Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Old school rap. Simple samples. Höre es erneut für die Texte.
Listened to some of the album, but wasn't enthused, so I skipped the rest.
The first half of the album feels like freshman rap. The beats aren’t hitting very hard and are pretty basic. The 2nd half is great! The music and bass are a little louder, the lyrics are clear and relatable. Highlights include "Check the Technique" and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow."
3.5 The first couple tracks I thought it was your basic early 90s hip hop jazzy endeavor of corny rhymes, but the lyrics are actually insightful, some of the scratching was impressive and adventurous, and the deadpan lyrical delivery was good and comedic without trying to be but maybe it was? Either way it piqued my interest and I found myself enjoying this album more than I thought I would the first couple tracks, particularly tracks such as Execution of a Chump which tackles lazy friends who suck off your energy and people who bring you down. The record also tackles themes of materialism and spirituality and that dichotomy. The production was excellent and frankly ahead of its time, while the sampling could be a bit repetitive at times but it got adventurous when it needed to. Beyond Comprehension is a favorite of mine. It explores deep themes. The record also tackles themes like romance and its everyday struggles in a great track Lovesick, the personalities the music industry attracts, and other various themes. I'm going to give it a 3.5 (aka 4) because... 1. I hate jazz 2. It doesn't flow as an album 3. It is too long. 4. Some of the rhymes are corny and just do not hold up. 5. The tempo doesn't change very much, becomes too expected. BUT... POSITIVES 1. Emcees flow and touching multiple themes and being vulnerable, insightful lyricism 2. Production value 3. Explorative sounds 4. Excellent scratching 5. Its ahead of its time 6. Say Your Prayers has the fattest beat If the record trimmed five of the tracks or so and kept the best ones itd be a five but its guilty of overindulgence. Some of the rhymes on some tracks feel forced or just passing the time.
3.5 Nice lil rap album
Hm, the usual gangster stuff: violence, fighting, wait- talking about the Muslim faith & uniting as a people, references to "40 acres" & Malcolm X, at a time the US was sending troops to Iraq & Kuwait? OK, gotta respect that.
Hyvä levy, muttei ihan ysäriräbän suurimpia suosikkeja.
Had never heard of this album. Glad I was able to listen to it.
kinda groove w the beats
I am about as far from their target audience as you can get. I don't like this genre and think most of it is shit. I dreaded listening to 55 minutes of this (well, ten minutes and then skip through the rest of the songs). But beats were solid and easy to get in to. Lyrics were at least cohesive and coherent. So what would have been a one turned out to be a three. I can't say I liked, but I enjoyed listening to it. When it comes to this genre, that's hitting it out of the park. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Not a hip hop fan, but enjoyed listening to this album.
I didn't mind it as background music
I've only ever listened to Moment of Truth, but never his first album. Pretty classic 90s flows and instrumentation.
You can definitely hear the influence albums like this one had on east coast rap throughout the 90's. The production is great throughout the record, and there is lots of good storytelling here that makes up for a pretty basic rhyme schemes. Very similar to A Tribe Called Quest but there's not much here that The Low End Theory doesn't do better.
its okay.
Classic East coast hip hop. Some good grooves, some good lines, very mellow.
It's fine and for the era maybe even ahead of its time. Preferable to gangsta rap
Welcome to vocabulary class. Good old school hip hop but like all the others it just gets kind of repetitive with the rhymes and using big words
3.3/5 Best Track: Step In The Arena
I think Gang Starr's albums that came after are a stronger showing. Musically I think only Just To Get A Rep is a strong showing of the style they made. Still, there's some interesting stuff here and Guru & Premier always sound good. I have a feeling that I'm underrating the impact given that it's from 1991. music: appreciated. (⌐⬤ ̮ ⬤)
This was a good time. I don’t have much of an ear for hip hop, but I know this was sparse, creatively sampled, and every song had a place.
The high pitched sound in "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?" is annoying. Other than that, the samples were good. The rapping is about average. Still not my genre.
Some good stuff in here, classic samples and good bars.
this is really corny. the vocals are very flat for the most part, but the beats make up for it kinda idk. The lyrics are pretty cool too. 7.1/10
Smooth and crisp - the mould by which most streetwise 90s hip-hop would and should be measured. Lyrically ahead of its time but I find the earwigs a bit sparse on this one. I want to give it 3.5 stars. I can’t, so I’ll play hardball.
It's ok but think the lyrics are a bit cringe, won't end up on my gym playlist
Nicely smooth but gets a bit monotonous after a while
DJ Premier is a legend and delivers great beats in this. Guru has a cool flow but gets a bit boring after a while.
Me ha gustado bastante, otro de esos que puedes escuchar una y otra vez sin cansarte. Me gusta que haya estrofas que funcionan como estribillos, y las bases están bien. 7/10 puede subir nota.
I liked this better than most rap! 3 stars
Cat: I really liked this.
dj premier is a legend
Album 195 of 1001 Gang Starr - Step in the Arena Rating : 3 / 5 I am big on coincidence. I started listening to the 1001 Albums playlist at the end of March and then started the album a day generator about a week later. All along, I wondered if the generator would ever give me the same album I was listening to on the playlist, at that time. It finally happened. I got about 5 songs into this album yesterday on the playlist and it pops up here today as album of the day. Now, the album. Wasn't familiar. I see that some (at least, at the time of its release) called this the greatest Hip Hop album ever. I can't speak to that. I can say that it is better than many I've heard. I'm still trying to differentiate between Rap & Hip Hop....what do I know? I'm just an old pop and rock guy. I did wave my arms side to side a few times while listening. Coming from me, that is as good as a Grammy nomination.
Not bad
Very easy listening 90’s hip hop. Vocals have a smooth flow, beats are silky, funky, bouncy and pleasant. Very hypnotic, could easily have this going in any background.
Fun
Very well put together album, just not my thing.
1. Just to get a Rep 2. Step in the Arena 3. Check the Technique
я почти ничего не поняла, но это лучший хип-хоп альбом всех времён? я ничего не поняла (иц файн)
Great beats, smooth delivery, impeccable old-school vibes. Best song: Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?
An odd choice to represent Gang Starr in this list - there is some good stuff on here but they still feel like they’re finding their sound on this one, and albums like Moment of Truth are much stronger
Easy listening. Some songs were better than others. Enjoyed most of the beats and some of the lyrics.
Why? I can't say why this album is in here It's not bad, it's not good, it's just background noise
A "new" album from an early hip-hop duo I only know for a single song (Mass Appeal). Honestly did not know that this is where DJ Premier started out. Step In The Arena gets things going with a classic 90s beat with some slick flow. Straight, clean, no-nonsense hip-hop that keeps your head bobbing start to finish. Next two songs both are servicable. Good beats and flow... Who's Gonna Take The Weight? features a high-pitch warble front and center. I find it kind of distracting relative to the vocals. Kind of put this into the background for a while. No complaints, but no real stand-outs until I hit Take A Rest. Features a hip-hop favorite sample in one of the more dynamic beats on the record. This song is a case of the beat outshines the MC. Doesn't help that the mixing puts his vocals on the same level as everything else making it easy to lose him. I'll be honest, I did not give this a very close listen. I was focused on other things and the music itself didn't really compel me to give attention. With that in mind, I'd say this is a very solid 3 / 5. It may have been more influential at the time of its release, but looking back this feels like a solid, but not amazing early 90s hip-hop album. The beats, while interesting at times, generally fall within the meat of a 90s hip-hop bell curve and the rapping while serviceable is nothing commanding of attention. Some poor mixing (imo) throughout also plagues the production with the instrumental overwhelming the MC. Can't say I'd go back for another listen, but I'm not offended by it.
I was mowing the lawn while listening to this one so I don't have a song by song recap. I love these 90's hip hop albums, definitely head bopping and grooving at the beginning on this album. Mr. Starr has pretty good flow. Some of his lyrics are better than others. He doesn't have very much change in his tone though which causes the album to turn a bit bland. Overall it started out well, but I kinda checked out later in the album. Could have been shorter. I could maybe give this one 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding down.
Beats are a little repetitive for my liking. But the flow of the lyrics is really good which I would assume is the focus. I really like the Up On Cripple Creek sampling on Beyond Comprehension The songs all started sounding the same to me and wish it was only about 30 minutes long. Still enjoyed
What an iconic voice Guru has. Heard a few of these songs but never this album le go. Step in the Arena bangs. Execution of a Chump is a banger. Check the Technique is awesome sampling California Soul. Love Gang Starr this was solid, but nothing so captivating to keep me intrigued all the way through.
Good, important, old school rap. I have much respect for these two but I can’t help get a bit bored listening
Not familiar with this group and not a rap fan so can't give a fair evaluation. I will say that this is music I would have absolutely hated when it originally came out. Now I can hear some of why it broke through but still not for me.
Love this kind of early hip hop albums, clean af.
A lot of very weak lyrics but pretty good production, 2.5
The problem with ‘Step In The Arena’ by Gang Starr for me, is that it’s only just OK when compared to albums released in the same year by their peers. ATCQ, Cypress Hill, De La, Ice T, Cube, 2Pac and NWA (just name a few) all released far more compelling, urgent records, and with more interesting use of samples.
Fine
Slighty more low key Public Enemy circa 1991, with both the old school production and the Nation of Islam loyalties
it's a hip hop album... I'm not into Hip Hop that much to know if it's a hidden masterpiece or not but it's the "worst" of the 4 (TPAB, IGOR, Fear of a Black Planet) I listened so far... 6/10 (3/5)
The sort of 90s hip hop we watched on TV in primary school to warn us about knife crime. It's not for me.
Bit vanilla but I enjoyed the sound. Don't know if they sampled other people or people sampled them but it had familiar flavour.
Nothing special but a solid effort, missing a banger
album de hip hop quoi
Typical 90s rap. 7/10
I had a CD of 1/2 of this outfit, the rapper Guru, from his Jazzamatazz series, where he played with a bunch of jazz guys, like Donald Byrd and Roy Ayers. It was cool because, as a result, those artists came out of retirements, and started touring again. I managed to catch a couple of them when they passed through town. I like Guru's cool delivery and the DJ on this LP is OK, it would have been nice to hear the exquisite solos from Jazzamatazz.
Really cool album. I liked the music and radio style
Never heard of these guys. Good old school Rap/Hip Hop Singles: ------------------------------- Just to Get a Rep (#5 US RAP) Take a Rest (#63 UK) Lovesick (#11 US Rap., #50 UK) Step in the Arena (#5 US Rap) Who's Gonna Take the Weight? (#9 US Rap) 3/5
Goeie herinneringen aan deze plaat uit mijn hip hop jaren.
Best vrolijk en luchtig.
Ik vond dit verrassend prettig.
Uhhhh, very nice hop hop, très cool and smooth.
Gang starr heel hard. Ziet wel dat ze gedurende ze verder zijn zeker de rap beter wordt. Nu merk je dat premier vooral de kar trekt
Had eerst niet zo veel zin om dit te luisteren maar uiteindelijk echt best nice!! Favorieten waren Check the technique en As I read my s-a!! Eigenlijk 3,5
Hou van de beats, het rappen voelt soms was ongeïnspireerd. 3.5
I liked
12 days in and this is the 4th hip hop album already! Tbh I quite enjoyed this one
A few tracks I could do without, but in general this was easy to groove to, and I appreciated the cleverness and poignancy of the poetry. Sometimes the lyrics and delivery could have been better, but it was a perfectly okay listen.
Good vibes
Not my style
pretty good!
I've never heard of the band. I looked at the cover and expected to hate it. Actually kind of really enjoyed it!
Alright
An interesting listen
Good Old School Hip Hop. Love the samples used on this recording. Some Funky moments throughout.
It's rare to find a hip-hop album that isn't inundated with interludes or skits, so this was a refreshing listen. Not the best hip-hop I've heard, but it was pretty good. Standouts were Lovesick and Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Like his voice, good beats, some good lyrics but too much “I’m great” theme. And lots of cliches in some songs.
Just good clean hip hop. Can't complain.
New to me. Laid back east coast hiphop. The vocal delivery felt a little drab at times, and the content started to wear thin (how many ways can you say that my rhymes are better than yours?) but overall this wasn’t bad. Some of the backing tracks are a bit grating but thankfully they don’t overstay their welcome. Standouts: Check the Technique, Love Sick, Take a Rest. 2.75
Uha, hvor er det et langt album…
3.5/5. Very influential in the hip hop genre but perhaps a bit before my time.
The generator's thrown up lots of 90s hip-hop and it's all blurring into one, so I had low hopes when this popped up. But these hopes were surpassed! Yeah, stylistically I can't really distinguish it from a few other artists we've had, but somehow this found a bit of a sweet spot with fun, laid back beats and words that a) I can hear clearly, and b) I want to listen to. A line in Take A Rest sums it up for me: "Arranged by a great brain, delivering rhymes clear and concise with a nice dope voice". Word. 3.5
Pretty good, very relaxing. Lacked a real stand out song imo
Not a hip hop fan but this is pretty good. Smart and listenable. 3 stars.
It's got big early 90s rap vibes, which I enjoy since it's pre-gangster rap. Favorite was "Check the Technique"
It is was alright hip hop album but not the best. It is better than 2 not really a 3. I will round up.
Enjoyed this - had heard tracks before - but not the whole album. I think it earns its place
Smooth rhymes, smooth rhythm, this has aged rather well
classic rap album, but not really my taste
Pretty mellow and chill. Bass was funky. Didn't really grab me though.
Production vraiment bonne, on comprends pourquoi c'était un album important dans l'arrivée du hip hop jazzy. Les flows deviennent un peu redondant à la longue par contre.
Great old school hip hop, great samples and basslines , rhymes are good and I really enjoy the scratching. Not too sure if it was just a product of the time but I don't recall any foul language, not a plus or minus just wondering. Favourite tracks - Step In The Arena, Take a rest, As I Read My S-A
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
This rap I could actually get with- it wasn’t obnoxious and shoving it in my face or anything and it was actually pretty good. It’s not my favourite or anything but I would listen again.
Guru has his moments, but DJ Premier is one big moment here.
I’ve always found Gang Starr to be more boring than the other rappers/hip hop groups out of New York. Not bad though. 3/5.
Another solid rap album.
I was ok with this... The artist told a clear story-dialog and for the most part didn't fall into the well of misogyny or vulgarity. Music was appropo
I was more familiar with Guru's solo Jazzmatazz albums (which I am pretty sure we sold at Scratches back int he day), although I remember some of the singles from this. I like Guru's laid back style and the jazzy, funky and inventive. It is nice to get away from the very aggressive and shout-y tenor of most 90s hip hop, and this is less violent and misogynistic than most. Guru's flow is sometimes a bit awkward, but he is so charismatic that he can sell even his clunkiest bars. I enjoyed listening to this, although not much stuck in my memory. If I wanted to play this vibe, I would be much more likely to spin Guru's solo work.
Really cool old school hip hop with laid back beats and a rapping that manages to stay sharp while being smooth all the way through. Their avantages are also their flaws, because it all can seem a little bit redundant towards the end. At least for a 50+ album. Still great though.
Yeah it's alright.
Cool hip hop album !
Smooth conscious boom bap always put you in a very nice mood, but this album lacks a little bit of tork and attack. It was very enjoyable, tho. I don't think I'll get back to it.
3/5 I was a little skeptical at first, what with it being gangster rap. The so f about the kid steppin is going to meet the executioner was a bit much for me but overall it was ok. Good rhythms to groove too. Not going to be looking for the album to save or anything. But I didn't hate it. So a neutral 3. 🙃™️
Repetitive and lacked any real progression or levels. Didn't pull me in or interest me but wasn't terrible.
More thoughtful than the average hip hop album, it borrows some great samples from soul classics and has that typical laid back 90s rap feel.
eh
Dj premier est un tres bon DJ et j'ai adore cwst collabo avev Nas, cette album est bon avec un flow de l'epoque et une super production. 3.95
I like 90s hip-hop that isn't all gangsta. Funnily this was all Gang Star. Some scratching got a bit extra, but a nice trip down memory lane.
Never heard this before. Quite melodic and chilled.
Not my thing but not bad? reminds me of alexander hamilton's son.
step into the realm you're bound to get caught wait wrong group
3.5
Nice hip-hop beats.
Hay canciones que estan de mas, pero sacando eso el album es bueno
Good rap album. Beats are good, Jazz influences with horns and pianos. Early 90s rap that sounds like mid 90s, ahead of its time in style.
Nice hip hop album, consistent and well produced.
It's alright, pretty standard hiphop stuff.
This was a surprise. An early hip hop/rap album with a chill vibe and beats. I would listen again.
Hard again? I barely even got a half chub. In terms of level of arousal, I will quote the most common phrase said by women leaving my bedroom. “That was very disappointing”. In terms of musical stylings, it had some razzle dazzle, so I’ll be generous as I often am in bed. 3 stars.
Eh. Constantly teetered between the idea that the flow is good with whack beats and that the beats are fire with whack flow being spit over it. Had a few good songs but not something I'll be revisiting, solid 3/5 stars. Feels weird putting it at the same spot as muddy waters, but it's definitely not like listening to an album of only bongos. Pretty boring.
it ok
I know nothing about hip hop or rap...it's history, evolution, east vs. west., etc. I've never listened to a full rap/hip hop album. I have never heard of Gang Starr. That said, here's what I can say... I'm glad I discovered this album. Smooth, jazzy, funky, chill, relaxed vibe. Loved the basslines. Loved the samples. Delivery was more understated/uninspired than I expected, but maybe that helps create the relaxed vibe. Idk. I just know I enjoyed the ride, will work this into my regular playlists and will be seeking out more rap/hip hop in the future. Isn't this the reason for joining this site? Curiousity, discover, and expansion of musical palate? Happy I joined. Enjoying the experience. Enjoyed every track, but faves were: Step in the arena Lovesick Just to get a rap (yes to the bassline!) 3.5/5.0
90s hip hop is vastly superior to modern
This is underground, intellectual rap at it's finest. Check The Technique is a hit.
Old school R&B/rap is some much better than the rap shit put out these days. Think I heard the 'N' word once, no taking pride that your girl/boy is a hoe and no glorification of senseless violence. Well , one song about taking a guy out....Anyway, probably can tell I'm an old school kind of guy who enjoys less of the shock rap shit from our current trend. Smooth album. I enjoyed the fact I could get into a nice groove while at work. First time I have heard of these guys and I really enjoyed the entire album. Nothing really stood out for downloading, but just enjoyed the overall sound of this album 3 from me.
3.5 The only Gang Starr song I knew prior to this was Mass Appeal, as featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. While I adore probably a solid 95% of the songs used in the Tony Hawk games, Mass Appeal was never one that was high on my list. So, I didn’t have high expectations going in. Turns out, it’s a solid album. What stood out for me most was how subtle it was both in terms of vocals and music. Nothing was overly flashy or fancy, yet each song seemed to have a clear sense of identity with unique beats and subject matter. Guru’s delivery almost feels effortless, while also somehow complementing each of the beats perfectly. There’s not a ton of range in vocal performance to be had, but it doesn’t feel like anything extra is needed at any point. All in all, a really relaxing listen, and there’s not a bad song to be had. In many ways, it was a nice contrast to many of the more mainstream hip hop tracks of today. Will definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Favorite songs: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Execution of a Chump, Take a Rest, Lovesick, Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?
This album is good. The rapping is good and the flow is nice, but for some reason I can't fully get into this album. I feel like I should enjoy this album more than I did, but I can't put my finger on exactly why. Favorite song: Who's Gonna Take The Weight? Worst song: Lovesick
Wish this style of rhyming had been more popular. Intelligent and old school.
i dug it
For this genre not really being my thing I have to give them props for being ahead of the pack in terms of their overall sound. They get an extra star for that.
Good album! The beats were clean, flow was on point. A little old school but in a good way. I wish some of the more interesting beats had a little more time to shine, especially on the opening track. But overall a very solid listen.
Was always a fan of old-school hip/hop and this was quintessential old-school rap. Some highlights of the album for me were the lyricism and the pace. My favourite songs were Check the Technique, Love Sick and Who's Gonna Take the Weight.
Perfectly fine early 90s old school rap. Not exactly my thing but this one I can at least appreciate. Good production too
Some early boom-bap rap. Pretty good stuff. The beats are great on this record. You can tell this record was pretty influential, considering it was made in 1990, and the projects that would come after it.
Hip hop/Rap de los 90. Hay mucho más de esto de lo que esperaba en un lista de discos imprescindibles. Temas interesantes "Step in the arena", "Who's gonna take the weight", "What you want this time?" y en general muy buen disco, me quedo con ganas de más. Un 3 estrellas alto de casi 4.
I wish I was more well versed in hip hop to give this a fair review. I mean, I know plenty of artists and know what I like but it was very hard for me to judge this album. Their lyrics and flow seemed sophomoric compared to what I was listening to in the later 90s and 2000s. They had some decent wordplay but I wasn't blown away by any rapping. As for the beats, I personally love jazzhop elements and was really digging all of those tracks. Reminded me a lot of Tribe Called Quest who I'd guess were contemporaries of these guys. Overall pretty solid outing but probably not something I plan on listening to much in the future.
Refreshing alternative to gangsta
Pleasant enough musically and rapping. Not abrasive. Good samples. Good wordplay without the swearing and guns. Good.
Not being a fan of the genre I didn't really find anything interesting in this album. I would say it's pretty average, some nice rhythms and decent vocals. Couldn't be bothered with the lyrics but at least their flow was good.
Very old school vibe, i liked some beats and flows he had. I might keep listening to it until i dont. Rap is still not my thing
Cette association entre Guru et DJ Premier est parfaite. J'adore ce qu'ils font ensemble. On est en territoire de De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest et MC Solaar du côté Français. J’aime particulièrement le style de DJ Premier avec le choix de ses sampling et son intégration du scratching. Mon style de Hip Hop.
Nice samples but dated
Cool jams, and an interesting approach to rapping. While rap and hip-hop are not my thing generally, I appreciated the storytelling with a minimum of swearing. That can get tedious. That’s all I got.
how about i step into your mum
Oh leuke rap, ik had mss iets meer naar de lyrics willen luisteren
The beats on this record are top drawer. But while Guru’s lyrical imagery is definitely intuitive and novel for the genre, the actual egocentric tropes remain largely untouched. This is undeniably a great hip hop record though, but its impact waned greatly towards the latter half of the album.
Not a massive fan of the genre but I like the rhymes and delivery. There's a desirable lazy sling to the beats. Quite a lot to admire. My enthusiasm did wain towards the end.
I like to butter my grandmother's feet and have her dance on my belly.
Class rapping
If there's only one Gang Starr album on this list, for me it shouldn't be this one (Moment Of Truth is the winner). This is decent but very much sounds like they were still in the process of finding their own sound. Premier's beats and Guru's rhymes both evolved massively, and for the better, from here on in.
Not my thing - sounded decent rhough
Interesting - I had never heard of these guys or this album. But man, the 90's were such a great time for socially aware and/or politically charged rap & lyrics. One problem though is that it all sounds similar to me - like there's a crisp voice overtop of a variety of different, more in-the-background beats but the cadence and rhythm seems to come off the same. As I was listening to this album it ended and some random suggested tracks came on and I didn't even know it wasn't the same group. So yes, I love the lyrics but find the whole package didn't really stand out. If I had to pick a couple favorites though, it'd definitely be Who's Gonna Take the Weight?, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (great groove), and As I Read My S-A.
I have a really good sense of how rock music developed - so when I hear something that sounds like a lot of other things, I can often recognize who the trailblazers of that sound were. I don't have that same sense when it comes to the history of rap. So when I hear an album like this, I feel like I've heard a lot like it already. What I don't know is whether Gang Starr was a leader or follower. I enjoyed it, but it didn't stand out as much as other rap albums I've heard. Nice grooves, interesting lyrics, but doesn't make me want to dig in more. Favorite Tracks: Step in the Arena, Check the Technique, Here Today Gone Tomorrow.
Has its moments, the guys flow strays into will smithy territory a bit
Pretty good
This got a bit monotonous with just the one vocalist - some variety, guest spots etc. would have been appreciated. Otherwise this is pretty good, chilled out hip hop.
Le quotas boom-bap est rempli pour Robert qui peut maintenant commencer à nous reproposer de bons albums.
Aussi convaincant que l'article de Mercatostar sur le transfert de Lamine Sané à West Ham.
Solid Gang Starr album, great pace. The messages were clear and the mood was perfect.
Badass old-school flow and beats. Not a lyrics guy. Hard to follow but parts I caught were good. Good to know more than mass appeal. Give it 3.5 if I could. Love the beat on meaning of the name
Лёгкий и приятный рэп. Близок иногда даже к джазовому груву, но немного блёклый для меня.
This is the second album by hip hop duo Gang Starr. It's a classic 90's East coast hip hop/rap album that ranks high on the greatest hip hop albums of all time. I loved the nostalgic, underground sound of the rapping on this album. However, I prefer more modern hip hop/rap.
Good background grooves. Didn't listen to the words.
nice 90's production even if it was an early effort. many early steps in the gangsta rap direction
Enjoyed this, good 90’s hip hop that isn’t too intense full on gangster rap.
3.5
3.5
could’ve listened more but got a good average hip hop record vibe
Still not a fan of rap, but I can't say I didn't like it. It was okay, it has it's moments and though I wouldn't take the time to listen to it again exclusively, it makes for good background music.
Very laidback rap with great rapping and lyricism on display. Unfortunately, laidback is not often what I'm looking for in my rap.
Listened to on 8/18/22 3/5 Favorite song: assassination of a chump Hip hop isn’t my favorite but this album was super creative and enjoyable and very 90s
Solid rap album. Good background music
My name is eirik and im here to say type flow
Look, Gang Starr is classic, but you’re gonna include this and not Paid In Full or Road To Riches? U crazy Robert
6/10. More pleasant than I was expecting.
Beats are pretty solid but the vocal performance was so low-energy. 5/10
meh
Pretty good… I don’t really like rap, but I did like “Execution of a Chump.” I understand that this album was a pioneer in early rap, but it was kind of repetitive after awhile. Unlikely that I would listen to it again.
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Is there a general term for the transition hip-hop made from 1988 to 1992, a period we can now recognise as rather tumultuous for the genre? During these years, we observed the rise (and occasional fall) of, among plenty others, Public Enemy, Ice-T, NWA, De La Soul, Cypress Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, MC Hammer, Arrested Development, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Will Smith, and my faithful friends, you know that several of those ultimately proved detrimental: just ask Chris Rock! (I'm already embarrassed to have made that joke, and that's while I'm typing it right now). Regardless of that, hip-hop was a significantly different entity at the start of 1993 than it was at the end of 1987; in 1987 America, a rapper was someone a sitcom grandmother would impersonate in a bum-moisteningly embarrassing routine about why her grandkids should never even look at marijuana, whereas in 1993 America the actress who played that granny would be calling the police twice a day over her fears at seeing a "rapper" in her neighbourhood. Now, I'm speeding over much relevant history and culture of those four years, but forgive me; you're smart, you can fill in the details yourself (actually, was there that much hip-hop about the end of the Cold War? Loads of rappers gave their takes on 9/11, to varying levels of taste). Gang Starr fit into the alternative hip-hop of the period, having a firm foot in really old-skool hip-hop with their beats and good-natured bravado, yet showing a greater sophistication than their predecessors, both musically and lyrically (the sample from the French electropop anthem E.V.A. is wonderful), and broadly, the album works. One aspect that stands out from this album is its clear intelligence. As much as it flaunts a cockiness, it always mitigates it with the sober realisation that arrogance, or indeed the desire to be arrogant, leads to many a fall, many a humiliation, and many a fuck-up. But I can't ignore the grumbles I have. The tracks feel rather samey, so quite a few tracks feel fillersome, meaning that the album feels far longer than it is. This lack of diversity also causes the listener to drift, generating the perverse conclusion that you think the rhymes might be interesting, but you're not interested enough to pay attention. The standout tracks (Step in the Arena, Who's Gonna Take the Weight?, Just to Get a Rep) are fantastic, and the album never sounds bad at all, but one wishes for a few more fireworks. Still, it does have the merit of thoughtfulness. Much hip-hop of the era had that quality, but much else didn't (much managed both simultaneously; Public Enemy and Ice Cube decided to fight racism with racism). An interesting artifact from an era of interesting artifacts, but this at least is interesting in itself, and not just historically interesting, unlike 2 Live Crew declaring their yearning for pussy or Vanilla Ice imploring ninjas to go, go, go.
Not heard this before and impressed by it.
Really feel like I must be missing something with this album. It didn't particularly grab my attention. Decent use of samples, beats were good, but lyrically, I just zoned out. Vintage hip-hop, yes. Nostalgic, maybe. Best hip-hop album ever, I just don't see it.
It was good, but it wasn't something that stood out too much. There are a lot of 90's hip-hop albums I would rather listen to, but it's still decent.
Musically, I really enjoyed this. Lyrically, it's the usual mix of genre stuff, but some is quite clever.
Not impressive at all but it's endurable
It's a genre I like and this is a good, if not great, example.
Guru was astonishing. Frowning cuz I'm down in the dumps The other night I took her out So she could shake her rump Exactly.
gangstaaa
Better than I expected. More musical than similar of the genre. Cover art 1/5 zero thought went into this.
3/26/2022 Today's Album: "Step In The Arena" by Gang Starr - Being a rap album from the same era as Straight Outta Compton, this album feels like a step up. The first track is the title track Step In The Arena and is a great introduction to this mellow, grooved out, rap music. It has a similar issue in it's verse structure as SOC, where each line has a rhyming counterpart, but this album does it with much more finesse. It still feels boring after a little while, but there is so much more character and intent behind each of the verses being spit on this album. The bass throughout these tracks is super in the mix and super deep/dark. It gives this booming feeling to each track and does a lot to stylize the album. As we get into the track list, the instrumentals seem to only get more interesting as the vocals get more and more difficult to slog through. Maybe I just really can't appreciate this genre, because it is so unbearable how inherently uninteresting this way of rapping sounds to me. Each track sounds like such a let down, as the beats lure me in with the authentic and dark production, but the rappers suck every ounce of energy out of it. Getting pretty done with the generator recommending these let-downs. As far as I can tell, one of these rappers has some real potential. I can't tell which ones, but the Highlighs section is pretty much all of his tracks because he just has more charisma. He still uses that annoying cliché in his rhyming, but he mixes it up with lengthened lines and smart wordplay. The song Lovesick has a truly amazing beat, welcoming me in with soft guitar plucking and that ever-present warm bass. The flow isn't bad on this track and I think that they work well as a group when they are singing about love (for whatever reason), but it is a really nice track overall. I really like the telephone sample in What You Want This Time?, but as usual it gets pretty ruined by the rapping. Also, they just mostly rap about being good at rapping, despite it being the literal worst part of this project. Seriously, though. It is all they rap about. The rest of the track list doesn't leave a very large impact except for Precisely The Right Rhymes, which has a bass so overblown it made my walls shake and my ears hurt for a sec. So, I would say overall that although there are a ton of really cool instrumental ideas all over this record, it never ends up hitting quite right due to the lack of performative talent form 1, or sometimes both, of the rappers in this group. Listen to it if you really dig soul instrumentals and can overlook some plainly bad rap verses throughout most of the tracks. Score: 6.5/10 Almost really good. Highlights: Step In The Arena, Beyond Comprehension, Lovesick, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, As I Read My S-A
Preferred yesterday’s Wu-Tang Clan album but this had some good tunes
Solid, but not spectacular. I can listen to Gang Starr all day, but there is never one song that I'd tell a friend "you HAVE to listen to this song"
Really enjoyed this album. Classic hip hop. Great samples. Sounded great in headphones.
Rating: 6/10
Gifted. Unlimited. Rhymes. Universal. I listened to this a little in the 90's after getting into the Hard to Earn album (which was released after this) and GURU's Jazzmatazz which was great. Though it was good to go back in time and listen, I didn't think much about the album. Though I have respect for GURU, this album is forgettable and sounds dated, so does HTE.
I've been sleeping on Gang Starr, despite the fact that they seem to be the originators of my favorite subgenre of hip hop, alongside groups like the Roots, De La Soul, Jurassic 5, and others. While overall I don't think Gang Starr is quite on the level of the best of the genre, I really enjoyed "Step in the Arena." The only song I knew was "Check the Technique," and either because of familiarity or the great strings it was my favorite on the album. Guru's rapping is occasionally a bit too slow in a cornier 80s hip-hop type way, and while he’s got some good lyrics overall his flow is solid but the he’s the weak link here. DJ Premier does a fantastic job of mixing classic beats and scratching with jazz and rock elements. He’s the highlight of the album. While I loved hearing Gang Starr's music, my favorite thing I learned about them today is that each episode title of the first season of the Netflix series Luke Cage, based on the Marvel Comics character, was named after a Gang Starr song. Gang Starr was surpassed by those they inspired, but they’ll get an extra star for their influence.
I haven't ever heard this but it feels like the jumping off point for Digable Planets and De La Soul. It feels a little more dated but definitely in the same ballpark.
I appreciate the lack of curse words in these songs. It’s refreshing to know hip hop can be done well without them. However, the beats are quite primitive and lead to a lack of excitement to hear this again.
I liked it
3/5
listenable 3/5
was alright, not so much my style I guess
Mid school old school bit laboured by today's standards
im not a big fan of "old school" hip-hop simply due to the fact that with innovative artists we have nowadays (kanye west, kendrick lamar, danny brown), listening to the pioneers makes it easy to find faults - it can feel a lot more limited and overall, more confined. regardless, i really enjoyed this album more than i thought i would. the album does drag its feet a little bit going into the second half, but the flow is usually fun and enticing, which can, in turn, be said for the instrumentals. it's a pretty fun album, i would say it's far from perfect and does tend to overstay its welcome, as well as getting quite repetitive. nonetheless, it's clear to see why this release is listed here. holds some great highlights too, i.e Check The Technique.
Nice bit of old school hip-hop
Hiphop sin estridencias. Sintetizadores y estilo ochentero.
I liked this quite a bit! The backing track / beats / music is quite good and varied enough to keep the album interesting.
Very classic early learning center rap
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Lovesick, Take A Rest Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: It's gotta be the best feeling to perpetually rap about how much better you are than every other rapper in the game and then have everyone say "yup this is one of the best albums of all time". Levels.
better than expected.
Premier is probably the best producer of all time, and I love many Gang Starr tracks, and RIP to Guru. But I never really enjoyed his flow, it's a bit outdated now, and this album doesn't change that.
It's ok, I get that it's influential but most of the lyrics are just bragging about how great they are. Some tracks are better than others.
Not my type of music but the lyrics were strong and powerful. It also had some beats that will catch you dancing.
Cultured hiphop. I was aware of Guru but had never listened to Gang Starr, worth revisiting.
3.5 | Disco muy muy solido. Bien hecho. Excelentes beats. Letras con propuesta que se siente entre una mezcla de Public Enemy y A Tribe Called Quest. Musicalmente muy bien mezclados los elementos de jazz y la instrumentación que se sale un poquito del género, aunque para estos años tampoco es que estuvieran haciendo parteaguas en ese sentido. No lo conocía y veo que es un disco muy aclamado. Quizá no me convenza a ese grado de ponerlo en un pedestal pero se me hace un disco muy muy sólido con mucha calidad... que sufre como tantos discos de hip hop en ser quizá demasiado largo.
Dentro de lo que puede tocar de Rap y Hip Hop he descubierto que este estilo me gusta más, donde hay sampleos, beats y rimas y de menos se conserva una buena calidad para cantar. De este disco quizá mi única observación es que fue un poco más largo de lo necesario.
Not my thing really
I'm very unfamiliar with early 90s hip hop, so this felt a bit dated, but I also appreciated its sound. Liked Check the Technique, Execution of a Chump.
A typical but enjoyable rap album from the 90s. 0 recognized songs
Good for non active listening. Some annoying samples in the back sometimes.
Gang Starr has always been kinda mid in my opinion
This was cool, but definitely worked better on the tracks with fuller or funkier beats, otherwise his monotonous flow fell flat
It was good to hear another side of hip-hop's golden age with this album. It may have seemed repetitive and a bit of a mixed bag at first, but there's a lot I found myself enjoying across the record. DJ Premier and Guru make a strong partnership, allowing each other's contributions to shine with no features. Guru's vocals are mellow, laid-back, setting a warm tone against Premier's even warmer, groove-laden sampling. My impression is that this is easy listening by hip-hop standards- no abrasive production, no aggressive vocals or violent and misogynistic lyrics. A Tribe Called Quest are the closest peer I can draw from my (limited) hip-hop knowledge, but for a relative beginner to the genre, it's ideal. The stage is set from the stand-out title track, and from there the sampling draws from some classic funk and soul, introducing me to some great tracks I hadn't heard before. In particular, the dramatic orchestral sample on "Check the Technique" (Marlena Shaw- "California Soul") and the sunsoaked brass and keyboard riff in "Lovesick" (Delfonics- "Trying to Make a Fool of Me") have pointed me towards songs I enjoyed more than anything on this album. The lyrics seem fairly repetitive- Guru repeatedly casts himself as an intellectual outsider, and laments hip-hop's downfall to commercialisation and violent lifestyles. It's an interesting perspective but feels like it's been covered after three tracks- maybe I just need to hear the lyrics more. It may not show much variation, and isn't always dynamic or upbeat enough to jump around to, but nonetheless I quickly found myself on my third listen, bobbing along to "Who's Gonna Take The Weight." At the very least, this is strong background music and it's also certainly one of the smoothest, most considered hip-hop albums I've heard.
My kind of hip hop. Mellow
Some classic beats here. Guru's flow can occasionally be a little simplistic and one note, but I enjoyed it more often than not. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Check The Technique", "Take A Rest"
Not a huge rap fan but this wasn’t bad.
This was enjoyable.
3 stars. It’s good, but kind of basic 90s hip hop
Nice chill old-school rap album
Liked this. Listened to a couple of times since, Just To Get A Rep is the best song on it.
Decent and I surprisingly enjoyed this
// Favs: Check The Technique Score: Decent 3
Very much in the vain of de la soul, enjoyed
August 11, 2021 (Aug 20) Not bad but I personally found it a little bland.
good rap
Couldn’t get into this. I heard a lot of samples that I know I’ve heard elsewhere, these guys probably were first. I don’t know why I didn’t like this, seemed odd cadence and somewhat low energy. Still better than a lot of modern style.
Classic Hiphop.
RIP Guru Don’t skip Execution of a Chump
Äntligen hip-hop!!! Typiskt old-school hiphopalbum, med långsamma beats och snabb rap i verserna, med samplade rader och record scratches i refrängerna. Välluttänkta verser, främst om hur Guru lyriskt mördar den andra MC:n. Lovesick (Dylan inspirerad??) behandlar hur berättarjaget har svårigheter i sin relation på ett mycket skickligt sätt rent textmässigt. Efter lite research verkar många hiphopheads hålla detta som Gang Starrs tredje eller fjärde bästa album, typ, vilket lovar väldigt mycket om resten av deras diskografi! Sammantaget ett väldigt bra, klassiskt hiphopalbum. DJ Premier med felfria beats som Guru rappar över med ett naturligt flow. Bästa låt: Just to Get a Rep.
Really good instrumentals throughout. Some really great scratching as well, however, overall lacking in hooks and too similarly paced. Take a Rest/As I Read My S-A adds a much needed injection of pace but for the most part it feels like each song just blends into the next. Vocal cadence/flow very similar throughout as well and unfortunately rarely gripped me.
Alright album. Lyrically it’s above average. Beats are true to the 90s and only a couple songs stand out. Mostly it’s a standard 90s rap album. 6.5/10
Very well made, great poetic lyrics. Quite repetitive on a full play through. “Love Sick” and “Take a Rest” are the standouts for me
Need to make a Playlist with Gangstarr and Aesop Rock.
This album sounds like it must have been innovative at the time, and clearly Gang Starr is extremely talented. But it was not really our thing.
-Seems like a step between early rap and more modern rap, with slightly more complex rhyme schemes than old school rap -"Lovesick" stood out as the best track -"Step In The Arena," "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow," and "What You Want This Time?" were pretty solid
Very cool and chilled. Great lyrics, great beats. That said, like a lot of hip hop I find it's in one ear, out the other, but that's just me. I don' think I really pay enough attention to it.
Typical gang starr. Beats cah get repetitive but there are some good ones.
nice start. *takes notes* apparently the dj's name is premier and this dude's the guru. well so far it's exactly what i expected from the intro + year this came out. i like this well enough. i'm on song 3 and i'm bored already help. 'you puny protozoa'. this whole song is too much. he's not like the other rappers. 'strangely enough i've been struck, affected by her smile' lmao. it's a short thing but my fave track was 'say your prayers'. other than that one i liked 'precisely the right rhymes'. i'm most likely not coming back to this record but his lyrics were fun, the music was boring though. 2.5.
really decent rap album. Enjoyed some of the lyrics, better than an average rap in my estimation, but generally I am not into rap.
Background music
Classic Guru rhymes on dusty premier beats. You can't go wrong with this pairing. Nothing especially stood out on this ablum, and it is hard to rate it higher when I think of the other work these two did.
Нормальная тема, хоть ни в одну тему особо и не залип. Особенно удачным показался второй трек. Флоу бодрый, но не слишком харизматишный или технишный. Думаю, продукт своего времени, для которого было збс. Ныне немного скушновато. Но эстетикой олдскула норм веет, понадобилось бы - спиздил бит.
ух ты нихуя себе реп хз почему этот альбом сунули, он самый слабый т.к. самый первый да и 91й год это ж пиздец базовый уровень. слышно прям явно как все реперы того времени вдохновлялись ракимом - тематика без особой жести, слабенькие панчи про то какой я КРУТОЙ, а вы ФУФЛО максимально поверхностные, за такие щас засмеют. хотя на то время это было пиздец прорывом и потом лет 5 все так и звучали. строчки с плотно уложенным текстом на всю длину такта и иногда выходящие на новую строку тоже отличительная черта. про биточки уж че и говорить, два прихлопа да погнали зато сигнатурный скретчинг премьера в первозданном виде кек вместо этого альбома лучше б 1998 Moment of Truth включили, раз уж репа тут так мало рип гуру хули
Cool beats
Ah 90s hip-hop, feels like a distant paradise in a sea of mumble-bumble bollocks. I'm not saying there isn't a time and a place for mumble rap, it just doesn't fit into my schedule very often. Anyway... Step In The Arena was an album that gave me a brilliant feeling. I love the old school beats and the old school everything to be honest. Only reason it isn't getting higher is due to the album not having any absolute stand out tunes on there for me. I liked Step In The Arena but generally, this is an album full of pretty good tunes. I'm loving it more for the vibe.
Meh. The problem with 90's hiphop is that we have Kendrick Lamar now and he is the King.
Had three listens. I do really like it, but... BAD THINGS: I never pay any attention to actual lyrics (besides the enunciation of individual phrases) and that's the main appeal of rap music, so I'm unlikely to ever score hip-hop a high mark because my brain just ignores all the best features of this music. Hopefully I can get out of that trap over time. GOOD THINGS: Great style, love the brass and guitar samples making it all jazzy, and all the basslines are incredibly groovy. I like that the lyrical content isn't so vulgar like in some hip-hop, but the lyrics are delivered in a very assertive manner which comes across well. FAVOURITE TRACKS: "Take A Rear", "Who's Gonna Take The Weight", and "Step in the Arena".
Enjoyed this, not listened to these two before though I've heard of Premier. Good 3*
Good album. It is the sort of hip hop I like.
Decent grooves.
Not usually my kind of tunes, but surprisingly enjoyed this. Witty rhymes and lyrics that are actually interesting and I also really liked the music. Cool strings/ brass and piano up in there. Getting Diggable/ tribe called Q vibes. *who's gonna take the weight, beyond comprehension, Check the technique, as I read my S-A
Not quite sure how these guys had passed me by until now. Coming to it 30 years late it obviously sounds pretty old school but you can see the influence they had on loads of people who came after them, including some of my favourite artists like Jurassic 5. Enjoyed it, but probably enjoy what it led to more.
Ayy I've listened to this one before. Big Mos Def vibes but not as good
3.3 - Classic old school hip hop sound. Sunny, poppy, "conscious." Some corny rhymes here and there, but overall there's plenty to like.
5.5
Old school hip hop. It might be key record back in the day, now it sounds dated and not special...
This is old-school rap at its finest, plenty of great classic soul/funk loops and thoughtful rhymes.
Ganstar rap is exactly what it is: old school rap. Not particularly great, but not bad either
Liking the low-key delivery and presentation; this drink goes down smooth. 6/10
Solid rap and beets. I wasn’t wowed by anything.
Consistently great, classic, sample-heavy production from DJ Premier. Guru is a solid rapper, but ESPECIALLY in this early album, it's a lot of early, not-very-interesting cliched styles.
DJ Premiere! Otherwise, sure it’s pretty good.
That bell sound is back on Say Your Prayer, fucking love that little bell. This was a 3 until I read that all this is produced with two turntables. The production was getting a bit repetitive but if all they're working with is samples on a turntables then fair enough. His rhymes are a bit cheesy at times but all up pretty sick.
Some good beats and classic messages
Enjoyed this one more than some of the other 90s hip hop. Lyrically strong without unnecessary excessive profanity. I'm trying to focus more on the lyrical quality of this genre to help me enjoy it more.
A great rap album from the early 90s.
Good lyrics, not my favorite delivery. Beats are okay, “softer” than most rap from the time.
This is amazing. I love the musicality of this album. The production does have an 80's vibe but not in the synth way that I usually think of 80's music. I will be listening to this again for sure.
Melko solidia old schoolia
3.5 kind of repetitive but not a bad listen. i like "love sick"
More song I knew than I realised! Good chilled out early hip hop!
I have legitimately never heard of this artist or this album. Not a big rap guy, but this is the first non-Kanye rap album I've gotten in this project. Let's see how it goes. I really don't know what I'm listening for here. The beats are fairly catchy but everything's fairly slow paced and it kinda just blends together after a while to me. This sounds very much like generic 90's rap to me. It's probably a genre-and-sound defining record, but I don't understand the nuances of rap enough to know. It's pretty good music to have on in the background of my workday, but I don't know that I'd come back to this much.
Good at what they do but there are thousands like this
Nice rythmic rap hip hop but no african american can come close to the Beasties and Eminem
I like and already knew of Step in the Arena, but the whole album - surprised it wasn't my thing
Jazz samples and matter-of-fact delivery seem ahead of their time. Complex production and mixing of rhythmic elements. But the delivery is joyless and kind of flat compared to other groups with this style — think Pharcyde & de la Soul. I almost gave this a 3, but the delivery is just so repetitive, i had to go with a 2.
This was so bland and unmemorable. It's not even that I don't like this type of music, but these songs were particularly boring and faceless to me.
Not bad but not my style either.
I have no comments for or against. I don't know!
This is my 4th album on a 6 hour flight so I might be in the wrong headspace but this felt empty. Definitely too long, some ok samples and beats but pretty one dimensional and boring. I want to like him because Boston has so few famous rappers, but this didn’t do much for me.
Maybe one or two fun ones but overall pretty corny. Lovesick does not sound very gangstarr
Why? Why is this on here?
I'm in perhaps probably the worst-luck-trough in my run with the generator so far at #420. It's been about a week of albums that range from unlistenable chores to just making me want to quit altogether. This was just okay, it's probably 2.5 if that was allowed. I'm just tired. This is just okay hiphop for the time. I appreciate that it had no skits and no over-the-top homophobia or misogyny. That makes it so much better than most other rap albums of this era. I didn't find it to be essential listening for me.
None of the hip hop and rap albums this challenge has thrown at me has made me rethink my previous ambivalence in the slightest. The Lovesick song is ok, I was familiar with a more uptempo version than the one on the album, which I much preferred.