MF GRIMM - Story by MF GRIMM

http://www.mediafire.com/?n1iw6y9m05lc0iz

1. TMX

2. Processio

3. One Love

4. Everyday

5. Slow - Original

6. The Words of Hazel

7. How the Hell Do You Do That

8. Days Selling Rock

9. Any Bloody Use For It

Im somewhat at a loss as to how to review this album. On one hand its only 9 tracks long, it opens with 2 skits that do nothing to add to the ep, the third track clocks in at under a minute, the fifth and sixth track both clock in at under 2 minutes, track 7 is a 2 minute skit, and finally the album ends with yet another skit....so out of 9 tracks we have 2 full length songs, 3 shorter almost freestyle tracks, and a handful of skits that honestly add very little to the overall experience. But on the other hand it IS a free download, and the tracks Grimm does spit on are jaw dropping, the track 'Everyday' for example finds Grimm spitting better then ive heard him do it in years

Many drown while trying to entertain
they say dont hold ya breath but I hold it like David Blaine

the production is solid as well but again we come to the problem that...there just isnt much of it there. Im going to try to keep this review a bit shorter and simply say this, its hard to be disappointed by a free album, you have literally paid nothing for it and what music is here is amazingly dope, but the filler crammed in here really hurts it...so im torn. Do I give the album a 2/5 based on its weaknesses as an actual ep or do I score it a 3/5 for its strengths as a freebie? Think I may go the cheap way here and simply not score this one, treating it as a mixtape. Still check it out though, def makes me look forward to the projects Grimm has planned for 2010 

Overall - N/A

MF GRIMM - American Hunger

Disk 1: Breakfast

http://www.sendspace.com/file/e0wzo5 Disk 2: Lunch

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sh5kkf

Disk 3:Dinner

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t2wzue

Disk 1: Breakfast 
1. American Hunger (Breakfast)
2. When Faith Is Lost
3. Page Six
4. The Life I Lead
5. Wonderland
6. Code Noir (Revenge Of The Masked Avengers)
7. Right There
8. I Rather Be Wrong
9. Watch Out!
10. Yes Or No
11. The Trees (Featuring Baron From Red Clay)
12. The Path (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
13. Still My Love
14. Steal It
15. My Mentality
16. A Mother's Heart
17. Street General
18. M.I.C. (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
19. The Gingerbread Man
20. I Don't Know 

Disc 2: Lunch
1. American Hunger (Lunch)
2. Playground
3. Boing (Featuring PMD, MF MEZ)
4. It's No Secret
5. I Remember
6. United (Featuring Large Professor)
7. I Love You
8. Travelling (ft. Kurious And Lord Smog (Scotch) And Bashton The Invizabul Mang)
9. Delilah
10. Vultures
11. Everyone
12. Agony (No Jugamos)
13. Master Builders
14. Things I've Said (Featuring Baron Of Red Clay)
15. Broken Glasses
16. Dark Skies (No Jugamos) (Featuring Nate Denver, Bashton The Invizabul Mang)
17. Teacher
18. Crazy (Featuring Block McCloud And MF MEZ)
19. Who Rock (Featuring Duece Gangsta)
20. F__K You 

Disc 3: The Last Supper
1. American Hunger (The Last Supper)
2. Children Of Abel
3. Give
4. Adam & Eve
5. Lift Me Up (Snakes & Ladders)
6. Heaven Can Wait
7. Children Of Cain
8. Revolution
9. Manhattan Murder (Featuring MF MEZ)
10. Karma (Featuring Ill Bill And Block McCloud)
11. G.O.D. (Government Of Deception)
12. Brand New (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
13. No One
14. Elevate (Featuring Majesty & Infinit Evolution)
15. Everything (ft. Block McCloud, Majesty, Mr. Met And Baron From Red Clay)
16. The Whole World (Featuring Infinit Evol)
17. Ten Stories
18. Twin Peaks (Featuring MF MEZ, Hasan Salaam)
19. Simple Rhyme
20. The Book Of Daniel (ft. MF MEZ And Bashton The Invizabul Mang Aka MF Bash Of M.I.C.)

Here we go folks, this is the The first triple disk album in hip hop history. 60 tracks over the course of 3 meals, lunch, breakfast and of course dinner. Grimm himself has said this album was never intended to be listened to in one sitting, rather it should be soaked up as separate meals just as the disk titles suggest. Grimm has damn near done the impossible on this, while most artist cant make a single disk album with no filler and can only dream of a double disk, Grimm has come through with a THREE disk album with little to no filler.

The production at its absolute worst is solid, nothing really bad to complain about, the beats all have very different sounds and different melodies that give them all there own distinct feel, you'll never have to worry about being bored of what you're hearing because all the diversity keeps things very fresh and exciting. Grimm himself is solid enough, he has moments of brilliance but also falls victim to moments of mediocrity. speaking strictly on his abilities to mc I feel he could have done better, some tracks he flows over like he has no interest in riding the beat and others he brings in lyrics so sub par that you have to check to see if the cut features a Grimm sound alike with less talent. Luckily these moments of weakness are few and far between, Grimm is still a very gifted mc and he pens concepts and executes them to great effect.

Grimm's songwriting is really the star here, his hooks and melodies carry the album through all 60 tracks. He uses just about every part of the production in some way or another and often crafts very catchy hooks that mesh perfectly to create some very solid songs. This is in fact what made it possible for Grimm to do a triple disk album, he recognized that 60 songs of an mc simply spitting tradition verses with basic rhythm and ordinary hooks simply would not work, he chose instead to craft every song to very specific points on each beat to keep things interesting. True he does sacrifice his flow as an mc, but he elevates so much more as a songwriter thats its easy to forgive.

Overall the album is a success, it does have its share of faults but they're easily overlooked as the overall product is simply amazing, 3 disk worth of good music, what more can you ask for? 

Overall 4/5

MF Grimm - Digital Tears: e-mail from purgatory

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

1. Intro
2. All Y'all
3. Stable
4. Dr. Death
5. The Deal Is Done (Monte Smith)
6. Go Back
7. Dancin' (produced by J-Zone)
8. Enemy At Home (by Monte Smith)
9. Black Helicopter (Feat. Jihad)
10. Straight Babylon No Chaser (by Monte Smith)
11. Digital Tears
12. Ying & Yang (Ft. Agu Aka Mr. Voodoo, Su-Ann Ortiz)
13. The Way
14. Taken
15. Love Jones (Feat. Jihad)
16. Rotten
17. Voices (The Final Chapter)
18. Happy
19. Superstar J.J. (Feat. Su-Ann Ortiz)
20. Static
21. Outro

Firstly this is technically Grimm under his 'GM (Grand Master) name, its just for organizing sakes that I add the MF. Second I actually dont know a lot about this cd, I know it has production from the likes of J-Zone, X-Ray and some dudes ive never heard of. The album as a whole has a very dark and raw vibe which both works for and against it which i'll explain shortly. Grimm himself is as on point as ever, his lyrics are dope and his flow is sharp, as an mc he hasnt lost a step.

Now ive heard Grimm wrote the majority of this in prison, again Im not going to pretend like this is truth since I know little about the albums background, but keeping this in mind really helps you get a feeling for the album. I said before that the album had a very dark and raw vibe to it, so dark and raw in fact that it almost sounds as if it could have bee recorded in a prison, Grimm literally creates an atmosphere here thats very dark and claustrophobic, paranoid and angry, and above all entertaining. At times though this works against the album, so raw and unpolished is this lp that its sure to turn away new listeners. Its so stripped down to its necessity's that it almost feels as if its missing somthing, at times you'll be waiting for the rest of the beat to kick in only to find that the sparse beat is about as layered as its going to get. Also at 21 tracks it feels a bit bloated.

All of that being said the album is a must for fans, throw on some headphones and you can almost feel yourself sitting next to Grimm in his prison cell. A little more polish could have either helped this album or completely derailed it but as it stands the raw, sparse sound works more often then it doesnt.

Overall - 3/5

MF GRIMM - Scars and Memories

http://www.mediafire.com/?4sxn0od6g3kb0xa

1. Grandmaster Interview
2. Take 'Em To War [original version]
3. Manhattan Interview
4. King Of New York
5. Get Down (with DJ Ekim)
6. Hip-Hop Interview
7. So Watcha Want?
8. Getting Shot Interview
9. Bloody Love Letter
10. Comrade Interview
11. Scars & Memories
12. Percy Carey Interview
13. Crumb Snatchers
14. In The End (with Yves)
15. AIDS (with Kool G. Rap, Akinyele, C.J. Moore, Big Chuck)
16. MF Grimm Interview
17. The Original
18. Wack Emcees (with Nomad, Yves, Wayne-O)
19. Do It For The Kids
20. Emotions (with B-One)
21. Dedicated (with Squeeze On Intro)

This is a collection of MF Grimm songs from the early 90's up to 05. Its meant to showcase the growth of Grimm as an artist and does a fine job of doing so. Grimm's early style was much more influenced by G Rap (who appears on this LP) and his style had a much harder edge. His flow here is often much faster then the average Grimm fan will be used to but its very dope all the same. Lyrically Grimm covers multiple topics, finding a nice balance between gangster rap and social commentary, concept wise he has what could possibly be my favorite Grimm track ever, 'Bloody Love Letter' finds Grimm writing the last letter he'll ever write, lying in the snow dying after his shooting, its very well done and everything about the song works.

The album is laced with Grimm interviews that offer a lot of insight to the man behind the mic and actually add a lot more depth to the overall package. The production is typical early 90's New York, you'll either love it or not care for it, for the most part though is still sounds very good and has aged remarkably well. My only gripe is that I felt some of the mastering of the music wasnt as good as it could have been.Bottom line though is that if you're a Grimm fan, a New York Hip Hop fan, a 90's hip hop fan, or just flat out like good music then you have no excuse not to check this. The album is a banger front to back and showcases Grimm at his most hungry.

Overall - 4/5

MF GRIMM & MF DOOM - Special Herbs & Spices

http://www.mediafire.com/?t4wyszu2t59ikbw

1. Intro - Fat Man Scoop
2. Arabic Gum + Ajowan = No Snakes Alive Pt. 3
3. Calamus + Star Anise = Superhero
4. Dragons Blood + Cayenne = 1000 Degrees
5. Dragons Blood Resin + Ginger = War Paint
6. Benzoin Gum + Asafoetida = 10 Years Later
7. Red #40 + Wasabi = Bottle Rocket
8. Bergamot + Sumac = Rain Blood Pt. 2
9. Kava Kava Root + Poppy Seeds = Stress Box
10. Styrax Gum + Nutmeg = Tick Tick Pt. 2
11. Mugwort + Cinnamon = Shifting Lanes Ft. Kurious
12. Horehound + Sesame Seeds = Tonight's Show Ft. Invisible Man & Lord Smog
13. Outro - Fat Man Scoop
14. My Love

Let me Sum this album up real quick, this album is pretty much MF Grimm kicking rhymes over a bunch of DOOM laced production, the beats of course come via DOOM's special herbs series which means they're all something you've heard before. That being said though this is still a solid album, I mean yes I would have much preffered some fresh DOOM production but its also kinda cool hearing what Grimm does with some of these classics and what direction he takes them in to.

Sadly there is still another negative I must mention, Grimm himself is somewhat off on this album, half the time he sounds as if he doesnt know how he wants to flow on the beat and the other half his lyrics are really lacking. Ive been told he freestyled a good portion of this and it easily sounds as if it could be true, simply put its not up to Grimms usual standard, that isnt too say its bad, but disappointing. As a whole the album is very interesting and entertaining, the production is classic and when Grimm is on point the album works perfect, its when Grimm isnt bringing his A game that the album falters and sadly that seems to be the case for the majority of the record.

Overall - 3/5

MF GRIMM - The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera

http://www.mediafire.com/?znqrzr4cnejxb1h

1. Alpha (Ft. Count Bass-D) 0:37
2. Time and Space 2:54
3. Life and Death 4:25
4. Freedom 3:11
5. Foolish (Ft. Megalon & MF DOOM) 3:20
6. Together 2:00
7. Break Em Off (Intermission) 4:10
8. Rain Blood (Ft. Megalon) 4:02
9. Voices Pt. 0 2:00
10. Voices Pt. 1 (Ft. MF DOOM) 1:56
11. Yes You Are (It's Only A Movie) 2:28
12. I.B.'s 3:56
13. To All My Comrades 2:09
14. Howl 2:33
15. Words 3:26
16. Teach the Babies 2:32
17. Omega 0:56

This is Grimm's 24 hour masterpiece, after being sentence to Life in prison back in 2000 he managed to come up with $100,000 needed for a one day bail, in that time he created this. Now first and foremost I want you to really think about that, this is someone who is so dedicated to hip hop that in his last 24 hours as a free man he decides he wanted to spend it recording music, out of all the things in the world he could do he chose this, and thank god he did. Also for those wondering Grimm beat his life charge and is of course a free man, but im sure you already knew that.

Downfall is somewhat of a concept album, albeit a very loose one. To sum it up simply it tells the story of a fallen angel, its not a concept the album shoves down your throat but rather somthing in the background, behind the scenes bringing everything together. Grimm also brings some concept tracks in to the fold and effectivly creates what can only be called "a concept inside of a concept", its a stroke of genius and works perfectly. The production on the album is handled by the likes of the legendary Count Bass D, DJ Rob A, DJ Eli, Cas, Dr Butcher and of course Metal Fingerz himself, MF DOOM (who handles the bulk of the production). The production is simply flawless, creating atmospheres and sonic landscapes for Grimm to vent his angst, anger and frustrations over.

Grimm himself is in top form, you would think a man about to spend his life in prison may be shook to his very foundation but Grimm uses this angst and focuses it in to his music. His flow is still as smooth as ever but his lyrics are very deep and express his inner most fears and thoughts, the standout "Voices Pt. 0" shows Grimm at his best, kicking paranoid rhymes with hints of remorse and self reflection. Guest wise MF DOOM stops by for some show stealing verses, Megalon gets a solo track in what will go down as the highlight of his career, and Count Bass D takes the time to drop a few words. The real star of this show though is Grimm and we're never let to forget that, simply put this album is his magnum opus, no matter what Grimm does after this it will all be measured against this, in the span of 24 hours he created a masterpiece, somthing most mc's wont be able to do their whole careers.

Overall 5/5

MF GRIMM & MF DOOM - The MF ep

http://www.zshare.net/download/72115638c1c91a95/

1. Doomsday (Mister Jason Remix)

2. No Snakes Alive (Feat. Jet Jaguar & Rodan)

3. Impostas

4. The Original (DJ Fakts One Remix)

5. Break em Off

6. Dedicated

7. The Original (Ninja B Remix)

8. Doomsday (Mister Jason Remix) Instrumental

9. No Snakes Alive (Feat. Jet Jaguar & Rodan) Instrumental

10. Impostas Instrumental

11. The Original (DJ Fakts One Remix) Instrumental

12. Break em Off Instrumental

13. Dedicated Instrumental

14. The Original (Ninja B Remix) Instrumental

Kicking things off with the MF ep, an extended play split between MF DOOM and MF GRIMM with the instrumentals tacked on the end for good measure. Any hardcore fan will be familiar with the 3 DOOM tracks with the possible exception of the Doomsday remix that knocks just as hard as the original, 'No Snakes Alive' is an abstract masterpiece with the beat slowly creeping along then finally speeding up as each mc rips their verses (Rodan is the show stealer here) and finally 'Impostas' is classic DOOM, another murky beat with the Metal Faced Villain doing what he does best.

The Grimm side is equally as dope, sonically is takes a much different approach with a more tradition sound and songwriting style, the beats hit hard and Grimm brings his A game, his flow is smooth and his lyrics are Razor sharp, showcasing why he's one of the deepest mc's in the underground with simple yet effective lines that'll have you wearing out the rewind button. Having the instrumentals is a fantastic bonus as well, all the beats are dope and well worth the listen. The overall product is dope but this IS an ep meaning that in all reality we only have 7 tracks worth of music, most of which can be found elsewhere on either mc's albums. That being said though its a great starting point for new fans and a pleasant refresher for older fans alike.

Overall 3/5