I've known about J-Live for a while, but only from hearing a few tracks. The other week I picked up his All of the Above album from 2002. Needless to say, it was well worth the $13 I paid for it. The 21 tracks on this album cover, well, just about everything someone can cover on one album. With that said, let's get to it.

1. First Thing's First - Intro to the album, in which J-Live is speaking to the listener. Although lengthy, it sets the stage for what is about to be something special. J kicks one verse, about how things have been going since his 2001 album, The Best Part. Lyrics are pretty good, gives you a taste of what's to come. Production is nice here, laced with a xylophone. Overall a good beginning to the album. 8.5/10

2. How Real It Is - J comes in hard right off the bat with this one, kicking some real shit about how the real world is, focusing somewhat on the "hood" aspect. Beat starts out on a hard, semi-grimey feel, but changes gradually, after a humorous breakdown before the 3rd verse. After that it's got somewhat of a West Coast flavor to it. J stays consistent with his flow throughout the switch, as well as his potency. 9/10

3. Satisfied - J gets on his political game here, speaking on a few issues in the country. At the same time, he delivers some of the most impressive lines I've heard in quite a while. The beat sounds kinda old school, but with a modern style if you can imagine that. 9.5/10

4. Interlude 1 (I'm a Rapper) - A short skit with 2 people discussing what a rapper is.

5. Mcee - Another old school-type beat, with the most creative lyrics on the album thus far. In the first verse, he's just rhyming about how he represents hip hop as an emcee. Second verse consists of almost every set of 2 words beginning with M and C (i.e I'm a Master of Ceremonies, Makin' a Comeback// Movin' the Crowd with, Mad Charisma). 3rd verse has voice samples in the background saying "M" and "C" at the beginning of each bar. 9.5/10

6. Like This Anna - Lyrics are mostly done in the fashion of "it's like this, and a, it's like that, and a". On this one, J delivers a message to a girl Anna, about respecting herself and not being blind to advances from the wrong kinds of guys. The beat is pretty chill, one of those up-beat slow jams. 9/10

7. One For The Griot - The story that makes Immortal Technique look like Chingy. Quickly paced, J rides the beat perfectly while spitting one of the most well-detailed stories I've ever heard. It starts out with a man waking up in some woman's bedroom he had no knowledge of coming to the night before. Typical story material, right? This one takes a twist...well, a few twists. I don't wanna spoil it for you, you just gotta hear it. This track is just nuts. 10/10

8. Stir Of Echos - High energy on this one, J covers a lot of different things here. At the end of almost every bar, the last word is echoed. It gets the listener involved, I even started rhyming with him. But he found out, and threw me for a few loops lol. 9.5/10

9. Interlude 2 (For the Babies) - Another interlude.

10. Do That S#!%* - Using the same beat from the first interlude, J does a little venting about the fake thugs and wannabe's. Some classic lines in this one, he hits 'em from many different angles creatively. 9.5/10

11. All In Together Now - Another creative concept on this, where J cuts his verse in half. He gives it to you 2 bars at a time, then puts it back together in a,b,a,b style. 2 verses, both equally good on here. Beat's straight, sounds a little corny. Still some good shit. 9/10

12. Nights Like This - Ever had one of those nights that was just perfect? Then you can relate to this one. One of the most chill beats I've ever heard. This track just makes you zone out. J's lyrics here are almost poetic, as he incorporates his philosophies with the beauty of nature. It's all about getting things in perspective and knowledge of self. Good chorus and vocal samples too. 10/10

13. The 4th 3rd - J follows up the previous track with a love story. More deep lyrics, and a dead-on example of the essence of love. Set to yet another chill-out beat, sampled from Bill Withers, J stays on point throughout. 10/10

14. Travelling Music - Up-beat and energetic, J spits subliminally about his journies. Not much to say, just more dopeness. 9.5/10

15. A Charmed Life - The chorus from "Travelling Music" transitions into this track. Another story here, this time about J's childhood and introduction to hip hop. Some good imagery here, with a captivating bassline. 9.5/10

16. All Of The Above - Nice uplifting beat here, and J hits it with a style somewhat different from the other tracks on the album. Still, he stays on track with his flow, and the lyrics are pretty good. Not as great as some of the others though. 8.5/10

17. Interlude 3 (Whatever) - Last interlude on the album, pretty dope beat too.

18. Happy Belated - J slows it down to end the album, just another showcase of his skills. No real concept, just throwing out some dope shit. Beat is, well, different here. It's straight, just not one of my favorites. 8.5/10

And now, for the bonus tracks.

19. Satisfied Dub Version - Just the instrumental version of track #3, about half the song long.

20. 3 Out Of 7 feat. Asheru and El da Sensai - Pretty much the remix to "Mcee", with a couple special guests. The beat her is the epitome of hip hop. J starts off, throwing out some more hot fire, pretty much just jammin' on this shit. Asheru from the Unspoken Heard is on the 2nd verse, talking about what sets real emcees apart from fake ones. El da Sensai cleans up. 9/10

21. The Lyricist - One of the best tracks on here, and a great way to end the album. J spits quoteable after quoteable over this happy beat. "I dip into a theory till I catch dyptheria", need I say more? 9.5/10

Overall: 9.5/10

Overall, this album is incredible. J-Live is definately one of the most articulate/innovative emcees in the game. All Of The Above is one of the few albums I regard as a hip hop classic, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of quality music.

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