Outspoken Poet's Blog

Hot Sauce Committee Part 2: a brilliant throwback to the days when the Beastie Boys ruled New York.

On paper, it’s one of the most intriguing musical matches in recent memory: Strong Arm Steady and Madlib. Yes, we’ve already heard the Gang on Lord Quas’s production (“The Function”), but could their inherent west coast chemistry translate across an entire album?

The answer is a resounding yes.

In Search of Stoney Jackson is a funky mission that lives up to lofty expectations. It’s a Soul-filled sojourn that hearkens back to the utopian days when a single producer and emcee/group combined to make music, not simply disjointed phrases over mismatched beats from seemingly a thousand chefs. We recently saw how mutually beneficial this relationship can be over a full-length in Fashawn’s Exile-helmed debut, Boy Meets World.

According to Stones Throw, J.Rocc secured hundreds of Beat Konducta concoctions from which SAS trio Phil Da Agony, Krondon (and less involved-this-time-around Mitchy Slick) could pick. The result is 16 tracks and four instrumental interludes that have that distinct Madlib texture without becoming redundant or repetitive. Mr. Jackson has long been king when it comes to this trait – crafting beats that are unique enough to stand alone, but each retains a subliminal signature informing the listener of the Invazion.

And SAS and the (many) Stoney guest stars sound very much at home over the production. The album boasts concepts and emcees who can get their points across in skilled fashion. The soaring opener “Best of Times,” tackles the increasingly-bleak economic picture, with nuggets like this courtesy of Phonte of Little Brother: “It make me think about the loot I shell out / If times get tight, will the shows still sell out / Po’ folk need help, they call it welfare / But rich folk need help then they call it a bailout.”

The aptly-titled “True Champs” is perhaps the LP’s best track; a vicious posse cut featuring Montage One, Evidence, Oh No and Roc ‘C’ that highlights hungry rhymes and Madlib’s drum work and Spidey-sense of sampling. While Stoney is impressive throughout, other standout songs include “Pressure” (with a strong Sick Jacken), “Get Ya Money Right” (featuring Defari), “Needle in the Haystack” (featuring Roscoe and Guilty Simpson), “Ambassadors” (featuring Planet Asia and Chace Infinite) and “Two Pistols.”

As you can see there are plenty of guest appearances. This makes Stoney feel more like a Madlib album than a SAS effort – the crew at the heart of the offering seems to get lost in the mix a bit. But as I said earlier, every emcee brings something to the table, so it’s not like the heavy roster causes any significant damage to the overall project. Phil and Planet Asia deserve special recognition as they blistered every track on which they rhymed. Phil’s super-aggressive, reckless style have made him an underground favorite for years and his effort on this album will only serve to increase his visibility.

In Search of Stoney Jackson is another Stones Throw gem mined by their incomparable in-house Konducta. It’s a funky ride to Rap’s far side in a car fabricated by Madlib, commandeered by Strong Arm Steady and a slew of able narrators.

This is a review of an album you almost never got to hear.

In 2001, riding off the success of the 1999 single "Vibrant Thing" and subsequent album Amplified, former A Tribe Called Quest member Q-Tip began work on his followup, a jazz-influenced album in the style of Miles Davis.

Initially Reid supported the album, but upon hearing the work, believed it lacked commercial appeal and droped the release. In 2006, Q-Tip began negotiations with Arista to release control of the album to him. Meanwhile, he began work on another album, The Renaissance, eventually released on Universal Motown in 2008. Due to The Renaissance's success, Q-Tip finally decided to release the long-delayed, now fully remixed and remastered Kamaal the Abstract on Battery Records. So does this album live up to the hype?

In a word, yes.The Album is a piece of art.

From the opening chord of the first track, "Feelin'," Q-Tip announces that Kamaal the Abstract will not be a typical hip hop album. Scatting over a scratchy guitar riff and funky organ solo, the song melds rock, jazz, and rap into an irresistible mix. In a further nod to musical originality, one of the backup singers on the track is none other than Aisha Morris, daughter of legend Stevie Wonder. Feedback of various sorts accents Q-Tip's vocals — yes, he sings on multiple tracks, and does so extremely well.

Many of Kamaal the Abstract's tracks feature extended jazz solos, such as the flute breaks on "Do You Dig U" and keyboard runs on "A Million Times." Another standout track, "Heels" recalls Prince's funkiest songs, yet transitions into jazzy chord changes in the chorus. The driving guitar and bass relentlessly thump as the piano softens the tone in the chorus. In addition, the song showcases Q-Tip's considerable MC skills and songwriting talent — only he could use a shoe metaphor to comment on a lady's character. "Abstractionisms" lives up to its title, with Q-Tip spitting his particular brand of funky yet smart hip-hop poetry from his tribe days.

"Even If It Is So" also brings on the funk, but the complicated bass line (which Q-Tip mimics in his rapid fire rapping style) and trumpet solo reveals more jazz leanings. His scatting emphasizes the thumping bass, which defies the listener to sit still while hearing this track. "Make It Work" even provides commentary on Kamaal the Abstract's theme, that he's "introducing to you a brand new sound," which is certainly the case with this ambitious album.

Only "Caring" is the somewhat weak track on the album, including surprisingly clichéd lyrics and limited vocal ability on Q-Tip's part. His voice better suits up tempo funk and rock tracks.

It should be noted that Kamaal the Abstract is not the first rap work to flirt with jazz. The early 90s spawned two such fusions: "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by Us3, and "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets. Q-Tip builds on these initial experiments and forges a new, sophisticated blend of hip hop, rock, funk, and jazz. While Kamaal the Abstract may have seemed avant-garde back in 2001, it deserves more appreciation in today's music landscape. Run, don't walk to pick up Q-Tip's latest masterpiece.It shall only thrive in value as time goes by.

(c) OutSpoken Poet

It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back

1995

Be honest—chances are, you tell people you like dead prez but you don’t know too much about them beyond their debut single “Hip-Hop.” It’s okay; you’re forgiven. The dp'z are usually serious in a way that makes Talib Kweli seem like Jim Jones, so admittedly, they don’t exactly fit into every mood. Nevertheless, the duo makes up in credibility what it loses in accessibility so Pulse of the People deserves a look. The first words of the first song (“Runnin’ Wild”) are definitively “fuck the police,” followed by tales of young men who turn to militancy and crime because the world hasn’t given them any other choice. Bun B and Styles P stop by on “Don’t Hate My Grind”.

They(DP) do occasionally step away from the politics, or at least couch them in less abrasive terms. There’s a switch to something more laid back and almost radio-friendly with “NYDP,” a respectful, but honest look at life in New York. “Summer Time” flips a Teddy Pendergrass sample into a love song, and the closer, “My Dirty Valentine” reminds you that even revolutionaries like to get laid.But again, let’s be honest—dead prez is tough to listen to, not at all because they’re bad, just because they’re just really, really heavy. The few aforementioned tracks break things up here and there, but you need to be in a particular headspace to really vibe with it.

Pulse of the People is good, but good in the way that Proust novels and environmental documentaries are; they’re easy to appreciate intellectually but difficult to digest casually. It isn’t fit for the club, but unless you spend your whole life there, everything doesn’t need to be. It would be crazy to say that this would, could or should replace more casual fare on your iPod but when you’re in the mood to be challenged, dead prez can still do it better than most.

It has been two and a half years since the release of Mos Def’s True Magic, but the rapper, born Dante Smith, returns to Hip-Hop after his lengthy sabbatical.

The return comes in the form of The Ecstatic, his fourth solo album.At this point, Mos is an acquired flavor of Hip-Hop that one hopes will pierce the trappings of traditional media and commercially tinged outlets.

The Ecstatic is highly representative of the balance so needed in Hip-Hop, but its redeeming value is so much more.

From the first song, “Supermagic,” the authority of Mos Def's distinctive, nasal voice is evident over a feverish guitar riff. He’s got that BK bluster, but offers a unique conscious and educational perspective that seems natural, nearly fluent. From this moment on, there is no doubt that Mos Def is back.

The rest of the album overwhelmingly demonstrates Mos Def’s natural ability to weave tales and project his ideals. One such song is “Wahid,” which is laced with Muslim musical sentiments.Mos spits, “The old timers say we living in the final days/ Gunsmoke, young folk living any kinda way/ Gangster holiday, gritty states’ a hideaway/ Meanwhile soldiers take it straight through their armor plates.”So, even for the fan, Mos will probably make you retrain your Hip-Hop ear, because he’s one of one. His inimitable style is demonstrated on other songs like the boom bap of “Twilite Speedball,” the minimalist “Quiet Dog Bite Hard,” and the thought provoking, “Priority.”

On the latter song, Mos says, “Peace before everything thing/ God before anything/ Love before anything/ Real before everything/ Home before any place/ Truth before anything/ Style and stay radiate/ Love, power slay the hate.” At only a 1:23 song, can you want more?

The Ecstatic clocks in at 16 tracks,though not long are strong and it gets bigger and better as it goes along. “Life In Marvelous Times” elevates. “Auditiorium” with Slick Rick is impressive enough to justify a new album from The Ruler. He knocks it out of the park with “History” with Blackstar partner Talib Kewli.Rumours have it that the due might be working at a second Blackstar album,ten years after the first one.The synchronisation of rhymes and flow that they demonstrate still should be an incentive enough for the both to work on it.

There are some instances where you want more from Mos – more energy, more engagement – as it’s the case with “Pretty Danger.”Besides that there is not much more marked with a minus. More than anything, absorbed listeners will appreciate risks like “Roses” with Georgia Anne Muldrow, which clearly indicate that Mos Def is operating on a plane reserved for passengers like Andre 3000, Lauryn Hill and others.

If you aren’t already a fan of Mos Def, it is unlikely that his gravitational pull on The Ecstatic will yank you into his universe, but if the casual listener does venture out, they will likely stay on this flight into the stars.If you have only heard TV rap than The Ecstatic will slain your virginity for conscious,beatifull hip-hop.Real music via real life by one of the best the game has ever seen.Do you want more?