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| Braille - Shades of Grey |
| Release: | Shades of Grey |
|  | | MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] [7/12inch Vinyl] | | Released: | 2004 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Recordlabel: | Syntax Records |
| Info: | A limited edition 20th anniversary release of “Shades of
Grey” was released in 2024 on grey and black vinyl.
Production by
- Kno : Track 1
- Weapon X : Track 2
- Tony Stone : Tracks 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15
- 9th Wonder : Track 4
- Jon Doe : Track 6
- Ohmega Watts : Tracks 7,12
- Celph Titled : Track 9
- Deepsix : Track 11
- Illmind : Track 14
Cuts from Rob Swift, Muneshine, Craig Rip and DJ Spark.
The version released in Japan has one bonus track.
1. Right this moment
2. It won't last - featuring Othello & Pigeon John
3. Hiphop music - featuring Rob Swift
4. 10 years
5. Statements (Part Two)
6. Microphone rush - featuring Manchild
7. The find
8. Keep on
9. Let go - featuring Supastition, The Masterminds
10. Poetry in motion (Part Two)
11. Life cipher
12. Goliath
13. Soul rock - featuring Ohmega Watts, Othello, Sharlok
Poems
14. Nobody
15. Shades of grey |
| Rating: | Our users rated this release: 7.4 out of 10
(Number of votes: 10) Sign up or login to submit your vote |
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Add a review
| | Review: | Braille - Shades of Grey Review
by b douglas gilbert (theTRu)
Have you ever spent some time staring at the clouds? Clouds
are pretty interesting to watch and study. They provide to
the sky a textured pattern and warn of upcoming weather
patterns. For instance, you know when a storm is brewing by
the cumulative shades of grey hanging overhead. Grey is kind
of like that; a colorless color that thrives in clouds of
confusion and impending danger. Braille brings light to this
fact that has become all to real in the world today. The
lack of color, the blurred lines, the confusing shades of
grey that make up much of our existence.
Shades of Grey, the result of a five-year writing and
recording effort, gives Braille an apt platform for "adding
color." Despite featuring an extremely diverse set of
producers and guest emcees, the album is amazingly centered
and wholly conceptualized. All the tracks mesh well together
throughout the course of the CD, blending seamlessly the
upbeat songs ("Hip Hop Music", "Microphone Rush") with
the laid-back and mellow ("10 Years", "Let Go"). This
rich, exquisite musical landscape that might normally
overshadow the words of an emcee are instead subject to
Braille as he vigorously delivers his message.
Braille's message falls right in line with the title and
diversity found on the album. Addressing issues such as the
lack of respect for hip hop, making your life count, and
persevering through the hard times, Braille offers clear cut
answers to the listener. The song, "Goliath" provides a
personal report of how to overcome your fears and stand
strong in your faith. With the Biblical account of David and
Goliath as the backdrop, Braille discusses how it's time to
address the giant that has been intimidating him and others
for far too long. Having quiescently stood by for much of
his life, Braille describes his actions as taking "one
shot, headed for Goliath." Other standout tracks include
"Poetry in Motion, Part 2" and "It Won't Last" which
features guest verses from Othello and Pigeon John, but
Shades of Grey really finds its strength as a cohesive
whole. Braille has set a high standard for hip hop with this
release.
In the title track, which closes the album and sums up much
of the message, Braille says, "[we'd] never grow without
these shades of grey." Every cloud has a silver lining.
Even storm clouds that seem to commandeer the sky, block out
any traces of light and offer no hope for resolution have a
positive aspect to them. However, it's not always easy to
see this because silver is simply another shade of grey.
4.5 of 5 CD's
| | source: Renown Magazine, added: Oct 11, 2006 |  |
| Review: | SHADES OF GREY (2004)
From the depths of side projects and guest appearances, an
older and wiser Braille resurfaces with his sophomore solo
recording, Shades of Grey. It has been a very long five
years since Braille first blasted onto the scene with his
amazing solo LifeFirst: Half the Battle. LifeFirst touted a
who's who list of underground producers; DJ Kno of
Cunninglynguists, CelphTitled, K IV and many more. The solid
tracks that each producer contributed were a large part of
the massive success enjoyed by the then seventeen-year-old
Braille. Five years later Braille continues his tradition of
enlisting top name producers. Shades of Grey boasts
production by none other than 9th Wonder, who is enjoying
his time in the limelight thanks to his efforts on Jay-Z's
swan song, "The Black Album" and with his group Little
Brother. Producer Tony Stone also unleashes his incredible
talent and blesses the record with a half-dozen blazing-hot
tracks.
Unbelievably amazing production is not the only aspect worth
mentioning; meaty spiritual content is abundantly
flourishing. A warning should be placed on this record:
"Advisory - Spiritually Explicit Lyrics." Braille has
grown up, and his lyrics have matured; Shades of Grey
verbally runs circles around his past work. Where LifeFirst
was very random and occasionally sporadic, Shades is like a
pack of lionesses executing an organized attack on the much
larger elephantthey just rip it apart. In this case Braille
is waging an attack on those who would say that there are no
moral absolutes, no black and white, just shades of grey.
That is the concept for this album, and as it should be, the
concept can be seen song after song. In "Right This
Moment" Braille is able to take the principle of Galatians
6:7 and give it a bit of a hip-hop twist:
"Right this moment, another rapper gets shot
You'd act surprised, but there's something you forgot
We reap what we sow, each lyric is a seed
Guns ain't killing rock stars, they only murder emcees"
The title track delves into a more thoughtful side and does
a great job of ending the album with this question and
answer:
"What happens?, when all the light slowly fades away
And you try to see God inside a Shades of Grey
He's ever-present, through our mistakes flaws and folly
He could have left me falling, but instead he called me
And I answered, silent and unsure what to say
Just thanking him for life even with the Shades of Grey"
"Hip Hop Music" is an ode to the art which Braille
"creates." Over a Tony Stone beat and lovely scratches
from Rob Swift of the X-Ecutioners, a love letter of sorts
is written in almost the same vein Common wrote "I Used to
Love H.E.R." In this letter Braille addresses those who
have only seen the art of hip-hop being abused. A very
honest, inspiring insight is given in the following
lines:
"I can't say hip-hop is all bad cause it isn't
Sometimes it makes me mad and I eject it from my system
This is an art-form, a form of expression
Communication, something that youth relate with
Gang related or peace statements, it's all up to the
artist
We got, freedom of speech and each aims for a different
target"
Braille's vocal style has changed a great deal since '99.
We were first introduced to the "new" Braille when he and
Ohmega Watts released the song "Butterflies" as Return to
Sender, yet another one of Braille's many side projects.
His voice had switched from a soft-spoken, lazy swagger to a
nasal, almost angry verbal assault. It was very different
from LifeFirst, and it took some getting used to. At times
it is still quite hard to sit through long listening
sessions of this new nasally Braille. However, his new tone
and delivery fit his new production incredibly. I suppose it
is a bit of a trade off.
Both of Braille's rhyme slinging partners, Ohmega Watts and
Othello, from Lightheaded make appearances, as well as
manchild from mars ill and the charming Pigeon John. The
multi-talented producer/emcee Ohmega Watts turns in the best
performance. The others deliver solid verses but are nothing
extraordinary; they really do not stand out from any of
their past performances.
This is a great release and well worth your hard earned time
and money. It will provide fuel for your thinking fire and
actually engage your mind. That, in and of itself is a
miracle for modern music. Braille is sincere in the message
he delivers, and his sincerity is easily heard in his music.
I enjoy this album most while driving and having the luxury
of being able to ponder the thoughts that are stirred with
each new listen. Go, buy the cd, come home and get all cozy,
put on your headphones (don't mess up your hair though) and
prepare yourself for Braille's discourse on moral absolutes
with a hip hop twist.
- Josh Weekly
October 2004 | | source: cmusicweb.com, added: Oct 11, 2006 | |
| Review: | 1 | | source: -1', added: Mar 17, 2015 | |
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