The beats on this record are solid gold and the flow kills. I was lamenting the lack of fresh production and solid conscious rhyming in 2004, and that's all because I missed De La Soul's "The Grind Date". If anyone new to the game claims that all of hip-hop's citizens (dictionary definition: A person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or nation) have betrayed hip-hop through "selling out" hasn't listened to this album. I'm not trying to say that hip-hop has always been about consciousness or giving Black America it's own voice, but if you want to talk about advancing an art form in a positive manner, then hear this.
The samples are live and some tracks rely heavily on motown hooks while others still synthesize new school sampling and synths making this a heavy contender for some of the most important innovators in hip-hop. Am I over stating this at all? De La Soul is expanding and growing as real and responsible artists of hip-hop, an amazing feat after 15 years. And they give me hope for much more: If the soul keeps rocking the streets will keep rocking / If the streets keep rocking the soul will keep rocking / If the streets stop rocking the soul will keep rocking / If the soul keeps rocking the streets will keep rocking.
The production is top-notch and the guest appearances spit fire, especially Common on "Days Of Our Lives": Responsibility of my man's felony fell on me / Celebrity status, make 'em think I got celery / Hell and I do sometimes, still the sunshine ain't even all day / The life of a baller, ain't even all play / I stack 'em, so the chips fall where they must / I ain't far from a Benz, or dude on the bus. That sample that sounds like my Mac hissing errors at me is hooks, man.
And Ghostface? You heard?: For you like Loo Goo Kim, or Moo Loo Inn / Hula hoop all bitches crew full with brand new Keds / Cutmaster kill 'em, make sure we cut classics / Buck bastards in broad day and tuck caskets / Next to Uday and Qusay, how can the group shoot the PA / And just lay whooptay whooptay? Can you imagine even saying that shit let alone rapping it? And remember Uday and Qusay? A rap like that makes them relevant just like that. Even Dave goes non-stop on this : I circumcise the track, you just a dick - overlapped and hooded / Skin repeated like Stutterin John.
I will from now on start referring people to this album first and foremost when they say they want some new hip-hop that doesn't have Pharrell clicking his tongue or Snoop lazily phoning his bitch-slaps in.
"If the meek shall inherit the earth and not the weak, let me inherit the street, fuck it. You know what I mean?" |