Product Description

Lyrics Born (a.k.a. Tom Shimura) has long been known for his innovative beats, creative collaborations, and soulful vocals. Here he takes a giant leap forward in song craft, incorporating elements such as pop, reggaeton, and R&B. It's the rare MC who can bridge the gap between hip-hop and alternative rock, owning the crowd at Bonnaroo and Bumbershoot as easily as he trades rhymes with Charlie 2na. Just remember those can't-get-it-out-of-your-head songs from Nokia and Diet Coke commercials.

Track Listing

1. Intro Tag
2. Don't Change
3. Hott 2 Deff
4. Differences
5. Cakewalk
6. Shoe Hoes Anonymous
7. I'm A Phreak
8. I Like It, I Love it
9. The World Is Calling
10. Top Shelf
11. Is It The Skin I'm In?
12. Homeland Security
13. Do U Buy It?
14. Rules Were Meant To Be Broken (Remix)
15. Whispers
16. I Can't Decide(Everywhere At Once)
17. Re-Intro
18. Let Me In, Let Me Out (Remix)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41971 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-22
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Wow
I've been a fan of Quannum/Solesides going on twelve years probably. Back when Melodica came on the rack and Laytyrx was getting bumped all summer. Although Blackalicious was long the front runner of the crew with Gab drawing the most attention with his elaborate flows and stylings, Lyrics Born has truly come into his own. I was shooken to the core when Later That Day dropped and immediately held LB as a major lyricist to be reckoned with; one that should dominate in years to come, and he delivers again here. Bless this man for making a true hiphop album, keeping you nodding 'til the end. The way The Craft steered left into creative neo-soul and eclectic rhythms, I'm really happy to see a talented rhymer staying close to the party friendly, volume crankin' sounds of plain and simple DOPE HIPHOP. There is nothing wrong with this album!

LB likes AND he loves it
Let the record show that this album could possibly be slowly turning guilty pleasure purely because hip hop isn't as blatant in this album for my taste. I realize of course that hip hop and funk go hand in hand naturally, but R & B? A lot of these tracks have a touch of trilly vocals that I don't care for. Sometime tri-fusions aren't a good thing. It also has a gnarls barkley feel in some places. Guilty pleasures make me uncomfortable in heavy rotation. But I am giving this one a pain-staking while to set in and get cozy. I like it, but I don't love it.

The Antidote
Let's face it; for the most part, rap has ceased to be very exciting. Lil' Wayne and the like are producing very cliche grooves and rhymes that can only be described as messy and boring. (How many songs can we hear touting the amount of money a rapper makes, or how good he is in bed. It gets old.)

If you agree with what I said above - even somewhat - please check out Lyrics Born's album Every Where At Once. LB takes us back a bit to a more Old School approach to rap. Backed by a real band, his beats are fresh and extremely dripping with funk. His rhymes are thoughtful and interesting, avoiding the typical tired topics of Benjamins and ego-stroking.

And I am extrememly sad that no one was making a fuss about Lyrics Born when everyone was talking about the rhyming ability of Eminem. Of course, he can spit, but I am not sure one can hear some of the rhymes on LB's album and not put him in the same category.

I do want to warn that to those who like a more hard edged style, this album may seem a bit too pop-friendly. A few songs are admittedly cheesy. "Differences," about the differences between men and women in relationships, is a bit to airy for my tastes. And LB's excursion into dancefloor reggae - "Top Shelf" - probably will not convince many people. But there are too many songs that are simply too infectious and ingenious. And the 'skits' are hillarious.

I have finally found an rap artist that is different. I can be excited again.