Prince Paul - "A Prince Among Thieves"

Prince Paul’s 2nd studio album, “A Prince Among Thieves”, was released on February 23, 1999 on Tommy Boy Records. On the Prince Paul produced “3 Feet High and Rising”, Prince Paul came up with the idea of including skits are a way to piece the album together to tell a story. This idea of telling a story on a record eventually became the idea for his Rap opera or a “movie on wax”.  Prince Paul watched a bunch of B-rated crime dramas and eventually came up with the plot for “A Prince Among Thieves”. Rapper Tariq, played by Breeze Brewin’ of the Juggaknots, needs $1,000 in order to finish his demo before his meeting with RZA. Tariq, who is convinced that this meeting will lead to a record deal, against his own better judgement agrees to help from his friend and mentor True, played by Big Sha of the group Horror City, and hustle the money. The album chronicles the highs and lows of the life of a dealer and a friendship scorned by jealousy. Prince Paul recruited an all-star cast for support roles in his Rap opera, like Big Daddy Kane, Kool Keith and De La Soul. The album is produced entirely by Prince Paul and features both new and classic Prince Paul beats. It’s a familiar story but it’s also often humorous and keeps your head nodding throughout. You can’t knock the creativity that went into making this album nor its cast of characters. “A Prince Among Thieves” is one of a kind.

Review with Jav (@javdunyan)

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Chris: Going into this review, “A Prince Among Thieves” was probably one of my favorite Hip Hop albums. It’s just completely unique and because of that I thought it would be an interesting album to review. I guess I probably heard it not too long after it came out because at the time, I was pretty obsessed with anything related to my favorite group, De La Soul. Do you have any memories of listening to “A Prince Among Thieves” before this review? 

Jav: Fond memories indeed, thinking back to this era of Hip-Hop feels great, not just for the sake of nostalgia for an old school Hip-Hop “head” but the time when the internet was budding and a few years before downloading music from the internet would absolutely destroy your computer. The album’s story and theme requires time to unfold, each song is an episode in the overall Hip Hopera which needs some time to grasp the whole concept. 

Chris: I can think of a few Hip Hop concept albums from over years, like “MM..Food”, “Deltron 3030”, Masta Ace’s “Disposable Arts”, and “Dr. Octagonecologyst” but none of them are what “A Prince Among Thieves” is, which is a true Hip Hopera. I wonder if you remember when MTV put out that musical, “Carmen”, that starred Beyonce, Mekhi Phifer and Mos Def. I remember them calling that a Hip Hopera but come on. I guess, it was Prince Paul’s idea for “A Prince Among Thieves” to be a film but Tommy Boy balked at the idea. They did, however, give him $10,000 to shoot a trailer/music video. Are there any other concept albums in Hip Hop that you can think of? Also, I read that Chris Rock owns the rights to any potential theatrical versions of “A Prince Among Thieves”. Given a decent budget and all the characters from the album being used in the film, what’s your interest level in seeing it? 

Jav: I’m DOWN to see a live action version of the album, funny that Chris Rock owns the rights to that? Not sure who I would expect to own it but hey! Better than Martin Skrelli being the sole owner to an unreleased Wu album.  MTV is so lame, throwing Mos Def in there to bring some needed street cred into the mix. I imagine the board meeting with Beyonce’s agent like hey it’s a modern day opera! The kids will love it and it comes on after Real World, who remembers that show?

Chris: Good point! Chris Rock, please do something with this! Is the Real World not on anymore? Road Rules gone too? Haha

”A Prince Among Thieves” (Extended Music Video)

 

Chris: The album, the story of Tariq, is supposed to be loosely based on the struggles, in both the music business and personal life, of Prince Paul. I guess as a fan it’s hard to think about someone like Prince Paul being outcasted by the industry and struggling to find work in music. Do you have any thoughts on Prince Paul as producer and Hip Hop contributor? And what did you think of the production on this album?

Jav: Boggles the mind that Prince Paul would have problems and maybe it is expected. He would not do well with LL Cool J or whomever was the breadwinner throughout the 90’s lol. De La Soul is legendary, and Mr Paul is the producer that made the first three albums, I wonder what the impact of De La’s legacy would be without Prince Paul’s production. Hard to say at this point (not to cast shade on the album Stakes is High). Who remembers the second Gravediggaz album that came out without Prince Paul producing? Exactly. 

Chris: I think the thing I appreciate most about Prince Paul is the wide array of genres he samples from. He’s very eclectic with his sample sources. He’s not afraid to challenge himself or be himself and because of that we’ve gotten so many quirky but quality projects to listen to. From his work with De La, to his work with the Gravediggaz, to his work with Dan the Automator.

Chris: I really enjoyed the production on this album. Again, a very eclectic choice of sample sources from Albert King to Extra Ts, from the Average White Band to Magnum.

Average White Band – “Reach Out”

 

 Chris: One of the things I really enjoy most about this album is that it cast some not as well-known rappers in the most prominent roles and some of the most prominent rappers, legends really, in support roles. You have Everlast as the corrupt cop, Kool Keith as the arms-dealing nerd, you have Big Daddy Kane as the pimp supreme, you have Chubb Rock as the crime boss, you have De La Soul as junkies and then Sadat X, Xzibit and Kid Creole as the intimidating but also sage inmates. Which was your favorite character(s) on the album and why?

Jav: Kool Keith stands out to me as the arms-dealing nerd, love the way you put that by the way. His monologue at the end of the song gets me everytime. “with the aluminum skin of an alligator” like what kind of sales pitch is that Keith c'mon man!? Don't worry i wont tell nobody in the projects. Something about Big Daddy Kane as a pimp in a movie, and his track “Count Makula” feels like a 70’s b movie which makes sense, knowing you mentioned Prince Paul watched a lot of B movies for inspiration, it just works somehow. 

Chris: I really enjoyed both of those tracks too. Kool Keith’s wordplay and then the subject matter, it’s like all the stars align. The same can be said for the Big Daddy Kane track. He just comes off so smooth and believable in his role.

My favorite feature though was “More Than U Know” featuring De La Soul. Pos and Dave playing drug addicts and then the metaphors for getting high and taking a plane flight and a drug dealer as travel agent. I thought that really funny and creative.

Prince Paul feat. Big Daddy Kane – “Count Macula”

 

 Prince Paul feat. De La Soul – “More Than U Know”

 

Chris: Did you have any favorite tracks?

Jav: I was totally a huge Sadat X fan so “Handle Your Time” is one of my favorite songs. “Weapon World” has my favorite beat, those strings and Keith’s high pitched voice match so well together, wonder what a Kool Keith and Prince Paul album would have sounded like?

Chris: Oh man! Can you imagine? The Dr. Octagon stuff with Dan the Automator was so ill and no disrespect to Dan but I could only imagine an album with Prince Paul sounding better or at least funkier. On another review, I talked about how much I would have enjoyed hearing an album with Chubb Rock and Prince Paul, an album with Kool Keith and Prince Paul would be incredible.

An additional track, I liked was with two Juggaknot members, Breeze Brewin’ and Queen Herawin, on “The Other Line”. Tariq calls his girl, Tammy, to convince her to call-in to work for him and Tru. I just really enjoy the back and forth. In my opinion, the dialogue between the two is like modern Shakespearean.

Prince Paul feat. Kool Keith – “Weapon World”

 

Prince Paul feat. Breeze Brewin’ and Queen Herawin – “The Other Line”

 

Chris: One of the things I read about the making of the album, is that the Rappers/Actors were all left in the dark about what was going on with the project as a whole. Prince Paul recorded them all and then pieced together all the dialogue and everything else himself at the end. So you’ve made beats and you’ve worked Rappers, what do you think of Prince Paul’s method for putting together this album? In your experience, have you tried to implement something like this yourself and if not, do you feel like maybe the finished product would have come out better if you had?

Jav: I have not taken such a task, mainly small projects and home-produced music that does not match the quality of a legendary producer. The amount of thought and creative effort that it must have taken to put this together is astounding. It is unimaginable really, the time required to make all these beats and come up with dialogue AND to piece them all together after the recording was done! Maybe as a virtuoso producer such as Prince Paul, the beats maybe would not take as much time, but sitting in a dark and smoky studio editing and matching the vocal tracks, dialogue and background sounds of a cinematic experience doubles his workload, in film industry there are departments alone that create sounds like cars and people walking, that takes time to set up and make sure everything is lined up correctly, wonder how many people helped with the engineering of the album. Prince Paul is like George Lucas, like nope that jail cell slamming sound was a little too loud, can we knock that down a tad?

Chris: Thank you for taking the time do this review with me, Jav! I appreciate your perspective and I hope that we can do it again! “A Prince Among Thieves” turns 22 on the 23rd, has it stood the test of time for you? Also, did you feel bad for Tariq?

Jav: I do feel for the guy, from the beginning it's like hey would I trust Tru or not, hmmmm. All of Tru’s verses have the feeling like hey I'm totally going to betray you because I feel I’m the better rapper and Tariq is so wack. I honestly did not know who Tru and Tariq were played by until recently, which gives the great opportunity to listen and discover some older unheard music, thanks Chris for giving me the chance to give my thoughts to this piece of art! I'm ready to do some more anytime Man! The best way to close out the decade with this gem of an album for sure.

Chris: I felt bad for Tariq as well. He was getting played from the start. I think that time has only made me appreciate this album more and I’m glad we got to review it because I really got to delve into it.

Thanks again, Jav!

House of Pain - "House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)"

 

“House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)” is the debut album of the Hip Hop group the House of Pain, consisting of rappers Everlast, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal. After an unsuccessful solo debut, Everlast recruited his old High School friend Danny Boy O’Connor and DJ Lethal, whom Everlast had met while touring with Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate, to form the group. The name the House of Pain is a reference to H.G. Wells’ novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Their first stuido album was released on July 21, 1992 on Tommy Boy Records. Tommy Boy Records signed the group on the strength of their demo which featured “Jump Around” which was produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. In 1992, “Jump Around” reached #3 on the charts in the United States, #6 in Ireland and #8 in the United Kingdom. Even though DJ Lethal is technically Latvian, the trio celebrated Irish-American culture and their lyrics on the album mostly promote Irish-American stereotypes. Muggs, along with DJ Lethal and Ralph Tha Funky Mexican from Funkdoobiest produced the album.  “House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)” went multi-Platinum and has a huge cultural impact. It can still be heard at any event where there more than three people present, as it required by federal law. 

Guest review with Mike T. (@mike_t_bvnm)

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Chris: Is it true that the first time you heard “Jump Around” was on the soundtrack for Mrs. Doubtfire?

Mike T.: Haha. To be honest I don't know when the first time I heard “Jump Around” was. It very well could have been Mrs. Doubtfire. That scene is so easy to remember just from listening to the song. I can picture Robin Williams dancing on the dining room table, and then his wife just shows up.

Chris: Haha right? I remember that scene well too. For me, my Aunt Sonya had the album and I would wear it out. Listening to it now, is kind of funny as much of the lyrical content went over my head back then but this album definitely brings up a lot of nostalgia. 

Chris: So the beat that became “Jump Around” was actually offered to Cypress Hill and then to Ice Cube, but was turned down by both them. Everlast, who met DJ Muggs through his girlfriend, who was the roommate of Everlast’s girlfriend, heard the beat and wrote the lyrics for what would become “Jump Around” in a couple hours in his car in DJ Muggs’ driveway. I think it’s fair to say it is the most significant thing they’ve ever did, in terms of cultural impact. You can’t go to a sport event or watch a movie without hearing “Jump Around”. Can you think of a particular occasion or event where you heard “Jump Around?” Also, what is your opinion of Pete Rock’s remix of “Jump Around”?

Mike T.: I know I've heard it before at an Isotopes game back in the day. I haven't been to a sports event in years. But "Jump Around" is just a song you can play in almost any place. I've heard it in bars all the time when we could go to bars. The thing is to when the song comes on people are always going to get down to it. Whether it's a head bob, mouthing the lyrics, or even dancing. It's just a song that hits for everyone. So I have mixed feelings with the remix. I like the beat of the remix. The incorporation of the horns was a nice touch. Now the thing that I'm kind of like meh on is the timing change that the remix has. It's a little slower so when you first hear it, it throws me off a bit. If I were to grade it 1 out of 10 compared to the original. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

Chris: I definitely heard “Jump Around” at a Quinceanera and one time when Bill Clinton came to Albuquerque for a rally in Civic Plaza. “Jump Around” is for everyone, even the Emo kids.

I would say that particular remix is probably one of Pete Rock’s best or at least one of his best-known remixes. I do prefer the original though. It’s some of Muggs’ best work.

House of Pain – “Jump Around” (Produced by DJ Muggs)

 

 House of Pain feat. Pete Rock – “Jump Around” (Pete Rock Remix)

 

Chris: Mike, I know that you are a Mason and I’m sure you probably aren’t surprised that I found a way to ask you about it on here but did you happen to catch the Masonry reference on the song “Life Goes On”? I couldn’t find anything on the web about Everlast (a.k.a. Erik Schrody) being a Free Mason and after talking to our friend, who is also Mason, it’s very unlikely that Everlast was a 33rd degree Mason considering he was only 23 years old at the time the album was released. Can you comment on this and maybe any other Masonic references in Hip Hop that you are aware of?

Mike T.: So I am glad that this did come up because when I first heard the song I was just driving around just to listen to the album uninterrupted. So when that line came up I had to double take, and rewind the song. So yes, I am a Freemason, but I am not a Scottish Rite Mason. So I don't know a lot about 33rd degree Masons other than it is an honorary degree that you get in Scottish Rite. Scottish Rite is basically like a branch of Freemasonry. I don't personally know of many other Mason references in Hip Hop. Netflix put out a documentary a while back called "Inside Look At Freemasonry" the end credits have a Rap song that is just dedicated to Masonry. It's called "So Mote It Be" by J Row.

House of Pain – “Life Goes On”

 

 J Row – “So Mote It Be”

 

Chris: There is a lot of promotion of Irish-American stereotypes on this album, particularly drinking and fighting. I remember seeing the video for “Jump Around” and listening to this album as a kid and getting really pumped up by it. There are a lot of Italian-American stereotypes promoted in Hip Hop and just in Pop Culture in general but not by any Italian-American Hip Hop groups that I can think of anyway. What did you think of the lyrical content of this album and being that you come from an Italian-American background, how do you feel about the promotion of stereotypes in music? And I also want to suggest that we find an Italian-American rapper or group to listen to for our next review together. 

Mike T.: So personally I didn't have an issue with it. I know people probably do or in the past when the album came out did. In the end it didn't bother me. I think most people would even really know what they were talking about when they say "Dago". When I first heard it I laughed a little and I won't lie, because I hadn't heard the term in a long time. Being in New Mexico you wouldn't hear that, but back East you would know right off the bat. But the vibe I got from them referencing Irish, and Italian-Americans they were just making fun of themselves. From their songs they must have eaten a shit load of corned beef and cabbage. Plus, all the beer and blunts they must have put down haha. I am down to find an Italian-American rapper or group to listen to. That's one thing I really enjoy about doing these reviews. Being that I am not really versed in Hip Hop I get to branch out my music selection that much more from these.

Chris: I appreciate your honesty, Mike. I think sometimes there is power in owning a stereotype, at that point you can’t be ridiculed for it. As far Italian-American stereotypes, there is this fascination with both in Hip Hop culture and Popular culture. We all love a good mob flick and a part of us enjoys rooting for the antihero.

Chris: For me, the best thing about this album is the production. The beats. It is classic, funky DJ Muggs material. In my opinion, you definitely wouldn’t and I probably wouldn’t know who the House of Pain was if it weren’t for DJ Muggs’ contribution on this album. Along with “Jump Around”, he contributed to the production of 7 other tracks on the album. What is your opinion on the production of this album? Are there any beats on this album that you had a particular affinity for?

Mike T.: The beats were dope on this album. So much fun to listen to. I think the production was great on this album. It doesn't give me that feeling of being at a live show like some of the other 90's albums we've done, but I like the sound of this album. This is probably my favorite album we've done so far. I really had a fun time just putting this on the speakers and just jamming out. One beat in particular that really stuck with me was "House and the Rising Son". That saxophone that really hit for me. The beat wasn't just a typical "banger" that sax just gave it this depth that I really liked. "Top O' the Morning to Ya" is another one. That harmonica just was a nice addition to the beat. It already makes you bob your head, but that harmonica just topped it off for me. I really like how these beats are just funky. Then you get that hint of scratching from the DJ. Then I gotta go with "Put on Your Shit Kickers" that little vocal drop to already a gritty beat. I enjoyed how its very bass drum kick heavy. Then they just layer it with other instruments or vocal drops.

Chris: It makes sense that you’d enjoy that saxophone since you played yourself. I’m glad that you mentioned “Top O’ the Morning to Ya” because that is a beat I enjoy too and it’s actually a song that was produced by DJ Lethal and not DJ Muggs. 

House of Pain – “Top O’ the Morning to Ya”

 

 Willie Dixon – “I Ain’t Superstitious” 

 

 Chris: Other than “Jump Around”, were there any songs on the album that you particularly enjoyed?

Mike T.: So I really try to keep this question limited to 3 songs. This album made it hard for me to pick those 3 because I liked this album a lot. So first I'm gonna go with "Top O' the Morning to Ya". The beat right away pulls you in. Then right off the bat you get "Ya see I'm Irish, but I'm not a leprechaun", and just talking about fighting right away as well. Then next I gotta go with "Danny Boy, Danny Boy". I just got pulled in with that hook in the song. Then "One for the Road" how can you not get into the hook?! "Mickey Mouse, you know he's in the house, I said Mickey Mouse, you know he's in the house, One for the road, this is one for the road". But all in all I think this album had a lot of really good tracks. So this was a real difficult one for me to pick 3 because I could just keep listing songs. 

Chris: "Put Your Shit Kickers On" was on that stood out for me. I felt like that was the best track where both Everlast and Danny Boy were featured. The song with B-Real is pretty good as well.

House of Pain – “One for the Road”

 

Chris: Now that you’ve listened to the entire album, would you consider the House of Pain to be a one-hit wonder?

Mike T. : I would have to say just from this album, yes. I know I don't know much about them, but I couldn't even tell you if i heard a song from them outside of "Jump Around" on anything. I do think the album was great, and don't know why you didn't hear much about them afterwards. But I guess in House of Pain fashion "Life Goes On". 

Chris: I didn’t care of the album as much now that I have re-listened to it. True, the production is dope but to me, Everlast and Danny Boy’s lyrics are pretty basic and leave a lot of be desired. "All My Love" is probably the worst shout out songs of all time but it’s a good album, I just don’t hold it in the same regard that once did. As far as a one hit wonder, I would say no. I liked their second album as well and the name House of Pain is firmly entrenched in Hip Hop’s story.

Freestyle Fellowship - “Innercity Griots”

“Innercity Griots” was released on April 28, 1993 on 4th and Broadway Record, which is probably best known as being the label home of Eric B. & Rakim. “Innercity Griots” is the second studio album by the group Freestyle Fellowship, out of South Los Angeles.  The group members include Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E. and Self Jupiter, all whom met in high school. During a time where Jazz’s influence was very prominent in Hip Hop, Freestyle Fellowship embodied the Avant-garde element of Jazz. The used their voices as instruments and t’s like you can hear them reacting to each other the way some Jazz players would while playing live. The album was produced primarily by the Earthquake Brothers and featured a lot of live instrumentation, adding to the uniqueness that is this album.

Guest review with Marissa (@champagnemari_)

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Chris: “Innercity Griots” dropped in 1993 but to be honestly with you, I didn’t become familiar with Freestyle Fellowship and Project Blowed until 2000. I had befriended this dude and I can’t even remember where I even met him, the only thing I can remember is his AIM screen name, but anyway, he put me on to a lot of great Hip Hop that I had never heard before. He had a lot of dope shit on his AudioGalaxy. Haha I just realized that you probably have no idea what AudioGalaxy is or probably not even Napster, LimeWire, SoulSeek, BearShare or Kazaa. I’m big on supporting the artists but I would have never known about some of these acts if it weren’t for these peer sharing services and the people I met on there, so I am thankful.  So I’m curious about you though, what are your sources for finding good music? Before peer sharing and stream services, we had to listen to a lot of bad shit to have something good, can you image a time like that?

Marissa: In all honesty, it’s been rough trying to find good music lately and I do feel like I’ve been forced to listen to bad music just to find a song. I’ve been in this phase where I’ve listening to more nostalgic music and being more appreciative of the music. But when I do find good music, it’s either from my cousins/friends sharing with me or by putting on a random Spotify playlist that matched the vibe of music I was wanting to listen to at that time. I remember in high school we used to all sit at the computer in DECA class and would watch different music videos, sharing music with each other. 

Chris: Normally the format of these reviews is that the guest will choose the album for us to review but you asked me to choose, so I wanted to first, find something that you probably hadn’t heard before and second, something that best represents what I enjoy most about Hip Hop. I chose “Innercity Griots” because I remember how I felt when I first listened to it and that it is that is blew my mind. There was so much on it, which we’ll delve more into in the rest of review, but also, it’s just a fun album to listen to. It has a good energy to it. Had you heard of Freestyle Fellowship before this review and can you describe how listening to “Innercity Griots” made you feel?

Marissa: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Freestyle Fellowship before this review. This was my first time listening to the group and “Innercity Griots” and I can say this was a very interesting, but cool album. Freestyle Fellowship reminded me of Wu-Tang mixed with The Pharcyde. The album made me feel like I was at an underground club in the middle of the Bronx, NYC. Haha I definitely agree this album was fun to listen to. So many different vibes in each track. 

Chris: Hey! I really dig that comparison, a mix between Wu-Tang and The Pharcyde. The Pharcyde is actually from the same area as Freestyle Fellowship and they both came up performing at open mic nights at this place called Good Life Café. There is this really cool documentary about it called “This is the Life” that you should check out.  

 

Chris: One of my favorite aspects of this album is the harmonizing. In particular, on songs like “Hot Potato”. For me, it’s an ode to the old school Hip Hop that I grew up listening to, like the Cold Crush Brothers or Fantastic Five. Listening to it now, really brings up some nostalgia, so I really appreciate it on that level. Were you a fan of the tracks that featured harmonizing?

Marissa: The harmonizing gave the tracks some pizzaz along with the Jazz vibe it had going on. I’m fan of the harmonizing on the track “Mary”. I thought the track’s harmonizing matched up to what the track was actually about. I felt like on was floating on a cloud while listening to the track. Even on “Park Bench People”, it really lived up to the harmonizing and Jazz. I really enjoyed the harmonizing of the saxophone in the background.

Freestyle Fellowship – “Hot Potato”

 

Cold Crush Brothers – “Live @ Harlem World 1981”

 

 Chris: The Freestyle Fellowship really embraces the spirit of Jazz music on this album. The album actually features a lot of live instrumentation with the band doing to improvisations on some Jazz classics. A track I liked was “Inner City Boundaries” and what I liked about it is how the band lays back and the guys just kind of freestyle and do different things with their voices. To me, it’s very reminiscent of Avant-garde Jazz and the guys’ voices are like horns being played and they’re just going for it. And I have to say, I think it was kind of cool listening to this album after watching “Soul”. How did you feel about the Jazz that this album brought? Could you see yourself listen to more Jazz after listening to this album?

Marissa: I totally agree with you about “Inner City Boundaries”, I really enjoyed this track and it reminded me of “Soul”, as well as “Way Cool”. I think it’s so cool when Hip Hop tracks include Jazz, since Jazz played a big role in the creation of Hip-Hop in the first place. Whenever I study, I listen to Jazz rap or JazzHop, I’m not sure if you’ve heard the genre or not, but I think it’s a nice genre to listen to if you like Lofi Hip-Hop and smooth Jazz. 

Chris: I have heard of those as genres and I’m as fan as well. Funny story, Ella is into LoFi beats as well and she was telling me about a producer she likes and she was pronouncing LoFi as “Low Fee”. Made me smile.

My indoctrination into Jazz music and pretty much every other genre of music was through Hip Hop. Listening to Gang Starr, Ultramagnetic, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, D.I.T.C., Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Boot Camp, Madlib and so many more were my jump off point for a love of Jazz music. I’m glad to hear that you have a love for it as well.

Freestyle Fellowship – “Way Cool”

 

Kool & the Gang – “Love the Life You Live”

 

 Chris: Did you have any favorite tracks from the album?

Marissa: My favorite tracks from this album are “Respect Due” and “Inner City Boundaries”. I branched out and listened to other songs by Freestyle Fellowship. I like “Sunshine Men” from the “To Whom It May Concern…” album. 

Chris: All great songs! My favorite is “Cornbread”. It’s a hype song from the start with the drums from “I Ain’t No Joke” and the lyrical content is really nonsensical but presented in a really fun way. It’s like what you’d hope your drunk cyphers at a party sound like.

Freestyle Fellowship – “Inner City Boundaries”

 

 Freestyle Fellowship – “Cornbread”

 

 Chris:  Something that stood out to me while listening to the album again was how much at time they sounded like other artists I’m familiar with. It was really trippy on songs like “Mary” where it sounds like Krayzie Bone from Bone Thugs N Harmony is rapping or when I listen to “Bullies on the Block” I hear Nice & Smooth and Chubb Rock, on “Heavyweights” I hear Sticky Fingerz from Oynx, on “Everything is Everything” I hear Lords of the New School and on “Way Cool” I hear Gravediggaz. Did you catch any of those?

Marissa: Yes! When I heard “Mary”, I thought Krayzie Bone was on the track as a feature. When I was listening to “Bullies on the Block”, there was a verse that sounded very similar to the hook on “Batter Up” by Nelly. I thought that was kind of cool because Nelly was a big part of my childhood from spending time with Auntie Sonya haha. 

Freestyle Fellowship – “Mary”

 

Chris: A griot is “a member of a class of traveling poets, musicians and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history in part of West Africa”. After looking at that, the title of the album seemed perfect. I felt like the traditions of Jazz and Hip Hop are well maintained on this album, especially on songs like “Respect Dues” which features some classic Hip Hop breaks like “Hihache”, “Pot Belly” and “Big Beat”. Do the Freestyle Fellowship does a good job of maintaining the tradition of what you see as Hip Hop music?

Marissa: For me, I did hear a sample of songs I grew up listening to from my Mom, older cousins, and uncles. For example, I did hear “It’s a Musical” by Bootsy on “Bullies of the Block” and one Earth, Wind and Fire interlude on “Respect Dues”, if I’m not mistaken. Also, on “Way Cool”, I did hear a sample of Kool and the Gang’s “Love the Life You Live”. I find it very cool to see rap groups sampling classic bands and their music I grew up listening to. To answer your question, I do believe Freestyle Fellowship does a great job of maintaining the tradition of what I see as Hip Hop. Hip Hop began with Jazz then to DJs and MCs simply, the evolution of Hip Hop. 

Chris: Wow! I’m impressed!

Freestyle Fellowship – “Respect Due”

 

Lou Donaldson – “Pot Belly”

 

Chris: Thank you so much for doing this review with me. As your older cousin, I have admired your taste in music and I had really been hoping to do a review with you! Thank you! Do you have any final thoughts on the album? Has it inspired to check any of their other projects?

Marissa: Thank you for inviting me to do this review. It was truly an honor. My music taste wouldn’t be anything if it wasn’t for you, Bristol and Des. My final thoughts on the album was I really enjoyed the Jazz aspect of the album. It inspired me to check out more of their music, like “To Whom it May Concern…” and other related groups’ projects, like Gang Starr. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to review some music! 

Chris: Of course! We’ll definitely do it again! For me, “Innercity Griots” definitely stood the test of time and I have a much deeper appreciation for what they did now than what I had before. It’s a really good album, in my opinion. 

Eminem - "The Slim Shady LP"

Eminem released “The Slim Shady LP” on February 23, 1999 on Aftermath/Interscope Records. “The Slim Shady LP” is a stark change from Eminem’s debut “Infinite”, which was featured a light and hopeful Eminem. Eminem is said to have created the alias Slim Shady, in order to vent his frustrations with trying have a career in music and just life in general. “The Slim Shady LP” is brash and appalling but it is presented in a skillful and comedic way that makes Eminem endearing. The album’s production was handled primarily by Detroit-natives the Bass Brothers, who are responsible for a lot of the beats on Eminem’s early work. The album also features Dr. Dre, both as a rapper and a producer, and all though he was only directly involved on 3 tracks, his influence can be felt throughout the entire album. “The Slim Shady LP” won a Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2000 and his song “My Name Is” won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance in the same year. “The Slim Shady LP” is the foundation of a career that has seen Eminem become the best-selling Hip Hop artist of all time and one of the best Emcees of all time.

Guest review with Dom (@dominiqueblea) and Mike T. (@mike_t_bvnm)

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Chris: Dom, what is about Eminem that is so appealing to you?

Dom: Everyone wants to claim that they just don't give a fuck while still sticking to who they really are, and Marshall Mathers was able to do that while conquering the Rap world. He earned that distinction with the ability to tell a story in a flow that reminded me of Pac, and a presence that cut through all stereotypes. All of a sudden a White boy with a durag was able to rap side by side with Mr. Chronic himself, and the world had forever been turned upside down.

He talked about all the things we'd day dream about, but were too afraid to every put into words. In today's world where our ambitions revolve around society's recognitions, a trophy or public approval was the last thing he gave a fuck about. And even then he didn't want it. He put on blast all the fake happy people living in their little bubbles, too ignorant to recognize the struggle, while giving the kid with anxiety a voice.

Eminem – “Rock Bottom”

 

Chris: Yes! I agree. Thank you, Dom!

So, Eminem isn’t satirical ALL of the time and his lyrics aren’t intended for shock value all the time either and it’s not always easy to discern which he is going for on a particular track. I can’t help wonder how “The Slim Shady LP” would be received if it came today. In your opinion, which track would be the most offensive if it came out today and what do you think of Eminem’s chances of becoming one of the best and best-selling rappers of all-time if the “The Slim Shady LP” was released today?

Mike T.: You want my honest opinion? Honestly I think it's not just one track that can be picked. This album was on another level. He had nothing to lose so the censorship was non-existent. Take ‘Guilty Conscience” for instance. The second verse with Stan Slim in trying to convince Stan to take advantage of a 15 year old drunk girl that he told to slip a date rape drug. Then you have “’97 Bonnie and Clyde.” “Telling his daughter that he's killed her Mom, and she's in the trunk. He even tells his daughter to help him tie the rope around her legs. I personally can't pick just one track because the thing in the end is when you hear those satirical tracks it's full blown Slim Shady, and there's no boundaries with Shady. If Eminem came out today I don't think he would have blown up the way he did. People get too easily offended by everything, and anything. This album was already edgy for its time. Yet it was so popular as well. Even though the point of a lot of his songs was just to be outlandish people wouldn't be able to see that its satire. Even in comedy today stand up or sit com. Satire doesn't have the effect it did 15+ years ago. This album is a gem in the sense that it encapsulates Shady in that he said, and did what he wanted.

Dom: I love the fact that when we think of Em one of the first words that comes to mind is satirical. If you've lived through this life with honesty, you've felt those homicidal ideations sporadically. This world isn't intended to be without them. Yes, he does sprinkle his truth with a heavy dose of sarcasm, which makes it fun, and sometimes hard to swallow. Taking a step back, reflecting, digesting, the first word that should come to mind is genius. 

In discussing his satirical nature, it's best depicted in “97 Bonnie & Clyde”, and that would also be the most offensive song today if the album was just released. “The Slim Shady LP” was as if we discovered water on Mars, and today would have an even bigger impact. We weren't ready for “The Slim Shady LP” back then, and today we still wouldn't be able to understand its true greatness. Mumbling along with the current climate of hip hop, it would sell, but not at the rate of a Lil Baby or Uzi. Even through his greatness, it would not peak in 2020 like it did in 1999.

Chris: I was going to say “97 Bonnie and Clyde” for sure, especially when you know the back story behind the song. Eminem had picked up his daughter under the pretense that he was taking her to Chuck E. Cheese but he actually he took her to the studio to record. The little girl you hear on “97 Bonnie and Clyde” is his actual daughter Hailey. But anyway, I think Mike make a good point, what group did he leave alone? He even went after other White rappers! Everyone gets a chance to be offended. I can’t see this doing as well as it did coming out today but who knows, Dom could be right!

Eminem – “97 Bonnie and Clyde”

 

Chris: Why do you think the album and Eminem were so well received at the time? Do you think it had to do with Dr. Dre backing the project?

Mike T.: I definitely think Dre had a huge play into how Em was received. But if you think about it he was a triple threat with his entrance. You had a white guy that came from the trailer park. Backed by Dr. Dre. but he could rap. No one was ready for that. Besides the Beastie Boys, in my opinion White boys just didn't hold up well in the Hip Hop scene. Then comes Eminem. Dre struck gold with him. But Em put in the work to be successful. The Slim Shady LP was Em's moment to lay it all on the table. That's what he did, and with Dr. Dre backing and producing his album it was a recipe for success. 

Dom: The album was so well received due to the content. The format that it was broadcast, and for the time it was rejuvenating. We were caught in a time machine being flooded with "No Scrubs" and Britney Spears. Eminem came in and said fuck you to everyone, pissed on Grammy's before Kanye West had a chance, and unleashed an assault we had never witness before. Dre definitely played a large part due to his west coast backing, and diamond accolades. The partnership was a match made and further propelled the project past its wildest dreams.

Eminem – “My Name Is”

 

Chris: Speaking of shock rappers, another one that comes to mind is Tyler, the Creator. While researching for this album, I found a couple of interviews where Tyler regards Eminem as his favorite rapper of all-time but he also has said that Eminem “pick(s) some of the worst beats ever.” I agree with Tyler on this one. Other than the first few albums, Eminem’s other work have missed the mark for me. I would actually argue that “The Slim Shady LP” is his best album, beat-wise. Would you all concur with that statement? And why or why not?

Dom: No, I would actually suggest that "Recovery" be considered for best beats album when it comes to his arsenal. You notice the maturity when it comes to the beats and how he's embraced the change in the Rap landscape. In addition, the biggest win over for me was him taking accountability for "Relapse" being a flop and reestablishing himself as a force.

Mike T.: I never really noticed that to be honest. His beats were always pretty different from your typical hip hop beats in my opinion. But you I don’t really think that’s what makes Eminem songs what they are. His lyrics outshine his beats for me. I’d have to go through his discography to really get a feel for this.  

Chris: While doing research on this album, I found an interview with Ice-T in which he said that the difference between Eminem and other white rappers from the past is that Eminem rapped his self and the way he grew up in the trailer park and his life experience. I tend to agree, every other white rapper I can think of before Eminem rapped about things that were already pretty prevalent in Hip Hop. Is this something that makes Eminem more appealing to you? 

Dom: Of course, him embracing his upbringing for all its tortures is the most appealing feat. Anyone can rap about cars and women, but very few can rap about being a monster while offering clarity at the same time.

Chris: I agree. I’m more interested in hearing about the way that others experience the world rather than something I’ve heard over 100 times before. This definitely adds to the appeal of the album and Eminem for me. 

Mike T: Definitely. It goes back to earlier when you even mentioned he was really good at making fun of himself. He used his experiences, and where he came from to a creative positive for him and his career. I agree with Dom in that anyone can talk about money, cars, and women. Yet Em rapped about the all the screwed up experiences he went through, and the messed up thoughts in his head. That shock factor just pulled you in. 

Chris: Did you have any favorite tracks?

Dom: My favorite track is “Rock Bottom”

Mike T.: Gonna start it off with an obvious one. "My Name Is" its just such a catchy song to start the album with. "Guilty conscience" in pair with its music video. I love the back and forth between Dre and Em. Then you throw the music video into the mix. You get to see Em's comedic personality. Plus, it’s a music video when music videos actually followed the story of a song. The video was a visual representation of the song. Not just him rapping in a room like videos are nowadays.  "Role Model"  one of my favorite lines from this song is "You beef with me, I'mma even the score equally. Take you on Jerry Springer and beat your ass legally."  He goes throw just scenario after scenario of him being a degenerate. Seems like a perfect role model to me. The last track "Still Don't Give A F*ck" is a track that he i think it ends on the perfect feel that he didn't care what people thought. "Yo this blunt's for you. To all the people I've offended. Yeah, fuck you too!" 

Jerry Springer Best Fights!

 

 Chris: Dom, “Rock Bottom” is a really underrated song. I just always dig those personal, self-reflective songs. For me, hands down, my favorite track is “Role Model”. It, in my opinion, is the song that best represents Eminem at the time. I think this the first song on the album where he really displays his skills as a rapper. You hear Eminem, the battle rapper, the emcee. Eminem, the humorist. Eminem, the shock rapper. It’s funny to listen to it now and hear all the references, it’s obviously a song that came out in 1999. I think “Role Model” also is the best beat on the album. Produced by Dr. Dre, it did not have a sample.

Eminem – “Role Model”

 

Chris: I remember hearing Dave Chappelle talk once about the relationship between comedians and musicians. Comedians want to be musicians and musicians think that they are funny. Seldom are comedians great musicians and they’re probably aren’t too many musicians who are very funny. Eminem being one of the outliers, in my opinion. He’s a gifted storyteller, he’s got great comedic timing, he can be very animated, he doesn’t mind using his self as the subject matter and he’s very clever with his word play. Are there any moments on this album that you found particularly funny and what do you think the value of comedy in music is?

Mike T: Eminem was a great storyteller. That was one of the big reasons why he was such a talented artist. I can see where Dave is going with that statement. From my point of view on this, I think he's touching on the way that musicians can captivate a crowd.  Comedians can do that to a point. With comedians if someone starts chatting, or heckles in the middle of their set it’s a complete distraction. When a musician is playing if someone is having a conversation they can't hear that. The only time they can get heckled is when the music isn't playing. Now when you apply this to Eminem you get the best of both worlds with this album. He can clown on himself or society. Talk absurdly, and say whatever he wants. I stated this line in the previous question "You beef with me, I'mma even the score equally. Take you on Jerry Springer and beat your ass legally." That line stood out cause when he says this you could totally picture Eminem being a troll on the set of Springer taunting some dude while being held back by Steve Wilkos. That's the comedic picture that Em has the ability to paint. Some might not find it that funny, but even “97 Bonnie and Clyde” how he’s involving Hailey in her Mom’s murder. The whole time you hear Hailey throughout the track in moments of excitement. Like when he asks her if she wants to help him build a sand castle. It’s a dark moment or act that has and is happening, but she’s so young and hearing her just added depth to it. Then you have the typical “My Name Is.” Right of asking kids if they like violence? Do they want to see him stick 9 inch nails through each one of his eyelids? The shock factor is there, but to me it’s funny because it’s so out there from typical rap you would hear. Even now you wouldn't hear a rapper saying something like that. Then he has the music video to go along with it. Having this Pee Wee Hermon vibe. He really did hit the nail on the head with the line "Shady, wait a minute, that's my girl, dawg! I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off!" and that’s exactly what he did when he hit the scene. So many pissed off mothers. Looking back it’s funny to picture your sitcom Mother getting upset with a kid listening to Shady.

Chris: I took him more literally, kind of like basketball players wanting to rap and rappers wanting to play basketball but I see the where you’re trying to go with that. I would probably say the funniest one to me was “My Fault”. Eminem is really gifted when it comes to these, I don’t know what you want to call them, but dialogue raps (?) “Dave, pull up your pants/ We need an ambulance/There’s a girl upstairs talking to plants”. I personally place a lot of value on comedy in my Hip Hop. I’m a big fan of Cam’ron and it’s mostly because I think he is funny. I’d say the same thing about someone like Paul Wall.

Dom: I sit parallel with you two in the fact that he was great storyteller with a knack for comedic relief. After listening to the album for probably the 100th time since my ears lost their virginity to it in 1999, it's absolutely hilarious from top to bottom. The comedy is best captured in "Guilty Conscience" all the way to the skits when Paul is calling him to say "cool it down". Comedy and music are similar in that they're a release for us, while at the same time listening to story we can relate with. 

Eminem feat. Dr. Dre – “Guilty Conscience”

 

 Ronald Stein – “Go Home Pigs”

 

Chris: How do YOU feel about the “The Slim Shady LP” in 2020? Has it stood the test of time for you?

Dom: It has aged like a fine wine, and makes even more sense to me that it did then, which is the beauty of the album. When it first dropped it was preposterous, unsettling, shook our foundation and now looking back, he was ahead of his time, and the message was meant for 2020. God help humanity!

Chris: The only Eminem albums I’ve really ever been into are this one and the “Marshall Mathers LP”, so I was going into this review as a fan of the album and actually, I enjoyed it more this time around. It’s funny how your sensibilities will change as you get older. I remember listening to this back when it came out and there wasn’t really anything that was said stood out is particularly offensive. Listening to it in 2020, it was a lot of shaking my head while nodding it, but I think the overall product is really good. I’m not sure about the other works in the Bass Brothers’ catalog but this one has to be up there for them and Eminem’s skills are on full display on tracks like “My Name is”, “Role Model” and the song with Royce da 5’9”. Eminem and Royce da 5’9” have done some collaborations together under the moniker Bad Meets Evil that are really good and really encourage you to check out. Random story but back in the day, I had it set up so that my computer would play the first 30 seconds of the instrumental to “Scary Movie” whenever it was turned on. Anyway, “The Slim Shady LP” is definitely an entertaining listen. 

Mike T.: I'd say yes! Also being older you get the references or jokes more throughout the album. I was 9 when this album came out so if I listened to the song I was just repeating words because those were the lyrics. I didn't know what he was talking about. Now though, I'd say I appreciate the humor, and the lyricism more because I'm old enough to. Eminem really broke the mold. He gave no fucks because what did he have to lose? Go balls to the wall, and it paid off. Making his mark on the world "The Slim Shady LP" has stood the test of time 21 years later. I might not have been able to really appreciate the album when it came out, but now that’s not a problem. This is something I really appreciate about doing these reviews is that a lot of these albums we've gone over have been early to later 90's so it’s a nice throwback to the good old days. Because being a 90's kid you heard this stuff growing up, but you don't get to listen to it or appreciate it like you can now.  

Black Star - "Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star"

“Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star” was released on September 29, 1998 on Rawkus Records. The name Black Star pays tribute to the Black Star Line, which was a shipping company established, with the help of Marcus Garvey, to help incoporate Black owned businesses into the global economy, thereby promoting economic independence in the Black community. The Black Star moniker was aptly chosen because like the Black Star Line, Mos Def (now known as Yasin Bey) and Talib Kweli were socially conscious, pro-Black and their label was independent. Both Mos Def and Talib Kweli, who both had already released singles on Rawkus, postponed their solo projects in order to work on an album together. Half of the tracks were produced by the Rawkus staple, Hi-Tek, and the other half were split up between Da Beatminerz, Shawn J. Period, J. Rawls, Ge-ology and 88-Keys. Many consider the Black Star album to be the finest of the Rawkus releases and the collaboration between Mos and Talib to be one of the best duos in Hip Hop history. 

 Guest review with Sean (@bort_sampson_) 

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Chris: So why did you want to review “Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star”? 

Sean: I like reviewing these old Rawkus records in general because they were so ingrained in our lives back then. Damn near every drop, we were at Hastings coping the new – Talib, Hi-Tek, Big L, Reflection Eternal. And the one that had already dropped, we copped those too – Mos, Pharaoh, High & Mighty, and of course Black Star. Give that we both consider this album a classic, I wanted to see what your current thought on it were, and if you still considered it a classic. 

Chris: Indeed, that was back when you were judged by the quality of your CD book. I don’t think I ate lunch one time in High School haha. All that lunch money went towards CDs.

I actually heard “Black on Both Sides” before I had heard the Black Star album and I’m pretty sure the first time I heard it was on a burned copy I had gotten from you, Sean. Do you guys have any memories of listening to “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star”?

Sean: Same here. “Black on Both Side” was my introduction to both Mos and Talib. I do remember thinking I had to cop Black Star the moment I found out about it. I think it actually took a minute to find it in store and being pretty stoked when I finally did.

Chris: Oh man! I love that feeling of finding a coveted album in the stores. You don’t get that nowadays just the disappointment of when something is available for streaming like De La Soul’s catalog, although you can find it all, in various qualities, on YouTube.

A lot of people consider “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star” to be one of the shining examples of the Conscious Hip Hop movement of the late 90s and early 2000s. Is Conscious Hip Hop a sub-genre you gravitated towards? Is there a song in particular on this album that stood out for its message?

Sean: Not necessarily. I would say my taste in Hip Hop was pretty broad. On one hand, I loved artists that were “conscious” or “backpackers”, like Black Star, Common, De La Soul, Tribe, etc. But, I also loved old school, early 90s Dr Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube. On a third hand, I also liked the late 90s Cash Money squad, Pop Rap, and underground stuff. And I wouldn’t listen to something simply because it was something, I tried to keep a pretty open mind.

Chris: I’m definitely on the same boat as you. It was pretty much all just Hip Hop to me but I do remember a lot of people referred to “conscious” Hip Hop as “underground” Hip Hop. Definitely was asked the question, “Do you like Underground?” and remember people saying they were only into “underground.” I guess because “conscious” Hip Hop was pushed on the airwaves as much some of the other musicians you mentioned.

 

Chris: DJ Hi-Tek produced “Definition”, “Re:Definition”, “K.O.S.”, “Respiration” and “Twice Inna Lifetime” on this album. Where do you think Hi-Tek’s work on this album ranks with the rest of his discography? 

Sean: I think pretty high, if not his best. I mean, this album is pretty widely considered to be the pinnacle of the Rawkus catalog, and the songs you mentioned are some stone cold classics. So, I think by definition, it almost has to be his best work. Hi-Tek was pretty instrumental in shaping the Rawkus sound and put out so many bangers for Rawkus back then, so I think it’s closer than one would think. The Reflection Eternal and “Hi-Teknology” albums are pretty underrated in my opinion, and generally speaking Hi-Tek doesn’t get enough love for his work. I was looking for “Hi-Teknology” the other day on Rhapsody and was disappointed it wasn’t streaming there.

Chris: Definitely. Mike and I actually reviewed “Hi-Teknology” in one of our earlier posts and I felt like it really held up. Based on the tracks mentioned here, Black Star almost should be Mos, Talib and Hi-Tek but then again, I was so pumped to hear a Black Star album with Madlib behind the boards! Hopefully, we’ll get to hear that one day.

I think one of the cool things about Mos and Talib is the homage they pay to Hip Hop. There is “B Boys will B Boys”, the reinterpretation of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”, the BDP inspired “Definition” and many other references throughout the album. Is this something that you enjoyed as well?

Black Star - "Definition"

Boogie Down Productions - "Remix for P is Free"

 

Yellowman – “Zungguzungguzungguzeng”

 

Sean: It was something I appreciated the more I listened to it and the older I got. Back then, I was less invested in the homages or references they were making than I was in whether or not I connected with the song. Once you connect, then you begin to take that next step and dig deeper into the material, which is what happened to me. And I think that’s a pretty cool way to learn about the history of something.

Chris: Did you all have any favorite tracks?

Sean: My favorite track is “Respiration.”

Chris: That’s a great one! Mine has become a favorite track now that we decided to revisit this album, “Thieves in the Night”. Bree and I saw Talib in concert about a year ago. I think of seen Talib literally about 15 times in my lifetime. We used to have this joke that he was rent a room in house behind LA Underground. Anyway, he introduced the song “Thieves in the Night” by saying it wasn’t a song he performed very often but he felt like it was very pertinent during these times and I couldn’t agree more. The chorus is a quote for Toni Morrison’s book “The Bluest Eye”. I really recommend the book and giving the song a couple of more spins. 

Black Star - "Thieves in the Night"

 

Chris: Let’s talk about the song “Respiration.” Of course, it features Common, who although he wasn’t signed to Rawkus Records but appeared on 3 of the Top 10 Rawkus songs, according to Complex. Actually, Complex has their number 1 song in their ranking of the Top 50 Rawkus Records Songs. Since you guys are pretty well versed in the Rawkus catalog, do you agree with that ranking? 

 Black Star feat. Common - "Respiration"

  

Sean: Yes, I agree with that. To me, it’s the quintessential Rawkus song – first, you have two hyper intellectual MCs that were probably the biggest names on the label and a third hyper intellectual MC who could’ve been, and who should have and who many people thought was. Second, the subject material was classic Rawkus – a deep look at the world around each of them, much deeper that “murder, drugs and bitches” and other Gangsta rap ethos of the time. And finally, it was produced by Hi-Tek, who played a large role in shaping the Rawkus sound. If I could only listen to one track from the Rawkus catalog, this would probably be it.

Chris: Knowing how big of a fan you are of “Black on Both Side”, I thought you would have said “Ms. Fatbooty”. I actually don’t agree with the ranking. When I think of THEE quintessential Rawkus song, the first one that comes to my mind is “1-9-9-9” or even “Definition” from this album. I was surprised Complex ranked “1-9-9-9” 5th and “Definition” was 27th! 

So this is the third Rawkus release we’ve reviewed together (“Black on Both Side, “Home Field Advantage” and now “Black Star”). On our review of “Home Field Advantage,” the three of us all agreed that “Black Star” was the best album in the Rawkus discography. Now that the album is a little fresher in our minds, do you still feel the same about the album?

Sean:  I do agree with that – this still is the gold standard of Rawkus records for me, along with “Black on Both Sides”. Great flows, great beats, a deep dive into Hip Hop history, phenomenal album art work and two MCs who were at the height of their abilities. In addition, it has a good mix of bangers, “Definition” and “Re:Definition”, and more introspective songs, like “Brown Skin Lady” and “Thieves in the Night”, and a certifiable classic that is and in an introspective banger like “Respiration”. This album is like J Lo, it just keeps getting better with age.

MF Grimm - "The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera"

Percy Carey, or MF Grimm, while not well-known in Pop Culture is one of Hip Hop music’s greatest treasures. MF Grimm released his studio debut, “The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera”, on his own label, Day by Day Entertainment on January 12, 2002. On the album, Grimm chronicles the life decisions he made that led him to his current state, paralyzed from the waist down after being shot 10 times. Grimm’s, is a story of resilience and self-awareness, two qualities not too many have. After being sentence to life in prison for narcotics and conspiracy related charges, Grimm paid $100,000 for one-day bail, in order to record what would become “The Downfall of Ibliys” in 24 hours. Grimm received production help from MF Doom, Dr. Butcher, Cas, Count Bass D and others. “The Downfall of Ibliys” is an underground classic and should be required listening for anyone claiming to be a MF Doom fan. 

 *****3rd review with Mike T (@mike_t_bvnm) 

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Chris: Let’s first discuss how we got here. You wanted to review another album but you weren’t sure what album. You asked me to come up with a list of 7 albums. You then narrowed it down to 3 and chose an album from those final 3 based the album cover alone. You ended up choosing MF Grimm’s “The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera.” Can you explain what drew you to “The Downfall of Ibliys”? 

Mike: What drew me to this album was the visual representation of the title to the album art. I wanted to choose an album for us to listen to that I had no idea what the album sounded like or anything. I thought it would be a fun way to choose an album rather than just a conventional "how about this one?". Plus "A Ghetto Opera" that in itself is just an intriguing title. Plus, little did I know that the album or the artist I picked would offer a little more than just an album to listen to. You let me know he had written a graphic novel. So that added a cool little bonus for this review.

Chris: Well, I was really excited when you chose it! MF Grimm is not a name you hear a lot of people mention and a lot of times you’ll wonder, why not? 

Anyway, I’m sure you gathered from listening to the album that Ibliys is an alias of Satan’s and as you know, Satan is a fallen angel. On this album Grimm likens himself to Ibliys, in that they had a similar downfall. Ibliys from heaven and Grimm from a solid upbringing. On “The Downfall of Ibliys” Grimm details his demise but to me, it’s not in a way that glorifies what he did but rather he’s taking ownership of the things he did. Was that the impression he left on you? And what is your opinion on rappers who like to, for lack of a better way of saying it, confess their crimes on record? 

Mike: I can agree with you on this that the story he is telling isn't a glorification of his actions, but a spoken ownership of what he's down throughout his life. Going from child actor on Sesame Street to Hustling weed in a wheelchair on the daily. You get the feeling he understood what he did as a man, and that is why it feels like an announcement of ownership of his actions. If you read the book there's a point early on in the story where he mentions he knows what's bad, but it was fun, and felt good. Now in regards to rappers who confess their crimes on record. I think a lot of the time it feels like they are trying to gain what people today refer to as Clout. But then again not many rappers nowadays even come close to the level of "gangster" that rappers from MF Grimm's era did. 

Chris: Let’s talk about the song “Life and Death.” In it, Grimm talks about his struggle with doing right and the seductiveness of the excitement of doing wrong. He refers to both Life and Death as “her” as if they are two women competing for his love and attention. Life being the girl you want to take home to introduce her to your folks and Death, the girl you and everyone knows is wrong for you but you still mess with her. What did you think of the song “Life and Death” and its message? Mike: This song was one I had to listen to a few more times once you asked me this question. You made me look into this deeper than the original impression it gave me. I liked how you described each. "Life" is the girl you want to bring home to your folks, but "Death" she's the one that brings excitement to your life, but at a toxic cost. After listening to the song a few more times it makes you think. How bad is going down a straight path? You flirt, build a pathway with "Life", and it's great. It brings joy, success, and fulfillment. Yet it misses that excitement of spontaneity. Then "Death" comes into your life, and in Grimm's words who you meet "through her cousin sleep" things change. I think this song is his way of saying "look kids this is what happens when you choose the wrong relationship" because even though he knew it was a bad relationship to get into he just didn't listen. 

Chris: It’s a very relatable song, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. We all have to deal with that expectation of doing the right thing instead of pursuing things that are more pleasurable even if they

are more harmful.

MF Grimm – “Life and Death” 

 

Chris: The majority of the production on the album was handled by MF Doom under his alias Metal Fingers. When you’re going to have a conversation about MF Grimm it is almost going to include Doom and vice versa. What did you think about the production on the album and the tracks (“Foolish” and “Voice Pt. 1” featuring MF Doom? 

 

Mike: I think the production of this album, and the songs I felt embodied that East Coast sound. Like Wu-Tang. MF Grimm's album had that raw sound to all of it. Look at the intro of "Voice Pt. 1" when the track starts it legit sounds like some one is just singing a song they like in their car. That's the feeling this album gave me while listening to it. I think that is one thing this album really did well with is the production. Because it gives the listener that sense of this was recorded in a small venue somewhere in a hidden part of Brooklyn. I personally feel that if you are a true Hip Hop head. Especially the underground hip hop scene this is the sound you love. The sound that makes these artist who they are. I like it because its authentic, but in the end its not my favorite. Without doing these reviews with you I wouldn't have learned about this though. So with that I am Team West Coast haha. But I'm glad I've learned what I have from these. It's been a fun experience, and I'm looking forward to the next review. 

MF Grimm & MF Doom - "I Hear Voices Part 0 & 1"

   

Chris: As part of this review, we both read MF Grimm’s comic “Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm”. What did you think of it? Did it change the way you listened to the album? 

Mike: I really liked the book, and I am not a big reader. Granted it was a graphic novel, but still I usually don't enjoy reading that much. This was a cool bonus for this review when you mentioned he had done a book. I enjoyed how it went through his life from the beginning. From hanging out with Big Bird, to getting out of prison. There were a few things that the book informed me that you wouldn't have learned from the album in my position. Like him getting involved with Death Row Records. Performing with Tupac, Snoop, and a handful of other artists. So, it was really cool to learn more about the person behind the album itself, and get a little bit of a visual adaptation of what I was listening to. Music like a book can paint a picture for your mind. Especially Hip Hop artists like Grimm. Because their music isn't just a catchy hook. It's a story. It made me want to listen to the album again and try and see where in the book the song is talking about. It didn't exactly work like that haha, but it was fun to see the progression of Grimm's life from album to book.

Chris: Grimm is well known for his dope features and for his prowess as a ghostwriter. When I think of Grimm, one of the first tracks that comes to mind is the song he did with Kool G, “Take ‘Em To War”. Are there any tracks on “The Downfall of Ibliys” that stand out to you for their lyrical content? Mike: The first song that comes to mind for lyrical content immediately is "Teach the Babies". This song comes to mind because of how he twists the everyday ABC's. It might not be the most crazy lyrically driven song on the album, but a song that sticks out for lyrical content this song was the first thing i thought of. Just because honestly, it's a creative twist to something pretty basic. 

MF Grimm - "Teach the Babies"

   

Chris: What were some of your favorite tracks? 

Mike: Favorite tracks this is always a hard question because I feel with these reviews they always change the more you listen to the album. Because you pick up on more things that might not have caught your attention initially. So to keep this one short I'll list my 3 favorite tracks. "Foolish", "Rain Blood", and "Omega". This style of Hip Hop is still a little harder for me to fully dive into because of the raw style. Not being someone who has grown up listening to hip hop it's a different taste. Not bad at all, just different. It keeps to the authentic late 80's early 90's hip hop. Honestly next to the Wu-Tang review I never really knew this was a style of hip hop. But I've learned to appreciate that authenticity in the album. 

Chris: “Rain Blood”! Such a dope track. It is one song on the album that doesn’t feature Grimm’s vocals. Megalon kills that Doom beat. 

 MF Grimm feat. Megalon - "Rain Blood"

   

Chris: Other than “Life and Death”, my favorite track is “Words” which was produced by my guy Count Bass D. I dig the introspection and the dope harmonica sample. You don’t find a lot of harmonica sampled in Hip Hop, leave it to Count Bass D. 

 MF Grimm - "Words" (Produced by Count Bass D) 

 

 Andrae Crouch - "I'll Be Thinking About You"

   

Chris: Probably my favorite part of reviewing albums with you is that you’re coming from into these reviews blind. I think it’s safe to say that had it not been for the way we chose to review this album, the likelihood of you hearing MF Grimm wouldn’t have been very great, where for me, MF Grimm is one of the best. So now that you’ve heard MF Grimm, where does he rate in with the other rappers you’ve heard? Has listening to “The Downfall of Ibliys” encouraged you to check out more of the MF Grimm discography? 

Mike: Oh, I for sure would not have thought to check out MF Grimm's music. That's why I felt this would be a fun/different way to choose an album to listen to. Now after listening to this album would I listen to more of his work? I will check out some more of his stuff. See how or if his style changed as his releases came out, because you know no artist puts out something that sounds the same their entire career. You asked me where I rate him compared to other artists I've listened to. I still want to say Dr. Dre, and the West Coast rappers rank higher. There's just something about the West Coast style that for me I enjoy more. The East Coast from doing these reviews with you I've noticed are the more raw, and real artists in the way the record. Whereas the West Coast guys I personally think they have a more generic structure to their songs. They have a catchy hook, and more a beat that I pertain to like when listening to Hip Hop, but I like that because of these reviews I get to expand on music I've never listened to or thought of listening to. 

Chris: I really enjoyed listening to this album again, even more now knowing the back story. Just straight loop based Hip Hop, reminding me of the late 80s, the Golden era. I appreciate Grimm’s honesty and the lengths that he went through to get this album out there. I’ve often heard people say that your first album is often your best because you’ve had your whole life up to that point to create that record. I think this holds true in this case.