This is the pinnacle of hip-hop.

[ThomasJ]

CunninLynguists - A Piece Of Strange

What do you get when you mix Deacon & Natti, two of the finest Southern emcees with producer extraordinaire Kno? A masterpiece.
Actually, to call this album a masterpiece would be an understatement. This is something else...

Every single kick, snare, word & breath of this album is so magnificent that it truly feels like you're listening to an otherworldly record.
Also, this is one of the few albums I can think of where the features actually enrich the quality of the album.
Immortal Technique drops a great verse on "Never Know Why", Tim Means provides a fantastic spoken word portion at the end of "America Loves Gangsters" while Tonedeff's appearance on "The Gates" falls into the 'hear it to believe it' category.
I also must note that, although Kno only has 1 verse on the album, his verse is one of the highlights of the album.

It's a concept album, and it flows perfectly with no hiccups.
On top of that, it has a website with the explanation of the concept, characters etc.
http://whatisapieceofstrange.com/

Do yourself a favor, listen to A Piece Of Strange. It doesn't get much better than this.

[Devil'sAdvocate]

talk about overrating an album,it is a very fucking good project though.

[ThomasJ]

What exactly am I overrating? The astonishing lyrics or the breathtaking production?

You're so wrong.
"Very fucking good" doesn't even come close to doing justice to the album.

Hip-hop's magnum opus is more like it.

[EminemBase]

Never listened to them or this album.

After what you've said, I'll listen to it now. Quite annoying though as when I discover new people or listen to rappers for the first time, I like to start from their first ever material and listen right the way through up until their latest stuff.

So that I experience their evolution as if I had actually followed them.

But, I can't resist checking this out first if you're calling it the pinnacle of hip-hop. Also, their new album appears to have gotten rave and near perfect reviews too, have you heard it?

[ThomasJ]

Well, I also listen to an artist's work in chronological order.

They've got a damn-near flawless catalog, but APOS stands out.
TBH, I recommend that you listen to their debut then gradually progress so you can witness their growth.

And their latest album, "Oneirology", definitely deserves the praise. It's a concept album about dreams and their meaning, and once again CL deliver. Best album of 2011 so far IMO.

[EminemBase]

Well, I also listen to an artist's work in chronological order.

They've got a damn-near flawless catalog, but APOS stands out.
TBH, I recommend that you listen to their debut then gradually progress so you can witness their growth.

And their latest album, "Oneirology", definitely deserves the praise. It's a concept album about dreams and their meaning, and once again CL deliver. Best album of 2011 so far IMO.

Well I want to do that but, that's a lot of albums to listen to before I get to this one. And the fact you're praising this one THIS much, and in this way makes me almost not able to listen to this first lmao. Which is silly as I'll never have the 'first experience' of them again, so an out-of-order experience is annoying but... I'm too impatient. I think I'm gonna break the rule and just listen to it.

[ThomasJ]

Well, I also listen to an artist's work in chronological order.

They've got a damn-near flawless catalog, but APOS stands out.
TBH, I recommend that you listen to their debut then gradually progress so you can witness their growth.

And their latest album, "Oneirology", definitely deserves the praise. It's a concept album about dreams and their meaning, and once again CL deliver. Best album of 2011 so far IMO.

Well I want to do that but, that's a lot of albums to listen to before I get to this one. And the fact you're praising this one THIS much, and in this way makes me almost not able to listen to this first lmao. Which is silly as I'll never have the 'first experience' of them again, so an out-of-order experience is annoying but... I'm too impatient. I think I'm gonna break the rule and just listen to it.

Suit yourself haha.

However, all of their albums are very different, so listening to each album is a different experience.

[EminemBase]

Just read your PM, reading the site now.

I'm an atheist but I guess the biblical elements don't really matter as in, whether or not I believe in god doesn't interfere with this concept. As they're just references and characters. And it's just about the pathway to sin aka immoral or bad acts.

Plus it's a work of art, and logic doesn't matter in art. As I can just treat every element of fiction, and a character is a character. So god and satan are just characters to me.

That's a nice cover idea for the concept too.

Sounds like a good concept and literally like shit I think up in my bedroom all the time and wish rappers and talented people would do. I always think of abstract concepts which are just... out there, with songs being like, where you become an emotion and... all sorts. And just thinking it's such a shame nobody ever does things that 'big' or thinks like that.

So seems like these are the answer to my... 'prayers'.

PS. Just read Kno's little explanation and "but simply to deliver a story." gets my respect. It's good that they're even conscious enough to justify the art and reasoning, and the fact they know preaching is irritating. So that's good.

[KillahBee]

A really amazing album, one of those I don't listen to very often just to perserve it's quality

Love the way the majority of the album leads up to the downfall of the man, and then when Abstract/Reality kicks in it's like a huge moment of clarity for the main character, and the listener

"The Gates" is still one of most beautiful things I've heard in music, that beat is just, man, Im going to re-visit this album today

[ThomasJ]

I kinda knew you were gonna respond to this thread haha.
You think I may have went overboard with the praise?

[ThomasJ]

Bump?

[KillahBee]

I kinda knew you were gonna respond to this thread haha.
You think I may have went overboard with the praise?

No, I don't think you did at all, I'd agree with your description of the album completely

The only thing I'd hold against it is that I have to be in a certain mindstate to fully enjoy the album, but that's not much of a negotive

[Master Chief]

Honestly, Oneirology is way better. That's my favorite album from them.

[ThomasJ]

I listened to Oneirology and loved it, any links for this one?

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=105455

Honestly, Oneirology is way better. That's my favorite album from them.

Nope.

[Kevin Paul]

I thought Tonedeffs feature was very well done, never heard anything from him before and was pretty impressed by it.