What Do You Guys Think about "Once Upon a Time in Ameri

gaccu01 · Post by **gaccu01** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:33 am

Hi everyone, I was curious to hear your opinion about Smoothe the Hustler's Once Upon a Time in America.
In Italy it has got some sort of untouchable status (just like anything else that came out from NY between 1994 and 1996), but I personally disagree.
I think Once Upon a Time in America is a decent album, but way far from being a classic.
What do you people think?
Also, I got into an argument with someone about shelved albums.
The guy said that The Testament by Cormega was as anticipated as Life Is a 50/50 Gamble by Trigger the Gambler, which, to me, doesn't sound right. I thought that Cormega's album was much much more anticipated than Trigger's (at least in the US, in Italy it must be different).
Again, your opinion are very much welcome.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:02 am

It's a good album that most people forgot exists. I wouldn't call it a classic. The album probably could have benefited from more diverse production. D.R. Period is good but there is a blandness to his beats. I would have liked to have heard some beats from Buckwild, Large Professor, and Premier on this.

thewool · Post by **thewool** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:10 am

I still play 'Only Human' on the regular. Album had about 8 nice joints on it.

Some classic tracks, but not a classic album.

gaccu01 · Post by **gaccu01** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:05 am

Thun wrote:It's a good album that most people forgot exists.

Not in Italy. In Italy a lot of people (wrongly, in my opinion) consider it the best thing since pizza.
As I said, most albums that came out from NY in 94-95 have reached a sort of "classic" status by default, and I find it deeply irritating, to be honest.
Especially when they are not classic at all.
Any thoughts on the Trigger-Cormega argument?

DJMIKENICE · Post by **DJMIKENICE** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:58 am

Testament was by far a way better album than Triggas

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:07 am

gaccu01 wrote:
Thun wrote:It's a good album that most people forgot exists.
Not in Italy. In Italy a lot of people (wrongly, in my opinion) consider it the best thing since pizza.

Well yeah, you're European it's expected. But the only real opinion that matters (jk) is the one here in America where all this music is created.

Like Thun said it's a good album but not classic by any means. It's real good like the Real Live album for example but production could have been better if they didn't stick to just in-house.

Never Die Alone, Food For Thought and Dollar Bill still get play from me monthly.

Combo7 · Post by **Combo7** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:29 pm

Does the Trigger album exist in good quality?

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:31 pm

Combo7 wrote:Does the Trigger album exist in good quality?

No, unfortunately, not that I know of. Sucks because it's great. And much better than the testament, imho...

Combo7 · Post by **Combo7** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:08 pm

Weren't promotional copies mailed out before the album got shelved though? There's got to be something out there that sounds listenable. Traffic Ent. needs to get on this pronto.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:07 pm

Combo7 wrote:Weren't promotional copies mailed out before the album got shelved though? There's got to be something out there that sounds listenable. Traffic Ent. needs to get on this pronto.

Yeah.

DJMIKENICE · Post by **DJMIKENICE** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:20 pm

there are like 5 0r 6 cuts off the Trigga lp that were on DEF JAM promo cds

BUST, BROKEN LANGUAGE PT2, HITMAN FOR HIRE and a few others come to mind

TheBigSleep · Post by **TheBigSleep** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:40 pm

Trigger told us a while back that he was gonna release his unreleased / shelved album and re-release a few singles or something like that but as far as I can tell, that still hasn't happened (yet).

So here's the best quality I've found so far:

Here's the single for 1996's My Crew Can't Go For That featuring Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist, originally recorded for the Nutty Professor soundtrack.

My Crew Can't Go For That 12" (192 CBR)

http://sharebee.com/f49e5c76

01. My Crew Can't Go For That ft. Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist
02. My Crew Can't Go For That (Instrumental)
03. My Crew Can't Go For That ft. Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist (A capella)

And here's Trigger's unreleased '96 - '98 debut:

Life's a 50/50 Gamble (192 CBR)

http://sharebee.com/195574c1

01. Intro
02. Hitman
03. My Crew Can't Go For That ft. Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist
04. Broken Language Pt. II ft. Smoothe Da Hustler
05. Nickel Plated Nine
06. Nothing Can Stop Me
07. 50/50 Gamble
08. Smoothe Da Hustler Interlude
09. Welcome to the World
10. Bust
11. Rugged
12. Can U Feel Me
13. Meetcha Maker ft. Keith Murray
14. Scandalous
15. Make a Move

cenzi · Post by **cenzi** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:52 pm

Both Trigga and Smooth have annoying 90's voices. Both are artists that I would loved to have heard evolve into grown man music.

Bigg Boss Luciano · Post by **Bigg Boss Luciano** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:38 pm

Just take a peek at my sig, haha... No, seriously, for me there's a difference between a widely accepted classic and a personal classic, although I wouldn't call this a classic in any sense I still like it a lot...And no, I'm not from Italy

gaccu01 · Post by **gaccu01** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:43 am

Philaflava wrote: Well yeah, you're European it's expected. But the only real opinion that matters (jk) is the one here in America where all this music is created.

That's why I am asking your opinion guys.
To see what Americans think.

Harco · Post by **Harco** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:59 am

While it's not a classic album by any means (too inconsistent, still great though), Smoothe remains one of my favourite emcees. Dude is a beast, same goes for his brother.

And Big Boss Luciano, I found that record you have in your sig at Fat Beats when I was in NY last year. That was nice. Still need to find a place to hang it on my wall. Guy deserves it.

Life's a 50/50 Gamble is a great album also. I love it how the beat of Hitman kicks in after the intro.

LONDON! · Post by **LONDON!** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:13 am

gaccu01 wrote:Hi everyone, I was curious to hear your opinion about Smoothe the Hustler's Once Upon a Time in America.
In Italy it has got some sort of untouchable status (just like anything else that came out from NY between 1994 and 1996), but I personally disagree.
I think Once Upon a Time in America is a decent album, but way far from being a classic.
What do you people think?
Also, I got into an argument with someone about shelved albums.
The guy said that The Testament by Cormega was as anticipated as Life Is a 50/50 Gamble by Trigger the Gambler, which, to me, doesn't sound right. I thought that Cormega's album was much much more anticipated than Trigger's (at least in the US, in Italy it must be different).
Again, your opinion are very much welcome.

there was some certified hip hop classics from that album, the tunes i'm checking for from that album are

fuck whatcha heard
dollar bill
glocks on cock
broken language
never die alone
food for thought
hustler's theme
hustlin
my brother my ace

smoothe techically, from a lyric standpoint, sprayed nuthin but classic bars on versatile topics, from the streets to hip hop, to lyric sharpening, social issues, back to back gutta bar for bar spittage, lyrically, its a classic album, he did no wrong in that department, guest spots included

dr period is a underated producer, when it comes to that gutta, gully, basement, underground hip hop boom bap sictrumentals, he's the guy to go to, he came correct wit the beats, classic shit on a lot of them

i just thought they tried to come wit a couple of tunes for the radio, which was smart considering the industry climate at the time, beatwise on a couple of tunes, which was smart bizness wise, but from a 100% customer, purist point of view, seemed to take away from the album in terms of calling it a out and out 100% hip hop classic and thats not taking away anything from it, because those tunes were still on point, the content was diverse and considering the production of certain radio tunes at the time, the production was still on point, its just a minor little gripe

the album's a street classic to me, but not an overall technical wise hip hop album classic, like to me it's 4.5 mics or sumthin, you see what i'm sayin, i ain't hating or dissing the album, you get what i'm saying, i feel it's a near hip hop album classic, it's up there, i still rinse out that album, you see what i'm saying, i'm just saying, it just needing a little tweaking in certain places to put it up as a hip hop classic to me, thats all it is you know

aeokq · Post by **aeokq** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:44 pm

Real dope album. Of course "Broken Language" is that shit. Almost a classic, not quite more just like a solid 9/10 type shit.

somebody cool · Post by **somebody cool** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:25 pm

^cosign

i like triggas album better than smoothes

they made some crazy raw shit in the 90s

Jaz · Post by **Jaz** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:35 am

I haven't heard this album in years, but I did buy it on vinyl in 96 and thought it was good, I would say that "Broken Language" is a classic single, but the album wasn't a classic in my opinion.

Didn't Smoothe and Trigga have a comeback single a few years ago?

Mr. J Selectah · Post by **Mr. J Selectah** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:04 am

Haha when i saw the title of this thread, i thought it was about Sergio Leones masterpiece "Once upon a time in America", a beautifull artwork...about Smooth's album, i get hyped on "broken language" because of the way smooth and trigga rhyme, the coordenation i mean, over a hard beat...but i like "my brother my ace" the most, that's my joint...the album isn't a classic, but it has some serious underrated and conscious tracks, in my opinion, like "only human" or "dedication"...the most annoying track is definitly "dollar bill", that's a really hard track to listen to sometimes...i wouldn't compare this to Triggas' debut album tho, even tho he got better instrumentals, but if there were accappelas for both albums, you would hardly notice the difference between these two great rappers...

LONDON! · Post by **LONDON!** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:19 am

[quote="Jaz"]

I haven't heard this album in years, but I did buy it on vinyl in 96 and thought it was good, I would say that "Broken Language" is a classic single, but the album wasn't a classic in my opinion.

Didn't Smoothe and Trigga have a comeback single a few years ago?[/quote

yeah as the smith brothers on tommy boy i think, like 1999 or 2000 or sumthin

but smooth and trigga put out album wit ice-t under the name of s.m.g, i've got the album but i can't remember the name of it, i think they put it out in 2004/2005 i can' actuallyt remember, but smoothe still puts out singles out once in a while type shit

Mr. J Selectah · Post by **Mr. J Selectah** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:47 am

The name of that album is SMG (Sex, Money & Gunz) "Repossession", and it's from 2003...together with Marc Live (ex-Raw Breed member)...

Harco · Post by **Harco** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:42 pm

Jaz wrote: Didn't Smoothe and Trigga have a comeback single a few years ago?[/quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Nl6r9gNEc

Don't you mean this one?

And Smoothe put out an album last year: Violentimes Day Massacre.

Echo Leader · Post by **Echo Leader** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:32 pm

Mr. J Selectah wrote:The name of that album is SMG (Sex, Money & Gunz) "Repossession", and it's from 2003...together with Marc Live (ex-Raw Breed member)...

TheBigSleep · Post by **TheBigSleep** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:15 pm

http://thebestrap.blogspot.com/2009/02/ ... -gunz.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/199026030/I ... 03-RFL.rar

LONDON! · Post by **LONDON!** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:27 pm

Harco wrote:
Jaz wrote: Didn't Smoothe and Trigga have a comeback single a few years ago?[/quote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Nl6r9gNEc

Don't you mean this one?

And Smoothe put out an album last year: Violentimes Day Massacre.

could you upload that violentimes album?

boogs · Post by **boogs** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:10 pm

never really got into this album, the only joint that was noteworthy back then to me was Broken Language. I bought the CD back then but sold it. Need to check it out again though.
Trigga Da Gambler and affiliate DV Alias Khrist have some good stuff but I never really got into Trigga's "singing" rap style, it stuck out from the mass though.
I also have a spare copy of the Hustlin/Broken Language 12" for sale or trade btw.

I Smell Like Un Kasa · Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:32 pm

boogs wrote:but I never really got into Trigga's "singing" rap style,

lol, I'm sure you meant to say DV Alias Khrist, cuz Trigga does not sing!

Harco · Post by **Harco** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:05 pm

LONDON! wrote:
Harco wrote:
Jaz wrote: Didn't Smoothe and Trigga have a comeback single a few years ago?[/quote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Nl6r9gNEc

Don't you mean this one?

And Smoothe put out an album last year: Violentimes Day Massacre.
could you upload that violentimes album?

Yeah word, I'll get on that later this evening.

What Do You Guys Think about "Once Upon a Time in Ameri

What Do You Guys Think about "Once Upon a Time in Ameri

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