by stillmatic » Mar 27th, '11, 03:39
Ah so finally got around to hearing the record. I waited all this time because my friend said he bought me a copy, and I just happened to get it off him yesterday.
HUGE expectations here. This needs to fill the lyrical content missed with Lasers. I can tell some idiots will pigeonhole this and say it's only for the "underground" losers who are pretentious....no dude, just listen to P and tell me if he's comes off as a wannabe even once.
The Warning (Intro) ft. Idris Elba - 5/5 - Dope intro, anticipations building. Idris Elba is dope, been a fan of his ever since The Wire. Even his music is cool.
Calculated Amalgamation - 4/5 - 'We are renegades, fuck your gold medal"...ohh man what a start. With the first shot fired in a short song, I'm certain the album won't disappoint.
Evolve - 4/5 - The movement is outlandish. God damn he sounds nice on this. Pure poetry here.
W.A.R (ft. Immortal Technique) - 4/5 - Technique on the hook, meh. I would have loved a verse from here because I love him on these "Peruvian Cocaine" type beats. P breaks down the new age media perfectly in a way only a few in hip hop by trying not to sound forced or uncomfortable.
Clap - 5/5 - Get the fuck outta here. First genuine classic song of the album. Metaphors for hours. Classic NY hip hop here. Queens what up!!!!!
Black Hand Side (ft. Styles P) - 4.5/5 - I love it when P is on his Tupac/Nas shit. People forget he was doing this type of stuff 20 years a go. Man, everytime I here Styles I love the dude more and more. Love the soulful shit here.
Let my people go - 4.5/5 - Great followup to the previous track. Love the conscious shit here, real inspirational shit. I hope people really listen to this closely.
Shine - 3.5/5 - Dope rhymes, not feelin the hook or beat though. Monch reminds me of Curtis Mayfield like crazy here. Not feelin' the NY diss tho lol.
Haile Selassie Karate ft. Mr. Porter - 4/5 - Again he sounds like Curtis Mayfield, dope shit. Mr. Porter's singing makes me laugh, but he grows on you. Pha is giving his all here.
The Hitman - 4/5 - Liking this, after some deep shit, you can lay back and enjoy a master at work here with some lighter (just a little) shit here. Even then there's rhymes for days.
Assassins ft. Jean Grae & Royce - 5/5 - There we go, second genuine classic track. Nicki Minaj, take not, this is what a real NY female MC sounds like. Royce and Monch sound the way you expect them to here - crazy. Freestyle battles here.
The Grand Illusion - 3.5/5 - Too much of the other dude singing on this. Needed more Monch in my opinion. 1 verse?
Still standing ft. Jill Scott - 5/5 - My most anticipated song so far this year. When I saw the tracklist a few weeks a go, I couldn't wait for this song. Got goosebumps waiting for it. Oh maaaaaan, Monch talking about his health concerns when he was younger whilst mixing it with crazy rhymes about his love for life and hip hop. Fucking motherfucker. How dope is this dude. Ms. Scott sounds as elegant as ever, can we seriously just claim her as a New Yorker? Classic song.
Overall: 4.5/5 - Great album. Dope replay value. Monch has done so much for hip hop. He's an icon, without any doubts at all. Every album he gives it all. Hip hop is blessed to have him represent us. Queens is lucky to have him represent us. Legend. Best album of the year so far, and will be tough to beat. Nas, you got some work to do homie.
I love hip hop.
The New York Times - "Lloyd Banks may have stealthily become the most important rapper in New York".