[noisereductions]

not to be all predictable, but.... I'll listen to it when it's not a Tidal exclusive anymore.

[Rob Instigator]

on another topic entirely,

why do yuo guys think that people get so upset when today's rappers (aged 17-25 or so) do not acknowledge some sort of supposed debt to fat fuck smalls or 2pacs? Those dudes died before these kids were even born. Why expect them to give a flying fuck about that old shit? (not that I see it that way, but a teen, young adult usually does not have the experience or mindset to appreciate much beyond their own experience. That takes time and effort and someone to share the old stuff.

When I was in my formative rock fanatiscism (age 12-19, 1982-1992) I did not see the value in the (to me) old shit that I was supposed to praise and worship from the 60's/70's. at that age you like what you like, and you do not think that old influences matter.

I am all for that shit. kill yr idols and all. Hip Hop from the 90's has very little relevance to any young kid in the game today.

The same shit used to happen in the 90-'s when rappers did not praise the supposed masters like Rakim, Slick Rick, or RUN DMC.

It just strikes me as odd that people get worked up. Love what you love, but do not expect or demand that someone with a different life and different experience love what you deem important!

[noisereductions]

when I was a teen, I listened to plenty of bands who had died or broken up before I was born.

[Rob Instigator]

I did too (beatles, doors, etc) but that shit was like kindergarten music to me compared to Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Dinosaur, Megadeth, Misfits, Minor Threat, etc.... I grew up, and learned better, but I still get royal pissed when people fail to understand that young people are STILL LEARNING, still growing, and to berate them for not liking shit that you find important is stupid as fuck. To this day I think the Clash fucking sucks, fucking boring ass bullshit, and I remember assholes who would never ever bother to listen to Bleach or to Hairway to Steven telling me the Clash was god. fuck that shit.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I did too (beatles, doors, etc) but that shit was like kindergarten music to me compared to Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Dinosaur, Megadeth, Misfits, Minor Threat, etc.... I grew up, and learned better, but I still get royal pissed when people fail to understand that young people are STILL LEARNING, still growing, and to berate them for not liking shit that you find important is stupid as fuck. To this day I think the Clash fucking sucks, fucking boring ass bullshit, and I remember assholes who would never ever bother to listen to Bleach or to Hairway to Steven telling me the Clash was god. fuck that shit.

Clash doesn't suck. Listen to "Police and Thieves" and "Complete Control" and stuff. The Clash can not suck and Bleach and Hairwah to Steven can rule without the world crumbling.

You seem to be rather scene-minded.

When I was a teen, I wanted to be Lou Reed and Jack Kerouac and John Coltrane, and I wanted their craziness/brilliance to fit into a package that somehow resembled punk -- something I could bob my head to a bit. So Sonic Youth was like a revelation.

And I was raised to compare everything to the Beatles. Which isn't a bad way to go, really. No artist can be better at doing what the Beatles did than the Beatles were, but it's a good starting point. The Beatles provide several metrics by which a band can be judged — cultural influence, popularity, creativity and inventiveness and actual no-bullsht musical chops. There are worse rubrics I'm sure.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I thought tidal was dead?

No, we just all wish it was.

I guess the artist group consisting of dudes like Jay, Kanye, Beyoncé, Jack White and some other big muhfuhs may have sold off a substantial percentage of the business... something like 30 percent, is what I'm hearing. But I'm not sure whom they sold it to, or why.

They probably sold it to Sprint. Bahahaha.

Anyway, I actually really quite like TIDAL. They offer higher-quality streaming and at least they were artist-run, and their interface could have been worse. I think they did a really good job with the live stream of the TLOP listening party... I know you hate everything about Kanye, but that event was solid and the music sounded great even though it was a recording of a PA.

But I think they need to face facts and see what Apple Music would be willing to pay to acquire the company. Apple isn't perfect, but they'd be a sound place to deposit a majority of TIDAL in this climate. Users are growing, and if Apple Music and Tidal teamed up, they might be more competitive against Spotify.

I just fucking hate Spotify ... not even sure why anymore. I was one of their early supporters. I remember telling my friends all about this new service that let you blah, blah blah. And now they've taken over the world to the extent that the stupid little wonky wifi logo is just fucking EVERYWHERE, and they have their own Billboard charts, and so on. But aside from feeling like the lazy, open-source "Android" version of music streaming, they also don't give their artists enough money. Less than any other service, unless something's changed. And the more popular they become, the easier it will be to continue treating artists -- new up and comers and big names alike -- like shit.

I don't love Dr. Dre or Jimmy Iovine... I kinda do love Trent Reznor, but not for his business practices. Anyway, what I'm saying is that Apple seems to have a fairly meaty contingent of musicians who help oversee operation of streaming services. They got Chance the Rapper a $1 million temporary "deal" for two weeks of exclusive access to Coloring Book, and allowed him to go off and upload that Sgt to DatPiff as a free mixtape at the end of those two weeks with no strings attached. I think they're trying to strike a balance between looking out for artists and giving opportunities to new musicians, while still being focused on creating a good and user-friendly product.
Dre and Trent could do no wrong by teaming up with Jay and Ye and Bey and Jack White.

I would love to see the high-quality streaming options on Apple Music. I've been using Apple more and more over the past year compared to my now painfully outdated iPod Classic ( ), and maybe I'd use it even more if they merged with Tidal.

WHO THE FUCK USES SPRINT ANYWAY? JESUS! It's Verizon or ATT, and that sucks but that's life. Sprint is the worst. Nobody in 2017 is going to change carriers to get the new Jay Z album a week early. Not me, that's for damn sure, and I used to be a pretty big Jay Z loyalist.

Album better be dope though.

[noisereductions]

Spotify is far from perfect. But it's fairly priced and easy to use.

I looked into using Amazon Prime's similar service, which saved a few bucks a month (since we have Prime, and since my wife and I need a "family plan"). But y'know why I couldn't deal w/ Amazon? Bad UI. Seriously. It actually had some great features that Spotify didn't like integration of local files. But honestly the UI was just so bad that it made it not worth my time. Since the majority of my listening is done in my car, I want to quickly queue up an album or playlist at the start of my commute. I want playlists to be easy to manage etc. This just wasnt't the case. Searching for an artist would first search YOUR LIBRARY, and then give you an option to search the streaming library. Dumb.

That was a while ago though. I'd potentially switch to Amazon's streaming service if the UI was better. I really have no allegiance or anything. Although Sev and me pretty much always overlap interests but then have the exact opposite opinion. And fittingly, I want nothing to do with Apple.

[Rob Instigator]

I hate the Clash I own all their albums and the only one that ever gets spun is london calling and i get bored halfway through. I find the music boring and tedious. I like American punk more. never gave a shit about buzzcocks (overrated!), the Cramps (cheesy shit), or the Pistols (prefer PIL).

[Severian]

FUCK YOU GUYS.

RIP Prodigy!

Prodigy of Mobb Deep dies at 42

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Spotify is far from perfect. But it's fairly priced and easy to use.

I looked into using Amazon Prime's similar service, which saved a few bucks a month (since we have Prime, and since my wife and I need a "family plan"). But y'know why I couldn't deal w/ Amazon? Bad UI. Seriously. It actually had some great features that Spotify didn't like integration of local files. But honestly the UI was just so bad that it made it not worth my time. Since the majority of my listening is done in my car, I want to quickly queue up an album or playlist at the start of my commute. I want playlists to be easy to manage etc. This just wasnt't the case. Searching for an artist would first search YOUR LIBRARY, and then give you an option to search the streaming library. Dumb.

That was a while ago though. I'd potentially switch to Amazon's streaming service if the UI was better. I really have no allegiance or anything. Although Sev and me pretty much always overlap interests but then have the exact opposite opinion. And fittingly, I want nothing to do with Apple.

Amazon has exclusively bad UI. I said fuck it to everything except for the app on my iPhone 7. And sometimes my Kindle Paperwhite. Everything else, including the streaming music platform, which I only got into so I coups immediately download the new Thurston album when I bought it instead of having to wait for it to arrive in the mail, is shit.

Amazon is shit. Apple puts out better hardware because they excel at it, place a strong focus on it. Google makes better user platforms because, again, they excel at that one thing. Amazon is like Wal-Mart trying to open up its own bookstore. It's shit and always will be shit.

[Severian]

Spotify's UI is ok. I don't like the aesthetics of it. I don't like the experience. It feels very unofficial. Very unclean. But it's still a serviceable platform. I just quit when I decided to give Apple Music a chance, and I'm glad I did.

If I didn't have all Apple stuff, from phone to tablet to laptop, I'd probably use Spotify.

[Rob Instigator]

Spotify, news state, will soon allow music companies to pay to insert their music on your playlists, if you are a "free" customer. sux

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I hate the Clash I own all their albums and the only one that ever gets spun is london calling and i get bored halfway through. I find the music boring and tedious. I like American punk more. never gave a shit about buzzcocks (overrated!), the Cramps (cheesy shit), or the Pistols (prefer PIL).

Fuck man, the Cramps are great! I like American punk too, but British punk has plenty to offer. Wire? How is Wire's '70s output not better than everything by the Clash, The Pistols, Ramones and fucking everyone else by fucking FAR?!

[noisereductions]

well the truth is that the UI doesn't even matter to me anymore since I have a new car w/ bluetooth. So I just see my dash, and not my phone anymore.

Anyway, on-topic.... wtf? Prodigy died???? Wow. Ouch. Like, wind knocked out of me ouch.

Ugh. You guys know how much I love Mobb Deep right?

No cause yet. But when I read Prodigy's autobiography he talked a lot about clean living. He had a really strict diet and seemed to take good care of himself because of his illness.

Wow. This is sad. And just kind of shocking.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

well the truth is that the UI doesn't even matter to me anymore since I have a new car w/ bluetooth. So I just see my dash, and not my phone anymore.

Oh hey, great! Good for you, Mr. Moneybags! Why don't you tell me about all the other ways in which your life is better than mine.

I used to have Bluetooth in my car, but then I had to sell that car when I lost the job that allowed me to buy new cars. Haha. Only such job I've ever had, actually. Now I'm cruising around in a used Subaru Outback from '04, and I'm just happy the air conditioning works. Though I do need to think about replacing it soon.

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Anyway, on-topic.... wtf? Prodigy died???? Wow. Ouch. Like, wind knocked out of me ouch.

Ugh. You guys know how much I love Mobb Deep right?

No cause yet. But when I read Prodigy's autobiography he talked a lot about clean living. He had a really strict diet and seemed to take good care of himself because of his illness.

Wow. This is sad. And just kind of shocking.

Yeah, thanks for replying. I love Mobb Deep too, though not as much as you do. They made at least one of my all-time favorite R-A-P albums though, and I've been listening to them, and to Prodigy solo, for fucking forever.

I haven't had a chance to read anything about the death yet. I have something wrong with a nerve in my jaw after a bunch of dental work last week so I'm doing a lot of fuckall and waiting. I hope it wasn't drug related. Jesus Christ man.

All the dead homies...

[noisereductions]

if it makes you feel any better, the car before this one I had for 15 years. :0

[Rob Instigator]

Only thing I know abut Mobb Deep is that some girl once told Posdnous his "ass was darker than a Mobb Deep track"

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

Only thing I know abut Mobb Deep is that some girl once told Posdnous his "ass was darker than a Mobb Deep track"

Mobb Deep does tend to be pretty dark.

Not sure if you'd be into them, but The Infamous is one of those albums that everyone who has even a mild interest in rap should own. They really had their own sound, and were quite popular for a while.

[noisereductions]

The Infamous is incredible.

[noisereductions]

well for old times, here's some things I've posted here in the past about some Mobb Deep albums. Not really the classic ones you already know inside and out...

Mobb Deep
Murda Muzik
1999, Considering an album title like Murda Muzik, it’s kind of surprising to hear some outright positivity coming out of Mobb Deep on this one. Whether it’s Prodigy discussing his love for his father or the track “Spread Love” which quite literally encourages listeners to spread love. In a lot of ways this album feels a bit more personal as far as subject matter goes than previous Mobb albums. But that doesn’t mean that Mobb’s lost their edge by any means, and just as the album title should suggest there’s lots of grimm-ness to be found here. Havoc’s beats shift mostly between the atmospheric gloominess that Mobb is most well known for (“Quiet Storm”) to old school QB breakbeat throwbacks (“Allustrious”) to out-of-tune-isms akin to the classic “Shook Ones” (“The Realest”) and it all gels really nicely. The same can be said for the guest appearances from the likes of Cormega, Raekwon, Infamous Mobb, Big Noyd, Kool G Rap and Lil’ Kim. It’s not a perfect album, but very few Mobb Deep albums are. Fortunately it’s a really solid album that fans of the group should definitely have in their collections. ★★★★


Mobb Deep
Free Agents: The Murda Mixtape
2003, When Loud Records dissolved in 2002, Mobb Deep found themselves without a home for the first time in nearly a decade. To some degree, this period of influx might explain why they'd drop a glorified mixtape rather than an album proper. Indeed Free Agents' own aimlessness might be a reflection of the group at the time. And yet perhaps being shaken from the comfort of a longtime label also lit a fire under Havoc and Prodigy as well. While this double album has a bit of trouble figuring out just what the heck it is (new songs? Remixes of old ones? Freestyles? A collection of guest shots and rarities?) it also somehow makes for a compelling collection that is both a good starting point for newcomers to post-90's Mobb Deep, but also a pretty great compilation for long time fans. The first disc kicks off with a clip of Ice T being interviewed about violence in hip hop lyrics with the apt-title "This Is Not Supposed To Be Positive." It's actually a really cool way to start things up, although the momentum is slowed a bit by the unorthodox beat of "Solidified." Although this is an early misstep, it's not an indication of what's to follow. Gears are immediately switched with an update on the classic "Survival Of The Fittest." Of course it's not as good as the original, but it's nice to hear Mobb make a conscious effort to go back to their early glory days. Though "too much of the same" slow beats and shit-talking might be a complaint you could make about Free Agents, much of it is done in top form. The first disc closes out with a handful of freestyles that would have been much better if they weren't done so over previous Mobb Deep instrumentals. There's just no way you can hear Prodigy rapping over "Shook Ones Pt. II"'s beat without being let down by a freestyle instead of the original lyrics. The second disc is supposed to be a bonus disc, and basically it's a compilation of songs that Mobb Deep's members have done with other rappers - The Alchemist, Big Noyd, Infamous Mobb, Cormega and their usual group of regulars. Although it's a mish-mash of material from various artists, it actually holds together just as well as the first disc does, sounding completely cohesive. I suppose that definitive sound is something that Mobb Deep has perfected. Not to mention that much of the production comes from Alchemist who has always worked well with them. While you might be tempted to pass off this one seeing as it's promoted as a mixtape, was a one-off release on an indie label and has some misleadingly plain album art, any fan of Mobb Deep would be missing out by not owning this one. ★★★


Mobb Deep
Amerikaz Nightmare
2004, After a brief stint on the indies, Mobb Deep found a new major label home at Jive. Unfortunately the Jive of 2004 wasn't exactly sure of how to handle such a hop hop act. Remember that much of mainstream hip hop at the time was being dominated by 50 Cent and other larger-than-life personalities. It feels like instead of picking up a fully developed act like Mobb Deep and getting out of their way, the label thought it would be a good idea to encourage the group to aim for more radio play. Sure this formula was working great for Britney and the rest of Jive's roster, but Mobb was never meant for mainstream consumption. This disconnect becomes apparent simply by looking at the tracklisting, and collaborations between Lil Jon and Nate Dogg are just as odd as you think. But what's really shocking about all this is that none of it is bad music. There's definitely a lean towards making this a club album, but at the same time a group like this can only compromise so much. They are naturally dark and morbid. The titular opener kicks it off on the right note with its slow creepy guitars and steady tribal beat. Havoc is in top form as a producer here and his tracks gel perfectly with The Alchemist's. Key single "Got It Twisted" samples Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science," and turns an upbeat and silly 80's classic into something ridiculously creepy. After a strong opening third the record hits a bit of plateau of just good songs before picking up for its closing third. "Throw Your Hands (In The Air)" is another odd match-up with Kanye West producing, but somehow he's able to get a fitting performance out of the group who generally doesn't seem as comfortable over such an upbeat track. A remix of "Got It Twisted" featuring Twista is tacked on and feels unnecessary, but on the whole this is a surprisingly solid album that works even when it really shouldn't at all. ★★★★


Mobb Deep
Blood Money
2006, Amerikaz Nightmare seemed to leave Mobb Deep and Jive Records disenchanted with each other. So when 50 Cent came around offering them a new deal, it seemed like a good idea. And why not? G-Unit was still at the top of their game, and the Mobb was looking for some newfound relevance. To some degree this worked. Certainly a younger generation was introduced to the group thanks to G-Unit. But the end result sounds like the duo was far more strangled out of their own creativity than even on Amerikaz Nightmare. The best way to put it is that Blood Money sounds like a pretty average G-Unit album, but a mediocre Mobb Deep album. That's no surprise skimming through the liner notes. Ten of the album's sixteen tracks feature G-Unit members. Less than half are produced by Havoc. Even one of the bonus tracks is actually a 50 Cent song featuring Mobb Deep, rather than vice versa. It really comes off as a wasted partnership. There are a couple of standout tracks here, though. "Pearly Gates" is actually a great collaboration with 50 that focuses on religion. Though it's somewhat ruined by the fact that several of Prodigy's lines are edited out of the label's reluctance of the content-matter. It's baffling why they kept the edited lines instead of writing new ones. The lone Alchemist production "The Infamous" rides an awesome sample of Grandwizard Theodore that sounds far better than any beat on the album. And speaking of beats, while many of them are paint-by-numbers G-Unit, "Creep" is borderline annoying. Fans of either group will be curious to hear this one. And ultimately it's not a terrible album. It's just definitely not up to the greatness that Mobb Deep is capable of. ★★


Mobb Deep
The Infamous Mobb Deep
2014, For years fans have been asking for Mobb to go back to the sound of their early work, and they've apparently taken it to heart. Though The Infamous was released in 1995, it was recorded in 1994, so they've decided to release a bit of a tribute album. The Infamous Mobb Deep is both an old and new album. It's also one for true fans. The first disc is the new album proper, and it has a dearth of excellent creepy productions and grimey lyrics. Much of the best beats here come courtesy of Havoc himself, and Prodigy is back on point reminding listeners why his Return Of The Mac in 2007 sounded like a complete renaissance. "Taking You Off Here," "Say Something," "Check The Credits" and the likes are all serious classic Mobb tracks. They do expand a bit with tracks like the Biggie-sampling "All A Dream" (which is somewhat similar to the similarly titled track on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2.0) or "Legendary" which welcomes Southerners Bun B and Juicy J into the fold, or Snoop's cameo on "Get Down." But for the most part this is an album that sounds like the dark grizzly shit that Mobb fans from way back should appreciate. What they'll probably appreciate even more is the bonus disc dubbed The Infamous Sessions. Here we've got fourteen tracks taken from the original 1994 recording sessions, and they're all worth hearing. Even in instances where the original demos are not nearly as good as the finished products, this disc is a great alternate way to experience the original album. For instance the original "Survival Of The Fittest" goes a long way to show that this record was chipped away at until it was perfect. The beat is smooth, but not fitting. The verses are vastly different. As such, this is a brilliant archival release that could have stood up as two separate releases considering all the highlights for historians here. Like hearing Big Noyd's original extended verse on "Gimme The Goods," or hearing Ghostface on "Eye For An Eye," or the super long and overindulgent "The Money" with extended telephone skit. Basically if you want to hear a new awesome Mobb Deep album, look no further. And if you want to hear some awesome unearthed Mobb Deep from back in the day, look no further. ★★★★★