Monday, November 28, 2005

5% Pleasure, 50% Pain


The Rising Tied - Fort Minor

Most people will know Mike Shinoda as the rapper of multi platinum group , but after spending the most of the time with the rock group Shinoda decided to take a break and get back to his rap roots with he hip-hop troupe, . Then for the album (yeah I know its spelled wrong, but I’m sure there is some deep meaning to it, but it when over my head) he recruited some of his favorite rapper such as and Black Thought of to give some lines as well as singers like and then rounded out the album with having as the executive producer.

Even though it is always refreshing to hear a rap album that doesn’t rely on money, drugs, bling, and ho's, the album fall flat partly because the beats are sub par and Shinoda really doesn’t know what to do with a beat if there was one. Certain songs are saved by the previously mentioned guest stars in addition to the rap due who appear on five track. The best of which is Remember the Name with one of the few beats that I would blare in my car.

But what Shinoda lacks in rap skills, he makes up in content. Where Linkin Park stays neutral in their songs, as Fort Minor, Shinoda isn’t afraid to talk about touchy subjects. On Right Now, featuring Black Thought, the two trade verses about the injustices in the world like, “For the act of freedom right now somebody is stuck in Iraq hoping that he gets shipped back breathing in a war that he’s not really sure of the reasons.” He also takes on racism, but not the usual racism addressed in rap song. On Kenji he raps about how poorly Japanese immigrants were treated during World War II and even though the war ended decades ago, those types of issues still need to be address today substituting Muslims for Japanese.

As for the other guest artist, John Legend is sadly relegated to the chorus and some chopstick type chords on the piano on High Road where Shinoda rags on all his haters even though he says he’s taking the high road, but obviously with all the smack talk he isn’t. Common ads some class on Back Home with a decent verse despite the lame beat, but he was used to those before he hooked up with . And Holley Brook is a star in the making with her addition to Where’d You Go and makes me wish that they would have dropped the aggravated drum loop and Shinoda’s rap and focused the song around her instead. In the end, this is a side project that should have stayed on the sidelines.

Song to Download – Remember the Name

The Rising Tied get a Terror Alert Level: Guarded [BLUE] on my Terror Alert Scale.


2 comments:

  1. I love Fort Minor!

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  2. Fort Minor - "Where’d You Go"

    Where'd you go?
    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone.

    She said "Some days I feel like shit,
    Some days I wanna quit, and just be normal for a bit,"
    I don't understand why you have to always be gone,
    I get along but the trips always feel so long,
    And, I find myself tryna stay by the phone,
    'Cause your voice always helps me when I feel so alone,
    But I feel like an idiot, workin' my day around the call,
    But when I pick up I don't have much to say,
    So, I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
    That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
    Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
    Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"

    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone.
    Where'd you go?
    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone,
    Please come back home...

    You know the place where you used to live,
    Used to barbeque up burgers and ribs,
    Used to have a little party every Hallowe'en with candy by the pile,
    But now, you only stop by every once in a while,
    Shit, I find myself just fillin' my time,
    Anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,
    I'm doin' fine, I plan to keep it that way,
    You can call me if you find you have somethin' to say,
    And I'll tell you, I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
    That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
    Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
    Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"

    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone.
    Where'd you go?
    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone,
    Please come back home...

    I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
    That I'm stuck here waitin', no longer debatin',
    Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses,
    For while you're not around, and feeling so useless,
    It seems one thing has been true all along,
    You don't really know what you got 'til it's gone,
    I guess I've had it with you and your career,
    When you come back I won't be here and you'll can sing it...

    Where'd you go?
    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone.
    Where'd you go?
    I miss you so,
    Seems like it's been forever,
    That you've been gone,
    Please come back home...
    Please come back home...
    Please come back home...
    Please come back home...
    Please come back home...

    from Dj^^

    ReplyDelete