Post by -ƒℓλт- on Apr 5, 2007 0:21:14 GMT
I will do a track-by-track review...with full explanations and my thoughts of it.
Artist: Mos Def
Album Name: Black On Both Sides
Runtime: 71 Minutes (1 hour and 11 minutes)
Tracklisting:
1.) Fear Not of Men [4:28]
2.) Hip Hop [3:15]
3.) Love [4:23]
4.) Ms. Fat Booty [3:43]
5.) Speed Law [4:16]
6.) Do It Now (ft. Busta Rhymes) [3:49]
7.) Got [3:27]
8.) Umi Says [5:10]
9.) New World Water [3:13]
10.) Rock n' Roll [5:02]
11.) Know That (ft. Talib Kweli) [4:03]
12.) Climb [4:02]
13.) Brooklyn [5:09]
14.) Habitat [4:39]
15.) Mista Nigga (ft. Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest) [5:12]
16.) Mathematics [4:06]
17.) May December [3:31]
1 -- Fear Not of Men
He begins with the shoutouts. He starts out talking for about 2:54 of the song. He talks about how it's 1999, and it's going onto the new century, and he wonders if Hip Hop is going to change. So he stays talking for that amount of time, about his ideas and thoughts and shouts out a couple of people. Near the 2:54 mark, he talks about the law and tells the listener this is what he thinks of them and Hip Hop itself. It's a nice opener track, he leads you up to get hype and gets you listening to more of the album. (3/5)
2 -- Hip Hop
He raps about how and where he stands as a rapper himself. He also raps about how sometimes he doesn't finish writing his lyrics for songs and things like that. The main idea though, is he states his power in this Hip Hop movement, and the things he's going through and the things his ancestors went through. He warns the listener about the dangers of the industry and lays down some deep and influential lyrics. Good opening track for the album, it presented a nice hype feeling. This veteran gets the full on this song. (5/5)
3 -- Love [My favorite track on album!]
The title explains it all, but if you don't get it, then i'll explain it even more. Being a listener who listens to the lyrics most of the time, I noticed him talking about his childhood, on how he used to tune into the radio and put it to his ear and all that. Basically, what i'm going at here is that he's rapping about his life and childhood. What made him into who he is, and he's showing his dedication and LOVE for Hip Hop. Real rhythmic and soulful track. The hook goes "I start to think, and then I sink..into the paper...like I was ink. When i'm writin, i'm trapped in between the lines...I escape...when I finish the rhyme." He continues it by saying the word "LOVE" and spelling it out a lot. His lyrics are really deep in this track, and he raps about how people said he couldn't make it and couldn't do it, but he finishes it off by saying because he had love for Hip Hop, he really did make it. Really gets you into the mood when you listen to it, and Mos Def definitely laid it down nicely, just like he always does. (5/5)
4 -- Ms. Fat Booty
I remember this track like it was yesterday, this is the first song i've ever heard from Mos Def, which was in 2000. This song deals with how to spit game to a girl, and what he did to try get this one girl. Storytelling type of song, you'd have to listen to the lyrics to get it. It's a "get a girl" song, all of the things he did with this girl and all that. Sample (for the beat) is sick, and the production fits perfectly with what he's conveying. Mos Def again makes another tight song. (4/5)
5 -- Speed Law
He starts out in the beginning saying "slow down" a couple times, and what he means by that is to slow down and stop sleeping on the good rappers. He's rapping about how he's been in this game for a long time (and this is true), and he doesn't seem to get it how respected emcees such as himself don't get the recognition they deserve. He's saying that all these gimmick rappers should stop rapping and fall back. He drops a couple punches and smart-alec lines on the emcees people respect, but shouldn't be respected. Overall, it was a decent track, could've done better. He seemed too cocky in this track, and that didn't appeal to me very much. (2/5)
6 -- Do It Now (ft. Busta Rhymes)
Nice collab track. REALLY sick collab track, actually. It's like a freestyle track, really well done. The message is to stop hesitating with whatever it is you're doing and do whatever you gotta do to make it. They drop a couple punches and whatnot to show they're a duo not to be messed with. This was back when Busta Rhymes was the hype ass rapper, the jumpy version of Busta. Even since that was the case, he still came hard. Mos Def came damn hard too. Good shit right here to get you hyped and jumpin'. Busta Rhymes also drops his trademark "WOOO HAAA!!!!" in da track lol. Good shit right here, nice collaboration. (4/5)
7 -- Got
He raps about how people don't get him, and they're too gased up with the stuff around them to truly find themselves. He's saying "this is how you get got", meaning if you're rolling dice on the corner..that's how you fuck up yourself. This track is dedicated to the mainstream rappers all about the ice and chains, the luxury rappers who flaunt their cadillacs and whatnot. He raps about the wrongs with that. Good shit to listen to and learn. Mos Def drops some iLL knowledge here. He drops knowledge about how if you really did do that up at his hometown (Brooklyn), they wouldn't appreciate it too much and you could get yourself "got." It was an overall aight track, nothing too great. (3/5)
8 -- Umi Says
BEAUTIFUL[/u] track. He didn't write it down, he didn't write ANYTHING down for the song. REALLY soulful track right here, very vibe orientated. He wrote nothing down, and didn't even rap in the song. The whole song is him singing. He sang the song rather than rap it lol. He did a very nice job though, and I give him hella credit for even singing the whole song WITHOUT even writing it. He just walked into the booth and just started dropping some shit. Good stuff right here...it has a good soul vibe, and this is DEFINITELY a classic. Good shit right here, I loved this track when I first heard it. He gets the full amount for everything right here. Mos Def is dropping knowledge and philosophy throughout the whole track. (5/5)
9 -- New World Water
He's talking about water, lol. He discusses the importance of water, and without water we would die. He's saying how people waste water, and we need water for everything we do, from bathing, to drinking, to even washing. He tells how it used to be free, and now people are putting a price on "life." He reveals that people only do things for money nowadays, and don't do anything for the love of it. Very influential track right here, dropping some good knowledge that people should really listen to. (3/5)
10 -- Rock n' Roll
He raps like he's talking and singing at the same time. He talks about his black folks, and his descendents and ancestors. He tells nobody has any soul for the music, and no love. That they didn't come up with the shit on their own, and had people write songs for themselves. He raps about how black folk can also do rock and roll and not only the white majority. Good track, and it's on some REAL SHIT, which I like very much in a rapper. If a rapper ain't real, I don't fuck with them. People need to realize that. Good shit right here. He turns the track around near the end and starts dropping some rock and roll shit. Really hype ass shit to get you in that crazy mood. (4/5)
11 -- Know That (ft. Talib Kweli)
This is like a diss to the industry kind of. He explains about he knows what he loves, and doesn't change shit for nobody. He raps about how he's real, and everyone should fall back with their gimmick bullshit. Talib jumps on this track and drops some SICK SHIT, as usual. Talib and Mos will always be respected as a great duo. Good shit right here, nice collaboration. This was a sick track, it had me bobbing my head up and down, back n forth. Some real hip hop shit right here. (5/5)
12 -- Climb
Good feel good track. Got me feeling relaxed and calmed, because of the beginning with them singing and all about people climbing to the top, but failing. This is another singing track. The beat doesn't drop until 1:20 or so. He raps and sings about how people try to climb to the top and he compares it to the night time, how it's dangerous and hard. He says how you can't stop and you gotta do what you gotta do to make it. Never give up, and always stay climbing. It's a really nice and influential track, soulful, and the concept was just brilliant. Big ups on this track, beautiful shit right here. (5/5)
13 -- Brooklyn
A nice anthem to his city. It includes some familiar beats as you listen to the whole thing. He raps about how he didn't have shit, but he always had Brooklyn by his side. He tends to rep Brooklyn a lot and nothing other than that. This shows that when Mos Def loves something, he's dedicated to it. The beat fits perfectly with that New York style in the beginning. The beat changes up into some real street shit around 2:10. The whole song has a real authentic New York feel to it. He raps about how great Brooklyn is, and the positives of it. Very dedicated track right here. If you from Brooklyn, feel proud that Mos Def is representing ya'll as an artist in the game, because he is a legend in my eyes. (5/5)
14 -- Habitat
If you watch The Boondocks, you should recognize this song. They play this song in that show. He's singing in the beginning about how you should rep the area where you're from. He rhymes about how the streets is like where he was from and where he's been. It's a hometown track, representing them. Some good stuff right here to have you feeling good about where you're from. That's what Mos Def is all about, he's a soulful dude
. Overall decent track, I was feeling it for the most part. (4/5)
15 -- Mista Nigga (ft. Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest)
Story and biography about a guy who has what everyone wants. The guy that people look up to around their area, and that guy he's talking about is himself at some parts. He's not being cocky, he's just sick of people mistaking him as a minority when he's made it that far in the game. At one part he talks about a woman on a plane questioning him about his 1st class and that he shouldn't be there. The moral of the song here is that even for a rap star, he still gets criticised. He disses the people who criticise him. Some good shit right here. Q-Tip on the hook. (5/5)
16 -- Mathematics
Here goes Mos Def droppin' a lil knowledge right here. Kickin' the flow and all. He gets into it about money, fractions, and basically just mathematics. He gets into numbers, so in order to get into it, you'd have to listen to the lyrics yourself. He gets on about how rhyming and shit is the same as simple mathematics, just gotta know your ones and twos. Really creative shit right here. Mos Def always comes with that nice shit, creativity is definitely a plus for him as i've seen through his last songs. If you listen to the album, listen close to the lyrics in this one, you might learn a thing or two. Great track. (4/5)
17 -- May December
This is an instrumental track to end off the album. It's a good ending instrumental to get you into that vibe mode, to make you feel good so you end off the album with a smile on your face like "Damn i'm glad I copped this album." (3/5)
OVERALL: Very nice album. I could spend days listening to this album, and if I wasn't listening to it for a while, i'd always have an urge to listen to some Mos Def. Mos "Definitely" a respected artist in the game, and one not to mess with. From the beginning to end, the album flowed smoothly and nicely. No flaws, beautiful concepts, and the complexity gave this album a rating of 78% out of 100%![/b]
4-stars.png
This album was "above average" and really needs to be looked at.
Download Link:
-Link Removed- (ToS Reasons)
P`z and thank you for your time.
Artist: Mos Def
Album Name: Black On Both Sides
Runtime: 71 Minutes (1 hour and 11 minutes)
Tracklisting:
1.) Fear Not of Men [4:28]
2.) Hip Hop [3:15]
3.) Love [4:23]
4.) Ms. Fat Booty [3:43]
5.) Speed Law [4:16]
6.) Do It Now (ft. Busta Rhymes) [3:49]
7.) Got [3:27]
8.) Umi Says [5:10]
9.) New World Water [3:13]
10.) Rock n' Roll [5:02]
11.) Know That (ft. Talib Kweli) [4:03]
12.) Climb [4:02]
13.) Brooklyn [5:09]
14.) Habitat [4:39]
15.) Mista Nigga (ft. Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest) [5:12]
16.) Mathematics [4:06]
17.) May December [3:31]
BLACK ON BOTH SIDES REVIEW!
1 -- Fear Not of Men
He begins with the shoutouts. He starts out talking for about 2:54 of the song. He talks about how it's 1999, and it's going onto the new century, and he wonders if Hip Hop is going to change. So he stays talking for that amount of time, about his ideas and thoughts and shouts out a couple of people. Near the 2:54 mark, he talks about the law and tells the listener this is what he thinks of them and Hip Hop itself. It's a nice opener track, he leads you up to get hype and gets you listening to more of the album. (3/5)
2 -- Hip Hop
He raps about how and where he stands as a rapper himself. He also raps about how sometimes he doesn't finish writing his lyrics for songs and things like that. The main idea though, is he states his power in this Hip Hop movement, and the things he's going through and the things his ancestors went through. He warns the listener about the dangers of the industry and lays down some deep and influential lyrics. Good opening track for the album, it presented a nice hype feeling. This veteran gets the full on this song. (5/5)
3 -- Love [My favorite track on album!]
The title explains it all, but if you don't get it, then i'll explain it even more. Being a listener who listens to the lyrics most of the time, I noticed him talking about his childhood, on how he used to tune into the radio and put it to his ear and all that. Basically, what i'm going at here is that he's rapping about his life and childhood. What made him into who he is, and he's showing his dedication and LOVE for Hip Hop. Real rhythmic and soulful track. The hook goes "I start to think, and then I sink..into the paper...like I was ink. When i'm writin, i'm trapped in between the lines...I escape...when I finish the rhyme." He continues it by saying the word "LOVE" and spelling it out a lot. His lyrics are really deep in this track, and he raps about how people said he couldn't make it and couldn't do it, but he finishes it off by saying because he had love for Hip Hop, he really did make it. Really gets you into the mood when you listen to it, and Mos Def definitely laid it down nicely, just like he always does. (5/5)
4 -- Ms. Fat Booty
I remember this track like it was yesterday, this is the first song i've ever heard from Mos Def, which was in 2000. This song deals with how to spit game to a girl, and what he did to try get this one girl. Storytelling type of song, you'd have to listen to the lyrics to get it. It's a "get a girl" song, all of the things he did with this girl and all that. Sample (for the beat) is sick, and the production fits perfectly with what he's conveying. Mos Def again makes another tight song. (4/5)
5 -- Speed Law
He starts out in the beginning saying "slow down" a couple times, and what he means by that is to slow down and stop sleeping on the good rappers. He's rapping about how he's been in this game for a long time (and this is true), and he doesn't seem to get it how respected emcees such as himself don't get the recognition they deserve. He's saying that all these gimmick rappers should stop rapping and fall back. He drops a couple punches and smart-alec lines on the emcees people respect, but shouldn't be respected. Overall, it was a decent track, could've done better. He seemed too cocky in this track, and that didn't appeal to me very much. (2/5)
6 -- Do It Now (ft. Busta Rhymes)
Nice collab track. REALLY sick collab track, actually. It's like a freestyle track, really well done. The message is to stop hesitating with whatever it is you're doing and do whatever you gotta do to make it. They drop a couple punches and whatnot to show they're a duo not to be messed with. This was back when Busta Rhymes was the hype ass rapper, the jumpy version of Busta. Even since that was the case, he still came hard. Mos Def came damn hard too. Good shit right here to get you hyped and jumpin'. Busta Rhymes also drops his trademark "WOOO HAAA!!!!" in da track lol. Good shit right here, nice collaboration. (4/5)
7 -- Got
He raps about how people don't get him, and they're too gased up with the stuff around them to truly find themselves. He's saying "this is how you get got", meaning if you're rolling dice on the corner..that's how you fuck up yourself. This track is dedicated to the mainstream rappers all about the ice and chains, the luxury rappers who flaunt their cadillacs and whatnot. He raps about the wrongs with that. Good shit to listen to and learn. Mos Def drops some iLL knowledge here. He drops knowledge about how if you really did do that up at his hometown (Brooklyn), they wouldn't appreciate it too much and you could get yourself "got." It was an overall aight track, nothing too great. (3/5)
8 -- Umi Says
BEAUTIFUL[/u] track. He didn't write it down, he didn't write ANYTHING down for the song. REALLY soulful track right here, very vibe orientated. He wrote nothing down, and didn't even rap in the song. The whole song is him singing. He sang the song rather than rap it lol. He did a very nice job though, and I give him hella credit for even singing the whole song WITHOUT even writing it. He just walked into the booth and just started dropping some shit. Good stuff right here...it has a good soul vibe, and this is DEFINITELY a classic. Good shit right here, I loved this track when I first heard it. He gets the full amount for everything right here. Mos Def is dropping knowledge and philosophy throughout the whole track. (5/5)
9 -- New World Water
He's talking about water, lol. He discusses the importance of water, and without water we would die. He's saying how people waste water, and we need water for everything we do, from bathing, to drinking, to even washing. He tells how it used to be free, and now people are putting a price on "life." He reveals that people only do things for money nowadays, and don't do anything for the love of it. Very influential track right here, dropping some good knowledge that people should really listen to. (3/5)
10 -- Rock n' Roll
He raps like he's talking and singing at the same time. He talks about his black folks, and his descendents and ancestors. He tells nobody has any soul for the music, and no love. That they didn't come up with the shit on their own, and had people write songs for themselves. He raps about how black folk can also do rock and roll and not only the white majority. Good track, and it's on some REAL SHIT, which I like very much in a rapper. If a rapper ain't real, I don't fuck with them. People need to realize that. Good shit right here. He turns the track around near the end and starts dropping some rock and roll shit. Really hype ass shit to get you in that crazy mood. (4/5)
11 -- Know That (ft. Talib Kweli)
This is like a diss to the industry kind of. He explains about he knows what he loves, and doesn't change shit for nobody. He raps about how he's real, and everyone should fall back with their gimmick bullshit. Talib jumps on this track and drops some SICK SHIT, as usual. Talib and Mos will always be respected as a great duo. Good shit right here, nice collaboration. This was a sick track, it had me bobbing my head up and down, back n forth. Some real hip hop shit right here. (5/5)
12 -- Climb
Good feel good track. Got me feeling relaxed and calmed, because of the beginning with them singing and all about people climbing to the top, but failing. This is another singing track. The beat doesn't drop until 1:20 or so. He raps and sings about how people try to climb to the top and he compares it to the night time, how it's dangerous and hard. He says how you can't stop and you gotta do what you gotta do to make it. Never give up, and always stay climbing. It's a really nice and influential track, soulful, and the concept was just brilliant. Big ups on this track, beautiful shit right here. (5/5)
13 -- Brooklyn
A nice anthem to his city. It includes some familiar beats as you listen to the whole thing. He raps about how he didn't have shit, but he always had Brooklyn by his side. He tends to rep Brooklyn a lot and nothing other than that. This shows that when Mos Def loves something, he's dedicated to it. The beat fits perfectly with that New York style in the beginning. The beat changes up into some real street shit around 2:10. The whole song has a real authentic New York feel to it. He raps about how great Brooklyn is, and the positives of it. Very dedicated track right here. If you from Brooklyn, feel proud that Mos Def is representing ya'll as an artist in the game, because he is a legend in my eyes. (5/5)
14 -- Habitat
If you watch The Boondocks, you should recognize this song. They play this song in that show. He's singing in the beginning about how you should rep the area where you're from. He rhymes about how the streets is like where he was from and where he's been. It's a hometown track, representing them. Some good stuff right here to have you feeling good about where you're from. That's what Mos Def is all about, he's a soulful dude
. Overall decent track, I was feeling it for the most part. (4/5)15 -- Mista Nigga (ft. Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest)
Story and biography about a guy who has what everyone wants. The guy that people look up to around their area, and that guy he's talking about is himself at some parts. He's not being cocky, he's just sick of people mistaking him as a minority when he's made it that far in the game. At one part he talks about a woman on a plane questioning him about his 1st class and that he shouldn't be there. The moral of the song here is that even for a rap star, he still gets criticised. He disses the people who criticise him. Some good shit right here. Q-Tip on the hook. (5/5)
16 -- Mathematics
Here goes Mos Def droppin' a lil knowledge right here. Kickin' the flow and all. He gets into it about money, fractions, and basically just mathematics. He gets into numbers, so in order to get into it, you'd have to listen to the lyrics yourself. He gets on about how rhyming and shit is the same as simple mathematics, just gotta know your ones and twos. Really creative shit right here. Mos Def always comes with that nice shit, creativity is definitely a plus for him as i've seen through his last songs. If you listen to the album, listen close to the lyrics in this one, you might learn a thing or two. Great track. (4/5)
17 -- May December
This is an instrumental track to end off the album. It's a good ending instrumental to get you into that vibe mode, to make you feel good so you end off the album with a smile on your face like "Damn i'm glad I copped this album." (3/5)
OVERALL: Very nice album. I could spend days listening to this album, and if I wasn't listening to it for a while, i'd always have an urge to listen to some Mos Def. Mos "Definitely" a respected artist in the game, and one not to mess with. From the beginning to end, the album flowed smoothly and nicely. No flaws, beautiful concepts, and the complexity gave this album a rating of 78% out of 100%![/b]
4-stars.png
This album was "above average" and really needs to be looked at.
Download Link:
-Link Removed- (ToS Reasons)
P`z and thank you for your time.
.