I've had this album for about a month now, but during that time my job has COMPLETELY taken over my life, to a greater extent than it ever has before. I hadn't even had a chance to really get to know the music to the degree I should before writing about it. Well I finally was able to give a little more detailed listen tonight, so here's what I think of the album.
NOTE: The way that I grade music is that in my iTunes I use the 1 through 5 star system that's built into the program, but I also assign each song a value from 1 to 6 (in the BPM field of the song info) that tells what kind of "mood" the song evokes:
1 : Pure adrenaline, mob type track (ex. 151 "Let's Get It Poppin")
2 : between 1 and 3
3 : Upbeat, club dance type track (ex. 50 Cent "In Da Club")
4 : between 3 and 5
5 : Smooth, slow, relaxing, chill type track (ex. Skuntdunanna "2 People")
6 : Could function as either a 1 or a 5, many "trials and tribulations" type songs fit into this category, songs that you can nod your head to and get some adrenaline over, but also chill too
DISCLAIMER : From studying the stats in my iTunes library, I tend to rate 1s, 5s and 6s better than 2's, 3's and 4's. Maybe being attracted to each extreme is somewhat indicative of a bipolar personality or something, but that's just the way I am. So the artists that tend to be a little bit more industry sounding, or a little bit "happier" or more upbeat with their music tend to get lower grades.
1. Intro (Feat. Crytical)
4 Stars, Mood 1 : This track is solid, it's very nice to hear Crytical's voice again. He's still got it. The beat is fairly generic D-Sane, but that's not a bad thing. As is the case with all intros D-Sane does, I wish it was longer. Crytical's lyrics aren't particularly great (although he delivers them very well), that's probably why this track didn't get 5 stars from me.
2. That's What I'm Talkin' Bout
5 Stars, Mood 1 : The beat is a head nodder from the get go, it has a very electronic feel to it. COLA's verse is stronger than Notes, so the track really gets rolling once the it's COLA's turn. But the beat definitely has some strength behind it, one of the stronger beats on the album.
3. Never Waste My Time
4 Stars, Mood 3 : Kind of a sissy upbeat track, but they do a good job on the chorus (I think it's good old Wanz doing it). I also like how Notes leads off this track, as its strong right from the beginning. The low bassline throughout is solid, as is the little xylophone sounding effects in the background of the beat. I don't really like courting chicks types of songs like this one, but they do a good enough job on this one that I gave it 4 stars. It's also one of Notes better verses on the album too, he's quality right out of the chorus.
4. A Lot Worse
4 Stars, Mood 1 : This is not necessarily an adrenaline provider, but it is very dark, has a northwest cloudy day type of feel to it. It reminds me an awful lot of Mo-X & Lil G's track "Worst of the Worst" b/c the beats sound a little alike, but mostly because of the prominent use of the word "worse" in the chorus. This is not an elite track, but a good one.
5. Abc's
3 Stars, Mood 2 : Not one of the better tracks on the album. I do not like how Notes starts spitting right out of the gate, it starts way too fast. And it's an upbeat production job that reminds of the beat for the St. Lunatics "Midwest Swang" song from way back when I was in high school. It's a shame that a very good example of tongue twisting from COLA kind of goes to waste on this track b/c of a lack of identity w/ the production. Notes verses on this track aren't his best on the album, he's kind of getting back to what he struggles w/ from time to time and that's trying to keep up w/ Cola and rap real fast. The result is that it sounds like he's trying too hard and not getting the most out of his abilities.
6. U Can Never Know (Feat. Skuntdunanna)
5 Stars, Mood 6 : This is possibly my favorite track on the whole album. It's a very smooth soulful beat, I had a really hard time assigning a mood to it b/c it's so versatile. I could play it on the way to a football game, on the way back from work as the day's coming to an end. You can kind of bounce to it and chill to it, that's why I slapped a 6 on it. Both artists spit excellent verses, Notes in particular does a nice job on this one, definitely a bounce back performance from ABCs. And Skuntdunanna is a beautiful change of pace as he so often is, as his voice is just naturally unique in a good way. His rough voice juxtaposes the smooth beat, and the result is AWESOME. Outstanding track.
7. Smash Hard (Feat. Red Head Steve)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : I was very disappointed with this track. W/ Steve on it, I was hoping for more. The beat sounds like something you'd hear at a circus or something, it's a little too cute for my taste. Steve does a solid job but it's just lost in the annoying beat. He also shows a little versatility with some sort of singing in the chorus, but he is best showcased over rough sounds, not this cutesy bullshit. Steve's talents make this a 3 star instead of something lower.
8. Bonafied
5 Stars, Mood 3 : A happy beat, but quality so I approve despite my tendencies to not. The low bassline sounds nice in my ride. COLA shines on this one, riding along at a good pace with the beat, not trying to rush, but just letting it flow naturally.
9. Get Ya Weight Up (Feat. Skuntdunanna)
4 Stars, Mood 3 : This is a good song, not a great song. The beat is a little too happy for my tastes, and Skunt's angry powerful lyrics don't necessarily mesh that well w/ this happy sounding beat. But it is a solid beat despite the mood, and Notes & COLA do a nice fundamental job rapping over it. A good track, not a great track.
10. Rain
5 Stars, Mood 6 : I originally went 4 stars on this one but then realized I'd made a mistake, and bumped it to 5. It's kind of a mob track, kind of a chill track, it's got versatility to it like "U Can Never Know." My favorite part of the track, aside from the commonly used rain theme from Northwest rappers (hell it's true, might as well rap about it) is the way the beat turns over at the end of a line. It's something I don't think I've ever really heard this subtle percussion effect from D-Sane before, it's the kind of technique that seems to be used mostly by New Orleans Cash Money type producers, but D-Sane does it on this track and it sounds great. By "turns over" I mean as the beat is starting over, there are a couple of percussion clicks that really finish the line perfectly. Good track, I'd prefer the Seattle anthem to have a little harder edge to it, but nonetheless a damn good track.
11. Ez To Find (Feat. Bg Church Of Certified)
5 Stars, Mood 1 : A very powerful, adrenaline-laced track. I've grown to respect these guys Certified so much over the last 12 months, they've really changed my view of Spokane. I never thought somebody could make Spokane sound cool, but BG Church actually does how he pronounces it "Spo-Cain," it sounds great. The beat reminds me of "The Beast" by Tech N9ne from a Madden soundtrack a few years ago b/c each line is finished off by a little extra bass bounce. BG Church outperforms Dividenz on this track as the beat meshes with his style a little bit better, but that's just fine.
12. Pusha Man (Feat. Zicafekt)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : The beat is a little happy for my taste, but I do like the xylophone effects in the background of the beat. Notes struggles a little on this one, he gets back into the habit of sounding like he's trying a little too hard. The chorus is also pretty weak. Not one of my favorite tracks on the album but I did give it 3 stars, so it's not bad.
13. Another Day, Another Dollar
4 Stars, Mood 6 : Classic "trials and tribulations" type of track, w/ a beat you can nod to and a chill to. COLA shows off his tongue twisting abilities on this track. I could do without the steel drum sound effects in the background, the low bassline is plenty quality for this track. A good but not great track.
14. More Frequent
3 Stars, Mood 3 : This song actually had potential when I heard the first 15 seconds (the beat had me thinking "9 to 5" by the Nappy Headz out of Tallahassee, Florida sampling Lionel Richie's "Sail On") but my initial vision of the song didn't materialize. Once the song gets going it goes downhill. Notes doesn't really have any cadence in his voice on this song, he's just kind of dragging along.
15. Blueberries & Strawberries
3 Stars, Mood 3 : An upbeat song, and I really do not like the get drunk in the club songs, I'm basically predisposed against them. So this song is not bad b/c it earns 3 stars, but it's not one of the better ones on the album.
16. Go Getta
4 Stars, Mood 1 : A dark, spooky beat. COLA does some voice inflectuating on the chorus, that's a tad cute for my taste but he pulled it through OK. Nothing really grabs me about this track, but w/ an above average beat and above average rapping I had to go 4 stars.
17. Feelin' It
3 Stars, Mood 1 : Finally, an attempt at a little power & testosterone. The beat had me thinking 151's "Let's Get It Poppin" right off the bat, but it's not nearly as good as that track. COLA rushes a little bit, which is rare for me to say b/c he's talented enough to get away with it typically, but not this time.
18. Mob Fully (Feat. Crytical & Popsykle)
3 Stars, Mood 1 : Disappointing track given the guest features. It does have a little Self Tightld feel to it with the beat (reminds me of their more recent song "All About Green Cash"). But the lyracs aren't quite crisp enough for this to get more than 3 stars. I will say it has grown on me, I initially had it at only 2 stars which would've made it the worst track on the album, but I no longer think that.
19. No Way
3 Stars, Mood 3 : I thought this one would be better w/ the way the beat starts, but the xylophones in the back this time around I am not a fan of. It's a little cute for me. I'm also not a fan of the chorus on this song.
20. World Rotates (Feat. Young Vicious)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : The way this beat starts out had me thinking some old school early to mid 90s Kid Sensation. The song doesn't really have a rhythm to it, it seems like it's always stopping, starting, stopping again. But still not bad, it garnered 3 stars from me.
OVERALL ALBUM SYNOPSIS
I did not give a single song on this album 2 stars or lower, and that says a lot given the fact that about 67% of my collection is 2 stars or lower, and that I don't even keep every song from every album I get. It's a very solid effort with the production and lyrics. That being said, it's not an elite album from the Northwest, I would be looking for a little bit more adrenaline and a little bit more chill, too many tracks on this album are in that 2-4 range where I'd characterize them as "energy" tracks. I liken this effort to that of Tha Loco's most recent album "Hustla Style" in the fact that it is a damn good album, I can't say anything bad about it at all, but it doesn't quite grab me the same way "Smile Now-Die Later" and "My Life - My City" grabbed me. I think compared to "Hollow Point Lyrics" there's a hell of a lot more depth and consistency, but I wouldn't put any of the tracks on this album ahead of "Stays Lookin In" or "Pump Ya Breaks."
ON NOTES & COLA
COLA is simply a sensational MC, he really has a God given voice and God given ability to enunciate clearly while just blasting through a million words a minute. Notes, he is a solid MC, he's grown on me a lot over the years. If I ever give the impression I don't like him on the mic, that's dead wrong. I loved his "Bar Dash Freestyle" track, I bumped that almost everyday last summer. But he's not COLA. COLA's got the status w/ me where if he ever puts out an album solo, he's got my money before I ever need to hear a word of it. Notes has the status w/ me where if he ever does something solo, I would first check it out on MySpace (and probably end up buying it). But all in all, these guys put an awful lot of work into this project, and it's going to end up being one of the better albums to come out of the Northwest in 2008, so I personally want to thank them, b/c I enjoyed this album a lot.
NOTE: The way that I grade music is that in my iTunes I use the 1 through 5 star system that's built into the program, but I also assign each song a value from 1 to 6 (in the BPM field of the song info) that tells what kind of "mood" the song evokes:
1 : Pure adrenaline, mob type track (ex. 151 "Let's Get It Poppin")
2 : between 1 and 3
3 : Upbeat, club dance type track (ex. 50 Cent "In Da Club")
4 : between 3 and 5
5 : Smooth, slow, relaxing, chill type track (ex. Skuntdunanna "2 People")
6 : Could function as either a 1 or a 5, many "trials and tribulations" type songs fit into this category, songs that you can nod your head to and get some adrenaline over, but also chill too
DISCLAIMER : From studying the stats in my iTunes library, I tend to rate 1s, 5s and 6s better than 2's, 3's and 4's. Maybe being attracted to each extreme is somewhat indicative of a bipolar personality or something, but that's just the way I am. So the artists that tend to be a little bit more industry sounding, or a little bit "happier" or more upbeat with their music tend to get lower grades.
1. Intro (Feat. Crytical)
4 Stars, Mood 1 : This track is solid, it's very nice to hear Crytical's voice again. He's still got it. The beat is fairly generic D-Sane, but that's not a bad thing. As is the case with all intros D-Sane does, I wish it was longer. Crytical's lyrics aren't particularly great (although he delivers them very well), that's probably why this track didn't get 5 stars from me.
2. That's What I'm Talkin' Bout
5 Stars, Mood 1 : The beat is a head nodder from the get go, it has a very electronic feel to it. COLA's verse is stronger than Notes, so the track really gets rolling once the it's COLA's turn. But the beat definitely has some strength behind it, one of the stronger beats on the album.
3. Never Waste My Time
4 Stars, Mood 3 : Kind of a sissy upbeat track, but they do a good job on the chorus (I think it's good old Wanz doing it). I also like how Notes leads off this track, as its strong right from the beginning. The low bassline throughout is solid, as is the little xylophone sounding effects in the background of the beat. I don't really like courting chicks types of songs like this one, but they do a good enough job on this one that I gave it 4 stars. It's also one of Notes better verses on the album too, he's quality right out of the chorus.
4. A Lot Worse
4 Stars, Mood 1 : This is not necessarily an adrenaline provider, but it is very dark, has a northwest cloudy day type of feel to it. It reminds me an awful lot of Mo-X & Lil G's track "Worst of the Worst" b/c the beats sound a little alike, but mostly because of the prominent use of the word "worse" in the chorus. This is not an elite track, but a good one.
5. Abc's
3 Stars, Mood 2 : Not one of the better tracks on the album. I do not like how Notes starts spitting right out of the gate, it starts way too fast. And it's an upbeat production job that reminds of the beat for the St. Lunatics "Midwest Swang" song from way back when I was in high school. It's a shame that a very good example of tongue twisting from COLA kind of goes to waste on this track b/c of a lack of identity w/ the production. Notes verses on this track aren't his best on the album, he's kind of getting back to what he struggles w/ from time to time and that's trying to keep up w/ Cola and rap real fast. The result is that it sounds like he's trying too hard and not getting the most out of his abilities.
6. U Can Never Know (Feat. Skuntdunanna)
5 Stars, Mood 6 : This is possibly my favorite track on the whole album. It's a very smooth soulful beat, I had a really hard time assigning a mood to it b/c it's so versatile. I could play it on the way to a football game, on the way back from work as the day's coming to an end. You can kind of bounce to it and chill to it, that's why I slapped a 6 on it. Both artists spit excellent verses, Notes in particular does a nice job on this one, definitely a bounce back performance from ABCs. And Skuntdunanna is a beautiful change of pace as he so often is, as his voice is just naturally unique in a good way. His rough voice juxtaposes the smooth beat, and the result is AWESOME. Outstanding track.
7. Smash Hard (Feat. Red Head Steve)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : I was very disappointed with this track. W/ Steve on it, I was hoping for more. The beat sounds like something you'd hear at a circus or something, it's a little too cute for my taste. Steve does a solid job but it's just lost in the annoying beat. He also shows a little versatility with some sort of singing in the chorus, but he is best showcased over rough sounds, not this cutesy bullshit. Steve's talents make this a 3 star instead of something lower.
8. Bonafied
5 Stars, Mood 3 : A happy beat, but quality so I approve despite my tendencies to not. The low bassline sounds nice in my ride. COLA shines on this one, riding along at a good pace with the beat, not trying to rush, but just letting it flow naturally.
9. Get Ya Weight Up (Feat. Skuntdunanna)
4 Stars, Mood 3 : This is a good song, not a great song. The beat is a little too happy for my tastes, and Skunt's angry powerful lyrics don't necessarily mesh that well w/ this happy sounding beat. But it is a solid beat despite the mood, and Notes & COLA do a nice fundamental job rapping over it. A good track, not a great track.
10. Rain
5 Stars, Mood 6 : I originally went 4 stars on this one but then realized I'd made a mistake, and bumped it to 5. It's kind of a mob track, kind of a chill track, it's got versatility to it like "U Can Never Know." My favorite part of the track, aside from the commonly used rain theme from Northwest rappers (hell it's true, might as well rap about it) is the way the beat turns over at the end of a line. It's something I don't think I've ever really heard this subtle percussion effect from D-Sane before, it's the kind of technique that seems to be used mostly by New Orleans Cash Money type producers, but D-Sane does it on this track and it sounds great. By "turns over" I mean as the beat is starting over, there are a couple of percussion clicks that really finish the line perfectly. Good track, I'd prefer the Seattle anthem to have a little harder edge to it, but nonetheless a damn good track.
11. Ez To Find (Feat. Bg Church Of Certified)
5 Stars, Mood 1 : A very powerful, adrenaline-laced track. I've grown to respect these guys Certified so much over the last 12 months, they've really changed my view of Spokane. I never thought somebody could make Spokane sound cool, but BG Church actually does how he pronounces it "Spo-Cain," it sounds great. The beat reminds me of "The Beast" by Tech N9ne from a Madden soundtrack a few years ago b/c each line is finished off by a little extra bass bounce. BG Church outperforms Dividenz on this track as the beat meshes with his style a little bit better, but that's just fine.
12. Pusha Man (Feat. Zicafekt)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : The beat is a little happy for my taste, but I do like the xylophone effects in the background of the beat. Notes struggles a little on this one, he gets back into the habit of sounding like he's trying a little too hard. The chorus is also pretty weak. Not one of my favorite tracks on the album but I did give it 3 stars, so it's not bad.
13. Another Day, Another Dollar
4 Stars, Mood 6 : Classic "trials and tribulations" type of track, w/ a beat you can nod to and a chill to. COLA shows off his tongue twisting abilities on this track. I could do without the steel drum sound effects in the background, the low bassline is plenty quality for this track. A good but not great track.
14. More Frequent
3 Stars, Mood 3 : This song actually had potential when I heard the first 15 seconds (the beat had me thinking "9 to 5" by the Nappy Headz out of Tallahassee, Florida sampling Lionel Richie's "Sail On") but my initial vision of the song didn't materialize. Once the song gets going it goes downhill. Notes doesn't really have any cadence in his voice on this song, he's just kind of dragging along.
15. Blueberries & Strawberries
3 Stars, Mood 3 : An upbeat song, and I really do not like the get drunk in the club songs, I'm basically predisposed against them. So this song is not bad b/c it earns 3 stars, but it's not one of the better ones on the album.
16. Go Getta
4 Stars, Mood 1 : A dark, spooky beat. COLA does some voice inflectuating on the chorus, that's a tad cute for my taste but he pulled it through OK. Nothing really grabs me about this track, but w/ an above average beat and above average rapping I had to go 4 stars.
17. Feelin' It
3 Stars, Mood 1 : Finally, an attempt at a little power & testosterone. The beat had me thinking 151's "Let's Get It Poppin" right off the bat, but it's not nearly as good as that track. COLA rushes a little bit, which is rare for me to say b/c he's talented enough to get away with it typically, but not this time.
18. Mob Fully (Feat. Crytical & Popsykle)
3 Stars, Mood 1 : Disappointing track given the guest features. It does have a little Self Tightld feel to it with the beat (reminds me of their more recent song "All About Green Cash"). But the lyracs aren't quite crisp enough for this to get more than 3 stars. I will say it has grown on me, I initially had it at only 2 stars which would've made it the worst track on the album, but I no longer think that.
19. No Way
3 Stars, Mood 3 : I thought this one would be better w/ the way the beat starts, but the xylophones in the back this time around I am not a fan of. It's a little cute for me. I'm also not a fan of the chorus on this song.
20. World Rotates (Feat. Young Vicious)
3 Stars, Mood 2 : The way this beat starts out had me thinking some old school early to mid 90s Kid Sensation. The song doesn't really have a rhythm to it, it seems like it's always stopping, starting, stopping again. But still not bad, it garnered 3 stars from me.
OVERALL ALBUM SYNOPSIS
I did not give a single song on this album 2 stars or lower, and that says a lot given the fact that about 67% of my collection is 2 stars or lower, and that I don't even keep every song from every album I get. It's a very solid effort with the production and lyrics. That being said, it's not an elite album from the Northwest, I would be looking for a little bit more adrenaline and a little bit more chill, too many tracks on this album are in that 2-4 range where I'd characterize them as "energy" tracks. I liken this effort to that of Tha Loco's most recent album "Hustla Style" in the fact that it is a damn good album, I can't say anything bad about it at all, but it doesn't quite grab me the same way "Smile Now-Die Later" and "My Life - My City" grabbed me. I think compared to "Hollow Point Lyrics" there's a hell of a lot more depth and consistency, but I wouldn't put any of the tracks on this album ahead of "Stays Lookin In" or "Pump Ya Breaks."
ON NOTES & COLA
COLA is simply a sensational MC, he really has a God given voice and God given ability to enunciate clearly while just blasting through a million words a minute. Notes, he is a solid MC, he's grown on me a lot over the years. If I ever give the impression I don't like him on the mic, that's dead wrong. I loved his "Bar Dash Freestyle" track, I bumped that almost everyday last summer. But he's not COLA. COLA's got the status w/ me where if he ever puts out an album solo, he's got my money before I ever need to hear a word of it. Notes has the status w/ me where if he ever does something solo, I would first check it out on MySpace (and probably end up buying it). But all in all, these guys put an awful lot of work into this project, and it's going to end up being one of the better albums to come out of the Northwest in 2008, so I personally want to thank them, b/c I enjoyed this album a lot.
