| Soundbombing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | October 14, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 69:54 | |||
| Label | Rawkus | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Rawkus Records chronology | ||||
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Soundbombing is a hip hop compilation album by Rawkus Records, released on October 14, 1997. The album helped launch the careers of Mos Def and Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek), who later became Rawkus's most popular artists. Soundbombing is regarded as a "scene-defining" underground hip hop album.
After the critical success of Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus album, released a few months prior, Rawkus returned with a compilation that showcased their growing roster. Mixed by DJ Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz, [1] the album is sequenced like a mixtape, staying true to the label's underground roots. The album is mainly composed of 12" singles previously released by the label in 1997. [1] It is subtitled "The Ultimate Guide to Underground Hip-Hop Mixed by Evil Dee". [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | A− [3] |
| NME | 8/10 [4] |
Soundbombing received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Charles Aaron of Spin noted that "you can hear the hints of a Native Tongues-like posse feeding off of one another's smarts and enthusiasm, unworried about recreating 1988's magic or being welcomed into rap's gated fantasyland." [5] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau gave the album an A− rating and stated, "this singles-plus showcase is 'underground' hip hop's most convincing advertisement for itself", also praising the performances of Mos Def, Talib Kweli and R.A. the Rugged Man. [3]
Writing for AllMusic, Nathan Rabin believed that the album "arrived at a crucial juncture for rap music, just as the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. forced hip-hop to re-examine its priorities, and the commercial dominance of Bad Boy necessitated a smart, socially conscious alternative to P. Diddy's blatantly commercial brand of karaoke hip-pop." [1] Dana Scott of Ambrosia for Heads wrote that the album "was Hip-Hop seeking refuge to return to the culture's days of innocence. It worked, signaling a rebirth that spawned a new breed of MC legends—and a subsequent series that Heads could trust." [2] In the 5th edition of his Encyclopedia of Popular Music , Colin Larkin hailed it as a "scene-defining" underground hip hop album. [6]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" (Brick City Kids & Evil Dee) | Ghetto Professionals | 1:17 |
| 2. | "Flipside" (R.A. the Rugged Man) | Dirtman | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Fire in Which You Burn" (Indelible MC's) | El-P | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Lune TNS" (Company Flow) | Bigg Jus | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Nightwork" (Sir Menelik) | El-P | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Arabian Nights" (Shabaam Sahdeeq) | Nick Wiz | 4:13 |
| 7. | "Fortified Live" (Reflection Eternal featuring Mos Def and Mr. Man) | Hi-Tek | 5:11 |
| 8. | "Show Me Your Gratitude" (L-Fudge) | Rich Boogie | 3:55 |
| 9. | "'Till My Heart Stops" (R.A. the Rugged Man featuring 8-Off the Assassin) | Dirtman | 4:10 |
| 10. | "Freestyle" (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) | 4:38 | |
| 11. | "So Intelligent" (Sir Menelik featuring Kool Keith) | Sir Menelik | 4:10 |
| 12. | "Empire Staters" (B-1) | Chuckie Madness | 4:06 |
| 13. | "If You Can Huh..." (Mos Def) | Shawn J. Period | 3:44 |
| 14. | "Universal Magnetic" (Mos Def) | Shawn J. Period | 4:07 |
| 15. | "What If?" (L-Fudge featuring Mike Zoot, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Skam and Talib Kweli) | DJ Spinna | 5:27 |
| 16. | "My Crown" (Black Attack) | Ghetto Professionals | 3:40 |
| 17. | "2000 Seasons" (Reflection Eternal) | Hi-Tek | 6:54 |
| Total length: | 69:54 | ||
Yasiin Bey, better known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper, singer, actor and activist. Best known for his music, Bey began his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He subsequently formed the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and they released their eponymous debut album in 1998. He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. His debut was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009). The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest MC's of Our Time (1987-2007)" list. Some of Mos Def's top hits include "Oh No", "Definition", and "Respiration".
Black on Both Sides is the debut studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999, by Rawkus and Priority Records. Prior to its recording, Mos Def had collaborated with Talib Kweli for the album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in 1998, which raised high expectations for a solo effort by the former. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics.
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is the debut studio album by Black Star, a hip hop duo consisting of emcees Talib Kweli and Mos Def. The album was released on September 29, 1998, to critical acclaim. The title is a reference to the Black Star Line, a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. The album deals with modern-day issues, philosophical ideas, and life in Brooklyn, New York City as the two artists know it.
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, Hi-Teknology 2.
Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, The RE: Union, in late December 2009, and their second album Revolutions Per Minute was released May 18, 2010.
Rawkus Records was an American hip hop record label known for starting the careers of many rappers. Rawkus started in 1995 with releases in hip-hop, drum and bass and fun-dustrial.
Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Bushwick, Brooklyn, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene.
Quality is the debut studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on November 19, 2002, by Rawkus Records. It received wide critical acclaim and had some commercial appeal from the song "Get By", produced by Kanye West. Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002.
Da Bush Babees is an American group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group originally performed under the stage names Babe-B-Face Kaos, Mister Man and Y-Tee.
Black Star is an American hip hop duo formed in 1997, from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. The duo is composed of rappers Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli. The duo is named after The Black Star Line, a shipping company founded by Marcus Garvey. They have released a number of singles and one album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star on September 29, 1998.
Lyricist Lounge 2 is the second installment in Rawkus Records Lyricist Lounge album series. The release was one of Rawkus' most commercially successful releases, featuring the hit crossover singles, "Oh No" and "Get Up", the former charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard Rap chart. Despite its success, Lyricist Lounge 2 drew criticisms from underground fans, mainly due to the album's more commercial sound, and also because of its focus on established artists, unlike the first installment, which largely featured up-and-coming MC's.
Soundbombing III is the third installment of the Rawkus Records Soundbombing series. The album was not nearly as critically acclaimed as its predecessor Soundbombing 2, but was able to sell moderately well, led by the single "The Life", featuring Styles P and Pharoahe Monch which was sent to radio during the week of April 29, 2002. Taking after 2000's Lyricist Lounge 2, Soundbombing III furthers the label's transition to a more commercial sound, which caused harsh criticisms from die-hard Rawkus fans. The album features Styles P, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, Skillz, Missy Elliott, Kool G Rap, Capone-N-Noreaga, Hi-Tek, Jonell, Method Man, Zap Mama, Talib Kweli, Common, Q-Tip, The Beatnuts, DJ Quik, Novel, The Roots, Cocoa Brovaz, Dawn Penn and R.A. The Rugged Man. The compilation is hosted by Cipha Sounds and Mr. Choc. The compilation contains many remixes of tracks already having appeared on earlier released albums, however the album does contain singles.
Best of Decade I: 1995–2005 is a compilation album, featuring singles released on Rawkus Records during their first ten years. The compilation revolves around the label's star Mos Def, who appears on eight of the fifteen tracks. There is one previously unreleased track featured on the album, which is the Mos Def song "Beef".
Anwar Superstar, born Anwar Khalil Prescott, is an American hip hop artist. He began rapping at the age of 14 on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Anwar has battled MCs from across the US and abroad.
Train of Thought is the debut album of American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released October 17, 2000 on Rawkus Records. Collaborating as a duo, rapper Talib Kweli and DJ and hip hop producer Hi-Tek recorded the album during 1999 to 2000, following their individual musical work that gained notice in New York's underground scene during the late 1990s. Kweli had previously worked with rapper Mos Def as the duo Black Star, and Hi-Tek had served as producer on the duo's debut album.
The discography of Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career. In 1998, he made his mainstream debut on Rawkus Records in the trio Black Star with rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. "Definition", the single from Black Star's self-titled debut album, reached No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
The Ecstatic is the fourth album by American rapper Mos Def. It was released on June 9, 2009, by Downtown Records. After venturing further away from hip hop with an acting career and two poorly received albums, Mos Def signed a recording contract with Downtown and recorded The Ecstatic primarily at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. He worked with producers such as Preservation, Mr. Flash, Oh No, and Madlib, the latter two of whom reused instrumentals they had produced on Stones Throw Records. Singer Georgia Anne Muldrow, formerly of the record label, was one of the album's few guest vocalists, along with rappers Slick Rick and Talib Kweli.
Revolutions per Minute is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records. Composed of rapper Talib Kweli and DJ/hip hop producer Hi-Tek, it is the duo's follow-up to their collaborative debut Train of Thought (2000).
Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Kweli earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent solo album is titled Radio Silence, released in 2017. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
"Just Begun" is a song by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, composed of New York rapper Talib Kweli and Ohio producer Hi-Tek. The song was released on February 2, 2010, as the second single from their second studio album Revolutions per Minute (2010). The song is a posse cut featuring verses from rappers Jay Electronica, J. Cole and Mos Def, the latter of which also forms a duo with Talib Kweli, known collectively as Black Star.
