Ayatollah- Louder

The late 90's were a great time for hip-hop production. Specifically New York City's hip-hop production. There was an abundance of really great underground producers at that time that found themselves doing a lot of work for mainstream artists. This was because in the late 90's every label wanted to score a hit album (of course) and a lot of the best selling LP's were full of daring, gritty, soulful production; a la DMX's "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot", Nore's "N.O.R.E." and Wu-Tang's "Forever" albums. See in the late 90's New York was on top, and even the staunchest hater coulden't deny the scene's production techniques. Say what you want about the emcees that were popular at that time period, but one thing that the critics and naysayers can't take away was that small pocket in time when really good, east coast production could be heard from coast to caost and in abundance. Guys like Reef, Bink, DJ Honda, Hi-Tek, and Megahertz all started to really emerge as skilled and sought after producers in the late 90's, but one man in my opinion owned that time period and sparked a new wave of producers that tried immitatting his sound to no end. His name was Ayatollah. One of the lesser celebrated, but more talented producers from NYC (Queens) ever. Ayatollah's first big mark on the game was his soulful and flawlessly composed beat for Mos Def's "Ms. Fat Booty" track. I don't know one person who didn't like that song, and who didn't nod their head to the beat. It was a breakout hit and Ayatollah was sure to secure many more slots on major label project's. well, Yes and no. Ayatollah did work with a lot more big name east coast artist's after his "Ms. Fat Booty" track garnered him quite a bit of recognition, but he never blew up the way many predicted he would. I can only imagine all the phone calls he took from guys wanting another "Ms. Fat Booty". All the painfully redundant requests for a beat like that, to a producer who is so much more than that. The record was great, but make no mistake, Ayatollah is one of the most precise guys on the beats ever. He's got an arsenal of shit for cats man....yet, he's been relegated to the realms of the underground because of his refusal to sell out and make music that isn't New York, That isn't Hip-Hop, that isn't soulful. It almost makes sense that such a worthwhile artist like Ayatollah isn't immensely popular today. His music has always been so dense, so layered...I am beginning to think only real heads can truly enjoy his unique blend of chopped soul, boom bap infused drums and padded rythyms. He's a cut above the rest and has been for awhile. These days he still pops up here and there producing records for his long time collaborators like Cormega and R.A. The Rugged Man. Mainly though, Ayatollah releases his wonderous concoctions via his instrumental albums, which he's always dropping. To sleep on this man and call yourself a beatmaking head, a mixmaster or a production buff is criminal.

-BIG D O

01. Intro 00:34
02. Circulate 02:22
03. Louder 02:20
04. Other Worlds 02:53
05. Into Space 03:10
06. Naturally Born 02:33
07. Chariots Of The Gods 02:38
08. Music To My Ears 02:47
09. Eye Pod 02:56
10. Pound Cake 02:50
11. A Soul Prayer 02:49
12. Coonskin 02:43
13. In Time My Brother 03:49
14. Charlie Is Brown 03:23
15. Nature Sound 03:39
16. Baisley Park 03:40
17. A Cold Feelin 03:41
18. Give The Woman A Chance 02:24

http://rapidshare.com/files/108755213/Ayatollah-Louder-2008-.rar