Welcome to the Afterfuture

Is there any mf doom on this list? If not what are we doing with this? Bizarre pick, pretty bad.

Very atypical rap. Jazzy and delivered at a relatively slow pace.

Meh

Interesting

Felt like I might enjoy this more. I guess I didn't hate, but it became confusing at times... and coming from a confusing individual as myself, denotes something, I guess. Did dig the futuristica beat scheme though. Anyways, I liked the El-P track, BLADERUNNERS and TO THE MOON'S CONTRACTOR.

Out the gates didn’t want to like it but it won me over. Instrumentals are awesome

Mike Badd

interesting but the kind where you don't know how else to describe it

119/1001 Mike Ladd - Welcome to the Afterfuture Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There's undoubtedly some good stuff on here and I appreciate the experimentation, however a lot of it felt quite cold and distanced, so found it a struggle to get into it.

Turns out the album is much better than I thought it was going to be. Creative, unique, powerful in places.

Unclear how these nearly unknown gems make a list like this sometimes. Here's a record that can't claim to have made a big impact on the genre or genres it operates in, and it also doesn't sound like an exemplar of technical prowess in the artist's chosen mode. There's not a lot of immediate evidence to recommend it. It's a bit of a head-scratcher. Like, "what are you doing here, little album of little note, on this big list of records you must hear before you die...?" And yet, it was a perfectly fine listen today and is going to rate higher than many other records I recognized from the list. I can only conclude that the question reveals more about me than the album. It's a shame we don't realize that more often about ourselves — so often when we move through this afterfuture we lack self-awareness.

A little better than expected, but still a bit weird.

I was not impressed with this sadly. beats weren't very interesting, rhymes were fine, but overall this was a miss for me.

An interesting and fairly obscure selection. Ladd's Alt-Hip-Hop style moves pleasantly between attention-grabbing raps and atmospheric environment building. As we move closer to the completion of this project, entries like this one bring to mind other artists that have not yet been seen here. Are they awaiting us at the end or have they been left off entirely? This album reminds me that we have not yet seen/heard anything from Run the Jewels. I think that their "RTJ4" is a similar must-listen. It's role as a harbinger to the tumultuous Summer of 2020 make it a necessity.

Pretty forgettable

Surprisingly good. Not great.

How does stuff like this even get made? Nobody thought to tell this dude that it was ass before he released it?

Starts off sounding like a Backstreet Boys song with the synth. Kinda boring. The second song starts off with a sample of Barry White's Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe. This isn't good.

5/10 Everyone knows I strongly dislike hip hop, right? However, while this does have the excessive profanities and the vulgar misogyny, violence and comically sexual lyrics it has to be recognised that, musically, at times, it had some creativity to it! Hoorah! There were chords and progressions! Not everything was beep, thump n click. Well done Mike! I mean, I didn't like it much, but you get a point for giving me something to hang on to

Just didn't enjoy this. It was just a mess of bad flows with no continuity. The quality of the recording was ok, but there was no production value. It seemed like a really well mixed demo tape of random songs.

😭😭😭😭💀💀💀

This was boring. Late 90s early 2000 stoner hip hop. The last couple of songs were actually kind of interesting. But overall exactly what you would expect.

Neo American experimental hip-hop with a Gallic twist. Not for me though.

Klipp og lim. De klarer ikke å gjøre det bra en gang 😞👎🏻

One of the only albums I didn't manage to push through. -5

Meh.

Interesting and different. 3 *

Couple of decent songs, but not enough to save this album. it's a no for me.

Not my normal type of hip hop album but it’s different and unique!

meh

Good, different

Generator, I’m BEGGING you to start giving me some albums from people I’ve at least heard of. I really don’t mind getting an underground project here and there, but this is happening almost every day. Give me some Beatles, some Bowie, some Björk… heck, I’d even take some Beastie Boys at this point. Who on earth is Mike Ladd and what is he doing on this list? Like many albums the Generator has assigned to me thus far, Welcome to the Afterfuture is an LP that I appreciate more than I enjoy. It's weird and frequently psychedelic, with bars that made me cringe more often than not (e.g., "you can't burn me in a teepee, watch me as I go pee pee"), which put me off of it almost immediately. Simultaneously, I can't say I've ever heard an album quite like this one from its era – its beats are so distinct and its vocals seem to bathe in how off-kilter they are. WTTA actually did pick up some momentum for me around the middle, starting with an El-P jumpscare (I had no idea he was part of Company Flow) on the track "Bladerunners." While his bars sound pretty primitive compared to what he'd later do with Run the Jewels, it was still a pleasant surprise getting a verse from someone I'm relatively familiar with on this album. There are certainly other highlights, but the only track on Welcome to the Afterfuture that I legitimately enjoyed and plan to revisit is "Red Eye to Jupiter" (and I've already given it a second listen). It manages to be bombastic/over-the-top in a really fun way and somehow feels ahead of its time, almost like a precursor to the jazz rap and nerdcore that became quite popular in the mid-2010s. Ultimately, I think having a more seasoned, polished MC on these kinds of beats would have made WTTA a more enjoyable album for me, but that would also cause it to lose a lot of its unique character. I'm happy to remember this album as one that wasn't necessarily for me, but still managed to stand out from every other hip-hop album on the 1001 Albums list. Highlights: Bladerunners, To the Moon’s Contractor, I Feel like $100, The Animist, Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Ni**a), Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)

Sadly terrible.

Just no.

Some great bits. Some less so. Could be a grower.

It’s hard to remember now given that rap/hip hop basically IS what people think music is today, but for a stretch there in the late 90s rap was kinda...wack. You had some older heavyweights still doing work (Beastie Boys), newly arrived virtuosos (Em, Jay), but the median group/MC pushed had more in common with late 80s hair metal artists: girls, cars, houses, fleeting displays of ostentatious wealth (everything rented for the video shoot). Nice surprises like Stankonia were around the corner, but as a forward-looking genre, hip hop was feeling if not dead, certainly on life support. I personally was consumed with trip hop, the downbeat or instrumental sampling music adjacent to hip hop, mostly without MCs. As a DJ, I was an outlier in my appreciation of hip hop, happy to drop in golden era favs, but contemporaries seldom made it through - backpack and whatnot was fine, but lacked vibrancy, focusing on unique (often offputtingly nasal) deliveries. Lots to admire, but hard to find a lot to love. Like some instrumental hip hop, Mike Ladd had atmosphere going for him - there’s something mysterious, threatening out there, but we can’t put our finger on quite what it is. Pynchon as producer. The beats are fine and range from 4/4 boom bap to a more acoustic, live feel. I’m not sure I would’ve loved this at the time, such was my resistance to MCs then, but there’s a spare quality to his work that lets a sample fill the bars, instead of the turntablist need to always move on. The Gorecki flip would’ve almost certainly made many a mixtape. But...there’s a casting about here, a lot of songs without lyrical hooks, just...incidental ruminating that seems obviously important to Ladd, less so to the listener. I see he later got into soundtrack work and that tracks.

Mixed bag.

3.0 Thought I'd enjoy this album more than I did. Probably would (frequent note by me) if I listened to it 20 times but only had time for 3 listens and just couldn't get into it. Not bad, but didn't love it - 3

Never heard about this artist before the book, but it's rap so maybe it's because I just don't inhabit those circles. However, after a quick search, it seems this album and artist are only ever discussed in the context of the 1001 albums book. This type of artsy hip-hop can either be very cool and engaging and result in the best records the genre has to offer, or it can be aimless and a slog to get through. This one is the latter. Such a random inclusion.

Meh

Just when I thought I was doing okay with hip-hop, which isn’t one my usual genres to listen to, this album comes along and ruins everything. It’s really not good. It’s like trying to listen to Oxygene while your flatmate is ranting about totalitarianism. The beats are fine but the lyrics are poor. The album sprawls, and when you think you’ve got a handle on where it’s trying to go, it doesn’t even try to get there. It’s far too long and there is no way this is essential listening before you die.

Annoying songs

Wack

This is like the blending of hip hop and spacy sci-fi sounds - a totally original and different listening experience, and I enjoyed it a lot. The drumbeats are so groovy (real drums, I believe) and the bass lines have great hooks.  Many of the tunes feature "spacy" sound effects that actually enhance the experience. This is a memorable listen, and I have to thank the list for this one, as I had never heard of Mike Ladd before.  I'm looking forward to checking out more! Feb. 4/'99 - if you don't know the date (like me), look it up.  Liked Songs Added 5000 Miles West Of The Future I Feel Like $100 The Animist Red Eye To Jupiter (Starship N***a)

Weird and interesting

8/10 this was cool, a surprising album and criminal it doesn't have more listens and a higher rating whereas the next generic rock album on the list has 3.5+

Why does every hiphop album need to be an hour long? Is it just too easy to produce compared to other styles, so you may as well add more songs while you're in the studio? Is it too many bedroom producers not getting notes? Because the result is albums like this, and its ok, but I feel like if it was half as long, it would be twice as interesting and its commentary would hit twice as hard.

4/5. This album was throwing me off at first but as it went on, I figured out what it was trying to do. It is closer to an instrumental trip hop album with some rapping between. There is theme of anti-establishment throughout but it is loose to also include more personal songs. The sampling and production is the highlight here, like an MC for multiple rappers to jump in throughout. It definitely has grown on me and feels like a mix of Madvillainy and DJ Shadow. There is definitely a lot more to uncover and experience here, a pretty complex and layered album instrumentally. I could give or take the lyrics in some songs though. Best Song: I Feel Like $100, To the Moon's Contractor, 5000 Miles West of the Future

Musical, interesting, creative. I didn’t know Mike Ladd or this album, but I’m pretty much blown away. Not all of these hip-hop experiments(?) work completely (e.g., “Takes More Than 42”), but most of them do (e.g., “5000 Miles West of the Future”). I look forward to spending some time with the smart, off-kilter lyrics. Wow.

BAD

I really, really dont think this is even in the list of 1001 rap albums you need to hear before you die

If you asked me yesterday which afrofuristic alt-hip hop album from 2000 I want to listen to, I'd tell you Deltron 3030. I wasn't expecting to dig this album, but there are some really exceptional grooves in here and some hard hitting lines. It seemed a little inconsistent, but maybe I need to give it some more attention.

I listened to this album twice through... at least I think I did. It's quite amazing how bland this is. It's so bland I have no idea what to give it. I didn't hate it, or find it annoying, nor did I like it or notice any stand out tracks. I've gained absolutely nothing from listening to this and lost nothing. Best Tracks? 5000 Miles West of the Future (it's the opening song); Planet 10 (maybe?); Bladerunners (I guess)

Very interesting listen. Amazing to hear the vision and insight

mir bisher unbekannt, aber spannend

Disclaimer: The last song is excellent There is really something off with this list and how it views hip hop music. Arguably hip hop is the most influential and successful form of popular music for at least the past 25 years yet it is under represented by this list. When there are hip hop albums on the list they are either extremely obvious or too obscure. This album is an example of the latter. Were this a list of alt hip hop that was not as well done as Company Flow/ Def Jux/ hip hop releases in the late 90s early 2000s then this should be on that list. This album is not that great or interesting . Some of the production is ok. There are trip hop elements on a few songs and the instrumentals are solid. The rapping is so average especially for this type of album that it detracts from the parts of the album that work. If anyone reads this and likes this album please listen to Cannibal Ox, Company Flow, and Google alt backpack rap and you'll find many better examples.

beats are good, lyrics are meh.

A shitty hip hop album. 1*

Some of the beats are good, but man this guy has no flow. Sounds like a cheap copy of MF Doom (who, by the way, isn't even on this list)

Wonder if they were high when they made this. Might be better if you're high when listening to it. :/

This is really cool. I've had a strange listening experience - I listened once in the morning kind of passively and found it a bit flabby.. But then I've listened with more focus this evening and found so much to love. The sounds brought together are beautiful and intriguing. The rap is intensive in lyrics and delivery. It is a little on the long side for my typical album preferences

Album rap qui a de la sauce en masse.

New to me, and a mixed bag. There's a lot that's really not successful, but a few tracks I kind of love. There's a better, shorter album in here somewhere.

Crisp production and lyrics for a bridge between the 90s and 2000s rap game.

Seems like an album that was in the first edition of the book but should be removed now.

There's so many great hip hop artists around the world, and this shit is what the author thinks we need to listen too. Honestly, they should be embarrassed with themselves. Maybe in the next edition of the book replace this with Bliss n Esso.

If MF Doom didn't know how to rap Best Song: Bladerunner Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2

Decent. Wished it had a tad more energy but it was an interesting listen.

Random collection of noises and some shouty rap

This was awful. Wish I could give zero stars.

Terrible

I didn't need to listen to this. Top 3 worst albums on this list so far? Don't tell me this was experimental, this is just throwing shit at the wall and seeing if it stops stinking. Still stinks.

Interesting listen 2/5

It is kind of interesting but I don't like it at all. 2 stars or D+.

I don't know why but there's loads of hip-hop in this list, and the bar seems to be quite low. This album has few OK moments but it's generally quite weak I think.

Just plain bland

Never heard of the artist or album before this, so wasn't sure what to expect. Didn't rock my world to the core, but I quite enjoyed it.

I honestly listened to it while doing other things, and nothing profound stuck out for me to even comment on. Already completely forgotten the next day.

Super solid Hip Hop - and it seems like I am the only one that listened to it. Under 10K hits on most of the songs.

Listened to the first few tracks, and it wasn’t my thing. Really didn’t see too much artistry in this.

Some good beats, but lyrics on some of the tracks were straight up cringe.

Not really something I want to listen to again. 1/5

Not really my think. Some ok bits but overall didn’t do it for me.

interesting listen, not for me

"There's nothing more middle class than dying of applesauce"...... huh?? 3/10

Hip hop with ”world music” influences. Pleasant surprise. Well, those were my thoughts less than two tracks in. After about 5 songs I feel like there’s too much of it left. It’s not terrible, but I wish it was 40 minutes instead of an hour. Quite liked the verse of The Animist though. Reminded me of some older hip hop I’ve heard before. 3/5.

Was expecting this to be a punk album but was extremely pleasantly surprised. Genuinely one of the most unique hip hop albums I’ve ever listened to, criminally underrated!

The opening tracks grabbed me right away and I loved the mix of groove and imagination throughout. Not everything landed; tracks like “Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon” drifted into lounge-y background music that was skippable.

didnt like much

Nije moj stil.

Never heard of this artist before, really interesting stuff though. Reminds me a bit of MF DOOM in places, and in other places Flying Lotus. Some of the tracks don't really pan out fully, and it is a bit too long. I'm glad to have found it though - will definitely be revisiting it!

Not a fan of this, it got trashy real quick and was way too long.

Should have been shorter and condensed down

The vast majority of albums that are "critically acclaimed" and praised by music "critics" but don't sell at all or make their way into the public consciousness whatsoever, are complete trash and hard to listen to. This album is a great example of this. Like most hip-hop/rap albums, it's entirely too long. It drags a bunch in places. Also, this dude sucks at rapping. His lyrics make no sense. This isn't special. Only reason it's not a 1 is cause some of the musical parts are interesting.

better than a lot of other hip hop on this list (lyrics are trying to have substance, & at least have a variety of samples). just goes on way too long

This album is the reason why I started going through this process. I've never heard of Mike Ladd and now I'm glad that I have. I found a new band/rapper that I like and also love that this is again another album where as soon as it started I knew that it was going to be controversial, or at the very least polarizing. Gave me very strong early Kool Keith vibes and I'm here for it. The Bladerunners song having EL-P made it even more. Best song on the whole album though has to be The Animist.

I'm sorry I briefed the reviews before I listened to this. I never heard of Mike Ladd so I wanted a little backstory. I was expecting an album I would have no interest in, I couldn't be more wrong. This needs further review, but my first impression is completely intrigued. This feeling is reminiscent of the first time I heard Ultima II Massage by TOBACCO. I've opened a new door. TOBACCO has become one of my favorite artists, I need to follow this road. Don't know where it'll go, but I've discovered that Mike Ladd was part of Infesticons, a band that I listened to a lot around the millennium. Anyway, cool rec, thank you. The album recs have been dismal for a spell. This was a very pleasant surprise.

Para el hip hop tengo un limite y creo que este álbum lo ilustra claramente. Mira que empieza prometedor, pero según avanza se me van quitando las ganas de volverlo a escuchar. En la parte positiva, ese intento de mezclar hip-hop con música alternativa. Para mi gusto, no funciona.

I dislike more songs on this album than I like songs on it

It wasn't bad, just not my vibe. Felt like the songs sounded the same throughout

I didn't hate it but I could have definitely not heard it before I died and wouldn't have overly cared.

I don’t get it. Nothing special.

this rocks, I've been hearing mike ladd feature on stuff for years but I've never listened to his actual albums. lots of cool/funky/weird beats, star trek references, what's not to love?

Solid! Electronica meets hip-hop with some spoken word mixed in. Feels culturally relevant. Really good album! 4.0

Not for me sorry.

Reminds me of dad

4/10 There are some decent ideas scattered around on this album, but overall I don’t think things clicked very often and often sounded like disparate ideas thrown together in quite a haphazard way and then not mixed particularly well. It kind of feels like a home demo of something that could end up being pretty decent with the right producer at the wheel. But no. There are about 10 featured musicians on the credits and two producers (including Mike himself), so this isn’t just a home studio effort. I hear a lot of what artists like cLOUDDEAD, Boom Bip and Prefuse 73 were doing at a similar (perhaps slightly later) time, but their work is far more conherent. What those artists manage to achieve is a general through line in their music that tends to tie the variety of their musical stylings together in a satisfactory way. Mike Ladd seems to have had a thousand ideas and then not considered how to balance, blend and distribute them in a way that is ultimately musically satisfying. That being said, I could see the promise in this and there were moments when things did click into place, like elements of Airwave Hysteria, some of the parts of To the Moon’s Contractor (although that didn’t justify it’s runtime) and the later stages of Feb. 4 ’99 as a few examples. But ultimately, this didn’t manage to engage in a sustained way, despite the scatterings of interest that appeared here and there, which is a shame. 5000 Miles West of the Future - I can hear what this is trying to do. It doesn’t quite blend together that well though. The bass line hints at something more robust, but never really delivers and there’s a couple of odd note choices in there that ruin the flow. It all just feels a bit disjointed. I think the vibe is ok, but musically it just doesn’t really come together very well. Airwave Hysteria - This sample used in the intro and in a few places just doesn’t fit with the rest of the track. I actually think the verse is decent. It reminds me a little of cLOUDDEAD, but not as good. The scratching bit is quite nice too, but it’s all a bit of a jumble. Quite a few ideas that again don’t blend all that well together. And there’s a sample that is quite disonnant against the bass which doesn’t work. Planet 10 - Again, the vibe of this is decent. The beats are nice and subtle, but the singing doesn’t work. He’s tried to make it ‘alien sounding’ but he’s not succeeded in a musically satisfying way. It just shits on the rest of the track, unfortunately. Takes More Than 41 - Now this is shit. Discordant, badly mixed, and terribly sung. Bladerunner’s - Another disjointed intro, but when it kicks in it’s got a nice groove. I like the bass too. There’s a guest rapper who’s better than Mike is. Not a great look. Again, the different sections feel really disconnected acted from one another and don’t flow. It’s like he’s made a bunch of ideas and jammed them together. There are some interesting changes as the track grows, but it starts getting cluttered, which is ultimately unsatisfying. No. 1 Street - This isn’t bad to begin with, but it gets tired. The mix is bad and there’s a big resonance on the bass that’s horrible. His delivery doesn’t seem particularly considered either. To the Moon’s Contractor - There’s some interesting stuff in here, although there’s not enough development or variation to justify a ten minute runtime. There’s some nice bass playing in there though, and some of the harmonic elements brought Air to mind. It is just a bit on the bland side though. I Feel Like $100 - This kind of sound collage in hip hop is wonderful when it’s done right. It’s not done right here. The mix is terrible and things just jar against one another, but not in a satisfactory way. If you can feel some thread of continuity pulling through things like this, they can work well, but this is just too crowded and muddled. The Animist - This has a nice groove to it. The lyrics are not good though. Overall, not that bad, but there’s probably not enough to grip me and not any real hook to engage. The beats were nice and head-bobbing though. Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga) - I quite like the energy of this one, but again, the chorus lyrics are a bit try hard. It’s quite noisy, but I think that’s part of the charm of this. Things actually blend reasonably well. Not bad. Welcome to the Afterfuture - This one isn’t bad either. The beat has a nice bit of groove and drive to it. But it just never really goes anywhere. Another odd sample to finish it off, Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon - This starts really nicely. The swelling pad sounds are nice, as are some of the synth tones and pitch sweeps. There’s a weird and jarring shift at about 3 minutes that doesn’t flow and things start to fall apart from there. Feb. 4 ’99 (For All Those Killed by Cops) - This isn’t bad either. Nice to see some proper fire in his delivery. Another jarring turn at about 3 minutes in that doesn’t flow with everything else and then we drift away again. Some nice elements, though. The beat is lo-fi and crispy and the pulsing bass is nice, as is the melodic line. Decent finish.

This did nothing for me at all. The only track I remember is the one where he's listing what his name would be if he were Jewish, Catholic...

Yeah, this isn't very good. I suppose there might be some irony in some of the rhymes, but if you aren't in tune with his sense of humor, they come off as being lame. The instrumentation isn't bad, hence the two stars.

I don't usually like hip-hop. There have been some great albums on this list that challenged that notion and convinced me by being fantastic enough to transcend genre preferences. This is not one of those albums. I don't know why this one would deserve to be on this list and I stopped listening after a couple tracks.

Album 883 of 1089 Mike Ladd - Welcome to the Afterfuture (200) Rating : 1.5 / 5 This one just didn’t connect with me at all. I always try to find something positive to take away from each listen, but in this case, nothing really landed. It’s not the worst I’ve heard by any means, but it also did absolutely nothing for me. Sometimes albums just miss their mark, and for me, this was one of them.

I was extremely into experimental hip hop in the early noughties, but this eluded me then. Fun with a left field choice like this, but there are so many worthier choices of experimental hip hop from around the same time with a lot bigger influence. Some of the top of my head: ”Deltron 3030”, Aesops Rocks ”Labour Days”, and ”The Cold Vein” by Cannibal Ox.

This was hit-or-miss for me. Some of the songs I really liked, and some I'd definitely skip if I owned the album. It was better than I thought it would be, though. For that matter, I might have to actually get the album... "Wipe Out," "Animist," "To the Moon's Contractor," and "Feb. 4, '99" were definitely highlights for me.

Interesting beats, not the best flow, felt like beat poetry at times, found it a bit of a slog

This is a tricky one. It’s ok, good and bad. Lyrically original, but muddy.

I didn't hear this on release. Funny enough he's all over features in a few of my favorite hip hop albums of the last few years. 3.5

Didn’t understand this one.

Solid, this album art is popular for a reason

Didn’t really like it to be honest. Geezer only got 47k monthly listeners ….

surprising.... not a hip hop fan, but this is pretty listenable.

High-concept prog space nerd stoner rap. A bit willfully cerebral at times. Intriguing listen though. Somewhere in the mould of El-p or Aesop Rock. Deserves another spin.

Interesting sound mix combined with hiphop, feels a little sci-fi. I feel it's a little lacking in some spaces, needing a bit more power. Also don't think the whole album flows as a whole.

Listening on a car ride while tited so was a bit distracted. But that which catched my attention sounded good (but that's also a case of survivor's bias). Can hear both Run the Jewels (mostly El-P) and Injury Reserve; I wonder if those "similarities" are coincidental or if this was an inspiration to those artists.

Pretty good

ummmmm it’s okay?

Not my thinh

Well exceeded my expectations. Which are generally low for hip hop with an hour long play time. Not this album though. I've never heard of Mike Ladd, but this is groovy. Lo-fi and laid back, not commercial at all and not over produced. I'll probably listen to this all day. And I'm right there with him, where's my motherfucking floating car?

Utter utter utter utter utter utter utter utter utter utter utter rubbish. That's an hour of my life totally wasted

feiner hip-hop, der groove passt, aber melodiös ist es nicht so. trotzdem mit freude das album bis zum ende gehört.

Mir zu abstrakt, ohne grosse Linie.

I just couldn’t get into this one.

I feel like this is good for an experimental album or a mixtape, but I found it too weird in my opinion. I just feels like a rap album made by an alien or something not from Earth. It also feels as though this album is trying to take cues off of MF Doom but just can't nail down what made MF Doom so iconic. Favorite Tracks: Airwave Hysteria Rating: 2.5/5

I liked the vibe of this.

Too weird

If this is the afterfuture, I'd rather stay in the present. 0.0

Wow, how the hell does this belong to the list? Now, I'm not into hip hop but I'm not even sure you'll have to, to appreciate this album. I don't. Totally unlistenable. 20.000 plays on Spotify says it all. 1/1

mehhh

Better than I thought it would be, not as good as I hoped it could be.

Hard to know what to think of this. Sounded like Radiohead (Kid A mind you) in parts. Was it interesting? Sure. Did I like it? I guess? The kind of thing that would benefit from multiple listens but that I probably don't have the patience for. I'm sure I would if I waa cooler. I'm not.

When this started I quite enjoyed the lofi beats, I was hopefully... But then it carried on. Gah, the lofi never stopped and just got more boring and monotonous. His rapping sounded like someone who was convinced of their own genius and just trying to show everyone how clever he was, look at all the long words I know. There was one song that I guess was trying to be sexy in a futuristic way, but the wording came across like the sort of people who call women "females". And then it just went on. Every so often there was a cool riff but it wasn't enough. It went on again. Why do people make these long albums. Even the most boring sounds can be tolerable for 25-40 mins, but for an hour, no way.

This was a frustrating listen. The lad(d) seems like a thoughtful lyricist, attempting to do something a bit innovative, and there’s enough interesting production going on (at times) that my cursor should be nowhere near the one star button. And yet, particularly from the 10-minute instrumental track onwards, the album seems to lose all focus and often descends into maddeningly repetitive loops or ambient lift music. 1.5

Not for me. 1/5

ha die erste 3 songs glost und finds mad nervig eigentli. tönt noch production wo meh id 80er passt für hiphop als i die früene 2000er. boah find ich das nervig. aso so planet 10? im ernst? takes more than 41 ischer afoch am falsch singe. bladerunners coole kontrabass i guess? aber vo was reeeedet de siech. was meint er mit to the moons contractor? sochli en gran turismo beat und so. hä. ich ha würklich keei spass. titletrack beidruckendi reimketti und so cool. okay hiphop album glost wo sehr bitter und so tönt woni nöd d energie gha han zum uf de text lose.

puuuh nöd so ready ufes stündigs album de beat isch aber na cool! s sample ahfang vo airwave hysteria kenni iwie? aso d beats findi bis jz echt geil! und ruhiger als ich erwartet han SUM 41 jaa jz verlürts mich chli, es isch immerno iwie na cool aber nüt berauschends to the moons contractor isch sochli verträumt, denn wird de beat schneller...na cool! aaaaaber vill z lang weiss nöd es isch efengs eifach langwilig red eye to jupiter HAHAHAHAA jo würkli wiso isch das album so lang und bestaht zu 70% us iwelchne beats wo vlt einzeln na cool chönnd sii aber eso als album rifach nur LANGWILIG jo het mich zerst positiv überrascht bis ich gmerkt han, dass alles chli glich und langwilig isch vlt es knapps 3 oder suscht 2

Some rappers say a lot by saying a little; others say little but talk a lot. Mike Ladd is the later kind of rapper. He's a man with a microphone and the space to express every thought he's ever had. I like experimentation, but I also gravitate towards coherence. This album, to me, lacks it (coherence) and that devitalises the experimentation.

Grace Slick's vocals alone make this worth a listen but then you have classics like Plastic Fantastic Lover and 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds that showcase a band who were one of the pillars of psychedelic rock. It's an album you love or hate. It truly is a snapshot of a time that we will never see again.

No. Just no.

I am not a fan of hip-hop but I listened to this disc while on a road trip through the desert and this music made a great soundtrack. Surprised by how I enjoyed the spaciness and quirkiness of the music

Breaking new ground in hip-hop - I've heard things on this album that i've never heard before. For that alone I can appreciate what he's doing. The textures are really interesting - and the arrangements are definitely not following your traditional song structure. A surprising album musically and lyrically. I can understand why this is in the book but maybe I need to be in a different mood to really get grabbed by this one. THREE STARS

говно

2.5

ehh

Mid. Sounds pretty influential for people like Tyler, the Creator and others in left field hip hop but I found it very boring.

Super boring hip hop crap, guy can’t rap for shit, almost fell asleep

Boring beats, minimal skill, and excessive bloat combine to make a bad album.

Aside from the two more enjoyable tracks "Bladerunners" and "Animist", this album was just a bizarre experiment in rap/hip-hop and did not make for a good listen, especially when committing listeners to 60+ mins. This would have to receive a 1.5/5 but be bumped up to 2 as it doesn't entirely belong in the realms of a 1.

Pretty uninspiring. I like new experimental things but I don't really get what was trying to be achieved here. Will never revisit and would never recommend this. 1/5.

Pretty flat sounding with raunchy lyrics. Tracks to Track: 5000 Miles West of the Future

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Some of the bars and rapping are a little tiresome, but the production on this is very cool. Reminds me of a concept album but more in the experimental hip hop space. I think it’s an interesting inclusion on the list, though I wish it felt more cohesive or polished and flowed together better.

The album art and low reviews had me nervous, but this was really decent. I like the genre blending of electronic and hip hop.

Great taste but poor execution

Not sure what to make of this one

7/10

Ah while experimental hip hop would normally be right up my street I just didn’t click with this

Terrible, awkward rapping. Completely uninspiring beats. This wouldn’t make a list of 10,001 albums you must hear before you die. The ten minute instrumental in the middle was alright but not near enough to make up for the rest of this mediocre non-entity of an album.

Great instrumentals but, the vocals ruin the instrumentals and in its totality it is not my cup of tea.

Been playing too much Cyberpunk lately. This sounds like rollin the streets of Night City. Outside of that, I can't really access this.

There's probably a reason I've never heard of him before....

I'm not OK with this Gil Scott-Heron wannabe

One or two moments of this I really liked, but overall I just wanted to go put on MF Doom.

Not for me, maybe for thee

Were there any hooks in any songs on this album? I’m not sure there were?! Felt a bit all over the place but also like a journey… Wasn’t expecting to like this

OK.

Gear: Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 4 Artwork: 🚧👨‍🔧⚡ Production: 👊😎👍 Music: 💡🔮🔜 Rating: ️🚀(🚀)/5

Instrumentally I love what’s going on here but I can’t get past the delivery of the rapping. It’s as if ‘☝🏿🤓’ was turned into a flow. The beats are awesome, super eclectic with strange samples chopped up but I just need Mr. Ladd to calm down on the mic. The lyrics also don’t make much sense, or the ones that do are pretty corny. There seems to be an attempt at sounding clever in the same way MFDOOM does but here it’s more so aimless, fractured rambling. “I’m thinking gynaecologist ☝🏿🤓” Fav tracks - 5000 miles west of the future - Planet 10 - Takes More than 41 - To The Moons Contractor - The Animist - Wipe out on the Wave of Armageddon Worst Tracks - Red eye to Jupiter - Welcome to the afterfuture

9/10…experimentel hip hop / trip hop leichte Schwächen in der Mitte

Expectation: Electronica or trip-hop. Reality: Hip-hop-electronic-jazz fusion. Too weird and experimental for me. Maybe I'm getting old, but this seems like music is evolving past its definition, experimentation becoming the mainstream, being pushed further and further until it's totally incomprehensible, complication for its own sake. All that to say, the main thing I felt when listening to this was extreme irritation. The final track, Feb 4 99, basically a spoken word poem was the best and simplest thing on the album and added an extra star by itself.

3- Stars (7/15)

I always find experimental hip hop to be pretty hot or miss, personally, and this one is interesting but seems to be a bit meandering. I'm not sure it really has a cogent narrative running through it either musically or lyrically.

Hip-Hop isn’t my favorite. I hadn’t heard of Mike Ladd before but album was good. Good beats and lyrics.

Didn't hate it; didn't love it. Wouldn't seek this out again.

Bests were good, the idea was interesting but didn’t quite pull it iff

Interesting melange of sounds. Fundamentally, the flow is good, and some of the tracks really hit. But I'm not all-in on the avant-garde hip-hop sound. And as it went on it dragged for me. Feels like 2 stars.

snoozer

There are some interesting beats on this album.

Interesting. I like where it’s going but don’t know if it got where it wants to be.

Feeling like this sits somewhere between a Dr. Octagon, Gorillaz, and a Aesop Rock? All of those being better though. Overall, this is a pretty solid record, the beats/sounds are a tad repetitive/vibey, but the rapping is good. Author really likes his underground rappers though. But his choices are kinda weird, leaving off the aforementioned Aesop Rock but putting on a Lupe Fiasco? Maybe the list could use an El-P project or two. Run the Jewels or something. This pick feels a bit of a stretch, but good pick none the less. Will say I'm enjoying this more as I'm going on. Usually not huge on vibey hip-hop, but this one's good. Could use a little bit of cutting though. An hour is a bit long.

Suena a Gorillaz pero si fuese tremendamente aburrido

If you’re a fan of Madvillain or Cannibal Ox, this album will be right up your alley, if you’re not already aware of it. Personally, I wish I had discovered this album 25 years ago when it first came out, because this was exactly the kind of hip-hop I was searching for back then, experimental, technological, futuristic, and driven by edgy, electronic production that felt way ahead of its time. Unfortunately, because so much time has passed, it didn’t hit me with the same impact I know it would’ve back when I was younger. That said, I still appreciated it for what it was. I doubt I’ll ever return it, but I’m glad I finally discovered it, even if I’m 25 years late to the party.

Apesar de não ser o meu estilo gostei de várias músicas

Lyrics were okay, but I really liked the experimental beat and instrumentals. Reminded me of the rap they’d play on early [adult swim] like MF Doom.

With an album cover homaging Tetsuo, one of my favorite films ever, this had a lot to live up to. Did not disappoint.

A fine Ladd

meh

Decent but too long

Holy shit, this album is incredible. Everything I love about hip hop, and I'm shocked it flew under my radar this long. Incredible instrumentation, samples, loops, and lyrics. Smoke from T to B.

I think these are the best songs

Gostei bastante da pegada futurista, tem essa coisa levemente industrial dos synths bem maneiras e um acenos de leve a um estilo a lá MF DOOM, devo voltar de novo em algum momento nesse disco

Buen disco, sonido entre Hip-Hop clásico, dub, trip-hop y buen rap. Muy buena producción y sonido. Es un disco que entra perfectamente a cualquier hora.

Not bad

man i really don't know what to do with this one. sometimes the tracks are really mediocre. sounds amateurish. sometimes it is genuinely unlistenable. awful to listen to. and then, there are moments where it hits pretty well (my favorite moment is 'red eye to jupiter' which is really great production-wise and flow wise). just a really confusing album when the vast majority of it is really not great at best, and genuinely awful to listen to at worst.

Good god, what an awful album. I swear to god every track was cobbled together with basic Garageband loops, and whenever he does throw in something original, I found myself wondering if he was actually tone deaf. Added to that, his rapping just has nothing interesting or charasmatic about it, and on some tracks it sounds like he was half asleep while recording vocals. It's boring as hell at best and borderline unlistenable at worst, i absolutely hated it.

Mixed feelings about this one. Some cool stuff in there, but also some really unbearable stuff mixed in with that.

Fine, just not my thing.

MF Doom/Madvilliany vibes. Appreciate the art but I won’t be seeking out more

This is some incredibly thought-provoking, intellectual and experimental hip hop. Mike Ladd was apparently educated in India, has worked as a university lecturer, and now lives in France, which all adds to a pretty unique perspective on the genre. I have to say that I need to be in the right mood for a lot of this one, but the Sun Ra cover is amazing any day.

An album that aims to be futuristic and intellectual but ends up feeling monotonous, directionless, and frankly boring. Mike Ladd delivers his lyrics in a droning, spoken-word style that quickly wears thin, and the abstract beats never really take off or provide any sense of cohesion. There are clearly big ideas at play, sci-fi themes, political undertones, and experimental soundscapes, but they remain more theoretical than impactful. The album lacks emotional depth, energy, and melodic variation. It quickly becomes a slog to get through, and while some might call it “visionary,” it doesn’t leave much of an impression unless you’re already tuned in to its frequency. 1/5

I get where Mike was going sonically- abstract, spoken word, hip-hop soundscapes. The execution sounded disjointed and amateurish to me. Where is the flow? Overall: 1/10

No me convence nada que tenga que ver con hip hop sofisticado que mezcla sonidos vanguardistas o generos como el jazz.

Lidt alternative 00’er hiphop beats, ikke så fedt igen

An odd mix of techno and boom bap.

Never heard of the artist or album, no idea what to expect! ----- Pretty clever hip-hop, with some fuzzed out electro sounds and odd rhythms which I was not at all ready for. Gets weird, rocks hard. Great range of styles and musical flavours! Where's my Mars colony? Favourite tracks: Bladerunners, No.1 St., Red Eye To Jupiter

Some of this is perfectly okay in terms of beats and melodies, but the lyrics are just blah.

++: Bladerunners, No. 1 St., I Feel Like $100, Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops) +: 5000 Miles West of the Future, To the Moon's Contractor, The Animist, Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga), Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon +-: Airwave Hysteria, Planet 10, Takes More Than 41, Welcome to the Afterfuture 4,6/10

I am processing. I was not excited to see the run time and genre of this thing but I really like it. The company flow feature was particularly great (and absurd and funny). This whole project has phenomenal production, rapping, bars, everything. There are huge Gorillaz vibes throughout this thing but there's also like jpegmafia moments and he'll rap like Earl Sweatshirt or Mac Miller, it's very cool. Obviously there is a lot of MF DOOM on this too, I hope they were contemporaries and not just orbiting each other. A very nice mixture of a lot what I like now but done way before all of it. Like this predates the self titled Gorillaz album by over a year which is awesome. Mike Ladd has gained a new fan today and I am happy the list has provided.

yeah this wasn't that good. There were some cool and interesting production parts to it at times, but overall not great. I think this is a really weak 2.

nope, didn't need to hear a lyrical miracle. strong 1/5, won't ever listen to any of this again

Really ambitious, brave adventure of an album! I kinda loved it! A few moments where the beat drew out a bit too long, but a very unique experience with actual heartfelt delivery. Fun discovery

Started off OK By track 4 I'm thinking why am I listening to this shit Persevere for long enough and there are some interesting tracks but not enough to redeem this as an album

Yeah, I’d say it’s a must listen to

The skill of Mike Ladd is pretty impressive and this album is like listening to jazz fusion with hip hop vocals but I just couldn’t dig on it. Definitely an album you need to actively listen to versus cruisin’ in the slab

My kind of hip hop, conscious, avant garde and a cameo from company flow. Excellent.

Oh my what I discovery. Had never heard of this guy and I thought my hip hop knowledge was passable. Have been sharing it with my hip hop friends. Great concept style album with influences from all over. Dark and heavy. This is awesome. El-P’s old band Company Flow feature on one track. Will remember this name

I found it a very interesting album musically. Like so many records I didn't really enjoy the voice but it varied enough to keep my interest.

Huh. It's got morsels of creativity and interesting tidbits here and there, but it didn't quite stick the landing for me.

While the lyrics are well crafted, the instrumentals are often too sparse to take up the space or feature some grating sounds. The last few songs are the better part of this album.

Hip hop. Really not my jam. Not bad for what it is but not for me at all. 1 star.

I wanna know how much he paid to be in this

Surprisingly fantastic

Rap de corte lo-fi, ambiental y bastante experimental, con un bajo, una percusión y (a veces) unos vientos muy de jazz acompañando a bases llenas de efectos electrónicos retro-futuristas. Las canciones ambientales (y las bases en general), aunque repetitivas, me han gustado mucho. Son de un estilo complejo que no se deja escuchar fácilmente a pesar de ser minimalista, aunque no dejan de ser interesantes. A veces las bases se vuelven totalmente free jazz, otras son más lo-fi. Las letras son muy poéticas, también bastante complejas y extrañas, mezclando temática de ciencia ficción con partes muy políticas. Dicho esto, no sé muy bien cómo valorarlo. No creo que sea un álbum que merezca pertenecer a esta lista y se me ha hecho algo pesado, así que voy a dejarlo en dos. Aunque tiene pinta de ser un álbum que mejora conforme se va escuchando más veces.

I liked the futuristic/sci fi themes but otherwise this didn't really stand out.

Не самый ужасный хип-хоп альбом, но слишком долгий. А сначала неплохо идёт фоном. 2 из 10. Если бы рэп-альбомов было в 3 раза меньше, на качестве сборки "1001 альбом..." это оказало бы самое наилучшее действие.

Eccentric, to be sure Seems quirky and unique even if it's not the most exciting listen for me

Another "experimental" album. This time at least it's weirdly different. The number of times I've used the words weird and experimental in these reviews is way more than I thought I would ever need, and I'm only 20 albums in. This time sci-fi hip hop. That's new. The first few tracks had a decent beat at times, but nothing else good. Then I zoned out and the rest of the tracks blurred together. I guess that means nothing was terrible enough to stand out.

não me pegou não é bom ainda por cima

tinha potencial esse hein era pra ser o tipo de doideira que eu esperava encontrar nesse site. hip hop alternativo all over the place lo fi e barulhento. mas não foi muito bem executado eu achei.....

- The dense soundscape of this album is enticing and lush. Not sure it should result in a 10 minute electronic track smack-dab in the middle, but I appreciate the balls to do that. - The final track ("Feb. 4 '99") singlehandedly cements this as a 3. Honestly more like a 3.5. Impactful and still sadly relevant . - Was very turned off by "Bladerunners" because 99% of the commentary felt sexualized. But it ends with some interesting social comparisons?

I have no idea who he is, what this is or why it's on the list. But that's why we're all here, right? Some kind of experimental electronica/hip-hop hybrid. I'm digging it. I can understand why it never became a household name; it's understated and creeps up on you. Never really announces itself like a lot of hip-hop does. But multiple listens have been great to peel back the layers and sit with it. I find myself wanting to like the whole experience more than I actually do, but there are some great moments and the vibe is cool.

Some good grooves and nice dark atmosphere, but a bit drab overall

I thought this album did a really good job at creating an atmosphere, it sounded just like the name of the album, I loved the sound of it and I feel like there was some sort of message or story behind. However, I do wish there was more rapping songs, even if it meant the album was longer.

Trip hop, existential rap. Big ideas that don’t quite translate to the rap. The rapping itself is choppy flow like Tyler the creator mixed with nyc rappers. The music is creative and well mixed, albeit abstract and sporadic delivery. Overall enjoyable, but not digestible.

Prima op de achtergrond. Maar beter dan verwacht.

Had never heard this, nor heard of this. I liked it. It had some variety. Then, my interest waned.

126/1089 - Eh. It's experimental hip-hop for sure. I don't care for the kid/chipmunk voices. Got better in the middle. Would trade this for a DOOM album.

No interest in this.

Creative and well-produced but, for the most part, boring.

I really see what this album was going for, and there's a great dynamic mix of genres and styles present, but it's jut held back by really bad production and as great as the diversity is, it's messy as hell and genuinely has awful pacing.

Industrial futuristic hip hop that I had never heard of before - what a great encounter! Some of the lyrics border on being a bit too on the nose, but otherwise Welcome to the Afterfuture is actually thought-provoking and super interesting with all the industrial-inspired beats.

Clever industrial hip hop from the future. I had never heard of Mike Ladd, but that appears to be a mistake. It might be slightly too long, but there’s enough variety and interesting concepts to keep you engaged.

8/10 - the rapping is pretty good, but it’s the instrumentals/production that really steal the show here

Really truly quite bad

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this

Stream of conciousness rap. Not good, but some good beats and obvious talent. Won't listen to album/artist again.

maybe a must listen if you're really into macklemore and/or just want to know where he came from. that sounds shady but isn't meant to be! i'm not much into his music or this album, but the messages are solid and they both seem like interesting guys. it's hard for me to tell how this would have been received at the time, given that my memories of the pre- 9/11 era music and political landscape are hazy at best. (i was 9 when this album came out!)

Lacking in attitude and generally not very inspiring. I’m not going to be listening to this again.

pretty intense record. lots of big sweeping statements that still feel relevant to today despite this record being 25 years old. very heavy. the production is dense and thick, and really cool. from my uneducated perspective on hip-hop, it seems like this album was a precursor to a lot of what's been happening in hip-hop the last handful of years. experimental music, heavy soul-baring lyrics.

Different, still didn't like it.

Oh boy, I have never heard of this album or the artist. Yeah not digging this.

Very interesting sound, but I like it it's very dream like. A good album to just put on and just teleport to another place

Never heard of this and was expecting to love it. I can appreciate the sampling, beats etc, but it didn't blow me away. Some rhyming is great and some is annoying.

ganz chillige beats, aber wiedermal komische lyrics

1 - Más Basura de Hip Hop

At first I thought it was wack. But something about it reminded me of my favorite backpack rap stuff of close to the same time period, so I kept listening, and it did all click for the most part. I like that long stretches were just production — kinda wish more modern rappers would do that. I guess for me it’s just that Ladd’s delivery doesn’t quite match his writing and production and concept and stuff. It’s not a huge gap though. I’m definitely gonna explore more of his stuff. This is pretty niche stuff so I wouldn’t say it’s quite a must-listen, but I’m glad it’s on this list.

This is actually quite a varied and interesting album. After an unsure start, I got kind of on-board with it. It's quite lo-fi, and even ambient at times. Other times it veers into quite dark, discordant soundscapes. Overall the production is generally interesting and I admire the ambition, even if it's inconsistent at times.

Interesting enough that I listen to it twice. Going to keep it the collection so I can listen to it again at a later date

Had no idea about this guy. Really enjoyed

Not a fan

It’s an interesting listen. The standout track for me was: Feb.4 (For All Those Killed by The Cops)

While Mike Ladd can certainly write good lyrics, and can create very ambitious and moving music (To the moon's contractor), the album wasn't really that enjoyable. I get the experimental spirit, but the production felt lacking to me. The flows of Ladd also weren't my cup of tea, and there slightly off tune singing moments felt so jarring (Takes more than 41) that I just couldn't really get into the album. The best track for me is Airwave Hysteria, with ambitious but tight production, great verses from Ladd and just enough experimentation to push the genre but at the same time create a good song. EDIT: Over time, I've reflected on my initial review, and frankly, this record is a one star. There's very little that's salvageable here and with time it's just gotten worse. To add insult to injury, I've become aware that while this album is included, "Madvillainy" is not, which feels criminal to say the least. To be honest, off the top of my head I can think of 20 Hip Hop albums better than Mike Ladd's. I therefore retroactively adhere to the french theory: "Mike Ladd est le fils de Robert Dimery".

1. future - 1 2. hyzteria - 1.5 3. planet - 0 4. more - 1 5. blade - 1 6. no 1 - 0 7. moonz - 1 8. feel - 0 9. animizt - 1 10. red - 1 11. after - 1.5 12. uuave - 1.5 13. february - 1

Don't really like conscious rap but the beats are sick

I had really low expectations and was blown away

Another hour of hiphop... :-(

Mmmm there were bits of this that I thought were really quite good, but then others that just weren't on the whole though not bad and deserving of a 3

There’s a lot of nonsense lyrics on here, but at least the music is interesting and different, at times almost enjoyable.

As Rap goesz this is really good. That could be because it sounded very different to the standard fare the genre trots out. Lots of strange electro noises and even the vocals were not grating on my nerves. Well done Ladd.

Loved it! Funky Hip-hop!

Noh olihan siellä kaikenlaista jännää. Vähän liikaa spoken wordia mun makuun, ja toi ysäri/nollanolla-junkka ei ihan sytytä, mutta toisaalta yllätyin siitä vähän (vaikka kannen perusteella ei olis tarvinnut). Hmmmm jos jaksaisin kiinnostua, vois olla kolmonen.

Kun räppi lähtee käyntiin, se lähtee käyntiin. Muuten tämä on kai "progressiivista" - ja sen kuuloista, että miksaajana olisi ollut koksupäinen Iggy Pop. Hyvät hetket eivät korvaa laahustamista. 1+

Just okay.

Not for me. Felt like it lacked structure; no consistency of theme or sound.

Basic beats, low level flows, just not hitting on any level.

jesus christ what the fuck is this garbage

This was kind of cool. I don't see myself revisiting it, though

Sploinky music that makes the soul feel whole. It’s weird, a little unsettling, and a pretty chill vibe.

Fresh, experimental, lyrical, intelligently lyrical. Four stars straight off

The best hip-hop has a lot going on while sounding simple and effortless. This is the opposite. It feels crowded and badly processed. No space for any character to come through at all. Too much head and not enough heart. Oh and it’s at least twice as long as it needs to be. Wasting such cool samples should be a crime. Just nah.

What a weird and interesting album, one that, after listening to it, makes me wonder how it did land in this list. Personally, I really liked it. The strongest point of this album are the beats, and it is not as surprise, since EL-P is also credited as one of the producers of the album. So what they presented here, is a combination of some weird, groovy and futuristic beats, and, for the most part, it works really well, in my opinion, as a relaxing or chilling experience. The vocals are not bad, but I feel that they don't add that much. This album could be purely instrumental and it won't lose power. Overall, an interesting an album that didn't demand too much of my attention but kept my head moving to the beats.

This is the first album by an artist that I was 100% unfamiliar with. Never even heard of the guy. I'm not the biggest hip hop fan in the world, but I don't hate it either. But this album grew on me as it went. Not sure if it should be in the book necessarily, but certainly worth a listen. 3/5 Album 30/1001

6/10. It's weird because I would've thought I just would not like this at all because it is so weird, and I probably won't listen to any tracks from this record again in the future, but the one thing you cannot say about this album is that it is not interesting! Every single track catches you by surprise careering from one vibe to another. The flows are good and the lyrics are so interesting, MF DOOM esque. It's just that quite a few of the tracks can be somewhat abrasive on the ears and that is generally not my vibe. Last track is so good!

I don’t think I really like most hip hop

Für HipHop noch ok. Ist aber einfach nicht meine Musikrichtung. 2/5

I actually liked most of the experimental bits, but they were cut in next to some common rap tropes in a way I didn't love

Fantastic example of experimental hip-hop. We truly need to remember that hip-hop is a movement no different from punk. It isn't just music to party to, it isn't even just an MC rapping and rhyming. It doesn't have to be set in the here and now either. I'm a fan of the exploration this album does, especially for the anxious time it was made.

British hip hop has always Something to offer that sticks out in all the mud of borin other music. Not sure sure what to think of this one here. Ladd has a vision but why does he need high pitched samples of voices? It's not yet The Streets but I kinda stick with Roots Manuva.

Meh. This never really grabbed me. 2.3

Oh yeah! Where is my floating car that I was promised in 1999. I do love me some sci-fi hip hop. Faves: 5,000 Miles West of the Future, Planet 10

Yeah, ok, this is relevant to my interests! Will definitely be revisiting, and checking out more of his discography - fingers crossed there's more sci-fi in the mix! It was Dr. Octagon's "Dr. Octagonecologyst" with its sci-fi stylings that first got me into hip-hop, so I'm definitely positively inclined towards this. Mike Ladd doesn't have Kool Keith's panache, but he also doesn't have Kool Keith's cringe, so it kinda balances out. I'd go 4.5 here - maybe 5 with more listens. Fave tracks - "Bladerunners" really made me sit up and pay attention. Guest MC Company Flow is absolutely biting Dr. Octagon's style here, but he's also making lots of explicit sci-fi references, which lights up my pleasure centers. "The Animist" and "Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga)" were both cool. And the impassioned "Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed By The Cops)" was a great closer!

I have no idea what to make of this. The songs didn’t really have any story to tell or thing to say, and they kind of meandered and didn’t get anywhere. It was… odd

Crap, with no redeeming entertainment value.