K.O Player
Compilations can be something of a hit and miss affair as a listening experience, often disjointed and variable in quality, and promising more than they deliver. As a method of discovering new music, however, they can be of great value, and when they work can be a prized addition to any discerning collection. You know that feeling when you are randomly browsing the stacks in search of inspiration and happen across a CD that piques your interest for some reason. Maybe because of the cover art, or because it is a label that you know and respect, or features a track that you have been after for a while, you buy it on a whim only to then find that new avenues of musical discovery stem from the morsels served up by someone else's selections.
Now there should be no surprise when an Okayplayer compilation dishes up high quality flavours, such is the esteem in which the stable is correctly held, but their "True Notes Vol.1", from 2004, is still a collection worthy of note for a number of reasons. Fair enough, many of the tracks can be found elsewhere (isn't that the point of a taster?) and some are hardly brand new, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that the album features some real standouts. Indeed, any uninitiated reading this could do much worse than pick up this compilation for a strong introduction into some fine hip-hop from artists who consistently come correct. More than that though, for me it has also added missing pieces to rap stories that I have digressed away from and served as a timely reminder to get back on the cases of some of my favourite artists.
Prime among these is courtesy of track 2, the quirky "O.K. Player" from Aceyalone and Madlib.
Now we should need little reminder of Madlib's talents, or indeed his consistently brilliant output, but sometimes a memory reboot in the form of a perfectly constructed beat such as that on "O.K. Player" can be welcome. More than that though was a reminder of the smoothly nonchalant flow of LA legend Aceyalone, who I am afraid to say had slipped off my radar somewhat. The work of the Freestyle Fellowship, of which Aceyalone is a founding member, is worthy of far more attention than is possible here, and I have been meaning for some time to do a posting on classic album "Innercity Griots". But for now let's just give props to a truly great MC. Rediscovering a lost love can be a demoralising affair, with happy rose-tinted memories failing to live up to the realities of today, but gladly Aceyalone is well worthy of an amorous rekindling of affections.
His output throughout the 1990s and 2000s has been impressive, and worthy of praise indeed. Aside from his championing of West Coast talent through the Project Blowed imprint, there is his stellar work with both Madlib and RJD2, and membership of The A-Team and Haiku D-Etat groups. And then there is his sickly prolific debut work.1995's solo debut "All Balls Don't Bounce" is a bonafide, absolute classic, gladly now back in production, and not far behind is follow-up "A Book Of Human Language". I haven't yet made it through all of the solo releases, but suffice it to say that I feel like an idiot for sleeping on Aceyalone for so long.
Conversely, however, there is also something of a smug satisfaction in rediscovering an artist who, while slipping off the radar for many (or is that just me?!), continues to do their thing to a ridiculously high standard. Like I say, revisiting past loves can be a painful reality-check doomed to disappoint, but sometimes you just pick up right where you left off and spend the rest of your happy lives together wondering how on earth you fell off course in the first place.
Now there should be no surprise when an Okayplayer compilation dishes up high quality flavours, such is the esteem in which the stable is correctly held, but their "True Notes Vol.1", from 2004, is still a collection worthy of note for a number of reasons. Fair enough, many of the tracks can be found elsewhere (isn't that the point of a taster?) and some are hardly brand new, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that the album features some real standouts. Indeed, any uninitiated reading this could do much worse than pick up this compilation for a strong introduction into some fine hip-hop from artists who consistently come correct. More than that though, for me it has also added missing pieces to rap stories that I have digressed away from and served as a timely reminder to get back on the cases of some of my favourite artists.
Prime among these is courtesy of track 2, the quirky "O.K. Player" from Aceyalone and Madlib.
Now we should need little reminder of Madlib's talents, or indeed his consistently brilliant output, but sometimes a memory reboot in the form of a perfectly constructed beat such as that on "O.K. Player" can be welcome. More than that though was a reminder of the smoothly nonchalant flow of LA legend Aceyalone, who I am afraid to say had slipped off my radar somewhat. The work of the Freestyle Fellowship, of which Aceyalone is a founding member, is worthy of far more attention than is possible here, and I have been meaning for some time to do a posting on classic album "Innercity Griots". But for now let's just give props to a truly great MC. Rediscovering a lost love can be a demoralising affair, with happy rose-tinted memories failing to live up to the realities of today, but gladly Aceyalone is well worthy of an amorous rekindling of affections.
His output throughout the 1990s and 2000s has been impressive, and worthy of praise indeed. Aside from his championing of West Coast talent through the Project Blowed imprint, there is his stellar work with both Madlib and RJD2, and membership of The A-Team and Haiku D-Etat groups. And then there is his sickly prolific debut work.1995's solo debut "All Balls Don't Bounce" is a bonafide, absolute classic, gladly now back in production, and not far behind is follow-up "A Book Of Human Language". I haven't yet made it through all of the solo releases, but suffice it to say that I feel like an idiot for sleeping on Aceyalone for so long.
Conversely, however, there is also something of a smug satisfaction in rediscovering an artist who, while slipping off the radar for many (or is that just me?!), continues to do their thing to a ridiculously high standard. Like I say, revisiting past loves can be a painful reality-check doomed to disappoint, but sometimes you just pick up right where you left off and spend the rest of your happy lives together wondering how on earth you fell off course in the first place.
posted by Twelve Bar at 4:41 PM
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