Buckshot, KRS-One - Survival Skills
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CD Details
Artist: Buckshot, KRS-OneEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2009-09-15
Music Label: Duck Down Records
Soundtracks:
- Survival Skills ft. DJ Revolution (produced by Ill Mind)
- ROBOT (produced by Havoc of Mobb Deep)
- The Way I Live ft. Mary J Blige (produced by Black Milk)
- Clean Up Crew ft. Rock of Heltah Skeltah (produced by Ill Mind)
- Oh Really ft. Talib Kweli & Geo of Blue Scholars (produced by Marco Polo)
- Connection ft. Smif N Wessun (produced by Moss)
- Runnin Away ft. Immortal Technique (produced by Black Milk)
- Think Of All The Things ft. K'NAAN (produced by DJ Mentplus)
- One Shot ft. Pharoahe Monch (produced by Nottz)
- Amazin ft. Sean Price & Loudmouf Choir (produced by KHRYSIS!)
- Hear No Evil (produced by KHRYSIS!)
- Murder 1 ft. Bounty Killer (produced by Coptic)
- We Made It ft. Slug of Atmosphere (produced by Ill Mind)
- Past*Present*Future ft. Melanie Fiona & Naledge of Kidz In The Hall (produced by 9th Wonder)
Music reviews of Survival Skills
Music Review: Two of the Best
Rating: 3 Stars
Survival Skills is a solid album from two of Hip Hop's most celebrated emcees. The album begins with a bang; it's title track introduces us to the album with a bangin beat and classic dope rhymes that are very straight forward, welcoming us into the realm of two emcees with powerful careers, showing us what it takes to "survive" in a world where classic conceptions of Hip Hop are no longer as relevant as they once were in the mainstream rap market. The next song explains some of why this alternative rap style came to be with 'Robot'. The song's production may throw off those looking for the classic boom bap and dirty samples, but so does the album. This, in my opinion, is part of the album's shortcomings. Though this track has a very relevant message about the lost rule of not biting another emcee's style, the beat is very high pitched. Not my personal taste in terms of production, but with Buckshot harmonizing on the chorus and the rhymes intricately describing how our history shows that different emcees can use similar techniques and stressing the importance of individuality, I do like the song. 'The way I live' is another track that comes off as very polished and almost 'commercial' sonically. But once again, KRS and Buckshot prove their ability to murder a song thematically as well as utilize witty literary techniques.
The album continues to play and each song that passes is nothing more than I expected from two of our finest. Having most of these two guys' solo efforts, their styles are nothing new to me and they do not venture outside of their comfort zones much. With that said, there are certain moments (and verses) by KRS where I feel he is being lazy. The verses of 'We Made It' and 'Amazing' are perfect examples of this. But, in 'Amazing' Sean Price provides a wicked cameo and reminds us why he is Jesus Price "It's amazing/ How the god once sold crack/ And survived more shoot outs/ Than Chow Yun Fat". This type of rhyming along with the Loud Mouf Choir (who add spice to everything I've heard them on) and some pretty great production save this song from KRS-One knowing that he is already in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame so he can short change some of his verses.
Overall, the album is good. There isn't much explored on this album that either emcee hasn't already done, but it provides some good entertainment nonetheless. Although, in my view, it's not musically classic, it will be a classic just because it is the first collaboration of two of my favorite emcees. Stand out tracks are Survival Skills, Robot, Clean Up Crew, Connection and Amazing. Think of all the Things is a great filler track. The rest of the songs are good, but not great, and the whole album is a good listen from front to back. It's not something that I can hear all the time, but I can tell this will be one of those CD's I will get a craving for every now and then.
Description of Survival Skills
After making their indelible marks on the game luminaries KRS-One and Buckshot, arguably two of the games most prolific emcees, will link up to give fans a collaborative album entitled SURVIVAL SKILLS.With guests ranging from Mary J. Blige, Slug Of Atmosphere, K'NAAN, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Melanie Fiona, Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Sean Price, Geo of Blue Scholars, Pharoahe Monch, Bounty Killer, Smif N Wessun and Rock of Heltah Skeltah, "Survival Skills" represents a diverse range of topics, all while maintaining a consistent sound. The album has production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, ILL MIND, Coptic, Moss, Nottz, Marco Polo, and KHRYSIS!
On the surface the album is a testament to the resiliency of two lyrical titans, but at its root SURVIVAL SKILLS is a blueprint for life. For instance on the infectious head-nodder "Robot," which was released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z's "The Death Of Auto Tune" track, and already available World Wide at Digital Retail Shops, such as iTunes, the duo speak-out against the recent overuse of the Auto-Tune vocal effect in urban music, but under the surface the message is much deeper. "I don't want people to get the averaged clichéd version and thinking that we're dissing people,'" Buckshot clarifies. "What we're calling out here is the biters, the people that feel like because this guy sold X amount of records doing this, that I'm going to turn around and do it as well," KRS says of the array of artists who have followed in the creative footsteps of Roger Troutman, Afrikka Bambatta, Teddy Riley and T-Pain. Despite its heavy message, sonically the track, produced by Mobb Deep's Havoc, is as inviting as anything on the radio today. The video for "ROBOT," directed by Todd Angkaswan, has been added into rotation at MTV & BET. The track has also been included in the sound track for Activision's upcoming Tony Hawk skate game in stores this Fall.
Still gritty tracks like "Clean Up," featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah and the politically minded "Running Away" featuring Immortal Technique, make Survival Skills a Hip-Hop fan's dream, catering to those that love lyrics and the boom-bap. Equally as rich is the album's Black Milk-produced track, "The Way I Live" featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige. Together they create a triumphant anthem for all those on the grind trying to conquer their dreams. The song's summery feel and soothing melodies make it an instant hit.
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