Hip-Hop Listening Club of the Week #263: Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality (1996) - HipHop

Hip-Hop Listening Club of the Week #263: Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality (1996)
Album of the Year 2018 #27: Juice WRLD - Goodbye and Good Riddance
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DMX Is Getting Released From Prison A Month Early
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Mac Miller - God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (Audio)
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Pusha T - Luxury Street Rap, Rap Battles & “Daytona” | The Daily Show
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Eminem - Despicable (Freestyle)
Soulja Boy - I Got Me Some BAPES *Underground Music Video*
Kid Cudi - Embers
[FRESH VIDEO] Z Money & Valee - Still Got Money
[FRESH EP] DeJ Loaf - Go Dej Go Vol. 1
[FRESH]Live From Space Vol 2 - Kamiyada

Hip-Hop Listening Club of the Week #263: Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality (1996)

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:26 AM PST

Today we are listening to Realms 'N Reality by Cella Dwellas

Background

Cella Dwellas (later known as The Dwellas) are an underground duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn, consisting of MCs Phantasm and UG. With a sound that rests somewhere between the abstract, highly lyrically focused style of Organized Konfusion, and the more street-oriented, grimey rapping of Smif-N-Wessun. They first made a buzz for themselves with their '94 single, 'Land of the Lost', which made some waves in the underground New York scene and garnered attention from fellow Brooklyn rapper Masta Ace, who featured them on his track 4 Da Mind, off the classic Sittin' On Chrome LP. Realms'N'Reality released in '96, and although hardly a commercial success, it received largely positive reviews and was appreciated by other heads and rappers in NY, with Inspectah Deck, Large Professor, Smif-N-Wessun and Organized Konfusion all featuring on their second album, which has to count as getting high props.

The production is familiar to anyone that has listened to a Beatminerz or Lord Finesse produced record, it is 'noir' boom bap with a variation of dark and spacey melodic samples, fronted by louder, hard-hitting drums and prominent basslines, with a highlight of the album being the head-nod inducing Good Dwellas beat, which's instrumental has consistently appeared on New York freestyles since, most recent I can remember being this Flatbush Zombies Hot '97 freestyle, and its underground popularity makes sense considering how groovy and catchy it is. Realms'N'Reality is mainly produced by Nick Wiz, a forgotten but talented name in the sea of producers from New York's 90s, with major assistance from Cella Dwellas themselves and with a few beats from Megahurtz & The Bluez Brothers. The mystic vibe that comes from the rapping on this LP is really well complemented by the atmospheric beats and it makes for a very immersive listen.

The rap performance and lyricism of this album is fantastic, both UG and Phantasm are able to rap their ass off and this album is very centered around showing that off. The lyricism is pretty abstract, with frequent religious and historical references, creative metaphors and sometimes cryptic lines like you could expect from someone like RZA or Pharoahe Monch. The album isn't politically focused or 'conscious', but both UG and Phantasm can be very introspective, thinking about their place and ambitions in life. There's also a more rough, street-oriented tone to their sound that reminds me of Smif-N-Wessun, and this makes for a rather unique combination of styles at the time, and they have a talent for merging these sounds into very capable, entertaining storytelling, my favorite showcasing of it being the two part-track Good Dwellas:

It was a nice day, I was listening to Mary and J... Blige

The phone rung, yo I was surprised, it wasn't my cellular phone, it was the red jack

That only rings when a person's gotta get whacked

Another thing worthy of praise about this record is that it seriously has no filler, at a run time of 64 minutes, I really mean it. Every song sets out to do something interesting and delivers, without fail either having pleasant atmospheric beats or high quality darker, harder ones, paired with entertaining verses, plenty of stories and an engaging variation of flows and topics.

It's really of no significance but I thought a pretty funny thing is that they give a lengthy shoutout to Tim Westwood at the end of the track Wussdaplan, further proving that Tim is an absolute G. (After some looking, it's most likely from meeting & freestyling on Tim Westwood's show along with Masta Ace & some other rappers.)

In conclusion, I think this is a phenomenal album and a lost gem of its time. I'm usually reluctant to throw the term underrated around when it comes to 90s east coast rap, where every slightly less than classic album is apparently super underrated, but in this case I think it really applies. Both MCs are charismatic and talented, delivering consistently interesting, fun and unique raps on hazy boom bap beats.

Would recommend to anyone, but especially fans of abstract rap like Cannibal Ox and Organized Konfusion, as well as anyone into east coast rap in large.

Artist: Cella Dwellas

Album: Realms'n'Reality

Year:1996

Representing: Flatbush, Brooklyn NY.

Label: Loud Records

Producers: Nick Wiz, Cella Dwellas, The Bluez Brothers, Megahurtz

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Guidelines:

This is an open thread to share your thoughts on the album. Avoid vague statements of praise or criticism. This is your chance to be a critic.

Please keep any top level comments to 140+ characters.

Why do you like this album?
What are the best tracks?
Did it meet your expectations?
Have you listened to this tape before?
What is your first impression?
Explain why you like it or why you don't.

Remember, people who participate in the discussion in a meaningful way are entered into a drawing to select next week's album!

LIST OF ALL LISTENING CLUBS

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Album of the Year 2018 #27: Juice WRLD - Goodbye and Good Riddance

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:54 AM PST

Artist: Juice WRLD

Album: Goodbye and Good Riddance

Listen:

Background

Juice WRLD, born Jared Higgins, is a 20 year old rapper, songwriter, and singer from Chicago, Illinois. Juice got into music from bands like Panic! At The Disco to Black Sabbath in 5th grade to try and impress an emo girl he had a crush on. These are now some of his influences, with some Chief Keef and Kanye in there too. Juice erupted into the game, seemingly out of nowhere, after his break out mega hit Lucid Dreams.

Before Juice's mainstream exposure, he dropped 4 EPs leading up to his debut mixtape 999. The 9 track mixtape featured his hit single "Lucid Dreams" and production from frequent producers Nick Mira and SIDEPCE.

Juice released "All Girls Are The Same", right after 999, which started gaining traction on Soundcloud. Juice WRLD started getting labels attention and got a Cole Bennett video for the song. After this video came out, the song released on all streaming services (April 13th). One month after "All Girls Are The Same" was Juice's Soundcloud hit "Lucid Dreams" started gaining more and more traction daily and eventually passed "All Girls Are The Same." "Lucid Dreams" was blowing up quickly while it was still called "lucid dreams (forget me)" and Cole Bennett put the cherry on top with the "Lucid Dreams" music video. "Lucid Dreams" is currently nearing 500m streams on Spotify and has peaked at #2 on the Hot 100.

After "Lucid Dreams" blew up, he surprised all his fans, by announcing that he was dropping a project on a Tuesday night. This project ended up being his debut studio album Goodbye and Good Riddance which has been certified Gold and peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200.

Juice WRLD has impressed Hip Hop fans recently with his hour long freestyles on Tim Westwood, showcasing his rapping ability. He has done a collab album with trap legend Future called "WRLD On Drugs" and is expected to drop his second album on 2019.

Review

Juice welcomes you to concept album Goodbye and Good Riddance with a voicemail from his ex. His ex is screaming at him about how much she hates him, how she wants him to stop calling, and how he won't ever be shit. The voicemail ends dramatically with her saying "Okay, okay, go ahead talk all that shit now, But who had your back? Me, I did" and the first song of the album "All Girls Are The Same" starts. This intro sets the tone for this project of betrayal and heartbreak.

The first four songs of the album serve as the perfect introduction to Juice, they are a couple catchy singles but the story doesn't start till the first skit."All Girls Are The Same" begins with beautiful production from Nick Mira who is all over this project. Juice shows you he is a vulnerable person, as he vents about about how he has gone insane from this heartbreak and how he will drown his pain away with alcohol. The song is a raw masterpiece. Juice refuses to dumb anything down and says everything that is on his mind.

"Lucid Dreams" is Juice's mega hit that literally everybody has heard. This song is extremely catchy as Juice sings about how this evil girl broke him apart over a sample from Sting's "Shape Of My Heart." Juice sings about how he has sleep paralysis causing him to see his ex's shadows in his room and to think of being with her again. As the verse is close to the end, the song starts having layers and layers of Juice vocals, giving you no choice but to sink in the overwhelming wrath of beautiful sadness. "Lucid Dreams" is a tear jerking ear worm, stuffed with top tier melodies. Juice makes every line on this song sound like it could be it's own hook.

The lone feature on this album is raps most charismatic act, Lil Uzi Vert. He is on the track "Wasted", which was added to the project a couple months after its release (the song was on the original tracklist Juice dropped but the Uzi feature had to get cleared). Juice has another catchy chorus and Uzi showcases his rapping skills impressing all people who think rapping fast is real hip hop. Uzi has a distorted backing track which adds to the rockstar aesthetic he's going for and has a fire Avatar reference about how he has tats on his head like he's Avatar, and that's the reason why he rides on his Appas (oppas).

"I'm Still" is a emotional ballad sung over glittery acoustic guitar. Juice begins the song harmonizing beautifully over the Nick Mira played guitar, then sings about how he's heartbroken, while understanding life will go on.

Oh, feeling ridiculed, feeling like a fool, don't know what to do

Lost my heart, don't got shit to lose

Juice sings about how this girl was one of his regrets and how she's the root for his depression, but he will continue flexing through the pain. Juice's vocals on this song are overwhelmingly raw and emotional, you can feel every word he's saying on this heartbreaking record.

Juice's ex is calling again. This time she's intoxicated and is admitting to fucking with another guy, showing no remorse. This sends Juice into a deep depression and begins the story of this album.

Juice begins feeling the symptoms of the heartbreak on "Candles", venting about how he's not sure if his heart hurts or he's insecure. Juice shows he's a master at ear worms, once again, on this song. This is one of the highlights on a album full of them. The second verse on "Candles" is one of the best verses on the project, due to Juice's storytelling about needing to take some time away from this world, and leaving Chicago for California, due to everyday being filled with sorrow.

"Scared of Love" is how Juice is feeling after being heartbroken. He sings, heavily auto tuned, over a sample of "So High" by Wiz Khalifa, about how he's not scared to love, but is scared of love. He is paranoid and fearful of the thought of falling in love again due to this heartbreak he recently went through. The layers and layers of auto tuned singing fit the emotional trap beat perfectly.

Juice then turns to a drunk mess on the track "Used To." Juice showcases his rock influences on this track with a flow that is reminiscent of a indie rock song. Juice's intro vocals are raw and heavily distorted as he slurs lyrics about how it doesn't hurt as much as it used to, while admitting it's still hard for him to let go. While the song sounds relatively happy the song is filled with dark lyrics. Juice is a complete mess, who is depressed and suicidal. He is drinking, driving, and imagining bringing his ex along to die with him for all the pain he's costed him. This is one of the more jumpy songs on this project, even with its underlying dark theme. These lyrics paint the picture in the cover art.

The final skit of the album gives Juice the closure he desired. The tables have turned and now his ex is now the one calling him and Juice is the one partying out now, not giving a fuck. Juice begins doing all types of drugs, becoming too high to realize how he's damaging himself.

On "Hurt Me", which was originally titled "Sticks and Stones" and was included on Juice's first mixtape 999, Juice is on drugs and believes nothing bad can happen to him. He repeats to himself "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but the drugs won't hurt me, the drugs won't hurt me" as he does another pill and thinks everything is fine the way it is. Juice is trying to numb the pain but is completely ignoring the ways the drugs are affecting him. Juice has a nursery rhyme style melody with a flow reminiscent of mega hit "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". This album slowly starts transitioning into a happier vibe as Juice starts getting over this heartbreak more and more.

"Black and White" has arguably the catchiest hook on the whole project, as he sings about this new party lifestyle he has going to forget about being heartbroken. He sings about doing cocaine with his black friends, and codeine with his white friends which battles on the stereotypes about how only white people do hard drugs and black people only do the "lazy" drugs (weed and lean). Racism = over.

After going through all the drugs and depression, Juice is no longer heartbroken. The story seems to be nearing onto a happy ending for Juice as he sings about leaving this girl in the past on "Long Gone." As we near the end of the story, we get the second to last track "End of the Road." This track has unique jungle style production and Juice confirms this is the end of this heartbreak. Juice is completely over it all, but this isn't actually the end of the road yet.

On the closing song, "I'll Be Fine", Juice is at a party, doing a overwhelming amount of drugs. He is living in the moment, still doing all the drugs he got himself addicted to, due to being heartbroken. His people try to tell him to stop taking all those xannies before he flatlines but Juice pushes them away with the refrain "I'ma Be Fine."

Swervo told me stop popping them xannies 'fore I flatline

I said hold on, bro wait, I'ma be fine

Juice pushes everyone away, even his mother. We also get, for the first time on the whole album, Juice showcasing his Chicago influences as he starts talking about how he'll make you drown in your own blood and how he has gang ties.

Get outta line and you get punched in your face

Shouldn't have been around here in the first place

Now you got a black eye

I got mob ties, I got gang ties

Make you drown in your blood, just like high tide

The drugs have turned Juice dismissive, rebellious, and aggressive but the high is coming to an end as the beat morphs into a chopped and screwed version and Juice begins singing about how he can't stand this addiction anymore. Juice closes the album with the realization that the drug abuse isn't good for him and is aware of how much of a fiend he has turned to.

I woke up xanning

I sit down, I can't stand it anymore

Can't stand it anymore, more

I woke up leaning, so I woke up dreaming

And fiending for more, for more, for more

One cup, I need four more, hey

I woke up leaning, so I woke up dreaming

And fiending for more, for more, for more

One cup, I need four more, hey

Goodbye and Good Riddance is a goldmine for emotional music with catchy melodies, and a heartbreaking story about a kid who fell into drug abuse because of heartbreak, being a song by song story of this lifestyle Juice has been put into, and you will hear how Juice progresses as a person, You will hear this progression, not only with the lyrics, but also with the different transitioning vibes of the songs. The structure and catchiness of these songs almost make you forget the fact that this is a concept album. Juice WRLD made an incredible near perfect body of work, with consistently unescapable earworms that stick to the theme and story line of the album.

Favorite Lyrics

Drugs got me sweatin', but the room gettin' colder

Lookin' at the devil and the angel on my shoulder

Will I die tonight? I don't know, is it over?

Lookin' for my next high, I'm lookin' for closure

• Lean Wit Me

I'm holding my breath and watching my step

I'm listing regrets and you made that list

You're my depression

Your first impression wasn't deception

You were lyin'

Bitch, I'm still flexin' with my heart broken

Got my heart open, I'm not hidin'

Bitch, I'm still moving, I'm in slow motion

I wrote my dosage, I'm getting higher

• I'm Still

I told her, "Run around and get away"

I think I need a getaway

I need to call a timeout, I need to set another play

I need a umbrella 'cause every day feels like a rainy day

I need something other than Xannies to take the pain away

• Candles

We woke up in hell, baby, can't you tell?

As far as I can tell you're the only heaven here

I'm running out of Xans, running out of options

I really need to chill 'fore I'm in a coffin

• Scared Of Love

Listen to my story, it's depressing

Heartbreak mixed with the drugs, not the best thing

The devil tryna test me I'm failing, inhaling

• Long Gone

Talking Points

Are albums, such as Goodbye and Good Riddance, that mention drug usage numerous times, contributing to the opioid abuse with the youth today?
Will the emo rap trend last in Hip Hop?
Does Juice's more rap influenced style outshine his emotional music?
Does Juice convey his emotion in a raw way?
Do you view Juice's emo rock inspired lyrics as misogynistic?

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Biggie, Wu-Tang are getting NYC streets named after them (along with Woody Guthrie)

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 07:37 AM PST

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/27/680283885/hip-hop-deserves-that-respect-honoring-the-notorious-b-i-g-wu-tang-clan-in-nyc

submitted by /u/truth__bomb
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DMX Is Getting Released From Prison A Month Early

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:26 PM PST

DMX will be getting out of prison earlier than expected. He was sentenced to 12 months back in March. His release date is set for January 27th. According to TMZ and Complex, DMX has been working on new music and has a couple acting gigs lined up for him when he gets out.

Follow The Element on Instagram and Twitter @1theelement.

submitted by /u/theelementchaplin
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Rapper Saba turns grief into a year of musical catharsis

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 12:14 PM PST

submitted by /u/ArkBirdFTW
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Mac Miller - God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (Audio)

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 01:49 PM PST

submitted by /u/YoItsMikeJo
[link] [comments]

[FRESH] LUCKI & CHASETHEMONEY - More Than Ever

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST

submitted by /u/gimmeyopublishing
[link] [comments]

Chris Brown is facing six months in jail over possession of an illegal pet monkey.

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:39 PM PST

submitted by /u/_lizardking
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KERWIN FROST PRESENTS THE 2018 KARDASHIAN-JENNER-WEST CHRISTMAS PARTY

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 06:52 PM PST

submitted by /u/Mattoxd
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Rae Sremmurd Plays Truth or Dab | Hot Ones

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 08:13 AM PST

submitted by /u/iKojan
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Daily Discussion Thread 12/27/2018

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:13 PM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
general hip-hop discussion
meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed, as stated in the guidelines.
Please be helpful and friendly.
If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

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