Review: The Silent Partner - @mobbdeephavoc & @Alchemist; A Niles P. Joint

When a new project is announced but not yet released, as a writer you let your imagination wander a bit.  Is your favorite emcee or group going to break new ground?  Will it be innovative or pandering to the new kids?  Will they maintain quality or sacrifice style for substance?  When I heard Havoc and The Alchemist were putting out a joint album called The Silent Partner, I immediately knew what time it was.  I wasn’t going to be sold a false bill of goods, I’m getting violent ass lyrics over brooding beats.  That’s each man’s calling card, especially when Al works with either or both members of Mobb Deep.  But in this case, even if you have the game plan figured out ahead of time, there can be a real beauty in sticking to the script.  

This album is well structured, first of all.  The duo keeps it light and only has three guest appearances, all from legends.  Naturally, Prodigy showed up for some gun talk on The Gun Holds a Drum.  Going over 20 years strong and the Mobb still has it on lock.  Elsewhere, Buck 50’s & Bullet Wounds renews a musical alliance with the Wu, in this case it’s Method Man.  Over a dirty piano and ghastly choir, the dudes from the legendary crews put fear in the hearts of wack/soft rappers.  For the conclusion Hear Me Now, Havoc doesn’t even have to leave Queensbridge for a guest verse.  Cormega is the best in the business when it comes to introspective raps and that’s the nature of this song.  They tag team the hell out of it and close the album out on a thoughtful note.

While he has his own legendary chops as a producer, Havoc turns it over to Alchemist for the entirety of the project.  I’d assume it would be somewhat tough as a producer to surrender the boards entirely to someone else.  But The Alchemist and Mobb Deep are close and you can tell that there’s a mutual trust there.  And Al doesn’t disappoint.  While he’s known for his darker & grittier instrumentals, he manages to have some lighter ones mixed in.  Maintain (Fuck How You Feel) was the first single; it’s built around a soulful sample that is actually kind of upbeat.  Out The Frame has chimes reminiscent of your grandmother’s music box and a lurking piano.  Of course Havoc lays down some hardcore bars over both of these songs, bringing forth an interesting disparity.  Later on, the pair makes some Smooth Ride Music which has a terrific mix of cuts and scratches, a scant bongo, some keyboard work, and a lone saxophone.  The backbone is the bullying bassline which takes place of traditional percussion.  This song should preferably be listened to after 9pm only.

As a rapper, Havoc has often been overshadowed by his brother in arms Prodigy.  P has had a gaggle of solo releases over the years while Hav’s greatness is usually mentioned when it comes to his production.  So it’s good to see the silent partner put out a solid album with a talented friend/producer who can match his grit musically.  Neither steps too far outside of their comfort zone, instead sticking to what’s worked for decades.  The Carhartt & constructs crew (think hardcore East Coast heads) will undoubtedly love this one.  It goes for a traditional sound without being at all stale and keeps things trim at 11 tracks.  While some may like more experimentation in their raps, you get what you pay for here.  There’s a real comfort in simplicity and tradition, and Havoc and The Alchemist bring out the best in each other on this album.  It’s dark but fun in a mischievous way, a soundtrack for when you're up to no good.  As an ending note, The Alchemist has now fully produced solo albums for both Havoc and Prodigy.  We can only hope now for an Alchemist-produced Mobb Deep album.  If and when it happens, you know what to expect, and you’ll love it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

#ICYMIMonday: Dudley Boyz - @WESTSIDEGUNN feat. @ActionBronson, prod. @Alchemist; A Niles P. Joint

Westside Gunn is a hard rapper to keep up with.  Dude’s been in high demand it seems, as he’s featured on a new song damn near every week.  Last week, he released Dudley Boyz featuring Action Bronson.  It was so good I had to revisit it.  Named after the popular wrestling tag team, Bronsolino bullies the track before tagging Gunn for the knockout.  It clocks in at a hair over two minutes, it feels more grand than that.  This can be attributed to the symphonic string section which powers the song.  The Alchemist adds to his impressive production resume with this one.  Dude could probably score a major motion picture or conduct an orchestra at this point.  The juxtaposition of two hard NY rappers over such beautiful production is why I love this genre.  Listen to Dudley Boyz after the break and look out for my review of Westside Gunn’s forthcoming album FLYGOD coming soon.  

#ICYMIMonday: Carrollton Heist - @CurrenSy_Spitta & @Alchemist; A Niles P. Joint

Curren$y is equal parts prolific and cool.  Over the years he’s had nearly fifty projects released, between solo albums, EPs, mixtapes, and collaborative projects.  And each one displays an unwavering confidence in each syllable he writes.  Carrollton Heist is his second collabo project with super producer The Alchemist, the first being the superb Covert Coup.  Five years later, they reconvened for another free EP/mixtape, this time with no warning.  While most fans would be happy with whatever these two put out, they managed to surpass the last joint with a project that’s even more cohesive and plays like a vintage Hollywood flick set in New Orleans.  Long story short: it’s cinematic in scope, despite still qualifying as an EP.

Cartridge feels like it’s tailor made for the opening titles of a movie.  Spitta has his usual understated bravado bars present, but the drum decrescendo Alchemist slides in is brilliant. The film noire vibe is heavy in Black Rally Stripes, especially in lines like “Man/ Bourbon St. secrets & avenue scams/ Shit get deeper/ The more you know, you prolly wish you didn’t know.”  This is a setup that pays off at the end of the next track Vibrations.  But first, we’re treated to an interpolation of the chorus of N.O. classic Ha.  With the help of a prominent saxophone, Curren$y puts his foot down lyrically.  It can’t be undersold: duke sounds like a rap Humphrey Bogart in his poise.  The final quarter of the track is a dialogue sample from an old-timey film that features dudes discussing a heist, hence the EP title.

The Alchemist has always had a heavy element of spookiness in his production, and Disappearing Ink featuring Styles P. is a prime example.  It’s dark without the cliché of feeling like a gritty reboot.  Inspiration has the electric piano wheezing along as Spitta shows you how he’s “cooler than a polar bear’s toenails.”  Action Bronson, also a frequent Alchemist collaborator, makes an appearance and spits some bars straight out of a classic mob flick.  The dialogue sampling  returns, but this time it’s at the beginning of 500 Pounds of Gas.  The sample talks about chemical warfare, the lyrics are more so about large quantities of herb.  Spitta will always find clever ways to talk about weed.  At the end the characters talk about dividing up money.  More clever wordplay is abound in The Mack Book, which goes with a more Blaxploitation-type route but nonetheless fits into the overall scheme.  

93 AMG is more grim & melancholy fare in its tone.  It only has one verse and serves as a set up to a discussion where the characters in the sample talk about doing a dry run of their heist.  The tone goes full New Orleans in the penultimate Fat Albert.  Curren$y opens the track, but Lil Wayne dominates the last two thirds of the track with uninterrupted rapping.  The veteran still has a little something in the tank.  Smoking in the Rain is the pensive conclusion as Curren$y waxes nostalgic about a woman while still maintaining a quiet tenacity.

The most incredible thing about this album is that it was created in a literal day.  The mastery of both rapper & producer on this project is apparent.  What’s also impressive is the fact that both dudes had enough clout to get three high-profile guest appearances despite it being created on short notice.  The greedy ass fan in me wishes that it was a little bit longer.  At under half an hour it falls into EP range, with three of the ten tracks being just over two minutes each.  But at the end of the day, it served its purpose and had more range and creativity than most other projects that may be longer in running time.  There’s no filler or wasted motion.  Carrollton Heist shows that when Curren$y and The Alchemist link up musically, it’s a championship combination every time.

Rating: 4.80 out of 5

Download Carrollton Heist via DatPiff here.

Mr. Wonderful - @ActionBronson Album review by @Niles_C

Despite the growing popularity of independent releases and mixtapes that sound more like albums, having a solid major label debut is still seen as the crowning achievement in a rapper’s career by many observers.  If you've built a fan base independently, do you use the exact same formula that brought you there, or do you use your new found label-backing and try something new?  Action Bronson is the prime example of being at this juncture.  The chef-turned-emcee has garnered critical acclaim with independent albums, mixtapes, an an EP well before his major label debut Mr. Wonderful was even conceived.  He faced the challenge of simultaneously appeasing both his diehard fans and label suits/potential new fans.  Going too far in any direction could result in a whack debut.  Fortunately, Action Bronson made it work.  The Queens native managed to stay true to his roots and personality while trying some new things that resulted in good singles.

Bronsolino has always rapped over unorthodox samples and continues the trend on Brand New Car that sees Mark Ronson smartly flip Zanzibar by Billy Joel.  As usual, this perfectly suits Action Bronson’s stream of conscious flow.  He further goes back to his well of success when he links up with super producer and long time collaborator Statik Selektah for The Rising.  Everything about this track just sounds triumphant from the keys and vocal samples to the horns and bombastic flow, which are respective trademarks of Statik and Bronson. The latter’s cousin Big Body Bes makes an appearance on the end of the song to talk shit, which is another staple of Action Bronson’s work.  Keeping it all in the family always proves hilarious in this case.  

At this point in the album, Bronson veers off of the beaten path and experiments a little more with his sound.  Terry contains his usual wacky adventures in the lyrics but the real focus is the lush and luxurious beat crafted by The Alchemist. Actin Crazy took awhile for me to get into because I’m not a huge fan of 40’s beats and this one in particular doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the album. However Bronson’s witty lyrics and food references reeled me in eventually.  Falconry is straight NYC grime, feels like it could've came out in ’93. I’ve been quoting it for weeks and The Alchemist once again creates a musical playground for Bronsolino and guests Meyhem Lauren and Big Body Bes.  THUG LOVE STORY 2017 is a man-on-the-street interlude of sorts that sets up City Boy Blues which lives up to its name. This 88-Keys/Party Supplies produced joint is the biggest departure musically for Action Bronson, as he doesn't rap at all but instead sings the blues about a woman doing him wrong. Normally I’d be dismayed about a rapper singing about heartbreak but Bronson does it right on this track. Party Supplies shows up to produce “A Light in the Addict” which once again has humorous lyrics over stupendous instrumentation.  

Baby Blue has more lyrics that derive from a scorned relationship but this time combines Bronson’s rapping/singing with a Mark Ronson beat that is reminiscent of the singer/songwriter era of the 70’s.  Think Karen Carpenter almost.  Chance The Rapper comes and steals the show with a hilariously spiteful verse. Only In America has been my favorite song on the album since it came out.  Party Supplies samples some German guitar riffs that pair with Bronsolino’s (sometimes alliterative) lyrical acrobatics excellently.  His second verse serves as a call to arms of sorts for NY/East Coast hip hop. I love the conviction. It’s vintage Action Bronson mixed with his new commitment to the instrumental side of things.  

Galactic Love has Bronson spitting over a jazzy lounge inspired beat (by The Alchemist) with a slinky baseline. It’s intercut with a phone call between him and his mom. The Passage (Live in Prague) isn’t actually a live song but is just engineered to sound like it is. It does, however, serve as a passage to the the final song and album’s first single (which debuted last year.)  Easy Rider is inspired by the 1969 movie of the same name and feels like a motorcycle ride through the desert.  Party Supplies does it again, creating a flavorful musical backdrop for Action Bronson’s lyrical escapades (these are more storytelling than others.)  This one features another foreign song sampled and some of the most savory guitar licks you'll hear all year, along with an underrated bassline.  

Here’s the thing.  On one hand, Mr. Wonderful is a departure from Action Bronson’s previous projects. You knew he wasn’t going to be able to rhyme over 80’s pop hits from Phil Collins to Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam like he did before. Not only would that cost a fortune in sample clearances, but it wouldn’t show any actual growth as an artist. Instead, Bronson chooses more extravagant and layered production than he did on his mixtapes and it pays off big time. He managed to do this and still not lose sight of who he is as an artist. He got to try new things while still maintaining his funny ass personality and lyrical stylings he cultivated on all previous projects. Big Body Bes, Meyhem Lauren, and Chance the Rapper make appearances like they’ve done before and he was laced with beats by previous collaborators in The Alchemist, Statik Selektah, and Party Supplies (Harry Fraud is surprisingly absent from this album.)  Adding Mark Ronson, 88-Keys, and even 40 only helped the proceedings.  It’s like moving into a more modern and bigger house, only you keep your personal style on the interior and manage to combine all of your old friends with a few of your new neighbors.  That’s what Action Bronson did on Mr. Wonderful.  On a more abstract note, this album’s essence is like an 80’s action movie mixed with the finest margherita pizza on the East Coast mixed with “Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful.  At 13 tracks total (11 songs and 2 interludes) I just wish it was longer.  I’m used to the sprawling tracklists of his mixtapes like the Blue Chips series (this might not be possible on a major label debut, possibly because of the aforementioned sample clearances.)  But I can definitely appreciate Action Bronson’s musical ambition and ultimate growth that definitely resulted in a wonderful ass debut album and one of the best of the year.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5