The Best album to come out of AfterMath other than 2001 is.....

[caTASHtrophe]

King T - Thy Kingdom Come.

Yeh i know it was never officialy released by Aftermath, but damn it ppl its amazing and is the BEST Aftermath album out there today.

 

[Quadruple OG]

can't argue wit that.  Eminem's albums are better lyrically, but I like this album over anything else aftermath has released

[Twentytwofifty]

I wanna heard that album.  Is it in stores, or bootleg?

My vote...
If you are going to consider albums like that, goes to:

The Last Emperor - The Legend Of Bigfoot

I'm fairly sure that Dre did a couple of cuts on this.  He mentions Aftermath on "Carvan" and says Dre's name on "The Dozen".

Damn, he is Aftermath's biggest loss.  

[Murrow]

"The Eminem Show"

Too much hype around "Thy Kingdome Come."  When I actually got it...

[teecee]

Ya, Kingdome come is probably the best aftermath album besides 2001, and Last Emperor comes close too although noones knows exactly what Dre did on there..........

[Hatesrats™]

Eminem {The Marshall Mathers lp}

[West Coast Veteran]

Eminem {The Marshall Mathers lp}

I agree. That's the only Eminem album I still listen to. I hate one song on it "Kim" and don't really listen to a few like "Amityville" and "Under The Influence" but they are still listenable songs. I think this was as close to a classic as Eminem got since The Slim Shady LP was just pointless and The Eminem Show just seems like The Marshall Mathers LP II with improved flow.

[CharlieBrown]

King T Definatly, The slim shady LP has dated too much in its content, MMLP was just crap and TES was fuckin awful production and i don't give a fuck about eminems family. Truth Hurts wasn't bad but, well King Tipsy is just a fuckin legend in my book so its obviously gonna go to him. Never heard any of last emperors stuff while he was on the Math tho (but im sure it'd be dopeness)

[closetothalimit]

King T, only cause im a kind of eminem hater and never listened to the whole of his albums

where can i find The Last Emperor aftermath album?
any room on mirc?
and can someone post a tracklist for it?

[Don Seer]

I don't have it.. but i'm interested.....

this is everything i could find
---------------------------

The Last Emperor "The legend of Bigfoot"



[01]     Secret wars part 1 (original)
[02]     Heavy height invincible
[03]     Party crashers
[04]     The expedition
[05]     Caravan
[06]     Animalistics
[07]     Fo rel
[08]     The world of Susie Wong
[09]     Monumental
[10]     The dozen
[11]     The jungle cats
[12]     Meditation
[13]     Keep on
[14]     Heaven
[15]     Black magic
[16]     Bums


---- What we have here's Last Emperor's internet only debut album "The legend of Bigfoot" which contains material he recorded during the time he was signed to Dr. Dre's label Aftermath Records. Eventhough the production lets him down on a couple of tracks, lyrically this album's nothing less than amazing and Last Emp proves to be one of the most talented new jacks out there. My personal favorites include "The world of Susie Wong", "Animalistics", "Caravan" and "Heaven". ----



Damn, lately I've been hearin' a lot of contradictory rumors regardin' Last Emperor and basically I don't know which one to believe. Previously I reported that he's still signed to Interscope Records, while all ties with Dre's Aftermath label have been disbanded. But now I'm hearin' that Rawkus and Tommy Boy are in some sort of bidding war tryin' to get Emp to sign with their label. Apparently Rawkus has tried to buy the rights to his 'Internet' album "The legend of Bigfoot" and they also want him to record a complete new full length album. None of this news has been made official, but if it's true I can only pray that he's smart enough NOT to sign with Tommy Boy, because of the fact that they don't know how to take care of business (do names like DITC, Defari or Royce The 5'9" ring a bell?).   Well, it looks as if the October 10th date for the Reflection Eternal album isn't the correct one, because according to an intern at Rawkus Records the record's scheduled to be released one week later on October 17th (this means the Kool G. Rap album definitely got pushed back, because Rawkus won't release two albums of this caliber on the same day!). The guy also told me that the album will contain 20 tracks, all of them produced by Hi-Tek and featurin' cats like Mos Def, Kool G. Rap, Xzibit, Rah Digga, Tye Phoenix, De La Soul, Les Nubians and Vinia Mojica. The lead single titled "Move something" will be in stores on September 5th.


come on dedicato bite this 'exclusive aftermath info' too  

[closetothalimit]

thats interesting, thanks overseer

my search begins for "The Legend Of Bigfoot"

[Don Seer]

mine will tonight

ps... i noticed a lot on Kazaa Lite last night so thats probably a good place to look  

[CharlieBrown]

Overseer how old is that info? Last Emperor is on Rawkus if you didn't know tho

[Don Seer]

the info is from around mid 2000. i couldnt find much else.

[Don Seer]

more (basically a review) from http://www.phillyhiphop.com/reviewsphh/legendofbigfoot.htm

dont know if the .ra clips on the page work

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Although Legend Of Bigfoot is only a bootleg CD, The Last Emperor has definitely developed a huge underground fan base. Because the album has been pushed back more times than Steve Urkell by Laura, I felt The Last Emp should be given a review regardless. The album consists of a few tracks that were released on 12" and a few that were never even released...  anywhere! So without further adieu...

 

"What if I had the power to gather all of my favorite MC's, with the illest comic book characters and they became arch enemies.."  If Secret Wars (full length Real Audio track) was a college report, this first line would be the ultimate thesis statement. As Last Emp states, he pits his favorite MCs against comic book heroes, and puts them in round to round matches. To date I've heard this song with three different beats. Unfortunately the beat on the bootleg was my last choice. This is a classic Hip Hop song and showcases the Emp's creativity and originality to the fullest. Despite the beat, the song is truly amazing. Note: hearing the song with the original beat or the Prince Paul remix, are very eargasmic.

 

Next is Heavy Weight Invincible (Real Audio sound clip) which is a very tight battle song. He comes off telling heads that he is tired of cats talking a lot of nonsense and he's here to set them straight. Unlike many other "mad rappers" the Last Emperor comes with a barrage of punch lines, and isn't afraid to be creative. He show his wit along with his mastery of words. With lines like "I bring the Buttas the Parkay, and the Margarine.." and "its the young Jedi that Yoda forgot to train.." it's obvious that Last Emp isn't the normal everyday emcee.

 

Party Crashers (Real Audio sound clip) is one of his storytelling raps, in which he tells about an unknown person "stealing his mic" and he sets out to retrieve it. He has a keen eye for detail, and brings the listener on his journey to find this unknown thief. One of the reasons I like Last Emp so much is because he never says something just to say it. You'll never catch him throwing irrelevant rhymes into a song or saying something that doesn't fit into the story. Whereas, many emcees will sometimes venture off course and get sidetracked from the theme, The Emp always keeps his words focused on the central theme and stays away from useless rhyme fillers.

 

Another story based tale is The Expedition (Real Audio sound clip). Here, he talks about discovering and/or living in a newly discovered land. However, since there are few of those left, its obvious this track is more  metaphorical song than anything else. Songs like this are a great change of pace, as opposed to the normal sounds of the day. Not every song has to be about $$$, beating wack rappers or bragging about personal skill or achievements. Emp demonstrates this by not using any of the modern clichés: "my rhymes," "I'm ill," "wack MCs," "big stacks," and all those other phrases that fill most tracks.

 

WORD UP!!! to the Caravan (Real Audio sound clip) because I definitely have my bags packed. To me, this song is another underground artist theme. It seems as though he is trying to tell people not to follow the mainstream actions and popular thought. A caravan is usually depicted as a small group of people (sticking together), traveling through bad land, in search of a better place. If that isn't the way of the underground head, then I don't know what is. Most underground artists travel through times of low exposure, not enough funds for proper recording/promoting/etc., and times of mental stress and hopelessness. For these reasons, I think Caravan was written as a metaphorical track, encouraging heads to stick together through tough times, to ensure that if prosperity is found they find it together.

 

Yet another creative song, Animalistics (Real Audio sound clip) comes across as a battle track, with Last Emp flossing his skill. However he does it by describing his style through the actions and traits of different animals. Mostly a bragging song, but it doesn't become too cliché or repetitive because he describes himself with animal analogies. His use of descriptive words and varied choice of animals helps to keep the listeners interest.

 

By now its obvious that LE is for real and Fo Real (Real Audio sound clip) isn't one of the most impressive tracks on the album, but is by no means a whack song. It has a nice beat and good concept but gets out shined by many of the other headbangers. The track's summary is basically him talking about being a young artist and finally getting people to hear and remember his name.  

 

Like many people reading this, I've searched to find the World of Susie Wong (Real Audio sound clip) on many occasions. To put it simply, this is one of the most creative songs I've ever heard. The entire song is one giant metaphor. I don't want to ruin the song, but its phat to hear him tell one story, but underneath  actually tell a different story. This idea has been done before, but Last Emp takes it to another level. It's because he relates the cover story to the hidden story very well. Again, the idea isn't new to rap, but he does a good job at innovating the story and making it better. Hmmm... what am I talking about!!! .I guess you'll just have to peep the song!

 

More than half way through this bootleg collection, Last Emp or "Lord Vader- the baddest Black man in outer space" continues to drop more science on domes. As he states, he "doesn't rhyme to cash checks but to create new aspects" and he does just that. His use of wordplay and relation of topics is really showcased on Monumental (Real Audio sound clip) where he drops numerous quotable lines. Too many to mention for sure.  

 

The Dozen (Real Audio sound clip) is definitely a unique song, because he disses himself! throughout the song. This is one of the songs he did while under the label (as short term as it was), with Dr. Dre. He states "being conceded is bad for yourself, so every once in a while I try to diss myself." He mentions that despite his skill, he still receives no respect and talks of the days in his youth when he was picked on. While most talk about being childhood pimps, Emperor admits that he wasn't popular and still feels out of place sometimes. It's is a very humble song where he talks about being in the spotlight on stages while feeling like a "societal misfit" other times. It's good to see an MC talk about things like this, because it gives  fans a chance to relate. While most kids can't relate to drinking expensive champagne or being famous, most can certainly relate to being the outcast, etc.

 

One thing that's  perplexed me has been heads reaction to Jungle Cats (full length Real Audio track). Many people I've talked to have said they hate this song. However I love this track. For some reason I always feel content when I listen to this joint. Its another story telling adventure, in which he tells of an ancient tribe of cats that once inhabited the land. These cats were around throughout our history for events such as the building of the sphinx, Christopher Columbus' voyage and the creation of Hip Hop. I can see where some people might not like this track, because the hook is kind of weird, and also because he sometimes feels the need to roll his R's to sound like a purr, but I really don't think they're that annoying. However, many critics always feel the need to hate on at least one song and this seems to be the obvious choice. This is one of those songs that have no gray zone, either you love it or you hate it.  

 

Another mental head banger, Meditation (Real Audio sound clip) is for those people who love to release the thought juices and listen to a lyricist speak. This is definitely in the running for the "most lyrical" award. Just as the title leads you to believe, this track is one of those "sit down and listen" songs. This is by no means a preachy rhyme, but instead its as though he's talking to the listener in a one on one discussion. Filled with excellent quotable lines and an advanced use of wordplay he doesn't spend time telling the listener that he is good but instead lets his words speak for him. However, he will "climb the Tower of Babble and throw rappers off the balcony."

 

 Keep On (Real Audio sound clip) is a nice  track, but it gets outshined by Meditation. Here he talks about continuing to do what he has to do in order to survive in the rap game. Every MC runs through tough times, and Last Emperor is telling people to keep going and not to give up. This must be his theme song because he has done just that. Having been signed to three different labels, but leaving all three for various reasons, he has not lost track, and continues to make dope music. If anyone deserves the right to say that they rhyme for the love of the art form and for Hip Hop, he is definitely one to hold that privilege.

 

Near the end of the album Emp takes us to Heaven  (Real Audio sound clip) which is a tight joint that tells of the afterlife. He talks of hanging out with many people who've already passed on and welcomes the peace that it brings. Although he doesn't want to leave anytime soon, he knows all the negativity plaguing our world won't exist there. This is a very tight track that speaks for itself. If you're looking for a party favorite, pass this up. However, if you're looking for a joint to chill with and be optimistic- this is for you.

 

Refusing to "enter the stage- he teleports like Nightcrawler.." is a good example of the Black Magic (Real Audio sound clip) that Last Emperor practices. As for lyrics it gets an "A", but the beat is no better than a "˜D."  Its sad to be at the end of a album and hear such a bad beat. That said, because this is only a bootleg, the CD wasn't organized by a producer, but compiled from someone's MP3 list.  With that in mind its forgivable. Had it been over a better beat, the song would be much, much better.

 

Finally, we come to Bums.  It serves as  the official ending song from this unofficial album. Here, the Last Emp definitely showcases his versatility. Although not a jiggy song, I'm sure it'll have no trouble making underground mix tapes and DJ play lists because both the lyrics and beat are banging. The idea is basically that he and his crew are bums. No money stacks, no glitter and glitz, but on the flipside- no trendy jiggy themes either. He (and his crew) may be bums, but they are true to themselves and floss skills instead of material objects. "..hardrock like the Thing from the Fantastic Four, while most emcees rhyme about guns and shooting- I drop science on their domes just like Sir Isaac Newton."

 

To rap it up,  if you can get your hands on this underground gem I definitely recommend doing so! Although I would have preferred to see some other tracks make the lineup- such as Echo Leader, Charlie, or Rap Tyranny (all of which appear on the same 12"), this album- if you choose to call it that, is great regardless. By the way, since this IS a bootleg, and the Last Emperor received no royalties from this, you can bet I'll buy it if its ever released officially. Maybe I'll just find him on the streets of Illadel, and hit him with $10 anyway!

 

rawkus.com

 

Reviewed by Diesis

contributing writer- PhillyHipHop.com

October, 2001

 

Diesis is the host of "Mic Check on WReKC" on Wilkes-Barre's 88.5 FM

© 2001 PhillyHipHop.com
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another stack of info from a site I think's gone from the 'net but its in the google cache here http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:VRYiynMLRVUC:www.elementalartists.com/elemental/_channels/content.asp%3FID%3D223+Last+Emperor+bigfoot&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


------------------------------------------------

Last Emperor
source: www.temple.edu Philadelphia People
The Last Emperor takes his name from the 1987 Bernardo Bertolucci film of the same name. Based on the rise and fall of the last Chinese emperor, Pu Yi, the movie, inspired the artist with its symbols of ancient tradition. He chose the name in 1993 because it is universal; nearly every culture has had some form of imperial leader. The Last Emperor is soon to be the imperial leader of ill grooves and intelligent rhymes.

The Last Emperor, whose real name is Jamal Gray, is a West Philly resident in his late 20s. The Overbrook High School graduate began writing rhymes in junior high and graduated from Lincoln University with a double major in political science and international affairs.

"I try to be aware about everything around me, especially world politics," the Last Emperor says about the importance of keeping his lyrics socially conscious. Lyrical prowess is one thing that sets the Last Emperor apart from other MCs.

One example is the early cut "Secret Wars Part One" in which the Last Emperor narrates mental standoffs between his favorite hip-hop MCs and childhood comic book characters (i.e. KRS-One vs. Professor X, Redman vs. The Incredible Hulk).

The Last Emperor’s discography has remained relatively limited, especially considering that an underground buzz has strengthened over the past few years. The only official Last Emperor release is the "Secret Wars" 12" single, released in 1996. The record is now hard to come by. The main reason the Last Emperor’s discography has remained so sparse is not due to the lack of interest, but rather an aborted recording contract with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records.

"I felt that to remain on that label, the album would not be how I envisioned it," the Last Emperor says about his former label. The Last Emperor signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records (a subsidiary of Interscope) in 1997. It was around the time Dre has stumbled upon a young white rapper, Emimem, who became Dre’s main focus. Because of Dre’s booked schedule, The Last Emperor was not getting sufficient studio time. He made the decision to leave the label. "It was nothing personal. It just wasn’t good business [to stay with Aftermath]," he says.

Various compilation tracks such as on the Lyricist Lounge Volume One and the Mumia 991 benefit CD helped the Emperor gain further attention. The song "C.I.A. (Criminals in Action)" from Lyricist Lounge is a duet between Rage Against the Machine’s Zach De la Rocha and KRS-One, one of the Last Emperor’s favorite MCs along with Big Daddy Kane.

After parting ways with Aftermath, the Last Emperor’s relationship with Rawkus Records blossomed into a recording deal. The New York City-based label promotes the successful Lyricist Lounge events as well as housing Mos Def and Talib Kweli. The Last Emperor and Rawkus share a similar musical vision rooted in old-school hip-hop. The label provides recording time in several studios. They also enlisted the legendary Prince Paul, who has worked with De La Soul and Big Daddy Kane, to executive produce the Last Emperor’s much-anticipated debut album which should be hitting record stores any day now.

Though the Last Emperor performs all around the U.S. and abroad, he maintains ties to his city of brotherly and sisterly lovin’. He likens the musical scene in Philadelphia to a supply of crude oil that "until fairly recently has gone untapped."


Like Bahamadia, the Last Emperor has done lectures at colleges on hip-hop as a spoken and written expression. Today, people are not just buying hip-hop albums, they are eager to learn about its history, its current state and where the musical form is heading.

The Last Emperor’s goals include releasing a trilogy of albums each one about a year-and-a-half apart and furthering his interests in world history and archeology. The concept of the three albums is closely guarded but he assures that by the third album the world will have a greater understanding of the man behind the lyrical empire. After retiring from the rap game, the Last Emperor plans to fund his own expedition to find Yheti (aka the abominable snowman) and Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot).

"I think it would be the sociological and archaeological find of all human existence," he says. Seriously, how cool is that?