My Thoughts:
"Bums" is The Last Emperors first debut single, released in 1997

No tracklist available yet

Tracks Below:

My Thoughts:
Echo Leader single released in 1999

No tracklist available yet

Tracks Below:

Tracklist:
01 Intro
02 2012 (New)
03 Words From Capt Jack (skit)
04 SchoolRhyme Krush (New)
05 Monolith
06 Suzie Wong
07 Mystery Man
08 Meditations
09 Some Love, Some Hate (Remix) feat. Saigon
10 Bl.a.ck feat. M-1
11 Emperor of Rhyme Spellbound (New)
12 Hustlers Theme
13 He's Alive feat. RZA
14 Echo Leader (3 Verse Mix)
15 The Banger skit feat. Prince Paul
16 Awh Yeah
17 BlackBoard Jungle (New)
18 Kermit On The Check In (skit)
19 Soul Instrument (New)
20 Heaven
21 Heaven (Remix)
22 Fo' Real
23 Dozens
24 CIA Verse
25 Afta Midnight feat. Paul Yamz & Sat One
26 Drifter
27 Do U Remember
28 Clear Day feat. Dave of De La Soul/Masta Ace
29 Homage to the Natives
30 Black Apache! (New)
31 Outro

Tracks Below:

Tracklist:
01 freestyle
02 secret wars
03 the banger
04 the dozen
05 party crasher
06 c.i.a. remix
07 dredi knight
08 over and over
09 bums
10 claimin respect
11 the umph
12 foreal
13 the underground
14 echo leader
15 nile nutrition
16 he lives
17 mystery man
18 universal news
19 hustlers theme
20 not 2 far
21 invincible
22 thats whats up
23 rap tyranny

Tracks Below:

My Thoughts:
It sad to see that this album was only a bootleg back then, so it was slept on by quite a few, or should i say, a lot! Rarely, do albums hit 5 out of 5 in our database of specialized material......Here's one of them!

Press Release:
I really feel for Last Emperor. First off, the dude is smart. He’s got a degree in Political Science/International Relations. Hailing from the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia, Last Emperor decided to move to New York City to become a rapper. He quickly gained a following and performed frequently at the Lyricist Lounge. This gave him enough popularity to record the track “CIA” with Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and the one and only KRS-One (check below for the download link). Then he got signed by Aftermath Entertainment (yes, THAT label) and became a protégé of THE Dr. Dre. Not a bad resume for a guy struggling to make ends meet. But that’s where the fairy tale ends. By 2003 he was no longer with Aftermath and was instead signed to Rawkus Records, which never released an album by him. His debut “Music, Magic, Myth” finally came in 2003 by way of Raptivism Records.

“The Legend of Bigfoot” is an unreleased album that LE had been working around 2002. It’s now only available as a bootleg, and some of these tracks appeared on his debut album. “Bigfoot” is an amazing album for someone with no budget or real recording contract, and it would prove that LE had a lot to offer. He’s an incredibly literate MC and lots of songs reference pop culture, politics and current events. He makes you think a lot too, and even when he’s just flowing along at a steady pace, you sometimes don’t realize you’re listening to someone spitting some true knowledge. On the opening track, “Secret Wars Part 1” he pits rappers like Nas and Busta Rhymes in a crazy MC battle with comic book characters. It’s weird but it works.

LE has a real gift for storytelling and conceptual songs, showcased on tracks like “Party Crashers” and “Animalistics,” where he portrays himself as an animal in the jungle. It’s all a big metaphor though. The track even has a sample from KRS-One’s “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know.” On “Monumental” he takes a note from the great KRS and becomes a teacher. He’s prone to wordiness sometimes, but if you really listen to what he’s doing on the mic, you’re in awe. “Meditation” is a true standout, a really deep track that will leave you thinking long after it’s over. Things don’t let up with “Heaven,” a soulful track that finds LE talking about death and the afterlife. In a cool concept, he references tons of artists that he’d like to work with up in heaven. By the last track, “Bums,” in which the MC laments his struggles with getting a steady cash flow, you’ve been on a trip. I mean, a real trip. Last Emperor takes you through his psyche and his vast knowledge, and by the end you’re thinking: Damn, this guy knows what he’s doing.

Tracklist:
01. Secret Wars Pt. 1
02. Heavy Heights Invincible
03. Party Crashers
04. Expedition
05. Caravan
06. Animalistics
07. Foreal
08. The World of Susie Wong
09. Monumental
10. The Dozen
11. Jungle Cats
12. Meditation
13. Keep On
14. Heaven
15. Black Magic
16 Bums

Review:
Nuff said....5.0 yellow babies out of 5!

Tracks Below:

Press Release:
The Last Emperor made his name on the Lyricists Lounge albums, an series of albums dedicated to hip-hop heads connected with the underground. He wasn't a prominent feature on these albums, hence there wasn't a whole lot of hype for his debut album. Working against Last Emp even more, he couldn't even get it out on Rawkus, where it'd have moved more units; he had to go with a very cheap label to publish and distribute his music for him. By the time Music, Magic, Myth was released, not only was it scarce in any store, but even some of the most dedicated hip-hop heads had no idea who this cat was.

Last Emp showed his brilliance on the Secret Wars saga, which can be found on the bonus disc of this album. The chosen few who did know this cat's skills were anxious to hear how well he'd do on a solo album; and thus, this masterpiece was given to us. But are there even more than a thousand people out there who've heard this album? It'd shock me. I'm shocked to see this album has the sixteen reviews it does on it, and also very pleased that this album, at the very least, reached some heads; because anyone who is a fan of hip-hop deserves to own this album.

It's musical perfection; from start to finish, nearly cracking in at an hour long, Last Emp doesn't let up. He is the most passionate emcee I've ever heard on the mic; if you thought Shakur's delivery was powerful, you haven't heard anything yet. His lyrics are leagues above most cats in the game, including some of the most revered lyricists; on a straight-up lyrics tip, I'd only put him behind Immortal Technique and the GZA. The thing is, unlike the aforementioned CD, who are politically charged(Tech), or throwing poisonous darts(GZA), Last Emp is the soft-spoken poet who spills his heart out onto his music. He drops knowledge, science, mathematics, whatever you want to call it, all over this release. He has the vocabulary of a college professor, and the heart of a warrior.

There are so many powerful cuts on here, it's hard to single any out; but tracks seven and eight are my absolute favorites. Track seven is One Life featuring the late Too Poetic; who was literally dying as he recorded this song. Too Poetic's words are enough to bring a tear to the eyes of even the most stubborn individual, as he retells the phsyical pain he's suffering with his intricate storytelling. Despite nothing being able to top Poetic's verse, Emp's is powerful in its own right, as he questions religion, and life after death like no other emcee can in his verse. Track eight is Meditate, and it's spine-tingling; the Buddhist monk hymms in the background create a very atmospheric piece of production, and Last Emperor drops verse after verse of dopeness.

The Last Emperor's debut(and unfortunately, only album at this point) is just as important as the Illmatics, Ready To Dies, and Reasonable Doubts of this world. If you can find this, do yourself a huge favor, and pick it up; i promise you won't regret it.

Released: August 26, 2003

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Whos That?
3. Some Love, Some Hate
4. Tiger Trail
5. Prisoner
6. Karma
7. Meditation
8. Animalsitics
9. The Underground
10. The Block Party feat. Cocoa Brovaz
11. Do You Care?
12. Shine
13. The Incredible Man
14. Lets Ride
15. Hold On
16. Single Mother
17. The Great Pretender

Review:
Beats and lyrics!?....An easy 4.8 yellow babies out of 5!

Tracks Below:

Press Release:
With so much unimaginative, uninspiring Hip-Hop being dropped on the world every Tuesday, it’s hard to figure how an obvious talent like Philadelphia rapper Jamal Gray (aka ‘The Last Emperor’) has managed to remain under the rap radar. Gray signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records in 1996, but sat on the bench there for a few years before signing with Rawkus Records in 2000 – right before that company went into financial decline. All told, The Last Emp’s debut album, Palace Of The Pretender, was nearly 10 years in the making before it was finally released in 2003 by Raptivism Records.

The time invested in the album shows. Almost every track here is a winner, with Gray experimenting in many different meters and rhyme schemes. He goes from storytelling (’Karma’ and ‘Single Mother’) to silky flow showboating (’Shine’) to anthemic peacemaking (’Let’s Ride’) to 70’s-style soul singing (’Do You Care?’) without missing a beat. This would be an impressive display of vocal virtuosity from an experienced MC, but for a debut album, it’s off the charts.

The Emp saves his best for last though, with the epic MC/Comic Book Hero showdown described in the two part ‘Secret Wars’ and ‘Secret Wars II’. “What if I had the power to gather all my favourite emcees, with the illest comic book characters and they became arch enemies?” he wonders aloud, before proceeding to verbally animate just such battles. Redman vs. The Incredible Hulk, Nas vs. Spiderman, and Busta Rhymes vs. Dr. Octopus are but three of the more than two dozen grudge matches that he details. Most impressively, he rhymes in credible imitation of many of the MCs mentioned, right down to Eminem’s nasal punk flow and Ludacris’ bouncy Southern twang.

Palace Of The Pretender has also been released in the US under the title Music, Magic, Myth, but neither title is currently in print. If you see it anywhere, be sure to snap it up, as this album regularly changes hands for more than $100. A sad comment on how few copies of this classic were sold upon release.

Artist: The Last Emperor
Album: Palace Of The Pretender
Release Date: 2004

Tracklist:
01 Tiger Trail
02 Karma
03 One Life (feat. Poetic & Esthero)
04 Meditation
05 Do You Care
06 Shine
07 The Incredible Man
08 Let's Ride
09 Hold On
10 Single Mother
11 The Great Pretender
12 Here We Are
13 The Drifter
14 Clear Day (feat. Masta Ace & Trug)
15 Echoleader

Review:
With a powerhouse of beats and lyrics....An easy, 4.8 yellow babies out of 5!

Tracks Below:

My Thoughts:
Here it is folks, the ULTRA, very, very, very rare remix of the track "Do you remember" by Last Emperor, full and complete! This was just uploaded today, and I'll post the original version down below as well. I edited this track, and just made the track shorter.

Track uploaded and provided by Bob42jh:
An exclusive/rare track brought to you by bob42jh. You won't find this anywhere else, so enjoy! Most versions of this track skip at the end but i have the full track. This is the alternative version of the classic Do You Remember by the legendary Last Emperor.

Biography:
Taking his moniker from the Bernardo Bertolucci film epic of the same name, this West Philadelphia native has been an underground hip-hop mover and shaker since the mid-'90s. Having attended Overbrook High, Philadelphia's own hip-hop high, which saw the likes of Cool C, Steady B, and the Fresh Prince pass through its hallowed halls, Last Emp became a B-Boy by osmosis in addition to being a wizard in the classroom. After graduating from the nation's first historically black college (Lincoln University), Emp took his act to New York, where he caught on with storied Lyricist Lounge.

Emperor's first on-wax experience was a significant one, appearing alongside KRS-One and Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha on the cut "C.I.A." from 1998's Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1. Having served notice to his scholastic street skill, Emperor hit the road to polish up his on-stage performance, occasionally popping up on mix tapes and 12"s from time to time. Having stirred the underground into a frenzy with rumors of a debut album, in early 2000 official word came that Emp had signed with independent kingpin label Rawkus. Distribution problems, however, kept the record off the racks.

Tracks Below:


Vids: