I'm a Puba fan, really I am. But let's be realistic this dude is closer to 50 than he is 30. So with that comes some doubts when he (or any rapper his age) delivers a new album. To say he is a bit disconnected would be an understatement but we've heard glimpses of old Maxwell Dixon sprinkled throughout the years. So I was definitely eagerly awaiting this new release.
I have to say the beats seem rather underwhelming on first listen, and I think the guest spots equally match up to that as well. What happened to the work with Lord Finesse? Real Talk was a fucking stellar track that featured both elder statesmen going line-4-line. That's the shit we want to hear.
Puba will always be a top 50 MC in my book. He's been apart of a few classic albums and tons of classic tracks. I just wish he came with it like he's shown in the past instead of chipping away at his legacy on some Brett Favre shit. Check it out yourself and remember the album hits stores this Tuesday. -Philaflava
Grand Puba doesn't deserve this kind of disrespect, even if the songs suck. He can still clearly flow. You (the SB staff) have praised or spoken diplomatically about shit that is just as bad, and this makes you look like a knee-jerk new jack.
that sucks
i was just getting ready to peep this
i did figure this would be the case though
i mean c'mon
13 songs and 10 of them have guests
that's never a good sign
Thun wrote:Grand Puba doesn't deserve this kind of disrespect, even if the songs suck. He can still clearly flow. You (the SB staff) have praised or spoken diplomatically about shit that is just as bad, and this makes you look like a knee-jerk new jack.
EDIT: You're actually right and to be perfectly honestly I did have doubts after I hit submit on that blog. I don't want to hurt his sales or act like I have some agenda. I'm just really disappointed in this album and I have always held Puba in high regards.
Last edited by Philaflava on Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
Philaflava wrote:EDIT: You're actually right and to be perfectly honestly I did have doubts after I hit submit on that blog. I don't want to hurt his sales or like I have some agenda. I'm just really disappointed in this album and I have always held Puba in high regards.
Understood. Don't get me wrong, those samples are TRASH.
I gave the other leaked Puba tracks a listen and it was no bueno.
should he quit? no.
has he done better things with his life? obviously.
It's dope that Puba still has a seamless flow, but I feel like it would take a young producer to work on an entire album with Puba or an established cat like Madlib or some shit to really push Puba to do something on the level of his 90s work.
but if you've heard Puba stories, you know this guy is going to do what he fucking wants to do and fuck your ideas.
so lets just be happy that Puba can make a couple good songs out 13 attempts.
the song with q-tip was ok imo. the brand nubian track was pretty bad.
i dont understand the problem ya'll got with old rappers. in every other genre there are old musiicans some of them doing excellent stuff. the problem is more that those guys want to sound current instead of sticking to their weapons. but thats a general problem in hip hop imo, probably because its still a young genre
It's not great, but it's a million times better than that last piece of shit he released a few years ago. That beat for "Hunny" is dope as shit. Who produced that one?
Somebody PM'd. It's missing a lot like Masta Ace, G Rap, Lord Finesse, Q-Tip, Posdnous and others but...
Black Thought (1972)
Bun B (1973)
Common (1972)
Del (1972)
DJ Quik (1970)
E-40 (1967)
Eminem (1972)
Ghostface Killah (1970)
GZA (1966)
Ice Cube (1969)
Ill Bill (1972)
Inspectah Deck (1970)
Jay-Z (1969)
Krayzie Bone (1973)
MC Eiht (1967)
MC Ren (1969)
Method Man (1971)
MF Doom (1971)
Mos Def (1973)
Nas (1973)
Pep Love (1974)
Raekwon (1970)
Rakim (1968)
Ras Kass (1973)
Redman (1970)
Scarface (1970)
Slug (1972)
Snoop Dogg (1971)
Spice 1 (1970)
Too $hort (1966)
Treach (1970)
Yukmouth (1974)
Thun wrote:Grand Puba doesn't deserve this kind of disrespect, even if the songs suck. He can still clearly flow. You (the SB staff) have praised or spoken diplomatically about shit that is just as bad, and this makes you look like a knee-jerk new jack.
Thun wrote:Grand Puba doesn't deserve this kind of disrespect, even if the songs suck. He can still clearly flow. You (the SB staff) have praised or spoken diplomatically about shit that is just as bad, and this makes you look like a knee-jerk new jack.
You do know what he quoted was edited on the review so if you still think all that is harsh then GFY Canada boy.
Philaflava wrote:Somebody PM'd. It's missing a lot like Masta Ace, G Rap, Lord Finesse, Q-Tip, Posdnous and others but...
Black Thought (1972)
Bun B (1973)
Common (1972)
Del (1972)
DJ Quik (1970)
E-40 (1967)
Eminem (1972)
Ghostface Killah (1970)
GZA (1966)
Ice Cube (1969)
Ill Bill (1972)
Inspectah Deck (1970)
Jay-Z (1969)
Krayzie Bone (1973)
MC Eiht (1967)
MC Ren (1969)
Method Man (1971)
MF Doom (1971)
Mos Def (1973)
Nas (1973)
Pep Love (1974)
Raekwon (1970)
Rakim (1968)
Ras Kass (1973)
Redman (1970)
Scarface (1970)
Slug (1972)
Snoop Dogg (1971)
Spice 1 (1970)
Too $hort (1966)
Treach (1970)
Yukmouth (1974)
Huldrich Bullsh!t wrote:the song with q-tip was ok imo. the brand nubian track was pretty bad.
i dont understand the problem ya'll got with old rappers. in every other genre there are old musiicans some of them doing excellent stuff. the problem is more that those guys want to sound current instead of sticking to their weapons. but thats a general problem in hip hop imo, probably because its still a young genre
Yup. It's a kind of catch-22 in that older artists are often criticized for having a dated sound if they cater to their existing fanbase by releasing music that sonically resembes earlier works -- same deal if they stray too far into contemporary pop territory. Cats can't win for losing.
Huldrich Bullsh!t wrote:the song with q-tip was ok imo. the brand nubian track was pretty bad.
i dont understand the problem ya'll got with old rappers. in every other genre there are old musiicans some of them doing excellent stuff. the problem is more that those guys want to sound current instead of sticking to their weapons. but thats a general problem in hip hop imo, probably because its still a young genre
Yup. It's a kind of catch-22 in that older artists are often criticized for having a dated sound if they cater to their existing fanbase by releasing music that sonically resembes earlier works -- same deal if they stray too far into contemporary pop territory. Cats can't win for losing.
I don't really think anybody complains if the music is actually good. When it's bad, they just try to blame it on this or that. But the reality is if the music is good, regardless of whether it sounds "new" or "old", people still praise it (at least for the most part).
Examples:
Prodigy - Return of the Mac
Ed OG - The Truth Hurts
MF DOOM's stuff
Scarface - Made
8Ball & MJG's Bad Boy albums
etc
Over forty and still dropping rap albums = I need cash bad.
You could be correct in saying he might need cash, but its absurd how nobody considers it possible that he's doing it for the love of the music. Most jazz musicians record AND play live until they die. Maybe nobody over 40 has dropped a great hip-hop record yet (that's probably wrong, but I don't feel like looking into it right now), but its only a matter of time.
Hip-hop is certainly a youth movement at its core, but that doesn't mean that once you've reached 40 its time for you to hang it up. That type of thinking sounds eerily similar to the obviously flawed idea that hip-hop is a fad which will never have any lasting power in music.
I haven't listened to the new Puba yet, but nevertheless, you all stand corrected.
Less posting more blogging Roger.
