What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective
by Steinski
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 2 out of 16

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  1. CliftonE.
    Jul 2, 2008
    5
    Old school hip hop mixtape fodder, mixing is tight, but that alone does not make something "classic". The track with Cronkite reading the news of the Kennedy assassination is TERRIBLE. It is not art, it is turning murder into a song. Horrible. However the disk itself has many funky old school hip hop tracks and mixing, which redeems this collection. There is a reason no U.S. company would Old school hip hop mixtape fodder, mixing is tight, but that alone does not make something "classic". The track with Cronkite reading the news of the Kennedy assassination is TERRIBLE. It is not art, it is turning murder into a song. Horrible. However the disk itself has many funky old school hip hop tracks and mixing, which redeems this collection. There is a reason no U.S. company would release these disks. Poor taste, not art.… Expand
  2. AdamY.
    Aug 16, 2008
    10
    Damn good collection.
  3. XanW.
    Jul 4, 2008
    10
    Beautiful, seamless, articulate.... Rarely does such a work of art grace the current release section these days, don't hesitate to swoop on this,one of the few albums I have not regretted purchasing in a very long time.
  4. PauleyS.
    Aug 3, 2008
    9
    Nothing to Fear is sicknastygood. The oldies are real slick, too. This music makes me smile with glee.
  5. ntretyuif.
    Jan 9, 2009
    10
    This will be in the hip hop hall of fame its classic sample based hip hop which birthed the golden age of hip hop.
  6. MikeJ.
    Oct 7, 2008
    3
    Music for reviewers. They've heard everything there is to hear, and they're fucking bored of all of it. So the only thing they can enjoy is a compilation of everything they've heard, which to them is "unique". To the rest of us it's boring. This is why you have great music like Nine Inch Nails and Tool getting average reviews and this getting praised out of existence.
  7. MIguelA.
    Jul 9, 2008
    9
    This album is great for people who have ADD and are in need of beat therapy.
  8. SinclairS.
    Sep 1, 2008
    9
    This is absolutely amazing. Like a trip down mix-ology lane. Very Kid-Koalaish although obviously Steinski did it first.
  9. MycroftW.
    Sep 20, 2008
    9
    Worth your dollar for the Lessons alone. Grab it!
  10. CM.
    Sep 7, 2008
    3
    I don't understand how this is the top rated record of the year. To me this sounds like a very average Cut Chemist mixtape. The record suffers greatly from all the mix-ins and random clips of dialogue. At almost no point does Steinski allow the melody to stand alone and take the listener anywhere. Good technical mixing and cutting,but the beats are so-so and the melodies suffer from I don't understand how this is the top rated record of the year. To me this sounds like a very average Cut Chemist mixtape. The record suffers greatly from all the mix-ins and random clips of dialogue. At almost no point does Steinski allow the melody to stand alone and take the listener anywhere. Good technical mixing and cutting,but the beats are so-so and the melodies suffer from constant and incredibly annoying interruption. By no means should this collection be considered the best album to emerge from 2008.… Expand
  11. DomB.
    Sep 9, 2008
    10
    Great body of work. So good I actually went out & bought it!
  12. WesM.
    Jun 24, 2008
    10
    Great, nerdy fun. Plenty of hooks and ingenius samples. Amazing value and songs.
  13. MattC.
    Aug 26, 2008
    10
    Great beats, great rhymes, great scratches, funky and fun.

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. AllMusic
    90
    Rap music has rarely gotten more virtuosic and creative than it does here.
    Read full review
  2. Alternative Press
    80
    'The Motorcade Sped On,' a track that chops up funky beats with verteran newscaster Walter Cronkite reporting the death of President John F. Kennedy, is worth the price of admission alone. [July 2008, p.170]
  3. Blender
    80
    Not all connect, but a bonus disc, the soon-vanished 2002 full-length Nothing to Fear, compensates. Buy this before it vanishes, too.
    Read full review
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