Slaine’s A World With No Skies is a gritty, passionate project that calls back to aggressive and dark works like DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot debut. This time, the La Coka Nostra/Special Teamz member is stepping out with a national album that portrays him as more than just Boston’s boy, but a voice that resonates with struggle, perserverence and the tender balance between good and evil everywhere.
Although a veteran by release standards, Slaine‘s name has grown immensely in the last two years. “Black Horse” is an appropo introduction, with the emcee laying out his manifesto alongside marching drums that fuel the track. Slaine bares his heart amidst a one of the LP’s more sophisticated rhyme schemes. “How hard is it, how hard is it / To drip out in this mess / When my heart is just, my heart is just / Been ripped out of my chest” hears Slaine’s regional dialect mesh perfectly with the deeply emotional lines. The emcee’s usage of repetition at the beginning of bars puts an emphasis on just how powerful the words he’s spitting are. It’s exactly what a first track should accomplish, particularly on an album that appears to be such a big stepping out.
Slaine is able to find a balance that previous works lacked. Loaded songs like “99 Bottles” or “You” hear the extent of Slaine’s aggressive delivery, where “Ghost” and “Borrowed Time” 
reveal a pensive side. He moves between spitting stick up stories (“If I Shoot You”) and introspective narratives (“Jumpin’ Out the Window”). The latter hears Slain spit, “These are the same kids who grew up where I’m from and I love it / I persevered through everything, I just knew I’d become this / I feel the love now, it’s like I overcome all the numbness / But I paid the price for it and I’m sick to my stomach.” By the time the album nears conclusion with the standout “Borrowed Time,” Slaine seemingly wrote his autobiography. For good measure he spits “When they ask what’s fucking wrong / What’s wrong is that everything is real in these fucking songs.” The line doesn’t validate the previous 14 tracks as much as it reinforces his journey.
The album has its black sheep, such as “The Boulevard” and “Crazy” . Both songs pack a punch content, but seem out of place on the album. Throughout the project there is no shortage of quotables from Slaine, however, each guest verse seemingly takes away from his moment. For a guy who’s been in the group shadows of emcees like Edo G. or Ill Bill, Slaine proves that he alone can master the ceremony. Despite the guest artists sharing a similar connection with Slaine musically, none steal his show, even for a moment. This work is clearly Slaine’s best lyrical effort to date because his words live up to his energy.
A World With No Skies 2.0 is as tough as a New England winter – and in certain moments, just as beautiful.
Best album I have heard all year. No skipping tracks, no bs skits, just pure hip-hop. This is the blue print to what albums should be. Bought 2 to support it.
You guys hit the nail on the head. This album is the full realization of Slaines potential as an artist.
Excellent album, you can feel the emotion he puts into each song.
Bought this album twice once online once in store. He is what Hip-Hop should be. Buy this album!
This CD is gonna shake some stuff up this
the hiphop game. If you haven’t listened to this dude…now’s the time!! Gritty, Real, killer ryhmes and his delivery is just stupid good. To all the heads out there…you won’t find anyone realer than
this cat, STRONGLY recommend you spend your $10 to see whats up…..Just fire!!
Best of 2011 no doubt.
After all the freebies, I bought the album to support a man on a mission. Slaine is “Boston Hip Hop” The album is not 100% my taste. Im more of a Say I Was Slaine, 99 bottles, Whitey Whitey, Adlib (with dj kwestion) type. Evne with that said. Its a great album, with some gritty some emotional insightful lyrics Its also well produced. Slaine has Arrived.
Strongly thinking about purchasing. Slaine won me over, and I thought Special Teamz was wack. Dope review too.
Loved the first edition of this album but it was not without it’s flaws. Second time round and this album has reached an amazing level of greatness. Best improvement in my eyes was the removal of the title track and making Black Horses the first track in it’s place, really set the overall tone and pace of the album much better than on the previous effort. Played this album to death already and don’t see myself tiring of it any time soon. Only slight drawback is lack of Q-Unique but hey, you can’t win them all ! Amazing album, pick it up ! Quality bonus disc too.
Dope shit. Much respect to Slaine. 5/5
the best debut album i’ve heard in years. the last debut that hit me this hard? probably the game’s the documentary. i don’t play colors, or who’s hot. i just let the music do the talking. and this music here left me speechless. personal, honest, and entertaining. dope flows, lyrics, hot beats, nice features. if it stands the test of time, i’ll be happy to say this dude dropped a classic album. and i don’t throw that word around. slaine is a boston legend and his profile is going to swell after everyone gets a chance to play this gem. he took a bad situation and made something great out of it. that delay in release allowed him to fine tune everything and slow cook the project to perfection. blessing in disguise. they don’t make hip hop like this anymore. vintage boom bap, original emcee with his own sound and his own story. la coka nostra, special teamz, to this. the man puts in work, and earned everything he’s got. the swag era might not give a fuck, but if hip hop ever comes back around to valuing dope lyrics and real talent, slaine dropped a winner.
I listened a few songs its definetly not bad … but its not superb work , not at all… it sound like many artists right there kinda boring 3.5-4.0
Deserves a 5 *
Slaine is easily one of the BEST mcs out now.Go cop this album,you wont be disappointed.5 stars
An extremely solid album from start to finish. Slaines rhymes are sicker than liquid feces, and deliverd twice as smooth. This album SHOULD NOT BE SLEPT ON. Slaine is gonna go places. Congratulations Slaine, not only did you do it, you did it HUGE
Great album. I already thought the first one was awesome and this one improves on it. The arrangement alone of the songs makes much more sense and the fat was trimmed. I’m glad he got rid of the track with Q-Unique and Ill Bill and replaced it with the Sean P Ill Bill one. It’s one of the best on the album.
hey fuck head, 5/5
every track is tight! its a mix of emotions and i like it alot! 😉
Ghosts is a great track, a stand out for me but then again the whole album is excellent.
slaine is my favorite emcee doing anything right now and i listen to him almost exclusively. love the gritty, not-giva-fuck approach, and when he goes in on a deeper note, i cant help but feel what he’s talkin about- his pain and perseverance ring true. AWWNS 2.0- i had such high hopes and deafening anticipation for this album and not only was i Not let down, but my expectations were far exceeded by his effort!! featured guests were on point (would’ve liked to see Esoteric on one), but every track speaks for itself and stands strong. 5 outta 5 for me. good shit, Slaine!!
4 out of 5 – solid – but, no where even close to the leaked original version. tha original gets a 10 out of 5 – NO JOKE.
Man why can’t Hip-Hop sound like this? I usually fuck with Gucci music or talented emcees like Justin Bieber, but there are the small doses of underground rappers like Slaine, Hopsin, Odd Future, Jedi Mind Tricks, AOTP, Canibus, Necro and ICP where real talent is displayed. Better than that Sam Adams, Kid Cudi, Drake, Atmosphere and Lupe Fiasco garbage that only faggots like. These guys should be big, fuck that Watch The Throne garbage.
It’s Gucci Time!
yo i agree with most of that but i think lupe fiasco has WAY more potential than gucci but ya JMT is my shit
This is real hip-hop, Slaine is a beast and one of my favorite MCs. The album is sick but i do miss some of the songs that were cut from the OG version.
A World With No Skies 2.0>>>>>>>>>>R.E.D
tight album real nice
Garbage!!! very whack!! Dude slaps a guy in a rap battle because he was getting destroyed by a nobody!!!
what r u talking about?
I somewhat like it
Iight
Essayez: “A propos.” Stick to English.
SLAINE IS THE BEST,NOT ONLY IS HE GOOD TO HIS FANS BUT A DOWN TO EARTH GUY.I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO FIND A BAD SONG ON THIS RELEASE.IF YOU THINK SO YOU NEED A HEARING AID.
“Zombie” is a bad song…hell it ain’t just bad – it’s fuckin’ horrible. don’t get me wrong i like the album – but it is no where near a 5 out of 5 classic album.
Whack.
Slaine is killa..real hip hop…
Not bad. Some decent tracks towards end. felt he over did a couple songs with similar themes. and first half of disc wasnt good. Also saw him get beat in a battle in LA outside a club.
Reasonable review
Man This dudes a Fuckin Fag… I just saw this shit where he said he’d battle anybody for $500 and then this black guy stepped up and Slaine spit some prewritten verse and the black guy spit like two lines and got better crowd Reaction.. then Slaine acted like a drunken Redneck and smacked the guy up… for having better lines… Wtf is that… I don’t have no respect for a muthafucka like that… ‘ol Fat ass Cheeseburger head having mufucka. .. Tell Larry the Cable guy to stop droppin albums.. btw they drew him wrong for the cover his face is Much Plumper in person HAHA
funny that all the redneck comments are comiing from some hick from kentucky^^^.
slaine is that shit! fire
nice hair george clinton
Slaine was killing that kid in that battle and smacked him twice on top of it, he looked like he was drunk shit so what, the kid he smacked was a lame typical wannabe rapper
this nigga is bitch he slapped some dude cuz he dissed him in a rap battle fucking homo emotional thug fake ass bitch,there is a video of it on worldstarhiphop.com
Sounds to me like the guy who got slapped is the bitch, why aint dude slap him back??
hi guy that slaine slapped. if you get hit and do nothing, YOU ARE THE PUSSY. not the other way around. generation pussy coming in for the kill. all you kids would get killed in a street fight only to post about it youtube or twitter. like faggots. slaine’s a boss. you’re a bitch. emo rap fans. suck the life out of it.
go watch the video again cuz u missed something dude was interuppting him while he was freestyling thats mad disrespectful and he warned him like 5 times and dude didn’t shut up so he got hoe slapped
HaHa, I just think its funny mainly because that Black dudes sayin “”I got the metal steel blah blah blah” But on the streets. If u get punched, Why wouldnt u pull the “Steel” u say u have??? Hmmm… That nigga was bitch made, Slaine is real, He aint rascist, Im from boston an that jus how it be. White, Black, Asian, Blue, Red dont matter. this is what it is
deadly album i just bought it today go cop that you stingy basterds slaines ill
Garbage…
“Crazt” and “The Boulevard” are the two best tracks don’t know what the fuck these guys are thinking. Dope album overall only gay track is “Zombie” Slaine is the shit.
GARBAGE????? lemme guess all u listen to is wayne . dude this cd is sick as fuck and that dude he swung at outside that club was egging him on i dont blame him for slappin him
I’d give it a 7.9 out of 10 overall
Raiting Song By Song (out of 10)
7.5 – Black Horses
8.5 – Voices of Apocalypse
9.6 – 99 Bottles
7.1 – When I Shoot You
5.4 – Zombie (Feat. Son Of Skam)
9.8 – Can’t Go Home
6.4 – You
8.6 – Jumpin’ Out The Window (ft. Cyrus Deshield and Edo G)
6.9 – Crazy (ft. B Real and Jaysaun)
7.6 – I Ain’t Done
7.7 – The Boulevard (ft. Blacastan, Sean P., and Ill Bill)
7.5 – Broken (ft. V Knuckles and Cyrus Deshield)
8.8 – Ghosts
8.4 – Where My Heart Is (ft. Cyrus Deshield)
9.6 – Borrowed Time (ft. Checkmark and Lu Balz)
7.6 – The Last Song (ft. Everlast)
you give “99 bottles” a 9.6 and “You” a 6.4??? once i saw that shit i stopped paying attention to you.
Love this!
This album sucks just like him.
Solid. I liked 1.0 better.
Solid, solid as a rock
It seems like he has no more hunger, must be cuz he is like 35 now, and the zombie song is pretty bad
boring album..no diversity,sounds just like his mixtapes,white man is the devil vol 2 is better than this..go ahead and cry
Bad production value compared to what I expected
bad production value??? u mean it doesn’t sound like a bullshit Game or Lil Wayne album???
Have to say the album was ok the messages are clear but I can’t see my self listening to it nearly as often as Apathy, Royce, and Bad Meets Evil… Just a little too much sadness, not enough raise it up joints for my taste.
love it
Really enjoyed this album.
feelin this…slains blowin upp…617-781 stannnd up
just because of cover I want to skip this
Slaine is dope needs to come to Tucson Az