Search - Kut Masta Kurt :: Kut Masta Kurt Presents Dopestyle 1231

"a gothic approach to the Ultra Magnetic classic 4 horsemen"

06/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dopestyle 1231
KutMasta Kurt Presents ... Dopestyle 1231
Waxploitation Records
Dopestyle 1231= Dr. Octagon + James Lavelle + Frank Zappa
Wow! If I didn't know any better, I would say that Ced Gee was having an identity crisis. These kids have to be high. The album is different, kind of like a gothic approach to the Ultra Magnetic classic The Four Horsemen. Dopestyle 1231 is definitely in a league of their own. The beats remind me of what you might find on a Mo' Wax Heads compilation if it was remixed by DJ Shadow. Eerie head-nodding grooves that melt the lyrics into the wax as it spins. Dopestyle's rhymes are out there, but they fit the production perfectly. The cameos alone are enough reason to cop this album. Vast Aire (Cannibal Ox) lends help on the tribute to Billy Batson and other superheroes entitled "Sunz of Shazaam," while Del tha funkee homosapian rips on "Size Double D." Kool Keith also stops in urging you to relax and pull out your "Wedgie." If you're in the mood for something different, then turn to Dopestyle 1231 and see why smoking crack can be fun.
-Keegan"

Dopestyle 1231

Capital B | Pittsburgh PA | 08/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dark. Just the kind of thing a Hiphop head, who likes Radiohead, would be into. A realm of underworld goblins or something like that. My favorite part about this record, is the groove. The record keeps a consistent pace and atmosphere. MC Dopestyle's style is like a character in a film. He refuses to change his concepts of rhythms he prefers, which is notable. This is definitely an underground record for all the right reasons. Dont expect ur "once in a while" hiphop friends to flip on it, but its a tight album to listen to and hang out with for a while. OF course, Props to KutMasta for bringing more and more to the table. I will have to say my favorite tracks on the record have the sound of Kurt's production. So I can see an influence on Tom C. Kool Keith rocks as always, mad persona. If ur on the fence, check out the climax track, Red Baron's Day, video on www.Threshrecs.com . Its quite entertaining. Pick it up if u can find it. I suggest ordering it online, though i have my quarls with Amazon, i will say hit it up here. Aight, Peace.



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An example of respectable intentions gone awry.............

Guide_2_Strategy | Jupiter | 10/19/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

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do not buy this album thinking that Kurt Matlin produced it. he served as executive producer and didn't even contribute one solitary beat. Dopestyle 1231 is a mostly failed attempt to bring back the short lived 'horrorcore' genre kicking and screaming into the new millennium. Right off the bat it seems pretty obvious that dopestyle is influenced by Kool keith yet unlike many other of his students, he can't perform the abstract freeform rhyming with any notable degree of skill. when analysed closely some of his lines are borderline clever yet they are far from tight and his delivery is extremely off the mark. missing cues isn't the half of it. The guy is just off the beat in a way that suggests he has no business jumping on it in the first place. The impressive line up of guests is a point of interest, with Motion Man, Keith and Del trying their best to liven up this mostly dull offering to no avail. The beats are somewhat passable mish-mash of 'ghoulish' horror movie sounds and electro bleeping that may have sounded dope in the hands of a capable mc. 'Granulated MC' is one of the better examples of when things come together, Tom C's beat is an effective combination of muted bass lines and bizarre electronic layers but it's still the kind of thing Kurt Matlin probably would have thrown in the garbage. ultimately the lion's share of the blame falls on dopestyle shoulders as his wack flows and stupid lyrics bury this album completely. Sure i guess his style is 'unique' but this it's one of those rare cases where being distinctive produces blank ends. His voice simply lacks the personality and charisma to pull off this sort of material. Dopestyle 1231 could never be accused of being generic and deserve credit for at trying to do something different in a genre that's saturated with copycats and faceless mediocrity. it's this and _only_ this factor alone that makes this wayward experiment seem like an admirable failure of sorts. Why Kutmasta Kurt decided to give this his seal of approval is beyond me. I guess his complete absence on the production front speaks volumes: Dopestyle 1231 are most likely friends. The fact that he did not supply the beats most likely suggests that he only wanted to be involved at a distance. After living with this album for 3 months i can fully understand his position. Avoid

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