Search - Various Artists :: Old School Rap 1-4

A OLE SKOOL FOOL

B. FINCH | Detroit, MI United States | 04/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am truly pleased with this box-set. I just happen to be a (40) year old male who truly enjoys Hip-Hop, especially Old School Hip-Hop. This box-set contains some of the all time classic Hip-Hop tunes, (i.e.; The Show, La Di Da Di, Bust A Move & Rappers Delight), just to name a few. I already own the SugarHill box-set and the Tommy Boy box-set and this one measures equally as well. I would have given it a (5) if not for disc (4), which does contain two or three of my favorite Hip-Hop songs, but it lacks a more complete and familiar listing. I really appreciate the choices of Chubb Rock's (Treat Em Right), and MC Breeds (Ain't No Future In Your Frontin'). If you are a early to mid (80)'s Hip-Hop fan you will be very pleased with this collection. Big props to the (Grand Master Flash) remix disc (3)."

A Fantastic Concept Ruined by Poor Execution

PrinceNikodeem | 07/15/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Why oh why did the old Rapmasters series I used to rock in high school go out of print? Now that was classic old school hip hop compiled by people who lived through the era and knew from what they chose! This series is a mediocre substitute at best.



Granted, there are quite a few genuine classics on here...Wild Wild West, The Message, The Show, Paid in Full, etc. But there are also a few questionable selections...Ice Ice Baby? Really?!?



On the plus side, the curse words, etc., are not edited out on most of the songs on discs 1,2, & 4, and you do get to hear some of these classics as the artists originally intended. No, I'm not fiendin' for foul language. I just want to hear these songs as they were originally released. Think the chorus of The Roof is on Fire! That just wouldn't be the same with certain swears bleeped out!



And then we come to disc 3. Unlike the rest of the series, which presents these classic, must have hip hop cuts in their full glory, Vol. 3 ruins them by slicing and dicing them into truncated versions. Some genius decided that simply presenting these immortal songs in their entirety wasn't good enough, and they hired the legendary Grandmaster Flash to chop them up and present them mix tape style. You only get the middle of La-Di-Da-Di, for example. The intro and the last verse are missing. On top of that, the CD is only about 40 minutes or so instead of the usual 60-70 minute length utilized in the rest of the series. The one major benefit of authentic mixtapes (or CDs) is that they're much longer than official releases and can present up to 90 truncated songs. Not so here. You get all of the detriments of the format with none of the benefits. A word to the brilliant mind that envisioned this atrocity: When I want a mixtape (or CD) I'll hit up the bootleggin' brotha on the corner. When I'm buying an official release on amazon or from some other major retailer, I expect to get the full length cuts.



If disc 3 had been presented in the same format as the rest of the series, with La-Di-Da-Di, Request Line, I Got it Made, etc., full and intact, I could have seen my way clear to giving this box set 4 or maybe even 5 stars. As it stands, however, no way.



There really should be a comprehensive old school hip hop box set out there, but unfortunately, this isn't it."

Good CD's

M. Santiago | 09/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got the box set for my birthday a couple years ago. All four CD's are pretty good. Some of my favorites are White Lines - Grand Master Flash, The Show - Doug E. Fresh, Childrens Story - Slick Rick, 6 N' The Mornin' - Ice T, Back to the Hotel - N 2 Deep, Freaky Tales - Too Short, and Aint no Future In Yo' Frontin - M.C. Breed."