The Only Rap Ablum to Buy This Summer!!!
Fatboy_Rule | 07/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Tech N9ne delivers yet again. This album, compared to Tech's other two "Collabo" albums, is the cream of the crop. I've been listening to Tech since Absolute Power, and my absolute favorite day to head off to the CD store is any day that a new album is released from Strange Music! This album got leaked almost a month ago online, I've been listening to it every day since then and still went and bought a copy on the release date.
Track-by-Track
1. Ms. Walker/Brooklyn Martino (n/a) - This is an intro, not as good as some of his others in the past, for example, the main intro to Killer was amazing.
2. O.G. (5/5) - This is the perfect lead-off song to this album. The beat is awesome, the hook is awesome, and his lyrics, as usual are simply amazing. If you've never heard a Tech N9ne song before, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.
3. F U Pay Me (4.5/5) - This song is great, the concept is fun and innovative. Instead where most rappers are spitting about how much money the have/make, Tech, Krizz, and Makzilla are rapping about the money they deserve based on quality. Krizz offers a great hook on top of his already great verse. The only reason this track is not a 5/5 is that Makzilla (as stated in the song) sounds like he's rapping over the phone...
4. Gamer (5/5) - This is another song that grabs your attention due to its innovation. This is a catchy concept, weaving a rapper's nightlife shenanigans into the concept of a video game. Any song with Tech and Kutt rapping and Krizz Kaliko delivering a solid hook is definitely a 5/5.
5. Jumpin' Jax (4.5/5) - Another solid song, great lyrics and great guest appearances. My only dislike about this song is the hook gets annoying after a few listens.
6. Keep it One Hunit (4.5/5) - This track is an absolute banger, once again delivering with awesome lyrics and beat. But yet again, the hook gets a little old after a few listens. The best part about this song is two verses by Tech!! If the album stopped here, we would have one amazing EP.
7. Pow Pow (3/5) - This is one of very few tracks on this album that are kind of disappointing. I liked it at first because the beat is tight and the hook is very catchy, however, we only get 8 bars from Tech, and I was excited when they introduce Kutt Calhoun in the second verse, however his entire verse it digital garbage. This is all followed by mediocre verses from artists I've never heard of...
8. Harvey Dent (4/5) - This is one of the three solo joints from Tech on the entire album. This is a great song about fans wanting old Tech N9ne, but Tech wanting to do new and inventive things with his music. I'm glad he doesn't listen to those fans or else tracks 3 and 4 probably wouldn't exist. If you compare this to "Blown Away" off of Sickology 101 or "Girl Crazy" from Misery Loves Company as a solo Tech song in the middle of the album, then you might be let down a bit because this song does not hold a candle to either of those...
9. Tony G (n/a) - Just an interlude, nothing exciting.
10. What's Next (4/5) - This plus the next two songs take the tempo of the album down a few notches. This is a great spot on the the album for a song like this after those first 8 tracks. Definitely something to chill to. Craig Smith delivers a great verse and once again proves himself as a amazing guest star on any Strange Music track.
11. After Party (5/5) - Another down-tempo track, but this once is accompanied by an entertaining hook, and three amazing verses. If you've never heard a track by Devin the Dude, you'll definitely want to check him out after this one. Tech and Kutt spit their normal off the wall lyrics forcing you to listen to the song many times over to pick up every single syllable of word-play.
12. Too Many Girls (3.5/5) - This is a perfect example of how a track with a great first verse by Krizz, a great hook, and a great second verse by Tech, can all come crashing down due to a horrible guest appearance for verse number three. After the second verse, skip to the next track..
13. Pu Wah Wah (4.5/5) - If you didn't catch it on Sickology 101, this song will seem very misleading. On Sickology 101, Tech, Krizz, Kutt, and Makzilla (a.k.a. the 816 Boyz) did a "joke" song at the end of the album. This is a great follow up song to that reminding fans that these guys know how to have fun in the studio.
14. Sean Tyler (n/a) - Another interlude, nothing to say here.
15. KC Tea (5/5) - This is the third solo joint on the album by Tech and along with O.G. is an amazing stand-out track on the album. Similar to "Caribou Lou" from Everready: The Religion, except the track is way more up-beat. You'll be listening to this one over and over... trust me.
16. JT Quick (n/a) - Another interlude, nothing to say here either.
17. Oh You Didn't Know (3.5/5) - This track was kind of annoying at first, and reminded me of something Master P tried to do awhile back with having female choruses on all of his tracks. The only exception being that this song grew on me after a few listens. And you can't deny Irv Da Phenom's rapping ability.
18. Far Out (4.5/5) - This is my favorite part of the album. Where Sickology was wrapping up with a few tracks toward the end that were mostly skip-able until you got to "Red Nose", these next three tracks pick up where the first eight tracks left off. "Far Out" is a track to turn up as loud as your stereo will handle and when it's finished, play it again.
19. Paper (4/5) - Not as good as "Far Out", or the next track, but sounds great placed in between the two. The hook stays with you.
20. Loud (5/5) - Turn this one up louder than "Far Out"... and if you're a fan of some fast rapping, this is the song for you.
21. Need More Angels (3/5) - I can respect this track for what it is, but it doesn't match the party-tempo of the rest of the album. It's good the first few times, but you'll probably be skipping it after that.
22. Doin' It (1/5) - This is a bonus track, I'll still rate it, but it won't be counted in the "iPod" rating below. The beat is great, the verses aren't bad. I can appreciate Yukmouth too. But my god, the hook is so terrible you can't even listen to it unless you want to have your friends agree with you on how bad it is...
This album gets an iPod rating of 88% - with 17 tracks on the album (excluding the intro, interludes, and the bonus track), 15 made it to my iPod playlist.
If you buy any album this summer - it should be this one. Tech, yet again, delivers music that any rap fan would consider of a higher quality than any mainstream artist out there today... and I would say it's even better than that."
Tech 9ician!
O' CITY MAYOR | 07/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i didn't get into Tech until just right before "Killer", but this album is one example of how unfair the music industry is. This guy has one of the most amazing flows in the business. He knows how to make a song, and makes all of the other MCs around him better. This is a good album. And oh yeah, don't burn it- BUY IT!"
Still Going Strong
Shane Allen Windham | Dallas, TX | 07/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Everything you love about Strange Music is here. So it should come as no surprise that the album goes hard. If you've heard the other Collabos albums, then you know what to expect. Should be a nice reprieve for those of you who thought K.O.D. was too dark. This is a feel good, party disc; more in the vein of Everready.
Let's face it, you're reading this review just in case the universe turned inward on itself and Mr. Yates suddenly started making sub-par hip hop; believe me, that still isn't the case. So go ahead and pick up the album. Yet another in a growing line of truly excellent CD's from Tech N9ne!"
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1