DJ JS-1: No One Cares (Ground Original 3)
Best known for his work with Rahzel, DJ JS-1 has been honing his craft for over a decade. As one of the premier turntablists in hip hop, DJ JS-1 has put out a series of star-studded albums. The latest of which is No One Cares (Ground Original 3).
When I say star-studded, I mean it. No One Cares assembles a line-up of some of the greatest in hip hop history. Artists like KRS-One, DJ Eclipse, Ras Kass, C Rayz Walz, Sadat X, Kool G Rap, Ill Bill, and AG all turn up on the album. Despite the vastness of that list, it does not even represent all the guest appearances on the album.
So the album looks good on paper but as any good baseball manager can tell you, the game is not played on paper. The album suffers from a couple of issues. First and foremost is the length. The album is 22 tracks deep, almost a full hour-and-a-half of music. While this might not be a problem if everything else was perfect, there are other flaws.
DJ JS-1 produces gritty hip hop beats that sound like RZA beats with DJ Premier scratching. While that is fine in small doses, over an hour of it seems like overkill.
The other thing that is amazing is that with almost 50 guests appearing on the album, the subject matter is very streamlined and generic. Almost every song’s subject matter falls into one of two categories: New York City or pure braggadocio. By track twelve when “Hung Over” hits, the listener is welcoming a song about drinking.
The album’s best track might be “Last to Know” which features Tonedeff. Tonedeff’s flow is perhaps the funniest and least stereotypical on the album. Unfortunately, the track gets buried on the album as track 21. This just shows a lack of planning when putting together the album.
The entire album feels like it was not put together very well. I have respect for DJ JS-1 and for the majority of the guests on the album, but the album is over saturated with guests and the content is watered down. A shorter, more concise album would have delivered better results.
Rating: 5.1/10
MP3: DJ JS-1 featuring Tonedeff “Last to Know”
Buy: iTunes
DJ JS-1: No One Cares (Ground Original 3)
