It was even better than I thought it would be, in fact Karma is now on my radar as one of the most valuable MC's in the state. Make SURE you pick this up. Here are some of the standout tracks on the album.
Karma ft. Duce Wyld, 800 The Jewell, and F.O.E. "Welcome"
I'm Here: Karma Kind of Reminds me of Jeezy, in a good way.
Trapped in Memory: Ill Beat, Its got a Crazy Lo-Fi Sound like a Movie Soundtrack, Some Sci-Fi shit. Karma continues to bless the overdubs, and continues to sound like Colorado's Jeezy (in a good way).
Block Star: After a great transition out of "Trapped in Memory", this cut immediately changes up the vibe, Lil Trouble and Karma sound good together.
By the time F.O.E. jumps on the track I am already thinking this mixtape is gonna change the game in Colorado, so to speak. I'm gonna be pumpin' this over, and over, and over again.
Chevy Music: Another solo track, this one showcases a less aggressive style from Karma. He still continues to bang out some thick and well thought out overdubs, and this beat is another classic from JTM Music.
Element of Surprise: More of that cinematic production that I'm feeling. Savier takes the first verse, and perfectly introduces the son. Man, JTM has got depth, the way they continue to bring new Rappers onto the stage throughout this journey is dope, its like some old school Wu Tang shit or something. DEPTH!
Savier also produced a lot of the beats on this album!
Diamond: Probably the catchiest and most radio ready song on the album. It varies back and forth between a radio friendly hook, and some gritty, CO_Centric, Rap Music, on the verses. But when I say "catchy" I don't mean R&B, R&B and Singing is something you won't hear on a lot of JTM songs, and I respect that.
(When they do sing its on some dope "Devin The Dude" like shit, or its in a sample or a choir or something, as part of the beat.)
REAL HIP HOP!!!
Dead Or Alive: The Bon Jovi Song!
Dudes crunk up some Bon Jovi, and make an instant classic in the process. This track was the blog hit, that was all over the internet last year.
Its also a crowd pleaser, which Karma and F.O.E. have been known to perform at shows.
THAT COLORADO SOUND!
Huggin: This throwback funk beat is perfect for this semi-posse cut, it really allows you to layback and just close your eyes and focus in on each rapper over a three minute period of time.
Great song, kind of sounds like some 90's G-Funk, like it could have arrived in a time machine.
Just A Touch: Great finger snaps, every thing about this beat is... Smooth. Another radio ready song, this time one that is more aimed at the ladies (no craigslist hookers).
Classy.
Jazztrap: The song is called Jazztrap, motherfucker.
Its all about the bassline on this one.
Welcome: An Ironic name for the last song on the record. This shit right here?! Probably my favorite cut on this whole thing, this shit is as hard as if Dre and 2Pac has worked together more back in the early 90's. So its sound like The Chronic/All Eyez on Me/Daz Dillinger Beats, which is to say its a combination that hasen't really been done so perfectly, ever. And its Some COLORADO shit!
Welcome amounts to my favorite song on this whole album. A reminder that what I just listened to was a 5 star mixtape.
The album comes in at about 33 tracks, but most of them are actually 15 second drops from other JTM Music affiliates and what not, the full length songs are the meat of the album, and are rewindables through and through.
Again, make sure you check this one out. And stay tuned for much more from Jewell Tyme Music.
BONUS:
Karma ft. J Money, Vonny Loc, and B Blacc "Huggin"
Just the other day he opened up for the Denver Nuggets on the floor of the Pepsi Center.
Keepin you posted for 2009, F.O.E. is going to be a big deal this year. On to the review...
F.O.E. "Back Up" (Produced by 800 The Jewell)
Back Up: This is a great intro, which invokes 2Pac "Hail Mary" in its production, and features a nice vocal orchestration throughout, great overdubbing. It only clocks in at 1:30, and every second is gripping.
Should Been Had A Deal: This song has a great message, and the feeling is just right. It sound like all the frustration that its name implies, very heartfelt. Memorable
Plastic: This is some hardcore, head nodding shit. F.O.E. really grabs your attention with his lyrics and flow, and then hands the mic to Young Doe on the second verse, who does a great job of bringing this song to a close. The song serves its purpose, separating the real from the fake.
Time On My Hands: This is my favorite song on the album, F.O.E., Meezly, and 800 The Jewell provide a memorable hook over some crystal clear hi hats and xylosynths. It goes down. The bridge in the middle (after the 1st verse), is a defining breakdown, which had me hitting rewind button.
Itz Me: This song takes more of an upbeat, DJ Quik type of feel, and B Blacc ushers in the track, which makes for a nice transition. By the time the hook starts, and the backgrounds chimed in, I had a new favorite track. But its apples and oranges, comparing this to Time On my Hands, so I guess I have two favorites.
Can't Go For That: Love the beat, maybe my favorite beat on the album. I'm a sucker for electric guitars in Hip Hop, and this shit has some nice electric guitars. The bass line is really nice.
Friend: Similar to 800 The Jewell's "CTI" with its "Amadeus Amadeus" theme this message to "All The Haters" takes on a remake of a classic, but this time its the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Under The Bridge". The result is a great use of sampling, as they invoke a fan favorite into a Coloradocentric sound that sets a much more somber tone then the early nineties RHCP.
If U Da Bomb: Maybe the most radio friendly of all the songs on the album, this one sound kind of like JTM's version of "A Milli", Only I like it more than "A Milli", and it sound like some straight up Colorado Rap Music. It features B Blacc on the second verse, and he really lights that shit up, damn. The whole thing is classic. Being that this is my favorite song on the album, and being that its Radio Ready, why isn't this on MTv? Should be. The "If U Do Bomb" has been lowered, and slowered throughout the whole track, its a dope effect, done to perfection.
Overall this album has a great amount of continuity. I like how it sounds like a band, playing similar instruments throughout, with similar harmonies on each song. But every beat is well made, and each one speaks for itself. So its really a treat to listen to F.O.E. orchestrate his solo effort over and over again with all this consistent quality in the beat production.
A great introduction to the music of Jewell Tyme and F.O.E., who are currently getting ready to put out a ton of sequels, debuts, and collaborations this year.
And "If U Da Bomb" is my shit.
BONUS:
F.O.E. ft. B Blacc "If U Da Bomb" (Produced by 800 The Jewell)
F.O.E. ft. Street Lyfe "Friend" (Produced by 800 The Jewell)
For those of you unfamiliar with 800 The Jewell, the name says it all. Dude is a diamond in the rough, and a real treasure within the Colorado Hip Hop Community.
He is an MC, Producer, and Business Mastermind, who has quietly helped to build an empire as the Founder of Jewell Tyme Music.
His production is truly unique, and really stand out on its own amidst the rest of the Colorado beatsmiths. His raps some people say sound like 2pac, but they have that strong Jewell Tyme influence that comes from years of cross-pollination within this tight-knit Rap collective.
But enough about that, lets move on to 8Thooven.
800 The Jewel ft. Mississippi Mac "On the Ground"
8Thooven is an 18 song LP everyone should give a listen to, here are some reason why. "On The Ground" is one of a handful of songs on the album which really serves to show and prove to the listener that this dude truly is a great Beat Composer worthy of the name 8Thooven. A perfect combination of Church Organ, Classical Piano, and Orchestral Strings is interweaved throughout this bangin track. Not to be outshined by his own beat work, 800 bangs it up every which way for a good minute straight, before calling on Mississippi Mac to finish it off. Its certified Dope.
"CTI" is one of many songs on this album that remains dope while incorporating tongue in cheek musical references which exhibit 800's grasp on the history of music in its many forms.
On this one he borrows from the Soundtrack to Amadeus, reworking the melody, harmony, and yes even the lyrics and refrain to the theme of the legendary Mozart biopic, in the same way that The Simpsons did with "Dr. Zaius".
It could have came off as a joke, because it is funny, but it was done with such an earnest approach that you will find yourself singing along with the hook while thinking to yourself "man this shit is dope!"
"3 Drinks" is (LOL), actually about smoking weed. Its also THE HIT. It starts off with some wild ass percussion and drums, on some real stripped down shit, and then kicks it up even another notch with some insane staccato piano stabs. The whole time dudes are laying down classic lines that express their love for the weed.
"Still" is probably our favorite song on the album. It drops in out of nowhere after opening with nothing but the drums with an ill testimonial ("First name 8, last name the Jewell!"). This is just a classic anthem, one of those testimonial jams from a real dude/producer/rapper of which there are so few out there doing it.
"8Strumental" is a really special track. Like the "Quik's Groove" series from DJ Quik, who 800 lists as a major influence on his production, this jam is the lone instrumental track on the album, and for good reason, it really speaks for itself without the help of an MC. It's dope that 800 had the wherewithall to select this song to be the standout instrumental track for his album, because it is perfect for just that.
The title track, "8thooven" really ties the concept together. 800 speaks on his respect for Beethoven and why Beethoven is dope, and then gets into his own keyboard, doing what is easily as good as the best piano work on the whole album. This is another one of the best songs on the album.
A couple other tracks to check out are "Alright" (as in this beat makes you feel Alriiiiiight, giggity), and "A Dedication" which features some more top notch percussion work by 800, including some massive conga rollls, and some slick Hi Hats. "A Dedication" also features 800 in what might be his most viscous flow on the album, he is really in the pocket on this one, and unleashes an extra amount of havoc on the mic.
Overall this whole album is just one more classic JTM release, of which we hope to be reviewing many of in the near future. Props.
BONUS:
Press Play.
800 The Jewell ft. F.O.E., Street, and Meezly "3 Drinks"
800 The Jewell ft. B Blacc and Allison Wright "Still"
