culture Archives - Page 12 of 12

#rewindreview: Lord Finesse ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ (1992)

Posted on October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 by

The second album from the ‘Funky Man’ Lord Finesse was literally a return to what he had already given on his debut album ‘Funky Technician’ with D.J. Mike Smooth. By 1992 HOP music was becoming even more popular and with that comes a change in sound and content. The weird thing about that year was with the success of West Coast “gangsta rap,” rappers outside those borders had to shift and sound more edgy to compete. On ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ Lord Finesse seems caught in this quagmire which prevents this record from having the flare his previous album had by just being in the moment and having fun. This album at times felt like Finesse was trying to overcompensate for the change of hardcore content in HOP music. ‘Return Of the Funky Man’ is still a solid release but it also leans too much on what made the previous album work with certain songs sounding like a carbon copy of tracks off ‘Funky Technician.’ Production is handled by the D.I.T.C. crew which include Showbiz, Diamond D. and Lord Finesse himself, with some outside production from D.J. Aladdin and some early production work from Shafiq Husayn on ‘Save That Ish.’ Lord Finesse is really trying to make a statement with this album of being an elite M.C. The majority of the tracks are more competitive rap content but also the “underestimated” narrative most people can relate to whether it be in relationships or career success. It might not be Lord Finesse’s best album but the record opened the door for M.C.’s like Percee P., Shel Rumble, Harry-O and the up and coming D.I.T.C. member A.G. Lord Finesse clearly learned from this album and “trimmed the fat” for ‘The Awakening’ that would be released a few years later. Would did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ & ‘Party Over Here’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

Is Drake Ushering In A New Era With The Release Of His Eighth Studio Album, Titled “For All the Dogs”?

Posted on October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 by

After months of eager anticipation from his fans, prolific Canadian artist Drake has officially dropped his eighth studio album, titled “For All the Dogs.” Previously, the acclaimed rapper had teased his social media followers with the promise of a release last month, only to face an unexpected delay, the reasons for which remained undisclosed. However, on Friday, October 6, the album finally graced streaming platforms. Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, excitedly shared the news with his dedicated fan base through an Instagram post, featuring a striking picture of himself. “FOR ALL THE DOGS IS YOURS NOW,” he captioned his post, accompanied by a spotted dog emoji. Spanning an impressive 23 tracks, Drake’s latest album boasts a runtime of one hour and 24 minutes, solidifying its position as one of his lengthiest releases to date. This year, Drake has made guest appearances on songs by fellow rappers like J Hus, Central Cee, Young Thug, and Travis Scott. In his illustrious career, Drake has achieved a total of 12 Billboard No. 1 albums. Among these, two stand out from last year: “Honestly, Nevermind,” which delved into dance music and dropped in June, and “Her Loss,” a rap-centric project featuring 21 Savage, released in November. The question remains on whether it’s time for Drake to take a break, or will he be ushering in a new era with this album? In a recent candid interview, Drake has made it clear that his health is now his top priority. During an episode of the show “Table for One” on SiriusXM’s Sound 42, Drake announced that he will be taking a break from music to address health concerns that have been troubling him. Drake opened up about the “craziest problems” he’s been experiencing with his stomach, which have prompted him to make the decision to go on hiatus for what he estimates could be “maybe a year.” In a recent statement Drake said “I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m gonna be honest,” he confessed on the show. “I got some other things I need to do for some other people that I made promises to, but I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m gonna be real with you. I need to focus on my health first and foremost and I’ll talk about that soon enough.” Drake is undoubtedly deserving of a well-earned respite. In a span of less than two decades, he has shattered numerous longstanding records on Billboard’s charts, and he shows no signs of slowing down. At present, he holds the record for the Hottest 100 hits among all artists, boasting an impressive 299 entries on the chart, which includes an astounding dozen No. 1 hits and an unprecedented 70 top 10 placements. Additionally, he has achieved the remarkable feat of charting 12 No. 1 albums, and it appears that he’s on the brink of adding yet another to his already impressive list of accomplishments. “Drake releases new album For All the Dogs: Tracklist, features and everything we know”. www.independent.co.uk/us. October 6, 2023.October 6, 2023. Drake is taking a break from music: “I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach”. www.avclub.com. October 6, 2023. October 6, 2023

Outkast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ Achieves The Title Of The Best-Selling Hip-Hop Album In History

Posted on October 4, 2023October 4, 2023 by

OutKast’s 2003 album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” has become the best-selling rap album of all time, surpassing 13x platinum with over 13 million units sold. This achievement places the classic hip-hop album, known for hits like “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move,” in the top position ahead of Eminem’s “The Eminem Show.” The album was originally a double album, with one solo disc from Big Boi and another from André 3000, marking a significant moment in their hip-hop career. Big Boi celebrated this milestone on Instagram, emphasizing Outkast’s enduring impact. The album was a massive success, with songs like “The Way You Move” and “Hey Ya!” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outkast won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, with “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” Lauryn Hill’s “Miseducation” is the only other hip-hop album to have won that award. “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” is one of only seven hip-hop albums to be certified diamond, signifying sales of 10 million units or more. Other diamond-certified albums include 2Pac’s “All Eyez On Me” and “Greatest Hits,” The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Life After Death,” and Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP.” Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” Beastie Boys’ “License to Ill,” and Eminem’s “Curtain Call: The Hits” have each sold 10 million units. Now what’s cooler than being cool? Ice Cold and best-selling of all time, obviously! “Outkast claim title of having best-selling rap album of all time“. www.11alive.com. October 3, 2023. October 4, 2023.

#REWINDREVIEW: KRS-One ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ (1993)

Posted on October 3, 2023October 4, 2023 by

This is how you know time must be moving faster these days because at the time of the release of this album, KRS-One was considered “old school.” This was thirty years ago almost to the date that ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ blessed our ears. It is the debut album for KRS-One as a solo act and although all he did was drop the “Boogie Down Productions” moniker, this album felt like we had never heard this from him. KRS was in a zone on this record and it truly felt like he was in his “second childhood.” ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ never lets up in terms of song interest and personally over the years the few songs I thought were the weakest initially, have grown to be my favorite tracks. There is a magic to what “The Teacha” has been able to do all these years and as simple as it may be to say he is one of the greatest it’s harder to pinpoint that said magic. KRS is one of the greatest orators in this hip-hop culture and he has been able to activate that trait on all of his releases, even the latter ones that might not have been received well. KRS knows that the ultimate battleground is the live stage so when songs like ‘Uh Oh’ are made it’s not just an album cut but crafted for the audience to be fully immersed in during a live show. This is why ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ is not only a classic in KRS-One’s catalog but HOP music in general. The whole album could be performed live by itself. From ‘Outta Here’ to the uncontrolled energy of ‘I Can’t Wake Up,’ to the unexpected hit still heard in movies and shows today, ‘Sound Of Da Police,’ KRS amassed a selection of tracks that provide the perfect mix of “Edutainment.” Still available to serve you on the mic with ‘Mad Crew,’ the importance of black women on ‘Brown Skin Woman,’ questioning the religion handed to slaves on ‘Higher Level’ is The Teacha in his most prestigious moment on this release. To make this album more tight nit is the production of D.J. Premier, Showbiz, Kid Capri and KRS himself. A combination of names that in 1993 had no choice but to succeed. If it isn’t obvious by now I’ll say that this is one of my favorite albums, even before I started calling KRS-One the greatest. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Outta Here,’ ‘Sound Of Da Police’ & ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: T-Love ‘Return Of The B-Girl’ EP (1998)

Posted on September 26, 2023October 3, 2023 by

The West Coast B-Girl, T-Love touched down with a quick but heavy debut in ‘Return Of The B-Girl.’ My introduction to her was on D.J. Rhettmatic’s (Beat Junkies) ‘World Famous Beat Junkies Vol.2’ mixtape. The track ‘I’m Comin’ was this sort of spooky mix of raw HOP music with a ladies voice that was mixed and cut to perfection in which D.J. Rhettmatic is a professional at. Still it wasn’t until about a year later that I would hear a couple of other songs from T-Love during the beginning of internet streaming radio in 1999. Those cuts were ‘L.A. To Brooklyn’ featuring Siah & Yeshua Da PoED and the title track of this EP featuring Kool Keith, who at that time I was becoming a huge fan of due to his left of center rhyming and content. T-Love uses this twenty minutes of HOP music to showcase a “no fear” style of rhyming with a voice that commanded respect. Rapping alongside the aforementioned M.C.’s is a task and on ‘Wanna-Beez’ featuring Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) the two’s back and forth on the track makes one realize how as listeners we took for granted the effect of collaborations in a studio verses being emailed in. The record is produced by This Kid Name Miles (yes that’s his name) who provided T-Love with some awesome beats that although are well within the lines of “truskool” HOP music, do not sound the same or get stagnant. My biggest issue with this release as that it was only an EP. This is appreciated these days as so many releases leave listeners fatigued while a record like ‘Return Of The B-Girl’ made you wait with bated breath, only adding value to the project and one’s listening experience. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘I’m Comin’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#REWINDREVIEW: Big K.R.I.T. ‘Return Of 4eva’ (2011)

Posted on September 19, 2023September 27, 2023 by

For me Big K.R.I.T. was apart of that list or upcoming rappers that wiggled their way out of the internet in the latter part of the 2000’s. At this time that scenario turned me off to many acts because it was yet another wave of oversaturation that obviously got much worse since then. It might have been the video single for ‘Dreamin’ that made me finally give K.R.I.T. a listen. This track was not what I expected from younger acts at the time and definitely not what I expected to hear from someone from the state I was born in. What I got with ‘Return Of 4eva’ was not only a treat but glimpse into what the future could behold. At this time I am recognizing the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Joey Bada$$ and finally feeling like I can support younger acts. The common denominator with those three was that around this time they were putting out undeniable material. ‘Return Of 4eva’ is a sonic BOOM and Big K.R.I.T.’s influences are all over this album but only he mixes those influences to create his own original meal. It did not take the Meridian, M.S. rapper to get to his 40’s to talk about real life situations that the common man can relate to. From the ‘Highs & Lows’ of life, the feeling of soundbombing while riding in your car in The South to releasing stress brought on by reality. Big K.R.I.T. planted his flag with this album and although it is a full record with twenty-one songs you often forget the length when heat after heat is constantly playing. One of the most amazing attributes of this album is it’s completely produced by Big K.R.I.T. and is not feature heavy. Fellow Mississippian David Banner makes an appearance while Chamillionaire takes time from tech investments and Joi lends her Atlantic vocals adding to the southern feel of this record. Big K.R.I.T.’s longtime collaborator Big Sant joins him on ‘Made Alot’ which channels U.G.K. but the D.N.A. of Goodie M.O.B. is present and welcome on the most enlightening track ‘Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism.’ One can understand the acronym this song represents and for me only stamped my approval of K.R.I.T. much like when Cee-Lo broke down the meaning of Goodie M.O.B. on ‘Fighting.’ This album deserves more praise when talking about those early 2010 releases that were more than just place holders on peoples minds and ears for about a week. Big K.R.I.T. is a case study on how knowing what came before you can birth the best of what you have coming. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Dreamin’ & ‘The Vent’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#RewindReview: Skyzoo & Pete Rock ‘Retropolitan’ (2019)

Posted on September 12, 2023October 3, 2023 by

The year of 2019 saw a number of incredible album releases in the HOP. One of those that is often underrated is the Skyzoo and Pete Rock ‘Retropolitan,’ whose music fit the album title completely. Skyzoo has been hustling his way through the backstage of this music industry with rhymes, for just about twenty years while Pete Rock… Well what is even left to be said about his legacy within HOP music. ‘Retropolitan’ works by not leaning on the tired “lyrics” narrative of “back in the day” but instead tries to put the listener in the experience of a past gon era, not only in the HOP but New York specifically. Skyzoo provides clever tales of fashion, street politics and pride of this fictional “Retropolitan” city. Pete Rock is more in his dusty sample bag, similar to Watch The Throne’s ‘Otis’ but with way more energy in the production. Features are limited to only a few tracks that include Raheem DeVaughn, Styles P. and a rare posse cut with the Griselda camp and Elzhi. ‘Retropolitan’ achieves it’s mission of respecting and continuing the essence of “East Coast rap” with no apologies. Something that is often needed as those characteristics seem to be shamed into oblivion these days. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘It’s All Good’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

Tag: culture

#rewindreview: Lord Finesse ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ (1992)

#REWINDREVIEW: KRS-One ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ (1993)

#rewindreview: T-Love ‘Return Of The B-Girl’ EP (1998)

#REWINDREVIEW: Big K.R.I.T. ‘Return Of 4eva’ (2011)

#RewindReview: Skyzoo & Pete Rock ‘Retropolitan’ (2019)

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