4.0 out of 5
Brick Records
Brick Records
It's the most asinine question conscious purists and other lames have been posing for, roughly, the last 20 years:
What's the current state of hip-hop?
A fair gauge of the landscape can be found on emerging beat ace Statik Selektah's top notch LP wherein an avalanche of b-team starters huddle together for warmth. Ah, the producer-cashes-in-a-favor posse album, a rap benchmark. Here we find weathered veterans still putting pen to paper (Souls of Mischief, Kool G Rap), newly independent, trusted names years removed from crossover fame (Styles P of The Lox, Freeway of The Roc, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Little Brother's North Carolina brethren, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, Royce Da 5'9'' of being Eminem's come up partner written out of history when Jay-Z paid for "Renegade," Bun B of UGK), borderline buzz/underling dudes (Wale, Consequence, Termanology, Saigon, Sean Price), assorted r&b vocalists for hooks and the requisite Talib Kweli feature.
By the way the hip-hop's first class can be found by checking the guest list of DJ Khaled's forthcoming blockbuster, Victory.
100 Proof: The Hangover carries no direct, unifying theme (rapper J.F.K. talks circles during an elegantly scored but otherwise pointless interlude that begins with cliché-to-the-nth-power opening line for spoken exchanges on rap skits, "a lot of people ask me...") but the good-natured, soul food comforting, delectable beats inspire benchmark performances. Also, the grim realities of hip-hop's current state (sorry) are evident in the skeptical future of these guest bars:
"We living like everyday urgent"
- Wale
"We do shit, like a rob a club with a pool stick"
- Saigon
"Too many vultures in it/I think Nas said 'Hip-hop is dead' because he couldn't see the culture in it"
- Styles P
So yeah, about that state: rap videos are dead, rap albums are dead, conscious rap is dead, power players are realigning, there's a chasm between Internet hype and tangible payoff, and there's three prime routes to carving out a niche: shows, focusing on digestible, short albums, combining forces. With this backdrop, 100 Proof feels celebratory, respectful, vital like hard liquor down your insides when it's cold.
"Wouldn't it be nice if the banks didn't fuck up the loans and people didn't have to move out they homes?"
That's a wide-eyed, vulnerable Bun B on opening track, "So Close, So Far," Selektah's beat is bright and hollow and the joint knocks. Lil Fame barks ferociously on two cuts; the North Carolina guys (Torae, Skyzoo, Pooh) kill it. Evidence and some dudes I'm not familiar with toast their home state of California on "The Coast." Termanology brings it on multiple songs. Freeway's "Night People" absolutely crushes with frantic, crazy drums and shimmering piano loops. Yeah, it's rap about rap over sped soul, but it's perfect.
Just listen to this project with the tracklist streaming in front of you and you'll have no problem distinguishing the voices.
- Ramon Ramirez
What's the current state of hip-hop?
A fair gauge of the landscape can be found on emerging beat ace Statik Selektah's top notch LP wherein an avalanche of b-team starters huddle together for warmth. Ah, the producer-cashes-in-a-favor posse album, a rap benchmark. Here we find weathered veterans still putting pen to paper (Souls of Mischief, Kool G Rap), newly independent, trusted names years removed from crossover fame (Styles P of The Lox, Freeway of The Roc, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Little Brother's North Carolina brethren, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, Royce Da 5'9'' of being Eminem's come up partner written out of history when Jay-Z paid for "Renegade," Bun B of UGK), borderline buzz/underling dudes (Wale, Consequence, Termanology, Saigon, Sean Price), assorted r&b vocalists for hooks and the requisite Talib Kweli feature.
By the way the hip-hop's first class can be found by checking the guest list of DJ Khaled's forthcoming blockbuster, Victory.
100 Proof: The Hangover carries no direct, unifying theme (rapper J.F.K. talks circles during an elegantly scored but otherwise pointless interlude that begins with cliché-to-the-nth-power opening line for spoken exchanges on rap skits, "a lot of people ask me...") but the good-natured, soul food comforting, delectable beats inspire benchmark performances. Also, the grim realities of hip-hop's current state (sorry) are evident in the skeptical future of these guest bars:
"We living like everyday urgent"
- Wale
"We do shit, like a rob a club with a pool stick"
- Saigon
"Too many vultures in it/I think Nas said 'Hip-hop is dead' because he couldn't see the culture in it"
- Styles P
So yeah, about that state: rap videos are dead, rap albums are dead, conscious rap is dead, power players are realigning, there's a chasm between Internet hype and tangible payoff, and there's three prime routes to carving out a niche: shows, focusing on digestible, short albums, combining forces. With this backdrop, 100 Proof feels celebratory, respectful, vital like hard liquor down your insides when it's cold.
"Wouldn't it be nice if the banks didn't fuck up the loans and people didn't have to move out they homes?"
That's a wide-eyed, vulnerable Bun B on opening track, "So Close, So Far," Selektah's beat is bright and hollow and the joint knocks. Lil Fame barks ferociously on two cuts; the North Carolina guys (Torae, Skyzoo, Pooh) kill it. Evidence and some dudes I'm not familiar with toast their home state of California on "The Coast." Termanology brings it on multiple songs. Freeway's "Night People" absolutely crushes with frantic, crazy drums and shimmering piano loops. Yeah, it's rap about rap over sped soul, but it's perfect.
Just listen to this project with the tracklist streaming in front of you and you'll have no problem distinguishing the voices.
- Ramon Ramirez
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