Dead Prez - Lets Get Free

How did serious efforts to combat racism go outta' style in Hip-Hop Land? Who knows. But the battle ain't over. Dead Prez would rather defend free speech and poor communities than waste their Warholian 15 minutes obsessing over booze, blunts, and hos. Dead Prez's lacerating lyrical stance is unapologetically socialist and pro-black, recalling X-Clan and Paris. This album is a recorded challenge to hardrocks to renew their sense of activism---Insane Clown Posse diehards need not apply. Neo-Black Panthers stic.man and M-1 attack a full spectrum of politically charged issues. Check the antiflossing manifesto "Hip Hop" ("Would you rather have a Lexus or justice?") which works well over brooding bass lines and bounce beats. On "Police State" the duo offer their take on police brutality while the Pan-Africanist "African" serves as a fitting ode to the Motherland. Interestingly, their revolutionary tactics are not just political, but rather serve as a rallying point for the mind, body, and soul. For the pro-vegetarianism of "Be Healthy" the duo somehow coax the usually juvenile Prodigy (of Mobb Deep) to wax about the evils of eating processed foods. Revolutionary indeed. And searing critiques of the powerful and corrupt continue on "They Schools," where the education system takes a lyrical beatdown over some synthesized string arrangements. Let's Get Free is geared toward those who would rather rage against the machine than be eaten by it. --Dalton Higgins Amazon.com

Nothing too Bad

-There are 20 empty tracks in-between the songs; so when listening to a CD player it doesn't play continuously
- The CD case isn't a real CD case
- Good quality music
- Dead Prez's best is on here
- Arrived on time with no hassle October 11, 2008

Let's Get Free didn't deliver for me.

I thought this cd would be great but it turned out to be a one hit wonder for me. The only song I like is #4 Hip Hop. All the other songs just miss the bar. My advice is to listen to the samples of the songs and then make your own judgement. I'll just stick to Lil' Flip. August 10, 2008

Hip Hop MASTERPIECE

Let's Get Free will go down in history as one of hip hop's high- water marks. Dead Prez can take a simple beat and turn it into a beast. Several tracks here raise the hair on your arms, and the album as a whole is destined to be a timeless classic. The track "Hip Hop" is brilliant, and remains a potent anthem no matter how many times you play it. Never has a hip hop song so squarely hit its mark; it manages to showcase everything that can elevate hip hop to a true art, and simultaneously rhymes off everything that's wrong with it.
Dead Prez are one of hip hop's most gifted practicioners, and also one of its smartest. No one in hip hop does it quite like Dead Prez.
April 5, 2008

Black Conscious Raising Music...

This VERY IMPORTANT album is not meant for non-Blacks, and unfortunately only Conscious Blacks will appreciate it. Non-Blacks can't stand to see/hear us exercising Umoja, they think everything we do (including liberating ourselves from them) has to have their input.

Long-Live-Dead-Prez!!! December 26, 2007

"Classic" Under Rated and Under Appreciated

This album is simply a "Classic" hip hop album. I'm a fan of all genre's and a big fan of all styles of hip hop/rap. One problem with hip hop/rap is that it's not balanced. I think hip hop/rap is at its best when its balanced out but at the moment the south movement is dominating and albums like this one have been long forgotten.

I agree with Alan Pounds "music obsessor" (Minneapolis, MN) review to a certian degree. Dead Prez has a lot of powerful lyrics and if you listen closely you will definately come away with a different perspective on things. But I Agree with Mr. Pounds review because I think at times Dead Prez show the anger they have and it comes out like racist lyrics. I definetly understand where they coming from but harsh lyrics against white america is not going to help there cause. What is going to help there revolution is there facts and strong passion.

But as far as the sound of the album, the production on the album is second to none, it has the gritty early 90's sound. It doesn't have the futuristic neptunes or the scott storch or timberland sound. The production sounds more like old school mobb deep - wu tang clan. Though the lyrics tend to get harsh they are cleverly written and to the point. The whole mood of the album makes you wonder where have the complete albums gone. We hear great singles or we hear an album with 4-5 solid tracks out of 12-14 but where are the albums you can play through.

All in all if you are a fan of early 90's hip hop - NWA, Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Public Enemy. Buy this ALBUM NOW. But if your more of a fan of today's hip hop and only today's hip hop TI - Lil Wayne - Young Jeezy - etc than you might need to skip this cd. But I still think someway or another you need to hear the cd so atleast download it or borrow it from a friend.

Final Words: Its a shame that albums like this today are not recognized, there is no outlet for this. You have to really love music and hunt this type of music down. I've known of dead prez because of the hit single hip hop, but never listened to them until now. I think people need to experience music like this and it would be nice if artist with a voice - 50 cent, TI, Lil Wayne, Jeezy, would use there voice to put some real talk on there albums. We all know they have money, we all know they have cars, and we all know you are from the ghetto. Hell I'm from the ghetto Jersey City, New Jersey. But use your voice, your talent to tell stories about things other than your greed or how many ways you can murder some one June 4, 2007

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