Peacecreep - Peacecreep album review
The sounds of grunge rock meet punk rock on the debut Peacecreep album. Such noise elements produce the sound of unfiltered raw punk rock music with a hardcore edge. Noise elements of punk rock are noticeable on this album by Peacecreep. Punk rock is what the band Peacecreep is all about. Corpse Reviver is a combination of punk rock/psychedelic metal. Corpse Reviver is possibly an example of grunge rock. The lyrics on Interstellar Alimony are white yet raunchy, but not too cleaver.
4/5****
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Lil Ai - Ex-boyfriend EP review
Ex-boyfriend was released on Toukuma Records, D4P Music, and Victor Entertainment in 2004 on CD. Lil Ai - Ex-boyfriend is sometimes referred to as an album by hardcore longtime Lil Ai fans although its duration time is short as an EP. Despite this EP’s short duration, Lil Ai fans still refer to the Ex-boyfriend EP as an album. In fact, Ex-boyfriend is a mini-album. Her cute attractive voice is what led fans to buy this EP. The pop elements are strong on this EP. A flavor of J-Pop is added into the mix of R&B and pop in this mini-album. Sounds of Ex-boyfriend are similar to the sounds of pop and R&B from the 90s. Ex-boyfriend is perfect for both R&B lovers and pop lovers.
Her charm in her singing makes people happy. While certainly not too hardcore, her charm lies in the music. There is a youthful presence in her voice when it comes to singing. Her voice is super cute. She is also an accomplished dancer known in the underground music scene in the country of Japan. She can be seen dancing in her own music videos. At times, Lil Ai is modest. Lil Ai is modest in taste.
[Lil Ai is a female pop singer from the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Lil Ai (リルアイ) is Ai Kawamitsu (アイ川満愛) [Kawamitsu Ai (川満愛)].]
Lil Ai gets soulful on 純粋な罪. (純粋な罪 means pure sin in Japanese.) Elements of loneliness and isolation as she feels loneliness on Pure Sin. Pure Sin was not so much a smash hit with Lil Ai fans as songs Ex-boyfriend and Without U were on this mini-album within reason. It’s hit and miss in the J-Pop market. Overall 純粋な罪 (Pure Sin) was a flop.
Lil Ai takes jabs at her ex-boyfriend on the song Ex-boyfriend. She expresses her hatred and disgust towards her ex-boyfriend relating to love long lost. She often wonders if she did the right thing by dumping her boyfriend to be with someone else. Yet Lil Ai still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend. She still secretly loves him inside her heart. Her cute attractive voice is what captures her audiences attention for this song.
Lil Ai sings about loneliness and isolation on Without U. Elements of loneliness, desperation, and isolation are prevalent on Without U hence the song title. Elements of loneliness and isolation stand out the most as she feels loneliness without her lover. She feels isolated without her lover by her side. Whenever she’s without him, she feels lonely. It hurts her emotionally. Some people may think Lil Ai sings about love long lost on Without U. However that is not the case for this Lil Ai song.
Toasty Sunday has a somewhat mellow sound with an upbeat vibe as Toasty Sunday is a mellow melody. The BPM is not too fast. Beats for Toasty Sunday follow the melody perfectly. Her vocals are perfect without error nor flaw. Her cute attractive voice captures her audiences.
3/5***
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K-Maxx - Somethin Ta Roll Wit album review
K-Maxx - Somethin Ta Roll Wit is similar to the sounds of R&B of the 1990s as this K-Maxx album was released in the 1990s era. His soulful singing with an R&B touch is what captivated his fans to buy his albums back then. Fans of R&B and soul music will truly appreciate this K-Maxx album. R&B music meets a soul vibe on this album. K-Maxx has a soulful vibe and soulful sound inside of his singing.
4/5****
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J.M. Vox - Question Authority EP review
J.M. Vox is an unknown obscure rapper from Tacoma, Washington which is near Seattle, Washington. Most rap from Washington State is very overlooked and obscure. This J.M. Vox EP is no exception to that case. Old school rap and gangsta rap meet soul music on this J.M. Vox EP. Samples of soul music are incorporated into some of the tracks on this EP. Question Authority is his most politically conscious rap to date. By dealing with racial profiling and insurance.
At the very beginning of this J.M. Vox EP, the listeners are greeted by a soulful chorus singing in a peaceful harmony which leads to the track Question Authority. A funky bass line and a groovy percussion ensemble follow next after the soulful harmonic chorus. Question Authority is percussion heavy and politically conscious. J.M. Vox gets politically conscious on Question Authority. Question Authority are examples of both intellectual rap, political rap, and conscious rap.
J.M. Vox questions authority on the track Question Authority. J.M. Vox states that youth is a huge majority of the population. Youth is the majority. He questions who are the people who allowed certain officials to be in a position of authority. The problem such as allowing certain people as elected officials to be in a position of authority has a problem since the beginning of time. The system set J.M. Vox up for defeat and failure. But nevertheless, J.M. Vox still stands strong and tall through it all. He still stands proud.
Next J.M. Vox discusses the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement. Police say J.M. Vox is up to no good because he is a black man. Law enforcement often use racial profiling against black people in America. Now this is where J.M. Vox says to question authority. J.M. Vox tells listeners in his audience to question authority. The system is set up to design people for failure. Especially black people. But nevertheless, J.M. Vox still stands strong and proud.
Just A Thought has a super dope funky phat bass line. However this J.M. Vox track has much more reduced percussion ensemble as this track is not as percussion heavy as all the tracks provided on this EP. The production sound is quite processed.
Just A Thought is about living life without insurance and not being provided with proper healthcare. J.M. Vox raps about his experience on living life without insurance and proper healthcare. He cannot afford proper insurance or healthcare. Insurance and healthcare are too expensive for him to afford right now.
It’s 11:00 PM at night. His son is not feeling all that healthy. So at this point J.M. Vox rushes his son down to the nearest hospital. J.M. Vox is a DHS client as DHS (Washington) publicly serves citizens in Washington State who cannot afford proper healthcare or insurance to cover their medical needs. (His son is registered as a client under DSHS Children's Administration in this case.) It’s 12:00 AM and J.M. Vox is still waiting for help to cure his son.
Eventually they get help. The doctor gives his son an injection. Now the doctor tells J.M. Vox his son has had an ear infection. His son had an ear infection surrounding the inner side of his ear. The medical bill for their visit is extremely high. J.M. Vox is still broke with no money. The system is set up to design people for failure.
[DHS is Washington State Department of Social and Health Services better known as WSDSAHS or DSHS. WSDSAHS publicly serves citizens in Washington State who cannot afford proper healthcare or insurance to cover their medical needs. WSDSAHS serves the public of Washington State. DSHS Children's Administration serves minors.]
Funky Ballistics has a funky bass line similar to what you would inside of a Zapp song and a groovy percussion ensemble that accompanies the tempo perfectly. Percussion has a quite processed sound. Usage of cymbals from a drum kit appears to be fairly high. Funky Ballistics is another track on this J.M. Vox EP that is percussion heavy. Twilight's On has a super dope funky phat bass line.
5/5*****!
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Stone Deep - King Fu Grip album review
Combine the influences of nu-metal & hard rock and you have the result of acid rock. "This is acid rock." Kung Fu Grip is 100% real music as Stone Deep states themselves inside the liner notes. King Fu Grip is aggressive southern rock with an added flair of loud rock. Stone Deep offers a cold hard outlook.
Take notice of the hiss inside of the production. Stone Deep took their musical style back to the good old days for this album. Which is why you hear the hiss in production when listening to this particular cassette. The songs for this album were recorded on a 24 track machine at the speed rate 15 ips. Record process for Kung Fu Grip took 2 1/2 years to record on a tight budget.
Nashville rock band Stone Deep releases yet another album that gets overlooked by the masses and public in general. Fans of rock music should buy this album if they are looking for something original as the sound is very original itself. Originality is key for a good album. If you are looking for loud rock, then this album is perfect for you. The music speaks for itself.
5/5*****!
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Stone Deep - Stone Deep EP EP review
Combine the influences of nu-metal & hard rock and you have the result of acid rock. The Stone Deep EP is aggressive southern rock with an added flair of loud rock. Stone Deep offers a cold hard outlook and perspective. Their perspective on life is rather cold.
Nashville rock band Stone Deep releases yet another album that gets overlooked by the masses and public in general. Fans of rock music should buy this album if they are looking for something original as the sound is very original itself. Originality is key for a good album. If you are looking for loud rock, then this album is perfect for you. The music speaks for itself.
4/5****
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Clay Vause - Film Nocturnal album review
Poetry meets rock music on this album. Clay Vause rehearses poetry on top of rock music. Inside of the rock music is poetry rehearsed in spoken word format. Although the album is not quite "poetry" as Clay Vause claims himself. Vocabulary used inside of his poetry is quite impressive. The music speaks for itself. The album employs many different moods. Clay Vause uses an eclectic mixture of different musical genres from R&B to rock to electronic. Not only that, Clay Vause uses an eclectic mixture of different musical styles. The music will surely leave you in a trance.
4/5****
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Barry G - I Got Em single review
Grapetree Records and Barry G unleashed a harmonic funky dope single called I Got Em back in 1995 on CD. Think of 70s hip hop meeting Christian gospel music over rough beats when you listen to the I Got Em single. Hip hop with a raw edge is one way to describe this single which has that rough, rugged, and raw sound from the streets. You can tell by listening to the production skills that Barry G had kept a keen ear to the streets when he wrote these 2 songs. Barry Hogan and Rebecca Hogan served as executive producers for this single. Grapetree Records and Black I Productions were responsible for production duties.
Think of 70s hip hop meeting Christian gospel music over rough beats when you listen to I Got Em. Hip hop with a raw edge is one way to describe this song. I Got Em has that rough, rugged, and raw sound from the streets. You can tell by listening to the production skills that Barry G had kept a keen ear to the streets when he wrote I Got Em. Production skills by Barry G have developed.
Barry G serves em on Time For Some Action as this song transitions into a rough and rugged street sermon over rough raw beats. Direct influences of hip hop are clearly present in Time For Some Action. Barry G is not afraid of his audience as he himself faces the truth.
*[Barry G is Barry Hogan.]
*[Rebecca Hogan is his wife.]
4/5****
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PKO - No Pain, No Gain album review
No Pain, No Gain was released on CD & cassette by Youngsta Records outta San Antonio, Texas back in the year of 1996. Midwest Records outta Dallas, Texas was responsible for distribution of this PKO albums and all other Youngsta Records products on CD, cassette, and vinyl. You can tell Midwest Records was responsible for distribution just by looking at their specialized "Parental Advisory" sticker label on the front cover of this PKO album.
There is a notable change in the sound of production for this PKO album. Listen closely and you will notice a huge change in the production sound. The huge changes are the bass reduction and treble reduction. The production is rather low tech sound than the usual "state of the art" high tech production normally used by DJ Snake and Nino. The bass reduction is what will get PKO fans the most. For instance, there is not as many drums and bass influences in the tracks as there was on the 1994 album by PKO called The Good, The Bad, The Mafia. The change in production is quite noticeable.
Those who contributed to the production were Magic Mark, Nino, K-Ski, K-Sam, Ty (Tyrone Samples), Phil Menchaca, DJ Snake of Nemesis, Pinhead, and DJ DMD. Their is an absence of DJ AK and Ricé as both of them do not contribute to production for this PKO album. Curl Earl was not included on this PKO album as he was incarcerated at the time. (Nor did Curl Earl contribute.) Ricé did not contribute to the production of No Pain, No Gain with his signature production sound & style of drums & bass.
DJ Snake produced a majority of this PKO album as with all their other albums included in their lengthy discography from over the years. His sound is all over this album with his production style of processed beats & drums. His beats are indeed all over this album as he was serving as the sole producer in said time period.
Not only was there a notable change in the production sound for this PKO album here, PKO had a different lineup in members for their 1996 album. Members Junior Boy (Jr. Boy), Ricé, DJ AK, and Curl Earl (Pearl Earl bka Smith Simmons) were not on this album. Kottonmouth and Killa J (now Blo-Fly) were included in the PKO lineup for this PKO album. Kottonmouth was all over this album. Killa J is included on a handful of tracks.
Date W/Death is a Kottonmouth solo cut with Tracie Russell in the background vocals. An element of spooky horrorcore rap meets gangsta rap on Date W/Death. At the beginning of Date W/Death, you can feel an eerie spooky vibe in both sound and production. Nino and DJ Snake have rather remarkable production skills. The processed beats also help give off an eerie vibe.
Kottonmouth educates all in his audience including the listeners that death is inevitable no matter the time or place. As humans we all have a date with death. Death has no preference as death waits for no one. Death is the theme for this track hence the sorrowful mourning theme. Incidentally, Kottonmouth gets educational.
No Pain, No Gain is the title for this PKO album which also serves as the posse cut. No Pain, No Gain is about the struggle (struggles of life). Kottonmouth is all over the posse cut as well. K-Ski contributes 2 verses to the track. K-Ski raps on the third verse. Nino is included on the second verse. Kottonmouth kicks off the first verse. No Pain, No Gain samples Betty Wright - No Pain, No Gain. Soul meets rap here.
K-Ski discusses how living life in a single parent household can be considered a struggle. Her mother works extremely hard at a full time job leaving K-Ski to render care to her siblings. Her family lived with a father. There was not a father figure present in their household. There was no food on the shelf. Her family was living in poverty at the time during her childhood.
Nino details his past life of being a hoodlum. Nino being a hoodlum was a pastime for him. He had no father figure in his life during childhood. Stereotypes did not effect his life or get the best of him.
Blo Blo is the first track out of 10 on this PKO album which is a posse cut. The production style is remarkably different. Listen closely and you notice the volume is rather low, there is a huge bass reduction implemented, beats are slowed down, and there is a slight reduction inside the treble. Production for Blo Blo is low tech rather than the usual high tech production. The bass reduction is what will get PKO fans the most. Beats were produced by DJ Snake. Nino controls most of the track though. Killa J is on Blo Blo.
Real Like Dat is a Killa J/Nino duo. DJ DMD produced the beats for Real Like Dat. Killa J and Nino are all over the track. Listen to the raw beats and you can feel the roughness from the streets on Real Like Dat. Real Like Dat might be too rough, rugged, and raw for some to handle.
Kottonmouth calls out all fakers, posers, wannabes, snitches, and hoes by pulling their hoe cards on Ain't Geez. Ain't Geez is a Kottonmouth/Killa J duo. Kottonmouth came real back in 1996 by not holding back his true emotions or feelings as he always does. Ain't Geez is gangsta rap at its finest. Ain't Geez is another cut by the one and only by Kottonmouth. Ain't Geez is only for true G's.
Rap meets funk on Youngsta Funk also where G-Rap and G-Funk are combined. Youngsta Funk is a PKO/Youngsta Records posse cut. K-Ski and Tracie Russell are included on this posse cut. DJ Snake and Ty (Tyrone Sample) produced Youngsta Funk. Youngsta Funk included samples from the Gridlocked version of Lady of Rage - Afro Puffs. The samples are what makes the track incredible. Youngsta Funk is a remarkable posse cut.
Where's Tha Luv? is another PKO posse cut. Kottonmouth is on the 1st and 3rd verse. G-Rap at its finest. Tracie Russell is featured on this cut. Can U Relate is a rough and raw solo cut by Kottonmouth. Yes it's another Kottonmouth solo cut. The heavy bass lines sample Brotha Lynch Hung - 24 Deep.
No Pain, No Gain is a long forgotten classic album from the San Antonio Rap scene that has gotten overlooked over the years. Many rap fans slept on this classic album by PKO. Classic cuts included on this album were Where's Tha Luv?, No Pain, No Gain, Ain't Geez, and Youngsta Funk. Half of this PKO album is filled with posse cuts and solo cuts. Half posse cuts and half solo cuts. Posse cuts and solo cuts are what make rap albums great and incredible.
If Magic Mark had not got indicted for murder and Curl Ear not been incarcerated, then Youngsta Records could have pushed this album further with more promotion. More promotion is what this album needed. Promotional effort for this album was not all that great. The absence of DJ AK, Ricé, and Curl Earl is what set this album back.
1996 was not a good year for gangsta rap or PKO as rap music was facing a shift in change in part to cultural influences by shifting from gangsta rap to pop rap. Rap music was facing a shift in cultural changes and musical style at the time. No Pain, No Gain is Texas Rap at its finest. Not to mention gangsta rap.
*[1996 was the same year 2Pac was murdered at a nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada. His death resulted the change of rap music. Gangsta rap died with 2Pac.]
*[Pinhead is C-Lo from Fort Worth, Texas. Killa J is Blo-Fly from Dallas, Texas. Blo-Fly went by the name Killa J on this PKO album.]
*[No Pain, No Gain was the last release on Youngsta Records minus the PKO Greatest Hits albums.]
*[This album would be marked as the last album DJ Snake would produce for Youngsta Records.]
5/5*****!
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52nd Street - Children of the Night (US Bonus Track Edition from 2013) album review
This 52nd Street album that was released in 2013 on CBS/RCA had a bonus track. The bonus track was similar to the bonus track found on the Japanese edition. Both the US and Japan have similarities. Tell Me How It Feels (Extended Mix) is the bonus track off this album. Extended mixes of Tell Me How It Feels and I Can't Let You Go featured in this album. 52nd Street is an example of Brit Pop.
4/5****
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Daddy D - Game Vs Game album review
Game Vs Game is a rap album filled with OKC funk sprinkled with East Coast flavor. Which is why you hear that East Coast rap sound on this album. Daddy D represents the best of in Oklahoma rap. The album truly has a fulfilling and burgeoning potential on top of a talented showcase of rap from OKC and Oklahoma State of the time. Queen Latifah of Flavor Unit lend a helping hand in production. She was a big name producer who contributed to this album.
Game Vs Game was a promo only album that was released on cassette by Elektra and EW in 1995. Now Game Vs Game would eventually turn into the Game Recognize Game album by Daddy D you see today.
Elektra should have done better in terms of promoting this album with their promotion and marketing department. But since the Elektra label was invoked, it's not surprising because Elektra is known for their lackluster promotion techniques and unprofessional marketing schemes. Their marketing tactics are known to be terrible. Not to mention questionable.
4/5****
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Lil Brian & The Zydeco Travelers - Z-Funk album review
Z-Funk is Creole zydeco with an irresistible twist. Zydeco with an H-Town sound. The vocals are harmonic and rich in sultry nature. Also the ballads are sultry. The Z-Funk album has an organic feel. Harmonic and organic are two words that best describe this album. Z-Funk is truly organic. Tang The Hump is an original song written by Lil Brian. We Will Never Know has funky innovative lyrics with an old school sound. The Hammond B3 organ helps give off a funky vibe. Bad Time Woman has an organic sound.
5/5*****!!
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Lil Brian & The Zydeco Travelers - Funky Nation album review
Funky Nation is the most innovative Zydeco music album from the year 2000. This album marks the first album to be released on Buckwheat Zydeco's own Tomorrow Recordings label. The album itself is truly incredible. Fans of Zydeco music will appreciate this album for years to come.
The title track pays homage and tribute to Zydeco music with a combination of Z-Funk. Some H-Town sound has been incorporated into the title track where we can hear Lil Brian plays a mean accordion. Lil Brian represents Barrett Station, Texas to the fullest on this song. Homage has been paid to funk. Funk is truly compelling.
Zydeco music meets dancehall here and on the song Get Up On That Zydeco. It's a dance song. Funk meets dance right here.
Lil Brian brings out the inner demons that haunt everyday on Question. He gets into deep dark thought in Question. People spend all lives searching for a ray of hope for a peace of mind. The song gets very real on the middle near the chorus verse. Lil Brian gets intuitive by getting into deep thought. There is a question deep inside your heart that puts your mind in thought.
Take the first verse for instance.:
You've been searching all your life to find
A ray of hope
Some kind of peace of mind
Something that would truly make you feel
Like your life is really, really real
Along with the chorus.:
There's a question
Deep inside your heart
There's a question
5/5*****!
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