Normally this time of year, I post a top 10 list of the year. This being the end of the decade, however, I thought it was a good chance to take a look back at the last ten years in rap and some of my favorites. This is part one of a two-part review. Look for the finale in the next day or two. And now, without further ado, my choices for the top 20 of the 2000′s:
20. Devin The Dude – Just Tryin’ Ta Live
(Virgin, 2002)
Houston emcee Devin the dude has been one of the great storytellers in hip hop since his late 1990′s debut. He hit his peak in this 2002 release, blending his tongue-in-cheek tales of sexual misadventures and the woes of the common man with a suite of production truly worthy of them. Syrupy smooth and lowdown, the beats glide under Devin’s easy singsong drawl. Tracks like “Fa Sho” and “Doobie Ashtray” cement this album as a true Texas classic.
19. Young Jeezy – The Recession
(Def Jam, 2008)
The Snowman’s third album found him trading in a little of the hustle and stunt mantras that filled his Thug Movitation albums for a slightly more sober look at the economic recession. Jeezy delivers insights in character, little nuggets of truth filtered through his simplistic flow and hollered over banging production. The result is an album which plays like a report from the ground level, without of the pretentiousness that accompanies other artists’ looks at the economy. If not a masterful work of art, this album is definitely a cultural document of its time.
After a strange trip through Master P’s No Limit family, Snoop’s Paid Da Cost To Be Tha Boss showed that Snoop was still a credible force in post-2000 hip hop. It took a blockbuster single to shove him all the way back into the spotlight though, and that came in the form of the Neptunes-laced “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Around that single, however, was a great album that dabbled in various styles from hardcore to dance-rap and pulled them all off well. With this release, Snoop proved that his Cali drawl was still as relevant as ever in rap.
17. Sean Price – Monkey Barz
(Duck Down, 2005)
One of the more random releases of the new millennium, this album single-handedly spawned a Boot Camp Clik revival in the last half of the decade. Left for dead by hip hop somewhere in the 1990′s, Price, also known as Ruck from Heltah Skeltah, came back re-branded as a hardcore rap Rodney Dangerfield. Proclaiming himself “the brokest rapper you know,” Price put out a set of truly hilarious, but still menacing tracks filled with ridiculous one-liners. With gritty soul production coming partially from the Justus League’s Khrysis and 9th Wonder, this offbeat album was a great surprise.
16. Jaylib – Champion Sound
(Stones Throw, 2003)
A collaboration of two mad geniuses of underground hip hop, Champion Sound is off-kilter perfection. Producer-emcees Jay Dee (aka J Dilla) and Madlib exchanged beats and rhymes back and forth across the country to cobble together this smoked out symphony. The low-fi beats jump illogically from one sample to the next and the rhymes are sometimes elementary and sometimes almost senseless. Inexplicably though, it all fits perfectly together, and this has proved to be an album with serious staying power over the years.
15. Kanye West – Late Registration
(Roc-A-fella, 2005)
Kanye West’s second album updated the formula that made his debut, College Dropout, so successful and proved that his star would last for years to come. With a little extra polish from rock producer John Brione, Late Registration was still a soulful affair, but one that moved away from West’s signature chipmunk sound and was more dense and layered. West maintained his “Benz and backpack” persona and brought in several very effective guest spots to pick up any slack his comical bragging left. Not a game changer like College Dropout, this was still one of the best crafted records of the decade.
14. Ludacris – Word Of Mouf
(Def Jam, 2001)
Imperfect when taken as a total album, this is still one of the best collections of rap singles of this decade. Atlanta rapper Ludacris had a major commercial breakthrough with this record, led by radio and video titans like “Area Codes,” “Move Bitch” and “Rollout (My Business).” Production by Timbaland, Organized Noize and others paired well with Luda’s edgy flow and one-liners. Some of the album cuts lacked the punch of the singles, but this was a landmark album for a talented artist.
13. Deltron 3030 – S/T
(75 Ark, 2000)
This collaboration between Dan The Automator and Heiroglyphics’ Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is a futuristic sci-fi concept album that is every bit as dorky as it sounds. Del drops acrobatic rhymes that fuse SAT vocabulary and Star Trek buzzwords. Dan’s rich, sprawling, cinematic beats are some of the greatest of this era of hip hop. This is admittedly not an album with mass appeal, but it does not try to be. It is, however, hugely rewarding for those who can push their coolness aside for a moment.
12. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter II
(Cash Money, 2005)
This album marks the apex of Weezy’s development of an artist, his matured rhyme style fit into the most balanced set of songs he has yet put together. Coming on the heels of the Mannie Fresh split from Cash Money, he proved that he can make quality music with other producers. Singles like “Fireman” and “Hustler Music” as well as excellent album cuts such as “Receipt” and “Mo Fire” make this a very good album. In the years since this release, Wayne has shown a lot of potential and at times brilliance, but he has yet to match this record in consistency.
11. Jay-Z – The Black Album
(Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
This album was a retrospective of a career that turned out not to be over, but it was still powerful. Hov’s rhymes mixed with beats by Kanye West, The Neptunes, Rick Rubin and others made several classic tracks. The theme of looking back on possibly the most successful career in rap history pulled the album into a cohesive whole. Independent of any bait and switch, this album is one of the best of the decade.
So ends the first half of my picks. Give me some feedback via the comments and check back soon for the finale.
You knew I was coming back with some heat to keep your chestnuts roasting. Like I do every year, here’s my mixtape of 2009′s best hip hop and R&B. Listen to it streaming below, and download the full quality version. Then tweet it, link it, blog about it, burn it, and pass it on to your friends. Thanks very much to everyone who has made 2009 a great year in spite of all the hardships. Let’s keep the party going in 2010. Have a fun, safe holiday season everybody, and holla at me when you can.
Chop Steak Presents: The Christmas Mixtape 2009
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Alchemist – That’ll Work f. Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile
Ghostface Killah – Guesthouse f. Fabolous
UGK – Harry A**hole f. Lil’ Boosie & Webbie
Kanye West – Maybach Music 2 Verse
Da C.O.D. – Loftin’ N Austin (Chop Steak Remix)
Jay-Z – D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)
Clipse – Kinda Like A Big Deal f. Kanye West & Bun B
Phranchyze – Customized Kicks
Interlude: Implant
Mos Def – History f. Talib Kweli
Raekwon – New Wu f. Ghostface Killah & Method Man
Camp Lo – 2 Dope Boyz
Cam’ron – Silky (No Homo)
Big Tone – Chocolate f. L’Renee
Interlude: Lane Bryant
Twista – Wetter f. Erika Shevon (Chop Steak Remix)
Mayer Hawthorne – Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)
Alchtro
Tracks in green feature original Chop Steak production.
Thanks to all my interlude voice talent: DJ C-Rich, Jeanelle, M.O.S. of Crew54 and Stephanie, and an ongoing thank you to the incomparable miss Tasha Johnson.
Unlike Chuck D, rapper Savant happily proclaims that he rhymes for the sake of riddlin’ on the first track of his debut EP. The first half of the album definitely bears this out, filled mostly with witty punchlines and verbal flash. As the album goes on, however, he approaches some more diverse themes that serve to balance the album a bit. Together, they make it clear that this talented emcee’s debut was worth whatever delays it endured.
Coming from Tucson, AZ by way of Chicago, Savant raps with a generally complex flow that favors dense bars, but stays in the pocket of the beat nicely. While it is not instantly recognizable, his voice is strong and clear, and he uses it well. Topically, the first four tracks of the EP stick more or less to rappin’ about rappin’. He is skilled at this style, and displays enough verbal gymnastics to back up his boasts, but as the album goes on, it all starts to run together for the listener. Thankfully, he changes course with the fifth track, the breezy summertime jam, Bottom to the Top, and does not look back for the rest of the EP. These last four tracks are each on a specific topic, and while they lose a little of the speed and flash of the first tracks, they are all well-written and engaging. On Really Don’t Think, an examination of the ways in which male-female relations break down:
…And I’m tryin’ to understand just what the fuck happened
Why standards for marriage are panned and crash landed
And how the hell Hollywood soured what was established
As the most beautiful thing that mankind had ever been granted
Second to life itself
But understand that no one’s built to spend life by themselves
Stuck in a private hell because you strive for wealth
And put yourself above all else and love is dispelled
Behind the boards are different producers for each track. Starting with an RJD2-dominated track, the rest of the album uses some obscure names, but all are good, and the whole is cohesive. The overall aesthetic is based in soul samples, and has a throwback feel to it. My favorite beat is Montana Macks’ You Know, a lilting, chopped up guitar and string track that has a very cool sound but weaves tension in and out to keep it interesting. Another stand out on the lighter end of the spectrum is Illest You’ve Never Heard, featuring wah pedal guitars and smooth vocals weaving over a sparse backdrop of rimshots and hi hats. Perfect Profession hits a little harder, with soulful horns and crunchier percussion. Beats are a major strong point on this album.
Overall, this project is not perfect, even within its short EP form. Still, all the parts are there, they just need some minor tweaks to realize their potential as a whole. Savant is clearly talented and versatile, and he has an ear for beats. For a first effort, this is a good one, and Savant is someone to keep an ear out for.
Track Listing:
The Lyricist Threemix f. SimONE
Illest You’ve Never Heard (Could We Go)
Concrete Techniques f. Three60
You Know f. Rich Jones & Kasparov
Bottom to the Top
Till Death Do Us Part
Marry a Memory
Perfect Profession/Concrete Techniques Remix
You Know f. Rich Jones & Kasparov
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Twista – Wetter f. Erika Shevon (Chop Steak BTGTBW Remix)
It is a hot, dry summer in TX, so I put together this remix of Twista’s “Wetter.” Enjoy, and give me some feedback via comments or email, please!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
LA Times confirms it. I can’t say anything other than that I am shocked and saddened by this news in a way I have a hard time putting into words. Peace to him, his family, and all his fans.
From my man Haji Haj, mastermind and producer for the collective, Dumhi, comes a little mix of old and new tracks in anticipation of their upcoming EP’s. Featuring Dumhi rappers, Shameless Plug, FLUD, and Mash Comp, as well as other friends and collaborators, the 12-track blend is their usual eclectic mix of of underground bangers and simmering low-key funk. There are some pretty nice tracks on here, and at the low, low price of free, you can’t go wrong.
First of all, I apologize for the hiatus from the blog, but I’ve been busy finishing up my EP. This post isn’t exactly news, but I don’t know if I ever posted it on here, so I thought I’d remind you that our 2008 mixtape, Southern Soul is available for free download. Thanks for your patience. I promise I’ll have hot new music for you soon, and that I’ll be back on schedule with Chop Steak Music ASAP.
In Hip Hop, as in life, time marches on. Generations of stylistic movements are measured in individual years, and next-big-things become has-beens in less time than it takes to release consecutive albums. Still, like alligators or sharks, some acts seem to defy time, living fossils of eras gone by that still manage to be relevant year after year. Meth & Red are certainly beloved by their audience, but their respective transitions to elder statesmen of rap haven’t been completely smooth. Method Man never quite recaptured his mid-90′s magic with subesquent releases in his Tical series, and while Redman has fared slightly better in the quality department, his output has been sporadic at best in the last few years. With that said, this album ambitiously attempts to pick up almost exactly where the first Blackout! left off. Could they, collectively, push on unchanged, and still make passionate, high quality hip hop in the same mold they used over a decade ago? Thankfully, yes.
On the mic, Mef & Red have changed almost exactly zero since they dropped, and that’s just fine. The pop culture references have been updated, and a few new tricks have entered the reportoire, but it is still the same instantly recognizable pass-the-mic dynamic, with all the standoffish boasting and flatly delivered punchlines. If you were expecting a lot of thematic diversity, you apparently haven’t ever heard a Method Man or Redman record. They do a few things exceptionally well, and stay more or less in their lane for the entire set. They have not lost a step in all this time, though, and still have snappy, energetic delivery as they smugly drop punchline after punchline, and continue to puff on weed. Guest appearances, from Bun B to Keith Murray, all add to the album, but the Raekwon/Ghostface feature, “Four Minutes To Lockdown,” is the best of the bunch. True, Iron Lung & Doc haven’t expanded their reportoire in all these years, but they still make it work, and that is commendable.
Production on the album bears similarities to the first Blackout!, but it is overall not quite as dark or low-fi. RZA’s hand is notably missing in this regard. Still, chunky underground bangers abound, and many of them are quite good. “Errybody Scream” and “Dangerous Mcee’s” fall into this category, rocking grimily along as Meth & Red growl over them. Funky offbeat soul, showing Red’s influence, makes a few appearances as well, the best example being the wah wah guitar, vibes, and flutes on “Father’s Day”. Pete Rock laces the first single, “Ayo,” with some soul as well, and it is one of the better cuts on the album for it. Something brand new for the pair was the southern-fried “City Lights,” a Bun B feature. Using a Pimp C vocal sample for the hook, they manage to pull it off perfectly, and give a slowed down swagger to the dark beat. They even flirt briefly with the most cringe-inducing stunt in current hip hop, autotune, and manage to make that an asset too, if only in a small dose. Still, there is no “Blackout” or “Rockwilder,” and that is the one way in which the original Blackout! is clearly superior to this album.
Meth & Red managed to dust off their old formula, and found that happily, it still works. They have successfully proven themselves living hip hop fossils from the 1990′s and seem very content to have done so. The album lacks a standout track (or tracks) to take it to classic status, but it is a very solid set, and any Method Man & Redman fans would be remiss not to add this to their collection.
Method Man & Redman | Dis Iz 4 All My Smokers
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
It’s been almost a decade since Little Brother more or less singlehandedly flipped the script on hip hop imagery, and created a cult following for rapping about the everyday life of the unsigned emcee. Drawing from the more frank stylings of acts like Common and the Native Tongues collective, they embodied the IT worker who kicks raps in his closet on his day off and the beatmaker who has to balance taking time to hone his skills against having to sell mixtapes in the streets and still somehow keep the lights on. Apparently there are more quite a few of us (I’ll happily include myself in this category), and those who sympathize, because they spawned a whole subgenre of underground hip hop.
Into this fray, stepped Tanya Morgan, in the mid-2000′s. Initially an internet-facilitated partnership between Cincinnati, OH emcees Donwill and Ilyas and Brooklyn, NY producer/emcee Von Pea, TM generated a loyal following by smartly using the internet even as social networking and online promotional tactics were still in development. They made a name for themselves as fun, lighthearted rappers for the masses, with breezy beats and a playful sense of humor that made them relatable to a lot of hip hop fans put off by the materialistic fantasy of mainstream hip hop. This album, which follows up their Moonlighting LP on Loud Minority, now Interdependent, does not change that formula much, but it does refine it. The beats overall sound higher quality and better mixed, and the rappers have continued to develop their craft.
On the mic, there is nothing powerful about this trio. They all have relatively thin voices that are more Q-Tip than Busta Rhymes. As…Donwill…Ilyas…one of them alludes to, they are very hard to tell apart on the mic which can be a detriment, but it also speaks to a common high level of skill and a common purpose. Topically, they are fairly diverse. Their style is very calibrated toward keeping it real by their own definition, though, and they explore life through the lens of a late 20- or early 30-something working class man. A lot of the most expressive material is about rapping and the lifestyle it has created for them. On “Plan B”: Got a degree, got grown, got a home, got a deck/Got mad fulfillin’ work I ain’t go to school for…Saved up enough to give it a shot, make it or not/hit the job with 2 weeks notice and then I bounced. Unlike the reflective tone of this track, “Don’t U Holla” releases up pent up anger at shifty promoters that every rap group has to put up with on the way to the top. Other tracks are more about life in general, and mostly warm and endearing. “Never Enough” is probably the best of these tracks, playing with the idea of love. Then, there’s those inevitable boasting tracks, two standouts being the posse cut “Never 2ndary” and the off-the-cuff “All Eye Need”: Ayo hold up, just chill, don’t rush me man/While I grope the groupies and touch my fans. The beats match the light, fun nature of the rhymes
Beats on this album are, in general, fluid and jazzy, supplied largely by Von Pea (as The Beatmaker) and Brick Beats. The texture of the beats is very uniform, and while individually, most are good, they can run together and become monotonous as the album goes on. The few stylistic departures, like Aeon’s pensive “She’s Gone” are a welcome rest. The beats are decent, but I would not call them the standout feature of the album.
The final element that I wish to examine is the entertainment value of the album. As anyone who has listened to an overly earnest emcee’s snoozefest of an album can tell you, “regular guy” rap can go awry easily. Rappers can get so caught up in talking about being broke and making a point of being respectful of women that they lose sight of the fact that hip hop must be pleasurable to listen to, or it becomes work as opposed to entertainment. The fact that he is such a genius at entertaining is why Little Brother’s Phonte continues to set the standard for the genre he co-created. Thankfully, Tanya Morgan understands this, and keeps things fun and funny to listen to, on the mic as well as with the album’s skits. The concept of tying together an album with radio station break skits is not an original one, but they execute it well. Stories of an aging one-hit-wonder group performing their hit 15 times in a row, and a thrown-together benefit event for the failing local record store are pretty entertaining and add some replay value. There are also misses though, too, moments where they seem to be reaching for a funny idea and simply miss the mark. They’re not Phonte, but then, no one else is.
Overall, this is a good album. These guys are skilled, and just as important, genuinely likeable on the mic. They have a great ability to cast themselves as the underdogs everyone can pull for. It is not a perfect album, with some lack of variety and failed attempts at humor, but the good more than makes up for the bad. I definitely recommend you book a trip to Brooklynati.
Tanya Morgan | Plan B
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Tanya Morgan | Alleye Need
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Apparently my including this track in yesterday’s Chop Steak Radio podcast generated some interest, so I thought I’d link it up:
Lil Keke | Grey Cassette f. Bun B & Lil’ Keke
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
20. Devin The Dude – Just Tryin’ Ta Live
19. Young Jeezy – The Recession
18. Snoop Dogg – R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece
17. Sean Price – Monkey Barz
16. Jaylib – Champion Sound
15. Kanye West – Late Registration
14. Ludacris – Word Of Mouf
13. Deltron 3030 – S/T
12. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter II
11. Jay-Z – The Black Album
say what?