NoYork! Reevaluation Thread

[TrueEpic08]

With the new Blu and Exile record properly out and mastered, and rumblings of a Johnson & Jonson collab with Danny Brown in the pipeline, I've been listening to NoYork pretty damn heavily over the past couple of weeks.

Now, I thought it was one of the 3 or 4 best Rap albums that came out last year (possibly hyperbolic praise, but really only Black Up and maybe Exmilitary are coming to mind as better records), brimming with creativity and verve and serving as a tribute to the LA Hip-Hop underground. Blu at the possible height of his powers (Below the Heavens adherents are gonna hate that one, but I loved The Piece Talks too. So what). Of course I didn't think that it would be praised too much on this board/the old board.

But FUUUUCK, some of you guys hated the thing. Maybe it's because a lot of people aren't really into the Low End Theory/Brainfeeder/LA Beat Scene like that and, thus, it sounded radically different from stuff like BTH and the Johnson & Jonson stuff, but there was real vitriol towards the thing (incidentally, the same type of vitriol that was levied toward Key to the Kuffs when it dropped a month ago).

So I'm wondering, it's been a little over a year since Blu got himself dropped from Warner Bros. for giving this away, what are you guys thoughts on it?

 

[malc]

i still listen to it pretty often. albums cool af. dont understand the hate, blu doesn't have a project that sounds like a previously released project in his discog.

 

[Ziggiy]

Everything from SpringWinterSummerFall onwards is dopeness

 

[Greenstrings]

Black Up was better, Exmilitary wasn't.

 

[EveryWeekIsMysteryMeat]

I liked it. The production is a bit tough to get into at times though. Bit too 'out there' for my tastes. Blu is rapping his ass off thoygh.

 

[LittleLordBboy]

Loved it then. Love it now.

 

[Thatrogueassdiaz]

With the new Blu and Exile record properly out and mastered, and rumblings of a Johnson & Jonson collab with Danny Brown in the pipeline, I've been listening to NoYork pretty damn heavily over the past couple of weeks.

Now, I thought it was one of the 3 or 4 best Rap albums that came out last year (possibly hyperbolic praise, but really only Black Up and maybe Exmilitary are coming to mind as better records), brimming with creativity and verve and serving as a tribute to the LA Hip-Hop underground. Blu at the possible height of his powers (Below the Heavens adherents are gonna hate that one, but I loved The Piece Talks too. So what). Of course I didn't think that it would be praised too much on this board/the old board.

But FUUUUCK, some of you guys hated the thing. Maybe it's because a lot of people aren't really into the Low End Theory/Brainfeeder/LA Beat Scene like that and, thus, it sounded radically different from stuff like BTH and the Johnson & Jonson stuff, but there was real vitriol towards the thing (incidentally, the same type of vitriol that was levied toward Key to the Kuffs when it dropped a month ago).

So I'm wondering, it's been a little over a year since Blu got himself dropped from Warner Bros. for giving this away, what are you guys thoughts on it?

Didn't know he got dropped from Warner. Someone fill me in on that.


As for the album, I haven't heard it. Perhaps you saw the re-upped thread on GMMFWICST where I asked if it had a physical release--does it? Anyways, I'll peep it.

 

[JoelB]

I havent reevaluated this album because the first half is still in the bushes.

 

[Animal House]

i always thought it was cool
i guess some of the die hard fans were going
while i was

 

[Yoda]

Everything from SpringWinterSummerFall onwards is dopeness

WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP SAYING THAT!!???

The whole album is dopeness top to bottom.

 

[Larry]

I havent reevaluated this album because the first half is still in the bushes.

first half is better than the 2nd

above crenshaw, never be the same, soupa and SLNGBNGrs


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcgP3k6EywA"]Blu - Soupa - NoYork! - YouTube[/ame]

been a fan since day 1 http://forums.projectcovo.com/showthread.php?t=3905711

hours is dope too in a weird ass way. I can see why people would feel the traditional shyt more tho. If you aren't a fan of that Shabazz Palaces/Fly Lo type shyt, you ain't gonna like it. nikkas were expecting Below the Heavens 2 and got C.R.A.C. Knuckles instead.

 

[Ziggiy]

WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP SAYING THAT!!???

The whole album is dopeness top to bottom.

nikka that's MY opinion don't get your panties in a bunch

 

[rapdonttweet]

Still trash. I can't take anyone seriously who listens to this and calls it great music:

 

[LittleLordBboy]

Deal or No Deal when you play with me Press Your Luck big bucks no whammy

 

[TrueEpic08]

Didn't know he got dropped from Warner. Someone fill me in on that.


As for the album, I haven't heard it. Perhaps you saw the re-upped thread on GMMFWICST where I asked if it had a physical release--does it? Anyways, I'll peep it.

This was in the pipeline to be released (as if) last year, but Blu gave away copies of it during and after his sets at Rock the Bells. After that, he got dropped and the physical release was killed. I think Underground Hip-Hop is still offering physical copies of the album.

And yeah, you can tell who are fans of that Brainfeeder/Low End Theory sound, because we actually like the first 9 songs (I thought the first half was quite a bit better than the second half, the logical conclusion of The Piece Talks' noodling, and I quite liked the second half). I guess that consists of myself, Larry Legend and Yoda. It's at least the difference between people who prefer Los Angeles from FlyLo and people who prefer Cosmogramma (Of course, I'm firmly in the latter camp).

For the others, what is it that turns you guys off so much about it? Do you just hate electronics in Hip-Hop? Hate any type of experimentation with song structure which results in abrasiveness that you're not willing to adjust to? What's the rationale for disliking those first 9 songs so?