Quick hits on Mos Def, Evidence and Redman
I listen to various genres of music, as shown by a quick glance of references or my iTunes library.
(By the way, it wasn’t Taylor Dane who sung “Finally”. My thanks to >half)
Anyway, if I get permission, I’ll try to tease the couple of sites that were sent to me to download free music, and isn’t that America’s newest pasttime.
But in the meantime, I’ll harp on a couple of the most recent downloads…
Evidence - The Weatherman
I really wish I could talk educated about this West Coast cat, but I think he was part of Dialated People, another West Coast group that I just missed the boat on.
I mean, I’ve heard a couple of their tracks, but I’ve never listened to an entire album and don’t think I will.
Nothing against them, but that’s just the way I am.
As for Evidence, or Mr. Slow-Flow, this is a quality album. Mr. Slow-Flow, I guess, is the first single and it’s got quality production and like the title says, his flow is slow.
It doesn’t pick up or anthing like that, but it’s refreshing to hear.
I’ve caught myself stopping on “Down in New York City”, but since I listen to a whole bunch of music, usually on random, that’s about all I can tell you about this…
Mos Def - True Magic
I loved Black on Both Sides, his first album in 1999. I tolerated The New Danger, dropped in 2004. I'm truly disappointed with True Magic.
I read somewhere that Mos wanted to be an actor, like studied and everything, but despite a role on "Cosby", not the The Cosby Show but the CBS retred that lasted because it was Cosby, he figured out that working as a rapper would open the door to Hollywood.
He's a pretty good overall artist. Lyrically, he's got some flair (I'm talking in previous albums). He's an OK singer, I mean he's not Anita Baker, but it doesn't sound like cats scratching a black board. And this just in, he's a pretty good actor.
Not like Ice Cube or Ice T good, like Emmy-nominated for "Something the Lord Made" and starring in Off-Broadway and Broadway shows and hosting Def Poetry on HBO.
He's really talented, but anyone can tell a lazy album and True Magic is a lazy album.
Redman - Red Gone Wild
Ip-oz linked me up to Redman’s Gillahouse mixtapes and reminded me that when I first started listening and really following this thing called Hip Hop, it was Redman who kept me alive.
What!?!? The Album is still a classic. Dare is a Darkside was dismissed, but did you know that Reggie Noble did a lot of his own production? I got Muddy Waters as a Christmas/birthday gift from Snicka after he gave me a ride from Boston to NYC.
Doc’s the Name 2000 is probably the most successful commericial album he’s dropped and Malpractice was sloppy, but still fun because the one thing that’s consistent with Red is the flow of the album.
There were tracks that bumped with Red’s extremely impressive flow, then funny skits like random places like a bus, an airplane and the Jerry Springer Show getting robbed. The Chicken Head Convention and other just comedy left the “Bhudda heads bugging”, especially since I haven’t even mentioned the sagas of Supaman Luva.
Well, I’m 11 tracks deep with 12 more to go and I’m sad to say, I’ve yet to hear a legit skit.
Red can still spit great, but it’s almost like he’s gone away from what made me anticipate his albums. The whole Gillahouse thing is another post altogether, but for now, I’ll just say that if you’re eager for new Red, find any of the three mixtape albums before buying Red Gone Wild…
Or at least until I get through it.