it now if you can, or you will definitely have a hard time finding
this track in the future.
Click here
to listen to Canned Heat.
If you do not have Real Audio Player, please feel free to downoad it:
When I first heard this record played out I was blown away. Mark Farina dropped the Ron Trent dub mix re-edit at the viper room after Delite's "Groove Is In The Heart". I didn't know if the track was new or old; regardless I went on a hunting mission in the following weeks. Every record store I went into, not a single person had a clue as to what I was talking about. Then one lovely day I stumbled on a 4hero record that had the title "Escape That". I thought to myself this could be the record because of the female vocal. As I was walking to the listening station I was reading the back only to learn that Ron Trent had remixed this track. Then I really started thinking that this might be the track that I was looking for. Sure enough, right when I laid down the needle I almost hit the floor.
Without a doubt this Ron Trent remix is the house sleeper of the year. Maybe for the fact that this mix is contained on a Drum n' Bass release makes it so low pro and hard to recognize. Although House music is my true love, I can definitely appreciate the other mixes on this release. Kirk DeGiorgio and Phil Asher do a fine job with both of their mixes. The first mix is deep and moody with excellent vocal programming while the second mix has more of a tech step feel and is stripped of all vocals.
This is release is a must find for house music or drum n' bass lovers.
Click here to listen to Escape That.
If you do not have Real Audio Player, please feel free to downoad it:
By Patrick Kennedy
Though King Of The Road does really deviate from the 1997 release, The Action Is Go, it nonetheless upgrades the Fu Manchu template in sound, which is a shaggy-haired hash brownie of southern California dune buggy rock, the James Gang, Blue Oyster Cult, and Blue Cheer: the songs are tighter; the riffs benefits from a quicker tempo, and the fuzzed out guitars aren't as muddied. Fu Manchu's 1998 Man's Ruin release, Eatin' Dust, prefigured this improvement. Many critics would like to slap Fu Manchu with the pointless "stoner rock" categorization, but attempting to encompass the broad spectrum of 70's rooted bands under one umbrella term does them all a disservice - especially a band like Queens Of The Stone Age or Fu Manchu, whose hook-laden songs and tight compositions are a far cry from the sleep-inducing 15 minute mangled, recycled Sabbath riffs that some "stoner" bands resort to.
MR. BUNGLE - CALIFORNIA (WARNER) / FANTOMAS - S/T (IPECAC)
By Patrick Kennedy
The world of music is Mike Patton's circus, and in it he is both rainbow-wigged clown and daring acrobat, participant and spectator. The former Faith No More vocalist presides in the center ring on Fantomas' self-titled debut, and California, Mr. Bungle's third.
Patton and Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle compose half of Fantomas, but to call this project an adjunct of the former would reduce the achievements of its other members. It is less the Mike Patton show than an intense fireworks display by four gifted, dynamic musicians. King Buzzo of the Melvins on guitar; and Dave Lombardo, formerly of Slayer, on drums, round out the combo. Fantomas is like an eight hour samurai epic compressed into a 43 minutes - a methamphetamine-powered opera mixing death metal with western theme music, and low-end sludge with Japanese noise and atmospherics. And while he never articulates a single word, Patton howls, chirps, pants, and squeaks through all thirty songs, locating just the right inflection at just the right moment. Yet, unlike Mr. Bungle, any impish, satirical turns by Fantomas have been either subdued or excised completely.
California is another peculiar Patton hodgepodge, sounding more often than not like a demented brainchild of Brian Wilson. Blending a carnival spirit with some particularly dark surf and lounge music, California's black humor bleeds through with an unmistakably ominous tone--like a Vegas cabaret act an hour before the end of the world. In conjunction, the two releases are flip sides of a coin minted in a galaxy far, far away.
By Patrick Kennedy
Halfway through the The Evil Powers Of Rock And Roll, Eddie Spaghetti declares "Let the punks be punks/So I can play that rock and roll." Having uttered such a declaration, it seems that the band, and Eddie, have finally overcome the self-consciousness and mocking irony used in the past when approaching the "rock" issue. Instead of planting tongue in cheek, and winking a you're-in-on-the-joke eye at the listener during a lead or a piece of rock bombast, the Supersuckers cut loose on this album - their first rock release in many years, and allow the riffs to take precedence over posture. And the riffs are meaty, iron solid, dry Angus Young styled downstrokes and upstrokes, with plenty of ass-shaking room between notes - do not expect a radical departure from the formula of the past. It worked well, and it works even better now.
By Patrick Kennedy
If art truly has the power to transfigure human life, and its most potent vessel is music, then In The Eyes Of God represents a pinnacle moment for sonic extremity. This is the fifth full length from Today Is The Day, and it heralds a return to the bass/drums/guitar format found on their early efforts Supernova, and Willpower. With the addition of double-kick drum, and the subtraction of keyboards, Today Is The Day has boosted the low-end the metal quotient with these 20 songs. Overall, the album conveys a sense of urgency, fury, and disturbingly heartfelt introspection - imagine the visceral punch of early Slayer albums cross-pollenated with King Crimson and Pink Floyd during their eeriest moments. As cryptic as they are blunt, Steve Austin's lyrics illustrate the struggle of one man, any man, to survive the universe in an efficacious, authentic manner: and regarded as such, that kind of passion and timelessness bears the earmark of enduring art.