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The Mid year report · by Sach O
Because the #1 rule in blogging is to feed the monkey
Best album released so far: Prodigy – Return of the Mac
The reviews have been mixed but there’s no doubt in my mind that this is the best release of the year so far. Alchemist finally delivers the cohesive full length release we’ve been waiting for since the canceled Big Daddy Kane comeback and Prodigy stages the most surprising comeback in forever (yes hyperbole). Keep the snapping and trapping: as long as I get vivid descriptions of murder over Edwin Starr samples with Geto Boys choruses, I’m good.
Best non boom-bap album released so far: Turf Talk – The West Coast Vaccine
When Noz and I agree on a record, it’s usually pretty damn good. Bay Area heads already know what’s up so I’ll preach to the unconverted here. Ahem: forget your image of Turf Talk as the angry guy on that mediocre DJ Shadow single. Turf’s sophomore effort combines excellent Hyphy-meets-Hip Hop production by Rick Rock and Droop-E with an original rhyme style and an interesting take on gangsta rap subject matter. An excellent starting point for those who think Hyphy is all about bootyshaking and going dumb.
Best potential single: Devin the Dude – She Used to be
The video alone would be way funnier than Norbit. This is the kind of storytelling track that has a hard time surviving in a world full of ADD addled hook-addicted Jibbs fans but given a chance (and a substantial marketing budget) it’d catch on. Too bad Rap-a-Lot won’t spend-a-lot when it comes to the Dude.
Guiltiest pleasure of the summer: Party like a Rockstar
I choose to take this as ironic. Your mileage may vary. Either way it’s only getting bigger and there’s no avoiding it so you might as well make peace with your deity of choice and accept that you’ll be hearing this for another few months.
Biggest waste of a beat: Tie: Kanye West – Stronger/Fabolous – Make Me Better
Dear Clipse: Please include these beats on your next mixtape with plenty of coke talk so I can actually enjoy them. Dear Kanye West and Timbaland: please work with artists that don’t suck. In case you were wondering, your own rapping sucks too.
Most Overrated comeback: Andre 3000
Said it before, will say it again: the emo verses of club tracks are hardly impressive. CC me when Andre stops cribbing his subject matter from Panic at the Disco.
Most thoroughly ripped verse: Sean Price – P Body
Ayo the arm leg leggah arm…Head Megatron/
Decipticon Sean, duke you know my name/
Fuck around and send your ass back from where you came/
Back in the dirt, back in the earth, back off my turf/
Clap cowards, black power, black red green n’ shit/
Smoke sour, sell powder cuz crackheads be needin shit/
Tssh, I’m in the hotel with ganja/
Dope needle, Don Cheedle, Hotel Rwanda/
Go get your patnah, Rock ain’t here nigga/
Go get your mama, my cock right here/
I got this here, this a different doctrine here/
Fuck if the cops in, you’ll get popped in here/
Listen, I fear no man but God/
Matter of fact duke I am the God, P-BODY/
Four Eyes, two arms and three shotties/
Got shit on lock like Irv and Gene Gotti/
A mean mami from Puerto Rico who sell perdico/
And for the right price, princess will pop at your people, P-Body/
THAT’S a dope rhyme.
Crunkest song by a white artist: El-P – Smithereens
There are enough hi-hats on here to satisfy even the most finicky ironic Dipset fan and enough tempo changes to satisfy the most unbearable post-rock fan. I still have no idea what El Producto is talking about but what else is new? It sounds cool and I’m pretty sure that this gets a few hundred sweaty white kids amped on tour.
Best Debut: Joell Ortiz – The Brick: The Bodega Chronicles
This one took a while to grow on me but Ortiz comes pretty damn hard, chooses dope eastcoast beats and has enough life experience to give the album proper weight. Occasionally he dips a little too much into the Illmatic/Ready To Die/Reasonable Doubt pool of self-dramatization but all is forgiven after flow clinics like 125 pt 1-4. Hopefully Dr Dre realizes the potential and actually releases the guy’s Aftermath album. Or not: I’d be satisfied by a few more of these Koch jawns.
Album which has collected the most dust since 2006: TIE Hiphop is Dead/Kingdom Come
Does ANYONE care about these major label fiascos (no Lupe) a few months after the fact? I’m not saying that we told you so but…
Album of least interest to the readers of this site: Rich Boy – Self Titled
Seriously, I’d rather listen to Toby Keith than bump this and I’d rather stab myself in the ear with a rusty screwdriver than do that. When Kanye West remakes your single and out raps you you’re in serious shit my man.
Album of most interest to the readers of this site that they haven’t peeped: Styles P – The Ghost Sessions
Seriously, this is really good. Official review coming soon. Until then…you guys DO realise Extra P and Lil Fame have beats on here, right?
Scariest trend: R&B showing more signs of creativity than Hip Hop
Between R Kelly, Rihanna, Amerie and Beyonce…rappers are in danger. If you count British girl-group revival...they’re straight fucked.
Most Anticipated release: Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told
Maybe it’s the internet feud, but I really want to hear this and judge for myself. Plus the world could use a smart, streetwise Hip Hop album that moves units. Could start a trend or something.
Least Anticipated release: 50 Cent – Curtis/Cam’ron Courtesy Curtis
There’s very little hope that either of these releases will be any good. Any hype is moot.
Release that will never see the light of day: Cuban Linx II
Fuck Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Also, Fuck Raekwon for thinking signing with Aftermath was anything more than career suicide.
Yea: Koch records, gangsta rap, not clearing samples, Rock the Bells, the recognition that Hip Hop ain’t doing so well,
Nay: Major labels, mixtape rappers, dumb rap, Don Imus, backpackers, The Scream Tour, T.I’s single, ringtones, pompous radio DJs, gaudy streetwear, conscious rappers that sound suspiciously like 97 era Puffy.
Top 10…6 of which I still bump
1. Prodigy – Return of the Mac
2. Styles P. – The Ghost Sessions (minus the “bonus” tracks)
3. Turf Talk – The Cure: The West Coast Vaccine
4. Joell Ortiz – The Brick: The Bodega Chronicles
5. Devin the Dude – Waiting to Exhale
6. Sean Price – Jesus Price Superstar
7. El-P – I’ll sleep when you’re dead
8. Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth (I admit may have gone overboard at first)
9. Talib Kweli and Madlib – Liberation
10. Bishop Lamont – Nigger Noize
I find that those british girls are on my playlist alot. Also I’d like to cosign the Ortiz sentiments.
— theaggravatedjew Jun 18, 12:15 PM
every time i listen to Jesus Price Superstar i end up saying “this is definitely the year’s best release…i gotta check out those Styles and Joell Oritz joints
glad to see some love for the Yay
— homeydontplaydat Jun 18, 02:47 PM
that P Body verse is the truth. I play that everyday on the way home from work.
That Styles P mixtape is the truth too. Esp that fake DJ Premier “Come One, Come All” beat. seriously. and “Fuck The Police”. And “Poor Folks”.
Big release.
— khal Jun 19, 09:11 AM
I copped the Turf Talk album after I read this article and the one by Noz, and have to say I am pretty impressed for a mainstream release. As a westcoast fan my whole life (LA born/raised), its good to see a few artists doing the westcoast gangsta thing still, and making it fun/headbanging. This is the first “hyphy” shit I got, and all I can say is I cant tell what makes it “hyphy” but that Rick Rock will be a contender for producer of the year (and Jake One is always on point).
— LAndon Jun 19, 06:19 PM
maan, i love T.I.‘s single. i see how it’s harder to cross over but i really think people’re shatting on this one a bit much.
any interest i had in El-P was killed after i saw his performance on Conan. it might’s well’ve been subtitled “music to kill yourself to,” which i guess makes sense given his title
— T.R.E.Y. Jun 20, 08:14 PM
Ortiz is too nice. I seriously think his album is better than Prodigy’s but whateva, whateva, New York is back on their shit…plus you missed Klashnekoff – Lionheart : Tussle with the Beast. Definitely one of the best releases this year…..
— EnglandRepresent Jun 22, 02:17 AM
“Biggest waste of a beat… Fabolous – Make Me Better”
MAJOR COSIGN!! ...and Neo’s hook: some of the pussiest shit I’ve ever heard.
— Dom from Philly Jun 26, 05:11 PM
I gotta agree with you on that Return of the Mac shit…It’s refreshing to hear someone come out with some hardcore hip hop that doesn’t sound like it came from an edition of mad lib where the key elements of today’s gangster rap are penciled in between mediocre filler-statements.
— RiceCake Jun 27, 10:45 PM