Solitary Confinement IS the AOTY

There, I said it, and now i feel cleansed. In a year where the anticipated has often been underwhelming(Survival Skills and Born N Raised), K-Rino lived up to my anticipation and then some. I know there are the naysayers, and that's cool. However, the beats are some of his finest(that's not saying much though). They are not Premier or Dre-esque, but they work well. Lets be honest. We don't listen to Rino for the beats. Do we? The beats on this album are not a glaring drawback, and they allow his lyrics to shine unhindered. Rino gives the same tried and true topics and them some. He gives us the social commentary that we are accustomed to(Didn't Ask). He gives us the political commentary that he is known for(Dem Laws). He gives us the tracks where he just beats the listeners into lyrical submission(Forensics). He gives us the creative original tracks(Talkin To Me). He also manages to keep our attention with great sequencing of the album tracks. It prevents the album from becoming stagnant which is a small problem i had with Blood Doctrine. The truth is this album grabs you from the first bar of Soul Merchant and it doesn't let you go until the final note of Who Killed Realness.

I only skimmed the album so far but I must agree with you about the production. It grabbed my attention before his lyrics did for once. The beats have some life to them.

I agree with the AOTY. I can see Blood Doctrine being a bit too consistent in terms of style for some, but I thought BD was AOTY last year and to me this album is a lot better than that. Being from Texas I am more accustomed to the style and quality of beats K uses, but on this CD his production is stepped up to a style I think people on this forum will especially appreciate. Point blank, if you liked BD, this is better and that is saying a lot. Everyone needs to check this out.

What happened to the trks with NIP and Blank? I was looking foward to those.

should I even bother with the AOTY topic since this is pretty much a consensus?

Esco wrote:

should I even bother with the AOTY topic since this is pretty much a consensus?

I don't think this is a consensus. To my knowledge, only 5 or 6 people on this entire forum have heard the album.

Also, N3R0 gets his feelings hurt if we don't pay attention to his threads. just keep it going in order to keep him pacified.

T. Myers wrote:

Esco wrote:

should I even bother with the AOTY topic since this is pretty much a consensus?

I don't think this is a consensus. To my knowledge, only 5 or 6 people on this entire forum have heard the album.

Also, N3R0 gets his feelings hurt if we don't pay attention to his threads. just keep it going in order to keep him pacified.

Yea I'll continue... but even I think this is AOTY.. rivaled only by Escape Route to me.. Its not as good as Solitary Confinement, but it just connects on a personal level.

Dem Laws was supposed to feature Nip and Point Blank. I don't know what happened - I assume as the release date neared he chose to forego the guests in order to release it on time.

And yeah, to my knowledge only a few people have heard this so I would continue the other thread.

I guess I'll jump aboard and call this AOTY, as well. Now, as far as the Blood Doctrine comparison goes, I still think that's the better album.

I don't think it's AOTY. It has the same weaknesses as K-Rino albums normally have for me: weak production, mediocre/monotonous flow, weak guest spots, and some overwritten lyrics.

Jason wrote:

I don't think it's AOTY. It has the same weaknesses as K-Rino albums normally have for me: weak production, mediocre/monotonous flow, weak guest spots, and some overwritten lyrics.

none of those criticisms apply to this album.

What do you mean over-written lyrics?

T. Myers wrote:

Jason wrote:

I don't think it's AOTY. It has the same weaknesses as K-Rino albums normally have for me: weak production, mediocre/monotonous flow, weak guest spots, and some overwritten lyrics.

none of those criticisms apply to this album.

SHUT THE FUCK DOWN

It's not my album of the year but it's definetly nice. I'd place it in my top 5 or 10. I don't know how K-Rino does it. It seems like he drops an album about every year and they're always quality material.

T. Myers wrote:

Jason wrote:

I don't think it's AOTY. It has the same weaknesses as K-Rino albums normally have for me: weak production, mediocre/monotonous flow, weak guest spots, and some overwritten lyrics.

none of those criticisms apply to this album.

In my opinion they do.

Jason wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

Jason wrote:

I don't think it's AOTY. It has the same weaknesses as K-Rino albums normally have for me: weak production, mediocre/monotonous flow, weak guest spots, and some overwritten lyrics.

none of those criticisms apply to this album.

In my opinion they do.

LOL. It's cool.

N3R0 wrote:

What do you mean over-written lyrics?

K-Rino has a tendancy to jam either too many words, or more complex words than necessary, into his lines. I think it makes his flow less melodic and throws off the rhythm of his phrasing.

You simply can not rehabilitate the praise of an emcee like D-Sisive with the criticism of an emcee like K-rino... when the criticisms made of K-Rino would apply more strongly to D-Sisive... I like them both - but from a technical standpoint K is the better emcee. I would just chalk this up to personal preference.

Mediocre flow is the only criticism I'd make of both K-Rino and D-Sisive.

Still not album of the year IMO.

SRP, Shaun, and I appreciate your lack of co-signage. It gives our opinion more credibility. Lets be honest here. K-Rino was already behind the 8ball with you cause he's black. Right? Right?

Indeed - I can't get enough of this CD. I've had it for a little over 2 weeks and it has quickly become the most played album of 2009. People need to peep this and quit sleeping.

I'm digging his new style of production and as usual the lyrics are on point but this is not AOTY yet imo. I got it at 4.0-4.25.

Hater.

lol at people being called haters when they rate albums 4 stars

i know your joking but still

For the K-rino hater I would expect that type of rating. But anyone who calls themselves a K-Rino fan loses points if they don't see the dopeness of this CD. Classic dopeness. Seriously though, K. Rob has been a negative nancy ever since I became K-Rino's biggest fan and took over the fan club.

It's all good though.

This album is dope, I just don't like two beats. Therefore, it's not my favorite album this year, so fuck off. Thank you very much.

N3R0 wrote:

This album is dope, I just don't like two beats. Therefore, it's not my favorite album this year, so fuck off. Thank you very much.

Unless you're going to tell me that your AOTY is by a black man, my point still stands.

Liquid Assassin is half black, Blitz is from Ghana, Wildstyle is black, Royce da 5'9" is black, Masta Ace and Edo.G are both black, Tech N9ne is black, Stevie Stone is black, but La Coka Nostra and Alex King are white. I would put all of their work above or at the level of Solitary Confinement as of right now.

well, which one of those is your AOTY fool.

Tough call, especially since I haven't heard Rakim, Felt 3, Bone, or Obie Trice yet. But right now, probably KOD or Street Hop.

smh @ KOD. Royce is acceptable.

Gee thanks dad. Can I make more decisions for myself now?

N3R0 wrote:

Gee thanks dad. Can I make more decisions for myself now?

Well, you can if you want, but your decision making hasn't exactly been above reproach.

smh 4 stars is not hating, 4 stars means its a damn good album no matter who your talking about

I don't know - 4 stars is good - but not universally dope classic super recommendation good - which is what this album deserves. You cool in my book slang, you peeped Jacka. Usually I don't care what people rate it... but Kev has been slyly hating on the K for the last year or so... I'm just trying to wake him out of his coma before he loses Knowledge of Self.

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

but Kev has been slyly hating on the K for the last year or so... I'm just trying to wake him out of his coma before he loses Knowledge of Self.

hahaha nice

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

I don't know - 4 stars is good - but not universally dope classic super recommendation good - which is what this album deserves. You cool in my book slang, you peeped Jacka. Usually I don't care what people rate it... but Kev has been slyly hating on the K for the last year or so... I'm just trying to wake him out of his coma before he loses Knowledge of Self.

LMAO! Naw man I just have been listening to Rino longer than everyone on this forum so it takes a little more to impress me I guess. He has been making the same album basically for over a decade which have all been quality but just not classic in my eyes. Rino has one of the best discogs overall because all his albums for me would never go lower than a 3.75. But at the sametime none of his albums are a 5.0 to me either. The closes ones are Stories From and Time Traveler.

Yeah, i can see him sticking to the same formula time and time again, but IMO the albums aren't exactly similar if that makes sense.

T. Myers wrote:

Yeah, i can see him sticking to the same formula time and time again, but IMO the albums aren't exactly similar if that makes sense.

Yeah I feel you thats crazy huh? Hard to explain and make sense of it. But he is going in the right direction I feel, that true classic is around the corner. He finally has a good prodution thing going now he just needs some betta hooks imo.

They are not. I mean using the man's consistency against him is foolish. And personally the only similarities I see is in the fact that you are able to expect certain types of songs - lyrical murders, conceptual songs, etc. But individually the albums stand on their own. SC is a well rounded album and each and every song is unique to K's catalog. BD was a more political/social album. "Time Traveler" was a little more personal. Hitt List and Fear No Evil have more a street edge to them.

I've bumped every K-Rino album and collection/compilation. If you don't know PE for doing that - or Paris - and to me they are even more single minded and redundant - that can't be a knock to K - quit hating!!!!

"They are not. I mean using the man's consistency against him is foolish"

Sounds like Lopez...

Yeah I hear you SRP and i'm not knocking his consistancy but I am not going to ignore that none of them up to this point stand out like a sore thumb either. Rino is still fresher to your ears than mind so maybe that is why we hear two differents albums. Its not like i'm downing the album or anything but i'm not hearing album of the year right now.

SMH.

I've been bumping K-Rino for five years now and I would bet I have heard more albums and songs by him than you. Now you may have been bumping him longer in terms of time - but the man gets no "freshness" or recency points from me.

I call it as I hear it. Now I don't know why every K-Rino fan on this forum easily sees how this album and BD stand out in the man's catalog yet somehow they are not as great to you. In fact, I don't know how a man with such a dope catalog is void of a 5 star rating from you when you give so easily to others. I just know that it is a personal problem with you and has nothing to do with me or any perceptions you may have of me and my k-rino fanaticism. Quit hating already!

This is a hella dope album. It blows Blood Doctrine out of the water IMO.

That said, I don't feel it's AOTY.

See, even KJ is only being a half hater!

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

See, even KJ is only being a half hater!

LOL I'm not half hatin, I just don't see this album in the same vein as classics like Illmatic, Nations Of Millions, 36 Chambers, The Chronic, Paid In Full, Aquemini, etc.

That said, it ranks within my Top 10 of '09. Grand Deception is my fav track.

You are Kool, John.

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

You are Kool, John.

LOL Thanks Clancey, so are you.

As for Rino, he needs to get with a top producer. I think that would help him not only bang out a consensus classic, but get his name out there to more than just crate diggers like us.

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

SMH.

I've been bumping K-Rino for five years now and I would bet I have heard more albums and songs by him than you. Now you may have been bumping him longer in terms of time - but the man gets no "freshness" or recency points from me.

I call it as I hear it. Now I don't know why every K-Rino fan on this forum easily sees how this album and BD stand out in the man's catalog yet somehow they are not as great to you. In fact, I don't know how a man with such a dope catalog is void of a 5 star rating from you when you give so easily to others. I just know that it is a personal problem with you and has nothing to do with me or any perceptions you may have of me and my k-rino fanaticism. Quit hating already!

I laugh at your 5 years!! You really just bought the man collection in the last 6-9 months, I have been buying Rino albums since 94. And I did not say these albums did not stand out either. Matter of fact I said most of his albums had the same formula up till this point. This album has some stand out production, do you remember me saying that?