Black Cotton Works - Black Magazine, Spoken Word, Networking, Black Entertainment

Release :::: NOW AVAILABLE
K-OS - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco
::: Writer ::: Denise Sheppard :::: Label ::: EMI
Like Lauryn Hill's Miseducation masterpiece and Bob Marley's Uprising, K-Os's Atlantis: Hymns for Disco flows with a constant emphasis on moving forward with positivity and unity, all within an impossibly funky package. The combination of strong melodies and K-Os's verbal dexterity means that Atlantis is filled with a brilliance that rarely lets up. Opening track "Electrik Heat: The Seekwill" sets the tone by mixing rapid-fire lyrics with '80s hip-hop beats and samples, courtesy of world-renowned turntablist Lil Jaz.

K-Os’s soul-filled vocals take center stage on "The Rain," with all the smoothness of Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye circa 1966. K-Os could unquestionably release a whole disc of such songs and easily hit world stardom, instead, Atlantis is his vision, and his vision tends towards delivering lyrically insightful, cross-generational hip-hop mixed with reggae and even rock. "Valhalla" is another high point, reminiscent of Bob Dylan's cadence in "Highway 61 Revisited," juxtaposed with a floating chorus courtesy of friend/rocker Sam Roberts. One gets a sense that K-Os and crew have truly brought their top game to this disc, with no words or sounds wasted.

Release :::: NOW AVAILABLE
Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead
::: Writer ::: Oliver Wang :::: Label ::: Def Jam
Given its provocative title, it's no surprise that parts of Hip Hop Is Dead feel like an elegy of sorts. Nas practically came into the game looking backwards (see "Memory Lane" off Illmatic) but he seems more nostalgic than ever with tracks like "Where Are They Now?," "Carry on Tradition," "Can't Forget About You," and the title song which all focus on rap's past. This reminiscing can only fan the dim candle fans keep lit for Nas, hopeful that he'll make a full return to his former glory.

But, once again, the rapper teases and falls short. As has become habit, Nas does manage to knock out a handful of excellent songs ("Can't Forget" and "Play on Playa" for example), along with a handful of awful fare (none worse than "Who Killed It," Nas's disastrous attempt to channel the spirit of '30s gangster actor Edward G. Robinson), and a few forgettable filler songs. The production is similarly uneven though Kanye West's and Will.I.Am's contributions are reliably listenable.

The biggest shortcoming is that given it's title Hip Hop Is Dead aspires to be an event album but it never delivers on that promise despite the heady symbolism of former rival Jay-Z joining him on "Black Republicans." In the end, this is another good, not great album. Hip-hop isn't dead and neither is Nas but both could use a shot of life. --Oliver Wang

Release :::: NOW AVAILABLE
Gnarles Barkley - St. Elsewhere
::: Writer ::: Marc Greilsamer :::: Label ::: Downtown
In 2006, Danger Mouse is King Midas of the music world. He has an uncanny knack for creating jagged, dense, frenzied beats and odd, eerie, vivid soundscapes that never compromise the music's natural flow. Meanwhile, rapper and singer Cee-Lo, a veteran of Atlanta's Dirty South scene, has never been one to be constrained by hip-hop conventions, and is a willing partner in adventure. The result is an intrepid psychedelic blend of pop, hip-hop, soul, and rock that consistently challenges and delights.

It's no wonder that "Crazy," with its modest riff, irresistible hook, and disarming opening line ("I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind") became a worldwide Internet sensation a full six months before the official release of St. Elsewhere. But that relatively simple soul-pop gem is the tamest track on this wide-ranging, often dark and introspective collaboration.

(In fact, the duo considers Gnarls Barkley to be a wholly new creation, as opposed to a collaboration of existing artists.) "Everybody is somebody, but nobody wants to be themselves," Cee-Lo croons on "Who Cares?" He and Danger Mouse try very hard not to be their old selves as they creatively and confidently break down boundaries, but the brilliant cores of their musical personae--Cee-Lo's eccentric spiritual soul man and Danger's bold sonic explorer--remain.

Powered by
logo