| Look Mom... No Hands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Vast Aire | ||||
| Released | April 27, 2004 (2004-04-27) | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 71:57 | |||
| Label | Chocolate Industries | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Vast Aire chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Look Mom... No Hands | ||||
| ||||
Look Mom... No Hands is the first solo studio album by American hip hop musician Vast Aire, one half of the duo Cannibal Ox. It was released on Chocolate Industries on April 27, 2004. It features contributions from MF Doom, RJD2, Madlib, Aesop Rock, and Sadat X. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| The A.V. Club | favorable |
| CMJ New Music Monthly | favorable |
| Exclaim! | mixed |
| Pitchfork | 6.3/10 |
| PopMatters | favorable |
| Stylus Magazine | D+ |
John Bush of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, stating, "Vast's chillingly detached raps and delivery were a large part of Cannibal Ox's success, and there's much more in the same vein here." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club described it as a "riveting combination of old school B-boy attitude and post-apocalyptic menace". Christopher R. Weingarten of CMJ New Music Monthly commented that "Vast's flow, while leisurely, still utilizes the most impossibly matter-of-fact delivery in the underground, which he uses for maximum effect."
Meanwhile, David Drake of Stylus Magazine gave the album a grade of D+, saying, "this album lacks the plaintive street poetry of The Cold Vein, as well as that album's focus and consistent production aesthetic." Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork gave the album a 6.3 out of 10, calling it "an awkward, inconsistent amalgam of wasted talent and musical apathy."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro: His Majesty's Laughter" | Jest One | 2:10 |
| 2. | "KRS-Lightly" (featuring S.A. Smash) | Camu Tao | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Pegasus" | T One | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Candid Cam / Live Wetlands 1996" | Nasa | 5:02 |
| 5. | "Viewtiful Flow" | Jake One | 4:59 |
| 6. | "Zenith" (featuring Blueprint) | Blueprint | 4:33 |
| 7. | "Why'sdaskyblue?" | Cryptic One | 4:33 |
| 8. | "Da Supafriendz" (featuring MF Doom) | MF Doom | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Poverty Lane 16128 / Karaoke" | T One | 4:44 |
| 10. | "Elixir" (featuring Sadat X and Sinclair) | Ayatollah | 4:03 |
| 11. | "Look Mom... No Hands / A.S.C.F.D." | Madlib | 6:22 |
| 12. | "9 Lashes (When Michael Smacks Lucifer)" | RJD2 | 3:53 |
| 13. | "Posse Slash" (featuring Karniege, Breez Evahflowin', Poison Pen, and Aesop Rock) | Da Beatminerz | 3:41 |
| 14. | "Could You Be?" | Madlib | 3:57 |
| 15. | "Outro: 12 Noon" | Blueprint | 4:22 |
| 16. | "Life's Ill Pt. II (The Empire Striketh)" (featuring Breezly Brewin and Vordul Mega) | Madlib | 5:08 |
| 17. | "My First Sony (Pegasus Remix)" | Vast Aire | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 71:57 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- Vast Aire – vocals, production (17), photography
- Jest One – production (1), recording (1)
- Bo Boddie – mixing (1–7, 9–12, 14–17)
- S.A. Smash – vocals (2)
- DJ Cip One – turntables (2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 17)
- Camu Tao – production (2)
- Nasa – recording (2), production (4)
- T One – production (3, 9)
- Nonezio – recording (3–5, 8–12, 14, 16, 17)
- Karniege – vocals (4, 13), graffiti art
- Nathaniel Roberts – vocals (5, 14), recording (11)
- Jake One – production (5)
- Blueprint – vocals (6), production (6, 15), recording (6, 15)
- Metro – vocals (7)
- Cryptic One – production (7), recording (7)
- MF Doom – vocals (8), production (8), mixing (8)
- Sadat X – vocals (10)
- Sinclair – vocals (10), keyboards (14)
- Ayatollah – production (10), turntables (10)
- Madlib – production (11, 14, 16)
- RJD2 – production (12)
- Breez Evahflowin' – vocals (13)
- Poison Pen – vocals (13)
- Aesop Rock – vocals (13)
- Da Beatminerz – production (13)
- Evil D – recording (13), mixing (13)
- Mr. Walt – recording (13), mixing (13)
- Butta L – engineering assistance (13)
- Simone Harrison – vocals (14)
- Breezly Brewin – vocals (16)
- Vordul Mega – vocals (16)
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Brent Rollins – art direction, design
- Jon Breiner – cover illustration
- Luke Barber Smith – photography
- Sumkid – photography
- Taku – photography
- Kenshin Ichikawa – Vast Aire logo
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 47 |
References
- ^ Pemberton, Rollie (May 4, 2004). "Vast Aire: Look Mom... No Hands". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Stelloh, Tim (May 26, 2004). "Vast Aire: Look Mom... No Hands". PopMatters. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ "Independent Albums (The Week of May 15, 2004)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Bush, John. "Look Mom... No Hands — Vast Aire". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (May 24, 2004). "Vast Aire: Look Mom No Hands". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (2004). "Best New Music". CMJ New Music Monthly (122): 33.
- Quinlan, Thomas (May 1, 2004). "Vast Aire — Look Mom... No Hands". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Drake, David (May 6, 2004). "Vast Aire — Look Mom ... No Hands". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
External links
- Look Mom... No Hands at Discogs (list of releases)