F*ck the Dumb

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Best Grouch, 2005-10-18
I can say, pretty confidently, that this is the Grouch's best album. His rhyming is exactly what you'd expect- honest, unpredictable, badass and subtly funky. The lyrics/delivery are so dope on each of his albums, though, that it's hard to name the masterpiece by that criteria alone. I've got his first five albums (so not Crusader for Justice), and primarily the beats make this album the one I turn to most often. It's without a doubt his most memorable production, as he turns away from some of the more obscure/dark samples, and gives you some more catchy beats, that range from raw and funky to shimmering and pretty. The tracks Congestion (with Eligh), Nothing's Changing, Endathis, Drain Me and Once Upon A Rhyme (by sequence on the album) are my top 5, but there's no filler to be found. I would recommend this first when it comes to Grouch, then his debut Don't Talk To Me. Nothing Changes, Success is Destiny and Making Perfect Sense are basically tied in my mind, though Making Perfect Sense has a more bright, happy, hi-fi sound than the other two. So, basically, if you want to get into the Grouch, or just make your hip hop collection a little better, I'd try F^ck The Dumb. Download Endathis and you'll see what I mean. br / br /PS: I'm not a decidedly underground fan or anything like that. This album should be up there with my Outkast or Snoop Dogg sales wise. It's not alternative for the sake of being alternative. It just takes a more open mind than the majority of the public seems to have.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Blunts.Broad's and Beatz, 2005-07-18
I must say grouch came through with this one! No dought Headz wont appreciate this , with out a dought. Grouch to me is a favorite Mc because he tries real hard to bring both his beatz and lyrics to play and this really helps when sleeping on an album! Werd life , preview the cd and buy it , check out the others too br_mursbr_living legendsbr_scarubbr_elighbr_cmabrpeace yo,

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Decent, solid, alright, 2005-05-10
They re-released this album back in '04, so I was finally able to delve deeper into this voice that graces the Living Legends albums I have. Some Legends diehards consider this his best album, although it's highly debatable. The Grouch is quite the artist, yet judging by this I wouldn't consider everything he touches as a sure-shot. br /As one of the best if not the premier Legend, the Grouch knows how to approach the music and prove his worth. His "everyday" man raps definitely relate to almost every listener, as we enjoy it when he gets profound and flexes his vocab. While his flow and rhyming scheme ain't nothing to have an organism over, his laid-back style is usually intriguing. I also like how he doesn't try to try to act hard or speak ebonically since that's obviously not what he's about. He's not a white guy that trys to be "down" to fit in with the Blacks, he just is who he is. br /That being said, "F*ck The Dumb" takes mellowness to the extreme. The album starts out really well. The first track, "All Natural," and "Congestion" w/Eligh definitely get the ball rolling. Sure, there are a couple upbeat tracks, like "Bangers," but this is one of the most laid-back albums I've heard, which is obviously what he aimed for. At 20 tracks and with the mellowness, it reminds me a lot of Aceyalone's "A Book of Human Language." However, The Grouch's raps are easier to descipher, while Aceyalone's abstract wordplay require repeated listens which made that album a success. "F#ck The Dumb," released the same year or the year after, can't claim those same characteristics. While no song is wack, and the beats are all pretty nice (for mellow beats), the album gets dreadfully boring in the middle. Through the first eight songs, the album is coasting fine, yet it will drop your attention somewhere in between #9 and #15. "A Matter A Fact"(#16) stands out thanks to Bicasso's much-needed appearance, and then "Drain Me" is a poignant song about whether to keep smoking weed or not, and "Once Upon A Rhyme" is arguably the best off this album. br /The interludes (whether a whole track or part of a song) are completely useless, and when he talks in the deep, distorted voice it's very bothersome...especailly track 9. He has a few good songs on his own, but there's obviously something a tad wrong when the sparse collaborations are among the standouts on a cd that's largely his own work. The tracks with Eligh and Bicasso, as I previously mentioned, as well as "Symbolism" w/Luckyiam.PSC are among the standouts. My favorite of those three being "A Matter A Fact." The standout solo cuts are "Nothing's Changing," "Once Upon A Rhyme," "All Natural," "Til The Endathis," and possibly "Bangers." So there definitely are some downloadable tracks from here, but as an album, "F*ck The Dumb" was somewhat dissappointing. br /This just reiterates that the Grouch is great to hear from on collaborations with fellow Living Legends or any other underground artist out there, but his magic appears to run short on his solo endeavors. A decent album this is, and something that should work in your headphones or in the quiet confines of your home. Beware of playing this in the car though, it could put you to sleep at the wheel. I don't wanna be harsh, and I got love for the Grouch, but I gotta keep it real too. I may pick up "Crusader For Justice" or "Making Perfect Sense" somewhere in the future, but I won't be rushing out to spend my coin on a Grouch solo cd anytime soon. You can always count on him on a Legends album though, and if there's one point I want to emphasize, it's that.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

surfnscore, 2004-05-02
This album didn't work for me like some of his others. He's got great talent but in some of his other cds. Sample this first. He spent a little to much time featurin others on this cd. I was hopin to hear a little more of the grouch. Still a bad must have for the collection though, nothing changes, not the1, once upon a rhyme, frustration...all good tracks.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Best emcee from ll crew- best ever?, 2003-09-29
Grouch is all heart. this guy raps with such emotion- you feel his feelings thru his words on every track. although i have to admit that the beats are not top quality- they are good enough to match the deep, intelligent, thought provoking wordplay. its not that Power 106 would play this- or at a club- maybe not bumping it in your car- but at home where noone one who is radiofriendly will tell you to take that wack sh.. off. He is truly an emcee's emcee. bra perfect example that not all rap is bad. 99% percent of LL crew's messages are positive.branyways- grouch gets off on this cd. and if you are used to the "ll crew sound" the beats are great. simple beats made to perfection. pmy picks for best mc: br1. canibusbr2. grouch