Search - Cunninlynguists :: Dirty Acres

The farthest from their original sound... still provides the

D. Wilson | NY by way of Cali | 12/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Cunninlynguists have been one of the dopest underground hip hop acts making music in the last 6 years. The core has always consisted of sometimes MC, but always producer Kno and sometimes producer, but always MC Deacon The Villian, with a wingman being tossed in for some extra flavor from their second album on (Mr. SOS on the second CD and now Natti for the last album and this release). From the start they had a unique flavor and sound, mixing excellent production with mainly humorous and light subject matter and the occasional introspective lyric here and there... and everyone involved did it well, bouncing off each other in verses and showing so much enthusiasm that it made it nearly impossible to not have a good time while listening. With their third album ("A Piece Of Strange") they showed a slightly different shift in the production (still great, just more refined) and much more of a serious tone to the lyrics which ultimately made it their most well-rounded (and maybe best) album so far. Enter Dirty Acres, the newest album from The Cunninlynguists. Honestly, after my first listen I was completely disgusted and couldn't believe what I was hearing... upon a few more spins I can appreciate it for what it is, a good album that feels more like a Goodie Mob tribute than anything The Cunninlynguists have done before (fellow reviewer Norfeest first made this observation while commenting on the sound of their last album). Ultimately this is better than the last few Goodie Mob albums and it was obvious that this is the direction they were headed for with production becoming much more laid back and including more live instruments, while Kno took a backseat in the MC department with Deacon and Natti taking the reins with heavy southern accents, more serious deliveries, and a shift towards more conventional subject matter. Still, this is a nice album, it's just the farthest from their original sound yet (although songs like Georgia and Summer's Gone with their beautiful use of samples on the chorus remind you exactly who you are listening to... the tracks that are good on here are REALLY good). Another minor fault I feel is that Deacon and Nitty sound incredibly similar while rhyming together and don't provide the nice change of pace that Kno and SOS did previously. Originally I was going to title this review, "Cunninlyguists RIP (2001-2007)"... more than a little extreme (and stupid!) and I'm glad that I gave it a few more listens before being quite so rash. I'd give the album a 3.5 star rating if I could (but it's Amazon so I can't?), listen to it back to back after their first album "Will Rap For Food" and hear for yourself the progression of a rap group (and let me know which sound you preferred)... what will they sound like by their next release? Who can tell, but they make such good music that I'll definitely be listening."

The wit and wonderful laced production continues....

A. G. You | Houston, TX | 12/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some may wonder, how Cunni would follow the art that was A Piece of Strange. Well you really can't. Its like Illmatic to It Was Written. Illmatic was amazing, It Was Written was great. You can't compare the two. Standouts:



2) Valley of Death - the production is spectacular and so is the VERY sharp wit. Doesn't have a hidden meaning, its straight to the point but the lyrics are just amazing.



5) K.K.K.Y. - paying tribute to their home state? It would seem but they're retelling child tales. Backed by once again amazing production, they continue with their wit.



7) Yellow Lines - originally I was gonna say Phonte(of Little Brother)outshined everyone here but Natti's verse is UNBELIEVE ABLE. Paying tribute to the ladies here. Witchdoctor is great here too.



These are just some standouts. I don't wanna name half the albums! It has a loose concept of retelling tales of the lands. The production is on par with A Piece of Strange. I would recommend that album before this one though."

Not the Cunninlynguists I know and love

Eric | AZ | 12/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you've never heard Cunninlynguists before and love groups like Nappy Roots or dirty south music, you'll love this album for the lyrics and feel of the songs. It's more progressive than those you've heard before, but it's still got that great southern vibe about it.



If you've heard of Cunninlynguists before and love their progressive style and original music, then you'll be a little disappointed by this album. This isn't the same style you are accustomed to from Cunninlynguists. This is a dirty south type album mixed in with Kno's talented ear for music. The subject matter is true dirty south style. It gives off that vibe throughout the entire album.



Please do not get me wrong, I still really like the album, but it seems like it's an album written by Nappy Roots, recorded in the Dungeon Family Studios and produced by Kno. I don't know if it's Natti's influence or what, but it's a break from the norm. Change is always good though and I'd rather have something new from them than anyone else.



If you love Cunninlynguists, you'll like this album. If you've never heard of Cunninlynguists before, you'll love this album.



Cunninlyngruists are still the best group mainstream has never heard of. They blow away eminem, 50, Snoop, Ludacris and all them other so-called top MC's out there.



Get Southerunderground, Will Rap for Food as well as A Piece of Strange.



Now I'm just waiting for Tonedeff's new album."