Kanye West pulls race card out his ass again

[BigSqwert]

You know, I haven't been checking for any new hip hop since 2001 or thereabouts. I consider everything to be crap nowadays, but that's just me.

The good stuff is slim and few these days. I pick up about 2 to 4 albums a year now. Common's new one is excellent. And I like to support Chicago artists....as long as they're worth supporting.

Edited September 14, 2007 by BigSqwert

[hammerhead johnson]

And I like to support Chicago artists....as long as they're worth supporting.

 

Are you familiar with 1993-1996 Chicago era stuff? It was mostly tape-only releases, but the scene was booming. Stony Island, Kinetic Order, Rhymefest, All Natural, Juice, Sidewalk Scholars, Akbar, East Of The Rock, Spelany's, Tony Baines, Thawfor, Rubberoom, Rabies, Mindspace, Stedy Serv, Fierce, Undaground Solution, Vakill, Whatnoxic, etc?

 

I always thought that Common Sense was a smug little prick, and I really only like his debut album from 1992. His producer NO ID, on the other hand, is one of my favorites. He went by the name of Immenslope early on; he produced "Soul By The Pound", "Charms Alarm", etc, in addition to Common's second album "Resurrection", which is a masterpiece from a production standpoint.

 

I've heard some of Kanye's mellow beats, and it's basically just NO ID's style. It's funny too, because back in 1994, Kanye was a wack-ass nobody that the Molemen used to make fun of on their mixtapes.

[BigSqwert]

Are you familiar with 1993-1996 Chicago era stuff? It was mostly tape-only releases, but the scene was booming. Stony Island, Kinetic Order, Rhymefest, All Natural, Juice, Sidewalk Scholars, Akbar, East Of The Rock, Spelany's, Tony Baines, Thawfor, Rubberoom, Rabies, Mindspace, Stedy Serv, Fierce, Undaground Solution, Vakill, Whatnoxic, etc?

 

I'm not well versed in Chicago underground hip hop other than Rhymefest, Vakill, Molemen, and Rubberoom. I just bought a cd off the street from some cat named MC Shynes or Shines? It's not bad.

 

I always thought that Common Sense was a smug little prick, and I really only like his debut album from 1992. His producer NO ID, on the other hand, is one of my favorites. He went by the name of Immenslope early on; he produced "Soul By The Pound", "Charms Alarm", etc, in addition to Common's second album "Resurrection", which is a masterpiece from a production standpoint.

 

Those are my 2 favorite tracks from Common's first album. Excellent production.

 

I've heard some of Kanye's mellow beats, and it's basically just NO ID's style. It's funny too, because back in 1994, Kanye was a wack-ass nobody that the Molemen used to make fun of on their mixtapes.

 

Yikes

 

[Kyyle23]

I did actually have some albums from those folks - I even liked some. I liked some RUN DMC stuff, way back when. Mostly, I like Hip-Hop that's fun - not this gangsta tryin to be a badass stuff. That genre, to me, is best when it doesn't take itself too seriously. I actually liked, even better in that time period, the hip hop fusion with jazz stuff. Diggable Planets, Us3, etc. One could even put Tower of Power in there, maybe.

 

I love listening to GURU Jazzmattazz Volume 1

 

Volume 2 is so-so, and I think volume 3 was thrown together, but I love volume 1

[Kyyle23]

You know, I haven't been checking for any new hip hop since 2001 or thereabouts. I consider everything to be crap nowadays, but that's just me.

 

Even Jurassic 5?

[bmags]

back in 94 kanye would've been 17 years old, who cares.

 

Kanye was inspired by NO ID and influenced by him no doubt, but of the two common classics, imo, resurrection and Be, they both pretty different, i wouldn't call kanye just a knockoff. On FF i think he was doing odes to jdilla and no id and it came off a little unfocused but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I still think kanye's best beat is Cam'Ron's dope man. s*** is awesome.

[Whitewashed in '05]

That being said, neither album can touch Finding Forever.

Nooo, I hold Common way up, but Finding Forever was a huge disappointment. BE was great. Not as good as Resurrection, but up there.

 

As soon as I got Graduation, Finding Forever became the second cd I played in my car.

 

That's hard too since I truly hate Kanye's personality and s*** on him for his arrogance everytime I get the chance.

 

He claims everything he makes is classic...very funny, but I have to admit he makes good music.

[hammerhead johnson]

back in 94 kanye would've been 17 years old, who cares.

 

In hip hop terms, 17 isn't young at all. Point is, he got clowned by the Molemen something fierce, and the Molemen were down with pretty much every hip hop crew, radio DJ, hip hop editorialist, etc in this city back in the mid-90s. What made this style-biting joker the exception?

[hammerhead johnson]

Even Jurassic 5?

 

Speaking of Chicago guys, wow, Chali Tuna is a madman. I got some of his solo demos from the mid-90s. Amazing stuff.

 

I was never a big fan of J5, but I love Chali Tuna.

[sti3]

Re: Molemen: Those guys fell the f__k off and were never that great, only solid and prolific. The beats on Vakill's last album were lifeless.

 

Re: Finding Forever: Every song is pretty memorable, has a really organic feel. I think it will stand up well. It's aimed at the mainstream (which is fine) so it's kind of absurd to compare it to a backpacker classic like Resurrection.

 

Re: Graduation: Just listened to it on headphones for the first time on a LONG CTA trip home. The beats and production are glossy and amazing. HJ, on "Big Brother" he says "No ID my mentor" on every chorus. As for lyrics, I think what people (including myself) like about Ye is that it's just raw uncensored personality put into verse. Yeah right now it's as much about the life of a celebrity as anything else but that's what he is now--a Chicago kid turned into a huge celeb--so it's "real" in a weird way. I'd rather hear ANYONE putting their raw unfiltered expression on a rap than some contrived bulls***.

 

 

[RockRaines]

Even Jurassic 5?

Best concert ive ever seen BTW.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Re: Molemen: Those guys fell the f__k off and were never that great, only solid and prolific. The beats on Vakill's last album were lifeless.

 

Re: Finding Forever: Every song is pretty memorable, has a really organic feel. I think it will stand up well. It's aimed at the mainstream (which is fine) so it's kind of absurd to compare it to a backpacker classic like Resurrection.

 

Re: Graduation: Just listened to it on headphones for the first time on a LONG CTA trip home. The beats and production are glossy and amazing. HJ, on "Big Brother" he says "No ID my mentor" on every chorus. As for lyrics, I think what people (including myself) like about Ye is that it's just raw uncensored personality put into verse. Yeah right now it's as much about the life of a celebrity as anything else but that's what he is now--a Chicago kid turned into a huge celeb--so it's "real" in a weird way. I'd rather hear ANYONE putting their raw unfiltered expression on a rap than some contrived bulls***.

 

I wasn't comparing them. I said Be was very good, but not as good as Resurrection which is my favorite Common album. I just don't feel Finding Forever. Don't get me wrong, i'll listen to a lot of the songs, but its just not what I expected. Props to Common though on being a top seller.

[hammerhead johnson]

Re: Molemen: Those guys fell the f__k off and were never that great, only solid and prolific. The beats on Vakill's last album were lifeless.

 

PNS and Memo were good producers, but I'd say that Panik was phenomenal.

 

If you can find Panik's "Vinyl Edition" Instrumental LP, snatch it up. Actually, if you're internet savvy, one simple google search will provide you with some rapidshare or zshare links for this LP:

 

1 - Vakill - 'Out The Speakers' (Instrumental)

2 - E.C., Rubberoom - 'Taste Of Chicago' instrumental (Instrumental)

3 - Vakill, Rhymefest, Percee P. - 'Keep The Fame' (Instrumental)

4 - Juice - 'Key To The City' (Instrumental)

5 - Rasco + Planet Asia - 'Sophisticated Mic Pro's' (Instrumental)

6 - Vinnie Paz - 'Raw Is War' (Instrumental)

7 - Rhymefest - 'Much Of Nothing' (Instrumental)

8 - Cali Agents - 'This Is My Life' (Instrumental)

9 - Vakill - 'Dungeons 2 Rooftops' (Instrumental)

10 - Ang 13 - 'Coming Through Alert' (Instrumental)

11 - All Natural - 'It's OK' (Instrumental)

12 - Rasco - 'Back On The Scene' (Instrumental)

13 - Vakill - 'Tiz The Seizin' (Instrumental)

14 - Cali Agents - 'The Anthem' (Instrumental)

15 - Rhymefest - 'How We Chill' (Instrumental)

16 - Rhymefest & Juice - 'How We Chill Pt. 2' (Instrumental)

17 - Juice - 'Freestyle Or Written' (Instrumental)

18 - Mass Hysteria - 'Vocabulary Spill' (Instrumental)

19 - Juice - 'Sincerely' (Instrumental)

20 - Exclusive (Instrumental)

21 - Vakill - 'Flows U Can't Imagine' (Instrumental)

 

And this is just a collection of tracks that got the full 12" treatment. There are quite a few tape-only EPs with amazing Panik beats that you can't find anywhere. The only reason that I have them is because I was up at Gramaphone every week in the mid-90s.

 

PNS had his moments as far as producing was concerned, but he was much more talented behind the wheels. I have something like 35 to 40 of his mixtapes (lost of "Liverrors" broadcasts on 88.5 FM that he released on tape, etc). He's also the guy that made fun of Kanye on the "Chicago Rocks" mixtapes. He dedicated a little ditty to him titled "I Make The Beats That You Can Feel In Your Chest". This was back in late 1994/early 1995.

 

HJ, on "Big Brother" he says "No ID my mentor" on every chorus.

 

Well, I hope that he's sending him some bread.

[sti3]

I will peep them. I purchased Vakill's album because of a gushing Reader article and was sorely disappointed, then DLed the first one thinking it'd be better, and while the similes were clever (if a bit stylistically outdated-sounding), I didn't really get into the music. The beats were well-produced from a sound quality standpoint but nothing grabbed me.

 

Thanks for the calm response. I was a little buzzed/ornery last night, hence my Kanye-esque tone.

 

BTW, I purchased the Talent Fest CD when it came out based on hearing "Bouncin' Off The Walls" on WHPK. Do I get any oldschool props for that?

Edited September 15, 2007 by sti3

[hammerhead johnson]

BTW, I purchased the Talent Fest CD when it came out based on hearing "Bouncin' Off The Walls" on WHPK. Do I get any oldschool props for that?

 

I've got it too.

 

"Bouncin' Off The Walls" is easily my favorite track on the Talent Fest CD. Talk about a great PNS beat. I also love the Undaground Solution track "Sandbox".

[sti3]

I've got it too.

 

"Bouncin' Off The Walls" is easily my favorite track on the Talent Fest CD. Talk about a great PNS beat. I also love the Undaground Solution track "Sandbox".

 

Funny, I just googled it and it's as if it didn't exist! Like three results on the entire intarweb.

 

Must rip this for the world!