Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
I've been into hiphop/rap for nearly 20 years and if anyone were to ask me who is the most under-rated artist in this genre, without doubt it would be J-Live. This album is probably his best, although there is a lot of competition due to his consistency. It's one of the very few albums which I can (and do) listen to all the way through without skipping tracks, Q-Tips Renaissance is the only other recent album that comes to mind.
This album is well balanced, in terms of mood, starting with the first 2 tracks establishing that J-Lives had some major problems recently (divorce, living back on his own and record company problems) yet never comes across in a preachy or charity-case tone. He comes across as a normal person (like his listeners), but with a great ability to weave poetic lyrics and a human narrative made out of issues that are universal to us all.
Personally, my favourite track is Ooweee - a story about a relationship with a woman which starts out purely sexual and describes the transition into something more (anyone can relate to this) and the problems that come along with it. His ability to mix crude sexual innuendo and political references is a great example of his skills:
"Besides her good company and sexual healing,
we had her downstairs neighbours banging on the ceiling,
I hate to play the role of the villain,
but long-term, this isn't the coalition of the willing".
If you like clever lyrics, good beats/soulful samples and top production, you will love this album.
If you like this I highly recommend a single he did called "One for the griot", which is a great example of his storytelling and ability to captivate the listener during a slightly dark tale of a sexual encounter. His song with the Handsome Boy Modelling School called "The Truth" is also superb, one verse but it's brilliantly written with some great word play managing to mix in latin sayings and legal meanings into a 1 minute blast.
This album is well balanced, in terms of mood, starting with the first 2 tracks establishing that J-Lives had some major problems recently (divorce, living back on his own and record company problems) yet never comes across in a preachy or charity-case tone. He comes across as a normal person (like his listeners), but with a great ability to weave poetic lyrics and a human narrative made out of issues that are universal to us all.
Personally, my favourite track is Ooweee - a story about a relationship with a woman which starts out purely sexual and describes the transition into something more (anyone can relate to this) and the problems that come along with it. His ability to mix crude sexual innuendo and political references is a great example of his skills:
"Besides her good company and sexual healing,
we had her downstairs neighbours banging on the ceiling,
I hate to play the role of the villain,
but long-term, this isn't the coalition of the willing".
If you like clever lyrics, good beats/soulful samples and top production, you will love this album.
If you like this I highly recommend a single he did called "One for the griot", which is a great example of his storytelling and ability to captivate the listener during a slightly dark tale of a sexual encounter. His song with the Handsome Boy Modelling School called "The Truth" is also superb, one verse but it's brilliantly written with some great word play managing to mix in latin sayings and legal meanings into a 1 minute blast.
0 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A glorious send off from J Dilla/Jay Dee with some of the most soulful productions J Dilla's ever laid down, and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Dwele, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others!
It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production and passionate rhymes from the honored guests.
A lot of the more abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP, are really on the outskirts of the sound here, a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds.
A true classic, go out and check it for yourself, you're be mad not too!
It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production and passionate rhymes from the honored guests.
A lot of the more abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP, are really on the outskirts of the sound here, a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds.
A true classic, go out and check it for yourself, you're be mad not too!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
J-Live "Then What Happened?"- 4.25 Stars
2 Jun 2008
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
J-Live's "Then What Happened?", is his long awaited fourth studio album. J-Live sounds a little different on this album, compared to his previous work. A J-Live album usually includes stellar lyrics backed by lackluster production. This one is slightly different. Although he still has hard-hitting, lyrical material, J-Live seems a little less inspired on this outing. Don't get me wrong, his lyrics and wordplay still excel many other artists, but he seems sort of lazy. Oh well, on to the production. As I previously stated, J-Live's albums usually have lackluster production. Well this attacks that theory and shows that an album by this man CAN include decent, if not great, production. If you don't believe me, listen to samples of "The Upgrade" and "The Last Third". The producers of the album include DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinna, Evil Dee, Nicolay, Marco Polo, and a few others. The guest appearances are limited to Oddisee and Posdanous (on "The Upgrade"), Oddy Gato, and Chali 2na. They all drop good verses. Nothing great, but definitely not forgettable. I've listened to the album twice so far, and it has great replay value. If you're looking to spend some money on a good album, this should be on your list!
Lyrics- 8.5/10
Production- 8.5/10
Guest Appearances- 8/10
Overall Sound- 8/10
4.13
-Shaun B.
Lyrics- 8.5/10
Production- 8.5/10
Guest Appearances- 8/10
Overall Sound- 8/10
4.13
-Shaun B.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
J-Live Takes A Lickin' And Keeps On Tickin' {4 ½ Stars}
26 Sep 2008
Format:Audio CD
When J-Live drops an album, you can expect a certain level of dopeness and consistency. He hasn't failed to meet that expectation, if you ask me -- well, one could argue that Reveal the Secret didn't meet those expectations, but I liked it. On Then What Happened, J-Live delivers another banger from the perspective of a man that has been battered and beaten by the record industry but still stands tall and delivers the goods. I don't know if this is the best production he's ever rhymed over -- mostly because All of the Above is one of my favorite rap albums ever -- but it's some of the best production on a J-Live album in quite some time. The highlight of the album, in my opinion, is "The Upgrade" which features Oddisee and De La's Posdnuos over some inspiring production. There are other highlights as well, but the entire album is solid from top to bottom.
As far as flaws, there's nothing on this album that one could call wack. For me, it's all tight from to bottom. That being said, there are one or two tracks that I skip every now and then because I have to be in the mood for them -- "Be No Slave", "What You Holdin", and "The Last Third", for example.
Then What Happened is one of the best rap releases of 2008, in my opinion. Sure, the production is nothing out of this world or groundbreaking, but all around output is nothing short of excellent. I recommend adding this album to your music collection.
Standout Tracks: It Don't Stop, We Are!, One to 31, The Upgrade feat. Oddisee & Posdnuos (My Favorite), The Zone feat. Chali 2na, and The Understanding
As far as flaws, there's nothing on this album that one could call wack. For me, it's all tight from to bottom. That being said, there are one or two tracks that I skip every now and then because I have to be in the mood for them -- "Be No Slave", "What You Holdin", and "The Last Third", for example.
Then What Happened is one of the best rap releases of 2008, in my opinion. Sure, the production is nothing out of this world or groundbreaking, but all around output is nothing short of excellent. I recommend adding this album to your music collection.
Standout Tracks: It Don't Stop, We Are!, One to 31, The Upgrade feat. Oddisee & Posdnuos (My Favorite), The Zone feat. Chali 2na, and The Understanding
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Everything you'd expect from J-Live
22 Jun 2008
Format:Audio CD
I agree with the other reviewer about many points except that J-Live's earlier albums lacked good production. "All of the Above" is roughly equal to his latest effort, and includes production by DJ Spinna, J-Live himself, and others. If you're going to buy one J-Live album, get "All of the Above." If you're going to buy two, get "Then What Happened?" Really, you'd be doing yourself a favor to get all of them. J-Live is one of the most consistent, hard-working emcees in the game, and the proof is in the pudding.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Music > Pop
- Music > Rap & Hip-Hop
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
