The High & Mighty
Album : Eastern Conference All-Stars Vol 3
Release Date : November 12, 2002
Label : Eastern Conference

Customer Review :

This is one of the first and only underground hip-hop CDs I’ve ever purchased, not because I don’t like underground but because it’s harder to access. I hadn’t heard much from the EC All-Stars...both Copywrite tracks and a Tame One track from this CD and some Cage tracks not on this album...but just judging from that I would expect a masterpiece. And there were definitely some great songs...it’s just not consistent enough.

First of all, EC All-Stars consists of a few main solo artists and then some groups. We’ve got Tame One, Copywrite, Cage, and Ra the Rugged Man on solo tracks. Then there’s the High and the Mighty, which consists of Eon and DJ Mighty. There’s also the Nighthawks, which are Cage and Camu Tao ; the Weathermen, which has a lot of artists, some mentioned and some not ; and the Smut Peddlers, which is Cage, Eon, and maybe some others. These groups mix a lot, so it’s hard to tell who’s on what group. Copywrite’s appeal is that he’s ridiculously dope. The punchlines are insane and his flow is easy to follow, making his style very addicting. Cage isn’t a great rapper, but his brain is so twisted it’s fascinating to see what he’ll write. Eon and DJ Mighty have some funny lines but aren’t particularly dope. Tame One, unliked the other EC All-Stars, has a fairly straightforward style, but he’s pretty good. Ra the Rugged Man isn’t a great lyricist, but he’s funny. He has kind of a white trash appeal. Rugged is a good word for him. And that’s who the EC All-Stars are as near as I can tell.

This album doesn’t have much of a common theme (except twisted lyrics) since it’s a record label mix, so I’ll review the songs/artists seperately. Tame One starts off the album and has a track later on. He doesn’t grab your attention like some of the others do, but he provides a little sanity in this freak show. His first song, "Tame As It Ever Was," has a crazy J-Zone beat with pounding bass and a frantic sound to it that has a nice effect. Copywrite has two tracks, both well-produced, and as Copywrite puts it himself, he has "rhymes like crowds in health clinics, ’cause every line is sick." This dude’s lines will get stuck in your head for days, and you’ll love every second of it. His tracks are part of what convinced me to buy the album. His lines and his voice give him a very commanding presence on the mic. The RJD2 and DJ Mighty beats suit him perfectly. The Weathermen tracks are alright, but Copywrite and Cage are the only ones I pay that much attention to. "Gut You" is definitely the winner of the two songs. The High and the Mighty have four tracks, ranging from good to mediocre. DJ Mighty’s production is above average, but nothing truly special. His talent lies in his range. Eon’s verses are nice sometimes, but don’t really stand out. The last track is probably the best because it features Eminem. I’m not sure how this happened. I think it might be from when Eminem was underground and was down with the High and the Mighty. Cage’s lyrics are so insane you feel compelled to listen. His voice and rhymes create the effect of a crack baby on the mic or something. His second solo track, "Ballad of Worms," produced by Camu Tao, will just seem wrong at first but you’ll find yourself listening to it over and over again. Disturbing but enchanting at the same time. The Smut Peddlers (Cage and Eon and maybe more) didn’t do much for me. Their first track, "Sherm Penn" or something, was just lame. It was about getting high on weed and then finding out it was laced with Dust. The beat on this song got annoying, and the hook was pathetic. "Talk Like Sex," also by the Smut Peddlers, is a very stupid track, but it’s funny. It’s a guilty pleasure, I guess. Not surprisingly, it’s all about really freaky sex. Even the beat makes you think of freaky sex. This song is disgusting but it’s fun now and then. The Ra track is one of the best on the CD, largely because of the hectic, cartoony, but absolutely perfect J-Zone beat. It will have you banging your head, and it’s very fitting with Ra’s cartoony style. Lastly, the Nighthawks track is pretty good. It’s a weird concept where Cage and Camu Tao are these two corrupt cops, but I don’t think it was pulled off as well as it could have been. I heard basically the same thing about the Nighthawks album.

I think that covers it. I doubt very many people will be feeling every artist/track on this CD, but it does give you a good look at what Eastern Conference Records has to offer, and it has some very nice tracks on it. Recommended for people who aren’t obsessed with multi-syllable rhymes but like disgusting, off-the-wall lyrics.

Tracklisting :
1. Tame as It Ever Was - Tame One
2. Won’t Stop - Copywrite
3. 5 Left in the Clip - Weathermen/Copywrite/Yak/Tame/Cage/Breeze
4. Rumble - High & Mighty
5. Bart Burny Vs. Sherm Penn - Smut Peddlers
6. Cage - Special Ladies
7. Brawl - R.A. The Ruggedman
8. Not All There - High & Mighty
9. Nighthawks - Nighthawks
10. Talk Like Sex - Smut Peddlers/Kool G. Rap
11. Dreamz - Tame One
12. Jeah - Copywrite
13. Gut You - Weathermen/Cage/Copywrite/Camu Tao
14. Ballad of Worms - Cage
15. And 1 - High & Mighty
16. Last Hit - High & Mighty/Eminem

No profanity, or inaproppriate remarks.

Eastern Conference All-Stars Vol 3, by [2008-04-27 11:31:32]

the illest four letter word in the world is cage !

Eastern Conference All-Stars Vol 3, by [2008-04-27 11:30:29]

the illest four letter word in the world is cage ! copywrite is dope.. and tame one aka o.g.bobby johnson is f%#kin sick !..reppin newark nj all dayy.. you need to watch what the f%#k flies out of your mouth..i catch u disrespecting cage again, and i’ma f%#k u up..emcee starVE

Eastern Conference All-Stars Vol 3, by MyzeriE [2008-03-26 23:23:00]

You sit n say cage can’t flow then you go giving him props ?? wtf is up with that man. Cage kills eminem man he’s been flowing the ill style longer but then again i suppose when yer on the shady crotch you can’t expect much of a review from a mainstream fan huh hmmmm go back underground and try reviewing from a neutral perspective regardless i ordered this album based on the fact you hated it so much hahaha so i will take a look and see whatelse you hate on and get them too cheers.... MyzeriE