ATOMS - SANDS

     

     Some may recall that Cryptic One's album FYSM earned itself a well-deserved spot on Sound Chaser Reviews' Top 50 Albums of 2013. What many may be unaware of is that Cryptic One is also a member of the Hip-Hop group ATOMS, whose new album, SANDS, I would be foolish to leave un-reviewed.
     Indeed, my piqued interest did not go unsatisfied. The album is a solid piece of work, to say the least. The production choices are creative and daring, with a surprisingly effective mix of organic and synthetic sounds, perfectly exemplified in the title track, in which an organic, almost acoustic-sounding beat and organ sounds are juxtaposed against infectious synthesizer melodies that wouldn't be totally out of place in an EDM track.
    The album is an engaging experience, but one of depth and dimension as well, as flows and production remains diverse enough throughout the album to from the laid-back, easy-groovin' "Transmissions from Talakad" to the more harsh, aggressive-sounding "Kapoof!." The group also delves seamlessly into darker territory with "Star Clusters," utilizing sparse, minor piano samples and suspenseful strings, building a mood more effectively than most rap tracks that I can think of.
    The group excels on SANDS where any Hip-Hop album should. The beats, production, flow, and lyrics are all engaging and interesting, drawing you into the music and keeping you there. ATOMS' Cryptic One made our top albums of 2013, and with this release, he's likely to find himself a spot on the best of 2014 list with the rest of the group.

-Andrew Oliver

Top Ten Hip-Hop Albums

Hello again, everyone! Today, I thought it would be nice to do something a little different. Reviews are fun and all, but let's face it, a lack of variety is doing us no favors. As Nathan Lane once said in his wonderful film The Birdcage, "one does want a hint of color." As great a movie as that was, I'd have to be a fool not to take its advice.

So, I'll bypass any further chit-chat and get right to my top ten hip-hop albums of all time. Some old, some new, all excellent albums!

What are your top ten Rap albums? Do agree or disagree with my list, and why? I'd love to know! If anyone reads this, feel free to leave your comments!
-Andrew Oliver

 #1 . N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A's classic Hip-Hop Masterpiece tops my list, by far. Full of pure aggression and brimming with intensity. this album is truly an experience unparalleled by any other of its kind, with each member showcasing masterful flows and lyricism. In my opinion, this really is the best hip-hop album that's ever existed.

#2. Goodie Mob - Still Standing

While I feel like Soul Food is often considered to be the quintessential Goodie Mob album, and for good reason, I firmly believe that Still Standing is the better of the two, far more balanced and consistent in terms of quality, songwriting, and individual skill of the emcees. With a vibe that manages to be chill, aggressive, nasty, and dark all at once, and with a slew of classic songs, Goodie Mob's Still Standing sets itself apart as a completely unique and incredible Rap album.

#3. Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030

Truly my favorite Hip-Hop concept album. The album's story takes place in the year 3030, where the main character, Deltron Zero tries to save the world by fighting the huge corporations that rule the world. To say this album is trip would be an enormous understatement. Filled with insane, often abstract lyrics and huge, epic production and sampling, the world of Deltron Zero becomes as immersive and real as any you've known.

 #4. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan's iconic debut takes a firm place in my top five for it's pure, underground rawness, unique flows, and of course, to remind everyone that Wu-tang Clan ain't nothin' to fuck with. With songs like "Protect Ya Neck" and, well, pretty much every other track on this album, it's hard to argue with that statement.

#5. Cee-Lo Green - Cee-Lo Green...Is the Soul Machine

Yet another one of Cee-Lo's projects rounds out my top five, this time with his solo work. While many know his solo career for his excellent album, The Lady Killer, he released two solo hip-hop albums before that, this one being the definitively better of the two. With Soul Machine, Cee-Lo creates a diverse spectrum ranging from soulful and melodic to hardcore and visceral. Certainly worth a listen for casual and hardcore Hip-Hop fans alike.

#6. Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask

MF Doom and Danger Mouse take you on a wonderful journey through the programming block on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and what a journey it is. Doom and Danger Mouse are in top form here, Doom displaying the greatest flows and rhymes of his career, and Danger Mouse, of course, brings nothing less than awesome production and some wicked beats to the mix, taking what could have been a very flimsy concept and making it into an album that's more than solid from start to finish.

#7. De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising 

Truly a masterpiece. There really aren't enough words to describe this album. Intelligent and positive in the midst of a surge in hardcore gangster rap, De La Soul release an alternative, psychedelic Hip-Hop album that breaks all barriers of the genre and still sounds fresh to this day.

#8. Strange Fruit Project - The Healing

Waco, Texas group Strange Fruit Project release a real doozy with this one. Jazzy, organic underground Hip-Hop with no bells and whistles, just a real, honest sound that leaves you begging for more.

#9. N.W.A - 100 Miles and Runnin'

Though Ice Cube has always been my favorite member of N.W.A, their first album without him, 100 Miles and Runnin', is insanely good. This album packs serious heat, hitting you with some of the most intense and aggressive rap you will ever hear. Just listen to the title track and see for yourself. Even with Ice Cube gone, the N.W.A were more than capable of standing on their own.

Erick Arc Elliott - Almost Remembered

This album holds a special place for me. The lyrics here have some seriously emotional meanings that are both spiritual and existential, with music and production to match. Very introspective. A journey through the struggles as an artist and as a human being.

Erick Arc Elliott - Almost Remembered

There's something uniquely captivating about a person who struggles against all odds to do what they love. We're all drawn to stories of people who live debt-ridden and impoverished for the sake of their dream. There could be many explanations for this phenomenon, this fascination we all have with personal struggle, but I think it comes down to the fact that it's different. For most people, if given the choice between living well under the poverty line (while doing what you love full-time) and being successful, most would be satisfied to have a very important hobby, and choose the latter, giving in to the need to fit in to a society which regards monetary success as the greatest achievement, regardless of your passions and callings.

This brings me to Erick Arc Elliott's third full-length album, Almost Remembered. Now, just think about that title for a minute or so. Very rarely has one title, two simple words, been so profound, so perfectly characteristic of the content it describes. Every time I pick up the CD and read those two simple words, I get filled with a sense of sympathy, equating me immediately with the struggles of being a new artist, the humbling disappointments, the regrets, and everything else that comes with the territory. If this is accomplished by the title alone, the music itself must speak volumes, and I can attest personally that it does, indeed, my friends.

Starting with the cleverly titled "Pimptroduction," the album kicks off on a soft note. The track employs a soulful, endearing production, featuring the ephemeral vocals of Kaya, who is featured on many tracks on the album. Elliot's rapping is skillful and more than competent, with an emotional flow that's far from lazy, and an adept ability to craft clever and poignant rhymes. Lyrically, Elliott proves gifted in portraying these incredibly personal subjects on the album, starting with this first tack, a humbling introduction of a man down on his luck, struggling to get by and living with more than his fair share of regrets, hardships, and vices. One can't help but feel a connection to the artist after this song, as he accounts to you the difficult story of his life and how he got there.

The story continues on the second track, "Almost Remembered," an endearing and immensely personal tale on the struggles of not just being an artist, but on being a person as well, dealing with issues like relationships, money, and music.

One theme on the album that gives it major points is consistency, consistency in story, content, and vibe. This vibe, of course, being the soulful feeling that is portrayed throughout the whole album, keeping with a very organic style seen on the bombastic, Neo-Soul production of "H.N.C.," the beautifully emotive phrasing and vocal execution on "Keys," the romantic and personal lyrics of "Love Ripple," and the use of the Harlem Children's Zone for additional vocals on "Family Matters."

As a rapper and as an artist, Erick Arc Elliott proves that he has more heart and more soul than any Hip-Hop artist has shown in very a long time, with a hefty amount of musical and lyrical skill to boot. This album is not to be missed, a journey through the life of a man whose experiences and struggles represent the trials and tribulations of normal people made a little less normal through the following of their dreams, through the exercise of reaching for their goals and aspirations. Elliott shows on Almost Remembered that even those with problems, regrets, vices, and flaws can become heroes of their own lives.

-Andrew Oliver