Not the Cat you saw Yesterday...
There's not a lot of good hip-hop music out there. And among the selection which we choosy underground cats have to pick from, there has not been an album that has created a slew of talk among true hip-hop enthusiasts in awhile. Quasimoto's "The Unseen" is the big exception here. 24 cuts deep with jazzy beats and lyrical sweeps ever so unique is the best way to describe this addictive masterpiece coming outta Madlib's headquarters. The most interesting aspect is all the speculation buzzing around who Quasimoto is. I've come to the conclusion that it is Madlib, through articles concerning the topic as well as slowing down my "Basic Instinct" 12-inch on the turntables. Be sure to pick this album up immediately, because it's great. Big up to Stones Throw and Madlib, keep crankin'out this sweetness for our ears. Peace.
the unseen MUST be heard
Even by the standards of West Coast hip-hop, The Unseen goes pretty far out the limb. Needless to say, this ain't for the dance floor. Hell, it doesn't even work that well in the car. Instead, it's head-nodding at its best. The jazz loops are so obscure you wonder if Madlib does his crate-digging in some other galaxy. His alter ego Quasimoto is definitely extra-planetary. His style is Q-Tip 3030: butter-smooth delivery and and spacy, high-speed rhymes that float over the rap scene like a flying El Dorado. There's a little too much gangsta nonsense in the lyrics, but it's all in a spirit of fun. What Quas can't shoot or smoke, he samples. Madlib's sense of timing and pacing is the best. He's mastered the ratio of straight-up beats and rhymes to sample-crazy interludes. With every fresh listen you repent for even turning on the local rap station anymore. The only low point is "MBH's," which contains woman-hating lyrics even Jay-Z could get jiggy with. Oh, well. West Coast hip-hop sometimes gets too smug & cute, but not this time. The Unseen is the closest thing to a total, and totally fresh, vision for hip-hop that I've seen in a while. Buy it and save yourself from the bling apocalypse.
One of a kind
This album works so well on a whole. There is an undeniable feel to it. With the old dusty jazz loops, samples, and breaks, there is a definite lo-fi feel. As opposed to top-40 over produced rap, this album gives the impression of two guys, spinnin' and rappin' in a basement in an incredibly thick haze of weed. There's no raps about livin' the high life, girls everywhere, and unrelenting talent. Rather, lyrics are far more creative and undoubtedly chemcially influenced.Madlib's digitally altered alias and partner, Quas, with his helium-esque voice, is truly a character with depth. His flow lyrical flow is frequently broken, incomplete. Not without reason, since this suit the album and character just fine. One must remember, Quas isn't all there. He's a bad character, stoned out of his mind, and occassionally halucinating with random thought and associations. All the while it seems he's rappin with Madlib over a crate of dusty jazz recorded in a basement, and old equipment.
So, all that being said, this album is a must. It rises far above it's peers in production work. Lyrical content is as deep as you choose it to be. There's rap about opression, jazz musicians, record digging, weed, and even the color green. Ground breaking to say the least. You owe this a listen.
Nothin quite like it
This album works so well on a whole. There is an undeniable feel to it. With the old dusty jazz loops, samples, and breaks, there is a definite lo-fi feel. As opposed to top-40 over produced rap, this album gives the impression of two guys, spinnin' and rappin' in a basement in an incredibly thick haze of weed. There's no raps about livin' the high life, girls everywhere, and unrelenting talent. Rather, lyrics are far more creative and undoubtedly chemcially influenced.
Madlib's digitally altered alias and partner, Quas, with his helium-eque voice, is truly a character with depth. His flow lyrical flow is frequently broken, incomplete. Not without reason too, as this suit the character just fine. One must remember, Quas isn't all there. He's a bad character, stoned out of his mind, and occassionally halucinating with random thought and associations. All the while it seems he's rappin with Madlib over a crate of dusty jazz recorded in a basement, and old equipment.
So, all that being said, this album is a must. It rises far above it's peers in production work. Lyrical content is as deep as you choose it to be. There's rap about opression, jazz musicians, record digging, weed, and even the color green. Ground breaking to say the least. You owe this a listen.
mind altering
Let's get one thing straight: all Lord Quas and Madlib rap about are weed and jazz, with occasional references to black oppression. Neither of Madlib's lyrical personas are amazing, they're above average but never completely lucid or in touch with reality. But the beats are AWESOME. Just like Madvillain, a much better album, none of the songs last long enough to get old. Madlib's arsenal of drum samples and jazz flavors seems bottomless, and they augment his unusual flows perfectly, because in any other setting besides his own, the lyrical work would fall flat. The whole thing works like jazz: although the artist has to do a whole lot of work, the effect is generally cool, smooth, effortless, and in touch with an order of thinking that does not require the mathematic studio slickness that many rap producers and IDM wizards rely on. It is spontaneous and infections.
I guess some tracks stand out...ok, maybe not. It's cool to hear him drop the names of so many jazz legends on Jazz Cats part one and Loop Digga, but this work HAS to be experienced as a whole. Its shape shifting textures and hilarious random sound bites ("The meek ain't gonna inherit s***...cuz I'll take it!") are a blessing to hip hop, and anyone who hasn't been acquainted with Madlib's non-instrumental work should definitely buy this. Or buy Madvillain if they want something slightly more conventional.
The high-pitched alter-ego of the Lootpack's Madlib, Quasimoto concocts one of the most creative hip-hop albums in recent times. Sounding like a lost demo tape from 1992, and made under the influence of some serious mind-altering substances, The Unseen finds Quasi indulging in scattered, stream-of-consciousness rhymes and a collection of dusty jazz breaks and loops. Not only does the album sample the frantic vocals of '70s playwright Melvin Van Peebles, it also shares an affinity with Peebles's spoken-word albums, such as Serious as a Heart Attack. Both artists are most interesting when they take chances, risking alienation and/or ridicule. --Oliver Wang
