Fantastic Damage [Explicit Lyrics]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The debut solo album from El-P, Fantastic Damage finds the rap firebrand expanding on the confrontational themes that have characterized his career to date. As the guiding influence of influential hip-hop trio Company Flow, founder of the indie label Def Jux, and producer for Cannibal Ox's outstanding apocalyptic rap work The Cold Vein, El-P has become synonymous with the new breed of left-field hip-hoppers. But Fantastic Damage is quite possibly his most extreme statement yet: a sprawling magnum opus of broiling anger and dysfunctional angst, expressed through his abrasive production techniques and satirical rhymes. In spirit, the music echoes the revolutionary squall of the Bomb Squad, while not actually sounding like it: the blistering funk of "Deep Space 9mm" boasts a more syrupy feel than Public Enemy's tight jams, while "Dead Disnee" has more in common with the modern wave of laptop-wielding electronica artists than any traditional rap groove. Rhyme-wise, too, this is a bleak work, as El-P envisions apocalyptic futures ("Stepfather Factory") and waxes unprintable about his former record label ("Deep Space 9mm"). At 70 minutes, it's on the long side, but anyone acquainted with El-P's earlier work should lap this up. --Louis Pattison

Fantastic Damage,El-P,Definitive Jux,Alternative Rap,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,Underground Rap

Fantastic Damage [Explicit Lyrics]

Fantastic Damage [Explicit Lyrics]

Average customer rating:

Sounds like metal garbage cans falling down my basement steps

Call it 4.5 Stars for Fantastic Damage

Def Jux Classic (4.5 stars)

Future of Independent Rap Music

my intro to def jux

Fantastic Damage
El-P
Manufacturer: Definitive Jux
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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The Cold Vein

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ASIN: B000063VAW
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Fantastic Damage
Squeegee Man Shooting
Deep Space 9mm
Tuned Mass Damper
Dead Disnee
Delorean
Truancy
The Hang, The Front, The Bush And The Shit
Accidents Don't Happen
Stepfather Factory
T.O.J.
Dr. Hellno And The Praying Mantus
Lazerfaces' Warning
Innocent Leader
Constellation Funk
Blood

Amazon.com

The debut solo album from El-P, Fantastic Damage finds the rap firebrand expanding on the confrontational themes that have characterized his career to date. As the guiding influence of influential hip-hop trio Company Flow, founder of the indie label Def Jux, and producer for Cannibal Ox's outstanding apocalyptic rap work The Cold Vein, El-P has become synonymous with the new breed of left-field hip-hoppers. But Fantastic Damage is quite possibly his most extreme statement yet: a sprawling magnum opus of broiling anger and dysfunctional angst, expressed through his abrasive production techniques and satirical rhymes. In spirit, the music echoes the revolutionary squall of the Bomb Squad, while not actually sounding like it: the blistering funk of "Deep Space 9mm" boasts a more syrupy feel than Public Enemy's tight jams, while "Dead Disnee" has more in common with the modern wave of laptop-wielding electronica artists than any traditional rap groove. Rhyme-wise, too, this is a bleak work, as El-P envisions apocalyptic futures ("Stepfather Factory") and waxes unprintable about his former record label ("Deep Space 9mm"). At 70 minutes, it's on the long side, but anyone acquainted with El-P's earlier work should lap this up. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews:

Sounds like metal garbage cans falling down my basement steps.......2007-03-09

I'm not a real big fan of Def Jux, I bought this album based on good reviews and so far I like almost any kind of alternative/creative hip hop ex.(Blackalicious,kool keith,busdriver,deltron,mf doom ect.) Some people cream there pants over this just cause its different,and I know some of you are thinking "your ears just arn't mature enough to appreciate it" listen kids I know good hip hop when I hear it and this is just amature lyrics with wack beats. Mabey if I was still taking acid and mushrooms I could appreciate it better, but iv'e been out of high school for 7 years.

Call it 4.5 Stars for Fantastic Damage.......2006-09-11

Somewhere along the line rap and hip hop fans came to expect rap to give reverence to other forms of black music. Jazz is all over A Tribe Called Quest, the P-Funk sound is the predominant sound in gangster rap, and soul and R&B show up in almost every rap release.

Well El-P's Fantastic Damage doesn't give reverence to black music. It's sound is more along the lines of a soundtrack to a twisted sci-fi movie. The music is dense, with many layers of production and sound for a careful listener to pick apart. If I had to compare it something else, I would compare it to the Bomb Squad, but even that isn't really accurate.

As a rapper, El-P's flow has vastly improved from his Company Flow days. His verses are dense and they come at you at tremendous speed. The subject matter ranges from typical battle rap stuff to lyrics about totalitarian regimes, sci-fi movies and conspiracy theories. The various guest stars sprinkled over the album also add to the feel and the flow of the album.

An emblematic song of the album is Delorian. The song starts out with a rapid fire verses from Aesop Rock and El-P. The two exchange raps for the first few minutes before the song digresses in to scratching for the bridge. Then the song comes back with a wallop, reprising the first verse. At the end of the song, the music desolves in to an hilarious chorus about Back to the Future (Great Scotts!!!).

If you can take a little experimentation with an open mind then you might like this album. It's dense, and takes many listens to fully understand, but once you do, it's very rewarding. If your a fan of the more mainstream stuff, then stay away. There are no raps about hos, 40s, and blunts, so you might not get your fill of ghetto culture. But if your looking for something different, this is a damn good listen.

Def Jux Classic (4.5 stars).......2006-07-14

I really wasn't familiar with El-P's work until I heard Company Flow's "Funcrusher (Plus)" album this year. El-P produced most of the album. I wasn't too fond of his production on that album, probably because I was not used to they way he does it. But it did make me want to check out more of his work, purchasing his "Fantastic Damage" album.

El-P creates new heights of his album production and lyrically. When I first heard this album (with earbuds), I had a headache from listening to it, especially on the track "Accidents Don't Happen" when that loud pitch through out the song made me rip the the buds out of my ear. But listening to the album again I was able to get used to the production and actually enjoy it more and more as it grew on me. The production on "The Hang, The Front, The Bush and The S***" holds a tight beat at the beginning before it changes.

Lyrically El-P doesn't disappoint. Songs like "Dead Disnee" is a song about going to Disney World and destroying the place. I also like "Step Father Factory" where he creats a robotic step father that is supposed to be in families homes but they glitch. He comes off strong in all tracks and never looses his momentum. Not many emcees can do this here. Most of the time I have no idea what he is talking about, but I still like his rhymes.

Guest wise are mostly within the Def Jux family. My favorite is the somewhat sexual track "Dr. Hell No & The Praying Mantis" featuring Vast Aire (even though he sounds like he can't rhyme whatsoever). Mr Lif & C Rayz Walz appear on "Blood" also a great track. Aesop Rock, Ill Bill, Cage and Camutao also makes an appearance on the album.

Overall I enjoyed this album after giving it a few spins. El-P takes hit talents to higher levels and never dissapoints in this album. If you like Def Jux or just want to hear something new, I recommend this album to you.

Lyrics: A
Production: A
Guest Appearances: A
Musical Vibes: A+

Favorite Tracks: Fantastic Damage, Deep Space 9mm, Dead Disnee, Delorean, The Hang The Front..., Step Father Factory, Dr. Hell No and the Praying Mantis, Innocent Leader (no vocals), Blood

Future of Independent Rap Music.......2006-06-14

This album is now several years old but I can't stop thinking every time I listen still how it sounds years or decades ahead of its time. The closest comparison for this type of reaction (other than Canniabl Ox, of course) would have to be Dr. Octagon.

The reason for this is the production. El-P is unstoppable in the studio. He can make the most outrageous beats that only a few people in the world could ever rap over.

This music is like hard rock. I came back to rap music in late 90's after years of the industry being garbage. There was Wu and 'Illmatic' and Gang Starr and that's it. Then I found Octagon and then I was into the whole scene. I left rock music for the second time in my life (the first being in 1987-88) and can't go back to that horrid scene. And why would I with the Def Jux label coming out with harder stuff with more of a hard rock feel and sensibility than anything in rock music?

Def Jux is where it's at and hopefully they can continue and keep that dark, futuristic sound going and finding more rappers to help them out. Thank God for Lif and El P (and the other undergound masters). Real rap, for the rap fan who actually possesses brains and backbone.

One negative thing (about def jux) to be objective is Aesop's Bazooka Tooth a couple years back was sub-par. Old Aesop is far better. I hate that album.

my intro to def jux.......2006-03-18

this album is a mixture of bladerunner style sci-fi paranoia, synthesised experimental sounds, and rap that is full of disturbing imagery, pop cultural references and sheer venom spewed at the more disturbing characters in society(corporate CEOs, politicians, rapists, abusive drunks). i really like how raw and aggressive this is and the science fiction film feel to most of the beats. "deep space 9mm" and "dead diznee" take on the government and corporations. Alot of the track dead diznee describes anarchists killing mascots and burning the theme park to the ground, complete with explosions and screaming cartoon character sound bites on one line el-p spits" i slayed bambi/sprayed his whole family/destitute mad aggie/propaganda handling" showing the real hatred he has for most of american culture. the aesop rock track delorean is a back and forth between the two rappers interrupted in the middle by a barrage of dj scratching and a spoken word interlude by ill bill from the group nonphixion. other standouts include the metaphorical sci fi parable "stepfather factory" in which housewives are given alcohol fueled robotic companions which its later revealed, can short circuit and hurt you and your entirely family. i dont even need to explain the metaphor there.

the track "lazerfaces warning" is probably the albums most bizarre point, sung from the point of view of the character Lazerface, el-p crosses back and fourth between attacking the homogenized shows on MTV and tormented introspections about how the lasers in his head might"spin out of control and....melt something" im not sure what it means but the dense techno productions on the track give it a grimey cyberpunk feel.

if you like cannibal ox, or nonphixion this is sort of a combination of the two.

Fantastic Damage Plus: Remixes & Instrumentals

Average customer rating:

Great
Great Beats, Bad Emcee
Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?

Fantastic Damage Plus: Remixes & Instrumentals
El-P
Manufacturer: Definitive Jux
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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El-P Presents Cannibal Oxtrumentals
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ASIN: B00006JJ4J
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Tracks:

Fantastic Damage
Squeegee Man Shooting
Deep Space 9mm
Tuned Mass Damper
Dead Disnee
DeLorean
Truancy
The Nang, the Front, the Bush and the Shit
Accidents Don't Happen Stepfather Factory
T.O.J.
Dr. Hellno vs. the Praying Mantus
Lazerfaces' Warning
Innocent Leader
Constellation Funk
Blood

Tracks:

Squeegee Man Shooting (original)
Lazerfaces' Warning (RJD2 Remix)
Dead Weathermen (feat. Cage, Camu Tao, Copywrite, Vast Aire)
Deep Space 9mm Video
El-P Live at SOB's 2/28/02

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2003-07-26

El-p is an awesome producer and rapper too.I know this is an instrumental album most the whole thing is but the fact is theres extras on it, and if you like the beats, and just can listen to nice beats without the lyrics for whatever reason, to rhyme over it, or just to relax and kick back, you can do either one.Check out Aesop Rock's new cd Bazooka Tooth.El-p is on there.

Great Beats, Bad Emcee.......2003-07-01

I picked this up at the beginning of June and it sat in my drawer since then. I finally listened to it today and was not disappointed. El-P is a very talented producer. His beats are really off the wall and entertaining. I don't normally buy instrumental albums but I figured I'd take a risk with this one (plus I noticed that Cage, Copy & Camu guest on the second disk). El is a great producer, that's not in question. But my whole thing with him is, I think he's a terrible emcee. Some of his verses are good and tolerable but the majority of the time I can't listen to him. I'm into emcee's that have real good flowing patterns and are easy to listen to. El-P is nighter of those. Half the time his rhymes don't rhyme and when they do its almost impossible to find where they connect. I really don't know why people paint him out to be the Messiah of Hip Hop. But if you're looking for an album full of insanely good beats pick this up (although I'm not promising you'll be able to rap over them if that's why you buy it).

Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?.......2002-10-16

"Fantastic Damage" was, in my eyes, a pretty good hip hop album that was as prodigious as it was impenetrable. The lyrics were mostly thoughtful, intelligent and clever and the beats were strangely beautiful in it's shattered, stutter-stepping, Blade Runner-esque manner. It's not the kind of experience the average hip hop fan weaned on P-Funk samples and bling-blinging can get into, but those who spend the time on it are justly rewarded.

"Fan Dam Plus" serves as a nice PS to "Fan Dam," but not neccessarily a Must Have. For your money, you get instrumentals of every song, the original version of "Squeegee Man Shooting," RJD2's remix of "Lazerfaces' Warning," and the unreleased "Dead Weathermen." You also get the "controversial" video to "Deep Space 9mm" (decent for a low budget video, but the only people who'd find it "controversial" are people who wouldn't normally be listening to El-P), a live performance and lyrics to the entire "Fan Dam" album.

The music on "Fan Dam" had a bad habit of outshining El-P's flow, so both the lyrics and the instrumentals are nice to have seperately to get the full picture. The live performance was decent, but not awe inspiring. The extra songs didn't knock me on my backside, but acquitted themselves well. El-P completists and rabid Def Jux fans will want a copy of this, but unless you loved "Fan Dam" you could probably live without.

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