New York Times reviewed Curren$y’s “Pilot Talk” today. Article after the jump.
CURRENSY
“Pilot Talk”
(DD172/Island Def Jam)
The New Orleans rapper Currensy was once a member of the Master P affiliates the 504 Boyz, and was later signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Records. So it comes as a surprise that on his major label debut, “Pilot Talk,” what comes to mind far more quickly than anything Southern is the reign of mid-1990s jazzbos Digable Planets.
That’s because Currensy is the second most important person on this album: the first is Ski Beatz, a long-dormant refugee of that era, who produced almost the entire record. A street-oriented classicist, he was responsible for several dank songs on Jay-Z’s 1996 debut, “Reasonable Doubt,” and almost all of the 1997 Camp Lo debut, “Uptown Saturday Night,” which exploded with sunbursts of orchestral soul. That record feels like the template for the formidable and lush “Pilot Talk,” full of braying guitars, seductive, plangent keyboards and crisp drums, and purportedly free of samples. “Audio Dope II” is sluggish and hard all at once; “Chilled Coughphee” sounds like theme music for a lost ’70s black sitcom; and several songs recall Grover Washington Jr.
And then there’s Currensy, who raps in tight clusters of syllables that sound smooth but say little. Mainly he’s interested in getting high — “That killer weed/Alfred Hitchcock in the Ziploc,” he raps over soft-soul piano on “The Hangover” — and, occasionally, getting high with other people. Still, many of his friends, under the influence or not, perform better: Currensy is out-rapped by several guests here, including Big K.R.I.T. on “Skybourne” and Jay Electronica on “The Day.”
He sounds less hungry than he has on any of the several mix-tapes and independent albums he has released to this point. Maybe he’s been lounging too much at a downtown Manhattan fixture that’s a long way from New Orleans. “TriBeCa at Bubby’s/I’m enjoying the lemon press,” Currensy raps. “Not that Minute Maid,” he cautions, adding, “They squeeze these lemons theyself.”
-JON CARAMANICA
true.. decent review.. ski beatz and big krit get a real good look here, but ny times thinks curren$y is “lounging” at dd172 to much!
ay ay ay its jets ova everything!!
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Damn. Too Bad NY Times Wasnt Feelin That Shit. Come Harder With The Next Shit.
i dont know what these people were thinking saying he doesnt sound hungry. they were probably cool ten years ago, fucking lex bubbles. shit is a scorcher plus there are so many quotables i wont even begin. spitter
Good Review!
I think the review is good but they are tripping on Curren$y. Most people don’t understand how complex his flow is and they miss a lot of the sick shit that he says but that’s just the nature of the beast. You can’t expect sheep to understand a person that leads by example. As far as the features go Big K.R.I.T. did his thing but to my surprise Jay Elec did not dust Curren$y at all. All and all this album sounds more and more ground breaking with every listen. I’m getting pretty close to calling it a bonafide classic. That’s my review.
LOL.. Pilot Talk is dope, Curren$y is dope & the features are dope, I wouldnt go so far to say they ‘out-rap’ Spitta
they going to say that …cause they ears dont work …ta ha …but the dude goes in on every track….i think they have to listen to it for a full year to get what the hell is going on…ta ha then review …or get dj screwd to slow it all the way down for them to get it …Currensy ,you did a good job …my review is classic 5mics…top my review fuckers it way over your head fucker …..jets fool
Currency’s album is that audio dope fo real. Damn New York Times’ review. They don’t know anything about rap anyway. People ave to understand that mixtapes are going to be different from the album. The album is more structured and mixtapes you have more freedom. Currency albums is dope eventhough i heard some of the songs way before the album come out. You have to give dude credit , he went against the machine and did his way on the album. Currency went flow for flow with Lil Wayne when he was down with young money. Pilot Talk is that audio dope. Open your ear muthafuckas !!!
JERSEY NICCA
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This reporter doesnt live the jet life… fuck em!
That review is harsh. I wrote one for the website that I write for that is more accurate:
DD172 LLC / IDJ]
Curren$y has been one of the most prolific MCs over the last two years, dominating the mixtape scene. Along with multiple collaborations with his crew the JETS, Curren$y has taken a place amongst other mixtape icons like Game, 50 Cent and former Young Money partner Lil Wayne. Unlike the others, Curren$y has yet to use the mixtape springboard to sell records and ultimately go platinum. It doesn’t seem like he cares, which makes him infinitely more interesting.
It’s difficult to imagine Curren$y ever making a club song to sell records; instead he raps about “Chevys and getting stoned” among other cool things like Air Jordans, video games and eating breakfast at Bubby’s in New York (“I’m enjoying a lemon press. Not that Minute Maid crap / they squeeze these lemons theyselves”). Curren$y has such convincing swagger that you believe he might be the coolest man on the planet — he certainly thinks so. What Curren$y likes is cool, and he’s a little snotty about it. Sorry, Minute Maid, but you suck.
Pilot Talk is Curren$y’s proper debut and he kills it. His craftsmanship with lyrics and his general accessibility help create one of the most enjoyable and rewarding hip hop records in a long time. It’s an uncompromising and fun record with many bright spots. “Example” has one of the best guitar riffs ever on a hip hop record, letting you know Curren$y gets it. No Guns N’ Roses solos here. “Audio Dope II” plays with the famous Alan Iverson “practice” rant, while “King Kong” feels futuristic and sharp. Resident cool guy Mos Def shows up twice on hooks and even Snoop Dogg sounds relevant again with Curren$y. Pilot Talk is also the first Rock-A-Fella album since Jay-Z and Dame split up, proving that Dame still has a good ear.