Search - Various Artists :: Solesides Greatest Bumps

Only 4 stars because I have all their albums already!

1bigkid | Sherman Oaks, CA United States | 01/20/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some people seem to think that there are some new songs on this double CD. There are, but only a very few. This is an anthology of the Solesides/Quannum life cycle, but by no means their "Best of". If I didn't have any of their other albums then I'd have given them a solid 5 stars, because it is a very good album. But if you already have all their other albums, the best "bumps" on this are to be found on the other albums or singles. Those songs "unique" to this double LP were some of their earliest demos or earliest singles in their career, and while interesting to listen to, are hardly anything compared to their current releases. Because of this, the songs that I was interested in hearing the most, the earliest pieces, are a little disappointing. Not to take away from a great album, but if you have all of their stuff already, you'll be playing their other albums more than this one. For those interested in the group, this is simly an interesting hear to watch their styles develop. Any poor quality tracks are because they were some of their earliest conceptions. If you don't have much of their stuff, and you love independent, experimental hip hop, this is a strong contender to listen to."

True Hip-Hop

Bart Seaman | Bend, OR | 10/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a truly phenomenal album. Mainstream rap artists claiming to be hip-hop give people the wrong impression of what hip-hop really is, in my opinion. Hip-hop is about lyricism and turntablism, and constantly pushing the boundaries of both. This album does exactly that--the Gift of Gab, Blackalicious, and Latryx demonstrate amazing vocal skills with truly intelligent lyrics. DJ Shadow builds beats from the ground up, climbing towards the limits of intricacy. Hip-hop is about respect. If you can respect and appreciate true hip-hop talent, then this album will never disappoint you. Keep supporting the real hip-hop revolution."

Hip hop fans, don't sleep on this one

iub-lowdown | Bloomington, IN | 03/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. I cannot stop listening to this album (or at least the first disc). I'll take it through step by step here :) It starts on a bit of a misstep with "Rhyme Like A Nut!" and "Entropy Part 1" but these deserve to be on there as they are formal introductions to Gab and Shadow. Not on par with their songs to come, but still good. After that, it's classic track after classic track. "The Wreckoning" is simply amazing and one of my favorite hip hop tracks EVER. It's arguably even better than the "Live 45 Mix" version as Lateef rhymes for longer, and the minimalist Shadow beat means you don't miss a word. Gab kicks off "Deep In The Jungle" with what is definitely one of his greatest verses. "Send Them" has one of the funkiest dance hall beats I've ever heard, and the song is from '93! And as for anyone who hasn't heard the classic "Lady Don't Tek No", just find a way of listening to it. Beyond words.
As for the second disc the quality drops just a tad. It is mainly freestyle raps (still tight, especially Lateef's) and cuts from Latyrx's "The Album". Of course, if you don't have the album you won't notice and you'll probably love it. Unfortunately "Fully Charged on Planet X" is pretty mediocre, and "Hot Breath" is just plain bad. Even at under 2:00 it should have been left off the album. If I was compiling the album I would have taken out some of these weaker offerings and just put the remaining tracks from the Melodica EP on here ("Attica Black" and "40 Oz For Breakfast" are noticeably missing)
The only reason not to own this would be if you already have the Melodica EP and The Album. Even then, you're missing out on some classic tracks you can't get anywhere else. The liner notes are even great, as they list all of SoleSides' releases, and a look into the history of the SoleSides crew. Definitely get this one."