Results for Compton
specials
Revisiting 1991
Though it seems like just yesterday for many, it's been 25 years since 1991. Along with 1964, '67 and '76, 1991 was a landmark year for music. You can hear its influence everywhere from neo-grunge band Bully to Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar. While Bryan Adams and Garth Brooks topped the charts, there are even more musicians that made groundbreaking strides back in '91. For Jim and Greg, 1991 was all about:
- Nirvana and the birth of grunge
- My Bloody Valentine and the growth of shoegaze
- Lollapalooza and the rise of the Alternative Nation
- N.W.A. and the reign of gangsta rap
- Massive Attack and the birth of trip-hop
reviews
Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City available on iTunesKendrick Lamar Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
At 25, Kendrick Lamaris shouldering some pretty heavy expectations for his major label debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. The Compton rapper caught the attention of Dr. Dre and rap tastemakers with his independent debut Section.80. Does Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City live up to all the hype? Jim acknowledges Kendrick's skill as a lyricist - he says his rhymes are almost novelistic - and he understands he is taking on characters in his songs. However he's troubled by the gangsta clichés. No amount of self-awareness, Jim says, makes it OK to indulge in 50 Cent-style misogyny. Jim gives Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City a Trash It rating. Greg couldn‘t disagree more. He thinks Lamar has yet to meet the rap cliché he couldn’t upend. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City is wrestling with Compton's legacy in a way that eludes sound bites and lyrics-quoting. Greg says it's a Buy It record that requires close listening.
untitled unmastered. available on iTunesKendrick Lamar untitled unmastered.
Last year, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar released the groundbreaking album To Pimp a Butterfly. Both fans and critics enjoyed the record, and it earned him numerous Grammy awards just a few weeks ago. Now he's back with untitled unmastered., his new album full of“leftover”tracks from Butterfly. To Greg, the polished songs hardly seemed like leftovers. He admires Lamar's fusion of different musical styles and poignant lyrics and says Buy It. Jim is also enthusiastic. While contemporaries Kanye West and Drake have also recently released“unfinished”material, this is a bigger achievement.“Short, but sweet”and a double Buy It.
Compton available on iTunesDr. Dre Compton
Dr. Dre's Compton is the hip hop legend's first album since 1999, released as a companion to Straight Outta Compton, the new biopic of his former group N.W.A. Dre has been one of the most influential figures in hip hop, equally due to his own albums, his production work for artists like Snoop Dogg, and his history of grooming new talent like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. Jim always thought Dre was overrated as a producer and is disgusted by the misogny in much of Compton's lyrics, which takes away from some of the more interesting political tracks. For Jim, it's a clear Trash It. Greg, on the other hand, praises Dre's production work, noting that by collaborating with younger producers King Mez and Justus he is reentering the conversation as a relevant figure. But Greg agrees that some of the lyrical content is stomach churning. Still, there are enough brilliant tracks to earn it a Try It rating.
dijs
Jim
It was movie night recently in Jim's“Critiquing the Arts”class at Columbia College. He and his students sat down to watch Almost Famous - still the only feature film he knows about rock criticism. The film's opening number "The Oogum Boogum Song" blew his students away, so this week Jim pays homage to this hidden gem with his Desert Island Jukebox pick.“The Oogum Boogum Song”is the work of R&Bsinger Brenton Wood, a Compton native and fan of Sam Cooke who narrowly avoided being a one hit wonder with his other hit, "Gimme Little Sign." Jim puts“The Oogum Boogum Song”alongside other nonsense rock classics like "MMMBop" and "Tutti Frutti."
Go to episode 363featured songs
Featured Songs
- N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton, Straight Outta Compton (Single), Ruthless, 1988
- Bob Dylan, To Be Alone With You, Nashville Skyline, Columbia, 1969
- Staple Singers, Why (Am I Treated So Bad), Why, Epic Records, 1966
- AFX, serge fenix Rendered 2, orphaned deejay selek (2006-2008), Self-released, 2015
- The Bird and the Bee, Doctor, Recreational Love, Polydor, 2015
- The Ugly Beats, Up on the Sun, Brand New Day, Get Hip Recordings, 2014
- Peter Schilling, Major Tom (Coming Home), Error in the System, Elektra, 1983
- The Lumineers, Ho Hey, The Lumineers, Dualtone, 2012
- The Moldy Peaches, Anyone Else But You, The Moldy Peaches, Rough Trade, 2001
- Van Halen, Somebody Get Me a Doctor, Van Halen II, Warner Bros., 1979
- Mikal Cronin, Shout It Out, MCII, Merge Records, 2013
- Mikal Cronin, See It My Way, MCII, Merge Records, 2013
- Mikal Cronin, Am I Wrong, MCII, Merge Records, 2013
- Mikal Cronin, I'm Done Running From You, MCII, Merge Records, 2013
- Fraser A. Gorman, Broken Hands, Slow Gum, Marathon Artists, 2015
- Fraser A. Gorman, We're All Alright, Slow Gum, Marathon Artists, 2015
- Fraser A. Gorman, Blossom & Snow, Slow Gum, Marathon Artists, 2015
- Mikal Cronin, Weight, MCII, Merge Records, 2013
- Dr. Dre, Talk About It (Featuring King Mez and Justus), Compton, Interscope/Aftermath, 2015
- Dr. Dre, Deep Water (Featuring Kendrick Lamar, Justus and Anderson .Paak), Compton, Interscope/Aftermath, 2015
- Breaking Circus, (Knife in the) Marathon, The Very Long Fuse, Homestead, 1985
- Bob Dylan, Nashville Skylilne Rag, Nashville Skyline, Columbia, 1969
- The Kinks, Party Line, Face to Face, Pye, 1966
- Procol Harum, A Whiter Shade of Pale, A Whiter Shade of Pale (Single), Deram, 1967
- Patti Smith, I Ain't Got Nobody, Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: Music from the HBO Original Series, ABKCO, 2013
- Vic Mizzy, Main Theme: The Addams Family, Original Music From the Addams Family, RCA, 1965