NEW AMERYKAH, POLL 1 (4th World War)

Me was a close 2nd

'real thang'

Telephone

hip-hop
is bigger than religion

master teacher pt 2.

Right I just listened to this to decide. It's Me, The Cell or 2nd part of Master Teacher... or Telephone.. one of those anyway.

cell is way overrated. it sounds like something from 91.

I'm compelled to admit I prefer the tornadic first half of "master teacher," just to balance the scales.

cell nu amerykah pt. 1 is way overrated.
― titchyschneiderMk2

I think this is what you meant to write.

Plus, sounds like 1991 sounds like awesome.

yep

"The Cell" sounds like something from 1973, specifically, something by Stevie Wonder.

stevie wonder was using lightweight breakbeats and blanded out synths in 1973?

the whole album sounds like it wishes it lived back in 1973. is that good or bad? i dunno. but that doesn't mean i wouldn't take Call Me and Fresh (and Burnin') over this had ir been released then.

there are about 3 or 4 tracks tops that sound like they could have been made back then. even then, only amerykahn promise sounds *properly* retro, everything else in that old school soul/jazz/funk vein sounds like its been made recently.

The Cell has synths?

The wobbly bassline and finger snaps in "The Healer" set an incredibly nice vibe in the room everytime i put this on, so I'm going with that. I must say, I don't really like the first track, though. I think it's a little too aggressive sounding, and seems out of place with the rest of the album.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

i am pretty cool with these results, aside from "Honey" getting shafted

Yeah wtf?

well i'm not saying that's surprising, generally i think people who know an album won't vote for the single in a poll like this even if they like it

Also, "Honey" kind of feels like an addendum to, rather than a component of the album.

wtf, people; this is the only thread where we can specifically talk about this album!!?

anyhow, i din't want to sidetrack the whatcha listening to thread any further... so i'll post this here instead:

"New Amerykah makes me think of something Matos told me about Sign O the Times: "You will never get to the bottom of that album." It is the meatiest album I've heard in a long time."

sure. but so what? the main difference between the two, for me, being that SotT has at least ten GRATE songs on it; whereas, New Amerykah... has what esactly??? i mean, i keep waiting for the damn songs to sink in, but it just ain't happening. yet.

SotT has at least ten GRATE songs on it; whereas, New Amerykah... has what esactly???

11.

i mean, i keep waiting for the damn songs to sink in, but it just ain't happening. yet.

I don't know how long you've had it, but it took me about 3 months to realize this album's greatness.

hahaha--now if only i could remember any of them...

xp

i've had it since March. :(

took me 1 listen

well yeah, it sounded good right off the bat for me as well; i just don't get any of this "album of the year" nonsense.

Album of the year nothing. This is an all-timer.

gah! the love you guys express for this makes me feel like i'm listening to an entirely different album. hey, maybe that's it...

i loved Mama's Gun, btw.

It's been my experience here on ILX that those most strenuously resisting this album are also those who can't get beyond Mama's Gun (which I love also, but I've moved on).

but i'm not resisting it, strenuously or otherwise; it just doesn't seem to want to sink in for me. also, after eight months of trying to “get it”, i figure the problem must be with the album itself, and not with any unwarranted expectations i may have brought to the tale.

Look, if you don't like it, it's all good!

don't get an aneurysm forcing yourself to like it.

believe me, I felt the same way the first few weeks I was listening to it and not understanding all the crazy praise. I think it clicked one day when I had it on in the car. but yeah, like Alfred said, not worth forcing it if it's not happening.

haha, no. i'm just surprised with all the love it’s been receiving 'round about these parts. for me, it seems like the kind of record people will be denouncing five years (or so) down the line.

And won't you be really happy when that happens.

maybe it will be seen as overblown and slightly embarrassing in place but it's nowhere near as much those things as, say, The Love Below and probably better written and produced than that too.

xpost Anyway, no need to pull this misunderstood minoritarian act. The anemic results of this poll bear out the fact that you're hardly alone in not being moved by this record.

just put soldier on your headphones and bop around the streets to it, you'll love it. mmm, telephone, too, when it's early.

no. honestly i'm glad that people reaqlly love it, i just wish i understood why is all. no big deal. this too shall pass.

xxxp

anemic? 30 votes for a poll about an album that's only a few months old ain't bad.

xpost

Everything that falls short of the Now! poll results numbers is pretty anemic to me.

The Healer is a highlight but i don't think of it as being as much of a standout as these votes indicate. the main reason it's my year favourite is because i don't think there's a real dip and every track has some distinct value and power thru various means.

the main reason it's my year favourite is because i don't think there's a real dip and every track has some distinct value and power thru various means.

O! T! M!

i did not vote in this poll because i could not choose!

"The Healer" is really just the song that pops into my head when I think about this album.

i now associate 'The Healer' with being at the edge of Lake Brienz in the Swiss Alps. Shit is TRANQUIL.

Thank you, Paul McCartney for writing "Arrow Through Me" so Badu could pilfer it.

xp Lol I always thought that that "day and night, night and day..." part in That Hump was a callback to Didnt Cha Know

No votes for honey is insane, song's pure joy

What a perfect album this is. Can't believe it has already been 10 years!

damn I just realized "Twinkle" uses the drum pattern from "Sucker MCs"

this album is thirteen years old (!)

HOW DOES IT STILL SOUND SO CONTEMPORARY???

She should make another album

fr.

and since we're on the subject of things that will never happen: the world needs that erykah / andre3000 duets album more than ever at this point.

"me" is my jam, love that tune so much

― marcos, Friday, March 6, 2015 9:23 AM (six years ago) bookmarkflaglink

this is what i wdve voted for

i don't think we'll ever hear the badu/andre3000 album but I think we could definitely hear a new album from her at some point

I still think her Tiny Desk show is one of the greatest things I've seen in years - the only real competition is other online shows she's done - and I do wish she'd press it up on vinyl and sell it me

you speak truth, stevie. good man.

+1 for "Me"

Best album ever recorded.

nothing long form since the phone ep, right?

Which itself is like 8 years old now too, right?

OK, I guess only 6. Point is, every year without a new Badu album feels like an eternity.

WILL THEY EVER FIND THE VACCINE??