I'm going to keep that El-P line on my list. For him to go from battle rapping to a random dis to the Houston Rockets is still quite bizarre. He did it just because it rhymes, but it's not enough of an excuse.
I base all my ratings on how much I personally enjoy a project, and I'm just not really a fan of the type of music Reks make. For those who like that gritty east coast new age boom bap sound, Reks is certainly one of the best to do it these days, but I just don't really enjoy that sound as much as other. So the 2/5 is a reflection of whether or not I'd go back and listen to it myself, not really a statement on whether I think other people will like it.
Thanks for the props for my Gatalog review! I had a lot of fun listening to that album. I still put a lot of it in my iPod every time I refill it. I find it bizarre that I hadn't heard of Celph at all before the 1990 Now internet hype got me interested. When you look at how far back the Gatalog goes, it's crazy that even dudes like myself who don't know that much about 'underground rap' hadn't heard that much about him before. I actually recognised him from his brief Fort Minor cameo and that was it...
As for Nineteen Ninety Now, I loved it. I felt like it was a brilliant summing-up of all the ways Celph had killed it in the last decade, plus an added dimension that he showed it some of the 'calmer' tracks. I haven't started a review yet, but I can't see myself giving it less than 4.0, probably 4.5.
The only thing I felt was perhaps a little 'off' about it was that it seemed Celph had gone for a 90s theme too overtly on the guests. His criteria seemed to be 'were these guys big in the 90s?' rather than 'can these guys still tear up the mic?' Granted most of the guests more than held their own (that Chino XL shit is ridiculous) but I can't help but think that some of his AOTP homies would have been better suited than a couple of the 90s cats. But then again, Apathy, Dutchmassive and Majik Most were on it, so we can't say he's totally turning his back on his past.
And as for the 'fuck the 90s nostalgia' crowd, gotta say that I feel beats THAT dope are dope in ANY era. And I feel they stack with Buckwild's best work, Big L would have been pissed if he lived to hear that album: "You mean you forgot to give these to ME??"
As for Nineteen Ninety Now, I loved it. I felt like it was a brilliant summing-up of all the ways Celph had killed it in the last decade, plus an added dimension that he showed it some of the 'calmer' tracks. I haven't started a review yet, but I can't see myself giving it less than 4.0, probably 4.5.
The only thing I felt was perhaps a little 'off' about it was that it seemed Celph had gone for a 90s theme too overtly on the guests. His criteria seemed to be 'were these guys big in the 90s?' rather than 'can these guys still tear up the mic?' Granted most of the guests more than held their own (that Chino XL shit is ridiculous) but I can't help but think that some of his AOTP homies would have been better suited than a couple of the 90s cats. But then again, Apathy, Dutchmassive and Majik Most were on it, so we can't say he's totally turning his back on his past.
And as for the 'fuck the 90s nostalgia' crowd, gotta say that I feel beats THAT dope are dope in ANY era. And I feel they stack with Buckwild's best work, Big L would have been pissed if he lived to hear that album: "You mean you forgot to give these to ME??"