The holidays are here, and I dunno about you but that gets me juiced for some good rap music. There are some heavily anticipated releases coming up, and some that have already come out that are definitely worth buying. So here’s my Christmas wish list, so to speak, of four “must-haves” to get for those hip hop lovers in your life.
[MP3] Ghostface - Ghost Is Back
It’s pretty amazing how by 2006, Ghostface Killah arguably is having the most successful solo career outside of the Wu-Tang Clan. Method Man, the RZA, or even the late ODB seemed like the logical MC’s to remain mainstays in the genre, but here we are and so many people are talking about Ghostface. This guy is completely on his game right now, and from hearing a few tracks off his newest album More Fish, I’m guessing his success won’t waver anytime soon. I hear some Public Enemy influences in this song, along with something else that reminds me of the movie Snatch. [buy]
[MP3] Jay-Z - MP3s from Hype Machine
In some interview I read, Jay-Z said that you probably will not like Kingdom Come on the first try, maybe not even the 6th, but with time it should grow on you. And I completely agree—this album has gotten better with each listen. It might not have a bunch of radio-friendly songs like The Black Album or The Blueprint did, but the music is still very creative without sounding overly commercial. And what you hear on Kingdom Come is a different Jay-Z—one who is a bit more aware of his surroundings, his status as an older musician, and the direction needed in the music. In that same interview he said something along the lines of “we need to keep the music changing, to show people that there is more than one dimension to the genre.” I’m pretty convinced this album reflects Jay-Z’s newfound intentions, so it is definitely worth experiencing. [buy]
[MP3] Clipse - Wamp Wamp
Pitchfork and XXL have given this album some ridiculously high ratings, and while I don't agree with the excessive praise those websites have given Hell Hath No Fury, I definitely believe it is one of the better releases of the year. The production on the album is amazing, thanks to the Neptunes. Each track is creatively bad-ass without falling into the typical sounds you hear with commercialized gangsta music. The hooks are often a bit strange, even annoying, and the lyrical content is nothing revolutionary. Still, the slow delivery of the two brothers matches greatly with the unique beats, and the result is one of, if not THE, best sounding hip-hop albums of the year. [buy]
[MP3] Nas - MP3s from Hype Machine
Oh man, this is it for me. Mos Def’s True Magic leaked recently, but after one listen I haven’t made my mind up over it. Also, Talib Kweli’s Eardrum won't be released until January, so given that, Nas’s Hip Hop Is Dead was the album I was looking forward to the most. Songs have been leaking one at a time (about 5 in total), and I swear that each one has been sensational. And the other day the entire album leaked, but I’ve decided I’m going to support one of my favorite living MC’s and wait until Dec. 19th to listen to it in full. There are so many of us that have been waiting for an Illmatic-esque album from this man since 1994, and it could be easily argued that he hasn’t come through. The truth is that I don’t think Nas will ever release another Illmatic, and he shouldn’t be expected to. But the beautifully poetic lyricism he displayed in that classic can be attained again, as he continues to change the direction of his music. From listening to those few leaked tracks I think he’s sharpening up once again, and so in my humble opinion if there is only one album you are going to buy, make it this one! [buy]
As always, comments/criticisms are always welcome. Contact me here for anything or leave a comment or two. Thanks for reading!
Editor's Note: Despite the fact that my name's on the bottom of the post, this was written by our resident hip-hop sexpert Louie! Also, if you haven't voted in the 2006 Weblog Awards yet, get on it!
9 comments:
Clipse is pretty awesome. But what about The Roots and Lupe Fiasco? Those records were fantastic!
oh yeah i definitely liked the roots one in comparison to some of their other stuff, and lupe's was really great, but those were released a little earlier this year. I guess I just mentioned some albums coming out right at this time
oh louie you ooze with hotness and piss excellence. please please father my children.
thanks, more reasons to dislike hippity hoppity.
ughhh.. rap?
I hate rap!
errr... I mean "Hip Hop"
(samething)
i dont wanna say that you hipster kids know nothing about underground hip-hop and read p-fork too much but its true.
i don't think louie's gonna like that one...because you're entirely wrong.
and he doesn't even read pitchfork, and I think clipse is way overrated
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