eMC - The Show

The Hip Hop world has long been looking for a breath of fresh air and four legendary emcees are about to step up together, as EMC. EMC is a brand new super group consisting of the Midwest's phenom Stricklin, the widely respected Lyricist Lounge duo Punchline & Wordsworth, and the Brooklyn-bred, battle-tested Juice Crew member Masta Ace. After having extensively toured together in 2001, the four became extremely close and both they and their fans recognized their chemistry. The Milwaukee born and raised Stricklin garnered attention in the late 90's while he was signed to Tommy Boy Records and Punch and Words were integral in the success of the groundbreaking MTV program "The Lyricist Lounge Show" and have released EP's both as a group and as solo artists. All three rhymesayers caught the ear of Masta Ace before touring together and all three were featured on his two most recent albums. "The group idea was a natural progression of the relationships we all made from being on the road together", says Ace. "It's not just about the music with us, we are pretty much like brothers." EMC started a feeding frenzy in 2007 with the release of the 12" single "E.M.C." and now they are ready to finally drop their full-length album The Show. With more than 20 tracks and appearances by Sean Price, Little Brother, Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), and Money Harm (of Product G & B), The Show is going to satisfy even the most Rap-hungry fan. And while the album proves to be a showcase of lyrical talents, the tracks themselves guarantee to bang with production by The Are, Ayatollah, Nicolay, Koolade, Quincy Tones, Frequency, and J. With the combination Stricklin's personality, the cleverness of Punchline and the word play and work ethic of Wordsworth, and the leadership of the Music Man himself Masta Ace, EMC is ready make some noise in the music industry. "EMC is a movement and Hip Hop should get ready for something really special", says Stricklin. "It's about to be a problem!" Product Description

ONE OF THE BEST IN RECENT YEARS....

I GIVE THIS 4 STARS, JUST BECAUSE, AS A WHOLE THE CD IS NOT A MASTERPIECE. BUT ABOUT HALF OF THE ALBUM IS MASTERFUL STUFF AND THOSE SONGS ALONE WARRANT BUYING THE ALBUM. THE SLAMMIN' SONGS ARE ABOUT AS GOOD AS YOU CAN GET. BUY IT AND SUPPORT TRUE HIP HOP!! August 18, 2008

Better then what I was expecting

First off, these guys aren't rolling in cash like most of the mainstream rappers. They make music because they love what they do. It important to actually buy their cd and not just download it. I could never do that, I have to much respect for these guys.
I got the Show a month and a half ago and I have yet to take it out of my car's cd player. I have dozens of rap and hip-hop cds from almost every artist, but none of them are as deep as this. I got the cd since I'm a huge Masta Ace fan, and Masta Ace at a whole different level, probably as close to perfection as you can get. If you like this cd you'll love his other 2 cds released a few years ago.
There are only 2 songs on it that I don't like, all the others are sweet. These guys are more about message and meaning then hot beats and showing off. They sing about feeling, life, and problems with the world, stuff that matters. That's why I have more respect for them then any other rapper or rap group.
July 3, 2008

Enjoy The Show (Rating: 8 out of 10- -4.0 stars)

Hip Hop group eMC consisting of Masta Ace (hey wait...I thought he retired!), Punchline, Wordsworth, and Stricklin. The come at listeners with a conceptual album, sort of like A Long Hot Summer, with a story line throughout the entire album. Most of the concept of the album works out and is enjoyable.

The album itself is great. The concept here is that the emcees are preparing for a show, beginning from flying in at the airport. Everyone here is on point when it comes to the lyrics most through out the album. Masta Ace is great as ususal. When you hear him, you'll realize that he hasn't missed a beat yet. Stricklin is suprisingly good, because I've never heard of him until this album. Punch & Words also come correct at numerous times.

A few great tracks that quickly stood out to me are, "It's Alright", and "Make It Better". Both tracks talks about everyday life and how things get better, more direct on the latter track. The production by Nicolay makes "eMC (What It Stands For?)" a great track. Even the guests do a great job. Little Brother appears on the notable "Traffic". Sean Price drops a rememerable verse on "Git Sum". Ladybug Mecca (who I haven't heard in a while) vocals are heard on the fast paced "The Show".

This album is one of the great releases of '08. Minus a few tracks and irrevelent skits, this album is highly recommended. No one here dissapoints on this release. Peace.

Lyrics: B+
Production: A-
Guest Appearances: B+
Musical Vibes: A-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. It's Alright
2. The Grudge
3. eMC (What It Stands For)
4. Say Now
5. Make It Better

Honorable Mention:
1. Who We Be
2. The Show (featuring Ladybug Mecca)
June 25, 2008

A LEGEND INDEED!!!! REAL HIP HOP

Masta Ace is definitely a legend, up there with Jay Z and Nas no doubt. He has released nothing but quality albums including this great release. His previous two albums, the acclaimed "DISPOSABLE ARTS" and the great "LONG HOT SUMMER" are two albums essential in any hip hop collection and now "EMC" joins that rank. This group consisting of the Masta himself, Strickland, Punch and Wordsworth is nothing but creative. A very highly acclaimed and creative theme album, something that few artists can even do now in days. With that being said this album is nothing but fire from beginning to end. The beats are great and of course the lyrics as well. The previous reviewer said that Masta Ace sounds monotonous but guess what, if it aint broke dont fix it and Masta Ace's flow is nowhere near broken. ACE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!!!! June 2, 2008

Good Listen, But....

Masta Ace is able yes, but his style is monotonous, unchanging for the most part, consistent and on point... almost too much so. The beats are well produced but th "sound" in each of these tracks and it's too consistent - the hooks and sampled melodies on top of similar basslines isn't very stimulating. Basically, it's a good effort and it's good music, but midway through your mind is numb to the sound, feeling like you just sat through a music class talking about mundane show's. May 21, 2008

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