Search - K-Solo :: Time's Up

Excellent CD at the time - much better than the 1st

Braheen H. Washington | Illadelph, PA USA | 06/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is some of K-Solo's best work. The beats are on point and Kevin Madison's lyrics are tight. I love every song on here except Rock Bottom. Most of his songs are telling a story. My personal favorite is The Formula (House Party). It's K-Solo at a party and it sound like he's flowing live. If you blast this in your system, you almost feel like you're there. The song ends with some guys starting a fight(as usual). This was an excellent album for the time and I'm still feeling it 13 years later."

K-E-V-I-N M-A-D-I-S-O-N (pt. 2): The Incredible Letterman (R

Chandler | Atlanta (College Park), Georgia | 08/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Enter K-Solo's second effort on Atlantic/WEA after the great debut Tell the World My Name. Between those albums, Solo as had some buzz from some good guest appearances, mainly appearing on EPMD's "Headbanger" from Business Never Personal. Now, this album couldn't have came at a worst time for him during the summer of '92, because of the fact that gangsta rap from the west coast was on the rise, not to metion other albums on the east coast had already had a major buzz before him. So when Solo dropped this album, very little, if any, heard him by that point.



As for Time's Up, it pickes up were his first one left off. And if you have already heard that one, you probably have K-Solo's flow already figured out. Unfortunately, this one sounds a lot like is first one. The production is updated, but K-Solo's concept style isn't. And if it is, he rarely shows it. The promising single "Can't Hold It Back" is one of the few moments where he kicks a different style. But "Letterman" (aka "Spellbound 2") and "Long Live The Fugitive" both rehases concepts that he has used on his first album. Luckly the latter song is short, so he gets the point across quickly.



But to be fair, on "Letterman", Solo's flow with lots of energy, making it a standout. And the production here is outstanding as well. Solo is at his best when he speaks about problems such as "Premonition Of A Black Prisoner" and "Who's Killing Who". "Sneak Tip" is another crazy story, this time about shoes attacking him while he was out shopping. "The Baby Doesn't Look Like Me" is a nice story about a girl who tries to play him. Another standout is "Rock Bottom", because it's production. Other than that, there are not many other high points with this album.



Chances are if you liked the first one, you will like this one. The production here as gotten better curteosy of Erick Sermon. So expect those dark funky beats that he has gotten to be known for later on in the 90's. As mentioned before, this album was slept on because of it's timing and subject matter didn't fit in the '92 era, possibly causing K-Solo to be dropped from Atlantic. East coast fans should definitely have this in their collection, and this may be a decent place to start if anyone is trying to discover who K-Solo is. The only big problem for me was it was too much like his first album. Peace.



Lyrics: B-

Production: B+

Guest Appearances: N/A

Musical Vibes: B



Top 5 Tracks:

1. Can't Hold It Back

2. Who's Killin Who?

3. Premonition Of A Black Prisoner

4. Letterman

5. Rock Bottom



Honorable Mention:

1. Sneak Tip

2. The Baby Doesn't Look Like Me

"

"Back in effect, on my second cassette" (4.5/5)

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 05/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"K-Solo was stuck between a rock and a hard place in '92. With the rise of gangsta rap on the West Coast and alternative rap on the East Coast, versatile old school MCs such as Solo were fading fast. Plus, the impending breakup of his mentors EPMD meant that soon he would lack the affiliation so critical in the rap game. With all this working against him, it's almost surprising that his sophomore LP "Time's Up" is so good. While it's certainly not the most exciting rap album ever released, it's one of those LPs that you just can't poke any holes into. The only flaw anyone might mention is that it sounds a bit familiar, and for the quickly progressing rap landscape in '92, it might have seemed a tad dated.



Solo's a talented rapper, but he's also fun because he's so versatile. He does rapid-fire delivery on some tracks, tells stories, kicks b-boy bragadocio, and even plays the conscious MC sometimes. His signature style was his practice of spelling out words, and he keeps it upbeat so it never sounds stale. Another selling point is the production, handled by Erick Sermon, which is constantly on-point. It's sad that this was his final release, because his brief career spanned two great LPs.



On the opener "I Can't Hold It Back," Solo rechannels his aggressive performance on EPMD's "Headbanger" for a furious highlight. He tells stories in acronyms on "Letterman" and kicks a tight rhyme over a dope beat on the short "Long Live the Fugitive." "Premonition of a Black Prisoner" is an effective track where he tackles prison life, and he tells of a trippy and hilarious encounter while shoe shopping on "Sneak Tip." "The Baby Doesn't Look Like Me" is self-explanatory, and with a funky beat it's a keeper. "The Formula (House Party)" is a freestyle interlude, and the highlight "Who's Killin' Who" follows, a relevant message to the black community with strong production. After the goofy story on "Household Maid" come the two strong closers, "Rock Bottom" and "King of the Mountain," both seeping with old school charm.



Time certainly hasn't been kind to K-Solo, but in the year of The Chronic, Mecca and the Soul Brother, and Daily Operation, it's understandable that some gems such as this were overlooked. Regardless, it's a shame that so many have forgotten Solo's name, because for a time he was among the East Coast's most formidable MCs. I'd love to see his two LPs reissued together, but until then, I highly recommend this and its predecessor Tell the World My Name."