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Austin Live Music >
Austin Bands >A >Aceyalone
All Balls Don"t Bounce
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Aceyalone Album Review:
A lyrical masterpiece, straight from the underground at 2005-12-04
Aceyalone has always been one of the great underground emcees in the game. His lyrical talent is unmatchable, and he is, in my opinion, THE GREATEST MC OF ALL TIME. This is a classic; it has everything you want in an album, including masterful lyrics. Standout tracks: Arhythamaticulas, All Balls, Mr. Outsider.
Aceyalone Album Review:
The Greatest Show on Earth at 2005-10-19
Ace 1 Brings us Another tight album filled with abstract rhymes and funky jazzy beats. The music has a very laid back feel to it and it is the perfect soundtrack to chill to on a hot summer day. The samples on the album are quite different from anything youve ever heard from ACE before they range from 70s funk and jazz to straight up Westcoast Hiphop. This is the main reason why Ace is such a great MC instead of just releasing the same album every two years he does something completely different on each release. Ace is also a pretty dope lyricist he mixes abstract lines with story telling poetry and even though it may sound like giberish at first I find that the more you listen to ACE the more his lyrics make sense. This album is not quite a classic but it is still a CD that no true Hiphop head should be without 4 MICS
Aceyalone Album Review:
Hip-Hop Essential! at 2005-07-23
I feel pity for those of you who think that 50 Cent and Eminem are great hip-hop lyricists, they have nothin on Aceyalone, he could easily outrap them for days, real hip-hop lives on the underground yall, buy this if you love hip-hop and not pop rap!
Aceyalone Album Review:
All Balls Dont Bounce is mind-blowing at 2006-02-20
Basically, every time I want to listen to some real hip-hop, I put in All Balls Dont Bounce. Ive been listening to this CD quite a bit lately. I love Arhthymaticulus, with Aceyalones rapid-style delivery and its spacey beat. Mic Check is another great song here. Once you get into that drum-beat with Aceyalone spitting those non-stop abstract rhymes, youre hooked on this song and you cant stop bobbing your head. Makeba is another sure-shot winner here with its dark beat and bass in the background. Aceyalones conversational rhymes are at their best on Makeba. It might even take a few listens before you get into Makeba because of its intensely dark sound. Mr. Outsider has a semi-decent beat and is very cryptic lyrically. Deep and Wide is short and sweet with its mesmerizing beat and spiritual quality. The opening song, All Balls, has a kind of jazzy feel to it, which allows for Aceyalones rhymes to be very clearly heard and articulated. Headaches and Woes has one of the most bouncy beats on the disc, and Ace makes the most of it lyrically. He raps, Because every so often I sit and I wonder why I even trip at all, cuz half are down when I get down, the other half want to see me fall. Clearly, he knows not everyone is going to appreciate his abstract rhymes and delivery, and this is his way of saying that. B-boy Kingdom is kind of a change of pace here as it is basically gangsta rap. It tells the story of some government plan to kill hip-hop and how Acey and his crew kill off the enemies. The thing about Aceyalone is that his rhymes dont seem to make that much sense. But, when you listen carefully, you discover there is some sense in his lyrics. Plus, his delivery is incredible. All in all, I would have to say this is a strong debut from Aceyalone. Its kind of difficult to listen to All Balls Dont Bounce from start to finish. That doesnt take away from the fact that its a mind-blowing record. It just means certain songs could have been trimmed from the final cut. The bonus disc that comes with All Balls Dont Bounce Revisited is not all that essential. However, after hearing All Balls Dont Bounce a few times through, it is puzzling as to why Aceyalone is not more widely recognized and appreciated in the music world.
Aceyalone Album Review:
All Balls Dont Bounce at 2005-01-09
This is one of the dopest lps in hip hop.definite must have.
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Hip Hop And The World We Live In
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Aceyalone Album Review:
Something to tie you over at 2005-05-26
This album of unreleased material dropped in 2002 to tie fans over between Aceys Accepted Eclectic and Love and Hate albums. So if you have Aceys 4 LPs already but dont have this, I recommend picking this up to tie you over until Aceys next release. Thats really what its good for.This album is solid, yet nothing to be overly excited over. Aceyalone shows har far good rhyming can take you because the beats on this album are lacking. Elusive produces the whole thing. While the beats arent the worst youve heard, overall theyre way too laid-back and boring over the course of the album. Not one was really upbeat. Elusives lifeless strings and pianos get old quite fast, and almost leave Acey as a fish straight out of water.Acey keeps it tight, although not one song was truly jaw-dropping. The best songs are Bigger They Come, I Think I Know Too Much, and possibly Say, but they dont quite rank with Aces best material. To his credit though, not one song is terrible, and there are many others that are interesting or totally new ground for him. He even shows bursts of energy (such as Scribble on a Clean Surface and Say) which he never really displayed on the previous Accepted Eclectic. The last 4 or 5 songs are really good, as is I Think... and maybe Future Rockers. Everything else is decent, but kinda forgettable.All in all, not a must have Aceyalone album, but not a bad entry into his catalog. Its definitely for diehards (like myself), and who isnt whos actually heard him before? Acey still very much has IT, and look out for a new solo coming this year, hopefully. I cant wait to see him back in Phoenix again, this time with the rest of the Project Blowed! If you dont know, you need to know, yall...
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Love & Hate
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Aceyalone Album Review:
Whats Crack-a-lackin at 2004-02-25
It is sad that music like this never makes it into the mainstream. Aceyalone speaks intelligently and clearly with a vocabulary that is pleasant to listen too - not angry and aggressive, with a pointless message - like most of the crap on the radio. This album does have some of an 80s feel - but that is the current trend in Rock - Ace should be commended for being on the forefront of his genre - and NOT sticking to the same old thing (as other reviews have mentioned). I think this album is better than some of the others - you wont be disappointed.
Aceyalone Album Review:
Every rapper in the house shut the funk up! at 2003-11-13
Despite all the criticism, this is yet another solid gem dropped by the most gifted (and underrated) MC the world has ever known. As mainstream as people may think this sounds, or as much as some say Acey is selling out, this is still light years ahead of any of the MTV and radio garbage being strewn about these days. In fact, it outshines most of Aceys underground contemporaries. Part of Aceys magic lies in his ability to hit you with what youre not expecting, and no two albums ever sound the same. So what if this isnt on the same level as a Book of Human Language. I seriously doubt it was meant to be. What this album brings to the table is exactly what we expect from Aceyalone, and what he comes through with every time: bangin songs, witty insightfulness, some of the coldest wordplay, and of course, unexpected twists throughout...The most noticable twist on this album is Ace Ones use of a more contemporary canvas to paint his lyrical brushstrokes over. As far as beats go, he trades in his usual crispy, sampled straight-off-the-SP1200 background for more modern electronic and bass-heavy sounds provided by producers PNG and RJD2, with a guest appearance by Project Blowed veteran Fat Jack (on the silky smooth The Saga Continues featuring the forever chill Abstract Rude) and Def Juxs El-P (who also raps on the dark, twisted City of Sh*t). Some of the album even brings some RnB flavor to the mix (another unexpected twist) with Goapele crooning through the hook of the haunting Moonlit Skies, and neo-soul underground rockers The Soul of John Black provide the vocal and musical engine for Aceys mothership on Ace Cowboy. Bouncy and rhythmic tracks like Junkman, Let me Hear Sumn, and Find Out could keep all hands in the air at the club, while keeping the intellectual ear strained to decipher Aceys razor-sharp and intelligent flow; and the deep and mysterious title track makes a heavy statement on the most basic yet complex of human emotions. All in all, this album delivers something for just about everybody, and would serve not only as a solid addition to any fans collection, but also as a perfect introduction to anyone who is unfamiliar with the worlds greatest. And to those of you who think Acey has gone mainstream, check out the just-released Project Blowed presents the Good Brothers, a compilation of some of the most ORIGINAL and talented west coast rappers today, with Aceyalone at the forefront of most of the tracks. Definitely not what Id call mainstream...also, die-hard fans should check out Hip Hop and the World we Live In, a collection of unreleased Aceyelone gems, all produced by Elusive of the Living Legends crew. Fans can appreciate this more on the same level as Human Language. It was only released in limited quantities though, so grab a copy while you can. This should be plenty to hold you over until we hear from Ace One again, and who knows what he will bring to the table next time?....
Aceyalone Album Review:
Are you really listening to the cd? at 2006-02-17
If you are actually an Aceyalone fan, you would know that Love and Hate is mostly just a bunch of nonsense. Aceyalone fans know that there are a lot more cds than just Accepted Eclectic and beyond. They recognize the knowledge that Freestyle Fellowship jumpstarted hip-hop in California, and then pushed the East Coast more than anyone could have seen happening. Love and Hate is a bunch of redundant nonsense beats, done by nonsensical producers. The only songs that have production worth hearing are the songs produced by Riddlore and El-P, and if I have to listen to Goapeles poor excuse for singing again, my ears may explode. May I mention that the only sick El-P song is a ton of idiotic, blabbering nursey rhymes? Aceyalone tried to gain a different audience with this cd, and I believe, failed miserably. I would expect so much more from an artist so distinguished in the hip-hop career he has. Have you heard The Hunt, or Makeba? The previous cds have been more about the hip-hop aspect of things, then about gaining a broader crowd. If you want to waste your money, buy this... if you dont, buy the Aceyalone- All Balls Dont Bounce re-release.
Aceyalone Album Review:
ACE COWBOY at 2005-10-20
Yea I can Kind of see like some of the other reviewers why they might be upset with this release Ace tired to do a concept joint and 85% of the time he pulls it off flawlessly The other 15% is pretty corny. Like the song with EL-P this is the worst excuse for a Hiphop song I have ever heard. Most of the music on this album is a mixture of soulful bi-polar funk Hiphop that is based loosely on the concept of love and hate. Now I see a couple of reviews talking about how ACE fell off lyricly but I dont really know how you rate a lyricist like ACE one way or the other because his lyrics dont make much sense to begin with if you are into abstract poetry you will probably enjoy the lyrical stylings of Ace 1. This is not a five star album and while I feel Acealone is an aquired taste it is certainly worth more than 1 star enjoy this and any of his other albums.
Aceyalone Album Review:
This heres gon blow your (...) brains at 2005-04-12
I can see how some would be dissappointed by Aceyalones latest solo. It seems as if he didnt push himself lyrically as he usually does. However, its important to point out that this is a solo album that is different from anything hes done, as with every other cd hes done. Its obvious hes trying to push the musical aspect for once, as he employs producers like RJD2, PMG, Fat Jack, and El-P to liven the mood.Even though the lyrical gems are sparse(for Acey), he still packs moments such as the exhilirating Takeoff, political and social commentary of Ms. Amerikka, and the pure funk of Ace Cowboy, which are three of the best songs of his career. Otherwise youre left to pick and choose. Junkman isnt anything special, but it does its job: warming the album up. Not feeling Let Me Hear Sumn(w/ Casual of Hieroglyphics and Big Arch) too much, but Lost Your Mind does what it intends: hype up the party without selling out the lyrics. Abstract Rude makes his usual appearance on the mellow The Saga Continues, but it seems to be a little to much business as usual for them at least. A fine song, no doubt, but almost too laid-back and we know they can push the boundaries further than that. Find Out(w/ Riddlore) is quite a winner as a party starter with solid lyrics. City of Sh#t(w/ El-P) is actually amusing once you get past the initial discomfort*hint,hint*. There are some songs where he feels the propensity to cuss more than usual on tracks like Lost Your Mind, The Takeoff, the title track, and City of Sh**. Overall, its still the usual Acey and he never fumbles a verse or shows signs of selling-out.Actually, this cd would be great to blast at a party and play all the way through! Plenty of high energy moments with some chill-out songs in the middle like The Saga Continues and Moonlit Skies(w/ crooner Goapele). The album is not completely devoid of intellectual moments and mental stimuli in case youre worried, but its a solid party album, and not a mainstream ploy! The top 5 songs off Love and Hate are Ace Cowboy, Ms. Amerikka, Takeoff, So Much Pain,(w/ Riddlore and Self-Jupiter) and Moonlit Skies. Acey did it like he always does (gives us what were not expecting), yet longtime fans are hoping for more focus on his masterful lyrical game next time around, but this is acceptable. A good place to start out if youve never heard Aceyalone, if you can get this for a reasonable price, and more solid material from one of Hiphops elite.
Aceyalone Album Editorial:
Aceyalone might be the ultimate rappers rapper but like Chuck D he doesnt rhyme for the sake of riddlin. His lyricism betrays a love affair with words and language as he pours every facet of his complex personality through his verses. It makes for inspired wordplay certainly and on his latest CD (his fourth solo effort) Acey continues to spill out a stream of consciousness that crashes upon the flood gates. Junkman continues his battle-rap tradition as he drums the dumbs then he flips around and attacks the nations spiritual ennui with Ms. AmeriKKKa. Hes even going after the party crowd with his bouncy Lost Your Mind. The weak point remains the production Aceys perpetual limitation as the album includes some snoozers like the glitchy electro In Stereo. But on the whole the album achieves a smart balance between hard-driving cuts like Find Out and the smoother lounge sounds of The Saga Continues. Oliver Wang
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Dirty Sounds
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Aceyalone Album Review:
Eh at 2001-04-14
Once again, Aceyalone has put out another album as hastily as he possibly can. Accepted Eclectic was released less than a month ago, and Declaration of an Independent was realeased along with Haiku Detat not long before these. Aceyalone, with tremendous talent, has put out great records before, and even when he flings out album after album as fast as he can, they are still decent. But it is not hard to hear the lack of time put into this album. Aceyalone should start applying his talent better, like he used to.
Aceyalone Album Editorial:
12 amazing dope tracks. Great underground Hip Hop
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