West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Marco on May 05, 2017, 06:53:01 PM
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1. Return of the Don
2. Mack Lean (feat. Fred The Godson & AG Da Corone)
3. Criminal Outfit (feat. Noreaga)
4. Wise Guys (feat. Fame of M.O.P. & Freeway)
5. Out for That Life (feat. Raekwon)
6. Times Up
7. Capitol Hill (feat. Manolo Rose, Sheek Louch & Cormega)
8. Running (feat. Termanology & Saigon)
9. World Is Mine (feat. KXNG Crooked, Willie The Kid & Pearl Gates)
10. Popped Off (feat. Sean Price & Ransom)
11. Rest In Peace (feat. Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn)
All songs produced by MoSS
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some of those features gotta go, other than that looking forward to hearing this
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Will check this. Moss is a dope producer. Kool G Rap is a good rapper too. :)
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Will be on the lookout for this
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https://www.youtube.com/v/Bh5akQSW1Vg
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G-Rap is going to murder it, it's on Moss to back it up with fire.
At least the producer wont be grabbing the mic from Giancanna on every song like the last album.
BOXTOROW Goes One on One Podcast: Kool G. Rap
He’s a pioneer in the rap game. His name is Kool G. Rap.
Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z are a few of the rappers that G Rap influenced. During his heyday, he was different than anyone that had been heard before, at least coming out of New York.
His street stories and sexual exploits on record are legendary. Teaming with DJ Polo, they were in the mold of Eric B. and Rakim, but harder.
G Rap is still in the game and doing his thing. On February 17, he did a show in the Poconos with Big Daddy Kane in a Juice Crew reunion of sorts.
G Rap appeared on the national radio program BOXTOROW w/ Donal Ware on SiriusXM Channel 141 and didn’t hold back, speaking on his career, rap and rappers today and his love for the sport of boxing.
G Rap spoke to Boxtorow Goes One on One on SiriusXM Radio. Interviewed by host Donal Ware, the “Ill Street Blues” creator revealed plans for his first solo album since 2011’s Riches, Royalty, Respect. “It’s called The Return Of A Don. It’s featuring many dope rappers, many dope MCs, and certain cats in the game who I consider more than just my peers in Hip-Hop, but actual brothers. [There are] names on there like Saigon, names on there like Raekwon, rest in peace to my man Sean Price, who I was fortunate enough to [record with] before he passed on to the Essence.” The legendary MC revealed that some remaining “red tape” is the only thing in the way of a confirmed date. “It’s coming soon though, baby.”
Listen to Podcast:
http://boxtorow.com/2017/02/one-on-one-with-kool-g-rap/
Single -
https://soundcloud.com/clockworkmusic-2/kool-g-rap-feat-fame-mop-freeway-wise-guys-produced-by-moss
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Looking forward to this , it will be a good month what with the pretty dope The World is Mind and then this.
Shame there's no news on the Rakim LP.
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Two weeks to go
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https://www.youtube.com/v/w08GUqyGuC0
Kool G Rap Shares Rare Stories On Nas, Big Pun + 2Pac & Speaks On New Album
https://www.youtube.com/v/nruLSK9W3WsHip-Hop royalty. The legend of rap. The OG of the culture. Today, Kool G Rap joined us on Sway in the Morning to talk about the rap game, how he would have handled beef back in the day, writers vs. ghost writers and more.
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The album has out. 8) Thoughts?
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The album has out. 8) Thoughts?
I've only listened to the World is Mine track so far and it was hardbody. Will check the full album asap
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the new vid with saigon and termanology is good!
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the new vid with saigon and termanology is good!
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my only minor complaints with this as I pretty much expected were that it was too short with too many features, with that being said it's still an enjoyable project... I'll probably buy a hard copy
1. Return of the Don
5. Out for That Life (feat. Raekwon)
6. Times Up
7. Capitol Hill (feat. Manolo Rose, Sheek Louch & Cormega)
11. Rest In Peace (feat. Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn)
I'd say those are my favorite joints from the album 8)
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LP is pretty dope.
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Best thing about this release is G-Rap blesses us with fresh verses.
Features are over the top and most of them just deny valuable space for G-Rap rapping time, cant call it a solo L.P.
Moss - He manages to get one or two grooves going.
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ordered the physical
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[Review] KOOL G RAP - "Return Of The Don"
1.0. Introduction to G Rap as a solo artist
If Kool G Rap would mumble-lisping nothing but double time flows over trap beats for the rest of his career from this point on, he would still and forever be one of Hip Hop's most cherished treasures. He helped change the game at least two or three times through an out-of-this-world wordplay that's out of this world, a delivery and cadence that is instantly recognizable, On top of that he brought mafioso and gangster rap to the East Coast and he did it damn beliveable over the hardest East Coast bangers you could imagine. And he is still doing his thing although his P.N.C. DJ Polo has stepped back from the scene. I'm a big fan of his three albums with DJ Polo which he made as part of The Juice Crew (meaning Marley Marl, Sir Jinx, Large Professor, Eric B and Trackmasters oversaw the end product).
1.1. "4.5.6" and "Roots of Evil"
In 1995 he decided to go for dolo - no Juice Crew, no DJ Polo, and the result was one of his hardest album of his career - taking multi-sylllables crime sagas to the next level over some of the ruggedest East Coast mid-'90s bangers signed Dr. Butcher, Naughty Shorts (remember him), T-Ray and Buckwild. As for guests his mission was to give some up-and-coming really talented cats their shine - how about MF Grimm, B-One and Nas, To me, "4,5,6" was the last all-around classic G Rap album, which is not to say that he han't dropped plenty of heat since but never this focused again.
For example in 1998 he dropped "Roots of Evil", getting away from his home town of NYC to fully record this gangsta epos in Arizona. There's plenty of hot stuff on this LP, especially considering it's a front-to-back concept album which is best experienced fully focused on with a pair of headphones on. Some of the beats aren't all that interesting, while some definitely are epic, but G Rap in his prime is one of the few emcees who can kill a mediocre beat and make a real jam out of it. Just check a song like "Hitman's Diary", "Home Sweet Funeral Home" (Papoose first session), "A Thug's Love Story Pts. 1,2,3" and so on. It's deifnitely a solid album, and an underrated one at that.
1.2. Making ends meet at Rawkus
Now throughout the years Giancana (i'm not even going to mention that was the travesty known as "The Giancana Story" on Rawkus) has in a way sold out his integrity for cash, appearing on several wack non-rappers that can't even the slightest bis e called rappers. The worse one was trust fund baby who got the trust fund money from his father to have The Kool Genius Of Rap not only spitting on his song but also appeared extremely uncomfortable in the music video. Luckily the video ís now blocked, but it took a couple of years. But we all got to make a living and the reason "The Giancana Story" failed was mainly due to A&R;s who didn't understand they had a legend on their hands. Just check out the solid 12" single "First Nigga", "The Streets", "Thug For Life", none songs that appeared on the final product despite being laced by DJ Premier, Buckwild and Younglord, respectively. At the same time he dropped impressive verses on Big L's "The Big Picture" and the Reflection Eternal LP.
2.0. REVIEW: Return Of The Don (2017)
01. Return of the Don
It's been a few years since Giancana dropped an album as cohessive as this. Right of the bat we get a bass heavy joint that just over a minut give us the entire narrative of what to expecta. Ater a sample from a concert where the crowd is shouting in hype to summon the artist in question, The bass melody, slamming drums and the low-key opera vocals running behind the strong voice of G Rap is just acceerate, As it's one of the only solo cuts on the album one wish it was longer. But a solid opening that sets the tone nonetheless.
02. Mack Lean (Ft. Fred The Godson & AG Da Coroner)
The drums are hard but the flute sample give the song an exotic vibe to it. G Rap sets it off nicely with some choice quotes but once Fred The Godson and AG Da Coroner the discrepancie between an excellent emcee and the standard rappers becomes very apparant. Usually you want to start your apbum with a banger that will give you the straight up strink-face. For some reason G Rap decided to kick things off with the weaiest cut on the project.
03. Criminal Outfit (Ft. Noreaga)
Now we're talking! "Niggas want to juks us, turn 'em to pressure cookers", and shouting out 5 Family Click and even N.O.R.E. comes through. Something I noticed about NORE, on a solo record he can spit some real amateur bars but when he's got something to prove ("Hate" with Blaq Poet, this with G Rap, the joints with Big Pun) he can really step up to the plate. The percussion beat is pure excellence, and the mixture of dark synthesizers and electric guitars create an agressive mood just perfect for the album. Ir's no wonder that Mo$$ is the only producer not affiliated with Year Round that's signed a production deal with DJ Premier and here he really proves he can hang with the legends for a full album.
04. Wise Guys (Ft.Lil' Fame, Freeway & Statk Selekthah)
The first single releaed from the project and it's easy to see why. This could've come straight from "4,5,6"; straight up boom bap with a hard jazz flavor, excellent drum and bass combo with a beautiful soulful vocal sample. Giancana and Freeway delivers that real shit, Lil' Fame is always great to hear but he sort of sound like he's on Autopilot here. The dot over the I is definitely Statik Selektah turntable wizardry on the hook - I really wish he or Premier had supplied more turntable work here, but you can¨t win them all. All around an excellent joint.
05. Time's Up
Following on the uptempo boom bap posse cut that was "Wise Guy", the bass and drums is all agressive, only slightly breaking up for a nice soulful vocal sample and an electric organ loop reminiscent of Bo Hansson. Best of all this is one (of only two songs on the entire project) that stands as a G Rap solo song and as such he makes the most of it. And so does MoSS.
06. Out For That Life (Ft. Raekwon)
Moss and G Rap is an excellent combination, that much is clear by now. Keyboards, drums, bass, strings, organ and flutes creates a fascinating soundbed that both G Rap and guest Raekwon makes the most of. These two should undoubtedly make an album together as their styles go together like fish in water..
07. Capitol Hill (Ft. Sheek Louch & Cormega)
Another excellent G Rap collaboration on the short project and both lyrically and muscally it makes the most of the ocassion as it might just be the hardest joint on the entire LP. Sheek Louch doesn't have the lyrical grace of Giancana or 'M3ta but if we're talking sheer energy and street presence he sounds right at home on here. And they obviously decided to end this with a big red cherry on top as Cormega drops the illest verse on the entire track - "Equal opportunity was merily a dream/ The illegal life influenced me I reacted like a savage who's been civilized. Seen Rikers as a rite of passage/ My mind adaptated to supplying packets and writing raps quite emphatically/ I tramped over Tragedy/ Understanding the clarity, helped to see/inaccurate excpect to see the half of me gradually proved wrong, gradually proven wrong/ substantiay it merely an excuse to be mad at me/ it sucks to come after me/ Sheek and G Rap smashed this beat drastically/ if not for rapping B, a siniliar reality the listener in particular in the street..." What a monster of a track too, MoSS beats are constantly excellent and G Rap has gathered some of the finest emcees in the game and even then there's no question who's the most taented spitter on this album. This album, although short, is a true blessing.
08. Running (Ft. Termanology &
I'm not too big fan of Termanology, its just something about him that bugs me, and I think he's way weaker than the other guests and the main artist here. That's not to say he is bad, and MoSS boom bap beat and sampled saxophone and piano keys create a nostalgic piece that really wotks well. However, theres a big discrepancie between G Rap and Termanology. Term got some nice punchline, but G Rap got lines which sounds truly one with the music, his voice over that marvelous saxophone sample is just something else.. Hardly filler and luckily we get a solid Sagon verse to boost.
09. The World is Mine( (Ft. Willie The Kid, Crooked I & Pearl Gates)
This is the obligatory posse cut featuring Willie The Kid and Pearl Gate and of course KING Crooked, and it's an intriguintg soul infected boom bap affair. Not the strongest song on the LP but Moss comes through and so does Willie The Kid. As a stand-alone it's far from a standout but as part of this album it works very well. Overall it's a very good, thought-out album both from a lyrical and production stand point. I for one hope that MoSS ajd G Rap will ccontiue in thiis vein. They certainly got chemistry,
10. Popped Off (Ft, Sean Price & Ransom)
Sean Price, Ransom appear on antother posse cut near the end of the album and they all sound good over this soulful, melodic production that MoSS cooks up. The sampled chorus sounds really natural and add a lot to the overal song. Sean Price absolutely murders this agresivvely as only he can and my guess is it's a tribute to this fallen legend as Giancana doesn't even appear on the track, leaving it all to Sean P and his ight hand man..
11. Rest in Peace (Ft. Conway & The Machine
Oh shit! This is a slamming outro, just like he did with "4,5,6" and "Roots Of Evil" G Rap invites up-and-coming very talented emcees and MoSS goes all out with unpredictable HARD ass drums, an addictive bassline, wah-wah guitars, and G Rap getting his most agressive flow on."Where I'm from it's poverty stricken/ For you to make it out you need to win a lottery ticket/ I set my eyes on my goal like a robbery visit/ mad dissapointed to set the shit, You got to be kidding/ had to unleash the beast to be a side of me flipping... Rest in peace!", Again it's a short, agressive cut and talented but relative newcomer Conway and Westside Gunn definitely hold their own almost as well as tje star of the shoe. Very good album closer for what is esentially G Rap's best LP in years.
3.0. CONSLUSION
This album comes highly recommended, it's one of G Rap's msot cohessive albums in several years. Bangers upon bangers upon bangers, certainly no weak verses, delivereis, guests, cuts or beats here. Let's hope MoSS and Giancana will continue to work as this is about as good as it gets. The guests, while I wouldn't mind 2-3 G rap solo sogs more all come through. It's evident they had something to prove rhyming wiht one of the true Hip Hop legends. Don't sleep on this release, Easily a very strong 4/5 rating.
[claaa7]
Kool G Rap :: Return of the Don :: Full Mettle/Clockwork Music
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon
[Return of the Don] Respect for Kool G Rap is such in hip-hop that stories about him are apocryphal after over 30 years in the rap game. One such tale holds that Christopher Rios, the late great Big Pun, held him in such high esteem that he bowed down and kissed the ring on G Rap's hand when they met, a story G Rap later confirmed. Even if it was still out there in the unverified sphere that story would still come to mind when one sees that G Rap's new album is entitled "Retun of the Don." That's the homage one would pay a "don," a title bestowed upon men of honor and seniority, an honorific befitting an elder statesman who has earned that level of admiration and loyalty.
Nathaniel Wilson is just such a man both in and outside the confines of the music industry. Even though he tells the grittiest and grimiest of street poetry through his oratory, he does so as a skilled professional and conducts his business the same way. There's a reason you don't hear tales about G Rap being caught up in drama situations - he doesn't put himself on blast like that. As G would say himself he "keeps it 100" in all ways - musically and personally - so he gets respect as both a highly skilled lyricist and a wise business man that is a legend of the business. The title "don" should not be thrown around lightly, nor should any such honorific, but nothing in G Rap's life suggests it isn't befitting for him.
Speaking of respect, hip-hop producer MoSS decided to do his own version of "kissing the ring" by producing all of G Rap's new album from start to finish. In modern day rap it's increasingly rare to have that kind of one-to-one relationship between artist and producer, when it's all about shopping for the hottest talent or biggest names who can pop off singles for you, but it bears repeating that G Rap is a respected veteran so he doesn't need to go out like that. People will come to him and say "I can make a hot beat for you to rap on" and he can simply pick and choose who to work with, and he obviously liked MoSS enough to trust him with the entirety of "Return of the Don." He wasn't wrong to do so.
From the album's self-titled opener, we see G Rap flexing in a classic fashion, flowing over an eerie backdrop reminiscent of a mid-1990's Mobb Deep song, which makes it almost disappointing the song ends so quickly -- ALMOST. The fact it's immediately followed up by the lilting flute samples of "Mack Lean" makes up for it, with MoSS channeling his inner-Beatnuts. The song's chorus seems a bit phoned in, but the guest bars from Fred The Godson are on point. "Your MacBook was a computer, mines was a manual." You're doing something right when your punchlines stand out on a G Rap track.
There are no shortage of cameos from fellow rappers showing their affection for G Rap on his first solo album since 2011 and first since The Godfathers team up with Necro in 2013. You hear Fame (M.O.P.) and Freeway on "Wise Guys," Saigon and Termanology on "Running," an ill "Capitol Hill" team up with Cormega and Sheek Louch, and even the late Sean Price pops up on "Popped Off" along with Ransom.
As Mr. Wilson nears his 50's I'm checking for any signs that he might be slipping. That's not to show the "Don" any lack of respect, but because in any competitive field you can only stay at the apex for so long. Michael Jordan isn't still winning NBA championships. Tiger Woods isn't still winning the majors. Rampage Jackson was ferocious in his prime, but there are young lions hungrier than him in MMA today. The fact that G Rap is still in there with the wolves is yet another testament to how he has "leader of the pack" status. I'd be overstating it though if I claimed G Rap flowed with the ferocity of his "Road to the Riches" and "Bad to the Bone" days. The good news is that rather than force something that would be unnatural, G Rap adapts and flows at a measured pace, while still packing the same intensity of inflection and attention to detail of years past. G Rap songs are like movies. He lets you see everything through the lens of LeFrak City, Queens.
"Return" is just as apt in the album's title as "Don," because a new G Rap album is a welcomed appearance from a voice that some of us have known since childhood. The danger for me is that comes with an inherent bias. Young heads who didn't grow up hearing the legends about G Rap might not realize how influential he is as an artist and not venerate him the way us older cats do, and we might pay him too MUCH respect based on hazy rose-colored memories of his classics. Thankfully I think even G Rap can split the difference by working with a seasoned producer like MoSS and bringing in enough outside talent that he doesn't have to carry the entire load of this album by himself. As such I can rate "Return of the Don" a success. It's not the best or most important album of his career, but it's solid from start to finish.
Music Vibes: 7.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 7.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 7.5 of 10
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hiphopdx: http://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.2958/title.review-kool-g-raps-return-of-the-don-suits-nyc-90s-hip-hop-heads