CES CRU - CONSTANT ENERGY STRUGGLES

CES CRU

CONSTANT ENERGY STRUGGLES

2013

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These guys are a perfect fit for Strange Music.

Ubiquitous and Godemis have a similar flow to other

artists with Strange and fit perfectly over Michael "Seven"

Summers' production. Speaking of production, I'm glad the 

direction on here is much better than lets say Krizz Kaliko's

latest album, which was to synth-heavy and not 'hip-hop'

and melodic enough for my taste. Evident here is the first

single (video below) and the 2nd track with Tech N9ne himself

who is so goddamn awesome on these type of beats.

(I hope "Something Else" will live to this type of Strange).

Still need bump some more, but so far these guys did not

disappoint and have made quite a name for themselves!

Overall Score: 8.5/10

PAPOOSE - THE NACIREMA DREAM

PAPOOSE

THE NACIREMA DREAM

2013

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Maybe there is hope for Detox after all?

After years of promising "The Nacirema Dream

coming soon", Papoose finally drops his debut album.

And so far this does not disappoint at all!

Pap's bravado and his awesome delivery. This cat

flows like there's no tomorrow! Production-wise I'm

very pleased it's right up his wheelhouse and what

a true NY hip-hop album should sound like!

1. Intro
2. Motion Picture
Straight out the gate Pap is killing it!
Just a pleasure to hear this cat flow. 5/5
3. Mother Ghetto
Keeping it Ol' Skool BK rap. The beat is
not much and though Pap's nice, it doesn't
do overly much. Still fly. 3.5/5
4. Aim Shoot ft. Mobb Deep
Great combo with the m o b b. Dope
cut that brings you back 10 years. 4/5
5. Skit
6. Cure ft. Erykah Baduh
Lovin the smoothness and Pap's storytellin.
Erykah is perfect here. Very nice. 5/5
7. Nacirema Dream
Prolly my favourite track. This is how i love it!
Great drums, melodies and a flow to match. 5/5
8. Pimpin Won't Die
Mellowed out and Pap makes it work aswell.
Kind of a Mase vibe happenin, 5/5
9. 6AM ft. Jim Jones & Jadakiss
Played out sample and an annoying sound
that's very repetitive. The features are not
helping here. Pap can't save this one. 2.5/5
10. Skit
11. Law Library Part 8
2nd fav track. Wish it was longer.
(Again hearing Mase here and i love it) 5/5
12. What's My Name ft. Remy Ma
Also overplayed samples, but it's nice yo.
Got ya bumpin ya head til the end. 
Not a fan of Remy Ma though. Could've used 
anyone else really. 4/5
13. On Top Of My Game ft. Mavado
Out of place. Beat is generic and Mavado's
hook doesn't help. It's not bad per se, but
along with everything else...might grow. 3.5/5
14. Faith
Thanks to the beat, you can really hear pap
shine here and killing his phrasing. Dope shit! 4.5/5
15. Turn It Up ft. DJ Premier
Glad Premier got a beat for Pap. It's no Nas/Premo
collabo, but it's still tight to hear. 4/5
16. Die Like A G
Nice little track, but the clap gets at me. Should've
had a more Havoc-ish feel to it. 3.5/5
17. Get At Me ft. Ron Browz
Oh oh, autotune alert. Why man? Thankfully the
track as a whole is pretty tight and Pap murders
his verses, so it's forgiven..kinda. 4/5
18. Where I Came From
This one seems even more outta place, but man
is Pap laying the smack down! Hardcore shit! 4/5 
19. R.I.P.
3rd fav. Lovin the sample. The whole album shoulda
been more like this. Not Pap's best flow at certain spots
though, but still...very dope track. 5/5
20. Alphabetical Slaughter Part II
I mean, how else to rate this? This is greatness. 5/5

After all this time (and numerous mixtapes, which i did not
want to listen to), it's really a pleasure to have Pap come
out with his debut album. What i love the most is the fact
he didn't sell out givin it's now 2013 (the year of commercial
hip-hop wannabe faggots) and the production is  true to NY rap
like it's suppose to sounds. Of course that comes with lesser
sounding tracks here and there, but again, a pleasure to hear
a retail full Pap album. I may have wished for more like
the title track type joints, but really...it's all good in the hood.
"The Nacirema Dream is here!!"

Overall Score: 9/10

YUKMOUTH / THE REGIME - DRAGON GANG

YUKMOUTH presents THE REGIME

DRAGON GANG - THE ALBUM

2013

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After bumping this one, it's pretty clear

this is the better of the two latest Regime albums. 
If you don't know the roster, here's the artists featured:

Yukmouth, Lee Majors, Dru Down, Ampichino, Freeze,
Young Bossi, Kuzzo Fly, Boss Tone, Chop Black, T Lew,
Rah Mean, Chino Nino, Monsta, BG Bulletwood,
and of course still Tech N9ne
(who was given the two worst beats on the alb).
The majority is of course Yukmouth himself who
kills every track he's on!

1. Dragon Gang Intro
The instrumental on this is so
reminiscent of Yuk back in the day, i wish
the album had more productions like this. 5/5
2. Who Me
Dark grimey beat with a nice musical backdrop.
Did not expect this to be that dope! 5/5
3. Its Dark
Even heavier than "Who Me", but man this joint
goes hard! Not too big a fan of Lee Majors' raw voice 
on this particular track, but Yuk & Amp got this. 4.5/5
4. Dreams
Awesome track. Great hook, superb verses and
a perfect beat to match it all. 5/5
5. Clam Chowdah
Typical type track, but Yuk lifts it. 4/5
6. Bonafied Husalah
Man, this is on some other shit. Love the sample
and everyone just rips it. One of my favs. 5/5
7. Im On
Loving this one. You know you can't go wrong
with a Matt Blaque hook! Very dope cut! 5/5
8. Rock N Roll
Ok, Dru Down AND Tech together? Awesome right?
Well not if you give them such a shitty beat and
annoying ass hook. Their verses are great but 
it's just not cutting it, a real shame. 1/5
9. Keys 2 The City
Another grand track. great production with verses
that flow smoothly and compliment each other. 5/5
10. Any Given Sunday
Unlike "Clam Chowdah", this one offers more and
has repeat value despite being the same track. 5/5
11. Regime Terrorist
Nice track, might sound a little generic, but when
this comes on, you're sucked in. 4.5/5
12. On My Own
I love these type of tracks man!
Something about hard ass verses over a smooth
beat with a nice RnB hook. It's what makes your
shit bubble i guess! 5/5
13. Do The Math
They could've done more with this. The beat is
just repetitive and if it wasn't for Yuk, it wouldn't
be much at all. Typical filler track. 2.5/5
14. It Was A Good Day
Now we're talking again. Way better production
with lasting appeal and better fit on the alb. 4.5/5
15. All Nighters
At this point, this type of track isn't cutting it
and seems more like another filler track
despite tight verse and an ok beat. 3.5/5
16. Whats Ya Name
Just not doing it for me. What happened to 
"regime killers"? And Grant Rice sucks major ass,
Not good enough and another shame for Nina. 2/5
17. Traffic Jam
Not bad, but like i just mentioned, I need a 
"regime killers" type joint now. Use the intro beat
or something! Anyway, this is ok-ish. 3.5/5
18. Lifestyle
Nice track, but nothing overly special. 4.5/5

Just bumping the album in the background is a much
better experience than having to actually listen track by
track to review it. So really, the album is better than
I'm going to make it out. The problem is the lesser tracks
that are scattered throughout the album. So just bump this
straight, and enjoy those stellar tracks this album does have.

Overall Score: 9.2/10
And here's the vid for "Keys 2 The City", pure dopeness!

Now as for "The Last Dragon" Album, after going back to it
for another listen, it has even less of a lasting appeal.
Only 5/5 track here is "Why Ask Why". Seriously?
 It has a few 4/5's (Go Nutz (Remix) is pretty dope)
but nothing to boast about. The album is filler basically. 
Hard to believe these two albs are so different.
Overall Score: 6/10

Some explaining to do...

Someone asked me, 

'How come all your reviews are rated

9 and over? What about albums you don't like?' and 

'Where's  the difference, you seem to like it all the same?'

Really I should explain myself a little bit, because I do have

a different view on how i rate albums in general.

I must admit though, lately I have just been picking albums

that i like and listen to more carefully. I should, and will in the

future, review everything i get my hands on. Good or bad.

This doesn't mean i will ever review a Frank Ocean or Kendrick Lamar or 

Asap Rocky or Tyler The Creator. I draw a line, and those idiots 

are an abomination and will never get any love or respect from me. 

Giving them a 0/10 is already giving them too much attention. 

Let's get that out the way.

Anyway, I will attempt to review the bad aswell.

As for my ratings system. Basically anything 9 and over, are

albums i like/love and will buy without a doubt. Between 8-9

i still might buy but not per se, depends on the artist really.

Now, the real difference and distinction in albums lies in

the 10 points between 9 and 10. Really, you should consider

those decimals as a separate  scale from 1-10 as if it was 

the only rating to go on. I already know i love the album but to

have that distinction going, I hold value in those points.

An album that scores a 9/10 vastly differs from a 9.3/10.

The number of 5/5 tracks on the album, or how great those

tracks  are compared, play a big part. As do the amount 

of lesser or filler tracks. If an album has 7 truly amazing tracks 

that warrant an initial 9, yet the rest of the album is subpar, 

the rating will remain 9. If the rest is also good but

just not quite a 5/5, we're looking at bumping it up to anything 

from 9.1 to 9.5. Anything over 9.5 depends on those very few

tracks that just aren't doing it. That could be just one or 

two tracks, even 5 or more. The overall feeling and longevity 

(having the alb on repeat non-stop or not), 

eventually decide the final decimal there.

As for bad albums, it is the opposite. Really the difference

between giving an album 2/10 or 4/10 is very minimal. 

It's a bad album, period. Won't listen to it again, 

so no point in detailing. True? In the end it's all subjective of course, 

but I feel like I needed to explain just a little bit! 

PS: For those people who do love Asap Rocky or Kendrick Lamar, 

no disrespect to you for listening to them...but you should look 

elsewhere for reviews on the latest in rap music, because obviously 

this aint your genre to begin with! Preach!

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - THE 20 20 EXPERIENCE

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE

2013

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Seven whole years we had to wait for JT's follow-up

(not counting Suite 806 of course), and finally the wait

is over, and lemme tell you: it was so damn worth it!

I've been bumping non-stop every chance i can get to take it 

all in, and every time another track catches my interest

(either all over again or for the first time) and that's saying 

it all. What JT and Timbaland have done here is musically

top notch and whether or not you're a fan (and i'm a big one),

you have to acknowledge the shear genius of these two.

Like with the previous album, the extended take on 
tracks and switcheroo in production and having
them push 7-8 minutes is simply brilliant.
Timbaland lost his touch years ago when he tried
to expand into different genres and really just went pop,
but this man is to music what Michelangelo is to painting.
Like R.Kelly tries to reinvent different types of music
within his own genre, so does Timbo, and this time
he succeeded big time. With the help of JT.
Like is said before, these two togehter is genius and
i believe they push each other to become even better.
I still prefer the old timbo of course (from RnB with Ginuwine,
to Dirty South with Petey Pablo & Bubba Sparxxx)
but listen closely and deeply to these productions here
and you can't help but admire the shit out of him!
And the Timbo touches are still there of course
(the indian sample on track 3, the drums on Mirrors
and his perfect feature on Dress On).
A perfect example showcasing his brilliance comes
halfway "Don't Hold The Wall" when things get switched
up a million times, with superb little instrumental
add-ons. Pretty much the whole album has things happening
that you really can't dismiss or judge this album with just
one or two listens. Just be amazed and take your time!
Now as far as Justin goes. Seriously dude can do no wrong
in my book and still has one of the coolest vocal styles.
Whatever Timbo did on the production, JT pulled it all off
equally on the vocal production. Again, brilliant.
Every single damn track! Whether uptempo tracks
(Let The Groove Get In) to complete mellowed out
(Blue Ocean Floor) to his distinct Pop/RnB groove
(Mirrors), it is all flawless and sounds superb.
The only track i wasn't feeling at first was
Let The Groove Get In, but like the title says,
you have to let it get in. Once you do, it's another
amazing track and add that other multiple discoveries
along the way (try and listen 10+ times) and you
have yourself a perfect and flawless album.
Though front to back it's one hell of a ride without 
skipping a beat, my personal favourites are:
"Strawberry Bubblegum", "Mirrors" & "Dress On".
Album of the year, hands down, any genre!

1. Pusher Lover Girl 5/5
2. Suit & Tie ft. Jay-Z 5/5
3. Don't Hold The Wall 5/5
4. Strawberry Bubblegum 5/5
5. Tunnel Vision 5/5
6. Spaceship Coupe 5/5
7. That Girl 5/5
8. Let The Groove Get In 5/5
9. Mirrors 5/5
10. Blue Ocean Floor 5/5
11. Dress On ft. Timbaland 5/5
12. Body Count 5/5

Overal Score: 10/10

KILLAH PRIEST - THE PSYCHIC WORLD OF WALTER REED

KILLAH PRIEST

THE PSYCHIC WORLD OF WALTER REED

2013

Holy shit! A double album from KP that'll make every 

Wu-Tang fan jump for muthafuckin joy!

I have to listen quite a few more times, but there's

so much goodness on here, i have to take it all in

properly and in abundance. The second disc is insane!

Overall Score: 9.2/10

J.STALIN - RETURN OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

J.STALIN

RETURN OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

2013

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Yet another solid release from Stalin following the great 

first Body Snatchers alb and Memoirs Of A Curb Server,

which was a lot more smooth production-wise.

This time around no major guest features or anyone

major from the Livewire camp for that matter.

Yet, this alb stands out on its own merit with

great production that lends perfect for easy-listening

with a pair of headset rather than blasting through ya

cas stereo. And of course Stalin signature swag is all

over this front to back. Standout tracks are:

"24-7", "Fuck The Police", "Gold Diggers", "Ground Zero",

"Married To The Streets", "Mr Wear It Out", "Dreamin"

and my 2 favourite: "All I Been Doing" and the

superb "Hit And Quit It". Keep that shit coming! Livewire!

Overall Score: 9/10

RAEKWON - THE TONITE SHOW

RAEKWON 

THE TONITE SHOW

2013

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From the Bay to Staten island, Raekwon hooks up with

DJ Fresh for the dopest collaboration since

David Banner & 9th Wonder. And seriously, Fresh pulled out all 

the stops and gave Rae some of his best material.

"Double Dragon" for instance is so damn fine and has

WU written all over it, it's fuckin fantastic! 

A lot more dopeness, but do have to bump some more.

1. The Tonite Show With Raekwon
2. Culinary School ft. Mean Doe Green
After a nice lil intro, the album drops that heat
out the bat with this dope cut reminiscent of the
good old Rae days. Mean Doe has a tight verse aswell
but really another Wu feature would make this even
better (goes for the rest of the alb too, but i'm not
complaining cuz Mean Doe is fly). 5/5
3. Mic Flips
Dj Premier couldn't have done it better. What a truly
masterful sampled beat! Fresh is on fire here and
Rae just puts the cherry on top! 5/5
4. Rae Words Interlude
5. Yin And Yang
Perhaps the lesser cut of the album but still
a great listen thanks to Rae and a really surprising 
but perfect switch-up in beat. 4/5
6. So Much On Your Body
I would not have expected an RnB type joint on here
but man is this track something great!
Sunny Valentine totally kills it with his vocals and
melodies. Rae coming in after 2 minutes seems odd, but
it's perfect really. Now this is vintage shit! Reminds me
of the Trackmaster Rap/RnB collabos from way back.
Anybody remember Changing Faces & Jay-Z? 5/5
7. Skit
8. Double Dragon ft. Mean Doe Green
Wu Syndicate goosebumps all over! This could've easily
been on that album and is my favourite type of Wu joint.
Hands down best track of the alb, and will most likely be
in my top 3 tracks of 2013. So damn good! 5/5
9. Bigger Gun ft. Mean Doe Green
Despite the slow tempo of this track, it's ridiculously fly!
Lovin the hook and Rae up-tempo flow. Tight! 5/5
10. Real Niggaz ft. Fashawn
Another great Wu-ish vibe type joint with a nice feature 
from Fashwan (nice to see him on here). It could
have had 2 more verses though (another Rae and Ghost
verse would've been perfect, no?). Little short. 4.5/5
11. Holes Of Hell
A little bit repetitive perhaps but still solid. Rae killed
it as usual but wish this had a wu feature. 4/5
12. Outro

As great as this little joint venture is, it's only downfall 
is its length,  i mean, c'mon son! Only 8 full tracks yo!
Double that with more of the same and this would
have undeniably been the one to beat this year.
Still, i bought my copy and however short it is,
it is such a great listen and on repeat non-stop!

Overall Score: 9.4/10