(Today, frequent contributor Dag Dilligent decided to jot down some words about a free project from Amplive entitled Rainydayz Remixes. He explains it in a bit more detail below. Be sure to leave some comments for him when you're done reading.)
Once upon a time, a DJ from California named Amplive decided to do a hip hop overhaul of one of his favorite albums: In Rainbows by Radiohead. He pulled a few West Coast emcees to lay down some rhymes, mixed up some beats, and posted his work, which he named Rainydayz Remixes, online. Unfortunately, he never asked for Radiohead's permission to use their music, and he quickly received a cease and desist order. He pulled the album and made a YouTube video directed at Thom Yorke (the head honcho of Radiohead) requesting permission to release the album. The video gained popularity, and some fans made videos of their own petitioning the release of the remixes. Eventually, Yorke and company gave their blessing, and Rainydayz Remixes was posted online for free.
I am a huge Radiohead fan, and In Rainbows is also one of my all time favorite albums. So you could say I was extremely skeptical about any remixes, especially since most Radiohead remixes tend to be absolute garbage, and mixing rap and rock typically produces nothing but pure sewage. So could Amplive, someone I'd never even heard of, pull off something so challenging?
Let's see.
1. RAINYDAYZ
The album kicks off with an extremely skippable (but short) intro.
2. VIDEO TAPEZ (FEAT DEL THA FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN)
This track is a almost a direct translation of the slow but excellent original song "Videotape". Amplive steps up the tempo significantly with a nice piano sample from the original looped over a quick beat; he then adds a decent bass line and some good instrumentation. The chorus is from the first lines of the original with Del spitting a few solid verses. Everything fits together well, so this was a nice way to start the album.
3. NUDEZ (FEAT TOO $HORT & MC ZUMBI OF ZION I)
Definitely the best track on the album. It has a slamming beat pulled lightly from the song "Nude", but quickly establishes its own path. Too $hort and MC Zumbi both tear up the beat and sound really good over Thom Yorke's highly disassembled and looped voice. MC Zumbi and Amplive form the Oakland underground group Zion I, so his appearance in this album is no surprise, but he gets solidly owned by hip hop's reigning pimp Too $hort, who would be tough for anyone to follow on here. The best part of this song is the extended instrumental that gives the song a long finish after a nice change up, as it really slams and should be heard by all. Amazing.
4. WEIRD FISHEZ
After some unnecessary hard chopping at the beginning or this track, it really comes to life as its own beast. It's constructed from "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", and it is basically a drum and bass instrumental that hits really hard. As the beat flows, Amplive mixes a few original vocals from Thom's "Weird Fishes" and cuts them into an amazing track. My only complaint is the drum machine solo, but I can live with it in order to hear the rest.
5. ALL I NEED
The original Radiohead version of this song is one of the best they've ever done. This remix, however, is torture. You'll know this track is bad from the first few notes, and you'll be temped to skip the song (which I encourage). I think Amplive was going for the same concept as the previous song (a hard instrumental redo), but this time he went too far. The beat is heavy on the drum machine and synthesizer but weak on the substance. The beat is quick paced and overproduced, with distracting echoing "horns", and an awful vocal loop. It reminded me of the novelty song "Inner City Pressure" by Flight of the Conchords, except that song was trying to be corny.
6. 15 STEPZ (FEAT CODANY HOLIDAY)
This is quite a departure from the rest of the album, as Amplive pulls a few of Thom Yorke's lines from "15 Step" and lays them over a hard guitar riff, reimagining the rest of the song as smooth reggae. The beat is okay, up-tempo, and moves well, containing a surprising complexity which makes it better than it should be. As a fan of the original, I really like this version, but it doesn’t have much to do with hip hop.
7. RECKONERZ (FEAT CHALI 2NA)
One of the best tracks on the album, with a dark and moody beat pulled roughly from the song "Reckoner". Amplive chopped up some of Yorke’s moaning to make a pretty ill loop. Chali 2na, formerly of the Jurassic 5, drops some solid shit on a conscious angle. Amplive throws in a terrible drum and voice breakdown, but it’s not enough to ruin the track as a whole. Your best bet is just to pretend as though you don't hear it when it comes on. Good song otherwise.
8. FAUSTZ
This is a raw remix of the original "Faust Arp". It has a great beat that drives the loop well and works great under a chopped version of York's original vocals. This is just a highly repetitive and upbeat remix. There is no emceeing here, but it works great, Amplive definitely has an ear for this type of shit.
SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN? Amplive truly delivered with Rainydayz Remixes. This is the remix album that definitely didn't need to happen, as the original In Rainbows is unbelievably good. While I wouldn't say that this is an improvement, it has some substance that should appeal to hip hop heads. Rainydayz Remixes has only one bad song and a few too many stupid drum machine breakdowns, but otherwise it is solid. Not every song is hip hop and it definitely won’t appeal to everyone, in fact, it might only appeal to Radiohead fans who like hip hop (of which there are a lot more in the world than one may believe). So if that's you: if you like In Rainbows and, yet, you're still reading hip hop blogs, you will definitely find something that you'll like on Rainydayz Remixes. Besides, this is short, good, and most importantly, free. Even straight-up hip hop heads will find themselves surprised.
For those of you who are interested, you can download Rainydayz Remixes by going to this site.
-Dag Diligent
(Complaints? Concerns? Have something to share? Then you should probably leave some comments below.)
(For today's Reader Review, longtime reader Vslyke decided to tackle Scarface's debut solo album, Mr. Scarface Is Back, which is both a hilarious and fucking brilliant title for a solo debut album. And there is definitely way too much going on with that cover photography. Anyway, be sure to leave your comments for Vslyke below.)
Southern hip hop is much maligned, as many (including myself) blame it for the watering down of rap. However, way back in 1991, Southern hip hop was but a tiny portion of the genre. Hip hop was dominated by New York and California, and there were only 2 Southern acts that enjoyed any kind of notoriety or fame: 2 Live Crew and the Geto Boys. Whereas the former was solely a party act, the Geto Boys were infamous for being one of the rawest rap groups out yet. So raw, in fact, that their self-titled album was shuffled several times between record labels, primarily because the track "Mind of a Lunatic" was considered too controversial by some. In 1991, the Geto Boys released We Can’t Be Stopped, which featured the song “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (one of the greatest fucking rap songs ever), which hit #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured Brad Jordan (better known as Scarface) on 2 of the 4 verses.
3 months after the release of We Can’t Be Stopped, Scarface dropped his debut solo album, Mr. Scarface Is Back. At this point, Scarface was far from the household name and rap legend he would later become. He didn’t even have exclusive use of his fucking name, as the covers of the album and both singles emphasize “SCARFACE of the GETO BOYS”. Scarface also references the other Scarfaces out there in the genre on the very first song. However, his next album would be missing this subtitle, so he was obviously able to work something out.
This album notably features no guest stars, not even the other Geto Boys. Clearly, Scarface didn’t want anyone crashing his debut album. Scarface also didn’t have the advantage of any name brand production to lift this project, as the biggest name associated with the production of the album is Mr. Jordan himself. In many ways, this is a throwback album, with beats built around samples and one rapper bulldozing straight through as if his life depended on it.
1. MR. SCARFACE
The first single. This song foreshadows the themes of the rest of the album, as any album that opens with a parody of a nursery rhyme that deals with a drug dealers shooting down crack heads is going to be fucked up. This is immediately followed by a scratched-in sample from Tony Montana himself, followed by Scarface exploding onto the track with a defining introduction. ‘Face then spins yarns that deal with drug dealing, killing, and women. The beat does a great job of complementing the stories and keeping the nearly six-minute track from becoming dull. All together, this was a great way to introduce any gangster rapper with a foot in horrorcore and dreams of money, power, and pussy.
2. THE PIMP
Scarface slows down to provide an ode to his sexual prowess. Hardly original, and I can’t decide if it’s better for being so detailed about what Brad Jordan likes his women to do. And the fake orgasm featured within is wholly unnecessary. By far, the best part of this song is the scratched-in N.W.A. sample at the end. This song would be much more welcome if it were sequenced later in the album, thus breaking up some of the repetition and providing some diversity.
3. BORN KILLER
Much better. Scarface provides an adrenaline-laced tale of a crime spree, which features the justification “I don't love me, how the fuck I'ma love you?” and yet another Scarface sample. This is the first song on the album to emphasize the theme of being mentally unsound, a recurring concept which pops up intermediately. Coldhearted and extremely violent, but you shouldn’t have expected anything else from one of the Geto Boys. He certainly isn’t a Rakim, but he does weave one hell of a story. I’ve always believed that Raekwon and the Notorious B.I.G. were directly influenced by Scarface, and you can hear them throughout this album.
4. MURDER BY REASON OF INSANITY
Again, Scarface takes the speed down a notch, but not in terms of violence. This track isn’t a story per sé, but rather a loose narrative that is a further exploration of Scarface’s gangster persona.
5. YOUR ASS GOT TOOK
Follows a similar theme as “Murder By Reason of Insanity”, but in a much more up tempo manner. I prefer this track over the previous song, especially with the cheery Sly & the Family Stone sample that provides a welcome contrast to the homicidal and violent lyrics.
6. DIARY OF A MADMAN
A more confessional track than what appears on the rest of the album, and another song that emphasizes the theme that Scarface was born fucked up, and thus his crime spree was inevitable. Also one of the more horrifying songs of the album, which is a hard title to earn.
7. BODY SNATCHERS
One of my favorite songs on the album, as Scarface experiments with some more intricate rhymes. This is a story about the time our intrepid hero was sent to a psychiatric facility, only to escape and wreck havoc on those who sent him there.
8. MONEY AND THE POWER
Brad details his alleged past profession as a crack dealer. Only the third verse deviates from the cliché of dealing, as Face details a worker who starting slacking off and a bust from the police. But as always, Scarface gets away when no one dares to snitch on him. Another strong story from one of the originators of Mafioso themes in rap.
9. P D ROLL 'EM
Meh. Not a bad track, but nothing special. The police siren in the background is a nice touch to the beat though.
10. GOOD GIRL GONE BAD
Another dense story, this one about a drug deal that turned out to be a set up. Of course, Scarface gets away and wins in the end. One of the best tracks on the album, as Scarface outdoes himself with the storytelling, laying down one of his best tales of the entire album.
11. A MINUTE TO PRAY AND A SECOND TO DIE
By far the best song on Mr. Scarface Is Back, as Mr. Jordan detaches himself from the narrative and provides a powerful comment on life in the ghetto. This track contains strong stories that comment on the hopelessness and destruction of the inner city. It also features a pair of strong Marvin Gaye samples, one of which, an ever-present moan from “Inner City Blues”, contributes greatly to the hopeless mood of the song. This was the second single and, in my opinion, one of the best rap songs ever made. The video is also definitely worth checking out, as it provides a strong counterpart to the track itself.
12. I'M DEAD
The idea of the track is perfect. How else to end an album that is based on the themes of death and mental instability? In fact, I picked this album after reading comparisons between this track and “Suicidal Thoughts” off of Biggie's Ready to Die. However, the lyrics falter, as they don’t convey the reality and seriousness of the rest of the album, and come off as slightly ludicrous. Good idea, but still one of the two worst tracks on the album.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Mr. Scarface Is Back is the beginning of Scarface’s legend as “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” (This statement is especially true for me, since B.I.G. had to be influenced by this - more on that in a second.) Throughout the album, Scarface makes his case as the king of Houston, which by default made him the king of the South. And the way he does is perhaps the most impressive part of the album: no filler, no hooks, no brand name production, not even a guest feature. This is his show all the way through, and Scarface makes the most of it. Mr. Scarface Is Back also plays as a kind of precursor to Ready to Die, right down to the death of the album's protagonist on the final track. Both Scarface and The Notorious B.I.G. made a cinematic debut that laid out a larger than life alter ego, who originally made his fame as a drug dealer (which makes sense, since both men allegedly sold crack before breaking into the rap game); on both, the beats take a back seat to the rhymes; and boasting and stories about crime and women appear in abundance. Now, Ready to Die is a much better album (don’t get me wrong) but Mr. Scarface is Back was an obvious influence.
BUY OR BURN? This album is worth buying, if for no other reason than its influence on Ready to Die. Thankfully, the album itself is really fucking good, and so yes, go pick it up. Before Scarface comes to your house, shoots you, and kidnaps your kids.
BEST TRACKS: “Mr. Scarface”; “Born Killer”; “Your Ass Got Took”; “Body Snatchers”; “Good Girl Gone Bad”; “A Minute to Pray And A Second to Die”
-Vslyke
(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Do you want to see the South represented more on HHID? Leave some comments below, or hit me either on Twitter or at the e-mail address in the sidebar.)
On April 19, 2010, Keith Elam, best known to hip hop followers as the rapper Guru, passed away. Now, I could get into a pointed diatribe against his so-called "best friend", Solar, and how that cocksucker manipulated one of the most expressive monotone voices our genre has ever heard, but I choose instead to revisit a period of time that will never exist again: the Gang Starr era. I also feel that I can now actually pay attention to the final joint effort from Guru and DJ Premier, The Ownerz, within the proper context, without immediately falling all over myself with praise for one of the finest duos hip hop has ever seen.
Side note: anybody that truly thinks that Guru created the Gang Starr Foundation by himself can go fuck themselves.
Anyway. After the surprising success of their fifth album, Moment Of Truth (their highest-selling effort), Gang Starr found themselves in the unfortunate position of having to repeat themselves. So it makes sense that The Ownerz miraculously appeared on store shelves five years after Moment Of Truth. Not content with simply running over to Fed Ex and straight up copying their last album, Guru and Primo took their time, crafting what was supposed to be yet another chapter in their legacy. Instead, The Ownerz turned into the final album these two would ever create together.
What the fuck went wrong? Who knows? Primo isn't talking, and Guru...well, even when he was still with us, that wakaflocka Solar refused to even let him speak on the matter, choosing to pretend that Guru was, apparently, an old-school rap artist that never actually released any music during the old-school timeframe. (You know what? Six Gang Starr albums are pretty fucking hard to ignore.) The Ownerz doesn't provide any clues, either: it consists of nineteen tracks (well, sixteen songs, two interludes, and an intro) that tread well-worn Gang Starr territory: namely, hip hop is fucked up, everybody needs to open their eyes and pay attention to what's going on, why Guru's voice makes him a better rapper than your mother, and the like.
Sigh.
Oddly, The Ownerz ended up sounding like Moment Of Truth regardless, as many of the same formulas are revisited: there's even a sequel to the previous disc's masterful "The Militia" (well, technically, a sequel to a sequel, but I'll get to that in a moment). A handful of famous names make their voices heard (did anybody truly believe in their heart that Snoop Dogg would score a cameo appearance on a fucking Gang Starr album?), while DJ Premier dug deep into his crates and molded instrumentals from scratch made up of hard boom-bap, sound bites from other rap songs, and the jazzy influences that have set Gang Starr apart since No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Two years after The Ownerz saw its release, Guru and Premier broke up; even though Primo kept teasing whoever would listen that another Gang Starr project was in the pipeline, Guru (read: Solar) went into immediate denial mode, choosing instead to promote his solo work that nobody (and I mean nobody) liked. I may get to that material eventually, in the interest of finality, but I wouldn't wait around holding my breath, you two: as is the rest of the hip hop world, I'm pretty pissed at Solar right now. All I can hope is that Keith Elam's family is getting the closure that they so rightly deserve.
It would also be kind of cool if Primo turned this tragic event into a way for hip hop to band together. But that's a topic for another time, maybe. But for now, we have The Ownerz, and I'll try my best to be objective, because I actually stopped listening to this album after spinning it for a month in 2003, and I want to find out if there was a valid reason why.
(Full disclosure: The Ownerz was already on my short list for a full write-up, but recent events have given it priority, so this shouldn't be seen as a mere tie-in with the man's passing. R.I.P. Guru.)
1. INTRO (HQ, GOO, PANCH)
Wow, a rap album intro. Great. I don't even care that they're simply telling listeners that, even as you mature in life, it's important to continue learning and to pay attention: I'm already pissed off at The Ownerz. Primo couldn't even find a throwaway beat to score this introductory skit to? Really?
2. PUT UP OR SHUT UP (FEAT KRUMBSNATCHA)
Kind of a low-key reintroduction to Guru and Premier: its sound actually reminds me of some of their older work circa Step In The Arena, albeit with a 2003 twist. The hook is weak, since it comes across as a major label version of Kool Keith's "I Don't Believe You", but Guru's lyrics are otherwise unencumbered with the passage of time: he sounds as though this shit could have been recorded yesterday, it's that fresh. Special guest star Krumbsnatcha doesn't quite manage the same feat, but this was an interesting way to kick things off, especially thanks to Primo's horror-movie stabs sprinkled infrequently throughout.
3. WERDZ FROM THE GHETTO (FEAT SMILEY THE GHETTO CHILD)
Guru cedes the mic to special guest Smiley the Ghetto Child, who kicks a single verse without to managing to impress listeners in any way. All this short song proves is that DJ Premier will give a beat to damn near anybody who asks, but not everyone actually deserves one. Skip.
4. SABOTAGE
Guru gives listeners two verses and what could double as an extended chorus on the subject of trust and how fragile it actually is. This track isn't about actual sabotage as much as it is about backstabbing, which is too bad: I would have liked to have heard Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal (you have to love rappers and their acronyms) plot revenge against an opponent's entire way of life, but one can only cram so much into two verses and what could double as an extended chorus. Primo's beat is rather weak, so there isn't much to recommend on this track.
5. RITE WHERE U STAND (FEAT JADAKISS)
Well, if Jadakiss (of The Lox) doesn't do anything else with his career, he can at least tell his grandchildren that (a) he was featured on a Gang Starr song, and (b) he sounded really fucking good. The hook is meh, but his line about "apparently [being] a slave to Interscope" gives listeners an idea of how most rappers treat their major label situation, all within the span of a single bar. Primo's instrumental, with its slow-paced drums and distortion, isn't the most aggressive he's ever done, and the video clip was kind of iffy (I always thought the "rap battle" concept present in the video wasn't done to its fullest extent), but after listening to this track again, for the first time in seven years, I found it to be fairly entertaining.
6. SKILLS
Unless I'm mistaken, this was the first single from The Ownerz, and its perkier sound proves that Primo and Guru were at least subconsciously trying to cater to the new fans who discovered Gang Starr via Moment Of Truth. I'm not saying that Guru dumbs himself down, though: his three verses consist of rants that could have easily been lifted from Hard To Earn. Ultimately, though, "Skills" rings hollow: it comes across as a generic example of what a Gang Starr song by committee would sound like, and it doesn't embed itself into your mind like the duo's older, better work. If this was your only exposure to Gang Starr, it would make perfect sense that you wouldn't care much for them.
7. DEADLY HABITZ
This song was boring as shit. That's all I got.
8. NICE GIRL, WRONG PLACE (FEAT BOY BIG)
Ditto for this track, although I'll expand for the readers. Guru sounds unnatural talking about the opposite sex on here, which is strange, as it isn't as though this is his first rodeo: Guru talks about chicks a whole fucking lot. The beat sounds incomplete: throw in a few more flourishes and "Nice Girl, Wrong Place" would merely be a bad song, as opposed to one that absolutely fucking sucks. Also, Boy Big? Really? That's the name you choose to go with? I can think of at least one person who may have a problem with that. I mean, nobody has had the balls to nickname themselves 3000 Andre in this rap game. Moving on...
9. PEACE OF MINE
Primo's angry diatribes against the current state of our chosen genre have never sounded more vile than on the intro to "Peace Of Mine": somehow, referring to the songs on the radio as "faggot bitch shit" actually detracts from his argument a bit, since it's not as if the home audience is only made up of gay dudes and chicks, nor are all of the songs exclusively handled by that highly specific demographic. Primo simply comes across as a pissed-off guy that failed to collect his thoughts in a coherent manner before entering the booth, which leaves Guru with the unenviable task of picking up the pieces. It's to the man's credit that Guru actually sounds really fucking good over Primo's simple beat. It's just too bad that you have to weave your way through Primo's unfocused, damn near appalling rant before Keith Elam can step in to provide a sense of order in this soliloquy of chaos. (Side note: hearing a Royce da 5'9" sound bite scratched into this track only makes me sad that Royce and Guru will never have an opportunity to share a mic over one of Primo's creations.)
10. WHO GOT GUNZ (FEAT FAT JOE & M.O.P.)
This is one of DJ Premier's most dramatic and forceful instrumentals...and he gives it to fucking Joey Crack? Even if you were signed to his Terror Squad record label (with absolutely nothing to show for it, mind you), there is no fucking excuse for this, Chris Martin! However, once Fizzy Womack takes over, the audience is won over. Primo even lets a long Method Man sound bite run throughout the "chorus", which actually works, so we're just fine, thanks. Fame and Danze are happy to be working alongside Gifted Unlimited once again, and Guru more than holds his own trying to talk sense into the listeners. (The answer to the titular question? They have guns. Duh.) Delete Large Joseph from the song, and this would have been fucking amazing. As it is, though, it's merely really really good.
11. CAPTURE (MILITIA PT. 3) (FEAT BIG SHUG & FREDDIE FOXXX)
Whatever happened to "The Militia II", you may ask? Well, it featured WC and Rakim Allah, and it popped up on the scattershot soundtrack to Belly under the title "The Militia Remix", which only lends itself to confusion with the actual "The Militia (Remix)", which was an overhaul of the original masterpiece handled by Pete Rock. (EDIT: I'm an idiot: "The Militia II" also appears on Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr.) Anyway, the original cast reunites for this follow-up, which is nowhere near as memorable as the originator, but it still sounds hardcore enough, I suppose. This time around, Guru and (surprise!) Bumpy Knuckles are outclassed by a hungry-as-fuck Big Shug, even though Foxxx, in an effort to replicate the success of the original, is given at least nine hundred bars to run rampant over. This was fun, but instantly forgettable.
12. PLAYTAWIN
There's a bit of misdirection present during the intro, but when the tracks finally starts, you immediately notice that Primo's beat sounds like one of Afu-Ra's castoffs. However, Guru's boasts take you back to a simpler time in our chosen genre, as they are delivered effortlessly and convincingly, so this was entertaining enough.
13. RIOT AKT
Primo's musical backdrop sounds straight out of an old-school gangster flick like The Untouchables, with newspaper headlines spinning toward the audience and everything. Guru hones his lyrical couplets down to a fucking science, trying his best to get the listeners to, as per usual, open their eyes, causing this to be one of the highlights of The Ownerz. I also appreciated the seemingly sporadic way that backing vocals would occasionally join Guru whenever the title was repeated.
14. (HINEY) (FEAT PANCH)
This bizarre interlude features Panch (from the NYG'z) refashioning the lyrics to the Clipse's "Grindin'" into an ode to his cock. The first time I heard this shit, I was actually floored by the fact that Primo and Guru actually left this on the final cut of The Ownerz. Today, it just sounds extraneous, but I will say that hearing Panch imitate Pharrell's vocal clicks and pops was still kind of funny.
15. SAME TEAM, NO GAMES (FEAT HANNIBAL STAX & NYG'Z)
This collaboration between H. Stax, the NYG'z, and Gang Starr sounds like a twenty-first century "DWYCK", as Primo's simple beat knows well enough to stay the fuck out of the way of all of the rappers involved. (And yes, I'm sticking with the "DWYCK" comparison even though the track "The Militia" is more obviously mentioned.) This track has an energy that is mostly lacking from The Ownerz: Primo and Guru always seem to sound more excited whenever they're sharing the spotlight with their friends, whether they're established artists in their own right or the folks that happen to carry their weed for them. This whole song was pretty fucking nice.
16. IN THIS LIFE (FEAT SNOOP DOGG & UNCLE REO)
Although it is weird to hear Snoop Dogg shout out the late Headqcuarterz (he was merely an ancillary member of the Gang Starr Foundation, so I sincerely doubt that those two ever found the time to hang out), this combination of Boston and Long Beach mostly works, thanks to Primo successfully evoking a soulful, mournful feel from the looped samples while Guru and Calvin Broadus wax eloquently on the subject of mortality. (Once again, R.I.P. Guru.) It doesn't make for the best transition after "Same Team, No Games", but it was still really good.
17. THE OWNERZ
I'm not the only one who thinks this title track sounds a little too much like Dr. Dre's "What's The Difference?", am I? Guru attacks this beat as though he will never have the luxury of a DJ Premier beat again (too soon?), and although it would have made more sense to place this near the beginning of the album's sequencing, this was okay.
18. ZONIN'
Kicks off in an awkward fashion, as nobody purchases Gang Starr albums to hear someone coughing after taking a huge bong hit. However, we are led into an outright gorgeous Primo instrumental which is instantly moving, while Guru mainly misses the point lyrically. Maybe he really was stoned when he recorded his verses. Too bad: this could have been a hidden gem, but instead, it's more of an anomaly.
19. EULOGY
It's an unfortunate fact of life that, the longer you live, the more people you will see pass away. Guru and Premier understand this very well, as they craft this pseudo-sequel to Moment Of Truth's "In Memory Of..." that treads much of the same territory, but Guru is careful to not simply repeat himself. It's a shame that there are now more hip hop luminaries that are included in Primo's rundown, only five years removed from the original track. Unfortunately, there is now one more name to add to the track. This was the only way that The Ownerz could have possibly ended.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It's unfortunate that this album has turned into an inadvertent swan song, as with the recent passing of Keith Elam, there will never again be another "true" Gang Starr album. However, we must not let that cloud the fact that The Ownerz is little more than a Moment Of Truth retread, and I'm not just saying that because the disc itself apes the design of their previous effort (and that of Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr, but that's neither here nor there). DJ Premier and Guru work their last album together in the same fashion as the rest of their catalog, with Primo still perfecting free-form jazz within the constructs of hip hop loops (that description sounds contradictory, but it still fits), while Guru delivers the news of the day in his authoritative monotone that is as clear and concise as ever. The Ownerz isn't a bad album by normal standards, but it is most certainly the weakest in the Gang Starr canon. While some songs do knock with the best of them, the majority of this project fails to capture the spark that caused listeners to take notice of th duo in the first place. Most of The Ownerz sounds like it was crafted by a Gang Starr fan doing a poor impression of his heroes. Sadly, Primo and Guru failed to end their partnership at the top of their game, but then again, The Ownerz wasn't supposed to be their last album together: it just happened that way.
BUY OR BURN? Although there are a decent number of songs listed below, I'm still going to recommend a burn. Why is that? While I liked the tracks below enough, none of them hold a fucking candle to Gang Starr's best work: all they do is leave you hungry for their earlier albums. Their final album isn't worth your money. There, I said it. It is what it is.
BEST TRACKS: "Riot Akt"; "Same Team, No Games"; "Eulogy"; "Who Got Gunz"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Catch up on the rest of the Gang Starr catalog by clicking here.
I wholeheartedly admit that the majority of you two will have no fucking idea who Bronze Nazareth is. If you fall into that category, you have my permission to skip today's post. In fact, I'll help you along: here's an alternate to today's write-up that you can enjoy instead.
Are you still with me? Good.
Justin Cross is a rapper-slash-producer from Detroit, Michigan, a location which automatically lumps him in with every other rapper-slash-producer from Detroit, Michigan (you have to admit, there are a lot of them). The difference between Justin, who performs as Bronze Nazareth, and, say, J Dilla and Marshall Mathers, is who actually discovered him: in this case, it was Cilvaringz, of the overseas Wu-Tang Clan contingent, who first heard and enjoyed the man's work, signing him up to join his production team. Later on, Bronze was invited by The Rza himself to provide beats for actual Wu-Tang Clan projects, but that was a few years on.
It's no surprise that Cilvaringz and Bronze Nazareth became fast friends: in addition to having self-important nicknames that wouldn't work in everyday society, both men longed for the early days of the Wu-Tang Clan, when the crew could do no wrong: seemingly every track released by the group was the perfect blend of grimy beats, gritty rhymes, a rock star aesthetic, and a heavy kung-fu influence evident in both the actual samples from films and the lyrics themselves, each verse tasked with defeating the one previous by any means necessary. Both Cilva and Bronzey specialized in Wu-esque instrumentals, which quickly endeared them with Wu stans the world over who were also wondering why Prince Rakeem felt the need to work with a digital orchestra in the first place, when his dusty drums and basement break beats were doing just fine, thanks.
Anyway, Justin soon found himself stuffed into the Wu-Tang pipe, and he quickly aligned himself with Royal Fam's Dreddy Krueger, who had just started up his own label, Think Differently Records. Bronze ended up contributing the majority of the production for the label's pinnacle, Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture, and Dreddy immediately followed up that magnum opus with Bronze Nazareth's solo debut, The Great Migration. (Technically, Bronzey had already released a solo album to the Interweb with the assistance of Cilvaringz, who, curiously, had nothing to do with this project, but The Great Migration was the first Bronze Nazareth album that you could actually purchase in a store, if you were so inclined.)
It went on to sell approximately six copies.
One of the biggest drawbacks of being affiliated with a supergroup as large and influential as the Wu-Tang Clan is that it takes a lot for you to stand out in the crowd. Most of the c-teamers are content with appealing to only those stans who blindly purchase Wu albums and mixtapes, but there are a handful who actually try to reach a wider audience, who know that true career longevity lies in testing your limits and overcoming obstacles.
So does Bronze Nazareth belong in the content category, or does he reach for the stars? How the fuck should I know? I have to listen to the album first.
1. IN THE BEGINNING (INTRO)
Apparently, the intro to Method Man's “Tical” (swiped from the theme music for the World-Northal Corporation, a film distribution company for kung fu flicks, among other things) influenced Bronze Nazareth significantly: this is the second project he's been associated with that tries to achieve a similar feel. Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture stole from HBO's intro to their original programming, and this rap album intro liberally borrows from the music you heard back when New Line Cinema (a) presented a film and (b) existed. Neither one of these examples hits as hard as Meth's intro (which was re-used for “Intermission (Drive In Movie) by Gza/Genius), but fuck it, at least it was short.
2. THE PAIN
Starts off so slowly that I was concerned that my CD just up and died on me, but then the high-energy horns kicked in. Bronzey isn't the greatest lyricist, but his one long verse on here (by the way, thanks for avoiding the use of a chorus on what is, basically, your introduction to the world) suggests that he probably could have swung a record deal without the benefit of Wu-Tang affiliation. His concise bars and their brief but violent marriage to the beat start The Great Migration off in a good way.
3. MORE THAN GOLD (FEAT TIMBO KING)
I may have spoken too soon: in “More Than Gold”, Bronzey sounds as amateurish as most of the Wu-Tang c-teamers. But at least his instrumental is okay enough, as it doubles as the getaway car for Royal Fam's Timbo King after he walks away with this shit. Sure, Timbo's Dave Chappelle reference seems to exist only so Bronzey can lay in The Gza's “Konichiwa, bitches!” sound bite, but he at least sounds really good.
4. KILLA BEEZ ATTACK (SKIT)
Lest we forget that Bronze Nazareth is a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate, we are presented with a skit with the phrase “Killa Beez” in the title. As the skit consists of a sound bite from David Spade and the late Chris Farley's Tommy Boy, though, it gets a pass. At least the first time through.
5. THE BRONZEMAN (FEAT KILLA SIN)
The beat plays for quite a while before Bronzey bothers to step into the booth, but that's alright, as he successfully apes the feel of what a Wu song should sound like (in 2006, anyway). Lyrically, he brushes himself off after the failure of “More Than Gold” and crafts a really fucking entertaining song for Wu stans, with goofy couplets that will appeal to Ghostface Killah fanatics. The lack of a hook is also a plus. He could have simply ended the song before Killarmy's Killa Sin started rapping (given the title, I assumed that this was intended to he a solo track all about Bronze Nazareth), but the track as a whole was still pretty good.
6. ONE PLAN (FEAT BYATA)
This was a fairly unique take on the love rap, aided heavily by the dope-as-hell instrumental. Some of the lines were kind of embarrassing, but then again, so is love. The alternating verses between Bronzey and Byata were pretty good, although the ball falls into our host's court more often than not, and using the act of getting a Wu-Tang tattoo as a metaphor for proposing is a bit of a stretch, but I still liked this song. Huh.
7. INSTRUMENTAL: INTERLUDE
Well, that was a very literal track title.
8. STOLEN VAN GOGH
The crawling beat held some promise, but Bronze's one-verse wonder ultimately falters, as his lyrics are all over the fucking map: it feels as though no bar complements the previous one. It's almost as though Nazareth decided to use up all of his random observations on this one track (the reference to “stolen Van Goghs” comes entirely out of left field), but fuck it, it's short, and it leads into a far superior track anyway.
9. 5TH CHAMBER (FEAT 12 O'CLOCK, PRODIGAL SUNN, & SEAN PRICE)
I've written before that the posse cuts on Wu solo albums tend to be the best tracks offered, and Bronze Nazareth simply continues that positive trend. Sure, no actual Wu-Tang Clan members actually appear over this simple but damn fucking effective beat, but everybody brings their A-game, especially the completely unexpected special guest star Sean Price, who swoops in like a long-lost cousin just after you've won the lottery. Fuck Wu-Massacre: where's my Wu-Tang Clan / Boot Camp Clik collaboration album?
10. STUPID FUCKING WHITE MAN (SKIT)
…
11. GOOD MORNING (A NICE HELL)
Listeners are tricked into thinking that this track will sound exactly like Dr. Dre's “The Next Episode” (or, for non-mainstream readers, Tash's “Fallin' On”), but Bronzey plays more of the David Axelrod “The Edge” sample, turning this into a serious meditation on growing up in his surroundings in Detroit. This was okay, but the music wasn't as inviting to rapped verses as Bronze Nazareth may have believed.
12. RARE BREED (FEAT PHILLIE)
This sounded okay, but none of the lyrics stick out, so you may as well have listened to some dude mumbling over an above-average instrumental. I have to give kudos to the fact that The Great Migration sounds nothing like any other album coming from an artist out of Motown, but that just means that there are a lot of Detroit artists that can now benefit from working with our host, if he were so inclined. (I'm sure he could whip up something winning for Royce da 5'9”.)
13. HEAR WHAT I SAY!
Starts off with a brief kung-fu flick sound bite, which is more than what Wu-Massacre even bothered with. (I'm sorry to keep bringing it up, but that album really pissed me off.) Anyway, Bronze Nazareth kicks a long verse describing how he came into the hip hop game, voicing a lot of the same complaints that other fans of the genre have used (especially when he states that an album with twelve tracks by twelve different producers doesn't gel). He may not be as deserving of praise and attention as he seems to believe he is, but he sounds convincing enough on here. This was pretty nice.
14. BLACK ROYALTY
Bronzey's verse doesn't mesh as well with the looped sample as he would like, especially as it seems to abruptly stop and restart throughout the duration of the track. The horns also drown out a lot of our host's words. All in all, this was a misstep, but I'm still loving the fact that Nazareth doesn't find it necessary to throw a hook into every single track.
15. DETROIT (FEAT KEVLAAR 7 & PHILLIE)
Bronzey shouts out his hometown alongside a couple of his Wisemen brethren (a crew he formed shortly after being discovered), using a beat that, oddly, does sound like something coming out of Detroit (see also: some of Black Milk's work) to his advantage. Of course, the song itself isn't all about Motown: that would be far too easy. But this posse cut was alright, even if all three rappers are so green that they all blend in with each other.
16. $ (A/K/A CASH RULE)
The title draws an unfair comparison to the Wu's “C.R.E.A.M.”, unfair because the Clan easily has the better song. This unnecessarily violent track (on the hook, anyway – yes, there is a chorus on here) never advanced far beyond “meh” for me. Bronzey's beat relies on what I now realize as a crutch (soul samples), and his lyrics veer off topic so often that it's a wonder this song even exists. Oh well.
17. POEM BURIAL GROUND
Bronze holds a lyrical clinic, but nobody thought to attend, mainly because nobody knows who Bronze Nazareth is. Hip hop fans with their heads so far underground that they're breathing in earthworms will find something to like on here, even with the song's overly dramatic title, so that feeling of anonymity should only last so long for our host, in a perfect world. Maybe Bronzey should hedge his bets and also align himself with the Jedi Mind Tricks camp for some additional exposure.
18. THE GREAT MIGRATION
Bronze Nazareth's title track, which he uses to bring the album to a close, sounds like one of those boring Killah Priest songs that I can't bring myself to listen to twice. (Hence, no write-up for Priesthood yet. I will try to force myself to give it another spin soon, though.) It's strange that the title track would feel out of place when compared to the rest of the songs on here, but here we are.
19. BRONZE HALLS (OUTRO)
And with this brief instrumental, the album is over.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Bronze Nazareth's The Great Migration won't appeal to everyone: his very affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan limits his audience severely, and a lot of my two readers probably haven't even gotten this far in the review, but that's unfair, as the album is actually fairly entertaining in its own right. Bronzey deserves a slightly wider audience than the one he has now, which is currently made up of stans like me who eat up everything Wu-Tang and shit out disappointment more often than not. His production work on The Great Migration is far more polished than one would expect: if he had only ceded more of his mic time to worthy guests, this could have been a home run. As it stands, Bronze Nazareth has hit a double, but he clearly knows how to play the game, so this was a pleasant surprise.
BUY OR BURN? Wu stans will probably be the only ones who heed my advice to pick this one up, but for the rest of you still reading, I feel you should spin the tracks listed below and follow that to its natural conclusion. You won't be sorry.
BEST TRACKS: “5th Chamber”; “Hear What I Say!”; “The Pain”; “One Plan”; “The Bronzeman”
-Max
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(For today's Reader Review, P_Captain takes on Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's Live and Let Die, their final collaboration album. Be sure to leave your comments below.)
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo had already released two amazing albums, and were ready to drop their third effort, Live and Let Die. However, their label, Cold Chillin', was hurting after suffering through legal issues regarding some illegally-utilized samples from Biz Markie's I Need A Haircut (the moment sampling in hip-hop completely changed), and when that issue was combined with the controversial album cover that G Rap and DJ Polo conceived, their parent distribution company Warner Bros. refused to work with it, so the label was forced to press it up independently.
Just like every other Juice Crew member who released a solo album, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo decided to get someone else to help them with the production: their first album, Road To The Riches, featured Marley Marl behind the boards, and their second effort Wanted: Dead or Alive saw Large Professor putting in work. For the third trip around the block, the underrated Sir Jinx, who also produced Ice Cube's Death Certificate, receives the honor.
On the previous two albums, Kool G Rap was mostly like other east coast rappers, more of a braggart with impressive lyrical techniques, occasionally mixing in some positive messages amongst the violent and sexual content. But this time here, he seems to have switched up, going all out in full-on gangsta rap mode.
So, how does the end result sound?
(Side note: I'm a fairly new fan of hip hop, so I didn't listen to much of the good stuff until recently, although as soon as I got hold of this album, I was AMAZED! Not to give the review away or anything...)
1. INTRO
Another rap album intro, but this one is better because the theme from The Godfather is featured.
2. ON THE RUN
The perfect starter. Kool G Rap works for a mob family and is forced to quickly leave town after an act of betrayal occurs. He snatches up his wife and kid along the way, but the mob starts to chase him, and G Rap has to take them out single-handedly, making this track an epic chase with some amazing storytelling backing it all up. I prefer the "Al Capone" version with the piano by a long shot, though, so I would have liked it if that made the album instead.
3. LIVE AND LET DIE
The title track. After a lengthy interlude, G Rap discusses inner city life over an awesome beat. The man's storytelling skills are nothing less than amazing.
4. CRIME PAYS
It certainly does, but this song is still rather forgettable.
5. HOME SWEET HOME
This track is about how G Rap's home life is a nightmare to live in. (Not really something I would expect from a rap song, so that's kind of interesting.) While it is still a good song, it isn't one that jumps out on an amazing album like this one. Whoops, I think I gave away he ending of this Live and Let Die review already. Fuck it, you should already know what to expect from Kool G motherfucking Rap.
6. TRAIN ROBBERY
Words can't describe how out of this world this song is, but I'll give it a shot. G Rap and his crew pull off a train heist and the way he relates the tale will blow you away, no matter how high your expectations are.
7. #1 WITH A BULLET (FEAT BIG DADDY KANE)
Big Daddy Kane's career was on the decline around this time, but the man absolutely kills this track, as does our host. I only wish this song was longer.
8. OPERATION CB
G Rap is cock-blocked when he tries to have sex with some girl. This track features two hilarious tales which made me laugh out loud when I listened to it first time.
9. STRAIGHT JACKET
This sounds like a straight up and down West Coast beat, so it's gotta be produced by Sir Jinx, right? Wrong. Surprisingly, the Trackmasters handle the beat, and they capture the Left Coast sound perfectly! Oh, and G Rap's over the top lyrics about being a paranoid wreck are also amazing, by the way: I was reminded of the Geto Boys classic “Mind Playin' Tricks On Me”, although this track is obviously not on par with that one.
10. ILL STREET BLUES
The other Trackmasters-produced track was also one of the singles from Live and Let Die. The beat and lyrics mesh well together.
11. GO FOR YOUR GUNS
I'd take G Rap's advice for sure, because like he says: “What the fuck is a fist fight?” But while the track captures the street atmosphere fairly accurately, it doesn't hold up enough to be considered a gem.
12. LETTERS
The beat forces your head to nod, and I just love the hook, as spelling out G Rap's name is not very easy at a fast speed. And his rhymes are not a let down in any way.
13. NUFF SAID
This song contains a great long, lone verse, but I found myself looking forward to the last thirty seconds of the instrumental, which some of you may remember being sampled in other songs, such as Ice Cube's "Who's the Mack?"
14. EDGE OF SANITY
Here's some more amazing storytelling from our host. As the man falls into the depths of insanity, he conveniently found a recording booth and laid down his thoughts for us to hear.
15. FUCK U MAN
Although the title in no way lends itself to this subject matter, G Rap spends the track's length bragging about his sexual prowess, not unlike what he did on his earlier “Talk Like Sex”. Jay-Z fans may recognize the sample on here as being the same one used on his "Cashmere Thoughts".
16. STILL WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
This is a sequel to the title track from his previous album. G Rap never ceases to amaze me, and that doesn't change on this song, but in reality, he has steered away from his original formula pretty heavily with this entire project.
17. TWO TO THE HEAD (FEAT SCARFACE, BUSHWICK BILL, ICE CUBE)
Just looking at the line up will scare you. This was the perfect ending for Live and Let Die, with all four rappers completely killing the beat. However, Ice Cube ended up contributing my favorite verse, and the two Geto Boys are as good as ever. (Willie D could have given this song something special had he made an appearance, but he had already departed from the group at the time this track was recorded.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Live and Let Die was the final album Kool G Rap & DJ Polo did together. And what a way to go out! Every damn song is impressive, to say the least, and the guest appearances were all perfectly fitted into the project. However, Kool G Rap has become way more profane when compared to his first two albums, and DJ Polo's role is reduced here. The production, mainly provided by Sir Jinx, is perfect for G Rap, though, and he flows over it with ease. Kool G Rap became a full time gangsta rapper here (with some time spent essentially creating the “mafioso rap” sub-genre) and he doesn't fail in any way. Some of the tracks are rather forgettable once you turn the CD off, but like I said before, nothing on here is truly bad. This is the best Kool G Rap album thus far.
BUY OR BURN? Buy this as soon as possible. Your collection is dull as long as you don't have this in it. It was out of print for a while, but I understand that this has recently been re-released, so you should pick it up before anything else happens.
BEST TRACKS: "#1 with a Bullet"; "Two to the Head"; "Train Robbery"; "On the Run"; "Ill Street Blues"; "Fuck U Man"; "Live and Let Die"; "Edge of Sanity"
- P_Captain
(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your notes below.)
Rico Smith, who performs under the assumed alias of Tash both with and without his Alkaholiks crew, has been one of my favorite rappers for quite some time now. I've always felt that he was severely underrated, as the ability to effortlessly inject humor and fun into songs that celebrate alcoholism and general debauchery, without repeating himself, is very rare in our chosen genre. When I found out that Tash was going to (finally!) follow up his solo debut, Rap Life, which was surprisingly solid, I, like many other fans of Tha Liks, was excited to hear what he had to say.
So why the fuck did it take me so long to write about his sophomore effort, Control Freek? The answer is twofold. Money is always an issue, of course: as I do truly try to support most, if not all, of the artists who appear on HHID, I tend to actually buy the albums before I write about them (except for what I can scoop up at the library, but this is Tash, folks; why wouldn't I buy this one?), and, as one can expect, it costs money to run a blog such as this. (Shameless plug: if you two would like to see more reviews of newer albums, please support my habits the blog by clicking on the links throughout the posts and order the albums from Amazon.) So, when presented with a choice, I always found a better destination for my cash (cocaine, whores, investing in Tommy Wiseau films), at least until today.
Secondly, and most tellingly, Control Freek was Tash's debut on Amalgam Digital (his last label home, Loud Records, folded in half like a Cirque de Soleil acrobat), and in an effort to promote the album to blogs (and, I expect, to radio stations), his new employers sent around the first single from the project, "New Bikini", which sounded...well, I'll get to it in a moment, but let's just say, had any of Def Jam's early singles for Wu-Massacre sounded that bad, they wouldn't have gotten my five bucks (thanks, Best Buy Reward Zone!) on opening day.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that E-Swift, his former bandmate in Tha Liks, handles a lot of the production behind the boards (Tash probably got a really good rate: the rest of the album is handled by people you'll never hear from again and, interestingly, Madlib's younger brother Oh No, carrying on 'Lib's Liks partnership), and his longtime coworker J-Ro, who, apparently, left the country after the crew's final album Firewater tanked on the Billboard charts (he now lives a quiet existence in Sweden, from what I understand), makes a couple of cameos. But the similarities to Rap Life are few: the guest list is, otherwise, filled with names that most hip hop heads won't be familiar with (save for Cypress Hill's B-Real and longtime stalwart, and the reason for Tash having a career in the first place, King T).
So did I do the right thing by waiting to pick up Control Freek?
Yeah, the jury's still out.
1. THE BOOK CH. 1
This intro, which is really just a brief verse from Rico, seems to set Control Freek up as a continuation of Rap Life in both production values and Tash's fun-loving lyricism. Could it truly be?
2. GO WEST (FEAT E-SWIFT)
Producer Josh G.'s beat (yeah, I hadn't ever heard of him, either) is promising enough to lift up your expectations for the rest of the album. Even without the hint provided by the song's title, the sound is so obviously West Coast that you'll feel a breeze coming in from the fucking Pacific. Tash's delivery starts off a bit more simple than I like, but he picks up steam pretty quickly, and his Cali anthem actually bangs. Not bad.
3. GET IT (FEAT DEL THA FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN)
And then we're presented with this shit. A collaboration between Tha Liks and the Hiero camp sounds good on paper, but it's not something I ever cared to actually hear (mainly because, due to his recent output, I expect every song Del being featured on to sound like a Gorillaz track). J Beam's beat is fucking terrible, killing the momentum without even a sliver of a chance of recovery, and both Tash and his invited guest come across as not entirely sure of themselves. Groan.
4. HOW HI CAN U GET (FEAT B-REAL)
E-Swift's beat is barely there, and both Tash and B-Real sound as if they smoked several bowls and are trying to get over a rough night of drinking: their feelings come out in their respective bored and uninterested deliveries, as if they're trying to subliminally tell listeners that drinking and smoking are actually bad things. The only component I liked was the Redman sample in the chorus. Pass.
5. WET PAINT (FEAT KOKANE)
At least this one was alright. Kokane's hook is goofy, but it works, so no complaints there. E-Swift's beat is almost paint-by-numbers West Coast, though, so unlike “Go West”, this track is painfully generic. I may only believe this one to be alright because I didn't care for the previous two songs. Perhaps we'll never know.
6. PULL IT OUTCHA POCKET
This sounds like one of the worst songs from Tash's debut album. Which doesn't mean that it sounds better within Control Freek's historical context. Moving on...
7. STARTED WITH A BANG (FEAT FAMEUS)
Tash compares his life with his significant other with that of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Is he trying to imply that he has a huge cock and that his lady friend has contracted a form of hepatitis? Either way, Tash tries to branch out with a love rap (that ultimately deteriorates into a breakup), and his elasticity is appreciated, but the track is weak, and the hook from Fameus (really? That's how you want to spell it?) is terrible.
8. OBAMA SKIT
Rap Life featured a skit with “Bill Clinton”, so it makes sense that “Barack Obama” would make an appearance on Control Freek. It's amusing enough, but you won't listen to it more than the once, and that's if you don't cut it off halfway through the first time. At least the dig at Rush fucking Limbaugh was funny.
9. PUSH THE BUTTON (FEAT KHUJO GOODIE)
I realize it's entirely unfair to compare Control Freek to Rap Life, but it has to be said: Tash was able to wrangle both Big Boi and Andre 3000 onto his debut, whereas in 2009, he had to settle for a member of the Goodie Mob. Tash adapts to a Southern bounce flow pretty easily, but the song itself fails to connect with listeners, due to its tendency to suck balls.
10. A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS (FEAT SAMUEL CHRISTIAN)
Tash rides the J Wells instrumental like a log flume: occasionally bumping into the sides of the track, but ultimately having enough fun to warrant doing it again. I wish he hadn't relied too heavily on the R&B hook, though, since that was the weakest element of what is otherwise an average song.
11. WE DO THIS (FEAT J BEAM, KING T, & KNOC-TURN'AL)
Tash gets out his shovel and digs up the grave of Knoc-Turn'Nal's career, which took a turn for the worse after Dr. Dre stopped paying attention to him. This isn't a bad track, but you'll just be hungry again within an hour.
12. RIGHT/WRONG (FEAT A. JAMMALI & J-RO)
Tash convinces bandmate J-Ro to fly in from Sweden to contribute to Control Freek, which was entirely expected: the only surprise was how long it took the album to finally showcase a Liks reunion of sorts. Oh No's instrumental is too mainstream for its own good, and once again the R&B hook is unnecessary, but hearing Tash and J-Ro trade verses back and forth is enjoyable. I just wish this were a much better song.
13. BUBBLE UP
J Beam's beat is not bad, and it even manages to be quasi-experimental at times: it's kind of hard to bob your head to this, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. Tash's co-opting of Capital One's commercial tagline is pretty strange, though.
14. CLOSER
What the fuck? Producer Emmaculate swipes Whodini's “Friends” for an ill-conceived hook, and the beat fails to engage the audience completely. I know it was too much to hope that Tash would use his sophomore effort to break out of his comfort zone and work with different production styles, but I still had my fingers crossed. Sigh.
15. TONY TOUCH INTRO (FEAT TONY TOUCH)
It was nice to hear Tony Toca appear on another rap album. This is still an entirely skippable interlude, though.
16. CITY'S OUT
Meh.
17. NEW BIKINI
This was the first single that Amalgam Digital sent out to the hip hop blogs. I was never impressed with it (which is why I never posted it on HHID), and when I hear it within Control Freek itself, I'm embarrassed that I ever named Tash as one of my favorite rappers. I understand the need to sell records, but this isn't catchy enough to be club-friendly, leading me to ask: what exactly was the point?
18. DON'T WANNA KILL U (FEAT KING T, OSIN, & STYLIZTIK JONES)
The fact that this dark track is sequenced immediately after “New Bikini” is the funniest gag on Control Freek. The hook, which jacks adapts some Jay-Z lyrics from “Streets Is Watching”, fits the song's theme well, and although this is much more violent than what you would expect from Tha Liks, this still isn't bad.
19. LIQUOR STORE RUN (FEAT J-RO & MONTAGE ONE)
Tash and J-Ro link up again for the final song on Control Freek. Over a fairly nice beat, they pass the mic around, waxing poetically about the very thing that gave their group their handle. (I'm referring to alcohol and not alcoholics, by the way.) Montage One, who also handled production duties, also sounds okay, if a bit out of place. There isn't much closure to be found at the end of this album, though.
THE LAST WORD: Control Freek has its moments, but it ultimately falters under the combined pressures of it being Tash's sophomore album and it being the first Alkaholiks album since J-Ro's barely-acknowledged solo debut (which I should go dig up). Almost defiantly West Coast in his blood, Tash sticks with his bag of tricks and a gaggle of undeniably California-esque instrumentals, but unlike his previous efforts, the landscape of hip hop has changed so much that his brand new material sounds dated as hell. And his attempt to reach out to the radio (specifically “New Bikini”) is appalling. Some of Control Freek does click, but for Tash to remain relevant in our chosen genre, a change of plan may be in order. Rico needs to make some high-profile cameo appearances, and tackling some East Coast beats can only be a good thing for him at this point: he needs to break free from tradition and take some fucking risks. I was nonplussed by Control Freek, but I'm still rooting for the guy. There's no need for anybody else to pick this album up, though.
-Max
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