Styles of Beyond keep one foot firmly planted in the hip-hop underground, while the other one jets forward into wholly uncharted territory on their debut album 2000 Fold. Despite their sometimes bizarre lyrical flights of fancy, Ryu Maginn and Takbir Bashir opt to maintain the menacing delivery of most hardcore and street MCs, but that does not render the message at odds with the medium. Instead, it fits the idea of the increasingly burdensome millennium that is a primary theme on the album, and the duo's inventiveness does, indeed, move the music forward, challenging hip-hop convention with experimental and wide-ranging lyrical ideas and themes. They still indulge in boastfulness and occasional dark imagery, but it is done in a much more playful (though not at all lighthearted) way and is interspersed among ideas that reach far beyond hardcore posturing. On the suspense mystery "Spies Like Us," the duo spy on hip-hop, plotting and preparing to take it over, while they extend an invitation to alien life forms to come on down and show themselves in "Gollaxowelcome." Musically, Ryu and Takbir maintain a dedication to the foundations of hip-hop by featuring a host of turntablists as part of their soundscape. DJ Revolution, DJ Rhettmatic (of the Beat Junkies) and DJ Cheapshot all supply production and scratching on the album, and 2000 Fold also features production from their most frequent collaborator, Vin Skully, as well as Divine Styler and Bilal Bashir. There is something distinctly sparse and futuristic about the musical underpinning of 2000 Fold, like a hip-hop version of Black Hole. RZA seems to be a primary production influence; bits of film noir strings ("Winnetka Exit") are employed, as are short, eerie piano loops, repeated spaghetti western guitar figures and sharp, metallic-sounding beats. "Muuvon," however, veers much closer to the Daisy Age (a sample of Q-Tip on "Easy Back It Up" solidifies the connection) -- Styles have professed and display an appreciation for that early-'90s mindset -- with cleverly used electro-funk samples and rapid rhyming tradeoffs between Ryu and Takbir. Styles of Beyond may not yet be light years ahead of the rest of the rap industry, but they're not trailing far behind the coattails of, say, Prince Paul or Kool Keith. ~ Stanton Swihart
Styles Of Beyond: Takbir Bashir, Ryu Maginn.
Producers include: Vin Skully, The Divine Styler, Bilal Bashir, DJ Rhettmatic, DJ Cheapshot.
Award Winner
Spin (1/99, p.115) - 7 (out of 10) - "...features the beatsmithery of Vin Skully, DJ Revolution, and Divine, and the unmistakable Rakimish tones of MCs Ryu and Tak..." Alternative Press (9/99, pp.114-5) - 3 out of 5 - "...SOB's nimbly languid flow, over Premier-influenced...beats, plus the kind of loops that make you see colors, and guest scratching by Beat Junkie DJ Rhettmatic...make this a fine album to play loud while you're busy doing something else."
Say Whhhhaaatttt????? you guys are talking like this is a new group out there. They are sick as all hell, but have been around for a while. the best beats, the smoothest lyrics, and talking about real things. i don't care what kind of karat is hanging from your ear, i care about living day to day!!!! this is music that will make you smile while wanting to dance. that is what music is about!!!!!!!!!!!! Submitted by Caleb (Toronto, Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Really really good When I first heard Ryu and Tak on Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" I was blown away and decided to buy this. I am not dissapointed! It's EXACTLY what I expected! I cannot wait for their Machine Shop debut! The only thing that sucks about it is that it's only available edited. Most rap fans, especially underground rap fans, want to hear the cursing. I didn't know it was possible to find an edited underground CD. Every other underground CD I have doesn't have a Parental Advisory label but there is still a lot of cursing, and if an artist does curse I wanna hear them curse. Submitted by Jason (Sunrise, FL, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Absolutely, without a doubt, the future of hiphop If you don't have this cd already, you are missing out on the hottest new group in all of hiphop
i highly recommend it. Check out or you'll miss out Submitted by ffplanet (Omaha, NE-USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
One of the best new hip hop duos Styles of beyond is definitely a breath of fresh air from the norm. Their smooth rhymes flow perfectly with the amazing beats on the album. This is one of those cds that you let play through all the way! Submitted by a reviewer (Wiesbaden, Germany) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Future of hip-hop This is by far one of the most revolutionary hip-hop duos to hit the streets in the past few years. Takbir and Ryu have completly unique rhyme styles, and their unbelievable lyrics flow very well over amazing tracks laid down by Rhettmatic and and Revolution. Styles of beyond defines what Hip-Hop is evolving into. Submitted by curtiscr (West Lafayette) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Say Whhhhaaatttt?????
Really really good
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