3.0 out of 5
Hall of Justus Records
Hall of Justus Records
With respects to 2003 (Jay-Z's triumphant blowout, 50 Cent's rise, Eminem winning an Oscar) and 2005 (Late Registration saturating and changing rap forever, Dipset in full, Common's Be) my favorite year for hip-hop during the 21st Century's opening decade remains 2007.
Rolling Stone and Spin documented Graduation and the suddenly deleted-from-collective-memory American Gangster (Jay-Z didn't address this gem during his set in Austin last fall), and rightfully because both records are amazing, but '07 beget handfuls of great releases from veterans like Pharoahe Monch, MF Grimm, Redman, Consequence, Brother Ali, Ghostface, and Freeway in addition to exciting coming of age drops from Lupe Fiasco and Black Milk. Lil Wayne spazzed out on Drought 3 (his second best mixtape after Dedication 2). I really liked the big summer singles: 50 Cent's "I Get Money." Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls." Rihanna's "Umbrella." R. Kelly's "I'm A Flirt." T-Pain's pinnacle hit, "Buy U a Drank." The UGK meets OutKast by-way-of 36 Mafia song, "International Player's Anthem" is a sublime natural high.
Little Brother's completely-ignored-because-it-was-supposed-to-suck-and-the-label-dropped-them-after-their-beatmaker-abruptly-quit album, Getback, is the forgotten masterpiece. Everything I love about hip-hop: wisdom, wordplay, humor, rapping with an axe to grind, about important shit but from a Dave Chappelle perspective of zingers through deft observation and pointed skits. Its production, equally cohesive, surpassed all the garage soul 9th Wonder programmed on earlier releases.
Getback is the best rap album of 2007. Problem is, few outside the Okayplayer message boards noticed and LB's Big Pooh and Phonte burned out and gave up on the banner.
Leftback, their final slated contribution to hip-hop, is more And Justus For All (LB's subsequent batch of b-sides, guest appearances and rarities) than a proper sequel to Getback and that's to be expected. Less enthusiasm. The "they can't do it without 9th" chip on their shoulder far removed. Maturity.
Phonte is now 31 and it's clear that bothers him with respects to penning verses. His enthusiasm for rapping has always been tethered to an appreciation for youth, optimism; a pulse on history's current rebellious and rising generation. With wear and tear and time and an already stellar audio collection of his best thoughts, the hunger is almost gone. On Leftback, Phonte raps about not rapping for varying reasons: KRS-One is a caricature of his '80s self and he fears following lead, singing is opening more career doors, hip-hop doesn't need him and is in good hands with dudes like J. Cole and Drake, he's a father.
Big Pooh is still game, dishing complimentary rhymes and digestible parts, but it's hard to shine when your partner isn't into it.
So Leftback is a sorrow-filled bummer with mediocre beats and too many guest verses, but one us LB lifers will defend in conversation. "Table For Two" is another working class moment of hilarious familiarity with bookending jokes about paying the dinner tab with multiple credit cards. "Tigallo for Dolo" is a quick-witted manifesto. Bilal and Darien Brockington add soul to a lifeless beat on "Second Chances." "So Cold" is nice. The two remixes of Getback classics are good, if pointless and upsetting, remixes.
The good news is in five years history will catch up to the discography and they'll be hailed as heroes on reunion shows across sold out Rock the Bells dates.
- Ramon Ramirez
Rolling Stone and Spin documented Graduation and the suddenly deleted-from-collective-memory American Gangster (Jay-Z didn't address this gem during his set in Austin last fall), and rightfully because both records are amazing, but '07 beget handfuls of great releases from veterans like Pharoahe Monch, MF Grimm, Redman, Consequence, Brother Ali, Ghostface, and Freeway in addition to exciting coming of age drops from Lupe Fiasco and Black Milk. Lil Wayne spazzed out on Drought 3 (his second best mixtape after Dedication 2). I really liked the big summer singles: 50 Cent's "I Get Money." Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls." Rihanna's "Umbrella." R. Kelly's "I'm A Flirt." T-Pain's pinnacle hit, "Buy U a Drank." The UGK meets OutKast by-way-of 36 Mafia song, "International Player's Anthem" is a sublime natural high.
Little Brother's completely-ignored-because-it-was-supposed-to-suck-and-the-label-dropped-them-after-their-beatmaker-abruptly-quit album, Getback, is the forgotten masterpiece. Everything I love about hip-hop: wisdom, wordplay, humor, rapping with an axe to grind, about important shit but from a Dave Chappelle perspective of zingers through deft observation and pointed skits. Its production, equally cohesive, surpassed all the garage soul 9th Wonder programmed on earlier releases.
Getback is the best rap album of 2007. Problem is, few outside the Okayplayer message boards noticed and LB's Big Pooh and Phonte burned out and gave up on the banner.
Leftback, their final slated contribution to hip-hop, is more And Justus For All (LB's subsequent batch of b-sides, guest appearances and rarities) than a proper sequel to Getback and that's to be expected. Less enthusiasm. The "they can't do it without 9th" chip on their shoulder far removed. Maturity.
Phonte is now 31 and it's clear that bothers him with respects to penning verses. His enthusiasm for rapping has always been tethered to an appreciation for youth, optimism; a pulse on history's current rebellious and rising generation. With wear and tear and time and an already stellar audio collection of his best thoughts, the hunger is almost gone. On Leftback, Phonte raps about not rapping for varying reasons: KRS-One is a caricature of his '80s self and he fears following lead, singing is opening more career doors, hip-hop doesn't need him and is in good hands with dudes like J. Cole and Drake, he's a father.
Big Pooh is still game, dishing complimentary rhymes and digestible parts, but it's hard to shine when your partner isn't into it.
So Leftback is a sorrow-filled bummer with mediocre beats and too many guest verses, but one us LB lifers will defend in conversation. "Table For Two" is another working class moment of hilarious familiarity with bookending jokes about paying the dinner tab with multiple credit cards. "Tigallo for Dolo" is a quick-witted manifesto. Bilal and Darien Brockington add soul to a lifeless beat on "Second Chances." "So Cold" is nice. The two remixes of Getback classics are good, if pointless and upsetting, remixes.
The good news is in five years history will catch up to the discography and they'll be hailed as heroes on reunion shows across sold out Rock the Bells dates.
- Ramon Ramirez
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