| The Unusual | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 28, 2006 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 46:04 | |||
| Label | Fat Beats Records | |||
| Producer | Illmind, Frequency, Fusion Unlimited, J. Rawls, Saukrates, Money Marc, K-Def, Fyre Dept., Jake One, DJ Revolution, 3rd Rell | |||
| El Da Sensei chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Unusual is the second album by Artifacts member El Da Sensei. It was released on February 28, 2006 under Fat Beats Records.
Tame and El's graf-rap was well received by underground audiences and continued in the New Jersey rap tradition of Redman and Lords of the Underground. [1] The group developed a fan base of hardcore hip-hoppers, being graffiti artists and hip-hop purists. [2] El Da Sensei latest album is a continuation of the first two Artifacts albums. According to El, the album "stands for true hip hop." [3]
El has said that the possibility of an Artifacts reunion are low, considering the relative success he and Tame One have had since both going solo. [4]
Reviews were very positive, considering the El's lengthy hiatus: PopMatters says: "He manages to present his album with intelligent proportions, and like a fine wine, he will only get better with time." [5]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crowd Pleasa" | Illmind | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Natural Feel Good" | Frequency | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Hold On" | Illmind | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Live in the Flesh" | Fusion Unlimited | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Lights, Camera, Action!" | J. Rawls | 4:02 |
| 6. | "That's How It Goes" | Saukrates | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Up in da Spot!" | Money Marc | 3:43 |
| 8. | "Rock It Out" | K-Def | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Nuttin' to Lose" (featuring O.C.) | Fyre Dept. | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Gunblast" | Jake One | 3:15 |
| 11. | "Blow Shit Up!" | J. Rawls | 3:23 |
| 12. | "What's My Name?" | DJ Revolution | 4:07 |
| 13. | "No Matter" (featuring Sean Price) | 3rd Rell | 4:15 |
| 14. | "The Unusual" | Fusion Unlimited | 2:06 |
| Total length: | 46:04 | ||
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in The Bronx, New York City.
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. They released their first major-label album, Too Hard to Swallow, in 1992, followed by several other albums charting on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, including the self-titled Underground Kingz album, which contained their single "International Players Anthem " and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, in August 2007. The duo has also been featured on hit singles by several other artists, such as "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia. Pimp C founded UGK Records in late 2005. On December 4, 2007, Pimp C died in his West Hollywood, California hotel room.
Jaime Meline, better known by the stage name El-P, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a driving force in alternative hip hop since the mid-1990s, producing for rappers including Aesop Rock, Cage, and Mr. Lif. He was a member of The Weathermen and is the co-founder, owner, and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label.
Underground hip-hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music that is outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed to independent labels or no label at all. Underground hip hop is often characterized by socially conscious, positive, or anti-commercial lyrics. However, there is no unifying or universal theme – AllMusic suggests that it "has no sonic signifiers". "The Underground" also refers to the community of musicians, fans and others that support non-commercial, or independent music. Music scenes with strong ties to underground hip hop include alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Many artists who are considered "underground" today were not always so, and may have previously broken the Billboard charts.
Reginald Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label.
The Beatnuts are an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights, Queens. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip as being members of Native Tongues. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. V.I.C. was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Tupac, Chingy, R. Kelly and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Blake's stage name reflects his ability to produce songs in a short period of time. Some of his top songs include "Dollaz + Sense", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Jus Lyke Compton".
Jean-Jacques Cadet, better known by his stage name J-Live, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer.
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray and Skoob. They named themselves "DAS" standing for "Dray and Skoob" and "EFX" meaning "effects". They rose to popularity in the early 1990s due to the duo's stream of consciousness lyrical delivery, which became one of the most influential lyrical styles in rap music at the time; as well as their affiliation with EPMD's Hit Squad. Their style combined intricate rhymes, sometimes mixed with made up words, delivered with a fast-paced flow and numerous pop culture and hip hop culture references.
Christian Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from Middletown, New York. With a majority of his career being spent with record labels Definitive Jux and Eastern Conference. He has released six solo albums, in addition to two compilation albums and two EPs.
Lost & Found: Hip Hop Underground Soul Classics is a double-disc album containing previously shelved albums Center of Attention, by InI, and The Original Baby Pa, by Deda. Released on October 27, 2003 on BBE Records. Both albums were recorded in 1995 and produced entirely by Pete Rock, except for five overall tracks produced either by Grap Luva or Spunk Bigga. Neither album had been officially released until this compilation came out.
The Artifacts was an East Coast hip hop group consisting of El Da Sensei, Tame One and DJ Kaos. They hail from Newark, New Jersey and made underground music that paid homage to the four elements of hip hop. The Artifacts' most popular single "Wrong Side of Da Tracks" paid special homage to graffiti, as they were graffiti writers themselves. Other of artifacts' popular hits include "Easter", "C'Mon wit da Git Down" and "The Ultimate ".
The Weathermen was an American hip hop production group, formed in 1998 in Middletown, New York, composed of East Coast rappers and producers Cage Kennylz and Masai Bey, until further expanded into a rap group, and included; Aesop Rock, Tame One, Yak Ballz, El-P, Jakki Tha Motamouth, Camu Tao, Copywrite, Vast Aire, and Breeze Brewin. The group took its name from the revolutionary organization Weather Underground, and its debut album was to be called The New Left.
Rahem Ross Brown, better known by his stage name Tame One, was an American hip hop recording artist and graffiti artist from New Jersey. He was a member of Artifacts, Leak Bros, and the hip-hop supergroup The Weathermen.
K-Def is an American, New Jersey based, hip hop producer/DJ who has been actively involved in the music industry since the early 1990s. He has recently produced music for artists such as Ghostface Killah and Puff Daddy. K-Def earned critical praise early in his career for his work with Marley Marl on the album Here Come the Lords by the hip hop group Lords of the Underground. Among the songs from that album that benefited from K-Def's production work include the hits "Funky Child" and "Chief Rocka".
William E. Williams, also known as El Da Sensei is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. During the 1990s he was a member of the hip hop duo, Artifacts.
Rahim Muhammad, known by the stage name Beneficence, is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey.
Terry Booker, professionally known as Internal Quest, is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. He began rapping in the early 2000s. He has worked with notable hip-hop artists such as El Da Sensei, Sadat X, Craig G and Trick-Trick
The Night We Called It a Day is the debut studio album by underground hip hop supergroup Deepspace5, released on January 8, 2002, through Uprok Records. It was recorded in Dallas, Texas.
When Rappers Attack is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist Tame One. It was released by Eastern Conference Records on March 25, 2003.
