Corrosive Material

Mostly music, most of the time.

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Review: Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel

June 23, 2011

Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel

I think I had an expectation, like everyone else. Eminem. Royce. Has to be that piff. Right?

Yes….and no…but mostly yes. I don’t need to explain the re-up and the concept of the duo, since it’s been told over and over in every music publication in print or online. They are comparable MC’s, and it’s not always clear who’s doper. Well, let me be clear – Eminem destroys. But Royce is right there with him, track for track – which is really the story of the album. I mean, let’s be perfectly honest – that is what people wanted to know. Can Royce really keep up with one of the dopest MC’s in the history of life? And he’s more than apt for the challenge. I think it’s actually time that people, to include myself, just give Royce his due as one the best out now, and the last howmanyever years.

The negative? The production leaves a lot to be desired. It’s not wack, it’s (more than) occasionally lackluster. I just feel like they could’ve went out and got different beats. I sort of wish they got Pharoahe Monch and Just Blaze to do a beat. They’ve mastered making crazy beats that don’t take away from a (super) lyrical performance – but that’s me. I really think “I’m On Everything” should have been left off. It’s not because it’s not funny or anything (it is), but I’m looking for straight lyrics….not Mike Epps.

Overall though, the album is a success. The lyrics are outstanding, and they have excellent chemistry. It’s really sounds like two very good friends enjoying rapping for their other friends, and each other. It’s a relaxed effort, and they know exactly where their collective bread is buttered – making ill bars. And they don’t disappoint. As of this review – it’s the #1 record in America – maybe real Mc’ing is back.

Grade: B. Mark one in the winner’s slot for lyrical rap.

Review: Various Shady Records artists – Shady 2.0

April 4, 2011

Various Shady Records artists – Shady 2.0

A very interesting mixtape – something Em isn’t known for doing. But he and the rest of the crew go pretty hard. It’s a strong mixtape, showcasing a lot of the best quality in the revamped label. Not a lot to go in on – straight beats and lyrics….no gimmicks. I have to say tho – Yelawolf KILLS this thing.

Grade: B+. I just wish the beats went a little harder on some of the tracks.

Pick of the Day – June 22nd: Eminem – Recovery

June 22, 2010

Eminem – Recovery

I’m going to say something that might surprise some readers: at the present time, Eminem is the best emcee out, right now. Period. You can say what you’d like about a lot of the other super dope emcees in rap, or that his beats aren’t as strong as they should be sometimes. Or that he caters to pop fans. And you can make a valid argument on all of those. But it works. For better or worse, it works, and it works to a level that he’s basically the only viable platinum rapper out now – aside from Jay-Z. But not one soul will be able to say to can’t rap his ass off – case in point to everything stated above: this album.

The mixtures of genres is something he’s always done, and it continues here. There aren’t a lot of straight forward “hip hop” beats on this album, with a lot of rock/alternative sounding beats dominating the album. However, he goes hard on all of it. It’s a much better effort than Relapse, and one of the more complete albums he’s put out. I looked at the Pitchfork review, written by Jayson Greene, which is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not going to attack his writing – he is writing for Pitchfork and I write on a little blog…..but I’m going to have to question the man’s taste in rap, or understand the skill Em actually has. He makes a comment saying that Em basically doesn’t “coexist” with beats. This is where I’m going to tie a couple things together.

Jayson is exactly right and completely wrong. He’s missing the point – the beats no longer matter. Em is at a stage lyrically that the beats are just arbitrary pieces in the songs….just something for him to bob to, when he’s rapping. That fact that is uses the rap/rock songs to back his raps is just for his fans…..and this is actually the issue I have with him. I think he can be somewhat detrimental to rap music. He will sell a million albums, but the majority of the buyers don’t understand his skill; they just like the way the songs sound, and the fact that he looks like them. These people probably will not purchase the new Black Milk album that’s coming soon. If you can have Eminem, a top-end rapper, why would you need to check out an on-par/better emcee like Lupe Fiasco, Elzhi, or Black Thought from the Roots? It’s that flawed thinking, and unwillingness to support the very thing that holds Eminem up, that hurts other rappers. Those rappers WANT to blow, and sell a million records too (don’t let them deceive you). However, if you’re a notch below or even, besides the fact that you’re coming in with harder beats, it’s going to be difficult to break all the way through like a Jay-Z, a one of a kind who’s shown the perfect combination of traits necessary for stardom. Rap is like sports, in that people love to compare. If you don’t listen to hip hop, aside from Mathers, you will have a very skewed view of the genre, and what is required to be dope. You can say “Eminem is the best,” and on any given day/album, you’d be right, but you’d have no clue how deep that statement runs.

I will get down off my soapbox. This is a pretty good album, not classic, just pretty good. I think he just needs to get up on some harder beats, and reclaim some of that Soundbombing flavor. It’s a little too poppy for me in certain tracks, but as I said before, he is (still) an absolute beast lyrically, and might be slightly improved. Two videos: an album cut…and the super ill cipher with Em, Black Thought, and Mos Def.