Search - Little Brother :: Chitlin Circuit

Praiseworthy, But Not Distinctive... (3.5 Stars)

Andrew Jacob | Brooklyn, New York | 07/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

""The Listening" was unquestionably the best Hip Hop album of 2003 that nobody heard of. It was an impressive and focused debut, which brought about a refreshing sound while simultaneously invoking an old-school vibe. The flow of the debut was consistent while "The Chitlin' Circuit (1.5)" is not. Perhaps the problem lies in the concept itself; emphasizing the 1.5, "The Chitlin' Circuit" is not meant to be the sophomore album for Little Brother. Instead, it is a collection of unreleased tracks, b-sides, and remixes. While listening to the album, you don't get that feeling of cohesiveness, where the upcoming track builds off of what preceded it; it's very hit-or-miss, on and off. Also, some of the production is awkward, noticeable in most of the remixes and the latter half of the album. But under all of that, there are some noteworthy tracks including "War," "The Honorable," "Nobody Like Me," and "Altitudes." But truthfully, I don't think any of the tracks are prominent enough to be highlights. When opening the album and taking the CD out, the first thing you'll probably notice is the "The Minstrel Show... coming soon" subtext. Set to be released sometime in September, the (real) sophomore album has been previewed by various members of the press, and is already being highly praised. Hopefully, it will redeem with exceptionality and make up for what this circuit has lacked."

Excellent Filler.

he.is. | somewhere where its dirty. | 08/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"LB is one of the predominate acts in rap's underground that have been steadily garnering much attention and praise for their excellent music. Their the able The Listening was considered a classic by many. Now they present their fans with the mixtape Chitlin Circuit 1.5. Firstly, one must understand that this is a mixtape, which is made up of scrapped songs, a few exclusives, and remixes, and thus lacks quality of a cohesive project. However, this one excellent mixtape that is filled with many quality tracks and quality lyrics. Songs that stand out the most include: "The Honorable", "Nobody Like Me", "Starvation", "Welcome to Durham" "Flash and Flare (very unique song)", "Doin Me", and "The Beginning". The the remixes, in my opinon, are a waste space that could have been filled with other songs. The guest producers Illmind, Young Guru, and Khrysis help to add diversity to the sound of the cd, which is filled with much of 9th Wonder's sound (not that that's an issue ofcourse). The mixtape is an excellent appetizer until the release of The Minstrel Show."

JL-2005 is the year

cedrick hudson | Da Burg, PA | 06/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know about yall but when you have to be convicted for murder to sell records...it's a disgrace to the game of hip-hop...wanted to add that before i start....anyway...I was going to purchase this cd regradless of the 8-9 songs that were on the previous one...real hip hop fans have to realize that this is the last underground lp from the trio before they hit the mainstream...i do believe that people will be listening after the release of The Minstrel Show...Listen to the word play on The Beginnning and the chemistry between Phonte and Poohbear on WAR....these cats are serious and the industry better watch out...and I'm not going to even get into the other JL cats..."