The Left - How We Live (feat. Ha**aan Mackey)
what did you think of this album, HONESTLY?...the heads are hailing it as a "Cla**ic" but i beg to differ, perhaps its cos i felt APOLLO BROWN borrowed so much from DJ MUGGS' beat making style the record almost felt like it was desigined for someone like CHASE INFINITE or PLANET ASIA...anyhow, its a good bump...but in my humble opinion, far from a "cla**ic"...!
Maybe Im an Apollo groupie hahahaha i dunno...but I feel this album goes HARD...Muggs???...na man if you listen to The Left and Muggs n Planet Asia's Pain Language, you will notice a distinct contrast...Apollo's samples are way more soulful and his kicks and snares are way more hard hitting than Muggs, oh and his samples are smoother...Muggs has alotta "transylvanian" samples hahahaha especially on Kill Devil Hills with Ill Bill...like this one for instance...
DJ Muggs & Planet Asia - Death Frees Every Soul (feat. Sick Jacken) (i LOVE the sample)
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Apollo is soul, Muggs troubles souls
LOL, aight, aight...check...when he dropped "the reset" then "brown study" with Boog Brown hed just come out of a very long hiatus (6 years to be exact), his style of beats was pretty much still in the same vein as what he used to do, thats why he felt comfortable running with "MELLO MUSIC GROUP" cos they got laid back producers like ODDISEE on the roster...long story short, after RE-establishing himself with those two albums he felt that he had to climb out of his comfort zone when he put together "GAS MASK".
my view is that he was trying to shed the typical "soul" infused joints for something a bit more rougher around the edges. did he do it with a bit of soul, YES, but he had to school himself on how to do it without sounding too typical of his original production layout...i speak on MUGGS cos no one can rep DARK but SOULFUL like he can. heres a CLa**IC we both know "when the fat lady sings" with GZA...listen to that there joint or even better yet "the rock rock on" which is MUGGS' latest production offa the "LA/PHILLIPINES" record with BAMBU & youl see that MUGGS has SOUL but reps it with a grimey signature...
as for the DRUMS...i dont think you want to get me started on those...the DRUM PATTERNING on "GAS MASK" is so generic, it lacks any form of experimentation, i find that its more safe than daring & the beats are carried more by the melody than they are by the power behind the drums...
moreover, you cant compare the way DJs and proudcers pattern drums cos for DJs it is never the same. the DJ's technique of patterning drums with turntables ensures versitility everyTIME. thats why "general principles" from MUGGS vs GZA is NOT the same as "pow wow drums" by MUGGS vs BAMBU, even though to the untrained ear it may appear like the "same" beat.
just as a quick add ON...thats why APOLLO BROWN has a DJ in "The left"
