love for latyrx
sort of continuing on the 'what happened to hip hop' theme, but not completely, because i have to take a moment and pay tribute to the incredible The Album by Latyrx (Lateef and Lyrics Born), released in 1997. it's a bit scary that it's coming up on the 10 year anniversary of this album and the two guys haven't done anything else together. why, lord, why? my longwinded tirade below doesn't really come close to explaining it. i think i need to get these people on the phone and grill their asses.
anyhow, The Album is one of those hip hop masterpieces that keeps you enthralled from start to finish, with perfect song-to-song flow and just the right number of random interludes that add touches of humor and insight. rediscovering an ablum these days that you don't feel the need to frenetically skip over songs with on your iPod is rare and kind of amazing.
as to the songs themselves, they are gems that aren't immediately apparent -- the best kind. the hooks and beats and words seep into you and you just need to be listening to them all day long. love that! it's been a while...
i recall having heard once that marvin gaye and tammi terrell had the best matching voices of any musical duo ever. lateef and lyrics born are true contenders, not only in timbre, but also in rhythm and lyrics. they're musical poets that each innovates in his own way but together succeed in weaving an intelligent, ass shaking album that for my money, in the genre, hasn't been matched since. a must have hip hop classic.
anyhow, The Album is one of those hip hop masterpieces that keeps you enthralled from start to finish, with perfect song-to-song flow and just the right number of random interludes that add touches of humor and insight. rediscovering an ablum these days that you don't feel the need to frenetically skip over songs with on your iPod is rare and kind of amazing.
as to the songs themselves, they are gems that aren't immediately apparent -- the best kind. the hooks and beats and words seep into you and you just need to be listening to them all day long. love that! it's been a while...
i recall having heard once that marvin gaye and tammi terrell had the best matching voices of any musical duo ever. lateef and lyrics born are true contenders, not only in timbre, but also in rhythm and lyrics. they're musical poets that each innovates in his own way but together succeed in weaving an intelligent, ass shaking album that for my money, in the genre, hasn't been matched since. a must have hip hop classic.
posted by alex at 11:28 PM
6 Comments:
do you remember when we met lateef and i told him that he had to put another latyrx album out? he said he would.. but that was like 5 years ago :(
-may
hey alex -- far as I know, hip hop started because people wanted to party in the park, not because of any political agenda. And I think people over-emphasize how political the golden age of hip hop actually was, and under-appreciate how political popular mainstream hip hop can be. you know why I really think bands like the roots and, i don't know, dead prez aren't more popular? Their beats just aren't as good as 50 Cent's are.
damn! way to sit me down.
worthy point about hip hop starting in the park (though neither of us was actually there to know for sure), but i think the truth is that the golden age of hip hop was political without realizing it was. the difference i see in more recent "conscious" hip hop is just that -- that it's conscious. maybe 50 Cent is better because he isn't conscious...of his political-ness, whatever. but is he really the best, most political/innovative hip hop artist out there right now? if so, that’s kinda sad. there's potential for better.
DM -
You think that 50 cents beats are better than The Roots? That's a huge insult. In fact, the real reason that 50 cents is more popular than The Roots is because mainstream appreciates crap. Over the years mainstream standards have been reduced to such junk, in all genres that is, that good modern music is becoming a rarity. Produced beats, aggressive lyrics, and a "show" is what mainstream America buys into. 50 cents delivers those factors and becomes a hit.
In regards to the Roots; the fact that they aren't necessarily regarded as mainstream today (though they attempted to become mainstream with that Erykah Badhu song)is a good thing for them - for it means they are not being supported by those who typically like crappy music.
The Roots over 50 cents anyday.
more about the history of hip hop:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music#History
here, here, Ef.. i totally agree with you. as soon as i read "the roots' beats aren't as good as 50 cents'" i nearly fell over laughing.
-may
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