Jay-Z - Kingdom Come

If I were to pick the least potent period of Shawn Carter's incredible and storied career, the era in which he excelled the least, it would probably be his faux "retirement", which took place between 2004 and 2006. Sure, Hova did find time to become president of Def Jam, one of hip-hop's most infamous and prosperous labels, at this time, which was quite the achievement and one of the first incredible business moves of the man's career - but at the same time, Jay effectively proved right all those saying the retirement was a stunt to promote his 8th record, The Black Album, by not only releasing a whole new album in 2004 (the widely despised second collaborative tape with R. Kelly, Unfinished Business, which I do not own and therefore didn't review, sorry) and a mashup collaboration with Linkin Park (plus an actual live performance together), but also delivering a slew of guest verses within the less than three year period in which he was "finished with music". Not only that, but he also burned a few bridges between the likes of DMX and Cam'Ron, the former of which being an especially questionable fallout, given X's opinion that Jay kicked him off the label because he was afraid of the competition. True or not, this wasn't really a good look for Jigga at all. 

But perhaps the area Jay-Z failed in the most was how he came out of the retirement. In late 2006 he announced his return to the surprise of approximately no-one, via the lead single to his up-and-coming 9th studio album, Kingdom Come, a record that was rolled out with much hype, but almost immediately dismissed as the worst album in the Jay-Z catalogue thus far. Considering how incredible and well put together The Black Album was, fans were disappointed to learn that Jay-Z recorded much of this album whilst on tour - i.e. it was rushed - meaning he sounds tired and elderly on the mic rather than sharp and comfortable like he used to; meanwhile the production seemed to lack any bounce at all, with the dreary backdrops being oddly appropriate in conjunction with this newer, more senile version of Jay, who despite being in his 30s seemed to have been aged deeply by the stress of running a massive label. 

But while maybe it's just the all red casing for the CD (which is awesome by the way) that makes me see this album in a completely different light to most - honestly, this doesn't feel like any other Hov album out there, and in some cases that's for the best. Let's get to it. 

1. The Prelude (prod. B-Money)

The opening track is a great example of this new Hov - "The Prelude" stands as one of the most chilled out and brilliant cuts of Jay's post-retirement career, where he laments on disdains for where the rap world was headed, and gives some reason as to why he might have felt the need to lift himself out of his backyard hammock so soon and enter the game once again - speaking of The Game, Hov also fires back at Jayceon's disses from "It's Okay (One Blood)" at the end of this one verse wonder. "I used to think rapping at 38 was ill / but last year alone I grossed 38 mil / I know I ain't quite 38 but still / the flow so special, got a 38 feel / the real is back". These lyrics are brilliant on their own, but the way Jay-Z delivers them with a calm and collected drawl, before ending the track altogether... it's just magical. If these lyrics aren't good enough for hip-hop fans, then maybe everyone should hang it up. And it's not just the lyrics on this track (the first few lines are fantastic too): B-Money's instrumental is simply beautiful, mostly soothing but somewhat ominous, practically forcing the listener to be interested in what's to come. "The Prelude" honestly gives a lot of The Black Album a run for its money - and it might just be the best track on this entire record. 

2. Oh My God (prod. Just Blaze) 

Inevitably, things weren't going to remain as sonically sombre as "The Prelude" throughout this whole LP - I mean, becoming the head of the biggest hip-hop label in the world isn't something you just brush off, even if you are as famous as Jay-Z. "Oh My God" is a predictable Just Blaze concoction, but make no mistake a good one, full of triumphant horns and a passionate vocal sample that bring back memories of that classic "U Don't Know" sound. Of course, "Oh My God", goofy title and all, doesn't stand up to the quality of some of the classics on The Blueprint, but it does try, and while Jay's flow isn't as electric as it used to be, he still delivers some memorable bars over what is a truly brilliant beat. Also, isn't it "strong as I am" during the chorus? "Strong as iron" (which is what Genius says it is), while technically it makes sense, doesn't really have much relation to the Hov catalogue. Whatever.

3. Kingdom Come (prod. Just Blaze)

It's songs like this that make me question why there's any negative press around this album whatsoever. Just Blaze's beat on this title track is even better than his efforts on "Oh My God", with a pulsating instrument punctuated by these echoey vocal samples every other bar that make for an incredibly unique soundscape within the Hov catalogue, as well as a highly underrated beat drop when it first comes in towards the start of the track. This isn't even good in a guilty pleasure sort of way, like much of Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel - this is just legitimately incredible hip-hop music. Even Jay sounds extra excited on here, spitting with a smoothness I long for throughout the bloated The Blueprint 2. I had a great fucking smile on my face throughout this entire track, even during the slightly unnecessary hook. This song is as awesome as I remember and then some. 

4. Show Me What You Got (prod. Just Blaze)

The lead single, although apparently not the track that most people remember from this album these days, which is odd as this is definitely a standout for me. Sure, it's not the best song on the album, but it's certainly the catchiest, what with Just Blaze's horn fuelled sample and Hov's repetitive hook that is an immense ear worm. This is one of the few songs on the album (from my recollection) that only has two verses rather than three, but Jay manages to make them worth it, as they're full of memorable lines. From the opener of "give the drummer some / shit I already gave the summer some, it's the winter's turn" to that classic Hov swagger when he merely states "y'all got less than 2 months to get your thing together, good luck" (in reference to the single dropping just under 2 months before the album), which just exudes confidence that Hov had frankly earned by this point. Everything about this is classic - the horns, the rapping, the Public Enemy sample. So far this CD has not missed. 

5. Lost One (feat. Chrisette Michele) (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

No, this is the most popular song from the album these days, and it's no wonder why, as it is very pleasant on the ear. Also, these are probably the best verses across the whole album. Over this fantastic Dre beat full of some of the best pianos he ever worked with, Jay-Z reminisces on times he lost friends, family and even former mentors, dedicating entire verses to individuals who played an important part in his growth. The most heart-wrenching moment of the track comes during the third verse, as Hov pays tribute to his late friend Colleek D. Luckie, who had prior passed in a car accident, inside a car Jay-Z himself bought. It's pretty tragic, and makes the song one of the darker ones that Jay had made up to this point. Chrisette Michele's hook is also predictably beautiful, probably better than her efforts on Nas' single at the same time, "Can't Forget About You" (hint to what my next post might be), so that's something that I might get lynched for saying. This is yet another awesome song. 

6. Do U Wanna Ride (feat. John Legend) (prod. Kanye West)

A dedication to Jay's close friend Emory Jones, who at the time was serving his 6th of an eventual 10 years in prison on drug charges. The track is helped along by John Legend, who by this point had become a name all of his own outside of Kanye's shadow - although you wouldn't know this by looking at who produced this track, as the KanMan is behind the boards here for an instrumental that feels like a more dreary and depressing version of his own "Last Call". That's dreary and depressing in a good way, however, as this instrumental is really powerful, one of the richest and most dramatic on the entire LP for sure. I'll be honest, this is probably the weakest track yet, as something about it just feels lacking in that high energy we heard on some of the earlier songs, but nonetheless John's beautiful singing voice and Jay's heartfelt dedications, plus the rich beat, make this one another hit. It's definitely worth hearing. 

7. 30 Something (prod. Dr. Dre)

Most people seem to see this as one of the prime examples of why this album is bad, but I actually quite like it. I know it seems a bit "okay boomer", but frankly some of Jay's lines on here are pretty clever, especially during the final verse where he talks about snitching being "the shit" these days, and of course "y'all respect the one who got shot, I respect the shooter" being a classic line. And on top of that, Dre's production on here is even more chill than it was on "Lost One". Is it too late to ask him to just release the masters for Detox? Because that album could have been fantastic. 

8. I Made It (prod. DJ Khalil)

Ugh. Those who went into this album pleasantly surprised at how consistently nice it's been up to this point would be sorely disappointed by this flaccid piece of trash. I hated this shit when I first heard it, and now it sounds even worse. One of the clearest examples of album filler I've ever heard. Not a single piece of interesting wisdom, nor a single memorable line, is spit here. Sorry. 

9. Anything (feat. Usher & Pharrell) (prod. The Neptunes)

Jay apparently has so many songs in his catalogue at this point that there's not another combination of words under the sun that he could possibly use without repeating himself, hence naming this song after his 1999 single of the same name. Or perhaps he forgot that song existed completely thanks to its being a blatant rehash of "Hard Knock Life" (even if it still sounded pretty good). Not that this star studded collaboration does the title any favours, as it's about as enjoyable as being slowly torn apart by enraged apes. Jay's allowed to have fun once in a while, sure, but when the results are as horrible as this it makes me wonder whether even he wanted to include this song, or if it's simply here because of the obligatory Neptunes credit. If anyone can stand that "I'ma tell you" sample for more than 10 seconds, then I must offer my condolences for your being deaf.

10. Hollywood (feat. Beyonce) (prod. Syience) 

Really? More double time flows? Surely we learned that Shawn had long lost his ability to do those on the last track. Of course, this track about the pitfalls of extreme fame does sound a lot better than "Anything", but that's only because "Anything" was so fucking bad. "Hollywood" meanwhile is merely very bleh, being home to one of the least passionate Beyonce performances I've heard, and an instrumental that sounds incredibly dated. It's amazing how quickly this album loses it's momentum - we've gone from brilliant hip-hop bangers with clever rhymes and classic Hov flows, to weak ass attempts at mainstream radio with some of the weakest flows Jay has ever dropped, all in the space of three tracks. Fuck. 

11. Trouble (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

Thankfully, the solo joint "Trouble" is a step in the right direction - and not only that, it's one of the best tracks on the entire album. Dre and Mark Batson cook up a heater for this one, an instrumental that sounds far more menacing than the good doctor's previous two credits here, with some intense electronic synths pulsating throughout the track to give it a futuristic edge that the previous track also attempted, but failed at miserably. Meanwhile, Jay has finally managed to find his footing with the flow on here, sounding as comfortable as ever through his three long verses, which are full of quotables and legitimately solid rhymes - although the repetition during the third verse does get a little tiresome. Still, the haunting sound of this track makes it one of the nicest across the entire LP. Dope shit. 

12. Dig a Hole (feat. Sterling Simms) (prod. Swizz Beatz)

You know things have gotten bad when the Swizz Beatz instrumental is the best part of a song. While there have been some more sonically disturbing tracks on Kingdom Come thus far, I feel like "Dig a Hole" is the worst, as it falls so flat as a disstrack I'm almost embarrassed for Hov. Or I would be if he wasn't already incredibly successful. If anyone should be embarrassed it's me I guess... . Hmm. Oh wait - it's actually Sterling Simms. Sterling Simms should be seriously embarrassed. 

13. Minority Report (feat. Ne-Yo) (prod. Dr. Dre)

After spending 5 minutes making a fool of himself on the last track, Hov decides that now is the time to get serious, and drop a long diatribe about the victims of Hurricane Katrina over more Dr. Dre production, in what is without doubt one of the better track to appear in the latter half of this album. Jay-Z's heartfelt lyrics on here feel genuine, and Ne-Yo's singing teamed with the news report excerpts towards the end of the track make for some goosebump-inducing stuff. This isn't something you might want to pop on in a casual setting, but when it plays through as part of the album it's sure to hit you in the feels. Nice work. 

14. Beach Chair (feat. Chris Martin) (prod. Chris Martin & Rick Simpson)

A rather unusual Coldplay crossover that does indeed have a very similar vibe to some of their music, which makes this song oddly nostalgic to me as my parents used to play Coldplay all the time when I was much younger. This does certainly make "Beach Chair" stand out in the Hov catalogue, and he himself has named it one of his hidden gems - and while I don't think this is one of the best songs on the album, thanks to the slightly melodramatic nature of the track, I do think there's a lot of truly excellent writing about Hov's different thoughts and fears throughout these three verses, and the chorus is undeniably catchy. Jay-Z's music has never been defined by one sound, and if nothing else I think it's the willingness to branch out on tracks like these that make Kingdom Come so underrated to me. This is yet another great song on the album, and a powerful way to cap things off. 

My CD of this album features one rather intriguing bonus track:

15. 44 Fours (Live From Radio City Music Hall) 

A live version of the Hov classic "22 Two's", where Jay replaces the second verse with a brand new verse, spit over the original "Can I Kick It?" instrumental. See if you can guess what the gimmick is this time. This verse is highly impressive, and I honestly think it's awesome that he included it on the CD. Almost as awesome as the red CD case!

Many Jigga fans like to dismiss Kingdom Come to the bottom of their Jay-Z tierlists, citing things like Hov sounding sleepy, the list of guest singers taking up studio time, or even the mere existence of the song "Anything", as reasons to hate this LP as if it were responsible for multiple atrocities. But as you can tell from the review, I was always a fan. I mean, it's not like Jay-Z has the most consistent catalogue anyway - I always found albums like Vol. 2 and The Blueprint 2 to be a little overstuffed and inconsistently produced despite Jay's desperate attempts to keep them afloat with mostly brilliant rapping - and amongst it, Kingdom Come feels like a somewhat different approach, with a far more sombre overall sound than the majority of his other, more celebratory and/or aggressive records (the horn-filled single "Show Me What You Got" notwithstanding). Kingdom Come showcases a new side to Jay-Z with the production style and the rapping, and I think his noticeably less charismatic delivery honestly helps the album to bring across the mood also established by the stern look and dark tint that the album cover brings to the table. There are definitely a few missteps on this record that keep it from getting anywhere near Jay's top 5, though - think not only the aforementioned "Anything" with that horrible repeated vocal sample, but also the dismal "diss" track that is "Dig a Hole", the failed crossover "Hollywood", and the almost entirely forgettable "I Made It", as clear examples of how Hov's three year break from music had led him to make some errors when in production of this one. Then again, nothing here is as terrible as "Things That U Do", so that's something. And look at all the goodness that is to be found here - the first seven tracks are very consistent with some brilliantly written verses and truly incredible production to be found, and even during the admittedly very sloppy second half there are some bangers, especially the Dre helmed tracks in that portion. Overall, I like this album, and I don't give a damn if I have to keep a finger firmly planted over the skip button to make sure I don't accidentally hear a single second of "Anything" - I still listen to it regularly. I just really enjoy the vibe. Also, it has a red CD case, and who doesn't like that?

Best Tracks: "The Prelude", "Kingdom Come", "Show Me What You Got", "Lost One", "Trouble", "Minority Report"

Worst Tracks: "I Made It", "Anything", "Dig a Hole"

Read some more of my pieces on Jay-Z/Jigga Man/Jay-Hova here!

Xzibit - Weapons Of Mass Destruction

In case you missed my last post covering the work of mr. Joiner, here's a quick recap. After finally pushing his way into hip-hop's inner ring via sheer brute force, joining the ranks of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem for the Up In Smoke Tour, as well as various collaborations across the biggest hip-hop releases of 1999 and 2000, Xzibit decided to barricade his way right back out of the limelight by releasing a simply terrible album entitled Man Vs. Machine, which not only contained a sample of Toto's "Africa", but also featured some frankly insulting verses from mr. X-to-tha-Z, who performed like someone who has suffered amounts of literal brain damage throughout much of this LP. The label he was on at the time, Loud Records, were so embarrassed by this disaster of an album that they decided to pack up shop immediately, leaving Alvin without a label home for the first time since his career ballooned in '95. Well, that's not the real reason the label dissolved, but you have to admit that Man Vs. Machine standing as the last project released on it is somewhat suspicious. 

Thankfully, or perhaps not thankfully depending on how much faith you still had in him as an artist, Xzibit was still a big enough name in the industry that it wasn't difficult to find a new outfit to release at least one more project on, before his go at being a "rapper" officially ran out. It was Columbia who picked up the newly appointed Pimp My Ride host, and much to the man's pleasure, evident when he decided to record his most angry and hateful release yet to kick off his stint there. 

Weapons Of Mass Destruction is a strange album in the Xzibit catalogue. It was well after his relationship with Tha Alkaholiks and King T had soured, but now also at a time where Dre, Snoop and Em had all had a collective finger slip and deleted Alvin's number from their contacts (literally in the latter's case, as X recounts on his more recent song "1983"), meaning for the first time we're seeing Xzibit without any mentors or superiors in the vicinity, allowing him to finally reign free and do whatever the fuck he wanted, within reason of course - in fact, he is the lone executive producer on here for the first time in his storied career. Guest are sparse - outside of the celebrity cameos inevitable on such a major label release (Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes), Xzibit sees fit to include multiple appearances from his new proteges Strong Arm Steady, who would actually make waves around 2010, when they released the Madlib produced In Search Of Stoney Jackson to mild success. Back in '04 they were unknown though, and Xzibit here attempted to give them a leg up, one that failed miserably (I'm guessing Xzibit's older weed carrier Montage One got tired of blunt rolling around the release of Restless, as what the fuck happened to him?)

My memories of this effort are hazy outside of some of the bigger singles, but at least X's last release was so terrible that this one just has to be an improvement. Nowhere to go but up. Let's get to it!

P.S. Apparently that Xzibit logo on the front cover was designed by someone by the name of "Mister Cartoon". Hopefully that won't be a sign of how much effort was put into the actual album.

1. State Of the Union (prod. Thayod Ausar)

Lets everyone know that X isn't playing around anymore - this album is about to delve into some serious shit. While the project inevitably strays from the concept more often than not, I do think this intro is legitimately creepy, and one you probably won't want to skip. Also, Thayod Ausar is back!

2. LAX (prod. Sir Jinx & Mystro)

Xzibit starts proceedings with this anthem for "the war", rapping alongside a pulsating rock inspired beat and a catchy sung hook that make this one of the man's most streamed songs to this day. Lyrically Xzibit doesn't seem to have returned to his older, better style yet, instead ramping the homophobia up a notch within the first four bars, but still you have to admit that this one is entertaining. The production bangs, and will catch you by surprise when you go into the album, and you'll probably find yourself singing along to the hook too by the time the track is drawing to a close. I'd like to put my optimistic goggles on right about now, but unfortunately I'm reminded that the first song on Man Vs Machine was also very good, possibly better than this one. There's a long way to go yet. 

3. Cold World (prod. Jelly Roll)

C'mon Xzibit - as a hip-hop veteran yourself you should know that this song title is off limits after GZA used it in '95 for his absolute classic album. You wouldn't want someone to name their song "Paparazzi" would you? Wait, hold on a minute. Anyway, the song itself is actually pretty damn good, even if Jelly Roll tries his hardest to fuck everything up with an inane hook. Xzibit spits three verses here, all describing different difficult situations that people in the world might find themselves in, spreading awareness like people with a voice should when the time is right. What's most surprising is that Xzibit takes things away from the hood in the final verse, and actually links back to the harrowing intro skit, describing a family who are unable to escape the American troops in war-ridden Iraq - and I really commend him for that. And all this over an instrumental that, despite being made by Jelly Roll, is actually quite pleasant. This was a really nice surprise. 

4. Saturday Night Live (feat. Jelly Roll) (prod. Jelly Roll)

And after all that heartfelt stuff, Xzibit decides to hit us with this, an attempt at a club banger that's about as jarring as everyone cancelling Saturday Night plans last minute. Well at least the way it's sequenced is. The song itself is surprisingly fun, a lot better than some of the similar attempts at this sound that appeared back on Man Vs. Machine. I'm still not sold on Jelly Roll's singing voice, which makes the first minute or so of the song quite difficult to sit through, and Truth Hurts' uncredited performance is also rather clunky. But Xzibit sounds better on this instrumental than on anything else since Restless, and when he starts coming with all the random accents at the end you can't help but crack a smile. This song is a little disjointed, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't points where I was loving it. This album is actually going quite well. 

5. Muthafucka (prod. Rick Rock)

And we're back to the stupid gimmicks. I'm not really sure why Xzibit thought that this could pass as a real song, but the facts are that it derails instantly when that ridiculous fucking hook comes on. Still, at least during the verses Xzibit seems to know what he's doing once again, which makes this a lot better than most of what was on Man Vs. Machine, even if Rick Rock's production is predictably annoying. Hopefully this album won't stoop so low again, although from what I recall there's at least one song later that'll make this one look like a goddamn symphony. 

6. Beware Of Us (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Kind of okay, although at this point you're left wishing we could get an instrumental that doesn't sound so dated. Goofy synths notwithstanding, the rapping on here makes everything go by smoothly, as X invites Strong Arm Steady to the booth for their first official appearance on the album (although Krondon did appear earlier on "Saturday Night Live" for a forgettable hook). Krondon actually sounds pretty good here, as does X, and while Phil Da Agony is merely passable, it's not like he's Jelly Roll levels of weak as a vocalist. Also, the hook is weirdly catchy, even though at this point Xzibit has done far too much singing for someone who's trying to portray themselves as a hardcore rapper whom you should take seriously on the microphone, despite his day job as an animated host for a ridiculous MTV car-pimping programme. Anyway, this song is alright. 

7. Judgement Day (prod. Khalil)

Over a rather terrible faux-motivational beat, Xzibit rhymes about how he "move mountains with verse", all the while proving the opposite, as this song falls flat as a pancake. It's not that I don't appreciate Xzibit making something like this, but his gruff voice and general way of rapping things means everything just feels very engineered here, rather than coming together naturally like a good song should. The most memorable moment of this song is when Xzibit comes in with that "yes!" during the opening chorus, as though he couldn't stand to leave vocal duties to someone else for one singular fucking second. Sorry, this one is not good. Still, it's much better than "Heart Of Man", so there's that. 

8. Criminal Set (prod. Battlecat)

Xzibit finally decides to stop taking things so seriously, resulting in the first all around good song on here since "Cold World", and one that might take the cake as the best yet full stop. Battlecat's instrumental is pure '90s nostalgia, with the banging drums and persistent Ice Cube vocal samples that sound dope as fuck whenever they come in. Xzibit's rhymes are mostly shit talking on here, although it does stand out when he says "lately I've been feeling like Will Smith / why bother with rap, when I can get 20 mill on a flick?" - perhaps that explains the shoddy pen game we've witnessed from X ever since the trainwreck known as Man Vs. Machine. "Criminal Set" is certainly a banger - although when inevitably compared with X's earlier work it really doesn't stand out much. 

9. Hey Now (Mean Muggin) (feat. Keri Hilson) (prod. Timbaland)

The big single for Weapons Of Mass Destruction, and while I feel somewhat guilty about this whenever I think about what Xzibit was doing musically pre-2000 - I actually really like it. I mean, what's not to enjoy about this? You have an absolute slapper of a Timbo beat (plus some of those robotic adlibs he often likes to throw in), a very catchy hook from Keri Hilson, and Xzibit just having some fun. I mean sure, it's no "X", but it is an interesting track, and probably the last time X ever had a stab at chart success on one of his singles. Fuck it, I like this one. 

10. Ride Or Die (prod. Mr. Porter, add-prod. J.R.)

Hmm. The song just played. It sounded fine. But I have absolutely no desire to go back to it. It's possibly the most by-the-numbers song Xzibit has ever made. Even the title is generic. Gah! What happened to the guy who made "Paparazzi", who was so unique and incredible? This song is just so bland!

11. Crazy Ho (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Apparently even Xzibit was so embarrassed by everything about this song that he decided to not appear on it at all, in some sort of protest. And that's good, because it means I can quickly move on from this trite and never think about it again. I'd happily listen to "Hit & Run (Part II)" a hundred times over if it meant I never had to hear this. Happily. 

12. Big Barking 

Goofy skit that sets up the concept for the next song. 

13. Tough Guy (feat. Busta Rhymes) (prod. Hi-Tek)

Kind of funny, and does make a lot of sense as a collaboration, since Busta Rhymes and Xzibit not only had similar styles at this point in time, but were also both coming off of easily their worst works yet when the song was released (Busta probably still haunted by the memory of the now 2 year old It Ain't Safe No More...). Perhaps my being a big Busta Rhymes fan gives me some amount of bias here, but I do like this one quite a bit, even if threatening to kill me for an entire track would have perhaps been slightly scarier if it weren't the host of Pimp My Ride and the self proclaimed "Dungeon Dragon" who were spewing the aforementioned threats. Hi-Tek's beat is certainly clunky as well, far less smooth than what he normally cooks up, which means that this song is unlikely to make your chill hip-hop playlist. Still, Busta and X sound good on the beat, and the track is much livelier than the dreariness exhibited (get it?) on the last two songs. This one gets the pass. 

14. Scent Of a Woman (prod. Hi-Tek)

Disturbing song title notwithstanding, this track is actually pretty interesting, if a little overlong - I think two verses could have gotten the message across just fine. The track details X going from being annoyed at his girlfriend at the beginning of the song, to at the end realising that she's actually a great person for him and he should appreciate what she does for him. It does seem a little insincere when only two songs ago we were discussing a so-called "Crazy Ho", but then again Xzibit didn't even appear on there, so how about that. Dion's hook that alters throughout the song is nice, and the instrumental from Hi-Tek is also dope, being kind of intense and depressing for such a subject matter, but oh well. This is pretty alright. 

15. Klack (prod. Khalil)

Really? "Klack"? Who's idea was that? Still, this song does have kind of an interesting sound - the melody is unlike anything else I've heard on an Xzibit album. If only it was attached to better instrumentation and a more engaging drum loop. And a better song. 

16. Back 2 the Way It Was (prod. Thayod Ausar)

After kicking things off with a phone call from Ras Kass straight from jail (explaining his absence on this project - not that anyone was desperate for another "Harder"), we get another rock-tinged instrumental, this one produced by the same man who cooked up "Paparazzi", and some other great moments on X's debut album. His work here is pretty good too - I've never been the biggest fan of mixing electric guitars and hip-hop, but the weird synthy sounds and the drums in this beat certainly help it move along a lot better than the beat on the previous track. Meanwhile, X gets personal here, rapping and singing (again!) about all the shit he's been through, his beefs, his family, his affinity for ploughman's lunches. The track is a typical rap album ending, with the poignancy and what have you - but it does feel emotional, and stands as one of the better tracks here. Good stuff. 

Deluxe versions of this album came with a bonus track called "What U Can't C", but unfortunately I don't currently own that particular pressing. Perhaps someday I'll bless myself with it. 

Unfortunately, upon relisten Weapons Of Mass Destruction is kind of a mess. Not serious enough to warrant the overly dramatic title and creepy intro skit, but not humorous enough to make that waste of a good title seem irrelevant. According to the liner notes Sir Jinx sequenced this project, and he certainly didn't do a very good job - I mean, "Saturday Night Live" right after "Cold World"? "Klack" towards the very end of the album? "Crazy Ho" appearing on here at all? It's just a complete mess, and on top of that almost every beat here has aged like an opened pot of double cream. The synths and the drums just sound so shitty a lot of the time, and on some tracks it's certainly enough to take you out of the experience, no matter what the quality of the rapping is. Still, this is an undoubted improvement over Man Vs Machine. I mean, for starters the only truly terrible song here is one that Xzibit doesn't even appear on, with everything else having at least something redeemable to hold it up, even if there is some pretty bland bullshit to wade through every now and then. That's an improvement. Also, there's quite a few songs on here that I would say I like, such as "LAX", "Cold World" and even the radio friendly "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)". Unfortunately, none of these songs are quite good enough to warrant my returning to them at any point - they're all just merely pretty decent. Weapons Of Mass Destruction saw Xzibit at a time of his life where he had alienated almost everyone, been dropped from the label that had been his home all his career, and had started to host a programme successful enough that rapping was no longer his main source of income. So it makes sense that this album is kind of lacklustre. But it's not an excuse. This project is still pretty mediocre, merely seeming to be pretty good because of how much better it is than its predecessor. Let's hope that Xzibit can make something actually worth returning to with the next project, because Weapons Of Mass Destruction sounds like something made merely to remind people of Xzibit's existence, not to introduce any new musical ideas to the table, like it would seem to on the surface. In short: ehhh...

Best Tracks: "LAX", "Cold World", "Criminal Set, "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)", "Back 2 the Way It Was"

Worst Track: "Crazy Ho"

Check out more Xzibit reviews over here!

Singles this year so far... (as of 12/01/2026)

Now it's a new year, I figured why not try and switch it up a little. Because what's more important than criticism of old music that's been discussed to death? That's right, criticism of brand new music that's not been discussed yet. So that's what I'm going to try to do in 2026. And so to start that, here's my thoughts on some singles that have released this year by artists whom I'm interested in to whatever extent. 

A$AP Rocky - "Punk Rocky" (prod. A$AP Rocky & Cristoforo Donadi)

One of my favourite artists of the 2010s decade has finally decided to release a new album it seems, which has certainly helped in boosting my interest in his new singles (seriously, did anyone give a fuck about "Pray4DaGang"?). This track, despite what the title may indicate, is actually kind of a mellow love tune that feels somewhat similar in vibe to some of A$AP's Testing era tracks, like "Kids Turned Out Fine" and "Sundress". And while this track doesn't really have the hit potential of the latter, it does still sound pretty nice, if a little repetitive, and underwritten (think "I thought you was the one, I guess you just the two" - Jesus, I know most people don't listen to Rocky for the lyrics, but you'd think he'd at least put a little more effort in for those of us that do). This new track isn't mind-blowing, but I like it, and hopefully Don't Be Dumb will turn out to be just as sonically diverse as A$AP's previous two full-lengths. Also, this music video is fantastic. 

A$AP Rocky - "Helicopter$" (prod. Kelvin Krash & Soufien 3000)

A$AP's second single of the year was released today, and it seems to be a source of disappointment for some fans, since Playboi Carti appeared on an older leak of this, but is nowhere to be found on this official release. Well, I don't care if it's controversial - I'm glad he's left off. The guy is pretty much a gimmick of himself nowadays anyway. As for the song itself, it's decent. I think it sounds at it's best toward the end where the dark bass sound is more apparent, but the whole thing is enjoyable enough, if a somewhat generic trap banger that doesn't touch the uniqueness of something like "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2". A$AP Rocky doesn't really have the luxury of producing merely decent fun music at the moment though - with the build up this goddamn album has had it needs to be fucking incredible, perhaps as exciting of a first listen as Utopia was. Let's just hope the other more rap-focused songs on the project will be a little more unique. 

IDK & Pusha T - "LiFE 4 A LiFE" (prod. Kaytranada) 

After one of the most successful years of his entire career, you'd think Pusha T would have earned himself a nice break, but alas not - a couple weeks into the year and already he's at it again, bodying rappers far, far younger than him. And that's not to say IDK does bad on here - the hook is catchy and I liked his verse a decent amount. But as soon as Pusha T enters, he just dominates the track from every angle. This dark and bassy instrumental suits him like a glove, and the verse stands as probably the best I've heard all year so far. Sometimes it's easy to forget how long this man has been around, given that the first decade of his career was as part of a group - but honestly outside of Nas no-one has been spitting as consistently as him for so long, and very few rappers his age are this good today. This track did not disappoint - it's awesome.

Logic - "It's All Your Fault" (prod. 6ix)

Since his "retirement" in 2020, I think Logic has probably released more songs than half of the mainstream rappers out right now combined. And most of it has been pretty good - I personally fucking loved College Park for example. This new song, for his film that may or may not have come out (I haven't really been keeping up with it to be honest), is pretty interesting, although perhaps not what most people come to Logic for. It's kind of hard to criticise Bobby Boy these days, since he's very obviously just making music for fun and not trying to make much of an artistic statement outside of his main albums... but I will say that this perhaps isn't the best direction for him - I just don't think his voice suits this airy singing style. This was... fine. 

Wesley Joseph & Danny Brown - "Peace Of Mind" (prod. Wesley Joseph, Harvey Grant & Tev'n)

Up-and-coming UK rapper/singer Wesley Joseph is someone who I've... never actually heard of before. The main motivation for checking this track is obviously guest star Danny Brown, who has produced some of my favourite albums of all time over the past 10 years (I'm mostly thinking of Atrocity Exhibition, although uknowhatimsayin? was great too). I haven't actually gotten round to his last album "Stardust" yet, but if this track sounds anything like what he's been doing lately then I'm into it. This is fucking brilliant. Danny's verse is nice, but the beat, with that deep bass, is absolutely fantastic, and Wesley slides over it beautifully, whether he's flowing or dropping beautiful melodies. This is quite easily the best song I've heard from this year so far - maybe I should check out more of this guy's stuff!

Larry June - "Who Coppin'" (prod. June Santana & Teeko)

Larry June is a rapper who keeps receiving attention from fans these days, especially when he's making records with The Alchemist, but to be perfectly honest I'm not very impressed. I thought the Life Is Beautiful record last year had its moments, but on this song Larry sounds sleepy, and the production has nothing that is gonna make me want to come back to it. Maybe if June hooks up with another more vibrant rapper like 2 Chainz for his next project I'll have more interest in checking it out, but as for this I'm left feeling nothing. Sorry. 

So there you have it. Some of the more important hip-hop releases that have come out so far. As you can tell, the year's been pretty dry, but hopefully the A$AP Rocky record will inject some fire into the genre once more. And hey, maybe if my prayers are answered we'll finally get a new El-P solo record this year. Yeah right. See y'all next time!

Aesop Rock - Labor Days

Is that not just one of the greatest album covers of all time?

After releasing the bloated but very intriguing Float to the underground audience in 2000, rapper Ian Bavitz (born Aesop Rock) found himself the centre of a certain El-P's attention. After splitting with Company Flow and raising a firm middle finger to former record label Rawkus Records, El had decided that he was going to reinvent the underground scene, and began his search for like-minded artists with unique, genre-pushing music and a "fuck the industry" sort of attitude, to sign to his new label Def Jux. It's no wonder that Aes was one of the first he sided himself with - while Float certainly wasn't perfect, it showed immense promise, and with some tweaks and advice from other artists who'd had more experience in album curating, Ian's style could potentially be just what El needed to follow up the instant classic, Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein. 

On Aes' side, I guess he wanted to make a project more conceptual and focused than Float was, meaning that the album ended up being not only 6 tracks shorter, but also much more clear in its message from the title and cover alone. And so, Labor Days was born, Aesop's second album and first of three with Def Jux, although El-P didn't end up getting a word in edgeways for its creation - I'd say that's a bad thing, but given how the record turned out, I can't imagine any improvement El-P could even have given it. And yeah, I do of course love this album - you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't. But just what makes it so great? And what makes this album so much better than Float before it? Well, let's find out!!

1. Labor (prod. Aesop Rock)

Aes introduces the audience to the new and improved him with a short one verse wonder that blows everything that appeared on Float out of the water. Considering how cryptic Aes' writing is, you'll be surprised at how memorable every single line here is, and with an instrumental as groovy as this you'll be feeling the music all the way too. Awesome way to start things off. 

2. Daylight (prod. Blockhead)

Some might argue this one to be Aes' signature song, and I'd be inclined to agree with that, because as entertaining and catchy as "None Shall Pass" is, "Daylight" just feels that much more unique to Aes' sound. This song is simultaneously representative of his early style, and very unique within this album as well, acting as the perfect "big" single for the project. You may at some point find yourself seeing this as an out of place point on the album (I even saw someone name it as the worst track), but you'll probably never get sick of it as an individual song - it's catchy without ever being irritating. And good God is this instrumental brilliant - it's poignant, sad, hopeful... pretty much every deep emotion you could feel. Banger. 

3. Save Yourself (prod. Blockhead)

For me, this is arguably the song that feels the most out of place on Labor Days, although please don't take that as meaning I dislike anything about it. It's just that this (along with perhaps "Coma" later down the line) is the only instrumental on here that doesn't really feel like it has any emotion to it at all. It's just a slow, drawling beat that reminds me of a lot of Float, but what it does do is slow down the tempo from everything else to allow Aes to drop some of the most hilarious bars on the entire LP, and that he does. This one is dope as hell.

4. Flashflood (prod. Blockhead)

Back to another one verse wonder (hey, that sort-of rhymes), "Flashflood" features a drastic tone switch, as we get a cinematic instrumental that feels like it was sampled from the climax of an action film - it even incorporates some samples from an old Superman audio series for good measure. Lyrically, the track dives deep into the plight of the American worker as well as the conditions of the streets of New York, and the way Aes tells it you'll have to source a transcription to understand everything - the verses of weird imagery and words grabbed from the darkest depths of the thesaurus will have you still trying to work out the first line by the time the verse ends. This song is brilliant though (awkward spelling out of the title towards the end notwithstanding) - the instrumental and vocal samples are enough to evoke a feeling of despair, before the brilliant lyrics even come into play. On most albums this would be the best song, but here... its company is pretty much infallible. 

5. No Regrets (prod. Blockhead)

This one is probably the only song on the album that everybody understands on first listen - and to that end I'm not sure why it didn't get single treatment. I mean, the instrumental and hook are certainly catchy enough for it. The story on here is inspiring as fuck, and the messaging that the song portrays really lays Aes' vision out clear, as if he's given up on being subtle and decided to just tell it like it is, no matter the consequences (which in the dystopian world this album exists in could be quite terrible). This song amazes me every time - it's truly beautiful. 

6. One Brick (feat. Illogic) (prod. Aesop Rock)

Definitely a mood shifter on the album, "One Brick" begins a section of the album that feels much more lowkey and eerie than the more brash nature of the first five tracks, and it's a part of the album I almost prefer, even if the first section of this album is still pretty much perfect. Aes produces this one, which is odd considering how completely unlike all of his other self-productions from this time sound like (imagine this track showing up on "Bazooka Tooth"), but it's a good thing, as this jazzy concoction is relaxing yet unsettling, and one of the best musical moments on the LP. And while the chorus where both vocalists cross over is somewhat irritating, the individual verses from Aes and guest star Illogic are both very potent. This is definitely one of the best songs here. 

7. The Tugboat Complex Pt. 3 (prod. Blockhead)

A diss towards an unnamed character, one that seems more of a personal attack than "We're Famous", which was pretty much rapper to rapper. "The Tugboat Complex Pt. 3" is man to man, and it's highly interesting. I'm not sure if the subject of this song has ever been officially named, but Dub-L seems to be suspected (someone who produced on Aes' underground debut Music For Earthworms). It's kind of surprising to see Aesop address issues like this on record, and it's certainly not something you'd see him do now, but hey, it does make for an entertaining and passionate track here, so I'm for it. And those female vocal samples are nice. 

8. Coma (prod. Omega One)

Oddly, this one was released as a single, despite it having probably the most skeletal instrumental on the entire project, courtesy of Omega One (who also produced one singular track on Float). The beat is still good mind - just a little lacking in that emotional, rich and eerie instrumentation that commands the sounds of the rest of this LP. "Coma" is more of just a chill underground banger I guess, only one which still comes with the relevant messaging that this LP is all about. Aes' "social coma" phrase seriously makes you think. 

9. Battery (prod. Aesop Rock)

Holy fuck the way that "Coma" transitions into this track might just be the best moment in the entire Aesop Rock discography. Seriously, find me a moment more perfect than that. Man I'm in love with this. This song meanwhile is quite possibly my favourite across this whole record, and maybe my favourite Aesop Rock song full stop. Aes' self production on here, like one "One Brick", is jazzy - and in fact, you'll notice that all his beats so far have incorporated some kind of horn solo, all of which have worked wonders might I add - and lyrically the track is poignant and brilliant, with the second verse being that shit that will make you tear up a little on the happiest of days. Everything about this is fucking fantastic. God this album is wonderful. 

10. Boombox (prod. Aesop Rock)

Judging by a blurb Aesop posted around this album's 20th anniversary, he seems to be somewhat embarrassed by this track nowadays, but I'm not sure why. I know many fans also list this one as the weakest track on the album, but for me it's one of the strongest. The track begins the third act (in my mind at least) of the album, where the music gets more dramatic and emotive, and here Aesop's production certainly takes a darker turn, with the breakdown in the middle being one of the best moments musically on the whole album. The instruments on this track are fuckin' insane. This one is certainly a standout, one of the dopest cuts here for sure. 

11. Bent Life (feat. C-Rayz Walz) (prod. Blockhead)

Looks like things are getting real serious now. This instrumental is one of the most unnerving I've heard on a non-horrorcore rap album, and the addition of C-Rayz Walz's animated vocal delivery to the track helps this one to become one of the most memorable tracks on the entire project. His yells of lines such as "We've been in a cold world!! We just getting flurries now?!" feel pretty in contrast to what Aes and friends tend to deliver, but in a good way - where Illogic provided a similar style of writing to Aes, C-Rayz is a guest who really switches things up, and it's much appreciated. And of course Aesop's performance here is fantastic. This is another incredible song, but you already knew that. 

12. The Yes and The Y'all (prod. Blockhead)

I remember that I used to consider this (don't shoot me) the worst song on this entire album, but I think that's probably just because I didn't listen to it enough. After Aes makes the bold decision to spend the first thirty seconds of the track rapping in acapella, we finally get a beat drop, and said beat slowly rises from a decent piece to become something fantastically dramatic and dark. This song doesn't hit you immediately with greatness, but if you stick with it it is rewarding, because this instrumental sounds great. Lyrically it's also brilliant, like everything here, so there's that too. 

13. 9-5ers Anthem (prod. Blockhead)

I know I said "Daylight" was Aes' signature song, but hell if this one right here was more popular then maybe it would take over that distinction. This has to be one of the best choruses of all time. Furthermore, the instrumental here is more mainstream sounding than most of the other stuff on this album, but still contains those quirks and sound effects (like what I think is a harmonica for example) that just helps you know it's an Aes track (once again, props for Blockhead for that), and everything about this one is just so catchy, even when he's talking about such activities as throwing long Hail Mary bombs toward cookie-cutter Mother Nature bedazzled synthetic fabrics. Yep. I fucking love Aesop man. He's so good. 

14. Shovel (prod. Blockhead)

Ian closes things out with a powerful track with a sung hook that sticks in the mind, and if you're not in love with the man's music by this point in the album, then maybe you should... I don't know, get into films or gardening or something. Because clearly music isn't for you. This album is a masterpiece. It's just unprecedented how good this is. 

Labor Days by Aesop Rock lands comfortably inside my top 5 albums of all time, perhaps only narrowly giving way to Common's Be for the top spot. This album is meaningful and societally relevant today, what with everything it says about how the world works and perhaps how it isn't quite right, and musically it is absolutely sensational, with hip-hop being combined with a plethora of other genres to create a moody, bluesy, jazzy atmosphere that ranges from eerie to poignant to merely fun as fuck sometimes, especially on the opening track. This whole album feels incredibly emotional, and on top of the content and production, perhaps the thing that stands out most is the way Aesop himself writes and raps. It's unlike anything you'll ever hear anywhere else. Lyrically he is in another fucking multiverse, with constant metaphors, crazy rhyme schemes and a vocabulary that will beat out literally any other writer on the fucking planet. Literally! And I know some people will disagree with me calling this his best work - a lot of fans prefer Aes' newer, more in-the-pocket sound, his ever so slightly (still very abstract, mind) more concise and clear writing, his groovier, more uptempo beats. I'll frequently see Skelethon, The Impossible Kid,  maybe even Malibu Ken put above this effort. But for me, this will always be the pinnacle of Aesop's sound, no matter how brilliant his discography has been since (because it is really fucking good to this day). People like to throw the word "genius" around a decent amount, but when it comes to hip-hop music, for me Aesop is the most deserving of that term. Labor Days will always be a masterpiece, and a must hear for anyone who feels like a cog in the machine. This record is inspiration, and I love it. Thanks for reading!

Best track: Battery

Worst track: hell no!

Other Aes reviews here, and more to come soon!

Kanye West - The College Dropout

Forgetting everything that's happened in the past four years or so, would it be an unreasonable thing to say that Kanye West is the single most influential hip-hop act of the 21st century? I mean, the man has had an obvious influence on pretty much every popular hip-hop artist to come out since 2010, whether you're looking at Drake, Tyler the Creator or Playboi Carti - and during the 2000s, he provided music for such classics as Jay-Z's The Blueprint, Common's Be, The Game's The Documentary, Jay-Z's The Black Album... I could go on. So why the fuck haven't I covered his music yet? 

Well, today that's going to change, because I'm finally getting around to reviewing the man now known as Ye's debut solo album - The College Dropout. Released in 2004 under the watchful eyes of a certain Shawn Carter, this album was one that Ye had to work extra hard for just to get Hov to release, which must have been bloody frustrating when the man didn't bat an eye at one after another crappy Memphis Bleek album popping up on his label. See, back in 2003ish vulnerability, while not unheard of in the genre, was something hip-hop tended to shy away from, with macho and manly lyrics being far more popular at the time, especially what with the success of 50 Cent's debut album the year prior to the project I'm discussing today. While Memphis Bleek's shit was mostly about him threatening to murder you, your family, and/or everyone in your immediate surroundings, Kanye's writing was more personal, introspective and occasionally even spiritual. It's amazing how he even got Jay-Z to release this thing at all, and if it wasn't for Carter's willing to take a risk back in late '03, by releasing "Through the Wire" as Kanye's debut single as a solo artist, then the whole hip-hop landscape would look very different today. So I guess we can all thank Jay for that. 

The College Dropout was one of the first hip-hop albums I ever listened to, and probably the first that wasn't connected to Eminem in some way. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere. So let's hope my fond memories of this LP ring true today - if they don't then I'll be in trouble, because this album is long. Let's get straight to it. 

All songs produced by Kanye West, except where noted. 

1. Intro 

For an artist who's known for pushing the boundaries of his genre more than anyone else, this certainly isn't a very creative title. Also, it's a skit. 

2. We Don't Care

The classic opening track sees Kanye take on a stance of spokesman for the people of the ghettoes he grew up in, which is odd considering I'm pretty sure he didn't actually grow up in a ghetto at all. Still, who cares when the lyrics are this good? The three verses on this track are full of memorable lines explaining why a lot of young black people in certain environments grow up idolising drug dealers, and maybe even trying to become like them, as well as of course the themes about the systematic racism that Kanye experienced in the school system, which was a large inspiration for all of his earlier albums. On these verses, Kanye immediately exhibits his wit, and his knack for weaving a strong message into lyrics, which more than makes up for his not being an extraordinary lyricist or anything. And how about the music on here? This instrumental, which incorporates some Gospel sounding instrumentation, is up-tempo and fun as anything, and the hook is one of the catchiest across this entire album. It goes to show how great this man is that this is nowhere near the best song on the album. But as an intro, it's brilliant. Love this track. 

3. Graduation Day 

One of the better interludes on here, whether we're looking at the hilarious monologue from DeRay in the first half, or John Legend's creepy ass singing in the second. This really sets the stage for what's to come well. 

4. All Falls Down (feat. Syleena Johnson)

One of the most important early Kanye songs, which discusses the negatives of material things in such a way that you'll want to throw everything you own that isn't completely essential out of the window in disgust. This track is also awesome, with Kanye's delivery on here making almost every single line stand out, and over a brilliant guitar-laced instrumental that honestly doesn't really sound like hit material, but still slaps nonetheless. I especially love the last lyric on here, "We all self conscious, I'm just the first to admit it", which of course relates to Kanye's much more vulnerable lyrics being far removed from what the radio stations were looking for in hip-hop at the time. This is one of the most powerful songs across this entire album, and one of the most important of Kanye's discography full stop. Brilliant stuff. 

5. I'll Fly Away

Looks like the last interlude being somewhat interesting was a fluke. 

6. Spaceship (feat. GLC & Consequence) 

If the previous interlude did anything, it at least set up the themes for this track - on this one Kanye and his weed-carrier GLC, along with Consequence of Beats, Rhymes & Life fame, rap about wanting to quit their day jobs, which gets particularly sad during the latter's verse when he recounts how, whilst working a dead end stint, he was told he looked like someone from a Busta Rhymes video - because he was in a Busta Rhymes video. It makes you realise that just because a rapper gets a big break on a big album, doesn't mean they're set for life, as obviously Consequence's moonlighting as the fifth member of A Tribe Called Quest didn't quite work out for him. Thank God for Kanye, who allowed him to pursue a career in solo work from this point forward, which seems to have lasted til today judging by Cons' latest album, which came out like, last year. And I've just noticed the irony of the title of Consequence's debut solo album, released in 2007 - Don't Quit Your Day Job. Executive Produced by Kanye West. Huh. Anywho, "Spaceship" is actually my favourite song yet. This instrumental is fucking heavenly, and the song is also home to one of the catchiest hooks of Kanye's career. Meanwhile, the verses are arguably more engaging than what was on "All Falls Down", which is saying a hell of a lot if you're familiar with that song. I fucking love everything about this. 

7. Jesus Walks 

One of the most forward thinking songs of the 2000s comes in the form of this gospel rap, which feels more like something Kanye might have put on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with it's dark and anthemic sound - how the fuck this was allowed to release back in 2004, as a single no less, is beyond me. This song, with it's intense pulsating rhythm, haunting choirs and strangely placed vocoder moans from John Legend, is alienating even in comparison with what we've already heard, but it's also genius. And yes I know there are rumours that the whole thing was written by Rhymefest, but if that's true, then Rhymefest is a genius. There's a lot of people out there who will say things like "Kanye's a great producer but not close to a top ten rapper", or "Kendrick the better rapper, Kanye the better artist" (Jesus I felt corny even just quoting that) - and I call bullshit. Kanye is easily one of the best rappers of all time, and it's shit like this that proves it - I don't care if he doesn't internally rhyme every single word, this man's lyrics are memorable, powerful, and stick with you long after first listen. "Jesus Walks" is a primary example of a song where the production is good, but the lyrics are better. Yeah I fucking said it. 

8. Never Let Me Down (feat. Jay-Z & J. Ivy)

I remember I used to name this one of the best songs off of the record, and I still see why, even if these days I prefer "Spaceship" as a posse cut. As for this, I do wish J. Ivy's contributions could have been shortened - there's a time and a place for spoken word poetry, and that time and place isn't randomly thrown in the middle of a song with a fast-paced instrumental such as this one (listen to Common's "My City" for the sort of backing music it suits more). Still, things are improved by the instrumental, which is sentimental and smooth as all hell, as well as the performances of Kanye and Shawn Carter himself, the man who made all of this possible. Allegedly, this song was left off of The Blueprint 2, which is odd considering how much better this is than most of that project - and not just the instrumental either, as Hov sounds somewhat rejuvenated here, spitting like he's the greatest of all time or something. Kanye barely stood a chance, but he actually comes close, rapping about more serious matters than things like bragging about selling crack and foot temperature. So yeah, this one is great - not "Jesus Walks" great, but great nonetheless. 

9. Get Em High (feat. Talib Kweli & Common)

"Spaceship" for successful people. On this one, Kanye recruits the only two conscious MCs who actually make music regularly, for a decidedly not very conscious song all about how good at rapping they are. And man it's good. Yes, this instrumental certainly isn't the best yet, feeling a little dreary and not as varied in sound as some of the other beats on here - but it's still pretty dope, and the perfect fit for this cypher on record, where these three prove that backpackers can brag too, and better than most. Kanye himself takes up most of the screen time here, with some fun verses, the second of which is as lengthy as Talib's whilst serving entirely as a build up to the man's performance on the song. Now that's true friendship. Those that know this blog are probably aware of my being an enormous Common fan, but still, surely even the most indifferent towards the bald headed Rashid can see that his verse here is fucking funny. "Real rappers are hard to find, like a remote". I mean, come on. This album is seriously turning out to be better than I remember. And we haven't had a skit for four whole tracks!

10. Workout Plan

Ah. There's the skit. 

11. The New Workout Plan

A song in which Kanye uses the disguise of a "Workout Plan" to mask a crude sex song that still... sounds... great! Aside from the occasional corny moment or repetition of the words "I came" to make a little bit of sick emerge in the back of your mouth, this song is simply a whole lot of fun, and anyone criticising it as a companion to "Jesus Walks" and such is missing the point entirely. Look - every major label hip-hop album, especially in the early 2000s, had to have an ignorant, ever so slightly misogynistic sex rap to make for a club single - hey, at least Kanye was able to make something a bit different out of that idea. Still, I would have removed the talkbox. The talkbox was overkill. 

12. Slow Jamz (with Twista & Jamie Foxx)

Wow, that single cover does not match the sound of the song at all. This joint was originally made for Twista's album Kamikaze (it actually appeared on there too), which explains why his verse here feels about three times as long as Kanye's, and three times as good - if there's one negative about this one, it's that Kanye's verse is easily one of the least impressive across this album. Still, that Michael Jackson line was funny. Twista's verse is his typical speeding bullet shit, but he sounds great over this chipmunkiest of chipmunk soul instrumentals that Kanye cooked up for this album - I still need to check out that guy's solo music. But perhaps the best part of this one is Jamie Foxx's chorus (teamed with some of the samples that help him of course), because his performance here is absolutely insane, his beautiful vocals and brilliant melody shining through far better than it did on "Gold Digger" (although I still love that song too). The hook on here is brilliantly catchy, and the song as a whole is one of the best examples you can find of Kanye's early sound. This one is seriously good. 

13. Breathe In Breathe Out (feat. Ludacris) (prod. Kanye West, co-prod. Brian "All Day" Miller)

Easily the most straightforward shit talking track on the entire album - in fact on re-listen a lot of these songs have actually had very meaningful and important lyrics, although the last few tracks have kind of strayed away from that. This one starts out with Kanye explicitly apologising for the fact that he's going to be bragging about his jewellery (why do it then), before quickly transitioning into a sleazy sex song where he spends half a verse telling a story of when he tried desperately to convince a girl to suck him off just to make her boyfriend jealous. Doesn't seem like a bragging point to me, but this is Kanye we're talking about. Of course, this verse does contain the classic "P.H.D." line, so I'll have to let everything else slide. While this is lyrically the most directionless song on the entire album, I will give props to the instrumental, which is pretty nice if a little goofy, and also Ludacris, who sounds like he's having loads of fun on the chorus here. Definitely not a bad track, but if someone tells you it's a standout then they're lying. 

14. School Spirit Skit 1

Wow, Kanye really hates college. 

15. School Spirit

My mum's favourite Kanye song (and no, she didn't just pretend that it was because it's censored... I don't think) is also the song that most directly addresses the overall theme of the album, and aside from what I said before about it being censored (which is f***ing annoying), this shit is really good. Not only is it lyrically much more interesting than the previous couple of songs, but it also has a much slower feel to it that invites the listener to sing along with Ye, especially during the chorus, which is a pleasant thing for him to do. "School Spirit" is also short enough to make up for the majority of songs here being 5 minutes plus, which is a bonus, as I think this one would have worn thin if it were as long as, say, "Last Call".

16. School Spirit Skit 2

Wow, Kanye really- wait hold on a minute. 

17. Lil Jimmy Skit

And with this, Kanye has committed the deadliest of all hip-hop sins - sequencing two skits in a row. Not cool, man. 

18. Two Words (feat. Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir) 

Goddamn this was better than I remembered. "Two Words", home to the most cinematic pre-Late Registration beat Kanye had ever done, is an absolute banger, one of the most head-noddable songs in Ye's catalogue. If I had to give awards to the best verse on here, I'd say Mos Def gets the win - his flow is elastic with the instrumental, his chants of "everybody move" are exciting as hell, and in general I think his voice fits the beat well. That's not to say Kanye or Freeway lack in any way though, because the pair both deliver with intensity as well - although oddly Kanye's verse sounds more impressive in that acapella freestyle video that you've probably seen before. The cherry on the top here is those chants of "nowhere to go" during the chorus, which are frankly goosebump-inducing. To have such an intense moment this late in the album is confusing, but when it sounds this good I can't possibly complain. Brilliant stuff. 

19. Through The Wire 

The lead single, infamously recorded while Kanye still had his jaw wired shut following a car accident that he was in which threatened to take out the man who would influence pretty much every mainstream hip-hop artist from this point onwards. It's impossible to imagine how hip-hop would sound these days if Kanye really had passed on in 2003 - would the genre have thrived through the 2010s like it did? Anyway, the song. This track is really beautiful, man. Kanye chops the Chaka Khan sample to full effect, making sure to create the most emotional yet hopeful concoction he could for the song that would start such an interesting and eventful solo career. It's songs like these that make it a little more than depressing when you look at what Kanye has done to his image in the past three or so years. When this song was made, not only was he arguably the best producer in the game, but lyrically he was on form, even if he does sound like he's had a few too many thanks to the wired jaw. I love this one, and I'm sure everyone else does deep down too. 

20. Family Business 

I can't really put a finger on why, but this song has always made me feel unexplainably depressed - I mean, it's almost certainly the melancholy piano keys, but still, it could also be the sample, or even Kanye's lyrics, which feel somewhat sad about his family situations, even if they aren't always. This is one of the only moments on the album that feels a bit more down in the dumps, but for a song to make me feel emotional every time means it has to be doing something right (well, unless that emotion is anger at how bad the song is, which could be the case for some later Kanye songs). This is a pretty awesome track. 

21. Last Call (prod. Kanye West, co-prod. Evidence, add-prod. Porse)

The epic finale to the album is half song, half autobiography, as the last 7 minutes of this 12 (!) minute song feature Kanye telling the story of how he got to the point where he's at, all the while one of the best instrumentals on the entire LP plays out. It's a unique take on a rap album outro, and one that works far better than one that relates to the intro but none of the actual songs on the album (read: 90% of rap album outros ever) - but on top of that it's one of the most impressive and entertaining moments on the entire album so far full stop, which is incredibly impressive considering it's 12 minutes 41 seconds long. The actual song part of this track is brilliant - the chorus is catchy, the beat (with an additional production credit from Evidence that I've only just noticed - now that's not something I ever expected to see, although I did just find out that Dilated Peoples collaborated with Kanye on their album this very year, so what do I know. Nothing) is brilliant with a slight dark edge, and Kanye's lyrics are dope as fuck, some of the best on the whole record. But it's the spoken word part that really makes this stand out - it's inspirational as hell, and really shows how you can make something from nothing. Kanye West's story is one that has inspired many, and it's clear after listening to this album that every bit of his success was deserved. Of course, in the past couple of years he's let himself down by becoming kind of mentally insane, but still - at one point he was the greatest hip-hop artist out. This song is fantastic. 

I'm not gonna beat around the bush - The College Dropout is a classic. This album is just brilliant in almost every way. It's full of hits. The rapping is great. The features are great. The choruses are catchy as hell. And the production is out of this world. Somehow, not one of these songs feels like it's dragging past it's time, despite the fact that there are many tracks here that run well past the 5 minute mark. The skits, even if they're weirdly placed sometimes, are usually funny, and when they're not, then they're short enough to not really get in the way. If I were to make any criticisms about this thing, they'd feel nitpicky - yes J. Ivy's part was a bit too long, yes the verses on "Breathe In Breathe Out" are directionless, and yes there are two skits in a fucking row... but really I don't care much about any of these things. With The College Dropout, Kanye West not only proves once again that his production style is masterful, with every beat here being beautifully soulful yet not at all similar to any other given beat - but he also let the world know that he isn't just a good rapper; he's a brilliant rapper, with a unique and likeable voice, and lyrics that are quotable as fuck and oftentimes very meaningful, with multiple tracks here providing social commentary that feels very well thought out and interesting. And on top of that, there are so many classic songs here that it's not even worth listing them. On relisten, this album is even better than I remember, and if you're somehow a hip-hop fan who hasn't heard it yet, then get your ass on to it right now. This thing is brilliant, and still stands as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. The end. 

Best Tracks: All of them 

Worst Tracks: "Lil Jimmy Skit"

More Kanye reviews are sure to come soon!

Method Man - Tical 0: The Prequel

When people talk about the fall-off of the Wu-Tang Clan, there are a few timestamps they might bring up as to when exactly this took place. Some may trace it back as early as 1998, when RZA adopted his "digital orchestra" sound that plagued his own RZA as Bobby Digital In Stereo, a production technique that led to many finding the sophomore albums from the likes of GZA, Method Man and Raekwon (or even the debuts of Inspectah Deck and U-God) to be highly dissapointing, whether that was due to RZA's production touches, or due to the artist leaving out Robert entirely due to this new style not meshing with their vocals. 

There's also an argument that it was much later, around the time Wu-Tang dropped their 8 Diagrams effort in 2007. After all, how can a group that has already fallen off produce such great works as Supreme Clientele and The W (an underrated group effort which I'll get to soon)? Around the time 8 Diagrams came out was when there were many internal disputes within the group, and this was generally considered to be a notable low point within their group discography - also, artists such as RZA and GZA released some of their most poorly recieved projects around this time. 2007 was not a great year for the Wu (unless we're talking Ghostface Killah, because every year is great for him). 

And then you have the logical people, who say that, even though some members of the Wu-Tang were able to put out great projects after this point, the years 2003-2004 were when the Clan's true relevance within the hip-hop game kind of dwindled to a speck. They hadn't released as a group in a couple years by this point, the only member still making great music at the time was releasing an album with no Wu features at all (although The Pretty Toney Album did have a couple RZA and True Master production credits), and everyone else was either inactive or pushing mediocre product - think Raekwon's The Lex Diamond Story, RZA's Birth Of a Prince, Inspectah Deck's The Movement, and last but definitely not least, U-Godzilla Presents The Hillside Scramblers - basically some of the most poorly received and forgotten albums in the entire Wu catalogue. It shows that when Masta Killa was able to put out an album that was actually good, people had grown so indifferent towards most Wu material that this thing barely charted at all (#136 according to Wikipedia). Yes, 2007 wasn't good either, but to me this particular era was when the Clan dwindled in sales and quality, dropping into the worst places possible as musicians, and generally giving way to newer styles of hip-hop from the likes of 50 Cent, Jeezy and T.I.. It would get better, but really ever since Iron Flag the Clan haven't seen a huge amount of success with any of their own work - again, not counting Ghostface, because his catalogue is seriously good. 

And amongst this myriad of mediocrity (did I really just type that out?), one album in particular was singled out as the most dissapointing, ugly, and generally terrible LP of the entire Wu chronology up to that point - and that ladies and gentlemen, is Method Man's third album, Tical 0: The Prequel. 

Let's get this over with. 

1. Intro (feat. RZA) (prod. Yogi, co-prod. Rich Mae)

One of the reasons people tend to give for hating the shit out of this album is that the release we got wasn't even what Meth wanted to put out - originally, the album had a bunch of RZA beats, before the label decided Robert was no longer capable of making music that would sell well. So imagine the anger of these people when Meth had Bobby himself speaking on the intro, over some music that he didn't even produce! And you know how many credits he actually has on the album? One!! What the fuck??

2. The Prequel (feat. Streetlife) (prod. Rick Rock)

Despite Rick Rock's slightly clunky work behind the boards, Mef does his best to keep this one head high above water, with a fun and memorable performance on the mic that goes down surprisingly well as the first song on an album where the rapping is generally considered to be quite bad. "I got these wannabe gangstas sleeping with the lights on" is kinda funny if you ask me, and while Streetlife's contribution is merely limited to a short hook, Meth's performance makes sure the audience gets hype from the jump. I've always been a fan of this one, and it looks like I still am. 

3. Say What (feat. Missy Elliott) (prod. Tony Dofat & Sean "P. Diddy" Combs)

Probably the most forgettable song in the entire Method Man catalogue comes in the form of this dissapointing Missy Elliott collabo, and it's not poor just because the guest star's contribution is limited to a generic hook. Method Man should never be rhyming over an instrumental that sounds as flat and inoffensive as this, and even with the occasional funny bar like "I tried to quit puffin' before, but I'm no quitter", it's clear that even Meth himself realises that this track isn't worth a truly good performance. Also, this song has Diddy ad-libs, immediately rendering it unplayable in the year 2025. Oh dear. 

4. What's Happenin' (feat. Busta Rhymes) (prod. DJ Scratchator)

The lead single to this album is, no lie, one of the best songs I've heard from either of these guys. I fucking love this shit. Granted, Busta kind of makes this song his own, with an electrifying performance full of intense flows and constant quotable bars, over an instrumental by the man responsible for a lot of his best solo tracks over the years (think "Gimme Some More") that is equally excellent, sounding both radio friendly and hardcore as hell, a difficult combo to master - but, Method Man does hold his own on here with a decent performance, and he sounds more interested here than on the previous track. This is more a Busta song than anything, though, and it blows literally everything on his previous album at the time It Ain't Safe No More... out of the goddamn water. "Now watch me back your shit up / I hope your people pull up and pick up and pack your shit up - homie it's time to move!!". I don't care how much people hate this album and everything surrounding it - this is one of my favourite songs ever made, and home to one of the best Busta Rhymes guest appearances too. Did I mention that catchy as all hell chorus? What a banger this one is. 

5. The Motto (prod. Nasheim Myrick & Lee Stone)

Over a dark, menacing and dreary instrumental from Hitman Nashiem Myrick and Pharoahe Monch producer Lee Stone (this and Scarface's "On My Block" being the only two non-Pharoahe Monch production credits he's really had over the years as far as I know), Meth drops some slow and calculated verses, punctuated by a rather silly hook that it's best we all forget about. Overall, this song is decent though - the beat is heavily suited to Meth's "you can't fuck with me" attitude on the song, and while some of the bars are generic as fuck ("we can kick it until our feet hurt"), most of the time Meth's lyricism is amicable. This isn't Clifford's best work, but for an album cut it's pretty solid. 

6. We Some Dogs (feat. Redman & Snoop Dogg) (prod. Denaun Porter)

Of course we couldn't have a Meth album without the presence of Reggie Noble, and here he is alongside Snoop Dogg of all people - in fact, there were rumours around this time that the three were going to be forming a supergroup, which like many hip-hop rumours, was based upon absolutely nothing the artists themselves had said. And just like the previous song, this one is... pretty good, if not exceptional. Denaun's instrumental is fun, sure, but his hook is pretty atrocious, and all of the MCs come off as kinda-sorta misogynistic on here - I don't recall Blackout! having any crude sex songs on it, so what made these guys want to try this sort of song now? "Big Dogs", this ain't - it's no wonder these three never hooked up for an album. 

7. The Turn (feat. Raekwon) (prod. RZA)

The last song on the album before things kind of go to shit (spoiler alert) is this RZA produced cut that would probably have been a classic if it had been made by the same people ten years earlier. On this album however, RZA's production feels a little stale and repetitive, and Rae is far from his peak too, even if the instrumental does dwarf most of what we heard on The Lex Diamond Story the previous year. Thankfully, Mef rides the beat well, which is good, because he has twice as much screen time as his guest on this short track, that also implements a sample which I think I recognise, but can't place where it's from. Meth's last bar is pretty funny here - one thing the man can't be faulted on is his ability to not take himself too seriously all the time. Overall not bad, but you're better off checking out the other Wu-Tang feature song on here, which I'll explain later...

8. Tease (feat. Chinky) (prod. No ID)

You'd be forgiven for having some hope for this track, despite the horrible song title and oddly racist stage name of the featured artist Chinky - after all, No I.D. is one of the best producers of all time, right? Sadly, this song is inevitably horrible - Method Man should never be found within a five mile radius of such a commercial sounding instrumental, and just because he wrote some good love songs in his day, it doesn't mean he can spit some shit like "chicks call me gravel pit dick, the bed rocker" and expect to get away with it. God, this is terrible. 

9. Rodeo (feat. Ludacris) (prod. Boogz)

Yes, that is the same Boogz who made a name in the late 2010s and 2020s on albums like Kanye's Jesus Is King and Donda - or at least I think it is. Unfortunately, it seems he had some work to do back in 2004, because this electric guitar groove is simply godawful, forcing Meth and Luda to sound like unfunny parodies of themselves - it takes a special kind of terrible music to make two of the best rappers of all time sound like they have absolutely no clue what they're doing, and yet it happened here. This has to be one of the most disappointing collaborations of all time - thank God it's short is all I say. 

10. Baby Come On (feat. Kardinal Offishall) (prod. Fafu)

And you thought "Tease" was bad.... - I don't even want to comment on this bullshit. 

11. Who Ya Rollin Wit (prod. JellyRoll)

Since the previous three songs land themselves comfortably on my infamous "worst three track runs I've ever heard" list, Meth chooses to switch things up for this joint, and spit some more hardcore shit over what sounds like something Xzibit passed up from his Weapons Of Mass Destruction album, which isn't really much of a compliment - I'd certainly struggle to say much good about a song with a chorus as terrible as the one that appears on here. Still, just by default this one sounds acceptable compared to the last three tracks, and during the verses at least the instrumental is somewhat enjoyable - with Meth's performance being solid as well. I certainly don't love this song, but hey, anything's better than "Baby Come On", so I'll take it. 

12. Never Hold Back (feat. Saukrates & E3) (prod. E3)

Against my better judgement, I've always rather liked this collaboration with Redman's Gilla House signees. E3's production on this joint is fun, with an electronic bounce that is somewhat haunting but also playful, and Method Man sounds far more comfortable here than he has for a while now on this album. Not to mention, E3's vocals during this chorus are actually really nice. I'm genuinely a fan of this track. 

13. The Show (prod. Self)

The ups and downs in quality on this album are some of the most far apart of any album I own - they make Nas' I Am... seem completely consistent. "The Show" is a one verse wonder, the only one on the entire album as far as I can tell, and it's dope as fuck, as Meth slides over this brilliant instrumental with a unique, effortless flow, and a performance ten times as memorable as most of the other verses he drops on this record. Musically this is awesome, and Method Man finally sounds like he remembered that he's one of the greatest of all time here - the result is easily one of my favourite songs on this LP. No wonder this was pushed as a single!

14. Act Right (prod. Rockwilder)

Sadly by 2004, Rockwilder was long past the point of remembering how to make actual music - by now he's been making concoctions of random noises that are supposed to pass as "club bangers" for so long that not one of his beats has any sort of melody, rhythm or groove that you might consider to be good. It's a pity, because the guy wasn't half bad around the time "Da Rockwilder" came out. I almost forgot, Method Man raps on here too. Yeah. 

15. Afterparty (feat. Ghostface) (prod. Q)

Aside from "What's Happenin'", this has to be the clear standout from this project, one of the best Wu collaborations post 2000 in my personal opinion. Meth and Ghost spit a fun back and forth over an awesome instrumental from Qur'an Goodman (credited as just "Q", which I'm sure he was glad about), that incorporates these violins that sound simultaneously fun and tragic, which is quite the feat I must say. The addition of GFK into the proceedings was always going to help this track stand out, and he doesn't disappoint, with his rhymes about being at the party reminding me of some of the stuff he spit on the excellent The Pretty Toney Album, released a couple months before this track. And while on "What's Happenin'" Busta kind of outshone our host, here each player is an equal, both sounding awesome, with quotables galore on this cut. Man, this album has some good moments. 

16. Crooked Letter I (feat. Streetlife) (prod. Denaun Porter)

The second Kon Artis produced track on here is surprisingly better than the first, which is mental considering that that song featured Redman and Snoop Dogg, while this one has a guest feature from Streetlife. While it is unfortunate that Denaun always has to fucking sing on songs he's produced (Christ, this man is no MJ), the back and forth on here from Meth and Street is entertaining, and the song has that somewhat menacing air to it that's present on quite a few of the highlights across this record. This isn't brilliant, but I can dig it. 

17. Ridin' For Outro (feat. Black Ice) (prod. Yogi, co-prod. Rich Mae)

Kind of reminds me of the intro and outro to Nas' Nastradamus album, only with actual music behind it this time. Kind of an intriguing outro, but poorly placed considering it feels like it's setting something up, only for the album to just end abruptly. Would have worked better as a skit before some kind of dark storytelling track. 

Tical 0: The Prequel is like working days as a helicopter pilot, and nights cleaning the toilets of the local KFC - in other words this thing has some of the highest highs and lowest lows of any album I own on CD. It's actually ridiculous how the structure of this project plays out. You have some of Meth's best solo material ever in tracks like "Afterparty" and "The Show", and a legitimate classic of the 2000s on "What's Happenin'", plus some other seriously solid moments, like "The Prequel" and "Crooked Letter I", all of which show Meth's brilliant abilities as a humorous and talented MC, as well as his great ear for beats and talent for meshing well with his guest star. 

But amongst that, especially around the middle point of this tracklist, you have what are not only the worst Method Man songs ever, but also some of the worst released by a Wu member in general. Seriously, "Tease", "Baby Come On" and even "Rodeo" are legitimately embarrassing to listen to, with their insipid instrumentals, miserable choruses, and creepy verses from a rapper who sounds like he's going through the most inappropriate mid-life crisis of all time. Just imagine if the whole album had been of the quality of the high points on here - this could have been an almost Supreme Clientele level of great. Instead we get a few brilliant songs, a few more pretty decent songs, and some absolutely terrible songs too. It's no wonder Meth himself hates this album even more than all of his fans do - he was clearly still capable of creating good product at this time, but it just seems that the label got in the way of him cooking up something truly spectacular. It's a true shame we never got to hear the original album that Meth had recorded - that shit might've been seriously dope.

But in the end, I'd still call this better than most of the non-Ghostface Wu releases of the early 2000s. Even upon relisten the highs are still obvious to me, and while it's very inconsistent, it's far more likely to pull me back in than whatever Raekwon and Inspectah Deck were up to around this time. Seriously, go back and listen to this - there just might be some gems that you initially missed in your extreme rage over the lack of RZA input on here. Just make sure you keep a finger posted ready above the skip button, because that's something you're going to want to be hitting a couple of times with this one. Thanks for reading!

Best Tracks: "The Prequel", "What's Happenin'", "The Turn", "Never Hold Back", "The Show", "Afterparty"

Worst Tracks: "Tease", "Rodeo", "Baby Come On"

Read up on some of my other Method Man critiques by clicking here!