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GAF-Hop |OTX| Long Live the Watcher

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H

HiResDes

Member
Pharoahe Monch/PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Review:

PTSD is the fourth studio album by the quiet, modest hip-hop legend Pharoahe Monche. Moreover, if the first skit and album title aren't a strong enough indication, PTSD is a concept album with a pretty concentrated premise. I wouldn't recommend chopping up the tracks, or trying to listen to the album in sections. It's definitely at its best when taken in as a whole, and you can tell by the skits, fluid subject matter, and track placement that Monche definitely put a great deal of thought behind how he wanted the project to digested.

Throughout PTSD Monch airs his concerns about the incoming virtual era. His lyrics contain references to technological obsolescence, the impersonality of the virtual age,our increased sensitivity to violence and the like, and the wealth of information that now flows unfiltered through the web. Most of the albums works well because Monch avoids coming off too pedantic,shapeshifting from different perspectives and using mostly indirect messages of a subliminal or allegorical nature that showcase his status as premier lyricist and hip-hop intellectual. What separates Monch from the likes of Talib and KRS-One is his versatility when it comes to taking on different rap styles and perspectives. He can transform from sounding insightful, to paranoid, to violent and aggressive in a flash and it all sounds very believable. The ender is such a beautiful track with foreboding lyrics and an ethereal backing track that offers just a glimpse of romantic hope.

The production on the album is a bit more downtempo than you might expect given the sheer immediacy of the subject matter. It gets a bit lush and shies away just enough from the usual boom-bap formula, but Monch's vocals never have to compete for center stage, which is a mostly positive thing but not all too impressive either. There are a few tracks on here that could have really used a sweltering bass line, or a trumpet-led crescendo, or a bit of distortion here and there to match the double-speak and mania of Pharoahe. The smooth singing on the hooks by the various featured artists works for the most part, but at times I feel as though it takes away from the ultimate intimacy of the tracks. I think a few more grimey self-led hooks would have really benefited the project and help give it even more personality. It really works on the track "Damage". Monch has great charisma and is quite alluring on the mic, but I think his modesty hurts his artistry at times.

There are two tracks I really don't like at all on the album. "Scream" is the first, it just seems a bit redundant and doesn't have the standout verses or beat to really justify it being on the album. And second is the track "Dreams" which features a hilariously choreographed and cheesy, preachy verse from the king of pedantics, Talib Kweli. It sounds like Kweli called and asked Monch for a theme, and then he subsequently tailored every bar strictly to that theme without any personality or wit.

However, most the tracks offer a unique take on the theme, and feature such standout verses than even when the production isn't wowing I found something else to admire. Rapid Eye Movement features one of the most standard boom bap beats of the album, and yet Monch's wordplay coupled with Black Thought's aggression elevates that track into the stratosphere. It also features this nice little breakdown in the middle of their verses that hammers home how filthy they are as lyricists.

8/10
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
Esch said:
mj-laughing.gif
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we trolling or doing real talk here

I just heard Holy Grail on the radio. Is anyone here going to deny that Jay's verses were trash, or that you could replace him with any mainstream rapper and still get a hit due to the hook? So yes, with the right track Nas could make a hit.

Now do I think he'll get the "right track" from Timbo, or the right hooks? No.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
The difference is that Hov verses are pretty much guaranteed to be trash, but he's also guaranteed to get the right tracks and the right hooks.
 
E

Esch

Banned
PhoenixDark said:
we trolling or doing real talk here

I just heard Holy Grail on the radio. Is anyone here going to deny that Jay's verses were trash, or that you could replace him with any mainstream rapper and still get a hit due to the hook? So yes, with the right track Nas could make a hit.

Now do I think he'll get the "right track" from Timbo, or the right hooks? No.
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Yep.

You just don't understand do you? Jay's shit hits huge not just because he makes the right choices for beats and feature artists. It's because he's Jay-Z. This is why you have sat dumbfounded, from whatever age you were when you started listening to rap, to today. Because Jay just makes hits dude, and Nas just doesn't. He can't, at least not in this environment. Who's going to be driving for a Nas single? All his fans are old men who are disgruntled with the radio and young guys who don't care about mainstream music at all. There's no market for it. And he straight up doesn't have the ability. It's an intangible. Hov makes records work, and when he does pop shit it often sounds natural. Nas never has and never will.

The only guy in the rap game from Jay's era or before who can make hits is Eminem, period.

PhoenixDark said:
That's my point though. Can Nas make a hit? The answer is yes, if he gets the right hook and beat. If I Ruled The World would have been a hit for anyone who rapped on it, and the same applies to Holy Grail.
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Denial.
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
HiResDes said:
The difference is that Hov verses are pretty much guaranteed to be trash, but he's also guaranteed to get the right tracks and the right hooks.
Click to expand...

That's my point though. Can Nas make a hit? The answer is yes, if he gets the right hook and beat. If I Ruled The World would have been a hit for anyone who rapped on it, and the same applies to Holy Grail.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
zmAlLQn.jpg


finally got around to reading this, anyone else given it a go? so much shit from before my time, shit was mad informative - writer's a good dude, he says volume 2 is gonna go up to about '85 or so, so there should be more familiar names by then, i honestly can't wait cause this last one was so thorough. its like $17 on amazon too.
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
How is that denial? Do you know how the music industry works? More than half of mainstream pop (rap and otherwise) hits have pre-written hooks before the rapper or singer even touches it. What do you think Skylar Grey, NeYo, Pharrell, etc do all day?

The reason Nas hasn't had mainstream success obviously has to do with his horrible ear for beats and inability to cater to radio; he doesn't "get" radio, never has and never will. I have never denied it. That being said, if he got his hands on the right beat and hook of course he could have a hit. Here's the problem: it's unlikely he'll even get to that stage, because of his ear. But to uniformly say there's no way for him to have a hit is just troll shit, smh.

Atlantic had hits waiting for Lupe during his album making process, all he had to do is fill in the verses. Nas has never done that, and I don't get the impression he wants to.
 
E

Esch

Banned
PhoenixDark said:
How is that denial? Do you know how the music industry works? More than half of mainstream pop (rap and otherwise) hits have pre-written hooks before the rapper or singer even touches it. What do you think Skylar Grey, NeYo, Pharrell, etc do all day?

The reason Nas hasn't had mainstream success obviously has to do with his horrible ear for beats and inability to cater to radio; he doesn't "get" radio, never has and never will. I have never denied it. That being said, if he got his hands on the right beat and hook of course he could have a hit. Here's the problem: it's unlikely he'll even get to that stage, because of his ear. But to uniformly say there's no way for him to have a hit is just troll shit, smh.

Atlantic had hits waiting for Lupe during his album making process, all he had to do is fill in the verses. Nas has never done that, and I don't get the impression he wants to.
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Like I said dude, you just don't get it period. Some artists have the fanbase and lane to do some things and work in others, some don't. If I gave Aphex Twin a song written and and even recorded by Skrillex, it wouldn't blow up because that's how life is No 'old rapper' (and thats how people think of Nas) is gonna get any burn after having no real hits since I Can. He might get some Urban/RnB play, but that's just the bitter truth of it. It's just stunning to watch you keep thinking that what people like Ne-Yo etc do is easy to even do once, let alone replicate many times.

Honestly? I feel a little bad watching you write fanfiction about things that you think could or would or should happen for Nas, because it's a little sad that you haven't come to terms with where he is in the music industry: He's an incredible rapper who has tried to make a transition into pop territory time and time and time again and failed. He just can't do it. And if he couldn't do it in an era where people were actually trying to hear rap on the mainstream airwaves, you think it's got a chance of happening out of the blue why? Because he copped some 'hot' producers? Because he might have a song with Justin Timberlake? Because.... Illmatic 20th anniversary? Because...? There's just no basis for your line of thought. Like I said, who's checking for Nas besides core hip hop fans (most of whom are old cheap bastards that hate the radio and clubs)?
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
^just to add @ that book: it's lengthy but even the print style works to make you feel like you're in the burroughs in the mid-70's with those seeds being planted, and it's awesome to get the context on those old callbacks & references i'd heard so much growing up. by the time the book ends you're kind've bummed volume 2 isn't out just yet, and the final pages tying my love of comics & hip-hop together were brilliant too, totally made me wanna go listen to that Last Emperor Secret Wars shit.
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
Esch said:
Like I said dude, you just don't get it period. Some artists have the fanbase and lane to do some things and work in others, some don't. If I gave Aphex Twin a song written and and even recorded by Skrillex, it wouldn't blow up because that's how life is No 'old rapper' (and thats how people think of Nas) is gonna get any burn after having no real hits since I Can. He might get some Urban/RnB play, but that's just the bitter truth of it. It's just stunning to watch you keep thinking that what people like Ne-Yo etc do is easy to even do once, let alone replicate many times.

Honestly? I feel a little bad watching you write fanfiction about things that you think could or would or should happen for Nas, because it's a little sad that you haven't come to terms with where he is in the music industry: He's an incredible rapper who has tried to make a transition into pop territory time and time and time again and failed. He just can't do it. And if he couldn't do it in an era where people were actually trying to hear rap on the mainstream airwaves, you think it's got a chance of happening out of the blue why? Because he copped some 'hot' producers? Because he might have a song with Justin Timberlake? Because.... Illmatic 20th anniversary? Because...? There's just no basis for your line of thought. Like I said, who's checking for Nas besides core hip hop fans (most of whom are old cheap bastards that hate the radio and clubs)?
Click to expand...

Yes or no to everyone in the thread: if Nas (or just about any mainstream rapper) released Empire State Of Mind, would it have been a hit? Simple question.

Aphex Twins hasn't released an album since 2001. Again, this feels like you're trolling, given the comparison. And with respect to Bangarang...if Aphex Twins released it and was on a big record label sure, it would be a big song.

Nas' last album debuted #1 on the charts and will go gold this year - without a single on the charts; his previous albums went gold or platinum - again, it's not like we're talking about some dude who fell off the map sales wise. This isn't DMX, or any other rapper who was once big but now isn't selling at all. He has the image, he has a decent sized fanbase, he has the label - we're going to pretend like he can't get onto the Billboard 100? I'm not saying he's going to have a top 10 hit, I'm saying he can get a hit that charts well on the Billboard 100. With the right song he can get a hit today. My pessimism stems from the fact that he probably won't pick the right track, based on his history. But that's a separate discussion. 50 Cent is pretty damn irrelevant today but if he could find the right track (and was still on a major label) he could get a hit song.

I'm done with the conversation. It just baffles me, not just because I have an understanding of the hip hop industry but because you're being blatantly disingenuous here.
 
E

Esch

Banned
No skin off my back, just think its funny you think Dark Souls can do Skyrim numbers no matter how it's dressed up.
 
T

The Artful Dodger

Member
I'm with PD on this. Listen to the Nasye Westobar mix. It's a mix of Nas rapping over some of Kanye's best beats. It's basically what everyone wishes Nas would be doing on the regular, Rapping over great beats.
 
C

Cheddahz

Banned
Esch said:
Cmon tell me thats not a good analogy tho
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I really don't know any other way to explain why I'm liking DS2 more than DS1, but the fact that there's a fast travel system is quite nice and the game feels a lot more linear than DS1, which I believe is a positive thing (didn't really like the layout of the world in Dark Souls 1). The game also doesn't run like complete shit on the PC, so you're able to play it straight out of the box

To me, Dark Souls 2 feels like "It Was Written" while Dark Souls 1 feels like "Illmatic". DS2 presents a much more constant project that I personally enjoy more, while Dark Souls 1 has some really good ideas, but some of them fall flat due to some minor issues (not saying that DS2 doesn't have it's issues as well)
 
E

Esch

Banned
You really in your feelings like that damn. Just admit it dude. Nas isnt a hitmaker. He makes great rap music sensu 1994-2001 that a dedicated fanbase like you continues to purchase... But not for hits or sonically crazy shit. He has never been a great collaborator or beat picker, his 'sellout' moments never caught fire. He consistently writes some of the dopest rap verses ever... But he simply was never the greatest at letting a record work FOR him either. He dominates production, which is why I dislike the idea of hearing him over layered beats, its too much imo. Its okay to admit Nas isnt the greatest at everything ever, and this is just one example of shit he cant do.

Fucking stans lmao
 
P

PhoenixDark

Banned
It's simple: if you give Nas a dope beat that he can actually rap over and hit verse, he can make a hit. His problem is that he's not going to pick those beats. I wonder how much dope shit he passed up to pick You Won't See Me Tonight, You Owe Me, etc. Outside of Drake tracks it's pretty easy to look at the rap songs that chart and it's the hook that makes it work for white audiences that don't really fuck with rap.

His sell out moments went double platinum (IWW, I Am), let's be real.

Now to be fair, if you give Nas something like...well, most of MCHG, it's gonna turn to trash (although MCHG is trash regardless). I don't believe he can flow over a lot of that shit outside of stuff like Heaven, On The Run, and the simpler beats.
 
E

Esch

Banned
PhoenixDark said:
It's simple: if you give Nas a dope beat that he can actually rap over and hit verse, he can make a hit. His problem is that he's not going to pick those beats. I wonder how much dope shit he passed up to pick You Won't See Me Tonight, You Owe Me, etc. Outside of Drake tracks it's pretty easy to look at the rap songs that chart and it's the hook that makes it work for white audiences that don't really fuck with rap.
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No, it's not simple. Certain styles of emceeing don't translate well to pop based on the era. Why do you think Jay's flow has changed so much over the years? Not just because he started falling off, but also to fit in with different and increasingly more bombastic styles of production and different artists as well. Nas is largely the same as he was in the mid 90's-early 00s in terms of delivery on a lot of stuff. He doesn't really have the same gift of 'adapting' to records to make them work. Nobody gives a SHIT about dope verses when it comes to radio play. They just want something that sounds good.

His sell out moments went double platinum (IWW, I Am), let's be real.
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Every time you reference work that old you only add to my point. What you're predicting essentially is a commercial 'comeback', that has a horse's ass chance of happening. Even with the right production and features. And yeah, give Nas ESoM and it's a rap radio hit with minor play bruh, just like everyone else is saying.

Like I said, I feel bad for you man. You're not just content with heads proclaiming the greatness of Nas doing what he does so well, you have to try and stretch it like Mr. Fantastic to make it seem like he 'could have' and 'would have' done things post after post after post.

You know how you mock old 50 stans on thecoli for expecting things from 50 that he hasn't delivered on in years? You make fun of them for praising their largely irrelevant rapper, but a lot of the things that apply to fif also apply to Nas. Nas's radio clout has fallen off crazy, probably even in NY too. He has spent a decade + mostly making shit that isn't radio friendly, making music that is largely anti- American society and you think people are just going to embrace him en masse like that if he gets a Mike Will beat and Rick Ross features? Nas getting on top 40 radio isn't happening. He could do a song with Justin Bieber, or Beyonce, or Jay, or Katy Perry and that shit would maybe get a little urban traction.

Jeez, every time I think I'm a stan you just take it to a whole different level.
 
S

Syph Medwes

Member
Esch said:
No skin off my back, just think its funny you think Dark Souls can do Skyrim numbers no matter how it's dressed up.
Click to expand...

Yea no way that's happening

Also that album cover goddamn that's just disgraceful lol

And as for Q...no comment man twitter beef is so wack
 
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