Rap godfather in R&B, Hip Hop & Rap Music

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"Godfather Buried Alive [PA] *" (08/10/2004) R&B Shyne, Def Jam (USA)Personnel: Shyne (rap vocals); Ashanti (vocals); Nate Dogg, Kurupt (rap vocals). As much as rappers boast about keeping it real, hip-hop, like most music, is about creating a fictional world. When real life bleeds in, the results are often tragic, like the well-documented end of the feud between 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. In the late-1990s, Brooklyn, New York teenager Shyne (Jamal Barrow) was heralded by many as the latter's heir, but after drawing his gun and firing during an incident involving Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Shyne found himself behind bars until 2009 on an attempted murder rap. With 2004's GODFATHER BURIED ALIVE, the gravel-voiced rapper's second record, Shyne finds his voice, rich, defiant, unrepentant, and powerful. On a self-titled track, Shyne boasts he's "gonna keep it gangsta 'til I die," and the rest of the disc backs up the claim. "Quasi O.G." tells his tale from a cleverly oblong perspective, relating the story with poetic panache and justifying the initial hype his rushed debut failed to capture. Shyne also finds a new angle to getting his digs in at his opponents on the enrapturing "For the Record." On GODFATHER BURIED ALIVE, Shyne proves that he owes his reputation to more than notoriety--he's a skilled lyricist capable of delivering powerful tracks.

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"Godfather Returns" (09/24/1997) R&B Brown, James, Polygram (Japan)

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"Godfather of Soul [Slipcase]" (10/26/2004) R&B Brown, James, Goldenlane RecordsThis release includes a bonus DVD featuring footage from a 1985 live concert performance. Personnel: James Brown (vocals); Jimmy Nolen, Ron Laster (guitar); Joe Poff (flute, alto saxophone); St. Clair Pinckney (flute, tenor saxophone); Holly Ferris, Jerone "Jassan" Sanford (trumpet); Jerry Poindexter (keyboards); David Weston (bass guitar); Arthur Dickson (drums); Johnny Griggs (percussion). The Godfather of Soul has several greatest-hits compilation to his name, and with good reason. Anyone with over four decades of solid soul and funk classics most definitely has enough to fill volume after volume of greatest-hits and best-of releases. While this isn't necessarily a definitive best-of collection, it most certainly covers the majority of his earliest (and some would say best) works. Most of these songs are already in the die-hard fan's collection, so this release would serve the newcomer or casual fan best. ~ Rob Theakston A budget-line two-fer featuring two of James Brown's live performances from the 1980s, Goldenlane's Godfather of Soul release is as generic as its title, if not more so. The '80s weren't the best of times for Brown, and it doesn't help that the two live recordings here -- a CD titled "Live in New York (1980)" and a DVD titled "Live at Castain Park (1985)," both hourlong shows featuring essentially the same set list -- are totally uneventful. Granted, it's impressive that Brown was still out there performing in the '80s, which was his fourth decade on-stage. He's still energetic and full of life here, for sure. However, he's all show biz at this late point, performing many of his greatest hits with a faceless backing band that seems well rehearsed yet showcases little creative spark. To make matters worse, the live CD recording is edited so that the tracks fade in and out, and the DVD consists mainly of a single camera focused on Brown exclusively, with an occasional shot of the entire band. All of this leaves room for few surprises. In fact, the biggest surprise is liable to be how lackluster this two-disc package actually is -- not only is the musical and video content dull, the packaging is dull too, providing no context whatsoever for these latter-day recordings. This Goldenlane two-fer ultimately has little to no appeal. Not even collectors or completists will find much value here. After all, there's more than enough James Brown out there to feast your ears and eyes upon, and if indeed you're looking for live performances, you'll want to find ones that predate these by a good decade or so (the mid-'70s are a good marker for when Brown lost his edge, retreating downhill to the oldies circuit). ~ Jason Birchmeier

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$2
 

starting at

$23
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"Down-n-dirty" (03/19/2004) R&B G Ball Da Godfather, Zeus Entertainment Inc.

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$23
 

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"Godfather Buried Alive [Clean] [Edited] *" (08/10/2004) R&B Shyne, Def Jam (USA)Personnel: Shyne (rap vocals); Foxy Brown , Mashonda, Ashanti (vocals); Nate Dogg, Kurupt (rap vocals); Demetrius McGhee (guitar). Audio Mixers: Hern n Santiago; Rich Keller; Brian Springer. Photographers: James Patrick Cooper; Bolivar Arellano. As much as rappers boast about keeping it real, hip-hop, like most music, is about creating a fictional world. When real life bleeds in, the results are often tragic, like the well-documented end of the feud between 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. In the late-1990s, Brooklyn, New York teenager Shyne (Jamal Barrow) was heralded by many as the latter's heir, but after drawing his gun and firing during an incident involving Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Shyne found himself behind bars until 2009 on an attempted murder rap. With 2004's GODFATHER BURIED ALIVE, the gravel-voiced rapper's second record, Shyne finds his voice, rich, defiant, unrepentant, and powerful. On a self-titled track, Shyne boasts he's "gonna keep it gangsta 'til I die," and the rest of the disc backs up the claim. "Quasi O.G." tells his tale from a cleverly oblong perspective, relating the story with poetic panache and justifying the initial hype his rushed debut failed to capture. Shyne also finds a new angle to getting his digs in at his opponents on the enrapturing "For the Record." On GODFATHER BURIED ALIVE, Shyne proves that he owes his reputation to more than notoriety--he's a skilled lyricist capable of delivering powerful tracks.

starting at

$8
 

starting at

$14
  • product
"Message from the Godfather" (08/21/2001) R&B Taylor, James (Organ/Keys), Ubiquity RecordingsPersonnel: James Taylor (organ); John Wilmott (saxophone, flute); David Taylor (guitar); Gary Crockett (bass); Neil Robinson (drums). Includes liner notes by Snowboy. Personnel: David Earl Taylor (guitar); John Wilmott (flute, saxophone); Neil Robinson (drums). The music on this CD by the James Taylor Quartet (which is really a five-piece group) is purposely retro. Taylor (no, not that James Taylor!) is a British keyboardist who on this set sticks to the Hammond B-3 organ. The goal was to recapture the flavor of a Prestige or Blue Note soul-jazz session circa 1967-71. The group (Taylor, guitarist David Taylor, bassist Gary Crockett, drummer Neil Robinson, and John Willmott on saxophones and flute) are successful in bringing back the feel of the era. What is missing are any memorable melodies or original ideas, but since the groove is the thing, this set is successful within its limited scope, and easily recommended to soul-jazz organ collectors. ~ Scott Yanow

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$14
 

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$4
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"Godfather of Soul [American Legends]" (07/10/2007) R&B Brown, James, American LegendsLiner Note Author: Gary Tanenbaum. The Godfather of Soul has several greatest-hits compilation to his name, and with good reason. Anyone with over four decades of solid soul and funk classics most definitely has enough to fill volume after volume of greatest-hits and best-of releases. While this isn't necessarily a definitive best-of collection, it most certainly covers the majority of his earliest (and some would say best) works. Most of these songs are already in the die-hard fan's collection, so this release would serve the newcomer or casual fan best. ~ Rob Theakston A budget-line two-fer featuring two of James Brown's live performances from the 1980s, Goldenlane's Godfather of Soul release is as generic as its title, if not more so. The '80s weren't the best of times for Brown, and it doesn't help that the two live recordings here -- a CD titled "Live in New York (1980)" and a DVD titled "Live at Castain Park (1985)," both hourlong shows featuring essentially the same set list -- are totally uneventful. Granted, it's impressive that Brown was still out there performing in the '80s, which was his fourth decade on-stage. He's still energetic and full of life here, for sure. However, he's all show biz at this late point, performing many of his greatest hits with a faceless backing band that seems well rehearsed yet showcases little creative spark. To make matters worse, the live CD recording is edited so that the tracks fade in and out, and the DVD consists mainly of a single camera focused on Brown exclusively, with an occasional shot of the entire band. All of this leaves room for few surprises. In fact, the biggest surprise is liable to be how lackluster this two-disc package actually is -- not only is the musical and video content dull, the packaging is dull too, providing no context whatsoever for these latter-day recordings. This Goldenlane two-fer ultimately has little to no appeal. Not even collectors or completists will find much value here. After all, there's more than enough James Brown out there to feast your ears and eyes upon, and if indeed you're looking for live performances, you'll want to find ones that predate these by a good decade or so (the mid-'70s are a good marker for when Brown lost his edge, retreating downhill to the oldies circuit). ~ Jason Birchmeier

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$4
 
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"Da Bomb, Vol. 3" (12/12/2000) R&B Godfather, DJ, Orchard (Distributor)DJ Godfather improves slightly on the third volume of this mix series, to the point of near perfection. Gone are the out of place hip-hop sets that concluded the two preceding volumes, and he manages to present a wider variety of tracks here, with a fun emphasis on booty tracks. The inclusion of tracks by his closest competitor in Detroit's ghettotech scene, DJ Assault, only strengths the mix. Tracks such as "Ass-N-Titties" and "Shake It Baby," along with a few other Assault classics, fit in perfectly with Godfather's style. Furthermore, Godfather doesn't let his peer steal the show and concludes the set with a great track of his own, "Player Haters in Dis House." The inclusion of Detroit electro classics such as Model 500's "No UFOs" -- sounding like it's being spun at 45 rpm rather than 33 -- only brings more interesting moments to the set. So rather than functioning as strictly a great up-tempo dance mix -- which it no doubt is -- this volume also has more than a few noteworthy moments for trainspotters as well, making it one of the best recorded testaments of Detroit's post-modern style of ghettotech DJing. ~ Jason Birchmeier
 
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"Da Bomb, Vol. 2" (12/05/2000) R&B Godfather, DJ, Orchard (Distributor)On the second volume in his series of mix CDs, DJ Godfather makes great strides over his mediocre first volume. Essentially, this is practically the same mix -- even with the same sort of mini hip-hop set at the end -- but this time Godfather mixes are much cleaner, and he has a better arsenal of tracks to choose from. Of the 60 tracks that precede the hip-hop section of the mix, he alternates between Detroit electro such as Drexciya's "Aquatic Beta Particles," bass tracks with catchy vocal chants such as "Get Yo Jit On," and the occasional raunchy booty track such as "Dick-N-Balls." It's a potent mix that has become his signature style, though it tends to be a bit less pornographic than his succeeding volume. The hip-hop mix that begins with Puff Daddy's "Mo Money, Mo Problems" is the only questionable part of the mix. First of all, the trendiness of hip-hop means that even while the aforementioned Puff Daddy track may have been hot at the time of the mix, it has since become the butt of jokes. Furthermore, when he works tracks such as this into his set, they fit rather well; yet when he goes through an extended series of these records, it sounds too contrived. Finally, the accessible, simple tempo and beats of hip-hop seems far too anti-climatic relative to the craziness of his booty bass and electro tracks. ~ Jason Birchmeier
 

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"Message from the Godfather" (08/21/2001) R&B Taylor, James (Organ/Keys), Ubiquity RecordingsPersonnel: James Taylor (organ); John Wilmott (saxophone, flute); David Taylor (guitar); Gary Crockett (bass); Neil Robinson (drums). Includes liner notes by Snowboy. The music on this CD by the James Taylor Quartet (which is really a five-piece group) is purposely retro. Taylor (no, not that James Taylor!) is a British keyboardist who on this set sticks to the Hammond B-3 organ. The goal was to recapture the flavor of a Prestige or Blue Note soul-jazz session circa 1967-71. The group (Taylor, guitarist David Taylor, bassist Gary Crockett, drummer Neil Robinson, and John Willmott on saxophones and flute) are successful in bringing back the feel of the era. What is missing are any memorable melodies or original ideas, but since the groove is the thing, this set is successful within its limited scope, and easily recommended to soul-jazz organ collectors. ~ Scott Yanow

starting at

$19
 

starting at

$2
  • product
"Godfather Of Soul (Expanded)" (03/03/2003) R&B Brown, James, Spectrum Music (UK)This truly legendary James Brown album needs no introduction; 18 truly classic tracks are presented here. Reissue. The Godfather of Soul has several greatest-hits compilation to his name, and with good reason. Anyone with over four decades of solid soul and funk classics most definitely has enough to fill volume after volume of greatest-hits and best-of releases. While this isn't necessarily a definitive best-of collection, it most certainly covers the majority of his earliest (and some would say best) works. Most of these songs are already in the die-hard fan's collection, so this release would serve the newcomer or casual fan best. ~ Rob Theakston A budget-line two-fer featuring two of James Brown's live performances from the 1980s, Goldenlane's Godfather of Soul release is as generic as its title, if not more so. The '80s weren't the best of times for Brown, and it doesn't help that the two live recordings here -- a CD titled "Live in New York (1980)" and a DVD titled "Live at Castain Park (1985)," both hourlong shows featuring essentially the same set list -- are totally uneventful. Granted, it's impressive that Brown was still out there performing in the '80s, which was his fourth decade on-stage. He's still energetic and full of life here, for sure. However, he's all show biz at this late point, performing many of his greatest hits with a faceless backing band that seems well rehearsed yet showcases little creative spark. To make matters worse, the live CD recording is edited so that the tracks fade in and out, and the DVD consists mainly of a single camera focused on Brown exclusively, with an occasional shot of the entire band. All of this leaves room for few surprises. In fact, the biggest surprise is liable to be how lackluster this two-disc package actually is -- not only is the musical and video content dull, the packaging is dull too, providing no context whatsoever for these latter-day recordings. This Goldenlane two-fer ultimately has little to no appeal. Not even collectors or completists will find much value here. After all, there's more than enough James Brown out there to feast your ears and eyes upon, and if indeed you're looking for live performances, you'll want to find ones that predate these by a good decade or so (the mid-'70s are a good marker for when Brown lost his edge, retreating downhill to the oldies circuit). ~ Jason Birchmeier The Godfather of Soul has several greatest-hits compilation to his name, and with good reason. Anyone with over four decades of solid soul and funk classics most definitely has enough to fill volume after volume of greatest-hits and best-of releases. While this isn't necessarily a definitive best-of collection, it most certainly covers the majority of his earliest (and some would say best) works. Most of these songs are already in the die-hard fan's collection, so this release would serve the newcomer or casual fan best. ~ Rob Theakston

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$7
  • product
"The Godfather: The Very Best Of..." (04/29/2002) R&B Brown, James, Universal DistributionThis collection of music by soul and funk originator James Brown features 20 remastered classics, including "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Funky Drummer," "Living in America." There are so many James Brown compilations out there that it can be tough to pick which one is the most suitable for a particular listener's budget or pleasure. This set from Polydor in the U.K. is -- for a single disc -- quite solid if bare in places. Containing 20 tracks and presented for a very attractive price point, it contains all major hits -- albeit edited single versions of some of them like "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine." Of course, there is plenty missing, but it would be easy to come up with what is -- tracks like "Mother Popcorn," "Hot Pants," and "Ain't It Funky Now" are all very conspicuously absent. But it's difficult to argue with what is here, even of the later 1970s material. There is no single compilation of James Brown's music that can really be considered complete, but this one, containing all original recording sources and stellar material, stands with the best of them despite lacking some cuts. ~ Thom Jurek

starting at

$7
 

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$12
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"Godfather of Hip Hop *" (03/08/2005) R&B Spoonie Gee, Ol' Skool FlavaAs a forefather of rap and one of the few rappers ever to release a record in the '70s, Spoonie Gee dropped expansive storytelling rhymes nearly a decade before Slick Rick ever did, masterfully boasting his abilities as a lover through poetry like an over-caffeinated Cyrano de Bergerac. He was undoubtedly one of the fastest and smoothest rappers of the Sugarhill era, and on The Godfather of Hip Hop he proves capable of freestyling on and on, sometimes flowing past the seven- or eight-minute mark, in the vein of an '80s block party freestyle session. This seems perfectly appropriate, considering he got his chops passing the mike in situations like these in Manhattan with Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, and Special K (the Treacherous Three). The production quality of Spoonie's first couple songs are a lot like those released with his first crew: minimal drum-heavy jams with funk bass, cowbell, and claps, accented with encouragements to participate in the fun by rockin', freakin', and yellin' "yes, yes y'all." Such is the case with his most legendary cut, "Love Rap," in which he spins line after line over a simple drum-and-congo beat, all the while explaining the trials and tribulations of wooing the ladies. He's got a one-track mind: even on the battle-rhyme track "That's My Style," where he reprimands Schooly D for biting his style of delivery, he eventually ends up on a tangent about romancing his girl. You can't blame him; Spoonie's a lover, not a fighter. He makes that abundantly clear. But even though the themes of his raps are one-dimensional (girls, partying, and more girls), he's charismatic and engaging enough to keep the simple topic of female persuasion entertaining, which is quite impressive considering that his career lasted nearly ten years. The evolution of rap is clearly illustrated as the disc progresses, and listeners can trace the time line from early-'80s Sugar Hill Records joints ("Spoonin' Rap") to mid-'80s Tuff City Records songs with Marley Marl ("The Godfather") all the way up to the new jack-ish songs he recorded with Teddy Riley ("Did You Come to Party"). While the latter tracks are lackluster in comparison to the bigger hits at the beginning of the album, ultimately this is a solid compilation, and the only disc of entirely Spoonie Gee material that's still available. ~ Jason Lymangrover

starting at

$12
 

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$2
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"The Godfather Live in New York City" (03/09/1999) R&B Brown, James, Dressed To Kill (UK)James Brown deserves every moniker ever appended to him. He is Mr. Dynamite, Soul Brother #1, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business and, without qualification, the Godfather of Soul. With a track list that reads like the soul and R&B hit parade of the last 40 years, Brown revisits "This Is a Man's World," "Please, Please, Please," "(I Got You) I Feel Good," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Sex Machine," "Get Up Offa That Thing" and others of unspeakably stupendous funkability. Were this a case of Brown revisiting old glories and resting on his laurels, it would be easy to dismiss. But the Godfather churns it out harder than ever here, driving a crack band of horns, back-up vocals and full-throttle instrumental backing. This searing set is further proof that the Godfather of Soul has secured his title forever.

starting at

$2
 

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$3
  • product
"Godfather of Soul" (04/25/2000) R&B Brown, James, Spectrum Music (UK)The Godfather of Soul has several greatest-hits compilation to his name, and with good reason. Anyone with over four decades of solid soul and funk classics most definitely has enough to fill volume after volume of greatest-hits and best-of releases. While this isn't necessarily a definitive best-of collection, it most certainly covers the majority of his earliest (and some would say best) works. Most of these songs are already in the die-hard fan's collection, so this release would serve the newcomer or casual fan best. ~ Rob Theakston A budget-line two-fer featuring two of James Brown's live performances from the 1980s, Goldenlane's Godfather of Soul release is as generic as its title, if not more so. The '80s weren't the best of times for Brown, and it doesn't help that the two live recordings here -- a CD titled "Live in New York (1980)" and a DVD titled "Live at Castain Park (1985)," both hourlong shows featuring essentially the same set list -- are totally uneventful. Granted, it's impressive that Brown was still out there performing in the '80s, which was his fourth decade on-stage. He's still energetic and full of life here, for sure. However, he's all show biz at this late point, performing many of his greatest hits with a faceless backing band that seems well rehearsed yet showcases little creative spark. To make matters worse, the live CD recording is edited so that the tracks fade in and out, and the DVD consists mainly of a single camera focused on Brown exclusively, with an occasional shot of the entire band. All of this leaves room for few surprises. In fact, the biggest surprise is liable to be how lackluster this two-disc package actually is -- not only is the musical and video content dull, the packaging is dull too, providing no context whatsoever for these latter-day recordings. This Goldenlane two-fer ultimately has little to no appeal. Not even collectors or completists will find much value here. After all, there's more than enough James Brown out there to feast your ears and eyes upon, and if indeed you're looking for live performances, you'll want to find ones that predate these by a good decade or so (the mid-'70s are a good marker for when Brown lost his edge, retreating downhill to the oldies circuit). ~ Jason Birchmeier

starting at

$3
Deals on Rap godfather in R&B, Hip Hop & Rap Music. Visit BizRate to find the best deals on R&B, Hip Hop & Rap Music. See which Music stores have the Rap godfather that you want. Read reviews on Music merchants and buy with confidence. Find savings on Godfather of Soul [Madacy] by James Brown (CD - 2007) - Godfather Buried Alive [PA] * by Shyne (CD - 08/10/2004).