Holy Hip Hop DataBase

[switch to browse mode]


Search info

[advanced search]

LA Symphony - Disappear Here

Release:Disappear Here
Disappear Here
MyHHHdb
(what is this?) / 46 users have this
Media:[Audio CD]
Released:2005
Recordlabel:Gotee Records
Info:Credits
Mastered by Dan Shike at Tone and Volume Mastering.
Recorded at T2 Studios except for Timeless recorded at Evidence Studio.
Artist & Repertoire by Jason King.
Design by giant2.
Creative direction by Eddy Boer.
Photography by Robbie Jeffers.
Production by
Evidence - track 2
Great Jason - track 3
Flynn - tracks 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Madlib - track 5
CookBook - tracks 10, 12, 15
Sup the Chemist - track 13
Great Jason - track 14
Executive production by Toby McKeehan & Joey Elwood.

1. Finland intro
2. Timeless - featuring DJ Rhetmattic
3. Put Up or Shut Up
4. Money Song
5. Universal - featuring MURS
6. Dance Like
7. Funky Music
8. Hold On
9. C'est La Vie - featuring Tonex
10. Grand piano
11. Give - featuring Jenilee Reyes
12. Pops song
13. Less Than Zero
14. Rise - featuring Kiz Charasmatic
15. Don't Call Me
Rating:Our users rated this release: 8 out of 10
(Number of votes: 5)   Sign up or login to submit your vote

Add a review

Original author/source
Review
Review:When most people think about hip hop from the left coast, they quickly conjure up memories of the mid-nineties g-funk era. They picture low riders, Chuck Taylors, 40 oz bottles of St. Ides, and instrumentals laden with samples from “The Electric Worm”. There is another form of West Coast Hip Hop that sometimes gets overlooked; the Jurassic Fives, the Hieroglyphics, the Freestyle Fellowships, etc. Besides location, these West Coast groups have something else in common; they are all comprised of several MC’s and subscribe to the idea of power in numbers (a suitable title to J5’s second LP). LA Symphony is a five-MC-collective from Los Angeles, CA.

Stylistically, the Symphony is more J5 than Dogg Pound, bringing a conscious element to their rhymes. They also pass the mic like those collaborative groups; on some tracks switching up MC’s every four or eight bars, which seems to really work for them.

The party starts with the triumphant horn flourishes of “Timeless”, where the five rappers trade rhymes over dark pianos, wah guitars, and sample scratches, effectively setting the tone for the album. The group tackles financial woes on the dope as hell “Money Song” and they do their best Busta Rhymes impressions on “Funky Music”. One thing that you’ll notice when listening to this album is that virtually every track has great production, with instrumental variation and dynamic ranges of sounds.

Some tracks fall into mediocrity, such as “Put Up or Shut Up” and “Dance Like”, which sound kind of similar to each other and don’t really have the heart or depth of some of the more polished tracks. Where “Give” has a sweltering female r & b chorus, “C’est La Vie” features a somewhat sappy chorus that might sound more comfortable on a poppy Black Eyed Peas single. The majority of the songs do have their own identities, however, and the rappers do a nice job balancing subject matter (music, money, fathers who stand by there families, women, etc.).

The fact that there are five rappers in the group helps LA Symphony, because they don’t always show the lyrical prowess of some of their contemporaries . There’s no immediately indentifiable stand out voice either (i.e. Chali 2na or Del). But there is a chemistry between these MC’s, and it is interesting to listen to them pass the mic. The rappers spit full verses on a number of songs (“Grand Piano” and “Give”), and pull that off well, too. With Disappear Here they show that they are as promising and talented as they are accomplished.


3 of 5 afros

– A.D.
source: Okayplayer.com, added: Aug 12, 2006
Review:Written by SSRC
Monday, 21 November 2005
LA Symphony - Disappear Here

The super group has officially returned with another album for the masses. It has been a while since we last heard from the guys and have been living off the group member’s solid solo albums as we patiently waited for a new album. After the mediocre reviews from their last LP the Symphony look to come back harder and stronger with their latest effort.

After a couple listens what sticks out the most on Disappear Here is the way the remaining five members have come together as a group. The last album had a couple Pigeon John verses and it was hard to get used to the group with the trimmed down line up. Now there is no sign of the older members and that has added to this album. They have grown as a group and you can really hear it on Disappear Here.

Rap music has diversified more then your average portfolio and we now have a style for everyone. Emcees have the chore of appealing to everyone’s varied tastes. Fortunately, after years in the rap game the Symphony has successfully mastered many styles and Disappear Here is evidence of this. Songs such as Dance Like or Funky Music would bang in any club with its hard tracks and intelligent lyrics. The first single Timeless is your underground single with kuts from Rhettmatic and a classic beat from Evidence. They also tug at your emotional strings with Hold On and with a Latin flavored track aimed at the ladies with C’est La Vive the group makes sure they have all their bases covered.

The Symphony put together a couple anthems on this LP with Put up or Shut Up and Pops Song. Put Up or Shut Up touches on making things happen for yourself and not relying on someone else to do things for you. Over a playful beat that keeps the neck snapping all five emcee’s deliver fresh verses with Joey L standing out with his short verse. Pop’s Song ranks up there with any tribute to mothers or fathers that we hear so often. It is really refreshing to hear a track about someone’s father as they don’t get the shine they should on Hip Hop tracks. With honest lyrics and a smooth beat Hip Hop fans world wide should be bumping this come Fathers Day. The album closes with the perfect track/skit. La Symphony has never been a group to shy away from their humorous side and they execute the style to perfection. Don’t Call Me had this reviewer laughing out loud all by himself in his living room. The group is honest and tells us how they feel but manage not to offend even if you have contributed to the making of this song. Pure Genius!!

Once again the La Symphony proves why they are one of the better groups out today. Any fans that might have been turned off by their last record will soon forget with the quality of this release. Disappear Here does a great job at showcasing each emcees strengths over top quality production. With the over indulgence of cookie cutter groups thrown together to sell records this album is a breath of fresh air. The chemistry that only comes from recording and performing together is evident and is something you cannot put a price on. Gotee has themselves a gem and let’s hope quality will turn into numbers and the Symphony won’t have to drop another money song on the next LP.


4 of 5 stars
source: Sphereofhiphop.com, added: Aug 12, 2006
Review:1
source: -1', added: Dec 31, 2014

[Support us] [About us] [Contact us] [MyHHHdb] [Charts] [RSS Feed] [Links] [Admin area]



:: ©2006-2014 BusyR. :: Powered by BusyR.com :: Donate [LTC LVayhECu7YTw9sxmfhG7ZgD4z75scoqeVN]