Any Hip-Hop enthusiast, “Hip-Hop head”, or casual listeners should almost immediately recognize the name Rakim in connection with the genre of Hip-Hop music and its history. Rakim’s trail in Hip-Hop music is one that can be traced back to the Golden Age of the 80’s when the music was said to be in its truest and rarest form. As a duo with DJ Eric Barrier, the two made up the team of Eric B. & Rakim in releasing one of the most storied and influential Hip-Hop albums of all-time in Paid In Full, as well as other memorable albums that followed (Follow The Leader, Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em, Don’t Sweat The Technique). Like most good Hip-Hop groups (Little Brother, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Gang Starr, etc.) all things must come to an end eventually and that end came in 1992 for Eric B. & Rakim. But from that end came a new beginning for Rakim in the form of a solo career with two releases in 1997 (The 18th Letter) and 1999 (The Master) that saw moderate success with hits like “When I B On The Mic”, “The Saga Begins”, “New York (Ya Out There)” and “It’s Been A Long Time”. Just like the DJ Premier produced track it has been a long time (ten years in fact) since we last heard and saw an album from Rakim and now in 2009 we have his third solo release entitled The Seventh Seal. In describing the album’s title Rakim stated, “I’m using it metaphorically in Hip-Hop hoping to kill the old state of Hip-Hop and start with the new.” building off the number 7’s significance and influence from the Bible. Any extended period of time between releases for any artist has the possibility to have positive and negative results (see: Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, Royce Da 5’9”’s Street Hop), it’ll be interesting to see if a ten year span has brought on rust or recovery for The God MC Rakim.

How To Emcee
Produced by Slyce
If Hip-Hop was a college or school institution it’s pretty clear to say Rakim would be a professor with a Masters degree in the subject as he rhymes on the chorus (“I could show you how to emcee like I got a degree”). With the Hip-Hop landscape turning to the Pop scene and being more driven with lyrically inclined rappers, this is a type of song that is greatly needed. Lyrically Rakim comes correct with the bars in displaying to listeners why rappers (won’t name any names) have been emulating his flow and delivery since ’87. The production provided by Slyce is sufficient with an old-school feel but comes off sounding too bouncy and playful for Ra’s rhymes and the song’s subject matter.

Walk These Streets
Featuring Maino & Tracey Horton; Produced by Needlz
The second official single that had listeners thinking it was a track from Rakim & Dr. Dre’s Oh, My God sessions when it first premiered back in October. In saying that Needlz does his best “Dre” impression on the beat (which sounds similar to “Been Through The Storm” on Busta Rhymes’ The Big Bang album) in giving Ra an introspective backdrop for him and Maino to deliver tales of the trials and tribulations of the street life. Maino was a good selection for a feature on this track as he gives vivid descriptions of the life that has played a major part in his life (Jadakiss is somebody else that I could have heard easily on this track spittin’ a verse). The chorus sung by Tracey Horton gives life to the track and bring it full circle in matching the feel of the song. This was a good pick for the album’s 2nd single, which should have some nice visuals to accompany it soon.

Documentary Of A Gangsta
Featuring I.Q.; Produced by Y-Not
In similar ways to Ludacris’ “Southern Gangsta” on Theater Of The Mind, Rakim presents to listeners the life and times of a gangsta in documentary style like BET’s American Gangster series. Ra basically displays his storytelling skills on this track in telling about the moves and mindset of a gangsta in the streets. The beat by Y-Not is perfect production for the theme and feel of this song. In many ways this is the track that Luda wanted to make on his album as it presents the topic in a more convincing way.

Man Above
Featuring Tracey Horton; Produced by Nottz
As you could guess from the song’s title this track is about Rakim’s daily conversations with God in regards to the things going on around him in the world and in the hood. Nottz delivers a nicely produced beat as Ra he speaks about keeping the faith even when things aren’t looking their best and not falling into the traps that surround. On this track Rakim is able to deliver some conscious lyrics and a message without sounding too preachy, which is something that not too many rappers can claim to do (except Brother Ali). Once again Tracey Horton comes through in providing the hook for this song in a superb way that adds to the track.

You And I
Featuring Samuel Christian; Produced by Samuel Christian, J. Wells & Lorenz
While Rakim might be talking about a significant other on this track, I really believe that he’s speaking about Hip-Hop in the figurative when he speaks about the chemistry and bond that him and this other person shares until the end. A song of this topic has been done many times before and Rakim puts together a nice version for his catalog. Samuel Christian (who supplies the singing on the chorus), J. Well, and Lorenz give this track a nice dark, sinister sounding backdrop that fits well with Ra’s flow and delivery.

Won’t Be Long
Featuring Tracey Horton; Produced by Jake One
As Rakim stated at the beginning on this track in summarizing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “How Long, Not Long” speech, this song is built off those exact words in being titled “Won’t Be Long”. Rakim’s lyrics follow suit in speaking about perseverance and determination in whatever it is that you’re focused on achieving and accomplishing. Jake One’s production on this track is subtly presented with his signature bass (that sounds kind of 80’s) that serves well for Ra’s rhymes as well as Tracy Horton on the chorus again.

Holy Are You
Produced by Nick Wiz
This is the album’s lead single and the song that let everybody know Rakim was on the return with an album after ten years of waiting. Nick Wiz uses an unorthodox sample and builds a hard-pounding street beat over it that sees Rakim in prime form with lyrics and rhymes. When this song first appeared back in July it let listeners with doubts know that Rakim hadn’t lost a step over the span between his last album.

Satisfaction Guaranteed
Produced by Neo Da Matrix
Just as “Holy Are You” reassured listeners about Rakim’s skill and ability on the microphone, that’s where the basis of this track’s topic lies. Over some nicely sampled production by Neo Da Matrix, Rakim lets listeners know that his rhymes and music equals instant satisfaction. For most Hip-Hop aficionados Rakim delivers exactly what they’re searching for and feel is a missing part of Hip-Hop music today.

Workin’ For You
Produced by Jake One
While “You And I” was indeed about Rakim’s relationship with Hip-Hop, this song speaks about Rakim’s relationship with his woman. Jake One samples William Bell’s “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” for some feel good production as Rakim talks about how he’s working and doing what he can to provide for his lady. Rakim delivers some good lyrics in regards to the subject matter about loyalty and faithfulness to his other side. They say that every Hip-Hop album has to have a track dedicated to the ladies and luckily Rakim takes the better route with that choice instead of going for the cliché track heard on most albums.

Message In The Song
Featuring Destiny Griffin; Produced by SWJ
On this track Rakim talks about the one thing that is present and can be heard in his tracks regardless of the subject matter and topic, and that being a message. As heard so far through this album Rakim has touched on different topics from relationships to religion to street life, and on all of those tracks he offered lyrics with something to be learned and gained in listening. This is something that more rappers need to be focused on doing in their music instead of it just being the same cliché topics of drugs, women, partying, etc. with no real substance. SWJ provides Rakim with some great sampled production as his daughter Destiny Griffin supplies her father with a nice chorus.

Put It All To Music
Produced by Poppa Pillz
The sampled beat produced by Poppa Pillz immediately gives this track a 90’s Hip-Hop feel and Rakim uses it to his advantage as he speaks about putting everything of all subject matters to music. His analysis of using music to deal with problems and how music has a place with everything in life is something that I can relate to as a listener. Rakim sounds most comfortable on this track than on any other track on the album most likely because of the smooth production provided.

Psychic Love
Produced by Nick Wiz
In getting back to the tracks for the ladies, Rakim uses the smooth production from Nick Wiz to speak about love and his affection for a certain lady. This can be seen as a more seductive track than the previously heard “Workin’ For You”, and ultimately it works for Rakim and doesn’t come off as much of a stretch for him in terms of the theme and lyrics. It’s great how an emcee like Rakim can do a track like this and still keep it away from the area of sounding clichéd.

Still In Love
Produced by Nick Wiz
For those listeners that were curious as to how Rakim might feel about the current times of Hip-Hop music and the genre in its declining state, this track serves as your answer to that question. Ra speaks about how he still has love for Hip-Hop even though things aren’t as they were when he was in his prime delivering albums in the 80’s and 90’s. With enjoyable production as heard from Nick Wiz it’s easy to see why Rakim still has a love for the game while others are claiming “Hip-Hop Is Dead”. Like Cormega said on Born And Raised, “Hip-Hop ain’t dead, it’s just tired of the drama” and with music like this that statement from 2006 can be retired as its evident that Hip-Hop is in no way deceased.

Dedicated
Produced by Nick Wiz
After 13 tracks Rakim decides to finish off the album on a sincere note in dedicating the track to his mother and speaking about what she truly meant to him and his life. He talks about his heartbreaking experience in losing his mother and the times their bond together ever since his birth. Nick Wiz provides a nice beat that fits with Rakim’s lyrics and the song’s topic. This was a good way to end off the album as it nicely brings things to a close in allowing for listeners to start to listening experience again back at the first song.

Bottom Line:
In being ten years since his last album release with The Master I was like a lot of fans and listeners is not being quite sure about what to expect from Rakim with a new album especially in 2009 and the current state of Hip-Hop. A part of me was excited to finally be hearing some new music from The God MC after being satisfied with his two previous releases, but the other part of me was concerned about Rakim possibly changing up his style to better conform with the ways of the music industry of today. Luckily my concern was nothing more than a worry as Rakim proved that he hasn’t lost a step with The Seventh Seal and ultimately reassures listeners that he’s still one of the nicest emcees in the game regardless of the ones (Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, T.I., Nas, Drake, J. Cole…) that have come after him. There really aren’t any tracks on this album that are below average or sub par for an emcee like Rakim as many of them range between good to great. Throughout the album Rakim delivers lyrically on every aspect from lyrics to flow to delivery to subject matter. The only thing that holds this album back from being even better is the production that’s heard. While it’s always great to give new and lesser known producers a platform to showcase their skills, it would have been nice to hear something from the established producers that Rakim has collaborated with on past albums like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Clark Kent, as well as including a song or two from his work with Dr. Dre during their Aftermath period together. Knowing that this isn’t Rakim final album it can be certain that we’ll eventually hear music from those sessions and music from some of Ra’s previous collaborators. Overall, Rakim sees the same success with The Seventh Seal that Raekwon saw with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II and Royce saw with Street Hop in delivering an enjoyable album despite years spanning between releases… Let’s just hope it’s not another ten years before the next Rakim album is released.

nappyPicks: “Walk These Streets”, “Holy Are You”, “Message In The Song”, “Put It All To Music”, “Documentary Of A Gangsta”, “Psychic Love”

Download: Rakim – “Holy Are You”

Download: Rakim feat. Maino & Tracey Horton – “Walk These Streets”

Damn, I can’t believe it’s been four months since my last Boomin’ System entry back in July with Blaq Poet’s Tha Blaqprint album. I guess now is a better time than ever then to drop something new with the recent slowness on the music scene (which is due to pick up with new albums from the likes of 50 Cent, Rakim, Wale, etc.). In between my prevalent rotation of The Salvation (Skyzoo), The Blueprint 3 (Jay-Z), and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II (Raekwon) since September, I found a chance to listen to new music that has been circulating. In light of the albums and mixtapes that I found on the surface including No Ceilings (Lil’ Wayne), Street Hop (Royce Da 5’9”), and K.O.D. (Tech N9ne)… No, Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s trilogy mixtapes didn’t occupy space on my hard drive… I came across Sean Price’s latest mixtape entitled Kimbo Price: The Prelude To Mic Tyson. This was a mixtape whose release I was actually anticipating and was looking forward to listening to after hearing some of the tracks (“Duck Down”, “Boost”, “MegaSean”) that leaked before its official release.

I can admit that I took a late pass on Sean Price in not really starting to listen to him until 2005 with his debut album Monkey Barz and not realizing that he was half of the rap group Heltah Skeltah. With that said, Sean Price is definitely not a newcomer in terms of the rap scene having been around since 1996 with Heltah Skeltah’s debut album Nocturnal, being apart of the Hip-Hop collective Boot Camp Clik, and having released two solo albums since then. His latest offering, Kimbo Price, in mixtape form serves as a prelude and lead up to his 3rd solo album Mic Tyson due next year letting listeners and fans alike know that he’s still been grinding since Heltah Skeltah’s D.I.R.T. album released last year. Sean Price happens to be one of the most creative and comical rappers in the game today as evident by his witty monikers (Deceptacon Sean, MegaSean, Kimbo Price, Donkey Sean, Jr.) and album titles (Mic Tyson, Jesus Price Superstar). This wittiness and comedy is also heard with his lyrics as Price throws comical punchlines in the midst of his confidently strong flow (“You do Coach bags, I do kush bags/You a douche bag, I’m the truth fag”…“Shared greedy, y’all niggas get scared easy/Queer like multiple pairs of Air Yeezy’s”) as heard on tracks like “Duck Down”, which sees Sean teaming up with Duck Down labelmates Skyzoo and Torae over a beat in similar likeness to Raekwon’s “Have Mercy”. Each emcee displays exactly why they’re a force to be reckoned with and the lyrical prowess of the Duck Down label.

The creative of Sean P. as mentioned earlier is seen on songs like “Pork Chops & Apple Sauce” in which he jacks not only Shawty Lo’s “Dey Know” beat but his flow in making a mockery of the artist and his song (while making it better and listenable at the same time) and “Boost” where in theme with Boost Mobile phones Price delivers a stellar verse in chirp mode over the phone. Other spots on the mixtape sees Sean Price in customary mixtape fashion putting his own spin over other artists’ beats as heard on “Abortion”, “Car Thiefs”, “Get Ya Sket Mic”, “This Is Us”, “P’s Up”, and “Bullshit (Radient Jewls Remix)”. There are some original songs to be heard on the mixtape as well like the aforementioned “Duck Down”, “Goodnite!!!”, and “Weed & Hoes”, which has to be one of the most clever sampling and turns of a Gospel song into a Hip-Hop song. Sean Price proceeds to make it one of the highlights of the mixtape with an effortless flow along with a nice guest verse by St Maffew. After 23 tracks of good material with various Kimbo Slice and Mike Tyson clips thrown in between songs, Kimbo Price does exactly what it’s supposed to do as a mixtape. Just as the title reads with it being a prelude to his next album, Sean Price delivers suitable music that will surely hold his listeners over until next year when Mic Tyson is released. A lot of people might not be too familiar with Sean Price as an artist and something like this is definitely a proper introduction to him and his lyrical abilities on the microphone. I look forward to hearing what Sean P. comes with next year on his Mic Tyson album and until then Kimbo Price will find a home next to the other three albums currently in my rotation.

Playlist: “Duck Down”, “Weed & Hoes”, “Boost”, “Car Thiefs”, “This Is Us”, “P’s Up”, “Bullshit (Radient Jewls Remix)”, “Goodnite!!!”, “Abortion”

Given the current state of Hip-Hop music in 2009, a resurgence of “real” Hip-Hop music and return to the lyricism as heard on classic albums of the 90’s has been seen with recent releases like Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II, KRS-One & Buckshot’s Survival Skills, and Marco Polo & Torae’s Double Barrel. Since his debut in 2006 with the 9th Wonder assisted Cloud 9: The 3 Day High and follow-up mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Power Of Words, Skyzoo has undoubtedly noticed the declining state of Hip-Hop music and has been on a mission to bring things back to the way they once were. This is evident with an album titled The Salvation, as the term “salvation” by definition is the saving of humanity from death or eternal damnation. With this album Skyzoo is set on saving listeners and the genre of Hip-Hop from death via untalented artists with limited skills and abilities on the microphone (I won’t go into names here… everybody has their own list). With producers along the lines of 9th Wonder, Just Blaze, Black Milk, Illmind, Nottz, and Needlz, and the credible history of Skyzoo as an intellectual, lyrical emcee, this album looks good on paper to be a success, but in the end does that translate to a quality product.

1. The Opener
Produced by Cyrus The Great
In relation to the album title, the opening track starts off with a gospel interlude followed by some piano playing the leads into some piano driven production by Cyrus The Great. The production plays its role as Skyzoo immediately lets listeners know what they’re getting with this album in the form of lyricism and a return to real Hip-Hop music. This track is a good introduction to the rest of the album that follows.

2. Return Of The Real
Produced by Just Blaze
Speaking of a real to Hip-Hop music, that’s exactly what this track is about as stated by the song title. Skyzoo enlists music producer extraordinaire Just Blaze for this track as he delivers with one of the most energetic beats on the album. After a trademark Just Blaze introduction, Skyzoo gets right into it over the head-nodding beat in speaking about how he’s one of the last few lyricists remaining in the game and is destined to bring the realness back to the genre. This is a track that definitely knocks on the system, as Skyzoo does a good job on his intentions with his convincing lyrics and flow.

3. The Beautiful Decay
Produced by 9th Wonder
This track stood as the first official single for the album with an accompanying video released a few months back that provided excellent visuals to compliment Skyzoo’s lyrics describing the inner city life in a positive manner by name it “The Beautiful Decay”. 9th Wonder supplies Skyzoo with one of his signature soulful beats that fit his lyrics and flow like a glove and sound like something you might have heard from their sessions back on the Cloud 9: The 3 Day High project. This is an excellent track that shows Skyzoo in his zone in speaking about city life and its surroundings.

4. My Interpretation
Produced by Best Kept Secret
On this track Best Kept Secret provides some airy flowing production as Skyzoo gives his interpretation of “getting lifted” with his head in the clouds on his journey to the top. The soulful production once again fits nicely with Skyzoo’s rhyming, as he doesn’t sound one bit out of place with his vivid descriptions and portrayal.

5. Popularity
Produced by Nottz
Getting back to the energetic sound that was heard a few tracks ago on “Return Of The Real”, Skyzoo recruits Nottz behind the boards of this track as he supplies some bouncy production while Skyzoo proceeds to let listeners know why he’s one of the most popular emcees on the rise in the game and doesn’t show any signs of being stopped. Being the type of rapper that Sykzoo is, this is the closest you’re going to get to hearing a potential commercial song receiving radio play, and honestly a song of this kind is one I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing compared to the likes of “You’re A Jerk” or “Money To Blow”.

6. Like A Marathon
Produced by 9th Wonder
9th Wonder returns to the scene with some more soulful production for Skyzoo to deliver some words of inspiration to those on the road to pursuing their dreams. “Like A Marathon” is clever wording which ultimately translates to never giving up and quitting as life and the roads to our goals can feel similar to running a marathon. It’s quite clear to see how Skyzoo and 9th were able to put together a quality project in three days as their chemistry is unlike many other emcee/producer pairings. This track is another gem to be found on the album that listeners are sure to enjoy and relate to with their own lives.

7. The Shooter’s Soundtrack
Produced by Cyrus The Great
After six tracks this is the first track on the album that I’m not really feeling and probably won’t get many repeat listens from me. Cyrus The Great provides some nice production on the track but it sounds dull and gets repetitive after a while of listening. From Skyzoo’s lyrics (which aren’t his best delivered and sound a bit boring like the production) this track is meant to be the soundtrack for those in the streets living the crime life. Ultimately compared to the previous tracks heard, this track sounds more like it was meant and would fit better on a mixtape than an album. The skit/interlude of Skyzoo and his girl’s phone conversation does well in setting up the scene for the next track but sort of goes on too long.

8. Under Pressure
Produced by 9th Wonder
9th Wonder comes through again, this time utilizing the same sample (“Walk On By” – The Undisputed Truth) used by J Dilla on his Donuts album cut “Walkinonit” to a good degree for the production on this track. Skyzoo takes note from the sample’s song title in dropping lyrics about being under pressure in a relationship while doing what’s necessary and providing for both, but realizing that it can no longer work in the end. This is another good song of relatable virtues and values that are realistic in the lives of many going through relationships and difficult times.

9. Penmanship
Produced by Black Milk
In a recent Q&A session (“Ask Skyzoo”) with Skyzoo on 2dopeboyz, he replied to a question that there were two producers that he had to have on his debut album being Just Blaze and J Dilla. As heard on the previous track “Return Of The Real”, he was able to accomplish ½ of his goal with a Just Blaze produced track, but unfortunately due to the untimely passing of J Dilla he wouldn’t be able to have a track produced by the late great Detroit legend. Insert music producer Black Milk who in his own right is one of the best up-coming producers in the game and becoming a Detroit legend in his own right. Having some similar qualities of J Dilla to his name in terms of production and sound, Black Milk provides Skyzoo with the closest rendition to having a Dilla produced joint on his debut album. Black’s production consists of a pulsing organ riff backed by off-beat drum programming that might throw some listeners at first, but is head nodding none the less. On the track Skyzoo gets down in delivering lyrics pertaining to his lyricism and tight pen game. This song reassures listeners that Skyzoo is no here today gone tomorrow type emcee, and his lyrics are some of the nicest out of the rest of the next generation rappers.

10. Dear Whoever
Produced by Illmind
From the previous up-tempo track, Skyzoo decides to slow things down a bit with “Dear Whoever” in which he rhymes lyrics in the form of a letter addressed to past girlfriends (no one in specific) that he went through the same circumstances with. Speaking about being in a relationship where he lowered his guard and put all of his feelings out in the open for his significant other, only to realize that them being apart was better for them than being together. Illmind’s soulful production on this track fit comfortably well in complementing Skyzoo’s lyrics and the track’s subject matter. This song seeming so personal from Skyzoo’s lyrics is a gem to be found on the album.

11. For What It’s Worth
Produced by Eric G.
After a brief interlude of wise words from the late great Tupac Shakur, we’re hit with one of the most heartfelt tracks on the album. Eric G. beautifully samples Dee Dee Bridgewater’s “My Lonely Room” as the perfect backdrop for Skyzoo to deliver lyrics about living life for what it’s worth in the time given while battling between making a living on the block within the drug game or facing the struggles of the legal life to reach dreams. When Skyzoo is in his element of tracks describing life’s trials and tribulations he is one of the realest emcees behind the microphone. In the case of where that’s seen with “For What It’s Worth”, it stands as one of the best tracks on the album.

12. The Necessary Evils
Produced by Needlz
Those who have been following Skyzoo’s career since his start in 2006 through the various mixtapes he has released will recognize this track from his 2007 mixtape Corner Store Classic. Needlz produces a dark, sinister sounding beat for Skyzoo to deliver lyrics about the necessary evils of the street life that seen as everyday living for those involved. Much like the previously heard “The Shooter’s Soundtrack”, this track doesn’t standout in comparison to some of the other strong production found on this album and feels out of place on this album since it was previously featured on a mixtape from two years ago. This is another track that won’t receive much play from me and is one that could have been left of the final track listing.

13. Easy To Fly
Featuring Carlitta Durand; Produced by 9th Wonder
This song features the only guest appearance to be found on the album with Carlitta Durand supplying the hook in gracious vocal styling. 9th Wonder supplies soulful, floating production that fits well with the song’s topic as Skyzoo drops lyrics about a girl that he’s trying to take away from her current bad situation into a better relationship with him. Topic wise this track hold’s the same weight as most of the female tracks we’re used to hearing on rappers’ albums, but the track’s production and guest feature give it an edge from falling totally into the cliché standing.

14. Bottom Line
Produced by Eric G.
Off his fantastic production heard on “For What It’s Worth”, Eric G. returns with some more soulful sounding production on “Bottom Line”. On this track Skyzoo spits lyrics about being on your grind in whatever you do and how it comes so easy if the grind is something you’re consistent with. This is a good track to be heard and stays in tune with most of the soulful tracks heard throughout the album.

15. Metal Hearts
Produced by 9th Wonder
Mr. Douthit returns for the last and final time on the album with some lively, soul production in sampling Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” to good results. Skyzoo uses the nice composed beat to speak about his dedication and devotion to the grind in doing whatever is necessary to see success at the end of the day.

16. Maintain
Produced by Nottz
Skyzoo brings things full circle and ends off on a similar note and mood that was heard on “The Opener”. With the sound writing on the paper in the background, he speaks maintaining in life and in the music industry. Talking about making it to a point that not many people taught they would be him at in delivering an album and having a record deal after three years of diligence and never quitting in the process. This track does a good job in closing our the album on a peaceful vibe that gives listeners the idea that Skyzoo has finally made it to the point in his career that he has been striving for.

Bottom Line:
Many people outside of the underground Hip-Hop scene might not be well familiar with Skyzoo as an artist and his works, but one thing is sure after listening to this album and that is that Skyzoo will be a name that people all over will be familiar with in due time. With an album dubbed The Salvation, Skyzoo’s intentions of bringing the rap game back to its respectable nature of quality music and strong lyricists are evident, and he succeeds in doing that with this album. Skyzoo is an emcee that isn’t afraid to go against the grain of popular dances and trendy gimmicks in providing listeners with the quality, “real” Hip-Hop that has been a missing element for so long now. While he isn’t the only one on this quest and making the necessary steps with an album of this kind (see: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT II, Double Barrel, Slaughterhouse, The Ecstatic, etc.), Skyzoo definitely makes the movement strong with the addition of his debut album. During a time where artists’ albums sound more like compilations with guest features just for the popularity of a name (ex: Lil Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z, etc.), Skyzoo realizes that his is his show and uses the platform to showcase himself to listeners with only one guest appearance on the whole album. Aside from a couple of choice songs that threw off the flow and cohesiveness, The Salvation is a prime example of good Hip-Hop that so necessary nowadays. Much like Hip-Hop albums in the 90’s featuring one of two main producers, this album has that feel cohesiveness, as most of the tracks are able to flow easily into each other. With some further work, Skyzoo is on the verge of releasing a classic album in given time. Those searching for quality Hip-Hop outside of the blitz of commercial radio albums and singles should look no further than Skyzoo and The Salvation. When it seems like too many rappers “forgot how to be real and remembered how to be wack”, it’s good that Skyzoo is vice versa.

nappyPicks: “The Beautiful Decay”, “Like A Marathon”, “Under Pressure”, “Dear Whoever”, “For What It’s Worth”

Download: Skyzoo – “The Beautiful Decay”

Bonus: Skyzoo – “Return Of The Real”

More Than A Game tells the story of now NBA superstar LeBron James and his fellow teammates during their high school years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. It follows the team’s journey of trials and tribulations to the eventual success of a high school basketball national title in 2003. With every documentary that depicts the story on film, there’s an equal telling of that story through music. 8 Mile had it with Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture 8 Mile, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ had it with Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, so it would only make since for a film as strong as More Than A Game to have one. The purpose of a film’s soundtrack should be to present the essential elements of the film and essential tell the story of the film without watching the actual movie. The soundtrack should make the listener feel as though they have seen and experienced the movie through listening. Both soundtracks to 8 Mile and Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ do a great job of this (the former more than the latter) and if listeners are hesitant to seeing More Than A Game with the fear of it being more Crossover and Like Mike and less The Basketball Diaries and Hoop Dreams, hopefully listening to this soundtrack will sway their decision.

1. Drop It Low
Ester Dean featuring Chris Brown; Produced by Polow Da Don
As the first track you hear on the album, you immediately get a bad feeling about listening to the rest. From the title of the song you could already get a feeling as to what this song is about and how it would sound. Featuring typical production from Polow Da Don, Ester Dean sings about dropping her booty low (original huh??) and a return of Chris Brown to the music scene after his incident with Rihanna. Given the story of the movie and how it looks to be, I don’t really see at all how this song relates or got included other than a commercial single for the young crowd to dance to.

2. Forever
Drake featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem; Produced by Boi-1da
A song that everybody should be well familiar with by now as it’s an official single for the album with an accompanying music video released last week. Boi-1da continues with his current streak in providing some bouncy production for all four emcees to deliver everything from average to stellar verses on. While Drake, Wayne, Ye drop good verses, the show is obviously stolen by Mr. Mathers who obliterates his verse with fantastic wordplay, precise delivery, and even flow switching to top it off. This was a quality selection to be included on this album.

3. King On Set
T.I. featuring Young Dro; Produced by The Smash Factory
A song from the self-proclaimed King of the South before his current jail stint that features fellow Grand Hustle member Young Dro dropping rhymes atop production from The Smash Factory that fit well the aforementioned rappers. A song that sounds like it could have fit on T.I.’s King album, features T.I. donning his fast flow while Dro take his time in defining the word “king” and how it applies to him. This track obviously fits LeBron more in present times with his “King James” moniker more than it did during his high school days.

4. Stronger
Mary J. Blige; Produced by Polow Da Don & Hit Boy
This time around Polow Da Don delivers much more meaningful production along with Hit Boy as they supply a beat for Mary J. Blige to deliver in classic MJB style. As one of the album’s official singles, this song perfectly fits with the theme of the movie of individuals standing together as one to over come struggles and hardships. This song truly gives you the feeling of the movie without having seen the preview beforehand.

5. History
Jay-Z; Produced by Kanye West & Kenoe
This song was previously released back in November ’08 around the time of Barack Obama’s election as President of the United States in which Jay-Z performed at the President’s Inaugural Ball. In regards to that event this song fittingly serves as Jay cleverly refers to “history” as his child after searching and finding his wife “victory”. Kanye and Kenoe provide a historic sounding backdrop for Jay to deliver inspirational verses on a song that fits well with the historic legacy left by LeBron and his teammates at SMSV.

6. Top Of The World
Rich Boy featuring Chili Chil; Produced by Rich Boy
After a few inspirational tracks, Rich Boy brings the energy back to the album with this self-produced track. Rich Boy’s beat is the trademark hard thumping southern production that suits him so well, as he delivers lyrics letting listeners know why he’s one of the young rappers in the game moving towards the top and why his gold selling debut album Rich Boy was no fluke. Chili Chil provides the hook on this track that makes the song complete and gives you a feeling of the fight and push within Lebron and his teammates during their quest of a national title.

7. I’m Ballin’
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em; Produced by Hamsquad
Upon reading the song title and featured artist you should already know what to expect from this track. With production from Hamsquad that fits Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s typical style, he proceeds to drop lyrics concerning his economic status as the song title implies. Nothing really special with this track other than the fact that Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane are starting to sound like the same person on tracks with the identical flow/style, subpar lyrics, and limited content matter. Once again other than commercial purposes, I don’t really see why this track was included on this soundtrack, and it’s status serves more towards LeBron in his current status more than how he was during his high school days before endorsements and contracts.

8. We Ready
Ya Boy; Produced by Harvey Mason, Jr.
After the previous lacking track, this track brings things back up for the soundtrack featuring Ya Boy dropping lyrics in regards to being ready for the challenge and task at hand, which for LeBron and his teammates was obviously winning the national title. The production from Harvey Mason, Jr., who executive produces the soundtrack and produced the film, is done in fitting battlefield style that connects well with the song’s topic and the lyrics delivered.

9. Go Hard
Hayes; Produced by Jerome Harmon
Continuing with the theme of persistence and determination, Hayes delivers a track in motivational style about pushing on and not stopping when met with opposition. The track’s production from Jerome Harmon, who also contributed to “Venus vs. Mars” on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, is a synth filled, organ driven beat that pushes and supplements Hayes’ lyrics and subject matter to a higher level.

10. Frozen
Jared Evans; Produced by Jared Evans
This track features artist Jared Evans both behind the mic and behind the boards as he delivers lyrics over subtle production about being stuck or “frozen” in a place of misfortune and adversity while trying to make it through. The track connects on a level with the movie and how the team must have felt when things just weren’t going as they expected or wanted them to.

11. If You Dream
Tank featuring Tyrese, Toni Braxton, Jordin Sparks, Omarion, Faith Evans, JoJo, Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton & Steve Russell; Produced by Harvey Mason, Jr., Durrell ‘Tank’ Babbs & J. Valentine
A truly inspirational song in terms of song topic/title, lyrics, and production, featuring an all-star casts of R&B/Soul artists to bring the album to a close. The piano driven production on this song perfectly match the topic of never quitting and giving up on your dreams to accomplish your goals in the end. This song is probably the best match on the album in terms of capturing the movie’s story and plot in a single song, and it does a great job in delivering that aspect. This song alone should make any listener eager to go see More Than A Game in theaters.

Bottom Line:
In terms of doing what a soundtrack is supposed to do in complimenting the film, Music Inspired By More Than A Game does that efficiently. While there were a couple tracks (“Drop It Low”, “I’m Ballin’”) that felt out of place and didn’t really relate to the film’s story, a good number (“If You Dream”, “Stronger”, “History”) of them conveyed that story with great results. Listening to this album gives you a feel and understanding of the trials and tribulations that LeBron and his teammates had to deal with on their way to the top in being the best high school basketball team in the nation in 2003. Those that continually hate on LeBron James as an accomplished NBA basketball player can truly see the passion, hard work, and dedication to the thing he loved most in the game of basketball and hopefully get a better understanding of everything that he overcame in the process to becoming one of the best rising stars in NBA history from his high school journey. The often sports related quote “there’s no I in team” is best exemplified with the More Than A Game documentary as it shows as a team they could take on the world and accomplish that which couldn’t be achieved individually. How basketball movies like Hoop Dreams, Sunset Park, Coach Carter, and The Heart Of The Game served as inspiration for those with dreams of one day making it to a career the NBA, More Than A Game continues that tradition for kids all over with posters of LeBron, Kobe, and Wade over their walls. Get to theaters and see More Than A Game as well as picking up this soundtrack even if your aspirations lay elsewhere other than basketball. This is a documentary and soundtrack that provides inspiration and motivation to dreams of all kinds.

nappyPicks: “Forever”, “Stronger”, “History”, “Top Of The World”, “If You Dream”, “Go Hard”, “King On Set”, “Frozen”

Download: Tank feat. Tyrese, Toni Braxton, Jordin Sparks, Omarion, Faith Evans, JoJo, Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton, & Steve Russell – “If You Dream”

While going through my computer the other day and waiting for Skyzoo’s debut album The Salvation to be released next Tuesday, I came across a Rewind Review that I had started writing three months ago but never finished. The selected album was one of my personal top 5 albums of all-time and from one of my favorite emcee of all-time. Said album and artist was Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous by legendary Harlem emcee Lamont Coleman b/k/a Big L. Released in 1995, this album stood as Big L’s debut album on Columbia Records. Released in the same year that other seminal Hip-Hop classics dropped like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (Raekwon), Liquid Swords (GZA), Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (Ol’ Dirty Bastard), The Infamous (Mobb Deep), Me Against The World (2Pac), and E 1999 Eternal (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), it’s no surprise as to how this album was widely overlooked and suffered sales wise. But numbers aside (L’s album actually did quite well in ’95 without much promotion, radio play and music videos for support) this album turned out to be a classic in its own right and throughout the Hip-Hop collective.

Other than his promotional Horrorcore record “Devil’s Son”, guest verses on fellow D.I.T.C. members Lord Finesse and Showbiz & A.G. albums (“Yes You May (Remix)”, “Represent”), and various radio freestyles (Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show), not many knew about the Harlem rapper named Big L outside of the underground Hip-Hop circuit, but that would soon change with the release of his debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous. Judging from the lyrics heard on his promo single “Devil’s Son” (“The Big L is strictly gun play/I run in church and pistol whip a priest every Sunday…I’m living up to my extortion image/I be stalkin’ Lenox, catching more bodies than abortion clinics“) it could be seen that L wasn’t your typical emcee and didn’t care that he didn’t fit the record labels’ definition of a “rapper”. Known for his aggressive style battle rhymes and mind-blowing metaphors, Big L put it all on display on his debut album for the world to hear. Two of the albums lead singles (“Put It On” and “M.V.P.” are dropped as the first two tracks you hear at the beginning of the album. On “Put It On” Buckwild provides L with rough yet smooth beat that allows him to rip the track with lines like (“Aiyo, you better flee hops or get your head flown three blocks/L keep rappers’ hearts pumpin’ like Reeboks…And when it comes to getting nookie, I’m not a rookie/I got girls that make that chick Toni Braxton look like Whoopi”), serving as a fitting introduction to listeners. The latter “M.V.P.” is a laid-back track featuring production from Lord Finesse sampling DeBarge’s “Stay With Me” in similar style to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “One More Chance (Remix)” (I’ve heard stories of Puffy jackin’ the sample and beat idea from Finesse after hearing the track’s production, thus is why we hear the “M.V.P. (Smooth Summer Mix)” on the video and not the original production). Nonetheless, this track once again displays L’s lyrical prowess coinciding with the track’s chorus (“If rap was a game I’ll be M.V.P./The most valuable poet on the mic”).

Throughout much of the album L displays his abilities and skills on the microphone over various topics from gold digging (“No Endz, No Skinz”) to the ills of the street life (“Street Struck”) to his hometown/hood (“Danger Zone”), but one of the best tracks to be found in terms of message is “I Don’t Understand It”. This fitting track sees L talking about how he doesn’t understand how poorly skilled, untalented emcees sell millions of records while the superior emcees barely reach 500,000 (“Going platinum and don’t have no soul/Some rappers are mad nice and don’t even go gold”). This song displayed among other things how Big L was a true definition of an emcee that was ahead of his time in 1995 as much of what he said 14 years ago still applies in great deal to the music industry/rap game in 2009. On a ’95 Stretch & Bobbito freestyle session with then young emcee Jay-Z when L rhymed, “I’m so far ahead of my time my parents haven’t met yet” he wasn’t lying and it showed on this album why he was one of those rare emcees that don’t come across twice. As an emcee your only priority on a track is to represent yourself in displaying your lyrical skills and abilities and L does that in more ways than one on this album. The only real flaw to be found with this album in looking at it is the production, which at times can sound dull and get repetitive after a while. But other than that this pretty much is a flawless album that stands up to the other classic Hip-Hop albums released in the same year.

While he might not have been widely known at the time of this album’s release, Big L’s buzz and anticipation as an emcee back in 1995 can be compared to that of Drake’s in 2009. Just from his few promo releases and guest features, people were checking for Big L and waiting the release of this album in a major way. L can even be accredited for giving starts and providing opportunities to a lot of the genre’s major stars of today like Jay-Z, Cam’ron, and Mase who are heard on this album in their younger days and early stages of their careers. He provided an open door and platform for these artists to display their respective skill and talent, which might have gone unheard without his support. Big L’s influence on a lot of the top rappers in the business today hasn’t gone unnoticed, from those using his lines (Jay-Z, Ludacris) to direct inspiration (Eminem). The two-syllable rhyming style used by rappers today like Fabolous, Mase, and Loon was crafted and mastered by Big L during his career. Being the only album that he got to release while alive (The Big Picture was a posthumous release), this album serves as a classic and true definition of a lyricist that stayed true to himself and didn’t deter in light of a changing industry. When listeners today claim Lil Wayne to be a punch line king from his clever lines, I don’t think he has come close to the level of lines dropped by L (“Fuckin’ punk, you ain’t a leader, what nobody followed you/You was never shit, your mother should’ve swallowed you…Turn your tux red, I’m far from broke got enough bread/And mad hoes ask Beavis I get nothing but head”). Rappers today like Wayne claiming the “Best Rapper Alive” title better be grateful that Big L isn’t around cause he wouldn’t be having that as I’m sure cats like Jay-Z, DMX, and others who had the opportunity to rhyme with him can attest to. If not taken from life unfortunately at such a young age, I as well as many others believe that Big L would have been one of the most successful emcees in the rap game today especially given that he was about to sign a deal with Roc-A-Fella Records in 1999 a week before he was gunned down. With a Big L documentary set to be released soon and a final posthumous album release executive produced by Lord Finesse and DJ Premier entitled Real Legends Never Die in the works, the legacy of Harlem rapper Big L is something that will never die as well as never be forgotten.

This was probably the most difficult album review that I’ve had to write during my tenure at nappyafro. Having previously written this album review in full with what I thought was an unbiased view led me to revisit it and start anew. Even though the initial review I composed offered a detailed view of the album, I needed to further distance myself as a Jay-Z fan before I would really be able to fairly judge its value and significance. Distancing myself as a Jay-Z fan in being able to properly review this album, which meant forgetting my adoration for classic albums (Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, The Black Album) and overlooking my distaste for disappointing albums (The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse, Kingdom Come, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life). I had to go into this album review with a fresh mindset clean of all of Jay-Z’s successes and shortcomings, and view this album on its own terms without comparison to any previous albums. Enter The Blueprint 3, an album that has recently been the most anticipated by listeners since Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Eminem’s Relapse. It’s easy to understand the reasons for such anticipation, as it has been almost two years since Jay-Z’s previous release (American Gangster) and this album follows undoubtedly one of the best albums in his catalog (The Blueprint). Being the final album in the Blueprint trilogy, Jay-Z has gone on record in saying this album is the definition or blueprint of the “new classic” and should be viewed as such in being the new model for rap’s younger generation of rookies and stars, and being focused on the music and instrumentation side of things. It shouldn’t be compared or viewed in the same light as the original Blueprint album, which is labeled the “old classic” but viewed in the perspective of the digital, Auto-Tune heavy music industry we reside in during today’s times. The world “blueprint” as defined by Webster’s dictionary is something serving as a model or providing guidance. In terms of Jay-Z as an artist, few could argue that his career doesn’t meet the criteria of said definition. Over the years his superior and classic status albums have served as models and sources of inspiration for countless artists (both up-and-coming and established). The Blueprint displayed his life foundation and development from soul music being present in his childhood, The Blueprint² showed his exploration of various genres and musical taste… So where does The Blueprint 3 stand?

1. What We Talkin’ About
Featuring Luke Steele (of Empire of the Sun); Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Jay-Z has always been known for having strong opening tracks (“The Prelude”, “Can’t Knock The Hustle”, “A Million and One Questions/Rhyme No More”, “The Ruler’s Back”) that set the tone for the rest of the album and the rest of the tracks that follow. He seemingly understands the importance of making a good first impression in knowing that it’s important to catch the listener’s attention at the start, which will hopefully encourage them to listen until the end. Immediately you notice the change with the lush, advanced sounding production provided by duo of Kanye West and No ID who handle a majority of the album’s production and set the tone. The song initially grabs the listener’s attention but soon wears thin in terms of production value becoming dull and boring after a while. Most people are familiar with some of the lyrics on this track from the acapella “freestyles” Jay had been performing at shows in the past two months, which garnered some hate and ruffled the feathers of The Game and Jaz-O (“Talking ‘bout gossip, I ain’t talking ‘bout Game…Even Jaz made some scraps, he could’ve made more but he ain’t sign his contract”). It’s kind of contradictory though as by even mentioning you’re not talking about insert name here, you’re ultimately still talking about them by referencing their names. Sure diss tracks and harsh words towards Hov have come from Jaz, Game (The Game), Dame (Damon Dash), and Jimmy (Jim Jones), but at this point in Jay’s career and the success he’s seeing it’s rather pointless to even acknowledge the fact. None of these individuals could really greatly affect his career and he’s just playing into their hand to bring attention to their dismal careers from being mentioned by a bigger star. Other than this Jay stays true to the song title in explaining why he’s still one of the most talked about figures not only in the genre of Hip-Hop but around the world (just ask Oprah, lol). This is a passable opening track to the album, but it’s far from the level of some of previously mentioned opening songs that truly did the job of capturing the listener’s attention.

2. Thank You
Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Listening to this track you get the feeling that it should have been placed towards the end of the album possibly as the final track in closing out the album. This song could be thought of in the same light as the Mary J. Blige collaborative effort “You’re Welcome” in possibly being a concert show closing song, which sees Jay thanking fans and listeners for their continued support over the years as well as boasting and flaunting his financial stability and lavish lifestyle. Jay delivers some well-crafted verses, but the most intriguing has to be the third verse in which he compares the dismantling of his rivals and competition to the destructive events of 9/11. While some have called foul and claimed he was out of line for making the comparison to such a tragic event, I don’t think what he did was done in a disrespectful manner but said rather creatively. Not too many other artists could have presented and broken it down in the same manner that Jay did in this verse. The sampled production provided by the Chicago duo has finale type of feel to it but at the same time I sounds similar to Dr. Dre’s production heard on the Kingdom Come album. The drums and horns presented in the song are comparable to those in the song “30 Something” while the audible sampled voice/talking in the beat’s background give it a similar feel and sound to “Gold Watch” off Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool. While it’s a good track that can start to get boring after a while from the lackluster beat and Jay’s casual flow, but I still find this to be one of my favorite tracks on the album as I did when I first listened to it.

3. D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
Produced by No ID
This is the well-known first official single of the album that has garnered both praise and criticism from critics and listeners alike. No ID hooks up Jay with a creatively sampled beat that allows him to lyrically attack Auto-Tune users and enthusiasts alike while keeping the listener’s heading nodding along the way. This was one of my favorite tracks when it was first released as it built great anticipation for album and showed Jay getting back to the aggressive style that many thought he veered from. People have been saying this song shows Jay “bullying” or “hating” on younger artists and those using the software plug-in for all the wrong reasons (Ron Browz, Webstar, etc.) but as he stated in defense, once something becomes a gimmick (i.e. Wendy’s Commercials) it’s time to move on and I think this song and his way of thinking are justified. While Jay isn’t the first one to speak out against the ills of Auto-Tune, it’s good to see a song like this being pushed and played on a mainstream level. Commend him and Kanye (of all people) for thinking up a song idea like this and following through with it against the popular trend.

4. Run This Town
Featuring Rihanna & Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West & No ID
The second official single of the album has brought along both praise and controversy (Freemasonry, the Devil, etc.) similar to “D.O.A.”. When this song was initially released I was a bit disappointed in comparing it to the previous single, and once the video leaked the accompanying visuals decreased my disappointment level. The song embodies the topic matter and complement the rebel marching production from Ye and No ID. Jay delivers braggadocio lyrics about how he, his record label, and label mates are running the industry, which is nothing new and has been recognized by now. Kanye does the same with a punch line heavy verse filled with comedic and intense lines that sounds like the Kanye of old from The College Dropout days. Rihanna provides a simple yet effective chorus much to the degree of T.I.’s “Live Your Life” that does it’s just job and nothing more. The more recent focus of this track has been listeners claim of Kanye outdoing Jay on his own track, but honestly I don’t think that happens here. Sure Jay’s verses aren’t spectacular and mind-blowing, but Kanye’s verse doesn’t really shine that much greater. I think the punch lines present in Ye’s verse (“She got an ass that’ll swallow up a G-String/And up top, uh, two bee stings”) are reason that people think he murders Jay on this track, but ultimately he just comes off in having a more clever and cunning verse, not one that’s better. When it comes to murdering Jay on his own track that position is still one solely owned by Mr. Mathers on “Renegade” and this track doesn’t see any of that type of lyrical homicide taking place.

5. Empire State Of Mind
Featuring Alicia Keys; Produced by Shux, Co-Produced by Jane’t “Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic & Angela Hunte
“Hey ref SUB… come on out Nas, you’re in Alicia” (boos and jeers from the crowd among the angry and puzzled faces). If this song was a Monday Night Football game or the NBA Finals that would be the scenario that played out upon the release of this album. The original plans for this album called for the third collaboration effort between Jay and Nas (“Black Republican, “Success”) and it was one that many people were looking forward to but unfortunately for unknown reasons Nas was replaced by Alicia Keys on the final track listing. Does the song suffer from the replacement? Not at all! As the song title indicates (a nice play on “NY State Of Mind”) Jay tells you about the city he loves and call home. If you couldn’t recognize by the New York Yankees fitted over the years (“I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can”) Jay reps his city to the fullest and knows it quite like no other in speaking about his time in the drug game running through various boroughs, how he has become one of NY’s most historic figures and the influence the Apple (city) can have on a young Eve (woman). This song basically serves as an ‘ode to his city much like Kanye’s “Homecoming” and Alicia provides the soulfulness on the track’s chorus and bridge that take this track to the next level in their first collaboration together (hopefully not the last). Nas would have fit perfectly on this track along with Alicia Keys and it would have served as a nice homage to the classic Illmatic track, but you certainly can’t be mad at the final results from the applied change. The song essential becomes one of the best on the album and posses the stadium status necessary to make it a New York anthem.

6. Real As It Gets
Featuring Young Jeezy; Produced by The Inkredibles
In listening to this track it feels like one that was intended for a Young Jeezy album and comes off as Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z instead of the other way around as if Jay is reaching to appeal to a Southern audience that is currently infatuated with the likes of Jeezy, Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, and others who have the draw. The Inkredibles provide some epic but undistinguished sounding production that caters more towards Jeezy than Jay, which sees them speaking about how they’re some of the realest rappers in the game and how listeners shouldn’t look further than them to find it. I don’t know if that’s an accurate declaration when looking at others rappers that span the entire genre and the jaded rhymes at times from the two don’t do much to convince the listeners otherwise. While this song sounds like it’s on the wrong album, it’s still a good one that delivers and serves its purpose.

7. On To The Next One
Featuring Swizz Beatz; Produced by Swizz Beatz
The first time I listened to this song it gave me a “Really Jay??” expression on my face. Being the first time in since Kingdom Come (“Dig A Hole”) that Jay and Swizz have linked up for a track and about 10 years since the last time it was successful (“Jigga My Nigga”, Vol. 3: Life And Times Of S. Carter), it comes off as disappointing. The production provided by Swizz Beatz is in typical fashion as it has that signature bounce that he’s known for but given his history in knowing what he’s capable of he could have came a lot better. In terms of lyrics Jay holds up his end of the bargain in speaking about how he’s always forward moving and never caught being in the same light as everybody else. With a better beat the results could have been better and matched the track’s potential from these two collaborating.

8. Off That
Featuring Drake; Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
This was the track that started it all in regards to the leaked BP3 tracks produced by Timbaland and saw people’s interest and promise for the final album decrease. I’ll admit that when I heard this song after it leaked I was with the majority of listeners who felt that this track was real disappointing for Jay’s standards and limiting Drake to just hook duty was a big letdown. Timbaland provides Jay with some of the Techno-infused production that he has recently become known for and while it’s catchy it can becomes dull over time. Timbaland can be hated for his production on this track but credit is due as he’s one of the few music producers that isn’t afraid to try new things that eventually see others following months and years later. This is Jay’s track to address current trends (Audemars Piguet, Cristal, Rims, Timberlands, “Making It Rain”, Oversized Clothes/Chains, etc.) that he feels a “R.I.P.” is necessary. Topic wise it’s very similar to the previous track where Jay states the facts about how stays ahead of the game and boasts that he’s still proficient in his “trend killing” abilities. We’ll see how many of these get added to the list with Throwback Jerseys and such (Probably a good majority…but I don’t know about Timbs Hov, that’s so NY). This track had the potential to possibly better with a verse from Drake instead of just featuring him on the hook, but we’ll have to see if that collaboration happens on Drake’s Thank Me Later debut album. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the third single from the album (Since it was rumored to be the 2nd before “Run This Town”) as it would work well in the club.

9. A Star Is Born
Featuring J. Cole; Produced by Kanye West & No ID
Even more anticipated than Jay working with Drake was his collaboration with his label signee J. Cole. So many people were ready to be disappointed when it was initially seen that Cole was nowhere to be found on the album but feelings changed when the official track listing was released. Kanye and No ID provide some subtle production that doesn’t overpower the emcees and allows the lyrics to shine for the listeners. Jay’s uses his verses to commend and celebrate those in Hip-Hop music who have become stars over the years in their careers (Eminem, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye, T.I., Outkast, Mobb Deep, Snoop Dogg, etc.) and who are due to become stars in their own rights (Drake, Jeezy, J. Cole, etc.). He also talks about his rise to fame from the corner to the crown of the rap game while figuratively passing the torch to the rookie who delivers an effective verse and holds his own on the track with Jay. This song and J. Cole’s verse remind me of Kanye’s track “Touch The Sky”, which introduced the world to Lupe Fiasco and stands as the defining moment in his career from which it took off from. J. Cole is destined to become a major force in the music industry in some years and stand as one of the top figures of the new generation of rap music, this track further solidifies that point and shows that Jay knew what he was doing when he made him the first member of Roc Nation.

10. Venus Vs. Mars
Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
The final leaked Timbaland track that featured more laid-back production from Timbo this time around compared to his other two offerings. As the track title implies, Jay goes men vs. women (read: Jay vs. Bey) on his verses in using some clever play on words for the comparisons (Biggie/Pac, Blackberry Bold/Sidekick; “Me I’m from the apple which means I’m a Mac/She’s a PC she lives in my lap”). This is Jay’s “grown folk” track seeing as how there hasn’t been one on the album until this point and it’s one that could see some play in the clubs for its relaxing, laid-back feel.

11. Already Home
Featuring Kid Cudi; Produced by Kanye West
This is another collaboration that people were anticipating in seeing Jay hook up with another one of rap’s next generation stars on the rise. Kanye goes for dolo on this track in handling the production by himself, providing a lush beat that sounds like it could have had a home on his College Dropout or Late Registration album. Kid Cudi is left to the same fate as Drake in being brought on to just handle hook duty on this track and he does so in fitting fashion with it being not too much but just enough. Even though this track seems more fitting for Kanye or Cudi, Jay is able to make it work for him to a successful degree.

12. Hate
Featuring Kanye West; Produced by Kanye West
On this track Kanye goes solo again on the production side of things but provides some rhymes along with it this time around. The beat on the track sound like something that was done in the style of 808s & Heartbreak and for that fact fit Kanye more than it does Jay. This song isn’t too much stronger than “On To The Next One” in that it was one that could have been left off the album for better results. An average track and at best it just doesn’t work as a Jay track as much as it does for a Kanye track in looking like Jay was just following suit to Yeezy’s style and technique. The lyrics on this track basically follow suit to the song title with Jay and Ye talking about the topic of hate and haters with them copping a similar flow to LL Cool J’s “Going Back To Cali” in the first few bars of their verses respectively. This is the shortest track on the album so it’s one that listeners don’t have to sit too long through.

13. Reminder
Produced by Timbaland & Jerome “Jroc” Harmon
When Timbaland’s tracks leaked people were asking where the “bounce” was from him that he provided for Jay on tracks like “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Big Pimpin’”, well this track is the track that they were searching for. Compared to the other two Timbaland produced tracks on this album this stands as one of the better ones as the bouncy beat allows Jay to spit lyrics that basically remind listeners of who he is and what he has accomplished in the industry (10 #1 albums in a row… make that 11 with BP3). At this point in his career a reminder of these facts isn’t really necessary and if so you need to go back 13 years and catch up. This is a good track that brings the level and tempo of the album back to a steady pace.

14. So Ambitious
Featuring Pharrell; Produced by The Neptunes
Thought we weren’t going to hear from The Neptunes on this album, but you know that’s mandatory since The Blueprint². The subtle production provided by The Neptunes on this track has a similar sound and feel to Common’s “Punch Drunk Love” heard on Universal Mind Control and ultimately it’s sort of lacking for The Neptunes’ production value. However Jay utilizes it to deliver a motivational track about how he never gave up his dreams and ambitions when others said he couldn’t and the opposition was stacked against him… and a little sneak jab to Mr. Dash (“Old buddy, oh buddy!”). Pharrell supplies the chorus on this track in his usual falsetto style and if you know him this track’s topic is one that he is familiar with.

15. Young Forever
Featuring Mr. Hudson; Produced by Kanye West
As the title implies you should have guessed that you would hear Alphaville’s “Forever Young” in some shape and form and it appears courtesy of a sample in Kanye’s production work. Serving as the album’s closing track, this album has a similar feel to “Beach Chair” on Kingdom Come with its spacious production and Jay’s lyrics of reflection. Jay’s lyrics talks about staying young and never growing old, and how he will forever be Jay-Z (A play on his nickname “Young”) and won’t change from who he is regardless of the years that past. The chorus sung by Mr. Hudson basically takes from the original Alphaville track as he gives off a similar feel to hearing Chris Martin of Coldplay (You know Jay wasn’t going back to that after Ye accused him of biting on “Big Brother”… but we know the real story). While this track has a similar to feel to “Beach Chair” it is unfortunately not as strong production wise or lyrically. However it does a nice job of closing out the album on a calm and peaceful note.

Bottom Line:
15 tracks later and 8 years since the original, The Blueprint 3… is a really good album. Leading up to the 9.11.09 9.8.09 release there was much anticipation for this album in seeing how it ultimately would fare against the now classic The Blueprint album and in that regard it falls short of what that album achieved with classic status. But as Jay stated with this album he wanted to create the “new classic” and refrain from it being compared to the “old classic” (The Blueprint) in allowing it to stand on its own apart from the rest of the Blueprint trilogy. With that being the focus of creating something “different” and diverse from the rest of the albums in his catalog he achieved that as The Blueprint 3 is unlike any other album he has released lyrically and production wise. That doesn’t mean the results are a total successful from it being different. With this album he showed more diversity sonically in terms of production value and provided a platform for the rap’s next generation to be ushered in. By now it is understood that Jay-Z has matured/grown older, moved away from the street life that he used to be involved in, and isn’t the same Hov that was once heard on Reasonable Doubt. In working to present an album that’s diverse I think it succeeds in doing that while it might be a little too different for hardcore Jay-Z fans’ standards. Some songs on this album sound as if they were intended or would be better placed on other artists’ albums, which kind of shows Jay as reaching to appeal to other audiences and what’s deemed popular by Hip-Hop’s younger audience. But this album offers a good mixture of tracks with something to be found enjoyable by listeners of all types. In regards to its ranking with the other two albums in the Blueprint trilogy, it tops The Blueprint² but fails to surpass The Blueprint. Some mediocre tracks prevent this album from being labeled a classic but it still warrants a purchase from casual listeners and hardcore fans alike. Whether physical or digital, make sure you pick up a copy of BP3 when it’s released cause when it comes to bootleg copies… we Off That!

nappyPicks: “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”, “Run This Town”, “Empire State Of Mind”, “A Star Is Born”, “Reminder”, “Already Home”, “Venus Vs. Mars”, “Thank You”, “Real As It Gets”, “Off That”

Damn it’s been a while since I last dropped something for The ‘Fro (almost a month ago with Alchemist’s Chemical Warfare album review), I guess Hip-Hop music ain’t the only one that’s been in a drought for the month of August. But nonetheless in my absence I’ve been listening to a lot of music both old and new, and it got me to thinking about the current state of Hip-Hop and the music industry in general as it relates to artists. As you most likely have noticed over the last few years, the genre of Hip-Hop has probably been one of the most expansive in the music industry with new artists, producers, and DJs seemingly starting careers everyday. But in light of all of these new additions to the game, very few of them ever see the success that they strive and dream of when starting their careers.

Success in the realm of Hip-Hop has come in a different styles and forms, whether it’s viral video rise to fame (Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em) or mixtape industry domination (50 Cent), with every new artist and producer searching for the formula to their own success. But for every one success story there are often hundreds more that never reach that plateau and those that never reach that level often wonder why. While it can be said that many different elements apply when describing success and what’s needed to be successful, the one major aspect that many artists and producers overlook when it comes to their own careers is Originality.

Think of all of the Hip-Hop artists, producers, and DJs that have achieved and are achieving success in their careers over the years: Jay-Z, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, Drake, DMX, Big Pun, Lil Wayne, T.I., Jam Master Jay, Kid Capri, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Twista, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Run-DMC, N.W.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Outkast, Mobb Deep, UGK, Little Brother… The strengths and weaknesses for these various individuals can differ but the one thing that remains the same is originality. Out of all of the names listed they can all be stated as being different and having an identity and not being the same or a copy of somebody else.

With the unparalleled amount of artists, producers, and DJs that are trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry, the one thing that I can attest as to why a majority of them aren’t seeing the same success as their peers is because originality isn’t present. When it comes to an artist like Soulja Boy, it’s a fact that his love/hate ratio with listeners greatly favors the latter, but it can’t be argued that he lacks originality when compared to other artists that might be more skilled on the microphone. I remember a couple years ago back in a music business course I was taking I was asked the question of in a given scenario of having my own record label if I would sign an artist like Soulja Boy or an artist with better skills and ability, and of course I selected the better skilled artist almost instantly. I made this selection based off my knowledge of Soulja Boy’s music and being the kind of listener I am who favors lyricism over lucrative, but failed to see the real deciding factor between the two being originality. Sure Soulja Boy’s lyrics are mediocre and lack substance, but his originality stand atop his characteristics. Given a rapper that’s lyrical and better skilled, how much different would he be from the 25 other lyrical emcees in the same position trying to get signed for a record deal compared to an artist like Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em.

Soulja Boy’s career took off based on an instructional video for his song “Crank Dat”, which led to him signing a deal with Mr. Collipark and Collipark Records. Soulja Boy saw his success from the creation of a viral video that was uploaded on YouTube and that’s where his originality comes into play. Ever since then, countless artists have been uploading videos hoping to be the next artist discovered this but unfortunately it won’t happen. 50 Cent’s career took off after the release of three mixtapes in 2002 (50 Cent Is The Future, No Mercy, No Fear, God’s Plan) that led to him signing a deal with Aftermath and Shady. 50 Cent saw his success from dominating the mixtape industry with multiple mixtape releases when nobody else was really controlling it. You already know how many mixtapes artists release nowadays on the Internet for free download and/or purchase, but the same results that 50 had with it won’t be seen with them.

Just using the examples provided in the cases of Soulja Boy and 50 Cent’s careers they defined their careers by venturing into areas that were previously uncharted and doing something different that everybody else wasn’t doing at the time.

As an artist sure you could upload a video of you freestyling or a low-budget video of your latest “hit” single, but who hasn’t already done that before you. You could release a new mixtape every other month for listeners to be able to download for free, but who hasn’t already done that before you. Following trends and doing the same thing that every other artist is doing won’t portray you as original or different, it will just place you in the category of being the same as everybody else and not bringing anything new to the table. This has been Jay-Z’s key to success for his entire career and it’s no wonder as to why he has been so successful with his music. From putting away throwback jersey and donning more appropriate “grown folk” attire to soul sampled beats on Blueprint to “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, it’s all examples of originality and going against the grain of what’s popular and what everybody else is doing. So while skill, passion, and dedication are some of the necessary aspects to becoming successful in what you do, the biggest one of all is originality.

We here at nappyafro are a family and when I got word that my bro KAJ wouldn’t be able to get the album review in for The Alchemist’s Chemical Warfare album, I didn’t mind stepping in and supporting my fam (that’s what we do!). This was one of the most recent albums that I was anticipating its release and sure enough on July 7 I picked up my copy. With it being five years since Alchemist’s debut release 1st Infantry back in 2004, many wonder with this album if he could continue the success that he saw on his first album. Let’s see how The Alchemist fares this time around on his second war-themed album.

1. Intro
Produced by The Alchemist
With a dark piano driven beat, Alchemist uses this quick introduction track to let the listeners know exactly what they are about to hear with this album. Various news audio clips play throughout this track with the album title/theme mentioned, which further sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow.

2. ALC Theme
Featuring Kool G Rap; Produced by The Alchemist
Alchemist opens the album with his theme song if you will, which features Hip-Hop legend Kool G Rap trading bars with him over a synth heavy pounding beat that has listeners traveling back to Alc in his earlier days behind the boards. While he’s definitely not one of the best producers behind the mic, Alchemist holds his own and allows G Rap to shine with his braggadocio gutter verse.

3. Lose Your Life
Featuring Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss & Pusha T; Produced by The Alchemist
If you’re a fan of Alchemist and follow his music then you should be familiar with this track as it was previously featured on Alchemist’s EP The Alchemist’s Cookbook along with an interesting accompanying music video for it (check it out if you haven’t already). It’s with good understanding why Alchemist decided to include this track on the album as well as he produces dark and mysterious sounding beat for Jada and Pusha to deliver stellar verses on. Snoop provides the chorus only on this beat and leaves room for the other two emcees to shine as they do with lines like: (Jadakiss) “Twenty little missiles in the clip of the five-seven/I’m like navigation if you tryin’ to find heaven… (Pusha T) “Billie Jean step over the track ‘til it’s glowin’/You’re thinking I’m the O-N/E, metaphors are no win/Avalanche P push powder ‘til you’re snowed in, no end”. This proves to be one of the best tracks on the album (despite the unnecessary skits at the end of songs throughout the album…artists need to stop including these on albums, PLEASE!)

4. Chemical Warfare
Featuring Eminem; Produced by The Alchemist
I remember when I heard about this track being featured on this album and everybody was really excited to hear an Eminem collaboration track with Alchemist, but the expectations proved to be too high after listening to it. Alchemist produces a slow tempo beat that suits Em’s style as he delivers his trademark rhymes over various things from Sarah Palin to the Octomom to the Jonas Brothers before abruptly ending his verse asking if he rhymed Octomom twice in the same rap (yeah you did Em…what’s going on Marshall??). Like I said, this song/collaboration was highly anticipating but fails to deliver the superior results that everyone was expecting to hear (better luck next time).

5. Grand Concourse Benches
Featuring KRS-One; Produced by The Alchemist
Of course you know Alchemist had to stay true to his underground roots and bring the only and one KRS-One aboard to satisfy the real Hip-Hop heads. Alchemist produces a bouncy piano beat for KRS-One to deliver rhymes and drop knowledge as only he knows how. The only thing that I’m really not feeling about this track is the chorus that KRS provides, but other than that it’s a pretty solid track overall. The skit that follows this track that features the backpackers and the street cats giving their respective thoughts about Alchemist’s beats and production comes off funny compared to the other unnecessary skits on the album.

6. Therapy
Featuring Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli & Kid Cudi; Produced by The Alchemist
This track happens to be one of the other tracks that were previously heard on Alchemist’s EP The Alchemist’s Cookbook and it fits in nicely with the rest of the tracks on the album. Properly titled, the relaxing beat produced by Alc provides therapy to the listeners’ ears as stated in the chorus provided by Kid Cudi (didn’t see that feature coming on an Alchemist album). Evidence, Blu, and Talib each deliver some nice rhymes that fit comfortably over Alchemist’s beat.

7. That’ll Work
Featuring Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile; Produced by The Alchemist
When a lot of people saw this track they probably thought their eyes were playing tricks on them but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a bad track because of The Alchemist’s pairing with Three 6 Mafia and Juvenile because you’d be very wrong. Alchemist isn’t known for producing Southern style beat as it contrasts his New York sounding production, but Alc shows that he’s diverse behind the boards. Three 6 Mafia sound at home on this track as the beat seems catered to their style and sound, but it’s Juve who goes in lyrically on this track (hopefully some new Juve is in the works…it’s been 3 years long enough since Reality Check). If anyone was doubting Alchemist’s skills as a producer before this track thinking that he couldn’t fit with the South, this is their wake up call (the snooze button is broke!).

8. Smile
Featuring Maxwell & Twista; Produced by The Alchemist
This track was the first single for the album with a great music video to go along with it. Alchemist produces a very uplifting beat that allows him to talk about his ups and downs and being able to smile throughout the hardships. Twista joins Alc on the track along with unexpected collaborator Maxwell who takes the track to the next level. Maxwell’s vocals fit nicely over Alchemist’s beat and Twista takes it back to his Tung Twista days during his verse as he displays to the listeners why he was once listed as the fastest emcee in the Guinness Book of World Records. Alchemist couldn’t go wrong in selecting this track as a single for the album and showing how easily he can switch his style up to match any artists’ style.

9. Keep The Heels On
Featuring Prodigy; Produced by The Alchemist
Definitely not your usual ladies track but it is coming from Alchemist and Prodigy (what you though Alc was coming with some soft shit??). Prodigy gets busy (no pun intended) on this menacing Alchemist produced track telling you about how he wants his chick to keep her heels on while it’s goin’ down. There’s not really much else to this track other than what’s expected and the pairing of Alchemist and Prodigy fits so well as usual (read: Return Of The Mac).

10. Acts Of Violence
Featuring Gangrene (Oh No & Alchemist); Produced by The Alchemist
The group known as Gangrene (Alchemist and Madlib’s younger brother Oh No) gives you an example of what you can expect to hear on their collaborative album. From the sounds of this track there is some good music to be heard when that album is released. Alchemist produces a hard-hitting beat that sees him and Oh No spittin’ lyrical bars with ease at the same time displaying their collective chemistry.

11. Lights, Camera Action
Featuring Lil’ Fame; Produced by The Alchemist
When you saw Lil’ Fame of M.O.P. featured on the track you should have already know what to expect and it’s nothing less than expected (other than the track being too short). Alchemist provides Fame with a suitable hard-hitting beat that fits his style with ease as he delivers the trademark lyrics you’re used to hearing from him. As I said the only problem with this track is that it’s too short at only 1:40 and it heads to the next track right as you’re getting into it.

12. Some Gangster Shit
Featuring Fabolous; Produced by The Alchemist
Unfortunately this track falls victim to the same fate as the previous track in being too short for such a great track. Alchemist’s sinister production on this track is a great fit for Fabolous to drop some “gangster shit” in this metaphoric verse with lines like: “Maybe I should just press charges for swagger theft/You faggots deaf if you can’t hear I’m hot as dragon’s breath/Naw I’m past hot, I’m the sun’s mascot/With stacks on deck I’m at yo neck like an ascot”. This track sounds like one that should have been included on Fabolous’ Loso’s Way album as it fits the tone and feel of what he was going for with it. This is one track on the album that needed to be longer than the 2:00 it was.

13. On Sight
Featuring Dogg Pound & Lady of Rage; Produced by The Alchemist
Just as he showed you on his track for the South, Alchemist shows some love to his hometown on the left coast with this West Coast feature. The beat produced by Alchemist with its synths sounds a bit generic and average for a producer of his skill level while the Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage deliver quality verses on the mic. Despite some good verses from the guests featured, this track comes off sounding average compared to some of the other stellar tracks on the album.

14. Take A Look Back
Produced by The Alchemist
This track serves as Alchemist’s lone track on the album where he takes time to reflect his life in his lyrics and talk about all of the things that he had to go through to become the respected music producer that he is today. Listening to this track along with watching the recent YouTube video of Alchemist producing beats during his college years make you really see how far Alchemist has come as a producer from his early days with The Soul Assassins and Dilated Peoples.

15. Under Siege
Produced by Oh No
Alchemist ends of the album with another preview of what’s to come from the pairing of Alc and Oh No as Gangrene with Oh No providing the production this time around. He doesn’t disappoint with the production either as he produces a bumping guitar driven beat that he and Alchemist get lyrical over. Oh No drops a nice verse but surprisingly Alc does him one better with lyrics like: “On some Steven Segal shit, salmonella chicken I’m kickin’ that raw shit/For practice, so when you snack on this you get nauseous” (damn Alc!). That Gangrene album is sounding better and better just from their two tracks together on this album.

Bottom Line:
So what’s the verdict after 15 tracks from The Alchemist…a very solid album! Not to be outdone by his great debut album 1st Infantry, Alchemist delivers some memorable tracks like “Smile” and “Lose Your Life” as well as some strong cuts like “Some Gangster Shit” and “Therapy” (“Keys To The City” should have been included on this album). But at the same time there are some tracks on this album like “Chemical Warfare” and “On Sight” that hold it back from being a stronger album. There are plenty of good tracks to be heard on this album and the listening experience proves to be an enjoyable one especially if you’re a fan of Alchemist and his work. Listening to Alchemist’s production style over the course five years you can tell the change as he displays more experimental/synth heavy beats than the soulful sounding ones that were once heard from him. In the end this album doesn’t see better results than 1st Infantry, which had so many great songs (“Hold You Down”, “Dead Bodies”, “Essence”, “Tick Tock”), but it does show Alchemist’s growth and progress in the five years since. In the time since then Alchemist has become one of the best producers in Hip-Hop and the go to guy behind the boards for some of your favorite artists like Lil’ Wayne, Fabolous, Slaughterhouse, Jadakiss and more. With the hard work and dedication that Alchemist has been putting in for years it’s a position that is well earned and well deserved. If you’ve been a fan of Alchemist you won’t be disappointed with this album and if you’re not take a listen and realize that he’s probably been one of your favorite producers for a while now.

nappyPicks: “Lose Your Life”, “Therapy”, “Smile”, “Some Gangster Shit”, “That’ll Work”, “Acts Of Violence”, “Take A Look Back”, “Under Siege”

Download: The Alchemist – “Lose Your Life”

Just as H2O mentioned in his Classic Material write up for De La Soul’s classic De La Soul Is Dead album in that no De La Soul album had been previously selected for the column, the same can be said about Mobb Deep. Searching back from the start of the Classic Material column, no Mobb Deep albums are to be found and a column as prestige wouldn’t be complete without at least one. That’s where Mobb Deep’s second album The Infamous comes into play and fits perfectly among the previously selected albums. 1995 in the Hip-Hop world featured a lot of classic album releases (Liquid Swords, Return Of The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Livestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous, Only Built For Cuban Linx, Doe Or Die…) and this album can be included in that listing.

The public knew little about the duo of Havoc and Prodigy from Queens after their debut album Juvenile Hell was released two years earlier in 1993, but that would all change after the second album release. What was minimally achieved on their debut album would be the strongest point of their second album, and that was Havoc and Prodigy giving the listener a vivid portrayal and description of their dwelling in Queens. A dark and sinister mood is provided with tracks “Shook Ones, Pt. II”, “Survival Of The Fittest”, and “Eye For An Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)” that take you into the depths of the street life and its daily operations filled with drugs, violence, and ultimately survival. Other than Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) released two years prior, no other album was delivered with such a dark theme and presence about it.

Throughout the album Mobb Deep deliver lyrics spanning a range of topics such as prison (“Up North Trip”), setup (“Trife Life”), fake gangsters/crooks (“Shook Ones, Pt. II”), drinking (“Drink The Pain Away”), and survival (“Survival Of The Fittest”). The songs on this album flow smoothly from one to the next because of the unified production provided by producers Havoc and Q-Tip. As mention previously pertaining to Common’s Resurrection album, it’s this type of unity in both the production and lyrics that allows the album to fit together so precise. This is one major aspect that is missing from a lot of Hip-Hop/Rap albums released nowadays and is really only achieved by working with only one or two producers throughout the entire project. This album can be acknowledged for producing one of the greatest songs in Hip-Hop history in terms of “Shook Ones, Pt. II”. From the subtle instrumental build up at the start of this song it is instantly recognized and Mobb Deep’s lyrics make it complete (it’s no wonder Eminem selected this track for the final freestyle battle scene in 8 Mile). You can be the most humble person in the world, but there’s no denying that the menacing piano keys and pounding drums will stir up feelings of aggression and anger while listening.

For the most part that is what makes this album such a classic 14 years later and why it hasn’t been duplicated by Mobb Deep five album releases later. With this album Mobb Deep brought you into their world and introduced you to their way of living. If you never lived and/or grew up in the hood you got a taste and feeling of the life just from listening to this album, and if you did you were just able to relate with this album and its content even more. Ultimately The Infamous expounded upon Nas’ lyrical storytelling and vivid depictions on Illmatic and presented you with the 41st Side version (read: dark/gritty) of Queens that wasn’t seen with its pioneers Marley Marl, MC Shan, and others.

I always enjoy it when I get a chance to check out an album that I’ve been anticipating and waiting to hear, and in the case of Blaq Poet’s second album Tha Blaqprint, it fits that category. Even though this is only the Queensbridge native’s second album, he’s not a new figure in the rap game. As a matter of fact Blaq Poet has been around since the late 80’s when he was dropping lyrical bombs on KRS-One (“Beat You Down”) during the infamous bridge wars. Other than his early career lyrical battles, Blaq has been most known for his affiliation with New York rap group Screwball. This group was best known for the 2000 release Y2K The Album, which featured the singles “H-O-S-T-Y-L-E” and the classic “F.A.Y.B.A.N.”.

Blaq released his debut album Rewind: Deja Screw back in 2006, but things are different this time around as he’s currently linked up with DJ Premier’s Year Round Records imprint. With Premier behind the boards and the beats (13 out of 15) you’re about guaranteed a quality Hip-Hop product. Right from the jump Blaq Poet let’s you know exactly what you’re getting with this album. “I-Gititin” sees Blaq spittin’ some hardcore-laced lyrics over a pounding beat from Premier, which really sets the tone for the rest of the album to follow. Listeners expecting to hear another rap album full of Auto-Tune lyrics, catchy hooks, and gimmicky production will be sadly disappointed (were you really expecting that with a DJ Premier production?). Those that have been craving for a return to the better days of Hip-Hop music (read: 90’s Hip-Hop) will be satisfied to know that’s what they’ll get with this album. A throwback feel to those days is best heard on the track “Ain’t Nuttin Changed”, which served as the 1st single for the album. DJ Premier’s magnificent sampling and chopping of 3 different records blends nicely with Poet’s rough and rugged rhymes about how the hood is still the same from the last time he was there.

In a time where it seems like too many rappers are afraid to speak their minds and go against the grain of what’s popular or “hot” in the industry, Blaq Poet lives for the moment to speak just how he feels. That’s one of the strongest characteristics of Poet as a rapper, which is perfectly heard on the track “Don’t Give A Fuccc”. The pulsating beat produced by Premier gives way for Poet to do some aggressive shit talking and not really care who he offends (you saw the song title, right?). Throughout the length of this album Blaq Poet does a nice job of keeping the song topics diverse and not repeating himself too much in his rhymes. From speaking about the hood and hood politics (“Ain’t Nuttin Changed”, “Hood Crazy”) to drug dealing (“U Phucc’d Up”) to death (“Never Goodbye”) to violence and guns (“Let The Guns Blow”). One of the most interesting and unique tracks comes in the form of “Voices”, which sees Blaq telling about his beyond the grave conversations with the late Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, and other deceased rap legends as well as some living about the grim state of Hip-Hop. Poet also displays his storytelling abilities on the tracks “S.O.S.” and “Sichuwayshunz”, which give listeners another insight into the mind and skill level he possesses.

Over the 15 tracks in total that span this album, the only negative aspect to be found is in terms of the album’s energy. At the start of the album through the first 3 tracks listeners are presented with strong energy in regards to the lyrics and production. But after that the album takes a dip in energy and quality somewhat with a couple average tracks before it starts picking back up by the album’s end. In handling a majority of the album’s production, DJ Premier provides Poet with some trademark bangers that are able to convey both the energy and topic of the songs. There are times though when the quality you come to expect from a legend like Premier isn’t presented as was the case with “What’s The Deal?”, “Legendary Pt. 1”, and “Hood Crazy”. These beats come off as bland and monotonous, and as a result limits the songs’ potential. The only other two producers (Easy Mo Bee, Gemcrates) featured on the album also do a quality job with their offerings (“U Phucc’d Up”, “Sichuwayshunz”) respectively.

In terms of Blaq Poet, he does what’s expected of him on the mic with his rhymes and stays true to himself as an artist. Blaq isn’t the type of rapper that’s going to deliver thought provoking rhymes or multi syllable lyrics. He’s a rapper that’s going to get straight to the point with what he has to say and he does a nice job of that on this album. Obviously this is an album that will receive much support from the underground Hip-Hop scene and will probably get overlooked by the mainstream/commercial audience… But quite frankly I think the underground listeners is whom Blaq Poet and DJ Premier were aiming for. This is one of those albums that should have a sticker on the cover stating “This Is Not For The Mainstream…Underground Only”. If you can make such a claim, this album is too Hip-Hop for the mainstream to understand and with that in mind it fits just find where it is. If you’re one of those listeners that have been waiting for some genuine Hip-Hop to listen to, you definitely need to pick up a copy of this album.

Playlist: “U Phucc’d Up”, “Ain’t Nuttin Changed”, “Rap Addiction”, “Don’t Give A Fuccc”, “S.O.S.”, “Stretch Marks & Cigarette Burns”, “Sichuwayshunz”, “I-Gititin”, “Never Goodbye”

Download: Blaq Poet – “I-Gititin”

Download: Blaq Poet – “Don’t Give A Fuccc”