April 15, 2021

News: The future of Mediasurf is with Florenfile! All files are being moved to Florenfile (3/25/2021)

By 34 comments


. News (3/25/2021)

After much deliberation with the staff, the decision to switch from Mega.nz to Florenfile.com has been made. The website will no longer be free because it can no longer be free. Mega has been extremely unreliable and have now begun to blacklist most of our featured links. Several publications were removed due Mega's constant blacklisting. 

The second factor in this decision is Adfly. Too many technical support scams have hampered our progress, both updating and publishing new links. Staff members spent more time reporting tech support scams to Adfly and other sources to the point where no new rips could be made or be published - and that was just the US traffic! We could not get rid of the international scams that were also present. This service (Adfly) has kept the site free but it is plagued with too many problems. We simply cannot expose our audience to this kind of garbage any longer as we can no longer keep up with the filth ourselves. It has taken too much time away from posting daily.

We recommend that everyone grab everything they can while they still can as the staff is currently moving everything to Florenfile right now. This is currently the transitional period so keep this in mind.
 
For a list of entries that are on Florenfile, click on the URL below


The positives of this decision is the fact that many of those entries that were blacklisted by Mega could make their back onto Florenfile which in turn, means that they could be featured here as well. Reliable hosting means more publications in the long run and NO MORE ADFLY. We're just hoping for the best. We'll see you on the other side. 

- All files are being moved to Florenfile. Asking for updates will result in a Florenfile link.


. Update: 3/24/2021

There was an error with our redirection link from the old .org domain to the current .ch domain. The website IS ONLINE. It was merely a redirection error. We apologize for the scare and inconvenience this caused. We are still a float.

. Update: 3/14/2021

The staff has just updated their WinRar software. They are currently using version 6.00. Please make sure to update your software to the current version to avoid extraction errors. As always, WinRar is the only software required to extract the files featured on this website. Other extraction softwares such as Peazip, 7z, Win Zip etc... are not required and will produce extraction errors on RAR files made with WinRar

. Update: 3/9/2021

Staff member Lass is currently updating all of her entries in the R&B section. A list of what has currently been updated can be found below. As such, requests for updates in this section will not be published but can still be made. The bot will will not publish your requests but it will send the requests to Lass and later Sentinel so that the entries can be updated at a later time.

- Entries that are currently updated (by artists name):










10.) Bobby Brown: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=bobby+brown (3/11/2021)


12.) Erykah Badu: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=Erykah+Badu (3/11/2021)



15.) Marques Houston: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=Marques+Houston (3/13/2021)



18.) All-4-One: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=all-4-one (3/13/2021)



21.) Alicia Keys: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=alicia+keys (3/16/2021)

22.) Jagged Edge: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=jagged+edge (3/16/2021)



25.) A Few Good Men: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=a+few+good+men (3/20/2021)





30.) Kelly Price: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=kelly+price (3/21/2021)

31.) Jody Watley: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=Jody+Watley (3/21/2021)

32.) Keith Sweat: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/search?q=keith+sweat (3/212/2021)
 
. Update: 3/8/2021

The F.A.Q.'s section has been restored. It can be accessed via the website's main menu or you can click on the following URL: https://www.mediasurfer.ch/p/blog-page.html This section has been updated for 2021 and features many answers to commonly asked questions. We encourage all users both new and returning ones to read the information provided in the FAQ's section to avoid any mishaps and headaches.

. Update: 3/4/2021

The entire website is now open for requesting updates. We're sorry for the delay. If you requested an update for a dead link and were denied by the bot, those entries have now been updated. All of the staff members are now available and are online. The only exception to the rule is the Hip-Hop section. Comments will be closed indefinitely for this section but a special link is available in every post so that users can report dead links. Simply click on the link featured in each post and request an update there.

The FAQ's section is still under construction as we are currently updating all of the information for the website. Please remember that comments as "Anonymous" are still not accepted due to the high potential of Spam. Simply select a username and proceed to comment if you wish. You do not have to use a Google account and you do not have to insert a URL underneath the "name" portion. Simply leave it blank and proceed to comment. Please view the screenshot below.

The URL portion can be left blank. Simply write/choose a name and click continue to leave your comment.

. Update: 2/27/2020

A huge error has just been corrected. Some of our Adfly link redirected to a blue screen asking for the user to allow notifications. This has been removed. If you encountered a link that loaded this page and are receiving notifications, please clear your browser cache to remove the notifications. Alternatively, you can also remove the cookies associated with these notifications. Doing so will remove these annoying ads from flooding your browser. Please view the screenshots below for more info. We apologize for this inconvenience.

This annoyance has been removed. If you continue to encounter this page, please let us know in the comments section below. Submit the URL of the post and we will remove it as quickly as we can.

In the Opera browser: Click on "Go to full browser setting" Find and click on "site settings" Select "Notifications" Find the Adfly cookies and select "Remove"

In the Chrome browser: Click on "Settings" Find and click on "Site Settings" Select "Notifications" Find the Adfly cookies and select "Remove" 

The website is back online. We are currently at 38% in terms of our updates. The demand for the website to return kept increasing so we opened the website before we were fully ready to do so. We had already mentioned that if this were to happen, the website would not allow comments until the updates were completed. This has been implemented. No comments will be published until the website has been completely updated. 

Our Spam Detector bot has also been reimplemented and will monitor and delete any and all comments left behind. This publications states that no comments will be published. Spam Detector will be there waiting for you if chose to ignore the information presented in this page.

The Hip-Hop section has been restored. Due to past abuse, comment have been disabled indefinitely. Users can still requests for updates via a link that will be present at the bottom of each post in the Hip-Hop section. Please do not use this URL to post comments and or spam. It should only be used for reporting dead links in the Hip-Hop section.

New publications will be restricted to purely Hip-Hop based entries. This will be done to further expand the newly restored section.

Label numbers are now present within the posts. We are currently updating all entries to include the label numbers for every album featured on this website. 

As before, we do not accept requests. Do not use this page to request an update for a dead link. It will be ignored. Enjoy the website.

- Current issues.

A barrage of Microsoft technical support scams have ravaged Adfly via the notifications field. Adfly notifications through the browsers are disabled. We are not sure if these scams have made their way onto the terrestrial ads but we will be monitoring the situation as best we can. If you see any of these scam pages, please upload a screenshot to Imgur and share the link in the comments section of this page along with the number present in the scam. Unfortunately, we can only report the US numbers. If you encounter one of these scams from countries like Japan, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, please report them to Adfly via the "report this ad" option on the advert page.


This is a Microsoft technical support scam. There is nothing wrong with your PC. These scams originate from call centers in India. The fraudsters will attempt to scam you by impersonating Microsoft. Windows Defender and other Antivirus software will never ask their customers to call them nor will they display phone numbers in their warning. They never have and they never will. As always, we will monitor the ads and remove these scams as much as we can.
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Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1994 Reissue) ☠

By , 1 comment
*Reissued in 1994 by Repertoire Records. 
This reissue contains 6 tracks total and non-remastered audio.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label Number: IMS-7023
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1968-1994 Repertoire Records
Rock & roll had grown louder and wilder by leaps and bounds during the '60s, but when Blue Cheer emerged from San Francisco onto the national rock scene in 1968 with their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum, they crossed a line which most musicians and fans hadn't even thought to draw yet. Vincebus Eruptum sounds monolithically loud and primal today, but it must have seemed like some sort of frontal assault upon first release; Blue Cheer are often cited as the first genuine heavy metal band, but that in itself doesn't quite sum up the true impact of this music, which even at a low volume sounds crushingly forceful. Though Blue Cheer's songs were primarily rooted in the blues, what set them apart from blues-rock progenitors such as the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds was the massive physical force of their musical attack. Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and the MC5 may have anticipated the sound and fury of this music, but Blue Cheer's secret was not just being louder than anyone else, but staying simple enough to give each member the space to do damage both as individuals and as a group. Paul Whaley's drumming combined a crashing dustbin tone with a constant, rolling pummel that suggested Ginger Baker with less finesse and more bludgeoning velocity. Dickie Peterson's basslines were as thick as tar and bubbled like primordial ooze as he bellowed out his lyrics with a fire and attitude that compensated for his lack of vocal range. And guitarist Leigh Stephens may have been the first genius of noise rock; Lester Bangs once wrote that Stephens' "sub-sub-sub-sub-Hendrix guitar overdubs stumbled around each other so ineptly they verged on a truly bracing atonality," and though that doesn't sound like a compliment, the lumbering chaos of his roaring, feedback-laden leads birthed a more glorious monster than many more skillful players could conjure. Put them together, and Blue Cheer's primal din was an ideal corrective for anyone who wondered if full-on rock & roll was going to have a place in the psychedelic revolution. From the opening rampage through Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" (which miraculously became a hit single), to the final one-two punch of "Parchment Farm" and "Second Time Around," Vincebus Eruptum is a glorious celebration of rock & roll primitivism run through enough Marshall amps to deafen an army; only a few of Blue Cheer's peers could come up with anything remotely this heavy (the MC5's Kick Out the Jams and side two of the Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat were its closest rivals back in the day), and no one could summon so much thunder with just three people. If you want to wake the neighbors, this is still the album to get, and it was Blue Cheer's simplest and most forceful musical statement.

tags: blue cheer, vincebus eruptum, 1968, 1994, reissue, flac,
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Blue Cheer - New! Improved! Blue Cheer (1994 Reissue)

By No comments
*Reissued in 1994 by Repertoire Records. 
This reissue contains 2 bonus tracks and non-remastered audio. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: IMS 7025

© 1969-1994 Repertoire Records
Guitarist Leigh Stephens quit Blue Cheer after touring in support of their second album, Outsideinside, but he may have been amused by the fact it took three men to replace him when the band cut their next LP. There are two different and distinct bands at work on New! Improved! Blue Cheer; on the album's first six tunes, founding members Dickie Peterson (bass and vocals) and Paul Whaley (drums) are joined by Bruce Stephens on guitar and Ralph Burns Kellogg on keyboards, and this lineup bears little musical resemblance to the wildly over-amped power trio that cut Vincebus Eruptum less than two years before. This new edition of Blue Cheer was still strongly influenced by the blues, but the raw physical impact of the band had been significantly buffered, and Bruce Stephens' rootsy guitar work was in a completely different league from the old band's bone-crushing onslaught. The gentle country-rock of "As Long as I Live" and the dynamic, percussive boogie of "When It All Gets Old" would have been inconceivable coming from Blue Cheer Mk. One, and while the notion of comparing them brings to mind that old cliché about apples and oranges, Peterson's vocals do reveal a lot more nuance on these recordings, and Whaley's more tightly controlled drumming gives the band a lean groove they didn't have before. On side two, Blue Cheer return to power trio format with Randy Holden (formerly of the Other Half) on guitar, and while his style is also considerably different from Leigh Stephens', his fondness for overwhelming volume and fierce, extended solos makes his contributions feel a lot more like the group's formative work; Peterson and Whaley also sound a lot more like their old selves here, calling up a thunderous report to match Holden's thick but graceful leads, and if Blue Cheer are a more subtle and artful band with Holden on guitar, his contributions suggest an evolution from the towering proto-metal of Vincebus Eruptum and Outsideinside, rather than the dramatic stylistic departure of the album's first half. Unfortunately, the possibilities suggested by Holden's material went unrealized when he quit the band shortly after making New! Improved! Blue Cheer; with him they might have made another album that, unlike this mixed bag, would have lived up to the boast of the title.

tags: blue cheer, new improved blue cheer, 1969, 1994, reissue, flac,
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DMX - Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)

By 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: P2 38640

© 1998 Def Jam Records
On the heels of his multi-platinum debut, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX unleashed his dogs again on an album overflowing with raw energy and spiritual catharsis. The irascible Yonkers MC, 27 at the time of this recording, continues the Ruff Ryder legacy on this follow-up release. DMX's canine split personality flow is like none other, not only rhyming over tracks, but barking expression over explosive beats. Production here -- by Swizz Beatz, PK, DJ Shok, Dame Grease -- is mostly stripped-down, pure high-tech drum machine and synthesizer combinations that are sure to inspire emotional and adrenal responses in listeners. Although DMX is no new jack, he is a part of a no-frills new breed of MCs that hold nothing back on the microphone; emphasis is on emotion rather than on word-bending. Standout cuts include "Blackout," with guest appearances from fellow hip-hop heavyweights the LOX and Jay-Z; "Coming From," a duet with the queen of hip-hop/R&B, Mary J. Blige, which stuns the ears with a haunting piano loop; "The Omen," a bout with the devil featuring the demonic Marilyn Manson on the hook; and the opening cut on side two, "Slippin'," an introspective look inside DMX's struggle to stay on top of his art while dealing with the perils of his reality. This is a very spiritual album, a testimony to one artist's struggle with the manifestations of good and evil. The final cut, "Ready to Meet Him," a conversation between DMX and his god, punctuates this realness.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, flesh of my flesh blood of my blood, 1998, flac,
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DMX - It's Dark & Hell Is Hot (2000 Remastered Edition)

By 
*Reissued & remastered in 2000 
by Def Jam/ Ruff Ryders. 
Contains 1 bonus track. 
20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 542 437-2

© 1998-2000 Def Jam/Ruff Ryders
Just as rap music was reaching its toughest, darkest, grimmest period yet, following the assassinations of 2Pac and Biggie in the late '90s, along came DMX and his fellow Ruff Ryders, who embodied the essence of inner-city machismo to a tee, as showcased throughout the tellingly titled It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. Unlike so many other hardcore rappers who are more rhetorical than physical, DMX commands an aggressive aura without even speaking a word. He showcases his chiseled physique on the arresting album cover and trumpets his animalistic nature with frequent barking, growling, and snarling throughout the album. He also collaborates with muscular producers Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease, who specialize in slamming synth-driven beats rather than sample-driven ones. Further unlike so many other hardcore rappers from the time, DMX is meaningful as well as symbolic. He professes an ideology that stresses the inner world -- characterized by such qualities as survival, wisdom, strength, respect, and faith -- rather than the material one that infatuates most rappers of his time. It helpes that his album includes a few mammoth highlights ("Ruff Ryders' Anthem," "Get at Me Dog," "Let Me Fly," and "I Can Feel It") as well as a light, mid-album diversion ("How's It Goin' Down"). The long running length of It's Dark and Hell Is Hot does wear you down after a while, since nearly every song here sans "How's It Goin' Down" hits hard and maintains the album's deadly serious attitude. Even so, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot is a tremendous debut, laying out DMX's complex persona with candor, from his faith in God to his fixation with canine motifs, and doing so with dramatic flair.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, its dark and hell is hot, 1998, 2000, remaster, flac,
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DMX - ...And Then There Was X (1999)

By 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 314 546 933-2

© 1999 Def Jam Records
Though it's DMX's third album in two years, ...And Then There Was X doesn't show much sign of burnout. True, it's similar to his last, which balanced new-school gangsta tracks ("The Professional," "Make a Move") with a couple that question the inevitable trappings that come with success ("Fame," "One More Road to Cross"). And the productions by Swizz Beats, P. Killer Trackz, and Shok -- all part of Ruff Ryders -- are heavily synthesized and occasionally melodramatic, just like both of his previous albums. Even when Swizz Beats' usually reliable productions fall through, DMX brings it all back with his tough rhymes and inventive wordplay. He's still torn between the thug life and spiritual concerns (even including a long prayer in the liner notes), but the most exciting tracks on ...And Then There Was X are good-time joints like "Party Up" and "What's My Name?"

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, and then there was x, 1999, flac,
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DMX - The Great Depression (2001)

By 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 314 586 450-2

© 2001 Def Jam Records
Four albums into this career, DMX begins to show signs of exhaustion on The Great Depression, where he sometimes seems to approach his songs as routinely as he would one of his films. The rapper-turned-actor has always been dramatic, perhaps never more so than on his impressive debut, where he embodied late-'90s inner-city machismo to a tee. He's just as dramatic here, though much less effective, exploring a number of sympathetic themes such as his grandmother's sad passing away ("I Miss You"), his thinning fan base ("When I'm Nothing"), his perennial adversaries ("I'ma Bang"), his conflicted relationship with God ("A Minute for Your Son"), and, as always, his partly imaginary legion of critics, rivals, and haters (pretty much every other song). Not much of this is new territory for DMX, who tends to repeat himself on every album, as if he'd said everything he's possible of saying on his explosive debut. While this repetition gets tiresome for those who've heard a few of his albums, it's not so unfavorable when it comes to trademark anthems like "Who We Be" and "We Right Here." Very much modeled after previous DMX rallying cries like "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "What's My Name?," this pair of hard-hitting Black Key productions features DMX at his spirited best. Elsewhere, though, not even an impressive lineup of producers (Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, Just Blaze, Bink, and P.K.) nor a few unusual ventures (an interpolation of Stephanie Mills' "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" and the wounded emoting of "I Miss You") can liven up the by-the-script sense of The Great Depression.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, the great depression, 2001, flac,
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DMX - Grand Champ (2003)

By 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 440 063 369-2

© 2003 Def Jam Records
It's often said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and that maxim certainly holds true for the self-professed Grand Champ of canines, DMX, on his album of the same name. For his fifth album in six years, the veteran rapper reprises many of the same themes and motifs that had made his previous efforts so popular among hardcore rap fans and influential among his East Coast peers. As usual, he barks at his unnamed adversaries over hard-hitting Ruff Ryder beats, flexes his rhetorical muscle with his ever-confrontational rhyme style, advocates valor and faith while disdaining materialism, and frames his world within a polarized context, drawing a bold line between "dogs" and "cats." By this point, the scenario should be familiar to those who've followed DMX this far into his career; in many ways, his albums are mirror images of each other, in terms of drama, production, ideology, sequencing, and thankfully, to an extent, quality. However, the initial impact that DMX made with his tremendous and industry-changing debut, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), lessened with each successive follow-up, and Grand Champ is no exception. It's a well-crafted and thought-out album but feels like a sequel, and as such, it serves its purpose: to satisfy fans and move units. The anthemic lead single, "Where the Hood At," is precisely modeled after previous DMX rallying calls like "Ruff Rider Anthem," "What's My Name?," and "Who We Be." Likewise, "Get It on the Floor" is a trademark Swizz Beatz club-banger -- and a remarkable one at that, perhaps one-upping even "Party Up (Up in Here)." Grand Champ closes sentimentally: "Don't Gotta Go Home" is a fractured-relationship duet with Monica that's prime urban crossover material; "A'Yo Kato" is a heartfelt ode to a lost dog with a shuffling, almost Latin beat by Swizz Beatz; and "Thank You" is a rousing gospel-rap tune featuring Patti LaBelle that's surprisingly effective and closes the album with magnificent flair (if not for the obligatory bonus track). Yet it's a long road to this sentimental closing run; for every one of the aforementioned highlights, there's at least one, if not two, run-of-the-mill tracks that warrant no more than a couple listens. Not quite the big comeback DMX needed at this point in his quietly sagging rap career, Grand Champ regardless has its share of highlights. Longtime fans may decide to drop off at about this point, if they hadn't already, while those content with the usual -- or new to DMX -- should find plenty to savor on Grand Champ.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, grand champ, 2003, flac,
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DMX - Year of The Dog... Again (2006)

By 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 82876 87866 2

© 2006 Columbia/Sony Urban/Ruff Ryders
DMX released his sixth album three weeks after the first episode of his BET reality program, DMX: Soul of a Man. If the first five albums and the string of well-publicized run-ins with the law didn't make it obvious that the man is a live wire of nerves and predictable unpredictability, the program exacerbated his larger-than-life persona while also making him seem more human. As for Year of the Dog...Again? It's more of the same old, same old: a lot of anger, torment, and put-downs over rallying and drama-filled productions from Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, Scott Storch, and a handful of others. The status quo from track to track is as fatiguing here as it was on The Great Depression and, as usual, the targets of DMX's barbs and the specifics of his troubles are often vague -- it's possible he assumes the listener either tracks his every breath or will relate if the lyrics are open-ended, but it's even more likely that he's venting in an uncalculated way. The low point of the album is "Baby Motha," where he complains about being stuck with a woman (because they had a kid together) he doesn't like and then rails against the same woman (?) who has the audacity to split (with their kid) when things get tough -- so, regardless of what happens, he is screwed, and he even gets Janyce to sing one of the most self-flagellating hooks imaginable. With little to differentiate it from his past work, and with his life seeming more like an unbreakable cycle than a journey, the album will be of lasting value only to those who can't get enough of the MC's unflinching outrageousness. That said, it's hard to disregard him completely when he comes up with compelling tracks like "Lord Give Me a Sign" and remains powerful enough to drown out Swizz Beatz's interjections on juiced tracks like "We in Here" and "Come Thru (Move)."

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, year of the dog again, 2006, flac,
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DMX - Undisputed (Deluxe Edition) (2012)

By 
*Contains 3 bonus tracks.
20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: SAM-003

© 2012 Seven Arts Music
Six years off for the mega-platinum DMX meant that his 2012 release, Undisputed, was dubbed "comeback album" the day it was announced, but don't unleash the dogs on account of that. Granted, superstar producer Swizz Beats is here with the radio-worthy bangers -- the like-minded two-fer "What They Don't Know" and "Ya'll Don't Really Know" -- plus "I Don't Dance" hits hard with its J.R. Rotem-helmed techno beat and a very 2012 appearance from upstart-of-the-year MGK, and while the meter stops shy of the "Ruff Ryders Anthem" mark, it comes close during these boss cuts. "Frankenstein" is an interesting step into Insane Clown Posse territory with shuffling drums, Mike E. Clark-ish studio tricks, and a horror-show allegiance to its title, and as "Cold World" embraces the pain with slow soul and mournful moments of clarity, the one they call Dog Man X has turned in one of his most poignant ballads to date. Don't call it a comeback when there's so much evolution to absorb, and if Undisputed could shake its "official album" status it would be much better off, as the overstuffing (16 tracks with filler instead of a worthy ten or 11 that are here), the iffy construction (from the lightweight "Sucka for Love" to the Neptunes-like "I'm Back," there's a big lump of chilled tracks stuck together), and the unevenness of the production (some cuts are by Swizzy or Rotem; some are by never-heard-of-the-dude) beg to be considered by "street release" terms, where experimentation and left turns are more accepted and expected. Don't hold it up next to his early streamlined classics, but on a "street release" level, Undisputed is a great "welcome back," where veteran artist kicks it like the old days, does well with some new flavors, and drops some non-embarrassing leftovers into the mix, just because they fit.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: dmx, undisputed, deluxe edition, 2012, flac,
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April 14, 2021

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

By No comments
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop
Label Number: CD 3920

© 1989 A&M Records
After shocking the R&B world with 1986's Control -- a gutsy, risk-taking triumph that was a radical departure from her first two albums -- Michael and Jermaine Jackson's younger sister reached an even higher artistic plateau with the conceptual Rhythm Nation 1814. Once again, she enlists the help of Time graduates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (one of the more soulful production/songwriting teams of 1980s and '90s R&B) with wildly successful results. In 1989, protest songs were common in rap but rare in R&B -- Janet Jackson, following rap's lead, dares to address social and political topics on "The Knowledge," the disturbing "State of the World," and the poignant ballad "Living in a World" (which decries the reality of children being exposed to violence). Jackson's voice is wafer-thin, and she doesn't have much of a range -- but she definitely has lots of soul and spirit and uses it to maximum advantage on those gems as well as nonpolitical pieces ranging from the Prince-influenced funk/pop of "Miss You Much" and "Alright" to the caressing, silky ballads "Someday Is Tonight," "Alone," and "Come Back to Me" to the pop/rock smoker "Black Cat." For those purchasing their first Janet Jackson release, Rhythm Nation would be an even wiser investment than Control -- and that's saying a lot. 

tags: janet jackson, rhythm nation 1814, 1989, flac,
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Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (2010)

By No comments
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Electronic Rock, Industrial
Label Number: 525375-2

© 2010 Warner Bros./Machine Shop Records
Continuing their slow crawl toward middle age, Linkin Park opt for moody over metallic on A Thousand Suns, their fifth album. A clear continuation of 2007’s Minutes to Midnight, A Thousand Suns also trades aggression for contemplation, burying the guitars under washes of chilly synthesizers -- a sound suited for a rap-metal band that no longer plays metal but hasn’t shaken off the angst, choosing to channel inward instead of outward. So few rap-metal bands have chosen to embrace their age -- they fight against it, deepening their technical chops while recycling ideas -- that it’s easy to admire Linkin Park’s decision not to shy away from it, even if their mega-success gives them the luxury to pursue musical risks. The problem is, the subdued rhythms, riffs, and raps of A Thousand Suns wind up monochromatic, an impression not erased by the brief bridges between songs, sampled speeches, and easy segues, every element retaining moodiness without offering distinction. Brooding is a better vehicle for angst than rage for a group whose members are well into their thirties, but an album created on a grayscale is less than compelling for anybody lacking the patience to squint and discern the minute details.

tags: linkin park, a thousand suns, 2010, flac,
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Linkin Park - Living Things (2012)

By No comments
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Electronic Rock
Label Number: 531345-2

© 2012 Warner Bros./Machine Shop Records
One More Light, Linkin Park's seventh set, is a divisive and brazen statement from a band that already does not shy away from fearless experimental leaps. From the rap focus on Collision Course and the Fort Minor side project to the electronic A Thousand Suns and their remix albums, Linkin Park have balanced an empire built upon pain and angst with an admirable dose of cross-genre dabbling. Which is why One More Light shouldn't come as such a surprise. And yet, the album remains a jarring follow-up to 2014's muscular The Hunting Party and an overall curve ball in their catalog. Recruiting electronic pop producers like Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Jesse Shatkin, and RAC, Linkin Park made a pop album, which is sure to infuriate diehards who yearn for the days of "shut up when I'm talking to you." While it's unfair to fault them for not being pissed off anymore, the experience is not the same. For the first time, the band sounds happy and content. Though while they may be at peace, their creativity took a bullet. There's a bevy of bright tropical notes and even some "na na na" choruses, tones that are dime a dozen on pop radio. The group is effectively neutered on One More Light: there's no feral screaming from Chester Bennington, there are barely any riffs, and DJ Hahn has disappeared beneath the textured studio sheen. The closest they toe to "rock" is "Talking to Myself," which has discernable live drumming from Rob Bourdon and guitar licks from Brad Delson. Otherwise, One More Light is mostly concerned with triumphant anthems ("Battle Symphony" and "Invisible") and heartfelt confessions ("Sorry for Now" and "Halfway Right") that end up sounding like the Chainsmokers blended with Twenty One Pilots. Certainly, One More Light will find its defenders, but for fans of their past work, "Good Goodbye" with rappers Pusha T and Stormzy is the closest they come to "aggressive" and "inspired" (even if Shinoda sounds like G-Eazy). Oddly enough, the Kiiara-assisted lead single "Heavy" ends up being one of the only memorable earworms on the album, an undeniably catchy dose of radio-friendly pop that dares listeners to sing along. Here, Linkin Park actually lay out the entire plot of this endeavor by asking "Why is everything so heavy?" With the bandmembers all hovering around their forties, they've matured and fully expect fans to do the same, taking huge steps away from the nü metal that established them in the early 2000s. Objectively, that attitude is refreshing, but nonetheless a letdown. From their inception, Linkin Park connected through catharsis. However, many of the emotions presented here are fleeting. The issue isn't that it's a pop effort; indeed, they get points for a brave attempt so outside of their wheelhouse. The problem is that much of One More Light is devoid of that visceral charge that previously defined much of their catalog. It's a provocative challenge that ultimately fails to satisfy.

tags: linkin park, living things, 2012, flac,
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Linkin Park - One More Light (2017)

By No comments
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Electronic
Label Number: 559687-2

© 2017 Warner Bros., Machine Shop Recordings
One More Light, Linkin Park's seventh set, is a divisive and brazen statement from a band that already does not shy away from fearless experimental leaps. From the rap focus on Collision Course and the Fort Minor side project to the electronic A Thousand Suns and their remix albums, Linkin Park have balanced an empire built upon pain and angst with an admirable dose of cross-genre dabbling. Which is why One More Light shouldn't come as such a surprise. And yet, the album remains a jarring follow-up to 2014's muscular The Hunting Party and an overall curve ball in their catalog. Recruiting electronic pop producers like Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Jesse Shatkin, and RAC, Linkin Park made a pop album, which is sure to infuriate diehards who yearn for the days of "shut up when I'm talking to you." While it's unfair to fault them for not being pissed off anymore, the experience is not the same. For the first time, the band sounds happy and content. Though while they may be at peace, their creativity took a bullet. There's a bevy of bright tropical notes and even some "na na na" choruses, tones that are dime a dozen on pop radio. The group is effectively neutered on One More Light: there's no feral screaming from Chester Bennington, there are barely any riffs, and DJ Hahn has disappeared beneath the textured studio sheen. The closest they toe to "rock" is "Talking to Myself," which has discernable live drumming from Rob Bourdon and guitar licks from Brad Delson. Otherwise, One More Light is mostly concerned with triumphant anthems ("Battle Symphony" and "Invisible") and heartfelt confessions ("Sorry for Now" and "Halfway Right") that end up sounding like the Chainsmokers blended with Twenty One Pilots. Certainly, One More Light will find its defenders, but for fans of their past work, "Good Goodbye" with rappers Pusha T and Stormzy is the closest they come to "aggressive" and "inspired" (even if Shinoda sounds like G-Eazy). Oddly enough, the Kiiara-assisted lead single "Heavy" ends up being one of the only memorable earworms on the album, an undeniably catchy dose of radio-friendly pop that dares listeners to sing along. Here, Linkin Park actually lay out the entire plot of this endeavor by asking "Why is everything so heavy?" With the bandmembers all hovering around their forties, they've matured and fully expect fans to do the same, taking huge steps away from the nü metal that established them in the early 2000s. Objectively, that attitude is refreshing, but nonetheless a letdown. From their inception, Linkin Park connected through catharsis. However, many of the emotions presented here are fleeting. The issue isn't that it's a pop effort; indeed, they get points for a brave attempt so outside of their wheelhouse. The problem is that much of One More Light is devoid of that visceral charge that previously defined much of their catalog. It's a provocative challenge that ultimately fails to satisfy.

tags: linkin park, one more light, 2017, flac,
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JCD & The Dawg LB. - A Day In The Life (1992)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: PCD-1435

© 1992 Profile Records
Unlike New York, L.A., Philadelphia, Oakland, Atlanta and Miami, St. Louis wasn't considered a major city for rap in the 1980s or 1990s. This isn't to say that St. Louis didn't have its share of rappers, but not many of them recorded for well known labels or enjoyed anything more than local or regional success. One rap act that came out of St. Louis in the early '90s was JCD and the Dawg LB., whose A Day in the Life is a likable, if uneven, hardcore rap outing. Rapper JCD and his associates don't bring any unique, distinctive or groundbreaking perspectives to hip-hop -- for the most part, they rap about their sexual misadventures and how rough the streets of St. Louis' inner-city areas are. But tunes like "St. Louis Niggas," "Over Pussy" and "Kibbles and Bits" are catchy enough, and some of their reflections on urban life are rather funny in a twisted, dark-humored sort of way. Like many blues and country artists, rappers such as JCD have a way of laughing at the dark side of life (Everlast wasn't off base when he called Johnny Cash a "b-boy"). A Day in the Life is far from a hip-hop masterpiece, but this obscure CD isn't without its pleasures.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: jcd and the dawg lb, dog, a day in the life, 1992, flac,
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April 13, 2021

Buddha Brand - 人間発電所 - プロローグ (Maxi Single) (1996)

By 
*ディスクの写真はRARファイルに含まれています。
(A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.)

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese (日本語)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CTCR-14043

© 1996 Cutting Edge, 76 Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: buddha brand, 人間発電所 - プロローグ, maxi single, 1996, flac,
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Buddha Brand - 病める無限のブッダの世界 ~Best of The Best (金字塔)~ (2000)

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*2枚組デジパックセット。 2枚のディスクの写真がRARファイルに含まれています。
(2 disc digipak set. A photo of the 2 discs is included in the RAR file.)

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese (日本語)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CTCR-14150-1
              *****

© 2000 Cutting Edge, 76 Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: buddha brand, 病める無限のブッダの世界 best of the best (金字塔), the best of buddha brand, 2000, flac,
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Zingi - Tokyo Tribe (1996)

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*ディスクの写真はRARファイルに含まれています。
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A.
Language: Japanese (日本語)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: VICL-5323

© 1996 Avion/Victor Entertainment, Inc.
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: zingi, tokyo tribe, 1996, flac,
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四街道ネイチャー (Yotsukaido Nature) - V.I.C. Tomorrow (1998) ☠

By ,
*ディスクの写真はRARファイルに含まれています。
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: Japanese
Language: Japanese (日本語)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: GUNCD-1003
☠: Selected by Sentinel
© 1998 Guntez Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: 四街道ネイチャー, yotsukaido nature, vic tomorrow, 1998, flac,
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Soul Scream - The "Deep" (1996) ☠

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*ディスクの写真はRARファイルに含まれています。
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese (日本語)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 27NL007D
☠: Selected by Sentinel
© 1996 Next Level Recordings
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: soul scream, the deep, 1996, flac,
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