For Promotional Use Only: The Game - You Know What It Is Vol. 3 (2005)

Jayceon Taylor, best known as rap artist The Game (or simply "Game", I guess), released his Aftermath/Interscope/G-Unit backed major label debut, The Documentary, in January of 2005.  A few short months later, his relationship with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson imploded after Game refused to take his side in useless rap beefs with Fat Joe and Jadakiss (of The Lox).  A few short months after that, Jayceon Taylor Photoshopped a mixtape album cover for the latest entry in his series, You Know What It Is Vol. 3, which featured him carrying the disembodied head of the man who continues to be his worst enemy in our chosen genre today.

The Game isn't known for subtlety.

The Documentary ended up being one of the biggest surprises of 2005, proving that, not only was The Game positioned to be a viable player in hip hop, but gangsta rap itself was still alive and well.  So it probably hurt the man's feelings when, in the midst of the most exhilarating time of his life thus far, he was unceremoniously dropped from the G-Unit, the rap crew who was forced to adopt him after Interscope head Jimmy Iovine threatened to drop Game from the label entirely if Dr. Dre couldn't find a place for him.  

Understandably, Jayceon launched an attack on his former friends that lasted the length of several mixtapes (and, depending on which day of the week it is, may still be going on in the present day), stealing their beats and verbally dismantling the likes of Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, and the lone female member Olivia, while saving the majority of his vitriol for Curtis himself.  Caught in the crossfire were his former coworkers Eminem (who, rumor has it, never gave much of a fuck about Game anyway, and only worked with him as a favor to Curtis) and Dr. Dre himself, who never officially weighed in on the battle but still quietly took all of his instrumentals from Game's sophomore effort, The Doctor's Advocate, away, so I guess it could be said that he sided with the bigger moneymaker (at the time).

You Know What It Is Vol. 3 is a significant departure from the previous two volumes in this series, as most of the project features Game and his weed carriers (including a surprising appearance from female rapper Charli Baltimore, now known as "Chuck", apparently) throwing darts at the G-Unit.  It isn't all negative, though: Game also had the good sense to throw in some tracks featuring some other actual name-brand artists in an attempt to prolong his fifteen minutes of fame, at least one of which may be a leftover from The Documentary that sounds really fucking good.  Game even included a tribute to the late Justo Faison at the very end, turning You Know What It Is Vol. 3 into a somber affair toward the end.

But for the most part, this mixtape is a giant middle finger to Curtis Jackson's empire, which now hardly even exists.  So did The Game actually win the war?  It depends on who you ask.

1. INTRO

Can't have a mixtape without an introductory track, especially when Jayceon feels it necessary to explain how he isn't with G-Unit anymore. As if anybody who was remotely interested in this mixtape wouldn't have already known that shit.

2. 300 BARS & RUNNIN'

Unlike the first two installments in this loosely-knit series (which seems to exist only to inform listeners that The Game is, in fact, capable of throwing away more bars than some rappers can come up with in an entire lifetime), “300 Bars & Runnin'” takes multiple shots at his former G-Unit brethren in addition to the usual suspects (Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z (indirectly, as always)). Also unlike the first two installments, this one actually contains some funny punchlines, specifically those aimed towards his old label-sanctioned friends. (I keep laughing out loud at what Game says when he swipes the “I'm So Fly” beat from Lloyd Banks.) The track burns through approximately nine hundred and two different instrumentals to score Jayceon's tirade, helping extend the life of this already tedious exercise. Also, he says one bar four times, so this really should have been titled “297 Bars & Runnin'”, although I have better things to do than actually count each individual line on this fucking monstrosity of a track. Songs like this are why mixtapes exist.

3. DOWN

The Game tackles the Kanye West-produced beat to Cam'Ron's “Down & Out”. (Cam'Ron would later become yet another adversary for the Curtis Jackson steroid train. Coincidence? Absolutely.) Unlike a lot of mixtape rappers, Game actually pays attention to the vocal cues the instrumental provides, so this is much more creative than it should be. But “Down” isn;t much of a dessert after the fucking Carnival World Buffet of lyrics that “300 Bars & Runnin'” was: it just made me antsy to finish listening to this shit already.

4. POISON BANANAS (FEAT. ROCKSTAR & M.O.B.)

I just realized that, as long as I've had You Know What It Is Vol. 3 in my possession, I've never actually listened to “Poison Bananas”. And other than its title, which would make for a terrific band name for a group that only strives to perform in high school cafetoriums, there is little to recommend. I will say that one of the guests (I don't care to find out which one) provides a more compelling performance than Jayceon's riff-on-Guerilla Unit-as-Gorilla Unit-but-still-racist hook, especially with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reference, which was actually funny. But yeah, this shit was pretty stupid. This kind of song is exactly why mixtapes have gotten worse throughout the years: the lack of a filter between the artist's mind and his mouth.

5. I'M A KING (FEAT. T.I.)

One of the most generic-sounding Southern rap songs I've heard since turning on the radio this morning. But that's just the instrumental I'm talking about: T.I. and Jayceon are awful for entirely different reasons.

6. OLIVIA (DEBUT SINGLE)

I'm still concerned about the fact that the best insult Jayceon and his friends could come up with for (former) G-Unit songstress Olivia (of “Bizounce” fame) is that she's really a man. Were you just not able to find anything wrong with her, Game? Did you offhandedly call her a dude after she refused to fuck you, and your friends took that brief aside and ran with it? I fear for the level of creativity from the Black Wall Street camp, as this smacks of old-fashioned grade school horseplay. Can't say that I didn't laugh at some of the line deliveries during this interlude, though, so I guess I'm also at fault, since I'm encouraging him and all.

7. G-UNOT SKIT

Jayceon resorts to piecing together sound bites to make it appear as though Tony Yayo was in love with his boss, Curtis. Somehow, Donald Trump (seriously?) becomes involved. This was a minute-and-a-half of my life that I will never get back.

8. PLAY THE GAME

I'm sure that Dr. Dre was thrilled to discover that his “Tha Next Episode” was repurposed for an immature G-Unit attack record. The Game isn't a dummy, though: within the span of one verse, he addresses damn near ever single suspicious turn that Curtis Jackson's career has taken thus far. And yes, we all know that Tony Yayo is an old man. Can we not come up with something funnier? The skit at the end was also unnecessary, but this is a mixtape, so the laws of physics need not apply.

9. LIL' BIT (REMIX)

How is imitating Curtis Jackson's flow from the already lame-ass hit record “Just A Lil' Bit” supposed to act as a slap to the face of the G-Unit puppet dictator? All this proves is that The Game really wishes that he was Curtis. It's similar to the ongoing one-sided battle Jayceon is currently having with Jay-Z (he says the beef is squashed, but I don't buy that shit for one minute, since this is The Game we're talking about): the level of obsession is dangerously close to the level of Fatal Attraction. I hope Curtis doesn't own a pet rabbit.

10. M.O.B. FREESTYLE (FEAT. M.O.B.)

The Game takes a smoke break, allowing the members of M.O.B. to sneak into the booth and kick a couple of verses over Mobb Deep's “Quiet Storm”, which is ironic, as Mobb Deep was just about to align themselves with Curtis and, as such, become part of the problem and not part of the solution. The second rapper is far more interesting with his rhymes than the first guy, but the hook, which is awful, renders the song impotent anyway.

11. WHY YOU SMELL LIKE DAT (FEAT. ROCKSTAR & M.O.B.)

You shouldn't drag all of your weed carriers into your G-Unit beef, Game. Isn't this how the fight started in the first fucking place, when Curtis tried to force his petty beefs upon you?

12. STREET MUZIK (FEAT. SHEEK LOUCH)

I usually find myself defending Sheek (from The Lox) during his solo efforts, because he has to try that much harder to keep up with the likes of Jadakiss and Styles P. He isn't very good on here, but he is far better than Jayceon, whose tacked-on verse swipes the generic “street music” concept and takes a sloppy shit all over it, as he goes after Curtis and company nonstop without bringing any new or funny insults to the table. This was a waste of my time.

13. LYRICAL EXERCISE (FEAT. ROCKSTAR)

Rockstar receives a solo showcase, but oddly enough, the beat to Hova's “Lyrical Exercise” is not used (another dig at Shawn Carter, perhaps?). Rockstar sounds pretty interesting anyway, though, so this is an oasis in a desert filled with the tiresome rants of Jayceon Taylor, who was only able to focus on one thing at a time (the G-Unit beef, obviously) at this point in his career.

14. WHERE I'M FROM (FEAT. DR. DRE & NATE DOGG)

Although this track boasts appearances from both Dr. Dre and Nate Dogg, there isn't much going for it: Dre's ghostwritten lyrics sound bland and share the same consistency as Play-Doh (Dre has a tendency to always sound like his collaborators whenever he decides to actually drop a verse, usually because those same collaborators are also the guys putting the words into the man's mouth). This dream team sounds pretty good on paper, but this boring track never made it to an actual album for a reason, and not just because Dr. Dre cut ties with The Game after You Know What It Is Vol. 3 dropped.

15. NEVER BE FRIENDS

There's no reason for anybody to sample Aerosmith's “Dream On” if you're not going to also use the vocal sample during the hook: without that cherry topping, this is just a boring fucking loop. Which, I have to say, I kind of saw coming.

16. SWALLOW THAT SLUG (FEAT. CHARLI “CHUCK” B'MORE)

If Chuck B'More (better known as Charli Baltimore, former mistress to The Notorious B.I.G.) was truly hoping for a comeback in hip hop after this weak reworking of Gwen Stefani's annoying-as-fuck “Hollaback Girl”, then she is a fucking fool. This song is a travesty to the ears and should never be listened to by anybody.

17. HATE IT OR LOVE IT (STREET REMIX)

How deliciously meta: The Game redoes his own hit song “Hate It Or Love It”, adjusting the lyrics into a Curtis Jackson slam, which is rendered even stranger when you realize that Curtis and Jayceon recorded the original track together. On here, Game blatantly rips off Jackson's rhyme style during the parts on which he originally performed, even becoming confused enough at one point to call himself a homophobic slur which was supposed to be a dig at his former friend but turns into inadvertent self-loathing. Yeah, this was a strange little excursion.

18. ALL I NEED (FEAT. W.C.)

I like this song so much that I'm a little sad that it never made it onto one of Game's proper albums, but the reason this shit works is W.C., the West Coast veteran who C-walks away with the song as if it was your best friend's hot wife. Jayceon even adapts his flow to a whisper over this entertaining-as-shit club-ready beat. More tracks like this, and less G-Unit baiting, could have made You Know What It Is Vol. 3 a banger. Oh well.

19. PLAYAS ONLY (FEAT. R. KELLY)

Sounds like a quasi-sequel to “All I Need”, except that Game steals his cadence from his own “How We Do”, and R. Kelly's hook sounds at least twelve kinds of really fucking stupid. At least this track doesn't last very long.

20. LAY LOW (FEAT. M.O.B.)

With Snoop Dogg's message prior to the start of this beat-jacking of one of his better recent hits, it's almost as though he is endorsing Game's ridiculous beef against G-Unit (or, specifically, Tony Yayo, at least on this track), which can be problematic, as the only guy in hip hop that Snoop actually has a problem with these days is Suge Knight. To their credit, the members of M.O.B. don't cave in to peer pressure, sticking with the status quo while Jayceon lets his hurt feelings get the best of him. A poor use of what is still a pretty good Dr. Dre instrumental.

21. DREAMS (FEAT. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.)

A goofy inclusion, “Dreams” features The Notorious B.I.G.'s first verse from “Juicy” over the Kanye West-handled beat for Game's “Dreams”, even managing to work in some Faith Evans and Jay-Z sound bites from the Kanye-produced “A Dream” (from Hova's The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse). Strangely enough, Game is nowhere to be found, which actually isn't entirely disappointing, given the high-caliber guest star. But aside from hearing 'Ye shout out the star attraction at the very beginning, there is no point for this mash-up to have ever appeared on a mixtape ostensibly promoting The Game.

22. JUSTO TRIBUTE

In an odd show of restraint, The Game steps away from all most of the ridiculous infighting prevalent on this project in order to pay tribute to the fallen founder of the annual Mixtape Awards, Justo Faison, who passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident earlier in 2005. And with that, You Know What It Is Vol. 3 is over.

SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN? Sure, if you like hearing rappers complain about one another for the duration of an entire mixtape (although, to be fair, The Game did warn us with that shitty album cover). You Know What It Is Vol. 3 upholds its promise of relentlessly attacking Curtis Jackson and the G-Unit, and back when it first dropped I had more of an interest in this beef, as I didn't care for Curtis, but in listening to this today, only a handful of the tracks manage to hold up, and Jayceon's attacks grow tiresome midway through the second fucking track. You Know What It Is Vol. 3 is better than the previous two installments, mainly because The Game was that much closer to establishing his true identity in this rap shit, as opposed to just being the guy who was still trying to find his footing while throwing half-assed shots toward Memphis Bleek and Joe Budden. This is for Game and rap beef historians only.

-Max

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Catch up on the other Game write-ups by clicking here.

A Reader's Gut Reaction: Delinquent Habits - Merry Go Round (March 20, 2001)

(Today's Reader Review is brought to you by The Grinch, who returns with his thoughts on the third album from West Coast-based crew Delinquent Habits, Merry Go Round. Leave your comments for The Grinch below.)

Delinquent Habits are an American Hip-Hop group of Hispanic descent consisting of members Ives, Keno the Blaxican, and DJ O.G. Style (a guy who still believes the current year is 1988, based on his name). They hail from East Los Angeles, California, and have been active since 1996. Being that they are pretty talented and have grown up in a different environment than most other rappers in the game (read: they have shit to say), it is entirely understandable that these guys have never sold more than two hundred copies of any project and that most of the planet's population is blissfully unaware of their existence. Nevertheless, they deserve some attention, mostly because they are a pleasant jolly band, but also because they are mildly connected to another California-based, weed-obsessed, and popular Latino rap group that we will talk about in a second. (Gee, I wonder who that could be.)

So, out of all of the Delinquent Habits albums in their catalog, why review Merry Go Round? Well, from the few bits I've heard before this write-up, I can already tell that this a true hip hop album (and experience), and if you remember the big bold letters up at the very top of the page, you'll see that we are trying to prove that hip hop isn't dead, even if the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna have somehow managed to score more than a few slots on rap album tracklists in the past few years. Also, the group brought some actual record label experience to the table this time, so I suppose that the third time's the charm, right? I'm listening to the music carefully as I write everything down so you can easily follow along.

After hearing to only a handful of tracks from Merry Go Round, hip hop heads, Cypress Hill fans, and marijuana dealers centrally located in the Golden State alike will all notice that the overall style of Delinquent Habits strongly resembles the way that Sen Dog and B-Real speak: you may even believe that you can hear some DJ Muggs influence in the beats by DJ O.G. Style (my God that is a stupid name). Unsurprisingly, this is because Delinquent Habits is part of the Hill's extended family: Sen Dog helped the band get their shit together on their self-titled debut album, Muggs has assisted behind the boards during illegal narcotics-fueled studio sessions, and Cypress Hill affiliate Mellow Man Ace (Sen Dog's brother, who was once also a part of the actual Hill) has recorded with them, as well. Personally, I think that, from time to time, the members of Delinquent Habits sound a bit too much like their more popular counterpart, to the point where the comparison is kind of irritating: for example, while B-Real naturally sounds nasally behind the mic, Ives comes across as though he's latched a vice grip around his balls so that he can permanently sound like Tweety. Thankfully for Delinquent Habits (and luckily for the audience), Cypress Hill has since become a sombrero-wearing carbon copy of Linkin Park and their ilk, and have traded in their share of awesomeness for lame-ass singles and videos aiming at an entirely different audience, so there is a void that our hosts for today are able to fill.

So? Where's Waldo?

1. STATION THIRTEEN

Yay! No rap album intro and no unfunny skit that all rappers seem especially fond of these days: the Habits skip straight to “killing shit”. So far, so good. For those of you who don't know or simply aren't familiar with this crew, they often rap in Spanglish, something that they are actually pretty good at (and this is coming from a guy who believes that most Spanish rap sucks), alternating their English bars and phrases with Spanish ones at the drop of a hat. If you are completely unfamiliar with the fact that there is a Spanish language in the first place, I invite you to go back into your cave, place a large, unmovable object in the entryway, and don't bother to come out for about seven years.

2. FEEL GOOD

Once the owner of the female voice shuts up and goes back inside to make some dinner, the song finally kicks in, with some sharp lyrics, a nice beat, and even a nice-sounding, if a bit cheesy, chorus. So yes, I do “Feel Good”, and the track is both catchy and fits in well with the rest of the project, which is an important attribute whenever you're trying to craft a good album.

3. RETURN OF THE TRES

This song is currently my workout song, my hanging-around song, and will most likely become my entrance theme once I finally start my career in porn. No wonder it has appeared on both movie and video game soundtracks: this is straight awesomeness with a generous layer of Latino influence. It's nice to see that, when they are presented with a beat that they absolutely must not fuck up, Delinquent Habits doesn't fuck up.

4. BOULEVARD STAR (FEAT. MICHELLE)

This track introduces Michelle, the girl who will permanently replace Kemo after the group's next album. Picture Big Pun with a wig, and you'll get a general impression of her (and I apologize for making you picture Big Pun with a wig). To be fair, she does sound pretty nice, even if the track samples Labelle's “Lady Marmalade”, which is always a strange choice for a rap album. This was another good track, which means that it didn't especially stand out, but it wasn't overshadowed by anything, either.

5. MIDNIGHT (FEAT. SICK JADEN)

A song to go out and chill with friends to. I'm fairly certain that “chill with friends” is simply rapper code for “smoke weed”, but the track was pretty nice anyway. I can totally see myself driving, talking on the phone, or even petting a goat while listening to this, as it is that cool and calm.

6. THE KIND

I imagine the beat contains a sample from a classical composition, but since I am ignorant, I am only able to link this to some cartoon I would watch on Saturday mornings (and even that is questionable, as I don't remember which one: I might have made this up). The group does its thing, though, and manages to sound nice. O.G. Style (who I will now refer to as Mr. Style, at least until he finds a name that doesn't try to describe a sexual position) seems to dominate whatever he has to do, both sample-wise and production-wise, which differentiates him from other useless deejays out there.

7. MERRY GO ROUND

B-Real called, and said he wants his style back. Okay, that joke sucked, but so does this song. I'd like to say that your average stoner would like this title track, but I cannot, as they wouldn't: it just sounds like shit. Unless you tend to mix Pennzoil with your daily heroin fix, I suggest you skip it.

8. QUE VUELVA (FEAT. MICHELLE)

It could be that the need to eat pizza is now controlling my mind, but I do believe that Michelle adds a positive contribution to the crew whenever she's around (which, in this case, is for the entire length of the track). The beat on here is also nice. Really nice.

9. SICK SYDE DROP

Another slow beat, but this time around the group raps quickly over it, and it sounds lethal. It truly works, unlike the fake hair sold to bald people on infomercials or the penis enlargement products sold online (don't ask how I know). Also, I believe Delinquent Habits to be the very first rap group to not come up with some gay hook mid-song, which is truly remarkable.

10. BEIJING

When this song first started, I thought Vincente Fernandez was drunk again and ready to sing. However, God bless the Delinquent Habits, as they have crafted a track that made me think I accidentally popped in a Wu-Tang Clan CD, proving once again that Latinos can swing their swords in Shaolin with the best of them. Of course, the fact that the song is named "Beijing" doesn't help separate my mind from the idea that I'm in a kung fu flick fighting both Carl Douglas and Hong Kong Phooey. At least, not until some guy with a guitar announces that the end is near, anyway.

11. NO SENSE

The "I'm poor, boo-hoo" song you get in hip hop from time to time, unless you're listening to any of Kanye West's work. I'm not trying to make light of how artists spend their rough childhood: I believe that one of the primary reasons why one becomes a musician in the first place is to exorcise all that suffering you have in there somewhere. But all of these songs start to sound similar after a while. Because of that, these remind me of the booze bags you saw posted up in front of convenience stores as a kid, the kind that your mom never wanted to give any change to, as opposed to those folks that actually lived through hell. And yes, I'm kind of an asshole.

12. SOUTHERN ACCENT

Once again, the instrumental is nice, and it fits in with all the other stuff on Merry Go Round. I'm sad to say that I'm surprised these guys are so lyrical: not that the West Coast sucks or anything, but they do seem to be prouder of jackasses like The Game than artists of this caliber. Plus, I wasn't expecting this to sound that good, so it was a pleasant surprise. Now that I think about it, I really hope that Delinquent Habits actually aren't that well-known, or else I'll look like a fool for writing this (and will become prey for Mr. T).

13. HOUSE OF THE RISING DRUM

From beginning to end, there is no denying that this song is the shit. It doesn't really sound like the other tracks on here, but damn, everything is pimped out here: all of the group members sound great, the beat is unbelievable, and Mr. Style has mixed the samples within the instrumental to perfection. Pardon me, I just started drooling.

14. ANYTIME ALL TIME

Sounds like Lil Zane's "Money Stretch" (from the Next Friday soundtrack) meets Sen Dog. This is one of those tracks that really remind me of Cypress Hill (and that's a bad thing, folks). Luckily, they still manage to rip it up, and it has a cool enough vibe to get by. Despite the fact that we're still listening to rap music, the chorus actually does not sound shitty, which helps. Also, even if Mr. Style does have a crappy name, he seems to be a good deejay.

15. TEMPTATION (FEAT. MICHELLE)

Some more nice vocals by Michelle, but once again I feel compelled to remind the readers that she is both fat and ugly-looking. Not that it really matters, I guess: everybody sounds great on here, and then Merry Go Round ends with some spoken words to what I believe is a crowd, thanking them for paying for shit that they could have listened to for free while sounding like old-school Spanish singers. I was really hoping that they would have tacked a song like “House Of The Rising Drum” or “Return Of The Tres” onto the end, so that they could end in style. Oh well.

THE LAST WORD: With Merry Go Round, Delinquent Habits offer up a damn good audible experience, delivering an album that is solid, fun to listen to, and consistent, providing listeners with a proper introduction to their sound. Now that I'm done licking ass by praising it, I'll add that, yes, at times they really do sound a lot like Cypress Hill, but they seem to appreciate their Latin roots a bit more, a feature that will appeal to proud Hispanic dumbasses (such as myself) that will unabashedly head-bang to this, thinking that they look cool, while downing another bowl of Crunch Berries. Delinquent Habits have also succeeded in creating an album that finds the melody within the hardcore hip hop sounds presented. I don't know if you realize how hard that is to accomplish: the only comparison I can come up with is picturing Raekwon rocking over something sampled from the Gypsy Kings. This album is a killer, but of course, since it sounds this great, I'm willing to bet that no large group of consumers will ever give a fuck about Delinquent Habits, so what the hell. Long live Drake.

-The Grinch

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your thoughts below.)

Reader Review: Rhyme Asylum - State Of Lunacy (June 2008)

(Today's Reader Review is brought to you by James M, who decided that now would be a good time to hop across the pond and review the English rap quartet Rhyme Asylum's debut album, State Of Lunacy. Leave some comments for him below.)

Three words you will rarely hear together in the same sentence are "good", "English" and "rap". So I was surprised earlier year when I first heard about Rhyme Asylum, who my friend described as "an English rap group, they're good". As somebody who actually lives in England, I have had to listen to a lot of English rap from the TV, radio, and various other sources, and the thing is, most of it sucks. And I don't mean "it's meh"; I mean "that voice isn't supposed to rap and your lyrics suck, get out of my life". After a bit of nagging, I eventually went out and bought their debut album, State of Lunacy.

Rhyme Asylum is a quartet from London (modern police state V For Vendetta London, not old-school London where everybody wears top hats and is at least proficient at singing), made up of members Possessed, Psiklone, Skirmish, and Plazma. At least it was back in 2008, when State Of Lunacy dropped: Plazma ended up leaving the crew before they released a follow-up, possibly because he was christened with the worst rap name of the four. You may have heard of Possessed (by which I mean you most likely haven't, but if you have, this is why) from his WRC battles with partner Whashisface (later renamed Reain, because apparently misspelling a simple word is slightly better then calling yourself “Whashisface”) , with whom he reached the finals held in Las Vegas. So he would be the biggest name on State Of Lunacy, aside from guest stars Diabolic and Copywrite, I suppose. There are no A-list producers on here, either, as the entire album (save for track six) is handled by Leatherface, so at the very least there is some consistency throughout, even though it comes from a guy you've never heard of.

Rhyme Asylum can best be described as a mix of the Wu-Tang Clan, the Gravediggaz, and that guy you know who makes up ridiculous stories which definitely aren't true but are still very entertaining anyway. Although they look like a horrorcore outfit, I can't really call them that: most of the songs on State Of Lunacy consist of the four MCs showing off how good they are at rapping while bragging about being superhuman, with only the occasional song about insanity and asylums thrown in so the group can claim, “We aren't one dimensional, we have three or so songs which aren't us showing off!" So even though the beats are horrorcoreish (I just invented a word!), the lyrical content is pretty standard for an underground hip-hop group. The four rappers sound very similar in voice and subject matter, so some of you two may find it hard to distinguish between them on the first listen. As you may have guessed, State Of Lunacy isn't the most accessible album ever: it isn't like party music at all, unless you are at a party and want to make sure nobody starts dancing. Unlike their second effort, which featured hip hop heavyweights like Crooked I and Ill Bill, the guests on State Of Lunacy are low-key, with only fellow London rapper Reain and American artists Diabolic and Copywrite scoring cameos.

Oh, I forgot to do a personal paragraph. Well, I'm a fifteen year old English kid who has only really been into rap for the past two years. I can't really talk about how I listened to Ready To Die before school the day it came out, or how I once saw Dirt McGirt performing “Brooklyn Zoo” on a streetcorner to get some more quick cash to convert into drugs. In fact, I am not old enough to have ever bought a Notorious B.I.G. album on the day of its release, and Ol' Dirty Bastard died before my age hit double figures, so I guess all I can really say is that my first exposure to rap that I can remember was “Hey Ya” by Andre 3000. After that, my taste in hip hop remained stagnant for a few years, until I listened to Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by the Wu-Tang Clan, and like any person with ears, I loved it, and now am pretty into this whole rap thing.

Anyway, onto the actual meat of the review.

1. EXPLORERS OF THE MIND (INTRO)

A standard rap album intro, with some sampled dialogue from a film playing over some music. Why does this need to be over ten seconds long? Whatever happened to albums starting with songs?

2. GROUND ZERO

The first proper song on the album, and the first voice you hear is Possessed. This could be seen as foreshadowing, as Possessed seems to outshine the other three on every track. Each rapper spits two lines and then hands over the mic, so the audience is given a good taste of each. On first listen, you won't be able to tell who is rapping at all, so don't worry so much about that, especially as each emcee name-drops themselves a few times throughout the project. As they do on most of the songs on State of Lunacy, Rhyme Asylum use the track to brag about how badass they are. Possessed outshines everybody else, but all four manage to hold their own. A great song to set the tone of the album.

3. STRAIGHT JACKET PART I (FEAT. REAIN)

Reain's first of two features is a decent one, but his hosts out-rap him. The track is similar to “Ground Zero”, with the group just showing off as normal, but they throw in a slight but of insanity to differentiate the two. The beat wasn't very inspiring, but it doesn't take away from the track. Also, Skirmish was recently awarded with a lifetime supply of orange jumpsuits from Rikers Island for being the one-millionth rapper to reference the prison in a verse. Good for him.

4. THE AWAKENING (SKIT)

If Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (of Jedi Mind Tricks fame) can't get away with these pretentious sampling interludes, then Leatherface definitely can't.

5. LOST

Your general slow, anti-politician, anti-knife crime (which is our equivalent of gun crime, as there are about three guns in England not owned by farmers), anti-religion track. Again, the beat is a bit boring, but the rhymes are good enough to make up for it, even if the lyrics are a bit generic. In the end, though, I thought it was a very good song.

6. MULTIPLICITY

A dull instrumental by S-Type (the only other producer on State Of Lunacy) is combined with some great over-the-top lyrics. Skirmish's verse helps add fuel to the Wu-Tang comparison fire, as he talks about ninja school. Rhyme Asylum needs to find somebody else to do their hooks for them, as each member proves that they aren't very capable of them: the one on “Multiplicity” is far too long and wordy. At the end of the track, S-Type inserts some random samples including...Adam Sandler? It works, I'll give him that. Shame he couldn't make a Franken-hook for them out of samples, DJ Premier-style, though.

7. SMOKE SCREENS & PIPE DREAMS

Leatherface takes his seat behind the boards back and provides the group with a relaxing instrumental, which they proceed to use to talk about smoking weed. The beat is switched up halfway through and gets even better, and Leatherface mixes together a hook using samples that works very well. It isn't Cypress Hill, but this was still a good song.

8. UNREASONABLE (FEAT. DIABOLIC)

Guest star Diabolic spits a great verse here, even managing to keep up with the Rhyme Asylum. His boasts aren't as good as Skirmish's, though: apparently, he had an affair with the Devil's wife and has dragon wings (the two events may or may not be related). The more you know, I guess. The terribly corny hooks make their grand return on here, unfortunately, but this was still a solid song with more over-the-top bars for your enjoyment.

9. POISON PENMANSHIP

This Possessed solo effort ends up being the best song on State Of Lunacy. Leatherface's simple beat helps the track move along, but you won't be paying much attention to it, since Possessed goes all out on here. His punchlines are funny and his imagery is borderline ridiculous, such as when he claims that he burned his dick in somebody's stomach acid and when he tells the listener that he can overdose on weed intentionally: somehow, he even manages to squeeze in a metaphor referring to scoring in cricket. An amazing song which showcases a great MC. If you're one of these people who can't stand their English accents, though, then this album must be torture for you.

10. TEST OF FAITH

Basically a sequel to “Lost”, except slightly better, with a slow, classical-sounding beat and a tolerable hook, plus some standard Rhyme Asylum rapping. As usual, Possessed outshines the others, but it's all good.

11. STARK RAVING GENIUS

As if the cover art, group name, song title, and the other tracks on the album haven't given it away yet, you should be aware by now that the Rhyme Asylum tend to use insanity as their go-to subject matter for inspiration. “Stark Raving Genius” is slightly creepy, as the quartet talk about how they are being tortured and haunted. They even make a reference to an exploding collar: there are never enough references to that in any form of media, especially hip hop (it's fresher than all of the Rikers Island name-drops, anyway). In all seriousness, you shouldn't listen to this song late at night if you are prone to nightmares. Or you can put it on 'repeat' and play it until you see babies crawling across the ceiling for all I care. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life.

12. ATTITUDE PROBLEM (FEAT. COPYWRITE)

Rhyme Asylum choose to give the listener some standard "let's threaten some imaginary people!"-type lyrics a la Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks). The rhymes are good, even though they generally discuss how many bad rappers there are and how the crew hates them so. As usual, the hook is complete crap: it's about ten lines long, which is overkill. Guest star Copywrite provides the final verse and doesn't do very well. It isn't bad enough to sabotage the track, but it's still fairly awful.

13. STRAIGHT JACKET PART II (FEAT. REAIN)

An amazing beat provided by Leatherface becomes riddled with some standard punchlines and such. Reain holds his own here, unlike on his previous cameo. Just like “Multiplicity”, some random samples are thrown in for shits and giggles at the end of the track, including a guy shouting, “Here comes the pain!”, and Vinnie Paz sound bite, in which he informs us under what lighting conditions he writes his lyrics in.

14. HOLDING ON

Another haunting song, this one featuring some whispered lyrics. It wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't great: I could have done without loads of these songs based around insanity. The best tracks on State Of Lunacy are the over-the-top "I'll hammer-throw a tank into your mum's garage and then beat her in a rap battle for your soul"-style songs: there really should have been more of those. At least the hook wasn't that bad.

15. SHADOW PEOPLE (SKIT)

Again, Leatherface isn't good enough to get away with these shitty interludes. Who asked for this? Nobody cares that you can sample old films. It's been done before.

16. ILLER INSTINCT

Features a good beat and some decent lyrics (although some of them are questionable: for example, “...and until we are resting in peace not sharing love / be scared of us we go out on a limb like a pair of gloves" is somehow compelling, yet also terrible). Possessed, as always, has the best verse here. And the hook is, as always, too long and very corny. I'm honestly considering going to a Rhyme Asylum live show just so I can jump on stage and personally beg them to not write their own hooks so often. Overall, this was still one of the better songs on here, as there are no bad verses. A good way to end the album.

I'm not sure if this appears on all pressings of State Of Lunacy, but my copy contains the following bonus track.

17. MULTIPLICITY (REMIX)

Leatherface remixes this song as a bonus. For my money, it isn't as good as the original, but it's still pretty great lyrically. If this isn't on your copy, you should be able to find it online fairly easily, but it isn't a great loss if you choose not to put in the effort.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I could have done without Rhyme Asylum's State Of Lunacy being seventeen tracks long: after the halfway point, the album seems to get worse (although I love “Iller Instinct”). The beats and lyrics become a bit repetitive at times, but all four rappers sound above-average, and I consider Possessed to be in my top ten lyrically at the moment. That said, I still feel that this is a great album. It's surprising how well all four members can rap with an East London accent, especially when compared to any other accent from that area. The first time I listened to State Of Lunacy, I expected nothing good at all, but I was blown away at how much I liked it. As I have said over and over in this write-up, Possessed is much better behind the mic than Skirmish, Plazma and Psiklone (both in lyrical ability and spelling, it seems), but the latter three manage to keep pace with him well enough so that you won't become upset when Possessed takes a break. Leatherface does very well for being an unknown producer: it's a shame that he didn't produce at all on the group’s second album, Solitary Confinement. (As I mentioned above, Plazma also left the group before the second album dropped, but this was a much smaller loss to the cause, as it gave Skirmish, Psiklone, and Possessed more screen time.) Again though, if you hate the English accent on rappers, you will hate Rhyme Asylum. There are only two verses on the entire album performed by American rappers, so be aware that this album is to people who hate English accents as N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton is to people who dislike violent rap lyrics. There is a small amount of slang in there, but nothing you won't understand based on the context of the word, so you can't use that as an excuse not to listen to this album.

BUY OR BURN?: If you can man up and not scream as soon as you hear an accent which comes from outside of North America, you should buy this album. This is a brilliant lyrical show with some decent beats backing it up, which will make you want to put some of the better songs on repeat. If you can't get past the accents, you should at least still burn the album.

BEST TRACKS: "Ground Zero"; "Lost"; "Multiplicity"; "Poison Penmanship"; "Stark Raving Genius"; "Iller Instinct"

-James M

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your thoughts below.)

A Reader's Gut Reaction / Not Available In Stores! 8-Off the Assassin - Wrap Your Lips Around This (1995)

(Today's Reader Review comes from The Professor, who last contributed half of the dual write-up for Capone-N-Noreaga's The War Report 2: Report The War. He's brought you two a short and sweet dissection of 8-Off the Assassin's aborted debut album, Wrap Your Lips Around This. Leave some notes for him below, and sorry, but that was the only picture I could actually find.)

In the late half of the 1990's, there were a lot of rap albums that were completed and then shelved by the labels, including Trigger Tha Gambler's Life's A 50/50 Gamble, Cormega's The Testament, and INI's Center Of Attention, the latter of which is surprising, considering that Pete Rock worked with them extensively. You can also add the name 8-Off the Assassin to that lengthy list.

I was clicking around on YouTube one day looking up 8-Off's videos: shortly after, I was alerted to the existence to his unreleased album, Wrap Your Lips Around This; a few Google searches later, I'm now able to try it out. For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, Angel “8-Off” Aguilar is a Puerto Rican and Filipino New York-based rapper, producer, and ghostwriter who was once signed to East West/Elektra Records (also the home of acts such as Das EFX, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Busta Rhymes, back when he could really rhyme and not when he was recording songs with the likes of Ron Browz). He recorded his debut album, Wrap Your Lips Around This, between 1994 and 1995, released a couple of singles, shot some videos, and even pressed up some promotional copies, but all of a sudden East West pulled the plug, possibly because he wasn't clicking with the mainstream as well as those three names I listed above.

Although his label thwarted his plans to release his debut album, 8-Off is still an active part of the hip hop genre today: he's gone through a couple of different names (he's also known as Agallah, a play on his last name, 8-Off Agallah, and Don Bishop) and affiliations (he was once linked to the DipSet movement, and is formerly a part of the group D.B.D. (which stands for Death B4 Dishonor), which he formed with Parrish Smith of EPMD fame), and he now focuses primarily on producing, although he still raps (in fact, his “second” debut album, You Already Know (credited to Agallah the Don Bishop), dropped in 2006 on Babygrande Records, and it features production work from The Alchemist and DJ Premier).

That's all I got. You can tell that I don't like to be on Wikipedia all that much. Let the games begin.

1. INTRO

Well, the beat is tight, but Agallah sounds so uncomfortable over it. His style comes across as that of someone who was recently kicked out of Onyx, although to be fair, there were a lot of people who sounded like this in the late 1990s. You'll be pressing the skip button fairly quickly.

2. KICK DOWN THE FUCKIN' DOOR

This beat is dark as hell: this should have been the introductory track. 8-Off sounds fantastic on here, and the scratching on the track was a nice touch: this is what hardcore hip hop should sound like. The voice changing effect at the end was unnecessary, though. The combination of the drums and the piano makes “Kick Down The Fuckin' Door” sound like an alternate take on Mobb Deep's “G.O.D. Pt. III”. Well done.

3. SKIT #1

After a nice instrumental at the very beginning, this track segues into a skit which features some idiot telling our host how he was fucking his wife, and then you only hear gunshots. Trust me, folks, you'll be skipping this one.

4. GHETTO GIRL

I found it funny that the listener is presented with this cheesy-ass song after that preceding violent skit. I think this might have been a single: I watched the clip commissioned for this track on YouTube a few times. A young Ashanti was featured in the video, which also showcases Agallah failing to do basic dance moves. This was pretty radio-friendly: take that however you'd like.

5. NEIGHBORHOOD HOE

What the fuck is this shit? Agallah sounds uncomfortable, and his lyrics are unintentionally hilarious. You probably shouldn't actually pay attention to the lyrics, though, if you don't want to get upset.

6. LIFE AIN'T EASY (FEAT. ?)

The instrumental sounds dated, and it probably did even back in the 1994-1995 timeframe. This isn't a completely horrible thing, though. Agallah's verses get better as the song moves along. I'm not sure who actually appears on the chorus (I can't find any information online), but she doesn't sound that bad, either. This is the second best song on Wrap Your Lips Around This so far. This project is already sounding much better than I was hoping.

7. ONLY LIVE ONCE

Another good song: the instrumental sounds smooth and focused while Agallah is at his best. It was short as hell, though: I could have tolerated a couple more minutes of this shit.

8. USED TO HAVE IT ALL (FEAT. HORACE BROWN)

Another blatant attempt at radio airplay, as 8-Off brings in R&B crooner Horace Brown to sing the chorus, while he gets his Nas on. The track was good but not great; to be honest, I almost dozed off for a second there.

9. BOW DOWN

Agallah brings back the hardcore hip hop sound, but “Bow Down” sounds much less energetic than “Kick Down The Fuckin' Door”. The instrumental sounds fantastic, but overall the song was bland. Oh well.

10. ALIZE FOR DOLO

This is the original take on the song that became the second single from Wrap Your Lips Around This, although it really sounds nothing like the remake (the remix appears later in the tracklisting). I've liked this song ever since the first time I heard it. Always thought it had a goofy title, though.

11. PROPA SWERVE

Well, at least it's short.

12. FAKIN' MOVES

Now that's more like it. This beat is epic, and Agallah even sounds alright, but if you ignore the words and just listen to the music, you'll think this shit is much better than it really is. I may have spoken too soon earlier: Wrap Your Lips Around This may not be the lost gem I thought it was. Sorry, folks.

13. I AIN'T THE ONLY RAPPER

This sounds like another attempt at gaining a mainstream audience, but it sounds better than his other radio-friendly efforts on Wrap Your Lips Around This. The chorus was a little weak, but Agallah sounded really good on here, and the beat makes you want to dance, so fuck it, I liked this shit. Good job, 8-Off.

14. GHETTO AIRLINE (SKIT)

Although the beat sounds decent, you'll be skipping this track, too.

15. SCIENCE FICTION

After listening to this song, I believe 8-Off should have just named it “Fiction”. I'm just saying. Anyway, the track sounds pretty good, and the contrast between the darker beat and Agallah's funny lyrics works very well.

16. GOING IN FOR THE KILL

Meh.

17. CATCH A BODY

I think I've figured it out: Wrap Your Lips Around This was probably shelved because a lot of the songs on here sound too much alike, and its commercial prospects would have been hampered by the inevitable critical indifference. “Catch A Body” sounds like a B-side that that somehow earned a promotion to the proper album: there is an overall lack of effort that comes across to the listener, especially with Agallah's rushed performance. However, it is short as hell, so not all is lost.

18. ALIZE FOR DOLO (REMIX) (FEAT. MR. CHEEKS)

This is the version of “Alize For Dolo” that was actually released to radio as a single, featuring a contribution from Mr. Cheeks (from the Lost Boyz) and some new bars from our host. This remix was handled by Lost Boyz affiliates “Buttnaked” Tim Dawg and Mr. Sex, who turn in a beat that sounds much more mainstream than the original cut. This was probably the fifth best track on here: I recommend you try to find the video on YouTube. (This track doesn't seem to be a part of the actual promotional version of Wrap Your Lips Around This that I was able to find, but enough of the leaks on the Interweb tack this on as a final song, so I'll let this one slide.)

SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN? 8-Off's Wrap Your Lips Around This sounds pretty good as an overall package: you would probably have the same reaction if a few of the lesser tracks were removed. At the same time, though, I felt disappointed, as it doesn't sound like Agallah put in that much effort on the project as a whole. Wrap Your Lips Around This isn't the Holy Grail of lost hip hop albums, but even with some of my criticisms, I still think it's worth listening to at least the one time, especially if you want a change from the bullshit that's on the radio today. Some of the tracks will even remind you of what hip hop radio sounded like in the 1990s, which can be good or bad, depending on your preference. Overall, I think you should give it a shot, especially if you have a good Anti-Virus program on your computer, since you'll have to do some serious searching.

- The Professor

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Do you want to review an album yourself? Leave your thoughts below.)

My Gut Reaction/For Promotional Use Only: Prodigy - The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP (April 19, 2011)

This week has been an interesting one for hip hop, especially those of you who are fans of free shit.  Aside from the usual wide selection of giveaway tracks from artists you've never heard of and never will hear from again, there were two albums that hit the Interweb that the rappers involved don't expect any sort of compensation for.  Both the 1990s and the current school of thought were represented: younger listeners will probably gravitate toward Covert Coup, the collaborative effort between producer The Alchemist and weed rap enthusiast Curren$y, which I might have given more of a fuck about had I actually enjoyed Pilot Talk II.  Predictably enough, though, I going to run with the guy who has been an active part of our chosen genre since the early 1990s: Prodigy (of Mobb Deep), who was recently released from prison after serving a three-year bid, has hooked up with the good folks at Complex to bring you two his first album since he tasted freedom, The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP.

Now, I'm fully aware that I've given Albert Johnson a ton of shit on this very blog, specifically referring to his rapid loss of lyrical talent that became evident to the rest of the world after Mobb Deep's fourth effort, Murda Musik.  His solo career has been so unappealing to me that I haven't even bothered to review the two albums he released before he was locked up (although they are still in the pile I keep talking about); Mobb Deep's signing with Curtis Jackson's G-Unit Records was essentially the nail in the proverbial coffin. 

However, the tide could possibly be turning on my general indifference to the Mobb.  For starters, they are no longer signed with Curtis: even though there is always the chance that Havoc and Prodigy may work with him again in the future, the odds are pretty good that they won't re-up with his label, since G-Unit Records no longer wields any sort of influence with parent company Interscope Records after 50's lack of sales.  Havoc has also proven himself to be a bit of a rhyme animal, tearing up the few tracks that he appeared on during P's incarceration: where Prodigy's lyrical ability has diminished, Hav seems to have picked up the slack (maybe he enrolled in an online course or something).  But the real reason why Mobb Deep may be falling back into favor is because the first thing the duo did once P was sprung from the clink was record a song, "Dog Shit", with production by old family friend The Alchemist and a guest appearance from Nas, whom P had recently reconciled with (sure, Nas never actually collaborated with them in the studio, but in the year 2011, you take what you can get).  My opinion of the track is mixed: it doesn't captivate me as much as the duo's earlier work has.  But a lot of other influential people seem to think the song is the tits, so things are looking up for the Mobb.

The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP features seven tracks (one of which is a bonus) framed within sound bites taken from the film Hoodlum, in which mob boss Bumpy Johnson was portrayed by Laurence Fishburne.  Production comes primarily from production duo Sid Roams, whom he has worked with in the past, although The Alchemist (who is having a good week, what with Covert Coup and all, which Prodigy even guest-stars on himself, so even Curren$y must be a fan of the Mobb's older work) and some guy named King Benny also pop up behind the boards.  Havoc provides the lone guest appearance, leaving cohorts Big Noyd and the Infamous Mobb scrambling for guest slots on the eventual Mobb Deep comeback tour.  Lord knows if the solo Prodigy will have changed enough to interest the casual hip hop head again, but given his pedigree (and the fact that he does have two indisputable classic albums under his belt), I figure he's worth a shot.

Besides, it's short.

1.  THE ONE & ONLY

After an extended sound bite from Hoodlum, Prodigy finally steps in and spits some verses to some typically dull Alchemist production (borrowed from his own work on the Big Twins/Krondon collaboration "Smart N---z").  The artist formerly known as Cellblock P's return to this here rap shit may have had more of an impact had he not already reunited with Havoc to release "Dog Shit", Mobb Deep's collaboration with Nas that has the blogs losing their shit right now.  I'm tempted to give Prodigy a pass on this opener, since his slow, apathetic flow could be blamed on Al Maman's uninteresting instrumental (he couldn't even come up with a fresh one for his boy's return to the game?), but I ultimately can't: our host for the evening already sounds bored, and his choice in bars seems to mimic how the man sounded prior to his stint in the clink.  Hopefully "The One & Only" (and its fucking terrible hook) isn't representative of the rest of this project.

2.  GO OFF

Apparently I missed the part where producer Sid Roams became a member of the three- (four-?) headed dragon that Prodigy turns to for his beats (the other two belonging to The Alchemist and Havoc, respectively): they have scored the majority of the instrumental slots on The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP.  The music isn't that bad, actually: it sounds like a more subdued take on anything from Murda Musik, and P, who believes he is as underrated as Don Cheadle (who isn't actually underrated: he's a great actor, but he gets enough work for me to comfortably say that he is rated properly just the way he is), seems at ease with the static-filled beat, so even though some of his claims (such as how "Mobb Deep fell off...the bottom and [we] landed on top") come across as just plain goofy, "Go Off" will go down in the history books as a triumphant return for Prodigy, as this is the closest he has sounded to being a relevant rapper in quite some time.  Good for him.

3.  BLACK DEVIL

Okay, so maybe not everything Sid Roams touch is a winner, but the beat is almost an innocent bystander to P's lyrics on here, which approach the most serious work the man has ever done.  His message of racial equality, hidden in plain sight within a seemingly racist tirade, is interesting because of the journey he takes the listener on before he finally reveals just what the hell this track is about.  I'm intrigued by the idea that Prodigy has seemingly changed up his worldview simply because the only person to befriend him while he was behind bars was some anonymous white guy: whether this is a true statement or not, it proves that our host may have found the lyrical depth he had previously misplaced in between Murda Musik and Infamy.

4.  TWILIGHT (FEAT. HAVOC)

Although the book series was already jumping off the shelves, the first film in the Twilight saga hasn't yet hit theaters by the time Prodigy was sentenced, so this song is an attempt to cash-in on a popular trend.  Or at least it could be, had he been rhyming about all of the vampires around his way, with their pale-white skin that sparkles like diamonds in the sun, their love of emo music, and whatever the fuck else Stephanie Meyer has used to completely destroy the vampire mythos.  Anyway, P's lyrics don't amount to much on here, but he sounds pretty good over this Sid Roams production, and his rhyme partner Havoc, making his lone appearance on The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP (could he not be bothered to give his boy an instrumental?), sounds like he's been fasting ever since P was locked up in the first place, since he comes across as starving.  This isn't officially a Mobb Deep song, but it might as well be, since it sounds so much better than the entirety of Blood Money.

5.  FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

For a change, The Alchemist actually brings a good beat to the table; unfortunately for him, Albert uses "For One Night Only" as an excuse to convince chicks to leave their boyfriends at home and join him for a night on the town that will almost certainly include both fucking and the brushing of teeth (proper dental hygiene is very important).  P even decided that this would be a good time to introduce his interpretation on the speed-rap, thoroughly embarrassing himself during the first set of bars before the light bulb turns on above his head, after which he switches back to normal (for the most part).  Prodigy doesn't technically sound awful on here, but his performance was still fairly bad, although I completely understand that he would be obsessed with sex after getting out of the bing, so I can't fault him entirely: it's just not what Mobb Deep fans want to actually hear.  But at least Al's beat was really good: it even incorporates some sinister elements that I didn't fully catch until P stopped rhyming, which elevated it tremendously in my book.

6.  STRONGER

I have no idea who the fuck King Benny is supposed to be, and I have no information as to whether a lower-ranked member of the monarchy might have done a better job with producing "Stronger", but here we are.  A lazy vocal sample (taken from Nina Simone's "Four Women") is somehow supposed to support the bulk of Cellblock P's lyrics, but the song trips over itself multiple times, the clumsy bastard.  So yeah, this shit was boring.

The following is included on The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP as a bonus track.

7.  TOLD Y'ALL

Considering the fact that the Hoodlum sound bites continue through to this track, I have no clue why it was labeled as a bonus: it seems to fit in with the rest of the program, aside from the Sid Roams beat, which sounds too modern-day-bullshittish for Prodigy to sound even remotely average.  The use of a Jay-Z vocal sample is kind of funny, considering the history those two share, but there isn't anything on "Told Y'all" that leads the listener to believe that Albert Johnson will continue to rock mics for years to come.  Which is sad, as the opposite of my last sentence is what Prodigy is trying to convey.  Sigh.

SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN?  Nah.  Prodigy's The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP isn't technically awful, but our host's musical inclinations haven't changed much from the time period before he was locked up, and as a result, this project sounds instantly dated.  The instrumentals selected for the album are mostly forgettable, save for a couple, and a good majority of Prodigy's lyrics are more miss than hit.  When P finds something to actually talk about, he sounds as interesting as he did back in the mid-1990s, but unfortunately, prison hasn't really added to his backlog of source material as much as I would have liked.  I'll still check out a new Mobb Deep album, and I may get to the other P solo projects sooner rather than later, but for the most part, I think that our host needs Havoc around as a counterbalance: without his input, Prodigy isn't able to rein in his impulses, which, apparently, led to this quick attempt to keep his name on the blogs.  This was a disappointment, but as I had zero expectations going into it, I can only say that I'm thankful that it didn't waste that much of my time.

-Max

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Catch up on the Mobb Deep catalog by clicking here.

Reader Review: The Brand New Heavies - Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 (1992)

(Today's Reader Review tackles a project that I'm sure a lot of you two never knew existed. Mat sheds some light on The Brand New Heavies and their rap-rock collaboration project, Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1. Leave some comments for Mat below.)

In the world of music, the proverbial mixing of chocolate and peanut butter has become both commonplace and popular. Yet every time one of these collaborative projects hits store shelves, people comment on how innovative of a concept it is. We've witnessed several recent examples of this phenomenon with The Black Keys' Blakroc, Jay-Z and Linkin Park's Collision Course, and Lil Wayne's Rebirth. I brought those three projects up to point out one thing: these collaborations can either be extremely good, or mind-numbingly bad. (I'll let you two decide which category the above-mentioned albums fit into.)

Today I'm going to discuss The Brand New Heavies, who had a pretty damn good idea as to how to make it into the “extremely good” category.

Okay, so they aren't the prototypical “rock band”, but The Brand New Heavies also weren't performing for hip hop heads during their gigs. Hailing from the land where chickens outnumber humans (which your fifth grade teacher may have called England), The Brand New Heavies started as an instrumental acid jazz group. This type of music is apparently what the British went crazy for, as they quickly became very popular within the club scene. After signing with Cooltempo and picking up vocalist Jay Ella Ruth (who is probably at this point in time singing for some no-name band at a county fair in Oklahoma), they released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut.

Soon afterward, they picked up a singer worth their time in N'Dea Davenport, and re-recorded their debut using her vocals instead. Which was great... except for the fact that they didn't utilize her for another three years afterward. The reason for this is because The Brand New Heavies had a gig in New York City. And who else was performing the same night? MC Serch (of 3rd Bass) and Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest), of course, and their respective sets that night influenced the group to incorporate elements of hip hop into their work. (Thank goodness it was those two guys at the venue that night: just imagine if the other two rappers on the bill were Chingy and Waka Flocka Flame.)

So with this newly found inspiration in tow, The Brand New Heavies recorded Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 in 1992 (there was never a second volume in this series, though) for their new label, Delicious Vinyl, convincing hip hop acts like Gang Starr, Black Sheep, The Pharcyde, and Main Source to contribute. Unsurprisingly (given the guest list involved), the critics were kind to this album.

Let's see if I agree.

1. BONAFIED FUNK (FEAT. MAIN SOURCE)

I'm sure Max will be happy about the fact that there is no rap album intro on Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1: instead, we head straight into a track with a solid instrumental. The bass line on this sounds great, and the guitar chords and fills also mesh well with the overall flow of the beat. There's a point in time in the song where K-Cut scratches and a guitar plays a little solo: it sounds fantastic. The verses from Large Professor stick with talking about how good Main Source and The Brand New Heavies are and how they don't need to make a beat to make good music, but what were you expecting? If there's one thing that sucks about this song, it's the chorus, which is especially bad because you have to hear it repeated four times during three different points of the song: it consists of some chick half-singing and half-talking, telling the listeners that this is a collaboration between “The Brand New Heavies and 'the' Main Source”, which we already knew. A solid way to start off this album, shitty chorus aside.

2. IT'S GETTIN' HECTIC (FEAT. GANG STARR)

Another great bass line to start off this track. (I'm starting to sense a theme here.) The drums are also very good on here. Besides these two elements I just mentioned, though, the instrumental isn't anything spectacular (although it is still entertaining). Guru (R.I.P.) blends together an odd mixture of elementary rhymes and funny, clever lines in his verses: he discusses his daily routine, which consists of mellowing out and listening to music, all while enjoying that green stuff the kids are always talking about, and putting "wack" MCs in their place effortlessly while doing so. Which is fine, but the title of the song and the chorus talks about things gettin' hectic. I think this track can be best described as a groovier and much more mellow take on “B.Y.S.”

3. WHO MAKES THE LOOT? (FEAT. GRAND PUBA)

I'm not going to take up too much time talking about this beat, as it is very similar to "It's Gettin' Hectic". Having repetition this early in an album is a scary thought: besides some additional guitar and some flutes, there really isn't much of a difference. I wish it wasn't just Grand Puba on this song: I feel that having all of Brand Nubian on here could have made this song a lot better. If my research is correct, this is Puba's first Nubian-less performance after leaving the group, and it certainly could have been much better. Lyrically, Puba sticks with the dual themes of getting both money and women, sounding very generic while doing so: if you're going to stick with these topics, at least have some good stuff in your lyrics. The track is a full minute and a half too long, with the ending featuring the guest star ranting about some pointless shit. However, I will admit that, even with all of my criticisms of the track, I may have liked it a bit more had it not immediately followed a song with a similar musical style. Still not that great of a track, though.

4. WAKE ME WHEN I'M DEAD (FEAT. MASTA ACE)

Wow, the Brand New Heavies sure do love the key of E. Three straight songs in this key. I like this track: its up-tempo funk is appealing to me. The bass and drum combo once again steals the show, with the guitars complementing them well once again. I also think Masta Ace had a couple of good, lyrically-decent verses on this song, with a flow that kept me interested throughout, as he reassures the listener that he will stay true to his roots and his heart, no matter what the current trends are that make him want to pack it all in (hence the title). A nice recovery after hearing Grand Pooba. (Pardon me for my regression to my six-year old self.)

5. JUMP N' MOVE (FEAT. JAMALSKI)

This song brings back some memories. I played a lot of NBA Live 2005 with this song playing, wrecking shit with my Boston Celtics fantasy team led by Jason Williams. Later, it was also used in NBA 2K9, which I also played a lot. I have no idea why this song is consistently chosen for the soundtrack for basketball games, as it doesn't inspire me to shoot a basketball: it inspires me to want to shoot myself. What a waste of a great instrumental. The Brand New Heavies' effort on this is fantastic. Seriously, it's great. The problem is entirely with Jamalski. I did some research to find out more about him, and all I could find is that he is funny looking. This dude is ugly as hell. Lyrically, I don't know what the fuck he's talking about. Whatsoever. I'm not kidding when I tell you this. I was only able to pick up on some bars on which he goes to Washington D.C. and meets up with a horny Nancy Reagan who wants to smoke out with him. I'm still not kidding. I looked up the lyrics: every line ends with a question mark and read as straight-up gibberish on the page. Jamalski also randomly ribbits in the song on two occasions. So if you listen to this, just try to ignore Jamalski and enjoy the beat as much as humanly possible. This is probably The Brand New Heavies' favorite song, though: besides the two basketball games I mentioned above, it was also apparently featured on the soundtrack to the animated film Happy Feet. So this must make everyone involved a lot of money in royalties. Good for them, I guess.

6. DEATH THREAT (FEAT. KOOL G. RAP)

It's interesting that the master of Mafioso rap makes an appearance on this project, although his contribution disrupts the overall flow of the album. As you can see just by reading the title of the track, this song isn't in the same lyrical vein as everything else we've heard thus far: Kool G. Rap does not allow a groovy guitar heavy beat disrupt his lyrical assault. However, he sounds superb on here: after listening to his verses, I'm left hoping that whoever pissed him off has made a hasty and safe retreat to Luxembourg, because some of the shit G. Rap threatened to do to him scared the shit out of me. The theme of the song may be out of the character for Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 as a whole, but who cares if it's still a good song? Another good recovery after a horrible track. (Sorry, but I couldn't make a corny pun out of Jamalski's name.)

7. STATE OF YO (FEAT. BLACK SHEEP)

If you don't like Black Sheep, you won't like this song. If you're like me and you really like Black Sheep, you still won't like this song. It isn't entirely bad, but it it isn't very good, either: I was expecting a lot more from Dres. The instrumental wasn't anything special, but it still doesn't sound like that great of a fit for Black Sheep. I personally believe that it might have worked out better for A Tribe Called Quest, had they been able to accept an invitation to this party, but for this album only: I don't want to hear this appear on any actual Tribe release. I think Phife Dawg and Q-Tip would play off of each other pretty well on here. In case you couldn't tell from my rambling about A Tribe Called Quest, there really isn't much to say about “State Of Yo”. However, I refuse to use the term “meh”, so I'll try my best to explain the song a little. The guitar sounds extremely repetitious, as does everything else. Dres grows very boring very quickly, although I did like his line, "I'm weak yet pure like a heroin fix". You won't die if you skip this song. But the album only has ten tracks on it, so you would be done with it pretty quickly if you did move past it. I suppose you could just sit through it and nod politely.

8. DO WHAT I GOTTA DO (FEAT. ED O.G.)

Hmm. This was a pretty weird instrumental. Decent, but weird. It sounds like the precursor to the high-pitched soul vocals that you couldn't escape from between 2002 and 2005. Very Alvin and the Chipmunks-esque. (The actual sample comes from Ralph Tresvant's "Do What I Gotta Do", which is a fantastic track, if you two are into R&B.) This is the kind of beat I could see Eddie Winslow dancing to in his living room. Ed O.G. has a good flow on this: he manages to make the subject matter (getting girls and doing what he has to do) sound interesting. You could see this as an alternate take of “Who Makes The Loot?”, except this sounds at least fifty times better. I actually once lost five points on a history test because I came back from lunch blasting this song, and my history teacher said I was a freak for listening to it. So you shouldn't do that, I guess.

9. WHATGABOUTHAT (FEAT. TIGER)

Some unknown MC gets an opportunity to shine on here, and he fails miserably. You should absolutely skip this song. I know, I tried to convince you two that you should just sit through “State Of Yo” just because Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 is only ten tracks long, but I can't say that for this shit. It sucks. Seriously. If you haven't skipped it by now, then I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you.

10. SOUL FLOWER (FEAT. THE PHARCYDE)

If you don't like The Pharcyde, you won't like this song. If you're like me, and you love The Pharcyde, then you'll like this song. I loved Bootie Brown's verse personally, but everyone puts in a solid effort. The beat is a good fit for The Pharcyde to rap over, and I also found the conversations during the intro and in between verses to be humorous enough. The remix of this track can be found on their debut, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. In my opinion, this original version is better, but you should check out the remix if you're curious. However, you should already have Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde in your collection. The theme of good songs following shit continues, and this is a good way to end the album.

Wikipedia claims that there is an alternate version of Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 that includes three additional tracks (none of which feature any rappers), but I wasn't able to confirm this with any other source while I was writing this post. So if you have any other information, feel free to comment, I suppose.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The songs that are bad on Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 are really bad. Luckily, these tracks take up a small fraction of a very solid album. Overall, The Brand New Heavies chose some excellent hip hop acts to appear on here. (I'm not sure what kind of crazy green shit Guru had them smoking for them to include Jamalski and Tiger in the festivities, though.) As I mentioned before, I think the bass player ad the drummer in the group are extremely talented. One of the best things about this Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 is the fact that The Brand New Heavies understood the role of the instrument in hip hop. They didn't try to do too much. They didn't try to show off their skills in an overbearing manner. They simply supported everyone around them and maintained a good balance. To sum things up, this album exemplified the talents of The Brand New Heavies and several great MCs, but it's not a surefire classic or anything.

BUY OR BURN? All that said, you should go ahead and purchase this one. It's fairly cheap and is made up of mostly good material. I don't know if either of you two has a record player, but this is available on vinyl: I think the sound quality of this project on vinyl would by top notch.

BEST TRACKS: "Bonafied Funk"; "It's Gettin' Hectic"; "Wake Me When I'm Dead"; "Death Threat"; "Do What I Gotta Do"; "Soul Flower"

-Mat

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your thoughts below.)