'You Need This Music' - Nottz (review)

Before I start, I'll just say that I like this album. I really like this album.

It's obvious that Nottz and Black Milk are mates (BM features on the LP on 'Blast That'), and with Black Milk's recent album employing heavy live drums, kicking of 'You Need This Music' with a track featuring Travis Barker makes so much sense. The aforementioned 'Blast That' will make your head nod more than 99% of the Hip Hop out there this year. The heavily distorted electric guitar sounds absolutely at home too on this beat.

'Shine So Brite' seems to be a tribute to Dilla and it's this track that first really proves that Nottz is an engaging and entertaining rapper. I guess it's this track that some would also cite as proof that Nottz is like Kanye. Nottz is like Kanye, to a certain extent. He can produce, really well, and he can rap - better than Kanye could ever dream of rapping, yet he still has that mass appeal.

I love 'I Do It For Yawl' (the beat reminds me of 'Amores Como El Nuestro', but I guess it's some other sample) and Little Brother and Kardinal Offishall revive Eminem's concept of rapping letters from fans - thumbs up. 'A Dream Come True' is just a joy to listen to as Nottz creates a story featuring all your favourite dead black musicians over a laid-back and lazily happy beat. 'I Still Love You' featuring Mayor Hawthorn is the perfect Hip Hop love song.

Asher Roth comes really correct on 'Dontcha Wanna Be (My Neighbor)' (video is here), as does Colin Munroe on the chorus. This a really quirky track, with definite radio play-ability. There are other tracks featuring Snoop Dogg and Royce Da 5'9 and Joell Ortiz before the album closes with the soothing Bilal featuring track 'Right Here' on which Nottz re-asserts his lyricism as he prays out loud over his own heavenly production.

'You Need This Music' is out right now and can be found at itunes, amongst other places.

HHC Top 100 rap singles 80-71 *updated*

# 77. Slick Rick – La-Di-Da-Di (thanks to fly by night)

Here’s the next fix of tracks to either add to or build your collection with. *I've just added Zshare links for all tracks in this one post since fileden has failed me, hope it works.*

80. EPMD – You Got’s to Chill (zshare)– 1988 – ‘Strictly Business’ (Buy here)
Funkeeeee! Slow and funky. This is another one for home dancing, this time with a mate, preferably in a small room where you can execute all manner of confined but wild moves.

79. Run DMC – Runs House (zshare)– 1985 – ‘Tougher than Leather’ (Buy here)
A very likeable Run DMC track here, sounds slightly more up-to-date than some of their other famous tracks.

78. Eminem – Guilty Conscience (zshare) – 1999 – ‘The Slim Shady LP’ (Buy here)
The track (out of 2) by Em that deserves to make this list. This was an important track, it ensured slim wasn’t a one hit wonder and made everyone realise that Dre would never fall off. The single version seemed to be an afterthought as the chorus really propelled it into the charts, good afterthought.

77. Slick Rick – La-Di-Da-Di (zshare)– 1985 – ‘The Art of Story Telling’ (Buy here)
How weird is Slick Ricks accent?! Being a UK import to the US meant he had a half English accent. Doug E Fresh makes this track, um… Fresh. Everybody in the world probably knows at least one line from this track (no thanks to a certain Mr. Williams – not Pharrell, Robbie!).

76. Gang Starr – Full Clip (zshare)– 1999 – ‘Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr’ (Buy here)
Nod Nod Nod. That’s my head and it’s not falling asleep, it’s nodding to a classic piece of Primo production. In case you can’t quite remember which track this is, it’s the one that starts: “Big L rest in peace”, yup, you know the one.

75. Boogie Down Productions – Poetry (zshare)– 1987 – ‘Criminal Minded’ (Buy here)

74. A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum (zshare)– 1990 – ‘Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm’ (Buy here)
Waa wa waa wow – the twangy sitar sound that you know so well, maybe from ‘Killing me softly’. This came before. A nice chilled out love song.

73. Pharcyde – Ya Mama (zshare) – 1992 – ‘Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde’ (Buy here)

72. Sugar Bear – Don’t Scandalise Mine (zshare) – 1988
Throw yo’ hands up and jump, this is a pure party track to be lodged firmly between, well…any track from that era that used this break.

71. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg – Deep Cover (zshare) – 1992 – ‘Deep Cover OST' (Buy here)