Before you start scratching your heads, I found this unfinished post in my Blog Drafts list today. I started to write it a year ago before I went away on holiday then promptly forgot all about it. I think that says more about the records than I ever could.
It's 2015 and there is new product from two of the heaviest hitters in the hip hop industry.
These long-awaited long-players each from the East and West coasts of the US made me feel unusually excitable and just like the reason for why I have an abnormal fondness for electric fences, I really cannot put my finger on it.
I gave both Compton (A Soundtrack) and Man Plans God Laughs a listen today in full.
Dre's Compton especially has had more than it's fair share of critical attacks and that was before the album had even been released.
It is important to know that this album is definitely not in the vein of his 1992 debut The Chronic. It is not on the same scale either lyrically nor musically.
Although The Chronic was not exactly Shakespeare there were still great hooks and memorable verses throughout. Compton relies heavily on sung verses. Whilst this is not shocking as this particular trope has become more favourable within rap of late - perhaps a way of getting more radio airplay with a nod to RnB?
And that is as far as I got. PE's album was marginally better from what I can remember but not much. Compton was horrendously bad with some truly awful songs in there.
A shame really but what can you do? Keep creating the same sort of music from 20 years ago or push forward and go with the trends?
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1 comment:
Compton album was utter trash due to Dre's over reliance on Focus as his main collaborative producer. Unlike other producers like Pete Rock or DJ Premier, Dre works at his best while working with others. Focus has been knee deep in commercial rap for better part of his career. He definitely does not have his father's ear for good music thus it's no surprise Compton was trash.
PE.s new album definitely is not one of their best but it has six good song out the eleven tracks on the album. A much better album than Compton yet still disappointing for PE fans.
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