Review:

on 2011-05-27 CharlesMartel Said:

Another album a friend of mine played to me to show me how good rap is. Just sounded like the same old lame and tired rap really is. It's just the same stuff as done by dozens if not hundreds of others - no originality, no effort, no hope.

I have often been heavily criticised for reviewing rap and hip-hop albums and giving them negative ratings. Apparently, so the theory goes, if I don't like the genre, I should not review it. That way, only people who like it can review it, and thereby keep the album ratings high.

Hmm. I had never thought of it like that. I always thought I was supposed to review whatever I heard, like it or not. After all, I own records I don't like, so should I not review those because some may feel I am dragging their ratings down? Others may review stuff I think is great and shit all over it: should they not do this because it might bring the overall ratings down?

Well no! Ratings reflect the views of those who have heard it. I have heard this. I have a view. My view, in this case, is that this album is unlistenable. It is boring, trite, derivative and utterly unoriginal. It does nothing to alter my overall opinion of this genre. When I hear something from this genre that does, I will happily tell everyone.

And if that drags the ratings down, tough. In my personal opinion (and you are as entitled to yours as I am to mine) this album is a stereotype too far. It may have been relevant in 1988 when it was released but it seems dated, the message has been put over better by others and the format is just unremittingly dull. But then that is my opinion. Others have given it considerable acclaim, so it must have some merit to some. Just not to me.
Rating: 1/10