Revisited Scarface's discography

[Dre-Day]

Good review, about check out the album now, but the black on navy is reeeally hard to read.

is this better:

Chad Vader's review of Scarface; Emeritus

Scarface - Emeritus-(Non Grouprip)-[Explicit]-2008


01. Intro (Feat. J. Prince) Produced by Mike Dean
Classic J.Prince intro... He always got some shit on his mind.
4/5
02. High Powered Produced by N.O. Joe audio link
Tight beat,love the transforming (scratch effect),not sure about the hook. It's a little corny,but it has grown on me (it leaked months ago),so I let it go 
4/5
03. Forgot About Me (Feat. Lil Wayne & Bun B) Produced by Cool & Dre audio link
Don't really like the drums on this,the soul sample is dope though.
1.5/5
04. Can't Get Right Produced by Nottz
Wow,Nottz produced this? Shit got classic organ synth that Houston is known for (especially UGK). Bilal and Face blend with the beat perfect.
4.5/5
05. Still Here Produced by Nottz
Ohhhh,wow another tight Nottz.... the beat is out of this world. Loving it,again Face kills it.... and the hook  ohhh weeee.
4.5/5
It's. It’s Not A Game Produced by Illmind
Dope pounding piano driven beat,I canīt believe it.... Face,the hook....  and the breakdown on the third verse,loving it.
4.5/5
07. Who Are They Produced by Illminimalistic
A minalistic beat,but still jamming.... and nice to see K-Rino getting Don'tshine. Donīt sleep on K-Rino,heīs tight.
4/5
08. Soldier Story Produced by Tone Capone
A smooth track,Iīm a little bothered by the high hats though. Might be grower. 
3/5
09. Redemption Song Produced by N.O. Joe
Dope,but again it sounds like a grower.
3.5/5
10. High Note Produced by Jake One
A feel good joint.... could easily be a single if it wasnīt for the explicit content of the lyrics
4/5
11. We Need You Produced by N.O. Joe
Loving the "submarine sounding synth".... Iīm sure there will some controversy over the content of the lyrics.  (itīs about Lil Troy)
3.5/5
12. Unexpected Produced by Sha Money XL
I love pan flutes,shit sound so nice over Hip Hop beats. Needless to say that Face kills it 
4.5/5
13. Emeritus Produced by Scram Jones audio link
A little "messy" beat,but dope never the less.
3.5/5
14. Outro Produced by Mike Dean
Same as intro... it ends the album nice.
4/5

Conclusion and overall rating;
Let me start off with WOW,this took me a little off guard. 
For those that know me here,they know that Iīm a critical ass  .... in my opinion most albums these days is on some average ass shit or below that.
Lets be real,when cats think Ego Trippinīis dope,you know that the state of Hip Hop is in emergency  .
So when Face delivers a stellar album after a close to 20 year long career,it naturally took me off guard.
Not that thereīs any reason for me to doubt Face,but you know.... 
Itīs easily one of the best album's of 2008,but itīs too early to rate it fairly either way.
If I look over my track by track rating,itīs clearly a 4/5 album.... but somehow I want to give it 4.5/5. 
But I go for 4/5,only time will tell if it deserves a notch up 
Rating; 4 out of 5




Related links;
Scarface; Emeritus 18 minutes album sampler
+
Top Albums of 2008 so far.....

[Lunatic]

K.Rino gets a lot of love down south Chad; i didn't really man on here particularly, just down south fans in general have been waitin for this 1.

[Lunatic]

^www.wordofsouth.com/myblock  is the other forum i'm apart of; k.dub is there 2..rino is like a god on there..

[Lunatic]

^ya, its a great forum though

[OchoCinco]

somebody want to throw me a pm.

[West Coast Veteran]

Shit is fire. Definitely better than Made. Not on the level of The Last Of A Dying Breed or The Fix, both personal classics.

[K.Dub]

But one thing bothered me  .... where's the search engine?  is that a members only thing or what? 

I guess so, kinda sucks.
And I can't create threads there lol. I only got 28 posts. I know it's a good way to keep bs threads coming up, but damn.

[Chad Vader]

K.Rino gets a lot of love down south Chad; I didn't really mean on here particularly, just down south fans in general have been waiting for this 1.

OK,it's just that the comment didn't make any sense what so ever here  I know very well that K-Rino is highly regarded down south 
that why I said; 

So assume you guys browse some other message boards

That said I'm glad,you guys recognize him... 

^ www.wordofsouth.com/myblock  is the other forum I'm apart of; k.dub is there 2..rino is like a god on there..

Tight... Like I said before I got more than enough with DubCC....
and my "compulsive disorder" to keep shit organized would go crazy if I had to keep another account "clean" 
But I see that they have RSS feeds,so will subscribe to it... you never know if some interesting shit is posted there.

^ya, its a great forum though

I browsed trough a couple of pages,checked a couple of threads... it's alright I guess.
But one thing bothered me  .... where's the search engine?  is that a members only thing or what? 

But one thing bothered me  .... where's the search engine?  is that a members only thing or what? 

I guess so, kinda sucks.
And I can't create threads there lol. I only got 28 posts. I know it's a good way to keep BS threads coming up, but damn.

what?  damn... one other thing that bothered me is that only the first post came up when I entered a thread,then there was a gang of options  ..... before I could move on to read the replies 

I just finished bumpin' the album...
I knew it was gonna be dope because Face never disappoints but the album was just  ...way beyond my expectations,
I agree with Chad and Lunatic basically... every track goes hard, it shits all over Made which was also a dope album...
this is easily top 3 albums of the year without question

yep 

I know I will be in FYE supporting Scarface and coppin' this on Tuesday, I don't even give a fuck if I'm low on cash at the moment 

One of the few albums this year that deserves to be supported 
Remember the change start we "you/us"..... so support the things that "you" feel deserves support.
I know I will support this 

oh yeah and FUCK XXL for rating this album an L, they are officially off crack and on heroin for that one

What? is it online? link,if not post a scan  .
I respect their opinion,but even objectively... damn  the the lowest I would go is 3.5.
The thing is.... "official" reviews/opinions should be objective.

Related thread;
So what west coast albums is missing from The Source Magazines classic list? *POLL* (about Hip Hop media's biased ass subjective reviews)

[Lunatic]

^yes..cause 8/10 or 4/5 is such a common review given for rap albums now a days..it's like every damn album gets an 8..this is better than most albums..

[Chad Vader]

http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/12/01/20730271.aspx

Rating: 8 Stars

The day when an esteemed professional retires is normally a time filled with proud reflection. In Scarface, we witness a legendary emcee coming to the end of a decorated career not with contentment, but with disdain for what the music industry and Hip-Hop culture have morphed into.

It’s undeniable the scene has drastically altered since Face’s national introduction to fans on 1989’s Grip It! On That Other Level, but the Houston native never lost his keen eye for analyzing the psychosis of street life. And now on his reputed final opus Emeritus (Rap-A-Lot), Scarface aims to leave a definitive statement to close his twenty plus year career.

A humorous, long-winded J-Prince intro launches the LP. In it, the respected Rap-A-Lot CEO reflects in detail on his recent legal troubles and a favorite topic of Scarface and himself, snitches. After taking the millionth shot at their hated rival Lil Troy, the album transitions into the funky, Papa Rue assisted “High Powered.” Here, ‘Face easily meshes the beat with the persona of a vengeful hustler looking for revenge against a snitch rival.

Cool and Dre contribute an orchestral soul sample to “Forgot About Me,” a sleeper candidate for the best all-star collaboration of the year. Lil Wayne delivers a concise verse in terms of flow and direction, while Bun B ups the ante further by effortlessly alternating between standard rhyme scheme and rhyming couplets throughout his verse. Face shows no problems keeping upon his turn, as he speaks on his defiance to assimilate to fleeting Hip-Hop trends: “I can breathe into the hood and they can feel my pain / And even though they try to change me / I remain the same”.

Political commentary also maintains a voice on Emeritus. With a serviceable Bilal on the hook, “Can’t Get Right” has Scarface dexterously connecting inner-city poverty/violence, the Iraq War, and the economy. Over the bluesy Nottz production of “Still Here,” Scarface details how he survived the perils of the ghetto, but also offers detailed stories from the nameless many that didn’t.

Houston’s finest next takes aim at the futility of street life with “It’s Not A Game.” Face takes the listener to the underworld by crafting graphic verses that alternate between third and second person while chronicling the physical, psychological, and spiritual price of hustling.

The mood of the album picks back up on “Redemption Song” and “High Note.” Scarface uses the former to educate the new school on his resume and pedigree as an elite emcee over a plodding but catchy piano rhythm. On the latter, a violin-powered sample provides the backdrop for Face’s tongue-in-cheek boasts of how his sexual prowess leads to women hitting Minnie Riperton-esque notes. Long-time fans will appreciate the raunchy tradition of this song that harkens back to previous Face entries like “F*ck Faces” and “Goin’ Down.”

For the finale, Scarface deconstructs Scram Jones’ classic boom-bap production on the title track “Emeritus.” Comfortably discarding any remnants of humility, Face boldly defines his own legacy and placement in Hip-Hop history.

Aside from an occasional track that falls into mixtape quality territory (“Who Are They,” “We Need You”), Emeritus is another example of why Scarface is Hip-Hop royalty and whose music will be sorely missed from the culture.

Nearly all announced “retirements” have been short-lived; media gimmicks devised to lift sales. But in Scarface we have a man who since the beginning has lived Hip-Hop on his own terms. He never compromised his art to accommodate contrived, asinine trends, even when it was conducive financially. If this is truly the end, Scarface has not only earned the honorable title of Emeritus, but defined the word for his Hip-Hop peers. Well done, Mr. Brad Jordan, well done.

^very well written but there is nothing "mixtape" quality about who they are, great track   i don't like we need you though..8/10 is too low for this though..at least 8.5

8 equals 4/5 right? you really think it's necessary to add 0.25? 

^yes..cause 8/10 or 4/5 is such a common review given for rap albums now a days..it's like every damn album gets an 8..this is better than most albums..

If you look it like that then yes.... what a ratings are you refering to?
The ones from "official Hip Hop media" or shit posted on various sites,blogs and message boards?
I don't take the later too serious  Not that "official media" has that much power or credibility anymore,but you know what I mean 

[Lunatic]

^well ya i'm referring to media ones..they may not have much credibility, but they give everything an 8/10 and this album doesn't deserve the same rating as everything else..all im sayin big dog..

[R1ZE]

two albums can both be 8/10 and still have one be better than the other

[Chad Vader]

http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/12/01/20730271.aspx

Rating: 8 Stars

The day when an esteemed professional retires is normally a time filled with proud reflection. In Scarface, we witness a legendary emcee coming to the end of a decorated career not with contentment, but with disdain for what the music industry and Hip-Hop culture have morphed into.

It’s undeniable the scene has drastically altered since Face’s national introduction to fans on 1989’s Grip It! On That Other Level, but the Houston native never lost his keen eye for analyzing the psychosis of street life. And now on his reputed final opus Emeritus (Rap-A-Lot), Scarface aims to leave a definitive statement to close his twenty plus year career.

A humorous, long-winded J-Prince intro launches the LP. In it, the respected Rap-A-Lot CEO reflects in detail on his recent legal troubles and a favorite topic of Scarface and himself, snitches. After taking the millionth shot at their hated rival Lil Troy, the album transitions into the funky, Papa Rue assisted “High Powered.” Here, ‘Face easily meshes the beat with the persona of a vengeful hustler looking for revenge against a snitch rival.

Cool and Dre contribute an orchestral soul sample to “Forgot About Me,” a sleeper candidate for the best all-star collaboration of the year. Lil Wayne delivers a concise verse in terms of flow and direction, while Bun B ups the ante further by effortlessly alternating between standard rhyme scheme and rhyming couplets throughout his verse. Face shows no problems keeping upon his turn, as he speaks on his defiance to assimilate to fleeting Hip-Hop trends: “I can breathe into the hood and they can feel my pain / And even though they try to change me / I remain the same”.

Political commentary also maintains a voice on Emeritus. With a serviceable Bilal on the hook, “Can’t Get Right” has Scarface dexterously connecting inner-city poverty/violence, the Iraq War, and the economy. Over the bluesy Nottz production of “Still Here,” Scarface details how he survived the perils of the ghetto, but also offers detailed stories from the nameless many that didn’t.

Houston’s finest next takes aim at the futility of street life with “It’s Not A Game.” Face takes the listener to the underworld by crafting graphic verses that alternate between third and second person while chronicling the physical, psychological, and spiritual price of hustling.

The mood of the album picks back up on “Redemption Song” and “High Note.” Scarface uses the former to educate the new school on his resume and pedigree as an elite emcee over a plodding but catchy piano rhythm. On the latter, a violin-powered sample provides the backdrop for Face’s tongue-in-cheek boasts of how his sexual prowess leads to women hitting Minnie Riperton-esque notes. Long-time fans will appreciate the raunchy tradition of this song that harkens back to previous Face entries like “F*ck Faces” and “Goin’ Down.”

For the finale, Scarface deconstructs Scram Jones’ classic boom-bap production on the title track “Emeritus.” Comfortably discarding any remnants of humility, Face boldly defines his own legacy and placement in Hip-Hop history.

Aside from an occasional track that falls into mixtape quality territory (“Who Are They,” “We Need You”), Emeritus is another example of why Scarface is Hip-Hop royalty and whose music will be sorely missed from the culture.

Nearly all announced “retirements” have been short-lived; media gimmicks devised to lift sales. But in Scarface we have a man who since the beginning has lived Hip-Hop on his own terms. He never compromised his art to accommodate contrived, asinine trends, even when it was conducive financially. If this is truly the end, Scarface has not only earned the honorable title of Emeritus, but defined the word for his Hip-Hop peers. Well done, Mr. Brad Jordan, well done.

^very well written but there is nothing "mixtape" quality about who they are, great track   i don't like we need you though..8/10 is too low for this though..at least 8.5

8 equals 4/5 right? you really think it's necessary to add 0.25? 

^yes..cause 8/10 or 4/5 is such a common review given for rap albums now a days..it's like every damn album gets an 8..this is better than most albums..

If you look it like that then yes.... what a ratings are you refering to?
The ones from "official Hip Hop media" or shit posted on various sites,blogs and message boards?
I don't take the later too serious  Not that "official media" has that much power or credibility anymore,but you know what I mean 

^well ya I'm referring to media ones..they may not have much credibility, but they give everything an 8/10 and this album doesn't deserve the same rating as everything else..all I'm saying big dog..

Let me arrest you a little bit there (if you don't mind that is  )
You're waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too kind with your ratings... you give almost everything that comes out rave reviews and top ratings. 
So in a way you're in the same shoe's as the media ones  .....
I stopped reading The Source,XXL and what not a long time ago.
I still pick up Murder Dog,but most if not all of the shit they review is some underground shit I've "never heard off" 
I look over their ratings,I can tell they're way too nice.... so I can't take their reviews and ratings serious.

[operation stackola]

Just picked this up today and only gave it a few spins so far, but it's definitely a great album. Only song I'm really not feelin' is "Who Are They". Don't know much about this K-Rino, but he sounds a lot like David Banner to me. Nottz had the hottest beats on the album. If this is truly Face's last album, I have to disagree with the guest spots (would have liked a Geto Boys collab). I was hoping to hear this track on the album: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=172765868 Can anyone rip this?

[LyRiCaL_G]

Whos known to have credible rating systems nowadays? Brings up an interesting topic actually...

Please nobody say XXL lol

pz