Reviews (page 5 of 8)
2.8 - I didnt hate it, but I just got really bored
What a strange inclusion. The 1001 is all over the shop when it comes to Hip Hop. The number of great hip hop albums left off, and then stuff like this included. I don't think this is bad or anything, in fact its quite interesting conceptually with the apocalyptic space themes etc, but it just seems so obscure and as far as I can see not an underground critical darling. Its the 3445th best Hip Hop album on RYM for example. The track "To the Moon's Contractor" is great. Sprawling, progressive. This album grew on me a lot, second half was pretty great. Still a strange inclusion, but I'm not against it. Fave Tracks: No. 1 St., To the Moon's Contractor, Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon, Feb 4. 99 (For All Those Killed by Cops) 3.8/5
Apparently a really influential album for underground rap of the 2000s but that doesn't mean it's any good or memorable for that matter 6/10 Favourite: Bladerunners Least Favourite: I Feel Like $100
This was not great. I mean some of the vibes are pleasant but there is nothing memorable about it. Genuinely don’t know why this is here, never heard of him before
Really does drag on. I want to give it a decent rating because it's at least trying to do something interesting, but it's just not doing a great job at it. Made sense to see Company Flow on here, it's that style of hip-hop, just with much lesser beats/rapping/everything.
These raps are giving Lin Manuel Miranda. I can see Lafayette in my mind. Mike was clearly ahead of the game. Weird.
Bonus star awarded for the Buckaroo Banzai reference.
Od svih nevjerojatnih alter hip hop albuma iz tog vremena oni nađu ovo ali ok😃da ne spominjem ove stihove : Two japanimation flicks with b-boy tricks on cardboard boxes For marzipan and Amsterdam, breakbeats from Thailand Downloaded by the Ku Klux Klan, chapter in Croatia
Trippy and cool at times. Specially the instrumental parts. But not really my thing. It was hard to get through this one.
Is psychedelic-trip-hip-hop recognized as an official genre? This is the impression I get from "Welcome to the Afterfuture," particularly in tracks such as "5000 Mile West of the Future" and "I Feel Like $100," which are blended with more conventional hip-hop pieces like "Bladerunners" and "No 1St." The songs that impressed me the most were the techno-infused funk and jazz of "The Animist" and the otherworldly experimental nature of "Planet 10." In general, I admire Mike Ladd's incorporation of unconventional instrumentation and sampling alongside his socially aware lyrics, which lend a fresh and unique quality to the album's tracks (at least from my listening experience). However, I do find the album occasionally lacks consistency and may be too sonically diverse or experimental to provide a complete cohesive listening experience. This album was an interesting discovery, but it is not something I would listen to again.
This is like some proto gorillaz/cannibal ox stuff but not as good
I'd never heard of Mike Ladd and I'll be happy if I never hear of him again.
The beats are cool but this album doesn’t stick well with me
Loved the punchy vocals but not convinced by the overall music.
I can’t give it any time with those chipmunk voices all over it Shame Sounds were interesting but genuinely were ruined
This took me by surprise — far more industrial and melodic than expected, and those two qualities rarely go together.
hip hop with tasteful instrumentals mixed in. a few heinous songs
Enjoyed this. I probably wouldn't seek it out again though.
Loved the Buckaroo Banzai track! And the rest was great as well.
came around midway through! 3.5
I tried to like this. Some songs were a lot of fun, others were just too weird for me. Unfortunately, I lack taste.
I liked it more the more I listened. No strong feelings either way, but it does sound like maybe sparkmaster tape could’ve been influenced by this? And I really like his music. Forgive me if I’m wrong “Watch me as I go peepee” hehe
This really started to grow on me after a few listens. I don’t think it’s something I’ll keep listening to (for now, anyway), but I’ll definitely count it as one of the more pleasant discoveries from this list. (ntm)
This was great. Obscure, sci fi hip hop.
Didn’t like this one too much, seemed pretty disjointed with what style he wanted to land on. Couple spots blossomed into something interesting, but just as quickly vanished. 2/5
It did nothing for me.
Lame and stupid
Just a bit nothing really.
5/10 I heard sounds of a musical variety and they were not all together unpleasant. 3-12-2025
There are some 5s on this album, but there are also some 2s. A very strong 3.
I’ve never heard of Mike Ladd before, and I’m not terribly familiar with hip-hop from this era, so I’m not entirely sure of what to expect from this album. I enjoyed both Eminem albums on this list (which I know this album will *not* be), but I didn’t enjoy both Common albums I reviewed (I’m expecting this album to be more in line with those). Either way, I’m interested to see what Mike Ladd has to offer,. This album was a really pleasant surprise. The beats were incredible, and I loved just how thick and heavy they were. The thickness of the beats was in direct contrast with the sleek and stylish vision we often have of the future. Instead, the beats served the lyrics, which expressed disappointment with the state of the world in 2000, a year that often served the point on our timeline that humanity collectively envisioned as when the future would become the present. I really enjoyed how the themes of Afrofuturism were woven into themes consistent with science fiction in popular culture. It was a unique approach to hip-hop, and I think it worked really well. As much as I liked the beats and the lyrics, not every song was a winner. The album started off really strong, then the middle dragged a bit, but then the closing of the album was really strong. I wasn’t a huge fan of the rapping either, but it wasn’t enough to detract much from the experience of the album. Overall, this album was really good, and it makes me want to explore some similar artists (one reviewer mentioned that this is similar to MF Doom, who I’ve sadly never listened to before). In closing have two favorite lyrics from this album that I’d like to highlight. From “Bladerunners”: “Style gunners flip shit amazin', Till death call me Deckard, I've seen slave ships off the shores of Orion fire blazin'...” From “The Animist”: “Go toe to toe with Bob Dole in battle, I leave 'em dead if it's head to head, Use his brains as sandwich spread, Not a man-wich, that crack is too racist, So I guess it'd be a Klan-wich.”
There is a TON of artistry here, but it's not my jam
C’est un peu comme écouter de l’air provenant d’un tube connecté à l’usine à caca: ça pue la merde
🎧I’m Mike Ladd! Don’t act like u don’t know my name!
Not my favorite alt hip hop record but an interesting listen.
Unusual
This started okay. Some potential. But very quickly just got boring and repetitive.
There was one goodish song in this album, it was the on with El-P. Otherwise I didn't like.
Not my cuppa. Way too "thin", most of the record only has two layers plus the raps and it sounds to empty and barren. Not to mention the weird style, I can appreciate the unique touch and personal feel the whole album has. Listening to this felt like an obligation and it's not a feeling I enjoy when going through this list I've noticed (way too often I might add, it's kind of worrying).
This was interesting. I thought I was going to enjoy it but in the end it just got a bit boring and samey.
Boring yet somehow annoying at the same time
Not bad. I think I could see this one growing on me with further playthroughs, but it was just average for this first time. 2.5/5
Pretty fun album. I enjoyed it more than I expected. 3.5/5
No private session used for Spotify. No idea what I was getting into here, hip hop with ambient feel, I listened to it twice and I did like the feel of it. Won't sure there will be a third listening, though.
REALLY REALLY LIKED. no sabía que Mike Ladd existía and also this album is very recent which surprised me pq todos los de esta lista son viejos AJAJAJ. the production is great and I've been very into hiphop lately so I will be coming back to this
Not great but interesting underground hiphop record
This album was a challenging listen. It felt like staring at a modern art piece, unsure of how to interpret it. On-top of the unconventional musical choices, the lowfi production adds another layer of bewilderment.
Honestly I'm just wildly indifferent to this one. It's not bad, it's not amazing, it's mostly just boring.
Nee. Gewoon nee.
I appreciate the interesting production, although a few of the tracks were quite annoying. I got to To the Moon's Contractor and thought a 10 minute instrumental was a bit of a flat way to end the album...then realized there was another 25 minutes to go. It's bloated and pretentious, but I made it through which gets it 2 stars (just).
Old school hip hop. Not that bad, but not really my type
Eh. Not terrible. Wouldn’t care if I saw another Mike Ladd album but wouldn’t dread it either. 2.5
not my style of music ... however, not as bad as some albums of this type I have been served
A bit strange lyrical miracle kind of music. Not for me.
Didn’t really like it at all, interesting concept but struggled to get through it
I almost fell asleep.
some really important tracks and some really beautiful production
If you buy Kool Keith from Temu you get Mike Ladd.
Had to listen to this one twice to appreciate it. Not a fan of the lofi choice, but the jazz/hip hop sounds were great. I wasn’t sure if I want to describe it as eclectic or “all over the place”
This was a hard one to collect my thoughts on, some parts were so out there I didn't enjoy it, others were filled with intent & purpose & beauty & beats that fuck. Challenging to say the least. Rating somehow seems impossible, definitely not a 1, wouldn't call it a 5 either. Most poignant album so far.
quite depressive
Not quite the Captain Beefheart of rap, but close. Almost unlistenable
Hip hop in only the loosest sense. Much of it is soundscapes built of screwed and layered samples over fairly downtempo beats. And he assembled it all quite well.
This album sounds like the soundtrack to an edgy tech thriller from 2000/
Fine for some background music (?) as I was knocking out some work tasks, but not anything I'll come back to
- OK, so, what would happen if Hawkwind discovered sampling and turntablism?? We have the answer with this record. It's also the lost sibling of the likes of DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, Kool Keith's scifi raps while with the Ultramagnetic M.C.'s and it prefigures Delton 3030 by 10 yrs or more. Good stuff ... -
pleasantly surprised, this kicks a lot of ass
The beats aren't bad but I am not a fan of the lyrics and flow.
what on earth was that
Some albums are bad, and then there’s Welcome to the Afterfuture, which isn’t necessarily bad—just aggressively, relentlessly annoying. The production alone might have scraped a 2/5—some half-decent beats, a few atmospheric moments—but the second Mike Ladd starts rapping, it’s like being trapped in a explicit lecture from someone reading out the urban dictionary and these lyrics are a hastily thrown together word salad and pointless swearing that feels less rebellious and more like filler because he ran out of things to say. The worst part is it never lets up. Every track is another round of forced edginess, scattered thoughts, and clunky delivery, all stretched over beats that deserve better. The only truly listenable track is “To the Moon’s Contractor”—an instrumental, because of course the best moment on the album is the one where Mike Ladd shuts up. And yet, somehow, despite having no lyrics, it’s still rated Explicit. Without the rapping, this could maybe be a tolerable 2/5, but with it, I’m struggling to even call it a 1. Less an album, more an endurance test. Still better than some of that Steely Dan I had to listen to, though.
Some bits sounded interesting, but nothing particularly memorable for me
Not my kind
silly
Lipstick on a pig.
It's (c)rap. That's a form that I do not understand or appreciate. It may be really good in terms of its genre. I have no benchmark to judge it by. I'm scoring on whether I like something or not, consequently this gets 1/5.
Dog shit
Shit 1001 album worthy: No - 37/64
01) 5000 Miles West of the Future - 6,5 02) Airwave Hysteria - 5,5 03) Planet 10 - 6,0 04) Takes More Than 41 - 6,0 05) Bladerunners - 5,0 06) No. 1 St. - 5,0 07) To the Moon's Contractor - 4,0 08) I Feel Like $100 - 5,5 09) The Animist - 5,0 10) Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga) - 4,0 11) Welcome to the Afterfuture - 4,5 12) Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon - 5,5 13) Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops) - 4,0 TOTAL: 5,12 (51/100) Current ranking: 405/437
Nothing to see here…….move along….
Hadn't heard before. Pretty cool alt hip hop.
appears to be a virtually unplayed album on YT Music, you're welcome Mike Ladd. Not expecting much here but enjoying the vibe. Some more aggressive songs I had to skip. Ultimately enjoyed listening to it. I'm sure I'll forget about it though and won't return. 2.6/5
A very underground sound of hip hop, good flows that could get pretty deep, experimental beats, but I don't know, not something I think I'd come back to
Passable. Some decent moments. 2.5 stars.
Comes across to me as something some guy made in his basement.
This was interesting and maybe after repeated listens I’d start to like it but for now it was just ok. 2.5/5
More rap oh boy. Wasn’t terrible just not for me.
I'll admit, I did a lot of research for this particular album, because I was not satisfied with the barebone Wikipedia articles for this release and the artist attached to it. I scoured the internet for as many lyrics and background information as I could find. Along the way, I came across an interview with Mike Ladd conducted by Nate Patrin for Red Bull Music Academy back in April 2015 called "Key Tracks: Mike Ladd’s Welcome to the Afterfuture", which I implore you to look up as it helped to get a lot of the context for this album straight from the source. Without further ado, Mike Ladd is an underground hip-hop emcee and producer out of Boston. He previously played bass for various punk bands and was exposed to a rich and diverse collection of genres ranging from hardcore punk, jazz, poetry, dancehall, dub, lo-fi, and 80s hip hop. Mike got his graduate degree in poetry while recording his debut album Easy Listening for Armaggedon, which was more spoken word. Outtakes from sessions for that first record made their way onto this next album Welcome to the Afterfuture, which he worked on at Ozone Studios in New York around the same time fellow underground hip-hop group Company Flow was working on their music. Getting into the album proper, Welcome to the Afterfuture is a sonic melting pot of various electronic beats, jazz, funk grooves, and ambiance that Mike allows to permeate and set the futuristic vibes. The ten-minute "To the Moon's Contractor" with the horns and glistening keys over hard-hitting beats, the Bollywood-esque sample into the electro-funk stomp of "Airwave Hysteria", the bubbling synths and record scratches on "I Feel Like $100", the guitar line over live percussion and rattle on "The Animist". There's a spacious quality throughout these tracks, giving the sense of being in orbit and watching what has become down below. Along the way, Mike utilizes a spoken-word flow to make observations on his environment, in a manner that's unorthodox yet demands the listener to pay attention. Of course, Mike goes off with fellow underground hip hop Company Flow on "Blade Runners", a sequel to "Blade Runner" off Easy Listening on Armaggedon, where all three make the most of their technological references in assessing the megalopolis lifestyle being promised. That takes us to the big concept around Welcome to the Afterfuture, in that this album is a response to Afrofuturism. The science fiction dreamed about can't keep up with where real life has gone into the new millennium. On the surface, that means we have yet to attain fancy technologies like the flying cars and Mars colonies promised on the opening track "5000 Miles West of the Future". But dig deeper and you realize that real-world problems such as racism and political turmoil are still rampant, and it takes effort to shape tomorrow in the way you want it to be. In particular, two tracks stand out the most from this record, "Takes More than 41" and "Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)", which reference the murder of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean student who was shot and killed by four New York City cops in plain street clothes, for a total of 41 rounds fired upon. It's a cautionary tale that certainly echoes years later concerning police brutality, and it's a matter of what lessons we can take from such a tragedy to shape our future. With a better understanding of what this album was trying to accomplish, the one problem I had with Welcome to the Afterfuture was the lack of cohesion. Throughout the runtime, it felt like too many ideas were being brewed together, where the spoken poetry rapping clashed with the more ambient electronic pieces. During my listens, I kept thinking back to other underground hip hop albums with futuristic theming such as Deltron 3030's self-titled debut or Aesop Rock's Integrated Tech Solutions, and how those albums were more direct in the narrative they wanted to accomplish in weaving in their social commentary. It's not that I didn't understand what Mike wanted to achieve in his post-futurist assessment on this album, and it does reach a strong conclusion towards the end, but it was at best scattershot in how we got there. All that said, this has been a worthwhile experience researching and coming to terms with an album that is challenging to listen to. It takes a certain someone with an open mind to become aware of what's going on in the world today and make the future their own, and that's the kind of sentiment I can take away from Mike Ladd.
A little chaotic
Not sure who was working on their album first, but Deltron 3030 did a future trip-hop album so much better than this
I would've taken this as an entirely instrumental album. Some super solid beats throughout with interesting instrumentation. I think the lyrics dated this record more than anything. Still, I'm surprised to see the low amount of Spotify plays these tracks have.
This record grew on me after initially coming off as Diet Deltron, though the rhymes never quite match the quality of the production.
Unlustiges Rappen ohne Sinn und Verstand.
Very fun and unexpected!! Not perfect by any means but will revisit
Didn't get into it. There's a talent but I didn't connect.
Actually quite liked this one. Refreshing to listen to an album released this side of the millennium. Ladd.
Broke ass MF Doom, album was a mess but there were interesting glimpses, favorite song was No. 1 St
Random ass, some cool bits tbf and a good mood but overall kinda odd and disjointed
Pure atmospheric vibes! Sometimes this project makes me realize how much I love music. What a ride.
Not my style.
Mike Ladd sounds like a really interesting guy - a poet, spoken word artist, and highly respected in the underground rap scene. I know he has worked with lots of other great artists, but the names I recognized were Saul Williams and El-P (who has a vocal feature on this album). His spoken poetry style lends itself to a unique flow, and combined with his production, makes for a really distinctive hip-hop album. This was a very meditative and mentally stimulating listen. There were a couple of moments that broke the trance, but nothing worth going on about. I listened to it for a second time today, but initially listened last week during the surge of L.A. wildfires. The album opens with these lines, which are great but also made me glitch out for a second: "Went back to the mountaintop the other day / Saw one hundred prophets there / Hid behind the rock and prayed / To all the quiet ones / It’s come and gone like California fires / All praises be to the survivors / All those who ride the heavy lows"
4/10
not interested
Didn’t care for this one
Chill hip hop. Space hop if you will. Never have heard of this artist or album, so it was a nice surprise. Lyrics are good, music is decent too. Nice to listen to when cleaning the house or just spacing out. 3/5
Very poetic. He's obviously well read. But I was bored.
I didn’t have to listen to this. Definitely not my thing.
More slam poetry than rap.
Seems a bit of a random inclusion. Mild mannered sci-fi rap with a curious backing. Seems to lack any passion. Bit baffled.
I can appreciate it it for what it is. It's certainly more interesting than some others in here but again I'm not a a fan
I struggle to understand the lukewarm reception! what other rap record sounds like this? a lot of this stuff veers away from hip hop and into instrumental electronic exploration, with the 10-minute "To the Moon's Contractor" standing as a foreboding, surreal centerpiece with an orchestral sensibility, both in the sounds at use as well as the general progression from front to back. a lot of the tracks in that vein hold my attention just as easily as the more straightforward rap songs like "Bladerunners" or "The Animist". Mike Ladd is right in line, stylistically and philosophically, with a ton of his contemporaries in the East Coast underground. he delivers his words with gusto, and seems to take delight in making you listen really hard to catch everything he says. unfortunately, there's not many places to find accurate or complete lyrics for these songs, although it's pretty easy to catch onto the references to futurism, science fiction and police brutality strewn throughout (the closing track, dedicated to "All Those Killed by Cops", speaks for itself). what sets Ladd apart here is some truly futuristic production to match the futurism of his words. this is hip hop that feels pretty ahead of the curve for being released in Y2K! think Deltron 3030 or Vaudeville Villain but even further left-field. again, Endtroducing comes to mind, and it's a much closer comparison here than it was for The Avalanches a few days ago. tracks like "Red Eye to Jupiter" and "I Feel Like $100" really illuminate Mike Ladd's affection for jazz, with the former being a true embrace of the avant-garde, complete with direct lyrical and sonic references to Sun Ra. there's a few cuts here, like the title track, that are led purely by singing rather than all-out rhyming, and it's a nice addition. I also appreciate the recurring presence of strings, which add a touch of warmth to this album's otherwise cold, austere presentation. it's no coincidence that billy woods tapped Ladd for a feature on Aethiopes. if not for Mike Ladd, I don't know if we get billy woods, or many of the artists who have been part of the recent wave of experimental rap that's been taking Online music geeks like me for a wild ride the past few years, in the form we know and love it them today. decent 8/10.
# Playlist track - Airwave Hysteria # Notes - One of those albums that really make you consider what the fuck whoever made this list had in their minds. - Not a *terrible* album, but a mostly forgettable, slow, repetitive and boring hip-hop that has no place amongst the other albums here. - I've insisted and ended up listening to it two or three times. - There are cool instrumentals and interesting samples sometimes, but they not warrant a full 1 hour listed of this. - Not recommended.
2.5 but rounding down
Favorite Track: Feb. 4 ‘99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)
A couple groovy moments saved this from a worse score. It just wasn't for me, I guess.
Love the concept of the album, but like a lot of these concept rap albums the production seems a bit muddy the more you listen to it. I just wish the music was as good as the lyrical content.
I Feel Like $100 after hearing this.
Very atmospheric album, which might turn off some listeners, but I don't mind it - feels like something that helped influence Damon Albarn to create Gorillaz. Overall a strange but fairly captivating listening experience, that holds up *reasonably* well in the mid-2020s.
Part of the reason I'm (mostly) enjoying this list so much is because it forces me to listen to other music genres that would otherwise have passed me by entirely. Will I return to this album frequently? Unlikely. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I feel like a more rounded knowledgeable individual for broadening my horizons? Absolutely.
Liked some songs, didn't like others. My favorite was The Animist.
Meh… the ambient stuff is uninteresting. The jazzy stuff is fine. The poem at the end is the biggest highlight.
not enough life to it. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Nerd rap from the early 2000s is not something I’d especially expect to like, but this he enough moments for me to think, “Alright! This is alright!” Some slick production, some slick songs.
These beats were okay, but the rhymes certainly weren't. Atrocious.
12/12/24. First time hearing Mike Ladd, but always love the alternative hip hop scene, especially with a concept in mind. Kept me engaged throughout and would recommend.
Rap concept album. Tried to mix electronic with jazzy beats but just didnt cut it for me. Its well done but on the mixing you cant really hear the voices and lyrics cleanly. Ive heard better but Mike Ladd has been an established rapper not much of a top rapper or lyricist but conceptually its solid. Delivery was not the best to me thou. Personal opinion and preference.
Nah
Hip hop, but sounded different than what you’d expect. This sounded like hip hop for “intellectuals”. Some of the songs sounds like they were written with a thesaurus. It was ok.
Didn't enjoy this...sounded rather depressing
Never heard this album or artist before. I like the idea of spacey, futuristic hip hop more than this particular execution. It seems like he can't just trust a groove and stay in it. I'm glad it's on the list, as I haven't heard anything like this, but I probably wont' listen to it again. Soft 3 stars.
He sounds like he’s just doing it for his own fun. Nothing wrong with that, but I don’t have to listen to it.
Pretty decent lo-fi hip hop. Kinda cool concept. I liked it.
Never heard of Mike Ladd before this
Not my cup of tea. Didn't make it through the whole album.
Спустя несколько месяцев я возвращаюсь к прослушивание рандом альбумов С одной стороны неплохой. Самурай чамплу биток. С другой стороны -- какой-то рэп никакой честно говоря. Три звезды
Nah, this isn’t it
So glad to share this Album I "must hear before I die" with 20.000 other Spotify listeners. It really had a big impact on music and my life before I died.
Mike Ladd’s decision to release music under his full name caught my attention. It made me wonder: would albums by Shawn Corey Carter, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, or Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. have carried the same weight without their stage names? But I digress... As someone encountering Ladd for the first time through 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, I was intrigued by comparisons to Kool Keith, Deltron 3030, and MF Doom. However, the album didn’t live up to these lofty expectations. “5000 Miles West of the Future” opens with minimalist beats and jazz-inflected piano loops, creating an atmospheric yet not completely memorable introduction. The chaotic “Airwave Hysteria” follows with distorted beats and erratic samples, leading into the funk-heavy “Planet 10” and the upbeat “Take More Than 41.” While these tracks showcase Ladd’s vast vision, they feel more like scattered experiments than a cohesive statement, leaving me disengaged early on. The album begins to find its footing with “Bladerunners” and “No. 1 St.,” its most accessible hip-hop offerings. These tracks display Ladd’s sharp flow and surreal, seemingly non-sequitur lyrics, offering glimpses of why this album was well received upon its release. The highlight is “The Moon’s Contractor,” a sprawling, largely instrumental piece that shifts between ambient, jazzy passages and glitchy beats. It’s cinematic, hypnotic, and undeniably captivating—though it’s confusing that the album’s strongest moment is one where Ladd’s vocal presence is minimal. The final stretch sees Ladd finally hitting his stride. Tracks like “The Animist” and “Red Eye to Jupiter” balance dense futuristic beats with stream-of-consciousness delivery, evoking the political urgency and poetic resonance of Gil Scott-Heron’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. It is shame that they have been placed so late on the album as the album suffers from pacing issues. Welcome to the Afterfuture is cerebral, surreal, and politically charged, weaving themes of Afrofuturism and dystopia through a collage of experimental soundscapes. While its ambition should be lauded, its uneven execution and lack of cohesion make it a missed opportunity. Did/Do I own this release? No. Does this release belong on the list? Probably not. Would this release make my personal list? No. Will I be listening to it again? I may return to a couple of tracks, the album as a whole isbmore of an intellectual curiosity than an essential listen.
Müll!
You listen to the first track then the rest is all kinda just what you expect except for a janky 10 minute track right in the middle that breaks up the tracklist horribly, 2/5
Hiphoppy, was not able to distinguish text well
Good moments.
Some of it was good, some of it was okay. Definitely. An album that I would not go back and listen to again but I was not turned off by it either.
blanda af futurisma og svarta lúðanum. það er staðalmynd sem ég þekki ekki nóg en þarf að kynna mér. var frekar ánægður með þetta. aðra, meira. 3,5.
I like it but it’s not the right mood today
alltså det är något med det här som jag gillar, soundet t.ex. men det är några instrumentala låtar som man borde tagit väck. t.ex den 10 minuter långa triphop-låten. blir less på sånt. så därför får det bli en tvåa, en stark sådan.
not bad, like the sound!
My goodness, I appreciate people's hard work and everything, but this is one of the top 1000 albums? By whose metrics?
Chill beats to have in the background. 7
Never heard of this artist. It was a strange mix of hip hop and I'm not sure what.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Not the normal hip hop rap I normally hate. Don’t get me wrong not an album I could cherish or love in any way but some of the musical arrangements and assorted genres used or very interesting. These are spoilt of course by the vocals and lyrics. Glad I’ve heard it and can now associate something if Mike Ladd comes onto my radar again. But I’d prefer it if Mr Ladd left me in peace in future. 2/5 10/11/24
Unwieldy, uncompromising, unbelievable. At the time of writing, it's the lowest rated hip-hop album in the 1001 catalogue. It's not too difficult to see why: "Welcome to the Afterfuture" is a very bizarre record, taking in influences from jazz, ambient, electronica and hip-hop. It's Mike Ladd's second of many, many albums, and sees him acknowledging afro-futurism on the cusp of a shiny new millennium. In the very first song, he's crying in vain for his "floating car, his utopia, his Mars colonies". Later, he spends an entire song making allusions to Blade Runner. Then, he's a "starship n*gga" on the way to Jupiter. While the music here can be challenging, it's been a joy to hear a left-field example of the genre, outside of the spheres of G-funk, gangsta rap or golden age. I've not heard this brand of experimental hip-hop before, so it really appealed to me as something new. Beats crash in and drop out again. Snatches of keyboard are filtered almost beyond recognition, like murder in the CASIO factory. It's not an easy listen, but most of it successfully serves Ladd's distorted realisation of the future. Production is trippy and lush (take third track "Planet 10": sweeping, lush strings and an eerily pitched, disembodied voice delivering the hook: "where we going… planet 10"). "To the Moon's Contractor", an epic eleven-minute odyssey in the middle of the album, is a black-hole of jazzy basslines, fluttering woodwind, floaty synths and splashes of percussion. It's hard to tell whether it ever quite takes off, but it's a fascinating place to wallow for ten minutes. Then we've the searing climax of "Red Eye to Jupiter", and the absolutely blissed-out highlight "Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon". All great tracks. The production overpowers the vocals somewhat, which are tight and he but don't feel as effortless as some of Ladd's peers. His rhymes are impressive but very wordy, with a verbose vocabulary on tracks like "No. 1 St". The features are also a mixed bag: I wasn't a huge fan of Bigg Jus's vocals in "Bladerunners", which clashed against the smoothness of the instrumental samples. It seems this vision is best fulfilled by Ladd and Ladd alone. This crystallises in the final track, "Feb '4 99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)", a stirring and profound spoken word piece. Together with the earlier insistence it "takes more than 41 to bring us down", it's a response to the police shooting of Amadou Diallo which took place earlier that year. It places "Welcome to the Afterfuture" firmly in the field of conscious hip-hop, giving it a heart and a soul. So, although at times this album sinks into more generic, by-numbers horny hip-hop, I really respect Ladd for committing to a concept throughout the entire record and delivering on it: "Welcome to the Afterfuture" ends up feeling more cohesive and satisfying as a full package than many other hip-hop albums I've heard.
I'm sure one of the tracks featured fart noises, which is very appropriate as the entire album is shit. One star!
While some of the beats were great this is not an album I enjoyed at all. Maybe I'm not in to hip-hop enough but I need something more when listening to the genre.
# Album Name: Welcome to the AfterFuture # Artist: Mike Ladd # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Mike ladd? Who is that?! sounds like the local hard case from the council estate. Thats who. Anyway, im not a rap fan so the only thing worse than that to me is alternative rap. Which this album apparently is. Theres some interesting sounds. I'll give it that. Almost feels experimental to me. But it just isnt my thing. ANother album which doesnt deserve to be on the list imo. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? no.
I tried this and I get that lyrically it's good and musically it's challenging enough but it was a slog
Overall: 5/10 This one is a weird one for me. The beats are exceptional, and I think the rhymes are pretty good. For some reason, the songs just mostly seem to come and go without a second thought given. I couldn't tell you a single hook or line that stood out to me. I will say that it gave me MF Doom vibes at times. It's certainly a well made hip hop album but it didn't do much for me. Fav Song: Welcome to the Afterfuture Least Fav Song: I Feel Like $100
A swirling kaleidoscope of off-kilter beats, obscure samples and fuzzy synths, with rapping over the top. I preferred the first half, since it generally felt more like an art piece than an album; the second half is slightly more conventional and I wasn't too keen on the guest appearance from Company Flow. Politically, I'm not sure where Mike Ladd is, but I can guess it's both leftist and disappointed. (If disappointed can be a political position; personally I think it can be.) The future is now, it isn't bright, and it isn't orange. And his name isn't... CHRIS! I can't say I didn't like it, but it's not the sort of thing I'd put on very often. Maybe that just means I'm boring. Tangent: If there's an afterfuture, is there a prepast? Fave: The Animist. Least Fave: Red Eye to Jupiter Strong Bad Demerit Counter: 0 (I think)
Would have been much better as an instrumental album. Mike Ladd obviously has good mic skills, but the subject matter is all over the shop. He ping pongs from conscious-rap, to sci-fi, to sex brags based on sci-fi - and as amazing as that sounds, it's not very fun. Album closer Feb 4. '99 is the odd one out. A moving spoken word about the death of an innocent man by the police full of religious imagery and post-rock backing.
I liked it more than I thought I would. The second half is better than the first.
Rap/hip hop
Instrumentally it's pretty cool for the most part. There's still quite a lot of rap I'm not into though. To the Moon's Contractor was the best track.
The first half was not too bad, the second half got hold quick.
This was really. It’s clearly drawing from all kinds of influences and there is a ton of experimentation.
I didn't expect to like this but I was really surprised. Will definitely check out some more of Mike Ladd's music. MF Doom / Madvillain influences throughout. SO WHY IS THERE NO MF DOOM IN THIS LIST?!?
Didn't hate it
It was ite.
Never heard of the guy, and I was listening to everything in 2000, so this one flew under my radar. I liked the intro vibe he was laying down, part hip hop, part year 2000 alt rock. I read up on him, he's got producer chops, you can tell since the music & mix is stronger than the MC'ing he's doing. I'm not a lyrics guy, so he may have been spitting knowledge but I focused on the music and found the overall combination lacking. No real standout tracks, no beats that destroy, nothing with a undeniable hook, just average but enjoyable. Not Top 1001 worthy... I don't feel the influence, no hits, no singalongs, no unforgettable moments. The production is good though, I liked the soundscapes he was creating.
Actually quite liked it. Some good ideas and liked the way the music had an equal footing to the rapping.
3/5
I don’t think Mike Ladd ended up being as important as the editors of 1001 albums thought he would be.
Nah
3☆/5 10.16.2024
This started bad ....few songs in the middle were good...couldn't listen to the song where they just yelled motherfucker over and over...ending was ok. Just average! 2.6
Mellow melodic beats and slow smooth rhymes make Afterfuture enjoyable. I’d listen to it again without being forced. Mike Ladd has a huge catalog, not sure why he wasn’t more mainstream.
Not really by bag, but kinda dug it anyway. Prolly wouldn't listen again, however.
Alright, I get why this album gets a lot of hate. I think you need to like alt rap to get into an album like this, but on its own merit, for the genre that it is, I think it's a really strong project. The rapping is above average from what you hear from a lot artists - great flow, great diction, not just talking about bitches and hoes. And the production value is something truly unique. This guy is a mix of MF Doom, Open Mike Eagle, Talib Kweli, and the Alchemist and yet he preceded them all. No hate if this kind of album isn't your thing but if you're into a really off the beaten path underground rap concept album this is a great piece.
What a refreshing hip hop album. Really loved this one. Three full listens and it impressed me each time. This is why I'm on the 1001 train
So many thoughts: 1) in general, I don't like rap. Since if this was a lurks tolerable. 2) The juxtaposition of high culture and low culture references... I honestly don't know if I liked it or wanted to roll my eyes at it. I mostly land on: that didn't work for me. 3) I askari didn't like the ethereal moodiness although it made it more lustrnable than a lot of rap or hip hop is for me.
Some of the backing tracks are interesting but not a fan of hip hop, so cannot rate this album more than a 2*
I love this but I need to give it another go tbh I liked most of it but it felt flat for a bit at the end
This tries too hard imo. I get it, futuristic new wave hip hop of its time, but thematically it’s just all over the place. So many experimental songs (which I can respect and enjoy) but it really doesn’t leave me wanting to come back. No 1 st. Was a standout track to me, I just really liked the more straight forward hip-hop on here.
Didn't click with me, maybe if I dug into the lyrics more it would improve but I don't have a desire to
Dece
This was so much better than I expected from the cover or the description! There was one song that was so unpleasant in terms of language that I had to skip it after 10 seconds, but that was outweighed by the pleasure of quite a few other songs. It was quite (desperately seeks a better word and fails) trippy, sonically, and generally skipped around genres pretty nicely.
This is #day59 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's time for a lesser-known hip-hop gem from 2000. I've never heard of Mike Ladd before. There’s much more than just hip-hop here, though. Listening to Welcome to the Afterfuture reminded me of a couple of other records. First off, Lovage's Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, both share that loungy, crispy, trippy vibe. I also hear echoes of DJ Shadow’s Entroducing....., especially in those instrumental tracks. Maybe some Amon Tobin in there too? Anyway, I enjoyed the abstractness, edginess, and jazzy elements of this album; it was an interesting find. This is a 3 out of 5, particularly given its "old-schoolness." Looking forward to #day60.
Very interesting in concept. I loved the messages and lyricism. They shine out through some somewhat muddy rhythms at times.
This sounds like a harder Hamilton. Sorry he sounds like Lin Manuel to me. That’s all I can hear
I definitely pre-judged this because he's called Mike Ladd, but damn this is so cool! Exactly the kind of hip hop I like. It has a Company Flow feature FFS. Shocking 5*
Weird album. I feel like they were onto something a little bit though. I hear a lot of the elements that make up today’s critically acclaimed experimental hip hop in this album. The beats are their own little world sometimes.
Mike Ladd is a phenomenal rapper. “Airwave Hysteria” blew me away. I’ve never heard a flow like his before. He raps off-kilter one moment, then falls back into a rhythm whenever he wants to. Some rappers talk about changing flows from track to track but Mike Ladd does it multiple times in a single track. The lyrics are dense. They’re packed with fantastic wordplay and smart political commentary. Even when I was paying close attention to these songs, I knew I would need to go back for multiple listens to catch everything. His verses are brilliant poetry — not a word or syllable is wasted. All of the rap songs on this album are incredible. But only about half the album is rap. I was surprised by how many instrumentals there were and my gut reaction after one listen is that there could have been less instrumentals and more rapping. Then again, when the rapping is this dense and virtuosic, maybe you don’t need to pack the album with it. Also, Mike Ladd is the lead producer on all of these tracks so even the instrumentals are him. Is Mike Ladd a genius? Why have I never heard about him before? Great album.
Offbeat and odd futuristic space rap. I like the premise behind it but I find the execution to be kind of short of what I wanted. Making sounds that are supposed to be cutting edge and predicting what is next for the genre would make sense to me if it was filled with really out there sounds- like synths that blend with acoustic instruments, vocals that blur the line between organic and robotic. Here we get a track like Bladerunners, which sounds like some Big L track (which is a compliment because I like Big L but also not a compliment because it's a comparison to an artist whose only album came out 29 years ago), but the only thing futuristic and intriguing about it is the lyrics, where he at times mentions some bladerunner things like "replicants".. Luckily his actual rapping saves this album from being rated lower for me. He has a really authentic + listenable vocal tone, and his flows are fresh. "Airwave Hysteria" in particular has a pretty interesting set of a few different rhythmic flows on it, and that's what I wanted more of while listening. I'm going to be honest- I wanted to give this a 2 until I finished listening and then went back and re-listened to "Airwave Hysteria" and "Bladerunners". I still feel conflicted about this record because it just wasn't what I predicted and wanted, but ultimately I did enjoy it. Cool album cover, actually really specifically a style that I enjoy.
yeah its alright
I've never seen such a short Wikipedia album summary on this site before. So non-notable even fans can’t be bothered putting a few words together. This review is longer. Clearly it got the attention it deserved.
Very 2000 abstract hip hop, reminds me of early El-P and Saul Williams even, but definitely less passion for the most part. Can’t say I would lean that I disliked it overall, there was enough cool sounds and ideas even if it gets a bit repetitive and is overall slight. Like a 2.5 for me
I loved this. Surprised I’ve never come across Mike Ladd but I loved how unique this sounded. Good sci-fi!
This was just ok. I am at a place in my life where i kinda resent music like this … his mom seems cool tho
some nice classic stuff on her but most of it is bland :/
An interesting foray into lowfi beats
Not a fan
2,5
Man, what a disappointment. I really wanted to like Welcome To The Afterfuture but unfortunately, due to many factors i will list out, i just can't. This album just suffered from really inconsistent production quality. Sometimes the songs could sound decently mixed, other times they sounded poorly. The lyrics are also stupid and in general, the album just lacks direction and just kinda goes all over the place. Its honestly a shame these issues are present because i do legitimately really like some of the musical ideas and i would really like to see them in a better album, But alas, we have them in this album where they can't shine to their full glory. Best Song: The Animist Worst Song: Bladerunners
It was ok.
Yeah, no
Day263 - lyrics are corny, the concept doesn’t work and just because you can use samples doesn’t mean you have to
Vad är skillnaden mellan den här plattan och bajs? Egentligen ingen skillnad alls mer än att jag hellre trampar i bajs än lyssnar på den här skiten.
The first hip hop album that I didn’t like in the slightest.
I liked the tracks that pushed into trip hop vein, experimental electronic, more than the straight hip-hop. Had some good moments. Takes More Than 41.
The trouble I have with hip hop music is that it's JUST the beat. There's no riffs, licks, instrumental sections, solos, fills, nothing. So if that main beat that will repeat throughout the whole song is weak then you only have the rapping to save the song. And if the rapping is weak, or in this album's case, doesn't appear that often, then you aren't left with a lot to like. I do like that it sounds slightly experimental, like you're in a trance in space a lot of the time - 'To The Moon's Contractor' and 'Airwave Hysteria' are the best examples - but it can't save this album. The beats aren't that interesting, the rapping isn't that good and overall it's a bit all over the place.
Amazing. Glad I found this. Funky hip hop.
I really try to avoid comparisons when listening to music as it leads your brain to thinking about things in a particular way but for this one the symmetry with deltron3000 is too close for me not to bring it up. It doens't have anywhere near the same tightness. Generally it all felt a bit underwhelming. The beats were good, but not great. The rapping was okay.
Well, I at least found it to be very creative hip-hop.
No bangers. Felt like an interesting album, had a mix of styles from bouncy rap to spoken-word-poetry at times. I thought this artist did a good job of explaining their experience and worldview through music. But, the music itself didn't grip me.
scuffeddd
Pretty entertaining.
Cool futuristic-leaning production though not quite as industrial or cold as other groups in this same vein of abstract hip-hop and illbent that were coming out around this time. I think groups like Cannibal Ox, Company Flow, and Techno Animal had twists on this side of hip-hop that I generally prefer but Mike Ladd still brings a unique sound to the mix nevertheless. While I kinda just wanted to listen to those guys instead (+ plus Deltron 3030) when this album started, as the album went on, I grew more appreciative of what was being attempted here. The sound is jazzier and more ambient leaning than other similar-sounding records of this time, with some standout trip-hop and electronic elements. The rapping almost takes a backseat throughout this album but when Mike does rap, he's doing the unconventional, no-bar-line style you'd expect out of this era with lines that are generally witty and enjoyable, his best performance being on the political ramblings of 'The Animist'. I also really liked the posse cut 'Bladerunners' with Company Flow who I think bring out the best rapping in Mike Ladd. The beats are dark and fat here, I love it when those grainy string samples come in on beats like 'No. 1 St.' and 'Airwave Hysteria'. Overall though, 'To the Moon's Contractor' has to be my favorite song here. Despite the somewhat cluttered opening and minimal rapping, its ambitious length works in its favor as the ambient overlay coasts and rides on this driving bassline and drum pattern for the better part of its runtime. It's a truly fantastic beat. While its closing songs were nothing to cry home about, the better part of this album is composed of some great abstract hip-hop that any fan of the style can find something they like in. It manages to stand out quite a bit as well with its subtle ambient genre fusions. While I still prefer many of his contemporaries, I did end up enjoying this record far more than I thought I would when it started.
not bad but not for me
An awesome blend of genres with some impressive rappers above and a good concept. Nothing mind blowing, but a cool project to get into
Trying too much
I probably wouldn’t listen again, but I think this is a really good album, with lots of beautiful poetry, I’ve never heard of Mike Ladd but I respect his work
Pretty cool and atmospheric experimental hip-hop.
This sounds like someone wanted to make a hip hop record, but didn't have a bakers fuck of an idea how.... It's apparently experimental hip hop, so it experiments with trip hop by times, but not in a good way. Super juvinile, and super lame. Definately not required listening Favourite songs: Bladerunners Least favourite songs: Planet 10, To the Moon's Contractor, Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed By Cops) 1/5
this was a much better record that i initially thought it would be - the lyricism was interesting, and the beats were hypnotic and almost relaxing at times. even though hip-hop isn’t massively my thing, i can always appreciate an artist, and i think, for the most part, ladd deserves the credit for this album.
Welcome to the Afterfuture is a studio album from Mike Ladd. The album is a strange mix, from not-so-danceable hip hop, like "Airwave Hysteria," to near ambient, like "Planet 10," then dissonant electronic, "I feel like $100," to spoken word, "Feb 4, 99." This isn't an album of any particular genre. The majority of the track are rap, and they're not noteworthy. There are a few tracks that seem to be responses to pop samples, like "5000 West of the Future," that have a melodic hook. Here, the lyrics fail in a few verses; he has a decent chorus, but doesn't go anywhere with it.
i feel like this will be shit but whatever 5000 miles west of the future- 5 airwave hysteria- 5 planet 10- 4 takes more than 41- 5. i feel like somethings missing from all these songs but i dont know what. theres potential but it needs some other element to tie it all together bladerunners- stroking the silver pussy?? these lyrics are crazy. 6. i love the bass no 1 st- 4. kinda boring. i smoked too much of that asthma? me too to the moons contractor- i cant do 10 minutes sorry i feel like $100- 5 the animist- 5 red eye to jupiter- 5 or 6 welcome to the afterfuture- 5. the grim reapers lucky charms in a box. michael jackson is accidentally neutered. wipe out on the wave of armageddon- 4 feb 4 '99- 6 or 7 im gonna return to this at some point and read the lyrics too
My option of this album was all over the map from track to track. There were a lot of things I liked about it - it’s got this minimalist/lo-fi/industrial/jazzy sci-fi thing going on, which is very cool, but doesn’t come together as cohesively as I would’ve liked. After the first few tracks, the middle felt like a bit of a slog. It picks back up at the end, and the great final track, “Feb. 4 ‘99,” saves it from a rating of 2. Even though I can’t say I fully enjoyed it, this album does feel a little special.
I love rap and this was still hard for me to sit through. It sounds like something someone recorded in their dorm room and uploaded to Soundcloud.
what was this all about then. the guy's a nerd! let's get him
This was definitely a different sound. Can't say I enjoyed, but it had a few moments. Thought it opened up OK with 5000 Miles West of the Future even though that opening riff reminded me of that Britney Spears song oops I did it again. And something about Red Eye to Jupiter I liked, but everything else just wasn't for me. It has it's times of a good vibe and beat, but not enough to enjoy overall. Just not for me and I can't even get it to the 2.5, middle of the road rating. 2
2.5 I saw this album had a lot of negative reviews, so I was expecting it to be bad - but it’s fine? I mean, it’s certainly not great either, but it’s at least mostly inoffensive on the ears. Some of the beats are actually pretty solid in an ambient sort of way (I liked the opener in particular), though I do feel like they gradually get worse as the album goes on, to the point that I was a little annoyed by the time Red Eye to Jupiter rolled around. As far as lyrics go - well, they leave a lot to be desired. I have no idea what this dude was on about with The Animist when he started listing out what his names would be if he followed different religions, but the worst bar by far has to be the below from No.1 St: “When I shave my head I look like Mr. Clean But I never had an earring, I got an Oedipus complex Which is as complex as a Serbian-Bosnian war rear reflex Which is like a race of whites and blacks Breaking love on a bit of bloody Rice Chex” What? As a matter of fact, I really have no idea what this is about as a whole. It seems to be doing some kind of sci-fi/post-apocalyptic thing, but it never quite feels like it fully commits to the bit. Is this supposed to be a concept album? Maybe some symbolism is just going over my head, but to me it seems like it’s lacking a sense of direction. It’s almost there atmosphere-wise, but once again, it just didn’t do quite enough with the tools it had at its disposal to really suck me in. There was also no reason this needed a 10-minute track on it. Overall, just vanilla. Aside from the lyrics, it seems to do everything okay and nothing great.
Can’t say I liked it. Nor did I understand why it’s included on this list. Perhaps because it is futuristic, and it WILL be important, we just don’t know it yet? Bladerunners is by far the best track, To the Moon’s Contractor is the most unnecessary one
This is a solid rap offering with a trip hop vibe that I like a lot in rap music. It’s on the verge of 4 stars for me and deserves some more listens.
Barely hip hop beats And oft choppy poetry Rambling album Chopped up mad samples Atypical, witty bars Odd artsy approach
Another album and artist I have never heard. I liked a few of the tracks including Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon, 5000 Miles West of the Future,
Mike Ladd, more like MIKE WHAT THE FUCK YOU CAN"T SAY THAT
Af en toe vette productie, maar weet uiteindelijk niet genoeg te pakken. Wellicht kan deze uit de lijst.
I almost wrote it off. I hate the macho style of hiphop vocals that the album leads with. That said, woah, it goes in deep-- sometimes sounding derivative of Kool Keith. But then finally leveling out with some truly innovative sounds and some really deep long tracks. Overall, worth a listen and I can see why the album is included. It's a weird and interesting one.
Heh, "cutting-edge hip-hop" from 10 years ago. I thought I'd like this a lot less than I did. I don't think I'd really even call this 'hip hop' since the artist relies a lot more on the music than the words.
So much potential, in a style I generally enjoy, but it’s derailed by Mike Ladd’s juvenile lyrics. The weird lo-fi tangents were actually a welcome reprieve from lyrics that squandered the music’s potential.
This album defies categorization. "Is this jazz? This is semen pizzazz." Somehow this one lyric tells you everything you need to know about this album.
The afterfuture is 24 years ago. The futuristic vision starts strong from 5000 Miles West To The Future through Planet 10. Then the album takes a three track downturn through misogyny and strangeness, which leads into an almost 11 minute instrumental (To The Moon’s Contractor). The instrumental is decent, yet seriously misplaced in this hip hop foray. Afterwards, the album never really recovers to offer anything like the opening three tracks, which is disappointing.
Ya, no.
Decent, old school rap isnt my go to but still good
Its kind of a confusing album, huh?
Actually listened this time. This was fine. Sounded repetitive, nothing stood out
First time listener. Really enjoyed this one. Excellent beats and lyricism. I’ll be listening to more by Mike Ladd! Good album
I appreciate its iconoclastic nature, but I just wasn’t feeling it.
Wish I could do 2.5 Some cool moments, some annoying, some ignorable.
definitely a fresh and new sound, but it feels very unfocused and a bit unmemorable i.e. there are great individual tracks and moments within each of the tracks that really shine and stand out, but it doesn't work well as one body of work at all 3/5 though, its a perfectly okay album, i am glad i listened to it and there is a lot of potential!!! i think i could enjoy it a lot more on second listen
It’s different. It’s not bad, solid stuff. Really liked that song Planet 10.
Fun,
Very creative and fresh feeling. Tons of diversity too this album didnt feel stale throughout. 3.3
Listening to this while working really rescued this album's rating. Yes, it's very slight. Yes, the rapping is dull, uninspired, and done no favors by the mix. Yes, every song begins with a halting, repetitive sample of a recognizable and better song. But I listened on headphones while working and found it to be utterly fine. Welcome to the Average, mister Ladd.
I was not looking forward to yet another rap album. Well, this one is quite a bit different than most. It was certainly a ride, though not one I'll likely take again. I was wondering where this rapper got all these dated references from (Space 1999, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Whipple, Monchichi), so I looked him up. To my surprise, he was born in 1970 and not black (someone must have given him an n-word pass). There is barely anything on his Wikipedia page. Anyway, the music is...interesting. Sometimes funny, occasionally falling into the usual rap trappings of sex, drugs, violence. Sometimes different and weird. Worth one listen I guess.
После первых двух-трех песен я впервые за почти 200 альбомов был уверен, что брошу. Для меня проблема здесь в чем: с одной стороны это подается как музыка будущего, ага, инновации и эксперименты; при этом в 2024 звучит это всё ну настолько устаревшим и просто банальным; все эти басы были доступны в демо-версии фрути лупз лет пятнадцать назад, смиксовано кое-как, и так далее; читка - ну такое... Абстрактные, эмбиентные части - окэй. Хип-хоп - не, спасибо. Лучшая песня - Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon
Some of this was pretty great especially To the Moon's Contractor and Red Eye to Jupiter, which stood out as compellingly weird. The album got more interesting as it went along.
sometimes fun, mostly weird
There were some clever lyrics in here, but I'm not gonna lie, this wasn't anything special. Like it wasn't bad, but I also really don't see why this made the list.
At times this reminded me of Stankonia, which I am chalking up to both being experimental hip-hop records from 2000. Really enjoyed 'To the Moon's Contractor'
Different from any other hip hop albums on the list more electronica and even some jazz influences on the music though the flow is not great in places. Not a bad album but then again not that great interesting to hear but would never listen to it again and wouldnt miss it if I never heard it.
Kind of mid. Last track was cool though
Bad. Why is this on the list?
I feel like the vision behind this album was far bigger than what they actually achieved. Could definitely see what they wanted to do but just not 100% they got there. Still, a good listen and I enjoyed the majority of it. 3.1
It's definitely a hip hop album with some ambitions but it's not really that enjoyable of a listen.
Kind of liked the first track, then yikes. Incredibly uneven and incoherent in its terribleness.
Enjoyed a couple tracks that had rapping but otherwise just beats
Some of the beats reminded me of drum n bass, and there are some nuggets of good ideas. But I think Ladd’s ambition outweighed his skill.
Still not into hip-hop.
Who? Why are there so many hip-hop albums in the list? Hip-Hop meets dystopia - depressing.
Not really my sort of thing
Es un gran disco! Un sonido muy curado, logra transmitir una imagen muy particular: es el año 3050, el contexto es futurista post-apocaliptico, estás en tu carro escuchando un artista que escribió un gran albúm de hip-hop inspirandose en unos discos (una verdadera antigüedad) de hace 1050 años. El aire está turbio, y la música es la mejor compañia. Está muy bueno.
Didn’t even make it through 2 songs. Not my jam
Pretty ok
Nice hip hop album with lots of samples and styles. It is a bit messy at first, but when all falls into place, it's a great listen.
I was on the verge of giving this 1 star, but the last two songs saved a 2 for it. This really isn't my thing, it's a bit of an avant-garde rap album from 2000. He seems talented enough, but the neither the lyrics nor the beats were really interesting enough to keep me hooked. Like I said though, the last two songs were actually pretty good, so I'll give it a 2 because there's some talent here for sure. "Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon" is mostly an instrumental but the beat is great, and "Feb. 4, 1999" is less a rap song and more an autobiographical spoken word poem about growing up in Cambridge, MA. The whole album probably couldn't have been like this, but these were both a great change of pace that I enjoyed. Favorite song: Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon Other: Bladerunners, Feb. 4 1999 7/11/24
Not my thing. Strange combination of rap, techno, and classical, but I didn’t like the lyrics and nothing jumped out at me.
A banger - lovely fresh crisp beats and some nice instrumental work. All the best elements of hip-hop
that was a really interesting listen. But way too long and "spacey". 2 stars
Gotta love how most of the worst albums stretch to near or over the one-hour mark just to extend your suffering for as long as possible.
What the hell's this? Zero chance this survived the edit. Haha, nope. Well Spotify said 2015 so I looked at the wrong year... Anyway you can tell it's 2000, and you can tell it's by a producer. All pretty unremarkable 24 years on. Bladerunners wants to be Gil Scott Heron and isn't. I most enjoyed the long track To the Moon Contractor, and realised this was because the not very good rapping was absent. The last track is a really great sound piece of itself. But after an hour I'm just tired. Huge vibes of when you'd pick up a mystery bundle of 5 cds for a quid in that bin in Vinyl Exchange in the hope of uncovering a hidden gem but instead it would all just be stuff like this.
More rap/hip hop
Philosophical and poignant. The sci-fi inspired futurism theme really does it for me.
Horrifically boring and, more damning for the legitimacy of this list, horrifically inessential. 1/5
The hip-hop choices on this list are frankly bizarre. I don’t really understand why this would be included so many other omissions. Having said that I still enjoyed it
nothing groundbreaking here. kind of underwhelming.
Meh
2 stars bc the production is interesting
Not bad but nothing special. Sorry Mike.
It's interesting, but underwhelming at the same time. 3.
I feel like this album is what Kendrick Lamar has been trying to make. Personal enjoyment 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Had no idea what to expect with this, as I've never heard of him. But this was great, seems like a blend of hip-hop with the avant-garde and just found the vibe and sound of this record to be really great.
Beats are great bars are bad
This music was definitely unique. It was different from itself everywhere and it was interesting, however the type of music was everything I don’t like unfortunately. I can see the influence it’s had because of the experimental sounding and combination however none of the songs were good.
Tough one - there are some really groovy um....grooves and beat on this especially around the bass and drums, but there's zero cohesion to any of these songs whatsoever and I'm not a huge fan of his rapping... I like the occasionally jazzy beats and it could have led to more - nay, should have led to more. Maybe he did with future albums? Not sure I care enough to find out as even minutes after listening I don't really remember much of it... 5/10 2 stars
Seems ok not sure why it’s on the list though.
Fakker med det ass
Not for me
The ratings on this one made me think I was going to hate it, but I mostly liked this one. It's interesting experimental hip-hop.
Nja
Feels like being forced to listen to the bad but original musical release of a friend's friend on SoundCloud
I feel cooler having listened to this. Not sure if how this album is viewed in the hip-hop community, or if it is mandatory listening, but it was new to me and underground rap is a genre I've never dug into. My favorite was definitely No. 1 St., while Bladerunners was also pretty great (shout out El-P, cool to hear your stuff earlier than RTJ). There were some cool soundscapes on display here, and the poem in the last track is pretty cool too. Interested in more rap in this style.