House, R&B, Soul & Rap > 5 GBP to 10 GBP House, R&B, Soul & Rap > Underground / Alt Rap

All Back To '87

Advantages: Back to their early style; clever rapping; 15 tracks in 40 minutes
Disadvantages: Couple of stinkers

...by a white act: Licensed To Ill. It's mixture of big beats, rock samples and very clever lyrical interplay between the three band members (MCA, Mike D and Ad-Rock) ensured a winning, unique combination that would sell millions of records worldwide. The singles, released in 1987, from that album (Fight For Your Right To Party, No Sleep Til Brooklyn and She's Crafty) were catchy, heavy on the wit and guitar and made stealing VW badges from suburban ...
...a stolen election and 9/11 to do it but the Beastie Boys seem to have recaptured that old spirit on this new album - released last autumn, my favourite season - and it's to their credit that three men approaching 40 years old can still look and sound so fresh. To The 5 Boroughs features all the old trademarks of 1980s hip hop. There's scratching, crazy but soulful samples and the typical Beasties vocal interplay. First track and single, Ch Check ...

waynehorrigan 23.02.2005 · Read full review
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Review of To The 5 Boroughs [PA] - Beastie Boys

You Might Want To...

Advantages: Lots of big tunes
Disadvantages: Some tracks take a while to get into

Seen as a return album, “Check Your Had” came out in 1992 as the third album from The Beastie Boys. The New Yorkers, consisting of the three MCs Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D, were seen to return (off the back of two classic records) to return from two pure Hip Hop releases to move on stylistically to their roots in Punk Rock, whilst still holding on to both the Hip hop elements and also pulling in other ones such as Jazz too. 1. “Jimmy James” They kick ...
...as the first track to the album as it seems to effectively lead on from the killer Hip Hop offering that was “Pal’ Boutique” and so with this one you fin that as they get down to things, they keep things the way that they have been known well for with the first two albums as they come with some straight, underground Hip Hop and here come in strong with a raw Jimi Hendrix tribute. **Five Stars** 2. “Funky Boss” (Lude) 3. “Pass The Mic” After an interlude ...

XICripZ 15.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Check Your Head [PA] - Beastie Boys

The Insane Duo

Advantages: Ambitious, ingenious and entirely original.
Disadvantages: High number of instrumentals may grate with some listeners, as may the short tracks.

Madvillain are a very eccentric pair and this album is pretty much what you'd expect from Madlib and MF Doom. They compliment each other almost perfectly - the producer who poses as a mad man and the MC who actually is a mad man (schizophrenic after too much marijuana)! Madlib's beats are typically experimental and ambitious, 'Accordion' for example sees Doom rap braggadocio-style over the instrument of the same name. An odd combination but this ...
...over the course of the album. As you'd expect from a Doom album, the actual raps are frequently punctuated by instrumentals, and although Doom is a talented producer in his own right, Madlib brings something entirely new to the table. As one of the most respected producers of the 21st century, and a protegee of the late J Dilla, Madlib carries a certain weight with him in the world of underground rap and he does not disappoint here. The tracks are ...

whitk002 26.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Madvillainy - Madvillain

A Beastie Bore

Advantages: Could be used as background music.
Disadvantages: No musical ability whatsoever is displayed here, the album is despicably tedious.

With latest album 'The Mix-Up', Beastie Boys tread new ground in that it's the first album the band has ever released of all new instrumental material. Whereas in the past the albums of the Beastie Boys have been littered with all the bands best rap licks, here the voices have been cut out, the computers have been left alone, and an album has been produced which utilises instruments such as drums, guitars, organ, bass, and synth. Twelve tracks are ...
...a change in direction for the boys and in all honesty an incredibly strange move for the band to have undertaken. Beastie Boys have never been my favourite hip-hop artist in the world, I have however greatly enjoyed some of their music in the past and in picking up this album was expecting the music to come alive with great energy and excitement. All that is present on this album is a tame instrumental offering in which Beastie Boys fumble their ...

RazzaLazza 07.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Mix Up, The - Beastie Boys

...Imagine What He'd Be Like If He Was Always With Us

Advantages: Lots of big tunes
Disadvantages: One weak track

“Attention Deficit” was released in 2009 and came as the long-awaited debut album from the Washington, D.C. rapper Wale. It find that Alternative Hip Hop artist comign with a record that has him attempting to find some kind of way of introducing a D.C. sound in Hip Hop, with its regional Go-Go musical style being introduced through this, but has this as one of many main places to work from as he is known to work in the Hipster Rap field, and so relies ...
...to attempt to make heavy singles that will gain him attention. Known for his work with Mark Ronson, he features as a production contributor, with other notable beat offerings coming from the likes of Cool & Dre, Dave Sitek and The Neptunes. 1. “Triumph” (Intro) 2. “Mama Told Me” Off a pretty fly introductory piece, in which he introduces himself and gives quite a lot of different twists to show just how many layers there are to his music (including ...

XICripZ 19.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Attention Deficit - Wale