Search - DJ Maj :: Full Plates: Mixtape 2

BETTER THAN I THOUGHT

Mario D. Johnson Sr. | MILWAUKEE, WI United States | 05/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS CD IS PRETTY GOOD-I BOUGHT THIS CD AS A RECOMENDATION FOR THOSE YOU ARE NEW TO CHRISTIAN RAP-I KNOW NONE OF THE CHRISTIAN RAPPERS/ARTIST-SO LISTENING TO THIS CD WAS A EXCELLENT START FOR ME-I ALWAYS THOUGHT CHRISTIAN RAP WOULD BE CORNY AND NOT STREET ENOUGH--NOT!!--I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE MIXES AND THE BEATS-I STILL LOVE HIP HOP EVEN THOUGH I AM TRYING TO LIVE A MORE CHRISTIAN LIFE-THIS MUSIC KEEPS ME INSPIRED AND MORE FOCUSED ON MY CHRISTIAN WALK"

Aptly-named, Full Plates brings the goods

g-natural | Chicago, IL United States | 05/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DJ Maj has followed up 2000's last year's Wax Museum joint with another similarly-formatted compilation, but this time the material is all around better... the raps are more substantial... more real content, less filler... still very entertaining to listen to. Nice well rounded feel, from the acoustic chill of Ill Harmonics to the BANGIN' rough edge of New Breed's "What's My Name" practically every song is a winner. My favorite joint right now is, surprisingly, the RockSoul remix of Out of Eden's "Spirit Moves." The track is sparse, but it works surprisingly well with Lisa, Andrea and Danielle's vocal blend. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would do it that way, because my only (minor) complaints are that some of the song transitions are a little rougher and less continuous compared to last time around. And also Grits, one of my favorite groups... they came off with "They Shouldna Done It" -- which is kinda how I feel about the song. I just don't like it. The chorus seems flat to me and the 'ehhhh-yooooooo' drone in the backround is kind of annoying.Like I said, though, those are mild annoyances that barely detract from a stellar hip-hop compilation.If you've started to find yourself getting tired of all the same hip-hop cliches and empty posturing... pick up Full Plates. By the end, you'll need to loosen your belt and take a nap."

A FOUR-STAR JOURNEY THROUGH 'INSPIRATIONAL' HIP-HOP

Knyte | New York, NY | 01/25/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first listened to the 'Lovin The Day' album by Out Of Eden in the spring of 1996, I had no idea that I was listening to the release that would kick off Gotee Records. I feel Gotee and its artists are going to revolutionize the way people like me have come to view "inspirational" music: simply straight-up gospel, hardcore hip-hop, soft rock/pop music or hard metal (me = not really interested). See, in my experience, I've been hard pressed to find Christian music that had a refined Urban/R&B sound to it such as TLC, New Edition, or anything put out by Bad Boy records, until I came across Out Of Eden and the oh-so-wonderful Gotee Records.So you know I HAD to pick up this hip-hop mixtape by DJ Maj, and I am happy to report that I'm very pleased with what I've heard. The flavor of 'Fullplates Mixtape 002' can be best described as somewhere in between the style DJ Clue and the complexity of DJ Tony Touch. There is only one R&B song on this album, which is a souped-up remix of OOE's "When The Spirit Moves" (track 6) from 1999's 'No Turning Back'. Although the whole album is slammin (especially if you just want a cross-section of the Gotee flava) there are always standout cuts, and I'll discuss them here in order of my faves:"Remain Silent" (track 11) by KJ52 is my favorite song on the album, and lyrically one of the most witty (and on point) songs I've ever heard. As crazy as this is going to sound, "Remain Silent" sounds like something Eminem would come up with had he chosen a different path. Put it this way: I never thought I'd hear a lyric like, "you're just wack, you're just verbally-challenged" on a Christian mix-tape. Next up is "Reception" (track 2) by Pigeon John. Pound for pound, beat for beat, and lyric for lyric, this song will have you nodding your head, or shuffling to the beat like anything by the Fugees, or other performers of melodic hip-hop. My third fave is the OOE cut. Fourth would have to be "7 Factors" (track 3) by DJ Form - kind of reminds me of something from LL Cool J's 'Mr. Smith' album, circa 1995. "Party Right" (track 15) by Cory Red is a festive highlight of the album that addresses how to "dance right" without getting all hot and heavy on the dance floor. I can't forget "They Don't Know" (track 18) by the Fugitives which can best be described as something you'd expect from No Limit or other southern-bounce acts -- undoubtedly hard, yet spitting conscious lyrics to uplift the soul. "Gung Ho" (track 10) has a Roc-A-Fella/Beanie Sigel club vibe to it (and is growing on me) and so is "What's My Name" by New Breed which can be described as something like a Junior M.A.F.I.A./Flipmode Squad collabo.I had no idea L.A. Sympony was a Christian collective when I saw them perform live in NYC over Memorial Day weekend (2001), and it was nice to hear that they were included on this album. Be warned: I'm by no means a hip-hop expert (yet). My expertise is mostly rooted in R&B (which is a separate, and often over looked category by the undergound). What I can tell you (with a ridiculous amount of confidence, by the way) is that I know great material when I hear it, and this album definitely has it. Thanks for reading!C.H.R."