1. Who We Be
2. Airport
3. Leak It Out
4. The Check In (Skit)
5. Traffic (feat. Little Brother)
6. Say Now
7. Message (Skit)
8. Don't Give Up On Us (feat. ADI Of Growing Nation)
9. Git Some (feat. Sean Price)
10. We Alright (feat. Strickie Love)
11. Radio Station (Skit)
12. eMC "What It Stand For"
13. Angry Mech. Guy (Skit)
14. Grudge
15. Make It Better
16. The Lobby (Skit)
17. Winds Of Change
18. The Show (feat. Ladybug Mecca)
19. Back Stage (Skit)
20. Borrow U (feat. Strickie Love)
21. Once More
22. U Let Me Grow
23. Feel It (feat. Money Ham)
24. Bonus Track


Even though I hyped this in dacates's thread, and the album leaked a month ago, i just finally found a good torrent to get it from over the weekend.

this is, as some blogs that have already reviewed it state, an early contender for 2008 AOY.

a little background:

Quote :

"The Show is the upcoming debut album by Hip Hop supergroup eMC, which consists of rappers Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth and Strick. The album was leaked to the internet on January 24, 2008, 2 months before its scheduled March 2008 release. While it was originally rumored that Ace had retired from music after the release of his acclaimed 2004 concept album A Long Hot Summer, the following year the veteran had formed the new collective with his protege, Milwaukee rapper Strick, and revered underground lyricists Punch & Words. The four had previously collaborated on numerous albums and tracks, and toured extensively as a collective. Like Ace's previous albums, A Long Hot Summer and Disposable Arts, The Show will be a thematic concept album that tells a story. The album's story follows a day in the life of eMC doing a show on the road. In a January 2007 interview, Strick explained in detail: "It starts with Punch being late for his flight, which he always is. As we're doing this skit for the album, Punch is getting mad, saying 'Why you accusing me of always being late?' Then as we do the first eMC tour, he misses his flight to Berlin. So, the album starts with Punch being late, and follows us all the way to the show and the interviews after the show.". "

the album comes out officially on iTunes in a few days, maybe it already has...and then the actual plastic is in stores in late march...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Show_(album)

Quote :

""This is the number one rule for your set/In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets/And through our travels we get separated, never forget/In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets"-Jay-Z "Regrets" Rappers today don't live with regrets. Or maybe they just don't express them well enough. The truth is that 99 percent of them are liars. I've spoken to more than enough of them to know it and Ben Westhoff's very on-point article in last month's Miami New Times effectively hammered home this point. Sometimes it feels like every one of them is a billionaire, a drug kingpin, players who treat objects like women (to quote the great Jeffrey Lebowski). It's all kayfabe. Label execs wondering why sales are in the tank, might want to think twice about their artists' lack of relatability. Sure, things ultimately come down to who makes the hottest tracks, but never underestimate Kanye's sense of humanity, something that made him infinitely preferable when contrasted with 50's steroid-addled caricature. By contrast, eMc's new album The Show is all about humanity, it's about regrets, it's about the concept of small victories resting uncomfortably next to failures. It's also the first great rap record of 2008. Taking a page from the day-in-the-life structure of eMC member, Masta Ace's brilliant, A Long Hot Summer and Disposable Arts, The Show's premise revolves around a day in the life of the kinda' sorta' super-group consisting of ex-Lyricist Lounge staples Punchline & Wordsworth, Ace and his protege, Stricklin. From getting picked up at the airport, to lounging in the hotel room, to handling promo at the radio station, to the show itself, the album's format is basic and were this merely a play-by-numbers expose of the lives of underground rappers, it'd be hard to imagine anything more dull. But The Show is anything but boring. Granted, those looking for ephemeral flash and outrageous braggadocio should look elsewhere. This record is one of the most emotionally resonant rap records made in the decade, with each MC well-aware of his personal and career failings. Yet rather than gratingly complain or make reductive "too smart for the masses" arguments, the members of eMC possess a sort of fatalistic resignation gained from the vicissitudes of existence. The Show is a sober-eyed document cataloging the the struggles inherent in trying to eke out a living in a failing industry, one punch-drunk on youth and danger, things that none of the members of the group possess. You'll have to forgive the cliche, but The Show is grown-man rap. The members of eMC are imbued with a sort of wisdom all too rare in contemporary hip-hop. I imagine if I heard this record at 15, I'd have liked it well-enough. The beats are supplied by an underground all-star squad of 9th Wonder, Marco Polo, and Nicolay, the rhymes come fast and funny, and the group coax welcome guest appearances from Little Brother and Sean Price. Yet this is undeniably an artistically mature record, one obsessed with the concept of change and blessed with the sort of sadness that only can only stem from a recognition of life's fragility. Penning poignant songs on everything from the deaths of their mothers and the difficulties of sustaining relationships, underneath everything lies an unspoken acknowledgment that life might not always deliver on the lofty promises once hinted at. As the epigraph alludes, The Show is about the idea of learning to live with regrets. Were eMC to dwell on their respective career failings, The Show would be just that. And to be fair, these rappers would be partially validated. Masta Ace has five solo albums under his belt, all of them ranging from great to very good and still, he's practically anonymous other than among 12 bloggers on the Internet. Punchline and Wordsworth were once tabbed to be the next Rawkus big things but lacking the charisma of a Mos or a Kweli found themselves relegated to trivia questions revolving around that old MTV Lyricist Lounge show. As for Stricklin, I've never even heard of the guy. But on The Show, the group delivered one of the most intellectually honest, engaging and eminently listenable artistic triumph. Learning how to live with regrets hasn't only allowed these guys to survive, it's also enabled them to thrive."

http://blogs.laweekly.com/play/weiss/emcs-the-show-the-first-great/

every song on this album is excellently produced (as mentioned, 9th, Nicolay and others contribute on the boards), with fantastic seamless flows from all the group members. guest spots from LB and Sean Price among others.

just a great all around make you feel good type of album.

i encourage you to check them out



[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 11:59 AM. Reason : .]

2/26/2008 11:58:00 AM

Quote :

"EMC: The Show Must Go On March 21st, 2008 | Author: Andres Tardio The underdog has always existed. In Hip Hop, we have seen underdogs go through unfair pitfalls and spats with labels and seen some of them suffer from undeserved anonymity. Although crate diggers know who these basement legends are, the mainstream world may never learn. Still, sometimes light shines through the basement and the unfair is made fair by allowing balance to prevail. Even though great acts never receive the shine they deserve, some manage to grab hold of the spotlight to truly put on a show. The Show, a new album from a new group, The EMC, is a highly anticipated LP created by some of the industry’s most heavily touted emcees. So, this new group is anything but new. Actually, the industry’s been buzzing about this for quite some time. This is, in large part, due to the success of each group member as a solo act. The cast for the show has already been making history. Wordsworth has been a critically acclaimed emcee from the jump. A college graduate, talented writer, sketch comedy actor (MTV’s Lyricist Lounge), solo rapper (Mirror Music) and longtime favorite in the battle circuit, Words has been receiving accolades for years and has used this to help others excel as well. “Words brought the work ethic to the table. When he wasn't [in the booth,] he was calling producers up to send us beats and staying on top of things,” notes Punch. Punchline, who has also been doing his thing, is a member of the group as well. As Punch N’ Words, this duo was formidable, creating a frenzy with The Lyricist Lounge, performing and rhyming alongside Mos Def, Talib Kweli and A Tribe Called Quest. Now, as members of a larger crew, The EMC, they continue to provide the chemistry that made their duo popular, while also bringing something unique to the table. “Punch says things that shock you and [he’s] uncut and direct,” Words says, describing Punch’s abilities. Punch N’ Words added Stricklin to the cast. Strick, who hit the mixtape circuit with a fury after a brief stint with Tommy Boy Records, earned respect through the usual grind. After various tracks and verses, he landed a spot on Masta Ace’s last two solo albums. This garnered attention from Punch N’ Words who toured with Ace. “After that verse he did on Ace’s album Disposable Arts, that’s when I knew he was nice. Wasn't till we went on the road that I got to see how good he was,” says Punch about what struck him most regarding Strick. Wordsworth, Punchline and Stricklin. The three members carry weight. Alone, the trio could potentially release an underground album that would surely be applauded. All three carry critical praise as is, and having a crew like that would be an independent rap fan’s dream. But, many still felt there was a piece missing; an important piece that would change the entire group by adding much needed experience and guidance. That important piece to the puzzle came in the form of Masta Ace. “[Ace] wanted to play label head and oversee the project’s vision and sound,” Punch says before adding that Ace simply couldn’t resist. “You can't be an emcee and be around music and expect not to want to spit a few verses on something.” Ace, the leader of The EMC, has been in the game for decades and has seen 20 years of the industry’s history first hand. After witnessing legendary ups and natural downs, solo records, historic cuts, group projects, classic or near classic albums and his fair share of battles, he was time tested and ready to lead. “Ace has the leadership qualities because he has more experience. So, we let him hone this project because he knew which direction we should go in. He made sure he made the right decisions for us, but he also heard us out before making the decision,” Words notes, which is something Punch echoes. “Ace brought the concept and guidance to the project. Being [that] he's the one that made more albums than us, he took the lead in this situation. So, a majority of the concepts and beat picking was Ace,” Punch explains as Strick adds his piece. “We all in the same car together. We all going to the same place. But, Ace is driving.” With Ace behind the wheel, the crew was finalized. As the “super group” term was shot out to describe them, it seemed natural for these four emcees to unite. ”I think it made sense. First of all, there’s camaraderie we have. We went on tour initially in 2001, without it being a group. We were all together and it was just a natural thing to do. We had already been on the road together and we were all on Ace’s album. So, when Ace had shows, we’d get together and interact. Plus, it’s a great launching pad for everybody else, being that Ace is going more towards the back to oversee everybody’s projects,” says Words regarding to the origin of the crew."

3/25/2008 6:38:17 PM

Quote :

"While camaraderie played a role in bringing the emcees together, a bigger force acted as a catalyst. “It was really the fans that put the idea in our heads [to form the group],” explains Ace. “They were throwing little rumors out in the internet that we were doing an album together. It wasn’t even true at the time. But, it was going around.” The group project was essentially a dream come true for many. For fans, all four rappers would be on the same album and inevitably on the same tour. For the group, they were able to record and hit the road with close friends while creating a brand of rap that they enjoyed making. Win-win. But, as times have shown to prove, things are rarely that easy. The Show would be delayed. It happens. You’re driving down a beautiful scenic road and without realizing, you land right in a ditch. The scene changes and the script is flipped. The EMC’s ditch came in many ways. The first blockade in their path dealt with industry woes. As with many other acts, they have suffered a huge slice of the label drama pie as solo artists. Now as a group, the industry simply cooked up another one as they faced problems with their first distribution company. Punch remembers this clearly. “The first one was distribution cause the first company we was running with went out of business and then having to find another one…” Needless to say, the process wasn’t exactly smooth. No real fuss was made, though. After all, they already knew the drill. But, the album had been a longtime coming. With that as a detractor, they were nearly done with the LP when another barricade fell on their road. Strick recalls his frustration with the situation. “The worst moment was probably when we found out the hard drive crashed and a lot of joints got lost! Getting that phone call, and all the hard work we’d been doing, without doing the mixing yet, we were like ‘Aw, naw! Dudes gotta go record a whole new album.’ And, I knew the fans been waiting and waiting.” Strick adds, “I was just frustrated and was like, ‘Damn, another hold up,’” he continues. “We came across a few bumps in the road while making this album and that was one thing that just made it feel like, ‘Is this album supposed to even be happening?’” “It was pretty bad. My partner and I knew about it,” says Ace of the crash. “We were kind of trying to keep it from the fellas. We didn’t want anybody discouraged. It was already taking awhile to finish the record and this was like, ‘Okay, now this went wrong.’” “We waited until we were sure that the hard drive was totally useless. But Wordsworth is one of the most positive people. He can be in the face of adversity and somehow or another he’ll say something positive to make it like ‘Okay, let’s brush ourselves off and let’s keep going.’” As they say, The Show must go on. And it did. They finished the album, wrapped everything up, made a tour plan and were nearly ready for the release. As the message boards and blogs buzzed and as news articles surfaced of a possible release date, something else became an issue. The seemingly inescapable leak hit. Bootlegs were out. Downloads were aplenty. Another pothole in a road that wasn’t paved so nicely to begin with made their road seem more like a steep mountain to climb. This unfair and inexcusable leak hit the net as just another burden on top of what the crew had already experienced. It was another boulder to pile on the road. But, the response enabled the ordeal to become “bittersweet.” “Ace was upset a lil’ something. Strick was bittersweet about it,” notes Punch. “I felt proud ‘cause it was wanted enough that someone would go out of their way and download my music so early. At the end of the day I'm an artist so I don't look forward to seeing money from the sales, especially in a four-man group.” Nevertheless, the impact on sales was certain. “We knew it would happen but not that fast,” adds Words. “It may take away on a sales note but on an appreciation of great music, you can't front on it. Everyone was pretty much heated but cool that people liked it so it kinda made things worth it.” As they reach their destination, with a digital release last month and their release this month, the crew is finally seeing a clear path. Strick let us know what he’s been waiting for. “We just want to put the music out and make sure it’s good, man.” Wordsworth also notes the ability for the group’s members to carry on this EMC flag beyond the album’s release. “I believe it’s well rounded, diverse, perfect from all angles, able to tackle any topic. We gonna be around for a minute because we all are together even as one.” As you can see, the end of The Show is far from near. Together, even with the falls, scrapes and crashes, the crew rolled on with The Show. The underdogs, with odds against them at every turn, managed to create light through the pitch black, obstacle ridden drive. In the end, these four emcees are underdogs no more. With a legendary past, some sure shot joints in the present and motivation for the future of the Ace-led label, there is a lot of hope for what’s to come. It’s this drive that enables them to persist through the obstacles. “I don't get stressed out that much ‘cause in this business there will always be stress and hurdles,” explains Words. “We are pretty much built for this.” "

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1068/title./p.all

its still one of the best albums that will come out this year, hands down

3/25/2008 6:38:50 PM

no one cares that this is one of the best albums that will come out this year

that's so sad

4/1/2008 12:17:34 PM

Where are these kids from?

4/1/2008 12:21:08 PM

dude its fucking Masta Ace

4/1/2008 1:09:19 PM

This is some whack ass shit

Homo thugs in full effect

4/1/2008 5:24:17 PM

BET actually gave this album some lip service the other day on Rap City

not that it means anything, but i was surprised after their treatment of Little Brother and other type artists

4/9/2008 10:03:45 AM

You know who else gave em "lip service"

each other

4/9/2008 10:06:02 AM

Quote :

"EMC The Show (M3) Reviewed by Nathan Rabin April 21st, 2008 Juice Crew legend Masta Ace has successfully reinvented himself as a concept-album maestro and mentor to younger artists. The indie-rap super-group EMC pairs Ace with three of those protégés: Milwaukee's Strick and Lyricist Lounge cut-ups Punchline and Wordsworth. On the quartet's rock-solid debut effort, The Show, each of the group's members ably inhabits a clearly defined role. Masta Ace reigns as the older, wiser hip-hop elder statesman, Strick is his cocky sidekick, Wordsworth is the sensitive deep thinker, and Punchline lives up to his moniker with smartass battle rhymes. The group members share a gift for casual storytelling, as well as a fondness for mellow, melodic beats and sturdy song concepts. "Winds Of Change" traces hip-hop's evolution from the golden age to the current aluminum era, and the gang gets all touchy-feely with album-closing tracks paying reverent homage to their mothers ("U Let Me Grow") and their children ("Feel It"). At 24 tracks, The Show can't exactly list brevity as one of its myriad virtues, but this is one of those rare hip-hop albums that goes on forever because its members have a lot to say and a charming way of saying it. "

http://www.avclub.com/content/music/emc

4/27/2008 4:05:56 PM