|
|
Music CD - Marco Polo: Port Authority
|
Music CD: Port Authority
Artist: Marco Polo
List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $9.59
Your Save: $ 5.39 ( 36% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Red Urban Records
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Tracks:
|
1. Port Authority Intro
2. Get Busy ft Copywrite
3. Marquee ft O.C.
4. War ft Kardinal Offishall
5. Nostalgi ft Mast Ace
6. Wrong One ft Wordsworth
7. Low Budget Allstars ft Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, Oddisee, CY Young & Kaimbr
8. Speak Softly ft Jo Jo Pellegrino
9. Time & Place ft Ed O.G
10. The Radar ft Large Professor
11. All My Love ft Jaysaun
12. Lay It Down ft Roc Marciano (of the Un)
13. Go Around ft Buckshot
14. Hood Tales ft Kool G Rap & D.V. Alias Khryst
15. Heat f Supastition
16. Rolling ft Sadat X. Ju Ju (of the Beatnuts) & AG
17. For the Future ft Critically Acclaimed
18. Relax ft J*Davey
|
|
|
Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0857229000829
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Label: Red Urban Records
Manufacturer: Red Urban Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Red Urban Records
Release Date: 2007-05-15
Studio: Red Urban Records
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best Of 2007 Pt.2
Comment: its sad to say but some of the best albums of 2007 come from producers, but this is dope and one of the best albums in my collection. i mean dudes from canada, home of the best producers in the game.
1. Intro - NA - dont even bother playing this
2. Get Busy - 5/5 - dope song, sharp lyrics, dope scratches. its just a great way to start an album. get copywrites other music because its always dope.
3. Marquee - 5/5 - favorite cut from the album. love everything about it. i been a fan of OC sence i first heard Jewelz. one of the most over looked MC's proves again and again why hes one of the greats. D.I.T.C.
4. War - 4/5 - ok the beats hot. the verses are better then i thought they could be when kardinal is rapper. but the hook just doesnt flow right. i love the changes he talking about in the game of hip hop but it just doesnt sound right at points.
5. Nostaligia - 5/5 - talking about hip hop, future and present everyone needs to hear this song its a classic from a juice crew legend. the beat is amazing, lyrics are dope, cuts sound like some dj premier type music. i was amazed when i heard this song on much music.
6. Wrong One - 5/5 - been a fan for wordsworth from a long time and this is that track i love to play before i freestyle. this track gets you pumped. one of my favorite beats of the last few years.
7. Low Budget - 3/5 - the flaw is this feels to long its not like a wu tang clan song where you can have all these dudes rapping. still worth a listen but its not one i had on replay but still gets respect when compared to the other music coming out.
8. Speak Softly - 5/5 - never heard of this rapper but i was impressed but this track. come on fellaz we can all relate to at least one part of the song.
9. Time & Place - 5/5 - long time fan of EdO.G and this is a good song for new fans because it shows if ability. i really hope these to make some more music in the future.
10. The Radar - 5/5 - Another classic i loved the scratches and the beat. large pro the legend kills it just like it was 1990.
11. All My Love - 5/5 - and deep song that should make so of you think about your past growing up with struggle. its dope love the samples and beat.
12. Lay It Down - 5/5 - takes me back to 1988 i love this beat and could listen to it over and over again. but it you dont love oldschool you might think this track is annoying. i loved it.
13. Go Around - 5/5 - long time fan for black moon and its nice to hear buckshot on some mellow tip. i loved this track and you still get the black moon feel on the hook/ DUCK DOWN.
14. Hood Tales - 5/5 - kool g rap has yet to fall of this song sounds like something off of roots of evil. i love this track g rap kills very verse. the perfect song.
15. Heat - 4/5 - the beat has high and low points. at times i feel like im listening to some swollen members or somthing like that. lyrics not that dope when compared to others but the scratches are dope. WATCH THE MICROPHONE BURN.
16. Rollon - 4/5 - real smooth, nice song to sit back to but not grimy enough for me. love sadat x he kills it.
17. For The Future - 3/5 - not a bad song it just boring i mean the beats dope it just moves slow, but has a few dope parts. i could see some fans loving this song.
18. Relax - 3/5 - love female rappers but this dosent work. sounds oldschool, but not golden age.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Marco Polo - Port Authority
Comment: Canadian Hip Hop producer Marco Polo (A.K.A. Marco Bruno) delivers "Port Authority" (2007) an eighteen track release. The Toronto producer handles all the production, while MC's Copywrite, O.C., Kardinal Offishal, Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, Oddisee, CY Young, Kaimbr, Jo Jo Pellegrino, Ed O.G, Large Professor, Jaysaun, Roc Marciano, Buckshot, Kool G Rap, D.V. Alias Khryst, Supastition, Sadat X. Ju Ju, AG, Critically Acclaimed & J*Davey all make contributions to this release. After the intro Ohio's Copywrite makes an appearance on "Get Busy", Polo's production is on point, while Copywrite is not the most entertaining of MC's on this cut. Next up is "Marquee" which features an appearance from slept on Brooklyn MC O.C. who delivers a decent track. Marco Polo laces Canadian MC Kardinal Offishal with a tight beat on "War". Brooklyn Rap veteran Masta Ace kicks some knowledge reflecting on what Hip Hop used to be and where it is now on the standout "Nostalgia". Next up is "Wrong One" which features an appearance from underground MC Wordsworth, I came across his release "Mirror Music" (2004) a few years ago and was impressed. The album's biggest collaboration has members of the "Low Budget All Stars" crew teaming up: Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, Oddisee, CY Young & Kaimbr all drop verses on this lengthy track. Marco Polo has Italian roots as does Jo Jo Pellegrino who rips up the ominous "Speak Softly". More veteran MC's make appearances first up is Boston MC Ed. O.G. on "Time & Place" , then Queen's Producer/MC Large Professor appears on "The Radar". Jaysun rhymes about his dead beat pops on "All My Love", dropping lines like "Dad disgraced me the streets embraced me", Marco Polo provides some memorable production for the cut. Rock Marciano (of the un) makes an appearance on "Lay It Down" which features a repetitive hard hitting beat from Polo. Black Moon/Boot Camp Clik's Buckshot is featured on "Go Around", rhyming and singing his own chorus providing a head nodder. Marco Polo's dark production works well matching Kool G Rap's grimy style on "Hood Tales" feat. DV Alias Khrist. Underground North Carolina MC Supastition appears on "Heat", dropping lines like "to me its unattractive like Whoopi goldberg Buttnaked on a mattress". Sadat X. Ju Ju (of the Beatnuts) & AG drop in for "Rollin'" a track dedicated to getting blunted. Critically Acclaimed (of Low Budget) makes a solid appearance on "For The Future", Polo flips the script on this release lacing the track with some of his most upbeat laidback production on the release, feeling it. In an interview Marco Polo said how his pops put him on to A Tribe Called Quest, "Relax" is his own version of the Tribe classic "Electric Relaxation", which features an appearance from female vocalist Jack Davey (A.K.A. Brianna Cartwright) of the duo J*Davey. Marco Polo provides a substantial project with "Port Authority", a release worth checking out. 3.5.
Customer Rating:
Summary: "You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with"
Comment: On the intro to Marco Polo's 2007 album "Port Authority," he announces "They say you're only as good as the people you surround yourself with...and that I do believe, you know what I mean?" This statement proves much more ironic than Marco knows.
Before buying this album, I was only vaguely familiar with the Toronto producer, mostly from his work with Masta Ace on A Long Hot Summer. The incredible list of guest rappers made me want this album. From a lyrical standpoint, this would be a producer's dream, having such legends as Large Professor, Masta Ace, Sadat X, O.C., Ed O.G., and A.G., as well as young underground rappers like Kardinal Offishall, Kev Brown, Ken Starr, and Wordsworth, on a debut album. As you'd expect, they don't bring their absolute bests, because these are all guest appearances, but you couldn't ask for any more from these guys. They bring clever lyricism and concepts to an album, and in that respect it brings back memories of these type of dream-team collaborations from the nineties.
Problem is, Marco doesn't make the kind of show-stealing beats that would normally warrant a producer's solo album. When a producer makes a solo album, I'm expecting the type of grabbing, show-stopping production like I've seen on Pete Rock, Jay Dee, No I.D., and DJ Jazzy Jeff's solo releases. On those producers' albums, they bring the same kind of big-name collaborators, but the spotlight never leaves the production. This is not the case on "Port Authority." Marco Polo doesn't really wow you with any beats here. There are some good beats, but not too many great ones. Too often, his beats are very repetitive, electronic, sparse, and even boring. There is also some definite filler material, on a tracklist that is a lengthy 18 tracks long, and almost every track is well over four minutes. It's too long. He gets outshined by the MCs on almost every song, and while it's expecting a lot for a young producer to stack up with legends, it's quite noticeable. The lack of creative and interesting beats is a problem.
After the intro, the album begins with the solid "Get Busy," a Copywrite collabo with a beat that sounds early Wu-Tang-esque, with winding violins and piano. I was excited to hear O.C. on "Marquee." While the beat's a little too repetitive, O.C. does a nice job like always and I like this song. A typically energetic Kardinal Offishall spits some nice verses on "War," but once again, I feel like Marco gets outshined on this track, the beat is pretty average. I like the single "Nostalgia" with the legendary Masta Ace. The beat to this song sounds just like the beat to the Masta Ace song "Soda & Soap" from A Long Hot Summer, but Ace's verses set this one apart, this song is very memorable. Wordsworth shows up for the okay "Wrong One," and the posse cut "Low Budget" is so called for its bare-bones beat, not the type you'd hope for on a producer's album, although the verses are all clever. I like Jo Jo Pellegrino's spot "Speak Softly," although it doesn't really stand out. Veteran Ed O.G. raps over a boring beat on "Time & Place," but his raps are substantial. One of my favorite rappers, Large Professor, shows up for "The Radar." His lines and concept is great, which is why I wish the beat was better, it's very average and forgettable. I had never heard of Jaysaun before "All My Love," but after hearing him here I know he is a rapper I will be looking out for in the future, because he provides the best guest appearance on the whole album. He tells an insightful and inspired story of a poor upbringing and struggles as a young biracial man. Unfortunately, I was not feeling this beat at all, the instrumentals sound uneasy and the vocal sample doesn't fit, the beat drags this song down a lot. "Lay It Down" is weak, a very repetitive and boring beat covered by monotonous verses from Rock Marciano. "Go Around" is by far the best song on the album. This has easily the best beat, a laidback, jazzy, and horn-driven number, and Buckshot's verses and great hook make this song very nice. Kool G Rap and D.V. Alias Khryst appear on the frenetic "Hood Tales," a pretty good song, and "Heat" featuring Supastition is also pretty nice. A very impressive crew of Brand Nubian's Sadat X, D.I.T.C.'s A.G., and the Beatnuts' JuJu rap on the decent "Rollin'." The beat on "For the Future" is creative, using a harp as the main instrumental. The album closes with "Relax," which is a cover of A Tribe Called Quest's classic "Electric Relaxation." As much as I love the original, truly one of my favorite songs, I have a hard time really loving this one because Marco didn't tweak the beat at all, nor did J. Davey significantly alter the lyrics. Nevertheless, it's hard to go too wrong when working on a classic of "Electric Relaxation"'s level, so it's a nice end to the album.
"Port Authority" impressed me in a way I didn't expect. Buying this, I was hoping for a producer's showcase, but this is definitely more of a rapper's show than the producer's. The star-studded guest list of legendary rappers makes for some good fun, but Marco's beats don't always. Marco is a solid producer, and I think he will continue to have a career as a low-profile beatmaker making music with talented lyricists. To join the company of the best producers in the biz, he will have to show more than he shows on "Port Authority." I recommend this album only to the more intense hip hop fans, because they will no doubt love hearing verses from O.C., Large Professor, Ed O.G., Masta Ace, and the other veteran rappers that grace Marco's beats, and the younger underground cats also do a nice job on the mic. But if you're looking a producer's showcase that features a similar guestlist, I'd steer you towards DJ Jazzy Jeff's recent release, The Return of the Magnificent, a really great and complete album with a similar concept.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Comment: overall this is an OK album
the beats are sicks but there are several skippable songs
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best Album of 2007
Comment: You remember when you got that "feel"? You know the one where you were FLOORED when you heard an album. This is the album of 2007 that has given me that feeling. I was sold when I heard the Nostalgia / War 12" single; I knew this album was going to be dope. It didn't let me down. While the Masta Ace "Nostalgia" cut stands out as the feel good joint of the year, don't sleep on Large Professor's "The Radar", Supastition's "Heat", Kardinal Offishall's "War", Buckshot's "Go Around", and the sleeper pick, Jaysaun's "All My Love".
If you have lost faith in hip hop or are just looking for a slamming album, grab this one. It will make you remember why you liked the music in the first place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
