Before Flex Went Corporate {4 Stars}
Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 07/25/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The reviewer below me doesn't seem to know as much about hip hop as he'd like to think. First of all, comparing Flex to JMJ is like comparing Kool Moe Dee to KRS One -- while they both might be good, there's really no contest. They came up in different ages anyway. Also, this album was released on Loud/RCA, not Def Jam
Anyway, back to the album. In actuality, it's 70 minutes of funk, but who's counting, right? It's a mixtape, so I guess what determines how good the album is are the songs chosen, the cuts and scratches, and the freestyles. All of which are tight on this joint. On top of that, you have interesting collaborations like Sadat X and Akinyele on "Loud Hangover" and the Fat Joe/Big Pun freestyles and Mobb Deep instrumentals.
My only beef with the album is the drop off toward the end. The Kaotic Styles freestyle is boring. Things just aren't as exciting or creative as the beginning or middle of the album, but that kind of thing is kept to a minimum. Outside of that, things move along nice and steady.
If you want a taste of Funkmaster Flex before he went corporate and started dropping the blinged out mixtapes, then check this joint. He's nice behind the wheels and this album is the perfect showcase for his skills. He'd go on to drop a few more in the series, but he'd never top this CD. I recommend grabbing this one while you still can.
Standout Tracks: Keith Murray & Redman Freestyle, Loud Hangover (My Favorite), Fugees Freestyle, Speech (KRS One Freestyle), Everyday & Everynight, and Give Up The Goods (Just Step)"
Hip hop win
MkJ | 05/19/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"this is the best mix tape . non arguablee hip hop is safe and secure when presenting its mix tape . '60 minutes of funk' volume one funkmaster flex"