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User
Soundoffs 6
Album Ratings 10
Last Active 12-11-10 5:55 am
Joined 07-20-10
Review Comments 283
| Untapped Potential
Rap albums that are pretty damn good, but fall far short of classics status because one or two mistakes, albeit mistakes that are vital. | | 1 |  | AZ
Doe or Die
Any fans of Nas' '94 classic should know this guy; he was featured on "Life's a Bitch". In addition to being a great lyricist, AZ's a great rapper with a distinct voice and nimble flow. If you've read a few critics' reviews (or even summaries) of this album, the consensus sentiment is that Doe or Die had potential to be placed among the like's of Raekwon's OB4CL and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt. Problem was, AZ didn't have the budget anywhere near those of the latter two, and he sure as HELL didn't have his own RZA or an all-star cast featuring guys like Ski Beatz and DJ Premier. Best he got was two Pete Rock tracks, and two subpar Pete Rock tracks at that. This album even has classic songs. Namely, "Sugar Hill", "Mo Money, Mo Murda (Homicide)" and the title track are three fucking awesome tracks and what's even better is that they come in succession. This album is very much worth listening to, but it definitely features some dwarfed, inconsistent, and archaic production. If he had a better production budget, this album could very well be sitting amongst the likes of NYC 90s essentials like Illmatic, Ready to Die and Enter the 36 Chambers. | | 2 |  | Andre Nickatina
Conversation With a Devil
In hip-hop most often the side of coke dealing portrayed is the riches and the notoriety. Less often than not rappers paint the darker, more destructive side of cocaine. That being said, Conversation With a Devil: Cocaine Raps Volume 3 is a much more balanced approach to the 'business', if you're willing to call it that. It's about as close to a lyrical pro-con as you're going to get. Plus, Dre Dog is a fucking pro at flowing, just check out "Fist Full of Dollars" where he flows effortlessly over racing bagpipes. The downfall of this album (which is one of my personal favorites as well as one that is most disappointing to me) is a handful of bad songs. Besides the uber-predictable "Show Gone Wrong" and "Summer in Florida" (which sounds more like an ICP track than anything) everything else is ACE, but those are really, really bad tracks and "Show Gone Wrong" is such an unfitting ending to a quasi-conceptual album. | | 3 |  | 2Pac
All Eyez On Me
This album suffers the same fat as Conversation With a Devil, but to a much larger extent. Tupac is unarguably one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, but this album was so label-influenced (fuck Suge Knight). Add on the fact that it's a fucking double disc and you know things are bound to get messed up. The first CD is nearly flawless, but the second is so boring. If you were to cut out the crap and compile only the good tracks, this would most likely be a five. | |
WithHorsesInHerEyes
10.28.10 | Snoop Dogg is pretty ill. | JustJoe.
10.28.10 | List needs "Soul On Ice" | Ire
10.28.10 | sup brown drink
| SwagChef
10.28.10 | okay just added descriptions and shit | SwagChef
10.28.10 | eh not really but thank you ^^ | growl
10.28.10 | bigbooty bches | JustJoe.
10.28.10 | I've always looped "Doe Or Die" with "Soul On Ice". Not so much that their content is the same, but moreso that I feel like the artists-- AZ and Ras Kass, respectively-- are incredibly talented and I really enjoy their brand of hip-hop; well, early AZ and Rass Kass, anyway. I like "Doe Or Die" more than "Illmatic", but "Illmatic" is much more well rounded (because of the consistent beats). I've heard lots of people talk about the supbar nature of the beats on "Soul On Ice" being the downfall of that record. I was inclined to believe that for a while, but they are supposed to be understated. Still, if they were of greater quality, yet still understated, I would rate it a classic, easily.
I talk to much.
SUP BULLY! |
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