Updated links coming soon!

I've heard the rumblings. Mediafire is all but crashing and burning. Most of the links for more well known albums are now being denied and redirected. Over the next week or so I'll be switching the links over to a different service.

I had just fucking switched to Mediafire too.

Gigan - Gigan EP

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0dtj2r

1. I.S.O. (In Serch Of)
2. Power (Feat.Megalon)
3. Live Wire (Orig Ver)
4. Brooklyn, Brooklyn
5. Queens Day
6. Crazy World

Trying to pick any single member of the massive Monsta Island Czars crew as my favorite has always been near impossible for me, but it's a dilemma I enjoy furrowing my brow over none-the-less. Is it Rodan with his amazingly detailed, over the top visuals? Maybe Megalon with his rapid-fire, machine gun flow? I suppose the most obvious answers would be MF DOOM, who easily has one of the most impressive Discogs in Hip Hop history. Or maybe, just maybe, after only one single EP, from way back in 2002 none the less, it's Gigan. Most MIC/MF DOOM fans are probably familiar with Gigan from his guest appearance on DOOM's King Geedorah album, Take Me To Your Leader. Gigan had, in my humble opinion at least, the absolute best song on the album with "Krazy World". He not only spit some fairly spectacular bars, but he also did something I've yet to hear any other MIC member do to this day (DOOM included) -- he made an honest to goodness brilliant chorus. It still stands as one of the best choruses I've ever heard from an underground mc, and Gigan's half rapping/half singing flow made it clear as day that he was ready to branch out and start a brilliant career, possibly somewhere beyond his humble underground beginnings.

Only his career not only never took off, but Gigan himself seemingly fell off the face of the earth.

Sure, he had a few verse on MIC's debut album, Escape from Monsta Island, and he also turned up a few times on X-Ray's Monsta Mix series, but really after 2003 dude went completely AWOL, and as of 2012, has yet to release anymore music. With "Krazy World" being one of my all-time favorite songs though, I felt like I needed to dig deep and see what else I could unearth from dude. Thankfully I ran across this gem. With less than 50 copies known to exist, and with it being self pressed and sold strictly at shows during the 2001/2002 era, it goes without saying that this probably didn't reach the ears of too many listeners. It really is a shame too, because Gigan more than proves on this that "Krazy World" was no fluke. In fact, the opening track "I.S.O. (In Search Of) easily rivals the greatness of his King Geedorah song, and features another fantastically catchy hook.

In fact, Gigan proves himself to be an absolutely superb mc throughout this EP's short 6 tracks. Effortlessly shifting from female oriented tracks (the aforementioned "I.S.O."). to immediately going in to an absolutely head spinning cypher session with fellow MIC brother Megalon. Lyrically Gigan can be fairly abstract, even by MIC standards, but his more down to earth, easily digestible flow more than make up for it. Production comes courtesy of MF DOOM and X-Ray. DOOM laces "Live Wire" (which would later appear on Monster Mixes Vol. 1), and "Krazy World" (which would also later appear on King Geedorah's Take Me To Your Leader). "Krazy World is far and away the standout as far as production is concerned, not that it's noticeably better than any of the other beats here,  it just sounds so radically different from the utter darkness that the rest of the album is shrouded in. X-Ray laces the rest of the album with some absolutely magical moments. "Power" for example almost brings to mind a ol' fashioned western showdown, which perfectly suits both Gigan and Megalon.

It really is a shame that Gigan vanished shortly after this release, because to be perfectly honest he's probably the most skilled songwriter in the whole MIC camp. Given the right production he could have crafted an absolutely phenomenal album. Thankfully we at least got a glimpse of what could have been. Gigan's sole EP stands neck and neck with any other MIC release, and is an absolute must for hardcore fans.

Hell, even casual listeners might wanna take a shot on this one.

Pro's
-Gigan is a great MC, and his songwriting stands as some of the best the underground has to offer
-He got laced with some really dope beats from X-Ray and MF DOOM
-It's short and sweet. Every track is essential

Con's
-Some of these songs would pop up on later releases, which somewhat lessens the impact

Overall - 4/5

Aesop Rock - Appleseed

http://www.mediafire.com/?gj813n3ecryphdc

I very much doubt  Aesop Rock was feeling much pressure when recording the follow up to his stellar 1997 debut, Music For Earthworms. The album was self pressed and released, and I can't imagine it ventured far outside of his inner circle. This was long before Aesop was one of the most prominent figures in the Underground Hip Hop scene, and as such he was free to create at his own pace, and without any expectations bearing down upon him. The two years between releases though were crucial ones for Ace. He seemingly had a falling out with the producer of his first lp, Dub-L, and a full 4 years before he was pissing off his fans by manning the boards behind 2003's Bazooka Tooth, Aesop was crafting his own beats on 6 out of the 8 songs presented here.

Admittedly, as a long time fan, Aesop's production is probably the most interesting thing about this ep. That's not to say that his rapping is lacking, it's just that there's very little evolution from what we heard on Music For Earthworms, and what we would later hear on Float. This is our first glimpse at Aesop as a producer though, and considering how big a role his production would play later in his career (producing for himself, and others), it serves as an important piece of his history. Fans of his later self-produced material will probably be shocked to learn that Ace's early production really didn't sound all that different from fan favorite, Blockhead. In fact, Blockhead contributes one beat to the ep, and you would be hard pressed to pick it out from Aesop's own production. They both relied heavily on world-music, jazzy samples, and you could probably safely assume that the work Blockhead would become famous for on Float and Labor Days, had its fair share of input from Aesop.

Regardless of who influenced who, it's a sound that works exceptionally well for Aesop, and even 15 years in to his career, it's still something fans clamor for. Aesop's production here isn't as fully fleshed out or realized as Blockhead's would later be, but all thing's considered it's still fairly impressive to have such a complex lyricist also crafting equally dope beats. The lone beat not produced by Aesop or Blockhead comes courtesy of Omega One, who outside of producing for Aesop also fully produced an album for the underrated mc Lodeck titled, Postcards from the Third Rock. He brings his own flavor to the production on "Sick Friend", but its dark, dingy atmosphere ensures it fits in snugly with the rest of the album.  The song also features some of Aesop's most clever lyrics. My personal favorite being:

"I choked when the cage bird sings, it stings
Springs me out delirium to stitch them clipped wings"

The song is followed by "Hold The Cup", and the Blockhead produced "1,000 Deaths", both of which feature outstanding beats and stand as my two favorite cuts on the album. "Blue In The Face" is one of the weaker productions here, though it does feature some interesting sampling, the beat never quite gels together. What it does have though is Aesop at the top of his game, dropping bars that will have your rewind button (remember those?) worn out in no time.

"I put my hook in the pond, I put my worm In the hook
I put my trust in the worm that he'd bring me something to cook
I felt a tug on my line and I lugged a trash can on my pole
with a note from the worm attached that read, "Thanks for nothing asshole!"

"Odessa" is the last track on the ep and features the only guest vocals courtesy of Doseone, but while the beat he and Aesop share is fairly dope, the mixing of the actual song ruins any fun to be had. Doseone's vocals are simply mixed too low, and when contrasted with Aesops loud, booming voice it just comes awkward and hard to listen to. A fairly amateur mistake, but a costly one no less. Over the course of this ep you're sure to find something you enjoy, and while it's a shame that not every track was a hit, the highlight more than make up for it. Plus you get to hear Aesop's earliest production. That should entice most any fan. It's not his greatest work, and his later ep's would come to eclipse it, but it's still an important and vital piece of his legacy. Definitely worth revisiting

Pro's
-It's interesting hearing Aesop's earliest production, plus it's pretty dope
-Aesop has some of his funniest, and wittiest lines here
-It's short and fairly accessible. I've always felt Ace worked better on ep's

Con's
-Not a lot of growth as far as his style is concerned
-Not every beat is a winner
-The mixing on "Odessa" is bad. Doseone's vocals are mixed way too low

Overall - 3.5/5

Aesop Rock - Music For Earthworms

http://www.mediafire.com/?iamn8gsogeu94d6

I've always thought that one of the most impressive aspects of Aesop Rock's musical career was that he had arrived a nearly fully formed artist on his debut album in 1997. Especially considering how unique and genre defying his style of rapping really is. Admittedly I was a bit late to the Aesop Rock party, only vaguely hearing about him in 2000 during the release of his Mush Records debut album Float, and not finally sitting down to really listen to him until his 2001 Def Jux classic Labor Days, but I found it was better late than never and I was immediately hooked. Working backwards from Labor Days I was shocked to see that while the production became more sparse and spare, Aesop himself remained relatively untouched. In fact I was damn-near picking my jaw up off the floor when reaching his debut lp and found that while Ace's style might be slightly more defined on later releases, his was still spitting with the same 1-in-a-million vocal tones, and rapping with a flow that belongs to him and him alone. In music, and Hip Hop especially it can take an artist a handful of releases to truly find their voices and become comfortable in their own skin, but Aesop seemingly knew exactly who he was and how he sounded best; years before he even knew if people would listen to him.

In truth if this were just about any other artist this probably wouldn't be that big a deal, but this is Aesop Rock we're talking about here. One of the single most unique individuals in Hop Hop; if not music as a whole. He was blowing minds with his deep, croaking voice long before Lil Wayne ever began experimenting with different vocal tones, and delivering lyrics so complex that literally 15 years after his debut fans STILL haven't deciphered everything he's saying. The fact that he had this twisted insane persona figured out before he even had an audience leads me to believe it's not a persona at all; Aesop Rock is just a weird, talented, one-of-a-kind motherfucker.

Listening to Music For Earthworms in 2012 still proves to be a unique and exciting endeavor. All these years later and this album still sounds like nothing else that's hit the market. Long before Aesop's name would become synonymous with soon-to-be longtime producer Blockhead, he found a fairly perfect foil in underrated producer Dub-L. L is probably best known for his later work alongside DJ JS-1, but it was on Music For Earthworms that he would make his debut to the world, producing every track here (excluding the radio freestyles). As a long time Aesop Rock fan it's interesting to find that Dub-L has all but been written out of the Aesop Rock lore, especially considering he essentially created the blueprint for the production landscapes Aesop and Blockhead would later use to sky-rocket to Indie Fame, but for whatever reason the two had a falling out and as a result this would be the only time L would contribute production to an Aesop Rock album.

It's a shame really because while Dub's production lacks the infectious Jazz samples that Aesop and Blockhead would master, he still understood Aesop's style very well and crafted production that perfectly suited him. The beats are dark and creepy; sounding almost like the soundtrack to the worst nightmare you've had. Like most Underground Hip Hop created in the 90's it's very firmly rooted in the house that RZA built, and really he doesn't do a whole lot to put his own stamp on the sound, but he still executes it very well, and considering it was his first production available for mass consumption it's quite the achievement. Aesop is the main attraction here though and you're made well aware of it from the opening track "Abandon All Hope"

"Is a love such as that which I exhibit for my practice
The factor which then amalgamates debates with straight-jackets 
And robes. Huddled in brackets that blacken the average globe
Xenophobe, loathe to modify the fly, feel this...
I carve a notch in my wall for every stall
every fifth mark slants diagonal to symbolize your downfall"

Before you can even catch your breath or digest the dense 5 minute lyrical barrage though you're thrown head first in to the albums next highlight. To this day I'm still not exactly sure how Aesop managed to get the Legendary Percee P to feature on his debut album (TWICE!), but I'll be damned if the two don't make an absolute perfect pairing. The most shocking part though? Aesop actually manages to outshine the absolutely stellar Percee P verse over the haunting vocal samples on "Wake Up Call". Ace drops some of the best one liners of his career and offers the best quotables of the album

"Are you fat cats or lab rats?"

"My mic stabs white flags and drag trembling
Devil skin-wearers through the terrors of compliance
Once the day turns night, senoritas suck the woody like termites
And wonder how they got labeled dick-hungry damsels in distress "

The other Percee P collaboration is "Coward Of The Year Remix" which features a surprisingly catchy hook and may be the most radio friendly, traditional track Aesop has ever made. Both mc's stand on fairly even ground this time around and display absolute mastery on the microphone. The only real true sign here that this is Aesop's debut comes in the form of his songwriting; namely the hooks. A good majority of them are simply oddball, interesting samples that are looped. This is a fairly common tactic used by many amateur artist when getting their start in the Underground, and while it can create some great songs and add to the atmosphere, more often than not it's used to mask the lack of songwriting experience and can come across somewhat lazy and stale.

The only other hint that this is an debut, and possibly the only real flaw on the album, is obviously the "Live On 89.9FM Nighttrain". It's a live, on-air recording from a rap cipher that featured Aesop along with a number of other artist. Thankfully only Aesop's parts are featured here, but it doesn't change the fact that the poor radio quality hurts the flow of the album, and the fact that Aesop recycles his verse from "Wake Up Call" is crippling, especially when positioned so close to that track. It's somewhat baffling why Ace decided to just drop that song right in the middle of the album and essentially ruin the momentum he had created. It would have much better been served as a hidden bonus track tucked away at the end of the lp. As it is though it sticks out like a sore thumb, and being perfectly honest could have been done without completely. 

Amateur missteps aside the album is still a pleasure to listen to, and longtime fans would be doing themselves a favor by tracking this down. True it does borrow heavily from the Wu-Tang sound, and essentially the production sounds like many other albums from that time period; especially New York albums, but Aesop himself is so startling different it almost doesn't even matter. As soon as his vocals touch the beat the song is transformed in to something you've never heard before. It's not the perfect debut, and Aesop would release better albums later in his career. But as a debut lp? It's impressive to say the very least. It's no wonder that Aesop would remark a full 5 years later on his 2002 Daylight Ep: "(So why they blaming you for the cats that sleep while the earth turns?)/Yeah I had em' up all night praying I'd re-release Music For Earthworms"

Pro's
-Aesop is a fully formed, impressive mc right from the get-go
-Percee P on two songs!
-The album is vintage New York

Con's
-The production isn't anything you haven't heard before
-"Live On 89.9FM Nighttrain" is sorely misplaced and ruins the albums momentum
-The songwriting is somewhat weak and sample driven hooks are used to mask it.

Overall - 3.5/5

Aesop Rock - Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pb1bwn

1. Fast Cars
2. Number Nine
3. Zodiaccupancture
4. Holy Smokes
5. Winners Take All
6. Rickety Rackety (Featuring. Camu Tao, El-P)
7. Food, Clothes, Medicine

After years of being able to "do no wrong" in the Underground Hip Hop scene, Aesop Rock found himself in a very unfamiliar situation after the release of his 2003 album Bazooka Tooth.  While the album was both a critical and commercial success, it sat as a fairly lofty disappointment for longtime fans. People had come to expect a certain sound from Aesop, and on Bazooka Tooth he challenged just about everyone's perception of what he and his music were. Before Bazooka Tooth the status-quo had always been jazz infused production created with longtime collaborator Blockhead. It had been the sound Aesop had been defining and refining since his very first lp in 1997; Music for Earthworms (which was fully produced by Dub-L, but still laid the groundwork for the sound in general). On Bazooka Tooth Aesop decided to forgo any Blockhead productions and instead handled the the majority of it himself. And while truth be told that album has aged really, really well, at the time it was an absolute shock to hardcore fans and not at all what most wanted out of the Aesop brand.

Possibly looking to make amends with his fans Aesop released 2005's Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives, and split the production evenly between himself and Blockhead in what I can only assume he hoped would be a win/win situation. Ace had found himself in a fairly tricky situation; Bazooka Tooth had by far been his best selling album at this point, so he couldn't just outright abandon that sound at the risk of losing any new fans he had picked up. By splitting production duties with Blockhead he could in theory give old and new fans alike what they wanted. The problem was that people often forget that Blockhead did indeed have production credits on Bazooka Tooth (2 to be exact) and that his own sound was evolving just as fast as Aesops. So for anyone hoping to rediscover that vintage 2001 jazzy feel should probably check their expectations at the door. So in essence we have an ep nearly fully produced by two people (Rob Sonic contributes one beat) that sounds as if it was only handled by one person. Aesop and Blockhead are near indistinguishable.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing though as it does lend a very cohesive feel to the short 7 song ep. Though to be completely honest I feel like this is probably the weakest production that either artist had turned in thus far. None of it is bad by any means, but most of it seems to serve no other purpose than to be there for Aesop to rap over. I couldn't point to any one piece of production as a standout. The beats are fairly funky and industrial, but they lack that jazzy melodic feel that made the early Aesop albums go down so smoothly. It does firmly build on the foundation laid with Bazooka Tooth though and fans of that album are sure to be happy with it's continuation.

The real star here though (other than the booklet. More on that later) is of course Aesop Rock's lyrics. He really pushes himself as a lyricist here and cooks up some absolutely amazing imagery. The two standout cuts here are easily "Holy Smokes" and "Winners Take All". The former finds Aesop focusing his rage at the hypocrisy of organized religion. He also sheds light in to his past and his forced Catholic upbringing, which he very obviously holds quite a bit of resentment for.

"Just a little bruise in the back of the pews
Acting amused with a mask and them Vatican blues
For in the eyes of the organization I was raised in
Aes' is just another cynic-brick in Hell's basement
Cubicle adjacent to the killers and rapists
For what? Drugs and fucking, It's part of growing up"

It's another glimpse in to the mind and history of one of Hip Hop's most enigmatic artist, and an appreciated one at that. Most artist either shy away from religious topics, or embrace it blindly and unquestionably, so it's refreshing to see an artist of this caliber stand up and voice his honest opinion. Hate or Love it. "Winners Take All" on the other hand features a hook that's half tongue-in-cheek satire, half dead serious critiquing

I have landed safely. I have not received my papers
I have zero natural enemies. I don't know my location
I have no training in reconnaissance, combat or colluding
I'm calling for my orders, over (STRAP ON A HELMET AND START SHOOTING!)

As is often the case it's hard to tell exactly what Aesop's intentions are here. One second the song seems like nothing more than a storytelling vehicle for Ace to paint around his Bazooka Tooth character. Seemingly having fun portraying him as the over the top war hero so often depicted in blockbuster Hollywood movies. Other times it's a chilling and all too real look at what the young men and women of this country are facing on a day to day basis. Really the two interpretations work hand in hand together, showing how movies and media have romanticized war and how our youth are being brainwashed in to taking action and facing these horrors.

Or maybe Ace was watching the history channel and thought it would be fun to write...who knows?

The rest of the ep features topical and surprisingly down to earth concepts for Ace to use as fodder. None of the tracks here are bad, and all are worthy of addition to Aesop's excellent discography. I just feel like these probably aren't the cream of the crop. It's refreshing to see Ace touch on such important and serious topics, but sonically it lacks the whimsy and fun that his past releases had. The real highlight of this package though is the mini-book that comes with it. All the original pressing featured a book titled "The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow" that fits snugly inside the slip-cover surrounding the slim cd case. The book features every lyric Aesop has ever written for all his albums starting with Float, and ending with this ep. Sadly it doesn't include Music for Earthworms or Appleseed, which as a long time fan is disappointing, but it's still an absolutely incredible item that is a must own for fans. Being able to sit down and really read Aesops lyrics, accurately written at that, none of that "badly written Internet forum interpretation of what they might be" is a treat and worth the price of admissions alone.

It should be noted that later pressing do not include the book, and instead include the absolutely stellar track "Facemelter". If you have to pick one version though, the book is the way to go. The extra song is nice, but worst comes to worst it can be downloaded. The book on the other hand is one of kind.

Pros
-Aesop touches on some fantastic topics that focus on real world issues at the time
-Lyrically he's in top form
-The book the comes with the initial pressings is a must own. Worth the asking price of the ep alone
-Blockhead is back

Cons
-Some of the weaker beats Aesop and Blockhead have turned in. Sonically it's really not all that interesting
-Sounds even messier than Bazooka Tooth

Overall 3.5/5

Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth

http://www.sendspace.com/file/j3h1r7

1. Bazooka Tooth
2. N.Y. Electric
3. Easy
4. No Jumper Cables
5. Limelighter/Flunkadelic Interlude
6. Super Fluke
7. Cook It Up
8. Freeze/Honeycomb Interlude
9. We're Famous
10. Babies With Guns
11. Greatest Pac-Man Victory in History
12. Frijoles
13. 11:35/Ketamine U.S.A. Interlude
14. Kill The Messenger
15. Mars Attacks

Aesop Rock had a lot to live up to with 2003's Bazooka Tooth. His last release (Labor Days) in 2001 was widely considered to be an instant classic. Seemingly overnight Aesop found himself basking in the Independent scenes limelight, and just as quickly he managed to form himself a fairly sizable fan-base. Fans that no doubt were expecting nothing less than another classic from their newly appointed Underground hero. Sadly this wasn't to be. Bazooka Tooth was, and still is often looked upon as the album where Aesop "really started to go a little too far left".  Ace had already been a decidedly abstract artist to begin with, but on Bazooka Tooth he takes his quirky weirdness not to just another level, but another planet altogether. For a lot of people it was simple the straw the broke the camels back. At times it almost feels as if Aesop went out of his way to make the absolute least accessible album he could produce. Though to be fair I feel that some of the blame lies with the fans. People who were constantly looking to see what new radical direction Rock would push himself in. He essentially found himself in a lose/lose situation. He could either rest on his laurels and be accused of sounding stale, or he could push the envelop and risk alienating his ever growing fan-base. 

When discussing Bazooka Tooth the main criticism is almost always going to be the production. Aesop had handled some of his own production in the past, but the majority of it was left to longtime collaborator Blockhead, who would create the jazzy backdrops that would come to define much of Aesop's early career. On Bazooka Tooth though both Blockhead and his Jazz samples are casualties of Aesop's new-found creative independence, as he's given a meager 3 tracks to flex his masterful talent on. Instead we find the majority of the production is handled by Aesop himself, and true to form it's just as abstract and crazy as his vocal styling would lead you to believe. The nearest comparison to what Ace is doing on this album is probably Def Jux label head EL-P (who also laces one track here). Aesop's production styling is much less urgent and dire as EL-P's though, and instead seems to focus on finding a comfortable groove built around his oddball samples. 

At the time of its release it literally sounded like nothing else on the market, and to be perfectly frank it freaked a lot of people out; myself included. With no point of reference or anything to compare it to it was simply just too much to take in. Very rarely do I feel like i'm hearing a record that's ahead of its time, but lo-and-behold Aesop delivered just that. It wasn't until Aesop expanded his catalog with two more self produced releases in 2007 and 2012 that I realized just how ahead of the curve he was. In the years following Bazooka Tooth we would see countless Underground artist jock the production style that Aesop had essentially created here.

So it doesn't sound quit as crazy in 2012, but it's still something that needs digested much more slowly, and preferably in chunks. Like many of Ace's releases it's not going to be an album you sit and listen to front to back and understand immediately. Still Aesop is as talented an mc as ever, and on tracks like "Mars Attacks" his witty sense of humor comes through perfectly. The song details the story of Martians invading earth, and in true Aesop fashion it has an absolutely comical, yet dark ending. "We're Famous" also warrants mention if for no other reason than the fact it features what may very well be the greatest Hip Hop verse ever written. the EL-P produced track starts with the mc/producer spitting an absolutely mezmorizing verse that serves as both a love letter to Hip Hop, and a diss track to rival Esoteric.

"Hold it sacred, living it for the culture
Told ya plainly, protected it from the vultures
That's why I always get respect from true soldiers
While half of the critics claim it every year: "Hip hop's over."
FUCK YOU, hip hop just started
It's funny how the most nostalgic cats are the ones who were never part of it
But true veterans'll give dap to those who started it
Then humbly move the fuck on and come with that new retarded shit"

It's such a powerful and monstrous performance that the Aesop Rock verse that follows it almost isn't worth mention. "11:35 also has an interesting concept that finds Ace and Mr. Lif sharing the track and telling stories about multiple people and events, all of which are happening on the night of January 31st, at 11:35pm. Elsewhere on the album it's the little bits and pieces of Aesop's verses that are sure to make fans smile. For example on the albums Intro/Title song "Bazooka Tooth" we find Aesop declaring "Oh my God/Journalist around the world are officially critiquing my first 8 bars". My favorite lyrics on the album though are tucked away in the final moments of "Babies With Guns"; in the closing seconds we hear Aesop taking a break from all the zany madness and giving a heartfelt tribute/goodbye to RUN DMC legend Jam Master Jay:

"Grey Sky The day I
Got the phone call Jam Master Jay died
So no, I'll probably never write another Daylight
Because the stingers tend to cling more than the portable hay-rides
It adds it up when a pioneer fall
In comparison to your ninety-nine bottle of beer wall
There's banana peels in your hamster wheels
Hand-cannons in your shoe box. Please
Mine's got Adidas. Rest in peace"

Moments like this are where Bazooka Tooth really shine. Many songs as a whole are slightly less memorable than what was found on Labor Days, but the random quotables sprinkled throughout more than make up for it. It's hard to knock an artist for wanting to experiment and grow, but sometime you need someone there to reel you in and keep you grounded. I think that by removing Blockhead from the equation Aesop was given free reign to run wild and let his ambition get the best of him. In 2003 this probably seemed like a bad thing, but as is often the case with music the test of time is where real merit is proven, and Bazooka Tooth has passed all its test with flying colors. It has not only held up well and aged beautifully, but actually sounds better today then it did 9 years ago. 

Well played Mr. Rock. Well Played

Pros
-Aesop is still a phenomenal mc.
-On "We're Famous" EL-P drops one of the greatest verse ever written.
-Some interesting concepts strung throughout.
-The production aged very well
-How dope is that album cover? Wow. Aesop always has such amazing artwork. This is probably my favorite.

Cons
-It's also an absolute shock considering what came before it. the jump from Labor Days to this is so abrupt. 
-At the time of its release it scared the hell out of me. Haha

Overall - 4/5

Quick Update

As you can tell I've been back working on the blog and updating it with some new albums. The switch over to a new template kinda screwed up the looks of some of the other post, so I realize the site isn't much to look at now, but I am working it out.

Aesop Rock - Daylight

http://www.sendspace.com/file/lvmyda

1. Daylight
2. Night Light
3. Nickel Plated Pockets
4. Alchemy (feat. Blueprint)
5. Forest Crunk
6. Bracket Basher
7. Maintenance
- One of Four (Thank You) [hidden track]

Aesop Rock found himself in a somewhat surprising position with the release of his 2001 classic Labor Days. Not only had he dropped his magnum opus and manged to move a respectable amount of records for an indie artist, but he also found himself with his first hit single (college radio hit anyways). "Daylight" threw Aesop headfirst in to underground stardom with its laid back production and clever lyrics. The song was the perfect entry level tune to introduce new fans with. It featured Aesops erratic flow and dense lyrics, but in a more tame and managed manner. His lyrics were much easier to decipher than on most of his songs, and to top it all off Aesop strung the track together with a ridiculously catchy hook. Def Jux knew a good thing when they saw it, and after the initial success of "Daylight" they decided to spin it off in to its own ep; surprisingly one that doesn't sound at all like a cheap cash-grab. Daylight EP ranks up there with the best of Aesop's material, and is a must own for of inventive Underground Hip hop

The EP starts of course with "Daylight"; it is the showcase here after all, but following that we're thrown head first in to what can only be described as a re-imagining of the hit single. "Night Light" finds Ace pretty much taking every lyric and flow on "Daylight" and switching it with a darker, more sinister counterpart. For example the original "Daylight" starts off:

"Yo...put one up to shackle me, not clean logic procreation
I did not invent the wheel I was the crooked spoke adjacent
While the triple sixers lassos keep angels roped in the basement
I walk the block with a halo and a stick poking your patience"

"Night Light" flips the lyrics with:

"Put one up shackle me, not clean logic procreation
I did invent the wheel, in a previous generation
While the triple sixers lassos keep angels roped in the basement
I locate modern halos and pass em out to the pavement"

The production also reflects the darker tone of the track with a more slowed down, ominous sound. In all honestly the track does come across somewhat corny and unnecessary, but as a fan of the original it's a fun listen all the same. Thankfully the rest of the EP doesn't come across nearly as silly. "Nickle Plated Pockets" is produced by the always on point EL-P and finds Aesop absolutely killing the track with some of his most vivid imagery to date. The way he paints New York here is so descriptive you can damn near close your eyes and see yourself there.

"Walk into the store, same pocket, same nickels
In a city where every crack in the sidewalk's a symbol
Where there's crack in the basement, where there's crack in the slave ships
Where there's crack whores and corrupt pigs killing cats trying to crack cases"

Next up is the absolutely legendary collaboration with Blueprint; "Alchemy". This was actually my first introduction to Blueprint as both a rapper and producer, and needless to say it left me a life-long fan. Blueprint drops one of the all-time greatest Hip Hop verses ever here. His flow and vocals are absolutely monstrous, and he commands the mic in such a way that you almost feel sorry for Aesop having to follow him up. For me this is easily the highlight of the album, and I still to this day get chills when I hear those opening words from Print: "I spit with an immense amount of power". Indeed

Afterwords is the Blockhead produced instrumental song "Forest Crunk" which is another favorite of mine. The track features no vocals whatsoever, but it's still a dope beat and a welcomed interlude. Some may look at it as filler, but personally I just see it as Blockhead (who produces 5 of the 8 songs) getting his time to shine. Though admittedly it would have been interesting to here Ace spit over the unconventional instrumental. "Bracket Basher" is probably the weakest joint on the album, but even that isn't bad. It just doesn't reach the highs that the rest of the ep does. Last but certainly not least is the albums ending track(s). The final song on the tracklist is "Maintenance" which features a superb Blockhead beat that matches Aesop so perfectly that it really couldn't have been produced by anyone else.

The real reason to be excited here though is the hidden track tacked on at the end. You may notice that "Maintenance" has a staggering 24 minute running time; long enough to make even the biggest Aesop Rock fans question if tackling the track is a feasible goal. In reality though the song only runs 4 minutes and some change, and what follows is about 15 minutes of silence. After all that though we're treated to not only a bonus track, but what may be one of Aesop Rock's best songs ever. "One of Four (Thank You)" is the most personal track Ace has ever committed to record. The song is self produced and finds Aesop delving in to the darkest period of his life; his mental breakdown. It's literally the most revealing glimpse we've ever gotten in to Aesop's past. It goes in to great detail about his mental instability and the breakdown he suffered in 2001, then explains and thanks all the people that helped him pull through it. The song is absolutely stuffed with quotables so it's near pointless to try to pick out just one, but I always thought this hit rather hard

"I owe you all my life and please don't argue with that statement
'Cause without y'all I may not have a life to offer, take it"

It's an amazing way to end the ep, and you almost have to wonder if it wouldn't have been better served as an album cut. Then again maybe that's the way Ace wanted it. the song is so deeply personal he went through the trouble of hiding it behind 15 minutes of nothingness; it really is for the people closest to him and no one else, so it seems fitting that he would choose to share it with only his most hardcore fans. All in all this EP is nothing short of amazing, and it really does have a little something for everyone. If I had to recommend just one Aesop Rock project to someone who had never heard his music, this would probably be it. True it does have one or two songs that aren't essential to the Aesop legacy, but everything else here is pure gold.

Pros
-Some of Aesops best songwriting
-Production is fantastic
-Blueprint kills his verse

Cons
-"Night Light" is kind of corny

Overall 4/5

Aesop Rock - Labor Days

http://www.mediafire.com/?cr57j926zy960km

1. Labor
2. Daylight
3. Save Yourself
4. Flashflood
5. No Regrets
6. One Brick feat. Illogic
7. The Tugboat Complex Pt.3
8. Coma
9. Battery
10.Boombox
11. Bent Life feat. C-Rayz-Walz
12. The Yes And The Y'All
13. 9-5ers Anthem
14. Shovel

By the time Aesop released Labor Days in 2001 he was already a somewhat established artist in the Underground scene. His first LP (Music for Earthworms) and EP (Appleseed) were both self released and didn't make all that much impact, but soon Aesop was drafted to Indy label Mush and released his first commercially (Ha!) available album Float. The lp was a sleeper hit, and while it wasn't overly successful in its sales it was still enough to peak the interest of Legendary mc/producer and DefJux label owner EL-P. It wasn't long before Aesop was signed with the record label in what would turn out to be a match made in heaven. Aesop stayed with Jux right up the very end, spending the better part of 10 years with the label before it went under. In that time he managed to release 3 LPs and 2 EPs, and while all were considered critical darlings it was Labor Days that would come to be known as Aesop's Magnum Opus.

Perhaps the most immediately impressive thing about this album is the fact that it was released only one short year after Float. The amount of growth here, both sonically and as a lyricist is staggering. Labor Days takes the groundwork laid by Float and effortlessly builds and expands upon it. Everything here is bigger and better, yet tighter and more focused. Instead of a bloated 20 track project, Labor clocks in at a perfect 14 track; 61 minute running time. I suppose this could be attributed to the fact that the album itself plays out almost as a concept record, albeit a loose one. Instead of one driving storyline though Aesop focuses on an overall theme; The struggle that the average person deals with day in and day out, grinding away at a 9-to-5 that they're not happy with. While on paper it seems like a fairly mundane topic to be covered in an Underground LP, it's executed in such a way that it comes across absolutely dark and soul crushing. Aesop views the world through a very cynical lens and he pulls absolutely no punches here when expressing his displeasure for the rat race that keeps people from pursuing their true passions in life.

What may be most interesting though is the underlying positivity that Aesop manages to sneak into his bleak soundscapes. On first listen the album is a very dark and brooding affair, but on closer inspection little rays of sunlight begin to creep through the darkness. For example on "Battery"; what may be my favorite Aesop Rock song of all time we find Aesop declaring

"Yo change the fuckin channel. I burn a Coma candle
When the flame fades, consider my flatline a soldier's sample
We them cats talkin noise behind that New York trash heap
Where the stench of commuter briefcase replaces a bad sleep
And it's, worker zig-zagers versus piggy batch flashers
Training Generation Fallout
Waterfall bricklayer pincushion crawl out
There's smoke in my iris
But I painted a sunny day on the insides of my eyelids
So I'm ready now (What you ready for?)
I'm ready for life in this city
And my wings have grown almost enough to lift me
I'm a dinosaur with Jones Beach in my hourglass
Passing the time with serial killer coloringbooks and bags of marbles
Don't tell me you ain't the droid that held the match to the charcoals
Don't tell me Lucifer and God don't carpool (This is our school)
I'm not trying to graduate to life at the curse on the lounge barstool
Head in a jar on the desk, feet dangling in a shark pool"

That's half of the first verse, and in that short span of time Aesop manages to express almost ever range of emotion he has on the albums concepts at hand. But it's one line in-particular that's always going to stand out; "There's smoke in my iris/ but I painted a sunny day on the insides of my eyelids". It's an absolutely beautiful piece of imagery, and one that manages to show that it's not all hopelessness. We can wallow in self pity, or we can do everything in our power to make the best out of a bad situation. Positivity again plays a role on the absolutely stellar "No Regrets". The song is nothing short of a storytelling masterpiece, rivaling even the greatness of Slick Rick's vivid tales. In the song Aesop tells the story of a girl named Lucy (Probably not the same Lucy Slug of Atmosphere is so obsessed with, but a fun coincidence all the same) and how she lives her life on her own terms, doing only what she feels passionate about. Without giving too much away I will say that the song is constructed wonderfully, with Aesop painting Lucy's life in such detail you begin to wonder if she might perhaps be a real person, and the ending in true Aesop fashion is abrupt, shocking, funny and sad all at the same time. Being able to invoke all of those emotions at once is a stunning achievement.

Of course we can't very well write a review on Labor Days without mentioning the albums breakout track; "Daylight". The lighthearted, catchy song single handedly exposed Aesop to a group of music fans who otherwise would have never known he existed. The song stands as his most popular track to date, and in fact was so popular that it spawned its own ep (though he has gone on record as saying he hates the song). It's easy to see why people so readily attach to the song. The mellow Blockhead beat is a far cry from the dark material featured elsewhere on the album, and in a somewhat surprising twist for a lyricist as abstract and difficult as Aesop; it features a fairly catchy hook.

With an artist like Aesop you could literally spend years trying to break down, and explain his music. There's just so much substance, yet so much mystery here that trying to put it into words that can be readily understood by anyone is near impossible. He's an artist you really need to experience firsthand. For my money Labor Days is the absolute pinnacle of his career. Everything just came together here. The production provided by Blockhead and Aesop himself is near flawless. The songwriting is both focused, and sprawling, and Aesop himself is in absolute top form as a lyricist. Not everyone is going to love the album of course, and most likely the fault will be placed squarely on Aesop. His unique voice and flow are sure to rub some people the wrong way, and his lyrics often come across like they're being delivered in a different language. But I promise you that given enough time and effort Aesops brilliance will begin to reveal itself.

"I Told this cat the earth was flat/
He walked 'til his beard grew long enough to strangle himself for being stupid" (Flashflood)

Pros
-The production is some of the absolute best the Underground has to offer
-The concepts are well delivered
-Aesop is an absolutely masterful lyricist
-The songwriting is surprisingly strong

Cons
-Accessible is a word that you'll probably never hear when discussing Aesop. The album is dark, dense, and above all difficult.

Overall - 4.5/5

Aesop Rock - Float

http://www.sendspace.com/file/506nan

1. Float

2. Commencement at the Obedience Academy

3. Big Bang

4. Garbage

5. I'll Be OK (featuring Slug)

6. Breakfast With Blockhead

7. Basic Cable

8. Fascination

9. Oxygen

10. Skip Town

11. 6B Panorama

12. Lunch With Blockhead

13. Spare a Match

14. Attention Span (featuring Vast Aire)

15. How To Be a Carpenter

16. Prosperity

17. No Splash"

18. Drawbridge (featuring Doseone)

19. Dinner With Blockhead

20. The Mayor and the Crook

For all intent and purposes this is Aesop Rock's debut album; much in the same way that The Slim Shady LP is widely considered Eminem's debut. True Aesop had dropped Music For Earthworms in 1997, as Eminem had released Infinite in 1996, but these albums were released so low-key and in such limited quantities that the majority of fans never even knew they existed. Music for Earthworms was sold exclusively by Aesop himself through his website (self pressed on cheap cd-r and all) and I doubt that more than a few hundred of those exist, if even that. That's the magic of the internet though. Even if only a few copies of that album physically existed, it was still out there and available in bootleg form on the web. The album and its follow up ep Appleseed generated enough buzz for Aesop that he managed to land himself a deal with underrated Independent label Mush. 

Of course chances are unless you were an absolutely hardcore Hip Hop fan at that time you probably weren't even aware that Mush was a label in 2000, let alone one putting out such quirky and genre defying Hip Hop. As such Aesop's "second debut" album also managed to keep itself safely tucked under the radar. True it did garner him more exposure; a guest verse from Underground hero Slug of Atmosphere fame didn't hurt, but still the album was generally slept on. It served its purpose though because it was this build up that eventually led to Aesop signing with EL-P's legendary DefJux label, and finally finding his way to Indy fame. Looking back at Aesop's early work though and it's fairly obviouse that he was going to find his way to semi-stardom one way or another. He's simply too talented and too unique to have not found himself an audience. Float lays the groundwork for what most people would later discover on Labor Days and is a fairly entertaining album in its own rights.

Production for the album is split between Aesop himself and soon-to-be longtime collaborator Blockhead. Listening to the album you would never guess that the production is handled by more than one person. Aesop and Blockhead are so in sync on this project that their beats are almost indistinguishable. They provide an absolutely beautiful backdrop that could damn near be listened to and enjoyed all on its own. The songs go from absolutely stark and simplistic ("Float") to layered and breathtaking ("Basic Cable") and never sound at odds with each other. I can imagine the very nature of the instruments at use here will rub people the wrong way because admittedly they do sometimes come across as "artsy for artsy" sake, but really this is an artsy album through and through. It is pretentious. It is arrogant, and it does often come across with an air of superiority, but honestly that's part of the charm. The underground scene was so uptight in the early 2000's that you would be hard pressed to find an album that didn't beat you over the head with how "anti-mainstream" it is.

In Aesop's defense though this feel never carries over to his lyrics. He has much too much on his mind to be worried about what's going on outside of his dark, secluded world, and while his lyrics are insanely abstract, his concepts are fairly simple and down to earth. One of the albums highlights for example comes in the form of "6b Panorama". While seemingly as complicated as the rest of the albums dense material; on closer inspection it revels itself to be an enjoyable short story about the things Aesop sees while out on his fire escape.

"(I was sitting on my fire escape and I saw...)

sturdy bridges, decorated with dirty pigeons

a vagabond begging for three pennies and a princess

a junkie tourniquet surgeon urging the needle in

a batty senior citizen flashing that awful teethless grin

I saw a corner store merchant rest on a milk crate with a stog'

a pierced nose, a model with a stalker, cheap hooker, jay walkers

a table on a sidewalk with four old men slappin' dominos down

a city, a village, a neighborhood, a ghost town

I saw vandals catching tags and Puerto Rican flags

I saw a pregnant woman on the verge of bursting (boom)

I saw a blind man with a dog screaming "someday I'll see it all"

and then he sat down with his hammer and saw" - 6b Panorama 

See; That's not so hard to understand now is it? The rest of the album is decidedly more difficult to decipher, but given you take the time to sit down and really digest what's being said then you actually do start to pull the veil back and uncover some of the hidden gems Ace drops. "Basic Cable" is another favorite of mine. The concept finds Aesop critisizing those who waste away in front of the television set. Aesop himself is an admitted TV addict and as such the first person narrative here hits hard. Part ridicule, part self criticism. I also feel it's worth noting that Vast Aire drops one the best verses of his career on "Attention Span", effectively stealing the song away from Aesop with his simple, but effective punchline-driven verse.

The album isn't without flaws though, and the two most glaring work hand in hand to hurt the album in such a way that they knock it down from "Amazing" to simply "Solid". The combined efforts of the bloated 20 track, 70 minute running time, and Aesop's unforgiving and overly abstract style cripple this as a full length release. 20 tracks was hard enough to sit through from less complicated artist (I'm looking at you 90's No Limit Roster), but when you have an artist as complicated and hard to understand as Aesop Rock it becomes an absolute chore to reach the last track. By albums end you feel frazzled. Like you were caught in a tornado of words and tossed around for 70 minutes. Not sure which way is up or what the hell is going on. The album takes some real dedication to dig through, and while there are many gems here worthy of multiple replays, there are just as many tracks that will leave you scratching your head with no idea what the hell Aesop is trying to convey.

That's part of the fun here though. Just because I don't understand a song doesn't mean you won't, and vice-versa. You really do need to sit down with each and every song and see which of them speaks to you as an individual; which is an impressive task in and of itself. At the end of the day though this is music - not homework, and having to dedicate too much time just to know what it is you're listening to just isn't fun. It's like reading a classic book from the 1800's. You know it's a classic, and you know a lot of work and effort was put in it, but it's like the author is speaking a totally different language. Aesop is to be commended on his skills, and the good outweighs the "confusing", but his later releases manage to introduce a more fun and entertaining sound that would counterbalance his wordy rhymes, and that in turn would be the true key to his success. 

Pros

-The production is pretty good. Very jazzy and classy

-Aesop is an excellent story teller

-He drops some fantastic gems in his verses

Cons

-The album sounds slightly pretentious and has an air of arrogance about it 

-Aesop is such a hard mc to wrap your head around. New fans are going to be frazzled and lost

-The running time is flat out stupid. Sitting through 20 tracks becomes tedious

Overall - 3.5/5

Ras Kass - Rasassination

http://www.mediafire.com/?n56rus57lm9t8m8


1. Endtro
2. Rasassination
3. Ghetto Fabulous (feat. Dr. Dre & Mack 10)
4. Lapdance (feat. RC)
5. (Skit #1)
6. Conceited Bastard
7. Ice Age (feat. Kurupt & El-Drex)
8. ...In a Coogi Sweatsuit (skit)
9. H2OProof (feat. Saafir)
10. It Is What It Is (feat. Jazze Pha)
11. Interview With a Vampire (feat. God & Satan)
12. Wild Pitch (feat. Xzibit & Jah Skillz)
13. OohWee!
14. All or Nuthin' (feat. Twista)
15. Grindin' (feat. Bad Azz)
16. I Ain't Fucking With You
17. Get at Me
18. The End (feat. RZA)

Like most everyone else in the hip hop world, I was massively disappointed when Ras Kass dropped this as his follow up to the indisputable classic, 'Soul on Ice'. This album was about as radical a departure as one could imagine, and as such, was universally panned by fans and critics alike. Its polished beats, poppy hooks, and more relaxed take on lyricism alienated Ras's original fan base in such a way that he still, to this day hasnt fully recovered.

You want to know a secret though? This album is actually pretty amazing in retrospect. I mean sure, its no 'SOI', but when not being held up against another body of work, and being taken in strictly for what it is, its actually a very solid record and suitable follow up. Its true the album took a more mainstream approach to the Ras Kass formula, but honestly it really isnt as radical a departure as one would think. I mean isnt it an artist job to continue to experiment and grow musically? Can anyone really blame Ras Kass for doing it big when a little more cash was thrown at him? The answer of course will vary from listener to listener, in my humble opinion though it was the natural evolution of one of the West Coast's finest mc's.

Looking back on the album I can honestly say there really isnt a weak beat amongst the bunch. The Dr Dre and Mack 10 featured 'Ghetto Fabulous' is a banging, ominous piece of production that matches Rassy perfectly. 'Conceited Bastard' sounds like it could have been a SOI outtake, and the title cut 'Rasassination' was so ahead of its time that we wouldnt see mc's and producers catching up to that sound until as late as 2006.

An album isnt solely defined by its production though, and as any Ras fan can tell you, the main draw for his debut classic was his flawless display on the mic. The Ras Kass we find here isnt as technically strong as the one on SOI, but he's still just as gifted. 'Soul On Ice' sounded like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, this album though sounds like someone who's happy to be living life and having a good time while doing it. Thats not to say that SOI Ras doesnt show up every now and again, just check the instantly classic cut "Interview With a Vampire ", this is the type of track that most rappers couldnt even begin to think of creating, let alone fully executing it. In fact you would be hard pressed to find a single weak verse form Ras Kass on this album, his performance as a whole stands the test of time and sounds even better today then it did on its release.

The main critisim that was thrown at SOI was that the production was lacking, some even found it outright boring, Ras Kass did everything in his power to fix that on this release and consequently had his fans turn on him for doing so, a real "damned if you do, damned if you dont" situation. But really this has been what Rassy's career has been about all along, from day one its been him against the world. Fuck it though, Ras has created and album with some of the strongest songwriting of his career, lyrically very few mc's can see him on this, and concept wise he's untouchable. I urge everyone who gave this a bad review (and even those who havnt heard it yet) to revisit this album with an open mind, I think you're going to be surprised by just how well this lp as aged.

Pro's
-Very strong production values
-Great songwriting
-Top notch lyricism
-Amazing concepts

Con's
-a potential shock for those coming straight off of 'SOI'
-If you're not a fan of a more polished, mainstream sound, then this may not do much for you

Overall 4/5

David Banner & 9th Wonder - Death Of A Pop Star

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xczm97


1. Diamonds on My Pinky
2. No Denying (Channel 3)
3. Mas 4
4. The Light
5. Slow Down (feat. Heather Victoria)
6. Be With You (feat. Ludacris & Marsha Ambrosius)
7. Stutter (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
8. Silly (feat. Erykah Badu)
9. Something Is Wrong (feat. Lisa Ivey)
10. Strange (feat. Big Remo)

David Banner has cemented his reputation as one of the most thought provoking, yet club ready mc's to ever emerge from the dirty south. Need proof? look no further then his debut lp "Mississippi". The albums two biggest singles rested on opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum. "Like a Pimp" knocked so hard it blew more then its fair share of speakers; while "Cadillacs on 22's" was a soulful; thought provoking ode to everything wrong in the south, and how with enough perseverance we can overcome just about anything. The biggest complaint I've ever had with Banner though is that he never seemed to properly fuse these two sounds together in to one cohesive record. His songs were very much a "one or the other" type of affair. I'm very happy to report that with this 9th Wonder assisted lp though, he seems to have finally found that perfect balance and fully matured as an artist.

One line in particular sums up David Banner perfectly. It's found at the very end of 'Diamonds on my Pinky; the albums opening cut. Over a brilliant 9th Wonder beat, Banner closes the song with:

"But im from Mississippi where you let your nuts hang/
and where the white folks let my ancestors do the same"

My jaw literally dropped when I first heard this. Never has a single rhyme so perfectly reflected what an artist is truly about. If someone were to ask me to describe David Banner then this is the first thing coming out of my mouth. The line has a bit of everything that banner is about. It has his nut grabbing bravado, his socially conscious mind frame, and his no nonsense; almost militant bluntness. This is the David Banner that is presented throughout the whole lp, he's sure to offend more then a few people, but for those willing to listen with an open mind its nothing short of an absolutely fascinating look in to one of hip hop's most interesting minds. Lyrically David's style never falters; this is going to be the album that proves his worth to all of his critics. In a single verse he covers more topics then most mc's do on their whole albums. He effortlessly bounces from in-depth, thought provoking lyricism, to all out shit talking and never once misses a beat.

....Ok well that's no entirely true. If Banner does have one fault on this album its in his flow. Ive always thought Banner had a superb flow in the past, but here it sometimes comes across and sloppy and rushed. I think I may have an explanation for this though. I've read interviews with long time 9th Wonder collaborator Murs in the past; he was the first to point out that that when recording with 9th Wonder you only get one take to record your lyrics. 9th believes that the more takes you do, the less fresh and live the verse will sound. Therefore even if the mc flubs, the verse is kept. Is this what happened here? I cant say for sure, but at times it does indeed sound like that may be the case.

Speaking of 9th, his production here is some of the best he's ever churned out. His signature soul sampling is still intact, but he finds new and interesting ways to customize his beats to better suite his Mississippi partner. These don't sound like beats that 9th just gave to Banner; rather something he crafted with David in mind. The end result is a very natural sound that showcases both artist raw talents. Really the only other negative that can be leveled at the album is the running time. Originally intended to be a mixtape this lp runs incredibly short at times. Some of the best tracks clock in at just over 2 minutes, and the album as a whole only runs about 30 minutes. Though it should be noted that I copped the Best Buy version which features an extra 3 track that extend the album by about 10 minutes.

As a whole the album is superb. Though I feel that with a little more work it could have been better. Had some extra time been taken to really polish the release it might have been an instant classic. As it stands though its a very short, very sweet ride that shows an incredible amount of potential for the future of these two. Fingers crossed that we get a more fleshed out follow up.

Pro's
-Flawless production
-Fantastic lyrics
-.....moves at a brisk pace?

Con's
-Sounds somewhat sloppy at times

-.....moves at a brisk pace?

Overall 4/5