Artifacts - Thats Them (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Hip hop how it should be...

Tim Fish | Nottingham, UK | 02/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the follow up to the 1994 album Between a Rock and a Hard Place. That was a classic album and so this LP had a lot to live up to. But it succeeds by bringing that classic hip hop style while making the transition in to an era that was dominated by everything "gangsta". El Da Sensei and Tame One come from a true hip hop background as they are both graf artists originally and they manage to keep that element running throughout their music. I never really understood why this album got so overlooked when it was released, as it had all the things you need for a classic, including tight production from Shawn J and Lord Finesse, as well as El and Tame's lyrical skills. If you've heard the 1st album, this won't disappoint and if you've never heard the Artifacts before, this is an excellent place to start."

Totally WACK (this album sucks)

joehiphophead | Kansas city | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Got your attention there didnt I HA HA. This is one of the greatest Hiphop releases of the 90s if not one of the greatest of all time. El Da Sensei and Tame One Drop some ill Metaphors while Lord Finesse and a host of other veteran producers hook up the beats. I love how the funky beats change right in the middle of the song this adds alot of variety to the tracks and keeps you coming back for more. The dope arangements are put together so masterfully on this CD that I have been listening to this album litterally for months And each time I listen I hear something new. The beats are some of the dopest you will ever hear and this is one of the few albums I have heard that could stand on beats alone with no lyrics. after listening to four mediocre Hiphop albums this was a nice suprise. El da sensei and Tame One are truly great Lyricysts their metaphors are not the best in the world but they are better thatn 98% of the rappers that attempt the classic CANIBUS metaphor formula. If you do not own this album seriously WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS click on the buy button and get everything that these guys ever put out. You will not be dissapointed"

Bringin' Lyrics To Ya Chest

SmokaJ | TORONTO | 07/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another classic. I like their debut slightly more, but not by much. El da Sensei & Tame One (Redman's Cousin) keep the same formula from the first album - completely rip the mic over unique, dirty beats. In many Hip-Hop arguments I often have, I constantly name Artifacts as being ideal Hip-Hop. They have charisma, mic presense, great beats, originality, dope flows and most importantly, meaningful and intelligent lyrics. Both their albums belong in every serious Hip-Hop collection.

The only real difference between "That's Them" & "Between a Rock..." is "That's Them" sounds more updated and the beats are more serious and less wacky. But neither of those things affects the quality of the music at all.

The production is stellar and handled by all-star, beat-masters:

Shawn J-Period (Black Star, Bush Babees, Mad Skillz), Lord Finesse (D.I.T.C.), 2/3's of Tha Beatminerz - Mr. Walt & Baby Paul (Boot Camp Clik), V.I.C. (The Beatnuts) & Showbiz (Show & A.G., D.I.T.C.). The only guest spots belong to the two lords, Lord Finesse & Lord Jamar on the lovely posse-cut, "Collaboration of Mics."

Bottom Line: This is an amazing album from start to finish, no skipping needed. This album should be owned by every Hip-Hop fan, no excuses. A 5 star classic, Peace."

The Artifacts Legend {4.5 Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 03/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When most people speak about the Artifacts, it's almost as if they're telling an old legend or fairy tail. Two incredibly ill emcees rise from underground to drop two LP's that exhibit jaw dropping rhymes (at the time) and excellent, excellent production. Then, said emcees, with boundless amounts of potential, vanish into thin air when it appears that they are in a position to take control and dominate the rap game for a long, long time. This has all the makings of a great story to tell around a camp fire. Seriously though, Tame and El's last release as a duo is not only slept on, but it's practically flawless. With excellent production, a DJ that is off the meter, and rhymes that were simply unapproachable, the Artifacts not only embodied all things hip hop, but they also managed to capture that vibe and it comes through on the That's Them LP. Hell, even their graffiti was phat. Long story short -- everything about this album is on point.

As far as flaws go, I found that things begin to start sounding the same toward the end of the album. There aren't any wack tracks, but there are a couple toward the tail end that gave me a "I've heard it before" type of feeling. Personally, I found "This Is Da Way", "Skwad Training", and the Beatminerz produced "It's Gettin' Hot" to be skip material in my book. I'm not saying they're wack, but they do nothing for the ears of this particular listener. You may love them though.

That's Them is the second of only two releases from the Artifacts. They would go on to break up and aren't even on speaking terms anymore (or so I was told by El) which makes this album that much more of a collector's item because, more than likely, there will never be another Artifacts album released ever again. At any rate, this is one of those hip hop albums that contains vibes that make your ears perk up as your head nods uncontrollably. Tame and El have magnetic flows and the production is nothing more than that ill, neck jerking, b-boy sh**. What more can you ask for? I recommend making this one a collection piece.

Standout Tracks: To Ya Chest, Art Of Facts (My Favorite), The Interview, Collaboration Of Mics feat. Lord Finesse & Lord Jamar, The Ultimate (Showbiz Remix), 31 Bumrush, Return To Da Wrongside, Where Yo Skillz At?, Ingredients To Time Travel, and Art Of Scratch (Intro)"

You need this

TMoney | Denver | 11/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the only CDs worthy of a 5 out of 5 in hip hop. The beats, lyrics, and production are all outstanding. Classic New Jeruz album. All you need to do is take a listen to the samples above. I know it sounds bandwagon, but I think Illmatic is the best album ever, but other than that I would say this is definitely worthy of being in the top 10. "That's Them", Royal Flush "Ghetto Millionare" and Mic Geronimo "The Natural" are probably three of the most overlooked albums in hip hop."

Search - Artifacts :: That's Them

CD Details

Synopsis

Similar CDs

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews