I'm really starting 2 love experimental rap. Ever since Outkast released Stankonia in 2000 and E. Badu released Worldwide Underground in 2003, I'm really loving it. I just currently bought 2 new albums by Common & Mos Def. When I first listened to Common's Electric Circus, I was astonished by the music. It was sortful like he took some LSD on some of the tracks, but overall it was entertaining. With Mos Def's New Danger, I knew I wasn't about 2 expect another groundbreaker like Black On Both Sides. Instead, I got a genre-spanning, experimental rap album. I was astonished by all of the styles he showcased on this album. But, I like Electric Circus better out of the two I purchased. So, what's your pick for your favorite experimental rap album- Electric Circus or The New Danger?

I love the New Danger, never heard Electric Circus though

common is good
mos def is great

the new danger gets my vote...

Hmmmmm.....i've been getting into both albums as well. I loved Mos Def when I first heard it and Common took me a while to get into but then won me over. A tie.

I like both of these albums a lot. Between the two, Electric Circus is much more of a headphone experience for me, so I guess it gets my vote. They are both really good, expectation busting albums.

I have to go with The new Danger!

I like "Electric Circus" alot, but lyrically Mos is killing Common.

sinisterpentatonic said:

That's right C

Common don't wanna fuck with Mos.

i blast 'the new danger' every day...
been years since an album has had such heavy rotation

I haven't heard Common's "Electric Circus" but I know that blast Mos Def's "The New Danger" a lot since I got it. I think both are lyrically talented compared to all the bullshit on the radio, but Mos Def wins for me here...

let's see what Common has to offer on his upcoming album "BE"...I love his new single "The Corner"....

sinisterpentatonic said:

Please, sin-pen.

They are arguably the 2 best MCs in the game.

Com can MORE than hold his own with Mos. Don't sell him short.

T.N.D. is a bigger disappointment than E.C. Both are noble efforts, tho.

namepeace said:

T.N.D. a disapointment?!? WTF?

Puh! le-e-e-e-e-ase! Not to sound like a snob, but you must not have a true understanding of black rock or be a loyal fan of the genre. What Mos has done on this album has been a LOOOONG time coming! I know hip-hop purist were expecting something else, but if you're a fan of hip-hop and black rock, you'd understand the brillance of what Mos is doing. Mos gave us a preview on "Black on Both Sides" and made my dream come true with the release of T.N.D. IMO I hope he doesn't stray from the direction he's going in!

Now, I have much respect for Common and I absolutley loved E.C., I also wish he would've continued in the same direction, but from what I've been hearing/reading he's trying to redeem his lost fan base/regain his street cred, too fucking bad! Music being subjective and vibrating differently in each of our ears will always cause opinions to differ, but Common has never moved me lyrically like Mos. I love what he's trying to do, but he just doesn't make me put tracks on repeat so I can learn each verse, so I can flow with him while I'm bangin his disc.

I'll go with Common's Electric Circus for its bravery. The album is commended just for "Between Me, You and Liberation" alone. I've never heard another heterosexal MC come close to tackling homophobia like he has and not have his own sexuality questioned. It was a watershed moment not only for him, but for people who really pay attention to hip hop.

sinisterpentatonic said:

I understand enough, thank u very much.

2 critical points: 1) Mos dabbling in rock is like Deion playing baseball. As a baseball player, he was good. As a football player, he was all-world. 2) "LOOOONG time coming" is a good description for Mos' album. Which should have come with more of the real hip-hop. And most of us waited 5 years to get a rock album. That's nice and all, but it really wasn't all that.



The fact you consider it brilliant does not mean I don't understand its value. I just weigh it differently.

BRILLIANT is Madvillainy, which as I see it is far superior to either TND or EC. It's also miles ahead of what Mos did.

GOOD is what TND is. But it's just that.



So the fact that you like what he's doing makes everyone else wrong? Come on, now. I dug EC okay, but it was an uneven experiment. It had moments of brilliance buffeted by moments of haze.




Based on what you said:

1. You should really rethink your evaluation of my music knowledge.

2. You should really rethink your comparison of Mos and Common.

namepeace said:




Because it's you, I held my tongue a bit!




Don't forget Shuggie Otis. I know he had some great musicians with him, but to me it sounded like a Black Jack Johnson demo with a few Mos tracks slapped on for show.



I didn't get the feeling he really devoted himself to it. With all of his other things, and believe me, he's great at all the other stuff he does w/acting and all, he could win an Oscar someday, I get the feeling he wasn't really into it.



Again, I don't think he put enough time into it on first listen. But as I said in my first post, mebbe I'll revisit it later. To be honest, it came across as half-assed to me.



All of which is great. But if you take 5 years to make an album, it should have some kind of coherence. This one didn't. Getting great musicians to play on your album and melding different styles doesn't really do much for you if you don't really have a direction. That's the difference between, say, The Love Below or Madvillainy and this album. I love the fact Mos wants to evolve. But to me, there is an ADD-like quality to this album.



And that's fair.



I guess that was my point. Don't get it twisted. I am kinda hard on this album because I know Mos has the ability to be the greatest MC of all time.



Fair enough. Mea culpa. But even compared to those artists you mentioned, Mos' effort should be appreciated to a degree.



As am I. I've been following Mos since "Big Brother Beat." Com since "Soul By The Pound." I just don't think one is clearly superior to the other.

I have no doubt -- none -- about who Mos is, where he's from, what he's about, and what he can do. I just think he's a little distracted with everything goin' on and it showed on this album.

Which brings me back to my basic points. IMHO: 1) Com is one of the best around and shouldn't take a backseat to anyone this side of Rakim. 2) TND was a disappointment considering what Mos is capable of.