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Tarfumes.com - Zion I & the Grouch Are Heroes in the City of Dope
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List Price: $13.98
Our Price: $13.98
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days
Manufacturer: Om Records
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0600353063921
Label: Om Records
Manufacturer: Om Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Om Records
Release Date: 2006-10-10
Studio: Om Records
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Editorial Reviews:
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Zion I & The Grouch come together to make a classic album transcending the traditional West coast sound. "Heroes In The City Of Dope" tells the story of two individuals' lives in one of the most drug and poverty infested regions in the world (Oakland, CA) as they rise above the violence and temptations of the 'hood. One of the most refreshing hip-hop albums to emerge in years. For fans of Living Legends, Hieroglyphics, Talib Kweli, De La Soul, Mistah Fab, Martin Luther, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, Jurassic Five, Aceyalone, Freestyle Fellowship, and Project Blowed.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: legit release
Comment: I am a fan of both Zion I and Grouch, and this album is way dope. I have albums by both artists, and this is different but overall greater than the sum of it's parts, which is saying a lot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: knew it was coming...
Comment: bad beats, weak rhymes. they can do so much better than this! if you're trying to get into either of these dudes pick up true & livin' from zion i, and making perfect sense from the grouch.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good album...
Comment: Big Zion I fan... but this is probably the least favorite album of mine. The more i listened to it... the more it grew on me.. but... its nothing compared to their earliest albums. PLUS... i'm not to fond of the GROUCH. oh well, still a good cd... recommend it for true zion i fans.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Heroes In The City of Dope? They should run for mayor.
Comment: This is my first taste of both Zion I and The Grouch. I'd always heard good things about them, especially the former, but never really gave either a chance. I'll be honest in admitting that I've never been big on most West Coast emcees; there's a handful of exceptions(Murs, Game, Snoop, Kurupt, E-40, Del, Cube, Dre, Asia), but beyond that, the West has never really presented me with some of my favorite hip-hop cuts. While I know that there's three very different, and prominent styles in the West(Gangsta rap artists like Snoop, Bay Area/Hyphy artists like Mr. F.A.B., and the 'different' emcees like Del), I wasn't sure what to expect from either Zion or The Grouch. What I got was Heroes In The City of Dope; an album that certainly puts the emphasis on dope.
The production on this album is magnificient. Flawless from start to finish. The majority of it was produced by the producer half of Zion I, Amp Live, who has a great range of diversity in his sounds. Getting soulful like Chi-town's best on tracks like Make You Fly, and bringing it to the Bay with Bad Lands, Amp Live constructs an album behind the boards that is sonically pleasing no matter what region you represent.
Zion is an amazing rapper. I'll state that now. While The Grouch is quite an ill emcee in his own right, Zion is in a league of his own. Borrowing social consciousness that is similar in vein to fellow California emcee, MUrs, Zion manages to craft together a string of songs with a positive message, while also being able to shed some light on the topics he chooses, providing some humor in between. His vocal tone is very smooth, akin to Q-Tip in range, and his flow almost seems effortless in execution. The Grouch has a bit more raspy of a tone, but still sounds right at home alongside Zion's. A member of the Living Legends crew which includes the aforementioned Murs, The Grouch is a bit more cynical than Zion, but still presents a positive message, even when criticizing something such as the Hyphy movement.
As a pair, the two share some incredible chemistry, something that is rare for two emcees who seem randomly placed together. This is best displayed in tracks like Current Affairs and Bad Lands, where both emcees go back and forth without missing a step. While every single track on here is certifiably dope, the stand-out tracks are still evident; lead single Hit 'Em features tight production that sounds like it could crossover given exposure, as well as an ill guest spot by Mistah F.A.B. Make You Fly features the elegant Esthero, who croons a beautiful chorus for the track; equally gorgeous is the beat Amp Live provides to it, and the pair of dope verses from both Grouch and Zion. Smack is another great track that shows the duo's chemistry, while Digital Dirt is a track that blames technology for some of society's current ills.
Heroes In The City of Dope is an excellent album that any hip-hop head should have in their collection. There are absolutely no complaints to be made, and it's certainly recommended, to new-comers and fans alike.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good cd
Comment: Takes some time to get use to, but after a phew listens. You really start to appreciate the music immensely. Track 2, 11, 15 are my 3 favorite songs. The rest of the songs are really well written and produced well. How ever those three songs are my favorite. Number, 11 is my new favorite song out of my whole collection of music, so far.
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