West Oaktown

West Oaktown

ASIN: B000AANWE6

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Funky. Soulful. Conscious. Organic. One part jazz, one part hip-hop, this double disc provides a sound that's both accessible enough to be immediately interesting and intricate enough to maintain that interest. The man behind Colossus, Charlie Tate, has drawn on his own impressive musical experience in creating this album, having worked with the likes of Roy Ayers, Fred Wesley, and Gil Scott Heron. Haunting keys, warm basslines, subtle scratching, and head-nodding percussion keep things moving throughout. The production is so strong that the guest emcees are often relegated to the background--the exception being the outstanding performance of London's Roots Manuva. With West Oaktown Charlie Tate establishes a level of artistic and musical credibility that makes many of his peers pale in comparison. While the mainstream media may sleep on an artist like Colossus, OM Records certainly have not: alongside J Boogie and People Under the Stairs, the OM hip-hop offering is suddenly looking surprisingly strong. -- Anish Acharya

Tracks:

We Like It
Say That Then
Rock 'N' Soul
It's a Shame
3-5-7 Straight at You
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Juicy Gotcha Krazy
Stupid Def Ya'll
I Betcha Wanna Take It

Customer Reviews:

Pure Dissappointment.......2007-04-05

I am sorry but this album was not what I was hoping it would be. I purchased it as a child and own it now as an adult. However, the only reason I do own it was because they attached their videos on DVD. We like it (Wild & Loose) and Juicy Gothca Krazy are great songs but only in there video forms. If you are looking for those sames songs as released on video on CD you aren't going to find it. Sad to say but I feel the only reason this album really sold was because many saw the videos first and then purchased the album hoping to hear the same thing.

old school female rap pioneers.......2006-06-29

I agree with j arce (puertorocreppin) the ladies of oaktown's 357 never truly got the respect they deserved. I was and still am a huge fan of this group and was very excited when i found out they finally released all their hit videos (along with their remastered hit cds) They come from an era when hip hop wasn't all about violence/hate. (which few people under 30 will understand) you see back then it was all about the party. True they didn't have the tightest lyrics but at the same time they still held their own and definetely put on a show. There are a more than a few club bangers on this dics and this cd is a must buy to add to any old school hip hop head's list.

My guilty pleasure!!!!!.......2006-01-10

in answer to Norfeest....Oaktown's 3.5.7 has undergone more musical chairs in their brief 4 year career then Destiny's Child...starting out as a trio in 88 as MC Hammer's back up dancers the 3 original memebers Terrible T.,Sweet LD,and Lil'P.(seen in Hammer's "Pump it up" video),went on to record their debut "Wild & loose" to be released in 89...before the shooting and release of their 1st single "Yeah,yeah,Yeah" Lil'P left the group to get married...Hammer recruits 2 new girls Sweet P.(a former Raider Cheerleader) and VC(Bobby Brown's "My perogitive" video) joining Terrible T & Sweet LD turning 357 into a quartet,and the reason you see 4 women in the video...however the 2 new girls lipsynched Lil'P's voice in the "Yeah..." video...as the story goes VC broke her leg and never returned and Sweet P. left to becaome a temporary member of JJ Fad replacing Sassy C. briefly and changing her name to Classy P....now they are a duo once again...and you see that in their 2nd video "357 straight at u"...well going into 90's Hammer decided release a 3rd single "Juicy gotcha crazy" remixing & rerecording the song and adding the sultry vocals of B.Angie B....Angie was actually never a part of 357 just a guest vocalist...their 4th single "We Like it" was also rerecorded and remixed.

Now onto my review...these ladies remind me of a time when hip hop wasn't so mean and hateful...sure they dissed JJ Fad,S&P,and Shante...but it wasn't anything in the vein of what going on these days...they were not the best MC's, they still were nonetheless entertaining...all the spandex and cheerleader dance moves were cute.

Where is B Angie B?.......2005-06-04

***********BUYER BEWARE************************. If you buy this CD for the song Juicy gotcha crazy Ft. B angie B you will be disappointed. Because she is not on the version that is on this album. And futher more the version on the album has some kind of rock sound with guys singing juicy in the background and the ladies rapping don't even sound like 357. This song and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah were the only reason I bought the CD. Yeah...song is cool it still sounds the same. But this messed up juicy version made me angry. I wish I had knew this before I bought it.

5 STARS. YES, 5 STARS. .......2005-03-28

This album doesn't seem to get the respect it deserved. It didn't get the respect it deserved when it was released back in 89, and it's pretty much forgotten now. This is a shame.

Why do the other reviews slack this album for being produced by MC HAMMER? Yes, everyone knows that MC HAMMER brought these girls up, and did most of the work for their album, including promotion and production. However, slow down for a second before you critisize them for this, and ponder this questions: Do you realize that now, in the year 2006, EVERY SINGLE HIP HOP "ARTIST" IS PRODUCED BY SOMEBODY ELSE? Let's face it - nobody writes their own lyrics. I hate to break it to you. Yes, MC HAMMER wrote lyrics on this album. What is your point?! Yeah, now I see you nervously glancing at your CD collection...

Each song on this album is well done. "357 Straight at You" is a gem. These ballsy girls called out every single female rap group that existed alongside them. Added to the hit list was SHANTE, SALT-N-PEPPA, and most obviously, JJ FAD. What rap group these days can actually start beef like that, much less a female group? These days, all you will get is a bunch of lousy r'n b, or some neo-hoochied-out Top 40 garbage.

There are club bangers on this album (Yeah Yeah Yeah, Juicy). The last song is a moody, dark song, "I Betcha Wanna Take It", which is definitely one of the standouts.

Get this album if you can, especially if you are interested in having a well-developed sense of what hip-hop was, and is.

Average customer rating:

Exhilarating
incredible CD
Best Colossus since the "X-Men"
Music: 5 stars, Lyrics: 3 stars
sucks

West Oaktown
Colossus
Manufacturer: Om Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Live! in the Mix
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As If We Existed

ASIN: B000AANWE6
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Innacity
From The Lab
You A Grown Man Now
If You Knew My Mind
One
Thrupenny Bits
Like That
The Tribute
Brotha's Tryin' To Be
Sunshine
Whirlwinds
Lil' Sally

Tracks:

Intro
The Tribute
Interlude 1
Brotha's Tryin' To Be
Interlude 2
If You Knew My Mind
From The Lab
Thrupenny Bits
Innacity
Interlude 3
Like That
You A Grown Man Now
Lil Sally
Interlude 4
Whirlwinds
Interlude 5
Where You At?

Amazon.com

Funky. Soulful. Conscious. Organic. One part jazz, one part hip-hop, this double disc provides a sound that's both accessible enough to be immediately interesting and intricate enough to maintain that interest. The man behind Colossus, Charlie Tate, has drawn on his own impressive musical experience in creating this album, having worked with the likes of Roy Ayers, Fred Wesley, and Gil Scott Heron. Haunting keys, warm basslines, subtle scratching, and head-nodding percussion keep things moving throughout. The production is so strong that the guest emcees are often relegated to the background--the exception being the outstanding performance of London's Roots Manuva. With West Oaktown Charlie Tate establishes a level of artistic and musical credibility that makes many of his peers pale in comparison. While the mainstream media may sleep on an artist like Colossus, OM Records certainly have not: alongside J Boogie and People Under the Stairs, the OM hip-hop offering is suddenly looking surprisingly strong. -- Anish Acharya

Customer Reviews:

Exhilarating.......2006-08-11

5 Stars...no sweat. If you like experimenting in black sounds, this is the perfect album for you. An extremely tight fussion of hip hop and jazz. Impecable production!

The previous Reviewer (Emil Adjamian "gij emo"), gave only one star to this album...bottom line is, if you dig all the BS mainstream music you hear on the radio or watch BET/MTV (Puffy and co.), then this cd is not for you. Please, don't fake da funk.

incredible CD.......2006-08-09

Great infusion of jazz and hip hop. The beats are incredible throughout, the lyrics varied from song to song, some great some only average. That said, you listen to Colossus for the jazz/hip hop beats, so in spite of some average lyrics on a few songs, I give a 4 1/2 star rating, which I set at five since amazon doesn't allow 1/2 stars.

Best Colossus since the "X-Men".......2006-02-04

Wow. This is a musical experience. It's jazz + hip-hop at its finest. It's engaging, and lyrically sharp. It's definitely worth a buy, and the included remix CD is worth listening to as well.
Enjoy!

Music: 5 stars, Lyrics: 3 stars.......2006-01-16

The music and production on "West Oaktown" is, as is expected from an Om release, stunning and impeccable. It's experimental in the good sense of the word, never anything less then smooth and highly listenable while still pushing the stylistic envelope of hip-hop. The fusion of jazz and hip-hop, live elements and loops, is viscerally enjoyable.

It's a shame, then, that the rapping not only fails to live up to the quality of the production but in many cases makes potentially stunning tracks unlistenable. "If You Knew My Mind" begins with the uninspired, well-worn monosyllabic rhymes: "I'm not the same, nah / Cuz people change, uh-huh / I live the game, uh / I feel the pain, uh." These guys took some of the most interesting backing tracks of the decade and that was the best they could do?

By far the worst track is "Like That" which contains one of the most regrettable metaphors in rap history. "Dropping bombs, all day / Like Timmy McVeigh" the MC cheerily boasts, seemingly unconcerned that he's glorifying--and equating himself with--America's worst domestic terrorist of all time, whom he feels comfortable calling "Timmy." On another track or from another rapper it might come off as intentionally provocative, but amid a series of standard and uninventive brags over an unthreatening beat it comes off as painfully ignorant and unconcerned. As a result the cheery jazz noodlings and rhymes that come after are impossible to enjoy.

Thankfully not every track crashes and burns. On many, the rapping is neither here nor there; it doesn't add anything but it doesn't take anthing away. There are a few tracks, though, like "Innacity," "You a Grown Man Now" and "Thrupenny Bits," on which solid and inventive rapping enhances already standout tracks.

Because the production is so much more interesting and creative on the whole than the rhyming, it's amazing to me that they sell the record with a bonus disc of rather ordinary, standard-issue hip-hop remixes. The exact opposite, an instrumental version of the originals, would have served fans much better.

There's more than enough great material to make the record worth the purchase, especially because of it's highly original sound. If only it didn't have such glaring verbal missteps it would have been truly spectacular.

sucks.......2006-01-15

this cd is a waste of money.

Average customer rating:

Better Effort
A GREAT ALBUM!
A GREAT ALBUM!

Fully Loaded
Oaktown's 357
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Be Aware

ASIN: B000008J2T
Release Date: 1991-08-06

Tracks:

It's Not Your Money
Turn It Up
Honey
(Miss U) Come Back to Me
It's Really Goin' On
Smoother Than Silk
Respect
Smoothin'
That's Why We're Doin' It
All Over You
Comin' Harder
Load the 3.5.7
Use What We Got

Customer Reviews:

Better Effort.......2003-09-09

The sophomore effort by the former background dancers for MC HAMMER gave them much more creative control and writing credits. The lead single "Turn it up" was a dance hit and a top 20 r&b and rap song. It featured the legendary TATA VEGA on vocals. "Its not your money" is a clever song about how people find out you have money and wanna take advantage of you. "(Miss You) Come back to me" is a rap ballad featuring B Angie B on the hook.

"Honey" was another stand out single for the group. "Thats why we're doing it" and the stomping banger "Comin' Harder" were also just as competent. This release is more Oaktowns 357 on their own. MC HAMMER produced this effort as well but the songs are more well rounded.

A GREAT ALBUM!.......2003-02-24

This album is so good. when i first bought it i loved it right away from the first song "it's not your money" to "Use what we got" They are talented rap ladies who are 'usin what they got to get what they want' and it's a shame they havent made any other albums cuz they're really good. my personal favorites on this cd are "Smoothin'," "Turn It Up," and "Comin' Harder" they are great songs, very energetic, especially "turn it up" that's a song you can really party to. it's a great album and it seems people just sadly passed this one by. they're really missing out on good music here. Didn't they used to be a trio, cuz in their 2nd album they're a duo and i wonder about that. oh well.
anyways, just buy the album, i have it in my collection and I
listen to it alot! yes, it's that good!

A GREAT ALBUM!.......2003-02-24

Average customer rating:

More Than Just Hammers Dancers
Hot ,Sexy,and Black in 89!
Props to MC Hammer's dancers and pioneering female MCs

Wild & Loose
Oaktown's 357
Manufacturer: Bungalo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Fully Loaded
2 Legit: The Videos
Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
Let's Get It Started

ASIN: B0009S2TVG
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

We Like It
Say That Then
Rock 'N' Soul
It's A Shame
3-5-7 Straight At You
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Juicy Gotcha Krazy (Remix)
Stupid Def Ya'll
I Betcha Wanna Take It

Customer Reviews:

More Than Just Hammers Dancers.......2006-07-15

This group came out strong in 89' after performing with Hammer since 87'. As part of the Oaktown Posse these ladies were more than just some of the best hip-hop dancers of that time they had skills on the mic as well. After shooting the music video for Yeah,Yeah,Yeah the group had a little drama that led to Lil'P leaving the group. Another reviewer said that she was the keyboard player in Bobby Brown's video but that is incorrect. That girl was a back up dancer for 357 known as Vicious C not part of the group. Lil'P was the other girl in the video aside from Terrible T and Sweet LD and she can also be seen in the Hammer video for Pump It Up. Anyway this cd was remastered very well and sounds great. I wish the B Angie B version of Juicy was included as well as the remix for We Like It with only TT and Sweet LD. But the videos are great anyway.

Hot ,Sexy,and Black in 89!.......2006-05-26

I previously had seen Oaktown's 3.5.7 "3-5-7 straight at you" on Vh1 soul and it was a great video.The dances, The girl's and the rhymes were great!. As a young black old-school hip hop fan I LOVED THESE GIRLS and their song was a hit.

If anyone out there has any info on these girl's ...please keep me posted.
Until Then...peace!

Props to MC Hammer's dancers and pioneering female MCs.......2005-12-02

Say what you want about this trio of proteges of the once omnipresent MC Hammer, Oaktown's 357 had the potential to be as big as the Hammer man himself with fierce lyrical delivery, hyperkenetic dance moves, flashy videos backed by catchy pop beats (in an interview it was said the group chose "357" as numbers symbolizing strength and power). This album was originally released in 1989, a year before Hammer's own career peaked. Unfortunately by the beginning of the '90s both acts failed to keep up with the changing pop landscape and the advent of "gangsta" rap. The inevitable backlash came against Hammer, Oaktown's 357 and other "cheesy" rap acts. Most female rappers with the exception of Salt N' Pepa were already forgotten by the time 357 (now a duo) released their far inferior sophomore disc "Fully Loaded." And even today with the world wide web there is little information about this enigmatic and short-lived group. Therefore it is great to see this "guilty pleasure" get re-released and remastered WITH an awesome DVD that includes not only all the videos from "Wild and Loose:"
357 Straight At You
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Juicy Gotcha Krazy
We Like It (Get Loose)

...but also the videos from "Fully Loaded:"
Honey
It's Not Your Money
Turn It Up

I had not seen a couple of these ever, and had not seen the others in many years so this was really a treat and reminded me how irresistably watchable the videos were (thanks no doubt to MC Hammer and his handlers). I did have to wince at seeing "Straight at You" again, where "Terrible T" and "Sweet LD" lip-synched the parts of "Little P," who for some reason was gone by the time the video was shot (random trivia: Little P was the keyboard player in Bobby Brown's "My Perogative" video with the high top fade LOL). It's a shame the DVD nor its track listing were even mentioned on the jewel box label; also a shame that I was able to find a "cutout" copy only 5 months after its release. Still, props to Bungalo records for giving it a try and doing a halfway decent job unlike so many re-released, supposedly remastered recordings these days. You can definitely hear the improved sound quality on the one listen I've had so far. My only other complaint is the listed "remix" of Juicy Gotcha Krazy that replaced the original album mix. This remix consists only of the original with an annoying hollow background beat. I was surprised they didn't use the bass-heavy single/video version with B Angie B or another mix I've heard that cleverly combines the album and single mixes. But the DVD more than makes up for that.

I hope this review will provoke others to write in on their likes (or dislikes) of this underrated group and album, and maybe the word can be spread and others will get to hear fun "vintage" rap/hip hop.

Average customer rating:

Honey
Oaktown's 357
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DE81
Release Date: 1992-02-18

Average customer rating:

Turn It Up
Oaktown's 357
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DQL8
Release Date: 1991-07-23

Average customer rating:

Fully Loaded
Oaktown's 357
Manufacturer: Bungalo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Wild & Loose
Wild & Loose
B Angie B
B Angie B
Fully Loaded

ASIN: B000BEZPNM
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

It's Not Your Money
Turn It Up
Honey
(Miss U) Come Back To Me
It's Really Goin' On
Smoother Than Silk
Respect
Smoothin'
That's Why We're Doin' It
All Over You
Comin' Harder
Load The 3.5.7.
Use What We Got

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Jazz Music

Jazz Music