Track Listings (18) - Disc #1| All Artists: Little Brother Title: The Listening Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label: Abb Records Original Release Date: 1/1/2003 Re-Release Date: 3/18/2003 Genres: Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop Styles: Experimental Rap, Pop Rap Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 671678103821 |
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Search - Little Brother :: The Listening
 | Little Brother The Listening Genres: Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop
Somewhere between the jazzy, feel-good grooves of A Tribe Called Quest and the yin-yang chemistry of Outkast lies Little Brother. The Durham, NC trio make music that brilliantly splits the line between art and commercialis... more » |
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Product Description Somewhere between the jazzy, feel-good grooves of A Tribe Called Quest and the yin-yang chemistry of Outkast lies Little Brother. The Durham, NC trio make music that brilliantly splits the line between art and commercialism, all while maintaining their fun-loving hip-hop purist stance. The group's members; MC's Phonte and Big Pooh, along with DJ/producer 9th Wonder met in 1998 while attending North Carolina Central University. Within a few short months of recording, the trio had gathered enough songs to grab the attention of local music lovers, radio DJ's, and club promoters. The group received frequent spins on college radio. They regularly headlined at local venues and opened for national acts such as Tha Liks and Defari. When the group made its music available for download on the Internet, a substantial buzz built far outside of North Carolina, and it eventually earned them a deal with the Oakland-based ABB Records in 2002. In early 2003, Little Brother released its full-length debut, The Listening, which won widespread critical praise. Similarly Requested CDs
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CD ReviewsUnfortunately Overlooked Andrew Jacob | Brooklyn, New York | 05/27/2004 (4 out of 5 stars) "I must admit: Until about a month ago, I had no idea who "Little Brother" was. Yes, I was fond with 9th Wonder's past production, but for one reason or another, "The Listening" never came across my radar. About a year later, I finally got around in buying the album making truth to the phrase "it's better late than never". The lyrics are genuine, most of them falling into the category of "storytelling" while others are more of a "in your face-this is the truth" depiction. But what makes the album likeable is the appealing production in each track, which all have a "old-school hip hop" vibe to it. Although most of it is a tad bit on the simplistic side, it showcases the fact that all you need is a simple beat to flow. This is most notably shown in tracks like "Away From Me", "Love Joint Revisited", the title track "The Listening", and instantly addictive "For You". Other highlights include the opening song "Groupie Pt. 2", the intriguing hook of "Speed", and the best song on the album "Whatever You Say". One of the main problems affecting the album is the repetitiveness of some of the production; I'm not saying it doesn't sound nice, but many of the drum arrangements seem to sound the same: they share the same beat and they have the same snare. If they made some distinctive modifications and some further polishing, it would've really went a long way; during the initial listen, it was difficult to distinguish when a song begun and when the song ended. And it seems to be a consensus when it comes to the skits. Not specifically the interludes, but rather the radio-type interruptions ("WJLR...Bam! The Future of Hip Hop") that can be heard throughout the album maybe six or seven times; they are rather annoying. Although this is extremely minor, I'm going to mention it anyway: another thing that I find annoying is the name-dropping of themselves. I always felt that artists who insist on including their names in songs are a little obnoxious, as if they were saying "Hey! You Know Me! Its me rapping/singing!". Although with some bumps, "The Listening" is the most underrated rap album of 2003. It is an exceptional underground rap album, and with some tweaking, it might be capable in paving the road to Phonte's, Pooh's, and 9th Wonder's aspirations on being "The Future of Hip Hop"." Best Album of 2003 ! ! ! Peter C. Carpio | Florida, USA | 12/06/2003 (5 out of 5 stars) "For a minute, I slept on this. But until I got Nas - God's stepson ( 9th Wonder remixes ), I had to hear this. And this is way better. From beginning to end, Little Brother just holds it down. And they from North Carolina. The last place I would think real hip hop would come from. 9th Wonder's beats are amazing. Similar to Pete Rock but with his own twist. Mc's Phonte and Big Pooh are good as well. They definately deserve to rap over beats like these. I would name the good songs on this great album but I would be mentioning basically the whole tracklist, my favs are WHATEVER YOU SAY, SHORTY ON THE LOOKOUT, AWAY FROM ME, NIGHTTIME MANEUVERS, THE LISTENING, and my fav FOR YOU ( which I nominate to be beat of the year ). This album is almost too good. And no, they are not like A Tribe Called Quest. They are just Little Brother. For those seeking great production and good lyrics, get this album. You won't be sorry. Just wait for the sophomore album. That will be bangin' too." The Future Of Hip-Hop S. Santore | Miami, FL | 03/26/2003 (5 out of 5 stars) "Wow. This is an amzing CD. It's what I have been waiting for. With the state of hip hop lately being in the gutter, this is a breath of fresh air. Little Brother is the future. The whole album is great from beginning to end. Their style reminds me of a throwback to the early 90's, similar to A Tribe Called Quest, but definitely different in their own right. MC's Big Pooh and Phonte have great lyrical talent. They rip the mic on every track, and actually have something worthwhile to say. And the production from 9th Wonder is on point. He knows how to sample records. Some of my favorite tracks are "For You," "Whatever You Say," "The Get Up," "Speed," and the title track, "The Listening," where they sample the classic "They Reminisce Over You" by Pete Rock and CL Smooth. But there isn't a bad track. This is one of the best albums to come out in a while, and is a definite classic in my book. Get this album and support this outstanding new group from North Carolina. NOW."
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