Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Nothing special.
Þetta er áhugavert, töff á köflum og svolítið meh inn á milli. Tæpur þristur.
pretty OK stuff.
leuk, nooit van gehoord, maar mooi goed album lekker underground
Prima hoor
Whoa, I am truly not sure what to make of this recording. To me it is a unique mashup of styles, sounds, hip-hop, spoken word, science fiction, social injustice, sampling and electronica. Very raw in parts. While another album that I strongly suspect was not made with me as an audience in mind, I did appreciate the adventure in listening to it
It's an interesting album. There's a couple of tracks, Airwave Hysteria, Bladerunners, and the Animist, that I liked. Not sure I'll listen a 3rd time due to the music comp not really calling to me. 3/5!
El hip-hip de vanguardia era esto a finales de los 90. Mientras en el tema "Airwave Hysteria" utiliza samples propios de Bollywood y un impresionante scarching futurista, en el tema de apertura, "500 Miles West of the future" destacan una línea de bajo y órgano difuminados que lo sitúan en el límite del estilo, acompañando unas letras introspectivas. También destacaría "Planet 10", desarrollado en anillo y utilizando voces ralentizadas para seguir dotando al álbum de un buscado tono futurista. Otros temas a citar son "Bladerunners" y la lentamente caótica "I Feel Like 100 Dollars".
Bad trip hop with bad rapping. Over an hour long.
This was intense, interesting. 5/10
Okay, it's amazingly produced, but it doesn't have the lyrics or hooks to truly grab me. It's still great - might be a grower. Think I will come back to this one.
Cover Impressions: seems pretty aggressive. Could be rock or hip hop. Why Japanese? Hip hop it is. I maybe misheard some lyrics, but many sounded pretty unusual for references in this genre almost falling into nerdcore? That would also help explain the Japanese stuff too. Finding official lyrics was harder than I expected, and didn't have time to dig to confirm what my ears heard the first listen, but as I struggled to figure out the demographic for some of these I started to think it may be me.... There were still some aggressive songs too that weren't very relatable, but the less lyrical songs like the Moon and Jupiter had some good beats. For an album outside my realm it was pretty good. Favorite track "to the moons contractor" 3/5
.NO
rym 3.03 hip hop ma la parte musicale per ora mi sembra ok quella era solo la prima traccia, il resto sembra molto debole a dire il vero la vocina di bimbo che appare ogni tanto è davvero fastidiosa niente da fare è solo molto noioso e monotono qualche base è interessante ma niente di più 2/5
took a while, but when it clicks this is pretty good. enjoyed how low key and simmering this is
No thank you
What the fuck was that 2 ⭐️
This album was frankly just too late, as there is some part of me that wants to respect the abstract choices made with this album; the ambient tracks, the spoken word that feels more like poetry than anything hip hop related, and the lyrical concepts are generally something that would fit well on some sort of concept album. However, most of the album I was only thinking that these concepts and styles had been done before relatively recently upon this album's release, and it makes Mike Ladd unfortunately look like a copycat at best, a complete poser at worst. This isn't really fair to Ladd, but it doesn't mean this album magically becomes timely or really all that well-thought-out. A major issue this album possesses is that it often feels like it can't balance the ambient instrumentals with the rapping parts. Many of the instrumental tracks would make great backing beats, meanwhile most of the actual main beats come off as weak and uninspired. Ladd is also not a great MC flow wise, as even though it undoubtably has to do with the spoken word and poetry influences, it still comes off as choppy, and lyrically it also is reminiscent of a stereotypical slam poetry show; talking. Like. This. To. Make it. Sound... like you're smart. It can just be incredibly goofy. The album does improve upon its growth, with some of the final tracks easily outshining the rest of the album, but at over an hour long it is too little too late. Had this released in the mid 90s, I may be singing a different tune, but by 2000 you had acts like MF DOOM, and while again it isn't Mike Ladd's fault that this has aged like milk, it can be hard to return to, I imagine, five years later, let alone nearly twenty-five.
Nice, old-school, dark & trippy rap album reminding me of DJ Krush
This is a really intriguing, creative album, with a spacey, oddball sensibility that I enjoyed. Mike Ladd's vocal/flow is the least interesting part of the album. But overall this was pretty great. Fave Songs: To the Moon's Contractor, Planet 10, Takes More Than 41, 5000 Miles West of the Future, Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon, I Feel Like $100
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
first listen kinda a mess
Look mommy, I can make a hip hop album
I was shocked this was from 2023, it sounded so retro, '90s hip hop. And then I found out the year was wrong on Spotify. Anyway, I liked the infusion of Indian music into some of the tracks. I didn't listen too hard but I liked the protesty feel of it.
This one sounds like Sun Ra reincarnated into a rapper in the world of *Blade Runner*. +1 for sampling Gorecki's *Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs* on "Planet 10". And closer " Feb 4. '99" is quite epic and impressive. Some cuts are very original, and somehow foretell the "afterfuture" of J Dilla or Flying Lotus. Others are just messy and a little self-indulgent. And some others alternate between the two ends of that spectrum. Apart from that, Mike Ladd is an interesting figure who has dabbled in experimental hip hop and "art-rap" for decades now. He can be very good. And not only with this album, but with a lot of his other projects, at least from what I heard browsing through his discography today. I might buy second hand LPs and CDs among those... Not sure any of those records is "essential album" material, though. There's been countless decent experimental hip hop records since the nineties, from Sole to Cloudead, or from The Goats to Saul Williams. And I can't see why Mike Ladd should be singled out in that league, instead of all the others. 1001 is too small a number for that, and we have other genres to take into account. That said I'll leave the door open to Mr. Ladd as of now. We'll see if I warm up even more to his music later on... 3/5 for the purposes of this list. 8/10 for more general purposes (5+3) Number of albums left to review: 172 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 361 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 208 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 263
Once was more than enough for me
A new name in hip-hop for me, but who had worked with a bunch of names I know. I can see why he had so many top collaborators, but not quite sure why he didn't break through - unless he didn't want to!
New album for me - i like the sound but the songs are not so special and wont listen to this again i think..
It all takes too long with too few hoogste to hold on to.
garbage
This one slid through my brain and I don't remember it at all.
Idk if it’s bc I’m tired or bc there’s so much going on but I’m having trouble paying attention. That was exceptionally boring.
This is an album that you don’t need to listen to
It sounds like an episode of a cartoon that shows you how monotone the future will be and it plays you a song with an instrumental that has no sense. Didn't like it
who would have thunk that critics would inordinately love a guy who looks like he should have been a critic instead of making boring hip-hop
I feel like Welcome To The Afterfuture isn't something I'm meant to get, obviously not a massive hip-hop thread but I've heard more than enough over my time to know what I like and what I don't, but most anything from the last decade just doesn't hit the spot, and this is more experimental by design and doesn't get that right either. The beats aren't as good as others have produced, there are too many electronica-based influences, the flow and lyrics are weak, most of the good bits are just imitations of someone who did it better and it's really just too low key for me to really enjoy. I guess a 2?
This is a solid but unspectacular example of 90s hiphop, except it's from 2015 and melded with a load of electro and synth. And I think that makes it better. Maybe the beginning of the album is less good, maybe it took me a little while to get into it, but I enjoyed the second half more than the first. Think it really embraces the trippy psychedelic side then, which I prefer to the straight-up hiphop. Definitely drags a bit (more towards the middle than the end), we didn't need over an hour of this. Think it just squeaks a 3.
Not really my groove of electronica
At first I didn't like this. Then as it went on it grew on me more and more. The concept here is A+ for sure, very experimental sounds, the rhymes are interesting and surprising touching on some cool themes. It didn't quite come together enough for me to really love it but I'm glad to have heard it and don't really get the hate for it here.
Some good stuff on here but not enough of it imho.
Interesting alternative hip hop beats that veer into psychedelia, some lead the songs whil others support Ladd’s rapping. Ladd’s raps are hard to keep up with and keep you guessing - surprising cadences and strange rhyme schemes with lyrics teetering a border between academic pontification and psychotic ramblings. There are some really cool moments that immerse me, but not always consistent and interesting enough to hold my attention. I’d need to revisit this one more and I think it will grow on me - there’s a lot to unpack here.
I wish I had more time to rip into this one. One of the contributors obviously liked boring experimental hip hop with no redeeming qualities. I have to imagine some kind of traumatic brain injury is required to enjoy this.
Surprisingly good
I wanted to like this album more than I did. I really enjoy underground hip hop, but this one just seemed a little boring. I don’t know, it’s fine. I’m really torn. I don’t want to give it 2 stars, but I’m just not sure it’s good enough for three. I would give it 2.5 if I could. Since I can’t, I have to go with 2 stars because I was just bored.
Moody electronic/hip hop with nice non-distracting beats. The 10-minute song To the Moon's Contractor was amazing, but everything after it sounded worse in comparison dragging the whole thing down. Stand-out: Takes More Than 41
Tribe called Quest vibes
Tribal hip hop
I had never heard of the artist or album before this, but I REALLY enjoyed this album! It's got such a unique, dark, chill, futuristic vibe going on, and I had a great time listening through it! Definitely will be revisiting.
I'm surprised to see an album with so few Spotify plays show up on this list. The top track is Bladerunners with ~200K plays, and everything else is 50K or less. This might be the lowest so far. Still, I liked some of the grooves/beats.
This is almost a 3. There were some parts of it that were good, but in the end it was a little grating and self-important for me to want to revisit it. It did make me want to listen to Deltron 3030, which has similar future-dystopia themes but is more loose and fun.
Reminded me of the Avalanches, some of Dan the Automator's work, or Deltron 3000 (speaking of Dan). It wasn't the worst, but wasn't better than either of those later groups--this was more repetitive, the mixing seemed off or done poorly in that the vocals often seemed quieter than the pseudo-futuristic beats, and just not nearly as catchy. Maybe more like a 2.5/2.75, but will round up since I didn't hate it.
#215. This album starts out strong, but then kinda drags for a while. It seriously could have benefited from being like 20 minutes shorter. 3/5: it's alright Song added to playlist: 5,000 Miles West of the Future I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
surprised me! found a lot to like in here, good beats, good vibes
Abstract/experimental east coast hip hop. Not really my kind of hip hop, pretty goofy lyrics but for some reason not in like a good way. I liked a few songs here and there, and I really liked the mellow instrumental bits. I think the album is much too long for what it is, even if it does kind of switch things up a fair bit. I liked the beats a lot, they were pretty fun with a mix of styles. I just kind of got bored way too often. Not really all that much to say about it, just wasn't super into it. Probably won't revisit. 3.5/5
Ok, a little bit like a DJ Shadow album with rapping over the top. Not going to return but a pretty good listen.
This was pretty good. But it’s not my fave genre.
Nothing special
Great first and last tracks but the in between didn’t do it for me. Favourite track: 5000 Miles West of the Future.
Has an MF Doom vibe but didn't quite have the skills to match. Mid 2.
IDK, maybe I'm not a fan of the genre. Won't make my personal 1001 list. I guess it is important to someone. 2*
I’m not really into hip hop. I never heard of this before. It’s pretty good, but I don’t think it will be on heavy rotation at my house. Favorite song: no 1 st
Never listened to Mike Ladd before, but I've heard him name-dropped a number of times by Milo/R.A.P. Ferreira. I will say, just three songs in, this album certainly lives true to its name as the beats and effects truly evoke a dystopian "afterfuture" vibe. Love the beat on Airwave Hysteria with the Indian sample injection alongside a super-dystopian electronic drone. Early standout for sure. Planet 10 is equally remarkable for its production. Tripped out, lazy beat with sprinkling electro steel drums and vocals laced in underwater effects make for a really pretty blissful vibe. Takes More Than 41 pivots from that vibe to a blown out boom-bap. Still tranquil, but dusty in place of clear. If I didn't know otherwise, I would guess this to be a Gorillaz instrumental. Beats on here are wild and wonderful; Bladerunners is built around a jazzy bassline and brings serviceable features from all members of Company Flow (featuring most notably El-P). The Animist is another standout, if nothing else for its difference in vocal form. This one finds Mike Ladd sing-rapping a chorus. Really enjoy the crunchy synthline that comes in towards the end. Love the early 2000s underground hip-hop scene and this is no exception. The experimental electronic beats are fantastic, as is the overall aura of the album. This sits at a 4 in my mind. There are plenty of high points, but the album does get a little soft after the midpoint.
Some okay songs but so much random filler beats and sounds. So much of it was unnecessary. 2 stars for me
A couple standouts like Airwave Hysteria and To the Moon's Contractor that I really enjoyed on this one. Otherwise, not my jam.
This album sure has some unique backing instrumentals. A few of the songs are quite good but then a few I really did not like at all. To the Moon's Contractor was a trippy instrumental I was not expecting to be sprinkled in here. From the beginning I thought this was going to be a pretty generic hip hop album. But this turned into a total mind melter halfway through. This is such a strange album I have no idea what to think about it. There is so much random and unique shit going on it that I have to respect it. It's almost like if Frank Zappa produced a hip hop album. I don't know if there has been an album where I was about to give it a low 2 but then turned around my thought to a pretty good 4. I wouldn't be surprised if I listened to this again and gave it a 2
Was cool to see El-P on track 5. This sounded pretty experimental and probably ahead of its time in 2000. Really digged some songs and their sound while I could forget others. I don't think I'll be back but lands in a solid 3.
Pretty good rap. It’s not really anything special, but it was fine to listen to in the morning. That’s it again I’m not being good at writing reviews lately
The epitome of backpack rap
Oh come on now you're just taking the piss.
Excellent experimental take on hiphop
That was a surprise! I really enjoyed this. At first I thought „no not more hip hop“ but I listened to it twice. That means something!
Not bad but I kinda lost interest halfway through
Meh, not really into this kind of hip hop at all, and sitting through over an hour of it was not a great time overall. The best was the chill out vibes on "To the Moon's Contractor", of which I was surprised to enjoy as it was the longest track on the album! Best: To The Moon's Contractor Worst: Planet 10
Weird but in a good way. Would listen to again if I was stoned.
Takes a few songs to get into the weird production style but feels pretty unique and trippy
shit
Didn't mind it
I hadn't heard of this album before. Pretty enjoyable.
Maybe a 3
Sonically it was awesome.
What a truly awful album
I love atypical hip hop.
Nothing special. One beat used for all the songs everything just meshed into one boring drone
A bit too experimental for my tastes. Not too much hooky or catchy. Boring.
Enjoyed his experiments with sound. A surprisingly good listen.
I'd been waiting ages to hear some hip hop and then I'm served this mediocre slop. How did this get on the list but there's no Saul Williams? Lazy and uninspired.
I could have gone a few lifetimes without ever having listened to this. Lewd at times and boring at others.
This was completely new to me. Reminded me of Deltron 3030. Nice, innovative beats.
sounds like beat poetry over bad beats. the rhymes don't really match with the music.
Some decent cuts and samples, but will not seek this out.
There were mere snippets of enjoyment. And a lot of other things that were not well tied together. Didn't hate it but won't repeat listen either.
I found nothing I can latch on to here. This is simply music that does not resonate with me.
Mikey, I know what youbwere going for, but you didn't quite go hard enough
Surprisingly good, not usually my thing but a good example Got a bit samey after a strong start though
I don’t think I’ve heard of Mike Ladd before. I’m not the most clued up person with hip hop in general so it isn’t really much of a surprise. I find a lot of it is very hit and miss with me. I cringe every time it gets over sexual because it just feels so lazy. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: 5000 Miles West From The Future This started off promising, but then jumped into the cringey hyper sexual hip hop that I just can’t deal with. I ended up rolling my eyes so much that I was seeing into the Afterfuture myself. I can get how you’d enjoy this if that lyrical content didn’t bother you, but this did nothing for me. Let’s hope tomorrow brings something better.
Mike Ladd is obviously pretty prominent within the experimental hip-hop scene. I can tell this album was pretty influential to artists like Earl Sweatshirt. The beats are ok for the most part. Mike Ladd seems to experiment with different cadences and not stay on beat all the time which can make for a difficult listen. The lyrics can get cringe at some points too. Not really something that was super enjoyable but I'm glad I heard it because it seems pretty important in the history of experimental hip-hop.
This feels like an artist's night terror episode, but done in an overlong fashion. I think I see a glimpse of something cool, but it's not for me. Fav tracks: N/A
Stringing together rhyming couplets doesn’t equate to hip hop, the lyrics still need to say something. These songs go no where, and except for the occasional almost accidental string, most of the song’s lyrics are pointless excuses to cram in references to genitalia
Some good tracks in places
It's... alright? Not something I would really recommend.
This was a throwback album for me that brought me back to the early days of hip hop which sounds like poetry instead of over synthesized tracks and indecipherable lyrics. A couple of the tracks were not for me but overall reminded me of a better era in music....
A very unique sound. I really enjoyed a lot of it, but there was just enough that I thought was too out there or too avant garde that I am not sure I would go back to it again.
doesn't speak to *me*
For me, it really started picking up at 'Bladerunners'. Especially with that persistent bass line that sounds like it could be saying "Blade-Ru-Ners" if only it could shape the syllables. Following that up with lyrics like "if I were pregnant, I'd eat ice cream and pickles [...] Praise the Soul for what you got" in 'No. 1 St.' Then, the quiet song after?? Attention grabbing levels of variety on display here.
Muscular, cool. Beats are terrific and one's 100% down with any MC who name-checks Don Quixote.
An interesting conscious hip hop / almost spoken word album. I really enjoyed the beats and tracks, many which reminded me of MF Doom, and the deeper, more political and meaningful lyrics. I haven't ever heard of Mike Ladd before and really couldn't find much about him which was a little confusing. Maybe he just doesn't have that main stream appeal?
Very interesting beats!
Waarom? Waarom staat dit in de lijst? Het is super experimentele hiphop, maar naar mijn mening is daar veel betere van gemaakt. Staat er een album van El-P in de lijst? Van MF DOOM? Meerdere van MF DOOM?? Ik kan er gewoon niet helemaal bij dat dit in de lijst staat, het is prima, het is bij tijd best wel interessant, maar het is niet zo baanbrekend dat dit absoluut in de lijst van 1001 beste albums hoort. Staat Oxymoron van Schoolboy Q er in? Of iets van Danny Brown of JPEGMAFIA? Ik denk het niet, en dat is eigenlijk mijn grootste probleem met dit album. Ik snap dat vooral de productie de ster is van dit album, maar heb nog steeds niet het idee dat dit onderscheidend genoeg is om een plek te verdienen. Sorry. Ik ben gaan kijken en als ik zie wat voor hiphop albums uit deze lijst zijn gelaten zodat dit er in staat dan word ik gewoon boos, wat een onzin zeg... FAVO: No 1. street. , To the moon's contractor
Interesting stuff.
Está bastante bien, de a ratos hay sonidos y bases muy buenos
Nice surprise. Wasn't expecting to hear what might have influenced Gorillaz, with that trippy, dark and introspective sounds.
An abstract hip-hop record with some interesting ideas presented in a quite messy way, without any especially memorable hooks or beats. The overall vibe is quite similar to Deltron 3030 with Aesop Rock-style vocals, and some reviews on this site have compared it to Madvillainy (a comparison I don’t see as much personally), and the fact that neither of those three artists are anywhere in the 1001 albums list really begs the question as to why this made it here instead
Nope
Interesting sound, Different. Not for me at all though. Struggling to find a favourite song from this. If i had to pick blade runner is OK. I gave the album 2 listens to see if i changed my mind and didnt. I cant believe it made the top 1001. Favorite song: Blade runner Least favourite song: most of the album Album artwork: No idea what this is
4/10 Experimental, this deserves a place on the list but it's not that good imo. Good to listen to once, beats are minimal and well crafted but the flows don't quite do justice to the instrumental
Much to like here. The beats are solid and interesting and nicely varied. The rapping just fine, too, with much better than average content (e.g., Don Quixote). A strong chapter of fin de siecle hip hop.
Not my groove
I was fully prepared to hate this album but didn’t. 3.2
Tässähän on koko universumi samassa albumissa. Helkkarin hyvä! Pitää otteessaan kyllä vahvasti. 4/5
Tavallaan tosi magee, mutta en vaan saanut kiinni musapuolesta.
Taas liian pitkä ja epätasainen. Oli siellä joku kiinnostava biisi mut muuten jää kakkoseksi.
An album that was stronger towards the end, perhaps because I had gotten used to Ladd's erratic, discordant style. The Animist and Feb. 4 '99 stand out as the most musically pleasing and interesting songs, however they tend to get lost in a muddy cloud of discordant sound
Too artsy for me. He’s obviously good, but not my vibe. No 1 st carries the album honestly, can’t hate too much though so it gets a three
Not for me. Its electronic with rap and, nah. No tunes. Not intereted in listening to the lyrics. Gavit about 4 songs.
Never heard of this artist. Hoped it had stayed that way.
3.5 if I had the option.
This was a strange album. I was pleasantly surprised and quite liked the first few tracks. None that I would recommend to a friend or play at a house party. I can't really explain it - they were just enjoyable while bombing up the M6. It's probably because I just like the sound of late 90s Hip Hop. Also, he says the line, "She stares me up & down pathologically, And I'm thinking about gynecology." Brilliant. But halfway through, this album goes off the rails. It ditched the Hip Hop and switched to boring instrumental tracks. I genuinely thought that YouTube had skipped off Mike Ladd and put on a Moby album in it's place. It never really recovers after this. Not total shit, but as a complete album it was confused and disappointing.
Après plusieurs albums de hip hop de cette période, j'ai trouvé rafraîchissant de ne pas être devant un trip d'ego, un personnage théâtral et des mises en scène, mais devant un travail d'échantillonnage, où la musique, le rythme ne sont pas réduits à des boucles, mais à un assemblage. Le débit était particulier, non forcé. Beaucoup aimé.
This is kind of a weird inclusion for this book lol. I've literally never heard of Mike Ladd or Welcome to the Afterfuture before, I wonder how much cultural impact this album actually has had. I kinda liked it though.
Weird concept album reminds me of
Pretty good stuff
Alright
I expected worse but was not blown away
Nah
Not my style.
Gefällt mir nicht.
Rap
Notable track: Bladerunners, No. 1 St.
Absolutely sure I could have died without going through this neverending experience. [0149/1001]
Pretty good work background music. Low tempo beat
This album is tragically less “full of [quirky] life” than it was probably intended to be. Especially tragic, because the song names allude to something really creative that never really gets off the ground. The artist was clearly trying to showcase nifty space-rock elements (e.g. filtering vocals to emulate alien speak) to merge with some prominent hip-hop themes, but in my opinion space-rock completely fails to convince when there’s no melody, very little (real) percussion, not many contrasting “elements of humanity”… Honestly, this album isn’t that bad – in fact, it’s close to getting 3 stars on account of its fun textures – but it just doesn’t succeed at all in its goal of genre-blending. The closest the album gets to a convincing, musical, spacey atmosphere is the semi-layered synths and bluesy bass playing in To the Moon’s Contractor (which I think is the album’s strongest track). In particular, the drum sound in the last couple minutes of the album’s centrepiece is really cool, and I wish they’d leaned more into that in other tracks. The track following this, I Feel Like $100, is also pretty good.
mmm
Well done freestyle rap. Artist enounciated clearly which allows me to appreciate the story
I like the cyberpunk theme; the texts are smart, and the sound is suitably cool and futuristic. The style is a mix of genres: the proportion of rap varies by track, and the instrumental parts are somewhere between electronica and something almost resembling a jazz or prog jam. You can tell that Ladd doesn't just produce but can also play some instruments himself. The album has some slow moments, but at least they are chill.
Not a great hip hop album. Maybe I’m missing something?
Not for me.
Did not care for this. Didn't hate it. But didn't really like it either.
For the older people, you remember when the Internet was still relatively new? Where hip hop artists would put music on all sorts of websites like Newgrounds or whatever and they were raw, kinda wacky, and kinda bad? Many songs on this album remind me of that. There are good beats here but the Mikes flow isn't up to par. I'm glad I heard this though, it's so close to being good. Unlike a lot of albums in this site, I can see why this is here
not for me. appreciate it but not great
Definitely the most unique spin on the late 90's jazz and hip hop blend. Brilliant blend of instrument and samples combined with electronic instruments. Love the dynamics. Mike Ladd is a total MC with some pretty unique word play and rhyme schemes.
Bof
Interesting album. Fun concepts and lyrics but it just doesn't hit right and I don't understand why this is/was on the list.
not for me.
I get the concept of the album, but musically I really can’t seem to understand it. It’s weird, experimental, a lot of talking over jazzy productions, honestly not my cup of tea. Didn’t know the artist beforehand, also.
Riktigt nice! Kommer återgå till detta 100%
Öka i Spotify år 2023... Man kan inte klaga för inte hitta album. Beats och produktion är trevlig men då Mr. Mike öppna han mun, jag kommer att bli mycket arg. Jag hatade honom ljud heh... Låt oss fortfarande vara objektiva, med dåliga hörlural jag tycker om det hela sak.. Jag kan inte beklaga... tree kautta femma... planet 10
Interesting. Needs another listen I think
meh
Bufffffffff 3/10
No es mi gusto pero igualmente gracias por el servicio.
se me hizo tan duro que ni lo acabé. no lo volver a escuchar. 3/10. canción fav: no tengo jiji
Had to tap out 4 tracks in, the production is poor, the vocals are subpar, the lyrics aren’t interesting, felt like I was in a free range prison the way there were no bars.
Not for me, though for the right person I feel like this would be extremely well received. I can appreciate the lyricism and artistry, but don't really understand the purpose. I feel like if I was ever in the mood to listen to something like this, I'd sooner put on MF Doom (RIP).
Definitely flashes of lyricism that I liked but as a whole is a style of hip hop that is just very dated.
I don’t enjoy a lot of hip hop but this is exactly the kind I do enjoy. Old school kinda sound, reminds me of Rum Committee a bit. good album will definetely listen again.
meh
wasn't sure what to expect with this album... to the moon's contractor and wipe out on the wave of armageddon were my 2 fav songs on the album.
absolute fucking masterpiece
There's not much info that can be found about this album that warrants its inclusion on this list. Ladd's album is not original (not that there is a problem with it), it doesn't signify any new ideas in HipHop that haven't been already done-and better. 2.5/5.
Great atmosphere and nice raps. So sad it is so unknown nowadays!
what the fuck man i would rather hear yoko ono
ups parte dos
Hip-Hop from 2000. Hip hop? Really? Mike Ladd is from Boston, MA, USA. I would have figured he was British because he was on this list, and I never heard of him.... Oh, wait, he's based in Paris... that explains it! I liked: 5000 Miles West of the Future, 3.5
Moody, atmospheric.
Svona 50/50 plata. Sumt mjög gott, annað algjört drasl.
Mixed so so
Everybody likes what they like. Spoken word events are not necessarily my thing. That’s the entire record except for “Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon”. That song is actually beautifully melodic. Unfortunately, the key to that one is there are no angry words. I do appreciate the album, though. Without albums like this, we wouldn’t appreciate the good stuff.
Los 10 minutos del tema 7 son magníficos
Honestly pretty good
La verdad es que no tuve paciencia con este disco. 5 canciones que no me hicieron ni cosquillas y pasé al siguiente.
Some nice beats but underwhelming bars at times
Really cool, should put it on the background some time. Would be 3.5 if i could rate it that
5000 Miles West of the Future- 4.1/5 Airwave Hysteria- 3.9/5 Planet 10- 3.7/5 Takes More Than 41- 3.5/5 Bladerunners- 4.3/5 No. 1 St.- 3.9/5 To the Moon's Contractor- 2.3/5 I Feel Like $100- 4.7/5 The Animist- 4.1/5 Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga)- 2.7/5 Welcome to the Afterfuture- 3.8/5 Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon- 2.6/5 Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)- 3.4/5 Total- 3.6/5
To be honest, I didn't expect a hip hop album from a guy named Mike. But yeah, it was just ok. The jazzier influences felt here were nice, and some of his rhymes made me laugh. But the more electronic elements here didn't do much for me. And -- I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again -- why does every hip hop album need to be over an hour long?? It's too long!!
Not into most of the rap parts of the album but there was a lot of creativity and I enjoyed the wordless sections best.
3.5 really
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I was going to, but that's not saying a heck of a lot. This is better than the other futuristic-rap album that I have blocked out of my memory. I come back to whether this album is on the list just to make sure all genres are covered. Not sure why I need to hear this album, because this does not seem to break new ground or enhance the rap genre.
Nah
Nicht meins
Very interesting experience. Chill. Didn't dog all the tracks, but saved a couple. Definitely not my usual thing to enjoy, but I appreciated the talent.
It gave me anxiety
"Welcome to the Afterfuture" by Mike Ladd, released in 2000, is an avant-garde exploration that blends hip-hop, electronic elements, and spoken word. Ladd's thought-provoking lyricism tackles social and political themes, and the album is ambitious in its attempt to push boundaries. However, the experimental nature might alienate listeners seeking a more conventional hip-hop experience. The disjointed production and at times inaccessible lyrics make it a challenging listen. While some may appreciate its artistic intentions, the album's lack of accessibility and coherence warrants a modest 2/5, as it might not find widespread appeal beyond a niche audience.
Bof bof. Pas atroce mais rien d'incroyable.
Got tired of it especially when the pussy references started. Why waste my time.
Not quite sure what I feel about this one yet; I think I need more time, and more listens for it to settle in first. I'm going to give it a 3, because I quite enjoyed it, but I think that could change by +/-1 in the future
Interesting hip hop but not my taste
Zeer meh album voelde het niet zo
Soms heb je van die albums waarvan je niet had verwacht dat ze nice zijn, en dan denk je “wow, dit album is best goed!” Dat was niet dit album, dit album was equivalent aan een oorschelpcarcinoom
1. "5000 Miles West of the Future" - Love this track - the pauses, lack of continuous rhythm and odd drum pattern all chime with the idea of broken continuity in the lyric. Genius! 2. "Airwave Hysteria" - funky beats and scratches, list of mad-making media mess. Better out than in lad. 3. "Planet 10" - More funky weirdness. Very chill. 4. "Takes More Than 41" - found the clipped kick drum sample annoying. Interesting, slidey synths, soft and rearranged. 5. "Bladerunners" - "replicants AKA refugees". More weirdness - constant flow of lyric, in time, but rhymes on spurious beats. 6. "No. 1 St." - Abstraggadocious rhymes. 7. "To the Moon's Contractor" - very pleasant sonic disorientation. 8. "I Feel Like $100" - Didn't do much for me. 9. "The Animist" - loop reminded me of Squarepusher. All this after future is getting a bit too postmodern for me. Can I get a narrative? 10. "Red Eye to Jupiter (Starship Nigga)" - more braggadocious nonsense, but at least it's proper nonsense. 11. "Welcome to the Afterfuture" - title track. Can't hear it - noise to signal ratio on this track and album as a whole has tipped towards noise. 12. "Wipe Out on the Wave of Armageddon" - nice loop, some rhythmic interest in second half. 13. "Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)" - strong. Like the texture, lyric very oblique. Great crescendo. Overall, glad I heard it - lad (Ladd) is trying something new. Some ace moments. Proper art, this.
This is very stereotypical and boring of me but: I don't really listen to rap. I quite like the Beastie Boys and I can still remember all the words to some Cypress Hill tracks (Tip for white people: "Neighbour" is a perfectly good substitute for the n-word. As in "I got to roll with the self control / in the green tank when the shit unfolds / hold up. I got it sewn up / me and my [NEIGHBOURS] are about to blow up") So, anyway, I like some of the music and samples here, the strings especially. I like some of the sci-fi Blade Runner references. I think I probably like the political angle of the lyrics but it's hard to tell because I'm not sure what the lyrics are and, although this album is in the 1001 to listen to, there aren't lyrics on Spotify or any of the lyric transcribing websites. So, I dunno. I would have to spend time working them out to really gauge if I was into it or not. It's not really my sort of thing but it's good to be made to listen to something different.
I was unfamiliar with this artist. The first track grabbed me, and I was looking forward to the rest of the album. Sadly, it was relatively disappointing after that.
Like sand in your vegan burrito
Afterfuture's appropriate enough time description. The rest of the concept is unfortunately half-baked. Company Flow feature caught the eye but not the ear. Sprawling, rickety hip-hop projects have a special place.
Pretty good album. Was it a little distracted whole listening. Could go up a half star on relisten. Solid 3/5 maybe more.
Innovative
Although I liked this album, again I have to question why an album that is not even a year old is on the list when there are easily thousands of albums that were release before that could have gone on the list. What makes this album more notable? I liked the instrumentals, and "The Animist" was pretty good as well. But then I get into "Starship N***a" and I'm like "Wait, what?" That last track "Feb. 4 '99" is just an amazing piece of vitriol towards the system. I didn't dislike it. I liked it even more with a second listen, but I just don't see why this is more worthy.
This album starts off great - the first two songs have wicked funky beats. From there, it was up and down. Songs like Planet 10, Takes More than 41, To the Moon's Contractor, and I Feel like $100 had too much experimentation and airy beats (and annoying voice modulation on the first two). Songs like Bladerunners, No. 1 Street, Red Eye to Jupiter, and Welcome to the Afterfuture had some excellent rapping (fast, clever rhymes) but lyrics that at times would make a prostitute blush. When those lyrics weren't about sex, I was intrigued. When they were about sex, I was embarrassed. Still they were generally some of the better songs. Feb 4, 99 had the most poetic and stinging lyrics. All in all, very good lyrics (with some hiccups), a decent futuristic theme throughout (though I didn't always love the beats that came with it), and inconsistent delivery. Feels like 3.5 at best even if it was a nice surprise.
I had no clue as to what this was going to be. I enjoyed it, it's interesting to hear samples other artists from that period used in a new way.
im a spiritual lyrical miracle spiritual lyrical miracle individual im a lyrical spiritual miracle spiritual lyrical miracle individual
As a whole not really my thing, but the last track was pretty great
Wow! I expected to not like this it all. Great poetry and I loved the atmospheric music.
Enjoyed it enough to give it 3 stars. Great job Mike.
This really grew on me, im not big into hip hop (i go as deep as the gorrilaz if that counts) but this stuff is good. Experimental Chill hop i guess?
Oh this was terrible
Just couldn't get into it, I'm sure there is something there, maybe the beat, but was a struggle to get through Best song(?) - airwave hysteria
I appreciate the ambition here, but man, this didn't grab me. It's not off-putting - the production is pretty tastefully done. It just floated off into the background.
Does very, very little for me. The best, most immersive moment was the lengthy instrumental break on 'To the Moon's Contractor'. Otherwise, this barely left an impression. I don't aggressively dislike it though, so two stars.
Samesies. I played it, music happened, no emotional connection was made one way or the other.
Ahead of it’s time probably… I think he’s trying too hard 🤷🏼♀️
The beat to “5000 Miles West of the Future” sounded just like the Brittney Spears song that has “Oh Baby, Baby”. I definitely sang that every time I heard that beat. “Planet 10” sounded like a meme. I immediately tuned out after that. But listened again when “Feb. 4 ‘99” came on because you can hear the passion from his message. Then it ended. 2/10
As much as I like hip-hop I really didn’t like this. The beats were not great. I get they were trying a futuristic theme but the instrumentals just weren’t good. Planet 10 sounded like people using Voice Mask on Xbox when I was a kid. The raping didn’t have a great flow to it. “Watch me as I go pee-pee” was a solid rap lyric. “The moon’s Contractor” had a cool soundtrack for 10 minutes with 1 minute of rap. Really wasn’t feeling this one 3/10
Man I really wanna like this one. I'm a huge rap/hip hop fan and understand that this is a rough concept album but even going in with that there's too many flaws. You gotta have a combination of fire beats, good flow, and/or meaningful lyrics. I don't think a single track on this album combines the three to standout. Do you know how irritating it is to hear him rap over an awful beat with decent lyrics then the next track is an amazing beat but NO LYRICS AT ALL? Overall the sound is ALMOST there and some songs are frustratingly close to great like Bladerunners, The Animist, and Feb. 4 '99 but randomly have major flaws. 4/10
The background beats were too repetitive and not interesting. His flow was almost exactly the same on every song, just changed up the lyrics. You could take one verse from one song and put in into another and it would be unnoticeable. I did like Bladerunners since there were other people rapping other than Mike Ladd. To the Moon’s Contractor had a great section of instrumental beats and a nice break from having to listen to Mike Ladd. He used Skywalker to rhyme with Streetwalker multiple times in different songs. These are truly the drunk almost incoherent ramblings of a homeless man that happens to rhyme sometimes. The last song he evolved into an end of the world street preacher. Overall pretty unpleasant experience that I struggled to keep focused on due to wanting it to just end. 2/10
Wow. Very good
The sampling on this record is the most expiramental I have heard to date, while still being in service to a hip hop beat. Its an out there record, and the lyrical themes are a little hard for me to grab, but i am also quite distracted by work this morning, so probably worth a revisit.
Wow! How the fuck have I never listened to this, love the Company Flow feature, love the vibe. Gritty underground NYC hip hop at its peak.
Really good beats but OK lyrics
This was a surprisingly interesting album. It started off as a solid, if slightly unremarkable, rap record. The second half, though, takes on quite a different tone. There's some jazz influence and more than a little Gil Scott-Heron rising to the surface. I'd say the first half is fine, and I'd have been happy giving it a 3/5, but the second half really elevates things. Definitely worth sticking with.
Idk what it is but this album have potential for it
Kk random maar zeker niet bad ofz 2.5
Weirdly sinister, not that enjoyable but it was very interesting. 2.75
The opening songs are okay for me.
I tend to listen to the music/beats rather than lyrics so I feel like I tend to be biased on these more lyrically based hip-hop artists. There was definitely some cool production choices I enjoyed throughout this record. But overall wouldn't revisit.
i need to listen to this more to get into it.
One of the worst things I've ever heard. Sounds like a 14 year old first attempt at a mixtape.
5,000 miles west into the future slapped, didn't super feel any of the others though
Feel like the guy is barely riding the beat, his flow sucks and the beats are boring as hell. Ok, 'To the Moon's Contractor' is pretty cool. PS2 era chillwave Red Eye to Jupiter is also good. Overall bad but not 1/5 worthy
Fuck me, the guy who complied this list must have been drinking. No better hip hop albums than this?
Cool beats on a dull record.
I could barely listen to it.
Easy listening hip-hop.
Experimental albums can be hit or miss and this is no exception. I enjoyed parts of it but it never really kept my attention. Felt a little too much like I was being lectured at. 2.5 stars
I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I enjoyed this album quite a bit. This album seems to have predicted the rise of progressive rap that came to prominence about a decade after this album was released. It uses electronic textures wonderfully and seems to have a good grasp on what was going on in electronic music at the time. The beats are solid as well. This album is socially conscious and seems to be telling a story. Overall, this was a really interesting listen.
Now and again something a bit different comes along and this is one of those occurrences. I loved the industrial dark sounds mixed in with moments of beauty: a great combination. A cracking album by my reckoning.
I had no idea who this was or what this was about. But i reallly enjoyed. Thoughtful quality rapping crazy noise up down in yiur face and moments of abandon and delicate beauty. Reminds me of Ninja tunes type stuff. Im in brother.
I tried... but this was awful. Occasionally laugh out loud awful ('If I was an Catholic my name would be...Chris').
I really like the idea of this album (and how nice was it to get something other than 3 men with guitars, a drummer and singer?). I felt it fell short by not having any obvious catchy hooks or chorus.
Did I listen to the right album? Sounded like a lot of low-fi mumblings. Picked up in places, still didn't like it.
Meh
Just can’t stand this sort of music.
God this was so fucking awful. I try to listen to every album in full, but that was a difficult task here. I ended up skipping about half the songs after I got halfway through them. Just fucking bad, repetitive, stupid lyrics, overly long. Ugh. How did anyone think this was worth listening to?
That was a thing I listened to. It was ok, gave it one listen but wasn’t really my thing.
This album just felt overly complicated. Uninspiring beats, very poor flow. Really wanting you desiring more but given the other hip hop that was out at the time, it's very hard to see why this would even be considered for this 1001 list. 2/10.
3.5 - It's a long and meandering hour of spaced out beats and laid back MC'ing, not without some interesting moments. "Bladerunners", with its clinical rhymes about female anatomy and cunnilingus, sounds like a send-up to Dr. Octagon. I like the interplanetary imagery on songs like "Planet 10", as well as spacey instrumentals like "I Feel Like $100." It's just too bad that this record waits until its very last track, "Feb. 4 '99 (For All Those Killed by Cops)" to express feelings about anything real and immediate. And what an arresting track! I wish Ladd had spread some of that energy to add strength and backbone to the rest of the record that feels dopey in comparison.
Started okay and then just dragged in the latter half. Again could have cut 20 minutes and had a nice solid record. It has aged better than other rap albums on here so there is that.
Ensimmäinen kuuntelukerta meni ohi ja tokalla pääsi vähän kiinni. En pidä mestariteoksena ja nostaisi millekään top listalle. 2,75*
Ei mun kirjoissa ihmeellinen
I had no idea what to expect when clicking on this one. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised. Not sure what I would call this, it if I'd listen to it again, but it was enjoyable enough.
Poor
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Hip hop. Futurista, apocalíptico. Rollo.
Pretty eclectic piece of abstract hip-hop. A lot of open space in the songs however. I feel like this could’ve been polished a lot
Låter jättedåligt
The last track is pretty good, but the rest was not really my cup of tea.
Dit album laat me volkomen koud. Minpuntje erbij voor het gescheld en we zijn weer op het vertrouwde aantal sterren voor dit soort artiesten.
Een combinatie van rap en rustige, maar soms speelse, elektronische muziek (Triphop-achtig). Beide lijken soms wat zelfstandig te functioneren. Toch is dat niet storend. Wat dat betreft doet het me wat denken aan Rudeboy. Maar dan wat rustiger.
Weer zo'n artiest waar we nog nooit van hebben gehoord. En dan begin je toch zonder verwachtingen. Ik begrijp wel waarom dit geen mainstream succes is, het lijkt namelijk niet echt op de andere rap of hiphop die je op de radio hoort of hoorde in die tijd. Het is experimenteler, met name met geluiden en beatjes. Ik vind de hele sfeer die in het album zit een stuk prettiger dan de gangstarap uit diezelfde tijd. Dit gaat meer richting elektronica, triphop, zelfs een beetje lounge. Ik kan het best goed aanhoren.
I saw that this was an early 2000s hip hop album that I'd never heard of, and I got a bit worried that it would be another shitty British rap album. I was wrong, and I was glad of that fact. This album fucking kicks ass. Some of the lyrical delivery is a bit out dated, but then again so is this album. The synths on it are really cool (often sounds similar to the Moog used on Virgin Suicides by Air), and the samples are great too. Not overwhelming, not overdone, a light touch. A really solid album that I'm surprised I haven't heard more about 4/5
Given this one a few listens, but really not doing it for me.
A fascinating listen., though I will say that calling this a Hip Hop album is wildly misleading. Only one track on here (Bladerunners) would I say even is close to fitting into the Hip-Hop genre. The rest fee like an avant-garde experimental beat tape with some ambient and grungy synthwave and distorted freeverse/spoken word vocals as opposed to rap verses. Regardless, even though I didn't really enjoy many of these songs nor would I listen to them again for pleasure, it was fascinating to listen to a well-made album that basically said "let's get weird". Worth the listen despite I probably wouldn't listen to again.
This album is DOPE!
Interesting album with some very good tracks on this one. I like the blend of styles here, and my ears were often drawn in and held there quite well. I'll have to listen to more of his work.
4.5
This was better than I expected by a rapper from Massachusetts. Overall it felt like a step below the linkin park verses by Mike shinoda. Overall the beats were pretty good and the lyricism was better than I thought. Not nearly as good overall as the ll cool j album I just had but this was a decent album. 6.3/10
This one is new to me. Never heard of Mike Ladd before. Definitely a new and fresh sound. I like it. 3/5
I think I need a second listen to this. Waves of loving it, and then moments of thinking it was a bit of a gimmick. Still liked it more than not.
A rather eclectic and interesting record, a few different things emerged during my one and a half listens
It’s very original. Feels fresh, even 20 years later. Lyrically fulfilling, rewarding beats, and solid production. I wish there had been some more exciting tracks on here to bring up the energy on the album. Not to say there’s no range, but that it didn’t quite stretch itself in a way it could have. Other than that, no complaints. 4/5
More like Mike Badd. First two verses of Bladerunner sound like El-P. Idc about this.
more like mike badd. I was the first to say this, anyone else who says that stole it and is a bt
Mike Ladd? More like Mike isn't good.
i don’t know, seems kind of interesting but it just didn’t grab me that mich
Actually fairly dope 3.5/5
Never heard of this guy before… but this was pretty cool. Experimental hip-hop
Been a while since I heard any of his stuff. He's alright. Not sure why this album is any more important than some of his contemporaries.
Rating: 5/10
I didn't like it. My hopes were high at the beginning but that didn't last long.
Cool concepts but I didn't care for the music that much
This had to have been a mistake. - "Hey put that one 2000 underground hip hop album with electronic influences on the list" - "Oh, you mean the Mike Ladd album?" - "No, I mean Deltron 3030 you fucking idiot. Who the hell is Mike Ladd?" - "Whoops, too late. I accidentally put the Mike Ladd one. Can't be undone." How did they even dig this up? I can barely find any info on it on the Internet. It doesn't even have the album cover on Wikipedia, the songs barely have 10k plays on Spotify and the entire album has only 300 ratings on RateYourMusic (about 3 times less than that one album that's just an hour of porn recordings). Okay, this was pretty alright I guess. It's definitely no Deltron 3030, but I'm still glad I got to listen to it. A bit too bloated and long. The rapping parts aren't as good as the atmospheric parts - good thing they spend a considerable time exploring those cool soundscapes, because that's when the album is at its best. This whole thing should have just been an ambient trip-hop album. Man's not a very good rapper.
Good but not as good as Prefuse 73
Never heard this person before. Okay Hip Hop.
Just found this a bit boring. Jazzy but dull. Started skipping tracks to make it to the end.
Some VERY annoying samples on this, and other than that, it sounds like an unremarkable rap record. A long, dragging one.
Started off hot, kind of lost me along the way. Interesting album rather than a regular listen.
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Pretty cool production style but not really feeling the vibe.
Never heard of this guy before. Hip hop is not my usual genre and usually leaves me cold. However, I loved the overall sound of this record. He hit on something with the soundscape.
Not expected to be a good album as there are only a few songs that are good on their own, but it just works. Very Gorillaz-esque, but more powerful.
Hip-Hop 1/5
This sounds like a half-rate EL-P album you’d find in the $1 CD bin (EL-P even features on the album, and I’m not sure if that helps). Never heard of Mike Ladd before, now I know why.