The reasons for releasing an instrumental album are always a little uncertain. Is it for remix purposes (is everyone hoping for his very own The Grey Album)? To help aspiring rappers practice their delivery? To show off the skills of the producer, which are often overlooked in favor of those of the MCs? For DJ Muggs Grandmasters: Instrumentals, the latter option is most probable, because Muggs is one of the few producers whose work is worthy of an instrumentalonly version. He's a master no pun intended at creating intense, dark beats that rely less on drums and more on guitars, bass, and keys, both sampled and live. It's a pulsing, lurking snake of an album, and it's very much alive, even without the vitality of GZA's lyrics. Muggs keeps most of the vocal clips in the record, so the chess instructions, the musings on hiphop, the voice samples, are all included, which, although the individual tracks do get a little repetitive within themselves, give the songs a little more direction than "pure" instrumentals would. Because Muggs and GZA work so well together, many of the same ideas that the rapper introduced on the original version can also be felt in the music: the confidence, the intelligence, the violence, and it holds itself up quite well as a record. Like most instrumentalversion albums, that of Grandmasters is the kind of a thing that works better in the background (but only for those who want to forgo the fluffy or lighter things and set a dramatic, animated, and sinister mood) as opposed to, well, the foreground. But that's simply because of its strong hypnotic tendencies, and not because the skill of DJ Muggs shouldn't actually be listened to and appreciated.
- Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
| Store | Store Rating | Price | Notes/Coupons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7.99Total Price N/A | New Item | Go to Store | ||
| $8.74Total Price N/A | New Item fantastic prices with ease & comfort of amazon | Go to Store | ||
| $12.98Total Price N/A | New Item get free shipping on orders over $25! | Go to Store |
Blazing Hip Hop Instrumentals: 5...
$33.33 - $33.33
$17.95 - $17.98
Platinum Hits: Official Cash Mon...
$7.97 - $12.39
$7.80 - $12.19
Criminal Minded [Plus Instrument...
$47.67 - $47.67
$8.99 - $14.79
Day to Remember: Instrumental Mu...
$7.00 - $7.00
$22.99 - $22.99
Please send us your feedback on our site. Find, Compare, Read Reviews & Buy Grandmasters: Instrumentals Reviews - DJ Muggs/GZA the Genius Music - Online @ Yahoo! Shopping Want to see your products in Yahoo! Shopping? Build your own online store or Advertise with us. Current Advertisers Sign in Make money with Yahoo! Shopping APIs, now powering Yahoo! Tech. Learn more about our paid syndication program. Sitemap Top Searches All Brands
Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only. Yahoo! does not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information, and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.