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Ghostface Killah - Twelve Reasons To Die
- Thread in 'Music' Thread starter Started by geministar,
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Again..
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Between $20-25. St. Louis show was $20 in advance. He also has the Cassette Tape, as well as the 12RTD vinyl (album and instrumental) on sale. In addition, he had Supreme Clientele on vinyl, which I purchased.
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2 very on point reviews of this:
Original Version
Brown Tape Version
Original Version
Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge :: Twelve Reasons to Die :: Soul Temple Entertainment
Now that most of the greatest rappers from the 90s are about 40 years old, this generation is at a major crossroads. While many rappers from this era still possess the skills to release music consistently, they must find a way to reinvent themselves enough to remain fresh, but not so much that they alienate their fan base. Around 2007, I noticed a trend among successful rappers pushing 40 – they told stories. Jay-Z released the narrative-driven "American Gangster," and found himself rapping about the same stuff he did in the mid-90s, but with a fresh, even wiser, approach. Slug, of the indie rap mainstay, Atmosphere has found himself rapping about other people's lives rather than his own on recent releases. And The Roots' latest LP "undun" was a concept album where Black Thought (and the album's guest rappers) channeled the mind of a young Philly man named Redford Stevens. With Ghostface Killah's tenth studio album "Twelve Reasons to Die," Ghost takes on this method of extended storytelling, which helps make this record his best since 2006's "Fishscale."
With Ghostface's acute attention for details and imaginative storytelling that he's displayed over the course of his 20 year career, it's almost surprising that he's never tried a full-blown concept album before. He has played a major role in Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" and its sequel, both of which feature a loose narrative, but "Twelve Reasons" features a well-plotted and extremely focused storyline that serves as both a strength and weakness for this record. The story is based in 1960s Italy, and without giving too much away, it tells the story of love, betrayal and revenge. Ghost sticks to the narrative outlined by producer Adrian Younge and executive Bob Power, which makes the story easy to follow, but also takes away from some of the dynamism of Ghost's lyrical prowess.
What really makes this record unique and powerful is Younge's production. Only months after producing a great Delphonics record, he perfectly executes the sound of early RZA with live instrumentation, which is not so much cinematic as it is theatrical. The album plays like an opera with over-the-top singing, which in another setting could be extremely off putting (especially to your standard hip hop fan), but on "Twelve Reasons" sets the scene perfectly. Ghost and fellow Wu members such as U-God, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa complement Younge's theatrics flawlessly. Ghost sets up the story nicely on "Rise of the Black Suits":
"Young aggressor, born into the life of crime
I would walk down the streets strapped with two nines
***** smacking, jacking ******, G dub stacking figures
Police drive by, I was click clacking triggers
Jay DeLuca put me with the fam to grow
I was a boss amongst white boys rocking the flow
I had ****, bankrolls and minks by the dozen
My rise to power was quick, they just wasn't
Trying to make me a made man, they ****** up the game plan
I blacked out on them and started my own clan
Black Gambino, black suits, black Syndicate
My crime fam was tight, every move was intricate
The coke was brought in from by bad Colombian mules
Gorgeous women that I draped down in jewels
Streets fight started, mafia wars in Italy
Crime fam against fam and no one could do diddly"
Another lyrical standout performance is "The Center of Attraction," where Ghost talks about falling in love with a member of the DeLuca family, and Cappadonna tries to tell him that she's a "set up chick."
"Twelve Reasons to Die" comes at a perfect time in Ghostface Killah's career. After releasing solid, but increasingly forgettable albums like "Apollo Kids" and the collaborative LP "Wu Block," he was finding himself in sort of a routine. Lyrically he is still sharp as ever (as he displayed on his show-stealing performance on Kanye and Pusha's "New God Flow"), but this collaboration with Adrian Younge served as a perfect rut-buster to pull him out of that stagnant state. While most of these songs probably can't stand out alone, the project on the whole is a great addition to an already great catalog of one of hip hop's finest artists.
[COLOR=#red]Music Vibes: 9.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 9 of 10[/COLOR]
Originally posted: April 30th, 2013
Now that most of the greatest rappers from the 90s are about 40 years old, this generation is at a major crossroads. While many rappers from this era still possess the skills to release music consistently, they must find a way to reinvent themselves enough to remain fresh, but not so much that they alienate their fan base. Around 2007, I noticed a trend among successful rappers pushing 40 – they told stories. Jay-Z released the narrative-driven "American Gangster," and found himself rapping about the same stuff he did in the mid-90s, but with a fresh, even wiser, approach. Slug, of the indie rap mainstay, Atmosphere has found himself rapping about other people's lives rather than his own on recent releases. And The Roots' latest LP "undun" was a concept album where Black Thought (and the album's guest rappers) channeled the mind of a young Philly man named Redford Stevens. With Ghostface Killah's tenth studio album "Twelve Reasons to Die," Ghost takes on this method of extended storytelling, which helps make this record his best since 2006's "Fishscale."
With Ghostface's acute attention for details and imaginative storytelling that he's displayed over the course of his 20 year career, it's almost surprising that he's never tried a full-blown concept album before. He has played a major role in Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" and its sequel, both of which feature a loose narrative, but "Twelve Reasons" features a well-plotted and extremely focused storyline that serves as both a strength and weakness for this record. The story is based in 1960s Italy, and without giving too much away, it tells the story of love, betrayal and revenge. Ghost sticks to the narrative outlined by producer Adrian Younge and executive Bob Power, which makes the story easy to follow, but also takes away from some of the dynamism of Ghost's lyrical prowess.
What really makes this record unique and powerful is Younge's production. Only months after producing a great Delphonics record, he perfectly executes the sound of early RZA with live instrumentation, which is not so much cinematic as it is theatrical. The album plays like an opera with over-the-top singing, which in another setting could be extremely off putting (especially to your standard hip hop fan), but on "Twelve Reasons" sets the scene perfectly. Ghost and fellow Wu members such as U-God, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa complement Younge's theatrics flawlessly. Ghost sets up the story nicely on "Rise of the Black Suits":
"Young aggressor, born into the life of crime
I would walk down the streets strapped with two nines
***** smacking, jacking ******, G dub stacking figures
Police drive by, I was click clacking triggers
Jay DeLuca put me with the fam to grow
I was a boss amongst white boys rocking the flow
I had ****, bankrolls and minks by the dozen
My rise to power was quick, they just wasn't
Trying to make me a made man, they ****** up the game plan
I blacked out on them and started my own clan
Black Gambino, black suits, black Syndicate
My crime fam was tight, every move was intricate
The coke was brought in from by bad Colombian mules
Gorgeous women that I draped down in jewels
Streets fight started, mafia wars in Italy
Crime fam against fam and no one could do diddly"
Another lyrical standout performance is "The Center of Attraction," where Ghost talks about falling in love with a member of the DeLuca family, and Cappadonna tries to tell him that she's a "set up chick."
"Twelve Reasons to Die" comes at a perfect time in Ghostface Killah's career. After releasing solid, but increasingly forgettable albums like "Apollo Kids" and the collaborative LP "Wu Block," he was finding himself in sort of a routine. Lyrically he is still sharp as ever (as he displayed on his show-stealing performance on Kanye and Pusha's "New God Flow"), but this collaboration with Adrian Younge served as a perfect rut-buster to pull him out of that stagnant state. While most of these songs probably can't stand out alone, the project on the whole is a great addition to an already great catalog of one of hip hop's finest artists.
[COLOR=#red]Music Vibes: 9.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 9 of 10[/COLOR]
Originally posted: April 30th, 2013
Brown Tape Version
Ghostface Killah & Apollo Brown :: Twelve Reasons to Die - The Brown Tape :: Soul Temple Entertainment
Last week I covered Ghostface Killah's tenth solo LP, "Twelve Reasons to Die." The project featured production from Adrian Younge, and I said it was Ghost's best album since "Fishscale." This week I will be covering the alternate version of that album, "Twelve Reasons to Die: The Brown Tape." I decided that this album deserved its own review because while it features the same performance from Ghostface Killah, the end product is something very different.
Apollo Brown was asked by Soul Temple Records to record an alternate version of the Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge album. Originally this was supposed to only be available on cassette tape (still waiting on mine to come in the mail), hence "The Brown Tape." Apollo Brown did not create a remix album; he was given Ghostface Killah's acapellas and constructed beats around his verses. Brown said the album was one of the most challenging projects he's ever done, but it's also one of his best releases to date.
In 2012 Brown released projects with OC and Guilty Simpson. He has really started to become one of hip hop's best producers, but if there was any knock against the Detroit beatsmith, it was that his productions all have a similar sound and formula (one could give the same argument about DJ Premier). On "The Brown Tape," Brown shows off his versatility that he hasn't in previous projects he's worked on. He also creates a completely different vibe than Younge's version of the album, which is very necessary. Even though Younge's version has received great acclaim, there are many who may not enjoy that style of production. And for those people you have "The Brown Tape."
"The Brown Tape" is a much more traditional approach to a hip hop album than Younge's operatic version. Brown's production features his staples: slow driving and haunting vocal samples on "Beware of the Stare" and an excellent horn chop on "I Declare War." But that's not the only sound he uses on the record. On "An Unexpected Call," "The Sure Shot (part 1)" and "Rise of the Black Suits" he uses stripped down blues guitar samples. "The Center of Attraction" has a delicate piano sample, that perfectly matches Ghost's raps about falling in love with a member of the DeLuca family - his enemy. The beat appropriately switches up when Cappadonna warns Ghost that she is no good.
There is not a single weak beat on the album, but having heard Younge's version prior to Brown's version, there are some things that seem to be missing on "The Brown Tape." Most of the tracks run pretty short, and Brown does do a good job of adding occasional movie dialog to fill the void, but there still seems to be something missing on a few of the tracks. On "Enemies All Around Me," William Hart's brilliant hook is sorely missed, despite an excellent beat.
But at the same time there are a few songs on "The Brown Tape" that I prefer. "Revenge is Sweet" and "Murder Spree" are two of the weaker moments on Younge's version. But with an awesomely frantic vocal sample "Revenge" and a sultry, soulful sample on "Murder Spree," he makes these two tracks highlights rather than low points.
While Apollo Brown's production is excellent throughout, I still prefer Younge's version. Ghost does an excellent job at telling a specific story on "Twelve Reasons," which is why I gave the raps such a high score. But overall, this wasn't his strongest effort lyrically. On Younge's version, Ghost's occasional shortcomings are less noticeable behind Younge's lush live instrumentation. On Brown's more raw, traditional hip hop production, Ghost's weaker verses are entirely more noticeable. Ghost does sound great over Brown's productions, and I think the two would make a better combo when Ghost is less restricted by narratives and plots.
[COLOR=#red]Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10[/COLOR]
Originally posted: May 7th, 2013
Last week I covered Ghostface Killah's tenth solo LP, "Twelve Reasons to Die." The project featured production from Adrian Younge, and I said it was Ghost's best album since "Fishscale." This week I will be covering the alternate version of that album, "Twelve Reasons to Die: The Brown Tape." I decided that this album deserved its own review because while it features the same performance from Ghostface Killah, the end product is something very different.
Apollo Brown was asked by Soul Temple Records to record an alternate version of the Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge album. Originally this was supposed to only be available on cassette tape (still waiting on mine to come in the mail), hence "The Brown Tape." Apollo Brown did not create a remix album; he was given Ghostface Killah's acapellas and constructed beats around his verses. Brown said the album was one of the most challenging projects he's ever done, but it's also one of his best releases to date.
In 2012 Brown released projects with OC and Guilty Simpson. He has really started to become one of hip hop's best producers, but if there was any knock against the Detroit beatsmith, it was that his productions all have a similar sound and formula (one could give the same argument about DJ Premier). On "The Brown Tape," Brown shows off his versatility that he hasn't in previous projects he's worked on. He also creates a completely different vibe than Younge's version of the album, which is very necessary. Even though Younge's version has received great acclaim, there are many who may not enjoy that style of production. And for those people you have "The Brown Tape."
"The Brown Tape" is a much more traditional approach to a hip hop album than Younge's operatic version. Brown's production features his staples: slow driving and haunting vocal samples on "Beware of the Stare" and an excellent horn chop on "I Declare War." But that's not the only sound he uses on the record. On "An Unexpected Call," "The Sure Shot (part 1)" and "Rise of the Black Suits" he uses stripped down blues guitar samples. "The Center of Attraction" has a delicate piano sample, that perfectly matches Ghost's raps about falling in love with a member of the DeLuca family - his enemy. The beat appropriately switches up when Cappadonna warns Ghost that she is no good.
There is not a single weak beat on the album, but having heard Younge's version prior to Brown's version, there are some things that seem to be missing on "The Brown Tape." Most of the tracks run pretty short, and Brown does do a good job of adding occasional movie dialog to fill the void, but there still seems to be something missing on a few of the tracks. On "Enemies All Around Me," William Hart's brilliant hook is sorely missed, despite an excellent beat.
But at the same time there are a few songs on "The Brown Tape" that I prefer. "Revenge is Sweet" and "Murder Spree" are two of the weaker moments on Younge's version. But with an awesomely frantic vocal sample "Revenge" and a sultry, soulful sample on "Murder Spree," he makes these two tracks highlights rather than low points.
While Apollo Brown's production is excellent throughout, I still prefer Younge's version. Ghost does an excellent job at telling a specific story on "Twelve Reasons," which is why I gave the raps such a high score. But overall, this wasn't his strongest effort lyrically. On Younge's version, Ghost's occasional shortcomings are less noticeable behind Younge's lush live instrumentation. On Brown's more raw, traditional hip hop production, Ghost's weaker verses are entirely more noticeable. Ghost does sound great over Brown's productions, and I think the two would make a better combo when Ghost is less restricted by narratives and plots.
[COLOR=#red]Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10[/COLOR]
Originally posted: May 7th, 2013
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12 Reasons To Die: Bringing The Ruckus To Comics
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Got tickets to the Tampa show, anybody else going?
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Yeah I'll be there. Going to buy a ticket at the door.
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The Brown Tape > 12RTD
