| | Ultramagnetic MC's Critical Beatdown CD Ultramagnetic MC's Discography of CDs
 (4 Customer Reviews)
When discussing albums that helped to redefine rap music in the late 1980s, it would be impossible not to mention CRITICAL BEATDOWN. The debut album from the Ultramagnetic MC's is one of the pinnacle releases of 1988's "new school" movement. Over frenetic, self-produced tracks that sound like the Bomb Squad beaming down from outer space, rappers Kool Keith and Ced-Gee deliver esoteric and often comical lyrics that somehow manage to retain a street attitude. It is this truly original blend that makes CRITICAL BEATDOWN such a timeless listening experience. Standout tracks include "Ease Back" and the bona fide classic "Ego Trippin'," though every song is memorable. Why CRITICAL BEATDOWN never found a mainstream audience is anyone's guess, but its influence on hip-hop cannot be understated.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Live Recording
Ultramagnetic MC's: Kool Keith, Ced-Gee, TR Love (vocals); Moe Love (turntables).
Producers include: Ultramagnetic MC's.
Melody Maker (10/18/97, p.53) - "...full of scratch-tastic heavy beat, gold plated hip hop which manages to combine the minimalist ground-breaking Sugar Hill sounds with the show-no-mercy aural assault of the then-emerging Public Enemy."
NME (Magazine) (10/4/97, p.55) - 9 (out of 10) - "Kool Keith is the Prodigy's favourite rapper, and this relic of his time in the Ultramagnetic MC's...is why....they knew what they were doing, and everyone's been playing catch-up since. A bona fide classic." Ultramagnetic MC's Critical Beatdown Songs Critical Beatdown Music Review Average Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)  Hip Hop Classic
Up there with the best classic Hip Hop like PE's Takes a Nation album and De La Souls' 3 Feet High this is one of the defining albums of the genre. Trust me, you can't do without this album.
Submitted by a reviewer (London, UK) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Critical Classic!!
This album set the stage for the new school point blank!! Ced-Gee was the first producer besides his competitor Marley Marl to chop groove samples and drum breaks on the sp-12 sampler and add absract noise sounds to create a hardcore funk sound!! He and lyrical wizard Kool Keith took lyrical complexity to the next level with big word technology, and off beat delivery but keeping the bronx street flavor on every track!! DJ Moe Love scratching up every thing from military spoken word records to Michael Jackson on the hooks.
Critical Beatdown is straight up Bronx B-Boy hip hop in it's purist form!!
Peep the many subliminal lyrical diss lines to everyone from LL, Run DMC, and even the God Rakim!!
Submitted by asrxpro2001 (Chicago)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No A rap hurricane!
The lyricism of Keith and Ced G is so 2008 and the beats are just disgustingly solid and funky. Man, this album is loud at low volumes and DJ Screw(may his soul RIP) couldnt slow it down, it is scientifical madness!
Submitted by chronwell (Washington DC)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Everyone is doin' the ULTRAMAGNETIC thing now
Nobody gave them respect,nobody liked the earth-shattering beats. Nobody liked their witty-wicked word play. Nobody saw what very few saw in KOOL KEITH,CED-GEE,MOE LOVE & T.R. LOVE better known as the ULTRAMAGNETIC MC'S. CRITICAL BEATDOWN is an overlooked hip-hop wonderland. Duplicated by today's MC's and producers. But this album originated in 1988. Go figure? No. ULTRAMAGNETIC is the future,even though they are a group no more,anything released nowadays by new comers revolve around this almost 20 year old album,alone.
Submitted by draughnwill (Morristown,NJ)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No | Have you heard this album? |  |
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