Mastered the Art

Editorial Reviews
From URB Magazine
San Diego's Greyboy, a Californian producer akin to the British acid jazz pioneer Gilles Peterson, smacks beat heads upside the head as he strays from his jazz-infused formula on his third album in a decade. What is most impressive here is the sheer diversity of tracks, most of which manage to stay contemporary despite some retro tinges. Instrumental components, like guitars and other stringed instruments, tap new frontiers by becoming essential colleagues to hopping rhythms.

The title track, "Mastered the Art," highlights a xylophone thread within a hip-hop fabric. Watch out for a head rush on "Uknowmylife," a chin-nodder that's apt to produce neck cramps as Cincinnati's MC Main Flow drops slippery rhymes over an infectious melody, and "Dealin' With the Archives," a willowy track accentuated with scratches. "Polyphonix" is a body-groover that utilizes horns and soft "ooh, ooh, ooh" and "ba da ba ba" vocals to create a breezy old television soundtrack that has a distinctly classic feel, while "Marrakesh" (and especially the heavy, menacing "Logan's Run") throws in some spy-movie flavor. The last track is a seven-minute bossa nova remix version of "Mastered the Art" from Italian producer Nicola Conte. It's more than just a bonus on an otherwise already complete LP - it brings the album full circle. In the label's press release, Mastered the Art has been deemed as "something you can expect from a Southern Californian beat head," but the substantial roster of cuts proves the pigeonhole classification as inaccurate. Ubiquity's first-born artist makes his parents proud once again.

Phuong-Cac Nguyen

Mastered the Art,Greyboy,Ubiquity,Acid Jazz,Club/Dance,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop,Rock/Pop

Mastered the Art

Tracks:

Mastered The Art
Hold It Down
Uknowmylife
Polyphonix
Dealin' With The Archives
Marrakesh
Instantly
Ghetto Boogie
Smokescreen
Logan's Run
Bath Music
Mastered The Art (Nicola Conte Jet Sounds Remix)

Customer Reviews:

Never would of Thought.......2002-10-17

I am completely amazed. This album should recieve more recognition than it already does. I believe this will be one of my favorite albums in my collection cd's. Truly a classic in the making!!

This is Great..........2002-05-08

I remember, when I was a kid, I saw a small budget, independent movie called Spawn. It was this one song I could not get out of my head, from the movie. I found out later that it was by a little known (at the time) band called Incubus and a DJ by the name of Greyboy. Now, I am a big fan of Incubus, but what ever happened to the almighty Greyboy? I copped this CD, and I have not stopped listening to it since. If you don't like rap music, you really don't have anything to worry about. Only four of the twelve tracks have rap artists on them (I still think they're great). If you like this, I also recommend Thunderball, Desmond Williams, Nicola Conte and/or Thievery Corporation from Eighteenth Street Lounge.

Yet another rap clone.......2001-12-12

I was very disappointed in this new Greyboy cd. Where he previously created cool jazz hip-hop rhythms and tunes, he now adds rap which makes the whole thing run of the mill. It's obviously aimed at "making money" rather than staying true to the artistic integrity that the previous cd demonstrate.

A boring "rap" album that can easily be skipped. I'll be ignoring Greyboy from now on.

Mastered the Art.......2001-12-08

Listening to 'Mastered the Art' is the acoustic equivalent of running your hand over shag carpet that hasn't been vacuumed since the seventies - it reveals a surprising accumulation of hidden textures and diverse beats, from Spanish-style acoustic guitars and menacing orchestration to xylophones and Galaga samples (you know the tractor beam sound just before your ship gets taken up). 'Mastered the Art' is a gigantic mixed-media canvas that subsumes all the brilliance of his previous albums while adding authentic variation and depth. Like any original work of art, 'Mastered the Art' is difficult to categorize - it represents the leading edge in the ongoing revolution that is combining hip-hop, jazz, groove, and funk into unique and powerful musical expressions. Greyboy is an accomplished composer and this album is a masterpiece. Now if only he'd publish the complete list of his 8-track collection. . .

simply amazing.......2001-07-14

After listening to all of Greyboy's other discs I was a little shocked when I first played "mastered the art". Greyboy steps away from the typical jazzy beats that were so prevalent on the previous albums. This album showcases Greyboy as a completely rounded artist who is moving more towards the hip hop side of things, but don't worry there's still plenty of jazz for you older fans. Amazing, I can't do it justice. Buy it, listen 5 times in a row and try not to be amazed.