![]() Madlib almost saves it with his funk-riddim blend. Although it starts off promising, the Mighty one veers a bit too far to the left for the last minute or so. The exception to that rule is the one slip-up in “Pretty Dancer”. Instead, his statements are clear, concise, and, perhaps most importantly, precise. He rarely trails off or leaves you questioning his intent. With no hook or second verse to worry about, Mos is able to maintain his focus. But, in a way, that can also work as a strength. And the minimal number of hooks just adds to that sentiment. The aforementioned problem of it being a grower is one that will make this record struggle, especially in this day and age where we easily toss things aside that don’t instantly grab our attention. Like DOOM, though, Mos displays his weaknesses on here. But where they vary, aside from sonic and lyrical differences, is in The Ecstatic being the better and stronger album. Both records almost entirely ditch the verse-chorus-verse structure and feature numerous shortened tracks of straight-up rhyming. ![]() They are nearly the same length, though Mos wins that battle by about five minutes. The Ecstatic and Born Like This share several common qualities. And no, that’s not a reference to the video of him spitting the masked villain’s best verses. At first, it’s jarring to hear him do what amounts to his best DOOM impression. But, to be fair, it took a few listens to come to that conclusion. No’s Oxperiment? And you did it while displaying some fiery breath control? Oh man, Mos, you better not let me down with this rest of this album. Def, you chose to start your latest album spitting over one of my favorite Oh No beats from Dr. But if you’re ready, then let’s get into this. So if you’re not prepared for progressive, forward-thinking hip-hop, hit the stop button and throw on Black Star or something. Whether you love or hate those records, they were clearly departures from what made the Brooklyn emcee burst onto the scene. If you need evidence, just look at The New Danger and True Magic. Hell, if you’ve kept up with his career, you knew that already. Now, you need to remember or realize that with this record, Mos is not creating a sequel to his classic debut Black on Both Sides. Thus, it’s important to know that when diving into The Ecstatic, you need to first take a deep breath. Remember, these were many of the same listeners who either loved or chose to ignore the rap-blues-rock hybrid The New Danger. As a result, some fair-weather fans were able to let the whole debacle slide. Rumors were then spread that the album was simply a means of getting out of his contract with Geffen. A lackluster release with only a handful of tracks worth listening to, it had many of his loyal fans crying afoul. In late 2006, he dropped the nearly fatally dull True Magic. Pretty Flaco, Dante, the Boogie Man, and so on. Nice choice YN but I’m sure I would’ve put this higher in my list although I haven’t seen the rest of your selections.His acting roles aside, it’s been about two-and-a-half years since we last heard from the Mighty Mos Def, a.k.a. Its a real work of art and i cant wait for is next offering. ![]() For those who missed out on this joint, do yourself a favor and buy this album and zone out to it. Since then, I went back and copped “Black on Both Sides”, “True Magic”, “The New Danger” and I found jewels on all of those albums. Its music on there that 98% of rappers would be afraid to make because theyre afraid of stepping outside the box but Mos took it there and for that I’ll always respect this brother for it. ![]() The album is truly amazing and thought provocing. I’m not sure what it was this time around but I copped the Ecstatic album (maybe it was the lack of good music) and I swear I felt so fucking guilty that I hadn’t paid enough attention to Mos through the years. Yo YN, I gotta be honest like you, before this Ecstatic album I never listened to a Mos Def album but I always thought he was dope MC since the first time I heard “Ms.Fat Booty” years ago, yet something kept me from listening closer.
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