Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
North Scientifik is an up and coming crew from Portland,OR comprised of illmuzik's own 5th Sequence on the beats, MC Serious George on the mic and DJ Outclass on the wheels of steel. Inspired by Golden Age Hip Hop, the trio is on a mission to bring real music back. The group has recently released an album entitled "Building". It's comprised of 21 songs, 9 bonus tracks and more .... now time for the review.
Saturday Afternoon (5 out of 5 Classic)
Dope jazzy guitar driven track. Obvious theme here, it's all about those lazy Saturday afternoons. Nice emceeing and scratching.
Push The Crowd (5 out of 5 Classic)
The beat is more aggressive here with dope chops and occasional horns. Serious George uses his powerful voice to move the crowd.
Travelin (5 out of 5 Classic)
George talks about his love for Hip Hop. Dope soulful beat with chopped horn samples and raw scratching. Phat track, maybe the strongest effort on the LP.
Original (5 out of 5 Classic)
For some reason the beat reminds me of Gangstarr's "You know my steez". Nice chopped guitar sample. Serious George talks about fake artists all sounding the same. The track is followed by a funny skit.
The Formation (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
This one is more of a braggadocio track. The drums are massive; nice use of keys and horns.
We Dance in France (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
The group reminisces about its trip to France. I'm feeling the jazzy horns and phat bassline. The French "voices" near the end are funny as hell.
Wandering Star (N/A)
Dope instrumental interlude with the usual phat beat plus cuts.
Mental Note (5 out of 5 Classic)
The beat is really chill on this one, I'm really feeling the hazy filtering effect on the main sample. George attacks fake emcees.
Sleepwalk And Beatbox Verse (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
A short braggadocio track. I like the deep bassline.
Whatchu Wanna Do? (N/A)
Funny interlude. 5th is trying to make a beat but gets a phone call...
Whatchu Wanna Do?(4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
A tribute to Hip Hop music. 5th accelerates the cadence with a fairly fast beat that's simple but effective.
Still Thirsty Verse (5 out of 5 Classic)
Again it's all about the braggin' rights. Phat drums and chops. Serious George sounds very convincing.
Northwest (5 out of 5 Classic)
An ode to the group's home: the Northwestern US. Feeling the smooth chromatic sample and warm bassline. And once again dope scratching
Qurious vs. Serious George (5 out of 5 Classic)
I'm assuming Qurious and Serious George are the same person since there's no mention of a featuring. Over a heavily chopped energetic beat, George and Qurious (George rhyming with a nasal voice?) take part in a heated battle. Original concept.
Hooded Mic Experts ft G Force (5 out of 5 Classic)
Dope jazzy beat with nice horns and raw scratching. This is another braggadocio track with guest G Force providing a solid performance with his rapid flow.
In A Blink Verse (4 out of 5 Good)
George spits a few verses over a raw simplistic beat, basically hard drums and brief string chops. Maybe a tad too plain?
On The Grind (5 out of 5 Classic)
Obvious subject matter here. I'm feeling the overall smoothness and more specifically the extremely dope Pete Rockish beat which features a superb electric piano sample.
Just Clownin Verse (4 out of 5 Good)
Another track about whack emcees. The jazzy circus sample fits the theme very well. Solid.
Hold Me Back (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
George talks about his dedication to the art. Nice bass-heavy instrumental.
Kick My Rhymes Right Now (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Another bass-heavy track with occasional short sounds (guitars?). Once again Serious George destroys the competition.
Fireworks (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
This one has definitely a nostalgic feel. Nice beat with dope saxophones.
Ill 94 Shit ft Efekt (Bonus Track ) (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Another nostalgic track with a smooth electric piano sample. Efekt laments about the current state of Hip Hop and reminisces about the 90's.
Walk of Life ft LPro (Bonus Track) (5 out of 5 Classic)
The emcee on this track refers himself as L Pro, 5th is on the beat. Feeling the powerful bassline and suave Rnb hook.
We Got The Jazz ft TAZ (Bonus Track) (5 out of 5 Classic)
Dope tribute to the A Tribe Called Quest's classic track. TAZ flows effortlessly over the smooth piano-driven beat.
Portland's Getting Money ft TAZ (Bonus Track) (5 out of 5 Classic)
A hometown tribute/braggadocio track all in one. This one has definitely a Pete Rock feel to it, with the hazy effects and predominant horns.
Can't Adapt Freestyle (Bonus Track) (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
This one is really short (21 seconds), but the mysterious beat is really tight.
A Break For the Bboys (Bonus Track) (N/A)
A fast instrumental for those who dance. Nice vocal sample.
Mic Sounds Nice (Bonus Track) (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
By now you should know G's mic sounds nice. Nice chops and bass.
Goin For Mine Freestyle (Bonus Track) (5 out of 5 Classic)
The piano beat is really simple but the execution is perfect.
Mental Note Remix (Bonus Track) (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
I liked the original better, but the bassline and drums are massive. Solid remix.
Conclusion: this album is a gem and a breath of fresh air in the weak current Rap market. The true school, golden age feel is simply irresistible; all North Scientifik members are truly gifted and have great chemistry together. I recommend this to all fans of real Hip Hop music.
Final Score: 5 out of 5
Preview and buy the album:
http://northscientifik.com/
More Information:
http://northscientifik.com/ and
http://phatrootradio.blogspot.com/
