May 28, 2025 at 7:31 PM

262. Jay-Z - The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000) [May 28th, 2025]

The often overlooked 5th Jay-Z album. A lot of people disregard The Dynasty... by relegating it as a Roc-A-Fella compilation record....which it is, but it's still a d--- good record.

The intro is one of Jay's best tracks, and the beginning lines are legendary

The theme song to The Sopranos
Plays in the key of life on my mental piano
Got a strange way of seeing life, like
I'm Stevie Wonder with beads under the do-rag


"Change the Game" is another great track with an awesome beat, and the Neptunes produced "I Just Wanna Love U..." is such a vibe man. Kanye has his first big production credit on "This Can't Be Life" which also has one of Scarface's best and most emotional verses. "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" is a great collab with the Pied Piper of R&B Robert Kelly, even if the title aged really badly. "Squeeze 1st" is a great solo track near the end, and "Where Have You Been" is a nice, emotional closer from Hov and Beans.

Aside from Jay, the Roc-A-Fella members hold their own, although it is pretty funny that Amil went from having 3 prominent features on Vol. 3, to having a single incredibly forgettable verse on this one. I think The Dynasty..., is still a great record, and a must listen for any Jay fan

 

May 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM

Redux #2. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (2006) [May 29th, 2025]

(I wish the OG cover with the fish would've been kept)
I feel like my original review of Fishscale didn't really do the record justice, so here is the second redux review!!!

As great as 36 Chambers is, the strength of the Wu solo albums is what really solidifies their legend, for me at least. Classics like Liquid Swords, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, etc. For many of the Wu's members though, the first wave of Wu solos held their best effort. GZA, Raekwon, Method Man, and so on, had decent records afterward, but most never achieved the quality of their mid 90's works,

Except for Ghost.

I'm pretty mixed on Ironman actually, but having a record like Supreme Clientele under your belt is a remarkable achievement, and Fishscale is amazing as well, The production credits on this record are insane. Pete Rock, J Dilla, Just Blaze, MF DOOM, and so on. "Shakey Dog" is an incredible intro, and having it be followed up by perfect songs like "Kilo" and "The Champ" is insane. "9 Milli Bros" is remarkable for having every single Wu member, and as a big Donuts fan, it's really cool to hear Ghost rapping over Dilla's beats on "Beauty Jackson" and "Whip You With A Strap". After the Ne-Yo collab, the albums does hit a bit of a lull with the exception of "Clipse of Doom", but as a whole, I think that Fishscale is an amazing album, and it's definitely the best post 2000 Wu Tang record in my eyes

 

May 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM

263. Ice Cube - Death Certificate (1991) [May 30th, 2025]

Cube's magun opus, and one of the angriest hip hop records ever made.

Ice Cube has already proven his skill on records like Straight Outta Compton and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, but Death Certificate shows him at peak. There are very few records that can encapsulate centuries of anger and discrimination as much as this record. The Life side begins the album off with some incredible tracks. "The Wrong n----- to f--- Wit" is an incredibly explosive intro, and tracks like "My Summer Vacation" and "Steady Mobbin' are literally perfect. "Givin' Up The Nappy Dug Out" is probably the catchiest song ever written about f---ing a Catholic minor, and "Alive on Arrival" is one of the best storytelling tracks ever made.

The Death side is where the album really shines for me however. "I Wanna k--- Sam" perfectly lays out Cube's hatred for the American government, and the anti-white "Horny Lil Devil" is one of the most impactful rap songs that I've ever heard. "Black Korea" is pretty controversial, but I feel that it works pretty well in the context of the record, and "True to the Game" is an incredibly prescient track all things considered.

The two closing tracks are absolutely incredible as well. "Us" depicts Cube's frustrations about the black community, and the ways that white america keeps holding it back, and it's an incedibly powerful outro. "No Vaseline" is definitely an outlier due to it's subject matter, but it's still one of the best Hip Hop songs, period.

Dropping 6 months before the start of the LA riots, Death Certificate is a testament of the frustrations felt by black Americans in the early 90's, and Cube does an incredible job when it comes to integrating his anger into his rhymes. A must listen for any rap fan.

 

Jun 1, 2025 at 6:23 PM

264. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001) [June 1st, 2025]

Yet another relisten to one of my AOTW Club picks (Not sure what the next one will be lmao)

Discovery was my first Daft Punk record, and I still love it to this day. Whenever I listen to it, I get very vivid flashbacks to the winters of 22, 23, and 24. I'm gonna try to separate those memories from affecting my review of it, but it was worth mentioning.

"One More Time" is an undeniable classic, and "Aerodynamic" does a great job at increasing the energy with that sick a--- guitar solo. "Digital Love" isa great track as well, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is probably the most well known track here, and it deserves the hype, and "Crescendolls" might be one of my favorite songs ever, period. The run from "Nightvision" to "High Life" does a pretty good job at ending the first half of the record.

And then, there's "Something About Us". I do admit that it is a bit weird that a track like this resonates so much with me, but I get filled with so much emotion everytime I listen to this track. The emotion continues on the penultimate track "Face to Face" which has some of the most creative sampling that I've ever heard.

"Too Long" is a great closer, and I honestly can't think of a better what to end the record. Nearly a quarter century after it's release, Discovery has continued to be an incredibly important record, and I think that it's their magnum opus (not much of a Random Access Memories guy personally)

 

Jun 1, 2025 at 11:33 PM

265. Various Artists - Grand Theft Auto IV - Radio Broker (2008) [June 1st, 2025]

Probably one of the most interesting GTA IV radio stations. Aside from LCD Soundsystem and The Black Keys, most of the artists on this station are nearly unknown, with many of them only having a few singles/EP's to their name. Some pretty good tracks on here, with "Take It With A Kiss" by The Pistolas being a highlight.

 

Jun 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM

266. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010) [June 2nd, 2025]

Review coming soon in AOTW Club

 

Jun 2, 2025 at 5:08 PM

267. Andre 3000 - The Love Below (2003) [June 2nd, 2025]

"Technically" Andre's solo debut, and I actually enjoy it quite a bit!!! Everybody agrees that Andre is an incredible MC (and flutist as it turns out!!!), so the fact that he decided to create a Funk-Rap hybrid for his half of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is great.

The jazz influenced "Love Hater" is a great intro towards the project, and songs like "Prototype" and "She Lives In My Lap" are great funk tracks. "Hey Ya" and "Roses" are the big hits on this project, and they're classics for a reason. I know this is unpopular, but I honestly prefer "Roses" over "Hey Ya". That beat is amazing.

I do think that the record falls off a bit after the "Good Day Good Sir" interlude. Asides from the spacey "Pink and Blue", tracks 12-16 don't really do much for me. I think that having a rendition of John Coltrane's rendition of "My Favorite Things" is a very wild choice. but it checks out well. Then the next few tracks are fine...

and then there's "A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre (Incomplete)", which I believe is one of the best rap songs ever written. The beat is f---ing eerie, and over nearly 5 minutes, Andre does a great job at painting a picture that depicts his experience with love, fame, fatherhood, and so on. Even though I do think that the second half falls off a bit, I can't deny that this track is masterful. Honestly, as much about half of the record, I'd say that I respect The Love Below more than I enjoy it in full y'know.

Also, NEW BLUE SUN IS UNDERRATED Y'ALL

 

Jun 2, 2025 at 7:04 PM

268. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998) [June 2nd, 2025]

Ahhhhh, the definitive /mu/ album. I feel like In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has gotten memed to death by people online, whether it be from 4chan's music obsessives, tumblr hipsters, and many many more. The record itself, is still great however.

Similar to Pet Sounds, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea tackles the loss of innocence through a very unique way...Anne Frank. A lot of people try read too much into Jeff Mangum's focus on Anne, and while it is a bit creepy at first glance, the whole thing just comes across as tragic to be honest. "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One" is a stellar intro, that sets up the record's atmosphere perfectly, and having it be followed up by the parts two and three and the title track is a great move. I think that this album really excels at creating a sound, and sticking to it. The first half of the album really feels, quite uplifitng honestly.

And then a few tracks later, we have "Holland, 1945", which is one of the best songs ever made (I know I say this a lot on here lmao). The lyrics are depressing, the horns are anthemic, and the whole thing just comes together perfectly. "Oh Comely" might be the most devastating song on here, with the following lyrics beeing especially heartbreaking, at least for me:

I know they buried her body with others
Her sister and mother and five hundred families
And will she remember me fifty years later
I wished I could save her in some sort of time machine
Know all your enemies

I'll admit that I've never been to big on "Ghost", but "[untitled]" and the second part of "Two Headed Boy" are great. Reputation aside, I think that In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is still a great album, and it's definitely kept being relevant in music circles for a reason. I haven't checked out any Neutral Milk Hotel aside from this record, so I'll make a point of listening to their debut someday.

 

Jun 3, 2025 at 12:57 PM

267. Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs (1959) [June 3rd, 2025]

Just a good ol' collection of cowboy music man. "Big Iron" got big because of New Vegas, and "El Paso" got big because of Breaking Bad, but the rest of the material on here is pretty good. Listened to this while reading Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, and the experience is unmatched.