stefanoneder Album Reviews

Mohammad Dangerfield – Self-Titled (2011)

Artist: Mohammad Dangerfield

Album: Self-Titled

Source: Itunes

Tracklisting:

1. Express Intro
2. Mo Danger
3. Hero Sandwich
4. Deep Shadows
5. The Gospel
6. Rhyme Like No One
7. See You Again
8. Break Of Star feat. Immortal Technique
9. Mo Danger Intermission
10. Valley Of The Kings
11. Truly Yours feat. I.mpac
12. The BBQ Joint feat. Kendal
13. Generation Kill feat. Decora
14. One The Creep feat. Swave Sevah
15. Unredeemed
16. Wrek Center feat. Bad Sportt
17. Rodney Outro

Note:

I have always been a fan of Hasan Salaam.  His voice and message were always just raw and insightful.  I have the majority of his mixtapes so when I saw he had a new project with Rugged N Raw, I bought it on the strength of his reputation alone.   I didn’t even need to listen to it.  I knew it was going to be a dope project but what I didn’t really count on is how diverse it is.  I had always considered Hasan Salaam to be strictly a political activist on microphone but this project goes in a lot of different directions.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews

Laelo Hood – Fuck The World (2011)

Artist: Laelo Hood

Album: Fuck The World

Source: Inner Loop Uncut

Tracklisting:

  1. Fuck The World (prod. by DJ Soundtrax)
  2. Nah Joe (prod. by Hec Dolo)
  3. Where I Belong (ft. XO and Alison Carney) (prod. by Coldboy and Grussle)
  4. Hooked On You (ft. Mamouna Youssef) (prod. by Decompose)
  5. Fooling Myself (prod.  Bad Abbot)
  6. Trust Nobody (ft. Muggsy Malone) (prod. by Bad Abbot)
  7. Where’d I Go Wrong (ft. K-Beta)  (prod. by Coldboy)
  8. Family Ties (ft. Midian) (prod. by J-$crilla)
  9. I.L.S.O. (ft. T.E.F.L.O.N. and Sketch) (prod. by Grussle)
  10. The Crucible (ft. The Package and Kokayi) (prod. by Theory)
  11. Concrete Jungle (ft. Draus and K-Beta) (prod. by Theory)
  12. Assasin (ft. Akir and Mr. Hakwins) (prod. by Decompose)
  13. Blood On The Walls (prod. by Soulful)
  14. Take A Hit (ft. Bear Witnez) (prod. by Kobayashi)
  15. High (ft. Jai Blazin and Claudette Monet) (prod. by Terry B)

Note:

I first came across Laelo Hood when he leaked the cut, Trust Nobody, for this very project.  When I heard that joint, I hit repeat at least three times and then determined that I had to get in touch with Laelo Hood and get some more information on this man’s music.  He told me that in a few weeks that he would be releasing, Fuck The World.  I am about a week late in copping, but better late than never.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews

JustMe – Tragedy and Dope

Artist:  JustMe

Album:  Tragedy & Dope

Source:  Bandcamp

Tracklisting:

  1. Tragedy & Dope
  2. I Know
  3. Serenity
  4. The Truth & A Lie
  5. Out Of Context
  6. Ups & Downs
  7. Sexual Confessional
  8. The Prodigal
  9. Quitting Time
  10. Wade

Note:

There should be a new genre of music, categorized as “honest man’s music”.  There is something powerful when a man or woman lays their life out in front of you.   JustMe is breaking down the barriers between artist and listener on his latest release, Tragedy & Dope.  He invites the listener to share a piece of his life and imparts advice through personal experience.

I don’t categorize JustMe as a “Christian Artist”.   He is an artist who happens to be Christian.  His message is inherent in the rhymes and never comes across being overly preachy.  He is not going out of his way to proselytize. His relationship with God simply comes through the words he is spitting.  I feel that, and I think the every day person will too.

Tragedy & Dope is produced entirely by Deacon The Villain from independent mainstays, the Cunninlynguists.  And while his compadre, Kno gets much of the shine on the production for their group, Deacon displays great ability  in producing JustMe’s release.  The sample use throughout the album  really sets tone throughout the joint.   He also does a few of the hooks himself which accentuates the album.  His crooning on the hook for The Prodigal, had me playing that track over and over.   Superior production from Deacon highlights this album.

From the initial tack you know that Tragedy & Dope is going to hold your attention.    The title track is intense as Deacon blends vocal samples and a dope drum pattern together.  It’s a short track but it really does the trick.   I am a sucker for a dope vocal sample, guitar loop, some strings, and a dope beat.  JustMe rips this uptempo track diligently letting us know that “God made both, Tragedy and Dope“.

I Know also utilizes a well placed guitar sample.    The track is a little slower than the aforementioned but suits JustMe perfectly.   He spits verses relating to how we make decisions under the influence of the devil.   His lyrics are insightful and dope.  You can feel his passion for his message.  He brings a different view point to our every day life, on that involves that daily struggle between good and evil.   The hook is done by none other than Deacon The Villain and hits it’s mark in being soulful and provoking.

The aforementioned track, The Prodigal, is really the highlight of this album.   JustMe gives us a window into his life being the prodigal son.   If you are not familiar with the biblical story, I invite you to sit down for fifteen minutes and get acquainted with it.  He turned away from God, and lived a life of  sin.  He reveals the ills of his early life and how he made a turnaround to get back to God.  I can’t do this song the justice that it deserves.  Production is remarkable and the song really reached me on a personal level.  I can’t think of too many in recent memory that moved me to hit the repeat button so often.  Deacon’s chorus rolls around in m head:

“I live my life on the run, outside of my zone, wasn’t the only one, to call the streets my home.  I live my life on the run, outside of my zone, I haven’t been the only one,…the Prodigal.”

This album is dope.  It can not be overstated.  It was a true pleasure to sit down and listen to this from front to back.  You will not find a better album for five dollars in 2010.  Rest assured!

stefanoneder Album Reviews

Zumbi and The ARE: The Burnerz

Artist: Zumbi & The ARE

Album: The Burnerz

Production: The ARE

Guests: One Be Lo, The Grouch, Martin Luther

Best Tracks: Changes, Jus Anotha Day, Off The Wall, Old Soul

Recommendation: Must Have

Notes:  Zumbi (from Zion I) and The ARE have teamed up to create The Burnerz for their initial album release.  This album, for me, was really an after thought initially.  October 12th was a very busy day for new music to drop, however I gave the iTunes snippets a listen and proceeded to make it one of my many purchases.

After a few listens, I came to this conclusion: The album is insanely good.  Production wise I can not pay it a higher compliment by saying I like it better than The Search For Stoney Jackson .  That is saying a lot considering how solid Madlib’s work was on the aforementioned Strong Arm Steady project.

The ARE’s production is superlative.  The beats and samples the man cooked up for this project are musical genius.  It’s funky.  It’s moving.  It’s intricate.  The sample placement throughout is on point and really kept me engrossed.

The whole production of the album really suits Zumbi.  This is his pace.  The album is action packed and it never slows down.  It simply sends you deeper into it’s sound as it progresses.  The guest list, while short, is powerful.  One Be Lo shows why he is one of the best in the game on his verse on Off The Wall and The Grouch builds off the chemistry he had with Zion I from their previous collaborative effort on Heroes In The City Of Dope.

The energy from the album is simply contagious.  The choruses become anthems and you have no choice but to rhyme along at some points.   For instance on the track, Jus Anotha Day, the music feels as though you are in a medieval court with the harpsichord loop rolling over some boom-bap drums.  Zumbi then takes that track and makes it infectious with his lyrical ability and catchy chorus.   Equally as intoxicating for the listener is The Edge.  The soulful hook and thought provoking lyrics have this joint on repeat.  Then when you are ready to proceed through the album, the track, Off The Wall hits you.  It’s an uptempo jam that incorporates diverse synth that is certain to have necks snapping and hands in the air.   It’s three tracks that are completely different but all so very dope.

This album is chocked full of great music and you will regret it if you don’t add this to your collection.  Simple and plain.
stefanoneder Album Reviews

Versis: iLLCANDESCENT

Artist: Versis

Album: iLLCANDESCENT

Guest Shots: None

Production:  T. Hemingway, Exile, BMB, fLako, Dibia$e, Listed

Best Tracks: Spittin’ In The Wind, Love Is Love, Life After You

Recommendation: Highly Recommend

Notes:  Versis is an incredibly talented artist that seems to harken back to a different time entirely.   At nineteen years of age, Versis has decided to take the path less traveled.  While many artists his age are rhyming about status and possessions, Versis is talking from the heart.  His emphasis is on the music itself.   A truly novel idea!

iLLCANDESCENT is a jazz, blues, and hip hop hybrid.  It draws from each genre to give you something special.  His flow and style are similar to that of Blu.  That comparison is not just a superficial “young west coast spitter” observation.  Both emcees have roughly the same demeanor on the mic.  They are not overly animated in their flows.  They are subtle and more conversational.

iLLCANDSCENT is Versis’ first full length effort.  He had an EP that dropped last year called Synergy that brought some buzz but you can tell that with this latest release that he has really honed his craft.  Everything seems more polished in all facets.  It’s very mellow and soulful.  It’s not something that you are going to use to get you amped before a big event.  It is more something  the working man can unwind to. But enough talk about it.  Why don’t you listen to it and if you enjoy it, cop it!


stefanoneder Album Reviews

Forbidden Dialect – More Than Your Money’s Worth

Artist:  Forbidden Dialect

Album: More Than Your Money’s Worth

Features: None

Production: Redd

Best Tracks: Smoke Break Reprisal, How To Make A Bomb, Tangier

Recommendation:  Must Have

Notes:  I am not going to even front.  This album is a must have and the fact that you don’t own it, let alone heard it is a shame.  This is one of the dopest offerings of 2010.  Let me tell you why…IT PUSHES THE ENVELOPE.   It’s not overly flashy.   It’s doesn’t go out of it’s way to be trendy, it just happens.  The production is phenomenal from the standpoint that people just aren’t doing this kind of innovative stuff with their beats.  The production on each song is an evolution in and of itself.  So the album certainly can be labeled as eclectic without leaving the genre of hip hop.  Also lending to the diversity is the number of emcees that touch the mic.  Some are superior to others but the whole collective sounds dope when backed with the superior production.   This is certainly something to sink your teeth in for a little over an hour.