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The Deal: Eight members reunite for first album since death of Ol' Dirty Bastard.
The Good: ODB may not be present – though they do use a previously recorded rhyme of his – but there are plenty of guest spots to help fill the gaps. Erykah Badu, George Clinton, John Frusciante and Sunny Valentine, among others, lend a hand on a variety of tracks. The album tends to have a smooth groove without the harder edge found on previous efforts, courtesy of RZA's experimental production.
The Bad: If you hear anything about the new album, chances are that the first words will refer to The Beatles and "My Heart Gently Weeps" – the first song to use a Beatles sample. The song isn't bad, but I'm not sure it deserves all the hype. I'm not sure why I was sent the non-explicit version to review – it makes for a very distracting listen. Some of it sounds disjointed – different members spitting about different topics which makes the track less coherent.
The Verdict: A lot's being made about "My Heart Gently Weeps," but it doesn't stand out any more than the others. It's a solid effort from start to finish; even the weak moments don't take away from the whole. They'll be at Amos' Southend on Jan. 20.
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Around 450 people gathered in Marshall Park on Tuesday night to protest the Trump administration's announcement that they would be doing away with President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
