Kanye West's 'Late Registration'

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 2:48pm

How do you all think he did on the sophomore album test?

I've only listened to the first few tracks so far, and I'm enjoying it, although it doesn't quite reach the genius of 'College Dropout'

But I really love 'Gold Digger featuring Jamie Foxx'

Opinions?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 2:50pm

I don't think it's as strong overall as College Dropout, but I've only had a chance to listen to it beginning to end twice. No track jumped out at me like "Jesus Walks" but I still need to give it another listen or two.

Updated On: 9/10/05 at 02:50 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 2:54pm

It definitely sinks in over time. I love Golddigger and how it turns out the guy is a rat in the end. I love the blase tone on the repetition of "Go on girl, go 'head, get down...".

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 2:56pm

I listened to it and didn't particularly care for it (that said, I'm not a rap fan).

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 2:59pm

It's hip-hop, not rap.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 3:02pm

I'm loving it. :)

[Plum]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 3:09pm

SticktoPriest, how does rap differ from hip-hop? As the owner of a grand total of 3 rap/hip-hop/whatever albums, I'm really asking from a position of ignorance.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 3:18pm

Hip-hop is an umbrella term for the entire genre and ethos that includes rap, more rhythmic based r&b, sampled beats and tracks etc.... Acts like Outkast and Missy Elliot are hip-hop artists because their music includes, well, MUSIC, actual singing and melodies, original tunes which are partly sung with rap verses interspersed and the actual act of rapping is often secondary to the overall sound they're trying to achieve. Also, artists like West and P Diddy are prety lousy rappers, per se (no one buys thir records for their rapping ability) so they're classified as hip-hop artists by default.

Rap as a genre is very much specific to words and beats -- actual rapping is more important than any other aspect of their production.

Mind you, there's certainly overlap. When in doubt, just call it "hip-hop."

Updated On: 9/10/05 at 03:18 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 3:25pm

Phew. That's pretty much what I thought, but seeing as I haven't listened to anything of the kind on a regular basis since...my sophmore year of high school, I really wasn't sure. I really should try to get into it, but almost every time I think a song sounds good they'll start going off about "hos," and that pretty much ends that.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 6:59pm

Rap is sh*t. Hip hop is alright.

R&B is great. I have issues when these artist only use damn beats, and no instruments. But I tend to mostly enjoy the R&B singers who mix a blend instruments with their beats - like Faith Evans, Vivian Green, Tamia, the late Aaliyah, Mary J, Monica and others I'm sure people here haven't heard of. Monica has a song on her sophomore album called "Street Symphony." which is just out of this world, she has a full orchestra over these beats, and it's just heaven.

The real mainstream sh*t like Ciara, etc just sucks. So I tend to stick with those R&B artist that I listed before, who aren't always #1 on the billboards. Their music has more quality. TLC is also great, nothing like old school TLC, it's not the same without Lefteye, but I like how they are giving a girl a chance to perform with them on their new show R U THE GIRL.

And I still don't get the Kanye hype, he does crap for me.

I do have respect for Biggie, he has some good music. "One More Chance" is hot as hellll, even until this day.
Nothing like some Faith Evans and Mary J singing the hook for a Biggie song.. (It was rumored Aaliyah sang backround for that song too, but that mystery still hasn't been proved true, she's in the video though)
Updated On: 9/10/05 at 06:59 PM