Excellent CD, but I'm tired of the b-word
Shamontiel L. Vaughn | Chicago | 03/07/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"***This review has been updated after hearing the explicit version of the CD. The original review was with the clean version*
Clean version review: I hear about people who buy multiple CDs (one for the car, one for the house, one to travel with) and off the top of my head, I can only think of three CDs that I listen to like that. This would make the fourth one. Grandmaster Flash brought us a beautiful body of work with talented hip hop lyricists who prefer intelligence over mediocre rhyming words. Every single beat on this CD is as tight as the lyricist rapping over them, and I'm definitely getting a copy immediately. I know so many KRS One fans, but I'd never bought his body of work before. However, he showed out on this CD, and it makes me want to go back to his earlier work to see if maybe I was just too young to get it before. I'm a new fan of his and a longtime fan of some others (Q-Tip and Big Daddy Kane). There wasn't one disappointing track on here (although I wish some female pioneer lyricists like Queen Latifah; MC Lyte; and Salt n' Pepa could've made one of the tracks), but I beg the bootleggers to fall back on this one. Support good music, y'all!
Explicit version: I originally gave this CD five stars, but now that I bought the explicit version and hear "Bounce Back," I'm kinda put off. As much as I dig the CD, I'm dead tired of Busta Rhymes calling women b-words. Seriously! Expand your vocabulary. It irritates me to no end when rappers call women b-words like the title is interchangeable. "Bounce Back" ruined the whole CD for me. I should've learned the last time because I bought the explicit version of "The Big Bang." I loved "I Love My Chicks" but hated "I Love My B****" I hope he starts taking lessons from Smooth Operator Big Daddy Kane or even checking out how Q-tip or Mr. Cheeks talk about women on the album. How do you dance to a track insulting you? I can't dig it. Other than that, great album."
Great album, if this was 1996
Uncle G | Maryland, USA | 05/11/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This was weird. It felt like a new, genre-expanding sound...for 1996.
The R&B sounding tracks made me feel like I was hearing a B-side track from TLC or Total, the ones that never made the radio. I was expecting the best cutting and scratching I've ever heard, but that shows up, barely, on only one song I think. Adding Natacha Atlas on a few tracks with Middle Eastern sounds was cool, but this kind of thing's been done a long time ago.
Unfortunately this project was probably way more solid as a concept than as an actual album. Next time I want space-age beats, I better stick with Timbaland or Neptunes."
Queens bridge!
Kurupt | chicago | 04/05/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"What can i say? Flash is a classic producer who has returned with a very respectable release. Production wise, there are songs with totally modern beats as well as songs that mix old school break beats and modern beats. So the production will reach new school kats as well as draw in old school kats like me. Lyrically like other DJ's, Flash has a slew of new and old artists. All the old school artists were dope minus mr. cheeks. I am a fan of the lost boyz but the songs Mr. cheeks appeared on were wack. I didn't like the way he was rapping or the way he sounded. Kane is on here trying to be sexy as usual. His verses were kool, but i didn't care for the new rappers that did half the songs he was on. He should have done a full song by him self like KRS did. Krs-One was outstanding on the two tracks he appeared on. The song WHAT IF is probably the best song on the album. Real strong lyrics and a dope beat. The new school artist i didn't really care for at all with the exception of the BRONX BOMBERS song. That song features all new kats and is pretty dope. All in all while not a perfect album, the album is entertaining and well worth buying.
Sidebar:
Peep how Hosea gave wack a$$ Ying Yang twins a plug in a Grand master Flash review as if they are anywhere close to being on Flash's level. The wack twins are washed up commercial garbage and Flash is a HIP HOP icon.
One."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1