up 122: game theory [2006]

''despite their signing to def jam, on 'game theory' the roots head in a direction opposite from all the trendy, commercial formulas that the label has pioneered.

this is as intensely a ''roots album'' as anything they've put out, the rightful sequel to their brilliant, creative 'phrenology' (unlike their last album, the off-balance 'tipping point.' 'game theory' is a dark and brooding affair, not just in black thought's foreboding lyricism but also in its musical textures. there's a layer of melancholia running beneath nearly every song, whether in the heavy thump of ''in the music'' or the frenetic verve of ''here i come.'' track-for-track, this isn't the roots' most scintillating collection of songs, but listened to from end-to-end, it's actually a remarkable achievement in album-making.

every song builds into the next one, and those willing to experience 'game theory' as a 47-minute suite of 13 songs will be richly rewarded by how precisely the whole puzzle fits together.'' - oliver wang

tracklist:

dilltastic vol won(derful) 01

false media 02

game theory 03

don't feel right 04

in the music 05

take it there 06

baby 07

here i come 08

long time 09

livin' in a new world 10

clock with no hands 11

atonement 12

can't stop this 13

your choice: get it easy/support the artist.

up 108: symptomatic of a greater ill [2006]

''kevroc, of darc mind, has a voice that sounds like a combination of a-town’s julox and jurassic 5’s chali 2na; a low, deep, backwoods drawl wrapped around a preachers earnest delivery. the rumble of this voice and the heavily based tracks produced by dj gm webb d (aka x-ray), create a surreal experience that matches the title of this anticon release perfectly. 

recorded from ’95 to ’97 for loud/rca, the record is a combination of new york beats and pre-southern instrumentation—that is, you can hear the 5 boroughs in the music and the rhythms, especially the uptempo spit and ill rhymes schematics of the obviously big daddy kane-inspired ''knight of the round table'' — but there is definitely something else happening with the basslines and horns, guitars and piano on cuts like the ominous ''visions of a blur,'' and the insidious ''covert op.''

covering braggadocio and politico stylings, darc mind remind the listener why ny was at the top of its game in the 90’s, even as the west was rising. if this record had been released upon its completion, it would have been huge. as it stands, it is still a timely record; one that should be heard by enthusiasts and pundits alike. it just may not carry the same weight it would have commanded had it been released before the millennium.

'symptomatic of a greater ill' is a record that reminds you of why you listen to hip hop in the first place.''

- kaffeinebuzz.com

tracklist:

visions of a blur 01

u da one 02

seize the phenom 03

knight of the round table 04

i'm ill 05

covert op 06

give me time 07

bmoc 08

fever pitch 09

rhyme zone 10

outside lookin in 11

your choice: get it easy/support the artist.

up 048: stepfather [2006]

''double k and thes one's parents must be proud. after three albums and an ep worth of beats, breaks, booze and blunts, the people under the stairs are growing up a little with 'stepfather'.

that's not to say there's anything wrong with a youthful indiscretion - in fact, some of rap's best and brightest moments were created by young groups without too much concern for a heavy, important message. and each release from puts has consistently been both masterfully composed and fun to listen to. 

luckily for us, stepfather stays the course on those two points. the beats reaffirm the duo's status as top tier among rap producers. more than ever, the breaks tickle your spine while the drums open-hand slap you in the face - you can't help but move. 

i doubt many p fans expected to find this much growth on stepfather. and while the ''mature'' label on most rap albums usually works as a simile for ''boring'', in this case it has helped bring out the best of puts. congrats fellas, this is your finest work yet.'' - trey clark

tracklist:

intro 01

step in 02

pass the 40 03

pumpin' 04

flex off 05

tuxedo rap 06

days like these 07

jamboree pt. 1 08

jamboree pt. 2 09

the doctor and the kidd (ft. george clinton) 10

eat street 11

crown ones 12

la9x 13

the brownout 14

letter to the old school 15

more than you know 16

reflections 17

4 dollar afro 18

you 19

on and on (ft. kat ouano) 20

your choice: get it easy/support the artist.

up 033: windmills of the soul [2006]

kero one is a full time deejay, producer, musician, rapper and record label owner from san francisco. kero one's professional career began when he released his first single in 2003 called ''check the blueprints''

with the windmills lp, one can expect more timeless jazz meets hip-hop energy that many have come to enjoy from kero one.

going further than just reconstructing samples, kero one also plays a variety of instruments on the album (moog synths, fender rhodes, bass etc.) and brings in live session players paired with vocalists to blend the organic feel of live musicianship with the rawness of sample based hip hop.

on the lyrical side, kero one rhymes about real life stories and topics that have helped define his character and musical career.'' - amazon.com

tracklist:

windmills intro 01

give thanks (ft. niamaj) 02

musical journey 03

my story 04

in a dream 05

ain't that somethin? 06

tempted 07

in all the wrong places 08

keep it alive! 09

the cycle repeats 10

fly fly away 11

its a new day 12

check the blueprints 13

your choice: get it easy/support the artist.

up 009: brookland/oaklyn [2006]

''california-based anticon producer alias had never heard about new york-based rona “tarsier” rapadas before he got a letter from her one day in 2003, shortly after the release of his instrumental-based album 'muted', telling him how much she liked his work, if he would listen to her band (brooklyn indie electronica outfit healamonster & tarsier), and if he would ever consider remixing muted with her vocals. 

alias was so impressed by her samples that he immediately sent tarsier four beats, asking her to choose one and to add her own vocal track to it. thus began a 21-month-long email relationship in which the two parties sent each other music, never meeting face-to-face until shortly before their debut album, 'brookland/oaklyn', and the ep compilation 'plane that draws a white line' were both released in 2006.'' - last.fm


caution! this album is for people who like underground hip-hop and trip hop. there is no talk about guns, killing, drug dealing, bling-bling, or anything else that commercial rap artists like to reference. 

tracklist:

cub 01

rising sun 02

last nail 03

dr. c (ft. telephone jim jesus) 04

anon (ft. matt mccullough) 05

5 year eve (ft. kirsten mccord) 06

plane that draws a white line 07

luck and fear (ft. healamonster & doseone) 08

picking the same lock (ft. matt mccullough & dax pierson) 09

ligaya 10

your choice: get it easy/support the artist.