Tuesday night was pretty big for hip-hop and the nets: First leaked Heltah Skeltah’s D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team), the loooooong awaited follow up to their 1998 album Magnum Force. And there’s Termanology’s Politics as Usual, his anticipated freshman album coming on the heels of 812645862148764 mixtape appearances.
Oh, and there’s also some mixtape from Crooked I that I could probably care a bit less about if I tried.
I can tell you right now I’m already feeling Term’s album more than Heltah Skeltah, if for no other reason than that the production lineup is fierce: what other album in the 21st Century does or will ever feature the lineup of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Hi-Tek and Havoc? When dude came out the gate about a year and a half or so ago with “Watch How It Go Down,” it was the best Primo/rapper collaboration since Royce’s “Boom,” and generated a lot of buzz for him. Thing is, Termanology is not consistent, and his uneven flow on this record – vacillating between speedy-dope and dumbed-down generic – proves that he’s yet to find an identity on the mic.
Ruck and Rock, though, maintain their adept lyrical pugilism. The Boot Camp Click mainstays' always-enjoyable court-jester-with-face-stomping-Timbs aesthetic has yet to grow old. Thing is, the production leaves a bit to be desired; Illmind and the almost always-reliable Khrysis just aren’t doing it for me.
This is all after one listen of each album during my bike ride to work. I’m gonna blaze through each again this afternoon.
Oh, and there’s also some mixtape from Crooked I that I could probably care a bit less about if I tried.
I can tell you right now I’m already feeling Term’s album more than Heltah Skeltah, if for no other reason than that the production lineup is fierce: what other album in the 21st Century does or will ever feature the lineup of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Hi-Tek and Havoc? When dude came out the gate about a year and a half or so ago with “Watch How It Go Down,” it was the best Primo/rapper collaboration since Royce’s “Boom,” and generated a lot of buzz for him. Thing is, Termanology is not consistent, and his uneven flow on this record – vacillating between speedy-dope and dumbed-down generic – proves that he’s yet to find an identity on the mic.
Ruck and Rock, though, maintain their adept lyrical pugilism. The Boot Camp Click mainstays' always-enjoyable court-jester-with-face-stomping-Timbs aesthetic has yet to grow old. Thing is, the production leaves a bit to be desired; Illmind and the almost always-reliable Khrysis just aren’t doing it for me.
This is all after one listen of each album during my bike ride to work. I’m gonna blaze through each again this afternoon.
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