NYS Music 20​14

Category: Hip Hop/Rap

  • Hearing Aide: Wu-Tang Clan ‘A Better Tomorrow’

    Undoubtedly one of hip hop’s most influential groups, The Wu-Tang Clan have unleashed their first album in over seven years A Better Tomorrow on December 2 via Warner Brothers Records. It was only a couple months ago, that Warner Brothers Records signed the Wu. With years in the making, A Better Tomorrow almost didn’t happen due to internal beefs within the group. However, they overcame all the problems and dished the record out. So after all these years, does RZA (who produced most of the album) and The Wu-Tang Clan still have it?

    wu-tang a better tomorrowThe album starts off really strong with “Ruckus In B Minor.” Every member of the Wu has their moment in this song. (which is totally refreshing especially earlier in the year when Raekwon at one point didn’t want to record on this album or appear in any videos due to a clash with RZA) We are even graced by the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard with some of his recordings infused into the track. Very great production on this track from RZA and Rick Rubin. (only track he produces on) Overall lyrics are catchy, awesome hook from Method Man, and a killer retro sounding beat. Wu-Tang was clicking on all cylinders with this track.

    Next, the emotional song “Felt” has verses from Masta Killa, Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and an into from RZA. This track would have been better but the beat and production was a little too strong, kind of overbearing all the rapping.

    The next track “40th Street Black/We Will Fight” is a FANTASTIC track. Great lyrics, such a feel good song that makes you get pumped. To top it off, The Rutgers University’s Scarlet Knights Drumline appears on this track, really giving this song a sports anthem feel to this. I would not be surprised if we start hearing this song at sporting events or on ESPN. Excellent production from Allah Mathematics. (who produced two tracks on this album.)

    At four tracks into the album, “Mistaken Identity” feels like a missed opportunity because we get powerful lyrics from Inspectah Deck, Method Man, U-God, Cappadonna, and Masta Killa. But again the production and instrumentals overpower all the rapping. Lyrically, arguably one of the best on this album.

    “Hold The Heater” is a heavy, hardcore hip hop track. It contains a very powerful hook with very good production. We hear about life on the streets as told by RZA, Cappadonna, U-God, (who really shines on this track) GZA, and some good closure from Method Man.

    On the sixth track we get a brief, yet powerful track entitled “Crushed Egos” with rapping from Raekwon and RZA. I would speculate the two of them got together and wrote this track after the patched things up earlier this year. Again, we are graced with a powerful hook on this song. Raekwon, who doesn’t really appear much on the album at this point, really shines here.

    Then we get another powerful track with “Keep Watch.” This is the other track produced by Allah Mathematics. The track samples The Sweet Inspirations “You Roam When You Don’t Get It Home” which musically adds a nice element to this track. Method Man and Inspectah Deck really shine here. Also they make reference to former New York Giant Justin Tuck. Nice sports reference there.

    Halfway through the album we get to the track “Miracle.” This track I’m not a fan of. The hook is soft, and I really don’t think it fits appropriately with Wu-Tang Clan. I can do without this track. But the next track “Preacher’s Daughter” makes up for it. Again, Wu-Tang, who are masters of sampling, sample Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man.” This track is amazing. Great hook, great lyrics, and excellent production from RZA. I think a lot of people will be talking about this track.

    The album goes back to the classic “Kung Fu” sounds that we are accustomed to from Wu-Tang with “Pioneer The Frontier” with some Ol’ Dirty Bastard lyrics mixed in the refrain. It’s a cool little track before we go into “Necklace,” which again goes into the “Kung Fu” mode. This marks the last of two tracks produced by 4th Disciple.

    Getting close to the end of the album, we get “Ron O’Neal” which is catchy track. Not sure why it’s called “Ron O’Neal” minus a brief Super Fly reference, but it’s has a great hook. Then we get the title track “A Better Tomorrow” which again uses excellent sampling, this time “Wake Up Everybody” from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Brilliant lyrics from Method Man, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, and Raekwon.

    wu-tang a better tomorrowThen we get educated from Wu-Tang with “Never Let Go.” I say educated because this track is their serious and preaching side. It seems very appropriate at this point in the album. Also it opens and closes with samples of Martin Luther King’s speeches which adds a tasteful flavor to this song.

    Finally, the album ends on a clever and high note with “Wu-Tang Reunion” which finds them sampling again, this time, sampling The O’Jay’s “Family Reunion.” This is a brilliant way to end the album because this one is a very positive song. I believe they did this to show that the group is here to stay, and that they are happy to be running together twenty-years plus strong.

    To sum it all up, this is an excellent output from Wu-Tang Clan. I believe this is the album that 2007’s “8 Diagrams” wanted to be. If you’re going to compare this to “36 Chambers” you will be disappointed, but if you’re a fan of Wu-Tang Clan, or a fan of true hip hop, then this album is enjoyable. It has a nice variety of serious songs, songs about the streets, positive songs, sports-anthem songs, and more. A Better Tomorrow may be Wu Tang’s deepest album. Obviously it misses the spunk that Ol’ Dirty Bastard would bring to the group, but I think with this album ODB would be proud. It’s worth the investment.

    Wu-Tang Clan is forever.

    You can purchase A Better Tomorrow here.

    Key Tracks: Ruckus In B Minor, 40th Street Black/We Will Fight, Crushed Egos, Preacher’s Daughter

  • Hearing Aide: Big Ol Dirty Bucket: Bucket Express

    Bucket Express 2014One of the best things to recently come out of the Boston area is not surprisingly big, loud and dirty. The 10 piece funk band, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has come out with a new album, Bucket Express, a collection of modern day noise with a vintage soul that everyone can get down to. The 10 track album features songs with strong vocals alongside 70’s funk and soul melodies with a dash of Latin and hip hop, making it the ideal album for any social gathering. The album features members from Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone and Galactic, who were big influences on BODB from day one.

    The album starts with the booming funk of the brass section and ear grabbing vocals by Sarah ‘Lil Shrimp’ Seminski on “Mr. Boom Boom” with classic rock n roll guitar riffs and rhythm that instantly set the bar high for the rest of the album. “Real MC” features stand out back to back solos from each brass section for a jazz infused flavor with organ chilling chords as spitting fluid vocal work starts for a modern hip hop twist. “Miz Green” brings out the funk with heavy bass notes, electronic beat bops and the sensual and powerful stylings of Seminski. The album’s title song, “Bucket Express”, gives great representation of the group with the rhythm of a locomotive that builds up the energy with hip hop melodies and spotlight work on each instrument for a funk free for all. “Boss Hogg” squeezes the juice out of that organ and serious guitar shredding proves that they are their own boss. “Can’t Get No Release” has harmonious vocals singing powerful lyrics of growth with the band providing crescendo after crescendo of soul.

    The romance starts to heat up on “Get To Know You Better” with dreamy key work, hot drum work and straight forward lyrics of passion. “Fine Fly Woman” has frequent buildups with fast strumming that gets those hips swinging. The album starts to wind down with its last two tracks as “Central Ave Blues” with a big city, back alley night club kinda feel. “Vidalia” is a serious slow groove in comparison to the rest of the heart racing tracks but it stretches out Seminski’s gorgeous vocal range, making it the perfect come down to the album.

    Bucket Express is easy to have on repeat and helps to forget the weight of the world with the heavy funk. Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has an unmistakable ear for creating a fresh fusion of sound that appeals to generations across the spectrum as each track is a stand-alone piece of delight and surprise. After this past Halloween, keyboardist Brett Badolato and singer Sarah Seminski have parted ways with the band but The Bucket shall continue on with their journey of funk. There will be some big shoes to fill for sure but we hope that the Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket finds themselves somewhere in Upstate NY for the new year ahead.

    Key Tracks: Bucket Express, Can’t Get No Release, Vidalia

    Bucket Express is available for free streaming on Soundcloud as well as clicking here for their website plus live performances too.

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  • DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist Stopping in Buffalo and Syracuse

    Cut Chemist, founder of Jurassic 5 and helped to form the Grammy winning Ozomatli, with his 7″ size record partner Josh “DJ Shadow” Davis have added dates to their current “Renegades of Rhythm” tour. This “vinyl-only” tour honoring Afrika Bambaataa’s influence on hip-hop’s beginnings is spreading to new markets through November in the U.S. and Canada. The big news is the DJs are using Bambaataa’a actual vinyl collection for this tour.

    Their performances are garnering critical acclaim, especially the two sold-out tour openers at Irving Plaza in NYC with Bambaataa in the audience while they spun beats from his legendary vinyl collection. Rolling Stone recently gave high praise for the turntablists, saying “Deep into their September 4th set at New York’s Irving Plaza, as DJ Shadow bent over his spread of turntables, cueing the next sequence of beats, his partner in spin, Cut Chemist, gingerly lifted a piece of 12-inch vinyl from one of his decks and held it aloft, like a round, black equivalent of the Ten Commandments. He had, in fact, just played a religious object.”

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    The list of new dates is expansive and includes stops at The Town Ballroom, Buffalo on 11/11 and The Westcott Theater in Syracuse on 11/10. Check the deets and beats at their websites, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. There is a ton of info available on each, both historical and the story of Bambaataa’s influence to them both as it’s being told through this tour.

    Nov. 6 – Pawtucket, R.I. – The Met
    Nov. 8 – Montreal, Quebec – Corona
    Nov. 10 – Syracuse, N.Y. – The Westcott Theater
    Nov. 11 – Buffalo, N.Y. – Town Ballroom
    Nov. 14 – Pittsburgh, Pa. – Mr. Smalls Theatre
    Nov. 15 – Charlottesville, Va. – Jefferson Theater
    Nov. 17 – Athens, Ga. – Georgia Theatre
    Nov. 20 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Garrick Centre
    Nov. 21 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – O’Brien’s Event Centre
    Nov. 22 – Edmonton, Alberta – Encore at WEM
    Nov. 23 – Calgary, Alberta – Flames Central
    Nov. 25 – Oakland, Calif. – The Fox

  • Nas Gives Albany a History Lesson at The Palace Theatre

    Nas celebrated the 20th anniversary of his famed debut LP Illmatic at the Palace Theatre in Albany on Friday October 3, 2014, the unofficial kick-off of the tour. The previous night he played at Rochester’s Main Street Armory, but it was not the full show, as the film “Time is Illmatic” was not shown at the venue. Albany got the full treatment and the crowd loved it. Fans spanning from teenagers to 50-year-olds packed the sold-out show and made their way to their seats as the lights dimmed at 9:15 p.m. and the film started.

    This film not only gives the history of the album, but Nas’s family history. In the beginning of the film Nas states how “he just wanted to be something” and throughout the story, every person interviewed said how they knew Nas would rise out of the Queensbridge housing projects to do something special. Growing up in the projects was hard for Nas and his brother Jabari, especially after their mother kicked their father out of the house. His father, Olu Dara, was a jazz musician when he was younger and made sure that Nas learned the importantance of music and as a child he played with the instruments that were laying around the house, slowly sparking his venture into rap. Fannie Ann Jones, his mother, raised him and his brother afterwards and the brothers both expressed a lot of grief over her passing.

    As the film went on, some in the audience got a little restless, but a vast majority quietly sat in their seats, watching and listening to the tale of how this great record came to fruition. Notable names in the hip-hop community, such as Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Pharrell, and J. Cole, all held the album in high regard and how it has always been apart of their lives since it came out in 1994.

    The great Dr. Cornel West also spoke how the album not only was great for hip-hop, but also how it was great for young black men to hear a man not just rap, but also send a message and talk about his feelings. Illmatic is notable for how Nas expressed his anger against the crack epidemic and the poor neighborhoods of Queensbridge. He wasn’t just rapping to make a living, Nas was rapping to be heard. The film’s archival footage of a young Nas rapping in front of New York crowds is astonishing to watch as he takes over everyone’s attention in a matter of a few verses.

    The movie ended with Nas talking about how the album was his philosophy and a way of life. Despite dropping out of school in the 8th grade, Nas was happy to state that he was still teaching himself lessons and rules about life on his own and didn’t drop out and disappear into jail or death, like many of his friends did along the way. Once the film ended, the crowd began to roar as the screen lifted up and “The Genesis” began playing. Nas slowly strode out to the stage to one of the most raucous crowds that the Palace Theatre in Albany has ever seen. Many people walked down the aisles to the stage, people were standing on chairs to take pictures, and there was even a woman on her boyfriend’s shoulders for a song. The whole scene, although chaotic, was just another part of the celebration for the album and no patron got out of hand.

    Nas was all smiles for the hour or so he was on stage. Going through the entire album front to back, Nas gave everything he had into the songs. “N.Y. State of Mind,” “The World is Yours,” “One Love” and “Represent” really drove the crowd crazy. During the performance, he thanked producers and collaborators of the album as well as those who inspired him to make the record.

    Only being a short drive to New York City, he continued to thank Albany for coming out and embracing the album. Nas thanked those who made the trip Upstate to Albany for the last New York show of the tour. A double shot of “Hate Me Now” and “Made You Look” closed the evening out after he finished up Illmatic.

    With the whole evening over it felt like the crowd wanted more, but walking off stage with his entourage and DJ, Nas left the building and nothing but smiles could be seen on people’s faces. History had been served and embraced by Albany. It’s not every day that you get to hear a legendary album played front to back and get the history behind it. Nas’s Time is Illmatic Tour is one for the record books and is not to be missed.

  • Nas Kicking off Illmatic Tour With Back to Back New York Shows

    Nas has been at the top of the rap world since he debuted 20 years ago and will be celebrating the anniversary with the Illmatic tour for his landmark first LP Illmatic. The Illmatic tour has a little extra punch to it due to the fact that not only will Nas be playing the album front to back, but he will also be showing his brand new documentary “Nas: Time is Illmatic.” The film follows the trajectory of the album from when it was being recorded all the way up to today. The influence that the album had on the rap genre is undeniable, and to be able to see it right before hearing the man play the legendary album is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkmaXnw8ow

    Nas, including Illmatic, has released eight platinum and multi-platinum albums throughout his career and has played all over the world. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Nas eventually moved to Queens with his family at a young age and soon became interested in hip hop and the growing community surrounding it. Illmatic was a fan favorite from the moment it was released, earning high praise from the hip hop community. Not only did he rap about problems in everyday life, but he also rapped about the hope for a better one. These two shows are the only ones anywhere in New York.

    This film, which premiers at the Tribeca Film Festival on Oct. 1, means a lot to him. Nas has said, “I want to thank Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and the Tribeca Film family for all of the love & support they’ve given Time Is Illmatic. It is an honor to be in partnership with them, and I feel there is a cultural kinship bonded by the city of New York.” The film unfortunately won’t be shown on the tour’s opening night at Main Street Armory in Rochester on Oct. 2, but it will be shown the following evening, Oct. 3, at Albany’s Palace Theatre. Tickets are still available for both nights, $40 for Rochester and up to $70 for Albany, so don’t sleep on your chance to see these special shows from easily one of the best rappers out there today.