Roots Manuva vs Kardinal Offishall: FITE!

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In the red corner, we have a very tall rapper, beloved in his home country but largely ignored in the USA, who makes excellent sci-fi-on-a-budget experimental-but-pop hip hop with a strong dancefloor flavour and somewhat strange lyrics, nicely avoiding the usual gangsta vs underground polar divide perhaps by simply not being part of it.

In the blue corner, we have a very tall rapper, beloved in his home country but largely ignored in the USA, who makes excellent sci-fi-on-a-budget experimental-but-pop hip hop with a strong dancefloor flavour and somewhat strange lyrics, nicely avoiding the usual gangsta vs underground polar divide perhaps by simply not being part of it.

So, what's it gonna be???

― Tim, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Does Kardinal Offishall really parallel Manuva so conveniently? I've only heard Roots Manuva and quite liked it so by this description, I ought to check Offishall as well. I guess I'll get back to this duel afterwards.

― Honda, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

KARDINAL.

― ethan, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

MANUVA.

Ethan's a xenophobe and you should pay him no mind.

― Tom, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i love brand new second-hand unconditionally but the new one is so so terrible except for stone the crows.

― ethan, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

MANUVA.

Ethan's a traditionalist and you should pay him no mind.

― Tom, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(Confession time: I have heard no KO and think the Manuva album is OK but Ethan offers bait and like a hungry hound I take it.)

― Tom, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

download 'ol time killin' you contrarian bastard!

― ethan, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What Ethan said. Mr. Manuva sounds a little wearier to me. No doubt he says many excellent things though.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am so with you on this one, Ethan.

"'Ol Time Killin" is just plain wicked.

― cybele, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And it aint just because I'm originally from T-Dot.

― cybele, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've heard one Manuva track and one Offishall track: Kardinal.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm too hung up on "Maxine" to really give the rest of Kardinal's album a fair shake. But, dang, it sounds superb. Roots, I can't say. Ethan's anti-Manuva campaign leaves me wary.

― David Raposa, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ethan is a lovely guy but he's not to be trusted on hip-hop, David. Buy the Manuva album.

(Mind you nor am I).

― Tom, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

when someone says on Ol Time Killin that "I'm the one your son really wants to chill with and know / You must think it's me that make that nigga act so / Vexed 'cause your church friends gossip on the low" is he saying that he's SATAN? If he is he should make "Allisdair" burn in hell for his crappy verse ("...don't ask me to respect you please" the only bad verse on the album)!

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 29 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I quite liked the new Roots Manuva album.

― DG, Friday, 30 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i think that settles it then.

― ethan, Friday, 30 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hey, i just noticed that "run come save me" made ethan's (early) top ten of 2001- so what changed ethan?

― mitch, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

YES! That's what I want to know, too, Mr. MC Dipthong.

― David Raposa, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

check the roots manuva vs. saul williams thread for further up-and-down developments of this sort. i changed my mind.

― ethan, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

*tsk*

― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 8 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OH MY. There's an Ol Time Killin Remix with Busta on it. I'm downloading it right now. He's apparently also on a Wu-Tang song. Fnar.

― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Manuva, no question.. I like Kardinall, but.. his album just doesn't work for me. I listen to it over and over, trying to catch on.. but I can only find an affinity for about half the tracks. He's more of a singles artist for me. On the other hand, there's only one or two on the new Roots record that haven't totally clicked with me... Kardinall's album also has so-so production, while Roots' is slick and memorable... I can only be asked to recall the beats from two or three tracks on Firestarter, but I remember what almost all the tracks sound like on Run Come Save Me.

― Bobby D Gray, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Kardi's album is way more "pop". Having never heard the Roots Manuva album.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well I've heard them both and you're "on the money" Tracer.

― Josh, Friday, 14 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

They're both ill but I prefer Kardinal. And the production, well it's Kardinal's first album u can't expect exceptional production. And Kardinal ain't all that pop at all. That's an unfair statement and evidently u don't know the meaning of pop. Pop also refers to popular and Kardinal isn't necesarily popular cuz he ain't all that well known...YET.

― Steph, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Steph I meant it as a compliment! I think Kardinal's like an emcee in the original sense, a master of ceremonies, making sure everybody has a good time. He's trying to reach you where you're at, instead of just going off in the corner doing his own thing that nobody can understand. Plus the beats are really bright and up-front - I mean i could totally see it on the radio. Maybe he's not pop like Sisqo's pop, or Ginuwine or whoever, but he's got a sound that I think could be very widely appreciated.

― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Kardinal isn't necesarily popular cuz he ain't all that well known...YET."

Don't be too sure off that. Not everyones world is so centered around one country as reading the posts her reminds me day in and out.
Havent heard Roots so I cant compare. So where is the Rascalz thread hiding? Sharp Shooter being my favorite rap song for a fair bit of time recently. Okay so it was half for the sound bites.

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

lol ok tracer hand

and mr noodles wat are u talkin bout

― Steph, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about the Baby Blue Soundcrew in general? Anyone?

― cybele, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

baby blue soundcrew i find is really good, nothing incredibly amazing but they got good style.

― Steph, Tuesday, 29 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think the orig. dancehall-style version of "Money Jane" was BBS feat. Kardinal. It's really really good.

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 30 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three months pass...

fuck all ya'll mommaz mutha fo! L8RZ.....

― Boris scheme, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Up yo fuckin' arsez mutha fo'z, i'ma bitch-slap yo pastey white boy countenancez. Word up man,i'm sick 'o' dis shit for real. So while all you faking ass niggaz keep on spittin yo wak shit on da internet, i'm gonna kick back an smoke a blunt,slick like,an just keep laughin @ ya'll! L8RZ-THE LAST EMPEROR SPITZ DA GOOD SHIT,FOR REAL!

― odette pace, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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