Ras Kass' Soul On Ice: An forgotten opus?

[pukaface]

Would it be wrong to call this the west-coast Illmatic? Or am I just hallucinating?

[Tweak Da Leak]

ive stated over and over this and illmatic are the best two lyrical albums in hiphop

i actually have soul on ice ranked above illmatic, but then again I have IWW ranked above Illmatic too.

[blessingindisguise]

The album is like 13 years old it belongs in t.r.o.y. for future reference.

[drizzle]

Would it be wrong to call this the west-coast Illmatic? Or am I just hallucinating?

listen....

i'm not quite sure how to say this, but this isn't working out between us...

i want you to know that it's not you, it's me. i'm just going through some personal stuff now, a bit of a difficult time you know.... you're terriffic, i really mean that... but i feel like if we continue this i'm just going to hurt your feelings and you deserve better than that

i want to say we could be just friends, but i really don't think that's a good idea... at least for now.... maybe a little down the line given a little time

i hope you can understand

i'll always have a special place in my heart for you

[pukaface]

The album is like 13 years old it belongs in t.r.o.y. for future reference.

Ok, I was kind of unsure where to post it, but I'll know for next time now. Thanks.

[LONDON!]

ive stated over and over this and illmatic are the best two lyrical albums in hiphop

[cenzi]

Illmatic is what it is because of lyrics AND beats.

To me, Soul on Ice is 90% lyrics, 10% beats.

[vaporized]

it's one of the 10 best produced albums ever. a cinematic wide-screen goldmine of apocalyptic, futuristic, cyber-kinetic(don't really know what that means but I'll chuck it in) head nodding boom-bap that has not been replicated since.

[thebridgeisover]

Would it be wrong to call this the west-coast Illmatic? Or am I just hallucinating?

Only if beats and production mean ZERO to you.


signed,
-huge Rassy, Patchwerks, AND Bob Whitfield fan

[pukaface]

Common illusion. The layering of the production on this album is comparable to The Bomb Squad. The sampling is almost on a Madlib level of dusty fingers.
The production almost sounds like some shit that El-P might dream up 5 years later. And the production for "Reelishymn", "Marinatin", "Etc.", "The Evil That Men Do", "Soul On Ice", "Ordo Abchao"... you can't tell me those beats don't knock.
The lyrics outshine the instrumentals for a fact, but it's false to say that this album is poorly-produced.

[DULLAH]

Illmatic is what it is because of lyrics AND beats.

To me, Soul on Ice is 90% lyrics, 10% beats.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll bet 90% of your listening to this album was done on speakers, 10% in HEADPHONES
*PSA headphones>speakers for T.R.O.Y. era beats*

[Moolah]

it's one of the 10 best produced albums ever

[DULLAH]

Common illusion. The layering of the production on this album is comparable to The Bomb Squad. The sampling is almost on a Madlib level of dusty fingers.
The production almost sounds like some shit that El-P might dream up 5 years later. And the production for "Reelishymn", "Marinatin", "Etc.", "The Evil That Men Do", "Soul On Ice", "Ordo Abchao"... you can't tell me those beats don't knock.
The lyrics outshine the instrumentals for a fact, but it's false to say that this album is poorly-produced.

Bird and B-Wiz dropped some ridiculous goodness on Soul on Ice and Here to Save you All. Reelishymn is THE sound of the SP-1200 if you want to know.

[step one]

i swear this must be the 900th Ras Kass post in the last few weeks.

I have never heard this album. I'm thinking I probably should.

[Philaflava]

i swear this must be the 900th Ras Kass post in the last few weeks.

Yeah I don't get the sudden regard for this album. Shit is dope, classic, amazing, very good, whatever. But it's weird seeing folks professing their love for this 13 years later.

Maybe this album just aged well or maybe we realized there was nobody close to doing this shit on the West and maybe they never will be. Ras and I have been playing email tag for weeks now. I REALLY REALLY want to do the interview and asked the questions you all provided. I'm confident I could make it the best Ras interview done.

[Verge]

Phila, did Magneto tell you to ask about that other version of "Don't Catch Me Runnin'" with the different verse?

Stop your flow like its menopause the men all pause
Cramp your style like P.M.S
Suckers checking for lumps in they chest
Like breast cancer
My stanza gets censorship from Reverend Calvin Butts
but he could suck my diction, dictation is ridiculous
indicative of dictatorship
Today's four letter words were standard english until 1066
and ignorance is bliss
So as I sag my Ralph Lauren chaps
Walking into lyrical scraps
I'm knocking niggas off the map
See more stars than astronomy
Not near one can follow me
Thougts premeditated like two Melendez brothers
That's word to the father and the mother

If not, yeah, we'd like to know if this exists.

There's nothing wrong with the beats on this album, that's foolishness.
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[Philaflava]

Phila, did Magneto tell you to ask about that other version of "Don't Catch Me Runnin'" with the different verse?

Stop your flow like its menopause the men all pause
Cramp your style like P.M.S
Suckers checking for lumps in they chest
Like breast cancer
My stanza gets censorship from Reverend Calvin Butts
but he could suck my diction, dictation is ridiculous
indicative of dictatorship
Today's four letter words were standard english until 1066
and ignorance is bliss
So as I sag my Ralph Lauren chaps
Walking into lyrical scraps
I'm knocking niggas off the map
See more stars than astronomy
Not near one can follow me
Thougts premeditated like two Melendez brothers
That's word to the father and the mother

If not, yeah, we'd like to know if this exists.

There's nothing wrong with the beats on this album, that's foolishness.
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Won't Catch Me Runnin'

I'll email him now and post the answer.

[Verge]

Word.

[kimani]

I love this album, but, as evidenced by the past couple weeks and the comments in here, this album is far from a "forgotten opus," it has been plenty well remembered as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

[cenzi]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll bet 90% of your listening to this album was done on speakers, 10% in HEADPHONES
*PSA headphones>speakers for T.R.O.Y. era beats*

you are preaching to the choir homie.

I could NEVER afford speakers in the "TROY era". I am just more into production that actually make sense melodically. For example, "On Earth As It Is" is harsh music. That has some voices that are nowhere near the same pitch as the music that comes in later. "Anything Goes" has a deep ass bass, that typical "TROY era" headphones would NEVER pick up, so it was such a simple beat. Same goes with "Nature of the Threat". That has the bell and some crazy keys, that are also NOWHERE near the melody. But, hey who the fuck cares, check the lyrics!!

Anyways, I am more of a musician and I always picked dope albums due to music more than lyrics, which is why I fuckin love Lynch Hung, 'cause you know I aint diggin that shit for the baby ball fryin lyrics. ;)

[Wreck-It]

In regards to why there is more regard for this album these days, I know for me at least, it is the majority of the subject matter talked about in a number of the songs on the album, especially on "Order Abchao". This dude Ras Kass was spitting much truth about the "New World Order", these secret society scumbags who run our country and our Presidents, which they have been doing for many, many years. Maybe that's the reason. Say what you want about "Nature of the Threat" and some of its incorrect information about history, but you can tell that this dudes done his research about the evil shit these guys have been carrying out for hundreds of years now. The more time goes by, the more relevant the lyrics on this record become. Just look at whats happening right in front of our eyes everday, the lies from politicians, the endless wars; even with Obama's false promises about the war included. Philaflava, you want to ask him some real questions that will make for a damn interesting interview session? Then ask him what he thinks about the current state of affairs regarding the 'New World Order" and the "Illuminati" and where its headed with politics, the state of our country, the world and hip hop? I guarantee you he will appreciate it if you do, as I'm sure he doesn't expect somebody to bring up some real shit like that. Let me know what you think Phila... As Ras himself puts it himself "Novus Ordo Seclorum means New World Order, that's why I keep my friends close and my enemy's closer". Now I wonder why this album is out of print? Hmmmm....

[thebridgeisover]

Im a HUGE rassy fan, but those beats are fucking delicate. The only great beat on that album isnt even on the album, its Diamond D's soul on ice (remix). It seems like forever the album was widely regarded as the biggest missed opportunity this side of Can-I-Bus.

Perhaps current hip hop (west coast in particular) make soul on ice look good in retrospect?

List the 10 best produced albums of 1996 and THEN compare soul on ice to them. end of discussion.

[step one]

In regards to why there is more regard for this album these days, I know for me at least, it is the majority of the subject matter talked about in a number of the songs on the album, especially on "Order Abchao". This dude Ras Kass was spitting much truth about the "New World Order", these secret society scumbags who run our country and our Presidents, which they have been doing for many, many years. Maybe that's the reason. Say what you want about "Nature of the Threat" and some of its incorrect information about history, but you can tell that this dudes done his research about the evil shit these guys have been carrying out for hundreds of years now. The more time goes by, the more relevant the lyrics on this record become. Just look at whats happening right in front of our eyes everday, the lies from politicians, the endless wars; even with Obama's false promises about the war included. Philaflava, you want to ask him some real questions that will make for a damn interesting interview session? Then ask him what he thinks about the current state of affairs regarding the 'New World Order" and the "Illuminati" and where its headed with politics, the state of our country, the world and hip hop? I guarantee you he will appreciate it if you do, as I'm sure he doesn't expect somebody to bring up some real shit like that. Let me know what you think Phila... As Ras himself puts it himself "Novus Ordo Seclorum means New World Order, that's why I keep my friends close and my enemy's closer". Now I wonder why this album is out of print? Hmmmm....

[Galvatron78]

Common illusion. The layering of the production on this album is comparable to The Bomb Squad. The sampling is almost on a Madlib level of dusty fingers.
The production almost sounds like some shit that El-P might dream up 5 years later. And the production for "Reelishymn", "Marinatin", "Etc.", "The Evil That Men Do", "Soul On Ice", "Ordo Abchao"... you can't tell me those beats don't knock.
The lyrics outshine the instrumentals for a fact, but it's false to say that this album is poorly-produced.

Bird and B-Wiz dropped some ridiculous goodness on Soul on Ice and Here to Save you All. Reelishymn is THE sound of the SP-1200 if you want to know.

B-Wiz? I think you might be thinking about Chino XL's "Here to save you all" (which is a personal classic to me also), Bird and Vooodu and Flip and Ras himself handle the production and it is good....very good...I'm baised against Bird's beats i think they were great and yes that IS the sound of the SP...peep "ETC" and "Reelishym" and "Riiiiiiiiiiiot"......stardust goodness right there.

[LONDON!]

it's one of the 10 best produced albums ever. a cinematic wide-screen goldmine of apocalyptic, futuristic, cyber-kinetic(don't really know what that means but I'll chuck it in) head nodding boom-bap that has not been replicated since.

@wreck it & pukaface
co-sign

[Odnet]

In regards to why there is more regard for this album these days, I know for me at least, it is the majority of the subject matter talked about in a number of the songs on the album, especially on "Order Abchao". This dude Ras Kass was spitting much truth about the "New World Order", these secret society scumbags who run our country and our Presidents, which they have been doing for many, many years. Maybe that's the reason. Say what you want about "Nature of the Threat" and some of its incorrect information about history, but you can tell that this dudes done his research about the evil shit these guys have been carrying out for hundreds of years now. The more time goes by, the more relevant the lyrics on this record become. Just look at whats happening right in front of our eyes everday, the lies from politicians, the endless wars; even with Obama's false promises about the war included. Philaflava, you want to ask him some real questions that will make for a damn interesting interview session? Then ask him what he thinks about the current state of affairs regarding the 'New World Order" and the "Illuminati" and where its headed with politics, the state of our country, the world and hip hop? I guarantee you he will appreciate it if you do, as I'm sure he doesn't expect somebody to bring up some real shit like that. Let me know what you think Phila... As Ras himself puts it himself "Novus Ordo Seclorum means New World Order, that's why I keep my friends close and my enemy's closer". Now I wonder why this album is out of print? Hmmmm....

[Thun]

Thread is redundant and pretty much absurd.