he sounds bored nowadays. the energy he had on those PR verses was crazy, plus his bars were mad varied with sick patterns:
"What you receive is a foul verse that flood your heart Marc, I eight and oh, when they enroll, flavor eight Ways finagle a ho, Cake baker and blow away somethin' Melodramatic, niggarole gigolo jingle bell Ringer around your atoms, the rap mandingo Yoke a mic up, slam it, vocalize two hundred coats Frozen ice move like magic aerodynamic Tool of the masses, manufacture some rap shit Crack a barrel of half, put ten in this mac shit"
Pete has done this a few times but I just considered this as a donut style track as a grimey vibe, I knew the sample cause I had the album when I was a kid and never cared for her music.
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
4. "Pete reused a lot of those sounds on an Ed OG song" In response to Reply # 0
The sounds on the first song that is. Still dope though. I do miss the way Roc would attack the mic a bit. Game of Death solo is still one of my favorite joints.
5. "He was on he road to nowhere back then. Now he has a real rap career." In response to Reply # 0
You can't maintain an indie rap career nowadays without a distinct style. The flows he was using on the UN album aren't much different than what Black Thought was doing 10 years earlier, just add a splash of Raekwon. Yes it was dope, but we had pretty much heard it before. It got him nowhere, I don't think the UN album even has a video. Now he has a very distinct sound, and that's super important in today's over saturated rap game. When he comes on, you know it's him. When there are thousands of people competing for a listen, versatility is a hindrance, not an asset. I prefer the boom-bap sounds to the euphoric light drums/no drums material, but the boom-bap sound has been done a million times. I can always get it somewhere else.
7. "RE: He was on he road to nowhere back then. Now he has a real rap caree..." In response to Reply # 5 Thu Mar-12-15 06:13 PM by rmcphedr
>Now he has a very distinct sound, and that's super important >in today's over saturated rap game. When he comes on, you >know it's him. When there are thousands of people competing >for a listen, versatility is a hindrance, not an asset. I >prefer the boom-bap sounds to the euphoric light drums/no >drums material, but the boom-bap sound has been done a million >times. I can always get it somewhere else.
that is a good point. however,i don't think the lack of success associated with the UN album was necessarily a result of roc; it was more the other MCs in the UN. roc always stood out - while his old flow was perhaps less distinctive that his new flow (only him and ka are currently on that steez), i would argue that it was still unique in the way he attacked the beats and flowed
pretty much any MC after rakim is an amalgamation of other MCs' stylez!
9. "He creates a pretty distinct atmosphere on his tracks these days." In response to Reply # 0
I definitely prefer the newer stuff...the pimp/hardrock/flamboyant raps over oddball samples that he dug up himself. As he got more into production, his rhymes and overall outlook went to another level. Marathons instead of sprints.
Marcberg and Reloaded are infinitely better than that UN album. At least in my opinion.
21. "RE: He creates a pretty distinct atmosphere on his tracks these days." In response to Reply # 9
Well, that also has a lot to do with the fact that Roc was by far the best rapper in the UN, so no surprise that without the other solid-but-nothing-special rappers, his albums are more cohesive, more interesting and more consistent listens.
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
15. "old Roc wouldnt survive in today's rap climate" In response to Reply # 0
he would be relegated to being perceived as merely another battle rapper, doing them Smack DVD's
Abrasive, confrontational deliveries apparently went out with the 90's.. and with good reason: the rap climate isnt as hostile nor competitive anymore, there's no East v West rivalry,there's more money & hoes to go around, social media happened,big record labels are almost irrelevant, etc.. So why you so angry?
He found a nice lil niche and filled it perfectly-- fans still hungry for that grime & grit without the requisite posturing. Or rather, the posturing is delivered implicitly in his wit or wordplay instead. Its sorta similar to how Prodigy switched up to a more conversational flow, & essentially copped a new following. I wasnt a fan at first, but he's grown well into it. Or perhaps I just got used to it
16. "RE: old Roc wouldnt survive in today's rap climate" In response to Reply # 15
This is all an oversimplification.
Killer Mike and Danny Brown have careers. Vince Staples raps aggressively. Jay Electronica raps more aggressively now than he did 6 years ago. Ratking is another example. Mr. Exquire, or even Homeboy Sandman vary up their flows, speaking of underground NY guys.
It's not as simple as, if he rhymed like that, he would be ignored.
He is much more aggressive on Marcberg than on the projects that followed it, yet MArcberg is what gave him new life as a solo artist.
22. "and Bronson catches flack for biting Ghostface? lol" In response to Reply # 0
replace Marc with Stark and thats a Ghost verse
>"What you receive is a foul verse that flood your heart >Marc, I eight and oh, when they enroll, flavor eight >Ways finagle a ho, Cake baker and blow away somethin' >Melodramatic, niggarole gigolo jingle bell >Ringer around your atoms, the rap mandingo >Yoke a mic up, slam it, vocalize two hundred coats >Frozen ice move like magic aerodynamic >Tool of the masses, manufacture some rap shit >Crack a barrel of half, put ten in this mac shit"
27. "Rae is perhaps a better comparison" In response to Reply # 22
>replace Marc with Stark and thats a Ghost verse > >>"What you receive is a foul verse that flood your heart >>Marc, I eight and oh, when they enroll, flavor eight >>Ways finagle a ho, Cake baker and blow away somethin' >>Melodramatic, niggarole gigolo jingle bell >>Ringer around your atoms, the rap mandingo >>Yoke a mic up, slam it, vocalize two hundred coats >>Frozen ice move like magic aerodynamic >>Tool of the masses, manufacture some rap shit >>Crack a barrel of half, put ten in this mac shit" > >
Early Roc sounds like he could be a Wu member so I won't scoff at the connection.
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
