Hip-Hop Albums of the Year

23 December, 2019

Cookin Soul & Don Cannon — The Lost Tapes 1.5 [mixtape]


Mixtape to homage Nas. Don Cannon shouts in "Puffy style" on the "Genesis" rhythm, ruining the opening track of "Illmatic" in a weirdo way. It follows a track named "NY State of Mind", but that's from "Street of NY" by Alicia Keys featuring Rakim. Cookin Soul cut the part from Alicia Keys and maintains the first verse from Nas and the last one from Rakim Allah, both sick. Good, simple and vivid drum machine that provides a good boom bap for the delivers of the two legends, pretty good lively jazzy rhythm, syncopated, basically devastated by the flow of the God MC.

The next cut is "Last Real Nigga Alive": one of the most underrated tracks from "God's Son", pretty good rhythm, with simple and minimal drum machine, here heavy and almost frenetic, skeletal, to support the Nas dope flow over this light glossy jazzy rhythm. The fourth track, is one of the weakest in this tape. "Got Yourself a Gun", a remix of a classic from "Stillmatic": boom bap pretty simplistic despite Cookin Soul & Don Cannon has one of the best songs from "Stillmatic"; confused and cheap rhythm, skeletal, heavy, annoying in several way, with a hook (?) scratched from a sample of Biggie.

It's followed by "Mastermind" with a completely different beat rather the previous one, clearly better, simple jazzy boom bap, light, to accomplish the slow, relaxing delivery of Nas. But it's a new mix pretty average as the next one, those of "Get Down", with an opening sample of Roxanne Shanté, then a boom bap jazzy skeletal and energetic. The sound changes, finally, with "Fast Life", fair highlights of this tape. Nas & G Rap goes back and forth during the track, composed by an amazing sample from "I'll Send You Roses" by The Deele, with a brilliant soulful female perennial choir in background; the light, simple jazzy rhythm it's supported by a minimal drum machine, this elements fully supported the dope deliver by Nas & Kool G Rap in one of the best remix of this record that you could ever listen to (possibly only Buckwild in his project "Presents..." does it better). Amazing. "Surviving the Times" has a good, light, relaxing jazzy vibes, Nas flow regular on this rhythm. Then, "Life's a Bitch": simple boom bap jazzy, light and relaxing beat that let that AZ drop one of the best verses in the hip hop history with simple, basically without accomplishing his delivery. Same speech with the verse spitted by Nasir Jones, the flute works only on the hook, basically. It's a quite good remix.

"No Ideas Original" presents a pretty average rhythm, jazzy, simple, tight, regular for the delivery of Nas. "You're da Man" is completely expropriated by his Rodriguez sample, replaced with a simple and minimal boom bap jazzy, light, average rhythm. It comes "2nd Childhood": boom bap jazzy, ethereal beat, amazing female soul sample in background, great vibes for a hidden gem in "Stillmatic". "Rewind" has a good, simple jazzy beat, with rockin' riff on the hook, and xmas bells that rings vibrant during all the listening (kind of annoying). "The Escobars" presents a sample extracted from hispanic song, then boom bap jazzy simple and vibrant, tight, simplistic, average track. On "The Flyest" I don't really know how to say... ruined track with a minimal rhythm, too skeletal for a vicious cut. Where's AZ? What the hell is that sample?! There are too many errors behind the keyboards. One of the latest tracks is a remix of "Thugz Mansion": dark rhythm, with a good boom bap and jazzy vibes, light and relaxing that's in contrast with the dark synth lines. The part of 2Pac is cut off. "U Gotta Love" is the last remix: light and vibrant jazzy production, a few dark, slightly above average. Cookin Soul & Don Cannon put a bonus track in this tape, "Revolutionary Warfare": splendid boom bap jazzy rhythm, simple, heavy, great musical carpet for the smooth flow released by Nas.

Highlights: "NY State of Mind", "Fast Life", "Life's a Bitch", "2nd Childhood", "Revolutionary Warfare".

Rating: 7.4/10.

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