[Chefelf]

I picked up the new Beastie Boys album on Tuesday. If you're a Beasties fan you may want to pick it up. While, at first, it didn't strike me as being all that great it has really grown on me in the dozen or so times I've listened to it in the past four days.

While critics have been quick to point out that it maybe is not the album you'd expect (or demand) after a six year wait between albums, I have to give them credit. On the surface it may seem a little simple but after warming up to it I've found it to be quite enjoyable.

There are quite a few tracks on this album that are Anti-Bush. My favorite quote from the album is my new signature. The liner notes state: "Don't get him wrong, Yauch loves Texas, but this fool has got to go."

Some of the beats may, on the surface, be perceived as simplistic but overall they're quite good, and a noticeable departure from albums past.

One criticism: Stop using samples from "Rapper's Delight". It's getting old. This goes for all hip hop, not just the Beastie Boys.

[Amber-Nicole]

No offense to you, but my personal opinion is this: Beastie Boys should die. But for only one reason. The song "Ch ch check it out." That song PISSES me off! I don't really understand why, either...it just does.

[Jordan]

To the Bouroghs got a Perfect score at rollingstone. I've never been a fan of theirs either, Amber.

[Heccubus]

Rolling Stone is by no means a reference source for that sort of thing. They'll give an album a good score just because they've been hyping it up and then go "Oh...uh....it's not as good as we wanted. Better give it a 5 anyway, just so we don't look like smacktards."
At any rate, I've not heard a lot of good things about it, aside from what you've mentioned, Chefelf, so I won't be rushing out to pick it up anytime soon. I'll stick to the glory of "Check Your Head" and "Ill Communication" for now.

Also, Nate, have you heard of The Invisibl Skratch Piklz?

[Ninja Duck]

Beasty boys? Aren't they about 40 years old now? Thus no longer qualifying as boys?

[Chefelf]

To the Bouroghs got a Perfect score at rollingstone.

Rolling Stone can bite my ass. If the same album came out by a new bands called "The Rootin' Tootin' Cowboys" Rolling Stone wouldn't give it a second glance. Because it's the LEGENDARY Beastie Boys it's a perfect album.

I hate everything about that miserable magazine.

Beasty boys? Aren't they about 40 years old now? Thus no longer qualifying as boys?

And yes they are in their 40's. They are Beastie Men.

No offense to you, but my personal opinion is this: Beastie Boys should die. But for only one reason. The song "Ch ch check it out." That song PISSES me off! I don't really understand why, either...it just does.

I would most likely agree with you if I ever listened to the radio. I stopped listening to the radio in 1992 so I have managed to avoid any overplaying of "Check it Out" or any other song.

[Amber-Nicole]

Heh, I listen to a local rock station.

[Heccubus]

Since you didn't answer me, I'd assume you have not heard of Invisibl Skratch Piklz. At any rate, it's a collective of DJs, and Mixmaster Mike has worked with them a few times. Try finding some of their stuff. It's wild.
And if you like the Beasties, you should look into some other light-hearted hip hop, like Deltron 3030 and so forth. Lots of fun to be had with the non-bling sect.

[Chefelf]

Oh yeah, sorry Hecc. I hadn't heard of the Invisbl Skratch Piklz but I intend to hear them soon! I am a HUGE fan of hip hop of the "non-bling" sect as you put it. It's a great form of music that gets a bad rap (pun intended) because 99% of the people making the music are complete morons, assholes or both.

When hip hoppers just use their brains instead of making yet another cookie cutter song going over all the hip hop cliches it tends to be something very enjoyable.

Eminem could change the world if he stopped pretending to be so hateful, closed-minded and dumb. He's not fooling me.

[Jordan]

Eminem could change the world if he stopped pretending to be so hateful, closed-minded and dumb. He's not fooling me.

Listen to his old stuff. His frist record was really good, so was the stuff he released prior to that. Lyrically he beats just about everyone out there. His last two CD's have been real shit. HIs first CD had no cameos (ok maybe 3) and all the tracks were produced on lower level audio equipment. It all came together to sound like a million bucks. He was spalstic on that CD, nothing he said could be taken seriously. The two main tracks that got radio play, My NAME IS, and GUILTY CONSCIENSE are shit!. Listen to every other song on that CD, they are works of art-the lyrics are awesome. Problem with bling rappers is that they can't hold their own. They can't sell an album without half of their rapper friends on every track. They suck live, and need some nobody homeboys in the back of the stage screaming out ever 7th word in the song, since most of the rappers are breathless at the 7 th word. The decline of Eminem was heart breaking for me. I remember loving his first CD and thinking, like Chef stated "he could change the world!". Affter listening to his second CD, I felt so robbed. I thought he was one person, and he turns out to be another.

Bling Rap is a joke. No body over 20 should be listening to it and take themselves seriously. No women should ever listen to it at any point during their lives, the music does nothing but degrade them.

Yes the rollingstone is not a great magzine, but it's not often they hand out 5 stars.

Beastie Boy's have good style and message, but their lyrics really do suck ass. You want good hip hop, chef? Listen to a band called Hieroglyphics.(sp?) Jurassic 5, and Tribe Called Quest. Good stuff! The only big bling hiphop I like is the Dogg Pound.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 20 June 2004 - 04:15 PM

[Chefelf]

Listen to his old stuff.

Oh, believe me, I listen to his old stuff. I'm not convinced it's better than his new stuff... it just seemed better when it came out because it was fresh. His whole bad boy with a chip on his shoulder thing is getting pretty stale.

Beastie Boy's have good style and message, but their lyrics really do suck ass.

I think that looked at the wrong way they seem like crap but if you look at them for what they are you can see the humor in what they say. Who else raps about their skills at Boggle or buying their grandma a broach?

You want good hip hop, chef? Listen to a band called Hieroglyphics.(sp?) Jurassic 5, and Tribe Called Quest.

I do. Also listen to Blackstar, Atmosphere (and Slug Solo), Non Prophets, Sage Francis, Eyedea and Abilities and Aesop Rock (to name a few).

[Heccubus]

Two that you should check out, Chefelf: K-Os and Buck 65. Both are Canadian rappers that don't get near enough attention. K-Os is very socially-aware, lyrically, and Buck 65 just sort of tells bizarre stories. Plus he has a really bizarre voice.

I saw a copy of Mixmaster Mike's solo record at the used CD store today, but I didn't get it. No idea whether it's any good or not. I got "Substance 1987" by New Order instead.

I'll agree with Chefelf on the Eminem thing. At times, I think some of his lyrics are kind of clever, and I just laugh and say "You just don't get it" when people go on rants about him being anti-gay and all that nonsense, but he really doesn't offer anything special or unique.

[Jordan]

I also forgot to add the french rap group IAM. They are awesome.

So you don't see too much of a difference between Em's old and new stuff? The biggest difference I see is how young and isolated he sounds. You're right, a big part of it's charm was the freshness. But I still listen to that first CD of his.

Slim Shady LP had a true outcast appeal to it. That essence is now lost since he owns a production company, clothing label, and stared in big budget films


K-Os, he's well known, at least in Vancouve he is.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 20 June 2004 - 07:42 PM

[Chefelf]

Two that you should check out, Chefelf: K-Os and Buck 65.

I know Buck 65 and Sixtoo (both Canadian). They are friendly with Sage Francis (who, incidentally, is a friend of mine) and did some recording with him (most notably "The Unfinished Canadian Recordings" with Adeem).

Not familiar with K-Os. Have to check him out.

So you don't see too much of a difference between Em's old and new stuff? The biggest difference I see is how young and isolated he sounds. You're right, a big part of it's charm was the freshness. But I still listen to that first CD of his.

Eminem's biggest problem is trying to hard to appeal to the lowest common denominator by using the "F" word 65 times a beat and just saying the most offensive possible thing every time. This has sort of left him in a bad spot being that he's now trying to top himself at every turn. This is difficult... you can't only get so offensive and then there's no way to top yourself. Then everything just becomes normal and boring.

On the other hand he's proven to be, arguably, one of the most gifted lyricists in hip hop. It's sad because the true art of his lyrics is in his internal rhyme, the part of his lyrics that has nothing to do with the "F" word or raping his own mother.

I just would have so much more respect for him if he'd drop the lame tough guy act and show the world what he's truly capable of... which is anything.

Slim Shady LP had a true outcast appeal to it. That essence is now lost since he owns a production company, clothing label, and stared in big budget films

Yeah. It's hard to listen to "If I Had a Million Dollars" now without laughing. Of course, that's what he always intended but now I'm laughing for different reasons. If?

[Jordan]

Eminem's biggest problem is trying to hard to appeal to the lowest common denominator by using the "F" word 65 times a beat and just saying the most offensive possible thing every time. This has sort of left him in a bad spot being that he's now trying to top himself at every turn. This is difficult... you can't only get so offensive and then there's no way to top yourself. Then everything just becomes normal and boring.

On the other hand he's proven to be, arguably, one of the most gifted lyricists in hip hop. It's sad because the true art of his lyrics is in his internal rhyme, the part of his lyrics that has nothing to do with the "F" word or raping his own mother.

I just would have so much more respect for him if he'd drop the lame tough guy act and show the world what he's truly capable of... which is anything.

I understand what you're saying here. "everything just becomes normal and boring" is a good way of putting it. You can rape your mother on one CD, how do you top that on the next? Shock value never sticks for more than 1 year. I've never heard of buck 65 or sage francis. Do they have Albums, I mean CD's?

I have a buddy who is rapping locally here in Vancouver. His name is Fraser Snelgrove. Lol name change needed? I think so.