Comments on: LA Times: The Quarterly Report–The Best Rap Albums of the First Quarter of 2009 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/ Even when I was wrong, I got my point across. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:51:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Berkeley Place » PICTURE OF THE DAY http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92662 Berkeley Place » PICTURE OF THE DAY Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:57:47 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92662 [...] The always great Mr. Weis offers the best rap albums of the first 25% of 2009. Do we all really have to start making lists this soon?!? And the afore-mentioned Del is one of them. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.berkeleyplaceblog.com%2F2009%2F04%2F20%2Fpicture-of-the-day-140%2F'; addthis_title = 'PICTURE+OF+THE+DAY'; addthis_pub = 'ekko'; Filed under: Uncategorized [...] [...] The always great Mr. Weis offers the best rap albums of the first 25% of 2009. Do we all really have to start making lists this soon?!? And the afore-mentioned Del is one of them. addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.berkeleyplaceblog.com%2F2009%2F04%2F20%2Fpicture-of-the-day-140%2F’; addthis_title = ‘PICTURE+OF+THE+DAY’; addthis_pub = ‘ekko’; Filed under: Uncategorized [...]

]]> By: Nassir http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92409 Nassir Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:29:46 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92409 Defly don't have an opinion on the rap game in '09 but i just tried a date shake at Hadley's for the first time and i was quite pleased. Can't say the same about their ostridge burger. Defly don’t have an opinion on the rap game in ’09 but i just tried a date shake at Hadley’s for the first time and i was quite pleased. Can’t say the same about their ostridge burger.

]]> By: Trent http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92178 Trent Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:57:01 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92178 I have to add P.O.S.'s Never Better LP to this list. For me, it is the first great rap album of 2009. I don't call it emo-rap. I call it like I hear it -- pure unadulterated beats and rhymes. There's lots of introspection (lyrically) and sound exploration (musically) on that album that no rapper is doing today. Some of it is hit or miss, but you have to give P.O.S. an "A" for effort. I have to add P.O.S.’s Never Better LP to this list. For me, it is the first great rap album of 2009.

I don’t call it emo-rap. I call it like I hear it — pure unadulterated beats and rhymes. There’s lots of introspection (lyrically) and sound exploration (musically) on that album that no rapper is doing today. Some of it is hit or miss, but you have to give P.O.S. an “A” for effort.

]]> By: ceteris paribus http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92066 ceteris paribus Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:16:38 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-92066 like the review cosign on the Tiron release and you got me downloading Boosie but I am interested to hear/read what is your take on Drake's So Far Gone mixtape? imo the best thing i've heard in a damn long while like the review
cosign on the Tiron release
and you got me downloading Boosie
but I am interested to hear/read what is your take on Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape?

imo the best thing i’ve heard in a damn long while

]]> By: Alex Ludovico http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91980 Alex Ludovico Sat, 18 Apr 2009 06:31:35 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91980 3 words people. LONELY FUCKING ISLAND. And I take it no one else likes POS???? 3 words people.
LONELY
FUCKING
ISLAND.

And I take it no one else likes POS????

]]> By: Tray http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91902 Tray Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:59:15 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91902 I mean, I don't give a fuck about selling out, not really, the whole thing's overrated (by which I mean underrated). Nor should it matter if you have the "wrong" type of fans. But it just felt on that record like, besides his production, which went from legitimately amazing (at times) on Op. Doomsday and Madvillainy to generically quirky on the album we're not really arguing about, he started emphasizing the more gimmicky quirkinesses of his persona, like his mask and such, and got away from the purity of something like Dead Bent or the rawness of, uh, Fancy Clown. And I guess where the audience is relevant to whether the album's actually good is that it did seem to be, by design, a project for people who think they're too smart for rap but will listen to this alterna-rap when it's endorsed by the right publications and people, so some of the rough edges of previous projects just aren't there. It's not the end of the world though. I mean, I don’t give a fuck about selling out, not really, the whole thing’s overrated (by which I mean underrated). Nor should it matter if you have the “wrong” type of fans. But it just felt on that record like, besides his production, which went from legitimately amazing (at times) on Op. Doomsday and Madvillainy to generically quirky on the album we’re not really arguing about, he started emphasizing the more gimmicky quirkinesses of his persona, like his mask and such, and got away from the purity of something like Dead Bent or the rawness of, uh, Fancy Clown. And I guess where the audience is relevant to whether the album’s actually good is that it did seem to be, by design, a project for people who think they’re too smart for rap but will listen to this alterna-rap when it’s endorsed by the right publications and people, so some of the rough edges of previous projects just aren’t there. It’s not the end of the world though.

]]> By: Jay Deff Kay http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91815 Jay Deff Kay Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:27:43 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91815 "That to me was, like, his gimmicky “let’s sell out to the people-who-read-free-hipster-weeklies crowd and work with a famous but not very good producer who makes these superficially quirky but way too clean and uninteresting beats” dimension.I don’t really mind the corporate affiliation so much as the music itself." I'm fine with the criticism around the music. Fair enough. Danger Mouse is in my good books for his work on the Gorillaz album, but I'll agree that DangerDoom wasn't his shining moment. Still fun though. Also like I mentioned earlier, Doom is still on point, and he seems to have lightened up in a much more obvious way on this record. I think Danger's production might have a little something to do with that. Again, like Doc mentioned, I don't know if you can call an Adult Swim endorsement a sell-out move coz a)Its not like the adult swim demographic is this huge mainstream market that provides great exposure b) I doubt its an endorsement pays that well financially, if at all. I agree it might be gimmicky to a certain extent, and maybe specifically looking to leverage the attention of a certain type of crowd, but so is anyone doing a song with Wayne or Akon or T-Pain right now, anyone releasing 90s style boom bap record now etc etc. Everyone's catering to a certain extent. Pick your poison. Even if he did get tons of moolah for the record or if he attracted the wrong type of fans, a cartoon themed alliance that makes perfect sense in Doom's case. Like basketball players promoting sneakers, or R Kelly selling statutory rape whistles. Duh. “That to me was, like, his gimmicky “let’s sell out to the people-who-read-free-hipster-weeklies crowd and work with a famous but not very good producer who makes these superficially quirky but way too clean and uninteresting beats” dimension.I don’t really mind the corporate affiliation so much as the music itself.”

I’m fine with the criticism around the music. Fair enough. Danger Mouse is in my good books for his work on the Gorillaz album, but I’ll agree that DangerDoom wasn’t his shining moment. Still fun though. Also like I mentioned earlier, Doom is still on point, and he seems to have lightened up in a much more obvious way on this record. I think Danger’s production might have a little something to do with that.

Again, like Doc mentioned, I don’t know if you can call an Adult Swim endorsement a sell-out move coz a)Its not like the adult swim demographic is this huge mainstream market that provides great exposure b) I doubt its an endorsement pays that well financially, if at all.

I agree it might be gimmicky to a certain extent, and maybe specifically looking to leverage the attention of a certain type of crowd, but so is anyone doing a song with Wayne or Akon or T-Pain right now, anyone releasing 90s style boom bap record now etc etc. Everyone’s catering to a certain extent. Pick your poison.

Even if he did get tons of moolah for the record or if he attracted the wrong type of fans, a cartoon themed alliance that makes perfect sense in Doom’s case.

Like basketball players promoting sneakers, or R Kelly selling statutory rape whistles. Duh.

]]> By: Sach http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91796 Sach Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:35:14 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91796 I think comparing the original Madlib version of Space Hoes with the Dangermouse version says all there is to say about that project. And that's not knocking DM either, he's done great work before and since and I thought the project would be a genuinely good idea based on the Gorillaz collabo and that Zero 7 (remember them?) remix they did together but the whole thing was just too bright and poppy for its own good. I think comparing the original Madlib version of Space Hoes with the Dangermouse version says all there is to say about that project.

And that’s not knocking DM either, he’s done great work before and since and I thought the project would be a genuinely good idea based on the Gorillaz collabo and that Zero 7 (remember them?) remix they did together but the whole thing was just too bright and poppy for its own good.

]]> By: DocZeus http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91782 DocZeus Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:54:34 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91782 Personally,I think DangerDoom was pretty awesome. I like it better than the new album, actually. The song with Talib was nuts. I don't get the criticism, either. What's exactly the philosophical difference between having Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters appear on his album and flipping the Scooby Doo theme? Besides, I don't think you can sell out promoting a network that roughly has 5 regular viewers. Considering I love pretty much everything that was on Adult Swim when I was in college also helps. Master Shake could read the phone back and I would laugh. And I don't even smoke weed... regularly. Personally,I think DangerDoom was pretty awesome. I like it better than the new album, actually. The song with Talib was nuts. I don’t get the criticism, either. What’s exactly the philosophical difference between having Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters appear on his album and flipping the Scooby Doo theme? Besides, I don’t think you can sell out promoting a network that roughly has 5 regular viewers.

Considering I love pretty much everything that was on Adult Swim when I was in college also helps. Master Shake could read the phone back and I would laugh. And I don’t even smoke weed… regularly.

]]> By: Tray http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91738 Tray Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:09:05 +0000 http://passionweiss.com/2009/04/16/la-times-the-quarterly-report-the-best-rap-albums-of-the-first-quarter-of-2009/#comment-91738 "Some of this ‘This is too cheesy’ ‘Doom sold out’ or ‘Doom ruined the mystery behind his persona with a cartoon show affiliation’ criticism seems misplaced. It was another dimension and a fun detour, much like other Doom albums..." Not all dimensions are good dimensions. That to me was, like, his gimmicky "let's sell out to the people-who-read-free-hipster-weeklies crowd and work with a famous but not very good producer who makes these superficially quirky but way too clean and uninteresting beats" dimension. I don't really mind the corporate affiliation so much as the music itself. The song with Ghost is alright though. “Some of this ‘This is too cheesy’ ‘Doom sold out’ or ‘Doom ruined the mystery behind his persona with a cartoon show affiliation’ criticism seems misplaced. It was another dimension and a fun detour, much like other Doom albums…”

Not all dimensions are good dimensions. That to me was, like, his gimmicky “let’s sell out to the people-who-read-free-hipster-weeklies crowd and work with a famous but not very good producer who makes these superficially quirky but way too clean and uninteresting beats” dimension. I don’t really mind the corporate affiliation so much as the music itself. The song with Ghost is alright though.

]]>