"Remember Beats Rhymes & Life? Regardless of what you thought of it (personally I was a fan) you'd have to remember that dude that seemed to be on every other track. His name was Consequence and he was the younger cousin of Q-Tip. This what seemed to be newly inducted member of the ATCQ family was nowhere to be seen on the final (brings a tear to my eye everytime) album of the Quest and I'd forgotten about him completely until I spotted this Mixtape. The biggest misconception given with this album is that it is here to showcase Consequence as he is never really given the room to let loose and shine without either a. Kanye stepping in and repping himself or b. a guest coming in and spitting some lines, however once you've moved past this fact you find your self in quite an enjoyable experience, the Cons style has changed a bit from his appearances on Beats, Rhymes & Life, it seams he's definately been hanging around his friend Kanye West and his Roc-A-Fella counterparts more than his cousins Native Tounges clique as his lyrics can be somewhat womanising and bling based at times, still he does it with charm and swagger that gets you feeling it. Guest wise their are some magic moments such as I See Now with Kanye & Little Brother also Incredible Hulk and So Soulful with John Legend step it up. Overall this is an album that much like a mixtape is missing coherence due primarly to the lack of any real chance for Consequence to set the record straight on his skills, still it's an album I've found myself going back to more than I expected and one that surprisingly my girl has been feeling too.
***
One
Pj."
Great Mixtape, Good Introduction to Cons.
CHRIS | Antartica | 10/30/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This cd is a typical mixtape. A lot of guests and a lot of different beats. However, most of the songs are album quality. Songs such as Wack N*gga, I See Now, Getting Out The Game, Doctor Doctor, Yard 2 Yard, So Soulful, and Take it as a Loss make this mixtape a must have. Kanye and Consequence do an amazing job throughout the whole cd and this is one of the most entertaining cds I have purchased in a long time. Watch out for Don't Quit Your Day Job, Consequence's solo debut, coming '06. Also get Late Registration."
Mediocre
Steven A. Boothe | England(USAF) | 10/18/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Could have been a lot better if he hadn't had utilized so many damn guest appearances. There's just not enough of consequence on this album. Other than that though he is still a cut above the rest. worth checking out"
Nice Mix
R. Williams | Neptune, NJ | 05/03/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Overall, good. However, they could have sold me 10 repeat track remixes of So Soulful over and over and over. If you can listen to this and not nod your head, something wrong with your pacemaker!"
"Mixtape" title is definatly a good thing to keep in mind
Scott D. Gribble | Baltimore MD | 09/08/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Chances are you know more about Kanye West than you do Consequence. To be honest I fall into that category as well. After hearing "Spaceship" I was wondering to myself where I had heard that voice before. Finally after hearing "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly," which was cut from the final College Dropout release it hit me and I quickly rummaged around for my "Beats, Rhymes and Life" album. Through his connections Consequence has had an opportunity to get into the rap game, and now again he has his second chance. I guess maybe to ensure that there would be a steady buzz around his artist, Kanye released this "Mixtape" album. To be honest I'm not sure how much of this is old or new material, but it's certainly meant to give us a sneak peak of Consequence.
As mentioned by most everyone, Kanye West appears on this album almost as much as Ghostface did on Cuban Linx, not including the 6 songs produced by Kanye. It certainly is hosted by Kanye West (as the cover states) but rightfully so, Kanye's name is hot right now and using himself to promote his artist was a good move on his part, otherwise it's doubtful you'd even be interested in this album. It's no coincidence that the strongest parts of the album feature a creative hand by Kanye.
Unfortunately, two intros/skits/interludes/whatever open the album (I don't want Kanye to TELL me how good Con is, just let the guy prove it). It's worth mentioning now, as no surprise every interlude is pointless. So, by track 3 we get off to a solid start with So Soulful, which is just a typical Kanye West beat. Solid song, Consequnce who finally steps up on the third verse and carries it well. Yard 2 Yard alright, Consequnce surprisingly rips up an otherwise ok beat. Doctor Doctor is an absolutely awful song, with an even worse chorus. Kanye throughs in a couple of "freestyles" (probably not actually though) which work well.
The highest points of the album come towards the middle. Wack N***** could be the best song on ANY album. I mean it really doesn't get much better than this, Common Kanye Talib Kweli and even Consequence absolutely ripp up a sick beat. It's good to see Consequence totally hold his own against the other legends, considering ever one of them drop a quotable. Just a couple of tracks later, comes I See Now... how the hell did Kanye hook up with Little Brother??? Great song, 9th on the beats, Kanye is hilarious and Phote proves he could rock it just as well as any other mainstream rapper. Great track. The following two tracks are strong as well, with And You Say which Consequence flows perfectly over a flute and piano beat. Then Getting Out the Game is a slower paced beat, which I would bet money is jacked from an Al Green song. It works really well, and both Kanye and Consequence flow great together.
The rest of the album is alright, mostly forgettable stuff though. Some disappointing production by 99 Keys (who has done great things for Mos Def and J-Live). Mostly at the end it's the beats that suffer. Finally there's a Bonus track featuring Q-Tip! Unfortunately it defiantly sounds like it was a rejected song from Beats, Rhymes and Life.
This album serves as a good introduction to Consequnce. I would not have expected this to be constructed as his debut album, instead showcasing his talents and showing his capabilities without pulling out all his or Kanye's cards just yet. Hopefully well see a true debut soon, and judging by what Kanye has done here and elsewhere it should be something to look forward to.
As far as this mixtape goes, enjoy it for what it's worth. You'll find yourself defiantly enjoying some of the songs on this album as well as Consequences rhymes (don't forget Kanye!) But, enjoyment of an album and it's overall quality don't always match up. Hopefully Con will get more time to shine on his own next time around and Kanye will use most of his talents focused on complete control of the other areas of the album. This album is really strong in some parts, really weak in others. But, if you're interested in what it has to offer, you'll certainly enjoy the tracks where Con and other mc's get to showcase their talents.
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1
