Search - Colossus :: West Oaktown

Music: 5 stars, Lyrics: 3 stars

B | Providence, RI | 01/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The music and production on "West Oaktown" is, as is expected from an Om release, stunning and impeccable. It's experimental in the good sense of the word, never anything less then smooth and highly listenable while still pushing the stylistic envelope of hip-hop. The fusion of jazz and hip-hop, live elements and loops, is viscerally enjoyable.



It's a shame, then, that the rapping not only fails to live up to the quality of the production but in many cases makes potentially stunning tracks unlistenable. "If You Knew My Mind" begins with the uninspired, well-worn monosyllabic rhymes: "I'm not the same, nah / Cuz people change, uh-huh / I live the game, uh / I feel the pain, uh." These guys took some of the most interesting backing tracks of the decade and that was the best they could do?



By far the worst track is "Like That" which contains one of the most regrettable metaphors in rap history. "Dropping bombs, all day / Like Timmy McVeigh" the MC cheerily boasts, seemingly unconcerned that he's glorifying--and equating himself with--America's worst domestic terrorist of all time, whom he feels comfortable calling "Timmy." On another track or from another rapper it might come off as intentionally provocative, but amid a series of standard and uninventive brags over an unthreatening beat it comes off as painfully ignorant and unconcerned. As a result the cheery jazz noodlings and rhymes that come after are impossible to enjoy.



Thankfully not every track crashes and burns. On many, the rapping is neither here nor there; it doesn't add anything but it doesn't take anthing away. There are a few tracks, though, like "Innacity," "You a Grown Man Now" and "Thrupenny Bits," on which solid and inventive rapping enhances already standout tracks.



Because the production is so much more interesting and creative on the whole than the rhyming, it's amazing to me that they sell the record with a bonus disc of rather ordinary, standard-issue hip-hop remixes. The exact opposite, an instrumental version of the originals, would have served fans much better.



There's more than enough great material to make the record worth the purchase, especially because of it's highly original sound. If only it didn't have such glaring verbal missteps it would have been truly spectacular."

Best Colossus since the "X-Men"

Daniel B. Honigman | 02/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. This is a musical experience. It's jazz + hip-hop at its finest. It's engaging, and lyrically sharp. It's definitely worth a buy, and the included remix CD is worth listening to as well.

Enjoy!"

Exhilarating

rollerfunk | US | 08/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"5 Stars...no sweat. If you like experimenting in black sounds, this is the perfect album for you. An extremely tight fussion of hip hop and jazz. Impecable production!



The previous Reviewer (Emil Adjamian "gij emo"), gave only one star to this album...bottom line is, if you dig all the BS mainstream music you hear on the radio or watch BET/MTV (Puffy and co.), then this cd is not for you. Please, don't fake da funk."