Search - Young M.C. :: Stone Cold Rhymin'

"Bust it!"

H3@+h | VT | 06/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike the "gangsta rap" which was gaining popularity at the time, this is one of those albums that you can file under "fun", and I'm glad for that. Much like Tone Loc's "Loc-Ed After Dark", this is still a great album even after the big hit is played. Obviously that hit here is "Bust A Move", and it's one of the excellent early rap hits. I still think of Flea slappin' his bass on the hood of that truck whenever I hear it. Young Mc even refers to himself as a one-hit-wonder, but it's impossible not to also love "Principal's Office", "Non Stop", "Know How", and many others. Other sweet tracks are the quick "Fastest Rhyme", and the laid-back "Got More Rhymes". If anyone asks you if this album is wack, "Just Say No"."

Awesome Old School Trailblazer

Kavity Killer | denver, colorado United States | 06/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Its a befuddling mix of shameless cheeziness, cool old-school production, and solid flow. What makes it so cool is that Young is eccentric for being such a mainstream pop rapper. Take for example is boast that "when I'm not on tour I'm at home watching cable". WHAT?!?!?? Are we supposed to be impressed by that!!?? He states this with such surety and bravado that you almost believe that its a notable accomplishment. Or how about this one: "If other rappers were hawaiian I would be Don Ho". There are too many clunky awkward boasts to count, but this is a great deal of the album's charm. Young isn't really ghetto, but he has skills and verbal cleverness in spades. Rolling every "R" is also a strange mannerism. With subject matter ranging from how many rhymes he has to the superiority of said rhymes, this one is a keeper."

Comic Relief Through Rap....But We Need More

Irishgirl | Idaho | 02/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Feeling down? Depressed? Had a bad day? An instant solution: "Stone Cold Rhymin'" by Young MC. Yes, this is old school rap. The album was released in 1989. It is a far cry from the Gangsta Rap that is ever so popular today and for some, this album probably comes off as rather square and cheesy. But please feel free to applaud a rapper who refused to conform during a time when the rough and tough streetwise pimpin' Gangsta Rap was starting to take form. Yes, Young MC stuck to being himself and in the process gave us some rather comic rapping entertainment. Instead of rapping about drugs, prostitutes, shooting and pimping for cash, Young MC gives us humorous rapping stories of getting in trouble at school, trying to land a girlfriend at a party or wedding and flipping the best rhymes of anyone else. It's fun, it's enjoyable and funny. The songs are very upbeat and the beats are old-school catchy.



"I Come Off" - Check out the funky bass in this opening number. It makes the song completely. Young MC raps about what he does best when he gets on the mic. He comes off. Quite catchy.



"Principal's Office" - It's off to the principal's office he goes. The beat is kind of a slower quirky shuffle with some catchy piano chords thrown into the mix and Mr. Young proceeds to rap a humorous story about being unable to stay out of trouble at school. Being late for school, being caught passing notes, breaking a tooth at lunch, and what about that report card? Ugh! What can you do?



"Bust A Move" - Young MC's signature song. This is my favorite from this album and the song that let me know who Young MC was. Ever watched the movie, "Uncle Buck?" You can find this song playing in a party scene in the film. This song is so catchy and funky and it's an old-school rap classic. The highlight of this song is the melodic and edgy chords of an electric guitar that play along with the bopping beat amongst the relentless Young MC rhyming. This awesome song is basically about the guy scouting the different places for the right lady, whether it's at a luncheon where you "split your pants" from too much food, or at your best friend's brother's wedding. Another somewhat humorous song that will always be timeless.



"Non Stop" - Kind of a smooth mysterious groove. Slower and laid back with a catchy drum shuffle. A song about Young MC doing best work on the mic.



"Fastest Rhyme" - A fast, short and sweet little number from Mr. Young. No music; just Young MC rapping as fast as he can about what his game is.



"My Name Is Young" - Nothing special here. The beat is fairly catchy and we get to hear lots of piano chords. It's another song about how he dominates everything when it comes to rap. Ah Yeah!



"Know How" - This song is way cool. Check out the tight melodic bass! And the guitar work is a lot of fun; sounds like something out of a 70's funk song. Yet another song about Mr. Young being the most commanding rapper.



"Roll With The Punches" - When things don't work out in life whether it's work, your social life, etc., you must roll with the punches no matter what. You'll be better off in the long run instead of throwing in the towel. This is Young MC's advice in this song. Kind of inspiring. Nothing else special about this piece accept the beats. Slower, but catchy.



"I Let `Em Know" - Okay, so amongst the funky beat and guitar chords, Young MC brags of being a "superhero" with the mic, winning battles, and making parties better. How many more of these kinds of songs will we get?



"Pick Up The Pace" - A very upbeat song with smooth groovy keyboards and piano. The beat is foot-stomping fun and fairly quick. And it's yet another song about Mr. Young being a great rapper who picks up the pace and that others should do the same.



"Got More Rhymes" - Slow flowing with ultra kicked-back drum beats and guitar chords. All about Young MC having more rhymes than anyone.



"Stone Cold Buggin'" - A short shuffling head-bopping number. Young MC returns to his storytelling about his trouble with a relationship, his highs and lows.



"Just Say No" - Basically an advising rap song about peer pressure and not giving in to what you don't want to do or are unsure of. Growing up in the 80's, there were new worries at hand coming up all the time. One of them was the increase in drug use. Remember Mrs. Reagen's "Just Say No" campaign? Well Young MC basically reinforces these words in a song where he raps about the pressures kids have about wanted to be cool and well liked by their peers. In today's society, this song may very well fall on more deaf ears than back in 1989 when "Stone Cold Rhymin'" came out. It's good that Young MC cares enough to rap about such an important subject. The whole song is highlighted by urgent keyboard melodies and bass amongst a catchy beat.



"Stone Cold Rhymin'" is not a bad album, but incredibly dated. And while I enjoy this album, its limitations kind of get on my nerves personally. I mean, the beats are pretty cool and the melodies are nice but the lyrical content of the songs leave something to be desired. I mean about 70% of this album is about Young MC rapping about how and why he's the best rapper and what he does to dominate the game. It gets old after a while. I wish that he had made more comical, story-filled songs such as "Principal's Office" and "Bust A Move." Those kinds of songs were truly the highlights of "Stone Cold Rhymin'." The good advice songs such as "Roll With The Punches" and "Just Say No" are also good for this album, as they're fun and inspirational. The rest of the album is just tight beats, grooves and melodies with more of a lack of actual storytelling content. The whole album though is feel good catchy old-school rap that still deserves a listen.

"