Gentle Jones
06-21-2003, 07:39 PM
http://hiphopinfinity.com/Albums/default.php?action=review&itemid=1776
Gentle Jones
Adult Language
Despite hailing from a place on Earth that seems to be practically silent as far as independent hip hop, Gentle Jones has overcome his Delaware roots to make a marginal amount of noise for himself. Using the internet's vast resources as his lone promotional tool, his name is likely known to almost anyone who has ever visited an underground hip hop web site. As we all know, however, it can be difficult to become a star in this genre if you don't have some kind of connection to a more famous crew or label. That's why it's a shame that Gentle's last album, Regular Sized Monster, was so slept on. It certainly wasn't for a lack of worthy music. Gentle is clearly an emceeing veteran and an imaginative, clever songwriter, which he proves repeatedly on Adult Language. His taste in production is just as good, as he utilizes a cadre of unknown producers who provide him with a variety of dope beats.
The first half of Adult Language is mostly filled with fun, less serious cuts, although Gentle and co. still maintain an intelligent vibe. For instance, "The Cleaners" is probably the first song in hip hop history to portray the life of a janitor. At first, it might sound like too strange of an idea, but Gentle and guests Jon Conner and Ill Son handle the subject matter with admirable humor, considering the occupation that their talking about. "These Trees" is an old-fashioned weed cut, but potheads Gentle and Delorean don't let the marijuana affect their writing skills, as both come off nicely here over a tight beat from Dale Chase. The Arrakis Records fam appear with Gentle on "Place To Be," with Digs Darklighter stealing the show on the leadoff verse. "All World" is yet another tight cut. Considering the hook, it sounds as if it's geared toward a live setting, but Gentle's unique personality makes it work on CD as well. Speaking of "unique," it's fairly unlikely that anyone else has ever attempted a Wizard of Oz themed hip hop song, but Gentle and FuseONE turn the unusual topic into an off-the-wall masterpiece. Captin Planit's ambitious, Irish-flavored production complements the two perfectly with a host of excellent samples.
A truly versatile emcee is a rare breed these days, but Gentle handles a wide range of concepts with the skill that only a veteran emcee is capable of having. His ability to switch from an amusing song like "The Cleaners" to something like "Air Force One," an ultra-abstract cut, is probably the strongest aspect of his music. He gets even more serious with "Faustus' Diary." His first-person narration as a deranged killer is written with unsettling dexterity. It'd be hard to tell this kind of story with the right feel to the beat, but 2root2's production is as fresh and haunting as the subject matter. The credit for best beat on the album, however, would have to go to Cheap Cologne for the electronic mayhem that is "City Vs. The Soil." Gentle and Unsung handle the beat easily though, as they speak on the dangers of technology.
As good as most of the albumis, there is the occasional problem. First of all, though they're certainly skilled rappers, Gentle employs a lot of guests here. They don't do anything to disrupt the flow of the album, but when literally half the songs contain another voice, it's noticeable. It definitely would not have hurt the quality of the songs to hear what Gentle had to say all by himself. To his credit, he mostly chose people that complemented his style, such as Unsung, Delorean, and FuseONE. The inclusion of Ill Son and Jon Conner, while not completely out of place in their guest appearances, does sound slightly peculiar, especially when paired with the likes of Gentle.
Though his songwriting is typically first-rate throughout Adult Language, there are a few questionable cuts. The anti-commercial vibe of "Insubstantial Sound" is much too played to be considered good while in the midst of the other original songs here. The same can be said for "I Hate Love Songs," which is a love song, ironically enough. "First State's Finest" has nice production, courtesy of Dale Chase, and a very dope hook (which sounds as if it's borrowed from somewhere, although I can't place the source), but Ill Son's verse is somewhat boring, and brings the song down as a whole. "Hijack," featuring Delorean, is not bad, but for some reason, it seems as if their telling of the story of the plane that went down in Pennsylvania on September 11th could have come off sharper. Keep in mind, these are not wack songs, they just seem rather mediocre in comparison to the stronger cuts which populate the majority of the record. It should also be noted that Gentle's delivery, while technically sound, might not be for everyone. The less adventurous listener could find it a little too different to enjoy over the course of a full length, although admittedly, it's not nearly as abrasive as say, Dose One. More importantly though, Adult Language is a very good album. For heads who like their hip hop to have a diverse taste to it, Gentle could be just what they're looking for.
by Saint
peace and respect
Gentle Jones
Gentle Jones
Adult Language
Despite hailing from a place on Earth that seems to be practically silent as far as independent hip hop, Gentle Jones has overcome his Delaware roots to make a marginal amount of noise for himself. Using the internet's vast resources as his lone promotional tool, his name is likely known to almost anyone who has ever visited an underground hip hop web site. As we all know, however, it can be difficult to become a star in this genre if you don't have some kind of connection to a more famous crew or label. That's why it's a shame that Gentle's last album, Regular Sized Monster, was so slept on. It certainly wasn't for a lack of worthy music. Gentle is clearly an emceeing veteran and an imaginative, clever songwriter, which he proves repeatedly on Adult Language. His taste in production is just as good, as he utilizes a cadre of unknown producers who provide him with a variety of dope beats.
The first half of Adult Language is mostly filled with fun, less serious cuts, although Gentle and co. still maintain an intelligent vibe. For instance, "The Cleaners" is probably the first song in hip hop history to portray the life of a janitor. At first, it might sound like too strange of an idea, but Gentle and guests Jon Conner and Ill Son handle the subject matter with admirable humor, considering the occupation that their talking about. "These Trees" is an old-fashioned weed cut, but potheads Gentle and Delorean don't let the marijuana affect their writing skills, as both come off nicely here over a tight beat from Dale Chase. The Arrakis Records fam appear with Gentle on "Place To Be," with Digs Darklighter stealing the show on the leadoff verse. "All World" is yet another tight cut. Considering the hook, it sounds as if it's geared toward a live setting, but Gentle's unique personality makes it work on CD as well. Speaking of "unique," it's fairly unlikely that anyone else has ever attempted a Wizard of Oz themed hip hop song, but Gentle and FuseONE turn the unusual topic into an off-the-wall masterpiece. Captin Planit's ambitious, Irish-flavored production complements the two perfectly with a host of excellent samples.
A truly versatile emcee is a rare breed these days, but Gentle handles a wide range of concepts with the skill that only a veteran emcee is capable of having. His ability to switch from an amusing song like "The Cleaners" to something like "Air Force One," an ultra-abstract cut, is probably the strongest aspect of his music. He gets even more serious with "Faustus' Diary." His first-person narration as a deranged killer is written with unsettling dexterity. It'd be hard to tell this kind of story with the right feel to the beat, but 2root2's production is as fresh and haunting as the subject matter. The credit for best beat on the album, however, would have to go to Cheap Cologne for the electronic mayhem that is "City Vs. The Soil." Gentle and Unsung handle the beat easily though, as they speak on the dangers of technology.
As good as most of the albumis, there is the occasional problem. First of all, though they're certainly skilled rappers, Gentle employs a lot of guests here. They don't do anything to disrupt the flow of the album, but when literally half the songs contain another voice, it's noticeable. It definitely would not have hurt the quality of the songs to hear what Gentle had to say all by himself. To his credit, he mostly chose people that complemented his style, such as Unsung, Delorean, and FuseONE. The inclusion of Ill Son and Jon Conner, while not completely out of place in their guest appearances, does sound slightly peculiar, especially when paired with the likes of Gentle.
Though his songwriting is typically first-rate throughout Adult Language, there are a few questionable cuts. The anti-commercial vibe of "Insubstantial Sound" is much too played to be considered good while in the midst of the other original songs here. The same can be said for "I Hate Love Songs," which is a love song, ironically enough. "First State's Finest" has nice production, courtesy of Dale Chase, and a very dope hook (which sounds as if it's borrowed from somewhere, although I can't place the source), but Ill Son's verse is somewhat boring, and brings the song down as a whole. "Hijack," featuring Delorean, is not bad, but for some reason, it seems as if their telling of the story of the plane that went down in Pennsylvania on September 11th could have come off sharper. Keep in mind, these are not wack songs, they just seem rather mediocre in comparison to the stronger cuts which populate the majority of the record. It should also be noted that Gentle's delivery, while technically sound, might not be for everyone. The less adventurous listener could find it a little too different to enjoy over the course of a full length, although admittedly, it's not nearly as abrasive as say, Dose One. More importantly though, Adult Language is a very good album. For heads who like their hip hop to have a diverse taste to it, Gentle could be just what they're looking for.
by Saint
peace and respect
Gentle Jones