Search - DJ Honda :: DJ Honda

Hip Hop.......... the Tokyo way

dOc | Atlanta, GA | 05/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're not even at least familiar with this kat, then you're not a true underground hip-hop fan. I first heard Honda on a underground college radio mix show. (WRAS 88.5 ATL,GA) He introduces his self and turn table skills to the world on the second track "DJ Battle". Many well known artist calibrated with Honda on this joint. Redman with the ill ryhme style on "Kill That Noize", Grand Puba, Sadat-X ripped the track "Straight Talk from NY" and one of my favorite underground MC's, "Problemz" spit a lyrical storm on the track "Datz My Word". The CD also features The Alkaholiks form Cali, Al Tariq who put down mad science on the track "The End", Sean Black, Biz Markie,and many more. This is a true underground international classic along with his second release "Honda II". 96 was a year hip-hop was going down hill and a few MC's were holding it up from the underground and DJ Honda was doing his part to hold it up with a host of real MC's. This is another hip-hop joint to cop for all real hip hop headsoNe"

It tight!!

J. Harris | Jacksonville, FL USA | 01/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"DJ Honda is one of the best DJ's around..the cd has some real feel good hip hop music (Common,REDMAN,Biz Mark etc.) but almost to the end of it, it geats lame and boring. If you are a true hip hop fan, then you must buy...if you are a fan of that bling bling,shake ya butt, i got lots of money etc. stuff, It's not for you...be gone you"

One of hip hop's hidden gems

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 05/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For his 1996 release "H," relatively unknown Japanese artist DJ Honda enlisted the help of an incredible guest list of MCs for a truly special project. Honda proves immensely talented in multiple areas on this album. He shows mastery as a producer, with beats that draw from the mid-90s East Coast sound and are equal parts DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Erick Sermon, Buckshot, and all his own. These beats are dark, smooth, fresh, and rich, and they display cohesion with a slick late-night vibe that pervades the entire tracklist. His tracks can be equally haunting and hypnotic as upbeat and head-nodding, yet each display genius in his arrangements and sound. He's an incredible DJ, flashing his skills on periodic scratches and the ridiculous "DJ Battle" captured on track 2. And perhaps most importantly, he knows how to construct a crazy hip hop song. This sort of gathering of legends should be the most sought after track in rap, but the traditional watering-down of posse cuts tends to quash this spirit. Honda's collaborations are ridiculous, considering the star power and quality each rapper brings to the mic.



Huge credit must go to the guests. Generally, with a DJ/producer album you can expect a mix-tape vibe with discontinuous posse cuts, phoned-in verses, and beats catered to rappers who have obviously saved their best for their own albums. Not so here. Some of the best MCs of '96 drop in with some of their finest verses.



Exhibit A: Gang Starr's "What You Expected." A particularly aggressive Guru drops battle rhymes like it was '91 over a sinister beat, and Premo chimes in with his infamous scratches. Just a crazy track you'd never expect to find on a DJ Honda mix. But that's just the beginning. A Muddy Waters-era Redman delivers an energetic piece on the blunted "Dat's My Word," Sean Black does his thing on "F That,"and Al-Tariq brings it on the rugged "The End." Even Brooklyn native Problemz impresses on his showcase "Kill the Noize," a grimy track where Honda flips an EPMD sample to resounding success.



"Straight Talk from NY" is a lost classic from Brand Nubian, where Sadat X and Grand Puba trade off joyful verses between an irresistible hook over a superb beat. Who would have thought the group was broken up? Common lends a tight verse to "Interlude," while Alkaholiks represent over an eerie keyboard cadence on "International Anthem." Still, the album's greatest treats lie in both mixes of "Out for the Cash." The first, featuring Al-Tariq, Problemz, Fat Joe, and the Beatnuts is a frenetic tag-team gem. The second, starring Common, the Beatnuts, and Fat Joe, is just incredible, a smooth and thoughtful winner with some of the finest performances from each respective MC.



If that's not enough, "H" is a hip hop relic in itself. Rare is the album that balances musical innovation with the capture of the best of an era. "H" makes a case for '96 being the golden year of rap. A young and hungry (no pun intended) Fat Joe closes his vicious verse on the aforementioned "Out for the Cash (Remix)" with "What up Tupac, we know ya innocent!" reflecting the communal spirit and creative respect of the time predating the Coast Wars. Also, legend Biz Markie's "Biz Freestyle" may very well be the best track he ever recorded. It's absolutely hilarious and purely entertaining; play this for anyone and dare them to keep from laughing. MCs in '96 could be ruthless, funny, and creative all on the same LP.



If I haven't made it clear, "H" is a string of hip hop pearls from start to finish. It's getting scarce but I strongly urge heads to track this down if they haven't; this is an essential listen for any fans of mid-90s rap."